NFL Football

By DAVE KRIEGER
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
The good Jake Plummer returns Thanksgiving night in Kansas City or rookie Jay Cutler becomes the Denver Broncos starting quarterback 10 days later at home against Seattle.

By SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Journal Sports Writer

So, technically, we've passed the halfway point of the season, but there's nothing that says we can't take stock of the New England Patriots' performance and fortunes after 10 games.

Call it the five-eighths season report.

Since we're generally loathe to administer grades _ for one thing, we won't pretend to know that much about the intricacies of the game, and for another, we left A through F behind at Syracuse _ let's use pluses/minuses/incompletes instead.

By ED BOUCHETTE
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Two years ago, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suited up for his first game in Baltimore expecting to do what he did in his first professional game the previous week: Watch from the sideline as Tommy Maddox played quarterback.

Everything changed that afternoon.

By HERMAN MATTHEWS
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
The Chicago Bears reclaimed the lead in the Scripps Howard/Matthews Pro Football Power Ratings.

The Bears (9-1) were ranked No. 1 for the entire month of October, but lost the top ranking after losing their first game on Nov.

By RAY RATTO
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
The question seemed to catch Mike Nolan flatfooted, which given that he spent a fair amount of time Sunday evening answering questions about what seems to be his backup funeral suit, he should have been surprised by nothing.

By LONNIE WHEELER
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
It has nothing to do with the Mohawk, the mouth, or the number of men assigned to him. Over the past two weeks, Chad Johnson has made that perfectly clear.

After half a season of not being himself, the Cincinnati Bengals' loquacious playmaker has suddenly discovered a self that beats any previous model _ and for that matter, outdoes any receiver who has come before him.

By BERNIE LINCICOME
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
The Denver Broncos have explained other narrow escapes this football season by complimenting themselves on finding a way to win, as if the formula for being barely adequate was more dependable than real dominance, as if survival was preferable to command.

By BOB SMIZIK
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
There is no truth to the theory that the city of Cleveland was awarded an NFL franchise late in the 20th century for the sole purpose of providing the Pittsburgh Steelers with near-certain victories.