The Answer Man

2007-03-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

SOME MLB PREDICTIONS

And away we go....

AL East
Yankees
Red Sox (Wild Card)
Blue Jays
Orioles
Devil Rays

AL Central
Indians
Twins
Tigers
White Sox
Royals

AL West
Angels
A's
Rangers
Mariners

NL East
Mets
Phillies
Marlins
Braves
Nationals

NL Central
Cubs
Cards
Brewers
Astros
Reds
Pirates

NL West
Padres
Dodgers (Wild Card)
D-Backs
Giants
Rockies

PLAYOFFS

ALDS
Angels over Yankees
Red Sox over Indians

ALCS
Red Sox over Angels

NLDS
Mets over Dodgers
Padres over Cubs

NLCS
Mets over Padres

WORLD SERIES
Mets over Red Sox

MVP
AL- David Ortiz
NL- Jose Reyes

CY YOUNG
AL- Johan Santana
NL- Roy Oswalt

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
AL- Daisuke Matsuzaka
NL- Chris B. Young

MANAGER OF THE YEAR
AL- Eric Wedge
NL- Lou Pinella

BREAKOUT YEAR HITTER/PITCHER
AL- Nick Markakis/Felix Hernandez
NL- Prince Fielder/Rich Hill

DARK HORSE TEAM
AL- Toronto Blue Jays
NL- Arizona Diamondbacks

MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM
AL- Chicago White Sox
NL- St. Louis Cardinals

Enjoy the season!

2007-03-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

I'M BACK....AND THE HERE IS THE FUTURE

So...it has been awhile. Let me give you guys a quick update of what I have been up to over the past few weeks.

1) Following my most recent post, I took a trip over to Vegas for the NBA All-Star game. It was truly an awesome experience. I intended to start writing again as soon as I got back, but well, we clearly see that did not happen.

2) As I've mentioned in earlier posts I attend Villanova University. In recent weeks I've had midterms and also seen an increased workload at the newspaper and radio station.

3) The last few days I've been over at Madison Square Garden hanging out at the Big East Tournament.

What the future holds is a lot of uncertainty. The team by team previews have come to an end. I will put up some predictions for the season. I hope to write a few posts a week during the baseball season, so you all have that to look forward. Until then....

-David

2007-02-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

2007 TEAM OUTLOOK: PITTSBURGH PIRATES

OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: The Pirates chose to give a few young players another year to develop rather than sign quality veterans to upgrade those positions. While this plan will most likely backfire, the Pirates could have a very good core group of guys if the plan does work. The one move that made headlines out of Pittsburgh was their trade with the Braves. They sent the talented but expendable reliever Mike Gonzalez to Atlanta for first baseman Adam LaRoche. If LaRoche plays as well as he did last year he will prove to be the protection for Jason Bay that the team has lacked. Their biggest signing of the offseason was pitcher Tony Armas Jr. The often injured ex-Nationals starter will most likely compete for a spot at the back end of the rotation. Pittsburgh is also hoping on newly signed reserves Einar Diaz and Jose Hernandez to add some depth to a lineup that needed it last season. Possibly the most interesting signing they made was that of reliever Dan Kolb. He was a quality pitcher in a small market before imploding as the Braves' closer. If he regains his old form, he could once again be a tremendous asset to the bullpen. The only two losses from last year's team are Jeromy Burnitz and Joe Randa. Neither veteran should be missed this season.

OFFENSE: Once again the Pirates offense may have trouble scoring runs this season. Part of the problem is the lack of production from the leadoff hitter. Chris Duffy, the team's center fielder, will once again be given a crack at the job. He has good speed but his .317 OBP last season could force him out of that position. The light hitting Jack Wilson will follow him and hit second. The shortstop is another poor hitter and together they make up the worst top of the order in baseball. The heart of the order is the strongest part of the Pirates lineup. Jason Bay is by far the team's best player, and he should have an even better season this year with the threat of Adam Laroche hitting behind him. Also some where in the middle of the lineup will be last year's NL batting champ Freddy Sanchez. Despite winning that title last year, Sanchez must prove that last season was no fluke to some of his skeptics like myself. In reality, he will probably still be a decent hitter who's average will be closer to .300 than it was last season. Xavier Nady is the last reliable bat in the lineup, and his ability to hit for power and get on base should make him one of the more reliable players on Pittsburgh. Catching this season will be Ronny Paulino. He appears to be a solid hitter that can hit for contact and play well behind the plate. He emerged as the favorite to catch after a year long battle with Ryan Doumit in 2006. Finally, Jose Castillo and Jose Bautista will compete for second base and the eight spot in the lineup this season.

PITCHING: The Pittsburgh rotation is comprised mostly of young starters looking to live up to their potential. The most experienced starter is Zach Duke, who is entering his third season with the Pirates. On any other team Duke would be a middle of the rotation guy, but here he is the staff ace. Second in the rotation is Ian Snell. Often considered the best of the young starters, Snell has enough talent to eventually overcome Duke as the team's best starter. The third and fourth starters are Paul Maholm and Tom Gorzelanny. Neither of these guys performed too well last year, but will once again be given a shot because Pittsburgh does not have any better alternatives. The final spot will be given to one of several guys who will battle for the job in spring training. Tony Armas Jr. is the favorite for the spot, but his chronic injuries could open the door for Shawn Chacon or Cuban defect Yoslan Herrera. The bullpen was led by Mike Gonzalez last season who did not blow a save all year. However, with his departure Salomon Torres will be counted on to fill his shoes. Torres has been a quality reliever over the years and should be a fine option at closer. The rest of the Pittsburgh bullpen features pitchers with experience. This suggests that the bullpen may actually be the strength of the team. Damaso Marte, Matt Capps, Dan Kolb, and John Wasdin all will have significant roles in middle relief.

X-FACTOR: Chris Duffy clearly has some of the best speed in the majors which was shown by his 26 steals in just 84 games. It was a truly remarkable statistic considering Duffy barely hit .250 in 2006. If Duffy can get his average closer t0 .300, he will be able to create runs for the heart of the order. A consistent leadoff man would be a big step towards a competitive baseball team in Pittsburgh.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: All of their young starters progress, Duffy becomes a tremendous leadoff hitter, and Torres is able to be just as effective closing games as Mike Gonzalez was. Pirates fans can expect their team to be in the Wild Card hunt for awhile if the Pirates play to the best of their ability.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: All of the Pirates starters are inconsistent, LaRoche takes a step back due to a change in scenery, and Jim Tracy is this team's manager. The Pirates are the favorite for last place in the NL Central, and a year like this will put them there.

2007-02-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

2007 TEAM OUTLOOK: CHICAGO WHITE SOX

OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: You could make a very compelling argument that the White Sox had the worst offseason of anyone in baseball. They would have been better off if they just did not make a move. Their offseason was highlighted by two puzzling trades they made. The first was when they traded starting pitcher Freddy Garcia to Philadelphia for Gavin Floyd. Alone this trade is not bad for Chicago. They not only saved some money, but also opened up a rotation spot for young arm Brandon McCarthy. However, just a few weeks later the White Sox dealt McCarthy to Texas for a few middle level prospects. Once blessed with a surplus of quality starting pitchers, the White Sox now have a shortage. These trades will almost surely come back to haunt them at some time during the season. The rest of their offseason did not make as many headlines. Chicago brought in former Angels' outfielder Darin Erstad to compete with Brian Anderson in center field. Erstad has had several injury problems over the last few years, and it would be a surprise to see him play close to a full season. The only loss that may be felt this season in free agency was David Riske. He was quality reliever, but should be easy to replace.

OFFENSE: The White Sox will go with almost the same group of guys in their lineup as they did last season. Speedster Scott Podsednik should see most of the leadoff duty to start the year, but if he struggles again he will most likely lose some playing time to Pablo Ozuna. Batting behind him will be Tadahito Iguchi. He has proven to be both reliable at second base and at the plate, and his job should not be in any question. The heart of the Chicago order could be one of the best in baseball. Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko, and Jim Thome are all coming off monster seasons, and there is no evidence that they are close to slowing down. As long as these players stay at the level they have been playing at, the White Sox should be in the playoff race all season. Batting behind them will be third baseman Joe Crede, who took a major step towards reaching his potential last season. Another solid season could give the White Sox the best lineup in baseball. Towards the end of the lineup will be catcher AJ Pierzinski. He is a very good hitter for a catcher, and the White Sox are a lot better when he is playing. Darin Erstad and Brian Anderson will split time in center field. Any offensive production out of either would be an added bonus to Chicago. The only question mark in the order is shortstop Juan Uribe. He has been a solid contributor the last few season and would be a lock to play were it not for his legal issues. If he is forced to miss the season, Alex Cintron will be the starter and hit ninth.

PITCHING: The White Sox rotation consists of several talented pitchers who have been known to underachieve. The best case of this is number one starter Mark Buehrle. Going into last season, Buehrle was considered one of the few sure bets to give you a good start in the major leagues. A completely out of character 2006 season has people around baseball questioning if the year was a fluke or a sign of things to come. Both Jose Contreras and Javier Vasquez are blessed with great stuff, but they seem to never be able to go an entire start without imploding in one inning. The other familiar sight in the rotation is Jon Garland. Although Garland gives up a lot of runs for an 18 game winner, he seems to always find a way to win. Battling it out for the now vacant fifth spot will be Gavin Floyd, Heath Phillips, and Charlie Haeger. The bullpen has a bit more uncertainty than the starting rotation. One definite is that Bobby Jenks will be the closer. He has done a very effective job the last few years and has developed into one of the better young closers in baseball. Outside of Jenks and setup man Mike MacDougal, there is little consistency and experience within the White Sox bullpen. Matt Thornton, David Aardsma, and Andrew Sisco will all fight for spots within the pen.

X-FACTOR- After a dreadful 2006 season, the White Sox will be counting Mark Buerhle to bounce back. Last year his ERA rose by a run and a half while his strikeouts dropped by more than 50. The White Sox have a rotation full of second and third starters, but to go anywhere some one will need to step up and be the staff ace. Buehrle must be the pitcher to fill that role again for Chicago.

BEST CASE SCENARIO- All the White Sox starters pitch to their potential, Jermaine Dye continues to play at an MVP level, and people become more reliable in the middle of the bullpen. With all these things taking place, it would not be a surprise to see the White Sox return to the World Series.

WORST CASE SCENARIO- Buerhle is awful again, both trades come back to haunt Chicago, and Jim Thome begins to show his age. Once again the White Sox will be on the outside of the playoffs looking in if a season like this occurs.

2007-02-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

2007 TEAM OUTLOOK: MINNESOTA TWINS

OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: We have become accustom to quiet offseasons in Minnesota and nothing has changed this year. You know your team plays in a small market when the only two free agents they signed were Ramon Ortiz and Jeff Cirillo. Since there is really nothing else to speak of in this section, I'll take a few moments to speak about the minimal impact they will have for the team. Cirillo is the team's best bat off the bench, and he will get some time at third base if Nick Punto struggles this year. The veteran Ortiz will compete for a starting spot towards the back end of the rotation. The Twins did lose a big part of their recent success this offseason when pitcher Brad Radke decided to retire. His veteran leadership and steady production will be hard to replace. The Twins also lost Stewart and Phil Nevin to free agency, but both players are past their prime and should not be major losses in any sense.

OFFENSE: Once again the Twins will be playing with one of the better everyday lineups in the American League. The Twins have quite possibly the two best hitters in the AL in Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Both are perennial MVP candidates and tough outs for any pitcher. They would not be as much of a threat if it weren't for the excellent protection around them. While Torii Hunter may have lost a step, he still has 30 homer potential and cannot be taken lightly by any pitcher. While Hunter may be on the decline, it was Michael Cuddyer who had a breakout year for Minnesota last season. For the first time in his career he went over 100 RBIs. Cuddyer's ability to play several positions was also a huge help to Minnesota when they experienced their share of injuries. Outfielder Rondell White should also be able to add some power if he is able to stay healthy. Adding speed to the lineup will be second baseman Luis Castillo. His ability to get on base makes him a catalyst for the Twins offense. Rounding out the lineup are designated hitter Jason Kubel and shortstop Jason Bartlett. Both are light hitters and may be replaced before the season is over. Some positive contributors off the bench should be outfielder Lew Ford and infielder Jeff Cirillo.

PITCHING: The Twins' staff will again be led by the league's best starter, Johan Santana. There is not a pitcher in baseball who has proven to be better or more durable than last year's Cy Young. There is no reason to doubt that he won't be at this level for the upcoming season. The rest of the rotation is a giant question mark for Minnesota. Carlos Silva will start the season as their number two starter, but his inconsistency makes him too unreliable of an option. Young arms Boof Bonser and Matt Garza will be counted on to fill major spots in the rotation. They both have excelled in the minor leagues but have not shown that high level of pitching in their short major league stints. Glen Perkins, Sidney Ponson, Scott Baker, and Ramon Ortiz will all compete for the last spot in the rotation. Their bullpen is led by dominant closer Joe Nathan. He may not get the headlines that fellow closer Mariano Rivera gets, but he has been just as effective the past few years. Their set up men Juan Rincon and Jesse Crain have also been very steady the past few years, and together they make one of the better late inning bullpens in baseball. As good as they are late in games, the Twins do have some trouble in middle relief. Several current minor leaguers will be counted on to fill roles in the sixth and seventh innings of games.

X-FACTOR: When the young superstar Francisco Liriano went down last year with arm trouble, the Twins learned that they would be without him for not only the end of 2006 but also all of 2007. Without him and Radke this season, the Twins are in search of some one who can step up and be the number two starter on the staff. That responsibility will fall on the shoulders of young pitcher Matt Garza. His impressive minor league numbers led to his rise to the top of many prospect lists. Garza struggled in his first major league action, and he must show this season that he can be as effective in the majors as he was in the minors. If this happens, he will be the number two starter they are looking for.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Morneau and Mauer continue playing at their MVP level, Cuddyer shows that last season was the beginning of a good career, and Garza becomes this year's Liriano. If everything falls into place, the Twins will be making their first return to the World Series in over decade.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Hunter's play experiences a major drop off, Santana is the only reliable starter in the rotation, and pitchers begin to figure out Justin Morneau. A year like this would almost certainly result in a failure to make a repeat appearance in the playoffs for the Twins.

2007-02-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

2007 TEAM OUTLOOK: DETROIT TIGERS

OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: Coming off a trip to the World Series, Detroit looked to keep the same core of guys that were on that team while adding a few players to make the team more complete. Their biggest move of the offseason was the trade that allowed them to acquire Gary Sheffield. Granted, Sheffield is past his prime, he still is the power threat that the Tigers lacked in the middle of their lineup last season. Giving up top pitching prospect Humberto Sanchez may prove to be costly down the line, but the Tigers now that their time is now. The team was very quiet outside of the Sheffield trade as shown by only making two other moves the rest of the winter. They retained first baseman Sean Casey who will continue to be their everyday guy. They also signed veteran Jose Mesa who will add some depth and experience to an already talented bullpen. The Tigers also did not lose many players from their American League Championship team. The one player who may be missed is reliever Jamie Walker, but he was only a middle man in the bullpen and will most likely not be too difficult to replace. The Tigers addressed their one need this offseason, power, and by still keeping most of their players, they have themselves in solid shape for next season.

OFFENSE: The balanced Detroit lineup that a took a trip to the World Series last season will look very similar in their defense of the American League crown. Possibly its biggest question lies at the top with lead off hitter Curtis Granderson. There is no question that the center fielder has the bat to hit there, but he has shown that he lacks patience and decision making skills at times. Also setting the table will be the reliable and underrated Placido Polanco who will also handle duties at second base. The heart of the lineup should be very dangerous with designated hitter Gary Sheffield, right fielder Magglio Ordonez, and first baseman Sean Casey most likely getting the majority of the RBI chances. What makes the Tigers lineup so productive is that their bottom of the lineup can at times be as strong as the top. Veteran leader and catcher Ivan Rodriguez will most likely hit at this part of the order, and despite his age, he is still the type of hitter that opposing pitchers fear. Also, the Tigers talented shortstop Carlos Guillen will be at the back end, and his perennial .300 average makes him one of the tougher outs at the end of the lineup in the league. Rounding out the order will be Craig Monroe, who can provide some extra pop, and the steady Brandon Inge. Reserve outfielder Marcus Thames should also see plenty of at bats this season off the Tigers bench.

PITCHING: One of the biggest surprises last season was how well the Tigers pitching staff performed. Their success was the main reason why they experienced such a drastic turnaround. Once again the veteran Kenny Rogers will head the staff. Rogers doesn't rely on striking people out, so the Tigers should not be concerned about him declining with age. The real staff ace is Jeremy Bonderman. He has gotten better every year in the majors and could take the final step this season to becoming a star. The young Justin Verlander will sit in the middle of the rotation, and his combination of 100 mph fastballs and off speed pitches should show that his Rookie of the Year was no fluke. At the bottom of the rotation are Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth. Usually both these guys are dependable and good enough to give their team a chance to win. Along with a solid rotation the Tigers also have a strong bullpen. Their closer once again will be Todd Jones. Rather than using speed, Jones is just a crafty pitcher who manages to get guys out. If he does however falter now that he is towards the end of his career, the flame throwing Joel Zumaya will be waiting in the wings as the team's closer of the future. Along with Zumaya, Fernando Rodney has a great young arm, and together they make up the best set up tandem in baseball. The newly acquired Jose Mesa and Wilfredo Ledezma will also eat up some innings for the Detroit bullpen.

X-FACTOR: In a lineup that has tremendous talent throughout, it is essential that men get on base to created RBI opportunities for the middle of the order. After last season, there have been some doubts whether Curtis Granderson can do that as a lead off hitter. Last season he struck out 174 times and had an on base percentage of .335. Numbers like those will not allow him to keep the top spot in the order in 2007. It's crucial that he can put up better numbers because a consistent Granderson that bats first would be part of the ideal lineup for Detroit.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Sheffield regains his old form, both Bonderman and Verlander become elite starters, Granderson shows that he can be a lead off hitter, and the Tigers can recapture the magic from last season. This would not only result in a trip to the World Series but also with a win there.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Age catches up with Rogers, Sheffield, and Jones, Verlander suffers the sophomore slump, Zumaya experience more arm trouble, and many Tigers show that 2006 was their career year. If this is what happens in Detroit, there would be a slip back into mediocrity for the Tigers.

2007-02-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

2007 TEAM OUTLOOK: LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: It seems as though every season the Angels are always competing with the Athletics for the AL West crown. With the Athletics losing Barry Zito this offseason, the Angels looked to upgrade enough to regain their division title. The move that made headlines was giving Gary Matthews a five year 50 million dollar contract. A lot of people, including myself, consider this a bit of a risk considering Matthews Jr.'s 2006 season could very well have been a fluke that was overrated by one catch he made in center field. In addition to Matthews Jr., the Angels added controversial Shea Hillenbrand to the offense. Although he may make a stupid comment here and there, there is no question that Hillenbrand has a pretty solid bat. He will fill in at DH until Juan Rivera heals from his injury. The Angels spent the rest of their money on middle reliever Justin Speier and long reliever Darren Oliver. Both players did a very good job last season and should only improve an already strong Angels' bullpen. Anaheim did lose two mainstays on their team for years when Darin Erstad and Adam Kennedy opted to sign with other teams. The Angels should only miss them in the clubhouse because Erstad was injury prone and Kennedy's replacement is the young and talented Howie Kendrick. They had no problem in letting them leave this offseason. While the jury is still out on the Matthews signing, the Angels on a whole did a very good job addressing their needs and filling them this offseason.

OFFENSE: The Angels have one of the more balanced offenses in the American League but their problem could lie in the power department. The only big bat in their lineup is Vladimir Guerrero. Granted, Vlad has been known to carry a team by himself, however the Angels would like to have some serious protection behind him. The player that used to carry this tag was Garret Anderson, but he has been on the decline due to injury and age. The Angels will have plenty of men on base this season, starting with Chone Figgins and Orlando Cabrera. Both players did a terrific job setting the table and stealing bases so that Guererro would hit with runners in scoring position. Other veterans that should help this team score are the previously mentioned Gary Matthews Jr. and budding star Howie Kendrick. The young second baseman has shown the tools to be one the best everyday second basemen in the majors this season. At designated hitter, the Angels planned to go with Juan Rivera but the injury to his left tibia forced the them to sign Shea Hillenbrand. The biggest question marks in the lineup are at first base and catcher. Casey Kotchman is the front runner to play first base, but he is clearly a better fielder than hitter and may give way to Hillenbrand once Rivera returns to play DH. At catcher last season the Angels were disappointed with the way Jose Molina played. It would not be a surprise to see Mike Napoli get significant time there this year.

PITCHING: Like their lineup, the Angels pitching staff is very solid from top to bottom. Their staff ace may not be on every one's radar, but John Lackey has evolved into one of the best pitchers in the AL. Towards the middle of the rotation will be Ervin Santana and Kelvin Escobar. Both pitchers have their problems, but on a whole they are productive middle of the rotation guys. Santana stuggles mightily on the road, and if he was ever able to put those problems behind him he would be a very good number two starter. Escobar's struggles come from injuries but in 2006 he was able to have a pretty much injury free season, so those troubles may be behind him. The young Jered Weaver will also be on the staff, and if he can pitch anywhere as well as he did last season he should be a big boost to the Angels rotation. The fifth spot in the rotation will be held by Joe Saunders until Bartolo Colon comes back from his injury. The bullpen gives the Angels a lot of depth and flexibility with their pitching. Theri closer, Francisco Rodriguez, has established himself as one of the best in baseball, and the Angels are always confident that he will get the job done. Joining K-Rod are the durable and talented Scott Shields and Justin Speier who will do the set-up work. Hector Carrasco and Darren Oliver also should prove to be solid contributors to the bullpen before the season is over.

X-FACTOR: As mentioned earlier the Angels rely mainly on Vladimir Guerrero for most of their homers and RBIs. The player that did a good job helping out last season with these categories was Juan Rivera. The key for the Angels is to get back a healthy Rivera before they dig themselves a major whole. If he returns and shows some improvement on his 2006 numbers, he will be the reliable presence that should offer some protection to Vlad in the lineup.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Kendrick evolves into one of the best second baseman in the league, Weaver continues to improve, Rivera returns and picks up where he left off last season, and Matthews Jr. proves that 2006 season was no fluke. If all this happens, we could be seeing the Angels return to the World Series

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Escobar gets hurt again, Anderson's production significantly drops off again, Hillenbrand is once again a clubhouse cancer, and no one steps up as a reliable cleanup hitter. If this is what the Angels will be facing this season, then it will be their first losing season since 2003.

2007-02-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

SUPER BOWL RECAP: FROM MANNING TO LEGEND

The seconds couldn't go by any quicker. The always calm Peyton Manning stood there with his arms folded and an eye on the clock. As the Bears raced down the the field in their last attempts to make up the twelve point deficit, Manning was happy to finally just stand there. His mind was on the game, but there was no question some thoughts about his place in history were beginning to creep into his head. As the time went down, perhaps he was envisioning the early days as a child on the field with Archie, Eli, and Cooper. Then his focus would shift down to the disappointment he felt as a quarterback at Tennessee trying to bring his school the national championship. The NFL came next and his countless records. Those were all nice but far from his mind at this point. Instead you could expect the games against New England and Pittsburgh, as well as the terms and phrases "chokes" and "the next Dan Marino: great stats, no ring" bouncing around his head. For this was the last time he would have to field the inevitable question, "Will you ever win a Super Bowl?" All of these memories were replaced by new ones now. For this was a career that, as great as it was, had only just begun. The final seconds ticked away and Peyton pumped his fist in the air knowing a new word would be found next to his name. Legend.

As for Chicago, it was an all around disappointing performance for the NFC champs. In reality they only had two successful plays the whole game. The first being the electrifying kick return by Devin Hester, which just happened to be guaranteed here on Friday. The second was the 52 yard run by Thomas Jones that set up the second touchdown. Take away those two plays and you possibly have one of the worst offensive performances in playoff history. When you consider who is at blame here, there are many areas to focus on. First and foremost is the head coach Lovie Smith who had one of the worst game plans I can remember in Super Bowl history. He was fully aware that if the Bears were going to win they had to run the football, but once they got in a hole and got stuffed at the line of scrimmage a few times, they gave up on Thomas Jones for much of the second half. Also, the way he used Rex Grossman was abysmal. Smith basically determined from the start of the game that he would protect Grossman by not allowing him to throw. As a result of this, Grossman was unable to ever get in a rhythm, and when he was called on late in the game, he was on a whole ineffective.

Speaking of Grossman, just because he was used poorly doesn't mean he gets out of this mess with his hands clean. First of all, he better pay close attention next season when the Bears go over how to take a snap because apparently he never learned this crucial lesson of being a quarterback. Also, I can't even fathom a guess on why he throws some of these passes. He need to start to recognize that when the other team is in front of your receiver, it is not a good idea to throw the ball there.

Finally, the Bears were expected to have one huge advantage in this game. What I speak of was the matchup of their rush defense versus the Colts rush offense. However, the Bears were pushed around all day by the offensive line of Indianapolis and allowed the Colts to have the threat of both the rush and pass.

As the Bears look towards the offseason and eventually next season, a few areas need to be addressed. Most importantly is quarterback. The Bears must decide whether Grossman can improve or if this is the limit for the former Florida Gator. Brian Griese did not do enough to push Grossman this season, so look for Chicago to at the very least bring in another veteran to compete with Rex. Also it is crucial that the Bears lock up free agent Lance Briggs as well as add some depth to the defense. If they can do this, there is no reason why Chicago will not once again contend for the Super Bowl.

With Super Bowl on our mind, its time we shift our focus to this year's winners. Enough has been said about Manning so let's start with running game. Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai, considering what they were facing, but together one of the best rushing performances in recent memory. Rhodes rushed for over 100 yards while averaging more than 5 yards a carry and punching in a score. The versatile Addai not only rushed for around 70 yards but also contributed with ten catches. The early success of the Colts rushing game was enough to open up the offense so that the Bears were forced to respect both the run and pass.

Part of the rushing success was due to the tremendous offensive line play of the Colts. Led by center Jeff Saturday, the big men up front for Indy dominated the Bears defensive line all day long. Not only was the heralded Bears rush defense held in check, but the Colts were able to keep the pressure on Peyton Manning to a minimum. It's hard to recall many instances in which Manning was hurried let alone sacked. Their punishing play up front was the main reason they won the game, and I wouldn't have hesitated to give everyone of them a share of the MVP award.

Like the Bears, Indianapolis is in terrific shape for the upcoming season. Their major free agents are Cato June and Dominic Rhodes, however a loss of either would not have that much of an impact on the Colts. Although the defense played well late, Indianapolis will most likely look to at the very least add some depth to it during free agency and the draft. Regardless of what the Colts do, they are a lock for next year's playoffs and should be the favorites to repeat as champions. We could very well be looking at the beginning of a new dynasty.

That's it for the football coverage this season. It was a lot of fun and a pleasure to write about all the stories going around the NFL. I'll be back in April for a preview of the draft. For now, enjoy the baseball previews that will be leading up to the season.

2007-02-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW: COLTS-BEARS

It's early Friday afternoon now. By now both teams are accustomed to the frenzy and craziness of Super Bowl week. Media day has come and gone. It is football time now. Unlike Super Bowls of recent memory, this game has a lot of added flavor to it. The story lines are abundant that range from African-American coaches, to Manning vs Urlacher, to Grossman versus himself. The recap could have so many headlines for a game with so much going on. Will it be, Manning finally wins big one? Maybe, Hester returns Super Bowl to Chicago? Perhaps, Vinatieri does it again? Regardless, all that is certain now is that there will be winners and losers, heroes and goats, legends and horror stories. Put aside all of the hype that has been buzzing around the city of Miami for almost two weeks now. On Sunday there will be sixty minutes of football. Nothing else matters, nothing else will be remembered.

QUARTERBACKS: Peyton was praised endlessly for his final drive against the Patriots, as he should have been, but on a whole his AFC Championship performance was not at the level of the regular season Peyton Manning. After two sub par and one average performance in the playoffs, the pressure is on Peyton to raise his game or face the questions that followed Dan Marino during the latter stages of his career. If the Colts expect to come back from an 18 point deficit this week, they should probably not bother on making any orders for Super Bowl rings. The Bears defense has shown some trouble defending against the long pass, and if Manning can connect on a few of those early, he should have a very solid day. Even a bigger question mark than Manning is Bears QB Rex Grossman. At times during their win against the Saints, Grossman looked like the second-coming of Brett Favre. However, more often than not I questioned whether he knew how to play football. Personally, I feel as though Grossman would have to play the game of his life in order for the Bears to win. He might play better than usual, but I don't see him reaching that level. Manning is far more likely to positively affect the game's outcome. EDGE: INDIANAPLOIS

RUNNING BACKS: Much has been made of how the Colts' defense has taken their game to a new level in the postseason, but the Indianapolis running game is also playing better than anyone has expected. Earlier in the season teams were able to just play the pass because the Colts' running game was so inexperienced that it was barely a threat. As the year went on both Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai evolved into productive running backs. The threat of a running game has brought the Colts' offense back to the level it was at when they had Edgerrin James. If one of these running backs can have a big game, it may be hard to stop the Colts from winning the Super Bowl. Like the Colts, the Bears also rely on a running back tandem rather than just one man. Things were not supposed to be this way, but once the Bears had run away with the NFC, they began to rest Thomas Jones and gave the young Cedric Benson some work. Chicago was so impressed with the way Benson ran and how he was a perfect compliment to Jones that they continued to give him a share of the carries in the postseason. Combine the experience of Jones with the explosiveness of Benson, and Chicago has one of the better running games in football. Both teams will look to run early and often to open up their passing game. Whoever runs more successfully could determine who wins this game. EDGE: EVEN

RECEIVERS: It's quite obvious in this game that the talent at the wide receiver weighs much heavier on the Indianaplois side. With Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne catching his passes, Peyton Manning is blessed with one of the better receiver combinations in recent memory. While Wayne has maintained his Pro Bowl status during the postseason, once again Harrison has struggled in the bright spotlight of the playoffs. Harrison uncharacteristically has struggled to get open and hold onto passes. Whatever funk Harrison is in, the Colts must hope that he will be at the top of his game come Sunday. Peyton's other favorite target has been tight end Dallas Clark. After a relatively unproductive and injury marred regular season, Clark has exploded for two monster games so far during the 2007 playoffs. If all Manning's targets are playing well on Sunday, they will be impossible for Chicago to stop. Speaking of the Bears, their receivers may not have the name recognition that the Colts' wideouts have, but they have still been very productive at what they do. Muhsin Muhammed has been Rex Grossman's reliable possession receiver, and it seems as though as long as Rex throws it in his direction, Moose will catch it. Muhammed's compliment is the speedy Bernard Berrian. Chicago's deep threat is usually good for at least one big gain each game. Like Indy, Chicago looks to utilize their TE. Desmond Clark fills that role for the Bears, and whenever Grossman is in trouble he looks to his big tight end. Along with these players, don;t be surprised if Andy Moorehead, Ricky Proehl, Ben Utecht, or Rashead Davis have an impact on this game. EDGE: INDIANAPOLIS

DEFENSE: The drastic improvement to a defense that had once been described as pathetic has been the story of the Indianapolis Colts postseason so far. Rather than changing schemes or using different players, the change has seemed to come instead from players focusing more and realizing what is at stake. The way the Colts play defense is a perfect matchup against Rex Grossman. The Colts use the cover two defense, and their philosophy is to bend but not break. Grossman's strength is completing deep passes, not the short ones to the outside or over the middle. Therefore Chicago may look to run the ball more, and despite the improvement from awful to awesome that the Indianapolis defense experienced, there is still no guarentee that they will play well on a weekly basis. Chicago's defense is the one that makes headlines. While they were off the a record start this season, the loss of Tommie Harris and Mike Brown had caused some issues towards the end of the regular season. They seem to have recovered in their rush defense, but the pass defense may still be a question. Despite forcing Drew Brees to fumble numerous times in the NFC Championship game, he did have nearly 300 passing yards by the time the fourth quarter began. If they can apply similar pressure to Manning, they may be able to make up for the growing holes in their secondary. Regardless, Brian Urlacher and the Bears defense should have enough tricks up their sleeve to be the superior defense on the field in Miami. EDGE: CHICAGO

SPECIAL TEAMS: Often in the Super Bowl a key play on special teams, for better or for worse, will swing a game in one teams direction. The Colts have a kicker who has been the hero of two Super Bowls, and clearly if the game comes down to a last second field goal they will feel very confident having the leg of Adam Vinatieri. The Bears have a solid kicker of their own, Robbie Gould, who has already made a game winning field goal this postseason. Due to his inexperience, Chicago would still be sweating it out if the game was Gould's to win. However, Chicago has a different special teamer that has been known to make an impact. Rookie kick returner Devin Hester will be returning to the city where he played college and will look to give his team an edge in the return game. My prediction is that we will see Hester in the endzone on Sunday, but he will need help from his teammates if he expects to leave Miami with a championship. EDGE: EVEN

FINAL ANALYSIS: In a Super Bowl with so many playmakers on both sides of the ball, it may appear like a difficult game to judge on the surface. For me, I find this game to be one of the easiest ones to pick in years. Peyton Manning does not need to be Joe Montana on Sunday, he just needs to protect the football. The Colts offense may struggle initially against the Bears defense, but as the game wages on Manning will start to figure out the various schemes Chicago will throw at him. For the Bears offense, it is impossible for me to envision any scenario in which Rex Grossman plays well. He makes too many mistakes to lead his team to victory. The only way Chicago can win this game is if Devin Hester and the Bears defense score touchdowns and their running game is unstoppable. The Bears would need almost a perfect day to win this game, and they will not get it. Here's an early congratulations to your Super Bowl champions, the Indianapolis Colts. PREDICTION: COLTS 31 BEARS 17

2007-02-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

2007 TEAM OUTLOOK: NEW YORK YANKEES

OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: We're used to seeing the Yankees spend money like its their job, so considering the past, it was a relatively quiet offseason for the Boss. Rather than blow all their money on one player, the Yankees tried to both sign players to help them win in 2007, while also strengthening their farm system. Their two biggest moves were trading veterans Jaret Wright, Gary Sheffield and Randy Johnson. Both players had proven to be susceptible to injury, and the Yankees were lucky to unload them for quality prospects. The Yankees used the rest of their offseason to reassemble a pitching staff that was devastated by season's end in 2006. They re-signed Mike Mussina and brought back familiar face Andy Pettite to the team. Also, the Yankees took a risk on Kei Igawa, a Japanese starter that should fit somewhere in the middle of the Yankees rotation. The only other notable move of the Yankee offseason was the signing of Doug Mientkiewicz, who will play first base and gives the Yanks a lift defensively. The only losses to free agency that the Yankees suffered were that of hardly used middle relievers, but it should not be a hard to overcome because they replenished their bullpen with solid arms Luis Vizcaino and Chris Britton. On a whole it was very successful offseason for GM Brian Cashman and company.

OFFENSE: Like usual, the Yankees are stacked with possibly the best offense in baseball. The lineup will look very similar to last season with Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter hitting at the top of the order. Also, Bobby Abreu would be the logical choice to hit third considering his high OBP and decent power. Their ability to get on base should once again give plenty of RBI oppurtunities for Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, and Jason Giambi. Newly acquired Doug Doug Mientkiewicz should hit towards the bottom of the order with Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano. Despite having very solid numbers, the Yankees will most likely keep Cano ninth to act as their second leadoff hitter. Bench player Andy Phillips could see a decent amount of work as well if Mientkiewicz, struggles against lefties like has in the past.

PITCHING: Clearly the biggest question mark on this team is the pitching staff. Veterans Andy Pettite and Mike Mussina will headline the rotation. The third starter will be Chien-Ming Wang, who's tremendous sinker ball led him to a terrific 2006 season in which he led the AL in wins. He is quite possibly the most reliable pitcher on the staff. Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa will most likely start the season as fourth in the rotation, while Carl Pavano, the highly touted Phillip Hughes, and Jeff Karstens will all compete for a chance to start. The bullpen is as strong as ever and will once again be headed by the league's best closer Mariano Rivera. The fire ballers Scott Proctor and Jeff Farnsworth will be the main set-up guys, and Luis Vizcaino, Chris Britton, and Mike Myers should all see significant work this year.

X-FACTOR: In an odd scenario, the Yankees X-factor is not even a member of the team. The player I speak of is Roger Clemens. The Rocket clearly seems poised to pitch in 2007, and if he chooses the Yankees over the Red Sox and Astros, it will provide a huge lift to the rotation. While the Yankees have several solid starters, Clemens would give them the one ace that is both an ace and a big time postseason pitcher. With Clemens it may once again be the year of the Yankee.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Clemens signs with the Yankees, Igawa is even better than Daisuke Matzusaka, and A-Rod sheds the label of baseball's biggest loser. If all this happens, it would be hard to find any reason why the Yankees would not be celebrating their 27th World Series title.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: No one steps up as the fourth and fifth starter, A-Rod continues his postseason struggles, and the team is once again plagued by injuries. A season like this could be the first one in over decade that will see the Yankees missing the playoffs.

2007-01-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

2007 TEAM OUTLOOK: CINCINNATI REDS

OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: Unlike their division rivals the Chicago Cubs, the Reds were hardly active for yet another offseason. Rather than even attempting to contend for big name players, the Reds once again hope that smaller moves like acquiring Brandon Phillips and David Ross will turn out as well this season. Cincinnati's biggest move this offseason was signing shortstop Alex Gonzalez to a three-year deal. Gonzalez is a light hitter but should help his pitchers with his stellar defense. GM Wayne Krivsky continued his plan of strengthening his bullpen and minimizing the offense by signing Mike Stanton, Dave Weathers, and Paul Wilson rather than going after steady hitters to help boost the lineup. The Reds also acquired Jeff Conine in a trade. His experience should be a welcome addition to the Reds' bench. A late trade for Kirk Saarloos from Oakland will help add some depth to a rotation that clearly has needed some over the years. The only significant loss to the team was infielder Rich Aurilla, who signed with San Fransisco. Aurilla was on the downside of his career, and the addition of Conine and Gonzalez should be good enough to replace him. The Reds like to improve their team with late deals for lesser players, so it is very likely that they may not even be done this offseason.

OFFENSE: Unlike Reds teams of years past, the 2007 version features a lineup with a lot less power and more small type players. It's a peculiar plan considering that their home ballpark is clearly a place where home runs fly out frequently. These new small ball type players are Ryan Freel, Brandon Phillips, Scott Hatteberg, and Alex Gonzalez. Both Freel and Phillips took major steps last season in their development, and they now appear to be solid everyday players. Hatteberg shows great plate discipline, and when he is not drawing walks, he is usually moving runners over. The Reds have not eliminated all of their power, and they should see home runs from returning regulars Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr., assuming he stays healthy. It is very likely that Griffey will get hurt again, so if he does the Reds will most likely shift Freel to center field and play Conine in the outfield. The two wild cards in the lineup are catcher David Ross and third baseman Edwin Encarnacion. Ross is an interesting case because he hit 21 home runs in just 247 at bats, but all his other numbers fell off considerably post All-Star break. Encarnacion, showed a bit of pop in his bat as well, and his first year numbers suggest that he will be at least a solid regular in the majors.

PITCHING: While the Reds have always seemed to have the offense, it has been the pitching that has been the weak link for Cincinnati. This season they will return several familiar faces to an improving rotation. The staff is headed by Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang. Arroyo got off to a fast start last year in the National League, but once he went around the league the second time, batters began to catch up with him. It will be interesting to see which Arroyo will show up in 2007. Harang, with much less publicity, is clearly the better pitcher of the two. He has been a solid starter in the Reds rotation for the last two seasons while posting an impressive strikeout rate. The rest of the rotation will be comprised of some sort of combination of mediocre starters Eric Milton, Kyle Lohse, Paul Wilson, and Kirk Saarloos. Talented, young prospect Homer Bailey will most likely begin the season in the minors, but he clearly has the talent to eventually be the Reds' third starter this season. The bullpen, which was a mess this time last season, has been improved, but at the costly price of trades involving players like Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez. The middle relief should be solid this season with veterans such as Gary Majewski, Mike Stanton, Rheal Cormier, and Todd Coffey. However, the bullpen will continue to be a problem if the Reds expect Dave Weathers to get the job done as their closer.

X-FACTOR: With a pitching staff that has been so inconsistent over the years, the emergence of Homer Bailey could do wonders for the Reds. It has been over a decade since Cincinnati has has a young pitcher come through their system like him. If he can join the team out of spring training and pitch up to his potential, the Reds may actually have a chance to win the Wild Card rather than choke it away like last season.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Homer Bailey is this year's Justin Verlander, Griffey plays 140 games, and the Reds find some one who can be lights out in the ninth. A year like this could quite possibly end up with Cincinnati celebrating a Wild Card berth.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Bronson Arroyo falls back into mediocrity, Griffey plays less than half a season, Bailey struggles in his first season, and David Ross shows that 2006 was a fluke. A season like this for Reds' fans would result in yet another losing record and a finish towards the bottom of the NL Central.

2007-01-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

2007 TEAM OUTLOOK: CHICAGO CUBS

OFFSEASON OVERVIEW: During this past year's free agency period, few teams were even half as active as the Chicago Cubs. Without question, their biggest move was the signing of outfielder Alfonso Soriano. The move sent ripples throughout the rest of MLB as his 8 year $136 million dollar contract went on to inflate every other deal that was made. Possibly the most underrated move of the entire offseason was the Cubs re-signing third baseman Aramis Ramirez to a five-year deal. The Cubs were also able to sign veteran free agents Mark DeRosa and Cliff Floyd to relatively reasonable contracts. Chicago tried to upgrade their rotation by signing Ted Lilly and throwing an unreasonable amount of money to Jason Marquis, who was was coming off a season with an ERA over six. While both pitchers most likely will not make too many headlines, the Cubs view them as reliable middle of the rotation starters that will usually keep their team in games. The only major free agent that Chicago lost this season was center fielder Juan Pierre. The speedy Pierre never really made an impact on Chicago, but replacing his defense in center field with Alfonso Soriano looks to certain to fail miserably. All things being considered though, the Cubs gave their roster a major upgrade and now new manager Lou Pinella has a lot of talent to work with.

OFFENSE: The Cubs spent their offseason looking to significantly upgrade their offense, and after a successful job they are left with one of the better lineups in the NL. Soriano should lead off for the Cubs, and he will most likely close in on the 40-40 numbers he posted last year with Washington. However, this season he should have even more runs and RBIs due to the amount of talent in the rest of the lineup. The heart of the order should feature Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee once again. Unlike years past, they will most likely have several more opportunities to hit with men on base. The other big bat, Cliff Floyd, will most likely platoon with Matt Murton. Floyd gives the Cubs a lefty hitter with 30 HR potential. What makes the rest of the Cubs lineup so difficult on opposing pitchers is that there is not one easy out among the group. Players such as Michael Barret, Mark DeRosa, and Jacque Jones are all threats to hit close to .300 this season. The weakest link in the lineup is shortstop Cesar Izturis, but all-world defense should make him worth having on the field.

PITCHING: Like last season, the picthing rotation is headed by ace Carlos Zambrano. The Big Z is a strikeout machine, and he could approach 20 wins this season with an improved offense supplying the run support. Newly acquired Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis should fill in the middle of the rotation spots, but the one player poised to take on the role of number two starter is young Rich Hill. Like Zambrano, Hill has an impressive strikeout rate and could evolve into one of the better pitchers in the NL this season. The often injured Wade Miller and Mark Prior should battle for the final rotation spot. The messiest picture on the Cubs is that one assembled by their bullpen. The closer role is up for grabs and should come from a group that includes former starter Kerry Wood, Bobby Howry, and Ryan Dempster. The rest of the Chicago bullpen is equally as unimpressive and if anything seems like a weak spot for Chicago it would be this. If they are lucky, a few younger arms will come up and help stabilize the pen.

X-FACTOR: After years of setbacks due to injury, the Cubs have finally learned not to expect anything from their starter Mark Prior. With no expectations for possibly the first time in his life, any sort of Prior production will only be a bonus for the Cubs. If Prior can stay healthy this season and regain his 2003 form, the Cubs will have one of the best rotations in the NL to go along with their top notch offense. A healthy Prior would make Chicago one of the most feared teams in the majors.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Mark Prior stays healthy, Rich Hill becomes a dominant young ace, and Kerry Wood steps up and becomes a dominant closer. If all this happens, you can expect Chicago's fans to be on the edge of their seats as the Cubs play for their first World Series title in over 100 years.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Derrek Lee once again gets injured, Alfonso Soriano plays without any desire now that there is no free agecny looming, no one becomes a reliable closer, and Rich Hill fails to develop into anything more than a middle of the rotation guy. A season like this will leave the Cubs with a losing record and a finish towards the bottom of the NL Central.

2007-01-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP: MANNING UP

So, I was wrong. There I said it. I hope you all are happy. Trust me, no one is more surprised than I am. Why shouldn't I be? The start was all too familiar for Peyton Manning and crew. The Patriots came out with another perfect game plan, and twenty one minutes later the Colts saw themselves down 21-3. The sights looked the same on the Colts' sideline. Manning stood there shaking his head while the rest of his teammates stared on with the same look of disbelief. Halftime came and so did change. I don't know if anyone is sure of what was exactly said in that locker room, but whatever it was, boy did it work. Unlike years past, the Colts came out with their heads high and their play higher. Rather than folding like a lawn chair, the Colts battled back, and by the fourth quarter we were witnessing one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history. The final five minutes of the game were by far the most entertaining. What was so remarkable was that it was a complete change of script from meetings in past years. If I told you before the game that one QB would lead his team on a game winning drive while the other would throw an interception to end the game, you would probably believe me. However, most likely you would assume that Brady had won the game and Manning had thrown the pick. The role reversal that took place was one of the more shocking things I have seen in football in recent memory. The Colts survived, and Peyton Manning took a huge step towards becoming the greatest quarterback of all time. Despite not even being the best Colts team of the last five years, it is this Colts team that will play in their first Super Bowl since 1970.

After a classic game, many people felt that this was the end of the Patriots dynasty and the beginning of the Colts dynasty. Why I am quick to dismiss that theory is that strangely enough, this was a rebuilding year for the Patriots. They had lost several players to free agency and were looking to replace them with the likes of Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney. They also did not have a very strong draft after striking out with picks such as Chad Jackson. Nevertheless, due to great player management and coaching, they found themselves pack in the AFC Championship game. Next year has both a lot of positives and questions. The best thing the Patriots have going for them is that they have two first round picks in the 2007 draft. With smart decisions they should be able to find two starters with those picks. They also will most likely have an improved receiving core next season, which should only help Tom Brady and the offense. The major problems come on the defensive side of the ball. Most notably is the pending free agency of top cornerback Asante Samuel. New England would be wise to place the franchise tag on him, but don't be surprised if they they do let him walk. Remember, the Patriots are possibly the best in the league at finding good, young cornerbacks. Their other problem on defense is age. Players like Teddy Bruschi , Rodney Harrison, and Mike Vrabel may soon be on the decline, and the Patriots should look to use at least one of their first round picks to add some youth to the defensive side of the ball. The bottom line for New England is that as long as they have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick they will always be Super Bowl contenders. Expect an even better team to take the field in Foxboro next year.

It is almost strange to say this, but the Indianapolis Colts have taken the next step and will now play for the Super Bowl. They are already overwhelming favorites, and the pressure will be on Peyton Manning to step up and get the job done. For the Colts it is quite simple, play like they did against the Patriots, and they will beat the Bears. This all falls on the shoulders of Peyton Manning. He finally took his game to the next level and played well when his team needed him to in the playoffs. The question is: will he continue to play this way or revert back to his previous postseason form? The Bears defense won them the game against the Saints, but Drew Brees was still able to throw all over them when given time in the pocket. The Chicago defense is clearly still susceptible to the pass, and a stong day from Manning will almost certainly put a dagger in the Bears' postseason. The game will either elevate Manning's name next to Johnny Unitas' or keep it firmly placed next to Dan Marino's.

2007-01-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP: SAINTS SENT MARCHING HOME

The Chicago Bears were 13-3, the one seed in the NFC, and picked to lose by virtually everyone to a team that won three less regular season games. The Saints were also in an unfamiliar situation. After having no expectations for every game prior to the NFC Championship, the Saints were now supposed to go into Chicago and win the NFC. The Bears used this lack of respect as motivation and did it ever get the job done. The Bears defense looked like it did when it was being compared to the defense the team had during the 1985 season. The highly touted Saints running game was non existent all game long which made last week's star Deuce McAllister a non-factor. Chicago was able to set the tone early by forcing three fumbles in the first quarter. Drew Brees was under relentless pressure all day, and with the way they were swarming all over field it looked as though the Bears defense had twenty men on the field. Of course, Chicago needed a performance like this considering Rex Grossman spent his first half doing his best impression of me playing quarterback. However, as well as they played the offense continued to give them absolutely no help, so the Saints were able to creep back to within two points during the third quarter. Now with the ball and all the momentum, the Saints were about to start their most important offensive possession all season. The Bears, though, made sure that it would be their last offensive posses ion this season with any significance. Another mad dash by the Bears defense at Brees caused a safety, and the Saints were never able to recover. Twenty one years after the Bears won their only Super Bowl with the best defense of their generation, it was once again the defense that lifted a Bears team back to the big game.

As for the Saints, while it was a disappointing performance in the NFC title game, the season as a whole can be looked at as one of the best turnarounds in NFL history. A year ago they were a team without a home and just three wins. Then the remarkable began to happen. First, it was the hiring of Sean Payton. The Saints took a chance on Payton, who had been a mediocre coordinator at best during his career, and they were rewarded with one of the game's best play callers since Bill Walsh. A few months later, free agency began, but how would the Saints be able to lure big free agents to a franchise that had more question marks than anyone in the NFL? The Saints knew they would have to take chances during free agency, and the biggest one they took was on Drew Brees. Just months removed from shoulder surgery, and the Saints were willing to give him a guaranteed long term contract. Crazy? No, genius. A move that easily could have set the franchise back years instead was the move that began a roster transformation that would turn this 3-13 team into division winners. Then came April and a gift from Houston. The Texans had passed on Heisman winner Reggie Bush, and now it was the Saints he would play on Sundays for. At the time they did not know it, but there was another gift waiting for them on draft day. Seventh round picks aren't expected to make football teams, but Marques Coltson wasn't your average seventh round pick. The Hofstra alum not only made the Saints but became one of the best wide receivers in the NFL during just his first season. No longer laughing stocks and vagabonds, the team that was once referred to as the "Aints" was now the new "America's Team". After a season full of miracles, there is no reason to believe that these Saints won't be making more of them in January for years to come.

The Bears are back in the Super Bowl but not without several questions. The biggest of them is their quarterback Rex Grossman. Quite frankly, Grossman looked like anything but an NFL quarterback in the first half on Sunday. He was able to turn it around and make some big plays in the second half, but against the Colts, he must play a complete game to give his team a chance to win. It is not simply playing not to lose anymore for Grossman because he must make some plays if the Bears are to win. Along with Grossman, the Bears defense has their own concerns. Which defense will show up in the Super Bowl? Will it be the one that won the NFC title game or the one that was torn apart by Seattle? The Bears could be without Tank Johnson, who has violated his probation and may not be able to travel with the team. Chicago's defense must set the tone from the kickoff, and if they are able to do that, the city may be celebrating its second Super Bowl.

2007-01-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: PATRIOTS-COLTS

What a fitting game it is for Peyton Manning and the Colts. After years of playoff frustration, it will take a win over their playoff enemies to reach the Super Bowl for the first time under Manning. As the Colts look to overcome the Patriots for the time in their playoff lives, they should look to other great teams for inspiration. The Chicago Bulls were once the Indianapolis Colts, and Michael Jordan was once Peyton Manning. Year after year of playoff defeats at the hands of their rival Detroit Pistons left some people wondering if they could ever win a title. It was not until they overcame the Pistons that they were able to win their first championship. A similar story was seen in baseball just a few years ago. Throughout the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, the New York team had been the one always celebrating success. Beating the Yankees seemed like an even bigger obstacle for Boston than actually winning a World Series. So when they were finally able to defeat the Yankees in the postseason, it was then that they truly became a great team and won the World Series. The question is, can the Colts become the Bulls and the Red Sox? On Sunday we will find out if the Colts are truly a great team or just a bunch of lovable losers like the Buffalo Bills. Round three is approaching. Are the Colts ready?

QUARTERBACKS: It was strange last Sunday to watch Tom Brady and see him play so terrible, but that is what America saw last week. Remarkably, despite him and the entire team playing one of their worst postseason games, they live to play another day in this year's playoffs. While it may have been one of his worst performances, Brady still played well when he had to. Most notably, was the perfectly thrown touchdown pass to Reche Caldwell to tie the game. It would be truly shocking to see Brady play another poor playoff game on Sunday. He should be able to show his usual playoff poise and deliver accurate passes all day. There is some sort of theory going around about the other QB on the field. People are beginning to believe that just because Peyton Manning played poorly the last two weeks, he should have a good game on Sunday. What has he done to suggest that this may happen? He has looked awful not only the last two weeks but also in his entire playoff career. Now he's facing the Patriots, who have absolutely owned him throughout the years. It seems a bit far fetched to believe that he will suddenly turn things around. EDGE: NEW ENGLAND

RUNNING BACKS: Another reason why it was unbelievable that New England was able to win in San Diego was that their rushing attack was nonexistent. Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney were held to less than 60 yards rushing combined. While the Colts rush defense has been much improved since the regular season ended, the Patriots will likely do a better job rushing the ball against the Colts than they did against San Diego. Look for Maroney to get most of the carries between the twenties, while Dillon will get all of the attempts inside the redzone. It would be a surprise if they were unable to at least double last week's total. The Colts also have shown a very balanced rushing attack this season with Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes. During the postseason they have used Addai early in the game because he is the more talented running back. When the lead is secure, the Colts turn to Rhodes to hold onto the football and wind down the clock. In order for the Colts to have a good chance of winning, one running back will need to step up and have a big day. Manning has not been good at all this postseason, and if the Colts are also unable to run the ball, he will start forcing passes like he did the last two weeks. It may be the team with the better running game that winds up with a spot in the Super Bowl. EDGE: EVEN

RECEIVERS: The Patriots seem to be able to do it every year. They find wide receivers that may not be able to play on any other team in the NFL, but they fit the New England system so well that put up numbers they would never dream of. Specifically I am talking about Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell. Both players had impressive college careers but were never able to reach that level in the NFL. They did not even play too well during the regular season, but during the playoffs they have exceeded all expectations. They may not have household names like Indy's wideouts, still they are perfect fits for the Pats. Those household names I speak off on Indy are obviously Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. They have actually been out performed by Gaffney and Caldwell so far this postseason, but that has been more a product of Peyton Manning's struggles than anything else. The one way to slow them down is to rough them up, and that is what the Patriots have done so effectively against the Colts over the year. Even if they are able to do this again, you would have to feel a lot more comfortable with all-pros like Harrison and Wayne on your team. EDGE: INDIANAPOLIS

DEFENSE: Like the rest of the New England Patriots, their defense did not play one of its best games against San Diego. However, LaDainian Tomlinson can make any team look bad on defense. It was the Patriots' job against the Chargers passing game that earned them a trip to the AFC title game. Like they did a week before against Chad Pennington, they rattled Philip Rivers and were able to force him to make mistakes. Expect the rush defense to match the pass defense in performance against the Colts like they did when they held the combo of Addai and Rhodes to less than 50 yards rushing in their earlier meeting this season. The Pats defense will have to crack if Peyton Manning and the Colts are going to win this game. The Colts defense has been the story of the playoffs so far. After looking absolutely terrible during the regular season, they have looked rejuvenated in this postseason. They have done a terrific job stopping the run and forcing turnovers. If the Colts are to win on Sunday, their defense must continue to play this way. However, if you were to chose one defense to win you a playoff game, the obvious pick would be the reliable one New England has. EDGE: NEW ENGLAND

SPECIAL TEAMS: One of the best subplots for Sunday's AFC title game is the kicking game. By now everyone knows the story. After being one of the best clutch kickers of all time and winning two Super Bowls with game winning field goals, the Patriots let Adam Vinatieri walk this offseason. He went to the rival Indianapolis Colts where he had another fantastic season. The Patriots have relied on rookie kicker Stephen Gostkowski all season who had some shaky spots, but did hit a game winning field goal of his own last week. Clearly if the game was on the line, Adam Vinatieri would be the kicker to have on your team. The Patriots clearly do not want to see their season end on the foot of their old friend. This could make Vinatieri one of the most dangerous players on the field Sunday. EDGE: INDIANAPOLIS

FINAL ANALYSIS: I'm just going to start this final segment by telling you that I am picking New England. I would like to spend the rest of this discussing how every argument I have heard for why Indy will win is awful. First, I hear how the Colts are at home. Do people just expect the Patriots to lay down and play one of their worst games all season because they are not at home? Also, people may seem to forget that Tom Brady has never lost a game in a dome during his career. The second argument is that the Colts beat the Patriots last time. This is true, but it is also true that Tom Brady quite possibly had the worst game of his career as he threw four interceptions and still only lost by one score. It would be a total shock to see Brady play another game like that, especially considering how he is coming off a bad game last week. Finally, people are saying that Peyton Manning is due for a big playoff game. Why? He has shown nothing throughout his postseason career that would suggest that he can play well against a good defense in a big spot. All of you that picked the Colts to win this week can use these weak arguments to make yourself feel confident. However, I'll stick with the Patriots. If I'm wrong I'll have a whole column for you Monday of me eating my words. PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 20 COLTS 17

2007-01-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: SAINTS-BEARS

After another long and exciting season NFL fans across the country will sit down on Sunday to see which two teams will be playing for the Super Bowl. Over in the NFC, the game features the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. The game, which is being played in the Windy City, will feature two teams with two very different paths to Sunday. The Bears were possibly the most criticized 13-3 team in NFL history. Throughout the season questions arouse in the Chicago media and around the NFL. Does this team have enough offense to go along with their defense? Will Rex Grossman determine whether this team lives or dies in the playoffs? Is it time to make a quarterback switch? How will the defense play without Tommie Harris? For all these questions, the Bears were able to come up with answers and now find themselves playing for a spot in the Super Bowl. The only question for the New Orleans Saints this season was, when will this team run out of gas? After going 3-13 during the 2006 season, the Saints have symbolized the recovery and resilience of their city by landing a trip to the NFC title game. While a lot of the faces have changed on the team, it is still one of the biggest shocks in NFL history to see the Saints a win away from the Super Bowl. The only questions remaining for these two teams is: Will the Bears survive another week, or will the Saints keep their momentum going? After Sunday, there will be not only an answer but even more questions leading up to the Super Bowl.

QUARTERBACKS: Lost in the dazzling performance by the Saints running game against the Eagles last week was the solid job done by quarterback Drew Brees. In his second career playoff game, Bress looked poised in the pocket and completed a very accurate 62.5% of his passes. He finished the day with 243 yards in the air and a touchdown. Brees never tends to be rattled, and it would take a relentless pass rush to get him off his game. He is clearly the more consistent QB of the two in the game, and because the Bears pass defense has been shaky at best the last few games, Brees should have another good day. The Bears have the enigma known as Rex Grossman. With a struggling defense, it was actually Grossman who kept Chicago in the game and gave them a chance to reach the NFC title game. He threw for 282 yards and made several key plays that set the Bears up for the win. It was his two turnovers, though, that cause angst among Chicago natives. Grossman has not shown the ability to to play well in consecutive games lately. I feel the problem for Grossman is his game preparation. He tends to only play well if he knows the game is important. The games don't get much bigger than this, so Grossman should be focused, but i doubt he will outshine Brees on Sunday. EDGE: NEW ORLEANS

RUNNING BACKS: It's a wonderful thing to have one elite running back in the NFL these days. So think how great it is for the Saints to have two. Last week against Philadelphia, the Saints showed that with Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister in the backfield, they may have the best rushing attack in football. The Saints finished with over two hundred rushing yards led by the bruising running style of McAllister. With two backs with such different styles, the Saints are a pain for any team to slow down. New Orleans will use their rushing attack early and often to keep the Bears defense unbalanced and unaware of what is about to come. The Bears have their own two-headed rushing monster of their own that they will use to attack the Saints defense. Early in the season Chicago would rely exclusively on Thomas Jones to pound the rock, but the late season emergence of Cedric Benson made them change their scheme. Benson is clearly more physically gifted than Jones, but it is Jones reliability and nose for the endzone that makes him an asset. Together they ran for 111 yards on 33 carries against Seattle last week. While the numbers don't cause any sort of excitement among NFL fans, they do enough to get opposing defenses concerned about the Bears rushing attack. However, both Chicago backs must do a lot more on Sunday to overtake McAllister and Bush in the headlines. EDGE: NEW ORLEANS

RECEIVERS: New Orleans has arguably the deepest receiving core in all of football, and that is why they have been able to survive the injury to their star wideout Joe Horn. Horn is as questionable this week as he has been for the last month and a half. He will give his best to get out there, but it should be a shock to no one if he fails to suit up. Drew Bress may once again have to rely on his talented, young receivers Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, and Terrance Copper. They are all blessed with great speed and size which makes them almost impossible to cover at times. Chances are that at least one of them will be giving the Bears defense fits by day's end. The Bears also have some talent at the wide receiver position. Their veteran route runner Muhsin Muhammed is always there for Grossman to rely on. Chicago also has big play guys like Bernard Berrian and Rashad Davis. They need only one mistake to burn the defense and catch a long touchdown pass. While Chicago may have some talent at their wide receiver position, it does not compare to what the Saints have to offer. EDGE: NEW ORLEANS

DEFENSE: Like the offense, the defense is much improved this season for New Orleans. That being said it still has a way to go before it is among the top units in the NFL. What the Saints defenders do well is applying pressure to quarterback while trying to create turnovers in the secondary. However, due to their ball hawking nature, the Saints can sometimes get burned on big plays. Also, against a quick running back, the Saints have some trouble wrapping him up. The Bears would be wise to use more Benson than Jones on Sunday as they try to expose their sometimes weak rush defense. For Chicago, as good as they have looked on defense early in the season, they have looked equally as bad in the later stages of the year. They have had some trouble defending against the big play once their safety Mike Brown was injured, and they had some trouble stopping the run once their massive defensive tackle Tommie Harris was lost for the season. Unfortunately for Chicago, those are two if the strengths for the Saints. Despite the Bears trouble of late, they still have the knack for making the big play when needed, and that is enough to make them the better defense on the field on Sunday. EDGE: CHICAGO

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Saints have been solid in this era all season so far. They have a kicker, John Carney, who has almost as much experience as anyone in this league. His lack of "big kick" opportunities may worry the Saints a little, but only time will tell how he will perform under pressure. The Saints let Bush do the punt return duties this season, and he instantly became one of the biggest threats in the league to score on a punt once he was given that position. Perhaps the only bigger threat in the NFL has been Bears return man Devin Hester. After returning six for touchdowns in the regular season, Hester would have had another last week were it not for a penalty that brought the six points back. The Bears also saw last week that they have a kicker capable of hitting the clutch kicks. Unless you've been on Mars since last Saturday, you are aware that their kicker Robbie Gould nailed a 49 yard field goal to win the game. Chicago's all-around great play on special teams gives them the slight advantage over the Saints. EDGE: CHICAGO

FINAL ANALYSIS: After one of the better playoff weekends in playoff history, it will be hard for this weekend's slate of games to live up to the expectations. If the Bears want to win on Sunday, they will need to play their best game all season. Their defense needs to regain its early season form, and their offense has to be able to play as well if not better than New Orleans' offense. For the Saints it's simple. Play like they did last week, and it should be enough for them to punch their ticket to Miami. The one thing that could disrupt that is the weather. The question all week has been, how will the Saints be affected by the cold weather of Chicago? My answer is that the Saints went on the road to beat the Giants in late December, and if they can win in December in New York, than what makes people think that the weather in Chicago will affect them. The dream season will continue for New Orleans in what will be a one sided affair. PREDICTION: SAINTS 31 BEARS 20

2007-01-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

DIVISIONAL ROUND RECAP: SAME OLD NEW ENGLAND

Years from now when you look back on the New England dynasty, three people will stand out: Tom Brady, Adam Vinatieri, and Bill Belichick. However, there will be one player who may have been equally as crucial to the team's success that will most likely be forgotten. That player is not a household name or a league superstar. That player is Troy Brown. When the Patriots' dynasty began with a Super Bowl victory over the Rams, it was Brown who had his career season. In his ninth season as a pro, all with New England, Brown had a standout 101 catch season and was the reliable, veteran option for the young Tom Brady. After that season Brown never reached statistics like that again but still had a huge impact on the Patriots. He was the true team guy. When the Patriots needed some extra money to be able to re-sign other players on the team, it was Brown that took the pay cut. When the Patriots' secondary was ravaged by injuries, it was Brown who was used to play defensive back for the first time in his career. So when the Patriots were struggling, and it appeared like they were on their way back home for the rest of the postseason, who else was going to save their season than Troy Brown? Following a costly interception by Tom Brady on fourth down, the Chargers looked poised to host the AFC Championship game. During the return of that interception, is when the momentum of the game took its final shift. The savvy veteran, Troy Brown, slapped the ball out of Marlon McCree's hands for a fumble. The Patriots then recovered and never looked back. They would finish the game on an 11-0 scoring run and won the game 24-21. If the Patriots go on to win the Super Bowl for the fourth time this decade, they will once again have Troy Brown to thank.

When you watch the game again or look at the final statistics, it is absolutely mind boggling how the Chargers were able to lose this one. The league's MVP, LaDainian Tomlinson, ran for 123 yards and 2 TDs on Sunday, which would have been enough to win almost every game this season. In addition to that, the Chargers intercepted Tom Brady a postseason high three times. With statistics like these, you would assume the Chargers won by twenty points. So now that they lost, all the blame will fall on the shoulders of coach Marty Schottenheimer. While I never like to blame a coach who leads a team to a 14-2 record, this was in fact Marty's fault. There is absolutely no reason why the Chargers only ran LT nine times in the second half. This is the MVP of the league who is running over five yards every time he touches the ball. So when it's second and four in a tie ball game with less than four minutes to go, you cannot throw the ball twice and then punt. If your team loses, you want them to go down swinging, but the Chargers went down without a fight in the fourth quarter. San Diego has enough talent on both sides of the ball to be a playoff mainstay for the next five years, but the head coaching situation must be addressed. Considering the Chargers have never been enamored with Schottenheimer, I would not be surprised to see a switch very soon in San Diego. A new head coach and a play maker WR could give the Chargers the final pieces to a Super Bowl team. It should at the very least be an interesting week in San Diego.

While San Diego is in shock, the New England area once again has erupted in celebration. Their win brings the highly anticipated third playoff match-up between the Patriots and the Colts. What will be different this time is that the game will not be played in the cold conditions of Foxboro, but rather in the domed stadium of the Colts. While this may help the confidence of Peyton Manning a tad, just seeing the Patriots uniform on the field with him in January must bring back visions of failure. Unlike the pathetic offenses we saw from Baltimore and Kansas City, New England will score in this game. Tom Brady must do what Peyton Manning has not been able to and shake off his three interception performance. If Brady is on his game and the Patriots defense plays like it did against the Jets, we may once again see New England play in the Super Bowl. Ladies and gentleman, get ready for round three.

2007-01-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

DIVISION ROUND RECAP: JUST BEARLY

This was supposed to be the one game this weekend that had an obvious winner. The Bears were too good on defense to allow the Seahawks to hang around. Chicago was going to move on, and it was going to be over at the half. Those were the predictions, and honestly, they looked correct early on. Rex Grossman looked sharp as he connected on deep passes to his teammate Bernard Berrian. The defense was as good as ever, shutting down the Seahawks in the early stages of the game. But even as the Bears took a lead at three different times during the first half, Seattle never folded. They were up to the test, and soon enough they were making the Bears defense look the Chicago Cubs playing football. A lot was made about Seattle's chances throughout the week, but when all was said and done, people seemed to forget which team was the defending NFC champions. So when Seattle kept battling back, why was everyone so surprised? The Bears had been a mediocre defense in the second half, and that is what they were on Sunday. The Seahawks were a team that had more playoff experience than any other NFC team. On some people's paper, this game was a blowout, but really everyone should have seen a classic game like this coming. Then there is Rex Grossman, who has received more scrutiny than George W. Bush in the last few weeks. The bottom line was that for all his triumphs and failures in the regular season, his year would be measured by what type of postseason success he had. So when Grossman went out there and gave his team every chance to win on Sunday, maybe we were seeing the same Rex Grossman that started this season. At the end of the day, the Bears won the game on a 49 yard FG by Robbie Gould, a kicker who had never attempted a game winning field goal in his career. In a game like that we saw two winners on the field. Both teams played with more desire and heart than they had showed all season. Unfortunately for Seattle, only the team that has more points on the scoreboard moves on.

The 2006 season was full of nothing but disappointment for Seattle and their fans. First, there was the move of not signing guard Steve Hutchinson. While it did not seem like a big deal at the time, not having him there clearly hurt the Seattle rushing attack. Then there was the injury bug. It's hard to repeat as NFC Champions when you lose Shaun Alexander, Matt Hasselbeck, your entire receiving core, and your entire secondary to injury at different times during the season. With all of these injuries, it is even a bit of the surprise that Seattle was able to win the NFC West. Moving on towards next year, Seattle should have a much better season. It will be very unlikely that the injury bug will hit them as hard in 2007. The problem for Seattle is that every single team in their division is improving. In the coming seasons, they will have much more competition for the division title. What the Seahawks must address in the offseason is their rush defense. In their Super Bowl season, they had one of the best run stopping defense in football, but this season they were torched on the ground on many occasions. With Frank Gore and Steven Jackson in their division for at least the next five seasons, Seattle must play better against the run or else they could be at home in January. However, even though the NFC West is looking like a tougher division, it would be a shock if Seattle did not return to the postseason next year.

After surviving the Seahawks, Chicago will face an even tougher task next week when they take on America's darling, the New Orleans Saints. The Bears looked good on the offensive side of the ball against Seattle, and to advance to the Super Bowl, Rex Grossman must have another solid performance to go along with his potent running game. However, oddly enough, what will determine if the Bears make the Super Bowl will be their defense. This unit that was once the best in football has clearly missed Tommie Harris and Mike Brown. They need to be able to either take away the Saints' rushing or passing attack. If they can do neither, it will most likely be a long day for the Bears. Even though they do have the best record of any remaining playoff team, the Bears will need to play their best game all season to be able to book their trip to Miami.

2007-01-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

DIVISION ROUND RECAP: MIRACLE ON BOURBON STREET

This team was not supposed to be playing in January. They were 3-13 the previous season. They had a totally revamped roster. They had a quarterback with a shoulder problem. They had a rookie coach. What possibly looked promising about this situation? All they had to be was a distraction. Just enough to get the city of New Orleans to forget about the devastation that it suffered just a year ago. So when the Saints returned home and beat the Falcons, that was enough, right? No, instead what looked like a feel good story became a real good football team. The wins began to pile up and Saints fever began to rise. What was once a distraction became the attraction. The Saints were for real, and they represented everything good that still resided in New Orleans. So when they won their division, what more could a Saints fan ask for? The Saints were in the best situation of any team in the playoffs. With no expectations and fans who already have gotten ten times more than what they asked for, there was no pressure on the men from New Orleans. As Saturday night loomed, the city of New Orleans was about to erupt with screams for their Saints. The Philadelphia Eagles had as much playoff experience as anyone, but this was more than the playoffs. As the Saints took the lead and the minutes ticked down the noise grew louder and louder. However, the Eagles seemed to be unaffected and were up to the challenge that they were facing. But then, on a crucial 4th and 10, the noise got to Philadelphia. A false start surely caused by the craziness of the crowd took back what would have been a first down for the Eagles in Saints territory, with little time remaining, down three. Philadelphia elected to punt, and then never saw the ball again. When the clock hit zero, the noise grew louder than it had ever been before. The question is, when will the noise, that should have been silenced when the regular season ended, leave the city of New Orleans?

It's rare that a season can be disappointing while also defying expectations, but that was the type of year that the Eagles had. With so much talent on both sides of the ball, Philadelphia was an early Super Bowl contender. Then the injuries came to Donovan McNabb and Jevon Kerse that left the team in shambles. The talk in Philadelphia was no longer playoffs, but instead how high will our draft pick be? It looked like that was the path they were headed down after they got embarrassed in Indianapolis during Jeff Garcia's first start. Midway through his second start, the team began to click, and it was clear that Garcia could do everything for the Eagles that McNabb could. After rattling off five straight victories, the Eagles' season came to a bitter end on Saturday night. You can obviously question Andy Reid's decision to punt on 4th and 15 after going for it on 4th and 10, but in reality the Saints were just the better team. The bottom line is Eagles fans should be thankful for such a remarkable season. No wait, shouldn't they be upset about another season that ended without a Super Bowl? Yes, that is more like it. When was the last time an Eagles fan was happy about anything with their team?

The Saints move on to play another day, and at this point, it is just icing on the cake for Saints fans. Win or lose next week in Chicago, the season is still an overwhelming success. The Saints, though, should not think this way because they have a legitimate shot of winning this game. Much will be all week of how the Saints will have to travel to Chicago and play in the bitter coldness of Soldier Field. This may have a minor impact, but the only thing that will prevent the Saints from winning is the Bears and the Bears alone. If New Orleans runs their offense like they are capable of, they will put themselves in a terrific position to get to the Super Bowl. With a great offense matching up against one of the better defenses in the NFC, it should be another excellent game in what has been a postseason to remember.

2007-01-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

DIVISIONAL ROUND RECAP: JUST FOR KICKS

In what was an ideal offense versus defense playoff match-up, all the viewer got was defense and sloppy play. If it wasn't Peyton Manning throwing an interception, it was Steve McNair. At numerous points during the game it appeared as though the offenses for both teams were about to finally get on track. However, a stalled drive or a crucial turnover would squash off the momentum for the offenses. With such poor decision making from both QBs, it looked early like the kickers would be important factors in the game, but never could one have guessed that the only points scored would be those between the uprights. The reason the Colts signed Adam Vinateiri was for games like these. When it's January and Vinateiri strolls out onto the field, not one person in the world has any doubt that he will make the kick. You might say that it was just luck when his 51 yard field goal bounced off the top of the crossbar and over, but there is a reason that he broke the postseason record for field goals on Saturday. When five field goals beats two field goals in your AFC Divisional round playoff, you might assume that the game is boring. Well, that assumption is correct, because there never seems to be any sort of drama or doubt when some one as automatic as Adam Vinatieri lines up to kick the ball.

Even though it was a tremendous bounce back season for the Ravens, every single player left that game on Saturday with their head down, as they should. Specifically the offense has to feel the guilt of not being able to beat the Colts, when their defense holds Peyton Manning and the offense without a touchdown. With so many play makers on defense, the Ravens are likely going to be a contender for years to come. Their only weakness going into the offseason seems to be age. Ray Lewis, as great as he is, clearly is not the player he was five years ago and has more trouble now dealing with injuries. Also their all-world tackle Jonathan Ogden discussed possible retirement plans following the game. This is most likely just the result of frustration, but it is a wake up call for the rest of the Ravens to realize that he cannot continue to play at this level for much longer. Their RB, Jamal Lewis, also has been on the downside of his career the last few seasons. The Ravens will need to decide whether it is worth it to bring him back for another year or to look to find a younger replacement with better speed. Despite all of these issues, their biggest question mark is at the quarterback position. Steve McNair had an unbelievable season, and even after such a horrendous game on Saturday, you cannot take away the fact that he lifted this Ravens offense to a level it had never been on before. The issue with McNair is that he is up there in age and may not be able to play beyond the 2007 season. Clearly, the Ravens have soured on Kyle Boller, and they need to decide who will take over for McNair when he decides to retire. The good thing for Baltimore is that most of these issues will not have to be addressed this offseason, but what that means for the Ravens is that this may be their last shot for awhile to win another Super Bowl. It will be on the offense to maintain the prolonged success like their defense has been able to have for more than half a decade.

The Colts have advanced on to their third AFC Championship game. The way it has happened this time would confuse even the best of NFL experts. If you told some one that the Colts would win two playoffs games while Peyton Manning threw 5 INts to only 1 TD, you would be hard to find any believers. However, that is in fact the case for the Colts. Rather than the offense, it has been the swarming defense that has experienced a complete turnaround in the playoffs. They are using the same scheme and doing the same thing they did when they were torched by the likes of Ron Dayne this season, but they are doing everything better and with more focus. While they must be happy to get a home playoff game, they cannot be thrilled to face the Patriots again in the playoffs. If Indianapolis is to advance to the Super Bowl, they will need Peyton Manning to return to the player he was in the regular season. Also they will need their defense to maintain the level of play they have been at in the last two weeks. Unlike Kansas City and Baltimore, New England is likely to be able to put up points on the Colts. Indianapolis can no longer rely on only their defense to carry them once again. Peyton Manning, this is your time to step up and become a winner.

2007-01-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

DIVISIONAL ROUND PREVIEW: PATRIOTS-CHARGERS

Here its is. The marquee match-up that is so enticing that even if you don't like the NFL, you can't help but get a bit excited for. The Chargers-Patriots second round match-up may not have the history behind it that makes these two teams rivals, but with so many stars on both sides of the ball it is clearly a game that will not lack fire power. The best RB in football, the QB with the highest winning percentage in postseason history, and the mastermind behind three Super Bowl championships will all be on the field together on Sunday. Not to mention the game will also include Antonio Gates, Shawne Merriman, Philip Rivers, Corey Dillon, Laurence Maroney, and Teddy Bruschi. This game looks more like the AFC Pro Bowl roster than just a second round match-up. Even though much has been made about one coach (Bill Belichick) with countless postseason success facing off against another (Marty Schottenheimer) with none, once the game begins its fate will be out of their hands and in the hands of their superstars.

QUARTERBACKS: Nothing has done more with less this season than Tom Brady. After having both his starting WRs leave the team, Brady was left with an inexperience group of individuals who would catch his passes. Brady never complained and never lost a step as he put together another solid season en route to another division title. He will be facing a fast, swarming San Diego defense, but nothing has seemed to rattle Brady in his postseason history. With only one loss in five trips to the postseason, Brady will be the most dangerous player on the field come Sunday. Like Brady once upon a time ago, Philip Rivers will see his first postseason action on Sunday. Making your first postseason start has been an overrated aspect of the playoffs for years. Rivers may feel a few jitters before the game, but once he touches that football he will be ready to play. What he should worry about instead is Coach Belichick's knack confusing young QBs. What Rivers must do on Sunday is not turn the ball over and do enough so that the Pats cannot stack the line against Tomlinson. EDGE: NEW ENGLAND

RUNNING BACKS: In their first round win over the Jets, New England used a very balanced rushing attack to move their way up and down the field. Maroney received 18 carries to Dillon's 10, but when they got down inside the five yard line, it almost seemed like a given that Dillon would punch the ball into the endzone. Against the fast defense of San Diego, it's likely that once again Maroney will receive more carries than his teammate Dillon. If both RBs play like they did against the Jets, it should be enough to give the Patriots a chance to win. The other man running the ball in this game will be NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson. As you probably have heard, LT broke the NFL record this season by scoring 31 TDs. The Chargers passing game could be non-existent, and he would still give them a legitimate shot to win on Sunday. What LT must do is rush for close to 150 yards and at least a touchdown. More importantly, he must continue to be a threat out of the backfield catching the ball. If the NFL's best player continues to play the way he did in the regular season, the Chargers will be in good shape to host the AFC Championship game. EDGE: SAN DIEGO

RECEIVERS: As mentioned before, the Patriots receiving core is nothing to write home about. It consists of Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney and Chad Jackson. None of these players are going to scare you on defense, but each one of them just does their job and doesn't make mistakes. Last week it was Gaffney who received most of the targets from QB Tom Brady, but with such a strong offensive scheme, it's anyone's guess to who will lead the Pats in receptions on Sunday. The Patriots could also use their big, athletic TE Ben Watson to give the passing game a lift in both receiving and blocking. The Chargers WRs are not too much better than New England's. The aging Keenan McCardell, Vincent Jackson, and Eric Parker are usually non factors in the Chargers offense. Jackson is the team's best deep threat and has been known to have a big catch here and there. The best WR on both teams plays TE for San Diego. Antonio Gates is the reason Rivers gets by every week. His size, speed, and instincts make him not only the best TE in football, but also the best red zone threat as well. If Gates gets on a roll, there may be no stopping the San Diego offense. EDGE: SAN DIEGO

DEFENSE: Last week against the Jets, the Patriots defense caused two crucial turnovers that turned the game's momentum. However, this week even that may not be enough to ensure victory on Sunday. There is one thing they must do, and that is slow down LaDainian Tomlinson. Earlier in this season when the two teams met, Tomlinson ran for 134 yards and 2 TDs. It may be easier said than done, but the Patriots' defense needs to have a bend but not break philosophy that keeps Tomlinson out of the endzone. Without the versatile Rodney Harrison, that job gets even tougher. The Chargers defense has a task as daunting as the Patriots do. Except in San Diego's case they must disrupt Tom Brady who is one of the few QBs ever who seems never to make a mistake come postseason. While it may tough to stop him, what they need to do is force him to make throws earlier with pressure from players like Shawne Merriman. Also, if they could take away the running game, the Chargers should be in a good position to win Sunday. When analyzing the two defenses, it looks as though which ever one plays better will wind up playing next week. EDGE: EVEN

SPECIAL TEAMS: When the Chargers were in the playoffs just two years ago, it was a back and forth game that cam down to the kicking game in overtime. When their kicker Nate Keading, who was then a rookie, had a chance to give his team a victory, he missed the kick. The memory most likely still haunts Keading today, and it will be interesting to see how he performs if given the same situation. The Patriots on the other hand no longer have the luxury of having Adam Vinatieri kick for them in the playoffs. Instead they will go rookie Stephen Gostkowski. While he looked good at times this seasons, it was clear that Coach Belichick does not have much confidence in him on longer field goals. The Patriots kick return game is equally as shaky, and if anyone will be bring the ball back on kicks it will be the Chargers. Their explosive backup RB Michael Turner has dazzling moves and ridiculous speed that makes him a threat to take it to the house. The Patriots may attempt to make sure he doesn't touch the football too often. EDGE: EVEN

FINAL ANALYSIS: While most of these plays are superstars, what the Patriots have that the Chargers don't is playoff experience. What you have to decide when picking a winner for this game is, does that really matter? In the case of the Chargers it doesn't. There is no reason to believe that Tomlinson, Gates, and Rivers will fold under the pressure of the postseason. This game will come down to the players, not experience. Stopping LaDainian Tomlinson and Tom Brady is a tall task for any defense, so today's game should be close throughout. No team here has a clear weakness on either side of the ball that would cause any doubts. Therefore, it should be one of the closer and more compelling postseason games you may ever see. When all is said and done, expect LaDainian Tomlinson to have several trips to the endzone as well as a trip to the AFC Championship game as the Chargers will barely edge the Patriots. PREDICTION: CHARGERS 28 PATRIOTS 27

2007-01-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

DIVISIONAL ROUND PREVIEW: SEAHAWKS-BEARS

With the NFC so unproductive as a whole this season, it is almost fitting that the Seahawks and Bears will match up in the playoffs. Seattle, last year's NFC Champ, was supposed to cruise to a division title and repeat as NFC champions, but a rash of injuries and just pure under achieving led to nothing but a title in the NFL's worst division. In fact, were it not for Tony Romo's ability to place a football on the ground for his kicker, Seattle would not even have won a playoff game in their defense of the NFC title. The Bears did what Seattle was supposed to this season, and won the regular season crown in the NFC. Never has a team had so many question mark after going 13-3. First off, the Bears defense, once referred to as the best of all time, has gotten worse and worse as the season went on. Without stars such as Tommie Harris they no longer look invincible. The other question is what is with Rex Grossman? Sometimes this guy looks like a star and at other times he looked like me playing QB. With a QB this inconsistent, it's a wonder how they won thirteen games. But hey, that's how it goes in the mediocre league known as the NFC.

QUARTERBACKS: After leading Seattle to the Super Bowl, Matt Hasselbeck looked like he had established himself as one of the premier QBs in the NFC. Hasselbeck got off to a fast start in 2006, but since the injury to his knee in week 7, Hasselbeck has struggled to regain the form he had earlier in the year. He began to turn the ball over more than any other time in his career, and possibly due to his injury, he looked tentative in the pocket under pressure. Haseelbeck was unable to shake these types of performances in the first round as he completed only half his passes and matched his 2 TDs with 2 INTs. Despite his recent struggles, Hasselbeck still has the experience and talent to be relied on in the big spot. The Bears QB, Rex Grossman, also got off to a hot start this season. However, he became an absolute train wreck halfway through his first season as a full time starter. Every time Grossman makes a great play, he will follow it with one that makes you scratch your head. He has become so turnover prone that the Bears may actually be better off just running the ball on every play. The Bears defense is good enough to overcome Grossman most of the regular season, but Rex must limit all mistakes if he wants to lead this team deep into January. EDGE: SEATTLE

RUNNING BACKS: With all of the injuries that have devastated the Seahawks playoff roster, it's important to have a rock you can rely on. That rock comes in the form of their running back Shaun Alexander. While his Wild Card round numbers (24 carries for 69 yards) may not look too impressive, it's his presence that makes him so important to Seattle. As long as Alexander is on the field for the Seahawks the defense must protect against the run and cannot solely commit to the pass. The last time these two teams matched up, Alexander did not play, so the Bears will not have the benefit of seeing him before. In order for Seattle to advance to their second straight championship game, Alexander must run the ball effectively. The Bears may not have the star power of Alexander on their roster, but Chicago's running game has been just as effective this season. Early in the year it was the reliable Thomas Jones who led the offensive attack for the Bears. He's the solid, dependable type of RB that fits the Bears system of grinding out yards. Once the Bears got way out in front of everyone else in the NFC, it was Cedric Benson who started to see a lot of carries. Benson is the more explosive RB of the two, and his bruising size paired with his good speed makes him very difficult to tackle. The Seahawks should see a lot of both RBs as Chicago attempts to have their running game lead their offense, not Rex Grossman. EDGE: EVEN

RECEIVERS: Like last week, Seattle's receiving core is still decimated by injuries. All their WRs, although hobbled, were able to play in their win over Dallas. This week, Darrell Jackson is even worse than before, and even though it appears like he will play, he may not last the entire game. The Seahawks will be missing D.J. Hackett, who is one of their reliable options on offense. Deion Branch and Nate Burleson will have to step up and play better than they did last week to make the Bears pay a little more attention to their passing game. In addition to their WR, the Seahawks also have the very talented TE Jerramy Stevens, who will need to play as well as he did last week to give the Seattle offense a boost. The Bears have a healthier, but less talented WR core. Grossman has a good relationship with Muhsin Muhammed, and his veteran leadership should be a calming presence for Grossman in the huddle. Their other two receivers, Bernard Berrian and Mark Bradley, are quality deep threats for the Bears. They are very talented players but lack the consistency to be star players in this league. The major reason for the lack of consistency is that the offense plays well when Grossman plays well and struggles when he struggles. Regardless, when the day is over, I doubt any WR will have a major impact on the final score. EDGE: EVEN

DEFENSE: Much has been made of the beat up secondary of the Seattle Seahawks, but the patch up job they did proved to be effective as they contained Dallas and prevented the big play. They are still are a weak spot in a disappointing defense, and if Rex Grossman is on, he could make them look bad by the time clock hits zero. While it's the secondary's problems that have made the headlines, the rush defense also has been poor all season long. Julius Jones ran all over them in the Wild Card round and finished with more than five yards a carry. The Bears strong point is their running game, so the Seahawks must play significantly better if they want to slow down Jones and Benson. The Bears defense, while dominant early the season, has fallen on hard times lately. The loss of defensive tackle Tommie Harris can not be understated. Once he went down, the Bears began to have significant trouble stopping the run. With Shaun Alexander coming to town, they will need to do a much better job getting penetration through the offensive line. What the Bears do still excel at on defense is forcing turnovers. They are one of the best in the league at causing the other team to make the big mistake due to their constant pressure. It would be a total shock if the Bears did not force any turnovers against Seattle. EDGE: CHICAGO

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Seattle special teams unit is headed by their reliable kicker Josh Brown. He does not have much experience with pressure situation, but he has been a steady accurate kicker for years now. He should be the only name worth repeating on Seattle special teams because their return game is shaky at best. The Bears on the other hand have one of the best all-around units in the NFL. Their kicker, Robbie Gould, was very successful in his second season. He showed deadly accuracy all season long, but because he is so young and inexperienced, I still have my concerns with him in the big spot. When you talk about Bears special teams, you can't forget the explosive Devin Hester. The rookie return man tied an NFL record with six returns for touchdowns in his first season as a pro. Hester should make his mark before the day is done, and if he finds his way into the endzone, it could be the back breaking play that puts Chicago up for good. EDGE: CHICAGO

FINAL ANALYSIS: As this season came to it's end, neither Chicago nor Seattle looked too impressive coming down the stretch. They both have their holes, but that is just standard in the weak NFC. These two teams are no stranger to playoff experience considering they were the one and two seeds in the NFC just a year ago. When these teams met earlier in the season, Chicago had its coming out party in the way of a rout at the expense of Seattle. Clearly, these two teams are a lot different since that game, but it would be a surprise to see a different result. Quite frankly, Seattle should be sitting at home right now, and after Sunday's game in Chicago, that is where they will be. Expect a dominant performance form the Bears defense and a solid job from Rex Grossman in a win for the NFC North champions. PREDICTION: CHICAGO 27 SEATTLE 13

2007-01-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

DIVISIONAL ROUND PREVIEW: EAGLES-SAINTS

This second round match-up in the NFC features the most unlikely of all combinations of teams. The Saints were supposed to be a feel good story that would hopefully compete with all their opponents and finish around .500. However, the Saints began the season hot and never slowed down. Due to the impact of rookies Reggie Bush and Marques Colston, as well as the signing of previously injured QB Drew Brees, the Saints soon became an offensive juggernaut. Rather than struggling for wins, they soon became America's darling as they cruised to an easy division crown. The Eagles on the other hand started off with high expectations, but stumbled out the gate by losing several close games. All of the expectations vanished when their QB Donovan McNabb was lost for the season and replaced by the thought to be over the hill Jeff Garcia. After an embarrassing blowout lost to the Colts in Garcia's first start, the Eagles have rebounded by not losing another game. These two teams face off on Saturday to determine who will take the next in continuing their incredible dream.

QUARTERBACKS: As previously mentioned, no one expected much from Jeff Garcia when he took over for the injured Donovan McNabb. After horrible stints with Cleveland and Detroit, it appeared that his best days were well behind him. Then the Eagles began to roll off win after win inspired by the energetic play of Garcia. Soon, Garcia had won over his team as well as the whole city. Despite not putting up gaudy numbers, Garcia completed key passes and did everything he needed to for Philadelphia to advance to the second round. You have to assume that one day the clock will hit midnight for Garcia, but the whole city of Philadelphia hopes that does not happen in New Orleans. The QB opposing him has been under appreciated almost his entire career. After leading San Diego to several successful seasons, the Chargers abandoned Drew Brees for the younger Philip Rivers while citing a shoulder injury to Brees as the reason. After being passed over in free agency by Miami for Daunte Culpepper, Brees landed in New Orleans. While it may not have seemed like the perfect fit at the time, it soon became the ideal place for Brees. He flourished in the pass happy offense of the Saints and finished the season with career highs in all the major passing categories. He's almost impossible to get off his rhythm which makes him one of the most dangerous QBs in the NFL. EDGE: NEW ORLEANS

RUNNING BACKS: As some one who has been subjected to watch every Eagles game this season because he went to Villanova, I have seen first hand just what a remarkable transformation the Philadelphia running game has made. At the beginning of the season the Eagles just didn't run the ball, which is the reason why they were unable to hold onto leads late in games. Brian Westbrook was essentially a WR who lined up in the backfield. When McNabb got hurt, Andy Reid woke up and realized that he would have to run the ball to have any chance to win games. The switch proved successful as Westbrook put up career numbers while the Eagles only lost one game after McNabb's injury. The Saints running game has been more stable all season, but like the Eagles, it only got better as the season progressed. Deuce McAllister was always a the steady option who would be relied on to get the tough yards between the tackles. His backfield mate Reggie Bush is the reason why the running game has gotten so much better late in the year. After taking awhile to adjust to the NFL, Bush has finally become accustomed to the league's speed, and he is now one of the few players in football who is a threat to score on every touch. The three RBs in the game all could have a say in the score before the day is done. EDGE: EVEN

RECEIVERS: Like RBs, this game is full of talented wideouts. The Eagles are led by the dynamic tandem of Reggie Brown and Donte' Stallworth. Brown was a huge factor in winning the game last weekend, and despite being plagued by numerous drops this season, he took a step forward towards becoming one of the more consistent WRs in the NFC. Stallworth will be returning to the city where he under achieved for the beginning of his career. Stallowrth is equally as talented as Brown, but he is the type of player who either explodes or does nothing in a game for the Eagles. The Saints traded Stallworth due to the emergence of rookie WR Marques Colston. A seventh round pick, Colston, defied all odds and would have won rookie of the year if it weren't for an ankle injury. His rare combination of size and speed make him difficult to cover. His mentor, Joe Horn, has been out for the better part of a month, and it is still uncertain whether he will suit up or not. He is the emotional leader of the Saints and still a solid WR. While the loss of Horn would certainly hurt the Saints' offense, the speedy Devery Henderson has stepped in before for the Saints and done a terrific job in their receiving core. Both Garcia and Brees will have several capable options to target on Saturday. EDGE: EVEN

DEFENSE: While both teams have great offenses, their defenses sometimes fail to compare. The Eagles have struggled all season against the run. They looked a bit better during the end of the season, but after being torched by Tiki Barber, it's clear that they still have their issues. The Philadelphia secondary has done a decent job against the pass this season, but they will be about their best cornerback Lito Sheppard on Saturday. The Eagles already struggle against bigger WRs and without Sheppard to anchor that Philadelphia secondary, all signs point to a big day from Marques Colston. The Sainst defense has had issues of it's own this season. While they do have a knack for causing a big turnover here and there, more often we see them giving up big plays in the air. Their rush defense is a bit better but nothing that would cause the Eagles to worry. The bottom line is that if one of these defenses can step up, that team should win the game. EDGE: EVEN

SPECIAL TEAMS: With such high pressure in playoff games, it's important to have a kicker that can get the job done in the big spot. Last week, David Akers showed he had ice water in his veins as he drilled the field goal to win the game. He clearly can be relied on for big kicks. Oddly enough though, Akers is a much worse kicker indoors, so him in the Superdome may be a situation to watch. For the Saints, their kicker John Carney has been in the league for almost two decades but has never been in a game with the magnitude of Saturday night's. The only pressure kick I can remember him taking was an extra point to send his team to the playoffs. An extra point he missed. However, the X-factor on special teams in this game is and always be Reggie Bush. While the Eagles have no kick return threats, Bush has the dazzling return moves that has already won the Saints a game this season. As long as he is on the field in punt formation, I'd take the Saints special teams any day. EDGE: NEW ORLEANS

FINAL ANALYSIS: When the NFL's two highest scoring offenses match up, the least you can expect is that both teams score well into the 30's. Despite the potent offenses, I see the defense making a few crucial plays that make this a bit of a lower scoring game. These two teams are close to evenly matched, but what the Saints have that the Eagles don't is the Superdome. Every single person in that stadium will be yelling at the top of their lungs as they welcome in the Saints for their biggest game in Superdome history. The Saints have been a clear rallying point for a city that needed one. On Saturday, the Eagles will find out it's a bit more difficult to play an entire city in the playoffs. PREDICTION: SAINTS 30 EAGLES 20

2007-01-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

DIVISIONAL ROUND PREVIEW: COLTS-RAVENS

By far the one match-up that causes the most intrigue among NFL fans this weekend is Colts-Ravens. There's the obvious battle between the historic Colts offense versus the historic Ravens defense. Both have been the best in their sport for almost a decade. Both are led by two all-time greats at their position (Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis). Then there's the face off between old division rivals Manning and Steve McNair. The two players that once shared the MVP as they battled against each other in the AFC South will now meet in the playoffs for only the second time ever. McNair has been to a Super Bowl before only to taste defeat, but now he must battle Manning again to get one step closer to returning. The final storyline may not have any affect on the field but should have everyone in the city interested. The Colts will return to Baltimore, the city they once abandoned years ago for Indianapolis, to take on Baltimore's new favorite team. The entire city has not let their grudge die since the Colts left, and they should have plenty to say about it during the game on Saturday. As for the game itself, Saturday's match-up looks like on that will keep the city talking long afterwards as well.

QUARTERBACKS: After watching Peyton Manning last weekend against the Colts, I'm not quite sure how anyone could have any confidence in him during the playoffs. I've been able to see most of his regular season games this season, and it is his decision making and accuracy that sets him apart from all the other QBs. However, during the playoffs he tries to force passes to covered receivers. This gets him in trouble which is the cause for his increase in interceptions in postseason play. In fact if it wasn't for his his defense of all things, Peyton would be sitting at home rigth now. With a game against the vaunted Ravens defense coming up, it would be difficult to believe that he will turn things around. While the Colts have a QB that shines in the regular season, the Ravens have one that is made for the postseason. McNair has the reputation as a gutty QB that will do whatever it takes for the win. While his best days are behind him, he still has shown at times this season that he remains one of the better leaders in the NFL. If he can get the defense to worry about both his arm and his legs, he should do more than enough to put his team in position to advance to the championship game. EDGE: BALTIMORE

RUNNING BACKS: Last week in Indianapolis it was supposed to be Larry Johnson that would make the headlines running the football, but it was Joseph Addai who ended up the star. With Manning unable to find his groove throwing the ball, he relied on Addai to lead the way on offense for most of the day. Addai showed that at least for him, the playoffs were no obstacle. This week could be a bit different against what is most likely the best defense Addai has rushed against in his life. Although the opponent is tougher, Addai should still do a good enough job that the Ravens will have to respect the run on Saturday. The Ravens running back, Jamal Lewis, has a bit more playoff experience. Lewis, already the owner of a Super Bowl ring, tends to only play well against bad rush defenses these days. The bigger Lewis should wear down the small defensive line of the Colts by the time the day is done. The question mark about Lewis is whether he is a big game player. Since his 2000 yard rushing season, Lewis has failed to perform when the pressure is on. Most likely the running game will be a non factor in this game, but I'd still take the younger and more explosive Addai over the tentative Lewis. EDGE: INDIANAPOLIS

RECEIVERS: Much like Peyton Manning, his favorite target Marvin Harrison also tends to struggle in the playoffs. While this probably more connected to Manning's lack of accuracy in the playoffs more than anything else, it is still worth keeping an eye on. His equally as talented teammate Reggie Wayne looked good last week as he scored a TD, and unlike Harrison, there is no reason for concern with him. The other weapon, their TE Dallas Clark, finally showed he was back to normal last week when he topped 100 yards receiving. With Clark playing well, the Colts become an even more dangerous team than before. The Ravens lack the firepower on offense form the skill positions that the Colts have. Derek Mason is an experience, savvy veteran, but like most of this Ravens offense, his best days are well behind him. Their other WR, Mark Clayton, has the talent to become one of the league's better wideouts in a few years, but he does not strike fear into the defense yet. The X-factor among the Ravens is offense is still TE Todd Heap. His size, speed and toughness will give the Colts fits trying to cover him. If he can have a big day, it will almost certainly mean a victory for the Ravens. However, if any offensive player is going to have a big day, history tells us it will be on the reliable offense of the Colts. EDGE: INDIANAPOLIS

DEFENSE: It's impossible to tell if what we saw last week from the Colts defense was an accurate representation of what they can actually do on a weekly basis. They put up a performance like last week earlier in the season against the Bengals, but then followed it up by letting Ron Dayne rush all over them. Most likely their performance this weekend will fall somewhere in between those two games. They key to victory on Sunday oddly enough will not be slowing down Jamal Lewis, but instead getting pressure on Steve McNair. If they can hit him down a few times and force him to throw the ball away sooner than he wants to, it should disrupt the entire offense's rhythm. The Ravens clearly have a lot more talent on the football, and they will look to do a lot of the same things that the Chiefs did to Peyton Manning last week. If they can confuse him with different coverages and flush him out of the pocket, they should be able to make the Colts rely heavily on the run like they did last week. The bottom line for both defenses is that if they win the turnover battle, they would have done more than enough to win the game. EDGE: BALTIMORE

SPECIAL TEAMS: With Adam Vinitieri on your team, you always feel like your special teams is in good hands. Although, he no longer has the benefit of playing indoors, Vinitieri is still the best pressure kicker in the game. There is no reason to think that if the game is on the line that he will not make the kick for the win. The Ravens also have a fairly good kicker of their own in Matt Stover. He is equally as accurate and battle tested as his opponent's kicker. While he has never been faced with a kick that has the magnitude of the ones Vinitieri has taken, Stover's history suggests that he is almost as sure a bet to make it if the opportunity arises. The return game for both teams has struggled in recent weeks. Since the Ravens lost B.J. Sams, they no longer have that threat to take any kick back to the house. The talent on special teams lies only in the kicking game, and with such solid veterans on both sides only pressure kick experience is the factor that determines who gets the egde. EDGE: INDIANAPOLIS

FINAL ANALYSIS: Like all the games this weekend, this match-up is particularly difficult to pick. Both teams have been here before, and with such contrasting styles facing off on Saturday, even the smallest of mistakes could be the determining factor in the game. Manning has a history of playoff failures, but eventually he has to step up to his critics and produce in the crunch time. While a game against a defense like Baltimore's may not seem like the ideal place for this to happen, I expect Manning to have not a historic day, but a day in which he limits his mistakes and gives his team an opportunity to win. However, this may not be enough against the wily McNair and the Ravens defense. I expect McNair to lead some inspired drives to put the Ravens in position to win the game. Now I've said that both teams will have a chance to win this game, so it must be time to pick a winner. There is the old phrase that says defense wins championships, but you must get to the championship to win it. The Ravens won't have that chance. Manning steps up, and that is why he and the Colts get the nod in this battle. PREDICTION: COLTS 20 RAVENS 17

2007-01-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

WILD CARD RECAP: EAST MEETS WESTBROOK

While both AFC matchups turned out to be duds, the NFC gave us two classic matchups over the weekend. The latter of the two games was a classic battle between the two evenly matched division rivals, the Giants and Eagles. In a game with such high emotion and talent, it's a shame that some one has to lose a game like that, particularly because if the Giants weren't ravaged by injuries this year, they most likely would have came out victorious. Nevertheless, Philadelphia, who looked dead in the water when Donovan McNabb went down with injury, continued their improbable run with another victory. McNabb's replacement Jeff Garcia has received almost all the credit for the team's success down the stretch, but it was the underrated and undervalued Brian Westbrook who was once again the difference maker. The Giants started off with all of the momentum on Sunday. They looked brilliant as they drove all the way down the field and scored on their first possession. Then their often criticized defense stepped up and stopped the Eagles on two straight drives. While the Giants defense was playing well, it was the Eagles defense that deserved an equal amount of credit early in the game. The Giants offense started two straight possessions in Eagles territory up 7-0 and failed to score on either drive. After the Philadelphia defense prevented the Giants from perhaps ending the Eagles day early, it was the fore mentioned Brian Westbrook who saved the day. With the team sputtering on offense, Westbrook completely changed the game's dynamics by busting a 49 yard touchdown run to tie the game at seven. It was the much needed boost that the entire Eagles team needed to get back into the game. Were it not for that play, I would not be here writing about the Eagles moving on, but rather about the 9-8 Giants heading to Chicago.

While the Eagles and the city of Philadelphia celebrate, the Giants and their fans are left with an emptiness caused by once of the most dysfunctional teams in recent memory. Going into their 2006 campaign, the Giants had arguably the most talent in the NFC. However, an unusual amount of injuries coupled with an even more unusual amount of in house fighting led to the team's demise. A season that once looked so promising at 6-2 ended so disappointing at 8-8 The blame can be pointed in many directions Part of it falls on the shoulders of Tiki Barber for making his impending retirement so public. Part of it is the cause of Coach Coughlin's inability to connect with his players. Part of it has to go to Eli Manning, who failed to take the big step forward this season towards becoming both a good QB and a leader. Nevertheless, the Giants must forget the 2006 season now and move forward. There will be three big question marks for this team next season. First, who will coach the Giants? Personally, I believe that Coughlin is a very good coach that just didn't win over key veterans from the start. Many forget is is the reason for Tiki Barber's resurgence as a runner. However, if the Giants know that they can hire a better coach, it would be best they part ways with him. Second, how will the Giants do with Brandon Jacobs now carrying the load? Tiki is gone, and Giants' fans shouldn't mourn because that was Barber's choice. He leaves the team in good hands with the quick and powerful Jacobs now running the ball. It would be best to limit Jacobs to about 20 carries a game and drafting a Maurice Jones-Drew type running back would be a perfect fit to help him shoulder the load. Even without Tiki, the Giants remain as one of the better rushing offenses in the NFL. The final and possibly most important question is what kind of quarterback will Eli Manning be in 2007? Eli has two major problems. The first is that he locks onto one receiver and get the ball to him no matter what type of coverage he has on him. He needs to correct this by simply going through his progressions. His second problem is that once Eli gets away from the scripted plays to start the game, he completely loses confidence in himself. If you watch the Giants, you'll see that he is always accurate and effective early on, but once he doesn't know exactly what play he will run, he gets flustered. I don't know how to correct this problem by any other way than preparation. The offense under Coughlin was not made for Eli, and if they bring in a coach who likes to throw the ball down field more, Manning's numbers should improved. With the same steady offense, and possibly the addition of youth and speed on defense, the Giants should be a team contending in 2007.

With enough said about the Giants, it's now time to turn our attention to Philadelphia and their second round matchup. The red hot Eagles will now travel to New Orleans to take on a Saints team that beat them earlier this season. It's an intriguing matchup because they are almost mirror images of each other on both sides of the ball. The Saints, though, appear to have the upper hand in this matchup. Without Lito Sheppard, the Eagles will struggle to defend against the deep pass that Drew Brees throws so effectively. Consider that and the fact that this will be the first home game for New Orelans in years, and a hostile environment could have the Eagles in trouble. This offensive shootout will be the next chapter in the emotional story of the Saints and the city of New Orelans. The Eagles better be prepared to play a whole city.

2007-01-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

WILD CARD RECAP: STANDING PAT

In a battle that seemed to be hyped more because of the coaches rather than the player involved, the New England Patriots reminded the the New York Jets and the rest of the NFL that there was a reason they had only lost one playoff game in their previous four trips. In what has been a marvelous run under Coach Belicheck, the Pats added their eleventh playoff win to their resume. The game on Sunday was a microcosm of what the Patriots have done over the past half decade. The offensive stats will not impress you, but the methodical drives up and down the field keyed by the smart decision making of Tom Brady kept New England in charge all afternoon. However, even with an effective offensive attack, the Patriots could not shake the Jets until late in the second half. That is when the trademark Patriots defense made two crucial plays to take all of the momentum and end the Jets' chances. In a 20-13 game, Chad Pennington threw a screen pass to his left that looked to have fallen incomplete. While everyone else on the field stopped, the heads up recognition of Vince Wilfolk cause him to pick up the ball and run it down inside the Jets 20 yard line. The officials had never blown the whistle before, and the play was ruled a fumble recovered by New England. Prior to the play the Jets were driving and had gained all of the momentum, but Wilfolk's recovery gave the Patriots the upper hand. Later in the second half, the Jets had regained their composure and now trailed 23-16 with the ball. But on the next play, Chad Pennington was intercepted by Asante Samuel who returned it for a touchdown. The hopes of the Jets were crushed, and the Patriots affirmed their position as the class of the AFC East.

While there was obvious disappointment among the Jets and their players, one cannot view this season as anything but a success. Every season there seems to be a team that defies all expectations and makes the playoffs, and this year the Jets were that team. With a coach like Eric Mangini, the Jets are in good hands for many years to come. He is loved by all his players and excels in preparation and motivation. The strong point of the Jets moving on looks to be their improving defense. They have a core of young playmakers highlighted by the talented Jonathan Vilma and Kerry Rhodes. While the Jets should be a playoff contender in the upcoming future, they must look to upgrade at running back if they are to be taken as serious title contenders. Leon Washington is a nice player, but he would be better off if he was paired with some one a bit more talented than Cedric Houston. Also, Chad Pennington is the type of QB who could go down with an injury at any time. The Jets must feel confident with backup Kellen Clemens in case of emergency. The Jets were among the luckiest teams in football with injuries this season, and while it's hard to keep that up for multiple seasons, the Jets are the type of team that would not be crippled by a loss to any player.

After defeating the Jets, New England will now travel to San Diego to take on the best team in the NFL. Their main task will be stopping LaDainian Tomlinson; a task that not many have been able to do. The most interesting aspect of the divisional matchup will be what can Coach Belicheck come up with to stop Tomlinson and confuse the young Philip Rivers. The matchup gives us two coaches who are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of postseason success, and it will be another opportunity to see if Marty Schottenheimer can win the big game. With a weekend full of intriguing matchups, this may be the best of them all.

2007-01-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

WILD CARD RECAP: AMERICA'S SCREAM

In the history of the NFL, no player's first season has ever compared to Tony Romo. After replacing Drew Bledsoe in a Monday night loss to the Giants, Romo started a run in which he looked like the best QB in the NFC. His ability to throw the deep ball and escape the rush baffled defenses. His star brightened, and he became one of the biggest celebrities in the NFL. By only his third start Romo was said to even be romantically involved with both Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood. He was such a budding star in this league that he was even elected to the Pro Bowl without playing a full season. However, as quick as his rise to fame was, he had an even quicker fall. In the final month of the season the league began to catch up to Romo. Dallas squandered a division lead as Romo began to turn the ball over more than he threw touchdowns. A loss in the final week to the lowly Detroit put a cap on a horrendous final month. All was not lost though for Romo. They traveled to Seatle to take on a battered and bruised Seahawks team. Romo looked sharp for most of the game, and with just a minute left on the clock, he had the Cowboys in position for a field goal that would give them a trip to the second round. Romo got ready to hold the ball for what was a chip shot field goal for the veteran Martin Gramatica. But when the ball reached Romo's hands it began to slip out like a bar of a soap. A mad dash for the endzone fell just inches short, and Dallas' hopes were dashed. Once worshiped by Cowboys' fans, Romo now sat all alone feeling lower than he ever had been before.

While the play that everyone will remember in the Dallas-Seattle game is the botched snap, the contest's back and forth nature warrants recognition for many other moments. First off Seattle deserves some respect for the gutty nature in which they played this game. With a depleted secondary, they basically shut down the Dallas receiving core. Terrell Owens was blessed with a mouth, but some one needs to get this man a pair of hands. Owens seems to only hang onto the ball if it's in the endzone. Dallas should have been able to pull this game out after leading 20-13 in the 4th quarter, but a costly and inexcusable fumble for a safety by Terry Glenn gave Seattle the momentum back. After driving down field again, Matt Hasselbeck hooked up with the under achieving Jerramy Stevens for the TE's second touchdown of the day. A late rally by Dallas set them up for an easy field goal. However, we all know what happened next, and there is no need to beat a dead horse.

Seattle looked good at times, but they were basically handed a victory by Dallas. It should be a bit tougher next week against Chicago. Seattle does not get a lot of pressure on the quarterback which seems to be the only way to beat the Bears. If the Seahawks are lucky, they should have some of their injured defensive backs and receivers for their Divisional round matchup. The biggest factor in Seattle's success may just be their crowd, so without that clear boost in adrenaline Seattle could fold if behind early. Regardless, with Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck on your team, you always have a chance.

2007-01-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

WILD CARD RECAP: STAND AND D-ELIVER

There were two guarantees going into the first round battle between the Chiefs and the Colts. Larry Johnson was going to run all over the Colts, and Peyton Manning was going to pick apart the Chiefs defense. However, what looked like it was going to be an offensive shootout turned into one of the ugliest playoff games in recent memory. From the opening moments of the game it was quite clear that the Colts defense, who had shown no signs of being able to stop the run throughout the regular season, had come to play on Sunday. After the Chiefs received the opening kickoff, they went straight to their game plan of handing the ball off to Larry Johnson. On the first two rushes of the game Johnson barely got past the line of the scrimmage. It was a theme that was going to be seen all day for Johnson who finished with 13 carries for just 32 yards. The way the Colts shut him down was by making the first tackle. Whoever was the first player to reach Larry Johnson wrapped him up or put enough of a hit on him so that he would not go much further. While most of the success must go to the Colts defense for stepping up and saving their offense, there must be some blame given to Larry Johnson himself. When the Chiefs running back was handed the ball, it appeared as though he was running with a tentativeness I had never seen him have during his career. Johnson was literally tip-toeing past the line while waiting for a hole to open up, rather than bruising his way into the secondary. With such high expectations it would not be a stretch to think that Johnson and the Chiefs almost expected to tear apart the Colts defense. Once they saw that it was going to be harder than first expected, the Chiefs failed to know how to react.

When the Colts had the ball, things went according to script, but it was a script that had been forgotten by most analysts covering the game. Perhaps the biggest mismatch coming into the game was not Larry Johnson against the Colts run defense, but Ty Law against Peyton Manning. If one player in all of football has Peyton's number and knows exactly what he is going to do, it is Ty Law. So is it really surprising that Law, who once intercepted Manning three times in a playoff game, picked him off twice on Saturday. On the first interception that went into Law's hand, it was clear that Manning was rattled. However, in year's past Manning, who did not play well at on Saturday, would dictate if the team would advance or not. This time the defense and a rookie running back by the name of Joseph Addai bailed him out. Manning knew that he was off his game and was content with just turning around and handing the ball off to Addai for the majority of the second half. Addai, who clearly out shined the superstar Johnson, rambled for 122 yards and a TD on 25 carries. The first player ever to rush for 1000 yards without starting a single game became the player who made everyone in Indianapolis forget about Edgerrin James. With Addai behind Manning and a suddenly rejuvenated defense, the Colts look like they are in good shape for not only the rest of the playoffs but also many years to come.

With the win, the Colts were able to make everyone forget about their glaring weaknesses for at least another week. Next Saturday they will travel to Baltimore, the place where they once called home, in an enticing game full of story lines. Baltimore's old team versus Baltimore's new team. A historic offense versus a historic defense. Manning versus McNair. It's a classic game featuring classic styles that if you love the NFL, should automatically create excitement for you. The pressure will be on Peyton Manning when he takes on quite possibly the best defense he has faced in years. At the end of the day we will know a little bit more about the question that has been unanswered for years. Can Peyton Manning and the Colts win the big game?

2007-01-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

WILD CARD PREVIEW: GIANTS-EAGLES

It's the end of August. You're sitting there making your predictions for the NFL. The NFC East looks good this year. Could there be two, even three teams who make it to the big dance this year? McNabb will carry the Eagles, Strahan will lead the Giants, and Bledsoe will be the man in Dallas. You've decided there is absolutely no way to keep these teams out of the playoffs. A Giants-Eagles first round matchup seems like a formality without even a snap taking place this season. Now it's 2007, and the Giants are traveling to Philadelphia for a first round game. Everything went as you predicted, right?

QUARTERBACKS: The fact that I am actually discussing Jeff Garcia in a playoff preview is absolutely absurd. As some one who attends college in the Philadelphia area, I witnessed first hand countless numbers of Eagles fans who gave up on them the moment Donovan McNabb went down. The unlikely resurgence of Jeff Garcia has brought life back to Philadelphia. Garcia may not throw the deep ball particularly well, but his accurate passes and smart decisions have propelled the Eagles to a division championship. While it's been a storybook ride for Garcia, it's been a nightmare for Eli Manning. Like the Giants, Manning got off to a hot start in 2006. It looked like he was on the verge of being a superstar, but once the Giants began to lose the doubt crept in. By season's end Eli was as inaccurate as any QB in the NFL. The talent is still there for Manning, but his confidence in himself and others has fallen quickly. I expect him to step up and play a better game than he has lately, but with the way he's been playing, how hard is that? EDGE: PHILADELPHIA

RUNNING BACKS: While Jeff Garcia may be getting most of the credit for his team's resurgence, the key to their success has really been Brian Westbrook. Once Donovan McNabb went down for the season, the Eagles knew they must commit to the run to have any sort of success. For the rest of the season, Westbrook stepped up his game and played at a level that was higher than any he had been at during any portion of his career. His slashing style could be key when going up against a Giants defense that has struggles tackling. The running back on the other sideline has been that annoying figure in 2006 that seems to constantly make headlines for not playing football. As sick as I am with the whole Tiki Barber retirement story, it's hard to forget what a great player he is. Just when it looked like the Giants were about to miss the playoffs he had his best game of his career and led the way to the playoffs. Tiki may get more carries than he ever has in his life as the Giants will try to ride him to the next round. He should be up to the challenge, and I expect another huge game from the departing star. EDGE: NEW YORK

RECEIVERS: After losing Terrell Owens, it appeared that Eagles would be thin at WR in 2o06, but the late addition of Donte' Stalloworth has given them one of the better tandems in the NFC. Stalloworth and Reggie Brown have tremendous speed, but like most of the Eagles, they struggle to hold onto the ball at times. Their TE, LJ Smith, also adds another dimension to the potent offense. While he can be inconsistent at times, he seems to always be a big part of the offense, and he remains one of the more underrated TEs in the league. As deep as the Eagles are at WR, the Giants are as thin. Once they lost reliable Amani Toomer for the season they have failed to find a second WR to step up and become the compliment to Plaxico Burress in the offense. Tim Carter and David Tyree are decent players but fail to do enough to seriously get the defense's attention. Eli will rely heavily on Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey. Burress has had an up and down season, but his best games have come against Philadelphia. He's a tough matchup for the smaller corners, and he is likely to have another big day. Shockey could be more of a question mark for Sunday. There's no doubt he will play, but coming off injury he is clearly not at full strength. Shockey plays harder than most guys in football, and he still should have a decent day. EDGE: PHILADELPHIA

DEFENSE: The Donovan McNabb injury has got all the headlines in the NFL, but the injury to Jevon Kerse was just as devastating at the time to Philadelphia. Without his pass rushing and run stopping abilities, teams were able to dictate what they wanted to do on offense. Eventually the team was able to improve under defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, but they still tend to struggle a bit against the run. However, in both meetings against the Giants this season the Eagles have done a very good job stopping Tiki Barber. If they can do a similar job on Sunday, it will be the key to victory. The Giants don't want to hear about the injury to Kerse because they have lost almost every plaYer on their defense to injury at some point this season. The banged up Giants defense was supposed to be a top unit in 2006, but they lack the speed and tackling ability to be among the league's elite. The key to their success is getting pressure on the QB. If they can do this without blitzing their linebackers, they should have a better day than they have had in recent weeks. EDGE: PHILADELPHIA

SPECIAL TEAMS: One of the most consistent kickers of the last half decade has been David Akers. He has been very strong at home this season and has also shown the ability to hit the big kicks. The one weakness in his game has oddly enough been playing the Giants. In the games that the Giants have beat Philaldelphia in recent memory, Akers has missed a field goal. The return game for Philadelphia has not been anything special this season, and there is no reason to expect that it will break out this week. Like the Eagles, the Giants have been very comfortable with their kicking situation this season. Jay Feely has been dependable all season and hasn't missed a big kick all year. Oddly enough, it's the Giants punter who could have a bigger impact on Sunday's game. Jeff Feagles, who could be playing his final game, is as good as anyone in the NFL at pinning his opponents inside the 10 yard line. In a game between two teams so familiar with each other, field position could be very important. EDGE: EVEN

FINAL ANALYSIS: When two division rivals meet you can throw all the stats and advantages out the window. These two teams know each other about as well as anyone in the NFL. It should be a back and forth game that may be decided on whoever has the ball last. While Philadelphia has been on a tremendous roll, there is something about the Giants for me that is hard to shake. After making the playoffs, this oddly enough this may be the least pressure the Giants have faced all season. The heart of Tiki Barber should lead the way, but I honestly feel that Eli Manning will silence his critics with a big performance on Sunday. I give it to the Giants in what should be a classic. PREDICTION: GIANTS 27 EAGLES 24

2007-01-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

WILD CARD PREVIEW: JETS-PATRIOTS

When two teams match up in the playoffs, it's often that there will be a contrast in styles. When I look at the Patriots-Jets matchup, I see a different type of contrast. What differs between the Patriots and the Jets are the expectations. New England should be where they are today. Every year their fans assume that they will win the division, play in the playoffs, and make a run at the Super Bowl. The Jets, on the other hand, are the most unlikely of playoff teams. Coming off a 4-12 season, Jets fans would have been happy enough if they just went 8-8. But a team that has always been synonymous with losing has shocked even themselves. On Sunday, the Jets and Patriots will take the same field. It's time to throw the expectations out the window.

QUARTERBACKS: It's obvious who is the better quarterback in this matchup, but sometimes we understate the importance of both players. When we look at Tom Brady, we know the incredible story that has propelled him to become the most clutch QB in all of football. So when we see that Brady is back in the playoffs, it's hard to recognize how remarkable this season has been. Coming into this season he lost both his top WRs. He's been forced to throw to the likes of Reche Caldwell and Chad Jackson all season. These players would fight for starting jobs in other systems, but Brady is the rare Michael Jordan type player that makes everyone around him better. If you put any other QB on this team, you would see an offense that struggles mightily. For the Jets, their QB was in a totally different situation at the beginning of the season. Unless you live in New York, you don't realize just how at risk Chad Pennington's job was. He had surgery after surgery and looked incapable of throwing the deep ball. The Jets brought in Patrick Ramsey and drafted a QB of the future, but Pennington fought off everyone to remain the starter. He still can't throw the deep ball too well, but he's the perfect type of QB for the offense he is in. EDGE: NEW ENGLAND

RUNNING BACKS: Both teams in this game like to spread the carries around among their running backs. However, the Patriots do this with far more talented players. Corey Dillon has been a star in the past, but at this stage in his career he is far better off splitting carries. His partner in the backfield is Laurence Maroney. While he splits carries this season, it's quite obvious that this rookie will become a future star in the league. Alone neither of them can carry a full load, but together they make New England as capable a running team as anyone in the NFL. The Jets do the same thing with players that the casual fan have never heard of. The guy who gets the bulk of the carries is Cedric Houston. He's not a flashy runner and rarely breaks the big run, but Houston is the type of RB who puts his head down and picks up the tough yards. The Jets also use rookie Leon Washington to carry some of the load. Washington is the one player on the whole Jets offense who can score from wherever he is on the field every time he touches the ball. Despite having two promising young players, it would be hard to make an argument that would warrant choosing them over the Pats backfield. EDGE: NEW ENGLAND

RECEIVERS: As mentioned before, the Patriots elected not to keep Deion Branch and David Givens around this offseason. Rather, they tried to fill their holes with average regulars Reche Caldwell and Doug Gabriel and rookie Chad Jackson. None of these receivers have really stepped up in 2006, and the Pats eventually got so fed up with Gabriel that they cut him. Their best WR actually plays TE and goes by the name Ben Watson. However, down the stretch Watson struggled with numerous injuries and may not play on Sunday. The Jets have gotten a lot more consistent play out of their wide outs. Their go to guy is Laveranues Coles, and he has shown over the years that it is hard to find a more gutty WR in the game. He always fights for the tough catch, and despite several nagging injuries he is yet to miss a game. His teammate Jerricho Cotchery has burst onto the scene this season as one of the best number two WRs in football. He has a bit more speed than Coles which makes him always a threat to go deep. This are of the offense is one of the greatest strengths for the Jets. EDGE: NEW YORK

DEFENSE: It seems every season that New England will lose a top player or coordinator on their defense, and instead of getting worse, they don't miss a beat. While this defense may not have the big names like Patriots teams of the past, they are still among the league's top units. Like most Belicheck coached teams, they excel at forcing the run and creating turnovers. They are very physical, and against a team like that Jets that doesn't have too may play makers, they will look to force the tempo. The Jets defense has tried to take a page out of the Patriots book under Coach Mangini this season. They have improved behind the strong play of safety Kerry Rhodes and linebacker Johnathan Vilma, but they are not yet an elite defense. They struggle at times stopping the run even against weaker running backs like Justin Fargas in week 17. If the Jets want to have a chance on Sunday, they will not only have to mirror the scheme of New England, but also be as physical the former World Champs. EDGE: NEW ENGLAND

SPECIAL TEAMS: For the first time in years, the Patriots are without their ace in the hole of Adam Viniteiri for the playoffs. Their decision to let go one of the best pressure kickers in the playoffs may come back to haunt them at some time during the playoffs. They've elected to go with rookie Stephen Gostkowski for the whole season. He has been shaky at best so far this season, and there is no idea how he will perform in the playoffs. The Jets seem to have the kicking edge with second year man Mike Nugent. After an up and down rookie season, Nugent has been dead on in 2006 and moved up to the class of the leagues most accurate kickers. The Jets also have a wild card of their own in return man Justin Miller. He has world class speed and has already lifted the Jets at a few key times this season with electrifying kick returns for touchdowns. Before the day is over, he could make an impact on this game. EDGE: NEW YORK

FINAL ANALYSIS: The Jets have made some giant strides this season, and just being in a playoff game is an accomplishment in itself. The one reason why they match up better with the Patriots than most other teams is Coach Mangini's familiarity with the New England system. While this should have an impact on the game, it would be unlikely that it would be significant enough to cause an upset. The Patriots are just too experienced and too talented to drop a playoff game to a division rival. While this may be a close game for awhile, look for the Patriots to eventually pull away in the end. PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 28 JETS 13

2007-01-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

WILD CARD PREVIEW: COWBOYS-SEAHAWKS

When the playoff matchups were announced, by far the least enticing of them all was the Dallas-Seattle first round showdown. I'm actually quite surprised that NBC would chose this game as their prime time showcase for Saturday. However, despite the lack of story lines that a division rivalry or battle of great offenses might bring, this could be the most even game of the weekend. Both teams are beat up on defense, and both teams have underachieved at some point this season. Part of the lack of hype is that the game is played in the irrelevant sports town of Seattle, who most Americans basically consider part of Canada. So get ready to follow up a classic offensive showdown of Indy-KC with a sloppy Dallas-Seattle game on Saturday night.

QUARTERBACKS: As tough as it is to judge this game, it may be even more difficult to determine if both QBs will be at the top of their game on Saturday. Once America's darling, Tony Romo has been subject to a lot of criticism at QB in recent weeks. After a story book start to his career, Romo went 2-3 in December and threw 6 TDs compared to 8 INTs. Although his numbers have started to slip, I still believe that Romo has the talent and desire to be one of the better QBs in this league. Dropped passes and defense are the reasons why Dallas lost 3 games, not Tony Romo. The QB on the other sideline is a bit more complicated to figure out. It looked like it was going to be another big year for Matt Hasselbeck with the way he started, but after the injury to his knee, a totally different QB was running the Seahawks' offense. Hasselbeck has been very tentative since his return and in no way mirrors the QB he was in 2005. He's been far too inconsistent (8 TDs to 8 INTs since returning) to count on, and that is why Dallas is slightly better off behind center on Saturday. EDGE: DALLAS

RUNNING BACKS: One of the most puzzling situations to me this season has been the Dallas running game. It's quite obvious that Coach Parcells is in love with Marion Barber III, but one may question why this is so. Jones and Barber are very similar backs. Both aren't very fast or big by running back standards. What Parcells likes about Barber is that he is tougher to take down and is also a better receiver than Jones. The distribution of carries varies depending on who has the hotter hand, but with everything on the line, expect Parcells to get his favorite back more touches. On the other hand, nothing is more certain in this game than the fact that Shaun Alexander will get plenty of carries on Saturday night. Unlike Hasselbeck, Alexander has improved every week since his return from injury, and he is now as strong as he has been all season. With a Dallas defense having so much trouble in recent weeks, Alexander will be relied on to lead the team to the next round. EDGE: SEATTLE

RECEIVERS: When Tony Romo took over it was thought that Terry Glenn would receive less targets while Terrell Owens and Jason Witten would see an increased role in the offense. Sports is one of the most unpredictable things in the world, but my projection on this was dead on. The Cowboys had one of the best receiving cores in football coming into the season, and ever since Romo has stepped in, they have not lost a beat. While Owens may drop a ball or two, he usually performs well in big games, and even if he doesn't, the steadiness of Glenn and Witten should be enough considering the Seahawks secondary is so beat up. However, when Matt Hasselbeck has the ball he may have a hard time finding people to throw to. Darrell Jackson, DJ Hackett, and Nate Burleson are all game-time decisions. It's likely that Hackett and Burleson will play alongside Bobby Engram while their best wide receiver Darrell Jackson should be out. When they all are healthy, Seattle has a WR core that rivals even Dallas, but with the massive injuries they have it would be hard to see any of them having a big day. EDGE: DALLAS

DEFENSE: The defenses in this game have one thing in common. They are both flat out beat up. The Cowboys defense, when healthy, has looked like one of the best units in the NFC this season. However, in recent weeks they have been nothing special, specifically getting trounced by the Detroit offense in their last game. They have names in the secondary (Terrence Newman and Roy Williams), but even with the stars, it has been an under achieving unit. Their defense line has also struggled at times this year to get pressure on the QB. The strength of the Dallas defensive is the linebacking core. Led by DeMarcus Ware, this group is the reason why it is more difficult to run against Dallas. When Seattle's defense takes the field it is a similar situation. Their secondary has been as bad, if not worse than Dallas in 2006. It could actually be their worst week of the year because three of their starters in the secondary are going to miss the game. The rush defense of the Seahawks is not that much better. Coming of a very strong 2005, it has been a largely underachieving unit that has allowed most teams to rack up yards. With Terrell Owens catching the deep balls, and the Barber-Jones tandem at RB, it could be a horrific performance for Seattle. EDGE: DALLAS

SPECIAL TEAMS: Much has been made about the kicking situation this year in Dallas. Coach Parcells never was a big fan of Mike Vanderjagt, and once he finally found the opportunity to cut him, that's exactly what he did. His replacement, Martin Gramatica, is a slight improvement in pressure situations, but in reality, are you really that confident with Gramatica taking your big kicks? The Seahawks have the experienced Josh Brown handling the duties. He is one of the more consistent kickers in the NFL, and he knows how to deal with the rain that comes daily in Seattle. The return game should not be much of an issue because neither team has a threat fielding kicks.
EDGE: SEATTLE

FINAL ANALYSIS: This is by far the toughest game of the weekend for me to call. I think both teams have glaring weaknesses that would prevent me from picking them against anyone, but each other. What I think will be the determining factors in this game are experience and home field. Hasselbeck and Alexander have been here many times before, and they should be prepared for exactly what kind of pressure this game will bring. On the other hand, Tony Romo is the great unknown. He's played a little more than half the regular season but never in a game of this magnitude. He could also have some issues gripping what is likely to be a wet ball. That is why Seattle is one of the toughest places in football to play. It not only has arguably the best and loudest crowd, but couple that with wet, rainy conditions, and you've got yourself a totally different environment than the Cowboys are used to. Both those factors should give Seattle the slight edge in this matchup of former Super Bowl champion coaches. PREDICTION: SEAHAWKS 24 COWBOYS 20

2007-01-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

WILD CARD PREVIEW: CHIEFS-COLTS

With so many possible scenarios of who the Colts would take on in the first round of the playoffs, one would have to believe that they would have gladly taken on any team but Kansas City. When you have quite possibly the worst rush defense in the history of the NFL, you don't really like to see that Larry Johnson will be getting 30 carries against you. The Colts once looked like a team that was a lock for the AFC Championship game, but you can't win every year just because you have Peyton Manning, and now their first round game just got a whole lot more interesting.

QUARTERBACKS: It's quite obvious that you would feel infinitely times safer with Peyton Manning running your team than Trent Green. While much has been made over Peyton's struggles in the playoffs, the main reason why he has never had a trip to the Super Bowl is that he hasn't been paired with a good enough defense. It's expected that Peyton would have slightly worse numbers in the playoffs considering that he would be facing much better defenses every week. His 15 TD to 8 INT ratio, is very un-Peyton Manning like, but numbers like those are not the reason why the Colts struggle in the playoffs. While Manning has started 9 career playoff games, this will be only Trent Green's second playoff start. Oddly enough, his first start also came against Indianaplois in a game they lost 38-31 in 2003. Green played well that game, but with so little big game experience it is hard to judge how Green will do with the pressure on. He struggled a bit down the stretch which has actually started some talk within the team about possibly replacing Green with Damon Huard if Green begins to struggle. EDGE: Colts

RUNNING BACKS: As big a mismatch there is in QBs for the Indy-KC game, there is an equally as large mismatch in RBs. In a little over a year and a half of starting, Larry Johnson has become one of the top 3 RBs in all of football. He is almost guaranteed to receive 30 carries as the Chiefs will look to win the game by pounding the rock. As noted before, Indianapolis has the worst rush defense in football, and the Chiefs would be best suited to just run the ball right at the middle of the defensive line while also controlling the clock in the process. The Colts have used Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes to run the ball all year, but when they are faced with a big game Addai usually sees the bulk of the carries. While Addai is clearly not at the level of Larry Johnson, he is a budding star who will need to have a big game in order to make things easier for Peyton Manning and the passing game. If the the Colts cannot run the ball, Kansas City will drop several players into coverage to make it a lot harder for the strength of the Colts.
EDGE: CHIEFS

RECEIVERS: The duo of Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison could quite possibly be one of the best in the history of the NFL. They are both WRs who need to be double teamed, but because they play together it is virtually impossible to do so. Wayne started off the season hot, but Harrison ended the year as Peyton's go to guy again. The Chiefs secondary is experienced but old, so the Colts may lean heavily on the younger legs of Wayne on Saturday. For the Chiefs, their best WR plays TE. Tony Gonzalez has been one of the most consistent players in the NFL, but Saturday will be only his third trip to the playoffs in his career. The Colts have a bit of trouble covering TEs, so Gonzalez could be poised for a big day. The WR tandem of Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker should be adequate, but nothing news worthy once the game comes to an end. EDGE: COLTS

DEFENSE: The glaring headline about the defenses in this game is clearly that nobody has a worse rush defense in football than the Indianapolis Colts. Their opponents average 173 rushing yards a game against them, and the Colts have also given up 20 TDs on the ground. Statistics wise, their pass defense is a lot better, but the hidden reason behind this is why would teams pass the ball when they could pick up such huge chunks on the ground with the likes of Ron Dayne. This defense is clearly not good enough to win a Super Bowl, but the question is whether they can play well enough to at least allow the Colts to play another week. The Chiefs defense was once just as bad a few years back, but under Herm Edwards it has seen an improvement in 2006. A veteran defensive backfield coupled with a fairly young front seven has given the Chiefs an adequate defense. They rank 18th in both pass and rush defense this year. One of the forgotten story lines of the game is that Peyton Manning will once again see Ty Law on defense in a playoff game. Law has caused havoc in several big games against Manning in the past. While the Chiefs defense is nothing to brag about, it still is a better than what the Colts have to offer. EDGE: CHIEFS

SPECIAL TEAMS: In the playoffs, games can be won and lost in the special teams. If you don't believe me, just ask Mike Vanderjagt and the 2005 Colts. While Vanderjagt was a very accurate kicker, he was too shaky in the big spot to be relied on, and that is why the Colts upgraded over the offseason. They brought in Adam Vinatieri for games just like these. He's arguably one of the best pressure kickers of all time, and now that he plays his playoff games indoors he's a virtual lock for every field goal. The Chiefs kicking game is a bit shakier with the inexperienced Lawrence Tynes. He's been a solid kicker thus far in in his NFL career, but it's a virtual unknown how he will fair in the big spot. You would say that that the x-factor for the Chiefs special teams is Dante Hall, but since his breakout season in 2003, Hall has been relatively quiet. He has become one of the most overrated kick returners in the game, and he should be a non-factor oin Saturday. EDGE: COLTS

FINAL THOUGHTS: As a fan, this is the most compelling matchup of the first round. It'll be very interesting to see how the Colts will try to stop Larry Johnson. Also, while we all expect Johnson to have a big day, this is his first playoff game. He faces about as much pressure as Peyton Manning because everyone in the world knows that he is supposed to have a big day against such a bad defense. When all is said and done, I believe that the Colts defense will play inspired on Sunday. Last time they heard this much talk was before the Bengals game on Monday night, and they put together one of their better games of the season. I also cannot see Peyton Manning allowing his team to lose a game like this. I expect to see the Colts playing the Ravens next week, in a game that will showcase Baltimore's former and current teams. PREDICTION: COLTS 34 CHIEFS 24

2007-01-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.......

It's been another great NFL season, and I have really enjoyed writing about it every day. I hope everyone has enjoyed my articles, and that they were not only helpful, but interesting and entertaining as well.

For the next few weeks the pace of the articles will slow down due to the end of the NFL regular season, and the beginning of my second semester at Villanova University. There will still be many articles, but they may not come on a daily basis. I will do some playoff previews and analyze the coaching vacancies over the next few weeks.

Eventually, the site will make a gradual transformation from covering the NFL to the MLB. I'd love to write about both all the time, but being a full-time student I have to draw my limitations somewhere. There will still be NFL news regarding the draft and free agency, but MLB will be the main focus of the website. I will continue with my fantasy advice, but now it will be for baseball. I also will try to write more non-fantasy articles because I aspire to one day be a sports journalist, and I need to have as much practice as I can.

I expect to get back to the daily routine in about two weeks by starting team by team previews for MLB. As I wind down my football writing, I hope you all have enjoyed it and will continue to read the site.

On a professional note, I love writing for this website, but I would do anything for the opportunity to find a place to write with a greater following so I could get my articles to more of a major audience. If any of my readers can help me with this at all, I would greatly appreciate it. My e-mails are asuhouse@aol.com and david.cassilo@villanova.edu . I'd love to hear from you, even if it is just to discuss sports. Take care.

2007-01-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY RECAP: AFC VARIETY

Reche Caldwell- With the revolving door at WR in New England this season, there has yet to be some one to step up and assume the role as the number one wideout. The physically gifted Caldwell did his best to seize that role by having 134 yards and 1 TD on 4 catches in the season finale. With the dismissal of Doug Gabriel and inconsistency of Chad Jackson, Caldwell is the one of WR who played the best among the new crop that came into New England this year. Caldwell is only 27, and I see him becoming the next David Givens in that offense.

Cedric Houston/Leon Washington- Although Houston was coming back for the Jets, it figured to be a long day for their rushing game against a stout Raiders rush defense. Houston was a bit rusty and had trouble finding holes. He finished the day with just 44 yards on 16 carries. He's explosive backfield mate Leon Washington had 15 carries for 53 yards and a TD. Washington is as explosive as any RB in the NFL, but his size and injury history will prevent him from ever becoming an every down back. However, don't be surprised if the Jets rely more on Washington than they do on Houston against the Patriots Sunday.

Lee Evans- While there have been doubts about the Bills offense throughout the season, now that they are finished I would be lying if I did not say I was impressed with what I saw in Buffalo this season. Evans has become one of the best big play WRs in football. After 145 yards and a TD on Sunday, Evans finished the season with 1290 yards receiving and 8 TDs. Despite being a big play guy, Evans still managed to put up steady numbers next week. If Losman can take the final step towards me a solid NFL QB, the Bills are a team to watch in 2007.

Willie Parker- The third year back out of UNC finished his tremendous 2006 seasin with a bang. The only thing that was keeping Cincinnati from the playoff were the Steelers. The main reason why the Bengals now sit at home is that they could not stop the Steelers running game. Parker scampered for 134 yards and 2 TDs on 37 carries in their big win. There were a lot of questions around the NFL season about whether Parker could handle the load, but after a terrific 2006 season, Parker now has shown that he is one of the most reliable in RBs in football. with 1494 yards rushing and 16 total TDs, Parker had one of the best seasons running the ball in the NFL this season.

Santonio Holmes- The play that ended Cincinnati's season came in the form of a Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes TD pass. Holmes was able to elude all the defenders chasing him before diving past the pylon. It seems only fitting that the Bengals season would end in the hands of some one who also was arrested during one point of the year. Holmes has not only had a dramatic TD catch in week 17, but he also has put together a very impressive finish in his rookie year. He finished with 824 yards receiving and a TD even though he was used sparingly in the first month. Holmes has a very bright future ahead of him, and he should start opposite Hines Ward next season.

Chris Henry- From one WR with an arrest to another. The Bengals offense was not at the top of their game, which was rather surprising considering it was a must win game against an arch rival at home. The one player who did look impressive was troubled WR Chris Henry. The bottom line with Henry is that if that he is one of the most physically gifted WRs in the NFL despite all his off the field issues. He finished with 124 yards receiving and a TD including several catches at crucial times in the game. Henry only played 13 games this season, but he finished with 605 yards receiving and 9 TDs. The touchdowns are so high because his size makes him a great threat in the endzone. Henry would be at least a second WR on any other team in football, but for now he's just one of several talented WRs on the Bengals.

Charlie Frye- When this season began, I had the feeling that Frye would step up for the Browns and have a solid season showing that once again a MAC quarterback can get it done in this league. As I watched Frye perform weekly, I realized I may be wrong. He has an NFL arm, but his decision making is just not good enough to be an NFL starter. In his return from a wrist injury, Frye was 25 of 34 for 187 yards, 0 TDs, and 1 INT. Despite a very shaky season, Frye will most likely be given another chance next year. However, Brady Quinn has actually made the comment that he would like to play Cleveland, and there will also be the home town pressure to draft Troy Smith. I doubt Quinn will be there for their pick and that they will actually select Smith. The most likely scenario is that Cleveland will bring in a veteran to compete with Frye, and the name Drew Bledsoe makes a lot of sense to me.

Peyton Manning- A strong finish to another outstanding season for Peyton Manning. Against a tough Miami defense in the regular season finale, Peyton was 22 of 37 for 282 yards and 2 TDs. His final numbers were 4397 passing yards, 31 TDs, and only 9 INTs. He also had a very solid 65.0 completion percentage. We've become so accustomed to this that we sometimes forget just how remarkable a season like this would be for any other QB. Of all the Colts teams in recent memory, this one I would say has the smallest chance of winning the Super Bowl due to their rush defense. Peyton is now 30 years old, and he better hope that the Colts can finally upgrade their defense in 2007 or Manning may never win that one big game.

David Garrard- Are you happy now Jacksonville? I hope you have finally learned your lesson and will turn back to Byron Leftwich for the 2007 season. David Garrard, who was never actually good, was the starting QB in Jacksonville due to a phantom injury to Byron Leftwich who clearly capable of playing. In the midst of another horrible game on Sunday that cost them a playoff spot, Garrard was actually replaced with Quinn Gray. Garrard's backup played fairly well, but he's no long term option. If Garrard is the starter next year in Jacksonville, I will be shocked and immediately call for Coach Del Rio's head to be examined.

Vince Young- Amazingly enough if the Titans didn't lose on Sunday they would have been in the playoffs. However, the Patriots, who said they would rest their starters after a series, decided to help the Chiefs out and play their starters basically the whole game for no reason. Young struggled with his accuracy against a team that baffles rookie QBs, but he did still manage to finish with 227 yards passing. Young also ran in his 7 TD of the season. The finishing numbers on his surprising rookie numbers are a 51.7 completion percentage, 2199 yards passing, 12 TDs, 13 INTs, and 552 yards passing. If Young can make some progress over the offseason as a passer, he will become one of the best QBs in football in only his second season.

Chris Taylor- First, for those of you who may be asking who is Chris Taylor, I'll give you a little background on him. He's been on the practice squad for the Texans all season just until recent weeks, but Coach Kubiak has always been impressed by him so he decided to give him a shot in week 17. Coach Kubiak angered many fantasy owners because he did this by not giving Ron Dayne one carry all game. Taylor had 99 yards on 20 carries while also scoring a TD in his first shot carrying a full load. While Taylor looked decent, I doubt that he will be anything more than a backup in the NFL for his career.

Larry Johnson- At the time they didn't know it, but after the Chiefs won a tough test against Jacksonville they would learn juts four hours later that it was the win that got them to the playoffs. Johnson led the day once again for the Chiefs he had 138 yards rushing and 3 TDs on 33 carries. Johnson showed that last year's finish was just the beginning as he rushed for 1789 yards and 19 total TDs in his first full season as a starter. In 11 of his 16 games he went over the 100 yard mark on the ground. The Chiefs now will face the Colts in the first round, and all signs point to a field day for Johnson in his first playoff appearance.

Eddie Kennison- Since taking over as Kansas City's number one WR has put up decent numbers, but nothing too impressive. To be fair, the real number one WR is Tony Gonzalez, but he plays TE. His numbers were never too spectacular to begin with, but it's clear that Kennison's performance had fallen off a bit in 2006. He did manage to go out with a bang this regular season by racking up 144 yards and a TD in a huge win over Jacksonville. It seems like almost a given that Kansas City will try to bring in a top WR and shift Kennison to their second wideout.

Jay Cutler- The Broncos may have lost a game they clearly should have won to make the playoffs on Sunday, but in no way at all can you blame Jay Cutler. Stats wise he was 21 of 32 for 230 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT, but they don;t even tell the story. Cutler was knocked in the first half and suffered a head injury. It may have been some form of a concussion, and it looked like he'd be out the rest of the game. However, Cutler returned and led his team on an 80 yard drive in the final minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime. Although the Broncos did not make the playoffs, I have to praise Coach Shanahan's decision to go to Cutler who is clearly better than Jake Plummer. He seems to have a very bright future ahead of him, and the Broncos are in safe hands for the next decade.

Tatum Bell/Mike Bell- What an utter mess the Broncos running game has been in 2006. Thanks again Mike Shanahan. Tatum Bell has lost all support after developing fumbling issues in the last few games of the year. He ran for 48 yards on 12 carries and fumbled on Sunday. His teammate Mike Bell had 66 yards on 11 carries. After 16 games, neither RB showed anything that would separate him from the other. The backfield picture is as hazy as it has ever been, and I could not even venture a guess who will start next season for Denver.

2007-01-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

DARRENT WILLIAMS: 1982-2007

In the short time that I had been given the opportunity to watch Darrent Williams play in this league, I came away impressed from every single game he played. Williams was drafted out of Oklahoma State in the second round of the 2005 draft. As quick as he could run his 40 yard dash, Williams soared up the death chart during the preaseason. The Broncos had struggled to find a premier corner to start opposite All-Pro Champ Bailey. However, just a few games into his rookie season, they knew they had found another special player in Williams. He soon took over the second CB job in Denver and for two seasons he never let it go. He was as fast as any player in the NFL, but what set him apart from all other corners were his instincts. Darrent Williams had the uncanny ability to be in right place on every single play. He learned a lot from his teammate Champ Bailey, and in just two seasons he had developed into one of the most reliable CBs in football. It is no coincidence that when Williams left the Broncos final game with a shoulder injury, the Broncos defense just never looked the same.

When I read the news about Williams this morning, a shock came over me that I had just felt all too soon ago when the death of Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was announced. When we watch these athletes on the field, we start to believe that that they are truly invincible. What we forget is that this is just their job, and they are as prone to tragedy as we are. The death of Williams is hard to cope with because he was just a 24 year old kid. Williams had such a bright future ahead of him, but because of senseless violence a pain goes throughout the Williams family and Broncos community that should never be felt by anyone. My condolences go out to the Williams family, and I can not imagine the pain you feel today. Let us hope that we may never hear a story like this again.

2007-01-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY RECAP: NFC STYLE

Hank Baskett- With half the league not playing for anything, many young players got a shot to show what they could do on Sunday. Within Philadelphia, Hank Baskett has been a well kept secret. After a terrific training camp, the Eagles realized they had a very talented WR. However, with Donte' Stallworth and Reggie Brown at wideout, Baskett never really got a shot. On Sunday he was their number one WR, and he performed exceptionally well. He finished the day with 7 catches for 177 yards and a TD. In a pass first offense with an ninjury prone Stallworth ahead of him, Baskett could have an impact in 2007.

Tony Romo- In his final start of the regular season, Romo looked brilliant at some times and awful at others. The good on Sunday came in the form of a career high 321 passing yards and 2 TDs. He made spectacular play after spectacular play as he led Dallas up and down the field trying to create a comeback. However, the reason they were behind was partly because Romo threw an INT and lost two fumbles. Romo is not not the second coming of Johnny Unitas, but he is a decent QB in this league. He finished the year with 2903 yards, 19 TDs, and 13 INTs in just 12 games at QB. He'll be one of the top tier QBs next season in the league.

Terrell Owens- He's a weekly distraction, but no one can deny that he is one of the best WRs in the NFL. Owens racked up a season high 117 yards receiving in the final regular season game for the Cowboys. The game capped off a very controversial but successful season statistics wise for Owens and the Cowboys. He finished with 85 receptions, 1180 yards, and 13 TDs. The numbers are almost identical to his first season with Philadelphia. There has been a lot of speculation that this will be Owens only season in Dallas, but with production like this it would seem very unlikely that Jerry Jones would want to get rid of Owens.

Rex Grossman- Sunday night marked the lowest point of what has been an up and down season for Bears QB Rex Grossman. The following numbers are actually true as shocking as they may be. Grossman finished the day 2 for 12 with 33 yards, 3 INTs, and 1 fumble before being relieved in the second half. His backup, Brian Griese, was not much better as he was 5 for 15 with 2 INTs. Since it's clear that Griese was no improvement, Grossman will start the Bears first playoff game. Rex finished the season completing 55% of his passes with 3193 yards, 23 TDs and 20 INTs. His inconsistency is the weakest point for a very talented Bears team. His production in the playoffs will determine whether the Bears look for a change at QB next season.

Cedric Benson- The Bears looked awful while playing most of their starters on Sunday night. The one player who did show some promise was their second year RB Cedric Benson. He was able to run for 109 yards on just 13 carries. The Packers do have a poor rush defense, but nevertheless, it was an impressive day for Benson. He's seen an increased workload over the last month, but part of that is because Chicago has had the one seed in the NFC for weeks, and Thomas Jones needed his load lightened. Although Jones had a terrific season again, I would have to figure that the Bears will finally give Benson the starting job next season.

Brett Favre- After things didn't go their way with the Giants winning on Saturday night, the Packers now had a meaningless game to finish their season. The Packers won by having a tremendous defensive performance, but the story of the night was clearly Brett Favre. After a solid day with 285 yards passing, 1 TD, and an INT, Favre became very emotional in a post game interview. He hinted several times that this was most likely his final game of the season while fighting back tears. Knowing Favre, it is hard to believe him even after an interview like that. When he sits back weeks from now without this game fresh in his mind, he will realize that if he came back for one last year he will have a legitimate shot to go to the playoffs. His decision will be the biggest offseason story of 2007.

Tarvarias Jackson- In his final start of the season, Jackson looked shaky at best for the Vikings. He finished the day 20 for 34 with 213 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT against a very weak Rams defense. Although he looked decent at times, Jackson never showed any drastic improvement during the season. The Vikings still believe that he has the tools to be a star in this league, and he will most likely go into next season as their starter. However, if he is going to have success, the Vikings will have to bring in some capable WRs to help him out.

Jon Kitna- It was a very strong finish for Jon Kitna who in the process had the first 4000 yard season of his career. Kitna led the Lions to a shocking win over the Cowboys in an offensive shootout. He finished the day with 306 yards passing, 4 TDs, and 1 INT. It was his best day of a strong season under offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Even if the Lions bring in a rookie QB, Kitna appears likely to at the very least begin the year as the Lions starting QB. The offense is clearly not the problem in Detroit, and they now may look to go defense with their second pick of the draft.

Roy Williams- The Lions did a great job screwing up the only bright spot of their season by winning their final game and thus losing the number one pick of the draft. Their big play WR Roy Williams had 104 yards receiving and 2 TDs in a thrilling win over Dallas. He finished the season with 1310 yards receiving and 8 TDs which is proof that even Matt Millen can draft a good WR now and then. Roy is one of the bright young stars in the NFL, and he will be a top WR for at least the next 5-6 years.

Jake Delhomme- After missing three games with a thumb injury, Delhomme returned for a meaningless game against the backups of the Saints. Delhomme looked sharp in what may have been his best day of the season. He completed 23 of his 27 passes for 207 yards and 2 TDs. Days like those are what was expected all season from Delhomme which makes it rather disappointing that he finished with numbers like he did. While there were some rumors he'd be done as the starter, it would be a total shock if he wasn't taking snaps for Carolina in 2007.

Steve Smith- He's one of the best WRs in football, and he finished that way on Sunday. A week ago I had questioned Smith's effort after not being able to catch one pass. Now I can see that the problem was mainly the QB not Smith's effort. With Delhomme back, Smith had 85 yards receiving and 2 TDs. The injuries and struggles QB led to a bit of a down year for Smith, but he was still able to finish with 1166 receiving yards and 8 TDs. His teammate Keyshawn Johnson is talking about retirement, but that would be a shock to me. Most likely the Panthers will return a similar offense and have a much stronger season.

Michael Vick/Matt Schaub- The final start of the year for Vick was a brief one as he left the game early with an injury. Before departing he had 81 yards passing and a TD. The injury isn't serious and would have been able to play next week if there was a game. Vick finished the season with career highs in both TDs and rushing yards. In his relief on Sunday, Matt Schaub, who is one of the best QBs in football not starting, was 15 for 21 with 175 yards passing, 1 TD, and 1 INT. Now that Coach Mora is gone, the next coach will have a huge impact on the QB situation. They will probably hire some one who is best for Vick's talents, but there has been some talk about possibly giving Schaub a chance to win the starting job in the preseason.

Joey Galloway- The lone bright spot on the Tampa Bay offense this season has been Galloway. He finished another strong season with 8 catches for 118 yards and a TD in a loss to Seattle. Galloway, who seems to never age, had his second straight 1000 yard season and finished with 1057 yards and 7 TDs. He still remains one of the better WRs in football, but at 35 years old it's clear that a drop off in production bound to come soon. His QB next season will be the biggest factor for his value.

Steven Jackson- What a great season it has been for Steven Jackson! He turned the corner in his third season for the Rams and is now not only a great runner, but also a great pass catcher. Jackson went out with a bang as he finished with 166 total yards and 4 TDs in his final game of the season. His week 17 numbers added to a fantastic season in which Jackson had 1528 yards rushing, 806 yards receiving on 90 receptions, and 16 TDs. The season was one of the best rushing and receiving for a RB in recent memory. He will be one of the first RBs off the board next season in your draft.

Frank Gore- In addition to Jackson, his division rival Frank Gore busted onto the season this season. In a thrilling victory for the San Francisco 49ers to keep Denver out of the playoffs, Gore rushed for 153 yards on 31 carries. He finished the season with an NFC best 1695 rushing yards to go along with 9 TDs. Gore had some fumbling issues early in his career, but he was able to correct them and now seems to have no holes in his game. In just his second season Gore has become one of the 5 best RBs in football.

Kurt Warner- He may have problems holding onto the ball and escaping from the pocket, but Kurt Warner has always been one of the best pure passers in the NFL throughout his career. With Matt Leinart out, Warner was able to start the last game of the season, and he had 356 yards passing and a TD. His starting days appear behind him, but he has said that he will most likely not retire following the season. If Warner does ever get another starting job in this league, he would be a solid veteran to have.

2006-12-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

A LITTLE RECAP AND COUNTDOWN TO GAMETIME

Tiki Barber- In the final regular season game of his career, Barber had what might be his most memorable performance of his career. After switching offensive coordinators early in the week, the Giants were committed to getting Tiki the ball. Every time the Giants needed a big play to respond to the Redskins, Tiki stepped up and delivered. He finished the day with 23 carries for 234 yards and 3 TDs. His fantasy owners may be a bit upset considering he saved his best for a week that doesn't matter in the fantasy world. Barber finished his final season with 1662 yards and 5 TDs rushing while also having 465 yards receiving. It was another hall of fame quality season for a running back that will look to extend his career next weke in the playoffs.

Jason Campbell- Washington appears like it is in very safe hands for the future. Their QB Jason Campbell has shown great progress as a starter, and he looks like he may be a star in this league. The Redskins have given him only about 20% of the offense, and he has excelled so far. He showed a lot of heart by almost leading the Redskins to a thrilling come from behind victory after once being down by 20 points. Campbell finished the day 21 for 31 with 220 yards, 2 TDs, and an INT. His success coupled with that of Phillip Rivers is another reason why it made be a better idea to sit a QB for a few years than to play him right away.

Now here is what I'm hearing leading up to kickoff......

After looking good in practice yesterday, it was believed that Charlie Frye would see a fee snaps for Cleveland on Sunday. However, he will actually get the start in the game. He has apparently showed a lot of progress this week, and now he will have potentially his last chance to show Cleveland what he can do. Ken Dorsey will no longer be starting and will be the backup.

The future of Jim Mora in Atlanta looks like it will be determined on Monday. Owner Arthur Blank was not happy with Mora's comments about coaching the University of Washington and his team's performance this season. The reason the decision is so difficult is that he would need to find a coach that's a better fit for Michael Vick than Mora, and that would be hard to find. Some possible replacements being considered are Louisville coach Bobby Petrino and former NFL coach Steve Mariucci.

Former Denver starting QB Jake Plummer may be brought back next season to remain the backup. He apparently has a good relationship with Jay Cutler and may consider the idea of staying around. Most likely though he will be gone and the starting job in Oakland is his most likely destination for 2007.

The Chargers can clinch home field for the playoffs today, and they have a plan to do it. San Diego would like to generate a big lead in the first half so they can rest all of their stars for the second half. They want to make sure no horrific things happen like when Drew Brees injured his shoulder last season. This may be the week we can see what Michael Turner can do with an increased workload.

Try to avoid playing any New England Patriots today. They are expected to play their starters for about one series, and then go to their backups for the rest of the game. They should roll over for Tennessee while they get every one healthy for tha playoffs. The Titans will have to make sure to remember the Patriots next Christmas if the this causes them to get in the playoffs.

Last week that "rumor monger" Adam Scheffter spread "lies" about Art Shell being fired at the end of this season. However, as expected there is some truth to the rumors of Shell possibly on his way out as coach of the Raiders. The latest from Oakland is that Shell would be stripped of his head coach duties, but remain with the Raiders as their general manager. This appears a bit crazy, but that's the one way to describe the situation in Oakland.

Chiefs QB Trent Green may be starting his last game for Kansas City on Sunday. There is some word that the Chiefs would like to get younger, and they may turn to Brodie Croyle to play QB next season. They figure to ask Trent Green to take a pay cut or they will release him. If Green does take that pay cut though, he most likely will start next season.

2006-12-30T15:29:00.000-08:00

NEWS & NOTES

The Titans have had a very surprising year in 2006, and they have rewarded both their head coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Norm Chow by exercising their options for 2007. Both coaches have done a nice job getting the most out of an offense with very little talent on it. The Titans figure to be one of the sleeper picks to make some noise in the playoff picture next season, however I feel that they really need to improve on both sides of the ball in order to make that leap.

Charlie Frye has been throwing in Browns practice this week, and he apparently looks as though he is back to healthy. The Browns have said that they will be starting Ken Dorsey on Sunday, but Frye could see some work. Regardless, they will most likely bring in a veteran QB for next season.

In other Browns news, Cleveland is very disappointed with both the progress and attitude of WR Braylon Edwards. They would prefer not to start him on Sunday, but due to massive injuries to their receiving core, he will be forced into action. The numerous amount of problems with top pick WRs may affect the draft position of Georgia Tech wideout Calvin Johnson.

The final piece of new out of Cleveland is that despite rumors about his job status, Coach Romeo Crennel will most likely be back with the team. The one condition will be that he must revamp his entire coaching staff. The lone slight possibility that Crennel will be gone is if Bill Cowher leaves the Steelers to join the Browns. However, this looks very unlikely at this point.

Speaking of Cowher, he is planning on announcing his decision for next year in a press conference next week. All signs point to him retiring as coach of the Steelers. While he may be retiring, it will most likely be short lived, and we will see him soon enough with another team. Many names have come up for the Steelers job, the most interesting of which is Marvin Lewis who was once a coach with Pittsburgh. He would most likely cause a boost in wins and arrests in Pittsburgh if he does take the job. Most likely they will promote some one from within, with Russ Grimm as the leading candidate.

In case you haven't heard yet, Jeremy Shockey will miss Saturday night's must win game against the Redskins. It's a nagging anle injury that will keep him out for the first time all season. The injury must be pretty bad considering Shockey is one of the few players on the Giants who seems to want to be out there. Vishante Shiancoe will fill in for him, but he should be a non factor.

Mike Furrey will be getting a contract extension from Detroit after his most likely of all seasons. Furrey is another great story about a former Arena League player who got an opportunity and took advantage of it. The key to Furrey playing well is that Mike Martz is his offensive coordinator. As long as they are paired together, Furry should play well. In a related note, Mike Williams, who the Lions just hate for no reason, believes he'll be back next season, and they won't care how much he weighs. This is probably the biggest misconception I've heard all week.

The Houston Texans have made it known that they would be interested in trading for Clinton Portis. Gary Kubiak used to coach Portis in Detroit, and they have a good relationship. With the emergence of Ladell Betts, the Redskins would be more open to the idea of trading Portis. However, with his massive contract, any trade would be a long shot unless several obstacles could be overcome.

2006-12-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

FANTASY MD

After missing last week’s games, Fred Taylor appears like he will be back in the lineup for Jacksonville on Sunday. It’s a huge game for the Jaguars, and they will be happy to have Taylor back. The only question now is how Jacksonville will divide up the carries between Taylor and the talented Maurice Jones-Drew.

All season long Jeremy Shockey has been dealing with an injured ankle. However, this week was the first time that the Giants have gone public with this injury. Shockey has missed a few practices this week, and his status for Saturday night is in jeopardy. If he can’t go, the inept Vishante Shiancoe will start. I’m a Giant fan, so trust me when I tell you this is about as bad as a downgrade as you could have.

For the first time in weeks Jake Delhomme has looked healthy. The thumb injury does not seem to be bothering him anymore. He was upgraded to probable, and it looks like he will start for the Panthers on Sunday. He has a decent matchup against New Orleans if the Saints rest everyone.

Randy Moss will not play Sunday against the Jets. The word out of Raiders’ practice is that Moss is completely healthy, but just does not feel like playing any more. His days in Oakland are clearly finished, and he will be traded this offseason. I still believe that Jacksonville is the best fit for him, although there is some word that Dallas may be a destination if Terrell Owens leaves.

Luckily for the Jets, they were able to beat the Dolphins last week without Cedric Houston. This week he will return for their pivotal game against Oakland. Despite missing last week’s game, he figures to get most of the carries on Sunday. It could be a long day for him though because Oakland’s defense is pretty tough against the run.

Cadillac Williams missed the first game of his career last Sunday, and unfortunately for him, his career missed starts will most likely double in week 17. Williams has not improved at all this week, and he will most likely be inactive for Sunday's game. Michael Pittman once again will start for Tampa Bay and should have a decent game against the Seahawks. One thing also to watch for this game is that it may be the last time we see Mike Alstott suit up in the NFL. He's had one of the better careers for a fullback in the last 10 years.

There was some speculation following Sunday's game as to whether or not Laveranues Coles would suit up for the Jets in week 17. The Jets' best WR took a couple of big hits in their game against Miami and was shaken up after the game. However, with a game of such importance, Coles will be out there on Sunday. He's one of the most durable WRs in football, and it would take a serious injury to keep him out.

No need to worry anymore, Aaron Brooks looks like he'll play on Sunday. With Brooks running the show, perhaps the Raiders can manage double digits in points. In all seriousness, I do feel that the Raiders will give the Jets a tough test on Sunday. If they do play well, it will have absolutely nothing to do with Aaron Brooks. The defense will need to score points on Sunday if they are going to have a shot.

Although this isn't injury news, many teams will be sitting their starters. Expect the Patriots, Saints, and Bears all to rest their better players. With nothing to play for, it was expected Seattle would also do this. However, Coach Holmgrem has said that everyone will play to build momentum. So you should feel safe to play Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander.

2006-12-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

DAUNTING DECISIONS

I realize that some of you are still participating in one of those crazy 17 week leagues. The good news this year is that only Chicago, New Orleans, and Seattle may be resting their players this week. Those are all situations to avoid in week 17. The other 29 teams in the NFL will be playing their starters, and playing the wrong player could prove fatal for you. So here I am to help you with the most meaningless of weeks for fantasy. Don't say I never did anything for you.

Ronnie Brown- On Christmas night, Brown looked very impressive in his first game back from injury. In the season finale, Brown should get more carries than last week. Watching Ron Dayne shred up the Indy defense would make you want to start just about anyone at RB against the Colts these days. Brown should have a very similar day, and considering Cleo Lemon is starting at QB, Miami will feel compelled to run the ball. START.

Chester Taylor- One of the best free agent signings of last offseason was the Vikings getting Chester Taylor from the Ravens. He has proven to be one of the most reliable running backs in the leagues when healthy. The Rams rush defense is almost as awful as the Colts, so Taylor should have one of the better days rushing in week 17. He's a very similar runner to Ladell Betts who tore up the Rams last week. Taylor should finish strong in what has been a fantastic first season carrying the load. START.

Ron Dayne- The hottest new trend these days in fantasy is to start Ron Dayne. He's had one of the most unlikely career resurgences I've ever seen in my life. Coach Kubiak seems to love him, and as long as they are paired together, Dayne is going to see his share of carries. This week against Cleveland should be another solid performance for Dayne. The Browns have one of the worst rush defenses in football, and we all saw what Dayne could do against a bad rush defense last week. START.

Jay Cutler- While the Broncos will rely heavily on their backfield for this win and in game, Cutler should also have something to say about their chances before the day is over. I think Cutler will help the Broncos rather than hurt them on Sunday. He has progressed every week so far and looks like another great prospect for a class rich in talent. Expect him to have a good day as he goes up against a weak Arizona secondary. START.

Plaxico Burress- The recent struggles of the Giants may have some people questioning if Eli Manning will be able to find his biggest target. While Plaxico's numbers have slipped a little bit, but he's still one of the few steady fantasy WRs in 2006. He has a good matchup against a bad Redskins defense that is without Shawn Springs. Expect him to do a little more than the 1 catch for 55 yards that he had in week 16. START.

Willis McGahee- Some people are in love with McGahee, but I'm one of those guys who don't find his performances too impressive. To me he's just one of those RBs that beats up against bad defenses. This week he will face anything but a bad defense when he takes on the Ravens. Baltimore will be hungry with home field throughout the playoffs at stake. It looks like it'll be a struggle for McGahee and the whole Bills offense in the final week of the season. SIT.

Joseph Addai- The rookie looked great following his ankle injury the week before. He's an explosive player who has fit nicely in the Colts offense so far. This week should be one of his toughest tests of the season against Miami. They have done a fabulous job shutting down the run lately. Addai may not even get the bulk of the work considering that the Colts may be more concerned with his ankle still. Try to look elsewhere for the final week of the year. SIT.

Laveranues Coles- The Jets best WR struggled last week against Miami as he finished with only 9 yards. While Coles' matchup against Oakland may look good this week for the common fan, it is actually an awful situation for Coles. He will be going up against cornerback Nhadmi Asomugha, who deserved a Pro Bowl start, didn't get it, and now has taken it out on every one in the league. He's one of the best shut down corners in football, and he should hold Coles in check all day. SIT.

Chris Chambers- Clearly one of the most disappointing WRs this season has been Chris Chambers. The revolving door at QB for Miami has hurt Chambers' production. He's usually good for at least 1 or 2 big games every season, but this year has been a different story. With Cleo Lemon starting this week, Chambers will most likely struggle again. The Dolphins will look to run the ball, and the chances Chambers performs well are slim. SIT.

Devery Henderson- I've been on the Henderson bandwagon all season, but this week I don't like the situation that he has. The Saints have actually struggled throwing the ball deep lately which has made Henderson useless. This week with no chance of changing their playoff position, the Saints will most likely rest several starters for portions of the game. One of those guys will be Drew Brees which means that the chances of Henderson having a big day is worse than usual. SIT.

2006-12-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY RECAP: AFC VARIETY

Corey Dillon/Laurence Maroney- Sunday marked Maroney's return, and the end to the run of great games that Dillon never had while Maroney sat on the sidelines. The rookie looked good in his return as he had 7 carries for 48 yards and a TD. His counterpart Dillon was also up to his old tricks running for a pedestrian 30 yards on 10 carries while stealing a TD. Maroney loosk to have a bright future ahead of him, but if the Patriots decide to keep Dillon around his value will be hurt because Dillon will get his goal line carries.

Leon Washington- If you were watching the Christmas night game between Miami and New York, you were able to see first hand what a special player Washington is. It was his dazzling 64 yard run on a screen pass late in the game that gave the Jets an opportunity to win the game. He finished the day with 134 total yards, the majority of which came through the air. Washington is too small to ever be an every down back in the NFL, but his speed and catching ability makes him a great compliment to any RB. He's another great player in what was a fantastic draft for the Jets.
Ronnie Brown- In his first game back from injury Brown looked fantastic against the Jets. He didn't enter the game till late in the first quarter, but once he did he could not be stopped by the Jets defense. He was able to run for 110 yards on just 18 carries. The performance showed that his broken hand is healed and has lingering effects on his performance. Brown's season in 2006 was a bit disappointing, and a better one in 2007 is expected. The only concern for him is if Ricky Williams will come back and take some of his carries.

Steve McNair- I personally have a grudge against Steve McNair because I started him in my week 15 semifinal, and he got hurt, stood on the sidelines seemingly healthy, and registered 0 points. I lost by six points. That being said it was a pretty solid day for the veteran McNair in his return from the fake injury to end my season. McNair completed 21 of his 31 passes for 256 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs. He's one of the few QBs in football that you know exactly what you are going to get from week in and week out. He should finish strong next week against Buffalo as the Ravens try to gain home field throughout the AFC playoffs.

Rudi Johnson- If there was one work I could use to describe Rudi Johnson, it would be solid. His performance against Denver was nothing flashy, but just some good hard nosed down hill running. The workhorse finished the day with 30 carries for 129 yards and a TD. The TD was his 12th rushing TD of the season which matched his season total for both 2004 and 2005. He will most likely finish close to those seasons in yardage. Go ahead and draft Rudi for years to come. He's an almost absolute lock for 1400 yards and 12 TDs.

Derek Anderson- Well, that was fun for awhile, wasn't it? With likely no other shots at a starting job on the horizon the 6'6" Anderson may have ended his brief starting career with a horrible day and an injured shoulder. Before Anderson left the game with injury, he was very inaccurate and threw 4 INTs. The next Browns QB to be sacrificed to the opposing defense is our old friend Ken Dorsey. Dorsey, who seems to always randomly start once a year, will lead the Browns into their highly anticipated game against the Texans in week 17.

Peyton Manning- Derek Anderson and Peyton Manning. It's only suitable that two stars of their caliber should have blurbs written about them back to back. Unlike his colleague Anderson or his brother Eli for the matter, Peyton actually played well on Sunday. He finished the day 21 of 27 for 205 yards and 3 TDs. How the Colts did not win this game against the Texans with a performance like that is still beyond me. In the midst of the game, Peyton became the first player ever to throw for seven 4000 yard passing seasons. It has been another great season for Peyton, but every year he doesn't win the Super Bowl just seems like a waste for such a talented player.

Marvin Harrison- His equally as talented teammate, Marvin Harrison, helped Peyton boost those stats with another big day. Harrison hauled in 8 passes for 112 yards and 2 TDs. He came on real strong at the end of the season and scored 5 TDs in his last 2 games. He now also has his best season in terms of yardage since 2002. It has been another terrific season for Harrison, who shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. He's still the go to guy in Indy despite the presence of Reggie Wayne.

Joseph Addai- It was a great sign for all Colts fans to see how well Addai played coming off an ankle injury just the week before. At first it was feared that he would miss significant time, but Addai didn't miss a game. He finished the day with 100 yards on just 15 carries. It was the second time he topped 100 yards on the ground this season, and he now has exceeded 1000 yards rushing for the season. He looks like he will have a bright future ahead of him in this Colts offense.

Maurice Jones-Drew- Another rookie RB with a bright future ahead of him is Maurice Jones-Drew. The Jaguars RB saw an increase in carries due to the injury of Fred Taylor and performed exceptionally well. He finished with 131 yards and 2 TDs on 19 carries. The play of the day came when he actually fell down, got up, and then finished off a 74 yard TD run for the score. Even if Fred Taylor does stick around next seaon, Jones-Drew will be a very productive player for the Jaguars.

Vince Young- The rookie phenom had one of his best overall days of the season as he led the Titans to the win over Buffalo. Young finished 13 for 20 with 183 yards and 2 TD passing. He also had 8 carries for 61 yards and a TD rushing. The bulk of which came on a spectacular 36 yards TD run. Young became the first rookie QB to ever rush for 500 yards in a season. Even more amazing is that with 1 week left in the season, the Titans have a shot at the playoffs because of Young's play this season. He truly is a special player.

Travis Henry- Week in and week out I say it, but I'll repeat it again. Travis Henry is quietly having one of the best season's for a RB in 2006. Henry was as much a reason for the win on Sunday as Young. He ran the ball 25 times for 135 yards. It was the fifth time this season that Henry had topped 100 yards. Despite missing two games to injury, Henry has still been able to rack up over 1100 yards and 7 TDs this season. Henry got a raw deal in Buffalo due to the drafting of Willis McGahee, and I hope the same does not happen to him in Tennessee with LenDale White.

Ron Dayne- It still seems so odd to be talking about Ron Dayne in week 16 of the NFL season. Against the Colts, Dayne exploded for 153 yards and 2 TDs on 32 carries. This is either a sign that Dayne's resurgence is for real or the Colts truly do have the worst rush defense ever. Nevertheless, the Dayne bandwagon continues next week in a good matchup against Cleveland. He has been dominant lately, rushing for 429 yards and 5 TDs in his last 4 games. If Dayne can finish strong, he will be the odds on favorite from within to start at RB for the Texans next season.

LaDainian Tomlinson- You know you're a special player when you run for 122 yards and that's a disappointing day. Well, that is the kind of reaction Tomlinson will get if he doesn't run for a TD these days. Despite giving up 122 yards, Seattle did a nice job against LT as they prevented him from killing them. It ended at a streak of 8 straight games with a TD for LT. The game should have no ill effect on his impending MVP award. LT should finish very strong against Arizona next Sunday.

Jay Cutler- Once again Cutler looked pretty solid as he moved his team into prime position for a playoff berth. Cutler didn't try to do too much in the tough conditions of the snow, and he finished 12 for 23 with 179 yards, 2 TDs, and an INT. Cutler threw that interception on his first pass of the game, but then showed good composure to settle into a nice groove. It's kind of surprising that with Cutler at QB the Broncos have still been able to stay in the playoff hunt. Cutler will look to lead his Broncos in the playoffs with what should be a win against San Francisco.

Tatum Bell/Mike Bell- Well, well, well, the Bells are at it again. There's really no way to determine which Bell will have the better day for Denver these days. Mike Bell has been hot lately as was shown with his 16 carries for 69 yards and a TD on Sunday. The somewhat forgotten Bell, Tatum, in the Denver offense managed a respectable 50 yards on 12 carries. Combined these Bells now have over 1500 yards rushing and 10 TDs. This season is the prime example for why you should never draft a Denver running back.