A year after Peyton Manning threw a career-high six interceptions against the Chargers in a regular-season loss, the Colt goes back to San Diego tonight with wild-card berths on the line for both teams. Manning owes the Chargers big time after losing to them in the playoffs, too. Expect him to get retribution.

Fine the messenger

49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz got tagged with a $20,000 fine last week for blaming officials after a dubious finish to a recent Monday night game. Not that Martz didn't mess up, but why is the NFL more concerned with censoring its members than with fixing what is broken - namely the officiating?

Another chance

Norv Turner is coming back as coach next year, the Chargers say. Great. But is it because he has two years and more than $6 million left on his contract? Or because this season has been derailed by injuries (Shawne Merriman) and inept officiating (Ed Hochuli)? The Super Bowl is passing this team by, and that's a shame.

What really matters

Enough already on Donovan McNabb's not knowing about the NFL's overtime rules. Especially when half the Eagles didn't know the rule. Whatever that speaks to - coaching, players' attention span? - it isn't nearly as important as what has happened to a Super Bowl roster in Philadelphia.