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NFL Notes

If the Titans didn't let up on Thanksgiving, there's a good chance the team could have dropped 70 points on this pathetic Lions team. Everyone called me crazy when I said they were going winless five weeks ago, but I'd be shocked if it doesn't happen…Chris Johnson hit the turbo booster button on his 58-yard TD, but Detroit's defensive pursuit and the angles the back end took were an abomination….I understand CBS was put in a tough situation having to shill a primetime game featuring an 0-11 team, but listening to Phil Simms and Jim Nantz compliment Daunte Culpepper was brutal. I felt outright lied to.

Way to stick it to your old team Julius Jones. I'm sure they are regretting the day they let you walk to sign a $12 million deal…John Carlson is a player. In a year devoid of big tight end numbers, he must be owned in all fantasy leagues. In fact, he's well worth starting with upcoming matchups against the Patriots, Rams and Jets…Matt Hasselbeck definitely played better, but it was a jail break trying to stop that Dallas pass rush. Remember when Seattle's offensive line used to be good?...He's back. Consider Jason Witten the No. 1 (or No. 2, Tony Gonzalez is pretty damn good) fantasy tight end from here on out…Marion Barber is tough, but he didn't look very good after suffering that injury. No team has a harder schedule against the run during the fantasy playoffs than the Cowboys.

As if getting drunk with in-laws isn't bad enough, we have to watch three straight blowouts? Oh the humanity!...I know it would take some stones during crunch time, but I see Tim Hightower as a solid RB2/flex play this week…Thanksgiving certainly wasn't one of Anquan Boldin's better games of his career…Looking ahead to Week 15, the Eagles D should score a ton of fantasy points at home against the Ken Dorsey led Browns. Same goes for the suddenly rejuvenated Brian Westbrook.

Since I considered both the Giants and Colts equally good bets last week, it was extremely frustrating watching Indianapolis lay an egg after making them my "best bet." What a joke. The offense doesn't score a touchdown, and Adam Vinatieri misses a field goal and I still only lose by one point. That was ugly…There isn't a single Cleveland player I'd start in fantasy leagues right now. Not one…Peter King currently has Peyton Manning as his MVP winner this season, which is absolutely laughable. His 6.6 YPA mark ranks 25th in the NFL. His 12 interceptions are the fifth most in the league. Give me a break.

What a catch by Mark Clayton. Simply fantastic…I've pretty much dismissed Baltimore as a legitimate Super Bowl threat all year long, but they need to be taken seriously. The defense is obviously elite, but Joe Flacco has also really improved. He's playing very well right now and is extremely elusive…Over the last five years, I've played in an estimated 35 fantasy leagues. I've never owned Willis McGahee. For some reason, I never trusted the guy. That said, I have no clue what John Harbaugh's plans are for that backfield…I'm beginning to think Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't very good…Last week the Bengals nearly had twice as many punts (11) as first downs (six).

Many Steven Jackson owners probably missed the playoffs, but he could be a major difference maker over the next three weeks. He still has the horrible St. Louis offense working against him, but matchups versus the Cardinals, Seahawks and 49ers are highly favorable…Not sure how the Dolphins failed to record a single sack, but Marc Bulger stares down his receivers more than any QB in the league right now…Ronnie Brown's 3-yard TD run was highly impressive. Still, Ricky Williams has really killed Brown's fantasy value this year…The Rams' red zone conversion rate of 26.3 percent (five TDs in 19 trips) is easily an NFL low.

San Francisco has the league's best linebacker and punter and also one of the NFL's five best running backs. After that, there's not much else, unfortunately…Three points at home against the 49ers? Ouch Buffalo. What has happened to Trent Edwards?...Shaun Hill is San Francisco's best quarterback since Jeff Garcia.

Got to love DeAngelo Williams' line Sunday with four touchdowns from the one-yard line. In fact, he could have had a fifth if not for Jake Delhomme sneaking another in from the one as well…I like Ryan Grant, but he's clearly just not right physically. Time to see what Brandon Jackson can do. He's looked like a completely different player this season after last year's disaster as a rookie…The Packers continue to disappoint. Quietly, Aaron Rodgers has gotten just 6.4 YPA over the past four games, and Green Bay's run defense is bad. Still, there's a very real chance they win out over the next four games, which still puts them right in the playoff race.

It's remarkable the Bucs are 9-3 with that type of quarterback production. Jeff Garcia does an excellent job preventing turnovers, but at some point this team is going to need to score more if they want to have any chance of becoming the first team in a long while to play a home game during the Super Bowl…New Orleans is simply too soft outside of their friendly home dome. Drew Brees has gotten 9.6 YPA with a 17:4 TD:INT ratio at home this season. He's gotten 7.1 YPA with a 7:10 TD:INT ratio while on the road.

Again, why was the best team in football just 3.5-point favorites against an average Washington team?...Clinton Portis has had a terrific year, but he's looking at an underwhelming finish after such a high workload and a tough upcoming schedule…My favorite part about the Plaxico Burress fiasco was that after 90 minutes of deliberation, the best excuse he came up with to give the hospital was that his name was Harris Smith and that he'd been shot at an Applebee's. Let me tell you, I ate at the "Neighborhood Grill and Bar" just last weekend, and once I entered the establishment, I immediately regretted leaving my piece at home…And for the last time, it's pronounced PLEXICO. Is it really too much to ask ESPN to know this if they are going to bombard us with overwhelming coverage?

It's safe to say the Chargers are what their record shows. I'm still kicking myself for not leaving them out of the playoffs during my preseason predictions. I had them only as a wild card, but almost went one step further. I'm telling you, teams tend to struggle after losing in the conference championship the year before. It may just be anecdotal. It may not…R.I.P. LaDainian Tomlinson. It's been a good run…Clearly, San Diego chose the wrong back to get rid of last year. Michael Turner is going to go awfully early in fantasy leagues next year…This Falcons team is dangerous. I might go as far to say they are the third best team in the NFC…If I were starting a franchise, I might make Matt Ryan the No. 1 pick.

Ben Roethlisberger has always benefitted from great teammates around him, but Pittsburgh is literally winning despite him this year. He really needs to play better…Randy Moss' drops killed Matt Cassel's day last week. New England needs to correct its problems on third down and in the red zone ASAP…The Steelers have the best defense in football. Period.

The Jets/Broncos game is a perfect example of how Jekyll and Hyde the NFL can be. I mean, Denver was coming off a 21-point home loss to the dreadful Raiders, whereas New York had just beaten Tennessee by 21 points on the road…Denver's running back carousel has been crazy over the last few years, but this year has taken it to a new level. There was Selvin Young, Andre Hall, Michael Pittman and Ryan Torain all involved, yet it's Peyton Hillis who has emerged as the best option. The guy was blocking for Felix Jones and Darren McFadden last year…I'd like to personally apologize to Thomas Jones, who I had written off after last year. It's not just the 13 touchdowns, but his 4.7 YPC mark at age 30 is truly remarkable. Approaching 2,000 carries, he's still someone I'd avoid in fantasy leagues next season, but for 2008, Jones is someone I was dead wrong about.

It's too bad Tom Cable's curious fake field goal try resulted in an easy KC score the other way, as I would have loved to watch Seabass attempt to pick up the first down that was a mere 17 yards away…With Chris Johnson's emergence at LCB, Oakland's secondary is solid. They aren't a good matchup for opposing QBs in fantasy leagues…Will Tony Gonzalez ever slow down? He just continues to get it done.

You won't see an easier 99-yard touchdown than Bernard Berrian's last week…Matt Forte has as many receiving TDs this year as Andre Johnson. Has there ever been a season with more impressive rookie running backs?...Gus Frerotte's ridiculous flop trying to get a personal foul penalty was absolutely hilarious. I highly encourage more of that behavior moving forward…Derrick Rose is already the quickest guy off the dribble in the NBA right now.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I like the Texans' alternate uniforms…If you haven't realized it by now, Jacksonville has given up on its 2008 season…Love watching Maurice Jones-Drew run. He's going to be a fantasy monster one of these years…Steve Slaton – wow. The future most certainly looks bright for the running back position in the NFL these days.