Gregg Rosenthal

A large swath of our football populace has been waiting for Brett Favre to have a day like this.

Two turnovers, both returned for long touchdowns in the fourth quarter, was surely a sign that the old interception machine was back, that the Vikings weren’t tough enough to win outdoors. Right? Well, not exactly.

The Vikings moved the ball well on Pittsburgh’s rejuvenated defense, but the Steelers were just a few plays better. The first turnover was caused by an incredible individual effort by defensive end Brett Keisel to slap the ball out of Favre’s hands, then a better team effort by the Steelers to escort Lamarr Woodley into the end zone for a 77-yard touchdown. The game-clinching interception Favre threw came on a dropped pass by Chester Taylor.

Minnesota’s magic ran out on Heinz Field Sunday, but the ingredients for a successful season remain. The secondary held up well despite playing without Antoine Winfield. The offensive line allowed too many free rushers to Favre, but they tightened up in the second half. Adrian Peterson continues to be a huge factor as a receiver.

For this Sunday, the Steelers defense reminded everyone why they are the defending champs. It happens. Favre may even get a chance to exact some revenge in February. First he gets a chance to stick it to the Lambeau faithful next week. What to early to jump on that hype train?

More Mendenhall, less Parker
Rashard Mendenhall changes the entire Steelers offense. I wanted to see him run against a quality defense, and he did it with aggression against Minnesota’s Williams wall. A fumble near the goal line almost cost the Steelers the game, but Mendenhall has given Pittsburgh the option to play power football again.

The one carry Willie Parker got against Minnesota was one too many. He had a big hole, he waited, and it quickly closed. Don’t look for Parker to get many more carries in big spots.

Parity? What parity?

Slideshow   Week 17 action Take a look at shots from the NFL's 17th week of play in 2009. NBCSports.com

Four of Sunday’s six early games looked mismatches, and they were all over by halftime.

So much for any given sunday.

Home crowds for three of the NFL’s worst teams — Kansas City, St. Louis, and Cleveland — had the option to leave their game early. Judging by the empty seats in all three stadiums, many fans decided that beating traffic was a better option than watching more football. A lot of folks didn’t show up at all.

The plague of dreadful teams wasn’t limited to North America. The American football fans at Wembley Stadium were subjected to the winless Bucs and quarterback Josh Johnson’s overthrows and interceptions. Tom Brady and the Patriots weren’t particularly sharp, yet the game was over before the end of the first quarter. 

A top-heavy NFL could make for an exciting set of playoff games in January, but it will also mean a lot of empty seats and predictable Sunday afternoons.

Bengals erase all doubts
The drive to beat the Steelers was impressive. The late heroics against the Ravens opened some eyes. But the Bengals didn’t prove they are here to stay until Sunday, when they dissected all that we thought we knew about the Bears — 45-10.

Last-second wins are great for highlight shows, but they don’t always tell you a lot about what team played better. Great NFL teams win convincingly. When it happens against a quality opponent, like Cincy’s total destruction of Chicago, something special is brewing.

Video   Hot topics in Week 7 Oct. 25: Dan Patrick, Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy think that even without their 'A' game, Drew Brees and the Saints looked impressive in coming back against the Dolphins.

Carson Palmer had more touchdown throws (5) than incompletions (4) against a solid Bears pass defense. In the six previous weeks, Palmer only elevated his mediocre play in crunch time. If he can start playing four quarters like he’s played the final drive, the Bengals will be difficult to stop.

Revenge!
Do you think Cedric Benson was a little fired up to take on his former team? He dished out 37 carries, 189 yards, and countless day-after bruises to the Chicago front seven.

We love that Benson didn’t pretend it was “just another game” and then ran angry, as if Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo was lining up across from him. Chicago’s injured linebacker group is going to be a huge problem for its run defense the rest of the season.

The ’Aints, they aint
It’s going to be very difficult to drop an “L” on the Saints this year. The Dolphins had the perfect formula: a home game, a pounding running attack, and a 24-3 lead. None of it mattered. The Saints scored the final 22 points of the game in the fourth quarter to win going away, 46-34.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos

The Saints can win any kind of game. They can overcome short-yardage woes with big plays. They can overcome interceptions with blitz-induced thefts of their own. They won’t go 16-0, but it’s worth noting that three of their four toughest games left are at home. (New England, Dallas, and two with Atlanta.) The Falcons will probably have to sweep the Saints for a chance at the NFC South.

Russell regresses, again
While one number one overall draft pick in the Bay Area revived his career Sunday (Alex Smith), JaMarcus Russell reached a new low. That’s saying a lot, but it doesn’t get much worse than being pulled for Bruce Gradkowski despite Russell’s undying support of owner Al Davis. The Raiders have too much money invested in Russell to simply move on after this season, but it’s the right move.