THE AWARDS SECTION

	Lions QB Joey Harrington completed 22 of 32 passes for 231 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. AP

Offensive Player of the Week

Detroit QB Joey Harrington. OK, if he's going to be lambasted for his incompetence over the past four seasons, let's give him one moment in the sun, shall we? (Even though that moment was in a dome.) Playing in front of the hostile home folks, Harrington went 21-of-31 for 231 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions in Detroit's 29-21 win over the Cardinals. Granted, it's Arizona, but here's my view: If Nomar Garciaparra was in a two-year slump, went down to Iowa to find his swing and hit three jacks in one game against the Nashville Sounds, it's still a good game.

Defensive Player of the Week

(tie) Jacksonville LB Mike Peterson, for his play in the 30-3 rout of Baltimore. The more famous players were on the other sideline, but Peterson outshined  them all. Ten tackles, one sack, one interception of Kyle Boller. It's amazing, with how well Peterson has played in Jacksonville, that Indianapolis had the linebacker depth to replace him.

Buffalo CB Nate Clements. If you want to see a textbook example of how to play tight-coverage at corner against a good quarterback, watch Clements reading Kansas City's signal-caller Trent Green in the third quarter. The stats will say five tackles, one pass-defended, no interceptions. But the guy played big. Green knows. When's the last time he put three points on the board.

Special Teams Player of the Week

Chicago CB Nathan Vasher, whose 108-yard touchdown return of a missed Joe Nedney field goal gave Chicago a 7-3 lead it absolutely did not deserve at halftime. What a return. Incredible run, with some great blocking from a Bears team that didn't give up.

Coach of the Week

Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden. I liked the call to go for two once the Redskins got the half-the-distance-to-the-goal offside penalty with Washington up 35-34. How could you not? You don't think Mike Alstott's a good gamble to make 36 inches with a good head of steam? Well, even if no one is sure he made it (and Joe Gibbs seems quite sure he didn't), you've got to hand to the second coach in two weeks who said: I've got a better chance to win this game with one play from 1 yard out than I do putting this game into the hands of an official's coin flip at the start of overtime.

Goat of the Week

New York Giants QB Eli Manning, who is going to have some great days in this league. He's already had a couple. But throwing four picks in what should have been a fairly routine win at home ... it's fairly unforgivable.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Drew! Drew! What have you done for him, other than to get him kicked off the team?''

-- A question shouted from an unnamed reporter to Drew Rosenhaus, Terrell Owens' agent, at a press conference last Tuesday.

FACTOID THAT MAY ONLY INTEREST ME

This may be my only hockey factoid of the year, so bear with me. The NHL deserves a mention in this column from time to time, doesn't it?

The New Jersey Devils have a three-game road trip Jan. 15, 17 and 19 to Chicago, St. Louis and Nashville, three cities in the Central Time Zone.

Those are the only five days this season the Devils will spend outside of the Eastern Time Zone.

That's right. The New Jersey Devils play 77 of their 80 games this year in the Eastern Time Zone.

Is this the EHL or the NHL? Doesn't it seem absurd that the National Hockey League has become the Regional Hockey League?

AGGRAVATING/ENJOYABLE TRAVEL NOTE OF THE WEEK

In the terminal at Denver International Airport Monday, a voice on the loudspeaker said: "Will the owner of a fluffy white dog please report to baggage claim number 14. Fluffy white dog, baggage claim number 14.''

STAT OF THE WEEK I

Want to know why the balance of power in the AFC has turned upside down?

Games missed by defensive starters due to injury in 2005:
Indianapolis (9-0): 2
New England (5-4): 31

An Indy asterisk: Joseph Jefferson was slated to start at the safety spot now manned by Mike Doss, but he has been sidelined with a toe injury. I don't count him because Doss was the starter there last year. Jefferson was making the switch from corner to safety, so he was going to be a first-time starter there. The two missed starts are from Montae Reagor, and those hardly hurt because of the Colts strong four-man rotation at defensive tackle.

The Patriots are starting their fifth strong safety, Michael Stone. This figure includes Tedy Bruschi, even though he didn't start the season as a starter. The list: Bruschi 6, Tyrone Poole 8, Rodney Harrison 6, Richard Seymour 4, Guss Scott 4, James Sanders 3.

STAT OF THE WEEK II

The Arizona Cardinals got their first rushing touchdown of the season on Sunday. In Week 10. Third quarter: J.J. Arrington burrowed in from a yard. Imagine getting your first rushing touchdown as a team on Nov. 13.