THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

Before getting to the words of wisdom of Retired Minnesota Viking John Randle, I just want to cap the last week of the NFL regular season by saying that for all of America out there that belongs to my gender, heed my words.

Yes, we are on the run. Yes, metrosexuals have thinned our ranks. No, we cannot go back to the days when we ruled the world. However, there is still one place on this Earth that exists for guys…the National Football League. Nothing says men like Sunday football, and nothing complements Sunday football perfectly like red meat. I want to thank the marketing department of Burger King for creating one of the best commercials ever made. Set to the tune of “I am woman, hear me roar,” It is our version.

So enjoy the recap, undo the top button. Until we have to go back to work the next day, we are free. We are incorrigible. We are…MAN!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGLHlvb8skQ

I am man, hear me roar, in numbers too big to ignore, and I’m way to hungry, to settle for chick food…

Cause my stomach’s starting to growl, and I’m going on the prowl, for a Texas Double Whopper, man that’s good…

Yes, I’m a guy, I’ll admit I’ve been fed quiche…

Wave Tofu bye-bye, now it’s the Whopper beef I reach…

I will eat this meat, till my innie turns into an outtie…

I am starved…I am incorrigible…

I wanna stuff a big bacon beef burger jalapeno good thing down…

I AM HUNGRY…I AM INCORRIGIBLE…(Holds the burger high above his head like a triumphant warrior)…

I AM…MAN!

With that, for the final week in 2007, I bring you the NFL Recap, beginning with the fever pitched intensity of John Randle.

THIS…IS…WHEN…THE…BIG…DOGS…COME…OUT!

New England Patriots @ New York Giants was the Saturday night game. The Patriots were playing for perfection. On the second play of the game, Eli Manning threw a bomb to Plaxico Burress, setting up Manning’s first touchdown pass and a 7-0 Giants lead. Tom Brady’s first touchdown pass to Randy Moss following an earlier field goal had New England up 10-7. The ensuing kickoff was short, and taken 74 yards for a touchdown by Dominick Hixon. The Giants led 14-10. New England added a couple more field goals to lead 16-14, but Eli Manning would not quit. He has had his critics as of late, and they have been justified. Nevertheless, just before the half, his second touchdown pass, a short toss to Kevin Boss, had the Giants up 21-16 at the half.

Six minutes into the third quarter, Manning’s third touchdown pass went to Plaxico Burress, and the Giants led 28-16. Amazingly enough, the 12 point gap was the most New England has trailed all season, surpassing the ten points they trailed Indy earlier in the year. The undefeated season was on the line, but New England did not get to 15-0 by quitting either. A short touchdown run by Lawrence Maroney cut the gap to 28-23. After three quarters, the Giants still led.

With 11 1/2 minutes left in the game, Tom Brady rolled out, and threw a bomb to Randy Moss. The ball was just underthrown, and Moss dropped it. While it did hit his fingertips, it would have been a difficult catch. The Patriots did what almost no other team would do. They ran the exact same play on the next play. Brady again bombed away to Moss, who caught it in stride for the touchdown. It was Brady’s 50th touchdown pass of the year, breaking Peyton Manning’s 49 touchdown passes set in 2004. It was Moss’s 23rd touchdown reception, breaking Jerry Rice’s 22 receiving touchdowns in 1987. While Rice scored his in only 12 games due to the strike shortened season, the record has been broken. More importantly, after a successful two point conversion run by Maroney, the Patriots were back on top 31-28.

In a well played game by both teams, Manning was intercepted by Ellis Hobbs. It was the only turnover of the game, but it was deadly. Starting in Giants territory, the Patriots took a ten point lead with 4 1/2 minutes left when Maroney barreled through from 5 yards out. The Giants refused to go down without a fight, and Manning’s fourth touchdown pass with just over one minute left made it a three point game again. A successful onsides kick could set up the tying field goal.

It was not to be. New England recovered the onsides kick, and ran out the clock.They had ended the season with 589 points, surpassing the 556 points scored by the 1998 Vikings, a team that also featured Randy Moss, in his rookie year. After several close calls, the New England Patriots finished the regular season 16-0.

Yes, Tom Brady will always be the guy who fumbled the ball to the Raiders in the tuck rule game. Yes, they were caught stealing signals from the Jets. Some would say they are a classless organization, from their dour coach to their trash talking defensive veterans. Yet unbeaten is still unbeaten. They went 16-0.

One word of caution for this team. The 1998 Vikings were 15-1 that year. They then blew up in the playoffs. Being the best team ever is nice, but the goal is to be the best team of 2007 and then let the barflys argue. Winning the Superbowl ends the argument for this year. While every NFL season has surprises, if there are none, the AFC Title game will have Indy and New England on a collision course, and what a collision it will be.

As for the Giants, somebody forgot to tell them this was a meaningless game. They are at Tampa Bay next weekend in the Wildcard round. New England is on the way to making history, but they have three games left. If they do not win it all, the regular season means nothing. As for the regular season, they did it, and that can never be taken away. 16-0 is now achieved, and it was as difficult as it looked. 38-35 Patriots

Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons–Despite a season of misery, Atlanta hung tough in the first half against a playoff bound Seattle team. Nevertheless, Mike Holmgren must have been a happy walrus when Matt Hasselbeck threw 30 yard touchdown pass to Bobby Engram to put Seattle up 17-14 late in the first half. With both teams tied 20-20 late in the third quarter, Maurice Morris, with Shawn Alexander resting on the bench, broke off a touchdown run to put Seattle up 27-20 at the end of the third quarter. As for the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, Holmgren was soon to be an angry walrus.

Atlanta responded with a 55 yard touchdown bomb from Chris Redman to Alge Crumpler to tie the game on the first play of the fourth quarter. After Seneca Wallace, filling in for Matt Hasselbeck, fumbled the ball away, another short touchdown pass to Crumpler had the Falcons up 34-27 early in the fourth. Two touchdowns in 90 seconds swung the lead. Wallace was then intercepted, with the return allowing the Falcons to start first and goal. Redman then threw to Ronny White for his fourth touchdown pass. Two touchdowns in 15 seconds, and three touchdowns in less than two minutes, had the Falcons up 41-27.

Seattle rallied back, and trailing 44-34, Wallace threw a touchdown to nate Burleson with 53 seconds left to close within a field goal. Seattle recovered the onsides kick, but was offsides. Atlanta recovered the next attempt. Although Miami had the worst record, Atlanta may have had the most nightmarish season. 44-41 Falcons

New Orleans Saints @ Chicago Bears–Last year this was the NFC Title Game, but there was much less significance this year. The Saints needed this game to keep their slimmest of playoff hopes alive. The Bears had nothing to play for but pride, and with Lovie Smith at the helm, last year’s NFC Champions have plenty. Kyle Orton threw a touchdown pass to jumpstart Chicago to a 10-0 first quarter lead. Drew Brees had a pair of touchdown passes to Marquis Colston, but an Adrian Peterson halfback option pass inbetween the Saints scores had Chicago still up 17-14, and they led 24-14 when Orton threw a 55 yard bomb to Devon Hester. It was Hester’s first touchdown on offense. With seconds left in the half, Brees was intercepted in the end zone by Charles Tillman. Yet Tillman insisted on running it out, which led to him fumbling it back. Did anybody watch the San Diego-New England playoff game last year? Every defender thinks they are going coast to coast. With new life after the recovery, Martin Grammatica kicked a 55 yard field goal to keep the Saints within 24-17 at halftime.

I want to now make an announcement louder than any NFL announcer so that every special teams coach gets it through their thick special teams skulls.

DO…NOT…UNDER…ANY…CIRCUMSTANCES…KICK…THE..BALL..TO…DEVON…HESTER!!!

Yes, he did it again, accomplishing in 32 games what many never accomplish once. He is absolutely ridiculous, and his 64 yard punt return put the Bears up 31-17 midway through the third quarter. A safety put the final nail in the coffin, sending the Saints to 7-9, eliminating them from playoff contention. Drew Brees threw the ball 60 times in this game, and did set the NFL record with 443 completions in a season. 33-25 Bears

Cincinnati Bengals @ Miami Dolphins–Carson Palmer had three touchdown passes in the first half, including a 70 yarder to Chad Johnson and a 4 yarder to Antonio Chapman just before halftime. Cincy led 21-10 at the break. They cruised to a win, sending Miami to a miserable 1-15 finish. 38-25 Bengals

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers–Rumors have Mike Martz on the hot seat, but the Lions defense is not his fault. The Lions are out, and the Packers have the # 2 seed locked up. They could have rested everybody, but Brett Favre started the game anyway because he is Brett Favre. He then threw two touchdowns in just over a quarter of action, and with Green Bay up 21-3, Aaron Rodgers began warming up. Favre finished 9 of 11 for 99 yards. With the backups on cruise control, the Lions saw their 6-2 start turn into a 7-9 nightmare. Green Bay will enjoy their first round bye. 34-13 Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans–With Jacksonville in the # 5 seed, Jack Del Rio rested many of the starters. Nevertheless, a drive that took over half of the first quarter led to a touchdown pass and a 7-0 Jags lead. The defense forced a punt, but an inexplicable attempt to field the ball inside the 5 yard line as it was rolling proved disastrous. A muff was recovered by Houston, setting up the equalizing touchdown run by Ron Dayne. With the game tied at 14-14, Andre Davis returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to put the Texans up 21-14 just before the half. As if that were not enough, Davis took the second half kickoff 104 yards for another touchdown and a 28-14 Texans lead. 201 yards returning kicks in a matters of seconds, with only a halftime break inbetween. Playing against backups, the Texans poured it on. The win moved them to 8-8, the first time in the history of their franchise they have reached the .500 mark. The Jaguars should have no problem shaking off what was basically a preseason game. They will be as dangerous as anyone in the playoffs in the first round. 42-28 Texans
Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–With Vinny Testaverde retiring after the game, Carolina started fourth string quarterback Matt Moore again. Carolina had promise before the season started, but Jake Delhomme and David Carr both went down. Matt Moore and Luke McCown each had a touchdown pass in the first half. A seesaw first half had Carolina up 17-13 at the intermission.

A seesaw second half had Carolina leading 24-23 early in the fourth quarter. With 6 1/2 minutes left, a 32 yard touchdown run by Deangelo Williams had the Panthers up by eight. With the Bucs driving, an ill advised, off balance throw by McCown was intercepted at the seven yard line. John Gruden could only make one of his patented Chucky faces. It did not help win the game. The Bucs will be hosting the Giants in the Wildcard round. Carolina needs the offseason to get their battered team healthy. 31-23 Panthers

Buffalo Bills @ Philadelphia Eagles–Both teams were eliminated, but show promise for next year. The Eagles led 10-3 at halftime on a Donovan McNabb short touchdown pass. Buffalo was stymied all game by the Eagles defense, mustering only field goals. Trailing 17-9, the bills received a gift when McNabb fumbled away the ball deep in his own territory. The Bills failed to convert a 4th and 1, coming up with no points. The Eagles finished 8-8, the Bills 7-9. 17-9 Eagles

San Francisco 49ers @ Cleveland Browns–The 49ers are out, and the Browns are fighting for the last spot. Yet in an odd twist, the Browns could not alter the race. If Tennessee lost in the night game, Cleveland was in. If Tennessee won, Cleveland was out. This was regardless of what Cleveland did. After a scoreless first quarter, Joshua Cribbs took a punt 76 yards for a score and a 7-0 Browns lead. A Braylon Edwards touchdown reception had Cleveland up 14-0. With the score 14-7, Derek Anderson hurt his hand upon being hit. For the first time all season, Brady Quinn came into the game, and led the Browns to a field goal and a 17-7 lead at halftime. The Browns could only go back to the locker room, relax for several hours, and then pray that Tennessee lost to an Indy team with nothing to play for. 20-7 Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens–Although the # 3 and # 4 seeds differ little to some, the # 4 seed would host Jacksonville, and if getting through that, would most likely travel to New England. Therefore, getting the # 3 seed might be a good idea. This was lost on Pittsburgh, who did not look in playoff form while playing the Ravens, who had lost nine straight. Baltimore jumped to a 17-0 lead. Trailing 27-7, It was up to Charlie Batch to rally the Steelers, with Ben Roethlisberger sitting down and resting. The Steelers did close to within 6 points, but another Ravens collapse was averted when Batch was intercepted near the goal line on a desperation pass in the final minute. The Ravens snapped their 8 game losing streak, and Pittsburgh as the # 4 seed will host Jacksonville, who throttled them a couple weeks ago in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh enters the playoffs having lost three of their last four games, and a 3-0 win over 1-15 Miami is not much consolation. Nevertheless, they are in the playoffs. 27-21 Ravens
Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins–While Romo played, Dallas rested some starters. The Redskins are in the playoffs with a win, and Dallas was a # 1 seed with nothing to play for. They played like it, unable to even amass a first down in the entire first quarter. Washington led 13-3 at intermission, with a 23 yard run by Clinton Portis being the only touchdown. Washington was 5-3, lost 4 straight to drop to 5-7, had the turmoil of Sean Taylor, and then won 4 straight to make the playoffs. 27-6 Redskins

Saint Louis Rams @ Arizona Cardinals–In a game only the relatives of the teams cared about, the Cardinals went up 24-3 in the first half. This time, the lead held, as the Cardinals simply carpetbombed the Rams. 48-19 Cardinals

Minnesota Vikings @ Denver Broncos–Minnesota needed to win and hope for a Washington loss to make the playoffs. Early on, the Vikings appeared to take a 7-0 lead when Chester Taylor just reached the pileon. However, Denver challenged the score, and on review it appeared that the ball came out of Taylor’s hand and only then hit the pileon. Instead of a touchdown, it was a touchback. Later on, trailing 7-3, Minnesota had a perfectly thrown bomb by Tarvaris Jackson go to waste when a wide open receiver dropped a gift touchdown. Denver led 14-3 at the break. A field goal and a safety had Denver up 19-3, well on their way to an easy win.

Then out of nowhere, Tarvaris Jackson became a one man army. A touchdown toss followed by him running in the 2 point conversion himself cut the gap to 19-11 with 5 minutes left. Minnesota got the ball back, and again Jackson scored the touchdown himself, and the 2 point conversion himself. A blowout turned into a 19-19 tie. Denver had blown another 2 touchdown lead late. However, in overtime, with snow starting to come down, Tarvaris was hit, fumbled, and Denver recovered at the Minnesota 12. On first down, the field goal unit cam on, and Jason Elam nailed the 29 yarder to win it. Minnesota is out of the playoffs, although they would have been either way since Washington won their game. 22-19 Broncos, OT

Kansas City Chiefs @ New York Jets–The Herm Edwards bowl offered nothing in terms of playoff drama. It also offered nothing as a game. The Jets led 10-3 for most of the game, when Brodie Croyle tossed the tying touchdown pass with three minutes left. If ever there was a game that deserved to end in regulation, this was it. Nevertheless, 6 minutes into overtime, Mike Nugent nailed a 33 yard field goal. It was called off due to a holding penalty, and after a couple timeouts, his 43 yarder was also good. KC started 4-3 before ending the season with 9 losses. Both teams finished 4-12. 13-10 Jets, OT

San Diego Chargers @ Oakland Raiders

For more on the game of the day, go to

www.justblogbaby.com

JaMarcus Russell made his first NFL start. His first pass was intercepted 12 seconds into the game. San Diego quickly went up 7-0. Yet the Raiders settled down, and when San Diego fumbled in their own territory, Oakland tied the score 7-7. With seconds left in the half, Philip Rivers through a touchdown pass to CHris Chambers. However, a strong return set up a 53 yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. Seabass missed one earlier, but this one was good, as the Chargers led 14-10 at the break.

After a field goal extended the lead for the Chargers, Russell was hit in his own end zone and fumbled, giving San Diego a gift touchdown and a 24-10 lead. Russell did come back and throw a gorgeous 32 yard touchdown strike to Jerry Porter to cut the gap to 24-17, but the Raiders got no closer. The Chargers locked up the # 3 seed, and the Raiders lost their 61st game in 5 years. The Chargers are Norvelous. 30-17 Chargers

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts was the Sunday night game. The situation was simple for Tennessee. Win the game, go to the playoffs. Lose the game, they are out and Cleveland is in. The Colts had the # 2 seed locked up and were going to rest virtually everybody. Tennessee took the ball right down the field on their first possession for a 7-0 lead. Peyton Manning saw limited action, but as expected, backup Jim Sorgi played most of the game. Scoring was limited in this game, with the Titans leading 7-3 at intermission.

Five minutes into the third quarter, Lendale White was hit and fumbled, with the Colts recovering at the Tennessee 30 yard line. A little over a minute later, Sorgi threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Thorpe. The famous Sorgi to Thorpe combo may not be enough to replace Manning to Harrison just yet, but it put Indy up 10-7. On the next series, Vince Young got hit, and strained his quadricep. Kerry Collins came in and drove Tennessee far enough for Rob Bironas to tie the game on a 40 yard field goal with one minute remaining in the third quarter.

The defenses continued to slug it out, which was not surprising given the pedigrees of Tony Dungy and Jeff Fisher. What differentiates these coaches is that Dungy is more cautious, and Fisher is a gambler. They are both excellent coaches, but a riverboat gamble by Fisher paid off when Rob Bironas nailed a 54 yard field goal with 7 1/2 minutes remaining in the game to put the Titans up 13-10. It was risky from a field position standpoint, but Fisher has good reason to trust his kicker and his defense.

On Tennessee’s next drive, Kerry Collins moved the Titans into the red zone, but then Fisher decided to go ultra conservative, running the ball to force Indy to use timeouts rather than risk a pass on 3rd and 5. Bironas nailed a 33 yard field goal with 3 minutes left to put the Titans up by six points, with the Colts retaining one timout in addition to the 2 minute warning. As they had done all night, the Tennessee defense held, and the Colts turned it over on downs.

In what appeared to be a very surprising move, the Colts decided not to use their final timeout, allowing the Titans to kneel on the ball. Conspiracy theorists might have a problem with this, but the Colts could have theoretically gotten the ball back with maybe as much as 30 seconds left. However, the Titans were already in field goal range, and prolonging the game and risking an injury was not worth it. Jim Sorgi and the backups could still prove critical, and they need to stay healthy as well. The Titans are in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, and Cleveland is out. The Colts have 2 weeks to rest.Vince Young will be ready next week, but Kerry Collins was 10 for 13, and he was the difference in this game. 16-10 Titans

The playoff picture is below.

AFC: # 6 Tennessee Titans @ # 3 San Diego Chargers–The Titans dominated this game in week 14 in Tennessee, but a late collapse allowed San Diego to steal the game in overtime.

# 5 Jacksonville Jaguars @ # 4 Pittsburgh Steelers–The Jaguars have the better record, and they belted the Steelers in week 15 in Pittsburgh. It will be a physical rematch.

# 1 New England Patriots and # 2 Indianapolis Colts have the week off.

If Tennessee wins, they play New England. If San Diego wins, they play Indianapolis. Jacksonville or Pittsburgh could play either team.

NFC: # 6 Washington Redskins @ # 3 Seattle Seahawks

# 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ # 4 New York Giants

# 1 Dallas Cowboys and # 2 Green Bay Packers have the week off.

If Washington wins, they have the rubber match with Dallas. If Seattle wins, they play Green Bay. Tampa Bay or New York could play either team.

The Miami Dolphins have the top pick in the draft with a 1-15 record.

The St. Louis Rams have the # 2 pick with a 3-13 record.

The Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, and Oakland Raiders all finished 4-12. Given the complicated nature of how these seeds are determined, I will explain it without trying to understand it.

The Jets have the # 6 pick.

The Raiders and Falcons will flip a coin in February at the scouting combine.

If the Raiders win the toss, they have the # 3 pick. The Falcons would then have another coin toss with the Kansas City Chiefs. The winner gets the # 4 pick, the loser the # 5 pick.

If the Falcons win the first coin toss with the Raiders, they get the # pick, and the Raiders automatically get the # 4 pick. KC would have the # 5 pick, without a coin toss being required.

So the Silver and Black have either the # 3 or the # 4 pick, no better or worse.

eric

Let John Randle’s voice thunder loudly. This is when the big dogs come out.

As much as I love bombast and hyperbole, Shakespeare once said that the play was the thing. Rock group Aerosmith said that we should let the music do the talking. Ok, I just engaged in hyperbole and bombast. Nevertheless, the games shall now speak for themselves. I will avoid describing playoff scenarios until after every team has only one game left.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ St. Louis Rams was the Thursday night game. This was a well played game, with plenty of entertainment. Despite their terrible record, the Rams had inspiration on this night in two forms. Marshall Faulk’s number was retired, and Isaac Bruce moved into third place all time on the NFL list for yards received.

As for the game, Pittsburgh is known for tough running, and the Rams for lots of passing. Naturally, Ben Roethlisberger put on an aerial show, and Stephen Jackson ran all over the field. Roethlisberger and Marc Bulger each had 3 touchdown passes. Roethlisberger finished with a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating, which would be even more impressive if people knew what that meant or how it was calculated.

On their first play from scrimmage, from their own 3 yard line, Roethlisberger went bombs away to Santonio Holmes for an 83 yard gain, setting up a touchdown pass. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, on their 3rd play froms crimmage, NFL rushing leader Willie Parker left the game with a broken leg. He is done for the year.

The Rams tied the game thanks to Stephen Jackson, and the Steelers were forced to punt on their next series. Yet a perfectly executed fake punt on 4th and 7 went for 32 yards, setting up a field goal. Both teams moved the ball almost at will in the first half, with Pittsburgh leading 24-17 at the break.

Pittsburgh scored on their first possession of the second half, and the Rams answered right back, at which point the game finally slowed. Also, the teams reversed game plans, with the Rams throwing to Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, and Najeh Davenport running in place of Parker. A long sustained drive on the ground by Pittsburgh led to a field goal with just under 5 minutes that put the Steelers up 34-24. Trying to mount a rally, Bulger threw an interception that was returned 50 yards for a touchdown by Ike Taylor to close out the scoring. In the same week Ike Turner died, Ike Taylor concluded a Steelers revival ceremony. Awful Ike analogies notwithstanding, the Steelers stopped their two game slide, moved a 1/2 game ahead of Cleveland, and are still on pace for the # 3 seed (seeds 1 and 2 are locked up). The Rams fell to 3-12, but are playing with pride, and a game effort fell short. 41-24 Steelers

Dallas Cowboys @ the Carolina Panthers was the Saturday night game. Carolina has had a nightmarish season, and 4th string quarterback Matt Moore was trying to keep the team’s slim playoff hopes alive against an angry Dallas team that lost a shocker at home last week to fall to 12-2. While rational people understand that Jessica Simpson was not to blame for the loss, football is about emotion, not logical reasoning.

The bottom line is that Dallas is fighting for home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and they in that sense were as desperate as Carolina. Jessica Simpson’s eyes were not as important as Tony Romo’s thumb. Romo fumbled the snap on the first play of the game, but eventually settled down. Romo threw a touchdown pass to Terrell Owens, and a Marion Barber run on a draw play had the Cowboys up 14-0. Moore then threw a touchdown pass to Steve Smith, which was set up by a long run by Deangelo Williams. Dallas added a field goal to take a 17-7 lead at the half. Of deeper concern to Dallas was Terrell Owens leaving the game with an ankle injury. X-rays were negative, but he did not play in the second half. Of deeper concern to Carolina was the fact that in the first half they were outgained 291-109, and trailed in time of possession 22+ minutes to 7+ minutes.

Carolina began the second half with a 7 minute drive that reached the Dallas one yard line. After a penalty and a couple sacks, they ended up outside the red zone, although a 38 yard field goal by Jon Kasay cut the gap to 17-10. Carolina put up a game effort, including a gutty 9 catch, 137 yard performance by Steve Smith, but a Dallas field goal with 7 minutes left put the game out of reach. The injury riddled panthers were eliminated from playoff contention, while Dallas can lock up home field throughout the playoffs with a win next week. 20-13 Cowboys

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals–The Browns needed to keep pace with Pittsburgh for the division lead, and the Bengals were playing spoiler. That’s why they play the games. A pair of field goals had the Bengals up 6-0, and then a close game got broken wide open when Derek Anderson had a nightmarish final minute of the first half. He has played well this year, but his 2 interceptions allowed Cincinnati to score two touchdowns in 39 seconds at the end of the half to take a 19-0 lead into the locker room. Carson Palmer threw a touchdown pass to TJ Houshmanzadeh and Kenny Watson ran it in from a couple yards out for the other one. The Browns mounted a furious rally, and closed to within 5 points with 6 minutes left. Cincinnati had a chance to run out the clock but fumbled the ball away in Cleveland territory. Anderson moved the ball to the Cincy 29 yard line, but the final desperation pass fell incomplete. Despite Anderson’s pair of touchdown passes to Braylon Edwards, his four interceptions were too much for the Browns to overcome. The Browns loss allowed Pittsburgh to clinch the division. Even worse, the Browns no longer controlled their own playoff destiny. Tennessee needs to lose for Cleveland to sneak in. 19-14 Bengals

Kansas City Chiefs @ Detroit Lions–Somebody had to win at some point, although a tie was a possibility. KC had lost seven in a row, and Detroit had lost six straight. Detroit jumped to a 19-0 lead when a Brodie Croyle pass was intercepted and returned 61 yards for a touchdown by Paris Lenon. Croyle was injured on the play trying to tackle the runner. Kansas City rebounded with Damon Huard before the half to close the gap to 19-14. After a Detroit field goal, KC clawed to within 2 points on another Huard touchdown pass. The 2 point conversion to tie the game failed, although over 13 minutes remained. Huard actually threw for 305 yards on the day, even though he only played 3 quarters. With the chance drive and take the lead, the Chiefs turned it over deep in their own territory late in the game. The Lions could only manage a field goal. Kansas City had another chance to win, but ran out of time when their final hook and ladder had the player stumbling to the ground untouched at the Detroit 30 yard line. 25-20 Lions

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts–although the Colts cannot get the # 1 seed, a first round bye is still necessary for this team to get healthy. They came out firing on all cylinders against a Texans team that was simply overmatched. The Colts led 24-7 at the half, and were well on their way to a first round bye. Peyton Manning was 21 for 26 with 241 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns in the first half alone. Yes, Peyton is ridiculous, and no, the Texans had no answers. Neither does most of the rest of the league. 38-7 Colts

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears–As the cliche says, throw out the records. The Packers needed to keep pace with Dallas to have a shot at home field throughout the playoffs. The Bears beat the Packers earlier in the year in Green Bay. With snow coming down, the Bears led 6-0 on a pair of field goals. Green Bay could not muster anything, and then one play instantly changed everything. Ryan Grant burst through the defense for a 66 yard touchdown run, and just like that, Green Bay led 7-6 late in the second quarter. Kyle Orton is the epitome of a quarterback asked to “manage” the game, but he does that well. A sustained drive led to an Adrian Peterson touchdown run and a 13-7 Bears lead at the half. Another Kyle Orton touchdown pass and successful two point conversion had the Bears up 21-7 midway through the third quarter.

Early in the game the Bears blocked a punt, recovered inside the Green Bay 10 yard line, but came up with no points when a 4th and goal pass failed. The Packers had a second punt blocked, and Peanut Tillman’s block was picked up by Corey Graham for a touchdown and a 28-7 Bears lead. An 85 yard interception return by Brian Urlacher was the final dagger. Green Bay is now the # 2 seed, with Dallas locking up home field. Dallas has never won in Green Bay, and Brett Favre has never won in Dallas. 35-7 Bears

New York Giants @ Buffalo Bills–Kevin Everett visited the Bills before the game, several months after nearly dying from a spinal cord injury in Week 1. His visit was heartwarming. The rest of the game was ice cold freezing. The Giants were in complete control of their playoff destiny, and they were in full scale collapse mode. Facing a Buffalo team no longer fighting for its playoff life, the Bills jumped to a 14-0 lead on passing by Trent Edwards, including a long bomb setting up a short touchdown. The Giants face the Patriots next week, and could go from being a playoff lock to being locked out altogether.

Apparently Tom Coughlin gave his team that very expletive laced message, because the G-men quickly tied the game on a pair of Brand Jacobs touchdown runs, and then took the lead on a field goal. Yes, Buffalo is coached by Dick Jauron, but even he cannot be blamed for a roughing the punter penalty that kept one Giants drive alive. With 10 seconds left in the half and the Giants in field goal range again, Eli Manning fumbled and the Bills recovered, another squandered opportunity.

The second half began with an Eli Manning interception setting up a short Trent Edwards touchdown pass, putting the Bills back up top 21-17 a minute into the third quarter. The Giants reached the Buffalo one yard line on their next drive, and a goal line stand preserved the Buffalo lead. The Giants drove inside the Buffalo red zone on their next possession, and then Eli Manning fumbled the snap.

All the scoring took place in one end zone on a day where rain and wind turned into sleet and then snow by the 4th quarter. As awful as Eli Manning as playing, Trent Edwards had meltdown in the fourth quarter, going against the weather. A perfect pass bounced off a receiver and was returned for a touchdown by Kavika Mitchell to put the Giants up 24-21. After a punt, the Giants started deep in their own territory, when Ahmad Bradshaw ran 88 yards for a touchdown and a 31-21 Giants lead. Between Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, the Giants gashed Buffalo for 292 rushing yards. Another Edwards pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown for the last score by Big Blue. Edwards then threw in yet another interception for good measure. The Giants are in the playoffs, winning ugly as they always have. 38-21 Giants

Philadelphia Eagles @ New Orleans Saints–Pass happy Andy Reid let Donovan McNabb run wild…or throw wild actually…while Drew Brees kept firing for the Saints. The Eagles led 21-14 after the first quarter in a in a ridiculous passathon. The teams combined for 325 yards in the first quarter, 200 for Philadelphia. Games like these usually slow down as the teams get exhausted and run the ball. Philadelphia added a field goal, and then Martin Grammatica nailed a 55 yarder on the last play of the half. Yes, he jumped up and down and celebrated like the Saints had won the Superbowl, and yes his brother Bill injured himself that way. The Saints trailed 24-17 at the break.

In the second half, a game that was all offense featured some solid goal line defense. The Saints reached the one yard line, where the Eagles defense stoned Aaron Stecker. The goal line stand kept Philly on top. McNabb then took the Eagles 99 yards, with a 9 yard touchdown pass putting the Eagles up 31-17. The Saints got no closer than a pair of field goals, and a Donovan McNabb 7 yard touchdown toss put the game out of reach. Both teams are 7-8 and eliminated from contention. 38-23 Eagles

Oakland Raiders @ Jacksonville Jaguars–For more on the game of the day, go to

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A 62 yard Fred Taylor run went for one touchdown, and a long Maurice Jones-Drew run set up another touchdown, and at 14-0, the Raiders did their part to get a better draft pick in April. JaMarcus Russell came in, and an interception he threw was fumbled back. Although the season has been awful to date, Russell does look impressive in terms of mobility and arm strength. These games are almost like preseason in the sense that they are helping him get a feel for the game. Unfortunately, the defense looked like they were in preseason form as well. Seabass kicked a field goal to make it 14-3.

After starting their next drive at their own 3 yard line, the Raiders punted. Shane Lechler, the only pro bowler on the team, did his job, but a perfectly executed gadget play led to a punt return all the way to the Oakland 2 yard line. This set up a short Garrard touchdown pass to put Jacksonville up 21-3. On their next series, Russell was intercepted again.

My friend and I had a philosophical discussion at this point on 2 key issues from a fan’s point of view. First of all, we both agreed that as long as the offensive line held up, Russell should play the whole game. He needs the experience. Yanking him out serves no purpose. The second issue dealt with removing the Raiders from my big screen television and putting them on my small tv. When the Jaguars went up 28-3 after the interception, the switch was made. Russell was not yanked, but the entire team was yanked so my big screen could view a competitive game that would not make me ill. 6 minutes remained in the second quarter. Russell got knocked out, and the Jaguars had a chance to add to their lead, but Garrard was intercepted in the end zone.

The message that this game sent to JaMarcus Russell was “welcome to the NFL, kid.” With 6 seconds left in the game, Russell threw his first NFL touchdown pass on 4th and goal, to Zach Miller. He also completed the 2 point conversion. It would have been sheer beauty had the Raiders not been down by 46 points at the time. 49-11 Jaguars

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers–The Bucs came in having already clinched their division, and the 49ers were just playing out the schedule. Former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia started for the Buccaneers, while former Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer plays now for the 49ers. Garcia was incredibly overrated in Frisco, but has matured into a good quarterback. Dilfer is…well…Dilfer. Of course, this game was finished by Luke McCown for the Bucs and Sean Hill for the 49ers.A touchdown pass just before the half put the Buccaneers up 13-7 at the break. The Bucs rested their starters, and backups played the rest of the way. The 49es retook the lead midway through the third, and a Frank Gore touchdown had the 49ers up 21-13. With 5 1/2 minutes left, Jon Gruden bypassed a field goal attempt from 4th and 6 from the San Francisco 25. The pass to the end zone was incomplete. Luke McCown did get another shot, and he threw a touchdown pass. The 2 point conversion pass was completed, but the receiver had one of his feet on the end line. The onsides kick went out of bounds, and the 49ers ran out the clock. Both teams with Pirate logos had a McCown lose at quarterback, but Luke played well. The Buccaneers are now most likely the # 4 seed as they fell behind Seattle by a game. 21-19 49ers

Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals–With both teams eliminated from the playoffs, this game deserved short shrift. Both teams scored a pair of touchdowns to have the score tied 14-14 midway through the second quarter. Arizona tacked on a field goal, and Kurt Warner touchdown pass just before the half put the Cardinals up 24-14 at the intermission. A field goal and a Chris Redman touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler tied the game at 24-24 with 5 minutes left. The Falcons got the ball back, and a defensive pass interference call gave the Falcons first and goal just past the 2 minute warning. Arizona used all three timeouts on the next 3 plays, and Morton Anderson’s 21 yard field goal gave the Falcons the lead with 1:41 to play. Kurt Warner went right to work, and Neil Rackers nailed a 29 yard field goal as time expired to send this game into overtime. Of all the games that deserved extra time, this was not one of them. Nevertheless, the Cardinals won the coin toss, drive down the field, and won on a 33 yard field goal by Rackers. Warner was 36 for 53 with 361 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Never has a quarterback with such talent had to step aside for others that did not play as well, be it Eli Manning, Matt Leinart (jury out), or Marc Bulger (debatable). 30-27 Cardinals, OT

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots–The upset of the century. Just kidding. Goliath beat up David, took his lunch money, pulled his trousers down, hung him from the flagpole, and stole his girlfriend. The question of whether it would be 100-0 or less would be the only reason to watch. Had the Dolphins been 0-14, it would have been history, 0-14 vs 14-0. However, the Dolphins won last week, dampening their hunger, and eliminating any reason to think they would win today.

Tom Brady threw a touchdown to Randy Moss to put the Patriots up 7-0. Shockingly enough, that was the score after the first quarter. However, a pass interference penalty in the end zone early in the second quarter set up another Brady touchdown pass to Moss, for a 14-0 lead. Lawrence Maroney took a 3rd and 1 handoff 59 yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 Patriots lead. NFL regulations required that the final almost 3 quarters be played. After the Patriots went up 28-0, the Dolphins drove near the New England goal line, only to be stuffed on a goal line stand with seconds left in the half.

In the second half, Tom Brady began throwing interceptions, and his second pick led to the Dolphins going again to the New England one yard line. Again, they failed to score, when a rollout bootleg had the quarterback inexplicably go out of bounds on the wrong side of the pileon. All he had to do was switch the ball to his other hand, and it would have been a touchdown. The Patriots punted from their own one yard line, and it went 64 yards and out of bounds. Even the punter would not give Miami a break. The Patriots failed to score in the second half, but perhaps they were bored. They turned the ball over 4 times, and the Dolphins had no turnovers. The Dolphins even had a slight lead in time of possession. Yet the Patriots led in yards 400 to 241, and most importantly, led in points. They are now 15-0, and will be chasing immortality in six days. 28-7 Patriots

Baltimore Ravens @ Seattle Seahawks–The Seahawks have clinched the NFC Worst, and while they are not a terribly exciting team, the Ravens are just a terrible team. A year ago they were 13-3, and this year they started 4-2 before losing eight straight. Steve McNair may be old by NFL standards, but he wins. His injury wrecked this team. Shockingly enough, by halftime, Seattle led the Ravens 21-0. The second half was uneventful, and Seattle is in the driver’s seat for the # 3 seed thanks to Tampa Bay losing. 27-6 Seahawks

New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans–The Titans at 8-6 came into the game knowing Cleveland had lost, meaning that Tennessee controlled their own destiny from a playoff standpoint. After both teams struggled early, Vince Young moved Tennessee to a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Chad Pennington brought the Jets right back with a touchdown pass, although the extra point was blocked. The Jets kicked a field goal, took the points off the board when a Tennessee penalty for launching gave them a first down, and the turned it over on a Pennington interception. Young then fumbled it back, giving the Jets another field goal attempt that was wide by a mile. The Titans tacked on a Rob Bironas field goal in the 3rd quarter. Pennington drove the Jets to the Tennessee 45 at the 2 minute warning, but was then sacked, as the Jets went down. It was ugly, but the Titans make the playoff beat Indy next week. While that will be a “Titanic” task, the Colts are locked into the # 2 seed, and might rest everybody. 10-6 Titans

Washington Redskins @ Minnesota Vikings was the Sunday night game. Both teams were in the hunt for the final playoff spot in the conference. The 8-6 Vikings came into this game on a 5 game winning streak, and a win in this game would clinch the playoff spot for them. The Redskins had won their last two games, and a Washington win would place both teams at 8-7, with Washington clinching the spot with a win next week. A Washington Win would also keep alive the 7-8 Saints, albeit barely.

With the home crowd and the red hot streak on their side, Minnesota proceeded to get shellacked in the first half. Washington’s first touchdown on 4th and goal was overturned when replay showed the play dying inside the one but short of the goal. Minnesota thanked their defense by giving up a safety. Washington took the ensuing free kick and marched down the field, this time scoring a touchdown that would not be overturned. The Redskins did virtually everything right in the first half, and the Vikings did virtually everything wrong. The Redskins led 22-0 at halftime.

After Washington tacked on a field goal to further extend the lead, Tarvaris Jackson finally moved the Vikings, and several passes later he found Kleinsausser in the end zone with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. A perfectly executed onsides kick was wasted when Minnesota failed to pick up a first down. Minnesota started their next possession just past midfield, and Tarvaris Jackson ran it in himself on 3rd and goal from the 8. The Vikings trailed by 11 points, with over 10 minutes remaining. After Todd Collins threw a gorgeous sideline pattern for a completion, Washington hurried to the line to prevent Minnesota from challenging whether or not the receiver was in bounds. Instead, the Redskins fumbled the snap, and Minnesota recovered.

As if things could not get any weirder, Joe Gibbs made a decision that only a hall of fame coach can make. Somebody on his staff noticed that on the fumbled snap play, the Vikings had 12 men on defense. Replay showed that one player was not all the way off of the field. Instead of a turnover, the Skins had 1st and 5. Minnesota up to that point had all the momentum, but after the challenge it reversed back. Clinton Portis ran it in from 18 yards out with 5 minutes left to put the game out of reach. For the second week in a row, Washington went on the road and smacked around what seemed to be a superior opponent. The Redskins host Dallas next week, and Dallas will have nothing to play for, having clinched the top seed. If Washington wins, they are in. 32-21 Redskins

Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers was the Monday night game. Denver was playing for pride, and hoping to avenge a 41-3 loss in Denver that changed the seasons of both of these teams. San Diego had already clinched the division, and would be either the # or # 4 seed, which rarely matters.

The key early on to this game was the person who was not there, punter Todd Sauerbraun. He got into an argument with a cab driver over an $8 fare, then argued with police, and the altercation led to him being cut from the team. True, he is not the starting quarterback, but he is a good punter. After San Diego’s Nate Kaeding hit a field goal following a Jay Cutler fumble, Denver’s backup punter hit a punt only 18 yards, setting up a touchdown for the Chargers. Another punt of only 33 yards set up a field goal. Kaeding’s 3rd field goal on the last play of the half had the Chargers up 16-0.

Midway through the third quarter, a touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Chris Chambers put the Chargers up 23-0. At that point they led in plays 52-21, yards, 300+ to 55, and time of possession 26 minutes to 10. It was a blowout in every sense.

One of the major dilemmas playoff teams face is when to rest their players. It can be second, third and fourth guessed, but I have always been a proponent of resting them as quickly as possible. The goal is to win the Superbowl, and individual accolades a reless significant (although the 15-0 Patriots are very tempted). With that said, Philip Rivers was pulled with less than 3 1/2 minutes in the 3rd quarter, and Billy Volek entered the game with the Chargers inside their own 10 yard line. He promptly fumbled the snap, and Denver recovered. They could only turn it into a field goal. Denver did drive deep on their next possession, but on 4th and 1 from the 3, with 12 minutes left, the San Diego defense blew up the next play in the backfield, thwarting any comeback hopes.

With the outcome of the game not in doubt, a bizarre case of trash talking occurred with 8 minutes left. All teams have trash talkers, and it is part of the game, but LaDanian Tomlinson went ballistic last year when the Patriots did the Shawn Merriman “Lights Out” dance on the field. This year it was Philip Rivers trashing at the Broncos from the sidelines, and it seemed like he was yelling at Jay Cutler. There could be more to the storyline, but NFL quarterbacks are a fraternity. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning don’t do that. Rivers and the Chargers beat Cutler and the Broncos by a combined 64-6, so it seemed odd that Rivers was the one jawing.

Perhaps San Diego is trying to establish an identity, but as the only AFC West team without a Super Bowl championship, they have never been given the same hostility that the Raiders, Broncos and Chiefs have for each other. Everybody despises the Raiders, even when they are losing, which is a form of respect. Nevertheless, this is all theory, and the jawing did mar a convincing win by the division champs. It will come back soon enough, since Denver will not stay down for long. After the game, Philip Rivers shared pleasant conversation with backup Denver quarterback Patrick Ramsey, and Shanahan and Turner had warm greetings after the game, expected of them. So Cutler and Rivers remain a mystery for now. The Chargers are on track for the # 3 seed. 23-3 Chargers

eric