$.01 -- How 'bout them Cowboys!?! Saturday night's special win over the previously unbeaten Saints should put a quick end to all the "Dallas dies in December" discussions. Wade Philips devised a wonderful game plan, and his charges executed it brilliantly, storming out enthusiastically to a quick early lead and keeping the pressure on Drew Brees all night. Tony Romo was sharp and in rhythm, Marion Barber lived up to the "Barbarian" nickname with his tough running, and the offensive-line did a good job of giving Romo options. The defense was huge, led by Anthony Spencer finally looking like a first round pick and terrorizing Jermon Bushrod all night long. Everyone else is focusing on what this means for Dallas, but what this says about New Orleans is just as critical. Their inability to use the pass to set up the run leaves their offense vulnerable when they fall behind early. The Cowboys linebackers knew Brees was going to throw, and most of the time they knew where he was looking with his primary read. Without having to respect the run, the perimeter Cowboys defenders could focus solely on their coverage responsibilities. The two lost fumbles are another problem for New Orleans that could be a groundhog forecasting an earlier end to their season than the Saints would like. The comeback was spirited and nearly successful, but the team played very much like it was afraid to lose for far too long. The undefeated issue is now behind them, which sure seems like's it is simultaneously disappointing and liberating for this group. New Orleans doesn't look to be tested in their final two games against Tampa Bay and Carolina, and that means they hit the playoffs with the knowledge that the last "good" team they played beat them in their house. That might mean a whole lot if it's Dallas again, and it very well could be. $.02 -- The "December Swoon" talk must now focus on the Denver Broncos, who dropped a bad game at home to Oakland. You might recall that last year the Broncos held a three-game lead with three to play, only to piss it away. This year they're already tenuously clinging to a Wild Card berth, and the fly is wide open in front of an appealing urinal. You simply cannot lose at home to JaMarcus Russell, the disgraced former #1 overall pick banished to the bench behind Charlie Frye. You cannot blow that many red zone opportunities, nor commit mental-error penalties or forget to block (that's you, Mr. Moreno), and expect to hang onto that playoff spot. Now they travel to red-hot Philadelphia in a must-win game having lost two in a row and with surging Baltimore and Tennessee breathing down their necks. Last year's swoon got Mike Shanahan fired and Jay Cutler shipped to Chicago. That sort of house-cleaning won't happen again, but if this swoon pervades there will be some lambs, err Broncos, sacrificed. $.03 -- In a game that meant little to anyone other than hometown fans and draftniks, the Browns and Chiefs put on one heck of a record-setting show. Josh Cribbs continues to cement his place down I-77 in Canton as the greatest special teams player ever, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns to take the all-time record with eight. He's done that in under five seasons, and both returns on Sunday were true game-savers; Kansas City had successfully seized momentum, only to see Cribbs run away with it right back to Cleveland. But perhaps an even more impressive display came from Browns running back Jerome Harrison. A seldom-used backup for his three years in Cleveland, Harrison had 301 yards on the season heading into Sunday. He nearly doubled it, bagging 286 rushing yards against a hapless Chiefs defense. That's the third-highest one-game total in NFL history, and it thoroughly impressed Browns legend Jim Brown, who was in Arrowhead Stadium and happily ceded his old franchise mark. Not a lot has gone right for Cleveland this year, but with two wins in a row, they could be building for something much better next year. As Harrison proved today, they have some talent. As Cribbs continues to prove, they have some heart. Granted they made some ridiculous errors too (the premature snap on the punt, the blown coverages, two Brady Quinn interceptions), but they continue to play hard every snap and have better team speed than most. It's probably too little, too late to save Eric Mangini's job, but it sure makes life easier for whomever Mike Holmgren chooses to take the coaching reins. $.04 -- We are witnessing one of the greatest defensive rookie classes of all time, if the first years of so many are indications of what's coming. Brian Cushing in Houston, James Laurinaitis in St. Louis, Louis Delmas in Detroit, Brian Orakpo in Washington, Jairus Byrd in Buffalo, Rey Maualuga in Cincinnati, and Clay Matthews in Green Bay all appear bound for many Pro Bowl nods. And there are several others who have established themselves as quality starters right off the bat, notably Terrance Knighton and Derek Cox in Jacksonville, Vontae Davis in Miami, Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey in Indianapolis, Glover Quin in Houston, and Kaluka Maiava in Cleveland. The incredible depth of skill and immediate results from so many rookie defenders on so many teams is a breath of needed fresh air, and if the first year is any indication, we're dawning on a great new age of defensive talent. $.05 -- Highlight of the week goes to Steelers rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace for his game-winning touchdown catch that was eerily similar to Santonio Holmes' Super Bowl winner. It was a case of perfect throw, perfect catch along the sidelines. I didn't think there was any way he got both feet down and maintained control, but Wallace stuck the landing and caught it clean. With the way the rest of the day on the AFC played out, that catch suddenly puts a whole lot of life back in Pittsburgh's playoff hopes. If they beat Baltimore next week and New England beats Jacksonville, the Steelers are in position to control their own destiny in Week 17 against Miami. Wow! Not bad for a 6-7 team that had lost five in a row and was about two millimeters from making that six. $.06 -- 5 Random Quickies: 1. The key to the Lions impressive comeback against Arizona: the benching of left guard Manny Ramirez and right tackle Gosder Cherilus. The mistakes (it's apparently asking too much for either guy to count to two) stopped and the message was received by the rest of the team. 2. More Lions stuff, the last I mention of them, I promise: Arizona's game-winning touchdown featured a false start, two illegal hands to the face, and offensive pass interference, none of which got called. The officiating of Jeff Triplette and crew was downright embarrassing all day long. 3. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better in Chicago. I won't pile on too much, but consider this: Jay Cutler keeps getting worse, the lines are both among the bottom three in football, and the second round draft picks for both 2009 (Jarron Gilbert) and 2010 (Gaines Adams) can't get off the bench despite being healthy. 4. I'm in a survivor pool that has 676 entrants, and this weekend wiped out all but three contestants. There were 72 still alive entering Week 15, but Denver, the Jets and Seattle (Seattle?) losing really thinned the herd. My money is on my man Derek, who has yet to use Philly, New Orleans, Arizona, or Minnesota. I got wiped out in Week 11 when the Chiefs shocked the Steelers, my only miss so far. 5. Not football-related, but last Thursday I watched my old high school play basketball on ESPN2. I was a Columbus Northland Viking for 10th & 11th grade, and it was pretty cool to see the school finally excel at a non-minor sport. Those unis sure looked a lot better than the green nutters with gold trim from my era... $.07 -- A lot of people have weighed in on the death of Chris Henry, and I've been asked several times about my thoughts. Deep breath. I feel terrible for his teammates and for the Bengals organization, who put up with years of his "one-man crime wave" but never turned their backs on him. That is a very tight locker room, and they rallied around changing their stripes. Henry lived that too, quitting what one teammate once told me was "daily heavy pot abuse" and finally learning to function in an adult society. Yet, I don't consider his death a tragedy. Without being there and seeing what exactly transpired, I do know this: nobody jumps into the back of a moving pickup truck with good intentions or with any regard for anyone but himself. I know this is a man who terrified his own teammates with his quiet demeanor and thug lifestyle. I am a firm believer in the laws of karma, and Henry had too many transgressions to ever overcome in this lifetime. It's not politically correct, but maybe it's for the best that Chris Henry left this life with so many people feeling so genuinely positive about him. You hear about situations like this all the time, where a knucklehead finally starts to get it right only to lose his life. I do find inspiration in that, seeing someone go out in a positive light after spending so much time in darkness. $.08 -- Non-football Thought of the Week: While most of the nation spent Saturday night watching the Cowboys beat the Saints (okay, the 40% of the nation that can actually get the NFL Network!), some of us got a real treat watching the NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship. #1 Penn State and #2 Texas put on an amazing display of athleticism, skill, and emotion in their epic five-set match. A little background: Penn State is the two-time defending champs, and they were gunning for an unbeaten season, having won 100 matches in a row. Texas was heavily favored to win the 2008 title but blew a 2-0 advantage in the Final 4 in a heartbreaking loss. Texas pounded their way through the first two sets, and then history repeated itself. Despite the best effort of Destinee Hooker, a freakish athlete who can touch 10'10" and can hit the ball inside the 10' line from anywhere on the court, Texas let it all slip away. Penn State found their focus, started serving and passing better, and completed the perfect season in dramatic fashion. I know volleyball isn't exactly a television draw, but if you've ever doubted that women can play a team sport with speed, physicality, and emotional intensity, you really need to check it out next season. $.09 -- Two of the last three weeks have seen Minnesota's ground attack hit the skids, and it's time to really start wondering about the playoff viability of the Vikings. It's one thing to get snuffed by a talented, if inconsistent, Arizona defense, but when Carolina's defense dominates the game, there's real trouble in Minnesota. One thing I've noticed is that both Arizona and Carolina attacked the gaps aggressively, forcing Adrian Peterson to pause or take a step sideways before hitting the hole. It's a calculated gamble, because it exposes the secondary to play action and also leaves the tight end largely uncovered. But as both the Cardinals and Panthers have proven, if you have a talented secondary, it's well worth the gamble. Even though Carolina won't sniff the playoffs, good secondaries in Green Bay and Philadelphia will be there waiting, and so will those pesky Cardinals. $.10 -- Scouting Report: Jared Veldheer, T, Hillsdale (MI). 6?8?, 322 pounds, 4.98 (est.) 40 time. Positives: Giant bookend tackle with good athleticism and quickness. Natural knee bender with solid base strength. Extends his arms well and locks his shoulders with power. Good agility and balance for a taller tackle, can locate moving targets in space and eliminate them. Very good at run blocking outside and pulling across the formation. Tenacious. Anticipates moves well and is savvy to twists, stunts, and outside blitzes. Has reasonably quick feet and has improved his kick step outside. Played better against better competition (see GVSU and Mankato State). Negatives: Needs lots of refinement on using his hands. Too passive with his hand punch and he often hits too high, surrendering leverage and not using his strength or length. Not real good at blocking down (inside), tends to lunge and reach with little power. Will get happy feet, doesn?t set and form a strong base all the time. Motor appears to run hot and cold. Bends at the waist too frequently, esp. when facing outside pass rush. Not real functionally strong for his size as a run blocker. Faces a big learning curve from D-II, though he did play in the best D-II league in the country. Forecast: As one of the very few who has seen Veldheer play in person (twice), I can tell you the raw talent is there and legit. He is at least as good right now as Sebastian Vollmer was at the same point last year, and Vollmer has done quite well in New England as a greenhorn 2nd round rookie. Veldheer needs considerable work with his technique fundamentals, but he's proven to be a quick learner and dedicated worker. His performance in the Texas vs. the Nation week determines if he's a second rounder or a fourth-fifth rounder. Bet on the former. -- Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com