Finally, an entire weekend of games in the NFL postseason lived up to expectations. For at least three quarters, the AFC championship game turned out to be one of the most exciting games in NFL conference championship history. Not even four quarters could decide the NFC Super Bowl representative. For the first time in sixteen years, two number NFL one seeds will play in each other in what will likely be the most hyped game in Super Bowl history.

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts - As stated above, for three quarters this was an NFL classic. Rex Ryan and the Jets didn’t come to Indianapolis satisfied with exceeding expectations and playing in the title game. The Jets came out firing on both sides of the ball. Manning was sacked on the third down of his first possession and you knew from there, this was going to be a long afternoon. All of the talk about the Jets rattling Manning proved to be correct.

To my surprise, the Jets broke this game wide open with a phenomenal call in the second quarter. Mark Sanchez hit Braylon Edwards with a beautiful 80-yard pass for a score. This was the first touchdown of the game and pulled the Jets in front 7-3. The Colts looked stunned, the crowd got quiet, and the Jets looked more confident than the home team that bucked history and had the opportunity to go for an undefeated season.

Going into halftime I was almost sure that the Jets were winning this thing. The Jets were having some serious problems accounting for Collie and Garcon, but they had kept Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark in check. I didn’t think Jim Caldwell would be able to make the proper adjustments necessary to take the game back. The Jets also had the ball coming out of halftime. Everything just seemed to be going the way of gang green.

The one thing that had to worry Jets fans coming out of halftime was the running game. After bowling over teams for weeks, the Colts did a damn good job of keeping the run game in check. I was also surprised that Shonn Greene seemed to be getting most of the carries. To me, I just think that Thomas Jones gives you that extra on every play where he is going to break tackles at some point and break a run one wide open faster than Greene. Unfortunately Jets fans saw the tide start to turn when Greene left the game with an injury.

Now on paper you wouldn’t have thought Greene leaving was that big of a deal because you have Jones. But Jones works in a split situation because of the change-of-pace style he brings paired with Leon Washington or Greene. A situation that features Jones with no other options is a tricky one. I sent a text to my brother when Greene went out and I said that this one is over. Missing that second back completely changes the game for the New York Jets and makes things a lot easier for the Colts defense.

Manning showed me a lot on Sunday. I think sometimes he gets a lot of criticism because he just makes it look too easy. It took him a half, but he picked up on the Jets schemes and found ways to get Clark and Wayne open. Once Wayne and Clark started getting open, the will of the Jets was broken, and Manning was in cruise control.

Last week I wrote about the underrated Indianapolis Colts defense coming into the game. For some reason, the Colts are still labeled a bad rushing defense because of a few bad seasons a couple of years back. It’s just not true. In back to back weeks, the Colts plugged up arguably the two best rushing teams in the NFL. I think this Colts defense is underrated and are a big reason that this team is going to the Super Bowl.

I don’t think the New York Jets are a case of a team that overachieved and got hot. I think they have a very good coach who can do this again. Think about this. This isn’t even entirely Rex Ryan’s team. Give Rex Ryan a few years where we can get his type of players and this team will be ready for the Super Bowl. So long Kerry Rhodes. Ryan is no fluke. Ryan has been a defensive mastermind for years as a coordinator. I think that there has been an official changing of the guard in the AFC East this year. I don’t see any reason that this team can’t win the East next season and contend once again.

The Jets will be playing with fire if they roll with Thomas Jones next season. He is only getting older. Should the Jets come back with a three-headed attack of Jones, Washington, and Greene, they could be the most dangerous team in the AFC next season. Mark Sanchez will likely have a bit of a sophomore slump so I wouldn’t expect big things next season. However, he only seemed to get more comfortable with Dustin Keller as the season moved on. I think he is the real deal and Jets fans can be comfortable for the first time in decades that they have a franchise quarterback for years to come.

Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints - Rarely does a game with this much hype live up to expectations. On paper, this reminded me of those old 49er-Cowboy NFC title games of the early 1990s which always wound up more competitive than the Super Bowl. Both teams opened up the game with scoring drives and reassured fans that this game was going to live up to all of the hype and then some.

I have to start off here with something that didn’t have anything to do with the game itself. Right before the game kicked off on the sidelines, Chris Myers grabbed Vikings coach Brad Childress for some comments. Chris asks him flat out what his run-pass ratio will be for the game. Of course Childress looks at him like, “Are you serious?” and gives up a very non-committal answer. But what kind of lazy journalism is this? Is that any different than a question any NFL fan would ask Brad Childress before a game? Give me a break! There are plenty of ways to ask the same question, yet in a more creative fashion. What is the point of having this sideline charade if all the interviewer is going to do is ask a lazy question? I’ve seen better sideline reporting during an Arena Football game.

The Saints game plan here was to hit Brett Favre and to hit him often. I have no problem with that, because that is what the game is all about. However, the game plan here included taking lots of cheap and dirty shots at old #4. Favre hit the ground often, and most of those hits were late and dirty. I am no Favre apologist by any means, but even I thought some of these hits were getting a bit ridiculous.

The bottom line here is it worked for the Saints. No other team this season was able to get to Favre as often as the Saints got to him. Favre not only went down often, he often went down hard. The pain on Favre’s face as he would get up from every hit was just excruciating. At one point Favre had to go to the bench for medical treatment. This was a defensive performance that you would have expected in the early game. As much as Favre can annoy me at times, I will say this about the gunslinger. He is one tough guy. Nobody can ever question his toughness after watching what he went through at 40-years old and finishing the game.

The story of the game here was turnovers. The Vikings offense turned the ball over six times, with Adrian Peterson stealing that show. The Saints got a bit off of the hook here, because they also turned the ball over several times. Adrian Peterson is taking a ton of heat today for his numerous fumbles. While he does need to own up to his own mistakes, the Saints defense deserves a ton of credit here also. The Saints were constantly going for the ball. I don’t know if this was all about Peterson’s carless play or more about the Saints creating their own turnovers. I tend to credit the defenses on both sides for creating the turnovers rather than putting all of the blame on the players when it comes to most of the turnovers. Not all of them, but I’ll get to that.

The irony here is that even with all of the Vikings turnovers, Peterson’s fumbles, and Favre’s hits, that the Vikings were not only always in the game, but were two minutes away from winning it. It was the storybook moment that football writers dream of. Brett Favre got the ball with two minutes to go, tied at 28, on the road, with the Super Bowl on the line. Favre marched the Vikings down the field and had the team at the 33-yard line of the Saints with 0:19 seconds to go. The Vikings were a field goal away from breaking the tie and doing the unthinkable until the thinkable. A 12-man on the field penalty sends the team back five yards and Favre is forced to move the team back into field goal range. Welcome back Brett Favre!

The old Brett Favre made a special guest appearance here. Favre threw an interception to the Saints, turning the ball over, and taking away the Vikings Super Bowl hopes with one play. This wasn’t a brilliant play by the Saints. This was a horrendous throw and terrible decision by a veteran quarterback who should have known better.

The turnover gave the Saints the ball with less than 10 seconds to go, yet they didn’t do anything with it. The game went into overtime. Now here we go again with the NFL overtime debate. Anytime an NFL game goes into overtime, fans and media start screaming about how unfair it is that the other team doesn’t get a chance with the ball. I hate that argument. Using that argument, it is like saying that defense doesn’t count for anything. The defense has just as much of an opportunity to make something happen as the opposing offense. The Saints won the toss and received the ball.

The Saints wound up scoring on the opening overtime drive. The Saints used 11 plays to move the ball down the field and set things up for a field goal. Garrett Hartley made a 40-yard field goal to win the game and send the Saints to the Super Bowl. Before you anti-overtime critics start screaming about it being unfair that the Vikings didn’t get a chance, keep in mind that the Vikings had 11 chances to stop the Saints. Not too mention, most overtimes don’t end on the first possession. This was only the fifth time out of twenty-seven NFL playoff overtimes that a team scored on its opening possession.

Funny how after five intense quarters of championship football, the quarterback who threw one of the most ridiculous interceptions in postseason history is stealing all of the headlines today. While the most anticipated Super Bowl of our generation is getting its share of headlines, most of the headlines revolve around Brett Favre and his future in the NFL. I will save my opinions on what Favre should and will do for later in the week. But it got so ridiculous that Fox had more shots of Favre leaving the field after the game than the quarterback that just drove his team 11 plays down the field in overtime to win the game and go to the Super Bowl. Heck, I thought at one point that Fox was going to ask Favre to accept the Halas Trophy for the Saints!

Finally after years of disappointment, NFL fans will get the Super Bowl Dream Match that we always hope for when a season starts. I’ll give the NFL a lot of credit, because most of the Super Bowls over the last decade were competitive thrillers. But none ever featured a matchup of the two “sexy” team of the season. This will be the first time in sixteen years that two number one seeds will play each other for in the Super Bowl. Enjoy it, because it may be another sixteen before we see anything like this again.

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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.

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Finally, after months of NFL action we are down to the nitty gritty of the National Football League. This Sunday the NFL will present its version of the Final Four, as four teams will compete for the honor of moving on to the Super Bowl. On paper it looks as if this year’s NFL Conference Championships will live up to the hype, drama, and competition expected with January play.

Starting off in the AFC, the New York Jets will look to do what the Jets haven’t done in over four decades and that is play in the Super Bowl. Rex Ryan brings the same bravado to the Jets that his dad brought to the 1985 championship Chicago Bears. Mark Sanchez will bring the hopes and dreams of many hard working New York Jets fans to Indianapolis as he and gang green look to continue their miracle season against the Indianapolis Colts.

To most Indianapolis Colts fans, this is just a formality. By mid-season when the Colts were 8-0 and rolling, fans started talking Super Bowl. The Colts have been a remarkable team this season. No expert in the world expected the Colts to continue without missing a beat after the retirement of their coach Tony Dungy. Let’s not kid ourselves here. It is Peyton Manning running this show with Jim Caldwell in the co-pilot chair. On paper this looks like the biggest mismatch in conference championship history. So did the AFC divisional title game in San Diego last week and look at how that turned out.

Of all of the potential AFC title matches, I truly believe that you couldn’t get a better storyline than what you get out of a Jets-Colts match. Think of the irony here! The Colts played the Jets in their 15th game of the NFL season. The Colts clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs by this point. Instead of continuing their undefeated streak and going for a complete NFL undefeated season, the Colts sat their starters in the second half. The Colts immediately gave up a lead and their chance in NFL history. A loss would have eliminated the Jets from NFL postseason play. The Jets wound up winning the game. How ironic that all Caldwell had to do was leave his starters in, and the Colts would likely be playing someone else? I don’t think you could ask for better drama than this.

What can you say about the Jets that hasn’t already been said? Like the New York Giants of 2007, this is a team that got red hot at the right time. Thomas Jones is arguably the best 31-year old running back I have ever seen. The Jets started out the season red hot at 3-0. A mid season collapse had some people ready to call the rookie QB a bust. The Jets did what they had to do to get into the playoffs. Two amazing back-to-back wins over the Cincinnati Bengals  should have been enough to convince Jets doubters. A win in San Diego over arguably the hottest team in the NFL has convinced me that this team is for real.

The game plan is real simple for the Jets. They need to wither the storm early. Peyton Manning is going to come out firing. If there is any lesson to be learned by watching the Jets, it is that you can’t let up on this team for a second. If the Jets can come out early and withstand the initial offensive onslaught by Manning and the crew, they have a great chance of winning this game. Rex Ryan coached several Baltimore Ravens defenses that had great days against Manning, so he knows how to play him. Even in the first game this season, he did a decent job of containing Manning. As great as Manning is, he is in now way a given in the playoffs. He is going to have a heck of a job to do on Sunday.

The New York Jets on offense need to keep doing exactly what they have been doing and that is run. They may not break big runs early on, but by the time the third and fourth quarters come around, they will have broken down the Colts defense, and they will get their holes. The problem is, if Manning gets up early, the Jets won’t be able to run so they need to make sure that doesn’t happen. With all due respect to Mark Sanchez, if the Jets need him to win the game, it won’t happen. I think the Colts running defense is better than most people give them credit for. At the same time, I think the Jets should definitely take some play action shots early on to keep the defense honest. I don’t think anyone is expecting the Jets to come out throwing. A few completed deep throws early on by Sanchez could make this a very different game.

I have picked against the Jets for the last four weeks and I am done. I really love the Jets here. I think there is something mentally about this game that gives the Jets a huge edge. I am not a superstitious guy, but I do believe there is something here about the Colts throwing away history and being bit by the Jets weeks later. The Colts know this and if they are down early, I think they will have more pressure on them than the Jets would. I love the Jets in an upset and I look for Rex and the boys to be playing again in two weeks.

The NFC title game has the makings of an all-time classic this weekend. The Minnesota Vikings travel to New Orleans  to play the New Orleans Saints with the winner moving on to the big dance. This game reminds me a lot of the old 49er-Cowboys games in the early-mid 1990s where the NFC title games had more interest than the Super Bowls. The NFL couldn’t have asked for two better teams and more stars than the competition coming out of the NFC.

Both teams looked incredibly impressive last week in their home wins. For the Saints, they had contributions from an unlikely player in Reggie Bush. For the Vikings, Brett Favre looked like he just got done taking a bath in the fountain of youth. Both teams had convincing wins with very little competition from their opponents. Other than a few scares, the Vikings and Saints simply brushed off the Cowboys and Cardinals in games that looked more suited for Madden 10.

I think there were more questions surrounding the New Orleans Saints last week than any other team. The Saints rolled for 13 games, winning some by the hairs on their chin, but going 13-0 nonetheless. Unlike the Jets who got hot as the season closed, the Saints wound up losing their last three and looked like anything llike a team ready for prime time play. Things didn’t look much better when the Cardinals broke off a long touchdown run on the first play of the game. That was child’s play for the Saints who wound up returning a score and never looking back. The coming out party of Reggie Bush is something that has to make Saints fans delighted, while giving Vikings fans yet another weapon on the team to worry about.

The Vikings looked equally good in their game last week against the Dallas Cowboys. While a few Dallas missed field goals killed the Cowboys, I don’t know how different the game would have played out even if they made them. The pressure from the front four of the Vikings was just awesome. Adrian Peterson didn’t do much in the numbers, but was more valuable than people have given him credit for. The threat of a long Peterson run, opened up the passing game for Favre, who made them pay every time with passes all day long to Sidney Rice.

I get the feeling that  this won’t be the shootout people are hoping for in the early stages of the game. Let’s face it. The way to beat the Saints is to grind out the football on long drives and keep Drew Brees off of the field. The way to beat the Vikings is to grind out the ball with long rushing drives and keep Favre and Peterson off of the field. I envision both teams coming into this game with run-heavy game plans early on. Who blinks first is the real question. I lean a bit on the Favre end with this one. Brett Favre’s propensity to audible has now turned into a national headline. I could easily see Favre taking some shots down the field if he sees an opening or the Vikings running game can’t get anything going.

I love how the “experts” say the way to beat Drew Brees is to put pressure on him. I think that is ridiculous. I watched teams rush Drew Brees all season and I watched him make most of them pay. Now the Cowboys had success due to the pressure, but I can’t create a game plan on the success that one team had with the pass rush. I do think Jared Allen will get to Brees, however if Brees gets rid of the ball short or long, someone like Jeremy Shockey or Reggie Bush can turn a short dump pass into a score without missing a beat. The Vikings are definitely going to have to take their shots on Brees, but it can’t be an all blitz day or the Vikings will get burnt hard.

I think it is fair to say that the Vikings go as Brett Favre goes. There have been games like the Chicago Bears game where a rusty start cost them the game. At the same time, his second half play in that game was brilliant and would have won them the game if not for the slow start. The Vikings are a rather young team on offense. I do wonder how guys like Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin will react early on in such a big situation. Even Adrian Peterson with all of the pressure he must be feeling between last week’s poor performance and the fumbles all season may or may not be 100% there for the game. I think this is a very big x-factor that hasn’t really been talked about for the Minnesota Vikings.

In the end I lean slightly towards a Vikings win. I just think the Vikings defense will be too much for the Saints to handle for four quarters. I do think Brees will get frustrated and press at times and turn the ball over at least once. Brad Childress coached in a lot of these games as a coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, so he has been here before. There is just something special about this Vikings team that leads me to believe that they will be the better team on Sunday. I think these are two teams that if they played ten times, you’d have a five-five split. This weekend, I am leaning towards the old man and All Day to make Vikings fans proud and represent them in Miami.

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I knew we couldn’t get through an NFL regular season without some Brett Favre controversy. Favre shut a lot of doubters like me up earlier this season when he had the Minnesota Vikings rolling through the regular season and crushing opponents. Favre looked great, the team looked great, and even Brad Childress’ questionable coaching couldn’t stop this NFC North division machine…until now. A tense exchange Sunday night between Favre and Chilly could be two minutes of Brad Childress’ life that could change his career forever.

For the first time all season, the Vikings have struggled in their last two of three football games. Not only were they defeated by both the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, they were crushed by both teams. Brett Favre returned to his late-season form last year with the New York Jets. Brad Childress’ game plans have proven to be ineffective and at times just moronic. The story reached a new level on Sunday night when Brad Childress attempted to take quarterback Brett Favre out of the game. Yes, I did say attempted.

Favre addressed the situation after the game and well, let’s just say that this story has now taken on a life of its own. Favre said the following about the situation…

“[T]here was a heated discussion, I guess you would call it,” Favre said after the game. “We were up 7-6 at the time. No secret, I was getting hit a little bit. I felt the pressure on a lot of plays. We had seven points. So I think everyone in the building was like, ‘They’re not moving the ball, they’re not getting points.’ Brad wanted to go in a different direction and I wanted to stay in the game.

“We were up 7-6. Yeah, it’s not 70-6, but we’re up 7-6. So I said, ‘I’m staying in the game, I’m playing.’ I don’t know if it was exactly to protect me, or we had seven points, I’m not sure. That’s his call. But we talked it out. We didn’t have time, I didn’t have time to sit there and say why or what. My response was, we’ve got to win this ballgame and I want to stay in and do whatever I can. Now, unfortunately, I didn’t do that, but that was my intention.” – StarTribune.

Sorry Chilly, you are the weakest link!

This latest revelation exposes everything that Brett Favre’s critics have said about him over the last few years. Is this really any surprise? Hey at least the Vikings have it easy. In Green Bay, Favre tried to bully both the head coach and the general manager into making decisions. There were numerous reports from New York last season of Favre sulking after head coach Eric Mangini criticized his decision making or more bluntly, interceptions. Even teammates such as Thomas Jones questioned this very same issue about Favre staying in a game and accused Favre of being selfish, although the circumstances were much different. Minnesota Vikings fans shouldn’t be surprised this happened, they should be surprised it took fifteen weeks for the devil to start wearing Prada.

This is a much bigger problem for the organization than it is for Brett Favre and Brad Childress. Favre likes to have these buddy-buddy relationships with his head coaches, and I don’t think it is only because he is such a nice guy. He is a manipulator. He did it to Mike Holmgren, he did it to Mike McCarthy, and he has now done it to Brad Childress. It was evident from day one that Favre didn’t speak about his coach the way that most NFL players should and do. Take Peyton Manning for example. Let’s face it, if there is any quarterback running their NFL team it is Peyton Manning. At the same time, he shows his new head coach more respect than Jim Caldwell probably deserves. The situation between Favre and Manning is almost similar. Caldwell is considering benching Manning to rest him, Manning wants to play, both disagree, but in the end Manning has said that it is the coach’s decision.

The situation will undoubtedly open up old wounds in an already divided locker room. The locker room was reportedly in disarray when Chilly shuffled Favre onto the team, feeling that they were lied to and disrespected by their coach. Many ex-NFL players who are now analysts cited that this would be a problem down the line. Now you have a public situation where a player flat out told the coach to stick it, and probably a few more words while he was at it. Here in Philadelphia, Terrell Owens was run out of town for the very same thing (ironically to the same Brad Childress when he was a coordinator). How can a head coach in the NFL coach his team and discipline his players when they are well aware that he can’t control the old man taking the snaps at QB? The answer is easy, they can’t.

The idea of benching Favre in that situation is also a debate in itself. I really don’t get Brad Childress sometimes. Childress will just as easily abandon the running game with arguably the best running back in the NFL at the strangest times for reasons that are unexplainable. The New Orleans Saints lost Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles won, and the Vikings needed this win to stay ahead for the second seed. Why Childress would want to pull Favre in a 7-6 game (score at the time) in such a critical situation is beyond words to me. I don’t think Favre played well at all, but pulling him at that point in the game made very little sense. However, at the end of the day he is the head coach and he should be able to play who he wants, when he wants, and not when the players want.

There is only one way out of this for Brad Childress. Childress needs to bench Brett Favre. But wait a minute! The sacred streak of NFL starts for Brett Favre will be tarnished by being disciplined for refusing to come out of a game. How will that fly among the team, the media, and with Brett Favre? I don’t think it will fly at all. Without benching old #4, Childress is a dead man walking in Minnesota. Of course a Super Bowl could cure all of this, but this team is imploding faster than it is exploding on the exterior. Sure, coaches have been in this position before and unfortunately for Chilly it rarely works out in their favor. When you lose the locker room, and your player won’t let you coach, you lose your job.

Just ask Grady Little.

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First off let me apologize for not writing a preview the last two weeks. Was busy with the Thanksgiving holiday and other things but alas I am back to preview Week 14 in the NFL. Let’s take a look at some of the important matchups we get to look forward to this week in the NFL.

Kicking off the preview we will first start off taking a look at the Colts/Broncos game. A game that is a potentially an AFC Divisional Playoff match come January. The Colts are looking to stay undefeated and improve to 13-0 while the Broncos are looking to increase their chance on capturing a wild card playoff spot or make a final run at the AFC West Championship. Two teams with completely different goals right now since one team has already made their playoff stance known.

This is a game the Broncos need but the Colts want. No matter who you are, in any sport you ever played, you want to be the best. The Colts want to be undefeated. They want to go 16-0 into the playoffs and finish their season 19-0. The Broncos need to be in the playoffs. Josh McDaniels needs to prove to everyone that he is a good coach and can take a team lead by Kyle Orton of all people to a playoff position.

While both teams will be playing with some sort of desire throughout the game I still believe the Colts will win this one. The Colts for weeks were playing teams, letting them stay close with them and then winning. Last week I think we saw what the Colts were really like by dominating the game for just about the entire game. The Broncos will lose but will bounce back on their way into the playoffs.

In a match that could potentially be a Super Bowl matchup (whether we may like it or not) the Bengals will be taking on the Minnesota Vikings. Let’s be honest here. These two teams are in the Top 3 of their conferences. We won’t hear it from the NFL experts but the Bengals/Vikings could be played in February with the World Championship on the line.

The Vikings played HORRIBLE against a very surprising Arizona Cardinals team last week on primetime. So much so that it may have scared Vikings fans that maybe Brett Favre is finally showing signs of a 40-year old quarterback. This is the time of the year when people thought Favre may break down (just like he did last season) in New York and we maybe on the verge of it.

Cincy on the other hand still doesn’t get much respect because they are the Bengals. This is a victory that will be a statement game for the Bengals and help seal up the AFC North. The Bengals are fighting for a first round bye in the AFC playoffs and should get a step closer with a victory over Minnesota this Sunday.

It’s December again which means the Dallas Cowboys should begin breaking down and missing the playoffs again after being an NFC favorite team. This will continue to happen as the San Diego Chargers should defeat the Dallas Cowboys this week. San Diego is on fire in the NFL right now on their way to another AFC West Championship while the Dallas Cowboys are already forming reasons why they lose in December.

Tony Romo is not a leader and Wade Phillips is not a coach. If this game is even close I will be surprised. The media has some sort of power of this Dallas Cowboys team where they can convince them that they will lose again in December. It’s going to be a cold December in Dallas again this season which should open the door for the next matchup.

The Giants/Eagles will be one heck of a matchup on Sunday night and will help shape the NFC Playoffs. If the Eagles win it’s over for the Giants, if the Giants win we will have the Dallas Cowboys on the verge of crapping themselves as the Eagles & Giants are breathing down their December necks. The Giants are looking like the team that started playing in the start of the season and Philadelphia is looking like they always do this time of the year this past decade.

Philly is a strong team and is playing like they always do. The Giants want this game more then the Eagles do and the win against Dallas is giving them some confidence as they prepare for the final stretch of the season. Eli Manning isn’t the leader they thought he was and it’s allowing other players like Brandon Jacobs and Osi Umenyiora to step up as leaders. I like the Giants in this one and giving us another NFC East shootout in the final weeks of the regular season.

Should be a great week as we get on step closer to January football and the playoffs!

Now onto my Week 14 picks…

Week 14 Picks:

Steelers over Browns
Saints over Falcons
Colts over Broncos
Bills over Chiefs
Ravens over Lions
Dolphins over Jaguars
Jets over Buccaneers
Bengals over Vikings
Packers over Bears
Patriots over Panthers
Texans over Seahawks
Redskins over Raiders
Titans over Rams
Chargers over Cowboys
Giants over Eagles
Cardinals over 49ers

Week 13 Record: 9-7

2009 Record: 121-57

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The NFL playoff picture is finally starting to come together. We know that the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and New Orleans Saints will be playing in January. Like every other NFL season, the Wild Card situation is a mess. 23 other teams are still alive and need to win-out for any hopes at post season play. In other words, 23 teams will be playing playoff football in week 14 of the 2009 NFL season.

The game with arguably the biggest playoff implications in the NFC will be played between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants on Sunday night. This will be the marquee game of the day and will headline NBC’s Sunday Night Football. The Eagles are tied with the Cowboys for the division, yet the Giants and Eagles are tied for the best record against fellow NFC East teams at 3-1.

The Eagles obliterated the Giants in their first meeting in Week 8. This was the second win in a row over the Giants for the birds, the first coming in the NFC divisional playoff round next year. Under Andy Reid through the decade, the Eagles are 24-11 in November and December against the Giants. Andy Reid can rightfully tell Justin Tuck, “We own you” and mean it.

After rolling to 5-0, the Giants hit a skid. The Giants continue to play inconsistent football winning important conference games against the Cowboys and Falcons, yet looking completely inept against the Denver Broncos. The jury is still out as to how badly hurt Eli Manning really is. At the same time, Brandon Jacobs may finally be coming around after having a big game against the Dallas Cowboys last week. The Giants dominated the Cowboys on the ground, while the Cowboys three touchdowns in the air weren’t enough.

Conversely, the Eagles have been more consistent than anyone in the NFC East. The Eagles are 8-1 against the NFC this season, with their only loss coming against the New Orleans Saints with their backup quarterback playing. The Eagles have been routing teams this season like they did with T.O. back in 2004. The Eagles are genuinely a hot team in December. However, unlike past seasons they have put it together all year long and look like a serious sleeper team in the playoffs.

DeSean Jackson is expected back for the birds, not that they needed him in the rout in Atlanta. I keep waiting for the Eagles to fall apart and well, it hasn’t happened. Andy Reid has a new deal and this team is looking towards January play. I think the Eagles go up to New York and steal one from the Giants. I don’t expect a rout like Week 8, but this team has Eli Manning’s number. Leonard Weaver is getting hot and will give the Giants a taste of their own medicine on the receiving end of a big, bruising back. I predict a win by the birds and people start talking about the birds in the same sentence as the Minnesota Vikings.

Speaking of the Vikings, the Vikings will play in the most intriguing game of the weekend. After being blown out for the first time all season, the Vikings now have the luxury of playing the Cincinnati Bengals. If you thought Brett Favre had problems with the Cardinals, he hasn’t seen anything yet. The Bengals are the overall fourth defense in the NFL. Adrian Peterson is in for another tough day, as the Bengals are the overall number-two rushing defense in the NFL.

If the Vikings have one thing in their favor, it is that they are playing at home. The Vikings are undefeated at home this season. Judging from the last few weeks, Brad Childress may be outcoaching himself. Childress has played with Adrian Peterson’s time and has been putting Chester Taylor in the game more over the last few weeks. He made no adjustments to the Cardinals swarming passing attack and defense last week. New York Jets fans are smiling and have a big, “I told you so” on their faces. Remember, Favre fell apart for the Jets after a flashy start last season. Sunday’s game will be a huge indication on whether this was a twelve-week story or whether a 40-year old quarterback can truly play at a high-level for a full season.

The Bengals have put the division away and are on their way to securing the second seed. The Bengals rolled as expected last week over the Lions. Adrian Peterson hasn’t had over 100 rushing yards in three weeks and the Bengals haven’t given up over 75 rushing yards in three weeks. The Bengals will be looking to grind it out on the ground and play the time of possession game against the Vikings. The Vikings will need to get their passing attack in order to beat this team. I also think that Childress needs to give Peterson more than 13 carries to beat the Bengals.

I look back at the Vikings Week 7 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers as an indication of how this game will play out. The Vikings got bit by some bad penalties, yet were in the game all of the way up until the end. Peterson was held to 3.8 yards a carry but did have a touchdown. Favre lit it up for 334 yards, but had no touchdowns. I see a very similar game on Sunday. It is hard for me to believe that the Vikings would lose two in a row, but I can’t see them beating the Bengals at this stage. I think the Bengals edge the Vikings, Adrian Peterson breaks more fantasy hearts, and Brett Favre becomes a question once again.

The playoff preview this week comes between the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. I, like many would never have thought the Broncos would be 8-4. The Colts have clinched, but are still playing for home field with the Bengals still in the mix. I am tired of picking against the Colts, and I won’t this week. The Broncos just had an impressive divisional win over the Kansas City Chiefs, while the Colts handed the Tennessee Titans their first loss since Vince Young became the starter. These are two red hot teams and it will be interesting to say what they show each other with the potential of playing in the divisional round in January.

Both teams are susceptible to the running game. I talk every week about how the Colts are vulnerable in the rushing department, yet nobody has taken advantage of it yet. The Broncos have been a rushing machine the last few weeks, with Knowshon Moreno finally living up to the expectations of being a first-round draft pick. Unfortunately the Broncos may run into the same problem that the Dolphins had when playing the Colts. As much as the Broncos would like to grind it out, it all means nothing when Peyton Manning retaliates with a 75-yard touchdown in 11 seconds. I think the Colts win and we see these two play each other again in January.

Quick Hits – I wonder if Ben Roethlisberger will question Hines Ward’s heart if he sits out Thursday? Matt Ryan may play, but why bother? The Saints can’t even lose when they try. Don’t be fooled by Sunday night, the Cardinals are still vulnerable in the air and come back down to earth against the 49ers this week. Wade Phillips feels disrespected for being a lame duck coach, while December continues to feel disrespected by the Dallas Cowboys. The best way for the Titans to rebound and close strong is a game against the Rams. Who thought that the Dolphins and Jags would be fighting it out for a playoff spot in December? I have no confidence in the Ravens offense, but I have even less in Duante Culpepper. You couldn’t pay me to watch the Bills and the Chiefs, well actually you could.

Fantasy Fix – Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers. If you read my waiver wire blog, you already know about the man-crush I’m developing on Smith. Smith is putting up Matt Schaub/Aaron Rodgers numbers over the last few weeks. The 49ers have turned into a passing team with weapons like Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. The Cards boast the overall 30th ranked passing defense in the NFL. I sense a bit of a comedown for the Cardinals after the big win over the Vikings and the Brenda Warner voodoo dance. I would rank Smith in the top ten this week, if not number five in terms of fantasy quarterbacks.

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs – I am sorry Jamaal for not believing and dropping you a few weeks ago. Believe me, I am paying the price! He has had touchdowns in the last three of four weeks. He has had double digits for the last four weeks. He has a tremendous matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The quarterback situation is in flux in Kansas City after Matt Cassel was benched. This team is a run first, second, and maybe even third team. I love his matchup this week and I think he has the potential to go off at home.

Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers – He may or may not be the obvious choice this week, but I love him as a dubious tight end. He had 80 yards and a touchdown against the Browns earlier this season. His value increases dramatically with Hines Ward out of the game. Ward is Big Ben’s go-to guy in the red zone, and Miller is his second favorite red zone target. Does anyone believe that the Steelers won’t be in the red zone at least three times on Thursday night? I guarantee you that Miller comes away with one of those scores and rolls up another big number against the Browns this week.

Mohammed Massaquoi, Cleveland Browns – There is no denying that the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary is a different team without Troy Polamalu. He is expected to sit and this will open up some holes for Brady Quinn. Massaquoi had a touchdown last week against the San Diego Chargers and seems to be the favorite target of Brady Quinn. Keep in mind I am looking for sleepers here so I wouldn’t play Massaquoi above the usual suspects. However, if you are looking for some high risk-high reward, Massquoi is your guy.

NFL Week 14 Picks

I had my worst week all season going 7-9 on my picks. I have a feeling with upsets by Oakland, New York, Jacksonville, and Arizona that I wasn’t the only one. It just goes to show you that when a good team loses, it is more than just a one-week hiccup. I am 122-70 overall on the season. Now for the NFL Week 14 Picks (Picks in BOLD) -

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns
New Orleans at Atlanta
Green Bay at Chicago
NY Jets at Tampa Bay
Miami at Jacksonville
Detroit at Baltimore
Seattle at Houston
Denver at Indianapolis
Buffalo at Kansas City
Cincinnati at Minnesota
Carolina at New England
Washington at Oakland
St. Louis at Tennessee
San Diego at Dallas
Philadelphia at NY Giants
Arizona at San Francisco

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

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!

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