6. I think this is what I didn't like:

a. Last eight Saints quarters: 10 turnovers, 28 penalties, 60 points allowed.

b. The Steelers not finding a way.

c. Jake Delhomme making too many dumb throws. I don't get it. He wasn't doing that last year.

d. Chad Pennington threw for 76 yards. Woe is Jetdom.

e. Gotta play better D, San Francisco.

f. Giants playing very small in a very big game for them.

g. Inconsistency on pass interference calls. It's happening again. Too much.

7. I think someone needs to tell Dwight Freeney how many games there are in a season. His quote after the 3-0 Colts' win over Cleveland: "We still got, what, 15, 16 games, 14 games left. So we're gonna keep on ballin.'"

8. I think I understand the Saints and Jim Haslett grumbling about the forced Meadowlands "home'' game on Monday night. Fresh wound. I can even understand a few leftover pissings and moanings back in San Antonio the next day. But when I turned on the late SportsCenter on Wednesday night and saw Haslett grousing about it and getting bleeped by ESPN, I just thought: Jim, you're a good coach and you're going to have the best book in you that a coach ever had, but please. Enough. We heard you the first 16 times. Now the only thing you're doing is giving your team an excuse to lose, which you wouldn't have done had you not turned it over six times and been whistled for 14 penalties.

9. I think Red McCombs, that proud San Antonio booster, needs to buy some tickets to the three Saints games there. I hear he's been slow to dial up the box office.

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

a. See? I told you about Boston's pitching.

b. When Chad Harville and Craig Hansen are the first two pitchers out of the 'pen in a must-win game in Tampa, you know the season is rapidly going down the ol' commode.

c. I have never heard a manager or coach use the word "I'' as much as Ozzie Guillen. Who could enjoy playing for this egomaniac?

d. Coffeenerdness: At some point, the only way for Starbucks to take responsibility for the outrageous prices of its products at some stores will be for junkies like me to just say no. At LaGuardia airport Sunday morning, I paid $6.14 for a triple grande hazelnut latte (three shots of espresso, steamed milk, a little hazelnut syrup. Across the concourse, I paid $2.25 for Newsday, the Post, and the Daily News, combined. Stop the gouging, Seattle.

e. The Royals should secede from the American League. I think there's a spot for them in the Midwest League. They'd have a good rivalry with Beloit.

f. I missed the first Curb Your Enthusiasm. I can't wait to see it -- and to catch next week's episode. I hear Larry confronts a racist dog.

g. Congrats, posthumously, to my father, Kenneth "Lefty'' King, for his induction into the Enfield (Conn.) Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Dad was a crafty southpaw in pre-WW II Enfield, and he loved to play catch with us in the yard. Congrats, also, to my brother Bob, who made a terrific acceptance speech. Great event Saturday night in Connecticut.

WHO I LIKE TONIGHT, AND I DON'T MEAN AL MICHAELS

I don't have a great feel for 2-0 Kansas City traveling to 1-1 Denver. The Chiefs are a better team, especially with a defense that has allowed 17 meaningful points (I can't bring myself to count the totally meaningless Jay Fiedler garbage-time touchdown pass with a few seconds left in a Week 1 blowout of the Jets) in eight quarters. So let's examine Dick Vermeil's recent history in Denver:

2001: Denver 20, Chiefs 6
2002: Denver 31, Chiefs 24
2003: Denver 45, Chiefs 27
2004: Denver 34, Chiefs 24

In their last three meetings a mile above sea level, the Broncos have averaged 37 points a game against the Chiefs. Denver's pretty much got the same offense. But the difference is Derrick Johnson and Patrick Surtain aren't the same old Chiefs. Johnson is going to be a good pass rusher. Surtain can cover better than any corner Vermeil has had in Kansas City and he's got a mean streak too.

I think Denver has to score 28 points to think about winning this game and I don't think the Broncs can do it.

Kansas City, 30-17.