Paul Domowitch: Avant cares most about the final score

Jason Avant doesn't know what Sunday night in his hometown of Chicago will bring.

It might bring another 100-yard game, like the one he had last week against the Chargers. Or it might bring a goose egg like the ones he had in Weeks 6 and 7 against the Raiders and the Redskins.

Either one is fine with Avant, as long as the Eagles leave Soldier Field with a win.

"My football coach in college [former Michigan receivers coach Eric Campbell] taught me to never count my catches," Avant said. "He told me to count the W's.

"Like I tell everyone, I play to glorify God in this game. I know it's an opportunity and skill that He's given me. Being blessed to come up from one of the roughest areas in Chicago and just be out there playing in this league is a total testament to how Jesus can change your life around. I'm just thankful to be here. Whether I catch none or I catch eight, it doesn't really matter. I just want to win."

The '06 fourth-round pick who many scouts said wasn't fast enough to play in the NFL has developed into one of the game's better slot receivers.

His sure hands, his toughness and his feel for the middle of the field have earned him Donovan McNabb's trust, even if there are many games when the QB doesn't look his way much.

Avant has had just 31 passes thrown his way this season, which is 35 fewer than tight end Brent Celek, 39 fewer than DeSean Jackson and 21 fewer than Jeremy Maclin.

But when McNabb does throw the ball to Avant, there's usually a happy ending. Those 31 passes have resulted in 23 completions. And 16 of his 23 receptions have resulted in first downs. Both his percentage of catches-to-thrown balls (74.2 percent) and his percentage of first downs-to-receptions (69.6 percent) are team highs.

Last week, with the Eagles using three- and four-wide receiver sets on 54 of their 71 offensive plays and McNabb heaving the ball a season-high 55 times, Avant was targeted nine times and finished with a career-high eight catches and 156 yards.

"When you're forced to throw the ball as many times as we were last week, you're going to catch more passes," Avant said.

Avant has become one of the offensive leaders and a role model for their two young wideouts, Jackson and Maclin. He is teaching them to play the right way and with the right mind-set. He is teaching them to pay more attention to the scoreboard than the stat sheet.

"Like I tell them, whether you catch zero or six or seven, it doesn't matter," Avant said. "As long as we get a win."

** No, it's not a typo. Longtime NFL gunslinger Brett Favre not only is the league's top-rated passer (107.5 rating), he's also its leading noninterceptor. Favre has thrown just three picks in 285 attempts this season. That's one every 95 attempts. This from a guy who had averaged an interception every 29.9 attempts during his career before he arrived in Minnesota. This from a guy who has had 15 or more picks in 13 of 17 previous seasons as a starter. "I could probably point to a lot of things [for the low interception total], but basically, the system is very familiar to me," Favre said. "The run game has played a part in it. I think the threat of the run game has helped. I think the other thing that definitely has made a big difference is I haven't made a lot of bad decisions. The few that - I wouldn't call them bad decisions - but maybe somewhat risky throws, the guys have saved me. [There were] games where guys have made plays that could have easily gone the other way."

** The Rams have just one wide receiver left on their 53-man roster who was with the team in training camp. That's Donnie Avery. The others have either suffered season-ending injuries or been released. That's opened the door for two ex-Eagles, Brandon Gibson and Danny Amendola. Gibson, who was sent to the Rams as part of the deal for Will Witherspoon last month, had seven catches for 93 yards in Sunday's five-point loss to the Saints. The rookie may get his first NFL start this week. Amendola, who was signed off the Eagles' practice squad, has 15 receptions and is the Rams' primary punt and kickoff returner.

** Tony Dungy's suggestion a couple of week's ago that Buffalo could be a landing spot for Mike Vick next season got a boost last week when the Bills benched struggling Trent Edwards. Edwards has a 74.1 passer rating and has thrown just six TDs and seven interceptions. His replacement, Ryan Fitzpatrick, isn't a long-term answer. They will be looking for a quarterback either in a trade, via free-agency or in the draft.

** Don't feel too sorry for fired Bills coach Dick Jauron. For starters, he can move out of Buffalo now. For another, he still has 2 years left on his $3 million-a-year contract with the Bills.

** To the NFL for the harsh fine it handed Titans owner Bud Adams for giving a single-digit salute - with both hands - to the Bills sideline during his team's 41-17 victory Sunday. Adams was fined $250,000 for his actions. That's as much as the Patriots were fined last year for Spygate (Patriots coach Bill Belichick received a separate $500,000 fine for that).

"I got caught up in the excitement of a great day, but I do realize that those types of things shouldn't happen," Adams said.

It wasn't the classiest thing an owner has ever done, but $250,000 for flipping the bird seems a little over the top. Mike Vick was only fined $10,000 in 2006 when he gave Falcons fans who were heckling him the finger.

** To the Raiders' clueless quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, who was dumbfounded last week when he was benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski in the second half of the Raiders' 16-10 loss to the Chiefs. The guy has a 47.7 passer rating. He had completed just eight of 24 passes and had failed to convert a third down against a Chiefs' passing defense that was ranked 30th in the league, and he couldn't believe they gave him the hook. Wow.

"Things were going OK," Russell said. "I thought we were doing pretty good."

** "I'm superstitious. I really don't want to talk about the lack of picks. I'm sorry. I don't really want to engage in that. The numbers stand as they are." - Vikings coach Brad Childress on the fact that Brett Favre has thrown just three interceptions in nine games

** "I think that situation is behind us. It's something that happened years ago. He doesn't focus on it. I don't focus on it. We just moved forward and continue to play football. You can't let what happened in the past define who you are." - Cowboys C Andre Gurode on Sunday's meeting with Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth, who kicked a helmetless Gurode in the head and scraped his cleat across his face in a 2006 game

** "No moral victories. Our objective was to win the game. We expected to go in and win it, and we didn't. So, we're disappointed in the result. Now, were there some positives there? Yeah, But the result is still the same." - Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo on his 1-8 team's close-but-no-cigar 28-23 loss Sunday to the unbeaten Saints

** "No he didn't. Did he really? He is a cool owner and it is good to see him around here supporting us. To have an owner like that, it's cool." - Titans LB Stephen Tulloch on team owner Bud Adams flipping the finger to the Bills sideline at the end of Tennessee's 41-17 win Sunday

** The Cowboys have a plus-5 turnover differential in their six wins. In their three losses: minus-8.

** There have been 59 300-yard passing performances in the first 10 weeks. Last year, there were 76 the entire season. The record of teams with a 300-yard passer: 42-17. The winning percentage of teams with a 300-yard passer has steadily climbed the last 3 years, from .531 in '07 to .625 in '08 to .712 this season.

** Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has been flagged for offensive pass interference in each of the last two games. Before that, he had played in 56 games without an interference call against him.

** With the addition of Larry Johnson, the Bengals currently have five Johnsons on their roster. And that doesn't include former Johnson Chad Ochocinco.

** Under Dick Jauron, the Bills were 2-21 the last 3 years against teams that finished with winning records.

** Texans QB Matt Schaub has had five 300-yard passing games this season, including four on the road. In his last 13 starts, he's averaged an NFL-best 302.6 passing yards per game.

** The Browns have scored just five offensive touchdowns in nine games. As a first-year expansion team in 1999, they had 28 offensive TDs.

** The AFC South has the most wins of any division - 22. That's three more than any other division. The NFC East's four teams have 19 wins.

1. Colts (9-0)

2. Saints (9-0)

3. Vikings (8-1)

4. Patriots (6-3)

5. Bengals (7-2)

6. Steelers (6-3)

7. Chargers (6-3)

8. Ravens (5-4)

9. Packers (5-4)

10. Broncos (6-3)

11. Texans (5-4)

12. Cardinals (6-3)

13. Cowboys (6-3)

14. Eagles (5-4)

15. Giants (5-4)

16. Falcons (5-4)

17. Dolphins (4-5)

18. Panthers (4-5)

19. Jaguars (5-4)

20. Titans (3-6)

21. Niners (4-5)

22. Jets (4-5)

23. Bears (4-5)

24. Bills (3-6)

25. Seahawks (3-6)

26. Chiefs (2-7)

27. Redskins (3-6)

28. Rams (1-8)

29. Raiders (2-7)

30. Lions (1-8)

31. Bucs (1-8)

32. Browns (1-8)