1. Yeah, sure Kansas City is lucky to be in the playoffs, but the Chiefs are Indianapolis' worst nightmare -- and I'll tell you why in two words: Larry Johnson. If the Colts can't stop Ron Dayne from carving them up how are they going to stop Johnson?
2. The way I look at it Oakland earned the No. 1 draft pick. The Raiders didn't score a touchdown in their last 12 quarters and 31 offensive series. And they did it without Tom Walsh. That's not easy, folks.
3. Look at it this way, Dallas. You're better off without the home game for the playoffs. The Cowboys dropped their last three at Texas Stadium by a score of 104-55.
|
|
| Expect Tom Brady and the Pats to be a dangerous team on the road. (US Presswire) |
5. OK, Chicago, the elephant officially is in the room. In case you didn't notice, Rex Grossman completed more passes to Green Bay (three) than he did his teammates (two), with two returned for touchdowns. This is the guy who's going to take you to the Super Bowl? I'll take my chances with Drew Brees.
6. I hear a lot of talk about what Steve McNair did for Baltimore, but how about what Baltimore's offensive line did for Steve McNair? He wasn't sacked once in the past six games and was dumped three times in the last nine.
7. Congratulations, David Carr. The Texans' quarterback threw as many touchdowns (two) the past 10 weeks as Miami's Jason Taylor caught. Taylor is the leading candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
8. That should serve as Tiki Barber's rebuttal to critics who last week questioned his focus the second half of the season. The Giants have problems, people, but Tiki is not one of them.
9. Another reason to like what happened in Philadelphia this season: The Eagles' offensive line was intact for all 16 games, only the second time that's happened in Philadelphia since the league went to a 16-game schedule.
10. Next time you wonder why Cincinnati struggles with Pittsburgh, look no farther than Ocho Cinco. Chad Johnson doesn't have a 100-yard performance in his last six games against the Steelers, and he scored only once.
11. I look at Bill Parcells' scowl, and I think he knows his team can't go deep into the playoffs. Here's one reason why: Over their last four games, the Cowboys surrendered 14 touchdown passes. They lost three of the four, beating only Atlanta.
12. So the Chargers' hierarchy has made it clear Marty Schottenheimer will be judged on what he does in the playoffs. Great. But did you ever consider this: His son, Brian, could cost him his job? Brian is the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, and if they were to beat the Chargers -- as they did two years ago -- Dad can start updating his resume. He won't make it.
13. If you're asking, yes, I think the Giants are delighted to draw Philadelphia in the playoffs -- especially after overcoming the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field earlier this year.
