Mele Kalikimaka

Today and tomorrow, the NFL players and coaches are going to sit down and make their selections for the 2006 NFL Pro Bowl game to be played February 13th, 2006 in beautiful Honolulu, Hawai'i. The official teams will be announced on Wednesday, December 21st, 2006 on ESPN.

That in mind, I thought I'd put together my own Pro-Bowl squads.

AFC

Offense
QB - Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
RB - Edgerrin James, Indianapolis
FB - Lorenzo Neal, San Diego
WR - Chad Johnson, Cincinnati
WR - Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis
TE - Antonio Gates, San Diego
OT - Willie Roaf, Kansas City
OT - Willie Anderson, Cincinnati
OG - Alan Faneca, Pittsburgh
OG - Will Shields, Kansas City
OC - Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis

Defense
DE - Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis
DE - Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee
DT - Marcus Stroud, Jacksonville
DT - Richard Seymour, New England
LB - Joey Porter, Pittsburgh
LB - Johnathan Vilma, NY Jets
LB - Cato June, Indianapolis
CB - Champ Bailey, Denver
CB - Deltha O'Neal, Cincinnati
FS - Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh
SS - John Lynch, Denver

Special Teams
K - Shayne Graham, Cincinnati
P - Shane Lechler, Oakland
KR - Jerome Mathis, Houston
PR - Adam Jones, Tennessee
ST - Larry Izzo, New England

NFC

Offense
QB - Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
RB - Shaun Alexander, Seattle
FB - Mack Strong, Seattle
WR - Steve Smith, Carolina
WR - Santana Moss, Washington
TE - Jeremy Shockey, NY Giants
OT - Walter Jones, Seattle
OT - Mark Tauscher, Green Bay
OG - Steve Hutchinson, Seattle
OG - Randy Thomas, Washington
OC - Todd McClure, Atlanta

Defense
DE - Osi Umenyiora, NY Giants
DE - Adewale Ogunleye, Chicago
DT - Rod Coleman, Atlanta
DT - Rocky Bernard, Seattle
LB - Brian Urlacher, Chicago
LB - Marcus Washington, Washington
LB - Lofa Tatupu, Seattle
CB - Nathan Vashar, Chicago
CB - Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay
FS - Darren Sharper, Minnesota
SS - Adrian Wilson, Arizona

Special Teams
K - Neil Rackers, Arizona
P - Chris Kluwe, Minnesota
KR - Koren Robinson, Minnesota
PR - Chad Morton, NY Giants
ST - David Tyree, NY Giants

Playoff Picture

The AFC
1. Indianapolis (13-1) Yes, they lost. Now comes word that Tony Dungy is going to rest his "key" players at some point during the matchup with the Seahawks on Christmas Eve. If that's the case, they likely won't play at all during the regular season finale against the Cardinals. It's Dungy's team, and he knows a lot more than I possibly could, but I can't see how sitting guys is going to help them in January.

2. Denver (11-3) While everyone is talking about the Colts, Patriots, Bengals, Steelers and Chargers (even though San Diego is no guarantee to make the post-season), the Broncos are the most overlooked team in the AFC. And that's how they like it.

3. Cincinnati (11-3) Congratulations to the Bengals, who won their 1st division title since the glory days of Sam Wyche.

4. New England (9-5) The Patriots clinched the AFC East on Saturday, and will host a playoff game. Pity the team that earns the #5-seed, which will likely be...

5. Jacksonville (10-4) The Jags narrowly beat the 49ers, at home, which doesn't bode well for Del Rio's crew. Last year, they lost to the Texans and that cost them a playoff spot. If they don't improve on offense, the trip to Foxborough will be their last game of the season.

6. Pittsburgh (9-5) The Steelers are putting it all together at the right time, and you know they're salivating at another shot at the Bengals.

I Hear You Knockin'

7. San Diego Chargers (9-5) Someone needs to explain why the Chargers belong in the "best team in the AFC" discussion. Sure, they beat the Indianapolis Colts yesterday, and they deserve a ton of credit for that, but isn't this the same team that got beat up at home the week before by the Miami Dolphins? "Elite" teams aren't this inconsistent.

8. Kansas City Chiefs (8-6) The Chiefs blew a golden opportunity in the Meadowlands the other night, and it probably cost them a Wild Card spot. It'll be interesting to see if Vermeil returns as Head Coach in '06, but it's time to be honest here: When has this team not underachieved under him?

The NFC

1. Seattle Seahawks (12-2) Indianapolis may be resting some players next Saturday, but Seattle does not have that luxury. They need a win to clinch home-field advantage in the NFC, and they also need to keep feeding Darrell Jackson to get him back in game shape.

2. Chicago Bears (10-4) Do we dare ask when Rex Grossman goes down with another injury? With that defense, it probably doesn't matter who is playing QB.

3. New York Giants (10-4) They can clinch the division with a win this weekend against Washington. I'm still not sold on the Giants, as they're undisciplined, have an inexperienced QB and the benefit of an extra home game.

4. Carolina Panthers (10-4) The Panthers control their own destiny in the NFC South, and can knock the Cowboys out of the playoff picture with a win this weekend.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5) Another team in the driver's seat. They can still claim the NFC South if they win out and get some help. But they should be more focused on eliminating the Falcons this weekend.

6. Washington Redskins (8-6) With the way they played yesterday, you've got to like their chances at making the playoffs. Unfortunately, they'll be without the services of Randy Thomas (broken leg) who was having a Pro-Bowl season (as noted above).

Save Room For Me?

7. Dallas Cowboys (8-6) They're in a tough spot right now, and they have only themselves to blame. They can't protect Bledsoe, which isn't a good sign when your next opponent is the Carolina Panthers.

8. Atlanta Falcons (8-6) The Falcons essentially face elimination next weekend when they travel to Tampa Bay.

9. Minnesota Vikings (8-6) Still on life support, but if yesterday was any indication, this Vikings team isn't capable of beating a decent opponent.

The Crystal Ball Says...

AFC (no change from last week)
1. Indianapolis
2. Denver
3. Cincinnati
4. New England
5. Jacksonville
6. Pittsburgh

NFC
1. Seattle
2. Carolina
3. Chicago
4. NY Giants
5. Tampa Bay
6. Washington

- Seattle beats the Colts "B" squad and the Packers to finish at 14-2.
- Carolina wins out to get the #2-seed.
- The Bears lose to the Packers on Christmas Day, but beat the Vikings to win the NFC North.
- The Giants lose to the Redskins, but rebound to win in Oakland to clinch the NFC East.
- The Bucs win out, securing the #5-seed and a trip to the Meadowlands.
- The Redskins win out, securing the #6-seed and an unenviable trip to Soldier Field.
- Dallas, Atlanta and Minnesota are d-u-n, done.

Handing Out Some Hardware
The time has come to start handing out hardware, even though I don't think you should hand them out until after the Super Bowl.

NFL Most Valuable Player - Shaun Alexander, Seattle. Sorry, but he's the NFL's leading rusher and scorer. Remove him from the Seahawks lineup, and the Seahawks wouldn't have won half of their current total.

NFL Coach of the Year - Lovie Smith, Chicago. I was on the fence about this one, but he's pushing all the right buttons, including pulling Kyle Orton last night for Rex Grossman, and getting immediate results.

NFL Offensive Player of the Year - I'm actually giving this one to LaDanian Tomlinson. He's got 1,300 yards rushing, nearly 50 receptions and has even thrown 3 TDs.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year - Brian Urlacher. He's the motor of the #1 defense in the NFL, and he's last person I'd want to meet in a dark alley.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year - Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay. As he's gone, so have the Buccaneers.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year - Lofa Tatupu, Seattle. He has solidified a defense that ranks 7th against the run, and has made some huge plays that have been crucial to the team's success.

NFL Comback Player of the Year - Steve Smith, Carolina. Played in only 1 game in 2004, Smith has rebounded to lead the NFL in receptions and receiving yards. He's 2nd in receiving TDs (1 behind Marvin Harrison) and is the most exciting players in the game when he has the football. Plus, his end zone celebrations are often hilarious.