NFL Week 10

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ The Bills finally have a non-circular number in their loss column. And they didn't do it the easy way either, needing to stop a Detroit two-point conversion with 14 seconds on the clock and then to recover the ensuing onside kick to seal it. They deserve it though, one of these close games had to swing their way eventually.

2/ Can't say enough good things about the Bears defense after watching them do work against Minnesota. They were one blown coverage away from holding Brett Favre and co. without an offensive touchdown all game. Having middle linebacker Brian Urlacher back this year has been huge for them.

3/ Cowboys: 33 – Giants: 20. The kind of result that has NFL prognosticators up and down the country tearing their hair out.

4/ That was a huge three-and-out the Jets defense forced with under two minutes left in overtime after Sanchez had thrown a pick. Barring a big turnover, that was the only way they were going win in OT for the second time in as many weeks.

5/ Tom Brady has found a new red zone target, and his name is Rob Gronkowski. The rookie caught three touchdowns against Pittsburgh, taking his season total to six (that's third amongst tight ends in the whole league, behind only San Diego's Antonio Gates and Jacksonville's Marcedes Lewis). Along with the excellent receiving tight end Aaron Hernandez, and the excellent blocking tight end Alge Crumpler, the Patriots have completely rebuilt themselves this season at that position.

6/ A quarterback with the last name Smith might still lead San Francisco to the NFC West title. Don't laugh, folks, they're only two games back.

7/ Who knows what to expect out of these Denver Broncos? One week they'll lose 59-14 to the 2-4 Raiders. Another week, they'll win 49-29 against the 5-3 Chiefs. He may have been aided by some injuries in the Chiefs secondary, but Kyle Orton was still on fire Sunday. And I thought their defense couldn't stop the run...

8/ Five different quarterbacks threw passes in the Miami-Tennessee game Sunday (additionally, even Brandon Marshall had an attempted pass), and none of them did it particularly well. The best of the bunch, you ask? Probably Tyler Thigpen (remember him?) who went 4 of 6 passing and threw a game-sealing touchdown to Anthony Fasano.

9/ In case you didn't know it yet, Randy Moss, like a Thanksgiving turkey, is done. In his second over-hyped debut in as many months, Moss caught just one ball for 26 yards. I think I agree with all the NFL teams that didn't bite on him after the Vikings cut him Nov. 1. His skills just aren't worth the trouble he inevitably will cause in a team's chemistry anymore.

10/ Marshawn, my man, what is that on your face?

-Here's some of the studs of the week:

a. Seahawks wide receiver Mike Williams: Tore up the Cardinals secondary, caused cornerback Greg Toler's benching at halftime because Toler couldn't cover him, and finished with 11 catches for 145. He single-handedly makes Seattle's offense much more potent, and he should get some serious consideration for the Comeback Player of the Year award.

b. Bills running back Fred Jackson: The CFL and NFL Europe veteran produced one of his better days in the NFL providing 133 yards of rushing and 37 yards of receiving on a ugly day (weather-wise) where offensive yards were at a premium. Scored both of Buffalo's touchdowns too.

c. Cowboys quarterback John Kitna: Wasn't statistically the best quarterback in Week 10 but, after getting roundly criticized by sportswriters (myself included) the last few weeks, he deserves some credit for producing a good, 327-yard passing game capped off by a couple touchdowns.

-Here's some of the goats of the week:

a. Titans quarterbacks Kerry Collins and Vince Young: Both struggled with their accuracy: Collins completed 9 of 20 passes and was benched; Young came in and completed 9 of 18 passes. Neither topped a hundred passing yards and both their passer ratings hovered around 60.

b. Vikings receiving corps: Percy Harvin aside, Minnesota's pass catchers didn't give Favre much help Sunday. They kept losing their footing on Chicago's grass and dropped a lot of passes. It showed once Harvin went off too, as the Vikings really struggled to move the ball through the air afterward.

c. Jets kicker Nick Folk: Lost his job in Dallas because he missed a couple big kicks, and he could well be on his way out of New York now after an awful day in Cleveland. Missed three of five kicks – from 48, 24, and 47 yards – against the Browns which allowed them to hang around in normal and overtime.

-Rookie of Week: Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant: Only caught three passes on Sunday, but made each one of them count. The first went for 45 yards, the second was a touchdown grab and the third went for 46 more yards. No doubt about it, he has the tools to dominate in this league.

-Play of the Week: As an Oregon fan, part of me can't believe I'm doing this, but it's going to LeGarette Blount again, for going airborne once more.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: Do you really need to ask?? HAIL MARY!