Don't expect major surprises in regular-season finale

Lots of garbage-time points in the second half. Peyton Manning leads three scoring drives in the first 20 minutes, then exits.

Strange to see it end this way. So ignominiously. The Falcons had such high hopes. You know what so many people will remember about this season? The sight of Mike Vick, bundled up in his parka, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but on the sidelines of a frigid Soldier Field a couple of weeks ago. That's not what you want to see from your leader.

I know no one's really focusing on numbers right now, but in less than two months, since Nov. 6, Larry Johnson has rushed for 1,044 yards. Imagine averaging 149 yards a game. Absurd!

Speaking of coaches getting new lives after wins in meaningless games, welcome to your new lease on life, Mike Mularkey. You're got one more year to turn this ship around.

How fitting, Steelers score 36 in what we all assume is the last regular-season game in the glorious career of No. 36. Or as the bizarrely irreverent Myron Cope once said: "That Jerome Bettis! He's no head of lettuce!"

Steve Bisciotti sidles up to Brian Billick after the game and says: "You're my coach in 2006, big boy. And let's keep Kyle Boller around another year. I think he's getting the hang of it."

The Jim Haslett Era, mercilessly, is over in New Orleans, or Baton Rouge, or San Antonio, or wherever this team is a year from now.

Brett Favre would really like to win this game. Seattle would really like to get out of Dodge healthy.

I can't see the Patriots mortgaging the farm to play a relatively insignificant game when it's quite possible this beat-up team that will have to start the playoffs on a short week the following Saturday night. And I see the Dolphins wanting this game very badly to finish over .500.

Reggie Bush takes time from his Rose Bowl preparation to find a TV with this game on it. When it's over, he turns to Matt Leinart and says: "Don't make me go there, Matt. Please don't make me go to Houston."

Is it my imagination, or do the Jags and Titans play each other seven times a year? Every time I look up they're playing. And have you noticed it's never in the game of the week?

Not that anyone cares.

Joe Gibbs is back in the Big Dance. He's not pleased to be going back to Tampa, site of the Did-Mike-Alstott-Really-Get-In-On-That-Two-Point-Conversion-Run Bowl on Nov. 13, but he'd probably be less pleased if he had to go to the Meadowlands.

I don't believe historians will treat the Joe Vitt Era kindly.