As The Ball Bounces: Week 15

If the Patriots are in the Super Bowl, and if they be 18-0 at the time, you will not see Stephen Gostkowski attempt a pass. The worst pass in Super Bowl history was "thrown" by Garo Yepremian of Miami. His attempt to make a play on a botched field goal in Super Bowl VII turned into a Mike Bass fumble recovery for Washington's only score of the game. The Dolphins got their win and their perfect record, but Yepremian nearly blew it with this gaffe which happened late in the game. The bald Cypriot steps into one and it comes down at about the six-yard-line.

I told you Browns fans to be patient and let Romeo Crennel do his thing.

That grin on Bill Belichick's face at game's end? It had one thing written all over it: Eat (naughty word deleted), Eric Mangini.

The only thing Bobby Petrino did wrong was to not tell his players in person that he was leaving. Lawyer Milloy wrote the word "coward" on his note.

It's not Petrino's fault for Michael Vick's lack of common sense. But Petrino owed it to his players to at least stand up and tell them himself. Our former strong safety is right.

Tom Brady deserves MVP. Watch Brett Favre get it.

How in the world do the Giants, and especially Eli Manning, play so badly on national TV with a "win and in" proposition facing them at home?

The Lions are now officially back to their old selves.

So are the Chargers.

So, Terrell Owens prefers Tony Romo to go out with Carrie Underwood instead? Maybe he could introduce him to Nicollette Sheridan, and teach his quarterback interesting things to do with (and without) a bath towel.

Geek of the week: Go for the touchdown, Brian Billick.

If the Patriots do indeed run the table, it would have been a lot more fun if Miami had gone 0-16. Darn you, Baltimore.

Fred Taylor is finally getting the national recognition he so richly deserves. Honk if you remember when he was the top running back in the draft the same year Robert Edwards was the second.

Too bad Cincinnati still can't get it together. How many draft spaces did the Patriots drop to thanks to Cincy losing to San Francisco last Thursday?

The Pro Bowl is a lot of hogwash, a complete waste of time were it not held in Honolulu.

That said, congratulations to guys like Mike Vrabel, Dan Koppen and Logan Mankins for getting some overdue props.

As for Asante Samuel, what did Mo Vaughn once say? "The price goes up every day!"

Too bad Philadelphia doesn't approach all its opponents like they do Super Bowl contenders.

Finally, a JaMarcus Russell sighting in Oakland. And they lost by only seven to Indianapolis. It's a start.

What was this option offense by the Jets on Sunday? Why don't they just go ahead and draft Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards next year? How perfect: an offense which never works in the NFL featuring a hotshot college quarterback who will never make it in the NFL at that position.

Back to school: Congratulations to Wisconsin-Whitewater, for finally beating Mount Union in the Division III final (Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl) on Saturday at Salem, Virginia, after losing the last two such games to the same school. Nice running back battle between Mount Union's Nate Kmic and Whitewater's Justin Beaver, two of the best running backs you may never see someday in the NFL.

When the story of the 2007 Patriot season is written, here's hoping that the section on Junior Seau is not skimped.

When Jacksonville plays better than you do in winter weather, the good people of Pittsburgh need to start worrying about their team.

Speaking of Pittsburgh, if you really hate the Steelers thanks to Anthony Smith, two abominable things can still happen to them.

Cleveland can still win the AFC North.

And if the Steelers should win the division, San Diego can still finish ahead of them in playoff seeding.

News item: Sean Taylor was posthumously elected to start at free safety for the NFC in the Pro Bowl. The absolute right thing to do.

Here's hoping that, with the onset of cold weather, the Patriots don't wind up wishing that Sammy Morris didn't get hurt.

But it was sure nice to see Laurence Maroney hit the century mark in yards rushing on Sunday.

He almost screwed up his NFL career like Vick. Jamal Lewis could be an inspiration to the deposed Falcon quarterback when he gets out of the hoosegow.

Remember them: You're sick and tired of them. You can't wait for the Patriots to go 19-0 and flush these guys out of everyone's memory. Trouble is, who are they? Sigh, here we go...QBs Bob Griese and Earl Morrall, RBs Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick, WRs Howard Twilley and Paul Warfield, TE Jim Mandich and Marv Fleming, LT Norm Evans, LG Bob Kuechenberg, C Jim Langer, RG Larry Little, RT Wayne Moore, LE Bill Stanfill, LT Manny Fernandez, RT Bob Heinz, RE Vern Den Herder, LB Mike Kolen, LB Doug Swift, LB Nick Buoniconti, CB Curtis Johnson and Lloyd Mumphord, FS Jake Scott, SS Dick Anderson, K Garo Yepremian, P Larry Seiple. They ran the table in 1972 and used zero plays from President Nixon to win Super Bowl VII.

You don't get many teams in the NFL who lean heavily on their number three quarterbacks. Put Chicago right up at the top of the list with Kyle Orton.

Still, Da Bears seem hell bent on doing it the Baltimore/Tampa Bay way: Win a Super Bowl with great defense and next to no skill at quarterback.

You may see a lot of things on Sunday in Foxborough. With the Patriots looking at a possible 15-0 record, there is one thing you definitely won't see. Not on your old box of Flutie Flakes.

A drop kick.