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Cover-2

Let's play two! Sunday's weather showed exactly why every NFL game should be played outdoors, regardless of the calendar.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (right) intercepts a pass intended for frustrated Cincinnati Bengals receiver Terrell Owens (81).
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (right) intercepts a pass intended for frustrated Cincinnati Bengals receiver Terrell Owens (81).Read moreGENE J. PUSKAR / Associated Press

Let's play two!

Sunday's weather showed exactly why every NFL game should be played outdoors, regardless of the calendar.

First, you don't have to worry about the roof falling into your lap while you're eating a hot dog.

Second, the weather is always an entertaining sidelight to the game. Mud and wet fields, not to mention snow-covered tundra, are part of NFL lore. Would adding to such gems as "The Ice Bowl" and "The Fog Bowl" be bad?

And, while we're on the topic, Sunday was the fourth time the Metrodome roof has collapsed under the weight of heavy snow. You don't have to be a meteorologist to wonder if somebody should have predicted heavy snow once in a while in Minnesota, i.e., Baja Canada.

For dear old USC

Troy Polamalu returned an interception thrown by Carson Palmer for 45 yards and a TD in the first half of Sunday's 23-7 Steelers win. The great Pittsburgh safety has returned interceptions for a TD only twice in the regular season and the victim both times was Palmer - who roomed with Polamalu while both were at Southern Cal.

For the record

Jacksonville's David Garrard completed 11 of 22 passes for 159 yards and tied Mark Brunell's franchise record with his 20th TD pass of the season.

Cincinnati's Terrell Owens came into Sunday's game needing only 39 yards to become the third receiver in NFL history with 10 1,000-yard seasons but had only one catch for 22 yards.

Tony Gonzalez's TD catch in Atlanta's win over Carolina was the 87th of his career, tying him with Andre Reed for 11th in league history.

Larry Fitzgerald caught six passes for 72 yards to break the Arizona career record he shared with Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald has 592 catches in seven seasons.

A real 'slugfest'

Detroit and Green Bay combined for the first scoreless first half in the NFL this season, and didn't exactly light up the scoreboard the rest of the way in a 7-3 Lions upset.

Detroit's Drew Stanton, who had a QB rating of zero at one point, finished with a 39.4 rating.

But he's 1-0 in the only statistic that counts: W's.

Dirty or just dumb?

In an incident that's bizarre even by Rex Ryan standards, Dolphins' cornerback Nolan Carroll was tripped by the Jets' strength and conditioning coach on the sideline while covering a punt in the third quarter. The rookie fell to the turf while running down the sideline, and the Jets' Sal Alosi later admitted he interfered with Carroll.

"I made a mistake that showed a total lapse in judgment," Alosi said in a statement after the game. "My conduct was inexcusable and unsportsmanlike and does not reflect what this organization stands for."

Carroll said he was not angry about the incident.

"We got a 'W.' That's not my problem," Carroll said. "That's the Jets' problem."

Alosi could face discipline from the Jets and from the NFL. Alosi was a linebacker for Hofstra from 1996 to 2000.

Weird stat

The Houston Texans have never made the playoffs since joining the league in 2002. But they are 14-7 in December and January since Gary Kubiak became the coach in 2006. Houston (5-7) opened December with a loss to the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field but has won 10 straight home games in December and January under Kubiak.

They host the Baltimore Ravens (8-4) on Monday night.

Cox fined

The Denver Broncos said they fined cornerback Perrish Cox the maximum amount for missing meetings and practice after his arrest Thursday in an investigation into an alleged sexual assault. The exact amount was not specified. Cox could also face discipline under the NFL's personal-conduct policy. He is free on $50,000 bail.