Playing The Spread, Week 10

There is an unwritten rule in the NFL which states that if your starting quarterback goes down with an injury, he is entitled to return to the starting role once he is healthy again. But like all rules, there are exceptions. In Jacksonville, Jack Del Rio has repeatedly proclaimed that once Byron Leftwich can play again, David Garrard will have to give up the reins. But given what Garrard has managed to do for the team thusfar, Del Rio's choice might not be so obvious. Herm Edwards has been far less vehement in pledging to return Trent Green to the offense once his injuries are gone, seeing as how there have been murmurs of "Damon Huard" and "Pro Bowl" in the same sentence. Keep in mind that Green was the Rams' QB that was knocked out with an injury to allow Kurt Warner to come from nowhere and earn the MVP award.

So, I would like to provide a modification to the rule. I call it The Tom Brady Rule, after Brady's magnificent season-altering performance in relief of Drew Bledsoe in 2001. If the starting quarterback is out less than six weeks, the offense is his once he returns to full strength, no questions asked. However, if he is out for more than six weeks, and the backup compiles a record in which he wins at least twice as many games as he loses, all bets are off. The coach is justified in leaving the backup in charge, and the starter must give his full effort to a supporting role, subject to the understanding that the team's front office will pursue a trade for the starter at the end of the season, allowing him to take the reins of the offense somewhere else.

The justification is simple: No one player is bigger than the team. While coaches strive to do the right thing in personnel management decisions, the ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl. You get the same ring whether you're playing or sitting on the bench. But the team owes it to their leader to let him ply his trade elsewhere. Nobody deserves to be punished for bad luck for more than a season.

The following picks are for recreational purposes only and should not the basis for any actual cash wagers. I really hope you took my advice last week.

Last week: An abysmal 3-11
Season to date: 64-58-6
Best bets: An even more abysmal 2-7
Eliminator: 8-1 (Streak: W 2)

Jets (+10.5) over Patriots
The bad news is that the Pats lost Rodney Harrison indefinitely. The worse news is that the team's performance against the Colts last week was uninspiring, at best. The good news is that the opponent this week is the Jets. WIN

Falcons (-8) over Browns
The Detroit Lions, of all teams, managed to solve Michael Vick last week. Somehow, I doubt the Browns can do the same. LOSS

Eagles (-7) over Redskins
Reality shows like The Surreal Life and Dancing With The Stars have been havens for washed-up athletes. When he retires, Donovan McNabb has his eyes set on Project Runway. WIN

Chargers (-1) over Bengals
Memo to the folks in the NFL office who make these decisions: Bring back the Chargers' powder-blue uniforms as their primary, full-time design. The Jets and Giants look great now that they permanently reverted to their retro unis. The Chargers will look even better. WIN

49ers (+6) over Lions
Yeah, I know they shocked the Falcons last week, but the Lions, favored by six?! I can't go with that line, even if they are playing the Santa Clara 49ers. WIN

Ravens (-7) over Titans
Steve McNair has the chance to exact revenge on his old team for locking him out of their practice facility. I guess they really appreciated the Super Bowl he led them to. LOSS

Colts (-12) over Bills
Well, I'll give credit where credit is due. After seeing the Colts play in person, I will say that Peyton Manning has incredible poise in the pocket, Marvin Harrison has an amazing ability to catch those impossible-to-grab balls, and Indy's o-line is as strong as any in the league. LOSS

Jaguars (-10.5) over Texans
The Jags have a chance to avenge a humiliating loss they suffered against Houston last month. We finally get a definitive answer to the question whether a healthy David Garrard is preferable to an injured Byron Leftwich. LOSS

Dolphins (+1) over Chiefs
Finally, the Dolphins have shown some semblance of being the Super Bowl contender everyone thought they'd be at the start of the season. We might have a race in the AFC East after all. WIN

Vikings (-5.5) over Packers
A field goal is all the Vikings scored against the 49ers, but the Vikings always play the Pack tough in the Metrodome. LOSS

Broncos (-9) over Raiders
Tyler Brayton of the Raiders was ejected last week for doing his best Wayne Rooney impression. The Raiders have now failed to score a touchdown in four of their eight games. LOSS

Cowboys (-7) over Cardinals
In honor of T.O., next time I answer a question correctly in one of my law school classes, I plan on shutting my laptop, placing it on the floor, lying down, and pretending to take a nap. We'll see if my professor throws the flag for a 15-year unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. WIN

Saints (+4.5) over Steelers
Reggie Bush shouldn't be too concerned about last week's negative-yardage rushing performance. It even happened to Barry Sanders once in a while. However, a strong game this week would go a long way toward silencing the critics. LOSS

Seahawks (-3.5) over Rams
The way this team can hold steady without Shawn Alexander or Matt Hasselbeck means that they will be a force to be reckoned with once they both return. It could be as early as this week. LOSS

Giants (E) over Bears
One loss to the Dolphins and the Bears are not even considered the best team in their conference anymore. Some NBC promos, however, still refer to them as "the undefeated Bears," so maybe they all just agreed that last week never happened. LOSS

Bucs (+9.5) over Panthers
He had a great couple of weeks when he first came off the bench, but it looks like the magic has just about run out for Bruce Gradkowski. LOSS

BEST BET: Chargers (-1) over Bengals WIN
ELIMINATOR: Atlanta Falcons LOSS