Having clinched a playoff berth with a 12-0 record, the Indianapolis Colts have presented a potential dilemma for coach Tony Dungy:
Does he risk losing players to injury by playing them even if the No. 1 playoff seed is wrapped up, or go for the first undefeated season since the 1972 Dolphins?
"I was talking to (Pittsburgh coach) Bill Cowher before the Monday night game, and we were talking about it," said Dungy. "They went 15-1 last year and nobody really cares. All the talk is that you didn't win the championship game, you didn't win the Super Bowl, and there hasn't been a lot of 15-1 seasons.
"It would be an honor, it would be special, but it's not something you're going to remember if you don't do well in the playoffs."
Tagliabue snowed in
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was prevented from attending yesterday's Tampa Bay-New Orleans game in Baton Rouge because of snow and ice in New York that delayed his flight.
The commissioner still planned to fly to New Orleans last night so he could take part in a meeting with south Louisiana business leaders today, followed by a tour of the Louisiana Superdome and the Saints' training headquarters.
The NFL is trying to determine whether the Saints could return to their regular base of operations next season.
Also missing a game
Receiver Charles Rogers, the second overall pick in the draft by Detroit in 2003, was healthy and ready to play after what he thought was a good week of practice.
But interim coach Dick Jauron deactivated him before the Lions lost to Minnesota, saying the move was made because other players were needed for special teams.
"I was a little shocked," Rogers said.
Missing some money?
The Philadelphia Inquirer and Foxsports.com report that the Eagles have informed suspended Terrell Owens again that they want $1.725 million of his $2.3 million signing bonus back – a threat they first made when the wide receiver did not show up at a postdraft camp in April.
Owens' four-game suspension without pay cost him $764,706 of his $3.25 million base salary. He is owed $955,882 over the final five games, but it appears as if the Eagles intend to withhold those payments because he never returned the money from his signing bonus.
Milestones
Browns running back Reuben Droughns went over 1,000 yards for the season in a 20-14 loss to Jacksonville, becoming the first Cleveland runner to break the 1,000-yard plateau since 1985, when both Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner did it. Since then, 257 backs in the NFL – at least one from every team except Cleveland – had cracked the barrier.
The Colts' Edgerrin James became the third-fastest player in NFL history to top 9,000 yards rushing. An 8-yard carry on Indianapolis' opening drive gave him 9,003 yards in 93 games. The only players to do it quicker were Eric Dickerson, who accomplished the feat in 82 games, and Jim Brown, who did it in 88.
Peyton Manning completed that Colts drive with a 27-yard scoring pass to Reggie Wayne, giving the quarterback 25 touchdown passes this year. That extends his NFL record to eight consecutive seasons with 25 or more.
And the Colts' third triplet, Marvin Harrison, became the 12th receiver in league history to top 12,000 yards receiving, doing it with a 36-yard catch in the first quarter.
Jacksonville's Jimmy Smith also entered the day needing 51 yards to reach the 12,000-yard mark, but he fell just short with three receptions for 49 yards. It would have been the first time in NFL history two receivers topped 12,000 yards on the same day.
Who keeps track of this stuff?
