I was checking out the new Out Of Bounds blog on NBCSports.com, and I noticed a football story there.

We're generally not territorial -- except when someone pisses on the tree where I typically do my pissing.  So I didn't mind seeing a football story there, especially since we had missed it here.

And here's the story. 

Apparently, some of the American service men and women in Iraq began decorating their camp in Packers colors.  And some of their Iraqi prisoners know enough about football to realize that using the word "Favre" is the verbal equivalent of removing a large scab with fresh sandpaper and then cleaning the wound with ethanol and sea salt.

At least the prisoners haven't started calling the Green Bay offensive line "Baby Swiss."

Yet.

As the Buffalo Bills commence the search for the teams' next head coach, owner Ralph Willson apparently was trying to line up the team's next head coach even before the most recent head coach was fired.

According to WIVB-TV, the Bills "went after [Jon Gruden] hard."  The efforts reportedly included a face-to-face meeting.

Given that Dick Jauron was fired on Tuesday and Gruden signed a supposedly "exclusive" contract extension on Monday, it's possible that the face-to-face meeting occurred before Jauron was fired.

It's also possible that Gruden met with the Bills regarding their coaching vacancy after Jauron was fired -- and thus after Gruden signed his supposedly "exclusive" deal.

If the report of the team's effort to land Gruden is accurate, the Bills would have at a minimum violated the spirit of the Rooney Rule, since any interview of a minority candidate that would have occurred if Gruden had tentatively accepted the offer would have been a sham aimed merely at complying with the letter of the mandate.

It's still Friday, barely. 

So there's still time to post our 10-pack of takes for the coming weekend.

So here they are.

When the Minnesota Vikings acquired defensive end Jared Allen in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, they signed Allen to a new contract worth up to $74 million over six years, with $31 million guaranteed. At the time, some people thought the Vikings overpaid.

But Michael Strahan says he's watched Allen closely this season, and he tells Sean Jensen of the Pioneer Press that Allen might be underpaid.

"You look at Jared and all the free agents," Strahan said. "Very rarely do you get a guy now, you look and you go, 'He's worth every penny. Could have paid him more and not felt bad about it.' He is that guy."

Allen is second in the league with 10.5 sacks this season, and Strahan thinks Allen has a chance of breaking Strahan's own NFL single-season sack record. But Strahan says Allen does more than just rush the passer.

"I think early in his early career, he worked hard but he wasn't the best run stopper," Strahan says. "He was more of a pass rusher. But he's really worked really hard at his run stopping, and it's really showing. Now you leave him on the field for four downs.

"That's a compliment. Most people say, 'Look at how many sacks he has.' If you can focus on one thing, that's easy. The tough thing is to be a guy who is out there every down."

Strahan's final, record-setting sack was gift-wrapped by Allen's current teammate, Brett Favre, but Strahan told Jensen he thinks people make too big a deal of that.

"It wasn't that important. It doesn't really matter," Strahan said. "I don't hang my hat on records."

The New York Giants are on a four-game losing streak, and now they've been dealt another blow.

Giants middle linebacker Antonio Pierce was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his neck this afternoon and is out indefinitely, the team announced today.

"I'm shocked with what I heard from the doctors this afternoon," Pierce said in a statement, via Pat Hanlon on Twitter. "[I] had no idea what happened a few weeks ago could keep me off the field."

Pierce has started all nine games for the Giants this year.

We started posting individual items on each of the fines handed down by the NFL this week, but the NFL hands down fines faster than we can report them, so we'll mention a few at once here.

Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined $5,000 for punching Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Packers tight end Spencer Havner was fined $5,000 for a late hit in Sunday's game against the Cowboys.

Panthers defensive end Tyler Brayton was fined $5,000 for a low hit on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

Cardinals cornerback Bryant McFadden was fined $5,000 for facemasking Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cardinals running back Beanie Wells and Seahawks safety Deon Grant were each fined $5,000 for hitting each other, and Seahawks safety Jordan Babineaux was fined $7,500 for a horse collar tackle on Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin.

Broncos defensive end /outside linebacker Robert Ayers was fined $5,000 for facemasking against the Redskins.

Jim Brown spilled the beans about Mike Holmgren talking to the Browns earlier this week.  Owner Randy Lerner stayed tight-lipped about the matter, and it appears Holmgren is following Lerner's lead.  Sort of.

Speaking on 950 KJR in Seattle Friday, Holmgren denied speaking with Lerner.  But . . .

"I'd love to talk with Cleveland someday," Holmgren said.

Florio enumerated the many reasons Holmgren (and Lerner) have to keep discussions quiet.  But Holmgren's obvious interest is newsworthy enough on its own.

As the Tacoma News Tribune points out, the question is whether Holmgren will get offers from elsewhere -- including, possibly, a role with the Seahawks.

On Thursday, we passed along a report that Cedric Benson was not likely to play this week.

On Friday, the Bengals confirmed it, calling him doubtful to face the Raiders because of a hip injury that prevented Benson from practicing all week.

That means that Larry Johnson will likely get an early Thanksgiving present and suit up against the Raiders.

Benson called himself a gametime decision Friday, but it wouldn't be shocking if the Bengals left him in Cincinnati and downgraded him to out on Saturday. 

And then fantasy owners that picked up Bernard Scott can celebrate Sunday.

When a starting quarterback is benched, sometimes there is an outcry of support by his teammates.

That did not happen this week in Oakland.

Bruce Gradkowski has reportedly brought a new energy to Raiders practices, and his teammates appreciate it.  Justin Fargas was asked what Gradkowski offers.

"One, a passion for the game. A love for the game that he shows in the way he plays, the way he calls plays," Fargas told the local media.  "The way he works on details of plays with players, in between. . . . It's just, he's a get-after-it type of guy."

Interpret that comment as you wish, but Gradkowski brings something what Russell lacks.  Of course, Russell's arm may be just a tiny bit stronger. 

"You want to make a play for your quarterback but when he shows that type of passion for the game, obviously guys are going to feed off it and try to give him that same effort," Fargas said.

Firing Dick Jauron isn't going to make Buffalo's injury-ravaged team any healthier.

The Bills have continued to take body blows that will make life difficult against the Jaguars Sunday.  The team placed linebacker Keith Ellison on injured reserve Friday with a quadriceps injury, and declared defensive tackle Marcus Stroud out for this week with a knee problem.

Ellison missed last week's game, but this removes two key run stuffers from what was already the worst rush defense in football.  The team has lost twelve players for the season.  Rookie safety Jairus Byrd, cornerback Terrence McGee, and defensive tackle Kyle Williams are all questionable for the game.

This post is a long way of saying that Maurice Jones-Drew should have a fun Sunday.

Atlanta's starting running back is likely out for Sunday's key NFC tilt against the Giants, but they may get an explosive reserve back in the lineup.

Jerious Norwood participated in practice for the second straight day Friday, and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game.  He seems likely to play, but as a reserve behind Jason Snelling.

Michael Turner is listed as doubtful for the game after missing practice all week. 

The matchup in the Meadowlands features two 5-4 teams that are both slumping and not playing like playoff teams.  The Giants have lost four straight and the Falcons have lose three of four.

While the Giants are as healthy as they have been all year, Atlanta's defense is still leaky and the expected loss of their leading rusher makes them underdogs.

Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, sued this week by Tila Tequila Nguyen for battery, assault, and false imprisonment, has spoken publicly regarding the lawsuit.

The case arises from an alleged incident that occurred in early September at Merriman's home.  Though Merriman was arrested, prosecutors decided not to pursue charges.

"The DA's office, you know, said I didn't do anything wrong," Merriman said, according to 10News.com. 

But that's not what the DA concluded.  The question wasn't whether Merriman did anything wrong -- the question was whether it could be proven in court that Merriman had done something illegal.

Indeed, the DA said that charges weren't filed because there was "insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any crime was committed."

Meanwhile, Nguyen now claims that recent erratic behavior -- including a recent naked UStream broadcast -- was triggered by whatever it is that Merriman allegedly did to her.

Tennessee Titans defensive back Cortland Finnegan has been fined again.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Finnegan was fined a total of $10,000 for two separate violations during Sunday's win over the Buffalo Bills. One infraction was a major facemasking penalty in the second quarter, and the other was a late hit in the third quarter.

It's the second consecutive week that Finnegan has been fined by the league. Last week Finnegan was fined $5,000 for facemasking 49ers running back Frank Gore.

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean reports that Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck was also fined, getting docked $7,500 for a horse collar tackle on Bills running back Fred Jackson.

Many fans found last Thursday's Bears-49ers turnover-fest an ugly game to watch. Apparently the NFL's fine police agreed.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that four players were fined for violations during the game.

Players fined $5,000 apiece were Bears right tackle Chris Williams for a late hit, 49ers tight end Delanie Walker for kicking an opponent, 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown for taunting and 49ers wide receiver Arnaz Battle for facemasking.

Despite his five-interception game, Jay Cutler was not fined for impersonating a professional quarterback.

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Reggie Nelson has been fined $7,500 for a hit on New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez in Sunday's game.

Michael C. Wright of the Florida Times-Union tweets that Nelson got the fine because, an NFL spokesman said, he unnecessarily struck a quarterback in the head area."

For his part, Sanchez didn't seem particularly bothered by the hit when asked about it this week.

"I felt OK," Sanchez said about Nelson drilling him, per TheJetsBlog.com. "The hit came pretty quick. He made a big-time hit. . . . I got off-balance when I was trying to throw and it looked bad, but no, the hit didn't affect my play I don't think."

But even if Sanchez didn't think the hit was a big deal, the NFL thought it was sufficiently big to make Nelson pay for it.

Here's one thing that isn't emphasized enough about fantasy football: Information is king, but it's still primarily dependent on luck.

You can master the margins, just like a pro poker player, but there will still be bad beats.  And bad seasons.

For any owners suffering though such a season now, we recommend Snapdraft.  There are new leagues drafting every week, just for that week.  Since you can take advantage of matchup information and look for value, there is a lot less luck involved than traditional fantasy football.  And if you lose this week, you can get a new team next week.

If you win, you get cash credited to your account.

Yeah, our company created the game and this a sponsored post.  But I would have gone crazy stealing people's money playing if I didn't work for the company.  I don't even feel bad pimping the product because it's cool and that's the truth.  (And posts like this allow me to write about football for a living.  I learned from the players -- it's a business.)

For more info, check out this how to column.  And good luck this weekend.

Seahawks coach Jim Mora will be glad to know that the NFL does not permit defensive linemen to stick their elbows into quarterbacks' throats.

The NFL has fined Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Docket $7,500 for taking a shot at Hasselbeck's throat in a pileup on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The cheap shot had Mora so angry that he said if the NFL didn't do something about it, he would instruct his team's defensive players to take similar cheap shots at opposing quarterbacks. For the sake of every quarterback who plays the Seahawks, let's hope Dockett's fine convinces Mora that he need not follow through on his threat.

Dockett later hit back at Mora on Twitter, saying that if Mora had ever played the game he'd know that stuff like that happens on the field. But apparently the league doesn't think stuff like that just happens, and as a result Dockett's paycheck will be $7,500 lighter.

It's not like Reggie Bush's career hasn't had some fabulous moments.  Bush's problem is backing up those moments with consistent production.

In typical fashion, Bush has followed up his best rushing effort in more than two years with three straight missed practices because of a knee injury.  The problem slowed Bush down in the second half of his two touchdown performance against the Rams.

While Bush is listed as questionable, his lack of practice indicates that he isn't likely to suit up against the Buccaneers this week.  Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell should get increased against Tampa.

Other injured Saints include defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who is questionable with a knee injury.  Safety Darren Sharper will return to the field this week, but Lance Moore, Tracy Porter, and Jabari Greer have all been ruled out for the game.

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis says he shut down New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss the last time their teams met, and that he's ready to do it again on Sunday.

Moss says Revis better be ready to back that up.

"I don't feed into talking and all that crazy stuff. I'm a 12-year vet. So that stuff don't bother me," Moss said told the Boston Herald today. "My biggest thing is, when you talk like that, you better back it up. So, we'll see. We'll see what goes down."

We will, indeed, see whether Revis can back up his claims on Sunday. But as a scout told PFT's Mike Florio, an examination of the coaching tape doesn't back up Revis's claims about the last game: Revis was, in fact, getting help in the game, when the Jets' defense did a very good job of slowing Moss down and held him to four catches for 24 yards -- his lowest yardage out put of the season -- in a 16-9 Jets victory.

Moss told the Herald that game left a bad taste in his mouth.

"We haven't forgotten what happened the last game. So, we still keep that in mind," Moss said. "We look for a dogfight. I think it's going to be a good game. It's a division game. I don't know how far they are behind us, but this is an important game. So we want it, they want it. We'll just see what happens."

The last time Vince Young played in his hometown of Houston, he rushed for a 39-yard touchdown to beat the Texans in overtime.

The conventional wisdom back then was that Young would return to Houston every season so he could torture the Texans for passing him up for Mario Williams, who was having a so-so rookie season at the time.

As usual, conventional wisdom was unwise.  But Young can still put a hurting on the Houston faithful Monday night.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher believes Young has matured a lot since 2006.

"I think this week will be a little different. He'll be much more focused on football and the X's and O's rather than the emotions associated with going home," Fisher said.

This is the biggest game in Texans franchise history because the team is in the middle of a genuine playoff race for the first time. It's also Young's biggest game since his only playoff start.  The rest of the country can take a look at the new Young, who has made more difficult throws over the last three weeks than he's been given credit for.

At some point, Young can transform his resurgence from a nice story to a chance to be the franchise's leader in 2010.  Owner Bud Adams may have to salute him with the fingers he uses to sign a potential restructured contract.

All of the excitement has the Titans trash talking and Houston pumped for something evolving into a rivalry game.  The Texans are certainly catching the Titans at a bad time, but that's good for the Monday night audience.

If this Texans team is truly tougher and better this season, it gets a chance to prove it with the country watching.