► QUICK HITS

(On Randy Moss)

BILL COWHER: Before I would bring him on to my team, I would have to talk to him first. You can deal with on-the-field, off-the-field issues. The problem I have is on the field.  Between the lines, it is the inconsistent effort, the nonchalant attitude. What message does that send to your younger players? I, like 31 other teams, would pass.

SHANNON SHARPE: I look at Randy Moss like one of these exotic pets, a lion or a tiger. When people get him, they think he is so cute and cuddly, and then the next thing you know the lion or tiger is too big and you can't handle him. That's what happened with the Minnesota Vikings...They bring him on and realized, as you mentioned, he is more problems than he is worth. 

DAN MARINO: One thing you talked about was the inconsistency. That would drive me crazy as a veteran quarterback. As far as Vince Young handling him, he didn't run hard for Tom Brady or Brett Favre. This is going to be a problem for Vince Young when he only gets two-or-three catches a game.

(On benching of Donovan McNabb)

SHARPE: I don't have a problem with the benching. The only problem I have is the explanation he gave for the benching. He doesn't owe us an explanation why he sat his quarterback down...he is so upset with the way Donovan McNabb has been playing.  He is willing to put in Rex Grossman. We all have film of Rex Grossman...Mike is very tough. If you play for him, you must have thick skin because if you don't, he will run you away. If you are a good player, he expects you to be great. If you are great, he expects you to be Hall of Fame caliber. It will never be good enough.

COWHER: He doesn't owe any explanation other than to Donovan McNabb. He made a decision as a head coach.  It is his right. You don't owe it to the public, to the media. You don't need to say anything.  Too much information.

MARINO: He shouldn't have done it because I think it is selfish in a way. He is making a point to McNabb at the expense of the team. There are other guys on that team.  Who gives you the best chance to win that game at the end of the game? It is McNabb, not Rex Grossman. 

BOOMER: It is a coach that snapped on the sideline because his quarterback has not been playing great and is throwing key interceptions in game-after-game-after-game. If I'm Donovan McNabb, I don't act like Donovan McNabb is acting like right now because I could not control my anger for being made so embarrassingly low on the totem pole the way he treated him...If it's me I'm screaming and yelling at Mike Shanahan the next day and I don't care about his son. I don't care about anybody because you embarrassed me on national television. 

FACE OFF

(On who is most responsible for Vikings' 2-5 start)

BOOMER: It is Brad Childress because he let Brett Favre miss all of training camp. Then he sent three players down there on a private jet to bring him back and Brett Favre has played terribly.  Brad Childress has not pulled him off the field and then he went out and traded for Randy Moss. Brad Childress has turned this entire season upside down for the Vikings. 

► "INSIDE THE GAME" WITH "NFL TODAY GENERAL MANAGER" CHARLEY CASSERLY

(On reasons why Minnesota got rid of Randy Moss)

CASSERLY: It wasn't just one single reason.  It was a number of things.  The guy was a complainer, a non-conformist. He didn't always give a great effort. How about this story, he is in practice, during practice he takes off his pads. Percy Harvin comes up and says, ‘Randy, practice over?' Moss' answer, ‘Well, it is for me.'  That brings us to another point, his influence on the younger players. The Vikings were concerned about that. The one guy he marries up to is Percy Harvin. Now, to me the last guy you want mentoring Percy Harvin on how to be a receiver and practice habits is Randy Moss.  Now, as far as the release goes, Brad Childress didn't inform the Wilfs, the ownership group, before he informed the team. Technically he doesn't have to do that by his contract. He does not have to have the approval of any team official, or the Wilfs, before he releases them. After the Wilfs researched it, they agreed with releasing him before he was put on the waiver wire. 

(On whether Washington will try to re-sign Donovan McNabb)

CASSERLY: They talked to him after being benched on Sunday, told him they still want to work out a contract extension. Now, if they can't agree to it, the Redskins' only course to keep him next year is to franchise him, one year, $16 million guaranteed.

► JAMES BROWN GOES ONE-ON-ONE AGAIN WITH PHILADELPHIA QB MICHAEL VICK

JB: Can you envision yourself being an Eagle through the rest of your career? 
MV: You know what? I can. Hopefully that will happen. If not, I will just be blessed for the opportunity they gave me. While I got the time now, I'm just going to enjoy every week, each and every week. 

JB: Do you like this Michael Vick here today versus the Michael Vick you were looking back at in Atlanta? 
MV: I'm in love with the Michael Vick of today. If I would have never went through what I went through, I wouldn't be sitting here today feeling the way I'm feeling, expressing myself to you. Probably still taking the "Michael Vick Experience" for granted. 

REACTION TO VICK

SHARPE: I think he is a totally different player than what he was. First pick in the draft, he didn't work hard in Atlanta. When we criticize him for that, he couldn't understand why because we knew the potential he had. I think he is showing that potential, not only as a runner, he is showing this year that he can throw the football. 

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