Marvin Mitchell is as big a fan of quarterback Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints' NFL-leading offense as anybody. "They've got so much good personnel," said Norfolk's Mitchell, a special-teams scrapper and back up linebacker for the 7-0 Saints. "You can see them each and every day in practice, but you're still impressed when you see them on game day."

PHILADELPHIA Don't be hypnotized this year by the perennial NFC East hype. Halfway through this NFL season, the typically tough, chain-rattling division remains long on reputation, but it's conspicuously short on performance. That's why some of us take the Philadelphia Eagles' 40-17 Sunday drubbing of the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field with a lot more than a single grain of salt.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. Minnesota Vikings rookie receiver and return man Percy Harvin is listed as questionable for the game Sunday against Baltimore with an injured left shoulder.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin has a shoulder injury. Harvin didn't practice Wednesday. The team won't say which shoulder he hurt, but Harvin appeared to hurt his left shoulder in Sunday's win at St. Louis.

The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA Roughly two months after facing criticism for signing convicted dogfighter Michael Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles are making good on a pledge to support animal welfare groups.

The top half of this week's Pilot NFL Top 10 - a blog staple we'll bring to print occasionally through the season - is chalk, as they say. Five undefeated teams, the most in NFL history through five weeks, still stride the earth. Their order?

By Rob Maaddi
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA
Michael Vick knows how to hand off. He still has to work on his blocking and route running.
Two games into his return to the NFL, Vick hasn't done a lot for the Philadelphia Eagles. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback was expected to add a new dimension to an already potent offense. So far, he's been a decoy.

Advisory: Space limitations do not allow this commentary to address each of the blown calls and almost comic myopia that have possibly altered the course of this year's playoffs.   The soothing blather of baseball announcers and other house men assures us each season that big-league umpires get 99 percent of the calls right.

By Janie McCauley
The Associated Press
SANTA CLARA, Calif.
Dre' Bly took Mike Singletary's usual spot at the podium in a team meeting room and apologized. Profusely.

One great game probably shouldn't make a difference in how you view Brett Favre. If you thought he was an annoying, needy, over-aged diva before Monday night, maybe his uplifting performance against his old Packers team hasn't changed your mind. Maybe there's nothing that can. Boy, though, the old guy put on a show, didn't he?