MMQB (cont.)

Quote of the Week I

"Everybody is always doubting us because we give them reason to do that."

-- Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, after New York broke a two-game losing streak with a 38-10 domination of the Packers Sunday night in New Jersey.

Quote of the Week II

"This was his second career start? He's been playing like he's been in there forever."

-- San Francisco wide receiver Mario Manningham, after Colin Kaepernick's second start, and second win, at New Orleans on Sunday.

Quote of the Week III

"The runner's buttocks was down on the ground before the ball came loose. Therefore, it's Indianapolis ball at the 47-yard line. The clock should be reset to 13:22.''

-- Referee Ed Hochuli, explaining why he reversed a call that originally had Indianapolis fumbling and Buffalo recovering in the second quarter Sunday.

And if you weren't watching, yes, announcer Marv Albert did chuckle when Hochuli said "buttocks."

Quote of the Week IV

"I know the rule: You can't challenge on a turnover or a scoring play, but I was so mad that I overreacted. I had the flag in my hand before he even scored because he was obviously down. It's my fault. I overreacted in that situation and cost us a touchdown.''

-- Detroit coach Jim Schwartz, who threw a challenge flag after a Houston touchdown he wanted to challenge Thursday, preventing the challenge from taking place because of the dumb NFL rule that negates an automatic replay if a coach throws the flag after a scoring play or turnover. The league, thankfully, will erase the non-replay of the challenge by 2013, and maybe sooner.

Quote of the Week V

"He writes down everything. He writes down my Wednesday talks to the team, and then I'll hear it again with the media. I'll hear it again when he talks to his teammates, at the end of practice. It's off-the-chain leadership. He holds guys accountable, man. They don't want to let him down.''

-- Denver coach John Fox, to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, in a storyabout Peyton Manning's road back to the NFL (I recommend it.)

Stat of the Week

Bill Belichick won his 200th game (regular season and postseason) Thursday night, in his 307th NFL game. As a means of comparison, let's measure Belichick versus the great Chuck Noll of the Steelers, who needed 347 games to reach win number 200 and who coached 366 games in all. Now we're getting some sense of where Belichick will rate in the pantheon, with his three Super Bowl wins and 65 percent winning percentage. Look at the numbers: He could match the great Noll in career victories in 50 fewer games. Comparing the two:

Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me

For two men so inextricably connected in Cincinnati Bengals history, it's notable that the first time Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton met was on the field at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday.

The extent of their conversation after the game went something like this, per Dalton:

Dalton: "Stay healthy."

Palmer: "You too. Good luck."

Mr. Starwood Preferred Member Travel Note of the Week

Not mine. Ian Eagle's. What the CBS football/YES Network basketball/Dial Global sports radio football announcer has done in the past week:

Sunday, Nov. 18: Flew from St. Louis to New York after doing Jets-Rams game for CBS. Arrived at his New Jersey home at 11:15 p.m.

Monday: Flew from Newark to Los Angeles at 8 p.m.

Tuesday: Did the Nets-Lakers game in Los Angeles for YES Network.. Flew on Nets' charter with team from Los Angeles to San Francisco. In bed by 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Wednesday: Did the Nets-Warriors game in Oakland for YES Network. Flew on Nets' charter with team from San Francisco to Newark after the game. In bed in his New Jersey home by 9 a.m. Thursday.

Thursday: Did the Patriots-Jets game for Dial Global Radio. Home by midnight.

Friday: Did the Clippers-Nets game from Brooklyn for YES Network. Home by midnight.

Saturday: Flew to San Diego at 8:20 a.m. Did CBS production meeting with Chargers at noon at their team facility.

Sunday: Did the Ravens-Chargers game for CBS at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Returned to San Diego hotel. Rested. Flew to Newark at 9:30 p.m., with the redeye due to deliver him home just after dawn today.

"At one point on the flight to San Diego Saturday,'' Eagle reported Sunday night, "I napped for about seven minutes and woke up and I thought I was flying to Buffalo to do a Bills game. Then again, I also thought at one point I was an orthodontist."

Tweet of the Week I

"Manning family has 750 combined @NFL TD passes. Peyton (425), Eli (200), Archie (125). #justwow''

-- @NFLhistory, NFL Record and Fact Book editor Jon Zimmer Sunday night, as Eli Manning passed Phil Simms for first on the Giants' all-time passing touchdowns list.

Tweet of the Week II

"From Steve Kelley: 'It's going to be hard to tell when the crowd starts leaving.' "

-- @dannyoneil, the Seattle Times' Seahawks' beat man, reporting from the press box at the Seattle-Miami game in South Florida, quoting his buddy and columnist Kelley about the sparse crowd at the game.

Tweet of the Week III

"I HATE LOSING!"

-- @TerrellePryor, after the 3-8 Raiders lost their fourth straight game, in Cincinnati on Sunday.