• “You dream of the opportunity to be part of an organization such as this. ... As you talk about our team and the goals for this team, it’s very simple: our goal is to win the AFC North, to compete in the playoffs and win Super Bowls. Anything we talk about that doesn’t relate to winning, we’re getting distracted.”

• Shurmur said he initially would be the one to call the plays on offense: “That really is the fun part for an offensive coach.”

• On his potential starting QB: "Very impressed wth Colt McCoy. I think he has the skill set and the skills and abilities to be a fine player in this league"

• Team president Mike Holmgren said new Broncos coach John Fox was on the list of candidates, but in the end, he wanted a coach with a background in offense.

• And a bonus quote from Holmgren: "You just can’t keep changing things around here every two years. You can’t do that. My hope and prayer is that the changes stop and the growing and building begins. We took some strides last year. My hope is that this will be the coach for a long, long time.”

Posted by Andy Benoit

Bears GM Gerry Angelo is politely saying “told you so!” to the Bears’ plethora of preseason critics.


Great headline from The Onion: “Seattle coach Pete Carroll: Seahawks only needs three losses to reach the Super Bowl.”


Because Richard Seymour is hurt, Bills NT Kyle Williams is getting the Pro Bowl nod that so many thought he deserved.


The Chiefs, worried about a possible flu outbreak (Dwayne Bowe missed practice Wednesday due to an illness), are requiring players to wash their hands all week. They’re calling it “Kindergarten Rules”.


Lovie Smith is rooting for his assistant coaches to get head coaching consideration. (The man already has three former head coaches on staff.)


Check out this letter the Cleveland Browns wrote to one of their whiny season ticket holders back in 1974.


Do the Browns need to be worried about Colt McCoy’s questionable play in bad weather?

Maurice Jones-Drew’s knee surgery was a success.


As expected, offensive coordinator Dan Henning has left the Dolphins. (The team has probably been secretly interviewing replacements since October.)


If the Jets win on Sunday, the Chargers will get New York’s second-round pick as part of the Antonio Cromartie trade. If the Jets lose, the pick remains a third-rounder (unless the Jets sign Cromartie to a long-term contract…which is likely but complicated because of the CBA). That make sense?


Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo decided not to renew the contract of Todd Hewitt, the team’s 43-year-long equipment manager. (Had a decent joke to go here, but felt kinda bad after learning the guy had been there four decades-plus.)

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• Terrell Suggs has mentioned how little he likes the favoritism that he believes is shown to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. But that has nothing to do with his recent comments that Drew Brees is the best quarterback in the NFL. Actually, wait, maybe it does. "Well, in my eyes he’s better," Suggs said, via Aaron Wilson at the National Football Post. "Maybe it could be my personal vendetta against the other guys, but he’s definitely one of the premier quarterbacks in this league, and he’s got the numbers to prove it. And not only that, he’s got the hardware to prove it.”

• We talking about practice? Why yes, yes we are talking about practice. Specifically, Redskins practice which, according to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, was held at Lifetime Fitness. Which is like Gold's Gym, I think. Or maybe not exactly. But the point is that the Redskins, an NFL team, somehow ended up practicing

• DO NOT MOCK Jason Witten'S BALD SPOT, Stephen McGee. Of course, Witten could have just turned to McGee and pointed out that his dream job was "Goo Goo Dolls lead singer" and that little argument would have ended pretty quickly.

• The Maddow Show reenacts "Tripgate." But the best part is that I get to give a hat tip to Doug Farrar's mom.

• Wanna see the creepiest Christmas card of all-time? Yes, it does belong to the Kardashians. 

• Don Banks is banging out a redux of the 2010 NFL Draft. Early? Sure. But these are always fun. Plus, Colt McCoy in the top 10? Who didn't see THAT coming?

• DeSean Jackson defends his end zone celebration against the Cowboys. If you would like to see yours truly reenact that same end zone celebration, click on this link.

• Percy Harvin returned to practice Thursday. Unfortunately, when he got there, he found out he was catching balls from Joe Webb. I'd probably fire up the migraine machine again.

• page/DEN">Broncos)">According to Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post, the Broncos still plan on starting Kyle Orton Sunday. He just can't practice because of "sore ribs." Which is obviously code for "desperate excuse to start Tim Tebow."

• Bless the Bears. They're so happy about playing at TCF Bank Stadium that they sent their groundskeeper over there to help out with the two inches of ice on the ground.

Posted by Andy Benoit & Josh Katzowitz

Cardinals rookie QB John Skelton certainly wasn’t great in the first start of his career Sunday, but he was good enough to earn another start from Ken Whisenhunt.


Colt McCoy is optimistic that his return from a high ankle sprain is near.


If the Vikings want to play next Monday’s game at the University of Minnesota, they need to let the school know by today. It’s because removing the snow from the field would take 5-6 days.


Buccaneers rookie DT Gerald McCoy tore his biceps muscle vs. the Redskins on Sunday. He’ll need surgery to repair the damage.


Redskins SS LaRon Landry, who actually had been having a pretty strong season, has been placed on the IR list.


Is it really that big a deal that Tashard Choice got Michael Vick’s autograph after the Eagles-Cowboys game Sunday?


They just won a Monday Night thriller on the road…now John Harbaugh wants his team to get a Monday Night game at home for a change.


Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer questions the constructiveness of Steve Smiths’ comment about Jimmy Clausen. (He ain’t at Notre Dame anymore.)


The Bengals placed underrated run-defending safety Chinedum Ndukwe on IR (knee).


If Flynn had gotten hurt last Sunday, the Packers would have turned to Jordy Nelson at quarterback.


Dolphins NT Paul Soliai has had a surprisingly good season. Now there’s pressure on the Fins to pay the man.


Tom Cable refutes the report that he and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson aren’t seeing eye to eye.


Mike Singletary intimated that Brian Westbrook’s time on the bench earlier this season was a blessing in disguise, as now the veteran RB is fresh. Westbrook doesn’t exactly agree with that, though he’s not raising a stink over it.


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