This and that

• If you're a Bengals fan and you're kind of ho-hum about Sunday's defeat of Washington because the team is still 2-11-1 and you figure we're just hurting our draft position at this point, I think you'll enjoy the win a little bit more once you start reading some of the OMG-what-a-devastating-loss coverage coming from D.C. today. Jason Reid's got some great lines in his Redskins' Playoff Hopes All but Gone With Loss to Bengals piece, including, "Disbelief set in along the sideline when they faced a 17-point first-half deficit against the NFL's least-productive offense ..." and "Although the Redskins mathematically still are in the hunt for an NFC wild-card berth, qualifying for the postseason no longer is their focus."

Thomas Boswell writes that Jim Zorn is positive to a fault, suggesting that "a 20-13 loss to the awful "Bungles" that someday may be Exhibit A in the case against him keeping his job." Damn. Gotta feel for Zorn if that's the case, but it's got to be nice for the Bengals to play spoiler.

• So against the NFC East, which people before the season said was a nasty part of a tough schedule that might prevent the Bengals from the playoffs, the Bengals should have beaten the Giants (lost in overtime), lost by 9 in Dallas, tied the Eagles and beat the Redskins.

• The Carson Palmer update is that he may throw in practice this week but he will not play in the Bengals' final two games of the regular season. That's according to the AP, Jay Glazer, et al. Marvin insisted on Sunday that the Bengals haven't ruled out Carson making an appearance before the end of the year. I don't know what that's all about ... I just can't imagine in a million years that he'll play against Cleveland or Kansas City.

• The Enquirer's Ryan Ernst has a good update about Simon Kenton quarterback Chad Lawrence, who suffered a Grade 2 concussion after a scary helmet-to-helmet hit in the first half of Saturday's 48-0 loss to Louisville Trinity in the Class 6A state title game. Sounds like Lawrence will be fine, which is great news.

• In his Week in Hoops column, SI.com's Luke Winn mentions Duke vs. Xavier as one of the reasons this Saturday is "the one day you should care about." Luke says "any self-respecting college hoops fan will have this afternoon cleared on his schedule."

The Muskies are ranked No. 7 in the latest AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Polls. And they're No. 3 in the RPI.

• UK fans may or may not (since he didn't stick around for very long) enjoy the big Rajon Rondo feature on USATODAY.com.

• Non-local link of interest: Just when you think to yourself, "Charles Barkley hasn't done or said anything controversial and asinine lately," the Round Mound of Rebound rears his ugly head.