Ten Things I Think I Think

	Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard has thrown seven touchdowns and just one interception this season. US Presswire
	MAILBAG Peter King will answer your questions each week in Monday Morning Quarterback: Tuesday Edition. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

1. I think these are my quick-hit thoughts of Week 7:

a. Enough with the cheesesteak obsession, Fox. Talk about your basic dead-horse beating. We understand. It can be hot in Tampa in October. There's a news flash.

b. The reason you should never listen to me re: fantasy advice: I said last week that I'd rather play Frank Gifford than Larry Johnson.

c. Damon Huard is making himself a lot of money right now. Two great touchdown throws Sunday to help stun the Chargers.

d. Donovan McNabb did play very well in the last 20 minutes at Tampa, but his two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns doomed Philadelphia.

e. Falcons wideouts drop too many balls. Not saying Vick doesn't throw some bad balls, but I'd bet the Falcons average three drops a week.

f. It's hardly the right week to say Carson Palmer looks uncomfortable back there, but Carson Palmer looks uncomfortable back there.

g. If the Redskins don't go with Jason Campbell now, what they are saying is: We refuse to make a change even though our season is on the line. We have a bye this week and can effect positive change. Or something like that. I don't know how a limited-mobility quarterback like Mark Brunell can flourish against the defensive pressure of Dallas, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay (well, the Bucs are just OK), Carolina, Atlanta and Philly again. In succession.

h. All those who predicted the Jets would be three games north of the Dolphins on the opening weekend of the World Series, raise your hands. Put your hand down, Mrs. Mangini.

2. I think Shawne Merriman must be an idiot to think you can use performance-enhancing stuff and get away with it -- surely some NFL players do, but it's Russian roulette, and you're not protected just because you're Shawne Merriman.

You know what the worst thing was, in retrospect, about the Carolina Panthers using and getting away with steroids in 2003? That it emboldened players who read about it and heard about it and said, "Hey, I can figure a way to get away with it too. I can raise my testosterone level without getting caught.'' The best thing about Merriman getting banned is that it should send a message that the steroid program actually catches players, and good ones.

3. I think from talking with sidelined Kansas City quarterback Trent Green Saturday night, it sounds like he's weeks away from playing football. "I don't have the OK from my neurologist for contact yet," he said, "and that may not come for a couple of weeks.'' Green has only been able to walk on the treadmill and use the elliptical trainer for the last couple of weeks. He should be cleared to run this week.

The most interesting two things he said were these: Though he won't speak critically of Robert Geathers for plowing him into the turf on Sept. 10 and giving him the severe concussion, he does think Geathers could have avoided hitting him as hard as he did. "If you look at the tape,'' Green said, "you see another [Bengal] pull up and avoid hitting me once I got into my slide. But that's football. These things are going to happen.'' And he said he dreads thinking about how bad the hit would have been had Arrowhead Stadium not been a grass field. "The injury would have been a lot more severe on artificial turf," he said.

4. I think the most fan-notable thing at the fall league meeting in New Orleans on Tuesday will be whether the owners vote to play up to nine regular-season games over the next five years outside the United States. Owners could vote for up to two games a year on foreign soil, including in Toronto, Mexico City, England or Germany.

I think it's going to be tough sledding to schedule a game in Europe, even if owners are assuaged that their team would have a bye the week after the game. Too much disruption to the normal schedule. I thought the Bucs would be a logical candidate to play in England because of the Malcolm Glazer-Manchester United connection, but Tampa Bay's schedule doesn't look like it will line up the right way.

In short, the problem in passing this vote is that you're not going to find many teams -- or any, perhaps -- that want to make the trip out of the country. Dallas might want to play one in Mexico. Buffalo might want to play one in Toronto. Other than that, I'd be stunned if there were volunteers to play outside the United States.

5. I think this is what I liked about Week 7:

a. A.J. Hawk's sideline-to-sideline, 12-tackle performance at Miami. He's rangy and totally unafraid.

b. Larry Johnson's tremendous day (28 carries, 132 yards) against a very tough Chargers front. You know what Kansas City looked like to me? Martyballers. They were going to run if it was the last thing they did.

c. Chad Johnson might be seething over having one touchdown at this point in the season, but the honest way he's running his routes and clearing out for lesser players is making the Bengals survivors while they wait for their line to get healthy and their passing game to follow.

d. I really like how the Eagles aren't making excuses. I talked with Brian Dawkins after the heartbreaker in Tampa and he said, "We can't afford to think anything other than this is a bump in the road. We're too good a team not to. We've got to realize if we don't play a 60-minute game, anyone can beat us, and that's what happened to us.''

e. Wali Lundy is a keeper. Not just because of his production Sunday (19 carries, 93 yards) but because of the way he runs. He's gritty, and if he has to take a big hit to get the extra foot, he'll do it. We know the upside of Ron Dayne. Gary Kubiak should give Lundy half a season to see if he can be Houston's back of the future.

f. Minnesota's pluck. Congratulations, Brad Childress. You're really making a difference.

g. I know Leon Washington is 5-foot-8, but there have been enough backs in that size range (Joe Morris, Barry Sanders, Tiki Barber) that the Jets may have found their answer at running back. He's a dangerous guy in the open field.

h. The New England defensive line can really control a game. Watch the line's effort in Buffalo. Vince Wilfork's a horse.

i. Game of the Year: Bears 24, Cards 23.

j. Son of Game of the Year: Falcons 41, Steelers 38. "Those games are great,'' Alge Crumpler said, "when you win them.''

k. Mike Vick.