Tuesday Morning Links

Kind of a non-story at this point, and not really that big of a deal, but it's important to note that even the professional drivers at the Super Bowl are Steeler fans.

I'm not sure if you've heard about this, because it's probably the best-kept secret at the Super Bowl, but apparently Jerome Bettis is from Detroit. I'm in shock.

In lieu of actually educating its students, Texas A&M is going to court to get the Seattle Seahawks to refrain from using the phrase "12th Man". I'm sure the Seahawks being in the Super Bowl has nothing to do with the timing in which Texas A&M has decided to take this action.

Incidentally, Texas A&M didn't request a patent on the "12th Man" until 1990. The Seahawks retired the #12 in 1984, in honor of their fans. Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times has a pretty good column about the ridiculousness of the Aggies plight.

With all the talk centering around whether or not Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander will return to Seattle (he's a free agent after this season), not much is being mentioned about another Pro Bowl-bound Seahawk that is about enter the lucrative world of unrestricted free agency. The AP's Andrea Adelson filed this report about All-Pro LG Steve Hutchinson.

(Note: Hutchinson isn't going anywhere. Signing "Hutch" to a long-term contract will be the team's highest priority this off-season.)

Todd Milles of the Tacoma News Tribune has a highly informative article about the parties going on at Super Bowl XL. For example, ticket prices for the Earvin "Magic" Johnson and DJ Jazzy Jeff party range from $90-$175. In addition to mentioning the jumbo screen constructed at the base of Mount Wachusett in Princeton, Mass., the article also details how Detroit Lions VP Tom Lewand verbally fellated the arrival of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but let everyone know that “We’re not as excited to welcome the Seattle Seahawks,”. Incidentally, when the Seahawks were conducting their search for a new team President a year ago, Lewand was a guy that the 'Hawks targeted. He never responded, choosing to stay with the Detroit Lions. Whoops!

The TNT's C.R. Roberts just flew in from Tacoma, and boy are his arms tired.

I literally had no idea that #86 for the Pittsburgh Steelers was not Hines Ward, but is, in fact, "Mambo #5" singer Lou Bega.
"A little bit of Jerome, by my side...."

I've always been a big fan of Nick Bakay (aside from his patented "Tale of the Tape", which always manages to miss its mark), and he's at the Super Bowl doing a "Super Blog". I liked this line from his 6:18pm entry: "Is the collective weight of the Rolling Stones over or under one of Jerome Bettis' thighs?"

One of the more enjoyable aspects of the Seahawks being in the Super Bowl, is that the world is finally going to meet long-time Seahawk, FB Mack Strong.

Today is "Media Day", which is kind of redundant since this entire week is media-driven. The Steelers are first, starting at 10am EST. The Seahawks will man the podiums from 1-4pm EST. Check with the NFL Network tonight, and I guarantee you that a.) No Seahawk will make any boneheaded comments, and b.) Matt Hasselbeck will steal the show.

Super Bowl Week

We're 6 days away from the Big Game, and as much as I'd love to soak in every last nanosecond of press coverage, it's just not possible.

So I can imagine how it's going to be for people who aren't as interested in the game as I happen to be. Well, I'm here to keep you all in the loop. In addition to the Seattle newspapers linked to the right, I'll provide links to some of the Super Bowl-related articles as they come out this week.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

It's become trendy to bemoan the lack of respect your team is getting, so I won't even begin to go there. Thus far, the coverage by the NFL Network, ESPN and the rest of the national media has been very balanced, so I'm not really sure where the sense of the Seahawks being "disrespected" comes from.

That said, there has been a very real sense from the talking heads believe that the only role the Seahawks will play in this game is to take part in the coronation of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hey, that's their opinion and they're entitled to have one, but it has no bearing on the game itself. Honestly, I couldn't care less about that sort of stuff. If these guys (like Rod Woodson or Dan Marino, hey don't they both have ties to Pittsburgh?) want to pick the Steelers, it's their prerrogative.

National Anthem

Speaking of "RESPECT", I found yesterday that Aretha Franklin is singing the National Anthem before the game. Once she's done, she'll put on her pads and play NT for the Steelers.








"Casey Hampton ain't got nothin' on me, baby!"

Yes, It's True

Well, I've finally come to and yes, it's true: The Seattle Seahawks are in the Super Bowl!

As a longtime Seahawks fan (25 years), three decades of mediocrity was erased in less than 60 minutes. And it's a beautiful thing. I couldn't be more proud of that team for getting this far, but hey, the work isn't done yet. They've got one more game to play, and yes, they're going to win it.

As of right now, the 'Hawks are the underdogs. Pittsburgh started as a 3.5 point favorite, and that has moved to up a full point already. What this means is obvious: The general public is betting heavily on the Steelers. Other than that, the line is meaningless. Remember, the Washington Redskins were big underdogs against the Denver Broncos in '88, and they won the game, 42-10. That game is also memorable, since it gave us the stupidest question ever asked of a Super Bowl participant. Redskins QB Doug Williams (who is African-American) was asked "How long have you been a black QB?". Yep, that's the media for you.

Today, the Mayor of Detroit is attempting to have next week declared "Jerome Bettis Week" in the city of Detroit. Bettis, a RB for the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, is from Detroit and this is likely the last NFL game he'll participate in. I'm sure that the NFL is going to put the brakes on this effort, since it's probably not a good idea to over-publicize any one player on one of the participating teams.

I'm not one to make bold predicitions...ok, that's a lie. Here are some quick-hit thoughts on Super Bowl XL:

1. I've already heard that Pittsburgh has more "experience" than Seattle. Hey, it's great that your team won 4 Super Bowls in the 1970s, but half your roster wasn't even born back then. As far as the Steelers roster is concerned, not one player on it has won a Super Bowl. On the Seahawks roster, they've got 5 guys who have won a Super Bowl (WR Joe Jurevicius, DE Grant Wistrom, DT Chartric Darby, FS John Howell and P Tom Rouen).

2. Matt Hasselbeck is going to steal the show on media day. He's intelligent, well-spoken and is as down-to-Earth as you could want your QB to be. Mark my words: He's going to be a big, big star in this league for years to come.

3. Contrary to popular belief, Pittsburgh is not the "hottest" team heading into the Super Bowl. Yes, they've won 6 straight games, and beat the #1, 2, and 3 seeds on the road to get to the Super Bowl. However, Seattle hasn't lost a meaningful football game since Week 4 of the 2005 regular season.

4. Seattle is not, and likely never will be, as big a sports city as Pittsburgh. Articles like this indicate that it might not be a bad thing, either.

5. If/when the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, Mike Holmgren will immediately be considered a 1st ballot Hall of Fame coach. Why? Because he'll be the only head coach to guide two different teams to Super Bowl wins. A few coaches have reached the Super Bowl with two different teams, but none have won it with two different teams.

I'll have much more on this game, including the position-by-position analysis, full breakdown of the Seattle Seahawks roster and for the Seahawks anyways, a "how they got here" look at the 2005 season.

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks

Once again, a position-by-position analysis.

Quarterbacks: Jake Delhomme has been here before. He's played some of his best football on the road in the post-season. Overall this season, he hasn't been as consistent as he would've liked. He turned the ball over 22 times this season, which is a lot from any QB. But he's got a hand right now, and playing with the best WR in the NFL can only help him.

Matt Hasselbeck had the best season of any QB in the NFC, and last week showed that while he has the MVP of the NFL playing behind him, he's actually the MVP of that team. He put the team on his back and guided the franchise to it's 1st playoff win in 21 years.

EDGE: SEAHAWKS

Running Backs: Carolina is down to their #3 RB. With Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster on IR, it's all on Nick Goings right now. He doesn't possess game-breaking speed like Foster, but he's a powerful north-south runner that played well when pressed into action in 2004. This is obvious downgrade at the position, but not by much. Jamal Robertson and Rod "He Hate Me" Smart are the other RBs on the roster. Expect to see a lot of FB Brad Hoover in one-back sets to spell Goings on Sunday.

Seattle's #1 RB is also the league's MVP. What's alarming about Alexander is that in 3 career playoff games, he has 94 yards on 41 carries. He's either due for a breakout game, or he's simply not as good when his team needs him the most. The jury is still out on that. Maurice Morris played well when Alexander was concussed last week, and how about Mack Strong? It took 13 years in the NFL for him to make a Pro Bowl, and he also gets named to the league's All-Pro team. Oh, and he now has the franchise record for longest run in a playoff game (32 yards).

EDGE: SEAHAWKS

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Steve Smith had 103 receptions this season, leading the league in that category. That's pretty impressive for him, but it's also an indictment against the rest of the crew. Keary Colbert flat-out disappeared for most of the season, and the #3 WR is 16-year vet Ricky Proehl. Drew Carter is an intriguing prospect, but didn't see any action until real late in the season. Kris Mangum is a solid TE, very dangerous near the goal line.

How good is Darrell Jackson? After missing 10 games following knee surgery, a less-than-100% Jackson hauled in 9 receptions for 143 yards and a TD. He got lit up by Sean Taylor on a long pass and it was Taylor who was woozy afterwards. The guy may never post league-leading numbers, but he comes up huge in big games, even after not practicing. Bobby Engram and Joe Jurevicius were 1-2 on the team in receptions and yards, and Jurevicius' size and strength causes matchup problems with every DB in the league. Jerramy Stevens is a huge target in the middle of the field, and has the speed to run away from most LBs assigned to cover him.

EDGE: SEAHAWKS (Smith is the best in the business, but it's the groups we're measuring)

Offensive Lines: The Panthers line improved greatly over 2004, due in large part to the addition of LG Mike Wahle. Along with LT Travelle Wharton, C Jeff Mitchell, RG Tutan Reyes and RT Jordan Gross, the Panthers allowed only 26 sacks and paved the way for the multi-back attack the Panthers use.

Seattle, though, has the best line in the entire NFL. LT Walter Jones was called the "best offensive lineman in football...by a wide margin" by Trent Dilfer this morning on KJR, and Dilfer should know. He's played with a ton of lineman over the years. LG Steve Hutchinson is one of the best interior lineman, and Robbie Tobeck and Chris Gray display the veteran savvy that more than makes up for their lack of size. RT Sean Locklear has had a fine season, and is currently the only question mark the group has due to his recent off-field problem.

EDGE: SEAHAWKS

Defensive Line: Even though they're missing DT Kris Jenkins, the Panthers quartet of DE's Mike Rucker and Julius Peppers, and DT's Brentson Buckner and Jordan Carstens wreak havoc on opponents. Going against the tough Seahawks o-line is a challenge, but one this stunting group is up for. DT Kindal Moorehead spells Carstens and Buckner, and he's been slowed by an ankle injury.

Seattle doesn't have the names to match the Panthers, but they play well as a group, are healthier and deeper. DE's Bryce Fisher and Grant Wistrom spent much of last Saturday pressuring Brunell to throw early, and DT Rocky Bernard had his best game in weeks. Bernard missed some practice time this week with a foot injury, but he is expected to play. This may cause the Seahawks to shake up their rotation a bit, with 2nd-year DT Marcus Tubbs moving back into the starting lineup next to Chuck Darby. Craig Terrill was robbed of a sack, and the 2nd year man continues to improve.

EDGE: Panthers (Talent-wise, they got the edge)

Linebackers: Carolina is sort of banged up in this area. Brandon Short left the Bears game with an injury, and Dan Morgan's separated shoulder flared up, as well. Only Will Witherspoon remains healthy, and he's quite a force. He's fast, takes good angles to the ball carrier and is excellent in pass coverage. Heck, he was 2nd on the team in passes defended with 14, only one behind team leader, Ken Lucas (a CB). In obvious passing downs, the team moves Thomas Davis, a converted LB playing safety, into a LB position. He's a good blitzer, but lacks discipline.

Last week, Seattle's rookie LBs combined for 19 tackles. Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill have proved to be absolute steals and will stabilize the LB unit for years to come. D.D. Lewis also starts, and when he's healthy (not often), has demonstrated why the undrafted free agent pool often contains some gems.

EDGE: SEAHAWKS

Defensive Backs: Ken Lucas parlayed a good season in Seattle into a megabuck contract from the Carolina Panthers. He's played well this year, benefitting from the ferocious pass rush the Panthers generate to intercept 6 passes this season. He wasn't as effective in Seattle because for years, the Seahawks struggled to put pressure on the CB. Opposite Lucas sits 2nd-year CB Chris Gamble, whom the Panthers took in the 1st round last year. He led the team in INTs (7), and is an excellent cover man. Ricky Manning, Jr. had some post-season success as a rookie in 2003, but has been inconsistent as the nickel back. All 3 are physical and provide good support in the run defense. Mike Minter anchors the secondary from his safety position, while Marlon McRee led the team in tackles from his safety position.

Seattle's DBs aren't as highly acclaimed as Carolina's, but they've done a pretty decent job this season. Marcus Trufant, Andre Dyson and Kelly Herndon have been the most consistent CBs, and they'll have a major challenge trying to contain Steve Smith. Dyson was Smith's roommate in college (Utah), and he'll be matched up the most against the explosive Smith. Michael Boulware led the team in INTs, and he'll be rolling towards Smith's side of the field all game long. Marquand Manuel continues to play solid football in place of the injured Ken Hamlin.

EDGE: Panthers

Special Teams: John Kasay has been kicking the NFL for a long time, but hasn't been as consistent as the previous seasons. Kasay got his start in Seattle, but I do expect Kasay to struggle as most visiting kickers have in Qwest Field. Jason Barker has been a fairly average replacement for Todd Sauerbrun, who departed for Denver in the off-season. The aformentioned Steve Smith returns punts. Just another dangerous way he can beat you. Rod Smart returns kicks.

The Seahawks special teams are being shaken up in the wake of a dreadful performance last weekend. Peter Warrick replaces Jimmy Williams as the punt returner, after Williams fumbled two punts a week ago (losing one that set up a field goal). Josh Scobey will still be returning kicks despite his fumble. Josh Brown is improving his distance on kickoffs, and Tom Rouen had his best game of the season last week.

EDGE: Panthers

Coaching: John Fox is a tremendous head coach who has guided the Panthers through this "on the road" path to the Super Bowl before. He's a brilliant defensive coach who is very capable at adjusting on the fly. Dan Henning calls the plays, which this week will involve putting the ball in #89 hands as much as humanly possible.

Mike Holmgren is attempting to be the 5th head coach to lead two different franchises to the Super Bowl. None of those coaches have won two Super Bowls with two franchises. Holmgren has done a great job at keeping his young team focused this season through the injuries (Hamlin, Sharper, Jackson, Engram, Dyson, Herndon, Trufant, Rhodes) and the increased media spotlight. Gil Haskell and John Marshall have also earned the praise they've received recently.

EDGE: PUSH

Mac's Pick: Seahawks 28, Panthers 17

This isn't just the heart speaking, either. Seattle is the better team, they're healthier and they're playing at home. Not much has changed with this Panthers team the Seahawks played last year, and the Seahawks beat them 23-17 (the score wasn't that close, the Panthers rallied late) and Shaun Alexander had 195 yards on the ground.

The national media is going to hate it, but Seattle will represent the NFC in Super Bowl XL. Furthermore, they just may win the damn thing. I've waited 25 years for this team to get to this position, and I like the vibe that the team is putting out. They've been carrying themselves with the quiet confidence that champions are known for. They'd much rather let their play do the talking for them, since that's all that really matters.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

The "Final Four" is upon us. Gone are the pre-season darlings (Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New England, San Diego, Minnesota and Atlanta). What's before you are the 4 best teams in the NFL. There's no room for debate on this, it's who is left standing. If you want to be a rube and say "Well, Indianapolis is still the best team in the NFL", then you're an idiot. If they were the best team in the NFL, they'd be playing this Sunday. It is as simple as that. If any team other than Denver, Seattle, Pittsburgh and Carolina are in your Top 4 NFL teams, you know nothing about the NFL.

I really enjoyed what I did for last week's Redskins-Seahawks game, so I'm going to stick with that position-by-position format for these two huge games on Sunday:

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos - 3pm - CBS

Quarterbacks: Pittsburgh has Big Ben, the enormous 2nd-year QB that has clearly separated himself as the best QB of the 2004 class. He's got a strong arm, surprising mobility and manages the game very well. The Steelers don't ask him to throw more than 20 times in a game, which is part of the reason why he's been so successful.

Jake Plummer has always been regarded as a guy who's somewhat erratic and takes too many chances, but this season he's done a very good job of making things happen and not turning the ball over.

EDGE: Steelers

Running Backs: Jerome Bettis is such an icon in Pittsburgh, a 50-year old man had a heart attack after that fumble because he was so upset that they might've been the last play for Bettis, and the play he'd have been remembered by. That's the sort of love the community has for him, and he doesn't even start. Willie Parker, who barely played in college, has become the lightning to Jerome Bettis' thunder. Good outside runner, who can slash inside and pick up tough yards.

Denver has a 3-headed monster. Mike Anderson carries the bulk of the load, as he gained over 1,000 yards and scored 12 TDs this year. He's spelled by 2nd-year man Tatum Bell, who was expected to start during training camp. The 3rd man in the rotation is Ron Dayne, the former 1st round pick of the NY Giants.

EDGE: Broncos

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Hines Ward's sure hands, precise routes and blocking ability have transformed him from a former college QB into one of the more complete WRs in football. He's complemented by another former college QB, Antwan Randle-El. Heath Miller is one of the better young TEs in the NFL and Cedrick Wilson and Quincy Morgan are the journeymen providing the depth at the WR position.

Rod Smith doesn't appear to be slowing down too much, and he once again led the Denver Broncos in receiving this year. This year, however, he actually had some help from Ashley Lelie, who not only added 42 receptions, but his 18.3 yards per reception was tops in the NFL (tied with Terry Glenn). Jeb Putzier and Stephen Alexander are two reliable TEs that Plummer uses when Smith or Lelie are covered well.

EDGE: Steelers

Offensive Lines: When Pittsburgh was struggling during the middle part of the regular season, a major reason why was the absence of their LT, Marvel Smith. Well, he's back now, and that group is one of the best in the NFL. LG Alan Faneca is headed back to Hawai'i after this season, as is the center, Jeff Hartings. The right side doesn't get a lot of publicity, but Kendall Simmons has been solid at RG and RT Max Starks, though not overly impressive, is serviceable on that side.

Denver's offensive line has always been the subject of countless articles regarding their dirty play, which might explain why none of their lineman were mentioned for the Pro Bowl. The truth is, aside from center Tom Nalen, and maybe LT Matt Lepsis, this isn't a unit that thrives independently of one another. They work well as a unit, though, and that's why Denver is so successful.

EDGE: Push

Defensive Line: It's impossible to compare these two units, since Pittsburgh uses a 3-4 scheme. Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and Kimo von Oelhoffen are your prototypical 3-4 lineman. They're big, strong and tie up blockers so the linebackers can make plays.

Denver decided to add 3 former Cleveland Browns defensive lineman to their starting lineup, and along with RDE Trevor Pryce, have created a formidable front 4. They rotate their interior lineman well, with Monsanto Pope and Demetrin Veal spelling Gerard Warren and Michael Myers.

EDGE: Broncos

Linebackers: Pittsburgh has incredible depth at this position. Clark Haggans, James Farrior, Larry Foote and Joey Porter are the best group of LBs in a 3-4 scheme (yes, better than New England). All 4 have the ability to rush the passer, drop into coverage and they tackle really, really well.

Denver doesn't have the depth, but pound-for-pound, DJ Williams, Al Wilson and Ian Gold are as good as what the Steelers have.

EDGE: Push

Defensive Backs: The blitzing that the Steelers do with their front 7 help mask some fairly average play at the CB position. Deshea Townsend and Ike Taylor are good CBs, but they're not the type of CBs that can take a game over. They have very good depth at the position, as exemplified by the play of rookie CB Bryant McFadden against Indianapolis. It was McFadden who broke up the pass to Reggie Wayne two plays before Vanderjagt's missed field goal. The trust that Cowher has in this young group is obvious. Supporting the CBs are two very good, very athletic safeties. SS Troy Polamalu is one of the best in the game, and Chris Hope has played very well opposite him.

Denver can boast that they've got the best CB in the NFL in Champ Bailey. He is the type of CB that can shut down one side of the field. After Bailey, the Broncos have their own kiddie corps. Domonique Foxworth, Darrent Williams and Karl Paymah are all rookies, and all see plenty of playing time. John Lynch and Nick Ferguson are two physical safeties that excel at blitzing the QB.

EDGE: Push

Special Teams: Pittsburgh doesn't "wow" you on special teams, but Chris Gardocki is a steady punter, Jeff Reed is a decent kicker and Ricardo Colclough gives them average return yardage. What makes this unit "special" is the punt return abilities of Antwan Randle-El, who has the ability to take every punt to the end zone.

Denver has very good special teams. Jason Elam could kick a 60-yard field goal in Invesco Field with ease, and Todd Sauerbrun has a booming leg. The return game isn't that great, but Darrent Williams has scored on a return this season.

EDGE: Broncos

Coaching/Intangibles: Before the season, I mentioned that when expectations are high in Pittsburgh, Bill Cowher's teams usually cave. After wins in Cincinnati and Indianapolis, perhaps the time has come for to put that joke to bed. You get the sense that if the Steelers were going to cave, it would've happened in the last 5 minutes in Indianapolis. It didn't.

Mike Shanahan got a huge monkey off his back by winning his 1st playoff game since Elway retired. He had been unfairly criticized over the years, but the facts are his teams were always of playoff caliber, and they are now poised to get back to the Super Bowl.

Playing at home in the playoffs is important, but the winning percentage of the home team in the Championship round plummets dramatically when compared to the Divisional round. Pittsburgh has a tough assignment: Go into Denver and win. Nobody has been able to do it in the 2005 season, and while I'm amazed at the run the Steelers have been on, the Broncos have been the better, most consistent team all season long.

Mac's Pick: Broncos 27, Steelers 20

Seahawks' Locklear to Play

According to head coach Mike Holmgren, Seahawks starting RT Sean Locklear will play in the NFC Championship game on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Matt Hasselbeck, SI Cover Boy? Not quite...

If you believe in the "SI Jinx", and that athletes that grace the cover are doomed to failure, you might not want to open your mailbox to get your copy of SI this week, as Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck is on the cover. Sort of.

Since Sports Illustrated issues regional and national covers, the majority of the country won't see it.

Still, Peter King managed to not mention the New York Giants or New England Patriots in one column and actually produced a pretty good article on Hasselbeck entitled "Mr. Cool". There's some funny stuff in there about how Hasselbeck, the starting Pro Bowl QB in the NFC, can go out to eat in Seattle without being recognized, and how he as a rookie managed to pull a prank on reigning MVP Brett Favre.

I particularly liked this part:

"How many other playoff quarterbacks would go unnoticed in their home cities?" a dinner guest asked. "Tom Brady couldn't walk anonymously into a place like this in Boston."

"Tom Brady couldn't do it in Omaha," Hasselbeck said. Then, with a mischievous grin, he added, "Sometimes I get people looking at me, saying, 'I know you. I just can't place you.' I'll say, 'Yeah, yeah! Maybe from high school. Did you go to Issaquah?' And it's like, 'Nope,' and they just go away. They don't know me."

The entire article can be found here if you're a subscriber to Sports Illustrated.

I'll never forget the night that the Seahawks traded for Hasselbeck, and the immediate laughter it was greeted with by some friends of mine. 5 years later, it might be the most vindicating transaction made during the "Mike Holmgren as GM" era, and ranks up there in terms of the most lopsided trades in NFL history. Holmgren dealt a 3rd round pick for Hasselbeck and a swap of 1st round picks with the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay selected DE Jamal Reynolds and LB Torrance Marshall, neither of whom are currently on an NFL roster.

Seattle got Hasselbeck, a Pro Bowl QB, and OG Steve Hutchinson, an ALL-PRO offensive lineman.

More Info on Locklear's Arrest

The media in Seattle has the police report and are amending their earlier coverage:

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that Locklear allegedly grabbed his girlfriend by the neck with both hands, and that the woman had red marks on her neck. The argument was outside of Belltown Billiards (not Pioneer Square, as originally reported) after the woman was dancing with another man. Locklear acknowledged that the two had been arguing, but that he grabbed her by the shirt, not the neck.

The Seattle Times counters with some quotes from Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and QB Matt Hasselbeck. The team isn't commenting publicly, but they acknowledge that something happened, but don't foresee it being a distraction.

I'd never minimize the seriousness of a domestic violence incident, which is why I'm not 100% sure we'll see Sean Locklear on the field this Sunday. This matter may very well be overblown (the woman, Locklear's girlfriend, pleaded with the police not to arrest him), but you never know if he'd be able to block this from his mind during the game. The team may be better off with Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack at RT this Sunday, but one of the statements the franchise has made is that they expect Locklear to be at practice on Wednesday (their first day of on-field preparation for Sunday's game with the Panthers).

He's a young man (24 years old) and his only "prior" was a speeding ticket during college in Raleigh, NC. This does not appear to be the latest skirmish with authorities by a habitual offender, so it's entirely possible that alcohol, jealousy and testosterone got the best of Locklear on Saturday night. Perhaps 48 hours spent in a jail cell, instead of at home and at work preparing for the biggest game of his career, could be enough for Locklear to realize that regardless of the severity of the situation, being out at that hour of the night is probably not a good idea. Not when you've spent the last 5 months busting your ass to help your team get to the point where you're 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl.

My hope is that this is an isolated incident and that this young man realizes his mistake, learns his lesson and becomes a better man for it. It's a case like this where maybe the best place for Locklear, is back with his teammates. Offensive lines tend to be tightly-knit groups, and the Seahawks have several veteran offensive lineman who are without a doubt willing to help Locklear in whatever way possible.

Seahawks RT In Jail?

530PM EDIT:

This story has been confirmed by the Tacoma News Tribune's Mike Sando, who is the best damn beatwriter in the NFL.

To clarify, the laws regarding domestive violence in Washington state are quite vague. If two people are discussing the ramifications a unified Germany has had on Europe as a whole, and it's done at a decibel level that prompts someone to call the police, someone is going to jail. Seriously. The facts pertaining this case are not yet public, so who knows exactly what happened. I'm hoping, for all involved, that this matter isn't very serious as compared to spousal abuse, which is a real problem, and a horrible crime for one to commit.

Also, the time of arrest listed earlier is incorrect. It was 3am, not 3pm, on 1/15/2006. This makes a little bit more sense, as at 3pm (PST), I'm sure all the Seahawks were glued to their televisions to see who their opponent would be in the NFC Championship game. With the incident happening at 3am, it's clear that this was done after celebrating the playoff victory.

It also further demonstrates that nothing good can come from being out and about at 3am.

ORIGINAL ENTRY:

While not yet confirmed, someone over at Seahawks.Net posted a rumor that Seahawks RT Sean Locklear is in the King County Jailhouse for a Domestic Violence charge.

Police were apparently called to Pioneer Square at 3pm yesterday, and a person named "Sean Hilary Locklear" was brought into custody.

Locklear took over as the team's starting RT after projected starter Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack went down with an injury. Locklear is in his 2nd season with the Seahawks, and was a 3rd round draft pick in 2004.

Divisional Playoff Thoughts

What we found out this weekend:

1. Seattle ended it's 21-year playoff drought by beating the Redskins, 20-10.
2. Mike Vanderjagt added to his "idiot kicker" image.
3. The 2005 Indianapolis Colts are the proud owners of the biggest choke in recent NFL playoff history.
4. Steve Smith is good...very good.
5. The state of officiating in the NFL isn't very good. While the officiating in Denver was mediocre (and that's being generous), the calls in the Steelers-Colts game were ridiculously bad. Polamalu INTs being overturned, the refusal to call an offsides penalty on that 4th and 1-the list goes on and on. The guys over at profootballtalk.com actually have some lucid ideas on this matter, which is more than anyone can say about the powers that be in the NFL offices.

Don't Speak

Tom Brady got the ball rolling when he claimed the Patriots didn't get enough respect in the media or from their fans, then he acted like a major league prick during an interview with former Wolverine teammate Dhani Jones. Tiki Barber continued with the verbal diarrhea when he said the Giants were outcoached by John Fox and the Panthers, after the Panthers shut Tiki down on Wild Card Weekend. Peyton Manning chalked up the loss to the Steelers to "protection problems", which was his way of throwing the guys that worked their asses off all season keeping Manning upright, under the bus. Should I mention that recognizing who's blitzing and making sure he's picked up is the QBs responsibility? I think I just did.

The point is, these were 3 of the 5 top vote-getters for MVP, and none of them was able to muster up the class and high-character we normally expect from them. Heck, Brady's attitude was after a win, which is just inexcusable.

Was Peter King In "The Ringer"

In today's MMQB, King offers up his "Fine Fifteen", where he ranks the Top 15 teams in the NFL, King has 2 teams that are getting helmets autographed as they pack up their lockers today. None of his Top 5 are in the NFC.

The Patriots, whom King has a man-crush on, are ranked 4th. Right below them, are the Seattle Seahawks. His comment on the Seahawks? " 'Hawks had better get some Krazy Glue for their return game." Hmm...why are the Patriots out of the playoffs right now?

Look, we know I'm biased, but for the Seahawks to turn the ball over 3 times, lose the league's leading rusher (and MVP) and still win, is pretty damn impressive. That doesn't happen in the regular season, nevermind in the playoffs. King really has nothing to say about the efforts of Matt Hasselbeck, the defense that shut down Clinton Portis and forced Brunell to run around all day? Very disappointed in King (again) today. What makes it worse is that King was in Seattle for the game. If you have the NFL Network, and watched the postgame coverage, you would've seen King waiting to talk to Hasselbeck while Matt was being interviewed by Trent Dilfer.

As if that wasn't bad enough, his "Offensive Player of the Week" was Ben Roethlisberger, who threw what, 5 passes in the second half. Hey, Big Ben played great yesterday, but let's not forget that the Colts nearly won that game. He made a nice tackle, but Harper wouldn't have scored on that play, anyways. Two Steelers had the angle on Harper, who was running on two gimpy legs (one hurt during the game, one had a fresh knife wound courtesy of Mrs. Nick Harper).

The real offensive player of the week, and perhaps the most explosive offensive player in the entire NFL, was Carolina WR Steve Smith. The "best" defense in the NFL couldn't contain him, which doesn't surprise me because nobody contain him all season long. What made me happy watching Smith's performance is that the guy is also a "nice guy". Don't let the tattoos and end zone celebrations fool you, Smith has a geniune respect for the game.

Commercially Speaking

Yes, adverts have nothing to do with the games they're shown during, but all of the "major market" teams are out of the playoffs, more fans will be tuning in on Super Bowl Sunday for the commercials. Which actually got me thinking this weekend:

- Are the people that drink Miller Lite functionally retarded? If you were getting together to watch "the game", and couldn't bare to miss a second of the action, wouldn't you have purchased your beer in advance?

I'm working on a theory that the worse the beer is, the more unbearable the commercials will be. The current commercials for Bud Light (Ted Ferguson), Miller Lite (idiot football fans who don't gameplan) and Coors Light (stupid train interwoven into classic NFL Films moments) should be burned.

Everyone knows that good beer doesn't ever need to be advertised. And yes, on Saturday night, I washed down my salmon burger with a couple of ice cold Red Hook IPAs.

Looking Ahead

Denver opened as 3.5 point favorites over the Steelers. Denver is 9-0 at home this season (including the playoffs) and while I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the Steelers win, I think that this is the Broncos season. After all, I did predict them to go 5-11 and finish 4th in the AFC West.

Seattle opened as 5.5 point favorites over the Panthers. That line has moved down to 4.5 with some early action on the Panthers. Are the Panthers good enough to go into Seattle and win? Absolutely. You know how I feel about Steve Smith, and I love Jake Delhomme and John Fox, especially on the road. They've been there before, and know how to get it done. An interesting tidbit is that Seattle traded up with the Panthers to draft rookie MLB Lofa Tatupu. I don't know why, but I found that interesting.

I just think that without DeShaun Foster (broken ankle) in the game, Seattle can focus on slowing down Steve Smith (who can't be totally stopped). The Bears were able to hang 21 points on Carolina, and the Seahawks offense is much better than Chicago's.

So right now, I'm predicting the following:

Denver 27, Pittsburgh 21
Seattle 31, Carolina 27

I'll have more on this as the week progresses.

Divisional Games - Quickie Recap

Patriots-Broncos

Winning in Denver is tough. Turning the ball over 5 times against the Broncos, and expecting to win, is impossible.

And that's the underlying theme to how the Patriots season came to a close last night. It wasn't the officiating (which was, in a word, bad), it wasn't Jake Plummer or the Broncos running game that won the game last night, it was the Patriots uncharacteristically turning the ball over in a playoff game.

In the historic 10-0 run the Patriots have been on in the post-season, they turned the ball over only 6 times. So it's not surprising that when they nearly equal that total in a 60 minute span, they lose.

So Patriots fans, I've got some words of wisdom for you. This talk about the "dynasty" being over is bunk. Sure, 3 in a row would've been nice, but in an age where winning back-to-back Super Bowls is unheard of, three is asking too much out of any team. Their place in history is secure, and they'll be recognized as one of the best teams the NFL has ever seen.

Not that it's necessarily over. Look, they've still got Tom Brady, Deion Branch, two good TEs (Graham, Watson) and the offensive line is young and deep. All this team really needs to improve upon is the secondary and depth at the LB position. They're still the best team in the AFC East, and with Belichick leading the way, I see no reason why the Patriots won't go deep into the playoffs in 2006.

Redskins-Seahawks

The 2005 season has really been about exorcising some demons for the Seattle Seahawks. Yesterday, they removed the one that has loomed the largest over the franchise for the past 21 years. For the first time since 1984, the Seahawks won a playoff game.

As a Seahawk fan, I'm sort of like a guy with shell-shock. So you can imagine the thoughts that circled in my head when:

- Shaun Alexander, the league's leading rusher and MVP, gets knocked out of the game with only 9 yards rushing and a fumble in the 1st quarter.

- Darrell Jackson, the team's best WR, leaves with a back injury.

- Walter Jones, who in my mind is the best player the Seahawks have ever had, even missed a few plays with an injury.

Granted, Jackson and Jones returned and played well. In fact, Darrell Jackson has been absolutely dominant in the last two post-season games, and with even an ordinary game next weekend will pass Steve Largent in the Seahawks post-season record books.

If that wasn't bad enough, the Seahawks turned the ball over in the red zone, and twice more in their own territory on special teams miscues.

Yet, the Seahawks still won the game. Why? Their underrated defense and a guy named Hasselbeck.

The Redskins are not an offensive juggernaut, but the Seahawks focused on Clinton Portis, and got enough pressure on Mark Brunell to force some early throws.

Matt Hasselbeck showed why he's the unquestioned leader on this team. Whether it was with his arm, his legs or his brain, Hasselbeck took this game on his shoulders and helped erase 21 years of playoff futility for the franchise.

The rapport Hasselbeck and Jackson share was never more evident than in yesterday's game. On the 29-yard TD pass to Jackson in the 2nd quarter, Hasselbeck said afterwards that as he was throwing the ball, he thought of the same exact play he and Jackson connected on against the Chiefs...in 2002. When Jackson caught up to Hasselbeck on the sidelines, D-Jack said "That was just like the play against KC".

It was a great win by the 'Hawks, and they get to host the NFC Championship game next Sunday night. Who the opponent is will be determined later this afternoon, but are you willing to bet against this team?

Predictions

6 games into the post-season, I'm 5-1 in my predictions. The lone loss being the Redskins beating the Bucs.

Today, I'm sticking with my earlier calls: Indianapolis wins big over the Steelers, and the Panthers beat the Bears.

SEAHAWKS-Redskins Preview

Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks – 430pm – FOX

Position-by-Position Preview

Quarterback: Over the last month, no QB has been more impressive than Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck. His completion percentage during that stretch is 80% and he’s tossed 9 TD passes against 1 interception. It doesn’t get much better than that. On the flipside, Mark Brunell’s knee injury has really hampered his mobility and the accuracy on his passes. Those are the two things that have been Brunell’s calling card.

EDGE: Seahawks

Running Back: You’d be hard-pressed to find a better RB than Clinton Portis. He’s a tough inside runner with the speed to take every carry to the end zone. Unfortunately for Washington, he’s been losing feeling in his arms and last week was limited to just 15 carries. Ladell Betts will see plenty of action in this game, and he’s another tough inside runner, though he’s not nearly as dynamic as Portis. Mike Sellers is a good pass-catching threat out of the backfield.

You may have heard of Seattle’s RB. He’s the current MVP of the NFL, Shaun Alexander. Maurice Morris will occasionally spell Alexander, and while Morris is faster, he’s not as good a runner as Alexander is. Blocking for both is Mack Strong, the 13-year veteran with the most appropriate name in the NFL. Strong has been elected to his 1st Pro Bowl and this past week was named to the AP All-Pro team.

EDGE: Seahawks

Wide Receiver/Tight Ends: Santana Moss is a phenomenal athlete, having a phenomenal season. He’s one of the game’s best deep threats at the WR position, and his speed causes serious match-up problems for any secondary. After Moss, however, there’s not much to write home about. James Thrash (the former Eagles castoff) has been pressed into starter’s duties due to the season-ending injury to David Patten (former Patriot), but his real value is on special teams. Thrash had surgery on a broken thumb this week and is questionable. Taylor Jacobs was a highly thought of WR coming out of Florida, but has struggled in his brief NFL career. Chris Cooley is technically listed as a FB, but he rarely lines up in the backfield. He’s an excellent receiver, particularly in the red zone, as he scored 7 TDs this season (including a 3-TD game late in December against the Cowboys).

While Seattle doesn’t possess a true “burner” at the WR position, they do have 3 veteran WRs for Hasselbeck to throw to. The best WR is Darrell Jackson, who is not at 100% in his return from knee surgery that sidelined him for 9 weeks this season. “D-Jack” is a quick WR, who excels at getting off press coverage and runs precise routes. He and Hasselbeck have an excellent rapport. The starter opposite Jackson is Bobby Engram, who also missed a month this season with broken ribs. Engram had served as the team’s possession WR before this season, and responded well in his new role on the outside, leading the team in receptions (67) and yards (778). The 3rd WR is Joe Jurevicius, who stepped into a starter’s role in Week 5 and finished 2nd on the team in receptions (55) and yards (694), while also finishing 2nd in the NFC in TD receptions (10). He’s a big target (6-5, 230) who is an obvious threat in the red zone and is an excellent downfield blocker. Rounding out the unit is 2nd year WR D.J. Hackett, who is team’s designated “deep threat”. While not possessing great speed, Hackett has made a number of plays downfield this season, using his height (6-2) and leaping ability to catch passes or draw pass interference penalties. In limited action, Hackett had 28 receptions for 400 yards (14.3 avg). TE Jerramy Stevens enjoyed the breakout season many have expected from the former 1st round pick. Stevens set career highs in receptions (45) and yards (554) and caught 5 TD passes. The #2 TE is Ryan Hannam, who is one of the better blocking TEs in the league.

EDGE: Seahawks

Offensive Line: Redskins LT Chris Samuels is heading to the Pro-Bowl, but he really hasn’t had one of his better seasons. He’s very talented, but many feel he earned this honor more on reputation than performance. Perhaps the best lineman on the team is RG Randy Thomas, who is out for the season with a broken leg. Jon Jansen, Casey Rabach and Derrick Dockery are very tough lineman, but the team clearly misses Thomas. His replacement is the 43-year old Ray Brown, who is playing in his 20th season.

Put simply, Seattle has the best offensive line in the NFL. LT Walter Jones was named the league’s top offensive lineman and LG Steve Hutchinson isn’t far behind him. Robbie Tobeck was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl and while veteran RG Chris Gray has his struggles, he’s started over 100 consecutive games for the ‘Hawks. 2nd-year RT Sean Locklear was pressed into service due to an injury to projected starter Floyd Womack, and Locklear responded by solidifying the right side. Locklear normally draws the best pass-rushing DE the opponents have, and he’s done a tremendous job.

EDGE: Seahawks

Defensive Line: The Redskins defensive line took a serious hit this week when LE Renaldo Wynn broke his arm against Tampa. He’s a solid, veteran run-stopper who they’ll sorely miss against the likes of Shaun Alexander. Opposite Wynn is former Seahawk Phillip Daniels, who led the Redskins in sacks (8). He’s an every-down end and his battle with Walter Jones should be fun to watch.  DE Demetric Evans will start for the Redskins in place of Wynn. Inside, the Redskins tandem of Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave’a dominated the Buccaneers offensive line. Salave’a, a blue-collar journeyman, and Griffin could give the interior of the Seahawks line some problems. This isn’t a very deep or recognizable group, but they do a good job of occupying blockers for the linebackers to make plays.

Seattle lacks an obvious pass-rushing threat, but they possess a deep, and healthy, group. LE Bryce Fisher led the ‘Hawks in sacks (9), but he was nursing some injuries late in the season and hasn’t had much of an impact down the stretch. He’s also not as good against the run. On the other side, Grant Wistrom doesn’t post high sack totals, but he’s very disruptive and creates opportunities for others to get to the QB. Inside is where the Seahawks are the deepest. Newcomer Chuck Darby is the quiet leader of the group, as his presence has had a profound impact on 2nd-year DT Marcus Tubbs, who was M.I.A. for much of his rookie campaign. Tubbs has bounced back to post 5.5 sacks. The 4-man rotation at DT includes Rocky Bernard, who had a monster season, posting 8.5 sacks, the 2nd-highest total for NFC DTs. Craig Terrill, Joe Tafoya and Rodney Bailey also will factor into the rotation. EDGE: Seahawks

Linebackers: It was an interesting season for LaVar Arrington. During the 1st part of the season, he found himself either inactive or unused. Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams couldn’t trust the undisciplined Arrington enough to get him on the field. In the second half of the season, Arrington has turned it all around, moving back into the starting lineup and living up to the play-maker billing he had coming out of Penn State. Marcus Washington was flat-out robbed of a Pro-Bowl berth this season. He’s disciplined, a great tackler and makes just as many plays as Arrington. The fulcrum is Lemar Marshall, who stepped into the starter’s role when Antonio Pierce departed for greener pa$ture$ in New York. He’s played very well, and the defense hasn’t skipped a beat. Warrick Holdman provides depth at both outside positions.

Seattle’s linebackers have been a bit of a bugaboo the last few years. After shedding themselves of a few “high salary/low productivity” guys (Chad Brown, Anthony Simmons), the Seahawks currently start two rookies at the LB position. 2nd-round pick Lofa Tatupu was a much-maligned draft pick that has turned out to be the steal of the entire draft. He’s stepped in and commanded the defense and was named a team captain for the playoffs. Fellow rookie LeRoy Hill has gone from being inactive in Week 1 to posting 7.5 sacks, which ranked 2nd behind “Rookie of the Year” Shawne Merriman’s 10 among rookies. Hill is starting in place of Jamie Sharper, who was placed on IR with a staph infection in his knee. The other starter will either be D.D. Lewis, who is questionable with a foot injury. If Lewis cannot start, Kevin Bentley will get the nod, and he’s been adequate in that role thus far. Providing depth, and good special teams play, are Niko Koutouvides and Isaiah Kacyvenski. The latter matriculated at Harvard. Just thought I’d throw that in there. EDGE: Redskins

Secondary: One of the more intriguing subplots to this week’s game is the return of CB Shawn Springs to the Pacific Northwest. Springs was a former 1st round draft choice of the Seahawks, and when he left as a free agent in 2004, he didn’t exactly go quietly, comparing playing in Seattle to playing in Egypt. The fans will be sure to welcome him back this week. Starting on the other side of Springs is rookie CB Carlos Rogers, who has had a solid rookie season. In the earlier match-up, Matt Hasselbeck picked on Rogers quite a bit. The rookie has grown up considerably since then, but I’d look for Seattle to throw at him a lot this week. Veteran Walt Harris started in place of an injured Springs, and while he’s no longer suited to start on a weekly basis, he’s a decent nickel back. Backing up the CBs are two physical safeties. Ryan Clark is the SS, and while he’s not the biggest guy playing that position, he hits like he is. Opposite him is Sean Taylor, he of the spitting incident fame. A freak of nature, Taylor uses his physical gifts to punish and instill fear in his opponents. Both Clark and Taylor are suspect in pass coverage, an area the Seahawks will look to keep both early on. Pierson Prioleau, Matt Bowen, Abe Jimoh and Omar Stoutmire provide depth in the defensive backfield.

Seattle’s secondary was supposed to be their strength this season, even with the departure of Ken Lucas to the Panthers in free agency. CB Marcus Trufant starts on the right side to protect an ailing shoulder, and the team signed CBs Andre Dyson and Kelly Herndon to battle for the LCB spot. Dyson won the job in camp, but has had a hard time staying healthy. His best performance came against the Eagles when he returned an interception and a fumble for touchdowns, but that was the last game he played after suffering a high-ankle sprain. Herndon has also battled a hamstring injury late in the year, and his play when healthy was so-so at best. All 3 are healthy now, and fortunately for them, Washington doesn’t have the WRs to exploit this weak spot. The safety position also took a loss this year when Ken Hamlin was lost for the season following a brawl in a Seattle nightclub. Hamlin was finally coming into his own in his 3rd season, and his future at this point is unknown. He will be raising the “12th Man” flag before the game, though, and you can bet that the crowd will be even more bonkers upon seeing him. FS Marquand Manuel, a veteran the team added during the 2004 campaign, has been starting in place of Hamlin and provides excellent support against the run. He’s actually more disciplined than Hamlin was, but lacks the athleticism of #26. SS Michael Boulware is still adjusting to the position. He was a LB in college, and the team drafted him to play the SS position. He excels against the run, and while he’s not yet there in terms of coverage, he does make plays at the right time. In his brief career, he’s managed to snare 9 interceptions. DB Jordan Babineaux earned the nickname “Big Play Babs” this year. He forced a key fumble in a win in St. Louis, intercepted a pass to set up the winning field goal against the Cowboys and is developing into a key player in the Seattle secondary. He’ll play mainly on special teams, but is versatile enough to play any position in the secondary. EDGE: Redskins

Special Teams: John Hall was once known as a guy with unlimited range on field goals, but for some reason, he’s lost some power in his leg. Derrick Frost is a rookie punter, which is the same as saying he’s inconsistent. Frost has a powerful leg, but for every 50-yard rainmaker he boots, he’ll shank one. His 14-yard punt late against the Bucs certainly caused some tense moments on the Redskins sidelines. Antonio Brown is a quick punt-returner, but tends to take some risks in fielding punts. KR Ladell Betts isn’t going to run away from many people, but he might run over them.

Seattle’s special teams unit has been a sore spot the last few years, but they don’t worry about K Josh Brown. After Brown doinked a potential game-winning kick off the left upright in Washington, he’s made some key kicks from long distance to win games. Brown has a strong leg, but doesn’t get as much depth on his kickoffs as many would like. P Tom Rouen was re-signed after Leo Araguz struggled to start the season. Rouen is a veteran and has enjoyed some good games since his return. PR Jimmy Williams is primarily asked to call fair catch, and KR Josh Scobey has busted out some very fine returns the last few weeks. One problem the Seahawks have had is penalties. They’ve committed 22 penalties on special teams, many of which have nullified great returns by Scobey. Then again, those penalties are usually why a returner gets good yardage. EDGE: Seahawks

Coaching: Joe Gibbs is 17-5 in the post-season, has 3 Super Bowl rings and in only his 2nd season since returning from a long, NASCAR-induced hiatus, has the Redskins on the verge of going to the NFC Championship game. Helping Gibbs out is Gregg Williams, the highest paid defensive coordinator in the NFL. Williams’ system is working, and the Redskins success this season will fall mainly on how far the defense can take them.

Mike Holmgren’s tenure in Seattle has been marred by the team’s inability to win a post-season game. Despite having the NFC’s best record since 2003, the national media isn’t ready to lavish too much praise on the Seahawks until they prove they can win when it matters. EDGE: Seahawks


Mac’s Pick: SEAHAWKS 31, Redskins 13

Why the Seahawks Will Win

1. The Seahawks are 100% healthy, with the only question mark being LB D.D. Lewis. Meanwhile, the Redskins lost a key member of the defensive line, have one healthy WR, a gimpy QB whose success has been due to his mobility and a RB that has two injured shoulders and loses feeling in both his arms.


2. Washington had to travel 3,000 miles to play this game, and they get to go into the loudest outdoor stadium in the NFL. The entire city is going bonkers in Seattle, and they take pride in disrupting opposing offenses.


3. Its pick your poison time for Gregg Williams. Want to stack the box to neutralize Shaun Alexander? Hasselbeck has the weapons to pick your secondary apart. If you sit back, Alexander and that offensive line will control the clock and move the chains all day long.

Divisional Playoff Preview

The amount of records and stats being tossed about this week in an effort to determine the winners of the games this weekend borders on ridiculous:

• Since 2000, in the Divisional Playoff round, when the two teams faced each other just one time during the regular season, the winner of that earlier match-up has won the rematch in the post-season.

Come on, that’s not a statistic. That’s a “leg warmer” stat, a recent trend that totally lacks scientific merit.

• The Seahawks haven’t won a playoff game since 1984.

Ok, but how many current Seahawks were playing back then? Zero. In fact, the 43-year old Ray Brown, who is starting at RG for the Washington Redskins this weekend, wasn’t in the NFL yet.

The list is endless. Even this “stat”, while impressive, is useless:

• Bill Belichick hasn’t lost to the same team twice in one season.

Nice stat, but you have to qualify that with “Since 2001”, as Belichick-coached teams have been swept by their opponents in the past. The need to qualify such a number, to me, negates the point you’re trying to make.

Some statistics do have merit, though. For example, since 1990 (the year the current playoff system was established), the home team has dominated their visitors in the Divisional Playoff round. Here’s how the home team has done, by round, in that 15-year span:

Wild Card 43-17 .717
Divisonal Round 49-11 .817
Conference Champ 17-13 .567

82% of the time, the home team has won in the Divisional Playoffs. That’s an impressive number. When you go back even further, into the 10 years leading up to the addition of 2 wild card teams, the home teams won 77% of the time in the Divisional Playoffs.

Historical numbers aside, the main reason for optimism in the 4 host cities this weekend is this: Indianapolis, Seattle, Denver and Chicago combined on a 30-2 record at home in 2005. Teams have an obvious advantage when playing at home, but almost as important as playing in front of your home fans and not having to travel is the bye week. This week’s home teams are already very tough to beat in their own yard, they’re well rested, and in the playoffs, health matters above most everything else.

Saturday, January 14th, 2006

*Full Seahawks-Redskins Preview will be up later.

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos – 8pm – CBS

Despite putting together a brilliant 13-3 season and having home-field advantage against a team that they already beat this season, the Broncos don’t seem to be getting a lot of attention this week. It’s appropriate that Tom Brady is leading the Patriots into Denver, as maybe now he’ll realize that there are teams out there that have gotten less respect than his has.

Clearly, this is not the same Patriots team that lost to Denver a few months ago. The Patriots were without RBs Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk. Matt Light had just gotten injured. Richard Seymour didn’t play and Tedy Bruschi had not yet returned to action.

So this game is going to be much different, right? Well, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here.

Denver didn’t go 13-3 on accident. We’re talking about a team that finished 2nd in the NFL in rushing and their 16 giveaways were fewest in the NFL in 2005. On defense, they stop the run (2nd in the NFL in that category) and they created the 3rd-most turnovers. So, this is a very good team that the New England Dangerfields are facing this weekend.

This isn’t to take anything away from the Patriots. As long as they have Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, they’re a threat in the post-season. They key for them is winning the battles up front, creating lanes for Corey Dillon to run through and keeping the Broncos offense off the field. If they can do those things, they’ll advance to the AFC Championship game.

I just don’t see that happening. Dynasty…over. (For now, anyways)

Mac’s Pick: Denver 27, New England 20

Sunday, January 15th, 2006

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts – 1pm – CBS

If anyone had any doubts about whether or not the Colts would be mentally prepared to play this game, let me assure you of one thing: It’s not an issue. This is a veteran, well-coached team who will be ready to play despite the last month where the 1st unit hasn’t played too much and the entire organization has mourned the loss of a loved one.

Clearly, the Colts are the best team in the National Football League and deserve to be the prohibitive favorites to win Super Bowl XL.

Pittsburgh comes into town as one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and probably the team nobody wants to play. They play perfect playoff football, meaning they run the football and stop the run. That’s the winning formula in January, for sure.

The road that the Steelers have to travel is pretty difficult. Playing in Indianapolis is a great challenge, and the last time the Steelers went in there (late November), the Colts thoroughly dominated them. While I expect this game to be much closer, the result will ultimately be the same.

Mac’s Pick: Indianapolis 35, Pittsburgh 27


Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears – 430pm – FOX

The Bears thoroughly dominated the Panthers when they met earlier this season, beating them 13-3 and registering 8 sacks on Jake Delhomme, and picking him off twice.

The Panthers defense is playing with a lot of confidence after shutting out the Giants, and more importantly, shutting down Tiki Barber. If they can stop Barber, they most assuredly can stop Thomas Jones. The Panthers want to put this game on Rex Grossman, he of 7 NFL starts in his career.

As tough as the Bears defense is, it’s not impossible to move the ball on them. It’s just very difficult to score, and that’s the ultimate measure of a good defense.

So what will ultimately determine the outcome of the game? When you’ve got two tough defenses, who don’t allow many points, the game could come down to the kicking game. Punters can have an impact on the field position, and when the offenses do get a drive going, which kicker is more likely to deliver a valuable 3 points? Carolina has a veteran kicker, John Kasay, whose kicked in dozens of big games over his career. Chicago has a rookie kicker, Robbie Gould, who has not.

Mac’s Pick: Carolina 16, Chicago 10

RIP: Dave Brown (1953-2006)

The Seahawks haven't won a playoff game since 1984, and one of the key players on that brilliant 1984 team was CB Dave Brown, who passed away on Tuesday after an apparent heart attack during a pick-up basketball game on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Brown spent 11 seasons with the Seahawks, after spending his rookie year on the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers roster. Brown finished his career with the Green Bay Packers, and totalled 62 interceptions in his career, which has him in a 7th place tie in NFL history.

Here's a link to the Seattle Times article about his passing.

Chad Johnson-Marvin Lewis-Hue Jackson Melee?

It's being reported by Profootballtalk.com that at intermission of the Bengals-Steelers game, Bengals star WR Chad Johnson was involved in an altercation with WRs Coach Hue Jackson. During that scuffle, Johnson reportedly took a swing at Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.

If this is true, it would certainly explain the poor second half performance by the Bengals offense in that game. It would also mean that the public's perception of Chad Johnson will be forever altered.

At the half, the Bengals were leading the Steelers (17-14), and while momentum was swinging the other way at that time, the Bengals had a good shot to win that game. If it becomes a publicized fact that Chad Johnson disrupted the team by getting into an altercation with his position coach over the number of passes thrown his way, then took a swipe at the head coach, many in the Queen City will pin the loss squarely on #85's shoulders. No amount of autographed memorabilia will atone for it, and you could add Johnson's bruised ego to Carson Palmer's shredded knee and Chris Henry's sprained ankle on the pile of injuries the offense suffered Sunday.

It All Starts Now

Some thoughts on the recent NFL news:

- Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins was fined $17,000 for spitting in the face of Bucs RB Michael Pittman. Should Taylor have been fined $100K and suspended for a game (as Michael Wilbon suggests in today's Washington Post), or was the fine appropriate considering the deed?

I'm sure you've discovered that I'm a Seahawks fan, and I make no apologies about that. A suspension of Taylor would benefit the Seahawks, since he's an impact player on defense, which is the area of the game the Redskins will need to be at their peak to beat the Seahawks. So, although I'd have done it a bit differently than Wilbon suggests, I do agree with what he is saying.

The NFL spends millions of dollars on it's public image and when a player steps way over the line (and spitting at an opponent is about the worst thing you can do on the field), the league slaps that man on the wrist. Now, I'm not of the opinion that Taylor should've been suspended for this weekend's game. That's penalizing the team for the actions of one moronic individual. But they should've levied a much larger fine (at least $50K) and suspended Taylor for the 1st regular season game of the 2006 season. Maybe that would send a message to knuckleheads like Taylor, because fines are clearly not going to cut it.

- Some NFL team is going to take a chance on Marcus Vick. That same NFL team is going to be laughed at by 31 other NFL teams, as well as every sportswriter in America, and they'll deserve every last ounce of it. This is a kid that was suspended by Virginia Tech for the 2004 season for providing alcohol to three underage girls, flipping off the fans in West Virginia and reckless driving and possession of marijuana charges. Then came the "stomp heard 'round Charlottesville" when he cleated Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil's exposed calf in a bowl game.

Virginia Tech did the right thing, about the only thing they could do at this point, and booted Vick off the team for good. "No problem", Vick mused "I'll just go to the next level". And within 3 day, we saw what the "next level" really is: a jail cell. This time for brandishing a gun at three people in a McDonald's parking lot. What, Marcus? Did someone take the prize out of your Happy Meal?

And some team is going to invest a draft pick in this turd? Not likely. About the only team that would possibly do so is the Atlanta Falcons, and everyone will immediately know who is calling the shots down there.

- Drew Rosenhaus has received permission to seek a trade for his client, Terrell Owens. The hot rumor reportedly has Owens landing in Tampa Bay. Why the Bucs would want to go through another Keyshawn Johnson situation is beyond me, but this is a team that desperately needs another WR for Chris Simms to throw to. This was evident in the Bucs wild card loss to the Redskins, when Odell Shepherd dropped an easy TD pass that would've tied the score.

- Herm Edwards to the Chiefs. Carl Peterson was right. This was the worst kept secret in the NFL, as everyone knew that there was overt interest from Kansas City and the denials from Herm Edwards were quite transparent.

I think it's a good fit for both sides. I've always admired Herm Edwards style of coaching, and I expect him to turn around that defense in a hurry. The talent is certainly there, as KC has spent plenty of money on that side of the ball.

Naturally, there are some pretty bitter people in New York. My advice for them is to get over it. He didn't want to coach there anymore, so let him go. If you want to bring up the fact that Edwards should've honored his contract, that's fine and a very valid point. But let's not pretend this is anything new.

Bill Parcells, everyone's favorite prickly head coaching legend/genius, has never honored the full duration of any contract. In fact, he left New England early to come coach the Jets, so maybe there's some karma at work here.

Early Leans

It's only Tuesday, and there's a lot of analyzing to be done over this weekend's matchups, but I thought I'd clue you all in to what I'm seeing in the games, as of right now:

Seattle, 31-20
Denver, 27-24
Indianapolis, 34-28
Chicago, 13-10

Big shock, eh? As of now (Tuesday), I'm on board with the favorites for this weekend. Hey, home teams are 31-9 in the divisional playoff the last 10 years, and these 4 teams are 30-2 at home this season. Denver and Seattle went 8-0.

Wild Card Weekend Rewind

The games are in the books, next week's matchups are set and Terry Bradshaw is still as stoopid as ever.

If you didn't catch his Terry Awards in the FOX pre-game today, consider yourself lucky. It was a Q&A format with the equally dim Matthew McConaughey. Now, I know that it's just the opinion of a qausi-journalist, but let's have some fun at his expense, ok?

GM of the Year: Bill Polian, Indianapolis

Who did the Colts add via free agency this off-season, and where have their draft picks been hiding?

The other choices were Ernie Accorsi (Giants) and AJ Smith (Chargers). You remember AJ Smith, don't you? He's the guy that wouldn't budge on the negotiations with TE Antonio Gates, causing the Pro-Bowl TE to miss the season opener, which the Bolts lost. They missed the playoffs by one game.

No mention of Tim Ruskell of the Seahawks.

Best Assistant Coach of the Year: Wade Wilson, quarterbacks coach for the Bears.

Chicago Bears QBs combined for a passer rating of 61.5 this season, which ranks 31st in the NFL.

Passed over: John Marshall, Seahawks. Marshall took over as defensive coordinator when Ray Rhodes had a stroke before season opener. Under Marshall, the Seahawks improved from 24th in scoring defense in 2004 to 7th in the NFL in 2005.

Yes, the Seahawks were "slighted" by Bradshaw, which is probably a good thing.

Panthers-Giants Recap

As mentioned in this space on Friday:

1. 2nd year QB playing in his 1st NFL playoff game

Did Manning disappoint? If you put his QB rating from today on the Richter Scale, it would be labeled a "minor" quake. He made bad decisions, bad throws and looked lost in the 17 minutes he was on the field.

2. Total lack of discipline (penalties, dropped passes, players quitting on plays, a la Shockey against the ‘Skins 2 weeks ago)

This was evident by the spoiled brat effort from Plaxico Burress, who turned into the Invisible Man, like he always does in the post-season.

Judging by the way the media (I'm looking at you, Peter King) talked about the Giants, this team bought into what Tom Coughlin was preaching and played with discipline. So why was "Plex" visibly upset and sulking on the sidelines when the ball wasn't being thrown his way? Why was Burress running his routes in such a half-assed manner? That's not discipline, folks, and today proved that I've been right about these frauds from Day 1.

3. Terrell Buckley sees significant time covering actual NFL WRs

Who was "covering" Steve Smith on his TD reception? Terrell Buckley

4. No depth at LB…and no skill there, either

The best LBs on the Giants sidelines were Harry Carson, Carl Banks and Lawrence Taylor. They could've done a better job today than the Greisen, Jackson and Lewis.

5. Overly dependent on one player with a history of fumbling

Look what happened when the Panthers totally shut Barber down. The Giants offense was lost. Great defensive gameplan by John Fox.

Offensively, I think the Panthers have some genuine concerns. Only Steve Smith was getting open out there, and DeShaun Foster took a pounding today. Also, they're heading into Chicago, who stymied them earlier this season, 13-3.

Buccaneers-Redskins Recap

I should've known that the inexperienced Chris Simms was going to bite my in the ass when I was making my picks. On his 2 tipped INTs, I honestly don't know what he was throwing into. He's convinced that those would've been 20-yard completions, if not for the tips, but all I saw were well-covered receivers.

Give some credit to the Redskins for capitalizing on mistakes by Simms and Williams, too. If it wasn't for the opportunistic defense, it's unlikely the 'Skins would be advancing.

Patriots-Jaguars Recap

I had a feeling that the Patriots would blow the Jaguars out, and I was right. Not to take too much away from what the Jaguars did in the regular season, after all 12 wins is always impressive. But they weren't the type of team that instilled a lot of fear in opponents. Plus, with Byron Leftwich coming back from an injury, a re-shuffled offensive line and a lack of playoff experience, drawing the Patriots was bad luck on their part.

Steelers-Bengals Recap

Though the Bengals held a 10-0 lead at one point, the game was likely lost when Carson Palmer went down with a serious knee injury (torn ACL and MCL) on the second offensive play for the Bengals.

Got to give some credit to Jon Kitna, though. He's nowhere near as talented as Palmer, but he battled hard against a tough Steelers defense. Kitna is set to become a free agent, but with Palmer likely to be sidelined until at least training camp, the uncertainty at that position probably earns Kitna another contract in the Queen City.

And I'll add this about Kitna: You won't find a nicer, more team-oriented guy anywhere in the NFL. Remember, the Bengals handed Carson Palmer the starting QB job in 2004 (after Kitna had a very good year in 2003) and Kitna handed this demotion in a totally classy manner (unlike the diminutive back-up currently playing in New England).

Pittsburgh showed why they're such a dangerous team in the post-season. They ran the ball well, but what really impressed me was the play of Ben Roethlisberger against a Bengals pass defense that's thrived by creating turnovers. Big Ben was quick in his reads, made good decisions and threw the ball better than I've seen him throw all year.

DIVISIONAL WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Saturday, January 14th, 2005

Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks - 430pm - FOX
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos - 8pm - CBS

Sunday, January 15th, 2005

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts - 1pm - CBS
Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears - 430pm - FOX

WILD CARD WEEKEND- Mac's Picks

WILD CARD WEEKEND

During the regular season I’d pretty much know by Wednesday night which team I liked in each game, so it was fairly easy to make my picks. Plus, with 256 games, you could afford to throw caution to the wind and make some wild predictions.

But it’s playoff time, and we’re down to 11 do-or-die games. So in the spirit of that, I’m going logical here:

Saturday January 7th, 2006

Washington Redskins (10-6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) – 430pm (ABC)

During the regular season, these two teams had a classic battle in Tampa, with the Buccaneers pulling out a 36-35 win. If you don’t remember, Jon Gruden gambled by going for the 2-point conversion to win the game, instead of kicking the field goal and playing for overtime. Now that the Buccaneers won the NFC South by virtue of a tiebreaker, Tampa Bay may not have won the game or the division without the win back in November.

Will this game be another wild, high-scoring contest? Probably not. The 30+ points each team allowed were the exceptions, not the rule, as far as 2005 was concerned. The teams rank 8th and 9th in scoring defense, so I’d expect that the winning team to have less than 20 points.  

Who Will Win and Why?

In a game as evenly matched as this one, some of the things I look for are experience, health and venue. Washington is the more experienced team, led by Mark Brunell, Clinton Portis and let’s not forget 43-year old RG Ray Brown. On the other side, Tampa is starting a 3rd year QB (Chris Simms), who is making his 1st playoff start. They’ve got a rookie RB (Cadillac Williams). How will the kids handle the pressure?

Brunell’s knee isn’t 100% and Tampa has an aggressive front 4 that puts pressure on the QB. Will Brunell be capable of escaping the pressure and making plays with his legs? And it’s not just the offense that is hurting. CB Shawn Springs will play, but has been hampered by injuries the last few weeks. Will he be healthy enough to contain speedster WR, and fellow former Seahawk, Joey Galloway?

Being the #6-seed in the playoffs means you have to go on the road, and Washington is much tougher to play in front of the 90,000 people at FedEx Field.

Two of those three areas lean heavily towards the home team. Pick: Buccaneers, 20-16

Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) at New England Patriots (10-6) – 8pm (ABC)

It’s true that the Jaguars were the last team to beat the New England Patriots in a playoff game, and I’m sure the underdogs would like nothing more than to be the team providing the bookends to the Patriots dynasty.

But it’s simply not going to happen. You’d have to be digging deeply into Ricky Williams stash to suggest that the Patriots are going to lose a home playoff game against a team as inexperienced in the postseason as the Jaguars. Even if Tedy Bruschi doesn’t play (like he’ll miss this one), the Patriots defense has moderately improved itself over the last 8 weeks.

The word(s) I’d use to describe the Jaguars offense is  “stunningly ordinary”. They’ve got a lot of talent on that side of the ball (Byron Leftwich, Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith, Reggie Williams, Ernest Wilford and Matt “Moonshine” Jones), but flutter somewhere around the middle of the pack offensively.

The Jaguars strength is their defense, primarily the middle. This will mean that the game will rest squarely on Rodney Dangerfield, er, I mean Tom Brady. The Disrespected One will be pressured, but the Patriots are one of the best screen teams in the NFL, and that should slow down the monsters the Jaguars have along the defensive line. Plus, the weakness of the Jaguars defense is the secondary, particularly Rashean Mathis, who is morphing into a Terrell Buckley clone.

Who Will Win and Why?

The Patriots, and I’m not buying into the “this game will be closer than people realize” shtick. Could it be? Yeah, since you never know how much of the playbook Bill Belichick is willing to show. He may be content to keep it close, run even if it’s not working to drain the clock, and trust his veteran team to make enough big plays for Adam Vinateiri to film another Ford commercial.

But I see the Patriots making a statement, and putting the rest of the NFL on notice. Pick: Patriots, 31-10

Sunday, January 8th, 2006

Carolina Panthers (11-5) at New York Giants (11-5) – 1pm (FOX)

The most intriguing aspect of the week leading up to a playoff game in the NFL is the way some teams shoot themselves in the foot in the media. This week, we had Osi Umenyiora (DE, NYG) saying that he and Michael Strahan are better than the Panthers tandem of Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker. He’s right, but he’s not doing the false-start happy Luke Petitgout and Kareem McKenzie any favors.

The New York Giants seem like a confident bunch, don’t they? It’s like they know something no one else knows. Why I don’t like the Giants chances in the postseason:

1. 2nd year QB playing in his 1st NFL playoff game


2. Total lack of discipline (penalties, dropped passes, players quitting on plays, a la Shockey against the ‘Skins 2 weeks ago)


3. Terrell Buckley sees significant time covering actual NFL WRs


4. No depth at LB…and no skill there, either


5. Overly dependent on one player with a history of fumbling

The way the Giants are talking, they’re reminiscent of a teenaged girl taking a midnight swim at Camp Crystal Lake.  They have no idea what they’re in for, and you almost feel badly for them.

Who Will Win and Why?

The Panthers have the defense to stop Barber and force Young Eli into making some unfortunate throws. They have a deep threat (Steve Smith) that nobody on the Giants defense can cover, and depth at the WR position to attack the Giants zone defense. Plus, they’ve got experience going on the road in January. Pick: Panthers, 28-20

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (11-5) – 430pm (CBS)

When I look at this game, I’m reminded of the Seahawks-Rams duels from last season. Sure, the Bengals won the division and got the home-field edge, but they don’t have much playoff experience (or success) to fall back on. In the minds of the Steelers, the AFC North is still theirs, and they’ll be looking to make that point well known.

I’ve been waiting for the Bengals to improve, and Marvin Lewis has really done a tremendous job with that team. Carson Palmer has developed into one of the Top 5 QBs in the NFL, and Chad Johnson is the funniest, and most entertaining player in the game, as well as being an All-Pro-caliber WR. The part that turns me off about Cincinnati, and it’s surprising considering Marvin Lewis coaches them, is their defense.

Who Will Win and Why?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have experience, motivation and a whole bunch of momentum heading into Cincinnati, where they already beat the Bengals once this season. With the Bengals suspect run defense (20th in the NFL), and the Steelers 5th-ranked rushing offense, I wouldn’t feel too confident taking the Bengals. As entertaining as multiple end zone celebrations from Chad Johnson would be…Pick: Steelers, 27-21.