5. I think when we look back on this season, one of the special things about it will be how Washington played after the shooting death of Sean Taylor. That was no flukey win against the Giants on Sunday night. The Redskins got very little out of Todd Collins (8-for-25, with no touchdowns or interceptions), making his first start in 10 years, but they did get a strong, 126-yard performance from Clinton Portis and will have a good chance to make the playoffs if they can win at Minnesota next week.

"We're thrilled," Washington coach Joe Gibbs said. "I told our players that they're taking me for a ride." Players often say after a tragedy like the Taylor death that they're playing for their late friend. But it's becoming remarkable that the Redskins lose their quarterback (Jason Campbell) to a knee injury and their best defensive player (Taylor) and play better than they have in weeks. Whatever is happening here, somehow, the 'Skins are playing their best football of what had been a disappointing season, and it's an inspirational thing to watch.

6. I think this is what I liked about Week 15:

a. Brian Moorman had a great game in the snow of Cleveland. Weird to say for a guy who averaged 35.9 yards per punt, but he was heads-up enough to kick a bad punt snap out of the end zone, which almost certainly saved the Bills five points. Then he was athletic enough to scurry for a first down on a fake punt.

b. Spectacular bomb to David Patten by Drew Brees.

c. Darren Sproles. Tough, quick, Meggetish back with a future somewhere.

d. We as a sporting media underrate Donald Driver. He's a top 10 receiver in this league -- tough, fast, incredibly sure-handed.

e. The plucky Eagles deserve our respect. They flooded the Dallas backfield with Jim Johnson's all-out schemes, and played well enough on offense to keep it away from the Cowboys. And how about Brian Westbrook passing up a touchdown and taking a seat at the one to help run down the clock? Smart and gifted player.

f. Jason Witten has 88 catches. He bulls like Bavaro.

g. Aaron Stecker's a better every-down-type back than Reggie Bush. No doubt.

h. Class exits all around after Pats-Jets.

i. You had a good run, Bills. And you almost came back in the finals seconds in Cleveland.

j. Matt Moore would be in my plans for 2008 if I were the Carolina GM.

k. I'm running out of good things to say about Fred Taylor, but give me a minute.

l. To think the Cowboys once traded down and ended up with Julius Jones instead of Steven Jackson. Jackson's playing with an ouchy groin, and he outran the entire Packers defense on one run Sunday.

m. Wes Welker: 96 catches, 1,004 yards, nine touchdowns. But the Dolphins judged him to be worth the 60th pick in the draft by virtue of his trade to New England. Someone must teach me about this game someday.

7. I think this is what I didn't like about Week 15:

a. About a hundred things from the Jets.

b. You used Brad Smith too much, Brian Schottenheimer. That's a ball-control game, not a gimmicky one.

c. Adrian Clark's whiff block on Richard Seymour led to a crushing hit on the Jets' Kellen Clemens (resulting in a shoulder injury).

d. Nice hands, Justin McCareins.

e. David Akers, who apparently can't make a long kick anymore. He missed his eighth kick of 40 yards or more this year at Dallas.

f. When the Giants put their minds to it, they can really look bad.

g. The Titans better draft a receiver in the first round this year if they want Vince Young to realize his potential. Too many drops, not enough separation from corners.

h. Albert Haynesworth's hammy, which kept him on the bench for much of Tennessee's win. It might not need to be healthy two weeks from now, because the Titans' season might be over. They will need help to make the playoffs.

8. I think Matt Ryan, the Boston College quarterback, is starting to distance himself in scouts' eyes from the two other top quarterback candidates, Andre Woodson of Kentucky and Brian Brohm of Louisville. Colt Brennan will have the eyes of the NFL on him in Hawaii's bowl game against Georgia. Second-round mini-sleeper: Joe Flacco of Delaware, who's got a big arm and could climb the ladder.

9. I think if I'm Arthur Blank, I steer clear of Bill Cowher, who isn't coming out this year anyway and can't make a quarterback-less team win. Blank should interview the following five current NFL aides: defensive coordinators Jim Schwartz (Titans) and Rex Ryan (Ravens), assistant head coaches Jim Caldwell (Colts) and Mike Singletary (49ers) and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett of Dallas. I think Garrett will likely stay put, but he might be the Mike Tomlin of this coaching season.

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

a. If Tim Layden does not win an award for his story about recovering Buffalo Bill Kevin Everett in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, then there should not be journalism awards. A masterful, prescient, insightful, educational story, not only about the recovery of Everett against long odds, but about the doctor who bravely treated Everett and risked so much to do so. Everett comes off beautifully in this story -- a great guy who is more concerned with his family than himself after he got hurt. And the doctor, Andrew Cappuccino, who was very open with Layden about how the controversial treatment that likely saved Everett from life in a wheelchair was so risky. Cappuccino talks openly about how, in the midst of the precedent-setting treatment lowering Everett's body temperature to give him a better chance to avoid full paralysis, he thought of the chance he'd be wrong and lose his house and life savings because of a possible malpractice claim.

b. I'm proud to share the masthead with you, Tim. What a story.

c. Excellent story by Steve Politi in the Newark Star-Ledger Sunday about one of the steroid guys named in the Mitchell report, Dan Naulty, having tremendous pangs of conscience over using steroids and keeping a more deserving player out of the big leagues in 1996 with the Twins.

d. I hope the baseball union agrees to outsource steroid testing, though that's a pipe dream.

e. Katie Couric didn't get too much out of Alex Rodriguez in the 60 Minutes interview. No surprise there.

f. Coffeenerdness: On my trip to Tennessee last week, I realized one thing: the weakness of the coffee would kill me if I lived there. Nothing against the Maxwell House name, and I'm sure it is fine coffee for people used to it, but the curse of getting used to dark coffee is that the milder Colombian stuff just doesn't get the job done.

g. RIP Dan Fogelberg. "Part of the Plan'' was one of our Ohio University dorm anthems.

h. And my heart goes out to the family of Mike Chappell, the Colts' beat man for the Indianapolis Star, whose daughter Angie died of leukemia Friday. You have a lot of friends thinking of you in such a tough time, Mike.

Who I Like Tonight, and I Mean Tony Kornheiser

Minnesota, 26-10. With the Vikings getting B-plus play out of Tarvaris Jackson over the past month, I'd be surprised if the Bears, with a lesser quarterback, running back and defense, could muster a win at the Metrodome.