Week 17 Recap

The NFL's regular season is over. 20 teams will go back to the drawing board, and I'd like to add a 21st team to that: The crew behind the NFL Sunday Ticket.

At various times this season, I've pointed out some frustrating aspects of this wonderful programming package. Now it's time to list the two things I'd make immediate improvements on:

Player Tracker Feature

Subscribers to the NFL Sunday Ticket could use this new feature in 2006 to track up to 9 players on their fantasy team. When one of the players did something worth noting, an update would appear on their screen. Great idea, right?

Wrong.

This was like a well designed play on the chalkboard that never worked on the field. The major problem was there was no way for those not interested in using the feature from disabling it, so whenever you changed the channel you were greeted with a menu bar that temporarily obstructed the graphics on the network broadcast. Normally, something like this wouldn't be a big deal, but how many important game notes were missed because of something you didn't care one iota about?

I have no evidence to support this, but I'm convinced that this feature slowed down the time in which you could change channels, as well. Again, this is an unsubstantiated claim of mine, but I'll believe that until I'm told otherwise.

Mac's Fix: Get rid of it entirely, or at least come up with a way for those not interested in using it to permanently disable the feature.

Another option would be to create a "Fantasy" channel to go along with the Red Zone. How "cool" would it be for a subscriber to load the players on his, and his opponents, fantasy teams and track them on one of the many unused channels? Heck, I might even use that.

"Blacking Out" Games on Local Channels

For the 1st time in league history, each television market was treated to a "Double Double-Header", where both CBS and FOX had games at 1pm and 4pm. If you were watching the games on the Sunday Ticket, this meant 4 of the 14 games were "blacked out", directing the viewers to watch the game on their local affiliates.

Why?

I know it's all about local ratings, but c'mon, it really doesn't matter if I'm watching the game on Channel 4 (my local CBS affiliate) or on Channel 710 (the blacked out channel on DirecTV).

Mac's Fix: Stop dictating what channel I have to watch the game on. Many people would prefer to just surf through the games without having to go back to the local channel.

Now, let's recap the action from Week 17.

Detroit 39, Dallas 31 - If you told me before this game that Tony Romo would go 23-32 for 321 yards, Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn would combine for 12 catches and 226 yards and DeMarcus Ware would have 3 sacks, I'd say that Dallas had a pretty good day. However, Romo fumbled four times (lost two) and Jon Kitna lit up the mediocre Cowboys secondary for 4 touchdowns. Mike Furrey had an 11-catch day and Mike Williams, who was last seen on milk cartons in the Detroit area, had a touchdown reception.

All that aside, Dallas is the #5-seed in the NFC playoffs and will travel to Seattle next Saturday night.

Pittsburgh 23, Cincinnati 17 (OT) - With less than 10 seconds to go in the game, and the score tied at 17, Shayne Graham and the Cincinnati Bengals were a 39-yard field goal away from being in position to make the playoffs (if the Broncos lost the 4pm game). Graham was 17-17 from inside of 40 yards on the season, so naturally, the field goal knuckled it's way right. In overtime, Ben Roethlisberger hits Santonio Holmes on an innocuous slant pass, which he takes 67 yards for the game-winning touchdown and Cincinnati's season comes to an end.

What also might be coming to an end is Bill Cowher's tenure in Pittsburgh. If this was his last game, he'll be going out on an 8-8 season, but that last "W" over Cincinnati was pretty sweet.

New England 40, Tennessee 23 - In a surprisingly chippy game, the biggest shot might have been Bill Belichick's decision to insert #3 QB Vinny Testaverde into the game with a 10-point lead so he could throw a touchdown pass in an NFL record 20th straight season. New England finishes the season as the #4-seed in the AFC, and they'll host Eric Mangini and the New York Jets next Sunday. Mangini spent the last few years on Belichick's staff in New England before getting the top job in the Big Apple.

Seattle 23, Tampa Bay 7 - The good news for Seattle? The offense looked sharp despite playing without its #1 WR (Darrell Jackson) and starting right guard (Chris Gray). The bad news? Seattle lost starting CB Kelly Herndon to a broken ankle, and his replacement, Jimmy Williams, to a knee injury. Seattle is already playing without its best CB, Marcus Trufant, who has a high ankle sprain and likely won't be ready for the start of the playoffs. This means that the Seahawks will have rookie Kelly Jennings and 3rd year safety/cornerback Jordan Babineaux starting opposite Terry Glenn and Terrell Owens next Saturday night at Qwest Field.

New York Jets 23, Oakland 3 - It wasn't flashy, but the Jets got their expected win over the Oakland Raiders and punched their own ticket to the post-season. With the loss by the Denver Broncos, the Jets moved up to the 5th seed and will travel to Foxborough next Sunday, a place they've already won this season.

Carolina 31, New Orleans 21 - The Giants win over the Redskins on Saturday night made this game meaningless for both teams, but that didn't stop Jake Delhomme from making a statement. Rumors have suggested that Delhomme's days in Charlotte are limited, so Delhomme went 23-27 for 207 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Steve Smith in a 10-point win over the division champs. We'll see if it was enough to save Jake's job in Carolina.

St. Louis 41, Minnesota 21 - For 15 games, nobody could run on the Minnesota Vikings. Naturally, this meant that Rams RB Steven Jackson would break out for 142 yards and a trio of touchdowns on them on a game with no playoff implications.

Kansas City 35, Jacksonville 30 - I'll be honest with you, I paid absolutely no attention to the Kansas City Chiefs heading into this weekend. I thought that the Jets beating the Raiders was a slam dunk, as was the Broncos beating the 49ers. Now the Chiefs are not only in the playoffs, but with a game next Saturday against the horrendous Colts run defense, the Chiefs could actually win a playoff game for the 1st time since Joe Montana was their QB.

Houston 14, Cleveland 6 - Yes, they bothered.

San Diego 27, Arizona 20 - I couldn't believe Marty Schottenheimer waited so long to pull a hobbled Philip Rivers and waited until LaDainian Tomlinson got creamed to take them out of the game. They were assured a bye, and fortunately for Marty, Rivers and Tomlinson have two weeks to heal.

San Francisco 26, Denver 23 (OT) - I'd like to personally dedicate this game, on behalf of all NFC fans, to the Sterling Sharpes of the world. You always knock the NFC, but Denver is the second AFC team in the last two years to miss the playoffs because they couldn't beat the teams from the NFC.

Remember how Donnie Edwards was whining about how if the Chargers were in the NFC last year, they would've made the playoffs? He didn't mention that losing tight games to the Cowboys and Eagles kept them out of it. Well this year, the Denver Broncos went 1-3 against the "weakest" division in the NFC, and now they'll have plenty of times to shovel snow this month.

Indianapolis 27, Miami 22 - It was a win, and those are always good, but that's another 150 yards rushing against the Colts, and Larry Johnson is coming to town.

Baltimore 19, Buffalo 7 - If I'm in the AFC, the only team I'd want no part of is the Baltimore Ravens. Jamal Lewis has shown flashes of being back to his pre-incarceration form, Steve McNair is playing well, and that defense can score from anyplace on the field.

Philadelphia 24, Atlanta 17 - He left with a sprained ankle, so the job is still his heading into 2007, but did anyone else notice Matt Schaub's 15-21, 175 yard showing? Did anyone else notice AJ Feeley throwing for 3 touchdowns?? The Iggles fans were openly chanting for Feeley once McNabb went down in November. How much patience will they have for Garcia in January?

Sunday night update will be up tomorrow. Also tomorrow we'll be reporting on any coaching changes. Just because it's New Years Day, doesn't mean it's not Black Monday. On Friday, I'll have a preview up of this weekend's games.

Happy New Year!

AFC Playoff Picture Now in Focus

Wow.

An overtime field goal by Joe Nedney has propelled the Kansas City Chiefs into the playoffs. Was anyone talking about the Chiefs making the playoffs entering today??

Here's the full playoff schedule next weekend:

Saturday, January 6th, 2007

430pm Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts (NBC)
8pm Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks (NBC)

John Madden and Al Michaels will be doing the Dallas-Seattle game.

Sunday, January 7th, 2007

1pm New York Jets at New England Patriots (CBS)
430pm New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

NFC Playoff Times Announced

The AFC match-ups are yet to be determined, but the NFC games, dates and times have been announced by FOX.

Saturday, January 6th, 2007

8pm Dallas at Seattle (NBC)

Sunday, January 7th, 2007

430pm New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (FOX)

Giants Answer Bell

The New York Giants are essentially in the playoffs. By beating the Washington Redskins on Saturday night, it would take a virtual miracle for the Green Bay Packers to knock the G-Men (boys) out of the #6 seed in the NFC. Officially, this is how it breaks down:

The New York Giants will clinch a playoff berth with:

- Green Bay loses to the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, OR

- Strength of victory tiebreaker over Green Bay IF Detroit or Minnesota lose OR any two of the following happen: Arizona, Miami, San Francisco lose or Carolina, Houston, Tampa Bay win

Simple enough, right?

Tiki Has Big Night

It like won't be his last game, but Tiki Barber sure did play like it. Barber's 23 carries produced 234 yards and a trio of touchdowns, including two from over 50 yards. With Amani Toomer and Luke Petitgout on IR, and Jeremy Shockey back in NY nursing an injury, the Giants weren't able to generate much from the passing game.

Barber certainly picked up the slack.

Questionable Call of the Night

With the Giants up 20-7 early in the 3rd quarter, Tim Carter drew a 31-yard pass interference penalty on Redskins safety Sean Taylor on a dive that would've drawn a perfect 10.0 from the Austrian judge.

Carter's acting job set up his own 6-yard touchdown pass on the next play, which gave the Giants the 20-point lead they nearly squandered.

Thursday/Saturday Games to Continue

Since many of you probably don't have the NFLN, you missed the 300 commercials the NFL's network showed urging people who couldn't see the game on their home TV to call their cable operators and harass them until they pay the league's ransom.

The commercials were set in a bar, where one patron would go on and on about how he doesn't have the NFLN at home, but his in-laws have it. "Talk about the joy of victory, and the agony of defeat", it stated.

One of the commercials also indicated that the late season Thursday/Saturday games will continue in '07, which is bad news for just about everyone. I don't have a problem with the Saturday night games (ESPN already showed them in December anyways), but the games on Thursday nights are, and have been, a disaster. The teams, the players, and even the fans, aren't ready for another game in just 4 days.

Champ Speaks Out

As I mentioned below, I do not believe that Shawne Merriman should be eligible for any post-season awards due to his suspension earlier this year for steroids.

We know that Jason Taylor shares that viewpoint, and in today's Denver Post, as much as Champ Bailey likes Merriman personally, he ultimately agrees with Jason Taylor (and me).

"After testing positive, I don't think he should be given anything this year," Bailey said. "I hope he didn't do it. I hope he took it unknowingly. I don't want to throw him under the bus any more than he already has been. I think he's a great player and I love talking to him.

"But I don't think guys who tested positive should win anything the year they test positive."

Those who would defend Merriman will call Bailey's comments as self-serving as Taylor's, and in doing so, they are avoiding the truth.

Cheaters shouldn't prosper. This year, Merriman has cheated. His excuse that he "accidentally" took a tainted supplement simply isn't believable and even if it was an accident, the bottom line is that the players are 100% responsible for what substances enter their body. In other words, accidents aren't tolerated.

Whoever votes for this award needs to send a message, and the NFL needs to address this issue in the off-season. You test positive for steroids, you don't get a free trip to Hawaii and/or any post-season hardware.

Week 17 - Mac's Picks

There are many reasons to like Jason Taylor. He’s durable (he’s missed just 4 games in 10 years), he’s productive (106 career sacks) and this year, his 10^th in the NFL, the undersized defensive end (he’s a dozen or so cheeseburgers from his listed weight of 255 pounds) is having one of his best seasons as a pro. Taylor has 13 ½ sacks, 10 passes defended, 9 forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns.

But the real reason why I like Jason Taylor is for what he had to say about Shawne Merriman:

“You really shouldn't be able to fail a test like that and play in this league, to begin with,” Taylor said. “To make the Pro Bowl and all the other awards, I think you're walking a fine line of sending the wrong message.”

Since Taylor is also in the mix for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, his comments are somewhat self-serving and he probably shouldn’t have been the one to say anything at all. In fact, I think that his comments will likely steer votes away from both himself and Merriman.

(In fact, I think that this award is going to either Champ Bailey or Brian Urlacher now)

Still, Taylor is right.

Players who are caught cheating should not be eligible for Pro Bowls and post-season awards. The problem with that is the NFL currently lacks a policy that restricts players who violate the rules from participating in the Pro Bowl or receiving post-season awards. Despite his suspension, Merriman was still selected to the Pro Bowl, which indicates that the players and coaches throughout the league were appeased by Merriman’s league-issued vacation.

The “Defensive Player of the Year” award, however, is up to the Pro Football Writers of America. Surely, the PFWA will step up and show that guys who are caught cheating shouldn’t be rewarded, right? I wouldn’t count on it.

In 2002, the NFL suspended Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers for the season’s final four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. After a rookie season where he had as many sacks (12) as games played, Peppers was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year by a panel of writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. So the precedent exists for Merriman to get another post-season award he doesn’t deserve.

Last Week: 6-10
2006 Season: 110-125-5

NY Giants (-2 ½) at Washington – There are going to be major changes within the New York Giants organization after the season, so this is likely the last chance I have to point out that I called the Giants “Downy soft” before the season began.

This week is simple for the Giants. If they win, they have the inside track for the last spot in the NFC playoffs. If they lose, they’ll need some help to get in. We’ve seen enough from this team to know exactly what this team does when their backs are against the wall. Pick: Redskins +2 ½

Carolina (-3) at New Orleans – Jake Delhomme is back behind center for Carolina, and if you don’t think that’s a huge development, you didn’t see how the Panthers handled most of their 3^rd down situations a week ago. Allow me to describe it:

John Fox analyzed the situation and decided the best chance the Panthers had at converting on 3^rd downs last Sunday was to remove his starting quarterback (Chris Weinke) and have the ball snapped directly to DeAngelo Williams. I’ve never seen anything like it, and with Chris Weinke’s days as a staring NFL quarterback mercifully over, I don’t expect to see it again anytime soon. Pick: Panthers -3

Cleveland at Houston (-4) – It was great to see the reaction on the Texans sidelines after Kris Brown drilled that 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Texans their first ever win over the Indianapolis Colts. It’s about time that franchise had a good feeling heading into the off-season. Pick: Texans -4

Detroit at Dallas (-12 ½) – Weren’t the Dallas Cowboys the best team in the NFL about 5 minutes ago? What the hell happened? I mean, besides Tony Romo playing like the rookie he basically is, Terrell Owens acting like the turd he definitely is, and the defense averaging over 30 points allowed per game the last few weeks. Besides all that, what happened to the Cowboys? Pick: Lions +12 ½

Jacksonville at Kansas City (-2 ½) – Technically, both teams have a shot at the playoffs. Realistically, both teams need so much help that even with a win, their odds of making the tournament aren’t very good.

The Jaguars need the Jets, who are hosting the Raiders, to lose. That’s simply not going to happen. The Chiefs need the Broncos, who are hosting the 49ers in Blizzardville, USA, to lose and that’s definitely not happening.

Still, this will be a fun game to watch. Pick: Chiefs -2 ½

New England at Tennessee (-3) – It appears the odds-makers are expecting to see the New England Patriots rest up for the playoffs this week. Why else would the Titans be giving points to a team like New England?

Personally, I don’t think the Patriots should rest their starters. A bye in the AFC may be out of the Patriots’ reach, but New England can still get the #3 seed and I think that’s something worth playing for. Pick: Patriots +3

Oakland at NY Jets (-12 ½) – The Jets will win this game and get into the playoffs. Art Shell all but confirmed it when he announced today that Aaron Brooks is on target to start this week. Pick: Jets -12 ½

(Ok, here’s the real reason why I want New England to get the #3 seed: I want to see a 1^st round playoff game between the Jets and Patriots. Belichick still refuses to utter Eric Mangini’s name, and in the playoffs, subplots like this are interesting to watch.)

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (-6) – Before everyone starts calling Brad St. Louis and Kyle Larson, the snapper and holder on the infamous botched extra point that will likely keep the Bengals out of the playoffs, the Scott Norwoods of the Queen City, they really should look on the bright side: Neither of them were arrested this week.

After 148 wins, 15 years, 8 division titles, 2 Super Bowl appearances and 1 Super Bowl win, this may be the last time Bill Cowher’s jaw patrols the Steelers sideline. The players know it, and call me crazy, but I don’t think they’ll let him leave the ‘Burgh with a loss. Pick: Steelers +6

Seattle at Tampa Bay (-3 ½) – Seattle may have the NFC West wrapped up, and they are locked into the #4 seed in the NFC, but the Seahawks have just as much to play for as the teams fighting just to get into the tournament do. Seattle needs to play well to get on some sort of roll heading into the playoffs. Pick: Seahawks +3 ½

St. Louis (-2) at Minnesota – St. Louis is another team that can get into the post-season if a convoluted series of events were to happen. I think it goes something like this: The Rams will clinch a playoff spot with a win + losses by Carolina, New York and Atlanta + a shootout loss by the Detroit Red Wings. Fortunately, they play the Minnesota Vikings, who are fresh off an offensive performance so inept the Rams defense actually might look good at the end of the day. Pick: Rams -2

Arizona at San Diego (-13 ½) – The NFL made this game a lot easier to predict by moving the start time of the Bills-Ravens game to 4pm. Had Baltimore lost to the Bills at the normal start time for east coast games, San Diego would’ve known if they had home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs all wrapped, and therefore wouldn’t have risked injury to their key players.

Since the Chargers have to keep playing for the #1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and Kurt Warner is starting a road game for the Arizona Cardinals, this one is relatively easy to call. Pick: Chargers -13 ½

(On a side note, you have no idea how nervous I was when Matt Leinart sprained his shoulder last Sunday. I had the Seahawks-Chargers on the TV hooked up to the dish, and the Cardinals-49ers game was on the local FOX affiliate on the other TV. With Seattle trailing the Chargers, and the Cardinals holding onto a 10 point lead over the 49ers, the image of Kurt Warner trotting onto the field prompted me to start praying…and drinking…heavily.)

Atlanta at Philadelphia (-7 ½) – You thought the AFC playoff picture was confusing? Look at what Atlanta needs to happen to clinch a playoff spot:

-Win, plus a loss or tie by Green Bay, New York and Carolina
-Tie, plus losses by Green Bay, New York, Carolina and St. Louis

If it weren’t for that pesky “Win” thing, scenario #1 had a chance of actually happening.

Meanwhile, Jeff “Crisp” Garcia took some time off from building toys in Santa’s workshop this year to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the playoffs, something no one thought possible when Donovan McNabb tore his ACL in November. No team in the NFC is hotter than the Eagles are right now. Pick: Eagles -7 ½

Buffalo at Baltimore (-9) – The Buffalo Bills would love to finish 8-8 and they are good enough to take advantage of a less-than-focused Ravens team, so you can bet that Brian Billick will have the out-of-town scoreboard disabled on Sunday. Pick: Bills +9

(JP Losman started his NFL career with a 39.2 QB rating. Last year, it rose to 64.9. This year, it’s at 86.8. If Losman continues improving like this, by 2008 he’ll have a QB rating in the 130s. I have no idea where I’m going with this. I just think it’s strange that JP Losman has a passer rating that’s 0.2 (can we call that “Grossman”?) behind Tom Brady. And they say the NFC is mediocre?)

Miami at Indianapolis (-9) – Vegas did acknowledge that the Indianapolis Colts, despite losing 3 of their last 4, still has a shot at a 1^st round bye in the AFC. They’d get a week off to search for a run defense with a win and a Ravens loss. Miami is giving Cleo Lemon (Hey, if Chris Weinke can start an NFL game, why can’t Cleo Lemon?) his 1^st NFL start, so it’s possible, Indy. It’s possible. Pick: Colts -9

San Francisco at Denver (-10 ½) – Another week, another blizzard for the people in Denver. As much as I love watching NFL games played in the snow (there’s just something inherently “old school” about it), there is a limit on the number of times I could hear the announcers mention that Jay Cutler is from a town called Santa Claus (Indiana) before I’d go postal. Most important television feature when watching the NFL this season? The mute button. Pick: Broncos -10 ½

Green Bay at Chicago (-2 ½) – To hype what may have been Brett Favre’s last game in Lambeau Field, the NFL Network used the Rolling Stones “The Last Time” in their commercials for the Packers-Vikings game last week.

When the NFL “flexed” the schedule and moved the Packers-Bears game to prime-time, I had hoped that a real network, like NBC, wouldn’t resort to the predictable theme of this possibly being Brett Favre’s last game in the NFL in their promos. But there it was: Clips from Brett Favre’s long career mixed in with clips from NBC’s hit show “Heroes”.

*Sigh*

And just think: We’ll be doing this again a year from now. Pick: Packers +2 ½

Putting a Cap on Week 16

Putting Week 16 to bed:

Green Bay 9, Minnesota 7 - What, over the last 16 years, gives you the impression that the last touchdown pass Brett Favre ever throws in Lambeau Field is going to be an interception return for a score? Absolutely nothing. I'm sure Favre will dance around the issue a bit in the off-season, but unless the Packers make the playoffs this weekend (a possibility) and have a long run at another Super Bowl, #4 is coming back in 2007.

Kansas City 20, Oakland 9 - One rumor is that the Oakland Raiders won't fire Art Shell just so they can stick it to Adam Schefter. As much as I'd love to see Al Davis further sink the Raiders into an actual black hole, I can't believe he'd set his franchise back like that out of spite.

Tampa Bay 22, Cleveland 7 - He was my pre-season pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and with 10 sacks, Kamerion Wimbley might be the lone bright spot for what has been a miserable season in Cleveland. The weirdness started early for the Browns, when LeCharles Bentley landed on IR on the 1st day of training camp, and it got progressively worse. Will next week be the last week of Romeo Crennel's head coaching career? He's such a nice guy, I'd hate to see it. But the bottom line is Cleveland hasn't shown any improvement since he got there, so a change may be in order.

Tennessee 30, Buffalo 29 - This just in: Vince Young...is pretty good. The delivery may be unorthodox, but he gets the ball where it needs to go, and his running ability and size has me envisioning a more polished, more durable version of Michael Vick. When I've come across Titans games the last few months, and the Titans have had the ball, I've had to stop to watch them. Young has that aura about him where you don't want to turn the channel out of fear of missing something special.

Carolina 10, Atlanta 3 - How was Chris Weinke able to beat the Falcons and stop his personal 17-game losing streak? By attempting as few passes as humanly possible. The Panthers ran 59 plays on Sunday, and just 7 of them were passes.

St. Louis 37, Washington 31 - The Rams won, and in the process kept their slim playoff hopes alive. If the Vikings rip off 196 yards rushing against them this Sunday, the Rams defense will have given up more rushing yards in a season than anyone in NFL history. Thank goodness the Rams have Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce.

Baltimore 31, Pittsburgh 7 - This is what happens when the Pittsburgh don't put pressure on the quarterback and can't run the ball. No sacks, and their leading rusher was Ben Roethlisberger. I think Baltimore is ready for the playoffs, don't you?

New Orleans 30, NY Giants 7 - The Giants have lost 7 of 8 and just embarrassed themselves at home. And they're still in the driver's seat for the final playoff spot in the NFC. New Orleans just dominated the line of scrimmage, with Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush both topping the century mark.

New England 24, Jacksonville 21 - Ok, so the Patriots aren't blessed with playmakers on offense. So what do they do? 11 different Patriots had a reception on Sunday, and the leader was their #3 tight end, rookie David Thomas.

Houston 27, Indianapolis 24 - Did someone tell the Colts that it was January? I can't think of any other reason to explain how the Colts have played lately, but I do know this: You do not want to be unable to stop the run in the playoffs when you've got LaDainian Tomlinson, Jamal Lewis and the Corey Dillon/Laurence Maroney, the Bells in Denver and Leon Washington to contend with.

Chicago 26, Detroit 21 - Is Lovie Smith trying to tell us something by giving Brian Griese some snaps on Sunday?

Arizona 26, San Francisco 20 - Matt Leinart's season came to an end on Sunday, but not after doing all he could do to end San Francisco's season. By the time Leinart sprained his shoulder, Arizona was out to a lead they would not relinquish. As a Seahawks fan with one eye on this game, the image of Kurt Warner running onto the field was not one that warmed the cockles of my heart.

San Diego 20, Seattle 17 - Seattle may have clinched the NFC West with the 49ers loss, but it would've been nice to see the Seahawks beat the best team in the NFL. Final score aside, the Seahawks showed they can play with a team like San Diego.

Denver 24, Cincinnati 23 - I wouldn't want to trade places with Kyle Larson this week, that's for sure. Your team is fighting for the playoffs, you just need the extra point to force a tie to get to overtime, and you let the snap go straight through your arms? Yikes.

Philadelphia 23, Dallas 7 - I guess it's settled. With the hugging and smooching going on between Tony Romo and Carrie Underwood, I guess Jessica Simpson and Romo aren't an item. Or maybe there's a catfight a-brewin'? Please?

As for the football game, no team is hotter than the Philadelphia Eagles right now. They even got the "best team in the NFC" nod from ESPN's talking noggins this morning. Yep, that sounds about right. It was simply their turn.

NY Jets 13, Miami 10 - Before you mock the NFC playoff picture, take a hard look at the AFC. As of right now, the New York Jets, who nobody took seriously even after beating the Patriots in Foxborough, are the #6 seed in the AFC. Chad Pennington and his thrice surgically-repaired right shoulder, will start 16 games for the 1st time in an NFL career that was perceived to be dead 12 months ago.

Let me ask you something: If you're in the Indianapolis Colts, do you want to see Eric Mangini and the New York Jets in the RCA Dome in two weeks? I think not.

Mac's Game Balls

Offense - Marc Bulger, QB, St. Louis - Bulger kept the Rams playoff hopes alive with a 4-touchdown performance against the Redskins.

Defense - Lofa Tatupu, LB, Seattle - I know, this is an absolute "Homer" pick. The bottom line is Tatupu played his best game of the season, registering 12 tackles and a sack of Philip Rivers. Tatupu may have been energized by his selection to a 2nd straight Pro Bowl, but whatever the reasons were, he appeared to have elevated his game and for the most part, Seattle shut down LaDainian Tomlinson, keeping the league's odds-on favorite out of the end zone for just the 4th time this season.

Special Teams - Kris Brown, K, Houston - Houston was 0-9 all-time against the Indianapolis Colts heading into Sunday. All that changed when Kris Brown drilled a 48-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Texans a 27-24 win over the suddenly hapless Colts.

What is Pat Kirwan and NFL.com Thinking?

Today, NFL.com ran a Pat Kirwan "Unsung Heroes" feature entitled "Strength in Numbers". The story is a good one, as it sheds some light on how hard the strength coaches in the NFL work. That's not my problem with the story. My problem lies in who they chose to highlight in their picture: Shawne Merriman.

This is the image NFL.com ran in conjunction with the article:












Should the NFL really be running a photo of a player they suspended for steroids in relation to an article about how hard strength coaches work?

This isn't meant to take anything away from the work of San Diego's strength coach, Dave Redding. San Diego is a team loaded with strong players, and Merriman is certainly one of them. But it's clear to everyone that this year, Merriman had additional, and illegal, assistance.

Mac's Picks - Week 16

This time of year isn’t conducive to getting things done in a timely manner, and I was hung up getting things done at work (and Christmas shopping) to get the picks posted before today.

It happens.

Last night, I did have the Packers (giving the 3 ½ points) over the Vikings. The combination of last night possibly being Brett Favre’s last start in Lambeau (more on this below), and it definitely being Tarvaris Jackson’s first start as an NFL quarterback made it impossible for me to pick the Vikings. Not in Lambeau, not on a short week, and not outside in the elements.

And I was wrong. Well, the Packers won, but they didn’t cover. They dominated the Vikings, but a goal-line fumble and two missed field goals allowed the Vikings to hang around and make it more interesting than it needed to be.

As far as Brett Favre is concerned, I don’t think he’ll jerk the Packers around again this off-season. I got the feeling last off-season that Favre wasn’t sure if the Packers were going to be any better this year, and I’m positive he wasn’t on-board with the dismissal of Mike Sherman. Keeping the Packers front office in suspense was his only way of retaliating on Sugar Bear’s (Mike Sherman) behalf.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Favre will be back in 2007. He’s healthy, he’s playing well, and the Packers have the talent to make a playoff push next year. But here’s the biggest reason why I think Favre returns:

Do you honestly believe the last touchdown pass he throws in Lambeau Field will be that interception Fred “Captain" Smoot returned to the house in the 3^rd quarter last night?

Neither do I.

Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 0-1
2006 Season: 104-115-5

Kansas City (-6 ½) at Oakland – Adam Schefter is reporting that the Oakland Raiders will fire Art Shell once the season is over. Be honest: You didn’t think he’d last this long, did you? Pick: Chiefs -6 ½

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-3) – If Pittsburgh had played as well as they are now earlier in the season they’d be heading back to the playoffs. Okay, so that was a back-handed compliment, but I do give them credit for not tanking the season when it was obvious they weren’t playoff-bound. They’ve won 5 of their last 6, and have allowed just 13 points in the last three weeks. Pick: Steelers -3

Carolina at Atlanta (-6) – Until they tell me that Jake Delhomme is starting this week, there’s no way I can pick a team being led by Chris Weinke. Think about this: The last time Chris Weinke won a football game he started? September 9^th, 2001. Pick: Falcons -6

Chicago (-4 ½) at Detroit – Before you express any shock at the Chicago Bears reluctance to discipline Tank Johnson, whose arrest on gun charges last week violated his probation from a 2005 gun charge, remember this: Bears GM Jerry Angelo and Co. deferred disciplinary action to the NFL when cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr. pleaded “no contest” on what amounted to a hate crime earlier this season.

The fact of the matter is, with Tommie Harris out for the season and the Bears giving up 31 points to the Bucs last week, the Bears need Tank Johnson in the middle of that defense. The Bears have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, and after recent playoff stumbles (2001, 2005), Angelo isn’t about to risk another early exit by doing the right thing. Pick: Bears -4 ½

Indianapolis (-9) at Houston – Indianapolis has never lost to the Houston Texans, and quite frankly, I haven’t seen anything from either team to suggest that trend will change. Pick: Colts -9

New England at Jacksonville (-2 ½) – Giving up 3 defensive touchdowns and losing a must-win game that you otherwise dominated is such a rare occurrence that I can’t see how Jacksonville will be able to bounce back from it. I’m not just talking about the Jaguars, I mean the entire city of Jacksonville. Pick: Patriots +2 ½

New Orleans at NY Giants (-3) – I still can’t believe that it’s only been 15 months since the Saints played that patronizing “home game” against the Giants in the Meadowlands. The Giants won the NFC East in 2005, and are fighting for their playoff lives. The Saints were 3-13 in their nomadic ’05 season, and this year, they’ve already clinched the NFC South and can potentially clinch the #2 seed in the NFC this Sunday.

The Giants are as desperate as a holiday shopper who spent all December procrastinating, and I think that desperation gets them a win this week. Plus, this could be Tiki Barber’s last home game. The Giants will be ready for this one. Pick: Giants -3

Tampa Bay at Cleveland (-3) – Tampa Bay is 3-11. Cleveland is 4-10. Tampa is down to their #3 QB, Tim Rattay. Cleveland is down to their #2 QB, Derek Anderson. Can’t they just simulate this one? Pick: Browns -3

Tennessee at Buffalo (-4 ½) – While the Titans have received all the publicity (Sports Illustrated cover stories, features on SportsCenter, etc…), the Bills have been just as impressive as the Titans. Buffalo has won 5 of their last 7 games, with the only two losses being by one point to Indianapolis and 3 points to San Diego. At home, they’ll stop Young. Pick: Bills -4 ½

Washington at St. Louis (-2) – Remember when the Rams were 4-1 lead the NFC by a half game? Pick: Redskins +2

Arizona at San Francisco (-4) – The best chance the Seahawks have this week of clinching the NFC West for the 3^rd straight season are the Arizona Cardinals? Why do I feel like Clark Griswold after he discovered that his Christmas bonus was a 1-year enrollment in the Jelly of the Month club? Pick: Cardinals +4 (“It’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year through, Clark”)

Cincinnati at Denver (-3) – I still think the decision to change quarterbacks was a questionable one, but Mike Shanahan’s Broncos are actually in a good position right now. Cincinnati, Jacksonville, the New York Jets and Denver are all tied at 8-6. The Jets and Jaguars have tough games this week, and the Broncos get to host the Bengals in cold and snowy Invesco Field, six days after the Bengals gave up 34 points to the Colts. Pick: Broncos -3

San Diego (-4 ½) at Seattle – Though they haven’t given me any reason to think they’ll win this Sunday, I’m still taking the Seahawks this week. Even when I’m not at all confident that they’ll win, and this week certainly falls into that category, I’ve never picked against Seattle. Now isn’t the time to start. Pick: Seahawks +4 ½

Philadelphia at Dallas (-7) – What else could you ask for on Christmas Day? You’ve got the fat (Bill Parcells), the jolly (Andy Reid), a couple of elves (Jeff Garcia, Martin Gramatica), a fruitcake (Terrell Owens) and if you believe the people in Dallas, Jesus himself (Tony Romo). Pick: Eagles +7

NY Jets at Miami (-2 ½) – After NBC wraps up the “can’t miss” Cowboys-Eagles game ESPN will follow with a game that nobody really cares about. Some things just refuse to change. Pick: Dolphins -2 ½

Pro Bowlin'

Very few people tune in to the AFC/NFC Pro Bowl the NFL holds every February in Honolulu, Hawai'i, and even fewer people care about who wins. Ask any NFL fan (or player, for that matter) who won last year's game, and you'll be greeted with a blank stare.

Still, the announcement of the Pro Bowl rosters is always greeted with outrage and a slew of lists of player's that were snubbed.

Here's my two cents, beginning with:

The Outrage

It is outrageous to me that Shawne Merriman was elected to the Pro Bowl. Not because his production didn't warrant it (it did), rather my outrage that Merriman will be participating in this event (which I likely won't be watching) after being suspended during the season for steroid use.

The NFL determined that his steroid use would require him to sit for 4 games earlier this season, yet on based on his production, which includes the game he played while "juiced", they name him as a participant in the Pro Bowl?

If a player is suspended for such infractions during the league's calendar year, he should automatically be disqualified from any of the post-season awards and ceremonies. He cheated. He broke the rules. He doesn't deserve the praise. Not this year, anyways.

The steroid likely won't follow Merriman around like a dark cloud for the rest of his career. Julius Peppers has been to multiple Pro Bowls (and was named again this year) despite serving a similar suspension in 2002. Merriman is a phenomenal player, and based on his talent alone, he's assured of making the annual trip to Honolulu. But not this year. Not in a year where his production is tainted.

Snubs

The biggest snub in the AFC, to me anyways, was San Diego left tackle Marcus McNeill. I've closely watched about 4 San Diego Chargers games, and this guy, a 2006 2nd round pick, is as good as their is in the AFC. He's allowed just 2 sacks this season and has paved the way for LaDainian Tomlinson's record-breaking season. He deserved to go, and I fully expect him to be among the alternates at the position, possibly replacing Willie Anderson.

The runner-up to this award goes to Bart Scott, the most productive, and most anonymous, of the Baltimore Ravens linebackers. He's great in pass coverage and will likely finish the season with 10+ quarterback sacks. Though not as physically talented or as well-known as his Pro Bowl teammates, Terrell Suggs and Adalius Thomas, Scott has been a force this year and deserved to be downing some poi in Hawai'i in February.

In the NFC, my most obvious snub was Seahawks kicker Josh Brown. If it weren't for Brown, Seattle would likely be a 6-8 team. He's nailed four game-winning field goals, including a pair from over 50 yards. The guy who got in, Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould, hasn't even attempted a 50-yard field goal this year. Gould did deliver in overtime 3 days ago, but that was a chipshot field goal and it was after he already missed a gimmie. Brown deserved the nod.

I'm going to call Terrell Owens a snub, as well. His production indicates that he belongs, but perhaps his tired act warranted the "snub" from fans, coaches and players alike.

Four 'Hawks in Pro Bowl

Two weeks ago, had you asked me which Seahawks belonged in the Pro Bowl, I'd have listed 3 deserving Seahawks: Walter Jones, Julian Peterson and Josh Brown.

Yesterday, four Seahawks were assured that their football season wouldn't end on December 31st. The lucky winners were Jones, Peterson, and in what I'd consider a surprise, MLB Lofa Tatupu and in what I consider a major surprise, full back Mack Strong.

Jones hasn't had his best year, but to me, he's still one of the best tackles in the game. Peterson has been the best, if not only, solid player on the Seahawks defense. He's got the tackle numbers, the sacks, an INT and has played well each week.

Tatupu hasn't been nearly as effective as he was a year ago, and his selection to the Pro Bowl tells me that the NFC doesn't have as many Pro Bowl-caliber linebackers as the AFC. After Brian Urlacher, you'd be hard-pressed to find another deserving linebacker from that spot in the conference. I guess Tatupu is as good a choice as anyone. The selection of Mack Strong as the NFC's Pro Bowl fullback falls into this category as well. He was robbed of the selection in 2004, so I don't have much of a problem with him going in 2006. Next year, this will be Justin Griffith from Atlanta. Good blocker, receiver and has the speed to gash some decent runs.

Seahawks Searching for Answers

After failing to clinch the NFC West for the second time in five days, the Seattle Seahawks are in desperate need of some answers. The trouble is this is the worst possible time to have this many question marks.

"Teams that lose in December, if they're lucky to get into January, lose very early in January." - Seahawks DE Bryce Fisher following the Seahawks 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Bryce Fisher is right. December is the month where teams find that extra gear for a Super Bowl run. Right now, the Seattle Seahawks are pulled over on the side of the road waiting for Good Sam or AAA. C'mon, if they can't get the one win they need to clinch the division against the 3-9 Cardinals or 5-8 49ers, what chance do they have in January?

Seattle can, and probably will, win the NFC West. All they have to do is get one win or one 49ers loss, the latter being the more likely avenue, and the Seahawks get to host a playoff game in January. That's how Tim Ruskell and Mike Holmgren envisioned 2006, right?

If Seattle gets to the post-season (I'm wary of a total collapse), they'll go into January ass-first. When teams do that, it's easier for the opponent to push them out.

So what's the problem? Mike Holmgren said this team's identity is "inconsistency", and I agree with him. Last night was a microcosm for this "Jekyll & Hyde" season in Seattle. The execution on offense would be perfect for a few plays, and then a false start would lead to a 1st and 15. Two runs would yield 3 yards and an incomplete pass on 3rd and 12 would bring out the punting unit. The defense would play near flawless football for 2.5 quarters, and then begin their "How Not to Tackle" clinic in the games final 20 minutes.

To me, the most obvious answer to why the Seahawks aren't playing well is "heart". The '05 Seahawks had tons of it whereas this group's cup is empty. A team that plays without heart is going to be inconsistent.

I truly didn't believe that the loss of Steve Hutchinson was that big a deal until Bryant Gumbel relayed what Matt Hasselbeck told him in their pre-game meeting. Hasselbeck stated that last year, the resident policeman in that locker room was Steve Hutchinson. If a player bitched and whined, he'd have Hutchinson in his face. That's a guy who plays with heart. He wants to win, and he knows that bitching about playing time in the locker room isn't productive. Thus far, nobody on this team has filled that void.

The "on the field" impact of the loss of Hutchinson should be obvious to everyone by now. Early in the 4th quarter last night, with Seattle trailing 10-7, Seattle has a 3rd and 1 at the 49ers 27-yard line. Seattle hands the ball to Shaun Alexander going left, which was money in the bank a year ago, and he gets nothing. 4th and 1, Seattle hands the ball to Mack Strong going over the left side and he gets stuffed for no gain. Seattle turns the ball over on downs, which led to San Francisco driving down the field to make it a 10-point game.

In 2005, everyone knew that on those 3rd and 1 downs, Seattle was running "93 Blast" behind the left-side of Hutchinson and Walter Jones. Everyone knew it was coming, but they couldn't stop it. In '05, Seattle was 13th in 3rd down conversions, and 1st in 4th down conversions (they converted at an 87.5% clip). This year, they're 23rd on 3rd downs and 29th on converting 4th down conversion attempts (2-8, 25%).

The poor tackling on defense is another sign that there's a lack of heart on this team. While most of the missed tackles can be pinned on guys looking to make the "knock-out" hit (and whiffing), the fact of the matter is there's too much arm tackling going on in Seattle (and the rest of the NFL, for that matter). How many additional yards did Frank Gore get last night because a defender was trying to tackle him around his shoulders?

Thanks to the injury bug hitting the Seahawks with all its might this season, Seattle knew that they'd be spending December trying to get that "swagger" from 2005 back. To me, it looks like they went back too far and are playing with all the inconsistency of the 2004 team that won the NFC West with a 9-7 record and had so much heart, they were bounced from the playoffs in round one.

The Tank Headed for the Clink?

With Tommie Harris out for the remainder of the season, the Bears defense is already playing short-handed. Now one of the guys expected to fill the void left by Harris' injury is in trouble.

3rd year defensive tackle Terry "Tank" Johnson had his home searched by Gurnee, Illinois police, who were reportedly searching for drugs.

Though it's unclear what they found, the authorities did not leave Johnson's home empty-handed.

Mac's Picks - Week 15

If you’re anything like me, you love the way the “experts” at ESPN, FOX, etc…have had a different “team to beat in the NFC” every week for the last month. The way they’ve jumped from team-to-team reminds me of a big, dumb Baby Huey.

Before the season, Baby Huey loved the Panthers. Then they started 0-2 and mounting injuries have pretty much guaranteed that Carolina won’t make the playoffs this year.

When Carolina was stumbling, the Chicago Bears were surging. Baby Huey noticed this, and waddled his way over to Chicago. They were flirting with an undefeated season, so Baby Huey immediately began comparing the ’06 Bears to the legendary ’85 Bears. This public display of affection included a montage on ESPN’s Monday Night Football that compared Brian Urlacher to Mike Singletary and Rex Grossman to Jim McMahon. Oh, Baby Huey was smitten with the Bears right up until the time the Dolphins totally exposed Grossman and the Bears.

A dejected Baby Huey waddled on down to Dallas, who had been playing better since replacing Drew Bledsoe’s corpse with a guy named “Romo”, who was reportedly dating Jessica Simpson. Baby Huey took the “I totally don’t know what that is, but I want it” approach to the Cowboys. They paid no mind to the warning signs that Terrell Owens could explode at any minute, a Grammatica was brought in to replace the most accurate kicker in NFL history and Tony Romo would eventually start playing like the rookie QB he essentially is.

Then the Saints marched into Dallas and out-everythinged the Cowboys on national television, and Baby Huey has been waddling towards the bayou ever since.

Right now, the NFC is too wide open to take the Baby Huey approach. With three weeks left to go in the regular season, chances are good that Baby Huey will somehow waddle away from New Orleans. He may even make his first trip over the Rocky Mountains.

Week 14: 9-7
2006 Season: 94-109-5

San Francisco at Seattle (-9 ½) –The first time the Seahawks played on prime-time at Qwest Field this season, the Seattle area was being pelted with record rainfall. The second time they had a national audience, it snowed. Tonight’s forecast in Seattle: Rain is expected and the wind could be a major factor, with gusts expected to exceed 50mph before the night is over. Mother Nature is sure doing her part to keep people from moving to Seattle.

The Seahawks can clinch their 3^rd straight division title with a win. If that happens, which it likely will, Seattle will be the first team this decade to make the playoffs after losing the Super Bowl. Why hasn’t anyone mentioned that lately? Pick: Seahawks -9 ½

Dallas (-3 ½) at Atlanta – So now Terrell Owens is pinning all his frustrations and problems in Dallas on a “snitch” in the Cowboys’ locker room. Obviously, since nothing is ever Terrell Owens’ fault.

This latest outburst by Owens, combined with his “interview” with Michael Irvin on ESPN’s Sunday Countdown last week, is one of the reasons why I couldn’t follow the national media’s lead and “crown” the Cowboys as the team to beat in the NFC. I knew Romo was going to come back to Earth, since he wasn’t nearly as good as people were making him out to be to begin with, and with undependable guys like Owens and Martin Grammatica in key spots on the roster, they get my vote as the NFC team “Most Likely to Self-Destruct in the Playoffs”. Pick: Falcons +3 ½

Cleveland at Baltimore (-11) – I don’t know if the Browns are going to start Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson or Brian Sipe at quarterback this week, but I do know that it probably doesn’t matter. Baltimore’s defense has the ability to make the best offenses look bad, and they can make a bad offense, like Cleveland’s, look downright pathetic. Pick: Ravens -11

Detroit at Green Bay (-5) – Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for the 2-11 Detroit Lions, RB Kevin Jones is out for the rest of the year with the dreaded “Lisfranc” fracture to his foot. The nature of this injury makes it extremely difficult for players to come back from. So much so, in fact, that it’s possible this will end Jones’ career. This is obviously some very bad news for the Lions, since Jones was one of the two things that Matt Millen actually got right as GM of the Lions. (Roy Williams is the other)

As if the loss of Jones weren’t enough, the Lions are bout to go into Lambeau Field to face Brett Favre in mid-December. Detroit hasn’t won a game in Green Bay since 1991, so consider this easy money. Pick: Packers -5

Houston at New England (-11 ½) – The good news for the Patriots offensive line is that the Texans can’t generate the kind of pressure the Dolphins do. The bad news is the Patriots are not a healthy team right now. Laurence Maroney, Ben Watson and Vince Wilfork, three key players for the Patriots, are all questionable this week. Maroney and Watson are the only dynamic offensive weapons Tom Brady has, and without them, they’re a very average offense. Pick: Texans +11 ½

Jacksonville (-3 ½) at Tennessee – The only reason I can think of to pick the Titans this week is that maybe the Jaguars running backs are too tired after running over the Colts to muster any offensive attack this week. I highly doubt that, though. Maurice Jones-Drew is like a bowling ball with feet. Pick: Jaguars -3 ½

Miami at Buffalo (-1) – After watching the Miami Dolphins completely dismantle the New England Patriots last week, and the Buffalo Bills do the same to the New York Jets, Nick Saban and Dick Jauron have to be wondering where those efforts were back in September. If both teams played like that early on this season, maybe they’d both be in the playoff race. Pick: Bills -1

NY Jets at Minnesota (-3 ½) – It’s impossible to run against the Vikings, so if the Jets hope to win this week, they’ll need a big day out of Chad Pennington. In the dome, I like the way this game stacks up for the Vikings, who could re-enter the NFC playoff race if they win and get some help. But this season hasn’t been at all weird. Pick: Vikings -3 ½

Pittsburgh at Carolina (-3) – Any team that not only starts Chris Weinke, but allows him to attempt 61 passes in a single game, can not be trusted to cover the spread. Pick: Steelers +3

Tampa Bay at Chicago (-13 ½) – Are you in need of statistical evidence of how bad the Bears offense has been? Devin Hester leads all non-kickers on the Bears roster in scoring with 36 points…and he doesn’t play on the offensive side of the ball. Maybe he should. Pick: Buccaneers +13 ½

Washington at New Orleans (-9 ½) – With Jason Campbell starting at QB, the best thing Joe Gibbs can do is hand the ball to Ladell Betts 30+ times this week. Betts has made the most of his opportunity to carry the rock with Clinton Portis on IR, and the best way to beat the Saints is to keep Drew Brees on the sidelines. (And no, I never thought I’d type that phrase)

This pick is one part gut feeling, and a healthy dose of wishful thinking from a Seahawks fan who needs the Saints to lose 2-3 times for the ‘Hawks to get a 1^st round bye in January. Pick: Redskins +9 ½

Denver (-2 ½) at Arizona – Am I alone in thinking that the NFL has secretly replaced the regular Arizona Cardinals with Folgers instant crystals? They’ve won three of their last four games. Their defense has been playing up to their talent level. The offensive line has been transformed from a joke to a group that is actually opening paths for Edgerrin James to run through and protecting Matt Leinart, who appears to be everything you want in a franchise quarterback. If the Cardinals don’t get back to playing the traditional brand of Cardinals football, they might just save Dennis Green’s job. Pick: Broncos -2 ½

Philadelphia at NY Giants (-5 ½) – If the season ended today, both teams would be in the playoffs. In fact, if the Eagles win and the Cowboys lose, Philadelphia will lead the NFC East and Dallas would be the #6-seed in the NFC. This nugget of information takes the point I made earlier about how wide open the NFC is and drives it home, doesn’t it? Pick: Eagles +5 ½

St. Louis at Oakland (-2 ½) – Oakland boasts the league’s best pass defense in the NFL. Seriously, they’re statistically the #1 pass defense in the NFL. That hasn’t equated to wins, though. In fact, two weeks ago, the Houston Texans had -5 yards passing against Oakland…and beat the Raiders by 9 points. Pick: Rams +2 ½

Kansas City at San Diego (-8 ½) – It’s hard to argue against those who believe the San Diego Chargers are the best team in the NFL right now. They’ve got a great defense, the league’s MVP (LaDainian Tomlinson) and a quarterback who doesn’t make mistakes. They’ve won 7 straight and their schedule (KC, @ Seattle, Arizona) will likely get them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Still, doesn’t the involvement of Marty Schottenheimer have to factor in there somewhere? Pick: Chargers -8 ½

Cincinnati at Indianapolis (-3 ½) – Forget the 3 ½ point spread, what’s the over/under on how many times we’ll see the punters? We all know how bad the Colts defense, but truth by told, I’m not at all sold on the idea that the Bengals defense has turned itself around. Yeah, they can stop the Ravens, Raiders and Browns, but can they stop a high-powered offense like Indianapolis? Remember, this is the same defense that blew a 21-point second half lead against San Diego last month.

Speaking of the Colts, has there been any explanation for why Joseph Addai isn’t the Colts’ starting running back yet? Week after week, Dominic Rhodes is starting and the offense has started slowly. They put Addai in on the 3^rd series, and the offense perks up. He’s the instant answer to the void Edgerrin James left, so why are the Colts treating Dominic Rhodes like the starter he so clearly isn’t? Pick: Colts -3 ½

Capping Off the Recap

A recap of the final two games of Week 14

New Orleans 42, Dallas 17 - I suppose the Saints will now be the this week's "Team to Beat" in the NFC, eh? All week long, the talk was how Dallas was probably the best team in the NFC. Not anymore. After spotting the Cowboys an early 7-0 lead, New Orleans started scoring touchdowns from the most unlikeliest of sources, fullback Mike Karney. The lead blocker for Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush scored three touchdowns, leading the Saints to an easy 42-17 win. The Saints have likely secured the #2 seed in the wide-open NFC, meanwhile Dallas is now only a game up on the New York Giants in the NFC East.

Chicago 42, St. Louis 27 - Don't be fooled by the Bears blowout win over the hornless Rams: Rex Grossman still is a pretty bad quarterback. Word also came out last night that it's official: Tommie Harris is done for the season. That's not good news for the Bears defense.

Week 15 will get started on Thursday night, and I have a few things to say about that.

Week 14 Recap

Pittsburgh 27, Cleveland 7 - The way the Steelers dismantled the Browns last Thursday night was reminscent of their Super Bowl run of a year ago. Willie Parker rolled for over 220 yards rushing, Ben Roethlisberger played mistake-free football and the defense suffocated the Browns from start to finish. Unfortunately for the Steelers, the game was utterly meaningless in the AFC playoff race.

Cincinnati 27, Oakland 10 - Cincinnati is playing so well, not even another arrest (CB Deltha O'Neal was popped for a DWI the other night) or a trio of interceptions from Carson Palmer could keep the Bengals from getting to 8-5 and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Cincy got some help in their playoff run from Baltimore and Denver, who knocked KC and Denver back to 7-6 with 3 to play.

Minnesota 30, Detroit 20 - If you're a Lions fan, you're likely not admitting it today. Not only did your team run for a grand total of -3 yards today, but Jon Kitna attemped 41 passes (never a good idea) and former Lion Artose Pinner, playing for the injured Chester Taylor, gashed the Leos for 125 yards and 3 touchdowns. Three more weeks until we see Matt Millen's resume on Monster.com, right?

NY Giants 27, Carolina 13 - Chris Weinke attempted 61 passes. How do you think today went for the Panthers?

Philadelphia 21, Washington 19 - Shhh...Don't look now, but the Eagles are back in the playoff race. Jeff Garcia has become a "game manager" with McNabb out for the year, the offense has balance (Sunday's play selection: 23 pass, 22 run) and the defense is starting to make plays. At 7-6, they're in the thick of things.

Atlanta 17, Tampa Bay 6 - Wasn't pretty, and if Warrick Dunn is going to miss some time it'll be costly, but the Falcons did just enough to beat the Bucs, a team that usually has Vick's number. Now comes the real test for the Falcons: It's time to go home, and it'll be interesting to see if they've forgiven Vick for his one-finger salute from two weeks ago.

Baltimore 20, Kansas City 10 - Herm Edwards is a former DB and the Chiefs spent some cash in the off-season to improve the secondary. Those things happened, right? If so, can someone tell me how Baltimore's pass offense was so efficient today? Stick a fork in the Chiefs. They. Are. Done.

Miami 21, New England 0 - I'd bet whatever money I have in between the seat cushions of my couch that right now, Ron Borges is writing a scathing column about the Patriots and how the decision of the front office to allow David Givens and Deion Branch go is to blame for it. I watched a lot of this game, and I got to be honest, I can't say I'd disagree with him. While much of the time, Tom Brady didn't have any time to make a throw. However, there were times when he had the time, but had nobody to throw the ball to.

Jacksonville 44, Indianapolis 17 - When the Colts are one-and-done in January, the blame won't rest on Peyton Manning's shoulders. Indianapolis' inability to stop the run is going to kill them in January.

Tennessee 26, Houston 20 (OT) - Hell hath no fury like Vince Young scorned. In his hometown, playing against the team that jilted him last April, Young took off for a 39-yard touchdown run in overtime to beat the Texans in overtime. Incredible run by a guy who's turning out to be an incredibly fun player to watch...even with the Uncle Rico delivery.

Green Bay 30, San Francisco 19 - Even after getting shelled by the Jets a week ago, I had a hunch the Packers were going to win this one. I have no idea why I picked them, but I'm pretty sure the depleted 49ers secondary and Brett Favre had a lot to do with it.

Arizona 27, Seattle 21 - Besides tackling, the biggest problem the Seattle Seahawks have is tardiness. Nobody on the Seahawks team, coaches on down, appear ready when the game begins, choosing to wait until they're down 10 or more points to start playing like they want to win. They did it again today, but thanks to three crushing turnovers, they weren't able to overcome their early game malaise.

Seattle has a chance to wrap up the NFC West, the first of their goals, on Thursday when they host the 49ers, but that is something they could've wrapped up today and they blew it. Perhaps spending 20 days at home before the season finale will help get this team on track. With the way they're currently playing, they might not have many home games in January.

San Diego 48, Denver 20 - Jay Cutler is 0-2 as an NFL starter, but in all fairness, I don't think John Elway would've had much luck against the Chargers. In my opinion, San Diego is by far the best team in the NFL.

Buffalo 31, NY Jets 13 - Word is, when Chad Pennington was going to his car after the game, Aaron Schobel sacked him two more times. Good moral victory for the Bills, as they let the Jets know that they're not ready for the playoffs just yet.

Mac's Game Balls

Offense - (tie) LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego; Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville - Congratulations to the game's best player and clear-cut MVP, LaDainian Tomlinson, who scored his 27th, 28th and 29th touchdowns of the season, surpassing the NFL record set a year ago by Seattle's Shaun Alexander.

Meanwhile, Jones-Drew averaged over 11 yards per carry against Indianapolis, and had touchdown runs of 18 and 48 yards, and added a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Defense - Jason Taylor, DE, Miami - His numbers aren't overly gaudy (6 tackles, 1 sack and a forced fumble), Taylor lived in the Patriots backfield this afternoon, making the normally unflappable Tom Brady...um...uh...flappable. Or is it flapped? I have no idea.

Special Teams - Chris Kluwe, P, Minnesota - Kluwe averaged 53.2 yards per punt on Sunday and pinned the Lions inside their own 20 on two occasions. I was going to give this award to Nick Harris, his counterpart on Sunday, because Harris is going to collect a paycheck this week and thanks to the Lions giving the ball away like it was a litter of kittens, he only had to punt one time.

New Orleans and Dallas are playing right now, so stay tuned...

Belichick A Free Agent?

A story in today's Boston Herald raises an interesting question: Is this Bill Belichick's final year in New England?

John Tomase's math indicates that this is the final year that Bill Belichick is under contract with the New England Patriots and no announcement has been made in regards to an extension. As Tomase notes, this is unusual under Bob Kraft, who learned his lesson with the whole Bill Parcells fiasco 10 years ago. Still, how could the Patriots not extend the coach that delivered three Lombardi trophies, and if they ha