6. I think the Saints are going to win the NFC South.

7. I think if Roger Goodell lets Pacman Jones put on a uniform this year, he's nuts. And I'm told he won't. Because, if you remember, Goodell's original punishment of the troubled Titans cornerback was a year's suspension, with the chance of having it cut to 10 games if Jones got into no more trouble. Well, since Goodell meted out his punishment, two more cases against Jones are flourishing, particularly the felony case in Las Vegas in which a bouncer was shot and paralyzed. My feeling is that Jones will be lucky to be in uniform, anywhere in the NFL, on opening day 2008.

8. I think this is what I liked about Week 9:

a. Reggie Bush is playing better and running more physically this year than last.

b. Leon "Devin Hester'' Washington got his third kick return for touchdown against the Redskins. What a threat he is.

c. Earnest Graham (last three games: 278 yards) is justifying Jon Gruden's faith in him. Instead of running recently acquired Michael Bennett 'til he drops, the Tampa Bay coach is giving Graham a chance to be his every-down back, and Graham is playing like a starter. Tough guy to bring down.

d. Al Harris is not the best corner in football, and I know he's got only two or three productive years left, but if I could pick four cornerbacks to start a football team with, I'd pick Harris as one of them. He's the kind of physical and clingy corner every team needs.

e. Can anyone block Aaron Kampman? Anyone?

f. Kansas City defensive tackle Alfonso Boone is a load. His very slight deflection of Favre's late first-half pass lead to an interception by Benny Sapp, which the Chiefs converted into a rushing touchdown with 15 second left in the half.

g. Kenny Watson looks like a better player, rushing and receiving, than Rudi Johnson.

h. Adrian Peterson is such a threat that when the Vikings fake a pitch to him on a kickoff, of all things, the middle of the field opens for a long kickoff return. Smart call by Vikes special-teams coordinator Paul Ferraro.

i. The San Diego punt coverage team should put a player in the Pro Bowl.

j. Speaking of the all-star game no one cares about, If Donald Lee doesn't make the Pro Bowl as one of the three NFC tight ends, the voters -- public, players and coaches -- don't know what they're doing. He's strong, fast and sure-handed.

k. What a beautiful interception of Brady by safety Antoine Bethea, late in the first half of the Big Game. Bethea cut in front of Donte' Stallworth and owned the ball, not letting Stallworth break it up. Great play.

9. I think this is what I didn't like about Week 9:

a. Not a big fan of the Jon Kitna Halloween costume. Not at all.

b. You can't drop interceptions in must-win games like that, Mike McKenzie. Good thing you made it up later in the game with the long return for touchdown off Quinn Gray.

c. Half the time watching Tarvaris Jackson throw the ball, I'm wondering which team he's aiming for.

d. Seattle's defense. Seattle's running game. I can't believe what I see when I watch the Seahawks play. They look nothing like the team I saw in camp.

e. I'm not going to make a big deal of it, because the Colts, obviously, gave the Patriots a great game. But you can't call yourself a team for the ages if you blow a 10-point lead at home in the last nine minutes of a game, and you turn the ball over when you have a chance to go ahead in the final four minutes.

f. The Eagles didn't look much like the Eagles on Sunday night. What happened to that Jim Johnson D? Looks like their linebackers are getting manhandled.

g. And Jim Johnson, or someone, let Terrell Owens off the line uncovered early in the second half.

h. You disappoint me, San Diego. It's not easy to block Minnesota's Pat Williams. But to let him eat up the middle of your line like that, with your running game going down with a whimper ... that does not bode well for January football.

10. I think these are my non-NFL thoughts of the week:

a. How did Nebraska turn into Vanderbilt? When did that happen? How? All I know is I looked up Saturday afternoon, 29 minutes into Nebraska-Kansas, and the Jayhawks had 49 on the board. Sounds like Tom Osborne to the rescue. Soon. A 4-6 Nebraska team, on a five-game losing streak.

b. Last five-game losing streak for the Big Red: 1958. I was 1.

c. Howie Long's son, Chris, a Virginia defensive end, gets off the ball superbly for a big kid. He's going to be a good pro. In 10 games, he's got 16 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. You'll be hearing his name called early on draft day next April.

d. You won't see many better football games than LSU-Alabama. What a fourth quarter.

e. I hope A-Rod goes to the Cubs, Mets or Dodgers. I do not want to see him bat 70 times against the Red Sox next year. He may not be Mr. Clutch, but he is Mr. Great.

f. Rumors say the Red Sox are chasing Johan Santana. Not sure any player is worth what you'd have to give up to steal him from Minnesota.

g. Coffeenerdness: Outside the Colts training complex Wednesday, I ran into a familiar face -- recently retired Indianapolis tackle Tarik Glenn. Nice guy. Always has been. Working part-time for the Colts now. Had a grande Starbucks cup in his hand. "What's your drink?'' I asked. He said, "Grande skim white mocha. Trying to be good.'' Good man. Glenn always battled his weight, and I know a lot of Colts people were concerned about Glenn's health after football. He looks pretty good.

h. "I expect to be playing in the Fall Classic next October,'' the new manager of the New York Yankees says. Way to rev up the rivalry, Joe.

i. Sure am glad to see the NBA is back. I can name three Celtics, two Lakers, one Heatsman and zero Timberwolves, zero 76ers (wait: they have someone named Iguana, or something like that), zero Hawks, zero Clippers and zero uninjured Trailblazers. I guess you'll want to take away my sports writer's license. Now, I do like watching Steve Nash and Jason Kidd and LeBron James; I will admit that. Kidd and Nash are two of the most effervescent and fun athletes alive. Fun to watch, fun to root for.

j. Jacoby Ellsbury might be a young Steve Nash.

k. My daughters want to marry Jacoby Ellsbury, as, apparently, does half of The Nation.

l. Ever see Death of a Salesman? I know it's a long shot for you to make it, but I saw it at the Luna Stage Company in Montclair, N.J., and if there's any way you can make this production of it, I urge you to get here. This Willy Loman is local hero Frankie Faison (one of the stars in The Wire), and the part cannot be played better, or more despairingly.

Who I Like Tonight, and I Mean Tony Kornheiser

When these two teams meet now all I can think of is the time last January I had to hustle down to Raleigh for HBO's Inside the NFL show to watch tape of the Bears and Colts with Bill Cowher for a Super Bowl preview. On the way there, I passed the high school his daughter attended, and was riveted to the football field. The school nickname was "Ravens.'' I told Cowher I was aghast he'd let his daughter be a Raven. He laughed a distasteful laugh. "I know!'' he said. "Can you believe that?'' I don't know. It just seems wrong, a Cowher being a Raven. It's like Myron Cope going to work for the Bengals Radio Network.

Now to the game. Until the Baltimore offense proves otherwise, I trust nothing about it. The O looked somnambulant at Buffalo just before the bye and caused Ray Lewis to openly question coach Brian Billick calling pass plays on second-and-1, third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter -- all of which failed. Fifteen days have not solved the problem. They've just glossed it over and allowed everyone to kiss and make up and pretend that a real problem doesn't exist. I'm pro-Billick, but if that offense continues to stink as bad as it did before the bye, it will eventually cost his team its season. Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 16.