The mailbag came alive again this week! I got a couple of comments on the Peyton Manning record chase, with this one summing up the anti-Manning sentiment the best.

From Cory in East Windsor, NJ. I hear your argument for Peyton breaking Marino's record without the "juice". How do you feel about him going after it the way that he's doing it? It kind of feels like he's forcing it just to break the record. When you have a workhorse like Edgerrin James, it just doesn't seem like real football when he doesn't get used. It seems like Peyton is trying to make up for that signing bonus. This way, when they can't win in the blustery outdoors of New England/Pittsburgh, he can say, "Hey, I threw for 78 TDs this year"

Let me guess - you're a James owner. I, too, have lamented "poor" James' fate to fellow league mates in the two leagues I have him. But this isn't about excluding James or boosting Manning's stats at his expense. I am of the belief that Manning wants no part of the media attention on him during this record chase, and here's why. If Manning should go out and throw 60 touchdowns this season and be named league MVP but then go into New England and lay another egg, what will he hear all off-season? If anything, this record pursuit is putting even MORE pressure on him to perform when it matters most. If the Colts don't at least make it to the AFC Championship game and put on a good showing, all we'll hear about is, "Yeah he threw sixty touchdowns - but he can't win a big game in a big spot."

If being selfish means your abilities enable your team to jump out to 35-point leads almost at will, enabling your defense to play a less tense style, and enable you and your teammates to sit out entire quarters of games, then I'll take that selfish player every time. Manning is the driver of an offensive machine right now, and the Colts are a better passing team than running team (which is really saying something, because they're one of the best running teams I've seen in years). Some people would say to not throw the ball when they get in close to the end zone, that James should be "rewarded" for his work between the 20's. I say, why? The same James who has been an off-the-field headache at times for the Colts? The same James who openly admitted before the season his desire to play for Miami? The same James who didn't take part in any off-season voluntary conditioning camps with the rest of his team until this year? Sorry, but to suggest he needs to be rewarded in some way because of his tough yardage that he grinds out is frivolous to me. If a team is getting it done, they're getting it done.

From a reader named Chris in Clinton Township, Michigan. Baltimore should be ranked around 10th. They have shown very little offense as of late, which is putting a huge strain on the defense. Last week, they had the short side of the field most of the time and Corey Dillon just wore them down on the muddy track as he went over 100 yards. If the Ravens don't find a way to move the ball, they will continue to lose games just like this.

First off, Chris - good call. Despite an improved run game last week, Kyle Boller and the passing game were unable to take advantage of a suspect Bengals defense. My theory behind raising Baltimore was that I thought the offense HAD played better of late. Boller was getting it done in the passing game (or so I thought). Obviously, as of now the Ravens are not getting it done in all phases of the game and your reasoning is a big reason why. They'll be moved down accordingly this week, and if they don't get it going soon, their Super-Bowl caliber defense may be sitting at home watching the playoffs.

Future questions/comments/rants should be sent to: [email protected]. Please be sure to include your name and hometown/home state so I can properly credit you in the article.

***And yes, the Chargers are directly ahead of two teams that have beaten them (Atlanta and the Jets) mostly because the Chargers are a different team than they were early in the season. Early on, respectability was the goal. They hoped to stick around. They weren't blowing anyone out, but still hoped to win. Now they EXPECT to win. The mindset is different and they are truly legit. Just so people don't think I'm being a "homer".***

Rank…Team……...W/L…(Last week)

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 11-1 (1)
   Roethlisberger passed a HUGE test the other night, and it's now official: he has no weaknesses.



2. Philadelphia Eagles 11-1 (2)
   Eagles are to the rest of the NFC as Family Guy is to the other shows on Cartoon Network.



3. New England Patriots 11-1 (3)
   If not for untimely injuries to several key players, they could be chasing the '72 Dolphins.



4. Indianapolis Colts 9-3 (4)
   Boy, I sure do wish that Peyton Manning would let Edgerrin James score sometimes.



5. San Diego Chargers 9-3 (8)
   To think they could have the division wrapped up before I begin Christmas shopping…



6. New York Jets 9-3 (9)
   They'd be division champs in probably 5 other divisions.



7. Atlanta Falcons 9-3 (5)
   NOT the kind of performance you expect from a top-5 team. So they aren't one anymore.



8. Denver Broncos 7-5 (7)
   C'mon Shanahan! JUST when us Droughns owners were getting ready for the playoffs!



9. Baltimore Ravens 7-5 (6)
   The offensive woes are somewhat expected, but defensively? What's up with that?



10. Green Bay Packers 7-5 (10)
    Well, at least I didn't spend $120 on counterfeit tickets to see the game like my friends did.



11. Minnesota Vikings 7-5 (11)
    Can someone define the phrase, "golden opportunity wasted"?



12. Jacksonville Jaguars 6-6 (12)
    There's no shame in losing to the NFL's best team.



13. Buffalo Bills 6-6 (13)
    Perhaps I underestimated this bunch when I said to watch for them NEXT year.



14. Cincinnati Bengals 6-6 (17)
    Chris Russo of WFAN-NY referred to Carson Palmer as 'the next Aikman' the other day. Wow.



15. Dallas Cowboys 5-7 (18)
    Poke fun if you wish, but Vinny Testaverde doing what he's doing at his age is pretty cool.



16. Carolina Panthers 5-7 (19)
    Oh what, I'm the ONLY guy who declared them dead at 1-7?



17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-7 (20)
    I Michael Brown, do solemnly swear, to not overreact to another Bucs outcome, good or bad…



18. Saint Louis Rams 6-6 (14)
    With Bulger out for awhile, Jackson banged-up, and Seattle stinking, seven wins may do it.



19. Houston Texans 5-7 (16)
    Domanick Davis continues his late-season push for 'worst real RB that's good for fantasy'.



20. Seattle Seahawks 6-6 (15)
    Alright, THAT was not Matt Hasselbeck's fault.



21. Tennessee Titans 4-8 (22)
    It's looking like we need the 'Old Yeller' treatment on Chris Brown - it's time to put him down.



22. Kansas City Chiefs 4-8 (23)
    With lots of competition, this might just be the most disappointing Chiefs team ever.



23. New York Giants 5-7 (21)
    People in the New York area are starting to gain a lot more respect for Kurt Warner suddenly.



24. New Orleans Saints 4-8 (25)
    Saints, meet the New York Mets. Mets, Saints. I think you guys will find you have lots in common.



25. Cleveland Browns 3-9 (24)
    I've run out of ways to insult them, so I'll just continue along my merry way.



26. Detroit Lions 5-7 (26)
    It's pathetic that a team this bad is still fighting for a playoff spot in Week 14.



27. Chicago Bears 5-7 (27)
    So wait, Chad Hutchinson rips up the Vikings and suddenly he's a savior? Count me out.



28. Washington Redskins 4-8 (30)
    Ok, now Portis has to do it against teams whose seasons AREN'T headed down the toilet.



29. Oakland Raiders 4-8 (29)
    Kerry Collins must feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Except all his toys are broken.



30. Arizona Cardinals 4-8 (28)
    This is what happens when you start John Navarre in his rookie season.



31. Miami Dolphins 2-10 (31)
    A.J. Feeley has an injured finger AND an injured buttocks. I'm going to leave that one alone.



32. San Francisco 49ers 1-11 (32)
    And now they've lost their starting QB and best offensive playmaker…again.

Super Shufflers Of the Week (+)

1. San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (tied) +3…..Chargers and Jets are probably overdue for a bump upward, and the other four are all making very strong playoff pushes. Of course, there's a good chance that at most, only one of those teams actually gets in, but they're making a good run nonetheless.

Plungers Of the Week (-)

1. Seattle Seahawks -5…..Go ahead and TRY to make a case for why they shouldn't be moved this much.



2. Saint Louis Rams -4…..I know they're coming off a win, but the Bulger injury really hurts them for the next several weeks. And it's not as if they were dominating teams before he got hurt.



3. Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans (-3)…..When Baltimore's defense starts faltering, you know there are big problems. The Texans were a victim of other teams moving up and impressing me more than their own deficiencies hurting themselves.