Talk about competitive balance, parity or whatever the NFL is calling it these days, there were 19 teams within one game of the division lead through 11 weeks of the season, a record.Part of the closeness of the races, though, stems from the lack of a breakaway leader, particularly in divisions where one club usually dominates.The Colts are 6-4, tied with Jacksonville and one game in front of Tennessee in the AFC South. A year ago, the Colts were 10-0 and headed for the Super Bowl.San Diego, which has won four straight AFC West titles and five of six, is 5-5 and needed a three-game winning streak to get to .500. That puts the Chargers one game behind the Chiefs and tied with the Raiders.The biggest muddle is in the NFC West, where even the Cardinals and 49ers, both at 3-7, aren't dead. Seattle leads at a mere 5-5, with St. Louis one game back.One unenviable scenario staring the NFL in the face is a .500 team winning one West division (or both), while a 10-6 or even an 11-5 record falls short of the playoffs. That's entirely possible in the NFC, where six teams are at 7-3 and one (the Giants) is 6-4.It seems less likely in the AFC, where there is less separation at the top.Two years ago, New England went 11-5 even though Tom Brady missed all but the early portion of the opening game, and didn't make the playoffs. San Diego did at 8-8.And what about the prospect of a team with a losing record getting in? The only time that happened was in the 1982 strike season, when only nine games were played and the top eight teams in each conference advanced. Detroit and Cleveland both went 4-5 and made it.Detroit and Cleveland in the playoffs? How original.---OFFENSIVE BALANCE: How important is offensive balance? Judge for yourself.The five teams closest to a 50-50 split of running and passing plays are the Jaguars, Steelers, Titans, Jets and Raiders. None has a losing record - Tennessee and Oakland are 5-5.The Jaguars (6-4), Steelers (7-3) and Titans are the most balanced with 49.6 percent rushing players, 50.4 percent throws. Of course, all three have outstanding running backs in Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashard Mendenhall and Chris Johnson.New York (8-2) is next at 48 percent runs, 52 percent throws, prospering from the revitalization of LaDainian Tomlinson. Oakland is at 47.7/52.3, with Darren McFadden the main ball carrier.---JOHNSON AND JOHNSON: Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson is tied with Keyshawn Johnson as the only players in NFL history with seven consecutive 60-catch seasons to begin their career. Houston's Johnson can surpass the 1996 overall top pick in the draft if he makes four receptions Sunday at home against the Titans.Johnson has made 66, 79, 63, 103, 60, 115 and 101 receptions in each of his seven previous seasons. He played in only nine games in 2007, when he had the career low of 60 catches, missing the other games with a knee injury.---STILL KICKING: Bengals kicker Mike Nugent expects to be back next season with a surgically rebuilt knee.Nugent tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee - his kicking leg - and tore cartilage while pulling off an onside kick on Nov. 14 at Indianapolis. He kicked the ball straight ahead and gave chase, but the knee gave out when he planted to change direction.He fell to the ground next to the pile of players scuffling for the ball."I was kind of sitting there thinking, 'This must be the feeling, when you really tear your knee up,''' Nugent said this week.It was weird laying there, just waiting for the pile to be over,'' he said.You've seen a lot of guys come back from it with no problem,'' Nugent said.You're at the mercy of the production crew in the truck,'' Schwartz said.I had the flag in my hand and we're getting ready to throw, but we never got any replay,'' Schwartz said.If he did, they wouldn't have shown it,'' he said.---RUNNING BEFORE PRACTICE: Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan got in quite the workout before practice on Thanksgiving. He pushed Kelsey Towns in a wheelchair for 5 miles in the annual Boulevard Bolt run, then went to work with a usual Thursday practice.Towns is a senior at Father Ryan High School in Nashville who was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma in July. Finnegan met her during one of the team's weekly visits to local hospitals about three months ago and became friends with the teenager.He learned Towns hadn't missed running in the Boulevard Bolt since running her first in kindergarten, so he decided to make sure she kept her streak alive."She's been wonderful, wonderful inspiration, so I decided that's the least I can do for her and all she's done for me,'' Finnegan said.Towns had been feeling well enough since her last treatment a month ago and thought she might run at least part of the course. But on a windy day, they decided she should ride, with Finnegan pushing. Finnegan credited coach Jeff Fisher with letting him run a couple hours before practice.Reaching the finish line was a good feeling."She hadn't missed one since kindergarten, and she still hasn't,'' Finnegan said.^
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