clark-judge

Smart move by Mike Singeltary to turn the ball over to Alex Smith. Look, I know the 49ers won some games with Shaun Hill, and winning is the only number that matters. But Hill has hit the wall, and the 49ers need a jolt. Smith may give  it to them. All I know is that they just added the franchise wide receiver in Michael Crabtree. At one time, Smith was the franchise quarterback ... and maybe he can be that guy again, I don't know. But I'd like to find out. So the 49ers will. Good move.

A contract extension is in the works for Minnesota coach Brad Childress, with a new deal possible within the next two to three weeks.

That would make sense because a) the Vikings are off to their first 6-0 start since 2003, b) they've improved each year under Childress and c) they have a bye after their next two games.

There had been speculation that Childress' contract would not be addressed until after the season, but his agent, Bob LaMonte, was seen at Sunday's Vikings-Ravens game, and sources close to the club said he was there partly to see Childress and partly to negotiate a new deal.

Childress is in the fourth year of a five-year contract and was supposed to be under a Win-or-Else ultimatum this season. Well, he's won, and while management does not have to address his situation immediately it appears it will. One source said an extension is so close that an announcement could come early next month, but another indicated that nothing is "imminent."

Maybe, but it sure looks as if something will be done at or around mid-season. Childress' success seems to have resonated with the team's owner, Zygi Wilf, who has seen the club go from six to eight to 10 wins in Childress' first three seasons. Now at 6-0, it's safe to assume the Vikings will exceed Childress' 10 victories of last year. The hitch, of course, is that two of their toughest games this season are the two taking them into the bye -- at Pittsburgh and at Green Bay. But when I asked one source what obstacle could sabotage a potential deal I was told, "nothing." We'll see.

With another miserable showing by Washington's offense, there will be changes. Coach Jim Zorn has agreed to relinquish the play calling, sources close to the club said Sunday night. Zorn met with the team's vice president of football operations, Vinny Cerrato, shortly after Sunday's loss to Kansas City and agreed to Cerrato's request to give up the play calling.

Cerrato proposed the idea, it was said, to take some of the load off Zorn's shoulders. Cerrato two weeks ago proposed adding offensive consultant Sherman Lewis to help Zorn get the club out of its offensive funk, and Zorn agreed to that idea. But Lewis' addition has changed little. The question, of course, is who will replace Zorn? That will be decided at a Monday morning meeting between Zorn and Cerrato, it was said. Zorn will make the announcement later Monday.  

There's been a lot of speculation about the Buffalo Bills trading Terrell Owens, which is fine except it's not going to happen. Sources close to the club told me that there has been no talk about dealing Owens and insist that there won't be. They also said there have been no inquiries from other clubs about the star receiver. Reasons vary for the Bills' allegiance to Owens, but one of them has to do with Buffalo trying to stay in the division race. I know that sounds like a pipe dream, especially with how the team played the past three weeks. But the Bills are still only two games back of the division leaders, and there's a feeling that if they're to try to move up they must have Owens. Another has to do with Owens himself. The Bills are happy with how he has conducted himself on and off the field, a source said, despite Owens' low numbers. Lastly, there's a feeling that the club made a commitment to him and him to them, and that both will keep their deals. "If this were the 11th week and Buffalo were out of it, and Owens wanted to leave maybe the club would consider something," said one source, "but it's not going to happen." Bottom line: Don't look for Owens coming to a stadium near you anytime soon. The Bills are interested in trading him.

I'm really not sure why the Giants aren't saying that Eli Manning will miss Sunday's game. There is no reason for him to play. It's the Oakland Raiders, for crying out loud, and the Giants could beat them with Eli Wallach at quarterback. Manning has a sore foot, and plantar fasciitis does not heal overnight. It can take weeks and months, but it does respond to inactivity. So sit Manning down and let David Carr earn his salary.

Here's my take on the Braylon Edwards deal: The Jets just gave Edwards all the leverage he needs for a new contract.

The guy is in the last year of a five-year deal, and there is no question what happens next. The Jets sign him because they have to sign him. They just surrendered two players and two draft picks for him, and you don't give up on someone after 12 games when you pay that price. So what Braylon Edwards wants Braylon Edwards will get.

Now, question No. 2: What are the Jets getting? Edwards was a Pro Bowl receiver two seasons ago, but he's been trading on that reputation and not much else since.

"He has inconsistent hands," one GM told me, "and there is questionable toughness over the middle. He has flashed ability to get downfield, but he's not what you'd call a speed guy. He's more of a strider. I'd compare him to [the Cowboys'] Roy Williams." The Jets will take that because they want a bookend for Jerricho Cotchery and another target for rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

"They want to win now," said our GM. Yeah, but so does everyone. Few, however, are willing to take this kind of chance on Edwards. He drops too many balls. He hasn't done much of anything in over a season. And he's under investigation by the league office for a recent fracas outside a nightclub in Cleveland. Oh, yeah, he also wants top-receiver money.

The Jets just rolled the dice, and they will have to pay -- and I mean that literally -- for it.

The idea to hire Sherman Lewis as an offensive consultant in Washington belongs to Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' executive vice president of football operations, but make no mistake: Coach Jim Zorn is on board with it.

Cerrato approached Zorn on Monday after the team struggled to beat Tampa Bay and when he made his suggestion Zorn said he would have no problem. "Of course," Cerrato said, "it has to be the right guy. And Sherman fit all of the qualifications."

Lewis worked for coach Mike Holmgren as Zorn worked for him. Lewis knows Holmgren's offense and what is and is not supposed to do. So hiring him, Cerrato said, was "to get a fresh set of eyes here to help the offensive coaches."

The move is similar to one San Francisco made in 1996 when Cerrato was the team's director of player personnel. The 49ers hired former coach Bill Walsh to serve as a consultant for offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, then in his second season with the club. Walsh would sit with Trestman during games and make suggestions, and the plan had mixed results: The 49ers reached the playoffs, where they won a game, but they bowed out in the divisional round to Green Bay. Carolina, then in its second year, won the NFC West.

Lewis is expected to join the team shortly and to act "as one of the offensive assistants," said Cerrato. Washington has struggled to put up points, never scoring more than 17 points in any game, and that was the season-opening loss to the New York Giants.

Sitting down Brady Quinn just underscores just how deep the hole is that the Cleveland Browns have dug for themselves. Honestly, I know some expansion franchises that had better plans than the Browns seem to have today. To go to Derek Anderson and turn your back on Quinn tells me that Eric Mangini might as well tear the whole thing up and start over and, yes, act like an expansion franchise all over again. It's like what Jets' coach Rex Ryan said the other day: "If you miss on a quarterback in the first round it kills your franchise." I guess the Browns are saying they missed on Brady Quinn. The season just got longer, Browns' fans.

From the For What It's Worth Dept. comes news that former New York Jets' draft pick Justin Miller was in for a visit ... with the New York Jets. Miller, a cornerback who was the team's second round pick in the 2005 draft, made his impact as a kick returner when he was with Gang Green, but he was released last year and picked up by Oakland. The Raiders cut him earlier this month, and he's been on the streets -- with the Jets at least interested. They also had defensive back Corey Ivy in.

Wow, the New York Giants just took a body blow. Kenny Phillips out for the season? Ouch. The guy had a great game against Dallas and has a marvelous future ahead of him. This one hurts. To replace him the club claimed Aaron Rouse, waived a day ago by Green Bay. I don't know what he offers New York, but he was the best guy available. Phillips' loss is a step backward for the Giants, especially with Philadelphia loading up its passing offense.

I love it when coaches play mind games when they don't have to. Earlier this year Cleveland's Eric Mangini wouldn't announce his starting quarterback until the Cleveland Plain-Dealer did it for him. Now we have Philadelphia's Andy Reid -- one of my favorite coaches -- hedging on Donovan McNabb's situation again, saying he might play Sunday. C'mon, whom is he kidding? The Eagles have the Chiefs Sunday, then a bye. You have a chance to give McNabb another two weeks off, but instead you're talking about how he might be ready for Kansas City? Please. The Eagles could beat these guys with Donovan Leitch at quarterback. Now, I don't care if he doesn't want to announce his starting quarterback, but don't include McNabb in the conversation. He isn't playing, OK? And he's not playing because A) the Eagles don't need him, and B) he has another week off following this game to heal his sore ribs. C'mon, Andy, just call it as it is.

I will shocked if Washington doesn't make Chad Rinehart its next starting right guard. He had a solid summer and was considered a possibility as a starter until Randy Thomas returned and played well. now, with Thomas out, I can't imagine the Redskins go in any other direction. They liked Rinehart in camp, and he started a couple of preseason games. So what's not to like now? Book it: Rinehart starts.

Man, I feel for Buffalo. But this is what happens to bad football teams: They find ways to lose. And the Buffalo Bills lost this game, just as they lost a game to Dallas two years ago on Monday night. That one was 25-24, too, and they should've won it. But they didn't because bad teams invent ways to lose. I don't fault Leodis McKelvin for returning the kickoff. There was 2:06 left, and the Patriots had three timeouts. If he stays in the end zone, essentially, he gives them four timeouts. Nope, his mistake wasn't in returning the ball; his mistake was fumbling it. But that's what happens when you're stuck at the bottom. Man, I feel for Buffalo because their offensive line played well and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt called a solid game. They should've won, but they didn't. And tell me you haven't heard this one before, Bills' fans.

I'm beginning to worry about the Philadelphia Eagles at right tackle. It was supposed to be Shawn Andrews, but he missed all of training camp and only recently returned to the team. He said he was OK, but if that's the case why did the Eagles have Jon Runyan in for a tryout on Thursday? Runyan was the starter for years and, frankly, wore down last season. The Eagles didn't bring him back because the tank was empty. But now they're interested -- or, at least, interested enough to have Runyan in for a look-see -- and that tells me they're concerned about the position. I would be, too, if Winston Justice were my starter. Coaches say he's light years better than the guy Osi Umenyiora used as a turnstile, and he better be. Otherwise, Donovan McNabb can stop worrying about playmakers and start wondering about protection.