Pete Prisco and Clark Judge of CBSSports.com analyze hot topics weekly.
1. If you were Wade Phillips, would you have discouraged Tony Romo from going to Mexico last weekend?
Pete Prisco
Clark Judge
I don't think he should have to tell him what to do. Romo should know better. What would make him take a vacation in the middle of the playoffs? Shouldn't he be home watching the Bucs-Giants game to see who his team might play? I know he's caught up in the trappings of being the Cowboys quarterback, and I really do like the kid, but he has to be smarter in this case. Take all the vacations you want after the season. Now is for football. Simpson has to know that, too. You think Peyton Manning wasn't holed up in his theater room watching all the games Sunday? That's what Romo should do. Be a football junkie. Be a Simpson junkie after the season. If Romo goes bad this week, it will all be about the Mexico trip. That's not fair, but that's the reality. Phillips gave his team time off. What they do with it is their decision. Romo made a bad decision.
I might have suggested he not go, but I wouldn't have prevented it. It's a free country, right? My guess is that there were other guys on the Cowboys who went out of state with their wives or girlfriends, but because they lack the star power of Romo or Simpson, nobody noticed. If I were Phillips, sure, I'd want my quarterback spending time dissecting the next opponent, but the guy has this week to absorb what's going on with a Giants team he saw twice already. In any case, I'm not building a fence around the airport. Look, Tony Romo -- or Tony Romeo, as he's getting to be known in Dallas -- is a big boy, and he knows how to take care of himself. His problem isn't explaining weekends with Jessica Simpson; it's trying to solve a Giants defense that is different and better than the unit he punctured for eight TDs this season.
2. Where is the most likely upset this weekend?
Pete Prisco
Clark Judge
One of the Big Four will go down. I say the best bet is the Cowboys. It won't be the Colts. They will handle San Diego. The Patriots will beat the Jaguars and the Packers will handle Seattle. That leaves the Giants possibly beating the Cowboys. The Giants appear to be getting on a roll and the Cowboys didn't play well late in the season. Now we have Romo-gate and there's also a chance that Terrell Owens won't play, and if he does he won't be 100 percent. Eli Manning's confidence is growing by the week and I think that carries over against the Cowboys. If they don't win, this will at least be close.
Dallas. Have you heard that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson ... never mind. I love momentum this time of year, and the New York Giants have it on the road. They won eight straight there, not losing since ... well, since the last time they were in Dallas. OK, so they're not as talented as the Cowboys, but sometimes it's not all about the talent. The Giants are confident, they're hot and their quarterback finally strung two good games together. Dallas, on the other hand, concerns me. Romo looks like the quarterback who a year ago floundered down the stretch, and the Cowboys haven't played a great game in more than a month. I mean, they struggled to beat Detroit ... and did it only with a last-minute score. That's not good. Neither is the Terrell Owens injury, though I expect T.O. to play. I don't know, but this sure feels like an upset waiting to happen -- or a soap opera ready to air.
3. Give me a player outside the spotlight who might make an impact on this weekend's games?
Pete Prisco
Clark Judge
When the New York Giants lost tight end Jeremy Shockey, they thought the offense would be in big trouble. But rookie Kevin Boss has been outstanding. He is getting more and more comfortable in the pass-catching role and I look for him to be a big part of the Giants offense against the Cowboys. He's had six catches for 64 yards and a score in the past two games. If the Cowboys get him locked up with Roy Williams, look for the Giants to take advantage of that with Boss. Another under-the-radar player to watch is Jaguars corner Terry Cousin. He is the nickel corner and will spend a lot of time on Wes Welker. If he can limit him, the Jaguars might be able to slow that Patriots offense.
Giants cornerback Corey Webster. He started in place of the injured Sam Madison a week ago and was a monster, shutting down Joey Galloway and producing two takeaways. Webster later said it might've been the best game of his career, which begs the question: How do you sit someone who makes a difference? You don't, which means we should see plenty of him this weekend -- particularly if Dallas tries throwing the ball as much as you'd expect. Webster will be a key factor in the Giants' survival, trying to reduce Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton -- OK, and T.O. -- to a frustrated Galloway. I don't know that it happens. Heck, the guy was in Tom Coughlin's doghouse most of the season. But Webster made big plays in two of the Giants' last three games. Why stop there?
4. Should New England be nervous?
Pete Prisco
Clark Judge
A little. All the pressure is on them. If they lose in the playoffs, that 16-0 will mean nothing. And the Jaguars are a tough, physical team that has scored 24 or more points in 12 consecutive games. To beat the Patriots, you have to outscore them. The Jaguars can put up points. They are also a physical defense, which seems to be the way to slow down the Patriots. I think if the Jaguars can get their backs isolated on the Patriots linebackers, they can cause problems in the passing game. I'm not sure the Jaguars will slow down the New England passing game, but this might be close for 3½ quarters. The Pats will win, but it will be fun for a while.
No. So Jacksonville can run the ball. The Jags can't stop the pass, and the last time I checked Tom Brady set a league record for touchdowns passing. If Ben Roethlisberger can shred the Jags for 337 yards, what happens when Brady stares down that pass defense? I don't care if Jacksonville goes up and down the field with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Eventually, Brady gets the chance to serve. So the Pats don't win by 30. They should win. There's also the issue of David Garrard vs. Brady and playoff experience. That's not exactly a photo finish, people. Oh, and one other thing. The game is in Foxborough. When was the last time Tom Brady lost a playoff game at home? The defense rests.
I don't think he should have to tell him what to do. Romo should know better. What would make him take a vacation in the middle of the playoffs? Shouldn't he be home watching the Bucs-Giants game to see who his team might play? I know he's caught up in the trappings of being the Cowboys quarterback, and I really do like the kid, but he has to be smarter in this case. Take all the vacations you want after the season. Now is for football. Simpson has to know that, too. You think Peyton Manning wasn't holed up in his theater room watching all the games Sunday? That's what Romo should do. Be a football junkie. Be a Simpson junkie after the season. If Romo goes bad this week, it will all be about the Mexico trip. That's not fair, but that's the reality. Phillips gave his team time off. What they do with it is their decision. Romo made a bad decision. 
I might have suggested he not go, but I wouldn't have prevented it. It's a free country, right? My guess is that there were other guys on the Cowboys who went out of state with their wives or girlfriends, but because they lack the star power of Romo or Simpson, nobody noticed. If I were Phillips, sure, I'd want my quarterback spending time dissecting the next opponent, but the guy has this week to absorb what's going on with a Giants team he saw twice already. In any case, I'm not building a fence around the airport. Look, Tony Romo -- or Tony Romeo, as he's getting to be known in Dallas -- is a big boy, and he knows how to take care of himself. His problem isn't explaining weekends with Jessica Simpson; it's trying to solve a Giants defense that is different and better than the unit he punctured for eight TDs this season. 
