Things I Think I Think

SI's fearless NFL expert opines on all the latest news, buzz and inside information. This is just a taste of what you'll get online.

1 I think I almost named Ravens running back Ray Rice(below) the offensive player of the week. (Instead I picked the Titans' Kenny Britt and Vince Young.) What a football player Rice is. He catches (one-handed sometimes) and blocks. His 44-yard catch-and-run on fourth-and-five helped Baltimore force overtime against Pittsburgh and led to a 20--17 win on Sunday night. Rice is a terrific example of what a player with immense desire can do when a coach and a team trust him.

2 I think if I were Mike Shanahan, I'd be doing the same thing he's doing now: waiting until the end of the year and surveying the field before making any decisions about where I might coach. I'd want to see what a lot of teams do, especially the Bears, Cowboys and Redskins. Why jump at the first team with an opening? How much would Shanahan kick himself if he committed to the Bills and then in a month his old friend Jay Cutler were coachless in Chicago?

3 I think that quarterback Brady Quinn has the best hands on the Browns. And I mean that as a criticism of the Cleveland wideouts. Even without Braylon Edwards, they can't catch.

PHOTO

DAVID BERGMAN (RICE)