Other thoughts

* I've been one of Vince Young's biggest critics, and rightfully so; he threw 9 TDs and 17 INTs a couple years ago. But he looks greatly improved this season, and a 99 yard drive to win the game is unbelievable. You know what the real story in Tennessee is, though? The turnaround on defense. That teams was horrid on defense earlier this year. Tom Brady threw 5 TDs in the 2nd quarter against them, and teams were getting big plays against them every week. Now they're playing much better and keeping teams to around 20 points, which gives their offense a chance to win. It's hard to believe a team can change so much in a span of 5 games, but Tennessee has done a complete 180. Vince Young has given them a spark on offense, Chris Johnson is the best back in football, and their defense is playing much better. I still have a hard time believing they'll make the playoffs (going from 0-6 to 10-6 would be unprecedented), but they've at least made it interesting. Hard to believe after they lost to New England 59-0.

* After watching the Texans blow a 17-0 and then 20-7 halftime lead, I thought, "I would hate to be a fan of the Texans." Then I remembered that I root for the Texans of college football, Notre Dame. The Texans just keep finding ways to lose. Kris Brown misses field goals that can send consecutive games to overtime, then they dominate the Colts for a half and blow it in the 2nd half. They just cannot get over the hump, and just like Notre Dame I don't think their coach is going to survive this. This is the second straight year that Houston has been so close and yet so far away. Since Kubiak can't get them over the hump, I expect them to find a new coach who will.

* A week after thinking that maybe Jay Cutler really does suck, I went back to feeling bad for him today. That offensive line is horrid. Yes, that deserves italics. Orlando Pace is an absolute stiff; Jared Allen doesn't often use a bull rush, but today he was consistently pushing Pace into Cutler's lap. They open no holes in the run game for Matt Forte. And Jerry Angelo has given him a bunch of catch-and-run receivers who have no capability of going up and getting a football. Those guys will not a catch pass downfield unless Cutler drops it right in there. I like their rookie Johnny Knox, but the rest of those receivers are replaceable. Get Cutler a Brandon Marshall-type, please; or for Minnesota's sake, don't. They can just keep tackling those underneath routes.

* I have fun watching players, and then wondering why teams passed them up in the draft, or took other players ahead of them from the same position. For example, I saw Sidney Rice make more big plays today for Minnesota, and I was reminded that the Dolphins drafted Ted Ginn Jr. 9th overall that year. In retrospect, that is absolutely insane. Look at Darrius Heyward-Bey and tell me he's better than fellow rookies Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Kenny Britt, Hakeem Nicks, Mike Wallace or Johnny Knox. You would have to be extremely biased to think he's even close to any of them. Or how about Cincinnati improving greatly while getting absolutely nothing out of their first round pick, Andre Smith? Sometimes I wonder why we care so much about the draft when it's so obviously a crapshoot. Oh yeah, I do know; because it's fun.

* Speaking of Cincinatti, they must have the best run-blocking offensive line in the league. First Cedric Benson resurrects his carrer there, now Larry Johnson rushes for 100 yards, and an unknown rookie named Bernard Scott has ran well the past couple of weeks. It just doesn't matter who they put at RB, that team can run the football. It's quite amazing really, since most people probably couldn't name one of their lineman, and frankly I hardly can. This is like the Chiefs a few years ago, when they went from Priest Holmes to Larry Johnson to Derrick Blaylock and hardly skipped a beat.

* I don't want to pick on Raheem Morris too much, since it's not his fault that Tampa Bay promoted him too quickly to head coach. But Tampa Bay is tied with Cleveland and St. Louis for worst record in the league, and there is no way that talent-wise Tampa Bay should be down with those teams. I feel pretty confident in saying that if Jon Gruden were still coach they would not be 1-10 right now. They have more talent than the Browns and Rams, as well as the Lions and probably the Chiefs. And if you're ever wondering what signals there are for a coach who's in over his head, it's when he fires both of his coordinators in a season as Morris has this season.