Each day I will examine a portion of each team’s offense and defense which will get us through Thursday.  Friday will be my picks and maybe I will throw something else up for Saturday and Sunday.  Enjoy the week…I know I am excited!

Indianapolis Colts Offense

The Colts offense obviously starts and stops with the best quarterback in NFL history Peyton Manning.  No one can argue that fact (the offense part not the best in history part) but he is not the only piece that matters.  While the running game has been abysmal for much of the season they do just enough to keep defenses honest.  Without running often Peyton’s play action would be meaningless.  But they run enough and defenses bite enough to make it effective.

The offensive line showed a lot against the Jets.  They were getting blitzed and beaten every play for the first 7-10 minutes of the game.  Then adjustments were made by the line and the play calling which pretty much made the Jets blitz meaningless for the rest of the game.

I always say that I would rather start off a game struggling a bit while the other team is playing perfect.  As long as you keep the score close the proper adjustments WILL be made by the struggling team while the perfect team continues down the same path.

That is what the Colts continuously due.  And much of that credit goes to Manning and his line.  They know what the other needs to do and wants to do and they do it brilliantly.  Peyton makes even the weakest part of an offense look exceptional at times.  I swear that the running game has been more effective (yardage wise) than it really has and that is because Peyton is so efficient.

The wide receivers are the story of the season and will probably be the story of the Super Bowl.  The reason I was so confident against the Jets was that while I knew Revis would shut down Reggie Wayne I knew Austin Collie and/or Pierre Garcon would have big days.  Honestly I didn’t think both would go off but they both did.  And now Peyton and and company are getting set to play in Miami.

Will the Saints defense be up to the challenge in shutting down all the Colts weapons?  You shut down Wayne and Dallas Clark but Collie and Garcon blow up.  Shut down Collie and Wayne while Garcon and Clark have big days.  And if you could possibly shut down 3 of the receivers, lets say Wayne, Collie and Clark, then you have to contend with Joseph Addai and Donald Brown coming out of the backfield.

If you sit back too much to shut down the passing game I guarantee Addai will run the ball often.  The Vikings torched the Saints run defense and while Addai and the Colts offensive line isn’t as good as Peterson and the Vikings line you can bet your top dollar that they will be more than good enough to win this game.

I don’t see the Saints defense shutting down Peyton and company too much.  The question is…can the Saints offense score more??

Let’s examine this tomorrow.

Of all the possible outcomes this weekend a Jets vs Vikings matchup would be horrible to tolerate for 2 weeks.  First of all and this will be terrible is if we have to listen to all the sports announcers and analysts kiss Brett Favre’s ass for 2 weeks.  And you know it will happen.  Sure all of them hated him in August but once he started winning they started heading further and further up Favre’s ass.

Second do we really want to hear about how Brett played for the Jets last year and the players didn’t like him and are out to get revenge?  Hell no.  I don’t want to hear ONE SINGLE word about Brett Favre after the game recaps on Monday/Tuesday next week.  After that I don’t want Favre’s name mentioned until he starts his annual retiring/unretiring act that he has perfected.

So I am rooting for the Colts (who I think will win) and the Saints (who I picked before the season to win).

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints (-3.5)

Minnesota embarrassed Dallas last weekend.  Dallas was considered by many to be the hottest team in football and playing better than anyone else after their huge wins (sarcasm intended) over Washington and then twice over Philly.  Wow…how good were the Cowboys?  So now the question has to be…how good are the Vikings?

Well I will tell you…not that good.  Especially on the road.  Did you know…Minnesota is only 4-4 on the road this season with their victories coming over Detroit, Green Bay, Cleveland, and St. Louis.  Wow…not a really impressive grouping.  When the played a good team on the road they lost, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Chicago.  So already the Vikings are in trouble.  Add to that how good the Saints are at home.  Sure they lost their last 2, against Dallas and Tampa but won every other game.  And anyone will tell you that the Superdome is one of the hardest places to play.

But the Vikings have Favre and Adrian Peterson.  So they will obviously be okay.  And their defensive line is awesome so the Saints can’t…blah blah blah.  Peterson hasn’t had a 100 yard running game since week 10 against Detroit.  Even more amazing than that though is he has only averaged OVER 4 yards per carry in 1 game since the Detroit game, and that was week 17 against the nothing to play for Giants.

So Peterson is an average weapon right now.

On to Brett Favre.

The Saints pass defense is 4th in the league in completion percentage allowed (57.5%).  They are 3rd in interceptions with 26.  They have allowed the 5th fewest passing touchdowns all season (15).

All very impressive numbers.  Now lets consider what teams compare to the Saints in those categories….not too many.  The Bills and Jets are probably the closest two.  But the Packers weren’t bad either although they allowed twice as many touchdown passes as the Saints.  Basically what I am saying is that the Vikings have NOT played a defense like the Saints yet this season.

Now let’s look at this game from the other side.

Minnesota allows the 8th highest completion percentage in the league (63.7).  They have only intercepted 11 passes this season, good for 4th fewest.  They have allowed 26 passing touchdown passes which is 10th most in the league.  But they are good at stopping the run, top 5 or 10 in most categories including per rush average, per game total, and touchdowns allowed.

BUT two of their defensive linemen are injured and while they will surely play this weekend they won’t be 100%, Kevin Williams and Ray Edwards.  And many of those impressive running numbers came with middle linebacker E.J. Henderson in the lineup.  He has been out for a few weeks now and won’t be back this weekend so that surely doesn’t hurt.

Drew Brees and the Saints passing game is one of the best in the NFL.  And their running game is also one of the best in the NFL.  So which do you stop if you are the Vikings?  Last week it was easy, while the Cowboys running game is very good, the Dallas passing game makes that team go.  I would say for the Saints both units carry their own weight.  Brees will throw on you if you stack the line while they will also run the ball if you drop 8 into coverage.

Either way I can’t possibly pick against the Saints after picking them in August.  But don’t expect as much of a shootout as some think.  I would imagine it will be an average game with a few punts from both teams and plenty of field goals.

Saints 30 Vikings 20

But now the games are almost here and we all want to know who is going to win.  I mean anyone playing the ESPN Playoff Challenge thing is banking on teams getting in because they can’t update their roster after this weekends games.  If you miss this weekend you are going to lose the following week.

So I am here to tell you who is going to win.  Here I will discuss the Jets/Colts game and later (maybe tomorrow morning) the Vikings/Saints game will be debated.

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts (-7.5)

The Jets shocked 90% off the world last weekend by beating the Chargers IN San Diego.  But honestly I wasn’t surprised.  No I wasn’t overly confident in my pick and surely wouldn’t have bet real money on it but I did suspect that the Jets could win.  They can thank Nate Kaeding for the victory as the kicker missed 3 field goals, 2 of which were extremely make able.

Can they do it again?  I have heard some people talk about it and make it sound like they are the perfect team to beat the Colts and I tend to  disagree with that.  They were the perfect team to beat the Chargers, but the Colts aren’t the Chargers.  The Chargers only had one good receiver, Malcolm Floyd is average at best, and the Jets have the single best cornerback in football today.  But the rest of the secondary is not as strong.

Peyton Manning throws the ball to a number of different receivers, all of which can catch the ball and make plays.  Sure their running game is pathetic but they run the ball enough to make the play action pass very effective.  Add to that Kerry Rhodes is a little banged up in the Jets secondary and the Jets are fighting an extremely uphill battle this weekend.

The Colts defense heard all last week how the Ravens were going to run the ball 50 times and dominate the clock and the game on their way to the Super Bowl.  But the small, weak, soft Colts defense managed to hold the Ravens to 3 points and only 87 yards rushing.  And it wasn’t like Baltimore was that far behind most of the game, Indy was only up 2 touchdowns until 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter.  The key…the Colts forced 4 turnovers, 2 fumbles and 2 interceptions.

Don’t think they can’t do that again.  The Jets are very similar to the Ravens, dominant running game and a very good defense.  The one big difference between the two is the Jets pass defense is better than the Ravens.

But New York won’t win this game.  And the Colts will cover.

Colts 24 Jets 13

4-0

That’s right I picked all 4 games….including the Jets over Chargers.

Sure there was a lot of luck involved in my picks but still I went 4-0.  I wasn’t truly sold on the Jets pick but the other 3 I was awfully confident about and I knew there would be one upset.  And everyone was so sure the Chargers were playing the best football but for some reason everyone forgot that the Chargers had the bye week just like the Saints, Vikings, and Colts who everyone kept asking if they were rusty.  But the Chargers were going to be fine?  Against the Jets defense?

Yeah, I am not surprised the Jets won.

Even better in my eyes is that BEFORE THE SEASON I picked the Saints and Colts for the Super Bowl.  Now obviously that hasn’t happened yet but just having the 2 teams still alive is an achievement in my book.

And EVEN more impressive…I actually had the Vikings vs Saints in the NFC Championship however I thought the Vikes would have had home field advantage.

On the AFC side I had Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game so that isn’t so good.

This weekends games are going to be tough to pick.  Jets @ Colts and Vikings @ Saints.  If I had to pick right now I would surely go Colts/Saints but 2 things scare me…the Jets defense and Brett Favre.

I REALLY don’t want to hear 2 weeks about Favre so the Saints HAVE to win.

Cowboys @ Vikings (-2.5)

Interesting line in this game.  Typically home teams get 3 points so on a neutral field Vegas thinks the Cowboys would be better.  But this isn’t on a neutral field, it is in one of the toughest domes to play in in the NFL.

For many people this is a tossup game but I am pretty confident in my pick.  I have not been a Brett Favre fan all season.  Personally I think you take Adrian Peterson off this team and Favre throws almost 20 interceptions and the Vikings only go 9-7.  Even with both players they were in position to lose 2-3 games this season.

The Cowboys have been playing great of late.  They dominated everyone’s favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and beat the Saints when the Saints were still good.  Tony Romo is supposedly playing the best football of his career and the running game is 3 deep and dominant.  And the Cowboys defense….wow…how good are they.  I mean you have the great pass rushers, the awesome linebackers, and the solid secondary.  Is there a weakness on this team?

Yes there is a weakness.  You know what that is…they just aren’t as good as everyone thinks.

Yes they beat the Saints when the Saints were still undefeated.  And yes they beat the Eagles twice.  The Saints had already clinched the division and had all but locked up home field throughout, they just didn’t have as much to play for.  When you have all but clinched your goals for the season you are surely going to slow down and slip a bit.  The Eagles were a mirage…simple as that.  They were quite possibly the most one dimensional team in the league with a beat up defense and a poor gameplan in both games.

The Cowboys can stop a running team OR a passing team but can they beat a team that does both very well?  Can they stop Peterson AND Favre.  I am not so sure.

Yes I know Peterson hasn’t done much in the second half of the season…so?  They haven’t had to truly play since about Thanksgiving.  When they needed to get up for a game they did…anyone remember the Packers games?  Just the threat of Peterson has to be acknowledged by the Cowboys defense which takes away from their pass coverage.  And that allows Favre to find Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice downfield, Chester Taylor out of the backfield, and Visanthe Shiancoe over the middle.

The Cowboys will have to outscore the Vikings and honestly I think the Cowboys offensive line will be overmatched.  The Vikings defensive line is the best in football.  The linebackers and secondary have had some injuries and are weakened a little bit but the defensive line is dominant.

KEY PLAYER:

Felix Jones – Cowboys RB

Marion Barber is banged up and while he will probably play he isn’t any more than a clock drainer.  And against the Vikings he won’t have more than 5o yards on 20 carries anyhow.  But Felix Jones is a game breaker.  Whether getting the ball on screens, kick returns, or taking handoffs he is a threat to go the distance every single time.  If he can get a few big plays the Cowboys might actually have a shot.  I think he might get his plays too.

MY PICK:

Like I said I am pretty confident in my pick.  The Cowboys are playing well right now while the Vikings are a little questionable.  But I don’t think the Cowboys can stop both the Vikings passing game and running game.

Vikings 24 Cowboys 21

Jets @ Chargers (-9)

Is anyone talking about the Jets here?  Nope.  Everyone thinks the Chargers are the best team in the NFL right now.  The Jets have a great defense and a good running game but the passing game leaves MUCH to be desired.  The Chargers have tall receivers and some name defensive players.  Okay so the Chargers have more than that but I am surprised at how good everyone thinks they are.

The Jets won last week in Cincinnati against a team that just can’t throw the ball of late.  The Chargers don’t have that problem.  But the Bengals can run the ball on anyone while the Chargers can’t.  Sure LaDainian Tomlinson is good but he isn’t what he was and Darren Sproles doesn’t get enough touches.

I honestly think the Jets could win this game.  They have the defense to slow down the Chargers but their offense needs to step up their game and make some plays.  The running game will be there but Mark Sanchez has to make a few plays to win this game.  He has made a few plays during the season but he has also made some huge mistakes.

KEY PLAYER:

Mark Sanchez – Jets QB

Like I mentioned above the Jets running game will get their yards.  The Chargers weren’t that good at stopping the run all season while the Jets run the ball all the time.  In order for the Jets to stay in the game Sanchez HAS to make 3-5 plays in the passing game.  It doesn’t have to be long touchdowns or long pass plays but there will be multiple 3rd and longs that he will have to get in order to keep drives alive.

MY PICK:

When looking for true upsets look towards the games that no one is talking about.  No one is giving the Jets a chance except the Jets.  But why not?  The Chargers haven’t stopped the run all season and they aren’t exactly dominating against the pass either.  The Jets pass defense has dominated top receivers ALL SEASON but now that the Chargers are the team everyone is talking about how tall and big the receivers are.  Really?  What did Randy Moss do against Darrelle Revis?  The pass defense will be okay and Rivers will turn the ball over 2 times to help the Jets cause.

Jets 23 Chargers 20

Cardinals @ Saints (-7)

The debate here is which team is ready to play.  The Cardinals?  Who just came off a ‘who can score more’ win against Green Bay in which neither defense did much until the Cardinals scored a defensive touchdown in overtime to win the game.  How about the Saints?  They had last week off after clinching the #1 seed in the NFC a few weeks ago.  For much of the season they were dominating and beating everyone but finished the season losing 3 straight games.  Which makes everyone question them.

I am torn on this game a bit.  You know a top seed is going to lose.  You aren’t going to see 1 vs 2 matchups in both the AFC and the NFC although that would be awesome.  I know the Saints are not a veteran playoff team having missed the playoffs the last 2 seasons but before that they did make it to the NFC Championship game with Drew Brees at quarterback.  And don’t forget that they do have Darren Sharper on defense who has played in a few big playoff games himself.

Also keep in mind that just because a team ‘backs in’ to the playoffs doesn’t mean they aren’t ready to go….remember the Cardinals last season?  Personally I think there are some definite similarities between the teams, great offenses, average defenses, locked up their divisions early, and are both doubted going into the playoffs.

But the Cardinals are playing well right now and have some momentum after last weeks game.  The Packers were considered a Super Bowl contender going into the game and the Cardinals dominated them for 3+ quarters.  Kurt Warner is playing in what could be his last playoffs and the Cardinals defense, last week not withstanding, was actually pretty good this season.

Here is my biggest concern for the Saints….they barely won multiple games this season.  Remember the Dolphins game?  Or the Redskins game?  They were in trouble in both before pulling it out at the end.  They have been living on the brink all season and could get pushed over this weekend.

KEY PLAYER:

Beanie Wells – Arizona RB

Beanie is the key to this game.  If the Cardinals can run on the Saints and they can change things up a bit they will win this game.  If the Cardinals line up and just throw the football all day the Saints will win because the defense will do more than the Packers defense and the Saints offense is as good as any in football.  If Wells gets his carries (and Hightower too) and can make something out of them the Cards will win.

MY PICK:

I don’t think they will run it enough.  The Cardinals will line up and try to beat the Saints through the air and it will backfire on them.  Darren Sharper will get a pick and Brees will play better than Warner as the Saints win at home.

Saints 34 Cardinals 24

Ravens @ Colts (-7)

This is the game everyone is picking as an upset.  Everyone thinks one of two things, either the Colts are going to be rusty and will lose or that the Colts just aren’t as good as their record and the Ravens play the kind of game that can beat them.

I disagree with BOTH of those ideas.  First of all the rest argument.  Yes I think the Colts might come out a little rusty but I don’t think it will be too noticeable.  The first year or two that the Colts did this sure it hurt them but Peyton and the rest of the offense knows what to do now.  You really think Peyton wasn’t all over his guys the past few weeks to make sure everything is ready to go?  Come on now.

The second argument, that the Ravens will run the ball all day long and Flacco will do enough and the defense can shut down the Colts….bull!  Does anyone remember a certain Monday night game early in the season in Miami?  Does anyone remember that the Dolphins ran the ball all game long and actually had the ball for 3 quarters of the game and still LOST?  Yeah, controlling the ball only works if your pass defense is good enough to stop the opposing offense.

And while the Ravens shut down the (injured) Patriots last week the Colts are NOT the Patriots this season.  Wes Welker was out, Randy Moss was injured, and Tom Brady is reportedly injured a bit.  Other than Anthony Gonzalez, who hasn’t played almost the entire season, they are healthy.  The Ravens secondary has been getting torn up all season and just because they managed to win one game with their defense last week now they are Super Bowl contenders??  Please.

I am sitting here listening to Colin Cowherd talk right now about how without Tony Dungy the Colts defense isn’t the same.  Really?  The Colts defense couldn’t stop the run for years under Dungy.  He is arguing that the Colts defense can’t stop anyone that Peyton has had to outscore everyone this season.  Really?  The Colts won 4 games this season scoring 4 or fewer points.  Meaning the defense had to stop someone.  Oh and that includes a victory over the Ravens.  The Colts defense held the opposition to UNDER 20 points in 1o games including games against the offenses of Arizona, Houston, Tennessee, and Baltimore.

So spare me that the Colts defense isn’t good.  No they aren’t the best in the league.  Sure they might be the worst of the 8 remaining teams but they have done enough this season.  Yes everyone knows the Colts are nothing without Peyton Manning which is why he has won 4 MVP trophies.  Because without Peyton the Colts only win 5-8 games a season at best.  But Peyton is there and he is ready to play right now.

KEY PLAYER:

Joe Flacco – Ravens QB

Sure the Ravens will run the ball during the game.  And they will have success doing it.  But Flacco will HAVE to make some big throws to win this game.  Can he do it?  He completed 4 passes last weekend.  He doesn’t have a lot of playmakers at wide receiver.  Really the best receiver is running back Ray Rice.  Just look to Philadelphia in the past 8 years to see what happens when your best receiver is a running back.  While the Colts pass defense isn’t great they are solid and will cause problems for Flacco.

MY PICK:

Flacco won’t make the plays.  Peyton will.  Colts will win.  The Colts defense will shut down the Ravens passing game and they will do more than the Patriots against the running game.  Which will be enough to win.

Colts 27 Ravens 16

Unfortunately it was one of the more boring playoff weekends that I can remember.  The Jets/Bengals game was somewhat close but not very interesting as the Jets controlled the game from the start.  The Cowboys/Eagles game was only interesting if you are a Cowboys fan as the Eagles didn’t really show up.  I had the game on but was busy doing other things as I couldn’t watch that crap.  The Ravens/Pats game was a blowout from the opening gun but not in the way any one imagined.  Baltimore opened up a 24-0 lead in the first quarter and ran the ball the rest of the game.

But we were all saved by the Cardinals/Packers game.  Although for the first half it was no more interesting than the Ravens/Pats game as the Cards controlled the play.  But over the final quarter and a half the Packers came alive and it turned into an amazing game.

I thought the Packers were going to win from the very start and considering some of the calls during the game how the Cardinals didn’t get a roughing the passer penalty on the last play I will never know.  But they didn’t and the Cardinals won.  Now they head to New Orleans to challenge another team that heavily favors the pass.

So lets look at the matchups:

Arizona @ New Orleans

Everyone is talking about the Saints and how they haven’t really played well down the stretch.  But what did they have to play for?  Didn’t we all question the Cardinals last year in the same way?  They struggled mightily before getting into the postseason and going all the way to the Super Bowl.  The Saints are a similar team to last season’s Cardinals and don’t think for a minute that Drew Brees and Darren Sharper won’t have that team ready to play.

The Cardinals played the late game on Sunday which didn’t finish until around 8pm Eastern time.  Now they have to play the early game on Saturday in New Orleans….not easy.  Everyone thinks this game will be a shootout but I am not so sure.  I think Warner throws a couple picks and the Saints take control.

Ravens @ Colts

Another rematch from a few weeks ago.  The Colts won that game 17-15 as the Ravens couldn’t put the ball in the endzone.  The Colts haven’t had a meaningful game since Thanksgiving and that has cost them in the past.  When the starters sat out most of weeks 16 and 17 it started to worry me a bit.  Although if the defense got healthy with that week off and the rest the earlier weeks should help them against the Ravens.

The Ravens are coming in with lots of momentum after dominating the Patriots but the Colts aren’t the Pats.  They have all their weapons healthy unlike the Patriots last week.  And you aren’t going to see an 83 yard touchdown run right away against the Colts defense.   But momentum is a powerful thing and the Ravens are confident they can win.

Cowboys @ Vikings

All this talk about how good the Cowboys are playing.  Really?  Let’s look at it.  The won at a New Orleans team that wasn’t playing their best anymore as they had locked up a top 2 seed in the playoffs.  Then they won at Washington…wow that is difficult.  Then they beat the Eagles twice at home.  Sure those were dominating performances.  But the Cowboys were built to beat the Eagles this season.  The Eagles have been struggling with injuries since training camp and their defense was weakened as was the offensive line.

Add to that the fact that Philly only throws the ball and they played right into the Cowboys hands.  But the Vikings have the threat of Adrian Peterson.  And then they have Brett Favre.  While the Eagles were very one dimensional the Vikings are very two dimensional.  Which way does the Cowboys defense focus?  Do they shut down Peterson and risk Favre beating them?  Or do they shut down the passing game and hope Peterson doesn’t get rolling?

Jets @ Chargers

This game is being discussed the least as I think most people figure the Chargers are too good to lose.  I mean they are everyone’s pick to make the Super Bowl.  I was reading the Sporting News yesterday and I think it was 5 of the 6 analysts had picked the Chargers to make the Super Bowl.  But if I am the Chargers I would rather have seen the Patriots in this game.

The Jets stop the run, they stop the pass, and they run the ball.  All the ingredients to win in the postseason no matter what stadium they are playing in.  If the Chargers get frustrated early you will see it on Philip Rivers face and in his play.  He WILL turn the ball over if the Jets can get out to a good start against him.  Personally I think while this isn’t the most interesting game of the weekend right now it might be the best game of the weekend to watch.

I will have my picks later this week (since its already Thursday I don’t think you will have to wait long) so check back then.

So who to bet on….

NY Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5)

Well this game (like 2 others this weekend) happened last weekend.  Although that game was played in New York and the Bungals had minimal to play for.  Even still I think the Jets showed that they can definitely win this game.  They are confident and the Bengals are struggling. 

Sure the Bengals will actually have a full complement of players this week (Cedric Benson did not play last Sunday) but I still think the Jets are playing better right now.  Cincy has been struggling for weeks and the Jets have been playing pretty well even if the competition has been lacking.

Look for more of the same.

Jets 23 Bengals 16

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys (-4)

Another game that happened last weekend.  Another game in which one team dominated.  The difference between the games….both these teams actually had something to play for.  The Eagles would have earned the #2 seed and a first round bye with a win but reportedly they held a lot back and the Cowboys dominated 24-0.

Even though Andy Reid is a very good playoff coach and the Cowboys have not won a playoff game since 1997 I still am not sure about the Eagles here.  Since they are my team I will surely be rooting for them and I do believe they can win. 

BUT if I were a betting man I would take the Cowboys.

Cowboys 24 Eagles 17

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots (-3.5)

This is the only game this weekend that didn’t happen last weekend.  Instead this happened back in week 4 and the Patriots won at home.  But it wasn’t a convincing win and the Ravens are playing well right now.  With the NFL’s leading receiver, Wes Welker, being lost for a while can the Patriots still move the ball effectively?

I think so.  The Baltimore pass defense is not what I would call sturdy.  Although neither is the Patriots defense and the Ravens could move the ball easily against the Pats again.  This matchup might be the highest scoring of the weekend depending on weather and if the Ravens secondary can match up.

I like the Pats.

Patriots 31 Ravens 17

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)

The third game to happen last week was an absolute beat down for the Packers.  They handled everything the Cardinals threw at them and left with a 33-7 win in the desert.

Will this week be any different?  Neither team had too much to play for last week as both were pretty much locked in to their playoff positions.  The Cardinals weren’t playing great last season heading into the playoffs either and ended up in the Super Bowl…can it happen again?

I don’t think so.  The Packers are every one’s sleeper pick to make the SB and I don’t see them losing here.

Packers 34 Cardinals 21

There you go.  2 road teams and 2 home teams.  No real surprises this weekend.  Sure I will be hoping to go 3-1 as I am hoping the Eagles can pull out a victory but I don’t see it as likely.

Hopefully we see 4 good competitive games this weekend.

Sure it was a disappointing season as the Seahawks were everyone’s pick to rebound after a rough 2008 season but to fire a coach after one season?  Surprising. 

But maybe it was all because they wanted and knew they could get Pete Carroll, the head coach at USC.  Carroll has been rumored for almost every job in the NFL over the past 5 years but has always ended up staying put in Southern Cal. 

Now it seems as though he is ready to make the move back to the NFL.  In 1994 he coached the Jets and from 97-99 he coached the Patriots going 33-31 and having a 1-2 record in the playoffs.  You can’t really say he was a bad NFL coach as he seemed to do okay if not memorable.

But leaving USC?  Don’t get me wrong I love this move.  I am so tired of USC dominating the recruiting, polls, and discussions during the season.  Everyone thinks they are so good all the time that they get too much respect based on nothing.  Look at this past season.  How a team replacing everything they had to replace started the season in the top 10 and remained there for much of the season I will never know. 

Sure they have all the talent in the world but even the best teams have a down year from time to time.

Is Carroll’s decision because he feels the days of USC dominating are over and wants to get out before things fall apart?  Maybe.  They have been winning nonstop for the past almost 10 years so eventually it has to end at least a little.

All these big coaches want another challenge and Carroll is surely no different.  He will be given full control over the Seahawks and will surely get at least 3 years to turn them around.  Some of the pieces are in place but much needs to be done yet for them to challenge in the NFC again.

Either way I like this move.  Seattle gets a guy that while he wasn’t a blow them out of the water kind of success he was still successful in his previous NFL stints and USC loses their king.

Win Win for most of us.

Later today the Browns could be looking for a new coach.  The Raiders job will probably be open next week.  The Bears offensive positions are all open.  The Giants defensive coordinator position is also open.

Surely there will be more to come.

How do I feel about the Skins hire?  Not sure.

I am a Jason Campbell believer and fan.  I think if he were to be given a chance with full grown humans playing receiver instead of the midgets that they have there now I think he could be successful.  Will Shanahan give him a chance?  I hope so but they have to bring in a new receiver…Brandon Marshall anyone?

Otherwise I think the Skins are pretty good.  The offensive line has killed them the past 2 seasons with injuries and an overall lack of top end talent.  Shanahan will surely make that better with his zone blocking schemes.

Honestly I picked the Skins to make the playoffs this season…obviously I was terribly wrong…but that shows that I think they are closer than they showed this season.  The defense is solid and the offense will surely improve next year.

I am not entirely sold that Shanahan is the right choice but that is a general feeling I have for any new coach hire.  I think they definitely could have done worse and you should see a much improved Skins team next season.

Of the other jobs available or expecting to become available (Bills, Browns, Raiders) which is the best?

I wouldn’t take any of them.  No one in their right mind would want the Raiders job.  Al Davis thinks he knows more than he does and he controls everything within that organization.  He thinks JaMarcus Russell can win and most people (myself included) thinks Ryan Leaf would be a better pro quarterback.  I can’t see any respectable coach or coordinator taking the Oakland job.

The Browns and Bills jobs aren’t much better right now.  The Bills defense was okay this year while their offense was horrible.  The Browns actually showed some life at the end of the season but there are no playmakers on offense.  Neither team will challenge for the playoffs in the following 2 seasons.  So again I don’t see any respectable coach or coordinator taking these positions eagerly.

If I had to choose one I would probably go with Buffalo.  They have some pieces in place on the defensive side and at running back.  The receivers (TO won’t be back) aren’t terrible either.  But the quarterback and offensive line need to be replaced.  Lots of work but it could be done IF the owners are willing to be patient.