Dec. 2
There's no reason to even have a discussion again, right? The league is defined by what we saw this past weekend, starting on Thanksgiving and concluding Monday night. The Lions can beat the Packers. The Dolphins can crush the Cowboys. The Jaguars can beat the Bucs. The Jets can beat the Titans.

So quit trying to over-analyze. Quit thinking that your team should win every week, or even that your team should lose. It's not reality.

My Super Bowl picks after Week 13: I'm reluctantly making a move away from the Chiefs (but, hey, I'm athletic enough to catch the bandwagon again) to ... Patriots vs. Rams.

Here are my Top-Five Lists for Week 13 ...

Best Games
1. Patriots 38, Colts 34 -- Almost exactly what you'd want in a big game, unless you're Peyton Manning and the Colts.
2. Bengals 24, Steelers 20 -- Two touchdowns scored by both teams in the final 1:05 with Jon Kitna throwing the game-winner to TE Matt Schobel with 13 seconds left.
3. Eagles 25, Panthers 16 -- In a game measured by yards, inches separated the Panthers from another dramatic finish.
4. Jets 24, Titans 17 -- When I saw Herm Edwards smirk a little in a pregame interview about how the Jets were "out of it," I suspected he knew there was a surprise in store for us.
5. Saints 24, Redskins 20 -- If the ol' ball coach has learned anything in Washington, it's how to lose close games.

Most Impressive in Victory
1. Dolphins 40, Cowboys 21 -- Jay Fiedler, Chris Chambers and Ricky Williams turned Cowboys' defense into mush.
2. Ravens 44, 49ers 6 -- When a team like Baltimore scores 44 points in a game, you figure that's a once-in-a-season shot. But the Ravens have done it twice, and this time against a pretty good defense.
3. Rams 48, Vikings 17 -- When you almost hit 50 points in 22 minutes of possession, as the Rams did, it means you're striking hard and fast, with some defensive dominance making a big contribution.
4. Seahawks 34, Browns 7 -- After destroying the Baltimore defense the week before, the Seahawks put up 463 yards while the defense locked it down for once.
5. Bears 28, Cardinals 3 -- Sure, you can say it was the Cardinals, but the Bears are still alive in the NFC North and this was one serious butt-kicking.

Best Performance: Quarterback
1. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks -- Punch this guys' ticket to the Pro Bowl. He was 26-for-35 for 328 yards and three touchdowns.
2. Peyton Manning, Colts -- How many quarterbacks in this league can spot Bill Belichick a big lead and still throw four touchdown passes in pulling off a near-terrific comeback?
3. Jon Kitna, Bengals -- Did you see him Sunday? Is there any doubt he's an MVP candidate going into December?
4. Anthony Wright, Ravens -- He won big the previous Sunday, got no sleep until his wife had a 25-hour induced labor for baby delivery, was limited in practice with a sore shoulder, and helped put 44 more points on the board against the 49ers. Nice.
4. Jay Fiedler, Dolphins -- His efficiency (16-for-20, 239 yards, three TD) was about as good as it gets against a pretty good secondary.
5a. Tom Brady, Patriots -- I'd throw his hat into the MVP ring, too, even with two interceptions.
5b. Byron Leftwich, Jaguars -- His benching was contemplated, and justified, but credit Jack Del Rio, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and Leftwich for rebounding with his best yet in upset over Tampa.
5c. Kordell Stewart, Bears -- He threw for 284 yards, two TD, had no picks, and ran for 26 yards.
5d. Marc Bulger, Rams -- Did you hear Kyle Turley? Shut up! Bulger quieted the Vikings by hitting on 15-of-20 for 222 yards.

Best Performance: Receiver
1. Chris Chambers, Dolphins -- Since Fiedler re-entered the lineup, he looks like the guy everyone hoped he would be, and three TD catches in Dallas could make this a different offense.
2. Jimmy Smith, Jaguars -- So he has taken care of business off the field, and now he's taking care of business on it. He burned the Bucs for 10 catches, 136 yards and one big TD.
3. Hines Ward, Steelers -- He's still on my favorite football players' list. How could you not admire his gusty performance in the Steelers' loss to the Bengals -- 13 catches for 149 yards and a seemingly winning TD grab with 1:05 left?
4. Darrell Jackson, Seahawks -- Suddenly, the criticism is gone and Jackson grabbed two more TDs on eight catches and 102 yards.
5a. Randy Moss, Vikings -- Yes, it was in a sorry defeat, but you can't blame Moss (10-for-160, 1 TD).
5b. Chad Johnson, Bengals -- He keeps answering the bell, this time with 117 yards and a TD vs. the Steelers.

Best Performance: Running Back
1. Clinton Portis, Broncos -- He is earning a new contract. Coming off a heel injury, Portis took the ball 37 times for 170 yards and 2 TD vs. Raiders.
2. Ricky Williams, Dolphins -- Maybe the numbers (31-for-101, 2 TD) don't jump out, but if you had told me any back could make Cowboys safety Roy Williams turn it down, I'd have laughed. Ricky did it on Thanksgiving.
3. Priest Holmes, Chiefs -- Everybody has been pleading for more carries -- Holmes had 31 for 162 yards and 2 TD in uncomfortable win over Chargers.
4. Marshall Faulk, Rams -- Marshall, Marshall, Marshall: Three TD on 17 carries (108 yards).
5. Deuce McAllister, Saints -- How many times can you say the guy is unsung: 30 more carries, another 100-yard day (165) yards as Saints stay alive vs. Redskins.
6. Brock Forsey, Bears -- The A-Train (Anthony Thomas) was derailed by illness, so the rookie from Boise St. stepped in and made the Cardinals sick (redundant?) with a 27-for-134 1 TD afternoon.
7. Fred Taylor, Jaguars -- Behind a surprisingly dominating offensive line, Taylor took it to the Bucs.
8. Domanick Davis, Texans -- On a day when the expansion Texans won their fifth game with their quarterbacks banged up, Davis led the offense with 101 yards and two TD.
9. Travis Henry, Bills -- So this guy broke his leg a couple of weeks ago? OK, it was just a small crack, but he had another big afternoon with 115 yards and a TD.
10. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers -- Even on a losing team, still one of the best, as he was against the Chiefs.

Coaching Honors: Week 13
1. Dave Wannstedt, Dolphins -- Few recognize him for having a pretty good pulse on his team. Managed them perfect in the shortest of weeks (Sunday night to a road Thanksgiving game) in a 40-21 win over the Cowboys.
2. Marvin Lewis, Bengals -- He doesn't lie to his team: You can't win the AFC North unless you can win in Pittsburgh. They did.
3. Jack Del Rio, Jaguars -- He wrestled (appropriately) with benching Leftwich, then got his team ready to win a big game vs. Tampa. There's a lot of promise in his team and staff.
4. Brian Billick, Ravens -- Anthony Wright? Yes, Anthony Wright. And the Ravens destroyed the 49ers to set up AFC North clash with Bengals. The Bengals and Ravens? Yes, the Bengals and Ravens.
5a. Andy Reid, Eagles -- On the road the week before Dallas, Reid once again kept his team focused with a big win over Carolina.
5b. Steve Mariucci, Lions -- In another bleak season, he brought the holiday -- and Joey Harrington -- to life with a big upset over the Packers.
5c. Bill Belichick, Patriots -- Can a guy coach any better?
5d. Dick Jauron, Bears -- He's hanging in there, folks.

Coaching Really Hot Seat
1. Jim Fassel, Giants -- Giants co-owner Wellington Mara noted that fans emptied the stadium in the second half of a dismal performance vs. Buffalo. A customer-first employer, that does not bode well for Fassel.
2. Bill Callahan, Raiders -- The Super Bowl defeat lingers and some of Al Davis' favorite players such as Tim Brown and Charles Woodson are clearly down on Callahan.
3. Gregg Williams, Bills -- There's a lot to like about him, but he needed a playoff ticket and it doesn't look like he'll get there.
4. Dave McGinnis, Cardinals -- He's sacrificed it all to toe the company line, but the company is failing him.
5. Dan Reeves, Falcons -- High expectations and an owner driven to please the fans spells doom. But can you fire a coach when your franchise player goes down like Michael Vick did?

Coaching Hot Seat: Finishing Strong
1. Dick Jauron, Bears -- He's two missed field goals from being tied for first in the NFC North, so if he has a strong December, it may be a close call.
2. Marty Schottenheimer, Chargers -- The team's losing performance is personnel driven and Schottenheimer is only in his second season, but coaches do get fired after this type of season.
3. Jim Haslett, Saints -- No way owner Tom Benson wants to pay off another contract, but Haslett needs to avoid another December collapse.
4. Mike Tice, Vikings -- This is strange. The Vikes are in first place, they have seven wins (which was the max I thought they'd win), and owner Red McCombs likes Tice. But there's a sense that the Vikings can't continue to crash and burn because Red will be burning, well, red.
5. Dave Wannstedt, Dolphins -- It's almost silly to list him, but Miami fans are tired of disappointing Decembers (even if it happened to Don Shula and Jimmy Johnson). Did you know that Wannstedt is the NFL's fourth winningest coach (39-21) since he was hired in 2000?

Just Wondering
1. Butch Davis, Browns -- It's been pretty disappointing in a year where the division was up for grabs. It's not likely anything will happen, but it's interesting to hear Davis' name linked to speculation about the Nebraska job.
2. Mike Shanahan, Broncos -- He's always been pals with owner Pat Bowlen, but if the Broncos don't make the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, does the relationship get strained?
3. Bill Cowher, Steelers -- No, I don't think he'll get fired but will he grow tired of his stay?
4. Steve Spurrier, Redskins -- He says he's staying at least three years. The owner, Daniel Snyder, says committed to make this work. But I'm still wondering. Why (am I still wondering)?
5. Mike Holmgren, Seahawks -- I now fully expect the Seahawks to make the playoffs, and even if they don't, there has been too much progress made this season. But if they do stumble badly, does it become iffy?

Best Games: Week 13
1. Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles -- It should decide the NFC East the winner stays in the first-round bye race.
2. Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans -- Manning vs. McNair. The winner should win the AFC South; the loser will get very nervous.
3. Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots -- A Dolphins win will made the AFC East finish very interesting.
4. Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens -- This will be unbelievably believable: The winner of this game should win the AFC North.
5. Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos -- The Chiefs need to win to re-establish their Super Bowl credibility; the Broncos need to win to keep playoffs hope alive.
6. Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings -- The Seahawks must prove they can win on the road; the Vikings must prove they haven't forgotten how to win a big game.
7. Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers -- The winner gets very excited if it is parlayed with a Vikings' loss.
8. Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons -- In light of a two-game slump and Michael Vick's debut for the Falcons on SNF, the Panthers have a very interesting task.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints -- Each team is close to its final breath for the season, but the winner will live for another week.
10. St. Louis Rams at Cleveland Browns -- If you wonder how the Rams will play a winter outdoor game on the road, then watch this one on MNF. After all, did you think the Jets were going to beat the Titans?