Forward thinking

There's still a lot of looking back going on regarding the Pats' disappointing loss to the Ravens. Not here. As coach says, we're moving on. And looking ahead. I'm already anticipating the draft in late April.

It looks like -- other than the usual need for a pass rusher and a cornerback -- that the Pats are in need of a big, fast wide receiver. A quick look at some mock drafts online shows there are a few that would fit the bill and could be around when the Pats are on the clock in the first round. There's DeAndre Hopkins of Clemson, Keenan Allen of Cal, or Terrance Williams of Baylor. Any of them would look good catching passes from Tom Brady.

Belichick hasn't stocked up on picks as usual. The team only has five going into the draft. A first, a second, a third, and then two in the seventh. You have to think he will be dealing some of those five to either add some picks in the middle rounds or load up for the 2014 draft. I would love to see Belichick deal Welker (sadly, I think it's the smart thing to do) and the Pats' first-rounder (29th) to the Lions for the fifth pick in the draft and either their third or fourth round pick. The Pats could then go get Bama cornerback Dee Milliner and grab a wideout in the second round. But trying to predict what Belichick will do in the draft is an exercise in lunacy unless you predict he will pick at least one tight end.

But it's not the players yet to come that make looking ahead fun for Pats' fans. It's all the guys currently on the roster. Even though the Pats are led by a future hall of famer in his final few years (sob), he is surrounded by one of the youngest rosters in the league. More than half the players on the team are 25 or younger. Especially on defense. Jones. Hightower. McCourty. Dennard. Spikes. Deaderick. Francis. Wilson. There's a lot of young talent there. Mixed with the veteran core of Big Vince, Mayo, Love, and Ninko and the defense should keep moving in the right direction. A little better coaching might help, too. The defense doesn't have to be great. That's the offense's job. The defense just has to be good. It hasn't quite reached that point yet. But it's getting there.

Two of the biggest complaints about the Pats after their loss to the Ravens were that they weren't big and tough enough and that they didn't have enough explosive plays. The solutions to those problems may already be on the roster.

The first issue -- not big and tough enough -- is solved every time Gronk steps on the field. He's due to be healthy come playoff time ... for a change. And if he is, he might be joined by Jake Ballard. Remember him? He's the tight end Belichick stole from the Giants before last season who has spent the year rehabbing from a knee injury. Another young, big, talented tight end. If Gronk and Ballard can stay healthy they will be a force catching passes and blocking everything in sight. And that will allow Hernandez to stop wasting his time blocking and play the slot. On defense the toughness level may have been raised with the acquisition of D lineman Armond Armstead from the Canadian Football League. The CFL you ask? Yes. The CFL. Scouts have reportedly said signing him is like getting a high first-round pick. We'll see.

As for big plays... Olympic track speedster Will Demps should be ready to make an impact. A complaint heard each week at the tailgate was "Why did we waste a roster spot for Shiancoe when we could have saved it for Demps down the stretch?" We'll soon find out if Demps can provide the big play on special teams the Pats have been missing.

We'll soon find out something else, too ... If the Pats can put another disappointing home playoff loss behind them and make another run at Lombardi #4.

2013 would look pretty good on one of those banners.

Down and out ... again

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Ravens 28, Patriots 13 (1/20/'13): Well, I didn't see that coming. I don't mean the Ravens winning and moving on to the Super Bowl. The Ravens are a very good team. I knew they could win. But I didn't think the Patriots would score just one touchdown. And no points in the second half. Zero. None. Zip.

Did anyone see that coming?

I have not turned on ESPN or the NFL Network since the game. And I won't for a while. Staying strictly with the NHL Network (thank you, league-run networks) and the Bruins. Perfect timing for the return of hockey. I'm also staying far away from Sportsblab Radio. I don't need to hear the post mortem and T-Sizzle gloating. Watching it in person was bad enough.

But I did see a few headlines online while trying to catch up on non-football news (Obama is president again! Cool.) saying the Patriots lost because they weren't tough enough. Really? That's it? Welker's not tough? Spikes? Hernandez? Solder and Vollmer? Brady? Vince? Jones? Mayo? Not tough enough? Come on. They lost because the offense picked a bad time -- yet again -- to have a bad game. At least that's how it looked to me. They carried the play in the first half but just couldn't get rolling. It was a weird game. Like their loss to the Jets in 2010. Those games happen to even the best teams. You just hope they don't happen in the playoffs.

The Pats -- without Gronk -- weren't good enough on Sunday. But not tough enough? I don't remember the Ravens looking that tough when they were losing four out of their last five games of the season. In fact, they didn't even look like a playoff team.  But they do now. And they could very well win that Super Bowl that many (including me) have been expecting them to win for about five years. The Ravens have gone to Denver and New England and won tough playoff games on the road. They have earned it.

The Patriots? They have lost a home playoff game for the third time in four years. That's a discouraging way to end what have been some great seasons. But let's not forget that there are almost no players left on this team from 2007, the greatest team ever. It's only been five years and the Pats have already rebuilt the team and been to a Super Bowl and hosted back-to-back AFC title games. They are really entering the final stage of the rebuilding now that they have very good running backs who should only get better and an improving (slowly) defense. These last two years the Pats should have been battling for a wild card spot. Instead they were battling for another title. No matter how disappointing the ending, the last few years have provided a lot of fun.

And that's really what it's all about. Fun. That feeling on a Wednesday in September. Or November. Or January. That feeling when the week is dragging when you look ahead to Sunday and the Pats. And that feeling on Monday after they win another big game. The Pats delivered more than their share of fun -- again -- this season. And it doesn't look like it's going to end any time soon.

Football weather

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
Patriots 17, Titans 14 (1/10/'04): The forecast for tailgating before today's AFC Championship game is promising. When me and my friends roll into the Enchanted Forest lot about six hours before kickoff temperatures are expected to be around 40 under partly sunny skies, albeit with a steady wind. Perfect day for grilling, drinking, and talking football. If only the game was scheduled to start while the sun was still in the sky. It's not. Kickoff will be around 6:30 and during the game temperatures are expected to go down into the 20s and the winds are expected to go up. Wind chill near zero. Hmmmm. Where I have heard that before? Right. The coldest game in Patriots' history.

The record shows that it was four degrees above zero at game time when the Patriots met the Titans at Gillette for a playoff game in the winter of '04. I guess that is the temperature at which vodka freezes. And the temperature where the brain goes numb. Well maybe that has as much to do with the vodka as the temperature.

The main characters in these tales were all present for one of the great playoff games not just in Pats history but NFL history. Shep (the key to us moving from Section 311 in the old stadium to Section 109 in the new stadium... a story for another day), Mark (a drunken discussion one night led to him standing in a snowstorm for hours to buy four season tickets), Bergs (the guy who makes sure there's no meat left uneaten), Billy (there's one in every group), Matt (Shep's son who was new to the group at that point but would later become so dedicated to the tailgates that he would make the drive to and from New York for the games), and Toph (Mark's brother and master Dead-mix maker) brought as many things to keep us warm as we could think of. We were joined by my sister and her son, Pete. They scored tickets online and drove down from Maine to stand in the cold and tailgate with us. Since it was probably much colder in Maine (isn't it always?) I guess it wasn't that crazy.

My friends and I had season tickets since 1994 and during that time we enjoyed an incredible... almost ridiculous... run of great weather for football games in New England. And I'm not just talking about the 70 degree early season September games. There were late December games in T-shirts and shorts (give him a day above 40 degrees and Bergs will wear shorts). There were many times as we sat there in the parking lot of the old Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium enjoying the meal and drinks of the day where one of us would be heard to say "One of these days I hope we get one of those really really really cold days. Football weather. How fun would that be?" As we unloaded our gear that day I thought of those words. Actually, it was so cold I could almost see my thoughts as one can see your breath. "... one of those really really really cold days." Uh huh.

My personal plan was to bring as many layers as I thought I could fit into and slowly add them as the temperature around and inside my body dropped. A normal number of layers for a cold day is three maybe four. That day I had 10. Thirty minutes into the four-hour pregame tailgate and I was on layer number six. Coincidentally the same number of vodka and cranberry juices that Bergs was on. We all have our own way of keeping warm. Everywhere you looked around the stadium lot you could see barrels and fire pits blazing as men and women bundled in what looked like very flammable clothing stood just inches away from the flames. At one point a barrel positioned too close to a porta-john tipped over and the plastic toilet caught on fire, the flames slowly rising higher and higher. The fire engine on standby at the lot had to fight its way through the growing crowd gathered around the burning toilet for warmth. When the fire was extinguished there was an audible groan. Just the sight of the fire had made everyone in the lot forget how cold we were for a little while.

We cooked up our usual assortment of steaks, sausages, stews, and burgers with each of us trying to eat the food as quickly as we could before all the heat had been drained from the meat ... which was usually in less than a minute. A good two hours into the tailgate I stood next to Bergs and Mark talking excitedly about the game but they looked at me as if I was Kenny from "South Park." My "I think we can get some pressure on McNair and force him to make mistakes" turned into "I thmmm sommm prmmmm formmmm mmmak mmmtakes." Bergs, using a spoon to break up the chunks of frozen vodka in his drink, said "I think your face is frozen. I have no idea what you just said." So I spent the next 15 minutes in the car getting the feeling back in my face and upon stepping back outside added layers seven and eight.

As game time drew near we packed everything up, dumped the hot charcoals in a pile on the pavement, inserted the hand and feet warmers into our gloves and boots, and poured ourselves a drink to sober up before we headed in (Dunkin's coffee and Grand Marnier with a little whipped cream blended in). As we stood around waiting for everyone to get their layers in place, Billy said happily "These feet warmers are really great. My feet are already getting really toasty!" We all looked at him and laughed. And then Mark said very matter of factly, "Billy, you're standing in the pile of red hot coals. Your boots are on fire." It was not the first tailgating incident involving Billy and fire and it wouldn't be the last.

We put out Billy's boots and then joined the thousands of faceless fans streaming into the stadium in the hopes that the lights and the body heat from the crowd would provide some warmth. It didn't. It was just as cold inside the stadium. Not too cold to continue drinking beer, but surely too cold to play good football. Tom Brady proved it wasn't too cold to play good football when he connected with Bethel Johnson (remember him?) on a bomb down the middle of the field just five minutes into the game. Everyone in the crowd was so grateful to have something to jump around and high five about that we celebrated that touchdown for a good 10 minutes.

The Titans showed they could also play some good football in bitter cold and the back-and-forth game was tied 14-14 with just more than four minutes to play. The tension was as tough to take as the cold. Adam Vinatieri (remember him?) stepped onto the field to try to kick a 46-yard field goal. Vinatieri is known for his two kicks in the Snow Bowl against the Raiders and of course his two Super Bowl game winners, but his kick in the ice cold against Tennessee is the one I will remember the most. Why? Because I can still hear the sound of his foot hitting the ball. It sounded like a cannon because the ball was so frozen. But somehow #4, as he always did, managed to get that cinder block of a ball in the air and between the uprights to give the Pats a 17-14 lead. The Pats held on for the win and the crowd, feeling almost toasty, celebrated as the players hurried for the warmth of the locker room.

Every now and then, even on a warm summer day, I get a little chill inside. I think it's leftover from that day in 2004. Fortunately I don't think I'll need to set my boots on fire today. It's not supposed to be that cold.

Title search

Championship Sunday. I'm really looking forward to going to the game (bring on the cold) but there's something to be said about getting together with a group and watching the NFC title game in the afternoon as a warm-up to the Pats-Ravens AFC rematch. Now that's a great day of football as only the NFL and flat-screen TVs can bring it to you.

Last weekend's Divisional Round was one of the most entertaining weekends of playoff football in a long, long time. Baltimore's double-OT back-and-forth upset of the Broncos and Atlanta's last-second field goal victory against Seattle were instant classics. But even the Pats' rather easy win over Houston and San Fran's similarly decisive win over Green Bay were tight contests for a good part of the game and then became displays by great offensive players.

I went 3-1 in carefully (i.e. no clue)  picking games in the first weekend and 1-3 last weekend. 4-4. That's why I don't bet on the NFL anymore. But if I were to bet this weekend ....

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

Ravens (12-6) at Patriots (13-4): Have I mentioned this is a rematch? Last year's game came down to a last-second missed kick but I've watched the game several times and my take on it is the Patriots controlled that game most of the way. If Brady didn't -- to use his words -- "suck" the Pats win that game by double-digits. Watch the film. If Brady doesn't turn the ball over the Ravens never get a chance to make a comeback. This year's Patriots team (even minus Gronk) is better than last year's. The Patriots are fast and young. The Ravens are fast and older. The Ravens' D used to exert its will against opponents. It's not that kind of defense anymore. The Ravens used to hold teams to about 12 points a game. Now it's unusual when they hold a team to just 20. The Patriots offense is superior to the Baltimore defense. But the Baltimore offense is superior to the New England defense. So it's a wash. The clear edges come in the home field and in the coaching categories. Patriots 31, Ravens 27

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

49ers (12-4-1) at Falcons (14-3): This may be the most important home-field advantage in the history of home-field advantages. If this game were being played in San Francisco against the confident and powerful Niners the Falcons wouldn't stand a chance. But it's in Atlanta. In a dome. On a fast track. That gives the Falcons a chance. But not a great chance. Niners' quarterback Colin Kaepernick looks unstoppable right now. He might get stopped, but it won't be by the Atlanta defense. San Fran's offense is peaking at the right time. The San Fran D has been peaking for about three years now. Altanta quarterback Matt Ryan has lots of great weapons in Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez. But he's going to have a hard time finding them with the nasty Niner D in his face. And then there's the attitude difference. Atlanta raced out to an early lead against Seattle last week and then seemed to ease up thinking the game was over. In the playoffs against a team that had come back from down 14 the week before. Meanwhile, the Niners were in a dogfight against the Packers and then blew the game open in the fourth. There was no let up by the Niners.  49ers 34, Falcons 20

Game face

Coach Bill on the game tomorrow against the Ravens ... "If you can't get excited for the AFC Championship game, what can you get excited for?"

He sure looks excited. Doesn't he?

How it all began

The Pats are one win away from going to their sixth Super Bowl in just more than a decade. I've erased the memory of the last two, but the first three will be burned in my mind forever. Watching the "Three Games to Glory" DVDs sure helps.

I made a copy of this old grainy VHS tape when the actor Dennis Hopper died a few years ago. It ran before the Pats' opener the season after they won their first Super Bowl. Remember the first Super Bowl victory? It's still hard to believe it actually happened. If it never happens again (hopefully it will), Pats fans will always have the memory of just how fun it was when a young Tom Brady stepped on the field and transformed one of the worst franchises in the league into one of the all-time best. Dennis Hopper captures the moment the way only he can. And then he predicts the future... "Every year, man! Every year!"

Divisional playoff rewind

The Patriots destroyed the Tim Tebow-led Broncos last year to earn the right to host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game. The momentum from that romp did not carry over to the title game as Brady struggled all day and the Pats escaped with a three-point victory. This year the Pats roll into the AFC title rematch after beating the Texans 41-28. Will the offense sputter again and cough the ball up or will it click (even without Gronk) the way it is capable of and put the Ravens away? The defense is neither awful nor great. It will do the best it can. It's the offense that will decide if the Pats get another shot at their fourth Lombardi.

GOOD

• Shane Vereen (and Stevan Ridley): Vereen was actually drafted before Ridley. He was taken in the second round, followed by Ridley in the third round. With the need for a pass rusher and any kind of defensive back I was puzzled that Belichick took two running backs. I wasn't sure what his plan was. I guess I know now. Two very good backs (like tight ends) are better than one. Vereen had Kevin Faulk type game, making big plays on the ground and in the air. Ridley, who has seen a little less playing time since having some fumble issues, wasn't on the field at the start of the game but finished with 82 yards on 15 carries. Good luck stopping both these guys.
• Aaron Hernandez (and Wes Welker): That goes for these two guys, too. Losing Gronk is huge, but it's not as huge when you still have Hernandez. This was supposed to be his year, but he hurt his ankle in Week 2 and it took him a while to get back up to speed. He looks like he's back. He had some big catches against Houston. And when the defense shifts to stop Hernandez, that opens things up for Welker. Brady has plenty of weapons, but none bigger than these two. Good luck keeping them out of the end zone.
• Zoltan Mesko (and Stephen Gostkowski): The guys who sit behind us at Gillette say the darndest things. One of them last week said "Mesko is the worst punter in the league. He never kicks any long ones." Hmmmm. Wonder why that is? Could be that the Pats offense rarely gets stuffed deep in its own territory so he doesn't get too many chances. What he does get a lot of chances to do is drop the ball inside the other team's 20, and he was one of the best in the league at that. Zoltan got the chance to make some long kicks against Houston and he showed what he can do. 61 yards. 57 yards. 50 yards. 64 yards. And Gosty was solid again with some deep kickoffs and two field goals. 

BAD

• Gronk (and Woody): There are injuries and then there are injuries. The loss of Gronk is a bummer. Not just because he's one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the game but because if the Pats were to win the Super Bowl how fun would it be to see Gronk celebrating? Pretty fun. Woody hurt his hand on the first play of the Houston game and never came back. But the word is he will be ready for the Ravens. Hopefully the Pats have had their share of injuries for the season.
• Kick coverage (and pass coverage): What's up with the kick coverage? It's been shaky too often this season. Against the Texans it was almost fatal. The Pats better tighten it up and fast. The Raven's Jacoby Jones is one of the league's best kick returners. The pass coverage needs to tighten up, too. (Is that even possible?). The Ravens' offense is getting lot of hype. More than it deserves. Especially Flacco. But one thing they are doing well is hit the big play. Which is the one thing the Pats' D can't stop. Tighten up. 

The Ravens wanted this rematch. But their plan was to hold it in Baltimore. After they pulled out a come-from-behind win in Week 3 and raced out to a 9-2 record it looked like they would. But a late-season collapse allowed the Pats to easily pass them in the playoff seedings. The rematch is on. And it's back at Gillette. It's going to be frigid. I can't wait.

Be careful what you wish for

So it seems the Baltimore Ravens wanted to play the New England Patriots instead of the Houston Texans in the AFC Championship game. That's interesting. I get the whole revenge/rematch thing. The wanting to beat the team they hate. But don't tell me that's what the Ravens really want. They really want to play the quarterback who dived head-first for this huge touchdown late in last year's game? The quarterback who dived head-first as Ray Lewis zeroed in on him and smacked him right in the middle of the back? The quarterback who took that hit and then got up and slammed the ball to the turf and got the crowed roaring? And that quarterback didn't even play a good game last year. Wait till Sunday.

Nice and cheesy

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF GAME
Patriots 41, Texans 28 (1/13/'13): OK. Shaughnessy was right. The Texans are no match for the Patriots. But I was right too. Mac and cheese is an excellent tailgate food. Especially homemade mac and cheese on a 50 degree January playoff day.

I can't remember the last time I was as nervous about a Patriots' game as I was about the rematch with the Texans ... and about the tailgate food. I was running late (a two-week old baby can do that) and didn't have time to fully cook the mac and cheese. Fortunately Shep bought a portable oven a few years ago so both trays were able to cook another 30 minutes at 375. They came out great. Just like the game.

My stomach was full but still nervous as me and my two Don Julios settled into section 109. A few seconds later my stomach was more than nervous. The Texans' Danieal Manning took the opening kickoff 94 yards to the Pats' 12-yard line and would have scored easily if it wasn't for some championship hustle by Devin McCourty. I was barely in my seat and the Texans were on the verge of going up 7-0. But they didn't. Their second tight end dropped a sure touchdown and Matt Schaub missed an wide open Andre Johnson. The Texans settled for a field goal and you knew they had just missed a great opportunity to set the tone. Neither team could set the tone and with just more than four minutes left in the first quarter my stomach was not doing any better. Woody was standing on the sideline hurt and Gronk had already headed for the locker room holding his arm. I needed another margarita. It's good I had laid that base of mac and cheese.

And then Brady and the offense clicked. A lightning fast 65-yard touchdown drive was capped when in quick succession Vereen caught a short pass and took it 25 yards, Hernandez took it another 14 down to the goal line, and then Vereen ran in untouched before the Houston D could get set. The tone had been set. And fast. The touchdown and the next round of drinks had settled my stomach. The rest of the game built my appetite for the post-game tailgate.

It may not seem like it, but the game was actually close at the half. Houston scored 10 points in about three minutes to cut a 17-3 lead to 17-13. It was no repeat of the disaster the Texans played a month ago. This was one of the best teams in the conference showing why they were one of the best. By the time the third quarter was over the Patriots had showed the Texans who was better. Brady, Welker, and Hernandez (the key to the rest of the playoffs) combined for another big drive to open the second half. Ninko then picked off Schaub as the Texans were driving to get back in the game and the offense made it 31-13 with a 63-yard drive near the end of the quarter. The key series in the fourth quarter was classic Josh McDaniels's offense. The Pats' D stopped the Texans on a fourth-and-1 at the Houston 33. On the very next play Brady lofted a perfect pass down the left sideline and Vereen (three touchdowns) made a great catch for a touchdown. It was the killer instinct of a playoff-tested team.

The defense gave up two fourth quarter touchdowns but the game was never close. A game in which I was fearing the worst had turned out just great. It just kept getting better and better. Kind of like the post-game serving of mac and cheese.

Home cooking

TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
Patriots 28, Steelers 3 (1/5/'97): Me and my fellow tailgaters have been planning our playoff menu for a few weeks now. Grilled lamb. Strip steaks with roasted potatoes. Homemade mac and cheese. And an array of things wrapped in bacon courtesy of Billy. Nothing like a home playoff game.

Today's game against the Texans will be the 16th home playoff game since we first bought our season tickets in old Foxboro Stadium in 1995. The day we bought our tickets the Patriots had played one home playoff game in about 30 years (they lost). Since then the team has played 15 home playoff games and has won thirteen of them. Of all the great things about having season tickets, the best part is going to playoff games. I never imagined it would become a yearly event. But it has. All 15 of them have been memorable, but it was the first one on a day similar to today in the winter of 1997 that will always be one of my favorites.

Known as "The Fog Game." This was the first home playoff game with Bill Parcells as coach. The Pats had never won a home playoff game. Never. The franchise was created in 1960 as the Boston Patriots and 37 years later Pats fans had still not witnessed a home playoff win. There were some great playoff victories up to that point (at NY Jets, at Oakland, and at Miami in three consecutive, amazing weeks in '86 for instance), but none at home. For me, Mark, Shep, Toph, Bergs, and Billy the whole week leading up to the game was like Christmas Eve.

The Pats were far from a sure thing to make the playoffs that year so having a home playoff game was almost a shock. And to make it better, or worse, the Pats were playing the Steelers. The Steelers had lots of home playoff victories. And road playoff victories. And Super Bowl victories. One of the all-time great franchises against one of the all-time saddest. Even better was the fact that the Jaguars had gone into No. 1 seed Denver the day before and done what very few teams had done. Beat the Broncos in the playoffs in Denver. (Like the Ravens did yesterday) As I sat on my couch watching the Broncos lose, Mark called. "If we win this game tomorrow we would host the AFC Championship game. The AFC Championship game!"

I woke up early that morning, or maybe I never got to sleep. I don't remember. The car was packed the night before and we all met up at the Bickford's... One of the big differences between tailgating now and then is cellphones. Now you can all get to the lot at different times and just call or text each other to meet up. Then you had to gather at a parking lot somewhere outside the stadium lots and form a caravan. If you went in separately you might never find each other... The morning had started under a heavy blanket of fog and by the time we pulled into the lot the old stadium, which sat up on the top of a hill, was barely visible. It looked like a giant freighter on the ocean horizon on a foggy morning. It was a cool sight.

But it was a problem because with Drew Bledsoe having a break-out year the Pats were a passing offense. It went against Parcell's every instinct but that's what they were. Curtis Martin was a hell of a back. Hall of Fame level. But Bledsoe and the Pats were a passing team when it counted. But we weren't worried about that at the moment. We tailgated in the drizzle and fog. Security was strict about throwing footballs in the lot before and after games ("Hey! You behind the guys smoking the weed. Stop throwing that football around!") but since you couldn't see more than 10 feet we were able to throw the ball without getting harassed. And without being able to see the ball. "I hope the visibility is better inside the stadium," Toph said as we dropped pass after pass. It wasn't. As we came up the stairs and into the stadium the fog was pretty bad. When we reached our seats all the way up in Section 311 about 10 rows from the top of the stadium, the field was a grey ghost. "Holy shit," I said. "Let's get that running game going." As the National Anthem ended fireworks burst in the sky. Or at least it sounded like fireworks. You really couldn't see them. Seems that the Pats were celebrating their first home playoff game in many years with fireworks. Fireworks make smoke. Lots of smoke. Due to the thick fog the smoke couldn't rise and instead mixed with the fog to make something thicker than smoke and thicker than fog. Smog? Shep started laughing. It was typical Patriots. Aren't fireworks for after you win the game?

The crowd roared as the Pats defense stopped the Steelers. But people were nervous. We had never won a home playoff game. You can't see the ball if it's 10 feet in the air. We had already shot off fireworks. Nervous. The Pats got the punt and started at about their 45-yard line. The offense came out and lined up for their first play. Bledsoe dropped back to pass. I looked left and saw rookie receiver Terry Glenn (who had a huge regular season despite, or because of, the fact that Parcells hated him) take off at the snap and race down the far sideline towards the Steelers end zone. I looked right and saw Bledsoe rear back and toss a bomb high and deep... and into the fog. The ball disappeared. Completely. I looked left again and saw Glenn burn past the cornerback by three strides and turn and look up over his left shoulder. He waited. And waited. We all waited. And then the ball dropped out of the fog and fell right into his arms. Glenn cradled the ball and cut through the fog till he was tackled at about the five-yard line. A 52-yard bomb on their first play of the game!

In all the games I've been to over the years I've never heard a crowd explode like that. All those years of disappointment seemed to be released in the fog with that one pass. We high-fived and screamed and then future hall of fame running back Curtis Martin crashed the ball in for a score on the next play and the Pats never looked back. Martin broke a long touchdown run later in the game as they Pats rolled 28-3. A romp. A home playoff victory. Finally!

After the game we celebrated in the parking lot, grilling, drinking, and listening to the post-game radio show. The Tuna came to the podium. There were a lot of great things about Parcells. One of the best was his press conferences. He alternated between being the funniest wise-ass around to talking about what the defense did to stuff the other team on third-downs in a way only a great football mind can. After answering all the questions Parcells ended with a message for the fans going to the AFC Championship game the following Sunday. "I want to thank the fans for the way they were behind us today," he said. "We've got another game next week. And there's even more on the line. Tell them to be ready to go again and be in their seats a little earlier." Yes sir, Bill. Thanks for that first home playoff win.

A familiar face

The Ravens' victory in double overtime against the Broncos in Denver was one of the best playoff games I've ever seen. And one of the biggest upsets. I gave Baltimore no chance to win that game. No chance. And I thought there was no chance I would see the Manning face. But I got to see quite a bit of it. It looks good with a stocking cap.

The Ravens' shocker means the Pats and Texans play for the chance to host the AFC title game instead of having to go to Denver. As if tomorrow's game wasn't big enough. If the Pats take care of business against Houston we get a rematch of last year's epic conference title game... at Gillette. 

Pats-Ravens II. One more tailgate. The thought of that brings a happy face.

Round two

OK, that was not a very entertaining Wild Card weekend. Sure, the Bengals-Texans game was close most of the way and Seattle's comeback against the Skins had some drama but the four games were not that exciting. Unless you are a Packers, Texans, Ravens, or Seahawks fan. Then they were great games. I thought they would be more competitive but each game had a team that clearly wasn't ready for the playoffs. That should change this weekend. All four matchups should be bruising battles. Even the Patriots rematch with Houston. Despite what most in the Blabosphere are saying, this will not be an easy game for the Pats. The Texans will leave their letterman jackets behind this time. They will be ready.

AFC

Ravens (11-6) at Broncos (13-3): The Ray Lewis retirement party begins immediately after this game. I just don't see Peyton Manning losing at home after putting together the season he has in Denver. I know it's supposed to be cold and the elder Manning never wins in the cold. But you're talking about the fifth best passing attack in the league against a very average defense. Andrew Luck is no Peyton Manning. And the Colts don't have wide receivers like Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas. Add to that a healthy Willis McGahee and I don't see the Ravens D holding Manning to under 23 points. And it's very unlikely that Joe Flacco can score more than 20 points against the Denver defense. All the focus is on Manning and Lewis but the Bronco defense was third in the league against the pass and third in the league against the run. The Denver D is very very good. The Broncos are no 13-3 fluke. And they are at home. They will be hosting the AFC title game. Broncos 27, Ravens 16.

Texans (13-4) at Patriots (12-4): No one is giving Houston a chance to win this one. Including me. But that doesn't mean it will be an easy game or that the Texans can't win. They can. I just don't think they will. But I didn't think the Jets could come into Gillette in the Divisional Round two years ago and win. They did. And this Texans team is much better than that Jets team. Much better. I watched Alabama destroy unbeaten Notre Dame in the college championship game and thought if Brady and the Patriots can play at the level that the Tide played at for three more games then they will finally get that fourth Lombardi. The Texans will play a better game than they did in the Monday night thrashing a month ago. They have to play better. But better won't be good enough if the Pats play at their peak. And that is where the questions come in. Can Talib be the shutdown corner I've heard tell of? Can the secondary not give up the big plays? Can Ridley hold on to the ball? Can rookies Jones and Hightower rise up under the playoff pressure? Can Brady stop throwing the bad pick in a playoff game? Can Gosty make a clutch playoff kick? I think the answers to most of those questions, at least for this week, are yes. Patriots 34, Texans 20.


NFC

Packers (12-5) at 49ers (11-4-1): The classic battle of the wide-open offense against the smash-mouth defense. I'm really looking forward to this game. The numbers favor the Niners in almost every category. They are the fourth ranked D in the league while the Pack is in the middle of the pack. The Niners also have one of the best rushing attacks in the game. If Frank Gore dominates the Green Bay D and keeps Aaron Rodgers off the field then the Pack is in trouble. But that's where San Fran quarterback Colin Kaepernick comes in. Coach Jim Harbaugh with his rather large ego wants to show that he made the right choice by benching Alex Smith in favor of his guy. So he will have Kaepernick throwing. Since Kaepernick took over the starting job Gore has not had a 100-yard rushing game. He had three before that. I think the Niners throw the ball more than they should and that opens the door for Rodgers and his array of receiving weapons. The Packers are a veteran team that will not be afraid to win on the road. Packers 27, Niners 23.

 

Seahawks (12-5) at Falcons (13-3): The Seahawks are the surprise team in the NFL's elite eight. And they just might be the most dangerous. If Pete Carroll wins a Super Bowl ... What was I saying? Right. Seahawks vs. the Falcons. Seattle is a team that plays to its strengths. They have the best runner in the game right now, Marshawn Lynch. And they run him right down their opponent's throat. And then they have rookie QB Russell Wilson make some plays. On defense they are just nasty everywhere. They play like the old Miami Hurricanes defense. Like criminals. They are intimidating. And if there's one team in the NFL the past few years that can be intimidated it's Matt Ryan's Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have the sixth best passing attack in the league with Roddy White, Julio Jones, and future hall of famer Tony Gonzalez catching Ryan's passes. But Seattle has the best pass defense in the game. What else do the Falcons have? They are 29th in the league in rushing and 23rd against the pass and 21st against the run. That's not good. The Falcons will be one and done again. Seahawks 30, Falcons 21.

Same as the old boss

I turned on the NFL Network this morning just in time to see the New York Jets press conference to introduce their new head coach. He seemed like a good guy. Thin. Nicely styled silver hair. Pressed white shirt and a Jets-colored striped tie. As I made myself  a pot of coffee for the day, I listened to the new coach as he spoke in a calm, reasonable voice that sounded confident, but not cocky. If you are a Jets' fan you've got to like what he had to say.

The coach promised a "new beginning" for the franchise that became an NFL punch line the past few seasons. "We're going to be the team that you don't want to play," he said. "We are going to be a dangerous football team. We're going to attack you from the minute that whistle blows. We're going to attack you on offense, defense and special teams. That's my job, my responsibility. Understand it, that's exactly what we're going to give (the fans) this season and beyond."

He sure looked and sounded different than the old coach. Rex Ryan. The overweight guy in the sweatshirt who arrived in 2009 and declared himself the next great head coach and promised Super Bowl title after Super Bowl title. This coach didn't talk about how great he is or make any playoff or championship guarantees. This one talked about starting fresh with a new aggressive approach. He talked about a different kind of offense. No more ground and pound. He wanted a wide-open attacking offense. It sounded like he wanted to build a Patriot-like offense although he didn't come right out and say it. Another difference between this coach and Rex Ryan. He never mentioned Belichick or the Patriots. Two things Ryan was obsessed with.

The new, well-dressed coach talked about taking part in the hiring of the new GM so that the two of them can take a look at the roster and see what they have. Sanchez? Tebow? McElroy? Well, the new coach just got here so it's too soon for him to be talking roster changes.

Owner Woody Johnson sat to the left of the new coach and smiled at everything he heard. When asked why this was his choice to run the team for the 2013 season and beyond, Johnson said his new coach was "hard-working, smart, and sophisticated." Sophisticated? Now that would be different from Rex Ryan. You don't hear that word too often to describe an NFL head coach. I picked up my cup of coffee and moved closer to the small TV on my kitchen counter to read the name of this remarkable man.

The words below his skinny face said ... "Rex Ryan."

Rex Ryan? Sophisticated? Rex Ryan, after four years of failing as Jets' coach, talking about a new beginning? Rex Ryan, after four years of preaching ground and pound, talking about installing a high-octane offense? Rex Ryan, the guy with a tattoo of his wife wearing a Sanchez jersey, smart?

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Woody Johnson got fooled again.

Wild and crazy stuff

If you are a fan of the NFL the next two weekends are as good as it gets. Sure, championship weekend is a lot of fun with the best of the AFC and NFC squaring off and of course Super Bowl Sunday is a national holiday. But Wild Card weekend and the Divisional Round are the two best weekends of football. Two games Saturday. Two games Sunday. Grab a beer, some snacks, and your spot on the couch.

AFC



Cincinnati (10-6) at Houston (12-4): The Texans were the team to beat in the AFC for the first three months of the season. In December, they just turned into a beaten team. They lost three of their last four games and looked bad doing it. They were stomped by playoff team New England, Minnesota, and Indy. Can they pull it together for the playoffs? I think so, but the Bengals will certainly make it difficult for them. The Texans are 8th in the league in rushing yards and seventh in the league against the run. And they are solid in the passing game. All the talk is about Matt Schaub but he is not the key. Schaub will be lucky to get out of this game alive against the Cincy pass rush led by Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson. The key is Arian Foster. He is the best player on the field for either team (slight edge over A.J. Green). If Foster can dominate on the ground and make life easy for Schaub then Houston, with the home field, should be able to get the win. Cincy's best chance rests with Green. He's one of the top playmakers in the game. The Bengals need QB Andy Dalton and Green to have a huge game. That's going to be tough to do with J.J. Watt getting in the way. Texans 27, Bengals 24.






Indianapolis (11-5) at Baltimore (10-6): You couldn't write a script better than this. Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who missed most of the season being treated for leukemia, has returned to the sideline just in time for the playoffs. Playoffs? Playoffs? Yes, last year's worst team won a very surprising eleven games and is in the playoffs. And they are playing the Ravens in Baltimore. The team that Pagano was a defensive coach with for four years. And the Ravens' Ray Lewis, who is very close with Pagano, has announced that he will retire when the Ravens season ends. Talk about your story lines. The Ravens are like the Texans, they have stumbled towards the playoffs, losing four of their last five games. And their defense is no longer elite. Old and injured, but not elite. So the question is can the Colts led by rookie QB Andrew Luck and a young group of players go on the road and beat the veteran, this-might-be-our-last-chance Ravens? I don't think so. Ray Lewis won't be winning a title in his last game, but he won't be losing at home either. Ravens 23, Colts 17.

NFC





Minnesota (10-6) at Green Bay (11-5): This is the one man vs. the team game. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson came back from major knee surgery to post one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, coming up just nine yards short of the single-season record for yards rushing. He is the Vikings. Just like Aaron Rodgers is the Packers. It's a great running game vs. a great passing game. The difference is that Rodgers has a lot more help around him than Peterson. Jennings, Cobb, Jones, Nelson, Finley. And the Green Bay defense is better than the Minnesota defense. And the game is being played at Lambeau Field. The Pack won the title two years ago. They are still a serious contender. Packers 30, Vikings 20.




Seattle (11-5) at Washington (10-6): Two of the most exciting and surprising teams in the league meet up in the first round. It should be a great game. It's a rare thing when two rookie quarterbacks play each other in the playoffs. RG3 and Russell Wilson are rookies in name only. They are the "new breed" of quarterback that can run and throw on a dime. Of course there have always been quarterbacks like that (ever hear of Randall Cunningham) but that's OK. It makes for a good headline. All the attention will be on  the quarterbacks but it's the running backs that will decide the game. The two runners that I had on my fantasy team -- Seattle's beast Marshawn Lynch vs. Washington's beast Alfred Morris -- will set the tone early and often. It's a tough decision as to which back will prevail. I'll go with the home team again. Redskins 21, Seahawks 20.

Pig skin

So it appears that Rex Ryan has a tattoo of his wife in a sexy pose wearing just a Mark Sanchez #6 jersey. I don't even know what to say about that. I thought when I first heard it that it had to be the work of the Onion. It is not. He really has a rather large tattoo on his right arm of his wife wearing a Sanchez jersey.

I have just two questions...

1. When is Jets' owner Woody Johnson going to realize that he has an ass clown for a head coach?

2. Why the hell wouldn't Rex put his wife in a Darrelle Revis jersey?

Quoth the Raven, nevermore

The Ravens' Ray Lewis announced yesterday that he is retiring after the playoffs. Lewis is a first-ballot hall of famer. Maybe the greatest linebacker ever. When he's playing the Patriots and trying to kill Tom Brady I can't stand him. The rest of the time you gotta love the guy. Except for that little murder that he may or may not have been involved in, Lewis is an inspiring person. He talks about God like a preacher. He's a mentor to young players and a force for good in society. And he hits like nobody's business. He's an original.

He even makes an intro for a video game awesome ...

Twelve for the tourney

Like most football fans, I enjoy the NFL rankings that are on most sports websites each week. The Pats always being near the top helps of course. But it's just one of the things about the NFL that makes it fun. Everyone has their opinion on who is the top team, who is the 15th best, and who is the worst. So who's No. 1? We'll find out for sure come the first Sunday in February. These are the twelve that have a shot at the title. The last time all twelve playoff teams had ten wins or more was 2005. That's another great thing about the NFL. The league is deep. All twelve teams really do have a shot.

1. New England Patriots (12-4): Yes. I'm a Pats fan. I'm biased. But be honest. If the Patriots and any of the other teams on this list both played their absolute best games, do you really think the Pats would lose? Well, I don't. The Denver Broncos, led by the elder Manning, are better statistically on defense and are pretty even on offense so they will get the nod on most rankings heading into the playoffs. Brady vs. Manning is a wash. But do the Broncos have Welker, Gronk, Hernandez, Lloyd, Ridley, Woody, Mankins, Big Vince, Mayo, Jones, Ninko, Spikes, and Hightower? No. And that's a deep list of playmakers. Oh, and the Pats have Bill Belichick coaching and the Broncos have John Fox.

2. Denver Broncos (13-3): So now it's the other Manning's turn again. Great. The return to form of one of the game's all-time best is one of the 2012 season's top stories. The Broncos were a pretty decent team last year, even with Tim Tebow at quarterback. With Peyton Manning, they are a true contender. After losing to the Pats in Week 5 to fall to 2-3 the Broncos have won eleven in a row. But only two of those teams (Cincy and Baltimore) were playoff teams. Still, eleven in a row is eleven in a row. And Denver has home field. That's huge because it's a very tough place to play. Young receivers Demayrius Thomas and Eric Decker have blossomed with Manning, each having more than 1,000 yards receiving. The defense has been good for a few years now.

3. San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1): I saw the Niners get pushed around by Seattle too. You know what? They won't be playing in Seattle if they meet in the playoffs. San Francisco had a few surprising struggles this year, particularly an 0-1-1 record against the St. Louis Rams. And they let the Patriots score 28 straight points against them. But they are the best running team in the league and the best team against the run. And they can play anywhere. Under coach Jim Harbaugh the Niners have become a smash-mouth throwback. Young QB Colin Kaepernick is the big question mark. Can he make the right decisions in a playoff game? If he can the Niners are going to the Super Bowl.

4. Atlanta Falcons (13-3): Can the Falcons get over the playoff hump? That's the question that will hover over this team while they enjoy their bye week. Matt Ryan and his team are 0-3 in the playoffs. But once again they have home-field advantage, although that doesn't really help you if you keep losing the first playoff game each year. Ryan has two great receivers in Julio Jones and Roddy White and he has veteran hall of fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. Running back Michael Turner had ten touchdowns but he wasn't the force he usually is. And the defense is average at best. But Atlanta is due to win a playoff game. Right?

5. Green Bay Packers (11-5): It would not surprise me at all to see Aaron Rodgers hoisting the trophy at the end again. The Packers won the title two years ago, went 15-1 last year, and if it wasn't for the fake refs would be enjoying a first-round bye. Green Bay's offense is like the Patriots. Rodgers has many weapons to throw too. Jennings. Cobb. Jones. Nelson. Finley. The defense is strong against the pass with linebackers A.J. Hawk and Clay Matthews leading the way. The Packers have a chip on their shoulder from their one-and-done last year. That won't happen this year.

6. Seattle Seahawks (11-5): I had Pete Carroll and his Seahawks ranked near the bottom before the season started. Mostly out of spite. And also because I didnt know that he had built one of the best secondaries in the game. And in today's pass-happy NFL, if you can stop the pass you can win. Often. And if you can run the ball you can win even more. The Seahawks, behind the beast Marshawn Lynch, can run the ball right down your throat. If rookie QB Russell Wilson can make plays then this is a dangerous team. The big question is can they win on the road.

7. Houston Texans (12-4): The enigma of the twelve. The top team in the AFC for most of the year got whacked by the Patriots on a Sunday night game and never really recovered, losing three of their last four. But there's a reason the Texans were dominant for most of the season. Arian Foster on offense and J.J. Watt on defense. When you have two playmakers like that you are good. Add solid QB Matt Schaub and veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson and you have a balanced attack. The problem for Houston is they are not that good against the pass and when you have Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in your conference you probably aren't going to the Super Bowl.

8. Washington Redskins (10-6): I love this team. RG3. Alfred Morris. Pierre Garcon. They can beat you up. What don't I love about this team? Mike Shanahan. I know he has two rings, but he's crazy. If I'm a Skins fan I'm hoping Shanahan doesn't get too smart for his own good. Hand the ball to Alfred Morris and when the D fills the box to stop him let RG3 do his thing. The Skins D tightened up in the last month of the season. The Skins have the feel of this year's Giants. If they can win that first playoff game they could be tough to stop.

9. Baltimore Ravens (10-6): The Ravens, on the other hand, you want to play. They are a mess. Predictions are so often wrong that when you actually get one right it almost makes you feel like you know what your talking about. With five weeks to go in the season and the Ravens sitting at 10-2, I thought the Ravens would only win one more game and finish 11-5. I came pretty close. They finished 10-6. Even worse than I thought. But they are playing for Ray Lewis who announced this week he's retiring when the playoffs end. He'll be home for good pretty soon.

10. Indianapolis Colts (11-5): Did anybody see this coming? Did any "expert" predict the Colts to win more than five or six games this year? I doubt it. The Colts have been one of the best stories of the season. Their first-year coach Chuck Pagano missed most of the season as he was being treated for leukemia but the team rallied around him and play way over its head. Most of that was because top pick Andrew Luck showed why he was the top pick. But that's really where the positive news ends. The Colts are the only playoff team that allowed more points than it allowed (30). Not even the Vikings did that. The Colts are the Cinderella story coming into the playoffs. It's almost midnight.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6): Maybe Marv Lewis isn't that bad of a coach after all. Maybe he just needed some players who had more talent than mouth. Like AJ Green. The guy is a beast. The Pats don't have anyone who can cover him. The Bengals also have old friend BenJarvus. Bennie's streak without a fumble ended this year but his streak of playing solid ball did not. Oh, and they led the  league in sacks for most of the year. You really don't want  to play them. But the Bengals under Lewis have a history of losing games they should win.

12. Minnesota Vikings (10-6): Two words: Adrian Peterson. That's what the Vikings are all about. If you can stop the league's comeback player of the year then the Vikes have zero chance. Their quarterback is Christian Ponder. No. Really. And Ponder doesn't have any real receiving threats. Minnesota is next to last in the league in passing and mediocre in all phases of defense. I'm not even sure how they won ten games and made the playoffs. I think the Bears, Cowboys, and Giants are all better than the Vikings. Minnesota will be joining them on the sidelines very soon.

Dishonorable mention: The New York Giants are not in the playoffs! The New York Giants are not in the playoffs! Man it feels good to write that. The defending champs were looking good at 6-2 but they fell apart in the second half of the season to finish 9-7. Eli Manning hit the wall and Tom Coughlin's team looked disorganized and had too many turnovers, drops, and plain old sloppy play. The Giants are not in the playoffs!

Coach bags

The end of the NFL regular season brings with it two things ... the start of the playoffs with Wild Card weekend and the end of some careers with the coaching firing squad. The Monday after Week 17 is often littered with coaches canned for either one disastrous season or a string of bad ones. It's a reminder for Pats' fans just how lucky we are to have Bill Belichick.

There's usually two or three coaches fired on Monday morning, but yesterday there were seven coaches sent packing. A surprising number and a few surprising names on the list:

• Andy Reid, Eagles, after 14 seasons.
• Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals, after 6 seasons.
• Chan Gailey, Bills, after 3 seasons.
• Lovie Smith, Bears, after 9 seasons.
• Pat Shurmur, Browns, after 2 seasons.
• Romeo Crennel, Chiefs, after just 1 season.
• Norv Turner, Chargers, after 6 seasons.

That's a lot of coaches. There were also a few GMs canned (like Tannenbaum of the Jets) but who really cares about GMs getting fired unless it's your team?

Looking at the list of coaches fired, it breaks down into two categories. The first category is guys who have been with their team for a long time and who have had some success but their teams were clearly heading in the wrong direction. The other category are guys who have only been in the job for a short time and were obviously bad choices when they were hired.

Let's take the second category first. Pat Shurmur was hired by the Browns two years ago billed as one of the games best young offensive minds. He played offensive line at Michigan State and he learned NFL coaching under Andy Reid for 10 years. Not a bad teacher. He moved to St. Louis to be offensive coordinator in 2009 and did that for two years before getting the Cleveland job. Two years as a coordinator is not nearly enough experience to become an NFL head coach unless you had done some head coaching in college. Shurmur had not. But the Browns gave him the job anyway. Which is fine. Why not take a chance on a young guy? Tennessee did that with Jeff Fisher in 1994 and he turned out to be a great coach. But if you are going to hire a guy like Shurmur, you have make a commitment to him for more than two years. Otherwise, why bother?  And that's why the Browns have been bad for years. Eric Mangini ... two years. Romeo Crennel ... three years. If you are only going to give a guy two or three years to get the team headed in the right direction then don't bother hiring him. It's just stupid.

Speaking of stupid... the Chiefs hiring of Crennel and the Bills hiring of Chan Gailey fit that description because they both had head coaching jobs before and had proven they were not head coaching material. Not even close. They are both good guys and great coordinators. But there should be restraining orders preventing them from getting any where near a head coaching job. And yet the Chiefs and the Bills gave them another shot. And not surprisingly, their teams underachieved. Especially the Bills. If Buffalo hires a real coach for next season, with the talent they have, they could win ten games. But since it's Ralph Wilson and the Bills there's a good chance they will mess it up.

My guess is the Bills will probably hire one of the other guys fired yesterday. I'm really hoping it's Norv Turner. It would be great to have Norv in the division. Don't get me wrong. I think Norv is actually a pretty good coach. But he's one of those good coaches whose teams always make crucial mistakes. Which I guess means he's not really a good coach. It's tricky. Same thing with Andy Reid. He's a very good coach. But you just know his team is going to blow it. Reid took Philly to four straight NFC title games, the first three times his team fell flat on its face. The fourth time the Eagles finally won only to lose the Super Bowl to the Patriots. Reid will get another job very quickly. He learned from Mike Holmgren. He's a winner. But it was time for a change after 14 years in Philly. I don't want to see him in Buffalo.

The two other guys fired, Lovie Smith and Ken Whisenhunt, were a bit of a surprise. Smith's Bears went 10-6. It's very rare when a coach gets fired after a winning season. But they were 7-1 halfway through the season and went 3-5 the rest of the way. The Bears were not as good as 7-1 and not as bad as 3-5. They were 10-6 and considering Jay "Goober" Cutler is their QB that's pretty good. Lovie took his team to two NFC title games and the Super Bowl in 2007. But the Bears have only made the playoffs once in the last six years. That will eventually get you fired no matter how nice a guy you are and how much your players love you.  It's the same with Whisenhunt. The Bill Cowher-trained coach got off to a great start with Arizona, taking the team to the Super Bowl in his third season (2009), But since then the Cards have gone 5-11, 8-8, and 5-11. They started off 4-0 this year, including a win at Gillette in Week 2, but they lost nine in a row after that. I think the Cards should have stuck with him another year because it looked like he was building something there with a tough young defense. But that's why teams like the Cards are usually not very good. They are not patient. So now they will be looking to start over.

There was one name not on the list of coaches canned yesterday. Rex Ryan. I'm pretty happy about that. For the second year in a row Ryan's team not only missed the playoffs, but the season ended with the locker room is complete disarray. A team always reflects its coach. And the mess that are the Jets is a mirror image of Skinny Rex. I can't wait to hear what he has to say about what happened this year. But I'll have to wait a while because he decided not to hold the NFL mandated end-of-the-season press conference and head to the Bahamas. That's right. Rex Ryan passed up an opportunity to talk to the media. I know. I can't believe it either. But don't worry. Talk he will. And at some point in his press conference he will be asked about next season and he will make some statement about catching the Patriots and winning the AFC East. That's what I love about Rex. He never learns. And I'm glad his name wasn't on the list.