What about Bob?

Now that the Giants' running back triumvirate of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw has been given the clever nickname of "Earth, Wind and Fire," I was thinking about a nickname for your Newsday NFL team of reporters: Tom Rock, Bob Glauber and Erik Boland.

How about "Girth, Wind and Fire."

Rock has allowed me to refer to him as "Girth," actually a cool nickname dating back to his days as a hulking schoolboy center at Levittown Division back in the day.

Glauber would be "Wind," as in a windbag who can't stop talking. Even when the game is on the line. (At a game in Baltimore last year, as Kellen Clemens was attempting to lead the Jets in a late fourth-quarter comeback, I turned to "Girth" and said out of nowhere, "I saw a dead guy today," referencing a motorcyle accident I'd seen on the way to the game.)

And Boland is "Fire," as in Bubbling Cauldron of Intensity fire.

(Look, it's a blog. It's meant for goofing off. I have turned into Eddie Haskell because of this thing, so please indulge.)

If you want something serious, here's my column from yesterday's newspaper about "Earth, Wind and Fire," which did a number on the Ravens on Sunday.

(Yes, this is all so silly. Then again, Best is posting pictures of toilets on his blog, so what the heck.)

This is a release just sent to us from the NFL explaining the bizarre ending to the Stillers-Chargers game:

On the final play of Sunday’s game between the Chargers and Steelers, Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu returned a loose ball 12 yards for a defensive touchdown.

The final score will remain Steelers 11, Chargers 10.
(Ok, class, that covers it. Quiz tomorrow at 10 a.m.)

In response to the growing economic gloom throughout the country - and the world, for that matter - the NFL is expected to lower ticket prices for playoffs by roughly 10 percent, according to Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com.

Solid move here, no question.

And it wouldn't surprise us in the least if it's a harbinger of reduced ticket prices for next season.

Take it a step further, and the impact of the slowing economy will no doubt have an effect on labor negotiations. If there are any negotiations. The league's current deal runs through the 2010 season with the NFL Players Association. And with the state of the current economy, which doesn't look to improve any time soon, it's probably a safe bet that the players will be less inclined to agree to an extension that means potentially lower salaries due to the economic gloom.

The NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hosted a "live chat" yesterday and addressed a number of issues from fans. I see that New York Times sports media writer Richard Sandomir also slipped a question in there.

Best has taken a few days off from blogging, but I'm sure his head will explode once he finds out that his competitor was nuzzling on-line with the commish.

Speaking of "live chats," we'll have our own tomorrow at 1 p.m. eastern. Please feel free to ask any questions about the Jets, Giants, NFL, Kim Kardashian, or whatever other topic interests you. We'll try another blog simulcast on Boland's and Rock's blogs, which seemed to work out well the last time we tried it. At the very least, Jets fans can express their feelings about our column a couple days ago suggesting Chad Pennington could have had the Jets at 5-3 just as easily as Brett Favre.

We couldn't help but notice the ... uh ... curious order of Power Rankings by blogger Bob Mantz, whose Bob Mantz Blitz is exploding across this great Internet world of ours. We even suggested that there might be some hallucinogenic effect of some sort at work.

Well, perhaps Mantz isn't as off his rocker as we'd suggested. He decided to apply the complicated and ultimately unexplainable theories involved in selecting his rankings and made picks from Week 9.
I haven't checked the carnage from my own picks, but I'm quite certain he kicked the cr*p out of me. (I realize it might be unusual to hear that I don't know how I did in my picks. But once you know you s*cked, it's like checking your 401k after a global financial meltdown. You don't.)

Well done, Mr. Mantz.

Got an interesting e-mail from a young man named John Spinda from Kent State University.

He's doing his dissertation on sports fans (specifically, NFL fans) and their perceptions of each other. He'll also get into winning and losing and how it affects fan behavior.

"As a part of this, I have decided that I could get much better feedback from NFL fans online than I could ever get from a room full of college students rushing through a survey for class points," John writes. "Therefore, I would like to ask you to assist me by providing a hyperlink to my online study and simply mentioning my study on your blog. Please understand this is non-profit, academic research that will be used for my dissertation, and then potentially journal articles, book chapters, and conference presentations. Please feel free to browse (or even take) the questionnaire yourself. I would genuinely appreciate your support and want to thank you for your time.

Here's the link:

Memo to John: You will no doubt be receiving a response from our own Islander505, who I'm sure will have a unique take on NFL fan-dom. You might even get responses from BBiB!, Black N Gold, NKR, Hookslide, Bob Mantz, Craig, LTmeansLawrenceTaylor, Charlie Chilkoot and a whole host of other Glauber Nation readers. Good luck with it.

I did my dissertation on William Faulkner. It was quite enjoyable. It was a long time ago. There were barber shops back then. There were no blogs. There was no Internet. It would still be many years before I'd meet Neil Best. Or my wife, for that matter.

Halfway home in an NFL season filled with plenty of intrigue, surprises and drama, we bring you our mid-season award winners ...

Most Valuable Player: Drew Brees, QB, Saints. Has 2,563 passing yards and has singlehandedly kept the Saints clinging to playoff hope.

Least Valuable Player: David Garrard, QB, Jaguars. The Jags had an unexpected run to the playoffs last year thanks in large part to Garrard and his efficient play. But with only six TDs and four INTs so far, he hasn’t been the same guy.

Breakout player: Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins. With 944 rushing yards, this guy is en fuego. He's also an MVP candidate.

Rookie of the Year: Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons. It was up in the air whether the Falcons would win four games all season, no less by the halfway mark. It’s all thanks to Ryan. (Close second to Titans RB Chris Johnson, who leads the Titans with 626 rushing yards.)

Best free agent pickup: Michael Turner, RB, Falcons. LaDainian Tomlinson’s former understudy leads the Falcons with 655 yards.

Worst free agent pickup. Bernard Berrian, WR, Vikings. He was supposed to be the homerun hitter that would open up the offense, but Berrian has only three TDs.

Most improved: Jason Campbell, QB, Redskins. He has finally settled down and shown the Redskins why they invested a first-round pick in him. He still needs to throw a few more touchdowns (only has 8), but zero interceptions is huge.

Still something left: Joey Porter, LB, Dolphins. He’s doing more than just flapping his gums. Porter leads the resurgent Dolphins with 10 ½ sacks, matching his career high.

Rising star: Michael Griffin, S, Titans. A big hitter with a nose for the ball (four ints), Griffin is one of the many reasons the Titans are still unbeaten.

Falling star: Brett Favre, QB, Jets. With seven interceptions in his last three games, will need to recapture his form to help the Jets into the playoffs.

Golden Oldie: John Carney, K, Giants. At 44, has made 18-of-19 field goals in place of the injured Lawrence Tynes.

Comeback player of the year, Part 1: Jake Delhomme, QB, Panthers. Awesome return from Tommy John surgery. Has the Panthers in the mix for the NFC South title.

Comeback player of the year, Part 2: Kerry Collins, QB, Titans. Took over for the struggling Vince Young and has the Titans flying high at 7-0. Not bad for a former Giants quarterback who looked like his best days were behind him.

Best game: Giants-Steelers. Old-time football. Smashmouth at its best.

Worst game: Lions-Vikings. Would you expect anything else?

Best trade: Kris Jenkins to the Jets. He has been a force all season. A great locker room leader, too.

Worst trade: Jeremy Shockey to the Saints. He hasn't been much different in N'Awlins than he was with the Giants: Oft-injured and oft-complaining.

Biggest dunderhead: Pacman Jones, CB, Cowboys. No one will miss this guy if he never plays again.

I have some grown-up things to attend to for a few hours and won't be able to play on the blog, but I'd like to ask for your input on something that I'll post later today. I'm thinking egg-white omlette at Denny's, followed by a post about the mid-season award winners.

And there's where I can use your input. Looking for who you think are this season's best - and worst - performers so far.

A few categories to consider:

Most Valuable Player.
Least Valuable Player (always love this category).
Best free agent pickup.
Worst free agent pickup.
Best game.
Worst game.
Rising star.
Falling star.
Best trade.
Worst trade.
Comeback player of the year.

That's enough to chew on, although if you have any other ideas, let us know.

Maybe Bob Mantz can come up with some more hallucinogenic or otherwise unusual categories to drum up some interest. Like his unique Power Rankings, maybe he can pull something else out of a hat.

And if Best stops by, I'm sure he'll share his man crush on Kerry Collins by nominating him for a category like: "Best former Giants' quarterback whose house I once went to and who now is leading the NFL's only unbeaten team."

The Bills quarterback and the former Chicago Blackhawks goalie puke(d) before every game.

Amazing what interesting tidbits you can learn from reading one of Erik Boland's all-encompassing blog posts.

Not only does Boland write that the Bills quarterback talked about his penchant for up-chucking before every game, but he also mentions that he toughed it out for the entire media session at practice while certain other reporters wimped out when the snow started falling.

Tough guy, Boland.

(I am also fairly certain Boland knew I would refer to puke note in a blog post. He knows I'm a sucker for scatalogical humor.)

Here are a few of them, even an item thrown our way by Newsday media critic and former Giants beat writer Neil Best.
There's some interesting Tom Brady stuff and some additional info about today's Saints-Chargers game in London, home of some of the best football in the world.

Just ask Islander505.

I did a piece on bounties and the NFL for today's newspaper, although it's somewhat tough to find on the Newsday website. In fact, it's nearly impossible, so I put it here.

There are some cool stories from the old days, courtesy of former Eagles lineman Brian Baldinger, who detailed how the system worked back in the '90s.

Buddy Ryan also had an interesting experience with bounties, and Jimmy Johnson had a phenemonal quote after a game in which he claimed Ryan put a bounty on Troy Aikman and kicker Luis Zendejas.

According to a FOX31 television report out of Denver, as many as 10 NFL players, including Saints stars Deuce McAllister and Will Smith, tested positive for a banned substance that could leave them open to suspension.

"There are about six to ten overall positive tests. Three to four of them are from the Saints organization alone including McAllister and Smith," FOX reporter Josina Anderson said.

Those two are in a group of players that have tested positive for Bumetanide, a diuretic frequently used for weight loss, but also for masking the use of steroids or other drugs. The substance is not permitted as part of the NFL's steroids program.

"Most of them tested positive for Bumetanide. The last few tested positive for another substance that works similarly," said Anderson's source.

Dr. Norman Smith explained to FOX 31 Sports how it would work.

"Bumetanide makes you excrete a lot of salt and water. It dilutes the urine and makes it very difficult to test for illegal substances. There are some patients who use or abuse it where weight is critical," Dr. Smith said.

The NFL is offering no immediate comment on the report. McAllister and Smith practiced today in England, where they are preparing for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

It's an interesting idea, for sure, although we suspect it might not be greeted too warmly by the NFL Players Association. Then again, Iron Mike Ditka, one of the toughest guys ever to don a helmet and chinstrap, thinks it could solve a lot of the problems afflicting the NFL these days.

"I said a long time ago if you want to change the game take the mask off the helmet," he said. "It will change the game a lot. If you want to change the game and get it back to where people aren't striking with the head and using the head as a weapon, take the mask off the helmet.

"A lot of pretty boys aren't going to stick their face in there," he said. "If you're going to take hitting out of football, you might as well just call it soccer. That's what I believe. A lot of people will be disappointed I said that, but football is what it is. [Vince] Lombardi said it a long time ago. Football is not a contact game. Dancing is a contact game. Football is a collision sport."

A prize for anyone who can name the player pictured.

While writing about his NFL picks from the week before, Boland referenced "The Great Throwdini" from the Cold Pizza days.

Throwdini was a guy who would stand blindfolded in the studio, and throw an axe at a target with the names of two teams facing one another. Whichever team the axe landed on - or near - that was Throwdini's pick for the week.

He had a pretty good run at one point, winning well over 50 percent of the games he picked, thus showing that picking games is not quite a scientific venture.

Throwdini somehow got wind of Boland's post and gave an update in the comments section.

According to this piece about the tax plans of Barack Obama and John McCain, NFL owners will probably have a rooting interest for McCain's plan. It will potentially save millions when it comes to estate tax issues.

This means a lot to Giants president and co-owner John Mara, as well as Steelers president and owner Dan Rooney, both of whom have hefty estate tax issues to grapple with in the future. We assume Joe The Plummer is also on board with McCain.

I apologize in advance to Best for posting this, because he is generally our guy when it comes to sports business/media issues. But at the moment, he is obsessing over the continued controversy developing between Boomer Esiason and Troy Aikman. The former NFL quarterbacks used to play against one another; now they are involved in a hissing match over Aikman's alleged rooting interest for the Cowboys.

You will also notice in this article that the writer uses the word "obfuscate." It is a favorite of our favorite Bubbling Cauldron of Intensity.

The referee who was at the center of the controversy over a botched call near the end of a Chargers-Broncos game last month oversaw another questionable performance during last night's Vikings-Saints game.

The NFL hasn't yet handed out assignments for the Super Bowl, but my sense is Hochuli will not be refereeing that one.

A call to arms for Islander505, Black N Gold, BBiB!, Tony A. - even Erik Boland - and whoever else feels like weighing in on the goings-on around the league.

If you have anything to say, go ahead and say it. If not, fine ... be that way.

I'm at Giants-Seahawks if you need me.

... jot them down, if you would ... in the comments section, not just on a piece of paper.

There's always this yawning gap in blog activity at the very moment you want it most. (Or something like that.)

In any event, there is a lot that happens on an NFL Sunday, from Brett Favre throwing 6 TD's, to Anquan Boldin nearly getting decapitated, to the Titans running to a 4-0 start, to ... well, you know.

If you want to talk, just talk. Black N Gold, Islander505, get 'er going.

Are the Bills for real? In a word, yes. They’re 3-0 after last Sunday’s comeback win over the Raiders, and they’re on the road against the pathetic Rams on Sunday. If the Bills win, they’d become the eighth team in the last five years to start a season 4-0 after finishing the previous season 1-3 or 0-4. All of the previous seven teams went to the playoffs, including the 2004 Jets and 2007 Packers. Depth is a key for the Bills. Beset by injuries last year, they’re in much better position now. With return man Roscoe Parrish on the shelf, look for rookie Leodis McKelvin to step in. He was the best kick returner in this year’s draft. Offensively, the Bills are in steady hands with second-year pro Trent Edwards, who is 8-4 as a starter …

If Buffalo beats St. Louis, I think you’ll see Rams coach Scott Linehan fired within 24 hours. Linehan pulled a panic move by benching quarterback Marc Bulger, even though the bigger problem lies with a pathetic defense. Fossil Trent Green gets the start. If Linehan is fired, offensive coordinator Al Saunders makes the most sense as an interim replacement (For what it's worth, I wrote this item on Friday afternoon for the Sunday newspaper, a day before Peter King of Sports Illustrated and NBC said essentially the same thing on Satursday) ...

If the Jets don’t beat the Cardinals, this thing could spiral out of control before you know it …

With no Tom Brady for the rest of the season, the Patriots are trying to figure out a way of getting Randy Moss more involved in the offense. Moss had a career year last year with 23 touchdowns, but he doesn’t have any so far. He has just 12 catches for 163 yards . . .

Steelers receiver Hines Ward and Ravens linebacker Bart Scott meet on Monday night for the first time since last season, when Scott threatened Ward during the Steelers’ 38-7 rout of the Ravens at Heinz Field. Ward took out free safety Ed Reed and then Scott with a pair of hits that enraged Scott. “He threatened to kill me after the game,” Ward told reporters this week. “I got a big laugh out of it.” Is Ward worried? “It’s just words. Words don't hurt me. I'm pretty sure if I see Bart out in the street, outside of football, I'm pretty sure he's not going to kill me. Tell him I said, ‘Hello.’ ” Could be. “I don't have a rivalry with anybody,” Scott said. “Just trying to get ready for a football game.” …

The Titans attempt to go 4-0 for the first time in franchise history, dating back to 1960. They host Minnesota …

The Colts aren’t crazy about taking their bye so early, but it might be a good thing. After all, the offensive line is banged up, Peyton Manning is still not right after missing all of training camp with a knee injury, and the run defense is averaging 199.3 yards per game. Defensive player of the year Bob Sanders is now several weeks away from returning from a sprained ankle and knee surgery. Manning’s 59.2 completion percentage is the fourth lowest after three games since his arrival in Indy in 1998. He has only three TD passes and four INTs …
NFL games are averaging a healthy 44.1 points per game for the first three weeks. That’s the highest level since 2002 (44.7) . . .

Six rookie running backs lead their respective teams in rushing, and four are on pace to finish with 1,000 yards for the season. The four: Matt Forte of the Bears (304 yards), Chris Johnson of the Titans (276), Darren McFadden of the Raiders (252) and Steve Slaton of the Texans (159). Jonathan Stewart (Carolina, 145) and Kevin Smith (Detroit, 102) also lead their teams as rookies …

Another rookie running back will join the fray on Monday night, when Rashard Mendenhall fills in for the injured Willie Parker in Pittsburgh’s home game against the Ravens. Mendenhall, who has had some problems with ball security, has just 10 carries for 28 yards so far …

I just don’t see the Redskins being able to keep up with the Cowboys. Washington is improved, but not in a league with the Cowboys just yet …

The Lions should take a look at the Giants’ front office for some ideas about a replacement for Matt Millen, who was fired as general manager on Wednesday. Giants assistant GM Kevin Abrams, Director of Pro Personnel Dave Gettleman, VP of player evaluation Chris Mara, and director of college scouting Marc Ross are all worthy of consideration …

The Broncos’ 114 points tie for fifth most over the first three games of a season since 1970 …

Seems like it’s only a matter of time before Texans coach Gary Kubiak pulls the plug on quarterback Matt Schaub. In two games, the former Falcons backup has one TD, five INTs, a lost fumble and a rating of 50.3. He has been sacked eight times. Time for Sage Rosenfels? Not yet, says Kubiak. Schaub gets the start against the Jaguars, but one more bad outing, and he might be holding the clipboard ...

The 0-3 Browns face the 0-3 Bengals in the “Battle for Ohio” on Sunday. Some battle. The Browns are now 0-3 for the fifth time in franchise history, and the Bengals are 0-13 for the 13th time . . .

Now that Broncos center Tom Nalen is on injured reserve with a left knee injury, the Broncos don’t have any players on their current roster who played on the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl winners in 1997-98.

EDWARDS SLUMPS: Browns receiver Braylon Edwards made the Pro Bowl last year with 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 TDs. But so far, Edwards has more drops (6) than catches (5).

EDWARDS RED HOT: Bills second-year quarterback Trent Edwards is 7-4 as a starter, including 2-0 this year.

MOSS TO SEE ACTION: The Broncos will finally use former first-round pick Jarvis Moss at defensive end on Sunday against the Saints. He’d been inactive the first two games.

SHANAHAN BULLISH ON HIS OFFENSE: Mike Shanahan on the Broncos’ offense, which leads the league with 80 points after two weeks: “We’ve got a chance to be as good as anybody. We’ve got a chance to be the best in the league.” Uh, Mike, you think you want to wait until at least, like, October to say something like that?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE CHIEFS … SORT OF: On Sunday, it will be exactly 11 months since they won a regular season game. 11 months! They beat the Raiders 12-10 on Oct. 21, 2007 in Oakland. Last week’s 23-8 loss to the Raiders was their 11th straight.

EDWARDS STRUGGLES AGAIN: The Chiefs are 0-2 for the third straight year under Herman Edwards.

MCNABB STILL TURNOVER-FREE: Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has thrown just one interception in his last 219 attempts dating back to last season. He’s now ahead of former Steelers, Jets and Titans QB Neil O’Donnell for the lowest career interception percentage in NFL history. McNabb is at 2.08; O’Donnell finished at 2.09.

GONZO ON THE RISE: Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzales needs 85 yards to surpass Shannon Sharpe (10,060) as the NFL’s all-time leading tight end in receiving yardage …

GREATEST JOB TITLE EVER? The Redskins have announced that former Pro Bowl defensive end Ken Harvey has been appointed Director of Responsibility, and will be an advisor in the development of responsibility initiatives focused on education and advocacy. (If someone can please translate that, let us know what you come up with.

All kidding aside, Harvey has a pretty tall task ahead of him.

“After playing in the league for many years, I believe I have an excellent read on the demands players face on a daily basis from teammates, management, friends, family and business associates,” Harvey said. “I think young people can benefit from that experience, especially young athletes.”

Harvey will take a lead role in the Redskins Charitable Foundation’s “Fourth and Life” program, which brings graduating high school football players to an annual day-long event at FedExField each spring. Redskins players are on hand to discuss social responsibility and how they prepare themselves for life after football. Harvey will also be involved in the foundation’s “Coaches in the Classroom” program, which funds academic “coaches” to support high school athletes in area schools.

Harvey played with the Redskins from 1994-98, and was a first-round pick of Arizona in 1988.

WALKER A STUD IN BUFFALO: One reason for Trent Edwards’ success in Buffalo is the blocking of right tackle Langston Walker, whose $5 million-a-year contract raised eyebrows when Buffalo signed him away from the Raiders last year. But he allowed just two sacks in 2007 and has alternated between left tackle and right tackle in the absence of Jason Peters, who only recently returned from a contract holdout. Walker faces his old Raiders team on Sunday.

TRASH TALK IN TENNESSEE: Matt Schaub is hoping things turn out differently this time against the Titans. The Texans quarterback started twice against the Titans last year, but didn’t finish either game because of injuries.

Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who laid a huge lick on Schaub in the second meeting last season, ripped Schaub after the first game. “I think [Schaub] is just scared of us. Maybe next year he won't play against us, he'll just sit that game out.”

Ouch.

Haynesworth was back at it this week in advance of the game. Asked by reporters if Schaub should be nervous about facing Tennessee, Haynesworth said: “I would be, honestly. A team that is as physical as we are and know that we go after the quarterback, he'd have to think about it.”

Schaub’s response? “It's just his personality. That's the way this game is. It's intense and you have some fierce rivalries. It's just people being people and competitors competing. Guys handle things differently. We're going to let our play talk. We're not going to get into all that stuff.”

MACK THE KNUCKLEHEAD: Evidently, Elbert Mack didn’t get the memo. You know, the one that said you’re not supposed to go out and injure your fellow players. Mack was suspended without pay for a game after his second flagrant violation of player safety rules. He launched himself at Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and made helmet-to-helmet contact.

It was the second time in three weeks that Mack was disciplined for whacking a quarterback. He was fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness against Texans quarterback Alex Brink in the Bucs’ final preseason game against the Texans.

COMEBACK CENTRAL: Week 2 saw eight teams overcome fourth-quarter deficits to win. That was the third most comeback wins on a single weekend. Week 5 of the 1990 season and Week 2 of the 1997 season both featured nine fourth-quarter comebacks.

CAN’T WIN FOR LOSING: As if Rams coach Scott Linehan doesn’t have enough on his mind, he wound up providing bulletin board material for this week’s opponents. Linehan, who is on the hot seat after a dreadful 0-2 start, said of facing the Seahawks on the road: “In my mind we're going to beat Seattle,” Linehan said. “I’m not making any guarantees. You can call it what it is. But in my mind, we’re going to beat Seattle and we're going to right this ship.”

Memo to Linehan: You might want to keep comments like that to yourself.

In a conference call with Rams beat reporters Wednesday, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said Linehan’s quote was already posted on a bulletin board in the Seahawks’ locker room. And when Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, who is also struggling at 0-2, was asked about it, he said. “I think every coach has a certain confidence level. More often than not, they don’t talk about it publicly.”

Holmgren paused a moment, then added, “I’ll probably mention that.”

The feeling here is that Linehan will be fired later this month if he loses at Seattle and then again at home to Buffalo. The Rams have a bye week after playing the Bills.

ACTION JACKSON: Eagles rookie receiver DeSean Jackson has made quite an entrance to the NFL. He became just the second player in NFL history to start his career with two 100-yard receiving games. But he also incurred the wrath of his coaches and teammates when he hot-dogged it after a long catch against the Cowboys. After heading for what appeared to be a sure touchdown, he celebrated prematurely and tossed the ball away before crossing the goal line. The Eagles wound up scoring on Brian Westbrook’s one-yard run, but Andy Reid told Jackson in no uncertain terms he can’t do that again. So did his teammates. “We told him you can’t afford those kinds of mistakes,” Westbrook said. “I think he understands that, and I think that’s something he will grow from and get better from.’’ Jackson can become the first player in NFL history to start off with three straight 100-yard games.

STILL HOPE AT 0-2? With 10 teams off to 0-2 starts, things certainly look bleak. But bouncing back is not impossible. Consider: Since 1990, 19 teams that started off 0-2 still reached the playoffs, including last year’s Super Bowl champion Giants. (graph)
That said, you can eliminate half of this year’s 0-2 teams from playoff consideration, even if it’s still mathematically possible. Realistically, the Lions, Rams, Bengals, Chiefs and Dolphins. The teams we still think can get something done the rest of the way: Minnesota, Seattle, Jacksonville, San Diego and Cleveland.

QUARTERBACK QUANDARY: The Chiefs will be starting their third different quarterback in three games, an NFL rarity. It’s only happened three other times in NFL history (1976 Rams, 1988 Browns and 1997 Jaguars). Up next for the Chiefs after Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard: second-year pro Tyler Thigpen.

And get this: The last time a quarterback drafted by the Chiefs won a game for Kansas City was on opening day in 1987, when Todd Blackledge, drafted in the first round in 1983, was the starter. That is a mind-numbing statistic that underscores just how desperate the Chiefs are to find a winner. Other winning quarterbacks in Chiefs history were acquired via trade (Joe Montana, Trent Green and Steve DeBerg), or as free agents (Len Dawson, Bill Kenney, Dave Krieg, Rich Gannon, Elvis Grbac, Steve Bono).

Half the time I can't find my Sunday stuff on the website, so I figured I might as well share it with you here.

RULES CHANGE ON THE WAY? Referee Ed Hochuli will forever be remembered for making the botched call that helped the Broncos to a controversial win over the Chargers last Sunday. But there’s a good chance that situation will never come up again, because the league appears poised to adopt a rules change that would address the play in question.

The NFL’s competition committee will discuss the matter in the off-season, and there’s every reason to believe that similar plays would be subject to replay review, starting next season.

With 1:14 to play in the game and the Broncos trailing 38-31, Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler rolled to his right and attempted a pass, but fumbled. But Hochuli ruled that Cutler had thrown an incomplete pass and immediately blew his whistle. Replay overturned the call, but even though San Diego recovered the fumble, dead ball rules allowed the Broncos to retain possession. The Broncos went on to score a touchdown, added a two-point conversion, and won the game, 39-38.

Look for the competition committee to amend the rules and allow similar plays in their entirety to be subject to review.

“The only thing we can do is to make the rule the same as the continuing action/ down by contact situation, where you let them play through the recovery of the ball,” competition committee member John Mara, president and co-owner of the Giants, told Newsday.

He cautioned that it’s not a lock that the change will be made, partly because of concerns about the quarterback.

“The problem is that we don't necessarily want quarterbacks diving after loose footballs,” he said.

With all the controversy over Hochuli’s call, though, it’s a safe bet the league will adopt a new rule to address the issue. And if there are similar plays this season that can’t be fully addressed by replay, look for officials to consider not blowing their whistles as quickly. In fact, had Hochuli not blown his whistle until after the play had concluded, replay would have given the Chargers the ball.

TURNER ON BRONCOS GAME: IT’S OVER: Memo to any Chargers coaches, players or fans still steamed about the controversial call near the end of last week’s game: Listen to head coach Norv Turner and move on. “Anything that we talk about or anything that is discussed in terms of any of the rules or any of the calls isn’t going to change the outcome of that game,” he said. “That game is going to be 39-38 forever.

SANDERS ABSENCE HURTS: Can’t underestimate the loss of Colts safety Bob Sanders, who is out 4-6 weeks with a high ankle sprain. The Colts were already struggling against the run (181.5 yards per game allowed after two weeks), but without Sanders, it could get worse. The Colts play the Jags, who ran for 375 yards in a December, 2006 game that Sanders missed.

JOHNSON STRUGGLES AFTER, NOT BEFORE: Before signing a contract extension last summer that guaranteed him at least $19 million, Chiefs running back Larry Johnson had averaged 122 yards per game and scored 38 touchdowns. In 10 starts since, he has averaged 66 yards per game and scored three touchdowns.

COMMISH MEANS BUSINESS: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell means business when he informed all players and coaches that player safety is of paramount importance. And not just the safety of quarterbacks. “Player safety on the field is important to all of us in the NFL. Football is a tough game and we need to do everything possible to protect all players – offense, defense, and special teams – from unnecessary injury caused by illegal and dangerous hits. From this point forward, you should be clear on the following point: Any conduct that unnecessarily risks the safety of other players has no role in the game of football and will be disciplined at increased levels, including on a first offense.” Amen.

WALKER A BUST SO FAR: The Raiders raised eyebrows by giving underachieving receiver Javon Walker a six-year, $55 million in the off-season. Some investment. In two games, Walker has more pulled hamstrings (1) than catches (0).

SHIANCOE A BUST, TOO: The Vikings also raised eyebrows when they gave former Giants tight end Visanthe Shiancoe an $18.2 million contract before the 2007 season. Shiancoe has more dropped touchdown catches (4) than actual touchdown catches (1) in 18 games with Minnesota.

The referee who botched the call near the end of the Chargers-Broncos game is devastated by his gaffe, and has apologized profusely to Chargers fans for not getting it right when Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled in the final seconds.

"I'm getting hundreds of e-mails - hate mail - but I'm responding to it all," Hochuli wrote to several Chargers fans, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "People deserve a response. You can rest assured that nothing anyone can say can make me feel worse than I already feel about my mistake on the fumble play. You have no idea ... Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling. Officials strive for perfection -- I failed miserably. Although it does no good to say it, I am very, very sorry."

From a conversation with ESPN's Chris Mortensen this morning:

"I got a call late last night telling me the sad news and it was something that was a shock to me. But it was something also that’s probably indicative of the way Gene led his life. He was very quiet and very strong-willed, and pride was a word that I always associated with him. He went his own way. My thoughts and prayers are with Terri and the kidshaven’t given any thought to that. I look at Gene as just a terrific man who’s provided such great leadership to his players. It’s obviously something that we’ll have to deal with, but I’m certain that his legacy and his leadership will live on and hopefully that will be kept strong in everyone’s mind as we go forward and face the issues we need to face going forward."

How would you explain who Gene Upshaw was in terms of your dealings with him?
"Gene was a guy that had so much respect for the game. His love of the game really dictated everything as it related to how he approached issues. He fought hard for his players, he was fair, and he was respectful to everybody. The thing I always remember about Gene is he always treated me as an individual, somebody with whom he had a good relationship, and he did that with everybody that I saw. I think that’s something that will be a legacy, at least for me, as it relates to Gene Upshaw."

Within his own group it seemed like he was under attack for various reasons, including retired players. Even some in his own ranks right now wanted a change or a successor, which is ironic.
"I don’t think you’re going to find many people who did more for NFL players than Gene Upshaw. He was a leader of the union for several years and really in a position of authority within that union for three decades now. I think there are not many people who have done more for the NFL players – and I can’t think of one – than Gene Upshaw."

Handley came under far more intense and mean-spirited scrutiny than Willie Randolph ever did (I know, I heaped more than my share of criticism at the former Giants' coach).
But at least the Giants showed some dignity in parting ways with Handley. They waited until after the 6-10 nightmare of 1992 was over.

The general manager back then was George Young. He didn't sneak off on a cross-country trip and fire Handley in the dead of night. He brought him into his office and told him face-to-face like you're supposed to.

I asked Young the morning of Handley's firing whether he would be fired that day, and Young didn't really answer. Not satisfied with his non-answer, I told Young I liked to ride an exercise bike and that I'd finish around noon that day. "Should I ride the bike?" I asked.

Young still didn't answer.

I rode the bike.

I got the call from the Giants shortly thereafter that there'd be a press conference.

Young mentioned that several people were calling him trying to find out whether Handley was getting fired that day.

"One guy even asked if he could ride his bike," Young joked, declining to identify the reporter.

During the press conference, I asked a question. Young turned to me, paused a moment and said:

"How was your bike ride?"

The broadcast was carried live on WFAN.

I'm sure plenty of Giants' fans will be there, too.

And Packers' fans, including Newsday's own Dave W.

And Bucs' fans.

And ...

What a Hall of Fame class that's gonna be.

Michael Strahan.

Brett Favre.

Jonathan Ogden (who is about to announce his retirement.)

Warren Sapp.

Larry Allen.

Junior Seau (if he doesn't come back for one more season).

Wow.

Yes, we're expanding our use of the Internet here at Newsday.com, and we're doing a live chat at 2 p.m. Just go to the Newsday sports homepage and moderator Mike Rose will provide your marching orders.

I'll be at Giants' mini-camp, so there will be plenty of stuff to talk about with the defending Super Bowl champs. Strahan. Shockey. Plax. Eli. Whatever.

Also, we're open for business for Jets questions and general NFL queries, too.

See you there.

(This will not be the first live chat I've done on the Internet. I actually did one 13 years ago for The Sporting News. Really. The Internet boom was just starting at that time, and I recall doing the chat from a clunky laptop in the basement of my previous home. It was fun then, and I'm sure it will be fun now.)

Other than Spygate ... more Spygate ... NFL owners opting out of the collective bargaining agreement ... Matt Walsh ... Arlen Specter ... more Spygate ... Michael Strahan retiring ... Cedric Benson getting canned ... Asante Samuel and Randy Moss striking it rich in free agency ... T.O. missing a test for performance-enhancing drugs ... Bill Parcells sparring with Jason Taylor ... Brett Favre retiring ... Warren Sapp retiring ... Travis Henry getting released ... Matt Leinart showing up in Internet photos carousing and drinking with half-naked co-eds ... Pats tackle Nick Kaszur getting busted for illegal possession of prescription painkillers ... Marshawn Lynch being implicated in a hit-and-run accident ... Joe Gibbs retiring ... Pacman Jones getting reinstated ... Brian Billick getting fired ... Jared Allen getting traded ... Jeremy Shockey nearly getting traded ... Jeff Garcia repeatedly bitching about his contract ... Chris Baker repeatedly bitching about his contract ... and Chad Johnson threatening to bolt Cincy ... it's been kinda quiet around the NFL these days, no?