Vikings CB Antoine Winfield is universally regarded as one of the league’s top defenders, so having him miss a second week of action thanks to a foot injury he suffered earlier in the season isn’t what Minnesota wants to see, especially headed into a big showdown on Sunday against their arch-rivals in Green Bay.

While the Vikings played fairly well defensively last week in Pittsburgh, the outstanding play of Winfield is a major factor behind their success on that side of the ball in recent years, and not having him available against the Packers, who feature several explosive receivers, could cause some difficulty for Minnesota this week. Apparently, Winfield has looked good in practice all week, but the team decided to give him another week off, in light of the Vikings BYE coming up after this contest.

Bills WR Terrell Owens has never been one to shy away from the limelight. Yesterday he did his best to get back into it, calling his 2009 stats “pathetic.”

According to the Associated Press, Owens still believes in his ability as a receiver, despite not having a single game this season where he has totalled more than 60 yards. He also feels strongly that his early-spring guarantee of a 10 touchdown season will come to pass, saying “I’ve got to hold up my end of the bargain.”

For his critics, this season has been perfect, proving (at least in their minds) that T.O. is a nonfactor, and is deserving of being relegated to the NFL’s basement. But Owens certainly isn’t going down without a fight, and love him or hate him, you have to respect that he’s willing to stand up like a man and take his medicine.

“They’re pathetic to be honest. Definitely, for myself, it’s very, very frustrating. I hear a lot of people saying I’ve hit the wall, I can’t play any more, this and that. I mean, I know I can play. I’m frustrated, but I mean, what can I do? I just continue to try to work hard, continue to try to do the best I can.”

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The NFL has long avoided claims showing a link between brain injuries and its physical play on the field, but that tactic may not work any longer.

According to the Associated Press, Commissioner Roger Goodell testified to a Congressional committee earlier today, trying hard to stay away from any admission that indicated as much, and defended the league’s approach in investigating the issue.

Goodell’s remarks were met with derision by several key members present at the hearing, with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) even going so far as to threaten the removal of the league’s anti-trust exemption:

“We’ve heard from the NFL time and time again — you’re always ‘studying,’ you’re always ‘trying,’ you’re ‘hopeful.’ I want to know what are you doing … to deal with this problem and other problems related to injuries.” - Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

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Despite a report from Minnesota earlier in the week that indicated otherwise, former Vikings safety Orlando Thomas has not succumbed in his battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, and is continuing to fight for his survival at home in Louisiana, according to ESPN.

Thomas’ agent quickly responded to the claim that he had passed on, stating emphatically that his client was still alive, although he has lost his ability to speak as a result of the disease.

The illness, which is formally known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS for short, is more commonly known for the famous Yankees baseball player it afflicted, and causes a severe dysfunction within the muscular system of the afflicted. It eventually leads to paralysis and death within three to five years, as there is no known cure for the disease.

Thomas was first diagnosed in 2007 and currently lives in his home town of Lafayette, Louisiana.

Wednesday – 9:40 pm: The Chiefs have officially suspended Johnson without pay until November 9th, according to the Associated Press. He’ll lose an estimated $213,000 for missing the team’s next game and could very well find himself deactivated for the remainder of the year, depending on what the league decides to do with his case.

Johnson’s agent, Peter Schaffer, responded to the team’s decision fairly quickly, relaying that Johnson will definitely appeal the suspension with the player’s union, and hopes for a quick resolution. Apparently, Johnson feels that his offensive speech did not warrant so severe a punishment and he wants to stay with the team if at all possible.

It’s likely that LJ has realized he could be facing the end of his career if he gets cut by the Chiefs right now, as no team will want to pick him up with the backlash that has ensued from his homophobic slurs. Teams may be more interested once things die down a bit, but his blatant disloyalty to his head coach won’t win him any favors around the league.

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Tuesday – 8:25 pm: Citing a source within the organization, Jeff Risdon of RealGM.com is reporting that the Chiefs have decided to release Johnson in the near future and are only waiting on the league’s investigation to be complete before they sever all ties.

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Tennessee’s dreadful 0-6 start to their season has made headlines for all the wrong reasons, but through it all, head coach Jeff Fisher has steadfastly refused to turn back to a young quarterback the team invested its hopes and dreams in just two seasons ago.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, that player is QB Vince Young, and even though the Titans clearly have nothing to lose as the season progresses in giving him another shot, Fisher has thus far chosen to stick with veteran QB Kerry Collins instead, driving a wedge between himself and several key figures within the organization in the process.

One of those individuals happens to be team owner Bud Adams, who has unequivocally voiced his displeasure at Young’s continued stay on the bench, claiming the team needs to find out what Young can do for them soon.

“I have been wanting [Fisher] to play Vince Young more because Collins has been having his problems out there,” Adams told The Tennessean last week. “I just think we need to find out how well [Young] can do. If you don’t play the guy and lose all your games, it is hard for you to see what he can do for you. Vince has won a lot of games for us.” - Tennessee owner Bud Adams

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Here’s how I see the league breaking down, heading into week eight of the season.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!

* Home games are capitalized

Top Shelf Contenders

1. New Orleans (6-0)

Great teams find ways to win in the clutch and that’s exactly what the Saints did last Sunday. This team is for real.

Next week: ATLANTA (4-2)

2. Indianapolis (6-0)

42-6… did you really expect anything else against the Rams?

Next week: SAN FRANCISCO (3-3)

3. Denver (6-0)

The BYE week should have helped them health wise but the real schedule starts this week in Baltimore.

Next week: @ Baltimore (3-3)

4. New England (5-2)

The Patriots are looking like the dominant team of two seasons ago once again… albeit against the Titans and Bucs.

Next week: BYE

5. Minnesota (6-1)

Which Brett Favre will show up next Sunday in Green Bay? My money’s on the one headed to the Hall.

Next week: @ Green Bay (4-2)

6. Cincinnati (5-2)

If Cedric Benson keeps running like he did against the Bears, this team will go a long way in January.

Next week: BYE

7. Pittsburgh (5-2)

The defense that showed up in the second half against the Vikes was unstoppable. Now it’s time to be consistent.

Next week: BYE

8. New York Giants (5-2)

The Giants got beat at their own game by Arizona… Can they rebound against Philly next week?

Next week: @ Philadelphia (4-2)

9. Arizona (4-2)

The Cards are flying high right now thanks in part to their defense. Another division title is likely on the way.

Next week: CAROLINA (2-4)

10. Philadelphia (4-2)

The Eagles reached deep this week and came out on fire on MNF. The real test comes next week against the Giants.

Next week: New York Giants (5-2)

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9:00 pm: The actual figures from Ware’s new contract are out, thanks to the Dallas Morning News: Ware will make $78 million over six seasons, including a $20 million signing bonus.

Wow. Those numbers are certainly much larger than I initially thought. Ware is now in elite company, contract wise, joining Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha as the NFL’s highest paid defender.

3:15 pm: Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer is reporting that the Cowboys and DE DeMarcus Ware have agreed on a new six year contract that will pay him $40 million guaranteed and possibly $13 million per season.

This is an outstanding deal for Dallas, given the tremendous amount of production Ware provides year in and year out, and the amount of cash they’ll likely end up paying him. Ware is still young and capable of playing at a Pro Bowl level, so I’d say that both sides made out well on this one.

49ers QB Alex Smith led a valiant effort to get his team back into their game against Houston yesterday, and even though he couldn’t quite seal the victory, he was rewarded with the starting nod at quarterback from here on out by head coach Mike Singletary, barring injury or poor play.

Smith is a former #1 overall pick and has shown flashes of talent through his years in San Francisco, but injuries have cost him dearly, pushing him to the brink of receiving his walking papers earlier this year. He does have significantly more talent than QB Shaun Hill, who he is replacing, but it remains to be seen if Smith can pull it all together without getting hurt during the team’s remaining games.

With all the negative publicity surrounding Chiefs RB Larry Johnson these days, you would think he’d have learned to keep his head down and his mouth shut, but apparently, LJ is doing the exact opposite of that.

According to Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports, Johnson hurled several insults at reporters in the locker room today, even going so far as to call them “faggots” and telling them to “get (their) ass out.”

This is on top of Johnson’s antics last night on his Twitter page, where he hurled the same type of slurs at fans responding to his assertion that his father is better than head coach Todd Haley. You can check out what he said here if you like.

Haley’s press conference later on this afternoon will be interesting, to say the least, as he’ll undoubtedly get hammered with questions on Johnson’s continued employment in KC. Trashing your head coach publicly is one thing, but insulting fans and reporters alike with homophobic epithets is pretty much unforgivable in today’s society.

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Here’s a rundown of the latest news to hit the wire this afternoon…

• Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Post-Gazette is reporting via Twitter that Packers TE Jermichael Finley is unlikely to play next week at home against the Vikings, thanks in part to a sprained knee that he suffered yesterday afternoon.

• The Dolphins have re-signed LB William Kershaw, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

• According to the Kansas City Star, Chiefs WR Lance Long emerged as a deep threat for the team yesterday, and could see more throws coming his way when the team comes back from their BYE week.

• Scout.com’s Adam Caplan is reporting via Twitter that Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth will suit up for tonight’s game against the Eagles, and should play throughout, barring a re-aggrevation of his ankle injury.

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The NFL is full of proud players, but for the most part, they know that taking a humble approach and accepting blame after a loss is the way to go.

Not so for Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell.

Following the 38-0 shellacking at the hands of the visiting New York Jets , Russell was unapologetic about his poor play, claiming it wasn’t his fault that the team played so badly, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.

Russell was pulled from the field in first half, after completing just six passes for 61 yards. He also was responsible for three turnovers that gave the Jets an easy path to the end zone.

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