The Awards Section

	Saints fullback Mike Karney scored his first three touchdowns of the season in a 42-17 win over the Cowboys on Sunday night. US Presswire
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Offensive Players of the Week

Mike Karney, FB, New Orleans. The 5-11, 258-pound monsterback had played in 43 games before Sunday night's affair at Dallas. He'd touched the ball 39 times, total, in those 43 games, and never scored a touchdown. In the first five minutes of the second quarter against the Cowboys, Karney scored twice -- on a two-yard run from an otherwise empty backfield that shocked the Cowboys, and on a three-yard pass from Drew Brees when he was uncovered. I could just hear Parcells at halftime. I'd repeat it here, except it would contain too many #^*@#s. And Karney scored another touchdown in the third quarter.

Willie Parker, RB, Pittsburgh. Imagine if the Steelers were actually in a football game the other night. Parker's 32nd carry against Cleveland came on the second snap of the fourth quarter, giving him a franchise single-game record of 223 yards. The Steelers were up on Cleveland 24-0 at the time of his final carry, so in a gesture of sportsmanship, the Steelers took Parker out and kept him out the rest of the way. In a close game, who knows? The Steelers rushed for 62 yards after Parker left the game, so he could have competed for a 300-yard day under the right circumstances.

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego. "I'm living the dream,'' Tomlinson said after he broke the all-time single-season touchdown record with a pair of short runs in the last four minutes of a 48-20 rout of the Broncos. That gave him 29 touchdowns. His two touchdown passes aren't included in the record, but all told he's accounted for a ridiculous 31 touchdowns in 13 games.

Edgerrin James, RB, Arizona. We were sure he'd never rush for 100 yards in a game. Now he's done it two straight weeks. How bizarre is this: For the second straight week, James had 26 carries for 115 yards. For the second straight week, Arizona won.

Defensive Players of the Week

Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Oakland. Before this season, Asomugha had played 47 games without an interception. He's got seven in 13 games this season. His sixth and seventh came in the first half of another hopeless Raiders cause at Cincinnati, but most significantly they came against the sure-armed Carson Palmer. The first was a great, shoetop, half-diving job, and the second, a highlight-film pick, was a one-armed catch of a Palmer fastball. Most guys don't have two picks that picturesque in a season. Asomugha had them in a half.

Aaron Schobel, DE, Buffalo. The great thing about the Bills winning off-Broadway is that guys like Schobel, London Fletcher-Baker and Nate Clements get the attention they so richly deserve. Schobel made Chad Pennington's life miserable Sunday: three sacks, nine tackles, three more quarterback hits, one forced fumble.

Special Teams Players of the Week

Donnie Jones, P, Miami. On his first punt of the day, Jones pinned the Patriots at their 3. On his second, he dropped it in at the New England 4. On his fifth, he bounced it sideways at the 4, and his teammates downed it at the 4. Three punts inside the 5 in one game!

Maurice Jones-Drew, KR-RB, Jacksonville. He could have been offensive player of the week, or special-teams player of the week. Flip a coin. Hard to imagine having a better day than Jones-Drew had. He zigged 93 yards with the opening kickoff of the second half, and rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns in the carving-up of the Colts. It was the best all-purpose-yardage day by a Jaguar in club history.

Coach of the Week

Mike Tice, assistant head coach/offense, Jacksonville. "I can't say enough about coach Tice,'' Fred Taylor said after the 44-17 win over Indy. "He has something for us every week that helps us win. We're so glad he's around.'' In consecutive weeks, with the Jags' playoff hopes on life support, Tice has juiced the running game. Two routs have resulted.