Before we get to this week’s round-up of the odds, ends and trends around NFL in Week 12, we have the update you’ve all been waiting for...

SAFETYWATCH ‘08: Yet another safety this week, as Dallas blocked an Andy Lee punt through the end zone against the Niners. That’s four weeks in a row with a safety. Our long national curiosity continues. 

More updates as the situation progresses. We now return you to your regularly scheduled post:

I’ve got to be honest, I’m feeling pretty good about myself after Week 12. Last week, I wrote about how badly Donovan McNabb looked last week, and rumors he’s be benched for Kevin Kolb, and this weekend it happened. Last week, I predicted the Jets would upset the Titans, and on Sunday they did. I even had another good week with my picks. That's a lot to be thankful for right there. Of course, I did pick the Niners to win, and we all know how that turned out. But things could always be worse -- I could be a Lions fan.

THE LATER IT GETS, THE BETTER YOU LOOK: A few weeks ago, Boston fans were whining (I know, I was shocked too) that their season was over because Tom Brady was out and Matt Cassel sucked. Suddenly, they’re not only talking playoffs, but wondering if they’re not poised to make a run behind one of the hottest QB’s in the league -- some guy named Matt Cassel.

If Cassel was a stock, he’d be going in the opposite direction of all the other stocks -- up. Sunday, Cassel’s numbers reminded one of Brady’s: 30/43, 415 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. While Randy Moss had a lot to do with those stats, Cassel has always thrown well on the run, is looking better in the pocket, and even hit on some deep passes (two 20+ yard TD), which has been his weakness. It was the second straight tough division game in which he’s thrown for 400+ yards. It’s also he first time any QB has had back-to-back 400 yard games in the NFL since 2000. Sobering reminder: That QB was Billy Volek.

The question of Cassel’s availability this off-season has been raised here. I’ve been taking the position that the dollar figures being thrown around are too high, and the smart move would be to pass, but if Cassel keeps lighting up teams (especially teams which shut him down only a couple of months ago), I may have to reconsider.

To keep Cassel from free agency, New England can always franchise him, but CBS's Charley Casserley reported today that would cost them $14+ million, which they can't afford -- even if Brady’s injury lingers. And they cannot, as some have asserted, tag him with the franchise label just so they can trade him to the highest bidder -- at least, not exactly. According to NBC’s Peter King NFL rules forbid that. But it’s not that you can’t trade a franchise player, it’s that you can’t franchise them with the intent of trading them. Intent is an awfully hard thing to prove, but Bill Belichick doesn’t seem like the type of guy to try to pull a fast one and skirt league rules.

However it breaks down, it appears two things will probably change for Matt Cassel in 2009: He will play for a new team, and his salary will grow exponentially.

MEET THE NEW BOSS, SAME AS THE OLD BOSS: In 2001, the Patriots were a rag-tag squad of scrappy underdogs when they stunned the Rams, a team looking to establish a dynasty, in the Super Bowl. It seemed like a major upset at the time, but history now remembers more as a changing of the guard -- the Patriots taking their right place on the throne as next dominant team.

Seven years later, the Pats were the team looking to further cement its dynasty, and the Giants were the rag-tag squad of scrappers who capped a crazy playoff run by shocking them. But will history remember it that way? Considering how the Giants are playing this season, I’d have to guess the answer is no.

New York looks every bit as dominant now as they did throughout last January -- maybe more so. And just like during their playoff run, they don’t seem to mind losing a key contributor. In the playoffs, rookie TE Kevin Boss stepped in for an injured Jeremy Shockey, and the offense didn’t miss a beat. On Sunday, they were without starting RB Brandon Jacobs (inactive) and WR Plaxico Burress (injured early on), and still put up 37 points on the road against a playoff team. Why? Because they always get understudies to step up. Whether it’s RB’s Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw, or WR’s Domenik Hixon, Amani Toomer and company, somebody always seems to make the play they need. 

Eli Manning has become a rock they can count on, as has the offensive line, and the pass rush (again, despite the loss of stars -- Strahan and Umenyiora). What’s more, if they are healthy come playoff time, these backups will have the experience and confidence from already playing important minutes. That, and the invaluable experience gained during last year’s run, I believe makes the Giants the odds-on favorite to repeat. 

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