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Ten Things I Think I Think

1. I think I wish I had a Baseball Hall of Fame vote. I would love to never vote for Barry Bonds.

2. I think -- and I apologize for making the first two things non-NFL-related -- a fellow I know who contributes well upward of $1,000 to Notre Dame every year told me this week the firing of Tyrone Willingham, which I considered ridiculous (all Willingham did was make sure a winning college football program graduated smart and responsible men), was due to the university's endowment. Big spenders for Notre Dame want Notre Dame to be a national championship contender, and losing to BYU and Pitt won't get the job done. Several of said big spenders weren't going to give Notre Dame money this year unless they got a guy in place who would make Notre Dame that championship contender. Will Notre Dame get a coach -- now that Urban Meyer is going to Florida -- who can build a team that will compete for a title? I doubt it. But the simple act of changing the coach and bringing in, say, a Barry Alvarez, is going to get those checks written. At least that's what my friend the Notre Dame contributor says.

3. I think these are my quick-hit thoughts of the NFL weekend:

a. You're better off staying in Detroit, Steve Mariucci. Gotta stop moving that family.

b. Fred Taylor is really good. Even though he got flummoxed by the Steelers much of Sunday night, you can see his power and movement, which is so rare.

c. Did you see the Willie McGinest block on Randall Gay's fumble return for a touchdown? He pulled Gay back for a millisecond, in effect to get him lined up so he could make a block for him. Smart team, smart player, smart play.

d. I can't help but think Houston should be further along in its third season.

e. We blast coaches for this enough, so I thought I should credit one: Bill Cowher handled the clock perfectly in the fourth quarter, calling all three timeouts so the Jags had to kick the go-ahead field goal with under two minutes left, giving the Steelers time to drive for the winner.

f. I wonder how Jim McMahon feels about Chad Hutchison wearing his number.

g. Nice game, Chad.

h. Lovie Smith is a heck of a coach.

i. So is Marty Schottenheimer. I could have sworn San Diego was one of the worst teams I've seen in a long time when I stopped by Chargers camp last summer. And now they're a couple of wins from winning the division. Just amazing.

j. What a brutal game for the Falcons. I still love Mike Vick, and I'd still want him as my long-term quarterback, but the fact is you never know what you're getting from the guy week to week.

k. I know you'll think it didn't work, but Jeff Fisher onside-kicking three times early in Indy was very, very smart. Why not? You know Peyton Manning's going the length of the field at will anyway.

4. I think Jerome Bettis should have gotten the ball a lot more than three times last night. How can a jumbo back who's been the bread-and-butter the last month be nailed to the bench when the Steelers were facing such a stout defensive front? Good thing it didn't cost the Steelers.

5. I think, for the record, this is the NFL's steroid policy: Each player gives a urine sample in conjunction with his preseason physical. That is tested for steroids. Then, each Monday or Wednesday at each of the 32 NFL team practice facilities beginning in training camp, there is a list of seven or eight players -- minimum -- who are summoned to the men's room to be tested by monitors. (Every urinalysis is supposed to be watched by the monitoring agents.) I talked to one player Friday who'd been tested three times this year -- once in the preseason, twice in the regular season. Once a player tests positive once, he can be tested regularly year round for the rest of his career.

6. I think I may have been a bit too quick to praise the Colts defense last week. I saw so much I didn't like against the Titans. Awful coverage. Just awful.

7. I think Steelers-Jaguars was one of the best games of this, or any other, season. Think of two kid quarterbacks from the Mid-American Conference, two of the cornerstone guys for the league's future, taking their teams 62, 56 and 19 yards to, respectively, the go-ahead field goal, the winning field goal and a 60-yard missed field goal that missed by maybe two feet. How much more drama do you want? Great, hard-hitting, smart game by one great team and another that will be very good next year.

8. I think these are my non-football thoughts of the week:

a. Jason Giambi. Steroids. Rick, I'm shocked there's gambling going on in this establishment. Just shocked!

b. Bill Rhoden ... please.

c. Best movie I've seen in months: Sideways. I know some wine weirdos, and Paul Giamatti couldn't be better as one. The story is real and heartfelt and worth a lot more than two hours of your time. It takes you up the California coast with two of the best characters I've seen in movies in a long time. Eminently believable. Why aren't more movies sadly realistic, like this one?

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d. Best story I've read in Sports Illustrated in weeks: Tom Verducci's piece on the Red Sox in the Sportsmen of the Year issue. Verducci captures Red Sox fans exceedingly well and writes what so many writers and profilers have missed. He includes all of New England north of Hartford. The Red Sox are a six-state phenomenon, not a one-city thing.

e. Coffeenerdness: If you have an opinion about Starbucks, pro (great coffee, convenient, fast) or con (destroying local coffeehouses, bad in its cookiecutterness, too expensive), please read The New York Times' New Jersey section piece from yesterday, calling it "the post-modern malt shop." Do I wish there were more independent coffee shops? Yes. Were there such coffee shops in my neighborhood before Starbucks? No. That's why I like Starbucks. Plus, the lattes are darn good.

f. Why does ESPN continue to feed us this Kobe-Shaq nonsense?

g. The following commercials leave me totally confused: The Capital One "what's in your wallet" ridiculousness; the Heineken spot where the guy says "I love you," and the woman wakes up, with Chris Isaak singing in the background and no one understanding the guy, the girl or the song; the dog chasing a girl up a tree, dog biting girl's jeans off, dog bringing jeans to guy, girl smiling coyly at guy. I guess this is a jeans commercial.

h. Cal got jobbed.

9. I think this is the Deion Sanders-return-to-football toteboard: Six games played as the right corner in the Ravens' nickel defense, six games out with hamstring and toe injuries.

10. I think I'm feeling guilty for not making McNabb offensive player of the week. It's not every day you throw five touchdowns in the first half. Sorry, big fella. I'll make it up to you.

Who I Like Tonight, And I Don't Mean Al Michaels

Julius Jones, it's your game. You and Jason Witten. Dallas 22, Seattle 20.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King covers the NFL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Monday Morning Quarterback appears in this space every week.