King's Corner

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

The production of running backs Tiki Barber and Priest Holmes
over their seven-year careers is startlingly similar. Playing for
the Ravens and now the Chiefs, Holmes has a combined 1,564
carries and catches for 8,502 total yards. The Giants' Barber has
1,537 rushes and receptions for 8,551 yards. The glaring
difference: Holmes has 11 fumbles, Barber 32.

STAR IN THE MAKING
Browns middle linebacker Andra Davis

Before the season Cleveland overhauled its linebacking corps,
inserting three second-year players into the lineup: Ben Taylor
and Kevin Bentley on the outside, and the 6'1", 255-pound Davis
in the middle. On Nov. 9 in Kansas City, Davis had his best day
as a pro--four sacks, 14 tackles, one forced fumble, one pass
broken up--and against the Cardinals on Sunday he had eight
tackles. Last year middle linebacker Earl Holmes led Cleveland
with 88 solo tackles; through 10 games this season Davis had a
team-high 75.

MY TWO CENTS

1. How nuts is this? The Jets, who have played regular-season
games at Oakland in five straight years (plus two more games
there in the playoffs) without the Raiders ever visiting New York
in that time, will travel to Oakland again in 2004 if both teams
finish last in their respective divisions this year. Wasn't the
new schedule formula supposed to eliminate quirks like this?

2. The big problem for the 4-6 Bills? It took them too long to
realize that they aren't a deep-passing team. Buffalo should have
been riding the legs of running back Travis Henry. --P.K.