Q: Will Carson Palmer’s broken nose mess up his delivery? I broke my nose in high school and I’m not sure I could’ve played football.
— Steve Reid, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

A: I never have heard of a broken nose affecting a player's ability to throw a football. Carson Palmer is a tough quarterback who has played with worse injuries. I'd be shocked if it factored into his playing. The only potential issue I could see is if team doctors, for some reason, decided not to give him medical clearance to play.

Q: J.T. O’Sullivan? Really? Has Mike Martz gone crazy?
— D.D., San Jose, Calif.

A: Have you been watching 49ers games? O'Sullivan clearly has been the best quarterback on the 49ers' roster. And we really should not turn up our noses at a journeymen like O'Sullivan. The NFL has seen quite a few like him turn into Pro Bowl-caliber players.

Among them are Kurt Warner, Marc Bulger, Jeff Garcia, Jake Delhomme, Rich Gannon and Derek Anderson. Just because other teams don't think a quarterback can play doesn't mean that quarterback can't have success elsewhere. O'Sullivan never has been given a real chance before. And Martz tells me O'Sullivan is a perfect fit in his system.

Q: Hey Dan, can I expect more out of Calvin Johnson this season?
— Tim A., Wyoming, Mich.

A: The Lions are expecting much more from Johnson, and they are totally justified in doing so. Johnson has been a star since training camp opened. He has rare ability.

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The Lions are capable of getting him the ball frequently, and they have other gifted weapons to deflect defensive attention from him. Johnson probably would have been a lot more productive last year if he had been healthier. It would not surprise me to see him in the Pro Bowl in February.

Q: Do you expect anything “Spygate” related to surface again? I was really sick of that story last year, but was happy to see Belichick take a lot of heat over it.
— Charlene Boyle, Youngstown, Ohio

A: I believe Spygate has been buried, and I don't expect it to be exhumed. Because of the sensational nature of the story and the hunger for all things NFL, it would not surprise me to see Spygate stories with new slants from time to time. But I think we know everything we will about the situation that is truly pertinent.

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