Start the freaking playoffs already.

That’s the attitude most teams seemed to have in a mundane week 17. With playoff qualifications secured, most contenders began the New Year trotting out backups and has-beens. While some teams stormed into the playoffs despite featuring second-stringers (New England, Pittsburgh, the Jets), many seemed  content to back in with weak efforts against inferior opponents (Baltimore, Indianapolis, the Chiefs). No team looked worse than the defending champion Saints, who were thoroughly outplayed by the Buccaneers on all sides of the ball, Read the rest of this entry »

In a week with exciting finishes everywhere, upsets and big plays, the biggest game of all was something of a letdown.

I’m talking, of course, about Donovan McNabb’s return to Philadelphia, which turned out underwhelming for pretty much everyone. Yes McNabb got the W, but this was a case of the team carrying him, not some heroic, vindictive domination. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s just say the Patriots-Broncos game could make this a bitter affair. In case you missed it, the Patriots had plenty of chances to put the game away, but could not get the job done, with Tom Brady’s 4th quarter fumble proving particularly costly. Denver and their mustard striped unis move to 5-0 with the kind of defensive performance and mistake free offense that’s won Super Bowls before. I still think the Pats can take them in the playoffs though. Read the rest of this entry »