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The breakout star of the 2011 NFL season? Could be Houston Texans linebacker Connor Barwin, who has already registered a career high in tackles and sacks in his third year in the league. A former second round pick, Barwin joined Shutdown Corner  for a "nickel's worth" of questions.

Q: Two weeks ago in Jacksonville, you suddenly had four sacks against the Jaguars — a career high. Where did that come from and did you feel like you were in the zone that day?

CB: I had been paying well, been getting more comfortable in the linebacker position. I had a tackle for a loss early in the game, and that started things well. I guess you can say I was sort of in the zone that day. After I got the first and second sacks, I said 'Man this is just special day.'

In the weeks leading up to that, I had been playing well and I was growing in confidence. It just came together nicely on that day. It was special, something I hope to carry into the rest of the games this season.

Q: Are you surprised by the

yahoo_tom_mooreFLORHAM PARK, N.J. — It isn't often that words of wisdom can be gleaned from "The Office," but the long-running sitcom perhaps provides some good cautionary words for the New York Jets right about now.

On Wednesday afternoon, head coach Rex Ryan confirmed that consultant Tom Moore will join the Jets for the rest of the season and will not telecommute as the team's consultant on offense.

The presence of Moore, the former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator, working alongside current Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, is a slippery slope of possibilities and potential stepping-on toes. Much like when perennial slacker Jim Halpert was named co-manager of Dunder Mifflin in the NBC sitcom, sharing responsibilities with the inept Michael Scott, it was Oscar Nunez who provided the sage advice:

"Look, it doesn't take a genius to know that any organization thrives when it has two leaders. Go ahead, name a country that doesn't have two presidents. A boat that doesn't set sail

Zing!-Tebow-occasionally-throws-above-his-shoulderSure, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is winning games in the NFL, but could he be winning games a whole lot easier — or, dare we suggest, not just in a game's dying moments?

In Sunday's 35-32 comeback win over the Minnesota Vikings, Tebow tossed a season-high 202 yards. For comparison sake, Aaron Rodgers' season low was 247 yards and Drew Brees is averaging 188.75 yards in the first half of games this season — so it isn't like Tebow's numbers are suddenly re-writing the record books. But the second-highest passing total of his NFL career could have been a lot more if he adjusted his awkward throwing form.

"A more sidearm delivery certainly puts the ball's release point lower than a typical NFL quarterback. That bothers coaches because of the possibility of getting the ball knocked down," said Dr. John Eric Goff, Professor of Physics at Lynchburg College and author of Gold Medal Physics: The Science of Sports. "It's also interesting that the ball relies a little more on the

yahoo_tebow_vikingsThe best quarterback rating in the league for Week 13 will not go to someone named Drew Brees, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, unless Mr. Brees goes off the hook against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football (which is entirely possible). The top quarterback rating in Week could very well go to ... Tim Tebow.

Say what?

Sunday's 35-32 win by the Denver Broncos over the Minnesota Vikings perhaps answers the question of Tebow having a NFL future with a resounding "yes." Best known for running the ball out of the Broncos option offense, Tebow put together not just his best and most complete game in a NFL career that now spans 19 games, it was also the first time he was able to truly showcase his arm and accuracy. Tebow's 15 pass attempts was actually just slightly below his season average coming into the game, but his 10 passes completed showed an ability to get the ball down the field.

It wasn't how much he threw, it was how well he tossed it for a player who, in Week 10, completed just

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The Washington Redskins lost more than just their eighth game of the season on Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field, an improbably fourth quarterback comeback giving the New York Jets a 34-19 win— they may have lost the biggest part of their offense for the rest of the season.

The Associated Press is reporting that tight end Fred Davis and left tackles Trent Williams will be suspended for the rest of the season for violation of the league's substance abuse policy. Both players started Sunday's loss for the 4-8 Redskins.

"I received no information about it so I can't comment on it at this time," Washington head coach Mike Shanahan said.

The AP story says that a total of 11 players across the league had violated the league's substance abuse policy but that both Redskins players have "each tested more than once" with positive results. Davis and Williams will be the only players suspended when they receive written notice this week.

Williams is a former first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft

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Perry Fewell, tell us how you really feel.

The New York Giants' defensive coordinator responded to criticism about his defense earlier this week, following a 49-24 Monday night loss to the New Orleans Saints. With the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers traveling to MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Fewell pulled no punches about his team or their effort in New Orleans.

He called his team's lack of a spine in the game "disheartening."

"They got on us and they hit us in the mouth and we didn't respond. That's what I'm more disappointed about than anything else. We didn't respond," Fewell said. "We had an opportunity to stand up and respond to a team that came out and was on fire and we didn't do that."

Against the Giants defense, Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 63 percent of his passes including four touchdowns in the Monday night win. His 9.6 yards per completion represented his highest number this season.

For Fewell, it was a matter of effort from his defense

yahoo_belichickBill Belichick wanted nothing to do with it.

With his 8-3 New England Patriots ready to take on the winless Indianapolis Colts, Belichick got a bit snippy with the media on Wednesday, perhaps taking his snarky press conferences to a new low. Perhaps it was partially due to his battling a cold, but Belichick was insulted by questions about his opponent this Sunday, an 0-11 Colts team that has been outscored by a combined 177 points this season.

Belichick was asked if he's talked with his team about their opponent's record and relative level of ineptitude. His first answer offered the usual jargon of respecting an opponent and needing to go out there and perform.

"They've heard me talk about every week, saying we don't care about the record and we don't. What difference does it make? How somebody played two weeks ago against somebody else -- who cares? Us or anybody else, it doesn't matter," Belichick said. "The only thing that matters is how we and the Colts perform against each other

yahoo_stevie-johnsonEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Buffalo Bills shot themselves in the foot on Sunday afternoon, just moments after Stevie Johnson mocked shooting himself in the leg. The Johnson celebration crashed and burned in the Bills 28-24 loss to the New York Jets at Met Life Stadium.

Immediately after connecting on a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick that put the Bills up 14-7 with 2:09 left in the second quarter, Johnson began dancing and then mock shot himself in the leg. The celebration, an obvious rip on Plaxico Burress' arrest three years ago after accidentally shooting himself in the leg outside a New York City nightclub, then went further as Johnson ran through the end zone with his arms extended, knocking on the Jets "Flight Boys" touchdown celebration.

[Related: Jets' Sanchez throws four TD passes in win over Bills]

Johnson then fell to the ground, crashing his plane, perhaps not a prudent move just miles away from the site of the World Trade Center attacks on