205th Drop: Top 11 reasons why Jay Cutler had to leave the Broncos

As promised, here's the link to the list. It'll teach me my place in things, and the Broncos...

Yes and Nos on L'Affaire Cutler

(I have to be brief on this one today; too much going on outside of the blog. Yes, I suck.)

Yes, the QB is a pouting whiner who should have gotten over it.

No, Chicago Fan will not hold that against him. Seriously, after the QBs that franchise had had, Cutler could come out of the huddle wearing wings and a fluffy tail and they'd eat it up.

Yes, Coach Idiot McDaniels is on the shortest leash imaginable for a new guy in Denver, having jettisoned his team's best asset with no real back up plan in check. Chris Simms and Kyle Orton do not count, unless you're adding up losses, turnovers, and career-threatening injuries.

No, Chicago did not give up too much for him, because there is no way in hell that their first round picks will be in the top half of the draft so long as Cutler is upright.

Yes, Cutler really is worth the trouble: he's mobile, has an arm, doesn't fear the rush and productive. Head aside, there aren't five quarterbacks in the League with a brighter future ahead of them. Denver Fan will get to regret this for a decade or more, along the same way the Falcon Fan regretted the Favre Trade up until about 2003.

No, he won't be as good in Chicago, because he won't have Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal at the wideouts. But at least now he has a running back and a defense. In real terms, he'll win more games; in fantasy ones, he just dropped five spots in rank for 2009-10.

No, I'm not sold that Orlando Pace at tackle for the Bears was a great addition, because he hasn't been healthy for years. But he could have just been dogging it to get the hell out of St. Louis. It's a better gamble than most.

Yes, this does make the Bears better and a possible division winner, but I still think the Packers have the most talent in the division.

And finally... I think the Broncos will go 3-13 this year, and that McDaniels will be run out of town on a rail. Just one more genius that wasn't from the Belichick Tree.

(Oh, and there will also be a jokey hacky list link on this later in the day, because I've gotten a fresh invite from Editor Scrap of Epic Carnival infamy to whore myself out again. Time to go shave my legs.)

Mourning After: Eagles-Bears

Last year, the immortal Brian Griese, Cedric Benson, Brian Berrian and Moose Muhammad went 90 yards in the last two minutes to win on the road in Philadelphia. The loss was in the early season, and while mind-blowingly frustrating, didn't seem like it was a make-or-break game for the Eagles season.

Eventually, they missed the playoffs by a game (letting the Giants in), and well, the Bears game might have been the difference.

This isn't to say that last night's teeth-grating loss in Chicago will be the difference between the Birds and the post-season; there is, after all, 12 games left to play, and the schedule still seems relatively palatable. Win next week against Washington at home, and then in San Francisco, and you're sitting at 4-2 at the bye. One suspects that if they get to that point, they might not even be in last place in the division anymore, though it's hard to say. Last night's loss was the first time an NFC East team lost outside of its division this year.

Here are five more quick points to chew over as you ponder what might have been...

> Many people, by reflex, will question the Eagles head coaches for calling goal line plunges with three minutes left in the game. I don't, or at least, not particularly. The bigger issue was that the Eagles back-ups -- Max Jean-Gilles in for Shawn Andrews, Brent Celek in for LJ Smith, and Buckhalter, Booker and Hunt in for Westbrook -- just didn't do the job. Then, the defense didn't hold the Bears without a first down when it had to. You can blame that on coaching if you like, but it's also damming of the Eagle back-ups. This was a team failure in all aspects -- coaching, defense, offense and special teams.

> As for why you run it there, I think Reid was thinking in two ways. First, that he wanted to give some confidence to his offensive line to get the job done... especially as they had held the ball for almost all of the second half, and should really have been wearing the Bears down by then. Secondly, I suspect that he wasn't terribly thrilled by the idea of a holding penalty or pick from the 1 yard line. At least with the running play, failure meant that the Bears were at their 1, with a defense that could have gotten them a safety on the next play. Get that, and you have the ball down by 2, with a free kick and 2 minutes left. I'm fine with the play call; not so much with the execution.

> Lost in the loss, the continuing disappointment that is kicker David Akers. His 50 yard try wasn't close; his 47 yarder hit the pole and stayed out. Had either gone in, the Eagles are kicking a field goal and taking the lead with three minutes left. (Setting up, of course, a Devin Hester kickoff return that would have given the Bears great field position prior to their own game-winning drive. Fah.)

Akers hasn't been reliable from outside of 40 yards for some time, and when you are on the road without numerous starters, you really don't have the margin for error that a kicker who can't hit from distance eliminates. I get that they are comfortable with him, and it's nice to have a kicker who doesn't shy away from contact in coverage. But he's got to do better, or they've got to move on. This isn't a new problem.

> Readers of the blog will note my longtime and mostly unwavering support of Donovan McNabb. But... is anyone else kind of tired of the "number of fourth quarter comeback wins" graphic that every broadcast crew feels compelled to post in crunch time of every game?

Don's been the QB for 75 Eagles wins. Some of them, especially over the near-decade he's been playing here, are going to involve fourth-quarter comebacks. If you are going to give me the number, also give me the percentage.

> A common theme in both losses: the pass defense not showing up until the second half. Last night, this led to three Kyle Orton touchdown passes (a career high), all of them from distance, all of them to very open receivers. While things got buttoned down more in the second, it was more a factor of increased pressure than better coverage; Orton missed several wide-open targets on downs that would have made a huge difference in the game. When the Birds signed Assante Samuel, this was supposed to give them three exceptional cover corners in an era of football when, well, you need three. So far, not so much.

Oh, and a bonus... I'm not sure why Lorenzo Booker is in the NFL. Didn't we already have this player, but quicker and even less able to block in pass protection, in Ryan Moats? If the Eagles get into a situation where both Westbrook and Buckhalter are unavailable again, it won't go well for them. (And if they aren't thinking about re-staffing the position this morning, they should be.)

Epic Drop: Top 10 Cursed Pro Football Positions

Here's today's link, which required more research than usual, and has perhaps the single best moment that I can imagine to summarize the whole of the existence of the Detroit Lions, in that Scott Mitchell is a Legendary Lion. No, I'm not kidding. Go, by all means, and wonder.

Epic Drop: Top 12 Reasons Why The Bears Went WIth Orton Over Grossman

Your list is here, and as a blogger and a football fan, I'm kind of pissed off about it. We don't need another low margin, low talent, low excitement game manager. If you're going to lose -- and dear God, Bears Fan, you are going to lose, in double figures and more -- why not go down with someone who is clearly the cause of all of your woes, rather than a guy who is just going to be a passenger on that bus?

It's kind of like how the NFL has evolved away from wacky coaches like Jerry Glanville and Sam Wyche. Dammit, I demand my losing teams to be more entertaining than this!

And finally, this. By dooming Rex to the ashcan of history, we dishonor the memory of ex-Dolphins quarterback David Woodley, who (and this is true, at least according to Wikipedia) died from complications of liver and kidney failure following a history of alcohol abuse. Dammit, Lovie Smith, why are you denying Woodley his due as the worst quarterback in the history of the Super Bowl? He needed that!

Soon to be the most popular photo on the sports blogosphere

But hey, it's new right now, so I'm running with it.

For anyone who has ever played Cobbs Creek in Philly, no, this didn't happen there...

Epic Drop: Top 10 Reasons Why Devin Hester Is Holding Out

Here's your link, and for the love of Pete... Bear Fan has to be completely off his gourd over this. Your top wideout is Marty Booker. Hester might be the only guy on the roster with a chance to actually be a serious plus offensive player. And he's going to spend his summer holding out for money, rather than learning the playbook. (Not that his quarterback will be able to get him the ball anyway, but still.)

Epic Drop: Top 10 Unanwered Questions in the Cedric Benson Arrest

Your link is here, and if you are wondering which is my favorite of the list entries... it's #4. (And yes, I did draft him in two of my leagues last year. Thanks for asking!)

Emperor Brett Has No Clothes

Um, I realize that it's against several broadcasting laws to point this out, but...

BRETT FAVRE WASN'T GOOD TONIGHT

and, um....

BRIAN GRIESE (YES, BRIAN GRIESE) OUTPLAYED HIM WHEN IT MATTERED

and, finally...

THE PACKERS WERE ABLE TO RUN THE BALL (22 carries for 121 yards), DESPITE WHAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD IN THE POST-GAME APOLOGIA

Perhaps this is not such a grand thing in the world. After all, we're used to the media lying to our faces (didn't you know that the majority of us favor keeping US troops in Iraq? Oh, snap, actually not true at all)... but this is sports, people. There are clear winners and losers here. We have a scoreboard. It's not that freaking complicated.

Favre threw an unconscionable interception in the third quarter, while up 10 points. On the next play, Griese found Greg Olsen for a touchdown. Without that pick, the Packers win. Period.

With two minutes left in the game and a timeout in his pocket, Favre took short middle throw after short middle throw, until he left the Pack 31 yards away from the tying score with 15 seconds on the clock -- in other words, EXACTLY what the Bear defense wanted, short of a sack or turnover.

It's a lovely story, really -- the old guy and good interview having a late career renaissance. But maybe I'm old and mean or something. Lying to my face just pisses me off. And so does the continual mouth job for Brett Favre - whether he plays well or not. He's just a football player, people. If he does well, praise. If he doesn't, DON'T. End of story.

In Praise Of Number Five

The recent drafting of quarterback Kevin Kolb could mean that Donovan McNabb will be traded before the 2007 season. A few observers have opined that McNabb will be moved after the coming season. But here's a scenario that has him moving before September. The Bears are ready to win the Super Bowl. This scenario obviously depends on two things. One, that McNabb is physically ready to play on Week 1 of the 2007 season. Two, that Chicago is convinced McNabb is their best available QB option.
-- Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/20/07

For the moment, do not consider the relative logical merits of moving a 30-year-old injury-prone quarterback with a high salary cap number, and a fair amount of trade value, who used to be mobile but probably won’t be much anymore, who has always struggled with accuracy in the short passing game.

Instead, consider this: which franchise, in the midst of the best run in their history, would make this move?

For the smattering of Eagle fans out there who would argue that the mid ‘40s teams of Steve Van Buren or the 1960 team of Norm Van Brocklin were a better era because the team held a trophy at the end of the season, WE WILL NOW INCREASE THE FONT SIZE SO THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SQUINT. HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY? ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH PILLS?

Possibly the San Francisco 49ers of Bill Walsh, who maneuvered Young for Montana and prolonged the dynasty.

Maybe a grind-it-out defensive team like Baltimore or Tampa Bay, where the quarterback’s biggest job is to not shit the bed.

That’s about it.

Here is what every Eagles fan that has any idea of what they are talking about when they are watching pro football should think, or say, to Don McNabb – thank you.

Thank you for the Tecmo Bowl MNF throw against the Cowboys.

Thank you for 4th-and-forever to FredEx to take out the Packers.

Thank you for making the Washington Redskins suffer through the worst years of their lives – an era so bad, their owner went out and disgraced the memory of Joe Gibbs, too.

Thank you for never doing anything more personally destructive than a Chunky soup ad, or a chunky vomit experience. (Ask the would-be fans of Yachtsman Culpepper, Dog Lover Vick and Evel Rothlisberger how that compares.).

Thank you for making this the most entertaining, most satisfying, most fun era to be an Eagles fan ever.

Let us review, shall we, some of the gods among men that have manned Don’s position here recently.

Bobby Hoying
Rodney Peete
Doug Pederson
Koy Detmer
Ty Detmer
Pat Ryan
Jeff Goebel
Mike McMahon
AJ Feeley
Jeff Garcia

I know I’m missing some others, too. Now, tell me who you’d rather have. (Yes, I know Garcia did a great job, but half a season does not a viable choice make.)

You want to tell me Don has not won The Big One? Fine. Guilty. He also did a terrible job of tackling Corey Dillon in that Super Bowl, too. Amazing how, in so many big games, Don forgot to line up on defense and stop the run. But so be it.

But you also have to give him this -- he’s won a ton of Little Ones. And a lot of Medium Ones, and Bigger Ones that led to the Big One. Honestly, that counts for something.

Ask a Redskins fan, or a Giants fan, or a Cowboys fan, how much they have enjoyed the McNabb Era.

See who much they would smile if you took Randall Cunningham, or Ron Jaworski, as your QB instead in an all-time game of Madden. (There's been, um, a lot of weak years at QB here.)

Ask a Bears fan how fast they would do that deal. (They’d answer, but they are too busy pressing the ACCEPT button. Oh, and they’d be happy to send the Rex Cannon back this way, too.)

See how much fun the Feeley/Holcomb half of the season would be, followed up by the vanilla-riffic rookie year for Kolb, with the season in the crapper and the region calling for Andy Reid to spend more quality time with his kids.

Finally, see Don lead the conference’s best team in Chicago, as half of Philadelphia roots for a shadenfraude knee injury and the other half wonders why good things never happen to us. (And if you think he can’t win a Super Bowl there, assuming he’s healthy, you’ve got a strange idea of what a Super Bowl winning QB on a dominant defensive team looks like. Dilfer-esque.)

All the while forgetting that the last few years have been really, really good.

For the record, I think the rumor is bullshit. I don’t think Reid would dare to make the best team in the conference much better, even if it does mean he’d finally get a quality LB. I think Reid is allergic to quality LBs.

I also cannot imagine that he really wants to run the ball that much, which is what he would do with the quarterback spot in transition. That’s not his idea of fun.

Lastly, I do not think the Eagles would move McNabb off an injury. I think they would much rather roll the dice and see if they could get a full and healthy year out of him, and take their time with Kolb. A transition would happen in one to three years, depending on health and performance. Don is 30, after all, and increasingly fragile.

But I do know this: for the rest of his time in Eagle green, McNabb has to know that the clock is ticking loudly.

I just hope that when his time comes, we show some class, and say thanks. The Eagles will be very fortunate if their next quarterback is anywhere near as good.

The SB That Made Us Want Diabetes

(Image is from the Heart Association's ad that shows your heart is a sad old wimp who gets his ass kicked on the street by leather-clad Risk Factors. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKALBN8AsUs.)

Ten points from a wet ugly mess of a game...

1) Once again, if you bet with Mean Old Grandpa Carl, you'd be in the money. It's all about the experience.

2) Was anyone else worried when Prince came out and the lightning strike hit? He'd have left a little purple spot on the stage. But damn, he's still the shit. Nice Devil Dick silhouette action, and the man did the impossible of making a marching band cool. Golf clap.

3) The NFL Network produced the halftime show... and yet, Prince was seen by more than 10% of the audience, it didn't suck, and he didn't get laryngitis halfway through the set. A monumental success for the network!

4) There were six first-half turnovers, including four on back to back plays, with only seven points resulting from them. The last FTT saw this much slop, our ex-wife was involved.

5) Most inexplicable strategy of the night: when the Bears blitzed Manning, they generally got off the field, and never got burned by it. So they limited their blitzes to about 5 to 10% of plays, and spent the night giving up critical third downs.

FTT gets that you don't want to get into a big-play shootout with the Colts. But when you don't adjust to the game that's happening, you deserve to lose.

6) This year's Walter Payton award winners for the NFL's best people... Tomlinson and Brees. So, you have to be a raging asshole to get to the SB? (Hmm...)

7) What part of the night defined Sexy Rexy for you... falling on his ass for two straight sacks in the third quarter, or the two back-breaking bad throws into coverage for picks in the fourth? David Woodley's place in NFL history (Worst Starting QB who was excused for his "inexperience") is no longer secure. Bears fans, you had a great year, and you're going to win your division again next year... but you'll never win a SB with him.

8) Best Pussy Move of the Night: Indy avoiding Hester on kickoffs. FTT kept waiting for Vinateri to just kick the ball out of bounds intentionally and save everyone the running.

9) Some seamhead has shown that teams that score on kickoff returns actually lose more games than they win. FTT isn't really buying it, but after watching it happen in both the Pro Bowl and the BCS Championship, maybe there's something to it.

10) Frankly, we're amazed that the Bears didn't score a meaningless touchdown to blow the cover in the last minute. It would have made the night complete.

Now, who's ready for some Pro Bowl action? Anyone? Anyone?

The Sports Priest

(Ed. Note: FTT apologizes for not being able to find the image of the priest in "Caddyshack" getting struck by lightning. By way of apology, enjoy the Judge in mid-meltdown. Boy, no one did meltdown better than Ted Knight.)

Is your devotion as a sports fan bothering you? Many fans find themselves lost in a world of moral relativism, fantasy allegiances and declining devotion. If your soul is thirsting for redemption, talk to FTT's resident Sports Priest.

Dear SP,

I'm a lifelong Peyton Manning hater who wound up stuck with him in my fantasy draft. Now he's led me to a championship and gotten to the Super Bowl. I don't want to root for this overexposed oaf, but after putting money in my pocket, I just can't get as annoyed by the stupid pre-snap nonsense and constant ads. Help me find my hate!

Malaised in Maryland

Dear Malaised,

My child, you have allowed your Sacred Hate to be bought off with 30 pieces of silver, and sold that which was most dear to you -- your ire -- for a pittance. Congratulations. Most of us never can move that merchandise, no matter how many times we mark it down.

Look into your heart and determine why, exactly, you hate the Meat Cutter. Are the reasons pure -- did he beat your team, fail to beat the team you hate the most, or make you hate him through some other, meaningful reason? Or is your hate just the result of reading some writer or media figure, or a backlash against some other writer?

If your hate is pure, it will come back to you, and you will be richer for it. If it is not, you are better for losing it.

Dear SFC,

As a credentialed media member, I'm supposed to be covering the Super Bowl. Instead, I find myself whoring myself out to radio shows, following NBA players like a groupie, raving about Miami like a frat boy on Spring Break, and writing thousands of words about getting wood from a washed-up tennis skank. Scores of bloggers have pointed this out, but I just can't stop, and I'm worried that I'm becoming a parody of myself. How do I stop?

Bilious in South Beach

Der Bilious,

Any writer that forgets their audience, or becomes contemptuous of them, is someone who has entered into a spiral of destruction. Blame should also go to your editor and publisher, who have enabled this behavior. Consider a sabbatical.

Dear SFC,

As a Bears fan, I'm sickened by the media's coverage of my team, and our underdog status. And yet, I find myself strangely thankful for it as well, since it will mean a greater emotional payoff for me when the Bears win. Is this dishonest?

Illinois Truth

Dear Truth,

You're drinking from the cup of artificial antagonism -- the idea that just because someone has a different opinion than yours, they must be wrong, stupid, and punished. If you are right about the Bears, they will feel all of this without you pointing it out.

Of course, pointing it out is entirely the point of Sports Fandom, so indulge with a clear conscience.

Dear SFC,

I'm a political progressive who likes the Colts in the SB, but doesn't want to due to the following three factors. (1) Condi Rice has predicted a Colts win, and being on the same side as her in any issue makes me very nervous. (2) Tony Dungy has plans to speak to an anti-gay group, which makes him about as likable to me as Rush Limbaugh. (3) Indiana is a red state, while Chicago and Illinois is as blue as you can get in the Midwest. Is my Colts fandom morally justifiable?

Wavering in Washington

Dear Wavering,

Mixing politics with sports is strictly non-kosher in the Sports Confessional. The game is played between the lines, and unless these factors can be found to have an impact there, they are nothing but noise. (Although, a nice consolation should the Bears pull off the upset.)

Peace be with you!

Top 10 Unsold Free-Lance Story Pitches for SB XLI

1) True advertising effectiveness of past Super Bowl ads, with actual market share numbers

2) Trivia contest of past SB halftime entertainers


3) South Beach Pub Crawl with Jim Harbaugh and Jim Miller

4) History of the Bears-Colts rivalry

5) The Sportswriter's Expense Account: Where It All Goes

6) Baltimore: Still Harboring Revenge Fantasies Against Colts?

7) Is Tony Romo prank calling Hunter Smith and Brad Maynard?

8) Bears vs. Colts Cheerleaders - Stats-Only Tale of the Tape

9) Conference Won-Loss Record in Coin Flips

10) Pro Bowl predictions

Those Marks Are Permanent

Sunday Game Thoughts...

1) Largest comeback in AFC/NFC title game history. No dome team has ever won on the road in a championship game. First time that black coaches are in the Super Bowl, first time that a black coach will win the Super Bowl.

Over/under on how many times these will be noted in the next two weeks in the mainstream media: 5,874.

Take the over.

2) Bob Irsay, in the post-game gloatathon, gives it all up for God and Lamar Hunt. Then Tony Dungy does the same, but doesn't mention Hunt. Two questions:

1. When did God start going against the Patriots? God usually seems on their side in a big way, considering that they're now 8-1 in playoff games decided by less than 7 points. What's made Him forsake them? Post your theories in the comments, if you like.

2. Why does Tony Dungy hate Lamar Hunt?

3) How much of the public distaste for Peyton Manning come from just heavy rotation of his television ads, and is it really fair to tar and feather him for it?

Answer: Yes. He cashes the checks.

4) Somewhere in the sub-Sahara, some village is going to get their 2006-2007 AFC Championship Patriots swag. It's going to look a lot less funny than the Saints swag.

5) As the teams were walking off the field, Manning got close to Belichick, who gave him the body language of a miser with a homeless man. Fifteen minutes later, CBS interviews Belichick on camera with Solomon Wilcots, and he got off the air after two questions and 12 seconds.

Bill, apparently, doesn't take well to this losing in the playoffs thing. A shame, because so long as he thinks he can make it all the way with waiver wire wideouts, he's going to keep having this experience.

6) Can Reche Caldwell open his eyes any wider when he drops a pass, or is that physically impossible? While we're asking rhetorical questions, can Pats fans and those who took them hate him any more right now? San Diego had its revenge on you, Pats.

7) Here's the biggest reason why neutral fans should be pleased with a Colts-Bears match-up -- Rex Grossman will not have to face a Belichick defense. After nearly three quarters of failing to take advantage of the Saints' porous secondary, Sexy Rexy picked it up in time to take advantage. Against the Pats, I think he would wet himself and eat paste.

8) If you bet with Mean Old Grandpa Frank (see below, or click on the link to the right), you'd be rolling in the money today. There's something to be said for experience.

9) Despite getting the snot beaten out of them late, it really was a nice year for the Saints. So long as they can coach Bush to stop putting the ball on the ground, keep Brees healthy, and find a few corners, they're going to own the NFC South for several years to come.

10) The early pick for the Super Bowl? Colts by 10. If Rexy wins, he displaces Jeff Hostetler and Trent Dilfer as worst QBs to ever win the game. Even in an era of lowered standards, that's too low.

More Spasmodic Dance, Please

It takes a lot to be a Respected NFL Leader.

Sometimes it takes making a routine tackle look like skydiving, and sometimes it takes being an accessory to murder... allegedly.

But Brian Dawkins and Ray Lewis have one thing in common that cements their leadership status -- they've got their pre-game entrance down so well, it makes national television broadcasts.

What about the other teams, still alive in the playoffs, that do not? FTT, as always, is here to help.

1) Peyton Manning Is Lord of the Dance

Showing their stunning cohesion and choreographic courage, Manning leads his offensive teammates on to the field en masse, high-stepping all the way to a martial beat. Moving his dancing blockers in a way that leads many color analysts to point out that if Peyton hadn't been in football, no one would ever heard of Bob Fosse, Peyton sets the tone for this week's slap fight with Brady and the Patriots. Loser buys the tights!

2) Borging With Belichick

As any Pats will tell you, usually at a volume level that's 20 to 30 points past screaming, The Pats are not so much a football team as they are a single-minded 45-man weapon for the greatest genius of this or any other age, Bill Belichick, to wield to his will. As the Pats take the field, make sure to look at what they're doing from the blimp's eye view, where the overhead pattern is revealed to be a perfect use of feng shui, chi, and EST. Within ten minutes, you'll have joined the cult and become a potent apologist for their cause!

3) Rexy's Razzle Dazzle

In a final and ultimately successful attempt to send Bear fans straight into an insane asylum, Bears QB Rex Grossman is a one-man Broadway show in this homage to the musical "Chicago." Pay special attention to the awkward half-participation of wideouts Berrian and Muhammad, who have to sing back-up, or fear Rex freezing them out in the game for Desmond "Big Mama" Clark.

4) Reggie Bush Leads The Saints' Jazz Funeral

Shrugging aside concerns that he's starting things off on the wrong note, The Savior of New Orleans leads the team into battle with a full brass band playing "Just A Closer Walk With Thee." After bringing the Saints back from the dead, ruining the season for countless over-reaching fantasy sports nerds, and making Hurricane Katrina a distant memory (well, um, no)... is there anything Reggie can't do? Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!

Sunday's Games

I was flying solo with my kids, a buddy, and his kids. So the blogging won't be as intense as the Eagles game. Also, um, I don't root for these freaking teams, and I'm still sitting shiva for the Birds.

(Speaking of the Birds, a buddy who posts to the Eagles message board pointed out that if you fail on 4th and 15, you're giving the Saints the ball in field goal position without needing to move it, as opposed to 4th and 10, where the D still has a chance with a 3 and out. I'd be more convinced by this logic if (a) Reid had said it in the post-game press conference right off the bat, and (b) his defense had not been treated like a two-dollar whore by Deuce McAllister all night. But at least it's a better explanation than our coach is just as smart as Sean "I Show My Co-Workers Cell Phone Pictures of L'il Sean" Salisbury, who defended the move without pointing out the field goal position argument.)

Anyway, here's 5 quick points about each game.

Bears-Seahawks

1) Surprisingly good and competitive game. This one had four hours of bad football written all over it going in, and it was the only one that took extra time. Along with everything else in the NFL this year, it shows that no one knows anything. You'd have gone 4-0 taking the road dogs with the spread this weekend, and that never happens.

2) Fox waited until overtime to play the Hasselbeck in Green Bay "We'll take the ball" clip. My friend and I were there in the middle of the third quarter. If you're a Seahawk fan, how do you ever not think of that in a close playoff game? It's like Eagles fans with McNabb and puking; it just doesn't leave.

3) Something we didn't expect to say: "The Bears are letting Grossman down." Seriously, his receivers had some bad drops, and the pick was one of those INTs that should be credited to the reciever. He was mostly fine, though prone to Hoying-like moments of holding the ball until crushed. It'll wind up killing them later.

4) One of the things that people miss in their analysis of NFL teams is that the team that's playing today has a heck of a lot more in common with the team of the last four weeks, rather than the full year. So the Bears really aren't a great defensive team that just needs average play from their QB to win. They're a pretty overrated defensive team that gave up a lot of up-the-gut yards to Alexander, and I think the Saints will put up 30 points on them this week. (And get whacked in the Super Bowl.)

It's not about the Rex Cannon anymore. It's about their defense, and... THE BEARS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE! AND THE SAINTS WILL CROWN THEIR ASS! (Sorry. That's never going to get old.)

5) As for the Seahawks, they're strangely similar to the Birds: stable coach and QB situation that gets you to the playoffs, but don't seal the deal once there. If I was a Hawk fan, I'd be looking forward to seeing what a new coach and QB could do, but maybe they just need another year and healthy WRs; they have a bunch of good ones when they're all on the field.

But this team had a cake division that they took forever to win, and should have probably lost their home playoff game to a Cowboys team that was always finding new ways to lose. I think the future of the division might belong to the doormats (SF and Arizona). Besides, Favre championship be damned, Holmgren just ain't that smart.

Patriots-Chargers

1) So, how much was Marty Schottenheimer thinking, "IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! NOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

2) The Chargers couldn't win a game at home, with a bye, with the MVP running for over 100 yards, with Tom Brady throwing three picks, to a team with waiver wire wideouts. I think this is it, really, for MartyBall. It's never happening for him.

3) Phil Simms actually said this, "It's hard to make plays." Wow, Phil, you're right. It's like there is eleven players on the other side of the ball, wearing different colored clothes, trying to stop you from making plays. Bastards.

4) I'm kind of amazed at how badly Schottenheimer managed this game, frankly. Even by Marty's standards, this was strong. He went for it on 4th and 11 in the first half, rather than let the kicker take a shot at it. The Chargers failed, of course, and also set up for later that you don't trust him on long kicks (which, of course, he missed at the end of the game).

You have LDT run for 123 yards on 23 carries -- and how in hell do you not get him more than 23 carries, especially late in the game, when Rivers clearly needed support? It was as if he was so determined to not be called out for coaching conservatively, he just did stupid shit to compensate. Stick a fork in him. He's done.

5) Reche Caldwell and Jabbar Gaffney, WRs for a Final Four team, after a bunch of plays today that made me wonder if Freddie Mitchell and Todd Pinkston were available. New England might win it all again, but their WRs are the second-worst group still alive in the NFL Playoffs... right after the Saints secondary. Watch the media talk them up when they win it all. (Gahhhh.)