1. The New York Giants timeline in the last month looks like this: Best team in the league, Plaxico shoots self, Giants destroy already-reeling Redskins, Brandon Jacobs hurt, Giants muster just 211 yards of offense and one score in humbling home loss to Eagles, Giants offense stumbles badly again with just 218 yards of offense and doesn’t score in a loss at Dallas. The latest: Prior to Cheddar Plax putting a hole in his leg, linebacker Antonio Pierce was at jiggle joint Scores, where he danced, flirted and got cozy with a stripper (with video!). Oops, he just got married in May. Next up: Carolina Sunday night for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs next week.

2. So the new team to fear is Pittsburgh. (Oh, and this was definitely a touchdown. Not even sure how there’s a debate.) Been a rough season for Big Ben, but when trailing, he’s not a bad guy to have on your side. They’re calling it “The Drive” in Pittsburgh, perhaps because it could vault the Steelers into the top seed in the postseason. More importantly, it might be the series that knocked the Ravens (9-5) out of the playoffs.

3. Out of the playoffs, you say? Yes. The Ravens have to go to Dallas Saturday (NFL Network!). And the 9-5 Patriots host the Cardinals (who have nothing to play for; see 35-14 beatdown at the hands of the Vikings). And the 9-5 Dolphins travel to Kansas City. Of the four teams jockeying for two spots (Indy’s got one wildcard locked), the 9-5 Jets probably have the second toughest game this weekend, traveling across the country for the fourth time this season to play a plucky Seattle team that has lost its last three home games by a total 12 points. The left coast has not been kind to the Jets (losses to SD, Oakland, SF).

4. Speaking of the Jets, this moment definitely our most enjoyable moment of the season. In fact, this might be one of our Top Five Jets memories since we became a fan (about 1985). Love that the camera is bouncing because of the bedlam. We’d like to personally thank Dick Jauron for easily – easily – the worst offensive play-call of the season. The Bills had run for 180 yards to this point in the game, and another first down likely would have had every New York writer destroying Brett Favre this morning. But on 2nd and five they elect to pass instead of run. Thanks, Dick.

5. Everybody’s killing JP Losman today, and rightfully so. Three picks and The Fumble That Saved the Jets is a horrendous afternoon. But what about Jauron? You think he’d be trouble for that buffoonery, right? Nope, just the opposite – after the loss it seems as if the Bills gave him an extension through 2011.

6. One of the weirdest stats you’ll see this season: Cincinnati vs. the NFC East: Lost to Dallas, 31-22, Lost to the Giants, 26-23, tied the Eagles, and beat the Redskins. The 2-win Bengals PF-PA vs. the best division in football: 78-87. Against the rest of the league: 96-271. Staggering.

7. How about those Texans? ESPN put Houston on the cover of their preseason football issue … and we relentlessly hammered the WWL for it when the Texans stumbled to a 3-7 start. Now, Schaub, Slaton and team-leader Andre Johnson have Houston at 7-7, and it has compiled over 900 yards in the last two weeks against Green Bay and Tennessee. Too early to start the 2009 playoff chatter?

8. Nobody cares about your fantasy team … but we went 3-0 in the semifinals. We’d like to thank … Frank Gore for sitting out … Phil Rivers for his pass-happy rally, Tony Romo for his two scores, the Jets defense for that late TD, and Darren McFadden for his late score.

9. Has DeMarcus Ware (19 sacks) of Dallas taken the lead in the race for the defensive player of the year award? Joey Porter (17.5) picked up a sack – the one that finished the 49ers, actually – and he’s in the mix, as is Ed Reed, and a couple guys on the Steelers. Jared Allen (14.5), too. And John Abraham of Atlanta (former Jet!) might be a darkhorse after a three-sack afternoon (15.5) against Tampa Bay.