w00t. 4-0 with the top point total in my fantasy league so far. I mostly have Peyton Manning and Chris Johnson to thank for that (though Matt Schaub has turned into a surprisingly adequate bye week replacement for Manning).

The Ralph Wiggum Experience is 3-1. I've lost the first game every year since I started playing fantasy football. It's kinda my thing by now.

Boy, you have to be really smart to be that f*cking stupid.

The only reason the gods of sport did not relieve Jan Vandevelde of the rotting goat carcass of shame and place it around the neck of Bill Belichick is that last night was not for a championship.

Yeah, but the really stupid move was not letting Addai score with a minute left on that first-and-goal run from the two. Let's see: You don't trust your D enough to punt the ball but you trust them to stop Peyton Manning FOUR times from the two?

Let them take a one point lead and get Tommy Brady the ball with about 50 seconds left (granted, no timeouts) needing to get in field-goal range -- in a dome.

I've read some statistics this morning that do make a compelling case to me that based on the numbers, Belichik did the right thing. Kind of like the decision you face when hitting 16 against a dealer's 8. The odds are almost exactly the same either way but slightly better if you hit (but many people intuitively disagree and so stand figuring it is better to not bust).

That said, it does end up looking spectacularly stupid if it doesn't work. All the more so for going against conventional wisdom (which is the reason for all the stupid punts on fourth and 2 from the other team's 42 yard line).

So I agree that the real failure was misuse of his timeouts and then not allowing Addai into the end zone so you'd get the ball back with time.

One thing that I didn't quite understand though is everybody saying how this showed his contempt for his defense. Couldn't it be spun the other way as him saying "I'm going to go for this to ice the game now because I'm extremely confident that if we don't get it the defense can still keep them out of the end zone?"

Not letting them score, even on the play where they got to the two: also stupid.

Clock management: very stupid. Actually, I think the clock management/no replay/might have gotten the first down if reviewed screwjob was scripted by Vince McMahon.

Well, at least Belichick was gracious about it. He spent a nanosecond with the opposing coach.

Though I do wonder how much of the reaction is fueled by the visceral pleasure in getting to call Belichik and idiot.

Had any of you heard of Matt Schaub before this season? I certainly hadn't, and considering how little broadcast time the Texans get I probably still would barely have been aware of him had he not ended up on my fantasy team. And yet, I'm about to make the decision to start him next week over Peyton Manning.

Schaub isn't getting a whole lot of attention, probably because the Texans are only 5-4. But in terms of passing stats he's keeping pace with Manning, Brady, Brees. And the Texans are playing Tennessee, 2nd worst pass defense in the league, while Indy is going up against the Ravens. It feels so wrong to put Manning on the bench, but I think it's the right call.

Schaub's got my vote for surprise player of the year.

Yeah, the Falcons had Schaub but let him go in favor if Mike Vick a few years back. Schaub was supposed to break out last year but had injury problems. I tried to draft him on the cheap this year but he was snagged right in front of me.

You can't go wrong playing Schaub. For what it's worth, if I had both Manning and Schaub, I'd try to trade one of them. Probably Manning because name recognition would bring more in return.

I got lucky last night in my fantasy league....who would have thought the Raven's defense would outscore their QB Flacco and Rice combined? I went in to Monday night with an 8 pt lead over my opponent, having the Ravens D and he having those two.