Sprkus

1. Minnesota (5-0). What a week for Jared Allen. Four-and-a-half sacks and a safety Monday night, followed on Sunday by one pass deflected and two fumbles recovered — one returned for a touchdown against St. Louis.

2. New York Giants (5-0). Take it from me. I had plantar fasciatis one summer in the mid-nineties. Stepped on a rock with my bare right foot in July. It still bugged me in December and didn’t go away completely until I did aggressive physical therapy. It’s like going through the day with a toothache. It never goes away. You can live with it by stretching and massaging it, but Eli Manning’s going to feel this ‘til after the season.

3. New Orleans (4-0). The Saints didn’t drop from 1 to 3 because they had their bye this week. They dropped from 1 to 3 because of how impressive the Vikings were last Monday against Green Bay and Sunday against the Rams. The Saints and the Giants will have the chance to prove who’s better this Sunday in the Superdome.

4. Indianapolis (5-0). Three road night games in the past 21 days. What team has played three road night games in a four-game span in NFL history? Doubt it’s ever happened. I only bring it up because teams that play early road games return home at 8 or 9 p.m. Sunday. The Colts have returned home from their three road games at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday (from the Miami Monday-nighter), about 5 a.m. Monday (from the Arizona Sunday-nighter) … and I’d guess they got home this morning about 2 a.m. from Nashville. They’ve got a Week 10 Sunday-nighter at home against the Patriots and a Week 15 Thursday-nighter at Jacksonville, and I expect one of their interesting games in the second half of the season (they host the Broncos and Jets) will be moved to a Sunday night game by NBC.

5. Denver (5-0). Matt Prater’s winning 41-yard field goal in overtime would have been good from 58. Very, very impressive comeback win in the biggest game of young Josh McDaniels’ coaching career.

6. Philadelphia (3-1). Donovan McNabb (16-21, 264 yards, three touchdowns, no picks) looked like he missed no time and had no busted rib. He needs one touchdown pass and 337 passing yards to become the 20th quarterback in the 90-year history of the NFL to pass for 200 touchdowns and 30,000 yards. In other words, the reports of his demise and the ascension of a.) Kevin Kolb and b.) Mike Vick are greatly exaggerated.

7. Cincinnati (4-1). Not only are the Bengals in control of the AFC North, but also they’re 3-0 in the division, 3-0 on the road … and, oh yes, Carson Palmer’s back, and he might be as good as ever. He’s certainly as clutch as ever.

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