NFL News And Notes: Week 9

Go out and find some bandwagon Dolphin fan (in other words, someone who loves the Fish but has never set foot in South Florida) and ask them this question: Whom did Garo Yepremian replace as Dolphin kicker? Yepremian was perhaps the most heralded kicker in team history (though Olindo Mare is getting up there in stature). He replaced someone with a lot less stature in 1970, a kicker from Tennessee named Karl Kremser. Kremser kicked for the Fish in 1969, made all but one PAT and 13 of 22 field goals. He played in one game in 1970, then yielded his job to Yepremian. That was Kremser's whole career. So, call up your favorite Fish fan and ask them if they know who Kremser is. They may not know who Yepremian is. Kremser skies one to about the five-yard line.

Either way, whether the play scores or not, Dick Vermeil would be crying at the postgame press conference.

Seriously, his tears came from his giving the game ball to Trent Green's family, whose father passed away recently. Nothing wrong with the fatherly treatment Vermeil gives his players.

Like 2002, the Kraft family has a second team in its league final. The Revs get the Galaxy again, just like in 2002, but this time near Dallas instead of at home. Maybe this time Taylor Twellman will get the game-winner instead of one of the other guys.

Nice tribute to Pat Tillman in Tempe on Sunday. Too bad that the Cardinals had to follow it up by playing their brand of football.

It's becoming more and more evident that the Patriots had something other than football on their minds the day San Diego came to town and whipped them.

Good thing the Patriots played Pittsburgh at Heinz instead of Gillette. How many consecutive road games have the Steelers won?

That glazed look on Wayne Chrebet's face was frightening as all get out.

Geek of the week: Let's just make this award perpetual and stop giving it out to various players. We could just give it to Terrell Owens every week and it would be appropriate.

And don't you just know that Al Davis is licking his chops and looking forward to his new high maintenance tandem of Moss and Owens. Yeesh.

Mike Nolan is one cranky guy. And this is only year one in San Francisco.

One word describes Ed Reed and Ray Lewis having to watch the Ravens lose from the sidelines: Helpless.

Whoever said back in Week 2 that Carolina was a weak opponent for the Patriots looks pretty stupid right now.

Looks like Cincinnati has shaken off that home loss to the Steelers from a few weeks back.

Now, all Joe Gibbs needs is for Daniel Snyder to sell the team, and then life in Hogville will be good once again.

Looks like the good people of Louisiana still have too much to deal with and think about as opposed to making the drive to Baton Rouge to see the Saints lose again.

Say what you want about David Carr, but Corey Bradford has to make that catch.

Another holdover from the 1996 AFC Championship Game in Foxborough, Mark Brunell, is alive and kicking with the Redskins.

LaDainian Tomlinson deked Ty Law out of his jock, and all of Patriot Nation stood up and cheered.

And gave thanks that Tya has plenty to eat.

Back to school: Say goodbye to the top 25, Boston College.

If beating the Patriots wasn't enough motivation for Peyton Manning, fearing little brother Eli outplaying him should have been.

Take away Indianapolis and their 8-0 record, and who's the dominant team in the NFL? Hope springs eternal for the Patriots.

When Brett Favre retires, Green Bay will quickly return to the days of Scott Hunter. At least it will seem that way.

116 yards on 20 carries. That'll make Cleveland fans forget Reuben Droughns getting busted for drunk driving quick.

A good quick way for Minnesota to right its ship (no pun intended) is to play the Detroit Lions.

Tennessee can't be this bad, can they?

Last time Da Bears made the playoffs (2001), Dick Jauron was coach of the year, but eventual Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick was the best choice.

That 2001 Bears team was the worst 13-3 team in history.

Miami needs to take at least one more week before it finds its offensive feet.

Too bad for the Dolphins that the best quarterback on hand Sunday was being honored for his Hall of Fame induction at halftime.

Philly needed to win Sunday night. Too bad they didn't. Mike Patrick of ESPN correctly called Owens "a selfish jerk".

Remember him: Jimmy Cefalo came out of Penn State as one of Chuck Fusina's favorite targets. He embarked on a seven-year NFL career exclusively as a Miami Dolphin, and became a solid receiver who toiled in the shadows of Nat Moore, Duriel Harris, Mark Clayton and Mark Duper. His playing career ended in Palo Alto, California, with one catch for 14 yards in Dan Marino's only Super Bowl, losing to the 49ers 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX. But what many people forget is that Cefalo went on to decent career in television with NBC as a sports reporter. He came off terrific, with a soft, smooth voice and photogenically good looks. Today he is a local sports anchor in Miami, and now along with former teammates Moore and Joe Rose, has supplanted former Celtics announcer Howard David as the new radio voice of the Dolphins.

Is that Duane Starks we hear complaining? Tell him to shut up or get spanked.

Is that a Patriot fan saying "Whew. Miami. Finally, we got an easy one!"? You're next in line for the paddle.