As The Ball Bounces: Week 12

Bob George

Nov 26, 2002 at 5:00am ET

Gary Anderson leads the NFL in most career field goals. But he missed two against the Patriots on Sunday, one blocked and one wide left. Those misses helped give the Patriots somewhat of a cushion, so we thus send our warmest Thanksgiving wishes to the veteran kicker and let him have the honors of kicking off this week's edition. This one comes down at about the 15, into the waiting arms of…

Bill Belichick will be a part of his own turkey dinner if he sees a repeat of 2000 on Thursday in Detroit.

If Green Bay doesn't win the Super Bowl, the reason why will somehow trace its way back to Terry Glenn.

Shame on Kordell Stewart and the Steelers for letting the Bengals hang around like that at home.

Bob Kraft ought to hope his team never again plays on Thanksgiving Day. His franchise got all the publicity it needed in February.

The AFC East logjam thickens, and the Jets now look like the cream of the division.

Was there a Lawyer Milloy sighting at Gillette Stadium on Sunday?

I thought the Eagles were the best team in the NFC. Monday night sort of cinches that.

And don't say Tampa Bay. Until that team finds a consistent offense, there will be no Super Bowl for the Super Sapp.

Wind be hanged. Make them kick off, coach.

The best way to describe Randy Moss is as follows: one-eighth Harold Carmichael, one-eighth Bob Hayes, and three-fourths Ryan Leaf.

May instant replay never again leave the NFL.

The Patriots are looking more and more like a team that won't realize it has to struggle to retain the championship until it's too late.

As soon as David Carr's teammates learn "how to play football", Houston will have to clear some January dates on its calendar.

Jimmy Johnson sits down with Jerry Jones on Thursday. First question: "Jerry, looking back, don't you wish that you had been just a little bit nicer to me when I was your head coach?"

The decision to start Kurt Warner on Sunday found the fate it deserved.

Who's the scariest player in the NFL right now? Brett Favre? Warren Sapp? Hah. Atlantans will say Michael Vick, and they're correct.

Speaking of Favre, where were these four picks a few weeks back up in Foxborough?

You all can make a list of "Top Ten Most Important Patriots In Helping Run The Table In 2002". What we'd like to know is how many of those lists put Charlie Weis at the top?

Okay, Kris Brown, we're sorry about all the disparaging remarks we made about you last year.

Best Thanksgiving memory: Clint Longley, 1974, Texas Stadium. It was a performance which makes all the Neil Graffs and Mike Taliaferros of the world hold out hope that they someday can be football heroes too.

Second best Thanksgiving memory: Dave Williams, 1980, Silverdome. It took until 2002 for someone to duplicate that feat of running back an opening kick of OT for a touchdown.

Poor Al Michaels has gone from Saturday Night Live to John Madden getting messy over carving up a "turducken". And we once thought Howard Cosell was outrageous.

Patriots Football Weekly has a "Best Ever Patriot Team" tournament. Message to Fred Kirsch and crew: If the 1976 team doesn't win, debug that computer program you're playing the games on. The 2001 team won the Vince, but the 76ers were still the best ever.

Hate To Brag Dept.: It was Yours Truly who opined that bringing in Chad Pennington to relieve Vinny Testaverde in Week 2 against the Patriots would lead to a return to greatness for the green ghoulies of Exit 16-W.

Geek of the Week: Whoever told Tom Brady to go for it on fourth and ten. Let's assume it was Weis.

Who did you say Brady was tied with for most NFL touchdown passes? Did you say Aaron Brooks? Wrong. Brady leads by three now.

Thank you, Bill Belichick, for not having your team wear the blue pants on Sunday.

Honk if you still would have drafted Randy Moss in 1998.

Someone tell me what would be wrong with the Bears staying in Champaign on a permanent basis. Were games at Soldier Field ever this exciting?

Besides, despite how "venerable" Soldier Field is, howcum Da Bears have an even greater history at the Friendly Confines (hint: the Cubbies play there)?

Remember him: UMass's Greg Landry, who can say he used to play Thanksgiving Day games at Tiger Stadium. You'll see Ford Field on Thursday, and still wish the Lions were at the Grande Dame at Michigan and Trumbull.

Back to school: Someone tell those nutcases in Columbus that all that celebrating they did Saturday means nothing if they don't win in Tempe in January. Such is the mentality of that city, whose only goal in life is to beat Michigan and nothing else.

Back to school II: Boy, did Pete Carroll look pumped and jacked on Saturday after his USC Trojans laid a 52-spot on UCLA.

Aaah, memories. On Sunday, the Rams lost 20-17.

Aaah, memories. After Week 2, we called the Patriots the most dominant team in the NFL.