The Post Mortem

Good to see that the NFL isn't concerned with gambling. Why else would they even bother to review that final play of the Chargers game. Unless somebody in the booth had the Chargers and the points.

Can you imagine the mob scene at the Las Vegas sports books? Obviously half of the room has the Chargers +5 and the rest of the room went the other way. But how crazy do you think the Steelers folk went when Troy Palaiuyltrfgkjmolo returned that bobbled lateral for a touchdown? That's a miracle cover on the same level as Arizona State returning Brad Otton's fumble for a touchdown in overtime in 1996 to cover an impossible 8.5 spread.

Only the NFL went under the hood to reverse the right call. (Thankfully the league will have a couple of days before making up an excuse on Tuesday.) For those Steelers guys, that had to be the most excruciating loss in gambling history. Has there been a game in the last couple of years that has even come close?

And we aren't even talking about fantasy implications here.

Of course, gaming and fantasy implications are the only reasons for Chargers fans to watch their team for the rest of the season. San Diego is done. And that whole notion of hanging on because the division is lousy doesn't wash after Denver won its second consecutive game. The Chargers are two games below .500, two games behind the Broncos, and about two years too late in making a good coaching hire.

• How can a game that had such promising poor weather, finish with such a whimper. The snow was blowing sideways, but in the end, it was just another crappy weather day in Pittsburgh.

• Congratulations to the St. Louis FC for beating San Francisco 13-0 in the second half. Too bad the 49ers raced out to a 35-3 lead at halftime. Seriously. And it's not like the 49ers are that good. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that they were saying that Jim Haslett had that gig locked up?

• How did the Raiders almost win without scoring an offensive touchdown? Again. That's now 13 quarters without an offensive touchdown. But did you notice that DeAngelo Hall had an interception for Washington?
  

• Proponents of the NFL's version of overtime got a huge boost on Sunday. Why, who couldn't have enjoyed that outcome? The Bengals and Eagles battling to a tie. Wow, that will be on the NFL Network Weekend replay. Luckily, it will be on NFL Network so you won't have to worry about accidentally stumbling across it. But this seemed like the perfect NFL ending -- no losers. Just a bunch of people holding hands, making money and nobody gets hurt. However, it's time for the NFL to enact a college-type of overtime. Each team gets the ball from the 35-yard line -- 10 yards further than the college rule -- so not to give teams an automatic field goal if they don't gain a yard.

• When the Bengals took over with 1:30 left in overtime, wouldn't it have been fitting if the Bengals had just taken a knee? Like just take the non-loss and run into the locker room. You know the Eagles probably would have been relieved. Even though everybody in the stadium knew that Shayne Graham was going to miss that field goal. Maybe not Donovan McNabb, who might be too stupid to realize what was going on.
  

• McNabb didn't realize that the NFL overtime finished in sudden death. And that a tie was possible. Have the Eagles not played in an overtime game before? "I didn't know that," said McNabb, who played a leading role in keeping it tied. "I've never been part of a tie. I never even knew it was in the rule book. I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game. But unfortunately with the rules, we settled with a tie." That's your quarterback, Philly.
  

• And why is it that Donovan McNabb is like the worst conditioned athlete, ever? How is that guy always winded? Is he chain smoking like Richard Dawson (still alive) on The Match Game when the Eagles defense is on the field?

• The Cardinals still haven't reach that killer instinct. Anquan Boldin runs out of bounds with just over 2 minutes left, with the Seahawks not having any time outs. And then the punt ... never mind. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie just intercepted Matt Hasselbeck's pass to seal the win. Maybe the Birds can turn it around. That's two consecutive improbable wins for the Cardinals who have won three consecutive games. Now comes a huge game at home against the Giants. We will see how far they have really come. The only bummer is that we'll get a week of "The Giants return to the place were Eli Messiah won a three-flies up championship with David Tyree."

• Does the Tuck Rule still exist? Kurt Warner didn't tuck the football and it was still ruled a fumble. If Raiders fans had been watching that game instead of beating their wives after a close loss to Miami, there could have been a riot on the streets of Boyle Heights.

• If Seattle continues to blow, will the Seahawks try to get Jim Mora a job with the University of Washington and completely blow up the team? You don't want to get too down because of the injuries, but Seattle might want to start over. They need a real backup behind Hasselbeck.

• The Cowboys are going to end up making the playoffs aren't they?

• The Broncos started Spencer Larsen at fullback/linebacker and he played some special teams. Peyton Hillis -- another white dude -- scored two rushing touchdowns after starting for the first time as as tailback. Is Mike Shanahan pissed that Colorado finally went blue in the election, because it looked like he was trying to reinvent the 1950s.

• Joe Flacco will become 2008's Rick Mirer. That seems harsh, but it's just as foolish to consider him a great success after only a few good games.
  

AND FINALLY
Brock Lesner WWF UFC champion? Told you it was all fixed.