Here we go again. For the third year in a row, the NFL and ESPN are being held hostage by Brett Favre. As Garrett Hartley’s field goal put the New Orleans Saints into the Super Bowl and gave us a matchup of two of the greatest quarterbacks of our era, the talk centered around the one quarterback who would not be playing in February. Is it time for Brett Favre to retire…for good?

Eighteen years in the NFL, four NFL teams, three MVP awards, eleven Pro Bowls, and over a dozen postseason wins will likely be defined by an interception seen around the world in Sunday’s NFC title game. For all of the achievements of Favre and there are a ton, casual fans will remember Favre for his interception and a blown opportunity to return to play in the Super Bowl. For Brett Favre, I have to imagine that this isn’t the reason he sacrificed himself to be the butt of many August jokes and come back for another season in the NFL.

Favre is 40 and in the NFL 40 is the new 65 when it comes to NFL quarterbacks. What Favre did this year is remarkable for someone his age or any age for that matter. 40-year old NFL quarterbacks don’t play in the NFC title game. Adding to the list of Favre’s achievements will be that he is the oldest starting quarterback to win an NFL playoff game. Yet after one of the greatest seasons of his career, he is already starting to make waves about retiring. Can Favre do it again or should he ride out into the sunset?

We have been here before with Favre. As a matter of a fact, we have almost been to the exact same place only two years ago with Favre. At the age of 38, Favre led the Green Bay Packers to the NFC title game against the New York Giants two seasons ago. Unlike Sunday, Favre was playing at home at historic Lambeau Field. Just like Sunday, Favre’s last play in a tied NFC title game was an interception which turned into a field goal and a win for the Giants. Immediately the talk began about Favre retiring which led to Favre retiring and then un-retiring and starting the following season with a different NFL team just one season after leading his team to the championship game.

I have written a lot about Favre for three years and most of it, not being so favorable. His return to the NFL two years ago with the New York Jets didn’t work out well for anyone. The Jets finished with a disappointing season, not even making the playoffs. Favre threw a crucial interception in the final minutes of the fourth quarter which more or less sealed their loss. The Jets coach was fired. Favre’s status as a future NFL Hall of Fame player was questioned. More importantly, for the first-time in his career Brett Favre’s character was criticized and more than the player, Brett Favre the man took a terrible beating by his teammates, his ex-teammates, and the media who put him on a pedestal for years.

It didn’t surprise anyone when Favre announced his retirement a few months after the season ended. Unlike the Green Bay Packers organization, the Jets couldn’t get rid of Favre fast enough. Instead of riding out into the sunset after a 13-5 season and an NFC title game, Favre would be walking away like most NFL players who play well after their prime, thus tarnishing their legacies. If it wasn’t bad enough leaving a lasting memory of a Super Bowl-costing interception at home in a title game the year prior, this time he was walking away a broken down, arrogant, self-centered NFL quarterback.

Favre made his desires to go play with the Minnesota Vikings well known two years ago. The Packers made that virtually impossible. The door was now open, and Favre flirted with the Vikings for several weeks before declining them and then accepting their offer. Favre waltzed back into the NFL not as a returning conquering hero, but as a tired old story of a man more consumed with revenge than his legacy or the good of the NFL. It was so bad that fans and NFL media were angry that Tarvaris Jackson was getting the shaft. Think about that one for a second and that will tell you how badly Favre’s reputation had turned from poster boy to whipping boy in one season.

Something strange happened in Minnesota that not even the most studious NFL experts had predicted. The Vikings were winning. Not only were the Vikings winning, but the Vikings had an offense that rivaled the 1998 Minnesota Vikings offense. On top of that, Favre looked like a man reborn. Gone were the ill-fated interceptions that plagued Favre’s career. Favre replaced those memories with game-winning clutch plays like the NFL Week 3 32-yard touchdown pass with two seconds to go against the San Francisco 49ers. All of the sudden Brett Favre was playing better than even Brett Favre had played in many years.

Take a look at Brett Favre’s numbers this year and you decide whether Brett Favre is washed up. If I told you to tell me the quarterback that threw for over 4,200 yards, 33 touchdowns, had a QB rating at 107.2 with only seven interceptions, you would probably say Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. That was the year Brett Favre had at 39-40 years-old for the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL. Keep in mind that this wasn’t a team that had an easy schedule. The Minnesota Vikings played arguably all of the top defenses in the NFL except the Jets. Favre did this against the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers (twice), and Baltimore Ravens. I can’t think of a more difficult schedule that any NFL quarterback faced this season.

Not only that, but Brett Favre did this on a brand new team with just a few weeks of preparation. Yes I know he was familiar with their system, but he had very little time to learn the playbook and develop any chemistry with his receivers, his line, his coaches, etc. Compounding this with his numbers is simply remarkable for the year Favre had. Plus, keep in mind that Brett Favre has played in the NFC title game in two of the last three years with two different teams! People are soon to forget that when criticizing Favre. No quarterback in either division on the same team can make those boasts. Not Peyton Manning, not Tom Brady, not Donovan McNabb, not Drew Brees, not anyone in the NFL.

Favre did take a lot of hits in the NFC title game. As a matter of a fact, Favre took more hits from the Saints than he likely took all season. Even as an objective fan, I started feeling uncomfortable watching the excruciating pain on Favre’s face after he would slowly get up from each hit. Lucky for Favre, he has a pretty good offensive line that can hold their own against most teams. Unlucky for Favre, they couldn’t stop the New Orleans Saints from getting to him. Watching the look on his face, the interception, and the disappointment following the game, Brett Favre looked anything like a guy raring to hit OTAs and give it a go for another season.

Do not put the Vikings loss on Sunday on Favre and his interception. Brett Favre scored 28 points for the Vikings. 28 points should be more than enough to win a game in the NFL. Favre drove his team with 2:37 to go from the Minnesota 21 to the New Orleans 33 in 91 seconds. Remember, if it wasn’t for the 12-man on the field penalty before the throw, the Vikings would have held pat and kicked a field goal. Now maybe the FG doesn’t make it, but Favre also isn’t throwing an interception. The Saints also took eleven plays to score in overtime. That is eleven chances that the Vikings defense had to stop them. Brett Favre also had to overcome five other turnovers from his teammates in the game. If I would put the blame on anyone, I would put it on the coach for one of the dumbest penalties in NFL championship history on Sunday.

Regardless of whether Favre can come back or not, he won something much bigger than the Super Bowl this season. Brett Favre won his reputation back. Favre won his reputation back for a tough, gritty, future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback. Favre won his reputation back as a great team player and more importantly, team leader. Favre won his reputation as a winner that can put a team on his shoulders and make the big throws when it counts. I see no reason that he can’t come back and do it again. The big question is whether the scars of the 2008-09 season with Jets still haunt Favre. If so, maybe Favre doesn’t want to risk a season like that knowing what he had in 2007-08 when he walked away. Or will Brett Favre be more obsessed with erasing the stat that the last three NFL seasons of Brett Favre were marred with crucial interceptions?

I think Brett Favre comes back and unlike the last two years, I think most of us will be happy to hear the news.

Grab a Brett Favre Alternate Reebok NFL Replica Minnesota Vikings Jersey now by clicking here.

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

I like everyone else was left in disbelief Sunday night as the Minnesota Vikings were making one last drive down the field in the Superdome. With a little over two minutes to go Brett Favre was driving down the field setting the Minnesota Vikings up for there very first appearance in the Super Bowl. This is one of the reasons why Brett Favre went to Minnesota. To beat the Green Bay Packers and to win a Super Bowl in Minnesota, to prove everyone wrong that this 40 year old Quarterback that retired and unretired multiple times, could still do it.

For 99.9% of the season Brett Favre was right and proved everyone that thought he couldn’t do it anymore wrong. This was his chance to get one step closer to his goal of winning a super bowl and riding out in style. But then we saw the Brett Favre of old reemerge from the womb!

Nineteen seconds to go and thanks to a stupid penalty the Vikings were now out of range of putting Ryan Longwell in comfortable position to kick a game winning field goal. The Vikings drove down the field and were starting to silence the New Orleans Saints crowed. That is when I started to see the writing on the wall.

As I have stated many a times before I am a Green Bay Packers fan. I was and still am but won’t admit it, a Brett Favre fan. The guy was my hero when it came to Football and was extremely disappointed with his last two seasons in the NFL with the Jets & Vikings. I can remember vividly things from the past that would make me think the reasoning I was about to say.

We had finished up doing The Wheelhouse and I was watching the NFC Championship game with Bower, host of The Wheelhouse when I turned to him following the stupid penalty of to many players on the field. This is when I said to him “the Vikings need to run the ball.” Bower at the time didn’t know why I would say such a thing, but any Green Bay Packers fan knows what I’m talking about.

But if you don’t remember what I’m talking about we will go back into time and look at the 2004 NFC Divisional Playoffs when Favre threw an interception in overtime directly to the hands of Brian Dawkins. The Eagles would go onto to drive down the field and win it thanks to a David Akers field goal. Then the one that stands out more then any other is the 2007 NFC Championship Game when Brett Favre in overtime through an interception yet again to Corey Webster. This led to Lawrence Tynes finally kicking a field goal and sending the New York Giants to the Super Bowl.

I’ve seen this script one too many times, game on the line and Favre forgets all of a sudden how to play Football when it counts. Favre gets under center with nineteen seconds to go; the Vikings need to get in field position for Ryan Longwell. No matter what they do from here you know they will take a shot for Longwell to win it.

Favre hikes the ball and the halfbacks run past him to set up a block. You have got to be kidding me he’s going to throw it! He rolls out of pocket and throws it down the field…DIRECTLY to a NEW ORLEANS SAINTS player! Corey Webster & Brian Dawkins start running through my mind at that particular moment and the first things that come out of my mouth were “holy crap he did it again.”

Everyone is left in disbelief of what just happened. Vikings fans, Favre fans, NFL fans and even the Saints fans are left in disbelief. Who isn’t? The Green Bay Packers fans!

The Saints and Vikings head into overtime, Saints drive down the field and a game winning field goal later the Saints march into Super Bowl 44.

Brett Favre was/is and will probably always be my favorite Football player. But this was a pure case of karma biting you in the ass. You messed with the Green Bay Packers organization, you messed with the New York Jets organization and this is what you & the Minnesota Vikings get. You outplay the New Orleans Saints and you will be sitting home on Super Bowl Sunday watching the Saints play for the Vince Lombardi trophy.

I will always have a special place in my heart for ol’ #4 but damn it felt good to watch him throw an interception and lose a game for another team not called the Green Bay Packers.

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow “The Champ” Jeff Peck on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/therealjeffpeck or you can follow Wheelhouse Radio! on Twitter by visiting their page @ www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse. You can also e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com

Grab a Brett Favre Alternate Reebok NFL Replica Minnesota Vikings Jersey now by clicking here.

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

How many times have we heard this over the last couple of years? Will this Sunday be Brett Favre’s last hurrah on the big stage of the NFL? I’m done talking about whether or not Favre will be back next season; Favre will be back with the Vikings next year. The real question is will they be competitive?

It’s weird that I have heard no reporters discuss this as we prepare ourselves for this Sunday’s NFC Championship game in New Orleans. It’s like the yellow elephant in the room that no one wants to admit or discuss. But this Sunday when Favre takes the field in that purple #4 this could be the last time Brett Favre is playing with something on the line.

Nobody knows how much longer the 40 year old gunslinger has left in the tank to keep this team competitive on his surgically repaired arm. I’ll be honest I am extremely surprised with how well Brett Favre has played this season. I am a Green Bay Packers fan watching our former hero play on of his best seasons at the age of 40. It’s not a tough pill to swallow because it was time for a changing of the guard in Green Bay and Rodgers is looking good, but that’s for a whole different time and story.

At the start of the season people questioned how long Favre would last and he has made all of us look foolish with his great play this year. But you have to question whether or not he can do it again next season. He broke down with the Jets last year at the age of 39 and eventually time & his age will catch up to him.

Favre knows that when he suits up this Sunday he is literally going to be playing with all the heart and fire he has because he knows this could be the last dance. A torn shoulder next season or an Adrian Peterson and/or a Jared Allen injury there and he could be done with making a run at the Super Bowl trophy. We’ve all seen what Favre can do when the pressure is against him, he loves it. When something as important as this is riding on the line he also seems to outshine the lights in the stadium.

He returns to the field where he ran away with his helmet off, where he was nicknamed “the kid” and where he hoisted that Vince Lombardi trophy in Green Bay Packers green thirteen years ago. This Sunday’s NFC Championship game is going to be a special one. If it’s Brett Favre’s last dance on the big stage in front of the bright lights of the NFL it’s been a pleasure to watch him, if he is able to get the Vikings past the Saints, get ready for a Super Bowl parade in Minnesota.

As we all know when it comes to Brett Favre you never ever say never. Never count the guy out and never question his play because “the kid” is still inside “the man.” Despite the disappointment I felt as a Green Bay Packers fan with him turning his back on the franchise, I will be sitting down Sunday watching one of my childhood heroes hopefully come through with the W.

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow “The Champ” Jeff Peck on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/therealjeffpeck or you can follow Wheelhouse Radio! on Twitter by visiting their page @ www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse. You can also e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com

Grab a Brett Favre Alternate Reebok NFL Replica Minnesota Vikings Jersey now by clicking here.

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

NY Jets at Cincinnati Bengals

A match up of the 2 AFC teams I didn’t pick for the playoffs in my preview. (And no, you didn’t pick the Bengals to beat the Steelers and Ravens all 4 times and win the AFC North…) Everything is telling you that the Jets are the better team right now. Almost every league rank on defense. More weapons on offense. Momentum after destroying the Bengals in the last game of the regular season. But you can’t avoid history. Rookie QB on the road in the playoffs? Can’t do it. Pick: BENGALS

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

Another rematch from the last week, but a totally different case than the Jets/Bengals. One team had everything to play for and one team literally had nothing to play for. But the Eagles had a 1st round bye in their hands. And could the Eagles have been more disappointing? So instead the Cowboys get the 3rd seed and the home game AND all the confidence in the world. While an explicit rope-a-dope strategy is unlikely by Philly, there’s no way they play that bad 2 weeks in a row. Again, I’ll go with history and go against the post-season winless Tony Romo. And make no mistake, Wade Phillips is coaching for his job this week. He either wins or gets fired. So don’t squelch those Bill Cower-isn’t-coaching-this-year reports just yet. And Marty Schottenheimer, hold off on a final word on that Buffalo job… Pick: EAGLES

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

The Ravens are about 10 points away from 3 more wins, winning their division, and being the most feared team in these playoffs. And the Pats are playing without their MVP for the year because Reliant Stadium has crappy grass. Awesome. I feel great. At least the tape Baltimore has from their match up earlier this year is useless, because NE had Wes Welker then and it will be a totally redesigned offense on Sunday. That said, this is not the same Raven D that simply doesn’t let you run the ball or score points. Joe Flacco has somehow regressed from last season and even in the 1st 3 games of this year. He’s all about confidence and if he’s knocked around and picked off in the 1st half, he’ll get flustered. And since none of those weaknesses play into a strength of the Patriots, I’m thrilled! I’ll still take the Pats at home, where they haven’t lost this year and where Brady has won over 25 straight, in a squeaker. Pick: PATRIOTS

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals

The toss-up-iest of the Wild Card match ups. The Packers are playing their best football right now. The Cardinals are at home and have so many offensive talents. The Packers rolled the Cards in Week 17. The Cardinals knew they would likely play the Packers in the playoffs and could not have played more vanilla on both offense and defense. I will take the Packers on the road, but I will be more shocked by Casey Johnson’s drug overdose than I will be if the Cardinals win at home. Pick: PACKERS

- “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause

Chris Cause is the co-host for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows & see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/thesweetnasty or you can follow Wheelhouse Radio! on Twitter by visiting their page @ www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse. You can also e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

Well football fans after 17 weeks of action it all comes down to the next few weeks. That’s right, quicker then Chris Johnson can run, the season has come and gone and now we are on to the playoffs. This week we have four big match-ups, three of which are rematches of games played just last week. I would not put too much faith into those games however as it seems that some of the teams held back the “A” game plans so they did not show their best stuff, or at least that is what the fans of those respective teams hope?

So I’m here this week to bring you my breakdown and predicitions for a wild weekend of playoff action. It sure will be tough to predict with head over heart, but hey that’s why we do this stuff. Okay, so here are the break downs:

AFC Games

4. Cincinnati Bengals vs 5. New York Jets

The Jets got into the playoffs on the last day of the season after blowing out the Bengals on Sunday night. The Bengals sat several of their usual starters, but also face some injury issues as well as the mental ramifications of the loss of teammate Chris Henry heading into this game.

Offense: Seems like a very long time ago that Carson Palmer was considered an elite QB in this league. Ever since the knee injury he suffered a few years back in the playoffs against the Steelers, he has never really been the same. That being said, the Bengals rely heavily on a running attack that was ranked ninth in the league. Chad Ochocinco still gets his catches and Cedric Benson leads the way on the ground. Given how well the Jets play defense on the ground, Palmer will need to step up from his performance of the 26st ranked passing offense to have a chance here.

The Jets are led by rookie QB Mark Sanchez, who learned after his first few weeks that the NFL is no joke. The Jets rely heavily on their running attack and finished ranked first in the entire NFL this season in rushing yardage. Thomas Jones seems tougher then ever, and if he can carry it effectivly, it will reduce the chance of Sanchez turning it over and making the Jets rely on a 31st ranked passing offense.

Advantage: Bengals

Defense: The Bengals had a very good year on defense. That’s right, they were more reliant on their defense then their offense for a change. This team that finished sixth in total defense, seventh against the rush, and sixth against the pass. The team is also one of the tops in the league in getting turnovers and has ballhawks all over the secondary. The key is to not be outthought, otherwise this is a team that can wreck havoc in the playoffs.

The Jets followed the lead of their first year head coach Rex Ryan and finished with the overall number 1 defense in the league. Eighth against the rush, first against the pass, and also first in points allowed. They are led by Darelle Revis who many consider to be the best cover corner in the game, and Ryan has brought his all-out blitzing style from Baltimore.

Advantage: Jets

Overall Outlook: Let’s face it, no one on the planet expected the Bengals to be a playoff team this year. Yes, they won their division but to look back at the Steelers, Ravens, and Browns, those games were against average to below average teams. Yes they played some big games and are 6-2 at home, but they face a hard nosed, smash-mouth football team here, and may look over-matched. The Jets do not weaken on the road as they finished 5-3 away from home. I see the Jets defense handling the business here and doing enough ground work on offense to take the upset, and a rematch of the win a few weeks back against the Colts.

Prediction: Jets 24 Bengals 17

3. New England Patriots vs 6. Baltimore Ravens

The Patriots got banged up in the season finale, but do you ever look past Tom Brady? The Ravens with coach John Harbaugh make the post-season for the secnd straight year.

Offense: If anything, the Pats have found some kind of running game this year. Granted it is the usual group effort, but with Maroney, Taylor, Morris, Faulk and well anyone else to wear a Pats’ helmet, they managed to finish ranked 12th. The passing game was as good as ever, finishing third overall. However, the offense has lost star Wes Welker for the season who hauled in 123 catches this season. The guy dubbed a “Welker Clone,” Justin Edelman will have to step it up big time to take pressure off of Randy Moss and the line will have to buy Brady time.

The Ravens run, run, and run and do it well with the likes of Ray Rice and a revamped Willis McGahee, finishing 5th overall in rush yards. Second year QB Joe Flacco looked at times seems to have regressed, had a hard time finding receivers with a passing attack that finished 18th overall. His main weapon is the aging and often banged up Derrick Mason, and one wonders if he has enough weapons at receiver.

Advantage: Patriots

Defense: The Patriots are not the squad from the Super Bowl years, but still managed to finish seventh overall. They were 13th against the rush and appear to be slipping, and 12th against the pass. Belichick is still a clever defensive mind and can shake it up and mix it up with the best of them, yet it remains to be seen if he has enough talent on the field to get the job done.

The Ravens are also a small step behind on defense, but finished third overall in total defense in the NFL. They are ranked fifth against the run and eighth against the pass, and we have to believe that All-Pro safety Ed Reed will find a way back. The Ravens still know how to get to the QB and still know how to get turnovers. If they can find a way to get to Brady and shake him up along with the Pats injuries, they can make a game of it.

Advantage: Ravens

Overall Outlook: The Patriots were 10-6 last year and did not make the playoffs, which proves they still can win games. They were 8-0 at home this year and that’s where this game takes place. The Ravens struggle on the road and were 3-5 overall away from home this season. The offense still does not seem ready for prime-time and this is not the match-up for mistakes. Tom Brady will live to play another day, but as much as everyone wants to see an Indy rematch, we’ll have to wait. The Pats will still have to beat San Diego and well, that’s another story for another week.

Prediction: Patriots 31 Ravens 17

NFC Games

4. Arizona Cardinals vs 5. Green Bay Packers

In the season finale the Packers crushed the Cardinals who played without QB Kurt Warner. The Cardinals are the defending NFC Champions, while the Packers return to the playoffs without Brett Favre for the first time in three decades.

Offense: The ageless wonder Kurt Warner continues to push forward and lead this offense. The Cardinals finished 11th overall in total offense this past season. They also have one of the very best receiving groups in the NFL, but may have to do it without Anquan Boldin who suffered an ankle injury last week. None of that seems to matter to Larry Fitzgerald, who always looks like a man amongst boys on the field. As usual, the Cards rush attack was below average at best finishing 28th overall, but rookie Beanie Wells showed some life late in the season.

If there is a team out there that can run with the Cards on offense, it’s the Packers. They finished third overall this season and have weapons all over the field. WRs Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and James Jones can play a possessions game or can burn you deep. Ryan Grant leads a solid rush attack as well. QB Aaron Rodgers knows full well that a victory here can give him one more shot at beating Brett Favre and officially cement him as THE man in Green Bay. He may have lost twice this season, but a post-season win over his rival is what will be remembered when this season is over.

Advantage: EVEN

Defense: The Cardinals have never been known much for defense but did manage to finish 15th this season, yet they dont stop either form of offense very well as they are ranked 17th against the run and 23rd against the pass. Add to it that their top corner Dominique Rogers-Cromartie is likely to miss the game with injury, and the Cards can be in for a long day stopping the high powered Packers offense.

The Packers step on to the field with the third best defense in the league and are first against the run, which is not what the Cards weak rushing attack wants to see. They also managed to finish fifth against the pass, and have a defensive MVP candidate in Charles Woodson. The Packers seem to have found the secrets of the 3-4 defense, and the linebackers have been playing great football. Now its up to the secondary to take down the Cards big three receivers.

Advantage: Packers

Overall Outlook: To me this year’s Packers look like last years Cardinals. They got red hot at the right time, and may be looked upon as underdogs. Last year Mike McCarthy’s team started stong and finished weak. This season it seems like they worked the kinks out early and are ready for a big run. The Cardinals are very enigmatic this year, and you don’t really know what team is showing up. Only 4-4 at home this year, they actually see an opponent come to town with a more favorable record as the Pack was 5-3 on the road. Bring on Favre and the Vikes, one more time.

Prediction: Packers 34 Cardinals 27

3. Dallas Cowboys vs 6. Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas man-handled the Eagles in the season finale to take the NFC East division title. Dallas looks to buck history and beat the Eagles three times this year.

Offense: At times this season, Tony Romo and the ‘Boys looked lost. Terrible performances against Washington, Green Bay, etc. led many to believe that T.O. was a bigger loss then Dallas led on. Then there were games like last week when a true balanced attack made the Eagles look meek. Romo has never faired well in playoff games so this one looms large for him. The Cowboys offense was 14th overall this year, so it is right in the middle of the pack. The Cowboys running game will have to create space, finishing seventh overall on the season.

Someone forgot to wake up Donovan McNabb last week and tell him there was a game on. McNabb in the past has had good success against the Cowboys, and he certainly has weapons to work with. He still leads the fifth ranked offense and does it mostly through the air, where the Birds finished ranked 10th. The birds need a running game to show up, whether it will be the power of Leonard Weaver or the speed of McCoy and Westbrook. They also need a whole lot more out of All-Pro “Mr Everything” DeSean Jackson.

Advantage: Eagles

Defense: The Cowboys looked like the team of the 90’s again, as they finished number two in the league in overall defense this year. Despite the great numbers, they were 20th against the pass, so the Eagles can spread them out and make things tough for them. They have a true superstar in DeMarcus Ware on that defense and he always makes it tough and looks like a modern day Lawrence Taylor.

Blitz? Where was the Eagles bread and butter last week? Maybe they didn’t want to show too much, but Tony Romo had all day to throw last week. The Eagles finished a very unusual 19th in defense this year, but still finished amongst the top teams in turnovers and sacks, they will need lots more of that to stand a chance here.

Advantage: Cowboys

Overall Outlook: It is always so tough to beat a team 3 times in the same year. Dallas played the Eagles tough in Philly earlier this year and took them apart in Dallas last week. However come playoff time the Eagles seem to find a way to come together and play tough as a team. They have played from the 6 spot before, they have been to the NFC Champ game 5 times under Reid and somehow, some way will find their way past this one in what will be the best of the games on opening weekend.

Prediction: Eagles 28 Cowboys 27

Come back next week and see my previews of the Divisonal Playoff games.

Don’t forget to visit CamelClutchBlog in the upcoming weeks as we will have YOU the readers help us vote for our “Miss Beat The Shark” contest winner. Lots of great football action plus 12 gorgeous females, you can’t beat it and you will only find it here, at CamelClutchBlog.com.

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at phillyphan1971@yahoo.com

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

Before I start off, you know that “Fantasy Football Stats” always need some disclaimers. The following stats are considered in a point per catch league and are through NFL Week 15. So let’s not have hate mail people!

Well, by now most of the fantasy football playoffs and championships have come to a close, not too soon for some, and kind of sad for others I’m sure. We all had our ups and downs, our duds, our sleepers and our MVP’s. We have all cursed guys we swear we will never draft again, and praised the guys we hope to get again next year. We have all pumped our chest out for those great waiver wire picks, but have also dealt with the painful phrase, “I knew I should have started (insert any players name here).”

So as you look back at your draft boards to see what you did wrong, and who you should have taken instead, also take a few minutes to look upon my “Sharky Awards” and pay honor to, and of course bash, everyone who made our fantasy football season that much more fun. For every Roy Williams that made you cry, there was a Miles Austin to make you smile, just remember those good times and keep having fun!

Ok so with all the guest dressed up in black ties, and all the gorgeous celebrity types ready to present awards at the podium, we are ready to hand out the awards. Sorry, I could not possibly pull off some big after party. I just could not get the stars to commit to coming out, being the holiday season and all. Maybe next year?

2009 “Sharky” MVP Award:
I present this award to the player who never really took a week off, or a play off for that matter, a player that killed it week in and week out. The winner is:

Chris Johnson, Running Back, Tennessee Titans.
1730 rush yards,11 tds, 44 receptions, 446 yards, 2 tds.
Johnson is the new coming of L.T. for all of you who can remember back that far (some 2 years!). Johnson has had 200 yard games, killed it from scrimmage all year and has the ability to bring home the league MVP award on a team that may not even make the playoffs. He made his team forget all about a commitee situation with LenDale White, and was clearly the most started player in any league this year.

Comeback Player Of The Year:
To celebrate a guy we would have never dreamed of drafting or playing again, and showed awesome numbers this season. The winner is:

Ricky Williams, Running Back, Miami Dolphins
1055 rush yards, 11 tds, 27 receptions, 234 yards, 2 tds.
Let’s face it, no one in their right mind thought that Ricky Williams would be a guy you had to start every week. Granted the season ending injury to Ronnie Brown helped, but Williams showed numbers much like the ones he showed early in his career. Most of the young guys can’t even stand up to what he has done this year. After bouts with marijuana, and retirement and defying age, Williams has been a top 10 back this season.

Best Waiver Wire Pick Up Performer:
This goes out to a player that pretty much no one drafted, but picked him up later in the year and was greatly awarded. The winner is:

Jamaal Charles, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs
759 rush yards, 5 tds, 36 receptions, 272 yards, 1 td, 925 return yards, 1 td
For some reason, the Chiefs rode the Larry Johnson train much longer then they should have. Charles has great hands and great speed and when the Chiefs finally had enough of Johnson, he stepped in and has been huge. He does it all, runs, catches, returns and scores. Let’s face it, when you picked him up on the wire, some laughed at you, simply because he was on a bad club. Well we will all see who is jumping on this bandwagon at next seasons draft, won’t we!

Best Rookie Performer:
We award the best fantasy newcomer, and the people with the guts to run them out there every week. The winner is:

Percy Harvin, Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings
49 catches, 691 yards, 6 tds 1017 return yards, 2 tds, 103 rush yards
It was a very close race, and I need to give props to Knowshon Moreno, but very few rookies have meant as much, or has done as much for their team then Harvin. Teamed with veteran QB Brett Favre, Harvin has made the Vikings offense a passing team as well as a running team. He had doubters coming out of college, but now his stock is rising for sure.

Biggest Bust Award:
This is easy. A player picked very hgh in most drafts that you found yourself benching mid-way through the season. You know there is plenty of good candidates, but we narrowed it down to this winner:

Brandon Jacobs, Running Back, New York Giants.
782 rush yards, 5 tds, 17 receptions, 182 yards, 1 td
How many of you thought that when Derrick Ward left for Tampa that Jacobs would be just that better a fantasy pick up? Well for all who did, you used first or second round picks on him, and well from the numbers it didn’t pan out. Jacobs averages about 14 points a week in a yahoo system, which for a starting RB is average at best. The Giants have no real set identity on offense, and this shows us that.

Biggest Season Killing Injury:
We give this out to the poor player and people that drafted him high and lost him quickly. Every year one player totally torches a season by getting hurt, and this year we have a clear cut winner:

Brian Westbrook, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles.
We always suggest to handcuff players with their back ups, so if you grabbed Westbrook (and if you did you know it was first or second round) and did not grab LeSean McCoy, then you had a tough season. Westbrooks stats are not even worth printing, they are that meaningless to anyone. Also you have to wonder that at 30 years old, has his days of being a productive fantasy player passed him bye? It never goes gradual as guys such as Marshal Faulk, Shaun Alexander, and even L.T. will tell you.

Quarterback Of The Year:
Given to the QB who has put up the best fantasy numbers. The season is not over yet, but this winner will shock many of you:

Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers
3962 yards, 28 tds, 305 rush yards, 4 tds
Manning? Brees? Brady? Schaub? I know you are all asking that, but look at it closely folks, and you will see it’s Rodgers. The man that has replaced Favre in Green Bay is finally playing as such, and his ability to run as well as throw, and to score more from bigger distance is what has him at the top. Ok,so maybe you all like the, “other guys” but I have found in being in 4 leagues this year, that Rodgers is a guy that kills it every week. Could you just imagine how much better his numbers can be if Greg Jennings actually showed up and they had a stronger running game?

Best Running Back:
Simple, the bread winners of your fantasy team. The winner is (of course)

Chris Johnson, Titans
See MVP above for all his stats. Maurice Jones Drew was a very close second however with 16 total tds, but Johnson just trumps everyone with all his combined stats. We may have a new overall number 1 pick next year Mr. Peterson. I think Chris should get ready for his close ups, as he should be on the cover of many a magazine next August.

Best Wide Receiver:
Always the toughest to choose in a class filled with stars. So after lots of sorting we came up with this winner:

Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver, Houston Texans.
90 receptions, 1433 yards, 8 tds
Always tough to say who is the best here. So many guys deserve props, so a big round of applause for Brandon Marshall, Reggie Wayne, DeSean Jackson and on and on. Johnson just goes crazy with yards, and will most likely do 100 grabs again this year. He’s big and tough, a total freak on the field. Yes many say Larry Fitzgerald is the best, but let Andre get to a Super Bowl, and see what we all say about him.

Best Defense:
We celebrate the defense that just racks up all the goods in all the catagories. This winner is back to its old fantasy form:

The Philadelphia Eagles
39 sacks, 2 safeties, 23 ints, 13 fumble recoveries, 4 tds, 1 block FG
Yes the Saints defense has scored 8 tds, which is huge, but Philly has done it all, and it seems to be week in and week out. In every fantasy catagory the Birds show up in the top 5, and were a point scoring machine. It kind of looks like the old Buddy Ryan days again in Philly, huh Eagles fans? Asante Samuel, Trent Cole, Sheldon Brown and the rest have made it a big year for owners of this defense.

Best Kicker:
From all over the field, and after the td’s this guy has put them through the uprights for us. The winner is:

David Akers, Philadelphia Eagles
Akers? A couple of years ago he was in the talks as the first kicker taken, then he lost his form and his clutch abaility. This year he leads all fantasy kickers in FG’s from 40-49 yards, and has 40 PAT’s to go along with it. He’s been much more accurate and reliable then just about any kicker this year. Only Nate Kaeding of San Diego can compete with Akers numbers this season.

The fond farewell tour:
We pay homage to those who were once big point producers, but now appear at the end of the line. Some players who have been first and second round picks who may now be late rounders if even drafted. So without all kinds of numbers let’s give it up for:

Terrell Owens
Torry Holt
Ladainian Tomlinson
Brian Westbrook
Larry Johnson
Matt Hasselbeck

And lets give it up for some stars on the rise, or players who may have just found first round glory with some late season heroics:

Jamaal Charles
Jerome Harrison
Sidney Rice
Ray Rice
Mike Sims-Walker
Hakeem Nicks

Now we hand out a few more “DUD” awards, we all love our underachievers.

Biggest QB Dud:

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
3117 yards, 19 tds 25 ints
In leagues that deduct for INTs, Cutler must have been a nightmare. Yes he had a couple of good yardage games, but his performance became downright brutla near the end of the season. So Chicago finally got it’s big time QB huh? Tell that to Denver.

Biggest RB Dud:

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
754 yards, 4 tds, 53 receptions, 455 yards
Rejoice Steve Slaton owners, by the numbers you did not get burned as bad as Forte owners. Wow the Bears went all out to let us down this year huh folks? Forte was a mere shell of what he was last year, and it made his team and every fantasy owners team that owned him suffer. If back up Kevin Jones did not get hurt, or if Adrian Peterson showed a lick of ability to play then Forte would have gotten even less action then the garbage he posted.

Biggest WR Dud:

Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys
37 receptions, 592 yards, 6 tds
He ran Terrell Owens out of town. He had Jerry Jones trade for him last year. He also made many draftees pumped up about his potential. Do you think he still says “I’m a number 1 receiver”? Because in fantasy value he’s more like 101.

Lifetime ( or so it feels like ) Achievement Award

Can you believe that Donald Driver and Derrick Mason still get put into fantasy dtarting lineups? It’s hard to imagine, but its true. at 36 and 37 years YOUNG, these guys continue to put up good fantasy numbers, but you have to wonder when it finally will come to an end?

Just a side bar note fans, in my last fantasy article of the year,which will be in 2 weeks, we will give you the results of our very own CamelClutchBlog Fantasy League. The Championship game is looking like The Sharks very own Team Nice Guys vs our beloved blog moderator Eric G and his Team Dusty’s Red Belly Spot. Should be a big time match up. For all of you who are still in contention, good luck, and for all of you who have won it all, we say congrats to you!

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at phillyphan1971@yahoo.com

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.