Chargers: You have to grade on a curve, and my preseason Super Bowl team in the AFC is at 3-5. I should flunk myself. LaDainian Tomlinson is hurt and stuck in the mud. The defense has been wretched, which is why overmatched Ted Cottrell was rightly canned.

Cowboys: I also picked the Cowboys to reach the Super Bowl this preseason. Wow. It's more than the injuries. The play of the offensive line has been, well, offensive. The defense has been way too inconsistent. And you wonder about the hold Wade Phillips has on this team with the characters Jerry Jones has given him.

D-

Jaguars: Fred Taylor hasn't gotten started. The defense has been shoved around. The Jags are 3-5 after dropping games to Cleveland and Cincy to close the first half. That's flat-out unacceptable. How do you lose to Cincinnati? If the Jags just took care of business the past two weeks, they'd be in front for the playoff hunt. Instead, they are one of the most disappointing teams in the league. The Jags had Pittsburgh on a Sunday night game and blew that, too.

Seahawks: Sure, you can cite the historic rash of injuries at one position. Or you can mention the injury to Matt Hasselbeck. But let's not minimize the effect of the players knowing it is Mike Holmgren's final year, a storyline I completely missed in the preseason. The back seven of the defense has grossly underachieved.

F

49ers: In an effort to spin the positive, let's mention Mike Nolan did keep his pants on for all halftime speeches.

Raiders: The nation is now aware who Tom Cable is. Can't you just see a politician calling him "Tom the football coach?" The Oakland performance Sunday set offensive football back to the stone ages.

Bengals: At least there's a commitment to acquiring good character guys ...

Chiefs: If you are the Hunt family, you really need to examine why Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards hold jobs.

Lions: Remember my prediction from Week 4 — the Lions will go 0-16. Now that's losing with style. That's Lions football. Oh, but wait — the Lions sign Daunte Culpepper. That will change everything that's plagued the organization since 1957. I'd like to dedicate the rest of the season to legendary executive Matt Millen, who set a new low in sports for ineptitude. Congrats, Matt. Truly well deserved.