• Remember when we were kids playing sandlot football, and sometimes if there was a shortage of players, the quarterback hiked the ball to himself? Apparently the Browns are looking into bringing that little maneuver to the NFL this season.

What else can they do? Three weeks into training camp, they're already on their fourth starting center. Pro Bowl pick LeCharles Bentley was lost for the season with a knee injury on the first day of camp. Veteran Bob Hallen abruptly retired due to health and personal reasons. And this week, the Browns found out third-year man Alonzo Ephraim has been suspended for the season's first four games due to a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. Next up? Veteran Ross Tucker, who just recently was obtained in a trade with New England.

I'm not wishing ill will on Tucker, but if I were him, I wouldn't be getting too comfortable atop the depth chart just yet. In Cleveland, the snap count is up to four.

• I know the Raiders are 2-0, and they only won five games last year in the preseason and regular season combined, so they'll take whatever success they can get. But has any team ever looked less inspiring in squeaking out a perfect preseason mark?

• All of us NFL pundits feel the compulsion to take an almost daily temperature reading of how the Bill Parcells-Terrell Owens relationship is going, and breathlessly weigh in on the topic on a regular basis.

I'll spare you the exercise of putting them both on the couch, because all I need to know is that when Parcells talked about his hamstring-addled receiver the other day, he kept referring to him as "the player.'' As in, "I don't know the player very well.''

OK, so Parcells didn't have a Terry Glenn moment and label T.O. a "she,'' but addressing Mr. Congeniality in less-than-personal terms like "the player'' is probably a good indication that there's still some bonding that has to take place between them.

• Who decided that NFL game officials needed new uniforms? Is this another one of those marketing ploys, where they're trying to sell more replica merchandise? What's next? Alternate jerseys? I guess I'm old school, because I don't like the updated stripe pattern. Give me the even black and white stripe look any day.

• And while we're on the fashion front, I'm not high on the Vikings' new threads either. That big wide white stripe down the side makes them look like the Amsterdam Admirals or something. If they wanted to get funky in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, they should have gone back to the old purple pants with white jerseys, like Bill Brown wore. Now that's retro cool.

• Brad Johnson and I go way back, so I think he can hear this coming from me: The crew cut look, that's just for training camp, right? If you're going to go all Johnny Unitas on us, at least find some black high-top cleats and those big bulky hip pads that No. 19 used to wear.

• Call me crazy, but I don't think Tom Brady's on steroids. Talk about your nothing-to-it story. The only things Brady and Barry Bonds have in common are their high school alma mater and the first letter of their last name.

• I'm just sayin', if Ben Roethlisberger hurt his throwing thumb revving the throttle of a motorcycle, there's going to be heck to pay in Pittsburgh. We're just kidding, Big Ben.

• I'm no conspiracy theorist, but have you noticed Jerramy Stevens and Joey Porter now will both wind up missing some action this preseason due to knee injuries?

• It's a very inopportune time for Lions receiver Charles Rogers to be missing Detroit's second preseason game with a knee injury. Come final cut-down day, Motown may no longer be Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.

• Domanick Davis and his lingering knee injury sure isn't helping the good folks of Houston forget about Reggie Bush and what might have been. But then, they really weren't going to any time soon, were they?

• The Chiefs had 111 yards of offense and scored zero points against the Giants in losing 17-0 at the Meadowlands Thursday night. Al Saunders isn't going to gloat, but after being bypassed for the K.C. head coaching job in favor of Herman Edwards, I'm guessing the Redskins' new assistant head coach/offense went to sleep with at least a small smile on his face Thursday when thinking of Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson.

• Put me down for the following call: If he stays healthy, Ravens running back Musa Smith will out-produce his backfield mate Jamal Lewis this season. Smith has young, fresh legs. Lewis, not so much.

Top Photo Galleries SI's Pictures of the Week College Superfans NBA Surprise Fantasy Studs Worst NBA Teams NFL Fantasy Studs Week 13

Most Popular Stories Tebow, McCoy, Suh, Ingram, Gerhart to New York Source: Danica reaches deal to join NASCAR Cincinnati's Kelly says he'll meet with Notre Dame Four newcomers join AP Top 25 Clausen, Tate leaving Notre Dame to turn pro