MMQB (cont.)

Quote of the Week I

"Bad throw. I just didn't get everything I wanted on the throw. I'm just sick about not extending the game ... If you're asking if I'm stewing about it right now, the answer would be yes.''
-- Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, after throwing his third interception of the game, this one in the final minute while driving to tie or win at New England. His underthrown ball was picked off by New England safety James Sanders, sealing the Patriots' 31-28 victory.

Quote of the Week II

"We are terrible. Terrible. I'm sorry. I just don't have a sound bite for you guys today.''
-- Cincinnati wide receiver Terrell Owens, after the Bengals blew a 28-7 lead and lost to the Bills 49-31.

But T.O. -- that's a sound bite right there. Thank you.

Quote of the Week III

"I've tasted the caviar now, so eating out of the garbage is not where I want to be.''
-- Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, on the current quarterback-troubled, Kurt Warner-free days with the Cardinals, to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

I have one compound word for you Cardinal fans: Uh-oh.

Quote of the Week IV

"You just really don't want to come to work. You get yelled at like you're a kid and you just did something wrong.''
-- New England center Dan Koppen, on our Sirius NFL Radio show last week, when I asked him about coming to work after a Patriot loss. In his eight years with the team, the Patriots are 23-2 after a loss.

Weekly Awards

Offensive Players of the Week

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City.

In catching a touchdown pass for the sixth consecutive game -- the longest such streak of the 2010 season (and he ended up with two) -- Bowe is trying to take away the hottest-receiver-in-football title from Roddy White. In those six games, Bowe has had two, two, one, one, two and two touchdown grabs. His pair Sunday against Arizona keyed a 31-13 Chiefs win.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans.

The Saints are looking like they looked during their Super Bowl run last year, and Brees is the reason. He's distributing the ball very well -- seven receivers have at least 23 catches for the Saints -- and in the 34-19 win over Seattle, Brees completed 29 of 43 passes for 382 yards, with four touchdowns and two picks.

Defensive Players of the Week

Julius Peppers, DE, Chicago.

The force behind the Bears' beatdown of Miami quarterback Tyler Thigpen Thursday night, Peppers had six tackles and three sacks (for 14 yards of losses), leading Chicago to a 16-0 win over the feeble Fish. Peppers' sacks came in a 26-minute span starting late in the second quarter, and snuffed out three drives. Chicago is paying Peppers a million bucks a game, on average, and on Thursday, he played like a million bucks.

Justin Tuck, DL, New York Giants

One of the most versatile outside-inside defensive linemen in football made life tough for Mike Vick Sunday night at the Linc. Tuck, the sixth-year player from Notre Dame (who spoke at the Fighting Irish pep rally in Manhattan Friday night before their game versus Army), sacked Vick three times, forced two fumbles, had two more tackles for loss. The Giants' D did its part to win this game, led by Tuck.

Special Teams Player of the Week

Bryan McCann, DB/PR, Dallas.

The Cowboys trailed 12-7 midway through the third quarter when McCann picked up a batted punt and returned it 97 yards for the touchdown that turned the tide in the Cowboys' first home victory of the year.

Coach of the Week

Raheem Morris, head coach, Tampa Bay.

The Bucs had a tough decision to make Friday -- where to draw the line for sudden party-guy Mike Williams, an absolutely vital cog to their offense, when he was stopped for driving-while-impaired in Tampa early Friday morning. Because Williams didn't test over the legal limit for being drunk, Morris and GM Mark Dominik took deep breaths and let Williams play, hoping it wouldn't set a bad precedent. We'll see if it does. But again, everything Morris touches turns to gold. The Bucs shut out San Francisco 21-0, and they're a stunning 7-3.

Goats of the Week

Richard Seymour, DL, Oakland.

With the Steelers up 14-3 in the second quarter at Heinz Field, Ben Roethlisberger dropped back to pass in a chippy game and let one fly for the left corner of the end zone. Just after he threw -- and it turned out to be a touchdown toss to promising rookie third-round Emmanuel Sanders of SMU -- he walked upfield and got slugged in the face by Seymour. How odd. Seymour's been the perfect leader on and off the field for the Raiders. Amazing that it's the reliable vet who loses his poise, which will cost him at least $20,000 from the league office, and perhaps a one-game suspension.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants.

Third-and-five, 4:42 left in the game, Giants up 17-16, Eagles ball. Mike Vick goes back to pass ... incomplete. But wait. Pierre-Paul jumped maybe eight inches -- if that -- and got flagged for offside. If he didn't jump offside, the Eagles likely would have punted on fourth down and tried to pin the Giants back. But the drive revived, the Eagles went on to score, and score again, and what might have been a tight loss turned into a win.