5 Questions For Week 9

1. Can The Cowboys Get Over Themselves?

Was it refreshing for the Cowboys to take out the Bucs Sunday to close out their October From Hell? Certainly. But they don't need to dislocate a shoulder patting themselves on the back. After the 13-9 win over Tampa, owner Jerry Jones gave head coach Wade Phillips the game ball. First, why the owner's handing out game balls is anyone's guess. Second, Dallas needs to hold up on the cartwheels and get their minds right for the trip to New York to play the Giants. Dallas (5-3) is looking up at the 6-2 Redskins and 7-1 Giants as we enter the second half of the season. On the upside for Dallas? If Tampa doesn't win the NFC South (the Bucs trail Carolina by a game currently) they will likely be in Wild Card contention right up to the end and Dallas now has a head-to-head tiebreaker on them.

2. Whose Psyche Got Crunched Worse, Bills or Cardinals?

The Bills were playing their first AFC East game of the season down in Miami. They led 16-7. And then they got outscored 18-0 in the game's final 23 minutes. So now, despite being the darlings of the AFC along with the Titans for the first portion of the season, they are now actually tied with New England for first in the AFC East at 5-2. Three fumbles, a pick and a safety in the fourth quarter from the surprisingly useful Joey Porter helped send Miami reeling. Now what for Buffalo? Well, to be honest, their schedule still isn't that daunting. They have two each with the Patriots and Jets, one more with Miami and then Denver, San Fran, Kansas City and Cleveland. They ought to be fine. As for Arizona, they had a similar deal in Carolina, leading 17-3 in the third before losing 27-23. The Cardinals went through a thorough defensive meltdown as the Panthers scored on a six-play, 80-yard drive, a 1-play, 18-yard drive and a 3-play, 73-yard drive. However, the NFC West is the worst division in the NFL so Arizona still sits pretty with a two-game lead with their 4-3 record.

3. Can Mike Singletary Get Away With This Approach?

Bet your paycheck. In what passes for analysis, The Fraternal Order of Cliche Spewing Ex-Players and the sycophantic desk jockeys sitting next to them will be orgasmic about Mike Singletary sending tight end Vernon Davis to his room without supper. I just saw the guys on Fox trying to one up each other on why Singletary's tirade about Davis' selfishness (he slapped a Seahawk and drew a penalty) means he'll be a great coach. Actually, all it means is he'll be a great disciplinarian. Or an attention-seeking one.

In a fiery press conference, Singletary said he'd rather play with 10 players than have a player like Davis on the field putting himself ahead of the team. He also apologized to the fans as he walked off the field at Candlestick.

There are instances where a little hardassedness is warranted. Dallas, for instance. And maybe it's been what's lacking in San Francisco.

But if the game plans suck, or the decisions suck, or the players suck, or the game management sucks, it doesn't matter how "scared" the players are of the head coach. He's still not a "great coach." Bill Belichick wouldn't call out a player publicly if you threatened him at gunpoint. He gets results and respect. Mike Ditka played the game Singletary appears to be getting ready to play. Overall, he was an average head coach that was a caricature of himself by the time he stepped down.

It is worth noting, however, that this is an area in which former players can do things as head coaches that guys who didn't play in the league couldn't pull off. Because he's Mike Singletary, one of the best middle linebackers ever to play, he will get leeway with this style (for the time being) more than a guy like Belichick or Tony Sparano would if he tried showing up a player publicly. But Singletary's slapping trump cards down early. If the hardass approach doesn't work, he'll have an important ploy removed from his toolbelt. As for the apologizing? Little bit of grandstanding. Was he apologizing for everything - game plan, coaching and level of play - or just for the players' performance? Slippery. Slope.

4. Who Wins First...Lions or Bengals? 

Detroit loses to Washington on Sunday. Cincy gets blown out by Houston. Both are 0-7. But even though the Lions seem to be closing in on a victory, they have a tough road coming up. They are at the Bears, Panthers, Colts and Packers and host the Jags, Bucs, Titans, Vikings and Saints. There's a win in there somewhere, right? I'm betting December 7 against the Vikings. As for the Bengals? Today was their best chance for a while. The rest of the way they host the Jags, Eagles, Ravens, Skins and Chiefs. They visit the Steelers, Colts and Browns. They're getting to 0-15 before they beat KC in the finale. Book it.

5. Can Favre Take Much More?

Ol' Brett doesn't seem to be having much fun this season. Nor is he playing very well. He had three picks Sunday in the Jets narrow win over Kansas City. But this performance will be a blip compared to the Valentines that were penned and broadcast for him when he threw six TDs earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the Favre PR machine kept on cranking, trying to make sure Favre's folksy, regular-guy image remains intact against attacks by media types he hasn't yet co-opted.

It's a fascinating dynamic. In order for Favre to remain the needle-mover he's always been for TV - NBC included - it's best if the mythology of Brett stays intact. And if the media isn't giving appropriate voice to that mythology and is reporting on questionable decisions made by Favre, then it appears his camp will take it upon itself to spin. What's the endgame in all this? Is it winning a title? Just playing? Collecting money? Adulation? Fun? Lending an identity to those around him? Dismounting into TV? The longer this season goes, the closer we seem to be to finding out.