Quote of the Week

	Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo hangs his head after botching the hold on a potential game-winning field goal. AP
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"I cost the Dallas Cowboys a playoff win. It's going to stick with me for a long time. I don't know if I've ever felt this low.''
-- Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, whose botched field-goal hold cost the Cowboys the potential winning points at Seattle.

Nick Saban Memorial Quotes of the Week

Dec. 11: "I'm not going anywhere.''

Dec. 21: "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach.''
-- Dolphins coach Nick Saban.

Jan. 3: "It took us a long time to get out of there, but we're glad to be here.''
-- Terry Saban, wife of Alabama coach Nick Saban, to reporters upon arriving in Tuscaloosa Wednesday.

Jan. 4: "What I realized in the last two years is that we love college coaching.''
-- Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Jan. 4: "You know what he was as Dolphin coach? A failure. A loser. A gasbag. The tombstone on his Dolphin career reads, 'Talked like a warrior, acted like a weasel.' ... He will be remember in these parts as a quitter and a liar.''
-- Miami Herald columnist Dan LeBatard.

The Award Section

Offensive Player of the Week

Jabar Gaffney, WR, New England. The Patriots' biggest offensive problem for the first 14 games this year was wide receiver play, or perhaps more specifically the chemistry between Tom Brady and a bunch of receivers not named Deion Branch. In the last two weeks of the season, Pat wideouts caught 25 balls, for 278 yards. And on Sunday, Gaffney was aces, especially on sideline routes. After signing off the street in October and totalling 11 catches for the year, he had eight, for 104 chain-moving yards, in the 37-16 win over the Jets. "He came in here earlier in the season, about a quarter of the way through,'' said Belichick, "and he's learned all of the positions. He's played [split end, flanker] and the slot and he's a smart kid, a good route-runner. He's done a great job of picking up the system. He works as hard as anybody. He's given us some quality plays this year.''

Defensive Players of the Week

Booger McFarland, Raheem Brock, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, Indianapolis. The Colts' front line had been shredded all season. "I heard it all week,'' Larry Johnson said. "I was supposed to run all over these guys. But they've got a lot of pride.'' And, finally, some tackling fervor too. The front line accounted for 15 tackles, and 3.5 sacks of Chiefs quarterback Trent Green.

Special Teams Players of the Week

Miles Austin, KR/WR, Dallas. His 93-yard kickoff return with 21 minutes left at Seattle should have accounted for the winning points in the NFC Wild Card game. The first kickoff returned for touchdown in Dallas playoff history made it 17-13, but the Cowboys made so many mental and physical errors in the next hour that they prevented Austin, from the football factory of Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., from being a hero.

Jordan Babineaux, CB, Seattle. Dallas fans might always wonder what would have happened if kicker Martin Gramatica had gotten a good block on Babineaux amid the chaos of Tony Romo's muffed snap on what should have been the game-winning field goal. Go back and watch it again. Romo picked up the ball and began running around left end. Gramatica made a feeble and wimpy attempt to block the 200-pound Babineaux, who shucked him aside and sprinted to catch up to Romo. Babineaux took a full dive for Romo at about the five, with Romo on his final stride or two for the end zone, and shoestring-tackled him a yard and a half from the end zone. Great effort play by Babineaux.

Coach of the Week

Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator/quarterback coach, New England. There been some brilliant gameplans in the league this year -- Sean Payton's Saints strategy at Dallas, for one --but the multifaceted New England plan that put up 30 offensive points against the Jets is up there with the best. I talked to Tom Brady about what a great job the Pats did (26 first downs, 358 yards, 33:20 time of possession), and he kept mentioning McDaniels and what a great job he and Bill Belichick did in outfoxing a very smart Jets staff.

Goats of the Week

Lawrence Tynes, K, Kansas City. Talk about taking all the air out of your team's balloon. Down 6-0 in the second quarter, Tynes doinked a weather-less chip shot off the upright that the former Deanna Tynes (now Deanna Favre) could have made blindfolded.

Tony Romo, QB/holder, Dallas. Just cue up the Ralph Branca quotes after the Bobby Thomson home run from half a century ago. I hate to pile on, but his mis-hold is one of the biggest gaffes in NFL playoff history.

Stat of the Week I

Passing yards for Jon Kitna in 2006: 4,208.

Passing, rushing and receiving yards combined for Mike Vick in 2006: 3,514.

MVP Watch

Congratulations, LaDainian Tomlinson, for getting 44 of 50 MVP votes in the Associated Press balloting last week. Well-earned, and done in a classy way.

Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me

"The Dolphins have always been about winning, and it's really about winning now,'' Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga said the other day.

Miami is 49-48, with zero playoff wins, in the last six years.