NY, NY ... city of dreams?

Have they been asleep at the wheel?
How else to explain the debacle which is the N.Y. Giants season?
I like the Giants, always have; their blue jerseys go well with my physique, but these aint no stinking Giants. These is ... Midgets.
Eli Manning is asleep.
"Plexiglas" is asleep.
Mike Strahan is sleep.
And Tom Coughlin?
Tom Coughlin has refused to even consider benching Eli Manning, but he's the real reason for N.Y.'s woes. And just think of all the other teams that want the G-men to lose. Quite a few. Well, the New York Giants face Desparation, Despair, and D.C. Sunday as they go to face the Redskins for their playoff lives. The Giants can make history Sunday, but not a good history. They could end up the worst team in NFL history to make the playoffs . Anyway, I pick ... G.

Bengals, uh, Bungles, tip their glass

The Cincinnati Bengals are holding on for dear life in the AFC playoff race (aint gonna happen). But they've got some impressive stats OFF the field as well. It all started last summer when one O' dem big sweaty Bengals got his butt tasered over a parking violation. Two weeks ago, cornerback Deltha O'Neal became the eighth Bengal player arrested this season when he was charged with drunk driving. Sort of like the NBA, but, still ... I love dis game.
http://mistux2.com/misgroup/funnies/drunk/help_the_drunk_get_home.php

MY MVP

People talk about LT in San Diego as the MVP. They talk about Drew Brees.
But the Most Valuable Player to his team is ...
PACMAN .
Adam "Pacman" Jones.
Dude, who gets his moniker from when he was a kid he used to drink milk with an unquenchable thirst, (ya now, like, Pacman) is like Dieon Sanders and Reggie Bush combined. Vince Young pulls the trigger in Tennessee but Pacman closes the caskets. He, even more than Young, is the reason for the Titans' (7-8) winning streak and faint hopes of the playoffs right now. Dude can just make big plays. The winning streak — and the big plays — started Nov. 19 in a 31-13 victory at Philadelphia. Rookie Vince Young completed only eight passes for 84 yards.
Pacman returned a punt 90 yards for a TD in that one to spark the onslaught.
Then, the Titans fell behind the New York Giants 21-0, then outscored them 24-0 thanks to Jones' two interceptions.
Rob Bironas won that game with a 49-yard field goal, then made history against the Indianapolis Colts with a 60-yarder that was only the third in NFL history to win a game. That 20-17 victory included two interceptions of two-time MVP Peyton Manning. No, Pac didn't get them but he did have a season-high 8 tackles.
Pacman then put on a show for the overtime thriller in Houston. Pac returned a kickoff 36 yards minutes after the Texans kicked the ball out of bounds trying to avoid him, and Young won the game with a 39-yard TD run that was the second-longest in overtime by a quarterback.
Against the Jaguars, Young again completed only eight passes, and the offense had 98 net yards. But the Titans set a franchise record with 370 yards in returns. Jones started the scoring when he picked off a pass and returned it 83 yards for a TD.
He also returned the opening kickoff of the second half 70 yards to set up a 27-yard field goal. What????

NFC: Who will make it? Who will fail?

Amazingly, if none of the five NFC teams vying for the final wild card spot can pull it off, the N.Y. Giants, at 7-9, would be the first team in NFL history to qualify for the postseason with a losing record.
NEW YORK has the best shot because they own most of the tiebreakers. Tom Coughlin should also be considered coach of the year, too. Think about it. His team is 7-8, but has won the a crucial 7 games that hold all the keys to the final playoff spot ( I mean, if you're just gonna win 7 games and make it, he knew which ones to show up for!).

If the New York Giants lose, then the Green Bay Packers (who have 5 ways to get to the dance) would have the best chance. And just think, Brett Favre never thought he'd get another chance to utter the joyous "P-word".
If the Packers lose, then the Carolina Panthers would be up to bat. Incredibly, the Panthers, who last week didn't even bother having a quarterback on a number of offensive plays, choosing to straddle two running backs, neither of which the Falcons could handle, are still alive despite no quarterback and no defense.
If the Panthers, Giants and Packers lose, then the St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons would get a chance. Oh, and here's why the Falcons are the
worst team in the NFL.
People keep saying, well, it's because of the weak NFC, but let's be honest: Just because Carolina was overhyped, and Seattle, which has always been in a weak division, didn't live up to expectatia, they say the NFC is weak. But New Orleans, the league's top offense, aint weak. Chicago, the league's best defense, aint weak.
In the AFC, the Broncos and New York Jets just need to win ... and they'll clinch the Nos. 5 and 6 playoff seeds.

NEW YORK STATE O' MIND

New York Giants receiver Plaxico"Plexiglas" Burress is BFN.
You know, the kind of dude that should be dominating defenders and towering over them in jump balls.
Burress is weak. He's soft. He's BFN.
You know, BFN. Big For Nothing.
Dude is 6-foot 5 and is coming off a 1214 yard season last year. He should be on pace to get 1,500 this year, but nooooo. He only has 907 with 2 games to go. That means he'll probably regress this year, and that's not good for somebody that talks as much as he does. He caught 7 touchdowns last year; he's got 9 this year, but he's just not seen as a dominant receiver. I mean, Steve "MightyMouse" Smith has a grand and some change on a Carolina team that's won just 6 games this year — and Smith is 4-foot three! But this dude "Plexiglas" got a "757" tattoo on his biceps, which he said represent his Norfolk area code.
The Saints didn't have a problem with Terrell Owens and they shouldn't have a problem with "Plexiglas". He's been known to talk noise, too.
"I don't see that happening," Burress said earlier this year when asked if the Eagles could shut him down. "They would be crazy to think they could do it. I am just going to go out and do what I have been doing, go out and make some plays."
Well, the G-men got the might Saints coming to town now. Let's see whose passing game is going to shine now? The Big Breezy or Eli Eli Oh? Michael "Da Gap" Strahan may play as well as being injured for 5 games. As for ole Plexi, I hope they put the notty dred McKenzie on him, too. From the fuzzy math going on, they say even if the G-men won their last two games they might not still make the playoffs.

DA EAGLES ARE ALIVE!!!

At the start of the season, if you would have told me that a 36-year-old, bald quarterback would be churning his team to the playoffs in Philadelphia I would have thought you were sipping on some syrup. Yet, that is just what Philly has in Last Page Jeff Garcia. Dude has put the Eagles in prime playoff position by going 3-0 and throwing 8 touchdowns to just one pick (oh, and a sick 108 passer rating). If they win, they're in: It's as simple as that. Not even the Dallas Cowboys can say that. And the New York Giants just can't make the grade. Oh, and the Falcons, they are Vicktims of their own demise.

VIN-SANITY HITS NFL

Vincent Paul Young, Jr. is making a believer out of the NFL (and hater out of the Houston Texans). Actually, he's made losers out of two NFL teams in dramatic fashion (Giants and Houston). The rookie phenom is the biggest thing the NFL has seen since, well, Michael Vick. If you remember, Vick took the league by storm and instantly made the Falcons a playoff contender. But, has the shine worn off a little bit? Or, to put it more strongly, is Vince Young a smarter Michael Vick?
The turning point for Young came in the third week of the season, with the Titans down big against the San Diego Chargers. They eventually lost 40-7 but Titans coach Jeff Fisher threw a barrage of plays at Young that he hadn't practiced. Young surprised Fisher with his progress, and the coach made him the starter on Oct. 1 against Dallas. Young started slow but has won 3 games in a row to take the city of Nashville, and the league by storm. The rookie has the Titans at 6-4 since taking over the starting job Oct. 1. Sunday, he was 19-for-29 for 218 yards and ran for a career-best 86 yards on seven carries in Houston.
Vick, on the other hand, hasn't made big news since he flipped his hometown fans the "dirty bird," after their home loss to the Saints. There's been talk that Vick still hasn't grasp the offense, despite the fact that it's stripped down to its core. Young, on the other hand, has a playbook that's ever expanding. People say Vick often runs when he should pass; they say Young always looks to pass first and then, when there's no other option, takes off. I don't know personally. I'll have to see who Young's receivers are. I know for a fact, that Vick has garbage to throw to. Actually garbage would at least catch the ball.
Also, the book is out on Vick. He's been in the league long enough now that the NFL has plenty of tape on him, while Young is still new, so guys haven't broke him down yet. Aside from being a "coach killer," (and apparently, a radio show host killer), Vick only needs about 30 yards to become the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 in a season. He should do that easily. He should also be booed easily if the Falcons lose Saturday night against Big D.

Can the Saints beat the Bears?

Let's look at the positions one by one for a comparison:

The Chicago Bears (11-2) have few weaknesses but they have one glaring one: Rex Grossman as quarterback. The Saints had almost 400 yards in their worst game of the season against Baltimore. The Bears managed a measly 107 yards of total offense against the Vikings in its worst offensive game of the season, BUT, they still won, getting touchdowns off a punt return from Devin Hester and an interception return from Ricky Manning Jr. But the point remains, the Bears can be shut down; if the Vikings can do it, then a playoff defense, which New Orleans has, certainly can.

The Saints(9-4) come into the final weeks of the season as a juggernaut. Having run circles around the Dallas Cowboys, the Saints have become, to everyone's surprise, The Greatest Show on Turf. Devery Henderson has had 169, 158, 14 & 92 receiving yards in his last 4 games and its becoming a natural beast. Reggie Bush has had 125, 131 yards on short throws that he has weaved into long receptions. But can the Saints beat the Bears?

QUARTERBACK — ADVANTAGE: SAINTS
Drew Brees is the best quarterback in the NFL. He has the highest passer rating in the league (101.2) and is on pace for 5000 yards.
Rex Grossman is one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL. Grossman is 22nd in the league with a passer rating of 74.5. He has 20 touchdowns and 17 picks.


Last Page


RUNNING BACK — ADVANTAGE: SAINTS
Deuce McAllister is on pace for 1,000 yards. And is a bruising back with decent speed and power. Although he doesn't have the yards that Chicago's main back has neither has he gotten the carries. Yet he averages more yards per carry (4.5) than Chicago's main back, which is the more important statistic.
Reggie Bush is more of a scatback that can dodge defenders and run horizontically as well as vertically. And of course, he's a defensive mismatch catching in the ball.

Thomas Jones already has 1054 yards (4.1 yards a carry) and has the quickness to make a big play. But defenses can clamp down on him and dare Grossman to beat them, which he does only some of the time.


RECEIVERs — ADVANTAGE: EVEN
Let's be honest, Marques Colston is hurt more severely than we thought; Joe Horn is raggedy and can't go for many more games now. They both need an extended offseason before they return to game form. It'll be up to speedster Devery Henderson to save the receiving corps. Problem is, he won't be able to run the straight "Go" routes now that he's burned defenders in 3 of the past 4 games. Opposing teams will gameplan against him now. Still Reggie Bush, third in the league in receptions with 79, is on pace for 100 catches and 1,000 yards.

The Bears have a veteran blue-chipper in Muhsin Muhammad, who has lost a step from his Carolina days, but is saavy enough to make defenders pay. Muhammad has 687 yards receiving this year and 5 touchdowns, which is comparable to Henderson's 654 yards and 5 TDs. Still, he has experience that gives him an edge on many defenders.

SPECIAL TEAMS — ADVANTAGE: BEARS
Chicago has the premier playmaker at special teams kick returner Devin Hester. His touchdowns on kick returns leads the league (14 yards per) and Chicago's awesome game of field position make this hands down a Bears advantage. Hester set an NFL record Monday night with his fifth and sixth kickoff returns for touchdowns this season, a 94-yard kickoff runback in the second quarter and a 96-yarder in the 4th period. But, in the playoffs, will opposing teams kick to him? Not if they're smart.

Saints veteran returnman Michael Lewis is 15th in the league in kick returning but has yet to take one to the house this year. With the emergence of Henderson and Bush, expect Lewis' role to diminish even further. But with Bush returning punts the Saints have as good a chance as anyone to be lethal on special teams. Still, I give the advantage to: CHICAGO

DEFENSE — ADVANTAGE: BEARS
Chicago's defense has created 11 turnovers in the last 3 games. Chicago leads the league with 40 takeaways - 11 more than Baltimore - after having 34 last season. They have defensive backs that are decent but there bread-and-butter is the play of their linebackers. Brian Urlacher has 3 interceptions this year and interestingly, no sacks, since he's more likely to drop in coverage these days. But don't worry, the Bears get plenty of pressure from their front four.
New Orleans has unsung bunch that is quickly garnering attention. Mike Mckenzie woke up from a season-long slumber to pick off two passes against San Francisco. Fred Thomas and Stoutmire had picks against Dallas; and the defensive line causes just enough trouble to earn respect.

WEEK 12: Quotes around the League

Well, the playoffs are around the corner:


"I could tell it was very special for him," said Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who was 26-of-38 for 384 yards. "He didn't put a lot of added pressure on us this week. He just went on with his business. But I could see in the gleam in his eye at the end of the game. ... I could tell it meant a lot." Saints whipped Dallas 42-17 in a game that was scoreless in the 4th quarter. I agreed with the playcalls that Sean Payton did but I think the onside kick was kind of corny. I think he did it to say "We gon MURDA yall!" but it was his old mentor he did it to. I didn't think it was right, especially if you're up by as big a margin as they were. On the other hand, I thought to kneel on the ball with a full 3 minutes to go was classy. Good move, Payton.



"I swear we are trying," Oakland QB Aaron Brooks said. "It's a lot of mishaps." Brooks' touchdown pass broke a streak of eight straight games without a fourth-quarter score, but they still lost to Cinncinatti, 27-10. The Bengals (8-5) looked at alot of tape of the Raiders (2-11), who have a pretty good defense and an offense that can't protect the quarterback or keep time of possession. 27-10

"However you dice it up and look at it, it's a positive — we won the game," Philly defensive end Darren Howard said after the Eagles hung on to beat Washington 21-19. The Eagles once led 21-3. "But if you keep having performances like that, sometimes you're going to get yourself in a bind and you're not going to be able to pull out a game. Those are the things we have to fix," Howard said.


"I haven't seen anything like that since I watched NFL Films," Jaguars defensive end Paul Spicer said of Jacksonville's thumping of the Indianapolis Colts, 44-17. What made it worse was that Indy (10-3) practiced all week on tackling, trying to correct the league's worst run defense. Still, the Jaguars (8-5) amassed 375 yards rushing — tied for the second-most in the NFL since the 1970 merger and the most since Cincinnati gained 407 yards against Denver in October 2000.


"If Cincy had lost, you might see a lot more celebration," defensive tackle Trevor Pryce said after Baltimore's 20-10 victory over Kansas City on Sunday. "We're looking at our division first." The Ravens (10-3) lead the Cincinnati Bengals by 2 games with 3 to play. Baltimore is the first visiting team to win at Arrowhead Stadium in December since Indianapolis beat the Chiefs 24-19 on Dec. 15, 1996.

"He is a king and he should be treated like one," San Diego left guard Kris Dielman said after hoisting LaDamlian Tomlinson onto his shoulders and carrying him toward the sideline, with Tomlinson holding the ball and waving. "That is what a king gets," Dielman said after the Chargers' 48-20 win over the Denver Broncos and the AFC West title. LT heard chants of "L.T.! L.T.!" and "MVP! MVP!" after Tomlinson's record 29th touchdown of the season on Sunday.



"If we win our next 3, I believe we'll definitely be in," Minnesota safety Darren Sharper said after the Vikings (6-7), losers of 5 of their last 6 games, beat the Lions 30-20 to stay in the playoff hunt. The Lions (2-11), meanwhile, have lost 5 straight.

"It was a great ending, just being from Houston," Titans quarterback Vince Young said after his 39-yard dash in overtime on Sunday lifted the Tennessee Titans to a 26-20 victory over the Texans, the team that passed over him in the draft. "And then being in front of my family and the fans who respect me as a person as well. It doesn't get any better than that," Young said. The rookie phenom weaved through the Houston Texans defense for the winning touchdown, ripped off his helmet and started screaming and dancing in front of his hometown fans.


"You play a young quarterback and it's very simple," Seattle defensive end Bryce Fisher said. "If you knock him down, he'll find a way to lose. If you don't knock him down, he'll look like he's on the way to the Pro Bowl." That's what happened as the Seattle Seahawks, runaway leaders in the NFC West, lost to the Cardinals 27-21 on Sunday, giving Arizona 3 victories in 4 games after an eight-game losing streak. The Cardinals' lone loss in the last month was a close one at Minnesota.


"I don't think any confidence is lost at all,"We just played bad and they played very, very well, they're a talented team. ... If you're going to have this type of game, this is the best time to have it.""Terrell Owens said after the Cowboys lost to the Saints, 42-17. Owens caught a fluke touchdown when it went through the hands of a Saints DB Fred Thomas and landed in Owens' hands at the 10 yard line.



"I didn't even know who the guys were," Plaxico Burress said on abusing and beating two Carolina Panthers defenders (one of which was on Tampa Bay's practice squad last month) on a 45-yard pass and a 28-yard TD that made it 10-0 in the second quarter. " I told one of the coaches I think we could jump some of the shorter routes and go up top a couple of times," Burress said. The Giants got the Panthers 27-10.


"It wasn't a championship game, it wasn't a playoff game, but I've grown to appreciate these more and more," 37-year-old Brett Favre said after a 30-19 win over the 49ers. "There may have been times in my career when I took these games for granted, but these wins are much harder to come by now. I don't want to sound crazy, but this one means as much as any of them, just because of circumstances." Favre tossed two long touchdown passes on his way to a 293-yard game that helped snap a three-game losing streak for the Packers (5-8).



"I've never seen him like that," Miami defensive end Kevin Carter said of Patriot QB Tom Brady, who was seen screaming at teammates as he trotted off the field as the game wore on, and again after he reached the bench. "He's always very composed and confident in the pocket. We got in his face a little bit. To see him frustrated like that meant good things for us," Carter said. The Patriots were blanked by the Dolphins, 21-0.


"It's one of those things that we practice every day. ... Get into the guy's area, you give him a head fake. They're going to miss you every time. You've got to break down, give him the tippy toes, then go on in," Justin Griffith said.The 232-pound Atlanta fullback Justin Griffith said after rumbling 21 yards for his first career rushing touchdown. He finished with a team-high 52 yards on 12 attempts as the Falcons kept their playoff hopes alive with a 17-6 win over Tampa Bay.

"It's not very often, in an NFL game, you see a player sitting on the bench eating a sandwich," Buffalo Bils coach Dick Jauron said of his out-of-gas running back Willis McGahee. "We had to get some food in him. He came back and obviously played really well." McGahee, who playfully told Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma during the week that he couldn't be stopped, had 125 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries — despite missing the second quarter with an upset stomach. He has gained 100 or more yards in each of his last five games against New York. The Bills pimp-slapped the Jets 31-13.

BCS AINT GOT NUTTIN' ON THE NFC

SAINT BUSH:
Reginald Alfred Bush II finally had the game that we all knew he could have on Sunday. Dude had 4 TOUCHDOWNS. Bush had 19 touches and produced 168 yards. Mike McKenzie finally woke up from his season-long slumber and picked off two of Alex Smith's balls, this after being victimized on a long ball earlier. Saints now find themselves 8-4 in sole first place atop the NFC South.

Well the playoffs are becoming more and more solid, except for the NFC wild cards. Let's see if we can put Humpty back together again:


GIANTS GOT SOME 'SPLAININ' TO DO: Two weeks ago the Giants became only the third team in N.F.L. history to blow a 21-point lead or in the last 10 minutes of a game when they lost, 24-21, to the Tennessee Titans. Then they lost on a last-second field goal by Dallas. Now, they must face a schedule tougher than an alley fight with a 19-year-old Mike Tyson. And that's just on the field. Off it, they've got
crazy problems
with ya boi "Plexiglass" Burress and Michael "GAPEY" Strahan. Speaking of the "Baaallinn" defensive end, the New York papers are tearing his butt up as his
divorce has gotten nasty.
Last I hear, dude was "Balliinnn" with a gay doctor . Giants? Can you say "FALLINNNnnn."
Now the wild card races looks like so:
Giants (6-6)
Panthers (6-6)
Falcons (6-6)

Panthers got their tails whipped — again: Carolina, everybody and their mama picked them to represent the NFC. I was one of the few before the season that told you that Jake "The Fake" Delhomme was going to suck at quarterback. Why? Because he's a SuperBowl quarterback 3 seasons ago and unless his last name is Young or Montana or Elway, it's impossible for him to keep his career afloat. I mean, I like old dude, cuz he's a Cajun homeboy and all. The main problem with the Panthers is him; he throws the worst kind of interceptions, END ZONE interceptions. That will kill you everytime, ask Bledsoe.

ATLANTA FALCONS: WE FLY HIGH: The Falcons, who a week ago they were under .500 after a thrashing by the Saints, have caught back up in the pack with a 6-6 record by beating woeful Washington. This despite the fact that Michael Vick and his receivers have started to
blatantly defy the offensive coaches,
making up their own plays and everything else. And you know what? It's working. Hear it hear first: Falcons will make the playoffs, Panthers won't. All Atlanta has to do is beat those pesky Eagles.

THOSE PESKY EAGLES WON'T GO AWAY: Anybody who thought Philadelphia was going to go O-for after the loss of Donovan McNabb doesn't know the Eagles that well. They still got Jeremiah Trotter, still got Buckhalter, still got Dawkins, still got Lito Shepard, and they even got a guy by the name of Donte "Inferno" Stallworth. Don't sleep.

ARE THE GIANTS .... 'BALLLLiiinnn' — OR WHAT?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03fo6CQpiAw

THE DEBATE: WHO'S THE BETTER QB?

In San Diego, we hear it's "Drew, Who?"
In the Big Easy, they call it, "The Big Breesy" now.
But the question remains, WHO DA MAN? Who got away with the better deal, the San Diego Chargers? They refused to offer Brees franchise money after his shoulder got injured in the last game of the season and the squeaky-clean Philip Rivers was christianed the "new man" in San Diego.
Or did the Saints get the better end of the deal? Brees is just in the midst of having a season like no other Saints quarterback and very few QBs have had in league history.
But the debate rages on. So, really, now, who is the better QB?
Oh, we could use stories, or we could use the argument of "who makes his team better?"
Better yet, we could say, who's Most Valuable to his team? His city? But we need to compare the X's and O's. The only way to do it short of having both of them swing it out behind Grandma's house is to compare common oppenents. This year both quarterbacks have had to throw against the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers. Below is a comparison.

Philip Rivers has 331 attempts and 215 completions, that's 65 percent. Rivers has amassed 2440 yards at 7.37 yards per clip. He's longest throw is 57 yards and he has 15 TDs and only 6 picks. He's thrown 29 balls for more than 20 yards and three for more than 40. Passer rating: 94.5.

Drew Christopher Brees has 413 attempts and 275 completions, that's 66.6 percent. Brees has amassed 3463 yards at 8.38 yards per clip. He's longest throw is 86 yards and he has 19 TDs and 10 picks. He's thrown 49 balls for more than 20 yards and 13 for more than 40. Passer rating: 97.8.

Rivers has handed the ball off to the might LaDainian Tomlison 229 times (LT has churned out 1146 yards including 21 touchdowns).
Brees has handed the ball off to Reggie Bush(109) and Duece McAllister (155) 264 times. (Bush and McAllister combined have 985 yards and 10 touchdowns).

In the Saints' biggest deficit was when they were down 35-7 to the Baltimore Ravens.

COMMON OPPONENTS:
Baltimore Ravens
Rivers passed for 145 (13-23), 8 first downs and one interception, which was returned 24 yards. The Ravens held the Chargers to 2 of 13 on 3rd down and 1 of 3 on 4th down. He was sacked one for 11 yards. It must be noted that the Chargers led the entire game, mostly 13-7, until the last 34 seconds. LT rushed for 98 yards on 26 carries.

Brees passed for 368 (24 -46), 13 first downs and 3 interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. The Ravens held the Saints to 6 of 14 on 3rd down and 2 of 4 on 4th down. He was sacked twice for 15 yards. It must be noted that the Saints were down 35-7 at one point in the third quarter. Saints rushd for 35 yards.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Rivers passed for 222 yards (24-37), 13 first downs and one interception. The Steelers held the Chargers to 9 of 16 on 3rd down. He was sacked 4 times for 20 yards. Chargers won 23-13 in Week 4. LT rushed for 98 yards on 26 carries. In the 2nd half, San Diego ditched the conservative "Martyball" philosophy and let their young quarterback loose. Rivers was 4-for-7 for 5 yards in the first quarter. He was 20-of-30 for 237 yards in the last three.

Brees passed for 393 yards (31-47), 19 first downs and no interceptions. The Steelers held the Saints to 10 of 16 on 3rd down. Brees was sacked once for 5 yards. Saints led 24-17 before Pittsburgh's Willie Parker zigged and zagged on two long touchdown runs of 72 and 76 yards. Saints rushd for 124 yards.



Cinncinati Bengals
Rivers passed for 324 (24-36) 17 first downs and no interceptions. The Bengals held the Chargers to 9 of 14 on 3rd down in losing one of the largest leads in NFL history. Rivers was sacked 3 times for 14 yards. San Diego was down 28-7 at the half. Rivers, who led the Chargers to 42 second-half points, had the decisive play with 2:29 to go. He lofted a soft toss in the endzone after scrambling to his left with two defenders 'bout to pop him. LT ran for 107 yards.

Brees passed for 504 yards (37-52), 25 first downs and 3 interceptions, two of which were in the end zone and one returned for 7. The Bengals held the Saints to 6 of 12 on 3rd down. Brees was sacked twice for 6 yards. Brees lost his leader receiver, Marques Colston, on the first offensive series and had to spread the ball around. Game was tied 10-10 early in the fourth until Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer played pitch-and-catch and an interception return made it 31-16 for the ballgame.
So, who's the best? You be the judge. Rivers had mighty trouble with the pesky Raiders last week. Young Breesy is, as they say in N.Y. BALLLINNNN (shoot the hoop) . We'll see how they act this week as the debate rages on.