The Hot List

1. STEVE YOUNG'S BRAIN
A neurologist tells him to take a week off after his third concussion in 11 months. "Steve is close to doing the unthinkable," his agent, Leigh Steinberg, says. Marriage? No, retirement. The 49ers' reluctance to build a line through the draft or with significant free-agent money is coming home to roost.

2. JETS-PATRIOTS
Once-beaten Parcells at unbeaten Kraft. Rumor of the Week: Mills Lane will referee. Drew Bledsoe sure seems to miss his old pal Parcells. He's on pace to throw 64 touchdown passes, and his eight scoring tosses have gone to eight receivers.

3. BARRY SANDERS
The game's highest-paid running back has rushed for 53 yards in the Lions' first two games. That's Sanders' lowest back-to-back, two-game total in his nine-year NFL career, so maybe Bobby Ross should junk that fullback he put in front of Barry. Better yet, Ross would be wise to give Sanders more than the 25 carries he has had in those two games.

4. CHRIS PALMER
A year after improving Bledsoe's football life, the Jaguars' offensive coordinator has tutored two quarterbacks with no previous starts—Rob Johnson and Steve Matthews—to a 2-0 record and a combined 117.6 passer rating. Palmer is among our early leaders for a coaching job in '98.

5. CARDMANIA
With their team fresh off its first win in a home opener since moving to Arizona in 1988—a 25-22 overtime victory over the Cowboys—Cardinals fans ripped down one goalpost, lugged it more than a mile and planted it in the dry Salt River bed. "Next year we're tearing down the stadium," said a fan. Now there's a way for owner Bill Bidwill to get his new facility.