As I flip thru my Paulie Pigskin Reporter Notebook
(stained w/cheese steak), here’s a Sawed Off Shotgun of
Sideline Scribblings…

Giveth & Taketh Away: What did John
Skelton do after throwing the pick-six to Asante Samuel?
He worked the sideline. He individually approached every
starter on offense, beginning with the O-Linemen, smacking
‘em on the shoulder pad and vowing: “We’ll get it back,
we’ll get it back.”

So, what happened on the next possession? He got it back.
A scoring drive of 10 plays, 84 yards. Tie game: 7-7.
Talking to players afterward, they noted it’s not just
that Skelton said it. It’s how he said it (or
didn’t say it). Meaning, he didn’t shout it or rah-rah
it. He simply said it. And meant it.

Everything Goes Good on a Fitz:
What did Larry Fitzgerald tell Skelton following the Cards
second possession? Remember how Skelton fired that third
down pass out of the end zone? Well, as Fitz reminded his
rookie QB: don’t throw it away, throw it
up. As in, throw it up for grabs – Fitz will get
it. Hence, it’s not surprising that Fitz wound up being
targeted 13 times, with a pair of catches coming off
deflections in traffic.

What Now?: So, what does Calais
Campbell have this season that DRC does not? An
interception. (Note: Calais made sure his “Vick Pick”
football made the trip back to AZ.) A moment to savor?
Ding! Blocked field goals? Been there, done that(4x).
But a pick for a 6-foot-8 lineman? Well, that’s once-in-
a-career stuff. One problem, though. Still beaming on
the bench after the pick, Calais told his teammates that
his biggest problem was figuring out what to do next,
thinking to himself in the heat of the moment: “Should I
run? Should I run?” (Note II: he did make a run for it,
but the official stats read – no gain.)

Dis/Respect: To some players, it
was somewhat surprising that the Eagles had no problem
punting the football to Patrick Peterson. And every time
they did, the sidelines swelled. Apparently, nobody wants
to miss P-Twice in action. Not the fans, not the players.
No doubt, one of the ultimate signs of respect in any
sport is when your teammates get off the bench or jockey
for position when your time arrives – ding.

Close Call: What does it feel like
to get smashcaked by a bullet train named Michael Vick?
Someone on the Cards sideline nearly found out the hard
way. Me. Indeed – in my closest brush with sideline
dismemberment in years – Vick and Darryl Washington
pinballed off each other at full speed, nearly
steamrolling Paulie Pencilneck into an instant blooper
highlight. (Final Note: some players say they
aim for sideline reporters in order to cushion
their fall. Not funny. Not cool.)