NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Minnesota All-Pro DE Jared Allen has been quiet with just one sack

The Vikings defensive line is normally thought of as one of the best in the league, but so far this season they are ranked 14^th against the run and are tied for 28^th in the league with only six sacks.

The sack stat might be a little skewed because the Vikings are one of the few teams that have already had their bye week, but attention is starting to turn to the defensive line, especially with one player in particular.

"What's happening with Jared [Allen] is that he's still in a lot of situations where there are backs chipping and tight ends to his side and what it does is help other guys and helps our pass defense," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. "Our pass defense is really improved primarily because the type of blocks we're getting from offenses right now. He's going to have a bust-out game and hopefully it will be this weekend. He's not a disappointment by any means whether it's our run defense or pass defense. People pay a great deal of attention him. We just have to get the other guys who are getting one-on-ones to step up and help us in those areas."

Allen only has one sack and has zero quarterback hurries through the first four games, who is getting a reputation as a "feast or famine" type of player.  This isn't too out of the ordinary, as he registered 7.5 of his 14.5 sacks last season in the two Packers games.

If I didn't know any better, however, Frazier came awful close to calling out every other player on the defensive line other than Allen.  After all, if the blocking schemes Frazier talks about are truly there, then other guys should be able to take advantage of that more than they have.

Either way, Allen thinks it is only a matter of time before he gets his numbers.

"There's always little things that you can improve on but you've just got to keep plugging away," Allen said. "Monday night I was there three times and could have had [Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez]. He escaped up the middle or I went this way, he went that way. It's like a cat and mouse game. Eventually they'll be sitting back there and they will come in bunches."

Meanwhile, defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, who has half a sack in two games, sounds like he is ready to be a bigger part of the defense after missing the first two games with a knee injury.  In fact, it sounds like Kennedy is either confident enough to think he should be replacing Pat Williams on a more regular basis or he is scared to death about how well youngster Letroy Guion has performed throughout the preseason and regular season.

Either way, Kennedy is ready for a change and isn't shy about saying so… emphatically.

"I'm pissed off with playing 15 plays last game," Kennedy said. "I'm pissed off being under 30 snaps for the season. I'm never a cancer. That won't happen. But look, as a competitor, I damn sure don't like standing on the sidelines playing cheerleader — 'Hey, let's go, rah rah.' (Forget) that. Not me. But if that's what it takes this year in order for us to get a championship year, then so be it."

Kennedy also described himself as "frustrated as hell."

"I know one thing: When I'm out there, I'm making plays," said Kennedy, after saying he wants to be credited with whole sacks instead of the half sack he and Ray Edwards split on Monday. "No matter how poor my technique is, that's what it's about, who's going to produce."

"Honestly, I don't care," Kennedy said. "I don't care what they think because I know I'm going to go out there and do my thing to help this team win."

I'm not sure what Kennedy has to be so "pissed" about, considering he has largely been a disappointment throughout his career until the Vikings gave him a chance to reemerge as a reliable defender.  Not to mention, he allowed to test free agency this last offseason and only got real interest from the lousy Buffalo Bills before he decided to re-sign with Minnesota.

Either way, the Vikings might want to give Kennedy a few more reps if his game on the field can be half as potent as his talk off the field.

One underachieving 1-3 QB against

Another underachieving 1-3 QB

The NFL Sports Book lines are out for us to comment on our NFL Betting Podcast , and one of the most intriguing games comes Sunday afternoon from Minneapolis, MN. With both the Vikings and Cowboys desperate for a win, who'll come out victorious?

The Vikings enter this game off a near Monday night shocker, where they lost to the Jets 29-20. Despite falling behind early, they rallied for 20 second half points, and if it wasn't for a late Brett Favre interception returned for a touchdown, Minnesota might've won the game. However, if there is one sign of hope for Vikings fans, it's that their new receiver looked sharp in limited time.

That receiver is Randy Moss, and after coming over from New England, the veteran needed no time to show that he is still one of the stars in the league. On Monday night, Moss caught four balls for 81 yards and a touchdown. Factor him in with Adrian Peterson and the running game, and all of a sudden, Minnesota's offense is looking just good enough that they might be able to get the win Sunday.

Speaking of teams needing a win, the Cowboys are desperate for an NFL Sports Book victory as well.

Like Minnesota, the Cowboys came into the season as Super Bowl favorites, and are now battling just to stay relevant in their own division.

For Dallas, the problem has been finding a running game around quarterback Tony Romo and the passing attack. Now granted, you don't get to 1-3 without everyone struggling, and Romo is certainly as to blame as anyone. He has thrown just seven touchdowns and added five interceptions on the year. Of course it doesn't help that this running game is making Dallas totally one-dimensional on offense. Currently, the Cowboys rank just 24^th in the NFL in rushing, averaging just 95 yards per game.

Despite it, what this one will come down to is defense for both sides. And despite being on the road, take the Cowboys.

Dallas hasn't been all that bad on the defensive side of the ball, and the 308 yards per game they're allowing ranks them eighth in the league. What this really comes down to is being able to get pressure on quarterback Brett Favre, and making him make bad decisions.

So far in 2010, Favre has been up to his usual "gun-slinger," ways, and it has cost him, as the 40-year-old has thrown five touchdowns, and just seven interceptions, including the costly one against the Jets Monday. If he does play Sunday (and with an injured elbow there's no guarantee he will), the Cowboys should be able to get a solid pass rush on him, especially with All-Pro defensive end DeMarcus Ware, who already has six sacks on the season.

In the end, with Favre at less than 100 percent and the Vikings reeling, it's hard to see them making a strong play here. Take the Cowboys Sunday. They haven't been great all season, but will be when it counts this weekend. Make them your NFL Sports Book pick.

Will Chris Johnson, Titans will be looking up or down in the AFC South standings at the end of Monday night?

Who will emerge victorious from the Titans-Jaguars battle in Jacksonville under the bright lights?

The team that’s triumphant will be atop the AFC South; however, there won’t be much separation from top to bottom, as separation is hard to come by in this skin-tight division

The Tennessee Titans are tied for last place in the AFC South. The Tennessee Titans are also tied for first place in the AFC South.

Not often you see a division play out like that. After six weeks in the regular season, the AFC South has become as cluttered as a house on an episode of "Hoarders."

Tennessee can thank up and down starts from the rest of the AFC South for that. Both the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts have looked like Super Bowl contenders at one point in the season. Yet, have also looked like the Buffalo Bills (Well, maybe not that far).

However, this is the situation the Titans face themselves with. A Monday Night showdown for first place in the division; and last.

What will it take for the Titans to move into the top spot and defeat Jacksonville in prime-time? Establishing the running game and saving face in pass coverage. The Titans have been burned in the secondary enough to warrant more than two losses. Nonetheless, they have kept offenses out of the endzone and kept themselves in games.

To stop Maurice-Jones Drew, the Titans will need to stuff the box more than that delicious $5 buck box at Taco Bell. When doing this, it will leave the secondary vulnerable to David Garrard and the Jags receivers.

The crowd atop the AFC South is packed, along with the crowd at the bottom. This game will go a long way as to what will happen the rest of the season, and could put a whopping one game between the last place teams and the division leaders.

WR Mike Williams is making waves as a rookie in Tampa

“I’ve got a memory like an elephant.”

—Saints coach Sean Payton, when told Bucs coach Raheem Morris hoped Payton had forgotten about the loss to Tampa Bay in New Orleans last December.

Typically, division games are tougher than others. Because division rivals face each other twice a year, they become very familiar with each other's offensive and defensive schemes and are therefore well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of those division opponents.  This reminds me of a conversation Carolina RB DeAngelo Williams had with a reporter during the week of Superbowl XLIV.  Williams was asked who he thought was going to win the Superbowl, the favored Colts or the underdog Saints.  Basically his response was that in his opinion, the Saints weren't underdogs at all, adding that he (the Panthers) faces them twice a year and that they are a lot tougher than they often get credit for.  He was one of the precious few who predicted (on camera that is) that the Saints would win the Superbowl–all based on his familiarity with them as a division rival.  It is for this very reason that the Saints won't count the Buccaneers out come Sunday.

In Wednesday's meeting with the media, Coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees both fielded questions about the upcoming matchup with Tampa Bay (among other things).  This is what Payton had to say when asked why the Bucs are a good team:

"At the end of the day, they're 3-1 because they've earned that. They've played some very tough games and battled back last week against Cincinnati.

To answer your question, number one is that their quarterback is playing well. He's a guy that's tough to sack; he's a guy that can scramble – we've seen him make plays with his feet. He's also a guy that's a threat to scramble to prolong a play and he's really dangerous that way. He has real good arm strength; he's playing with a lot of poise and confidence. They're taking the ball away on defense. They're second in the NFL with interceptions. They have very good team speed on defense and you can see that. It's a young team that is playing with a lot of confidence and you can see that on tape. Raheem (Morris) and his staff have done a very good job with a lot of young players getting them ready for this season and it's evident. They are playing well. It's not a result of anything other than that. I think it's something that they've earned and they've done a good job to start the year the way they have."

And let's not forget that Brees  worked briefly with the Buccaneers' young quarterback, Josh Freeman, sharing with him his knowledge of the position and of the game as a whole.  When asked what he thinks of Freeman after having worked with him, he said:

"He's a big, talented guy. You don't find many guys that mobile and athletic for that size. You see him avoid a ton of sacks. He can extend plays with his legs, not only scrambling and throwing, but taking off and running. A young, talented player that has all kind of potential and is playing well at this point."

All the same, this is a young Buccaneer team that is steadily improving.  Currently 2nd in the NFC South with a 3-1 record, Tampa Bay is definitely a legitimate threat to Saints on any given Sunday.  Their offense is currently ranked 21st in the league, having put up 74 points (18.5 points per game) in their four games played.  More impressively, however, is their 15th ranked defense, which has currently allowed 80 points (20 points per game).  Comparatively, they have the edge over the struggling Saints, be it ever so slight.

As it stands, the Saints are a dismal 3rd in the division and playing far below-average.  The offense is currently ranked a disappointing 18th in the league, having scored 99 points (19.8 points per game) in five games; and the defense sits at 17th, having allowed 102 points (20.4 points per game).  While there is marked improvement defensively, the offense is going in the wrong direction.

Turnover and penalty prone as of late, there's no question that the Saints offense is in a slump right now (whether Coach Payton admits it or not), and Gregg Williams hasn't been dialing up many magical turnover-causing/scoring plays so far this year on defense to help it out.  Then just when you think special teams play has finally gotten respectable, it slips up and gets gashed on punt and kickoff returns.  So what's left is a team that is just average–nothing more, nothing less.  I think how they respond Sunday will be critical to the rest of the season.  If they come out and play to their full potential,  they will.  If they come out going through the motions like they have been for most of this season, they're less likely to win.  Whatever the case may be, it's a must-win game this time, even at this early juncture.  Not only is the division title on the line, but so are any hopes of getting into the postseason.  Needless to say, Payton and Williams had better do something to rally their troops and get them back to playing smash-mouth, catch-me-if-you-can football or the Saints will find themselves just another typical, statistical team that won the Superbowl but failed to make the playoffs the following year.  It's roughly do or die time already.

Two of Favre’s terrific Twin City targets

One thing that could possibly be singled out as a reason for the Vikings slow start on offense is the ever changing group of wide outs at Brett Favre's disposal.  There is no doubt it is a talented group, but Sidney Rice's hip surgery sent a domino effect through the roster and the Vikings are still trying to decide exactly what each guys role is.

Last week was the first week Randy Moss played with the Vikings since he was traded to Oakland way back when.  The owner, the coaching staff, most of the players, and the playbook have all changed since he was traded away.  Moss is now playing catch up with the hopes of becoming a bigger part of the offense with every passing week.

"Sometimes, you lose your mental focus, and sometimes, I might break the huddle — 'OK, what did he just call?' — and that happens," said Moss, who is working with his receivers coach for an extra hour every day and is bringing the playbook home.

"But as far as 80 to 90 percent of the time that I'm in there, I want to know what I'm doing. (Monday) night, they put me in in the 2-minute and I heard a play and I really didn't know what I was doing. So, I was taught when it doubt, just run a go, and that's what I did."

Moss sounded like a guy who is determined and motivated to come back and prove that he never should have been traded in the first place.

"I was kind of bitter the way things ended," Moss said. "But at the same time, you let bygones be bygones, you forgive but never forget.

So, hopefully, whatever I've supposedly done here to get me thrown out of the state of Minnesota, hopefully, the people can forgive me. But I've forgiven the people, the organization for just kicking me to the curb, and hopefully, I'm back here to make up for it."

With the arrival of Moss came the demotion of Bernard Berrian (who still only has 38 more receiving yards than Pat Williams this season).  Berrian went from being the perceived number one on the squad, to hardly playing Monday night against the Jets.

"I'm never going to be all right when your roles diminish or whatever," Berrian said. "No player that's a competitor is going to be all right with that."

There has been speculation amongst fans that Berrian could be released or traded, but both of those scenarios seem highly unlikely at this point.

Moss isn't the only wide out that the Vikings traded for following Rice's surgery, but Greg Camarillo has not been much of a factor in the Vikings offense to date.

"We've got some good receivers, man, and they're making plays," Camarillo said of his small work load. "If I knew the reason, I would try to fix it. But Percy (Harvin) and Randy (Moss) — those guys are damn good, man, some of the best in the league."

Camarillo sounds a little more understanding than Berrian when it comes to his decreased role in the offense, but echoed some of the same frustrations with being a role player.

"The hardest part is staying mentally in the game snap-by-snap," Camarillo said. "The past two years, I've been in every snap, and then to play four plays a game is hard. It's hard to mentally focus when you're not in there.

"Luckily, I've got special teams that keeps my blood pumping, keeps me warm to go in. But when they call my number, I'll be ready."

And that is where the difference lies between Camarillo and Berrian.  Camarillo literally out-performed Berrian as a punt returner and at least has one position he knows he will play on a consistent basis, even if it is on special teams.  Berrian on the other hand is essentially waiting for someone to get hurt in order to get another chance to prove himself in any significant way.

But Berrian's role isn't likely to increase anytime soon, as Sidney Rice is only about four or five weeks (guessing here, folks) from returning to action and making the receiver position even more competitive.

Rice has improved to the point that he is now walking without crutches.  If he was healthy enough (which he isn't) the Vikings could activate Rice from the PUP List as soon as Tuesday.  In order for Rice to get healthy enough to play this season, however, he will have to do it by November 9^th or else he will be placed on the season ending injured reserve.

"Everything's been feeling good," Rice said after his surgeon told him that everything is looking as it should. "It hasn't been giving me any problems. I've been walking around and walking on the treadmill, things like that, putting my full body weight on it."

Every Vikings fan has been talking about seeing the trio of Moss, Rice, and Percy Harvin in action but there are doubts about if that could ever happen.  Rice would have to make it back this season, with Moss and Harvin staying healthy (which is no guarantee, as we know), in order to see it in 2010.  In 2011, both Rice and Moss are set to be free agents, and it is unclear whether or not the Vikings plan to re-sign both of them.

Jclombardi highlights Packers headlines.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com

Rodgers ready to go: QB Rodgers did everything but officially proclaim himself ready to play in Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. Which, of course, meant the Green Bay Packers quarterback had passed another – albeit unofficial – post-concussion test: That he was smart enough not to conversationally paint himself into a corner by saying he will definitely make the 39^th consecutive start of his career against the Dolphins.

LB Barnett on I.R.: Nick Barnett’s season is over. The middle linebacker for the Packers was placed on injured reserve Friday, general manager Ted Thompson announced in a statement. Barnett had surgery to repair a wrist injury. The Packers signed defensive end Michael Montgomery to take Barnett’s place on the 53-man roster. The team is low on healthy defensive linemen with ends Ryan Pickett (ankle) and Mike Neal (shoulder) nursing injuries.

Injury Report: LB Matthews won't play Sunday when the Packers play the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field. Assuming Matthews is out, LB Jones will start at right outside linebacker and that LBs Poppinga and Zombo will split time at left outside linebacker. Rookie DE Wilson would make his first start at left defensive end if DEs Pickett and Neal can't play. Pickett (ankle) was walking OK at practice Friday but hasn't done anything all week. Neal (shoulder) also is questionable but didn't practice all week.  LB Chillar (shoulder), was declared out.  Cornerback Shields practiced all week but might not be the nickel back ahead of Pat Lee. Tackle Mark Tauscher (shoulder) will miss another start and be replaced by RT Bulaga.  TE Lee took part in the full practice Friday and will play. QB Rodgers did everything in practice Friday and will start.  Newly acquired defensive end Mike Montgomery said he was ready to play. Also listed on the injury report were tackle Chad Clifton, safety Nick Collins, defensive end Cullen Jenkins, fullback Quinn Johnson and cornerback Charles Woodson. All are fine.

It started out like this last Sunday

And this is how it ended

Special contribution from Redskins Gab columnist:Keely Diven

So far this season, the Washington Redskins have played a conspicuously physical brand of football that has helped the team win tough games. Never was their tenacity more apparent than in week 5 against the Green Bay Packers, when the Redskins came back in the fourth quarter and won the game in overtime. Sunday was notable not only for the win, but also for the number of Packers that left the game with injury – 6 in total, including QB Aaron Rogers, TE Jermichael Finley, and LB Clay Matthews. To the teams that faced the Redskins before the Packers, the injury scenario looks all too familiar. In fact, Washington left a trail of carnage in the wake of each of its games. Let's take a look at some of the biggest injuries suffered while playing against the 'Skins this season.

Week 1 DAL at WAS

#94 LB DeMarcus Ware (neck/concussion) – During the 4th quarter of the season opener, McNabb handed off to former 'Skins' running back Larry Johnson, who was soon after tackled down by star linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Johnson was running with such force that Ware injured his neck on the tackle. Medical staff evaluated him for a few scary moments and he left the field on his own power. The injury was later revealed to be a slight concussion, but Ware came back the following weekend in the Cowboys' loss to the Bears.

Week 2 HOU at WAS

#80 WR Andre Johnson (ankle) – Though Johnson had a big day against the Redskins, catching 12 passes for 158 yards and the game-tying touchdown in the 4th quarter, he hurt his ankle during the game. Johnson has been listed as questionable since. He played in Houston's week 3 loss to Dallas, but missed the win against Oakland due to the ankle injury. He returned last Sunday against the Giants.

Week 3 WAS at STL

#39 RB Steven Jackson (groin) – Late in the 2nd quarter, Redskins' safety LaRon Landry made initial contact to bring down Rams running back Steven Jackson and other Washington defenders piled on to stop him. The hit left Jackson with a strained groin muscle and forced him to leave for the remainder of the game. Jackson remains on the Rams' injury list despite playing in the team's next two outings.

Week 4 WAS at PHI

#7 QB Michael Vick (ribs) – By far the most notable injury sustained against the Redskins. Philadelphia's new starting quarterback and the NFL's comeback kid got sandwiched between Washington defenders DeAngelo Hall and Kareem Moore after a 23 yard run at the end of the first quarter. Vick staggered off the field and Kolb took over for the remainder of the Eagles' loss to the Redskins. Tests showed damage to Vick's rib cartilage and he did not play in the Eagles' game against the 49ers. The date of his return remains uncertain. In the meantime, Kevin Kolb works on reclaiming the starting job.

#25 RB LeSean McCoy (ribs) – Versatile running back LeSean McCoy also hurt his ribs against the Redskins. He left before halftime with a rib injury after a hard hit by LaRon Landry, but returned late in the 3rd quarter. McCoy was listed as questionable but played week 5 against the 49ers.

#22 CB Asante Samuel (concussion) – The Eagles' perennial pro-bowl cornerback Asante Samuel tackled Redskins' fullback Mike Sellers early in the 4th quarter. The force of the impact gave Samuel a concussion and he did not return against the Redskins. The concussion also held him out of the Eagles' week 5 win over the 49ers.

Week 5 GB at WAS

#88 TE Jermichael Finley (knee) – Jermichael Finley tore the meniscus in his right knee trying to bring down Washington safety Kareem Moore after Moore recovered a Green Bay fumble on the second play of the game. Finley will need to surgery to repair the meniscus rather than remove it, which extends his recovery time to 8 – 10 weeks, meaning he will likely miss the rest of the season. His absence is a huge blow to the Packers because Finley had become a favorite target of Aaron Rodgers. Finley ranked second on the team in receptions (21) and first in receiving yards (301).

#86 TE Donald Lee (shoulder) – As Donald Lee, the Packers' other talented TE, dove for the end zone in the fourth quarter, he was met by Washington linebackers London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh. Though Lee came away with the touchdown, the hit injured his shoulder and forced him out for the remainder of the game. He is currently listed as day-to-day.

#12 QB Aaron Rodgers (concussion) – On the Packers' final play of overtime, LaRon Landry intercepted a pass by Aaron Rodgers, who was then tackled by Jeremy Jarmon. The helmet-to-helmet contact on the hit went unpenalized, but left Rodgers with a mild concussion. His status for next week remains uncertain, but Rodgers has returned to practice this week and seems optimistic about playing. Any time that Rodgers misses would be difficult for the Packers.

#52 LB Clay Matthews (hamstring) – Ok, so the Redskins can take no credit at all for this injury. Matthews exited the game at the end of the third quarter with hamstring cramps and did not return. He is listed as day-to-day on the injury report and could miss week 6. Matthews has had an outstanding season, leads the league in sacks, and is arguably Green Bay's best defensive player.

Questions abound in the “Show Me State”

Aaron Hooks of SB Nation posted an article yesterday about the Rams management and their disinclination to make a big acquisition.  He makes some very good points, including calling the Rams front office …

Wimps.

I don't say this to be mean. But Mark Clayton is the classic example of the low-risk, high-reward management of a team. If he was the Mark Clayton of Baltimore, then who cares? It didn't cost much. If he turns into a 100 yard/game guy and Bradford's go-to threat down the field? Then everyone looks like a genius. But when every move is predicated on being as low-risk as possible? That's when a franchise falls behind and can't catch up.

The Rams have made a history of these below the radar acquisitions – Danario Alexander (recently promoted from the practice squad, size-speed combination draws comparisons to Calvin Johnson) Danny Amendola, Brandon Gibson, Mark Clayton, Fred Robbins, Gary Gibson.  All have made a solid contribution to the Rams, but they are not top-level NFL players the Rams need.  I agree with Hooks that the Rams seem disinclined to go after the high profile players.

I don't think that the Rams being low-risk with their player procurement process, they are just being low-risk with their pick ups through free agency.  In the draft, they have gone high-risk, picking a quarterback #1 overall – a move that has a 50% bust rate.

I'm going to argue the counterpoint to Aaron's arguments.

The Rams are not taking the easy way out.  If they acquired Vincent Jackson, Albert Haynesworth, Michael Vick, Brian Westbrook, Terrell Owens and all the other stars and high profile free agents and trade targets the Rams were linked to, it would be much easier to pass the blame to the players and coaches.  The front office could say that they did their part, getting the best players they could and it was the coaches and players fault they couldn't turn that into wins.  Look at how many head coaches Daniel Snyder has gone through in Washington.

Alas, this plan they have is taking precedent. You may not like Jerry Jones or Dan Snyder or Zygi Wilf. You may not agree with all their moves, many of which have failed spectacularly. But you can't call them wimps. They've gone out and made the moves they thought were going to bring them glory. They could sleep at night knowing they gave it their best shot.

Sure they are not "wimps", but they've got bloated payrolls, bloated expectations and so far the Vikings and Cowboys have the same number of wins as the Rams – combined.   Big acquisitions are for teams that think they are one player in one position away from making a run to the Super Bowl.  The Vikings only needed a QB, so they paid out the nose for Brett Favre (twice) and now they were a WR away so they risked it all for less than a season for Randy Moss.

The Rams have a lot of talk about the 'future' and laying 'the groundwork for success.' This is the NFL. We're five weeks into the season and EVERYTHING is different than what we thought. Everything.

Including the NFC West, which is winnable—THIS YEAR. Even for the Rams. And some teams would look at the opportunity that they have, call an audible and say, let's go for it. Maybe this doesn't fit our 3-4 year strategy we had mapped out in March, but we've got a shot.

The NFC West is winnable every year if you have a good team.  Wild cards are rolled over every season and if you win 10 games, you are going to get into the playoffs.  The Rams are building a team from the ground up and GM Billy Devaney and the Rams front office is putting the focus on themselves.  They will not be spared any blame if the Rams are unable to eventually turn things around and become a playoff team.  The easy way out would be to make quick, splashy acquisitions.  Get the big name players and win over the talk show callers and the forum lurkers by giving away a few high draft picks.  Then the Rams can say that they tried and no one can call them wimps.

The Rams take the easy way out. Go for it never. Live in a cocoon of lunacy that tells them any sort of plan they have for next year won't be chanced five million times in the next five weeks.

It's time to start looking upstairs and seeing who's committed to winning and who's committed to saving their jobs by playing it safe.

No one in the Rams front office can think that their jobs are safe when the Rams have won 5 games in the past 2+ seasons.  If the Rams don't win, no one with a Rams logo on their jersey or Reebok-sponsored polo shirt can say that their job is safe.  The Rams front office will take the blame if their draft picks do not work out.  If anything, they're taking a more high risk position because they are relying on the coaching staff to develop the draft picks rather than picking up known commodity free agents and plugging them in a key positions.  In this case, low-risk does not mean they are taking the easy way out.

Coach Reid is calling upon the former Houston Cougar to be his #1 guy against Atlanta

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid proclaimed Friday that QB Kevin Kolb will start under center for the Eagles on Sunday against the Falcons.

The news comes despite Michael Vick taking snaps with the scout team on Friday.  However, #7 is still unready to return to his role as a starter.  Vick will miss his second consecutive start because of sore ribs.

Two starting linemen for Philly have been ruled out already for Sunday: Left tackle Jason Peters (knee) and defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley (elbow).

I still expect Vick to see some time, take some snaps in the "wildcat" against his former club.

Interesting stuff concerning the Eagles present starting QB: According to ESPN Stats & Information, 59 of Kolb’s 76 pass attempts have been thrown for 10 yards or less.

Big Ben returns under center Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers

He's back. Steeler fans have to be breathing a little easier today knowing that come 1pm Sunday their franchise QB will be back under center for a team that played very well in his absence.

In years past, Ben Roethlisberger has actually struggled in games where he has come back from injury in the past, but had two very good weeks of practice, so he and the defense should have no issues with the Browns. Or will they?

1. Deep Breaths early – The emotion of Ben's return along with the fact the team is a two TD favorite makes for what should be an easy win. But with that comes the concern of the team playing a little TOO emotional early, and forgetting the little things that got them to 3-1. The Browns talent wise cannot match the Steelers, and while that will show up often on Sunday, playing within themselves should be key early for the black and gold.

2. Contain Cribbs

Josh Cribbs has had success against the Steelers in past seasons, from running in the wildcat in the teams 13-6 win over the Steelers last year, to a huge kickoff return for a score against them in the 2007 season. This year Cribbs has been pretty much quiet, but if the Browns are going to even stay in this game, they will turn to him, meaning the Steelers need to make sure to gang tackle and contain him every time he is around the ball.

3. Keep doing what you have been doing – The Steelers are 3-1, and to me, there's no reason to start changing game plans or going outside the box to beat a team that is 1-4 and hasn't proven to anyone that they are all that much better than last year when they were 5-11. The Steelers should rely on the run game, play sound special teams, and unleash the D on Colt McCoy and the lackluster Browns offense. That should be more than enough to get a win.

Prediction – I said in my picks 35-3, and I will stick to it. Trust me when I say the Steelers D would love nothing better than to lay a shutout on the awful Browns, but I think the Browns do just enough to get a field goal and walk out of Heinz Field 32-point losers as compared to 35. If the Browns even hang around in this game I will be stunned, and I think with everything going their way, the Steelers should have no issues going to 4-1. Pittsburgh 35 Cleveland 3