The Miami Dolphins claimed running back Steve Slaton off waivers from the Houston Texans Thursday. A third-round pick in the 2008 draft, Slaton enjoyed a successful rookie campaign, rushing for 1,282 yards and nine touchdowns. His production has steadily declined, however. In 2009, the West Virginia product rushed for 437 yards. Last season, with the emergence of Arian Foster, Slaton carried the ball just 19 times for 93 yards.

Through three games this season, Slaton rushed for 20 yards on seven carries before being waived by Houston on Tuesday. Miami waived defensive tackle Ryan Baker to make room for Slaton on the roster.

The Philadelphia Eagles had one of the best offseasons in recent memory. They brought in six former Pro Bowlers and Michael Vick was poised to have a stand out season. That’s why they play the game. Vick was concussed last week against the Atlanta Falcons and this past Sunday, he suffered a fracture in his non-throwing hand. It’s unclear whether Vick will play next week. He blasted the referees after the game, saying he gets hit in the pocket all the time and the refs don’t call late hits on the quarterback. The New York Giants downed the Eagles, 29-16. Philadelphia stands at 1-2. It was the second consecutive week the team lost the game in the fourth quarter.

Mike Kafka filled in when Vick was out, but he’s not the solution right now. Vick still has the instinct to run, opening up to those hard hits. It’s still early and the Eagles aren’t buried yet, but Vick needs to stay healthy for the team to win. He’s not going to change how he plays, but maybe head coach Andy Reid can convince Vick otherwise. If he doesn’t, Vick’s season might end sooner rather than later.

A football game is 60 minutes. Pundits, experts state the obvious each time a team loses at the end of games. Learn how to finish games, close out games. The Minnesota Vikings squandered three first half leads with at least 20 points for the first time ever. They’ve started the season 0-3 with Donovan McNabb at quarterback and the best running back, Adrian Peterson. In their latest defeat, the Vikings had a 20-0 lead over the Detroit Lions. Peterson had four carries in the second half. That’s it, why wouldn’t you ride your best offensive weapon for the win?

The Lions rode Calvin Johnson and came back to win, 26-23 in overtime. Minnesota drafted Christian Ponder in the first round as the quarterback of the future. Many Vikings fans have to wonder when Ponder will get a chance to start. The Vikings are in the best division, the NFC North, with the Lions and Green Bay Packers. Both those teams are 3-0 and the Chicago Bears have a solid defense and Jay Cutler is a good quarterback. The Vikings could finish a distant fourth. Ponder will start soon and the future will be now in Minnesota.

Calvin Johnson might be the best wide receiver in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals have Larry Fitzgerald, Houston has Andre Johnson. Calvin Johnson is Matthew Stafford’s favorite target in Detroit. He has 13 receptions and six touchdowns in only three games. He helped the Lions come back from 21 points against the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday. He caught an over-the-shoulder ball to set up the game winning field goal.

The Lions are 3-0 in large part to Calvin Johnson’s performance. Stafford and Johnson are forming a solid combination that could last for many years. Johnson’s touchdowns just aren’t coming in garbage time. In week one, he scored against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving the Lions the lead for good. Johnson’s quickly becoming the most impact player not playing quarterback. The Lions are one of three 3-0 teams. They should make it to the playoffs this year. The NFC isn’t as deep this season and the Lions’ road to the playoffs shouldn’t be that difficult.

Who would of thought that Baylor held any power within the Big 12? Well, they are blocking Texas A&M from joining the SEC through a lawsuit. The SEC is asking the nine remaining schools to drop the lawsuit against A&M to make the immediate move to the SEC. It hinges upon Oklahoma’s decision to join the Pac 12 in the near future. Oklahoma’s head football coach Bob Stoops hasn’t ruled out leaving the Big 12. Baylor is waiting to see what Oklahoma does, the reports state that Baylor won’t budge until the Sooners make a choice. It’s ridiculous that Baylor is holding up this move. Super conferences are coming.

It’s only a matter of time before there’s the SEC, Big Ten and Pac 12 having the best 40 schools in the country. Notre Dame is the only football program that could sustain being independent. They recruit the entire country. Baylor doesn’t want to be left out, well too bad. They’ve never had a strong basketball or football program. All A&M want to do is get out from under Texas’ shadow. They can do that by moving to the SEC. Baylor is just delaying a move. It’s all up to what the Sooners end up doing.

It looks like college football will begin a new cycle of realignment. It’s all for new television markets, new rivalries and the development of super conferences for football and basketball. There’s a report out that University of Oklahoma President David Boren is weighing options for a move out of the Big 12. Texas A&M has told the conference its plan to move to the Southeastern Conference. It’s believed that Virginia Tech will be the other school to join the SEC. If the Sooners decide to leave the Big 12, it’s only going to be Texas and the rest of the conference. It’s all about television contracts and new networks. A&M wants out of Texas’ shadow and will get it in a tougher conference. The SEC gets a presence in Texas. Geography isn’t going to dictate conferences anymore.

The Big East added TCU. It’s all about how much money a school can bring to the conference and which television markets the school opens up by joining a new conference.