My Comments On Current Issues In Football

Ok, as far as the the special boot Tom Brady was wearing, yes he is hurt and yes he probably played hurt in the AFC Championship game. He threw 3 interceptions! For those who know a little about Tom Brady, then you know he does not throw 3 interceptions. He looked sloppy and uncomfortable all night. Therefore, he must have played hurt. There is no other explanation as to why he played so bad. This guy is some cyborg alien sent to dominate football and win everything possible. Of course, he'll recover in time for the Super Bowl.

As far as Ladainian Tomlinson is concerned, he is a disgrace to football. As good as he used to be, Sunday's AFC Championship game just ruined his career. Two weeks ago, as hurt as he claimed to be, he was still willing to run against the Colts. Last week against the Patriots, he was listed as healthy and ready to go. He runs on two drives for very little yardage, goes to the sideline, and bundles himself up in an Eskimoish- Dark Vader type outfit where he stood for the rest of the game. He should have either went to the locker room or went back out there to play. Not just stand there and be useless.

As far as Philip Rivers is concerned, I give him mucho guts for playing the whole game with a Torn ACL. I can't recall many players that can do that. He has more guts than LT. However, IT WAS ALSO VERY STUPID AND SELFISH OF HIM TO PLAY THE WHOLE GAME. Yes, he had guts, but c'mon, he threw 2 interceptions and had a very bad game. The quarterback is the most important position in any sport and if your quarterback isn't 100% healthy you shouldn't start him. Wanting to start and having the ability to start are two very different things that can affect the outcome of a game. Philip Rivers really needs to get over himself.

The Chargers had a very real chance of beating the beatable Patriots if LT would have played and Billy Volek would have started or went in after the first half. With a healthy quarterback and running back, they could have taken advantage of Brady's 3 interceptions, which comes once in a lifetime. The Patriots gave the Chargers every chance to beat them, but the Chargers didn't give the Patriots any reason why they should have won.

Tony Dungy Will Be Coaching The Indianapolis Colts In 2008!

Indianapolis Colts fans, breathe easy. We didn't make it back to the Super Bowl this season, but the team announced Monday that coach Tony Dungy will return to the sideline next season.

Tony Dungy will coach at least one more season with the Indianapolis Colts, the team said Monday.

Colt Comfort

If anything, the Colts have been consistent winners under Tony Dungy -- at least 10 in each of his six seasons as coach of the Colts. A look at his resume:

Dungy's career as a head coach

	Bucs	Colts
Seasons	6	6
Division titles	1	5
Regular-season W-L	54-42	73-23
Playoff W-L	2-4	7-5
Super Bowl titles	0	1

Dungy, whose future with the team has been in doubt since the Colts lost to San Diego in the AFC divisional playoffs on Jan. 13, will then hand the reins to Indianapolis assistant head coach Jim Caldwell when Dungy decides to retire.

Actually, according to Dungy himself, he had been considering retiring for at least three years now. This was the first year, however, the public and the media were made aware of his questioning future.

"We don't have two head coaches," team owner Jim Irsay said at Monday's news conference. "Tony's going to be around as much as he's always been around."

Dungy had spent much of the last week in Tampa, Fla., talking with his wife, Lauren, before returning to Indianapolis to make the decision. He informed Irsay earlier Monday.

"Tony is committed to his family. He's committed to the franchise ... Tony does a great job of balancing that," Irsay said.

Dungy, 52, led Indianapolis to the Super Bowl title last season. He is signed with the Colts through the 2009 season, thanks to a three-year, $15 million extension signed in Sept. 2005.

Dungy is 127-65 in 12 seasons as an NFL head coach. He coached six seasons in Tampa Bay before coming to Indianapolis, where he has been two a pair of AFC title games and has won five straight AFC South titles.

It's About Tynes! The New York Giants Will Represent The NFC In The Super Bowl

First, I would like to begin by saying the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants have something in common. That is, both of their kickers failed both Mannings. Peyton Manning's kicker, Mike Vanderjagt failed him years ago and now Eli Manning's kicker, Lawrence Tynes, failed him as well. However, unlike Vanderjagt, Tynes was given a second chance and came through on the his second attempt to help send Eli Manning and the Giants to the Super Bowl.

The unbeaten Pats punched their ticket to Arizona earlier in the day. No surprise there. The twist? To win their fourth Super Bowl in seven years, they'll have to deny Eli Manning.

A suddenly matured Manning guided the Giants to their ninth straight road win Sunday, a frostbitten 23-20 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers for the NFC championship. The Giants grabbed their first NFC championship in seven years, capping a month long surge that reversed a trend of mediocrity built around Manning's inconsistency. He has been a revelation in the playoffs, however, and his calm leadership keyed New York's turnaround.

This game was quite entertaining and dramatic all the way down to the last quarter...and longer. Eli Manning played nearly to perfection, throwing for 254 yards. Though he did not throw a touchdown, he also did not throw any interceptions. Speaking of interceptions, Favre threw two of them and the last interception he threw cost the Packers the game in overtime because it set the Giants up for the game winning field goal. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw both switched off running all over the Packers. Jacobs ran for 67 yards and Bradshaw ran for 63 yards and they both had a touchdown each. On the Packers side, Ryan Grant was shut down with only 29 rushing yards. Finally, Plaxico Burress completely schooled Al Harris with 154 receiving yards.

After Lawrence Tynes missed a 36-yard field goal at the end of regulation following a bad snap, he got a reprieve in overtime following Corey Webster's interception of a struggling Brett Favre. He nailed a 47-yarder, then sprinted directly to the locker room as the rest of his frozen teammates celebrated on the field.

The Giants deserved to win this game, especially after their game winning touchdown was taken away from them towards the end of the fourth quarter because of a questionable holding call.

Now comes Mission Impossible for Manning and the Giants, who will play the unbeaten New England Patriots in two weeks for the NFL title. The Giants came very close to beating the Patriots in the final game of the season, but we all know how that worked out.

IF Tony Dungy Retires, Jim Caldwell Would Be The New Head Coach

And I hope that's a big IF...but its true. Assistant head coach Jim Caldwell would replace Tony Dungy if the Indianapolis Colts coach retires, team owner Jim Irsay said Thursday night.

Irsay hopes Dungy will return and expects to speak to him this weekend, the owner said at a party celebrating an exhibition of the Jack Kerouac "On The Road" manuscript he owns at The New York Public Library.

Irsay said he might be able to make accommodations for Dungy such as allowing him to attend his son's high school football games in Florida on Friday nights. But he has no doubt that Dungy's commitment will be "100 percent" if he continues coaching.

The Colts, the Super Bowl champions last year, were 13-3 in the regular season before falling 28-24 to San Diego last week in their playoff opener.

Caldwell has been an assistant to Dungy the last seven years -- one in Tampa Bay and the last six with the Colts, where he has coached quarterback Peyton Manning. Caldwell filled in for Dungy for one game in 2005 following the death of Dungy's 18-year-old son, James.

Caldwell spent more than 20 years in college football, and his only head coaching experience came at Wake Forest. He spent eight seasons with the Demon Deacons and led them to a bowl game in 1999.

Chargers QB Faces Uncertainty Against Undefeated Pats

San Diego quarterback Phil Rivers was listed as questionable for this weekend's game against the New England Patriots. He suffered a sprained right knee in this past weekend's playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. "Right now, it's probably questionable in terms of playing in the game, but he's got a chance," coach Norv Turner said Monday. "That will be a day-to-day thing and we'll monitor it as the week goes on." In Sunday's game against the Colts, Rivers completed 14 of 19 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns before being taken out of the game after landing awkwardly when completing a 56 yard screen pass to Darren Sproles. Billy Volek took over after Rivers left the game and led the Chargers to victory.

_

The Chargers also had to rely on other backups on Sunday. They had running backs Michael Turner and Darren Sproles play after LaDainian Tomlinson was injured. Tomlinson said he should be able to play in this Sunday's AFC championship game, but the Chargers are nevertheless concerned about their crop of injuries. "I'm concerned," coach Turner said. "I mean, I'm real concerned. We're lucky, or we're fortunate, to have a Darren Sproles, have a Michael Turner, have a Brandon McKinney, but you can only withstand so many hits." Everyone should be concerned about San Diego's failing health. Everyone, that is, except Tom Brady.

The New York Giants Advance In The Playoffs

Not one, but two upsets in the same day. Vegas must be rollin in money. Manning advanced, but not Peyton. Rather, hours after Peyton's Colts were stunned by the Chargers in an AFC divisional game, Eli Manning and the Giants ousted the NFC's top-seeded team. It appears that little brother is all grown up.

Tony Romo can go wherever he wants with Jessica Simpson now. Eli Manning and the New York Giants knocked him and the Dallas Cowboys into the offseason Sunday.

Having to wait out long, slow drives by Dallas, Manning made his few chances count, throwing two touchdown passes to Amani Toomer and getting a 1-yard touchdown run from Brandon Jacobs for a 21-17 victory that put New York into the NFC championship game for the first time since the 2000 season.

Cornerback R.W. McQuarters intercepted a pass into the end zone with 9 seconds left, ending the Cowboys' final drive and marking Romo's second straight last-minute goof to cost Dallas a playoff game. His flubbed hold of a short field goal in Seattle ended the Cowboys' season last year.

Manning is heading to his first NFC Championship Game, at Green Bay next Sunday. Manning had a much better day than his brother, Peyton, whose Indianapolis Colts were stunned by the San Diego Chargers.

This loss by the Dallas Cowboys this post-season has arguably one of the worst impacts on a team's legacy. Dallas' failure is huge, much bigger than last season's flop in Seattle when Romo botched the hold on a go-ahead field goal in the final minutes.

The Cowboys just wasted a 13-3 season, which matched the best in team history. They're the first No. 1 seed in the NFC to lose in this round since the NFL went to the 12-team playoff format in 1990. They also became the seventh team to lose a playoff game against a team they'd beaten twice in the regular season -- joining Dallas' 1998 club.

Worst of all is the extension of all the skids: Romo now 0-2 in the playoffs, coach Wade Phillips 0-4 and the team 0-for-the-postseason since winning a wild-card game in 1996. The Cowboys have dropped five games since then.

Even worse, the Cowboys might be headed into a potentially stormy offseason in the near future. Team owner Jerry Jones said Thursday he would keep Phillips regardless of what happened in the playoffs. Now that will be tested, especially with highly valued assistant coaches Jason Garrett and Tony Sparano interviewing for jobs elsewhere.

And people better not dare point to Romo's trip to Mexico last weekend with his latest celebrity girlfriend as a disruption. The Cowboys' problems this game ran a lot deeper. There were all kinds of penalties that hurt Dallas drives and helped New York's, sloppy tackling on defense and special teams, dropped passes and wasted timeouts.

The San Diego Chargers Advance In The Playoffs

First, the Chargers lost LT. Then Philip Rivers. And they still beat the defending champion Colts ... on the road. Are you kidding?

Even without LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers, the Chargers made sure the Indianapolis Colts won't repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Honestly, as a big Colts fan, I have to admit the Indianapolis Colts didn't deserve to win this game. They played horrible. They played like the playoff Colts I remember from 2 years ago. On offense, Peyton Manning's passes were tipped and intercepted. At times I didn't know what he was thinking when he overthrew passes or tried to fire them in. Oh, and what a wonderful defense! No, seriously, that defense was great! (That's sarcasm). You know what the worst part is? Almost all the calls and penalties favored the Colts. They had plenty of help and still couldn't win.

OR PERHAPS the Colts should have won this game? I don't know, but look at it this way. They technically should have won, but they didn't deserve to win. The main reason why the Colts lost the game was because of 3 red zone possession turnovers...2 of which were freaky, tipped passes that just happened to land in the defender's arms. Those 2 bizarre interceptions (I swear the ball just happened to land in the defender's arms) should have been at the bare minimum 2 field goals instead. So instead of the Colts losing 28-24...they could have won 29-28! By 1 single point the Colts would have won if those bizarre, tipped interceptions never happened. Oh well, that's football.

I still have more. Injuries plagued this team all game and the Chargers just seemed to have done everything right. Even the Chargers' punter played well, pinning the Colts back on their final drive. However, injuries also plagued both teams. Injuries took a toll on both teams in Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game.

San Diego lost LaDainian Tomlinson for much of the day with a bruised left knee. The Chargers also watched Phillip Rivers head to the locker room after hurting his right knee on a short pass that Darren Sproles turned into a 56-yard touchdown on the last play of the third quarter.

Indianapolis lost safety Bob Sanders, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, briefly with a shoulder injury, while running back Joseph Addai sat out a portion of the second half after being shaken up on a 10-yard run.

Rivers jumped to throw the ball to Sproles and landed awkwardly. He was helped onto a training table on the sideline before going to the locker room for evaluation. By the time he jogged back out of the tunnel onto the Chargers sideline, he already had been replaced by Billy Volek.

Tomlinson was injured during a second-quarter run and remained on the sideline through the end of the third quarter, even though the Chargers said his return was probable. Sanders injured his shoulder tackling Turner with 6:14 remaining in the third, but returned the next time the Colts defense took the field.

Tomlinson limped off after being tackled on an 8-yard run that helped set up a second-quarter touchdown. The NFL rushing champion fumbled on the play, but San Diego recovered and Rivers threw a 14-yard TD pass to Vincent Jackson on the next play.

Tight end Antonio Gates, whose status was uncertain because of a dislocated big left toe, played sparingly in the first half. His first reception, a 23-yard catch, came on the same drive Tomlinson was hurt.

Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo also was taken to the locker room for attention after being blocked in the ribs on a first-quarter passing play. He returned after only missing a few plays.

But as LT and Philip Rivers watched, Michael Turner and Billy Volek helped the Chargers reach the AFC title game in New England.

With Billy Volek at quarterback and Michael Turner as the main runner, San Diego went 78 yards on eight plays, with Volek sneaking in from the 1 with 4:50 remaining for the lead. The Chargers' big-play defense then held on downs at its 7, and stopped Indy again in the final moments to preserve their eighth straight win.

The Chargers persevered 28-24 and its a sad day in the NFL, except for Chargers fans. Oh yea, and this may have been Tony Dungy's last game. I hope not.

The Chargers didn't come close against the Patriots in Week 2, falling 38-14. That was the beginning of a slide to 5-5 for San Diego. Perhaps this is a sign of the inevitable. That is, the New England Patriots were meant to win the Super Bowl this year.

And Philip Rivers needs anger management help with the way he was screaming at the Colts fans. Even the commentators said he needs to give that up. Seriously, though. Things like that is what gets you penalized or hated by millions of fans. I can't stand that guy's attitude and his constant angry face. Even when he's smiling he looks angry. He hasn't even accomplished anything yet, except for almost making me hate Tom Brady less. Still, despite that mad face he could be the nicest guy in the world. Anyway, I'm probably just sour the Colts lost.

Injury Update: Antonio Gates Will Play Against The Colts

Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was on the field Sunday before San Diego's playoff game against Indianapolis and will play, according to head coach Norv Turner.

However, Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal, who is recovering from a broken leg, is inactive for the game.

"It's pretty sore," Gates told the San Diego Tribune on Friday. "It felt good Tuesday, but it doesn't feel as good today [Friday]. It's a tricky situation, it really it is."

Gates dislocated his left big toe late in the second quarter of Sunday's 17-6 wild-card win against Tennessee and didn't return. He has been undergoing intensive therapy on the injury in the hope of being available to help San Diego in its difficult away game in Indianapolis.

Brandon Manumaleuna was slated to take Gates' starting spot if he wasn't able to play.

"Right now, keeping pressure off of it is the best thing for it," Gates said. "It's just imperative that I keep the swelling out and I keep pressure off of it."

Gates was San Diego's leading receiver for the fourth straight season, with 75 catches for 984 yards and nine touchdowns.

Even with Antonio Gates playing, I don't think he'll be as big a factor this game as everyone is making him out to be, especially if he plays hurt. The Colts should roll in this one.

However, the interesting thing to note is that yesterday both the home-team favorites won. Will that happen again today? My guess is yea, but there is more speculation about the Giants upsetting the Cowboys than the Chargers upsetting the Colts.

The Future Of Coach Tony Dungy Is In Speculation

This is bad news for the Colts and Colts fans alike. Can you picture Peyton Manning talking on the sideline to any coach other than coach Dungy? I sure can't.

The good news is Coach Tony Dungy doesn't want to talk about retirement...yet.

Dungy, who has considered leaving football each of the past two years, acknowledged Thursday he would talk with his wife and Indianapolis officials about the future when the Colts' season ends.

Speculation about his potential departure was fueled by a report Thursday in The Tampa Tribune that said his son, Eric, enrolled at Plant High School in Florida. Eric Dungy, who turns 16 Saturday, was a receiver-defensive back at Park Tudor High School in Indianapolis the last two years but reportedly began attending classes at Plant on Tuesday.

Tony Dungy would not confirm the report.

"I'm not going to say anything because it's not really worthy of comment," he said. "I've heard and read a lot and some of it is true, some of it is partially true and some of it isn't true at all. I wouldn't read anything into any of the things you hear and read."

The 52-year-old Dungy signed a three-year contract extension in September 2005, a deal intended to keep him with the Colts through 2009.

But he has considered leaving football before.

He waited one week after the 2005 season to announce he would return when some speculated he might retire to spend more time with his family following the death of his 18-year-old son, James. Last year after leading the Colts to their first Super Bowl title in more than three decades, Dungy again briefly considered retirement.

And he's ready to follow the same decision-making process again this season.

"I'll sit down with my wife and talk it through and then talk to [owner] Jim [Irsay] and [president] Bill [Polian], like I do every year," Dungy said. "And then we'll take a look at it."

Since winning the Super Bowl, Dungy has become more involved in life away from football.

A longtime supporter of charitable groups such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters and All-Pro Dads, Dungy wrote a best-selling memoir, "Quiet Strength", which now has 1 million copies in print. He also was appointed to the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Dungy has said in the past he never intended to be a "lifer" in football and that he initially planned to retire by the time he was 50. But when he announced his return as Colts coach in February, Dungy said he still had the passion to keep coaching.

Colts players say they've seen no indication Dungy intended to leave.

"He's not said anything and I certainly hope not," Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday said.

Dungy is 127-65 in 12 seasons as a head coach, finishing his six-year career in Tampa Bay as the franchise's winningest coach. He is the only Colts coach to get double-digit victory totals and earn playoff berths in six straight seasons. He led the Buccaneers to the NFC Championship Game in 1999 and has been to the AFC Championship Game twice with the Colts, following the 2003 and 2006 seasons.

In 2007, the Colts became the first team in league history to win at least 12 games in five consecutive years, and Indy has won five straight AFC South titles. Dungy also has been an assistant coach with Minnesota, Kansas City and Pittsburgh and spent three seasons in the late '70s playing for the Steelers and San Francisco 49ers.

Indy's quest to repeat as Super Bowl champs begins Sunday when the San Diego Chargers visit for a divisional-round game that could mark the final time Indy plays in the RCA Dome. The new Lucas Oil Stadium, a retractable-roof dome, opens next season.

Dungy's assistant head coach, Jim Caldwell, also has become a regular on the interview circuit. He met with the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens about their openings last week and interviewed with the Arizona Cardinals last year.

My Analysis For This Weekend's NFL Divisional Playoff Games

Seattle At Green Bay (4:30 p.m.) - Brett Favre has learned to relax and trust his teammates, particularly a receiving corps that excels after the catch. The Packers running game has also improved with the addition of Grant. However, Seattle has been to the Super Bowl before with this same team and has five players named to the All-Pro team. Let's look at some statistics:

TEAM OFFENSE	TM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	SEA	349.0
	GNB	371.0
Yards Passing	SEA	247.8
	GNB	270.9
Yards Rushing	SEA	101.2
	GNB	99.8
TEAM DEFENSE	TM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	SEA	321.8
	GNB	313.3
Pass Yds Allowed	SEA	219.1
	GNB	210.4
Rush Yds Allowed	SEA	102.8
	GNB	102.

Gameday Matchup

	W	L	T	PF	PA	DIV	CON
SEA	10	6	0	24.6	18	5-1-0	8-4-0
GNB	13	3	0	27.2	18	4-2-0	9-3-0

As you can see, the Packers are better in just about every statistical category. Yes, I know they are in an easy division, but a win is a win. This is Favre's year and I see no reason the Packers should lose unless some odd, freaky stuff happens.

Jacksonville At New England (8:00 p.m.) - Just in case anyone hasn't heard, the Patriots haven't lost a game this season. However, I wonder if now that the Patriots have completed their undefeated season, will the NFL and the refs continue to favor them? Will Randy Moss continue to push off receivers to catch touchdown passes and the refs won't call it?

I don't even need to examine statistics for this game. However, the Jaguars were the hottest team coming into the playoffs. They have an insanely good running game, which is very important when playing the Patriots, who have trouble stopping the run. If the Jags can run the ball well, control the clock, and keep Tom Brady off the field, then they have a very good chance of winning. Even with that said, the Patriots always find a way to turn up the gears and come away with a victory. Therefore, I just can not go against the Patriots, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Jags pull an upset. Don't forget, David Garrard can also randomly take off running too when they need crucial yards, as proven last week.

San Diego At Indianapolis (1:00 p.m) - First, some injury updates. While Pro Bowler Antonio Gates rehabbed his dislocated left big toe, All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal returned to practice for the San Diego Chargers exactly one month after breaking his lower left leg. Gates dislocated his left big toe late in the second quarter of Sunday's 17-6 wild-card win against Tennessee and didn't return. He wasn't available to the media after practice.

"We're getting Antonio ready to play," coach Norv Turner said. "He's making progress, he's going through all his treatments and all those things. We'll see where he's at later in the week. He's making good progress. I have hope that he'll be able to play."

After hearing much speculation, however, Gates is doubtful for Sunday's game.

Meanwhile, Tony Dungy said Marvin Harrison was supposed to play in the final game of the season, but in the last second decided it would be better if he didn't. Now, Harrison has participated in practices all week and is most likely to play on Sunday, which is bad news for the Chargers.

At first, I liked the Chargers chances of winning just because the Colts are known as a team to choke at odd times. However, I no longer have that feeling. Why? Because if it took the Chargers 3 quarters to get their offense going against the Titans, then how do they expect to keep up with the Colts' offense? Also, the Colts' defense is better (Bob Sanders defensive player of the year) than the Titans.

Yes, I know the Chargers beat the Colts in the regular season and Peyton Manning threw a career high 6 interceptions that game, but I truly believe Manning and Dungy are the types of people who would look over the tapes of that game and make sure that doesn't happen again. Peyton Manning is too smart of a quarterback to let that happen again and I have full faith in him. Therefore, the Colts should win over the Chargers this Sunday.

New York Giants At Dallas (4:30 p.m.) - First, some injury updates. The good news for the Cowboys was that Terry Glenn went through his most rigorous practice since coming back from two knee operations. Glenn saw limited action in the season finale against Washington, but didn't catch a pass. On Wednesday, he went through an entire team workout for the first time since training camp.

However, Terrell Owens still wasn't able to practice Wednesday because of a high ankle sprain, continuing the drama of whether the Dallas Cowboys will have their newest All-Pro receiver for the playoff game Sunday against the New York Giants. Coach Wade Phillips didn't even see Owens on Wednesday, but knew he was doing all he could to get healthy. And if T.O. says he's ready to go at game time, Phillips will let him play.

If Terrell Owens plays, the Giants are going to lose. Its that simple. Terrell Owens creates such a distraction out there and is Tony Romo's favorite target. If not Owens, Romo has Glenn, Witten, and Crayton out there to throw too. The Cowboys have too much offense for the Giants to handle. Oh yea, and they have two decent running backs handy that they could switch in and out so they both can rest. Yes, I know the Cowboys have been slacking off lately, but they didn't care about that last game of the season.

If Terrell Owens doesn't play, the Giants have a very good chance of winning and things will be radically different. If you remove Terrell Owens, you are removing the second best receiver in football and the other receivers become covered because the defenders won't have to worry about what Terrell Owens is doing. The Giants are playing on the road, where they are 8-1, and they have been playing better than the Cowboys as of late in this season. Though things are starting to shift in the Giants favor, I believe Terrell Owens will play and the Cowboys will earn this win. However, if Terrell Owens doesn't play, it wouldn't surprise me if the Giants pulled off an upset.

And the issue with Jessica Simpson is not a distraction. Actually, its such a joke that the joke is becoming a distraction. Tony Romo is a professional football player and professional football players don't blame their private lives off the field for blowing the game on the field. If anything, the thought of Jessica Simpson should push Tony Romo to do better. Think of the reward she'll give him if he wins...

The Phoenix Suns Are An Offensive Scoring Machine

The Denver Nuggets scored 59 points by halftime. In normal circumstances, most teams would love to have 59 points by halftime. However, when you look across the scoreboard and see that you're playing the Phoenix Suns, who had 78 points by halftime, suddenly 59 isn't as impressive.

Shawn Marion scored a season-high 27 points, had six blocked shots, and hit five of Phoenix's 20 3-pointers to lead the Suns to a 137-115 romp over the Denver Nuggets in a matchup of division leaders Monday night.

Marion made 11-of-15 shots and grabbed 14 rebounds before leaving with 4:23 to play. The five 3-pointers, all of which came in the first half, matched a career-high. He equaled his career high with the six blocks. It was the fifth time Marion has had five 3s or six blocks.

Marcus Banks, who has played his way back into the Suns' rotation, made a career-high seven 3s -- in eight attempts -- en route to a season-best 23 points. The 20 3-pointers matched a franchise record and were one shy of the NBA record set by Toronto on March 13, 2005.

Grant Hill added 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Amare Stoudemire had 20 points and 10 rebounds as six Suns reached double figures.

As you can see, the numbers and stats for the Suns are staggering. I could keep going on and on (and I haven't even mentioned Steve Nash yet). The Phoenix Suns are a powerhouse offensive team. They are like the New England Patriots or Indianapolis Colts of football. They can score at will.

Its all very impressive, but there's a problems with this team. Every year I'm almost convinced that this is the year where they finally make it to and win the NBA Championship. However, they really need to work on their defense. That's the problem. If this team is as good as the numbers show, then why haven't they won the NBA Championship yet? If they had a better defense, this team would be unstoppable.

Indianopolis Colts' Bob Sanders Is The Top Defensive Player Of The Year

In a season where it looked as if the players and coaching staff on the New England Patriots were going to receive every award possible, Bob Sanders' impact on the vastly improved Indianapolis defense, not to mention his impact on opposing ball carriers, earned the Colts safety The Associated Press 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award Monday.

Sanders makes highlight films with his smash-mouth style and knack for always being near the ball. His value as a leader -- the Peyton Manning of the Colts' defense, if you will -- was just as much a factor in Indianapolis having the third-ranked unit in the NFL and allowing just 262 points, a league low.

Yes, these Colts can play dominating defense, and Sanders is the main reason.

"One of the things we talked about when he first got here was how critical this position is in this defense," said coach Tony Dungy, who has nicknamed Sanders "The Eraser."

"Donnie Shell went to five Pro Bowls, and John Lynch went to I don't even know how many Pro Bowls. You get asked to do a lot of things in this defense, and it's rare to find someone who can do those things."

Sanders did enough to earn 31 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. That was particularly impressive because it was a strong season for individual defensive performances.

Yet next closest in the balloting were Seattle end Patrick Kerney and Tennessee tackle Albert Haynesworth with four votes each.

Sanders was a huge factor in the Colts' surge to the Super Bowl title last year. He missed most of the regular season, got healthy for the playoffs, and suddenly teams couldn't run or pass effectively on Indy.

With Sanders in the lineup for 15 games this season, the Colts were superb defensively on their way to a 13-3 record and the AFC South crown.

Not that Sanders laid back in an attempt to stay healthy.

"[The award] is a goal I set for myself every year and for it to come so fast is something I never expected," Sanders said. "It's exciting, it's an honor and I will cherish this moment forever."

His teammates were celebrating right there next to him.

Indianapolis is typically regarded as an offensive juggernaut, and Sanders is the first Colts player to win the defensive award.

Plus, he did it in a season when the Colts lost their other key defender, Dwight Freeney, for the final seven games with a season-ending foot injury. Freeney was just one of a handful of starters who missed games, but Sanders remained the constant on defense.

Bob Sanders is just the fourth safety to be named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, which was first awarded in 1971.

Safety	Team
Bob Sanders	2007 Colts
Ed Reed	2004 Ravens
Kenny Easley	1984 Seahawks
Dick Anderson	1973 Dolphins

The Indianapolis Colts Are Breaking Records Of Their Own

The Indianapolis Colts are dishing out money left and right and its paying off. There is no doubt that the Colts' offense has been near the top of the list every year since Peyton Manning's mastery of the offensive system. However, a major contribution to what made them get to and win the Super Bowl last year was their lightning-fast defensive players who have taken all the criticism over the years and turned it into improvement. The Colts want to make sure they hold onto there players, even if it means dishing out record breaking offers to keep them. Then again, if a team offered more money, why would you want to sell yourself out and leave a huge franchise like the Colts?

After the 2003 season, quarterback Peyton Manning agreed to what was then a record $99.2 million, seven-year contract that contained a still-record $34.5 million signing bonus.

Before the start of training camp, Dwight Freeney signed a $72 million, six-year deal, making him the league's highest-paid defensive end. The contract included a $30 million signing bonus.

Now, Colts safety Bob Sanders has signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with Indianapolis that includes $20 million in guaranteed money, according to NFL sources.

Bob Sanders

The contract makes Sanders, 26, the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

The Pro Bowl selection, whose playoff performance sparked the Colts on their run to a Super Bowl victory last season, would have been an unrestricted free agent after this season. Sanders is a strong contender for this year's NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.

My Interpretation Of Week 16 In The NFL

This week was so important that instead of going through each game, I'm only going to write about the games that are meaningful in some way. There's great debate over which teams played hard and which teams didn't because they either locked up a seed in the playoffs and don't want to hurt their starters or they have nothing to play for anymore.

New York Giants 38 beat Buffalo 21 - This win was incredibly important for the Giants. If they would have lost, they would have lost to the Patriots next week and their chances of making a Wild Card would have been very slim. However, because of this win, they clinched the fifth seed. Neither rain, sleet nor snow -- and not even Bills tight end Kevin Everett's inspirational return to Buffalo -- could prevent the New York Giants from clinching a playoff berth Sunday. A rediscovered running attack and an opportunistic defense carried the Giants past the Bills and the elements in a 38-21 win. I notivced how the Giants, at least for this important game, didn't put their trust in Eli Manning, who only threw for 15 passes and 2 interceptions. He was terrible again. He can't play in cold weather. If the Giants are going to advance in the playoffs, they need to do it through the ground game, which was amazing today. Now, will the Giants play lights out football against the Patriots to try to be the only team to stop them in their final week or will they rest? They should play their hardest and consider next week a trial run for the playoffs.

Chicago 35 beat Green Bay 7 - This was totally unexpected and surprising. The three-time MVP, Brett Favre, was at his worst, and now, Green Bay can forget about the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Brian Urlacher returned an interception for a touchdown for the first time in his career, Adrian Peterson ran for 102 yards, and the Chicago Bears beat the Packers 35-7 on a frigid Sunday afternoon. The loss wiped out the Packers' shot at home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Packers needed to win this game, beat Detroit next week and have Dallas lose to Washington to capture the No. 1 seed. Instead, it goes to the Cowboys, with Green Bay locked in at No. 2. Here's what Favre had to say: "I've been playing 17 years, and that was the worst condition I've ever played in." THATS A TERRIBLE Excuse. He's been playing in one of those harshest weather-conditioned stadiums of all time. He should be used to poor weather.

Cincinnati 19 beat Cleveland 14 - Again, this was a shocker to me. What happened to the amazing Browns offense? Anderson threw four interceptions Sunday, two of them setting up rapid-fire touchdowns in a 19-14 victory by the Cincinnati Bengals that left the upstart Browns scrambling for a playoff spot instead of celebrating one. The bottom line is that if the Titans pull off a win against the Colts, who will probably rest their starters most of the game, then the Browns are out regardless if they win.

Indianapolis 38 beat Houston 15 - This was a breeze as the Colts scored 38 unanswered points. Peyton Manning looked sharp, Indy's running game was efficient, the defense forced three turnovers and there was no letdown Sunday in what's likely to be the Colts final postseason tuneup. They are ready for the playoffs, with or without Marvin Harrison. What's wrong with that guy's knee anyway? Is it decapitated or something?

San Fransisco 21 beat Tampa Bay 19 - The only reason why I mention this game is because Tampa Bay is an example of a team who already clinched and could care less if they lose to a less than par team like the 49ers. By resting most of its playmakers, Tampa Bay also got everything it wanted out of a game that only held real meaning for Bryant Young, the 49ers' stalwart defensive tackle.

Tennessee 10 beat New York Jets 6 - The Tennessee Titans have a chance to win their way into their first playoff berth since 2003, thanks to help from Cincinnati. Pro Bowler Kyle Vanden Bosch had three of Tennessee's six sacks and Chris Brown ran for a touchdown as the Titans beat the New York Jets 10-6 on Sunday for their third victory in four games and their first winning season since 2003. The Titans (9-6) knew the Bengals defeated the Cleveland Browns 19-14, giving them the edge in tiebreakers if tied at 10-6 for the AFC's final wild-card berth once the regular season ends. It gave them a boost, but they still had to beat the Jets (3-12), which they did. Now, if they beat the Colts next week, they are automatically in. Now, if I was the Colts I would be asking myself whether I would let the Titans win or have the Browns in the playoffs. Since the Colts own the Titans and beat them all the time, I'd let them win and beat them in the playoffs.

New England 28 beat Miami 7 - Bill Belichick and the Patriots are complete liars when they say they don't care about the records. You know they want to break every record they can. They already have 3 Super Bowl wins, so now they want the records too.

Washington 32 beat Minnesota 21 - Playing the kind of hard-nosed, harder-hitting defense that fallen teammate Sean Taylor was famous for, the Washington Redskins shut down Adrian Peterson and set up two early touchdowns with interceptions to take control of their playoff fate with a 32-21 victory over the sloppy Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. Peterson had nowhere to go all night, gaining just 27 yards on nine carries. Tarvaris Jackson's rebound from a disastrous start came too little, too late for the Vikings (8-7), who could have clinched a playoff berth with a win. The Vikings don't impressive me anymore and they are simple to beat. If you shut down the running game, which hasn't been so hard lately, they have nothing else going for them. Now, if Minnesota and Washington lose next week, and the Saints win next week, the Saints are automatically in. Right now, the Vikings and Redskins are tied for the last seed.

Dallas 20 beat Carolina 13 - Its official now. The Cowboys are statistically the #1 team in the NFC.

My Predictions For Week 16 Of The NFL

Thursday

Pittsburgh At St. Louis - This is a very big game for the Steelers, who have the Browns breathing down their necks in the AFC North. Jacksonville pushed the Steelers around Heinz Field on Sunday. If not for Ben Roethlisberger's heroics, the game would not have gone down to the wire. While St. Louis isn't nearly as big and physical as the Jaguars, Pittsburgh will be on the road with little preparation or healing time for Thursday night's contest. Despite these facts, I still like the Steelers to pull out a victory in this one. Look for the league leading rusher Willie Parker to have a good game.

Saturday

Dallas At Carolina - I seriously doubt Jessica Simpson's global positioning on this Earth had any kind of gravitational effect on Tony Romo's poor performance last week. That's one of the greatest excuses I've heard though. The Cowboys need to rebound after a terrible outing against the Eagles last week. They need to win in order to hold onto home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Carolina was impressive last week, but can they make it two weeks in a row? I think not.

Sunday

New York Giants At Buffalo - Is anyone aware that the Giants may not make the playoffs. They play the Patriots next week (thats an automatic loss), so if they don't win this week and the teams behind the Giants win their last 2 games, then the Giants are out. Buffalo is scratching for a Wild Card with the Browns and Titans. This has the makings of a very good inter-state game and I like the Bills to upset the Giants.

Green Bay At Chicago - With the Cowboys stumbling a week ago, the Packers are breathing down their neck to position themselves for the No. 1 playoff spot. After last week's disappointing loss for the Bears, they have nothing to play for. Just give the win to the Packs.

Cleveland At Cincinnati - The Bengals were utterly unimpressive in their Saturday night loss in San Francisco, but now they get an extra day to prepare for this home game. In a crucial game for the AFC wild-card picture, Cleveland defeated the Bills last week in nasty Cleveland weather. Cincinnati was officially eliminated from the postseason after Week 14, making this season a major disappointment. The Browns have stayed remarkably healthy and are battling Pittsburgh for the lead in the AFC North. While the Browns have put together a very impressive season, they are just 3-4 on the road. In Week 2, these teams combined for a whopping 96 points and 1,085 offensive yards in a narrow Cleveland victory. Look for Cleveland to win again.

Kansas City At Detroit - I must stick with my theme (despite all stats and facts) and pick the Chiefs just because Kitna promised 10 wins. This loss will make loss #9....with 1 more week to go.

Houston At Indianapolis - The Texans are coming off two impressive wins and still have a mathematical chance to make the postseason. They would like to finish the season out with a four game winning streak, which would give them their best record since the franchise started. The Colts have wrapped up a bye for the first week of the playoffs and home field advantage until they possibly meet the Patriots for the AFC championship. This is actually tough to pick. Immediately I would choose the Colts to win, but unlike a team like the Patriots, the Colts are actually respectful and would bench their starters this late in the season if they got out to a big lead. Even still, Sorgi is a great player and I like the Colts regardless of who's playing.

Philadelphia At New Orleans - These two teams met in the playoffs last season and the Saints won to advance to the NFC championship game. Right now the Saints are just trying to fight for their playoff lives and the Eagles were eliminated once the Vikings won on Monday night. New Orleans QB Drew Brees to WR Marques Colston has been one of the most lethal combinations in the NFL over the second half of the season, but I like the Eagles secondary to shut them down and get the win.

Atlanta At Arizona - There aren't many easy wins in the NFL, but the hard-luck Falcons might be one. Atlanta is beyond struggling right now and it's to a point where it is just trying to find any and all competitiveness left to finish the season strong. Even though the shots of the Cardinals making the playoffs are next to none, they will still get this win because they would like to finish on a good note.

Oakland At Jacksonville - Based on the way Oakland has been playing and based on the way the Jags have been playing (one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now), its a no brainer to pick the Jags.

Tampa Bay At San Fransisco - The Buccaneers have clinched a divisional title but are hoping to fine tune their offense as QB Jeff Garcia returned last weekend after missing two games with a back injury. This is also a return to the city where he led the 49ers from 2000 through 2003 and went to the Pro Bowl three times. I think this is a game where the Bucs, having already clinched, will fall asleep and let the 49ers win.

New York Jets At Tennessee - The Titans must win in order to stay in the playoff hunt, while the Jets are looking to build on a strong outing against the Patriots. Under head coach Eric Mangini the Jets have played their best football in the second half of the season, while Titans head coach Jeff Fisher continues to have his players playing at a high level. Expect the Titans to come out pounding the ball against a Jets run defense that has struggled all season. The Titans should win this and Vince Young should be entertaining as the Jets try to contain him.

Baltimore At Seattle - The Ravens have lost seven games in a row. They are beat up on the defensive side of the ball especially at the CB position where they may once again be without starters Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle. How will they deal with Seattle's passing attack this week after giving up 315 passing yards last week to Dolphins QB Cleo Lemon? The Seahawks are coming off an extremely ugly road loss last week and this is the week they bounce back at home.

Miami At New England - Wouldn't it be so ironic if the only team to go undefeated stops the Patriots from doing so and preserving their record. If the winter conditions in the Northeast continue through the weekend, it could make the passing game take a back seat to the ground game, which would serve as an equalizer to an underdog, especially since the Patriots lack a running game. I will pick the Patriots to win, but I will be cheering on Miami to perform the biggest upset in decades.

Washington At Minnesota - The Vikings and the Redskins are both still in the hunt for the last Wild Card playoff spot in the NFC. Peterson and Taylor are running behind the best offensive line in football right now. Despite how poorly the Vikings have been playing (I wrote an article about this), I still like them over the Redskins.

Denver At San Diego - Forget the records these teams bring into the final Monday night game of the season, because this is an intense divisional rivlary no matter what and both teams are sure to play hard on this stage. Expected this game too be heated and close, but expect LT and the Chargers to pull out a win. San Diego is a very dangerous team heading into the playoffs with a dominating running game behind LaDainian Tomlinson and a defense that is attacking offenses much more in recent weeks.

My Interpretation Of Week 15 In The NFL

Cleveland 8 beat Buffalo 0 - I said this was the game of the week. Actually, this game was boring, unless you're a big fan of defense and no scoring. Jamal Lewis plowed for 163 yards and Phil Dawson managed to kick two field goals through harsh, wintry winds as the surprising Browns improved their postseason chances with an 8-0 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. If the Browns win next week, they can clinch their first playoff birth since 2002. Actually, with the way the Steelers have been playing, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Browns take the division.

Tennessee 26 beat Kansas City 17 - The franchise now known as the Tennessee Titans hadn't won in Kansas City in exactly 17 years.Vince Young passed for 191 yards and two touchdowns and Rob Bironas kicked four field goals Sunday, leading Tennessee to a much-needed 26-17 victory that kept the Titans in the AFC playoff picture. Though I don't believe they will grab the Wild Card, especially since their last game is against the Colts, the Titans are certainly making a valiant effort. I can't say the same for Kansas City, who fell to its seventh straight defeat.

Green Bay 33 beat St. Louis 14 - What a productive day for the Packers. They slaughter the Rams, Brett Favre finally reached the milestone for most passing yards in a career (sorry Dan Marino, you can be remembered as the guy who did not win a Super Bowl and now all your records are being broken), and Dallas lost, which means Green Bay still has a very real chance to get home-field advantage.

Miami (?) 22 beat Baltimore 16 - I declare the Ravens the worst team in football. There season already went down the tubes, but c'mon, they lost to Miami! Nobody wants to lose to the Dolphins nor did I think anybody would ever lose to that team. Well, Miami finally earned their first win. The Miami Dolphins acted as though they'd never won a game before. When Greg Camarillo turned a short completion into a 64-yard touchdown in overtime, the bench quickly cleared, with players sprinting en masse to the end zone to mob their teammate. The stunning play made the Dolphins a winner for the first time in more than a year, ensuring they'll avoid the first 0-16 season in NFL history. They beat the Baltimore Ravens 22-16. Now, maybe next week they can beat the Patriots and preserve their record.....

New England 20 beat New York Jets 10 - You gotta love the New England Patriots. You gotta love how Randy Moss pushed off the defender, but they called it defensive pass interference which set them up for the game winning score. You gotta love how on that same play the ball Randy Moss caught hit the ground, but the refs would not dare call it incomplete. You gotta love the challenge by the Patriots that led to an incomplete touchdown pass which, if complete, would have put the Jets in position to win. You also gotta love the holding call which pushed the Jets back and made the field goal attempt harder to make (and the Jets didn't make it). You gotta love the New England Patriots.

New Orleans 31 beat Arizona 24 - This was an amazing high scoring game between 2 quarterbacks who love to throw. It could have went either way, but Brees' lack of mistakes led to a victory. With a loss severely hurting playoff hopes for either team, the game was a high-anxiety affair. Played indoors, it was no less sloppy than some of the weather-affected contests far to the north. Even still, Brees connected on 86.7 percent of his throws for 315 yards and two touchdowns, keeping the Saints' playoff hopes alive.

Jacksonville 29 beat Pittsburgh 22 - What is wrong with the Steelers these past few weaks? If they didn't get off to such a good start, their chances for making the playoffs would be in more danger than it is now. The Steelers couldn't have designed a more Pittsburgh-perfect day for an important December home game. They whipped up everything a warm-weather opponent wouldn't want: snow, swirling winds, chilly temperatures and a marshy field. Somehow, the weatherproof Jacksonville Jaguars shrugged off the bad weather and the Steelers, too, in a stadium where no opponent had won in a year.Fred Taylor scored a decisive touchdown on a 12-yard run in the final two minutes while gaining 147 yards, and the Jaguars (10-4) withstood Pittsburgh's fourth-quarter comeback for a 29-22 victory Sunday that put them on the verge of making the AFC playoffs. Good thing the Colts own the Jags, so I'm not scared of them.

Tampa Bay 37 beat Atlanta 3 - I'm lost for words at how bad the Falcons are. Redman started the game and by the end of the game he put together a whole 45 yards! The highlight of this game was that it took 32 seasons and 1,865 tries, but the Bucs finally returned a kickoff for a touchdown Sunday. Micheal Spurlock broke into the open and turned up the sideline with a clear path to the end zone.

Carolina 13 beat Seattle 10 - I just think the Seahawks didn't care about this one. The Panthers have more of a story. Becoming the fourth quarterback to start for the Panthers this season, Moore engineered three scoring drives in the fourth quarter and outplayed two-time Pro Bowler Matt Hasselbeck, as the Panthers stunned the Seattle Seahawks 13-10. In a bizarre game played in a strong wind that stayed scoreless for more than three quarters, Moore didn't turn it over and the Panthers defense turned in its best performance of the season.

Indianapolis 21 beat Oakland 14 - The Colts were giving me a slight scare when Oakland took the lead, but it was nothing to worry about. Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts took until midway through the fourth quarter before putting together their first touchdown drive of the game. Manning threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Gonzalez with 4:49 remaining for the Colts' first offensive touchdown of the game, and Indianapolis rallied to beat the Oakland Raiders 21-14 Sunday and clinch a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs.

Philadelphia 10 beat Dallas 6 - Westbrook's maneuver with a little more than two minutes left seemed bizarre, but was brilliant strategy. With Dallas out of timeouts, all Donovan McNabb had to do was take a knee three straight times to give the Eagles a 10-6 victory Sunday. Westbrook gained 24 yards, then stopped inside the 1. He wasn't rubbing it in, just running out the clock. The Eagles are a lot like your average football team, meaning they aren't streaky one way or another. One week they are amazing and the next week they are awful. You never know what you're going to get out of them. I just don't think Dallas took them seriously though. Philadelphia (6-8) ended a three-game losing streak, kept alive hopes of snagging a wild-card playoff berth and avenged a nationally televised blowout loss to Dallas six weeks ago. The Eagles also ended the Cowboys' seven-game winning streak and prevented them from tying the franchise record for wins in a season. As bad as it sounds for Dallas (12-2), the Cowboys knew before kickoff they'd secured a first-round bye and that they couldn't lock up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. So the stakes were pretty low. And they played like it.

San Diego 51 beats Detroit 14 - Kitna now has 8 losses....with 2 more weeks.....he will have 10 losses.....not 10 wins. He's gotta be feeling pretty stupid. Oh, and he threw five interceptions this game. Is that how you get 10 wins Kitna?? By throwing 5 interceptions?? Meanwhile, LT lit up the scoreboard and he's back and dangerous as he should be.

Houston 31 beat Denver 16 - Last year's No 1 pick Mario Williams is still on the team? Apparently, but until Thursday you would never know. Last year's No. 1 pick had a career-high 3½ sacks among seven tackles to lead the Houston Texans to a 31-13 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night in Houston's first prime-time game in two years. I still think that was a waste of the No. 1 pick, however.

San Fransisco 20 beat Cincinnati 13 - 2 boring teams + Saturday night = Me not paying attention to this game. The San Francisco 49ers finally came together as the team they imagined three months ago. Shaun Hill passed for 197 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in his first NFL start, and the 49ers beat the Bengals 20-13 on Saturday night for just their second victory in 12 games.

Washington 16 is beating New York Giants 3 - The 9-4 Giants, despite their winning record, are another team like the Eagles where you just never know what you're going to get. I don't know how many times I said I give up on them, then a few weeks later I begin to support them, then give up, then support. Even when they win, it's ugly and unimpressive. Right now, they are losing to the Redskins in a boring performance.

For Monday

Chicago At Minnesota - I can't wait to see the Vikings duo run all over the field on Monday Night Football. I can only imagine how much ESPN is going to praise Peterson.

Football Predictions For Week 15 Of The NFL

I can't believe how time flies. It seems like just yesterday the season started.

Thursday

Denver At Houston - This is a great Thursday night game of evenly matched teams fighting for their playoff lives. I will term this a coin toss win, but I can see the Texans winning if Andre Johnson can burn the Broncos' secondary.

Saturday

Cincinnati At San Fransisco - While this isn't the most exciting matchup of the week, it is the only NFL game on Saturday night, which is ample reason to watch. San Francisco is at the bottom of the league by a substantial margin with a minus-141 point differential and was dominated at home last week by the Vikings. Needless to say, the 49ers have not lived up to expectations this year. The same can be said for Cincinnati, who has been riddled with injuries throughout the season, but injuries alone do not excuse the Bengals' 5-8 record. With all that said, I'd still choose the Bengals over the 49ers.

Sunday

Buffalo At Cleveland - Quite possibly the most exciting game of the week in terms of playoff implications. It seems Buffalo came out of nowhere and the winner of this game will most likely grab a Wild Card spot. The Bills have been a gritty defensive club with a hard-nosed ground attack; the Browns have tried to outscore opponents as they have the worst-ranked defense in the league. This should be an outstanding contest between the second-best club in the AFC North and the second-best team in the AFC East. I believe the Browns will edge the Bills in this one.

Tennessee At Kansas City -This game is critical for Tennessee to win. The Titans pretty much have their backs to the wall if they want to make it to the postseason while Kansas City is already out of the race. Tennessee suffered a heart-breaking loss to the Chargers at home on Sunday, but I see no reason why they should lose this week.

Green Bay At St. Louis - This is a match of two teams going in opposite directions. The Packers and Favre have exceeded expectations while the Rams haven't lived up to any expectations. Both teams still have powerful offenses and in this shootout I'd obviously take the Packers.

Baltimore At Miami - Baltimore is on a huge losing skid. How does a team stop a losing streak? By playing Miami of course! Miami will be starting Cleo Lemon instead of John Beck, who never scored a point.

New York Jets At New England - I live in New York, so I have no choice but to watch this putrid mess of a game. The Patriots will run up the score on the Jets, but they have every right to. After all, Mangini was the one who exposed Belichick and turned millions of football fans to question and dislike the Patriots.

Arizona At New Orleans - This is another highlight game of the week. While the Arizona Cardinals are coming off a disappointing loss, the New Orleans Saints have given themselves a chance with a road win in Week 14. The loser of this meeting will be out of postseason consideration. Both teams are banged up in certain positions. Reserves need to step up. This will be an intriguing matchup between two young coaches of inconsistent teams. This is another coin toss game, but I'd take the Cards over the Saints because the Cards have the better running game and Warner doesn't screw up as much Brees.

Jacksonville At Pittsburgh - This is another great game. In fact, this whole week of football is so dramatic. This should be an excellent matchup between 9-4 football teams. The Jags' victory last week all but wrapped up the fifth seed in the AFC playoff picture. Heinz Field is a very tough place to play and the Steelers are a perfect 7-0 at home. The Jags defense is amazing, but the Steelers' defense is the best. The Steelers, however, edge the Jags in offense and that's why I pick them to go 8-0 at home.

Atlanta At Tampa Bay - The Falcons are playing for next year while the Bucs want to wrap up a divisional title this weekend. I have nothing new to say about the Falcons' horrible season on and off the field that hasn't been said already. Just hand this win to the Bucs.

Seattle At Carolina - Again, these are two franchises going in opposite directions. Carolina was completely dismantled by the Jaguars last week and has no hope of getting into the postseason. Seattle locked up the NFC West in decisive fashion with a 42-21 victory against divisional rival Arizona. The Seahawks are peaking at the right time, having won five in a row coming down the homestretch. The Seahawks are playing very well on both sides of the ball and I see no reason why they should lose against the Panthers.

Indianapolis At Oakland - Was Marvin Harrison injured? Did the Colts have 7 injuries at one point? You would never know with the success that the Colts have displayed this season. They'll beat Oakland silly.

Philadelphia At Dallas - In the first meeting between these two teams the Cowboys embarrassed the Eagles. This is a classic NFC East rivalry. The Cowboys need a win to stay in front of the Packers for NFC supremacy, while the Eagles must win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. I can easily see Owens catching 2 TDs and 100 total yards in a win over his ex-team. He shouldn't let what Keyshaun said get to him. Just look at who's on the field catching touchdowns every week and who isn't.

Detroit At San Diego - I'm telling you. Kitna actually meant 10 losses, not 10 wins. While the Lions are coming off a last-minute loss, which forces them to run the table to have a chance at the postseason the Chargers have put more distance between themselves and the rest of the AFC West with an overtime road victory. The Chargers came from behind in a dramatic effort on Sunday that gave them their fourth win in the past five contests. The Lions are reeling from their fifth loss in a row and are trying to avoid a total collapse in the second half of the season. The Chargers will beat them and this loss will be #8...2 more to go with 2 weeks left. Has any guarantees by players come in this year?

Washington At New York Giants - The Giants escaped Philadelphia in Week 14 with a 16-13 victory and have clearly established themselves as the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs. However, the Giants simply need to stop turning the ball over so frequently. New York is only .500 at home this year and has yet to defeat a team with a winning record. I'm going to pick the Giants to win over the Redskins and actually feel more confident in this team than usual, at least for now.

Monday

Chicago At Minnesota - A chance to show off the Vikings running game on Monday night. Chester Taylor, Adrian Peterson, take your pic. Not even real Bears could catch up to them. Vikings will win over the Bears.

My Interpretation Of Week 14 Of The NFL

Bills 38 beat Miami 17 - See what a difference Trent Edwards is over J.P. Losman! It's like a brand new team. The Bills keep their playoff hopes alive while Miami continues towards the inevitable.

Cincinnati 19 beat St. Louis 10 - Rain pelted Brock Berlin's face as he settled in for his first regular-season snap in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams. He called signals in misty breaths, then got decked when he let go of a pass. Palmer and Berlin both played terrible, this was a meaningless game, and thats everything you need to know.

Dallas 28 beat Detroit 27 - Kitna's promise for 10 wins was a curse that may come back to haunt them. They could actually lose 10 games! Tony Romo played amazing again and connected with Witten and Barber enough times to climb back into the lead after trailing most of the game. I have nothing but awe and amazement for the way the Cowboys play and fight hard. The Patriots await them.

Green Bay 38 beat Oakland 7 - Favre started and with this win, the Packers clinched their division. Grant and the special teams helped Farve win this one. I'd like to say something supportive of Oakland, but that's impossible.

San Diego 23 Tennessee 17 - This was a nail biter to the end. After a frustratingly slow start, the Chargers were able to tie the game to send it to overtime. Tomlinson's overtime touchdown capped the Chargers comeback. Vince Young had a terrible game, but in his defense, he was hurt. Still, this knocks the Titans out of the Wild Card.

New York Giants 16 beat Philadelphia 13 - What happened here? I never expected this. The Giants survived a last minute drive to slip by the Eagles. With this win, the Giants solidified their Wild Card spot and ruined any chance the Eagles had for a second Wild Card. This win actually convinces me the Giants are at least a decent team now....but they'll still get slammed if they play the Packers or Cowboys.

Jacksonville 37 beat Carolina 6 - Blowout. Blowout. Blowout. The Jaguars solidified their spot for a Wild Card. Their defense dominated this game and Fred Taylor did an excellent job running the ball. The Panthers, however, were awful and I blame it on Testaverde. The Panthers need a future quarterback desperately.

Houston 28 beat Tampa Bay 14 - Sage Rosenfels threw for three touchdowns to lead the Texans (6-7) to an upset victory over the Tampa Bay Buccanners. He has won both games he's started in place of the injured Matt Schaub. I really underestimated Rosenfels and I think the Bucs did too. Garcia didn't start and that's why their 2 touchdowns came from their running game. The Bucs can afford to lose one anyway; that division provides less than a challenge. The Texans are still fighting for a Wild Card.

Minnesota 27 beat San Fransisco 7 - This is why the Vikings are such a dangerous team. The 49ers stopped Peterson. That's great....but Taylor ran all over them. They have 2 amazing threats in the backfield. The Vikings keep their winning streak alive and move into a deserving 6th place in the NFC.

Seattle 42 beat Arizona 21 - Hasselbeck's four touchdown passes helped the Seahawks clinch the NFC west title. This team's aerial attack continues to amaze me. Kurt Warner put up some great passing yards and touchdowns, but 5 interceptions is just too many mistakes for any aerial attack to survive. Everyone can't pull a Tony Romo.

Denver 41 beat Kansas City 7 - Jay Cutler must have read all the harsh, negative comments I said about him in a previous post and really wanted to prove me wrong. Cutler tossed a career high four touchdowns as the Broncos destroyed the Chiefs. So Cutler finally had a great game. Good for him.....now do that for 3 more games. I still don't believe in him or the Broncos.

Cleveland 24 beat New York Jets 18 - You have to hand it to the Jets. This poor team has nothing to play for except pride and they tried so very hard to beat the mighty Browns....and they almost did too. Fortunately for the Browns, Joe Jurevicius recovered 2 late onside kicks to stop the rallying Jets. However, the Browns were annoying me this game because I was finally able to watch this high-powered offense on tv....and they didn't play well.

New England 34 beat Pittsburgh 13 - ...and the conspiracy (oops I mean "perfect season") continues....

Indianapolis 37 is beating Baltimore 7 - This game has gone to the half. Boy was I wrong. Shame on me to go against my favorite team. I thought the Ravens were going to come out fired up after last week's controversial loss. Instead, the Ravens look as if they need Prozac. Their offense and defense is barely trying. I guess I would enter into a deep state of depression too after that loss last week. Manning and the Colts' defense is shredding them apart so badly its not even worth watching. This solidifies my point about when the Patriots games aren't nationally televised (like this week's game), they blow teams out. However, when they are televised, the games are kept close to keep them exciting in order to draw an audience in. The NFL loves the Patriots as a money making tool.

For Monday

New Orleans At Atlanta - What a boring Monday night game. Take the Saints and then go to bed.

Football Predictions For Week 14 Of The NFL

I want everyone to be aware of a few things going into this week: Though the New England Patriots will most likely go undefeated for the regular season after that come from behind win last week, there is still tons of drama for the Wild Card teams and anything can happen in the playoffs.

Thursday

Chicago At Washington - This is a game of literally two evenly matched teams at 5-7 who are both coming off tough losses. Though this is a coin toss game of 2 teams pursuing the Wild Card, Portis and Betts will run over the Bears' defense and the Redskins will get the win.

Sunday

Miami At Buffalo - After last week's loss to the Jets, I am never picking Miami until they give me a reason to.

St. Louis At Cincinnati - This is theoretically supposed to be a match of two extremely high powered offenses, but I haven't seen much offense from either team. St. Louis will win, however, because at least they have a somewhat consistent defense when compared to the Bengals. Also, the decision to start Bulger is leaning more and more towards a yes.

Dallas At Detroit - The Cowboys are the Lions' next rough game in what could be the hardest schedule in the NFL. This should theoretically be another high scoring game and I can see that happening with Dallas coming out on top.

Oakland At Green Bay - The Packers loss last week against the Cowboys was only a warm-up for the playoffs and a minor set back. They will trounce the Raiders even though Favre is still questionable to start.

San Diego At Tennessee - Interesting how these two teams both have identical records (7-5), but the Chargers own their division while the Titans are staying alive for a Wild Card. I just think the Chargers have finally come alive and LT is returning to meet the high expectations the media had for him. Therefore, Chargers win.

New York Giants At Philadelphia - This is a great division rivalry game with serious playoff implications. I would actually label this a coin toss game because Eli is streaky as usual which could cost the Giants the game, but the Eagles have also been streaky. However, the Eagles need this win badly and their defense will bring the pressure on Eli, forcing him to make stupid mistakes and lose the game. Also, McNabb thinks he's ready to play, not that he's much of a difference at this point from Feeley.

Carolina At Jacksonville - The Panthers stopped a five-game losing skid in Week 13 against the 49ers while the Jaguars lost a tough one at Indianapolis. I just can not find any reasons why the Panthers could win this game.

Tampa Bay At Houston - I can see the Texans upsetting the Bucs, but because Matt Schaub is still questionable, I'm going to have to take the Bucs in this one.

Minnesota At San Francisco - I think the question with the Vikings at this point is not whether they will win, but how many yards will Adrian Peterson have against the 49ers' horrible defense.

Arizona At Seattle - This is a huge game in the NFC West divisional race as we start the final quarter of the regular season. The Seahawks will be looking to get some revenge for their Week 2 loss in Arizona. Can the Cardinals match up with their injured secondary against the Seahawks' spread receiver packages? The Seahawks and Shaun Alexander just look so much more comfortable that I have to take them.

Kansas City At Denver - These teams have been doing so bad lately even the Bills have a better record than both of them. This is a divisional matchup between two rivals that know each other very well and don't like each other. The Broncos can't afford to lose another game if they have any ideas about making the playoffs. Both teams want to stop losing streaks; Denver has lost two straight, while the Chiefs have lost their last five. I don't understand why analysts scrutinize young quarterbacks like Rivers, Young, and Eli Manning so much, but I never hear them say bad things about Cutler. He's as streaky as Eli. I'm picking the Chiefs for a minor upset.

Cleveland At New York Jets - This may be closer than one would expect. Remember, the Browns don't have a great defense and the Jets can put points on the board. However, they would need to score a lot and that isn't going to happen. Browns will roll on them.

Pittsburgh At New England - I REALLY want to say Steelers, but the NFL and their referees prohibit me from doing so.

Indianapolis At Baltimore - How lovely of the NFL to put the Colts back on a night game. I thought it would be the Patriots every Sunday or Monday night. Unfortunately, I have bad news for the Colts. Since the Patriots are better than the Colts this year, and the Ravens played their hearts out to beat the Patriots but lost for whatever reason (fair or unfair).....Wouldn't you think they are going to play just as hard against the Colts to avenge that lost since they are extremely angry and fired up? If the Colts were playing any other team except the Patriots, I would pick them, but because they happen to be playing the Ravens at this particular time, I'm going to go against my favorite team and pick the Ravens (especially their defense) to win in the upset of the week. Also, the Ravens are at home...that's always a boost.

Monday

New Orleans At Atlanta - Atlanta doesn't give me any reason why I should pick them. I think they are ranked 29th in the power rankings. Just go with the Saints.

My Interpretation of Week 13 of the NFL

I just want to say how unexciting this week was for me. Other than the Packers-Cowboys game and the Jaguars-Colts game, nothing else excited me. Oh well, onto the games:

Dallas 37 beat Green Bay 27 - I already said what I thought about this game in a previous post. In a nutshell, Dallas has separated themselves from the rest of the NFC and my theory of a quarterback not having a lot of experience is thrown out the window.

Tennessee 28 beat Houston 20 - Just when I was ready to give up on Vince Young and the Titans, Young rallies to lead his team to victory and keep their hopes alive for a Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, Houston's season is done, but they made a better effort than I expected and in their process of rebuilding should be even stronger next year.

Indianapolis 28 beat Jacksonville 25 - OK. I want to meet the bright analysts who actually ranked the Jaguars ahead of the Colts in the power rankings! That implies that Garrard is better than Manning. Well, this victory, though a slim one, should answer any questions to which team is better. The Colts pretty much clinched their division with this victory, but the Jags are still in it for the Wild Card.

San Diego 24 beat Kansas City 10 - This was a no brainer. LT and the Chargers finally decided to charge their battery towards the end of the season. They have that division won. Keep an eye on them in the playoffs.

St. Louis 28 beat Atlanta 16 - I figured this would be a coin toss win, but too much Rams offense in this one gave them a victory. Always nice to see Stephen Jackson do well.

New York Jets 40 beat Miami 13 - And I actually picked Miami to get their first win. What was I thinking. However, I haven't seen the Jets play this good the whole season. Who knew? If last week's 3-0 loss to the Steelers was Miami's best shot to get their first win, this week was also a very good opportunity. Now I'm convinced never to pick Miami for the rest of the season.

Minnesota 42 beat Detroit 10 - Did Adrian Peterson have some kind of knee injury? You would never have been able to tell based on his performance this game. He is truly amazing. The Vikings deserve a Wild Card spot and keep an eye on them in the playoffs. Jackson has also been playing decent recently.

Seattle 28 beat Philadelphia 24 - This was a close game, but Feeley's 3 interceptions (especially when they were in position to win) cost the Eagles the game. I'm torn now. Do I want McNabb's inconsistency back or stick with Feeley who was never great to begin with? The Eagles have quarterback issues. Meanwhile, Seattle continues to hold their lead in their division over Arizona.

Buffalo 17 beat Washington 16 - This game upset me. I can't believe after Sean Taylor's death the NFL allowed the Bills to squeak by the Redskins by a point at the very end of the game. I figured out of respect the Redskins would win. I guess Buffalo still wants a Wild Card. Fat chance that is going to happen.

Carolina 31 beat San Fransisco 14 - Another no brainer. The most notable thing here is that Testaverde led the Panthers to their first home win of the season.

Oakland 34 beat Denver 20 - This was probably a surprise to many. Denver just loss any chance of winning their division and will not be in the playoffs since I can remember. Behind McCown's arm, the Raiders ended their 5 game skid to the Broncos.

Arizona 27 beat Browns 21 - This didn't surprise me too much as well. Though the Browns are a powerhouse offense, they simply made too many mistakes in this game and the Cardinals are not a team you want to be making mistakes to because they've been hot as of late.

New York Giants 21 beat Chicago 16 - Don't let the Giants 8-4 record fool you. The Bears squandered their lead in this game and Eli performed pretty bad like he always does. The Giants are a team who will get smacked in the first round by whoever they play.

Tampa Bay 27 beat New Orleans 23 - The Buccaneers, probably because of the poor division they play in, aren't talked about often. However, with a deserving 8-4 record (unlike the Giants who don't deserve to be 8-4), they are a force to reckon with.

Pittsburgh 17 is beating (at halftime) Cincinnati 7 - After a good start to the Bengals offense, they are down by 10 at half. I expect the Steelers to continue to roll all over them.

For Monday

New England Vs Baltimore - I find it funny how Belichick singled out Reed on the Ravens defense and flattered him so much. What he is doing is trying to mentally psyche that defense out. He is trying to make them think they are superior so it looks that much better when the Patriots run up the score and embarrass them. I hate you, Belichick. Sad thing is, that's what is going to happen.