The Farewell 20 (2011)

Every season (this being the second) I take a little time to remember the fallen 20 that we won't be talking about for the next month. A quick look at our long lost and departed teams. Fear not, they shall return for the NFL draft. Pick #1? Indianapolis Colts!

AFC

MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-10)
Most critics of RB Reggie Bush as a finese player were thwarted but for the Dolphins it was a moot point. While 2nd QB Matt Moore was able to put up some numbers, Coach Tony Sporano had not maxmized this team's talent and was released. They fought hard after an 0-8 start and you have to admire that.

BUFFALO BILLS (6-10)
A hot start for the Bills and a morale-boosting early victory over New England eventually gave way to reality. RB Fred Jackson had a breakout year until he was injured, where RB C.J Spiller was able to pick right up. The young D needs work, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was incosinstant after signing his new contract, but promise was shown.

NEW YORK JETS (8-8)
Coach Rex Ryan adds to his collection of imaginary Super Bowls (3) and if he continues to support the shakey & gutless QB Mark Sanchez, he will have even more. It is a talented team at every position except the quarterback. They've invested their future in a media darling, their D is aging, the imaginary trophy shelf will continue to expand.
 
CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-12)
Last year's bright spots failed to shine again. QB Colt McCoy was out of his league and RB Peyton Hillis showed the toughness of a schoolgirl. They lack playmakers and the D is mediocre. If GM Mike Holmgren is trying to build something, this season was a step backwards.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (2-14)
If ever there was an exclamation point to QB Peyton Manning's Hall-Of-Fame career with the Colts it was that, without him, the same "pro-bowl" players could barely muster two victories and lost 13 in a row to start the season. No other player deserves mention here, and Coach Jim Caldwell should soon be removed.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (5-11)
Jacksonville continues their long tradition of being the most boring medicore team in the league. The NFL primetime TV schedule continues to consider them the most dynamic, exciting home team ever. RB Maurice Jones-Drew won me over, but he is wasted here. QB Blaine Gabbert cannot be the answer.

TENNESSEE TITANS (9-7)
QB Matt Hasselbeck continued his solid (but almost universally ignored) career with a great season. RB Chris Johnson showed up for about five games and phoned in the rest but Hasselbeck still had this time fighting for a playoff spot in the last week.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (8-8)
With more weapons, a D and special teams that upgraded from 'meltdown' to just 'mediocre', this was a time for QB Philip Rivers, WR Vincent Jackson, TE Antonio Gates, RB Ryan Matthews to become an elite unit. They did not. Rivers faced questions of injury all season (how could he be this bad suddenly?) and that mediocre D was led to the slaughter, as a result.

OAKLAND RAIDERS (8-8)
Not very many franchises would consider back-to-back 8-8 seasons a success but the Raiders are turning a corner, they hope. QB Carson Palmer was accquired for a steep price and was able to do some good things. The running game and D continues to be a strength, and their young WRs looks promising.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-9)
The Chiefs suffered injuries to RB Jamaal Charles and S Eric Berry right off the bat, QB Matt Cassell went down, Coach Todd Haley was fired. But the Chiefs D still looked good and D-Co Romeo Crennell did a great job building some momentum at the end of the year. One of those injury-to-your-superstars years for Kansas City, always a sad thing to see

NFC

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-6)
QB Michael Vick stayed as healthy as he always does, missing about a quarter of the season. But this "Dream Team" quit and the quit early (some might say they went to sleep?). WR DeSean Jackson didn't show up at al. RB LeSean McCoy was one of the best running backs of the year but Coach Andy Reid focused on the passing game,

DALLAS COWBOYS (6-10)
QB Tony Romo led them admirably to a 1-5 start and was then injured. Coach Jason Garrett took over for the grandfatherly and perputaly baffled Wade Phillips and had a few good wins. Is this the kind of season Dallas, or anybody anywhere, expected?

WASHINGTON REDSKINS (5-11)
This team is such a mess it's almost sad. Every year for the entire reign of Owner Dan Snyder we go through an under-achieving but big-name coach and wonder what's wrong, what's wrong with the big name free agents (QB Donovon McNabb). It's starting to get old.

CHICAGO BEARS (8-8)
Without QB Jay Cutler and RB Matt Forte late in the season, the Bears staged a good old-fashioned Chicago meltdown with cheese. I thought they actually looked better than last year, but somehow Cutler can't seem to field a winning attitude and the defense is aging.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-13)
The McNabb experiment was not as successful as the Favre experiment and after 6 games rookie QB Christian Ponder took the helm. RB Adrian Peterson was lost to a major knee injury while DE Jared Allen quietly sacked the living hell out of opposing quarterbacks. That's an un-even season, right there.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (4-12)
Not many saw QB Josh Freeman and RB LaGarrete Blount taking such steps back, the defense continues to be undisciplined. There is a clear need for talent, after such a promising 2010, 2011 was a sobering statement that maybe not all young talent is sustainable talent. Or maybe Coach Raheem Morris just needs to be fired.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-10)
Not very many pegged rookie QB Cam Newton as breaking into the league with two 400-yard passing games, and shattering rookie records in production. Newton made the team instantly better. RB DeAngelo Williams is another lost star in Carolina, Newton brings that key NFL bottom-feeder word; "hope".

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-10)
QB Tavarious Jackson wasted RB Marshawn Lynch's breakout year. The offensive line didn't help, so let's be fair. Lynch fought hard, for every two yards gained he had to work for four. There are bright spots on defense and offense (WR Doug Baldwin) but a down, drizzly year in Seattle.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (8-8)
There a couple of rising young defenses in the NFC West with pitiful quarterback play (The quarterback is an important position, Arizona, admit it) and this team is one of them. CB Patrick Peterson showed potential and there's still a superstar on offense (WR Larry Fitzgerald) their late season surge was impressive.

ST. LOUIS RAMS (2-14)
This was not pretty, QB Sam Bradford had a dearth of talent around him. RB Steven Jackson has got to be wondering what cruel joke has had his career span the end of the Greatest Show On Turf to this, the least talented team possibly in the history of the NFL. The entire front office and the bulk of the roster needs to be overturned.

Offseason Update (3 Questions)

WILL THERE BE FOOTBALL NEXT SEASON? 

The state of the 2011 Football season has gone from 'likely' to 'bleak' about 90 times in four months. This is because the 24-hour NFL coverage has nothing else to do but analyze statements, lawsuits and numbers. Not a specialty.

One thing that must be made clear is that both sides (owners and players) use the media to gain sway in the negotiating room. There are no candid interviews, there are barely any full truths being told. The P.R business is a tough one, and both sides have objectives; to not appear weak, and to have public sentiment on their side.

This means that we are not getting the full story. Neither side is really able to admit that they really want something, or give away any tactics or strategies to the media. They'd get shredded in negotiations. The majority of the articles about the lockout do not take this into account, they assume full disclosure and use the very limited information we have to draw large, confidant pictures.

Will the players be able to whether a lockout? This seems to be a source of concern for the less-marquee players who are starting to split from the superstars. This could mean hardships for the players against the owners who, while they may not all agree privately, appear to me a 32-headed monster right now.

IS IT REALLY SO TOUGH TO REPEAT?

The number one football conversation going around is how 'tough' it is to repeat the Super Bowl. That the Green Bay Packers will have a real 'up-hill battle' but seem to be the first team in a long time to be equipped for a serious run at a repeat (not true, every team after winning the super bowl appears this way).

So is it so hard to repeat? I, for one, am flabbergasted by these articles. It IS hard to repeat but certainly it's not the toughest feat ever attempted. The Packers won the Super Bowl for a reason, it wasn't just their name picked out of a 32-team hat.

The Packers have QB Aaron Rodgers, they get back many injured players and return their main coaches. They have just as good of chance as anybody. Yes it will be tough, but would it be such an anamoly? Such a major mountain achieved? For them, yes. For NFL history, no.

The 66/67 Packers. The 72/73 Dolphins. The 74/75 Steelers. The 78/79 Steelers. The 88/89 49ers. 92/93 Cowboys. 97/98 Broncos. 03/04 Patriots. Do you realize that is 16 Super Bowls part of a repeat performance? 16 out of 45 is not a rarity.

ARE MOCK DRAFTS TRULY NECCESSARY?

Many times I wonder; what is the purpose of the mock draft? Is this neccessary information? I suppose you could make a case for getting to know the players likely to be drafted. But to go into all rounds and predict what actual professional GMs are going to do is assinine at best, it's football writers' boredom.

There are no sportswriters (including Mel Kiper at ESPN) who are qualified to make these calls. First of all, you need much more intimate contact with 32 head coaches and their schemes and strategies than just watching last year's game film. Second, general managers are sometimes given to whims and hunches, is ESPN so good they can tell another man's hunch?

Yes, debating about the first 32 picks can be fun and interesting but we need to leave it at that. Debate. First round. When we start trying to predict the exact order of players picked in the 4th round based on genius factoids like "the bengals had trouble stopping the run last year" we are in pure, undiluted, boredom-induced bullshit.

SUPER BOWL 45

Green Bay Packers, 31 Pittsburgh Steelers, 25 

The Vince Lombardi Trophy (as every media outlet, talk show and neighborhood dog have repeated ad nauseum) is "going home".

Rodgers was hot to start, quickly striking to WR Jordy Nelson up 7-0. Rothlisberger was not hot to start, throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown by S Nick Collins and a 2nd interception to CB Jarrett Bush. Rodgers capitalized quickly for another 7 to WR Greg Jennings. The Cowboys Stadium scoreboard read 21-3 with 2:31 left in the 2nd quarter.

The heels of the Steelers reeled, but as veterans of the bright lights, they put together a touchdown drive through the air to WR Antwan Randal-El and WR Hines Ward (76 combined yards on the drive) to close out the half  21-10. Pittsburgh stopped Green Bay out of the 2nd half gate and put together another touchdown drive. After hardly 8 minutes of game-time since Rodgers' 2nd TD, the Steelers had scored 14 unanswered points.

Up 21-17, Green Bay's offense was stalling and Pittsburgh's freight train momentum continued to gather steam. But they play this game with a very odd-shaped football, and Mendenhall fumbled to start the 4th quarter, de-railed by LB Clay Matthews. Aaron Rodgers clicked back into gear and again converted to Jennings for another TD to resume the 11 point lead. Not to be outdone, Big Ben & Pittsburgh responded again, a 25-yard sideline dart to WR Mike Wallace, and a 2pt conversion to boot. With 7:40 left to play, 31-25.

This was the stuff of two heavyweights swinging late round punches. There were very few penalties as two well-disciplined teams fought in what can confidently be called the fourth in a wonderful run of Super Bowl games.

In the thrilling finish, down by 6 after K Mason Crosby tacked on another 3, the Steelers had exactly two minutes to drive the length of the field for 7. This time (as opposed to 2009 v. Arizona) it didn't come to fruition, and the confetti guys in the rafters loaded green with the gold, instead of black.

I place the credit for the victory squarely on the shoulders of Coach Mike McCarthy and D-Co Dom Capers. With injuries piling up during the season, and then in the game (CB Charles Woodson left after a well defended pass, WR Donald Driver left after a hard fought 3rd down play) they still found a way to get it done with the combination of franchise QB Aaron Rodgers and incredible homegrown depth provided by GM Ted Thompson.

As for the Steelers, they were just inconsistent. QB Ben Rothlisberger battled back from all 3 turnovers, but the Steelers were playing from behind and seeing only flashes from WR Mike Wallace and inconsistency from WR Hines Ward. LB James Harrison was invisible, recording one sack midway through the 3rd, his only tackle. S Troy Polamalu was no match for the Green Bay aerial attack. Yet still, the Pittsburgh D played solid at crucial times, especially when Green Bay was ahead and not throwing.

Both teams did most of their work through the air. RB Rashard Mendenhall, so brutal against the Jets ran hard, but was limited by the necessary catch-up mode. Meanwhile, RB James Starks touched the ball only 11 times for 52 yards. He ran well enough to keep the Steelers off balance.

KEY PLAY: There were three key plays. The turnovers. The interception returned for TD by S Nick Collins, the interception to CB Jarrett Bush at mid-field and the Mendenhall fumble forced by LB Clay Matthews. The latter two both led to Rodgers/Jennings touchdowns. 21 Super-Bowl-winning points.

MVP: QB Aaron Rodgers had 3 touchdowns and is being hailed as having had one of the greatest ever postseasons for a QB. While I don't agree that his postseason is on par with 2006 Peyton Manning, 1999 Kurt Warner of even 2009 Drew Brees it did end with the same flash and confetti, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Now, Rodgers obviously was officially awarded the MVP so it quite presumptuous of me to choose another player. The only others in consideration would be WR Greg Jennings (2 TDs) or WR Jordy Nelson (140 yards, 1 TD) but those footballs had to come from somewhere... and they came from Rodgers.

SB Weekend 2011

Two franchises with rich history square off in yet another intriguing Super Bowl match-up. Green Bay, winner of the first two Super Bowls and Pittsburgh, winner of the most (six). This Super Bowl has an aura of tradition and prestige that was missing from the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints match-up last year. Not that last year was a bad matchup, it's nice to change things up.

Nevertheless this is no "3 yards and a cloud of dust" situation. QB Aaron Rodgers and QB Ben Rothlisberger are very much at the forefront of the 21st century passing explosion. Both defenses are of the sleek, hip, 3-4 model with veteran playmakers like S Troy Polamalu or CB Charles Woodson. The Packers are playing well, and are slightly favored. Most pundits however, are taking the 'experience' talking point and beating it to death.

So is Green Bay doomed against 2-time recent champions Pittsburgh? No. Experience doesn't mean anything for a coming-of-age team like the Packers. They didn't make the Super Bowl in 2005 with Pittsburgh, or 2008 with Pittsburgh because they weren't this team yet. So how in the world were they supposed to gain the experience? Truth is, sportswriters just need something with which to compare.

HOW GREEN BAY GOT HERE: They have built this team from the ground up. GM Ted Thompson deserves a lot of credit. QB Aaron Rodgers controversially replaced QB Brett Favre "before his time was up" in 2008 but it was certainly the way to go. The San Francisco 49ers did the same thing with Steve Young forcing out Joe Montana, the only other successful replacement of a QB legend (ask post-Marino Miami, post-Kelly Buffalo, post-Aikman Dallas, post-Elway Denver or even post-Young San Francisco).

D-Co Dom Capers has been installing a defense born from the bowels of Pittsburgh itself over the last two years. While Coach Mike McCarthy has steadily improved his offensive systems since the waning days of Brett Favre in green and gold. In 2010, they started as Super Bowl XLV candidates but faded as injuries piled up. It is a testament to the coaching that they've been able to weather so much and still survive. A slightly healthier team has emerged late and have won five straight must-win games, with a sixth on the horizon.

HOW PITTSBURGH GOT HERE: This summer, D-Co Dick Leabau was elected into the Hall-Of-Fame as a CB for Detroit, but this Super Bowl appearance has got to pad his resume for possible induction as a coach as well. The defense once again keeps a level playing field for an offense that hasn't been as consistent over the years. He has elite talent to work with; 2009 Defensive Player Of The Year LB James Harrison and 2010 Defensive Player Of The Year S Troy Polamalu flanked by a large number of Pro Bowl caliber players.

QB Ben Rothlisberger is at his best now. He runs a respectable offense and nobody need worry about his dreadful Super Bowl XL performance (9/21 123 yards, 2 Int) because he has matured past that. Not that anybody was, because it's a totally forgotten piece of information. He had similar stats against the Jets in the AFC Championship but played a much better, smarter game. The Steelers have been consistent on D, and solid on O. Coach Mike Tomlin deserves to be named among the best coaches at gaging his team and getting performances from his players.

KEYS FOR GB: LB Clay Mathews was beat out by Polamalu (not in my book) for DPOY honors. A big game by he and the deep Packer D could make that look foolish. They need to wrap up Rothlisbeger, keep Woodson on Ward (if Ward factors at all) and let their offense get its feet against the over-rated Steelers secondary. QB Aaron Rodgers cannot hang back the whole 2nd half like in Chicago, he will need to be sharper than that.

KEYS FOR PITT: RB Rashard Mendenhall is running behind a patchwork offensive line but it worked just fine against a deathly tired Jets team. The Packers have a similar situation in that they've had a lot of stress and hard hits but the bye week might make Mendenhall's progress a bit tougher. The one key to Pittsburgh's game seems to come up over and over again. Defensive Turnovers. Big Plays. A TD from the D will win games. They've done it many times, they need it again.

The Farewell 10 (2010/11)

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (11-6)
Despite the continued presence of QB Drew Brees and the passing weapons, they were undone by a slow start and a weak running game to finish. The secondary can be blamed for the early postseason exit. Trying to defend their title proved difficult, every team had it out for them. The defense wasn't nearly as opportunistic as 2009.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-7)
QB Peyton Manning and WR Reggie Wayne can't do it all. Injuries to the offensive weapons and to key defensive cogs (I choose not to include S Bob Sanders, he's essentially a permanent fixture on the  injured reserve).  Better health may have made a huge difference in this team's success, as any team with an elite QB and a few defensive playmakers can make a run.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-7)
The Chiefs finally flashed some offensive firepower. It came in the form of RB Jamaal Charles and WR Dwayne Bowe, two players we media types have classified as 'promising' and as having 'potential' the last couple years.  QB Matt Cassell grew into his role, and the D is strong, young and deep.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-7)
Nobody would have thought it but QB Michael Vick became an MVP candidate and led his team on and off the field. QB Kevin Kolb had the reigns wrestled away but handled it well. WR DeSean Jackson, WR Jeremy Maclin, RB LeSean McCoy formed an explosive young bunch. Vick took all the hits though, and that was the undoing. He was simply beat up by the end.

BALTIMORE RAVENS (13-5)
I've heard it said smartly on CBS that the Ravens offense tries to do too much. They want to get all their weapons the touches. QB Joe Flacco can at least know now not to throw to WR TJ Houshmanzadah on 4th-and-18. WR Anquan Boldin was sometimes very good, but inconsistent. RB Ray Rice continues to emerge. LB Ray Lewis and S Ed Reed carried the D yet again.

ATLANTA FALCONS (13-4)
QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner finally enjoyed success alongside each other and it resulted in a few very dominant games and an incredibly solid season. WR Roddy White was strong and will start in the Pro Bowl. The Falcons D was especially fantastic but tragically fell apart to Green Bay in the playoffs.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8-10)
In their losses, they looked like a team that easily could be 1-15, in their wins they appeared to be a surefire contender. The inconsistency of this team somehow rolled in the right direction to allow them into the final 8 but there is much work to do. Bright spots; RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Mike Williams, S Earl Thomas.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (14-3)
QB Tom Brady is my vote (and probably everybody's) for MVP. Alas, the light-speed improvement of the young defense wasn't quite fast enough when crunch time came in the playoffs. Consider this, it was supposed to be a "transition year" for the Pats. 14-2 in a supposed transition year? As that D improves, things get scary.

CHICAGO BEARS (12-6)
In most minds the Bears had one of the luckiest seasons of all time. The refs (week 1), the schedule, getting a 7-9 team in the 2nd round of the playoffs. In most other minds, it was hard to shake the primetime walloping they got from New York Giants and New England. The stars aligned, and then fate slammed down and sent QB Jay Cutler to the sideline in the biggest game ever.

NEW YORK JETS (13-6)
The Jets promised and talked and blustered and whined until they couldn't breathe. They called Brady expletives, they tripped special teamers on the sideline, they sexually harassed reporters... Yet they were somehow the good guys? We all know Rex Ryan is 2-0 predicting Super Bowl Championships. Good enough I guess.

Sunday 1/23/11 (AFC/NFC)

Green Bay Packers, 21 Chicago Bears, 14

QB Aaron Rodgers was hot to start and put up a beautiful 14 points early. However those veteran Monsters of the Midway, they buckled down. The Bears matched those 14 but ultimately fell pray to two interceptions by Hanie. In the 2nd half, Rodgers was finally stifled long enough to let the spotlight shine on D-Co Dom Capers' excellent 3-4 D, riding it to the Super Bowl.

In one of the strangest injury situations of NFCC history, QB Jay Cutler left with a knee injury in the second half of the most important game of his career. It's unclear on what play he was hurt but it was sometime in the 2nd quarter. He stood on the sidelines with a miserable look on his face. The cameras panned to him dozens of times, at no point was he assisting the backup Bears QBs who had been thrown to the sharks.

Baffled as TV viewers about Cutler's status, LB Lance Briggs, CB Charles Tillman and the Bears defense were dominating the game. 6/7 Packer drives ended in punts, the only time Rodgers was able to move the ball, a 77-yard drive to the Bears' 6, he was intercepted by King Bear LB Brian Urlacher. Meanwhile, Bears 2nd string QB Todd Collins came in for two series, was 0/4 and intercepted. So the Bears turned to 3rd string QB Caleb Hanie. The game was still very much within Chicago's grasp.

KEY PLAY: QB Caleb Hanie was poised to play the role of the improbable hero before he threw a 3rd down pass right to DT B.J Raji (usurping the improbable hero title) who bumbled it back for an 18 yard TD. As great as the Bears' D was playing, and with the Bears offense waking up, Hanie not seeing a DT dropping into coverage was the true undoing.

MVP: WR Greg Jennings had 8 receptions for 130 yards. Much of it was on the first drive of the game. Jennings quick, efficient 20 yard gains had to be disconcerting for a Chicago fan. Though Jennings was quiet for the 2nd half, the damage was done. In a powerhouse slugfest, Jennings sliced directly into the Bears' worst fears.

Pittsburgh Steelers, 24 New York Jets, 19

The self-anointed 2010 Super Bowl Champion Jets are no more. QB Mark Sanchez again padded his stats with some nice numbers but overall missed many, many makeable throws. The Jets D looked sluggish to the ball in the first half as Pittsburgh piled up 17, then added a defensive TD within 2 minutes. QB Ben Rothlisberger was hobbled but somehow managed to limp for first downs and a TD. It was a stark contrast to Jay Cutler's strange situation in the early game.

In the 2nd half, the Steelers appeared content to just hang on. The Jets managed a few big plays, WR Santonio Holmes ad-libbed a deep bomb for TD, and Rothlisberger fumbled a snap on his own 1 yard line for a safety. the Jets added a touchdown drive and suddenly they were within 5. Alas, the wear and tear of Manning and Brady finally caught up to the Jets' D, They simply rolled over in the final four minutes. Rothlisberger and RB Rashard Mendenhall waltzed down the field, squeezed the remaining time out of the clock, and moved on to the Super Bowl.

KEY PLAY: 4th and 1, the Jets brought in RB LaDanian Tomlinson from the Chargers specifically for this purpose. The Steelers D line just won the battle. Things crunched up quickly as the Hall-Of-Famer shifted away from his stuffed fullback to a slight hole to the left. He was quickly enveloped by the Steelers LBs, free to roam after such push. Despite the safety one play later, the lack of a TD to cap off the 7 minute drive proved to be disheartening.

MVP: RB Rashard Mendenhall took the ball for the Steelers 27 times for 121 yards. He fought tooth and nail for the game's first TD, and had a back-breaking 35 yard sprint in the first half. Impressive as his 100 first half yards were, more impressive was his hard running in the final minutes. The Jets had no answer, they were gassed and stacked the box for him. Rothlisberger made them pay with two game-clinching first downs over the top.

Championship Weekend 2011

New York Jets (13-5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4)

They key to the AFC Championship has not been in the headlines or national discussion. Who will be playing LT and RT for the Pittsburgh Steelers? They said it a thousand times during the in-game broadcast. Pittsburgh has both starting tackles on injured reserve, their two back ups were knocked out of the game against Baltimore.The Pittsburgh offensive line will be the key to the game. How will they hold back (or know who to hold back) against the Rex Ryan blitzes?

Meanwhile, the Jets O-line has been playing well and taking the pressure off of QB Mark Sanchez. This is their biggest test. LB James Harrison is unlike anybody they have yet faced and if Pittsburgh returns DE Aaron Smith, things could get ugly. With the Jets, they are always ugly. Sanchez may have had pretty stats in New England, but it was WR Santonio Holmes and WR Braylon Edwards making plays. They need to do it in Pittsburgh too.

KEYS FOR NYJ: The key for New York never changes. RB Shonn Greene and RB LaDanian Tomlinson need to be involved. If they get down early, Sanchez is far, far out of his league. In a way, New York is somewhat like Baltimore in their big-name playmakers but reputation for 'grinding, pounding the ball'. Translation: this is not an elite offense. The offense is key, but if the defense, for whatever reason, can't keep  up it's fantastic play it won't matter what the offense does.

KEYS FOR PITT: Their running game, their passing game, getting the D off on 3rd downs... does any of this matter if they have to play a whole game with 3rd-string tackles? Baltimore was putting on pressure, and it took some miraculous throws (and an inept Baltimore offense) to win that game. The main consolation is that  QB Ben Rothlisberger is the best in the league (besides possibly Vick) after the pocket breaks down.

Green Bay Packers (12-6) @ Chicago Bears (12-5)

CB Charles Tillman dropped an interception that turned into a Seattle TD. The Bears laid down flat while Seattle drove 70 yards in 2 plays for another TD. That is not prevent defense, that is zero defense. If 4th quarter Seattle can do it, what lead is safe in Chicago against the red-hot QB Aaron Rodgers? The Bears heads are held high, which is a plus, but there are seeds of doubt that a few Green Bay TDs could water, infecting the Chicago brains with small doubt-trees.

QB Jay Cutler had a marvelous divisional round but it was just three weeks ago that he was made to look like a fool against this very Green Bay defense.Why #6 seed Green Bay is favored is not just the masses seeing the pretty throws from Rodgers, it's the experts who know Rodgers is backed up with a threatening D. LB Clay Matthews, CB Tramon Williams and especially the ring-hungry veteran CB Charles Woodson aren't going to allow 28 unanswered.

KEYS FOR GB: WR Greg Jennings, WR Donald Driver, WR James Jones must be in-sync all game with Rodgers, the passing game must take over.Yes, RB James Starks is a nice playoff storyline but let's be realistic about his impact. The passing game will need to be on top of its game early. There is blood in the water, the Bears are who Dennis Green thought they were. Don't let them off the hook.

KEYS FOR CHI: Chicago has made turnovers, defense, special teams a priority for so long. The reason is for this very type of game; to win the big games against the hot hands. RB Matt Forte should be featured. There was no need for him last week (though he had a solid game) but this week there is a rougher grain to go against. If Chicago is to defeat the red-hot Rodgers, they need turnovers, defense and special teams.