Best thing we saw on Twitter all weekend: Someone musing about whether the Colts would rest their starters down the stretch, thus possibly denying them a chance at a perfect 0-16 season. It's going to be that kind of week here with the NFL recap.
• Robert Griffin III won the Heisman Trophy, introducing the phrase "unbelievably believable" in the process. Marion Barber III? Well, he won the goat horns in Chicago and had nothing to say afterward.
Barber, the former Gopher, was in the midst of an otherwise solid day for the Bears when he inexplicably went out of bounds as Chicago tried to drain the clock in the closing minutes against Denver. His gaffe gave the Fighting Tebows enough time to make a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation. Barber, who finished with 108 rushing yards, 32 receiving yards and scored Chicago's only TD, then fumbled in overtime. The Broncos recovered and drove for the winning field goal. Barber didn't speak to reporters afterwards, which typically -- right or wrong -- doesn't help an athlete's cause.
"Blame Barber ... not that you'll hear him do it," wrote Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times. "The Bears will argue that he rarely talks with the media and that his quick escape from the locker room was consistent with his personal policy. Baloney. One wrong doesn't make another one right."
• Barber's gaffes, at least, paved the way for another week of Tebowmania. He's now 7-1 as a starter this season and will face a big-time matchup against Tom Brady next weekend. Said Brady of Tebow: "Everyone says he struggles throwing the ball. What I saw [Sunday], he had no problems throwing the ball."
• The Packers' victory and 49ers' loss means Green Bay is at least three games ahead of every other team in the NFL with three games to play. In the past 50 seasons, only three teams have finished three games ahead of the field: The 16-0 Patriots in 2007, the 15-1 Bears in 1985 and the 14-0 Dolphins in 1972. No team in that span has finished four games clear of the pack, and it's not likely this year either with five teams sitting at 10-3.
• One of the surest ways to get fired in the NFL as a head coach appears to be following a big year of winning with a serious nosedive. Todd Haley -- one season after leading the surprising Chiefs to the playoffs -- was fired in midseason by Kansas City on Monday. Same thing happened to two coaches last year: Brad Childress and Wade Phillips were replaced in-season after leading their teams to the playoffs in 2009.
• If the season ended Tuesday -- sorry, Vikings fans, but it's not likely -- Minnesota would have the lowest winning percentage in franchise history (.154). The three worst seasons in team history: 1962 (2-11-1, .179); 1984 (3-13, .188) and 1961 (3-11, .214). Eight of the Vikings' 11 losses this season have been by seven points or fewer. The 1961, 1962 and 1984 teams? They only lost seven games combined by that margin. Not sure if that makes you feel better or worse about 2011, but it's a fact.
