Playoffs

Pop quiz hot-shot: what's the single most annoying thing you'll hear on Sports Center today?

Answer: "WILD CARD WEEKEND WAS WILD, BABY!"

As much as I hate to hear that phrase, it's true. So for those of you still watching the NFL and not upset about Tom Brady missing another three seasons because of a leg injury, you had the pleasure of watching:

1. A team that wasn't expected to make the playoffs versus a team that should have made the playoffs for the past three seasons. Remember how everyone from Larocque to Mark Schlereth kept talking about "how the Cardinals were going to make the playoffs" or "how much they've improved from last season"? It took the Cards three to four years of "rebuilding" to finally make the playoffs, which is really just short-hand for saying they finally hired a competent GM. They hired one and look what happened (Redskins take note -- more on the 'Skins later this week).

Speaking of solid management -- look at the Atlanta Falcons. Who in their right mind would have predicted a playoff birth for the Falcons this year, especially with a rookie QB and physic wounds from the Vick affair? Arthur Blank, the guy who started Home Depot, clearly knows how to run an organization / football team. If they gave out an Owner of the Year Award, I would think Blank is at the top of the list, although the Dolphins' owner has to be a close second.

2. Chad Pennington reminding us he's Chad Pennington. When a guy wins two "Comeback Player of the Year" awards in the span of eight years you have to wonder: what happened to his game which enabled him to comeback not once, but twice? While the awards are cool and impressive, something about winning "comeback player of the year" twice reminds me that Chad is extremely inconsistent. Throw in Ed "Ballhawk" Reed and you have a nightmare for Pennington, which is why the Ravens crushed the Dolphins yesterday. In retrospect, way too predictable.

3. Speaking of which, do Minnesota and Brad Childress suprise you at all? The Vikings esentially gave up in the fourth quarter even though they had a legimate shot to beat the lifeless and offense-less Eagles. I got the distinct impression that Jared Allen was the only guy hustling yesterday. Even though he plays defensive end, he was ten to twenty yards downfield making plays yesterday which is impressive. The rest of the Vikings? They gave up with 8 minutes remaining! That, my friends, is pathetic. I would expect that type of performance from the Redskins, not from the Vikings!

5. Norv Turner still looking constipated. Despite a fourth quarter comeback, playoff win, solid quarterbacking, and stellar defense, the Chargers' coach still looked like he hadn't taken a shit in weeks. And while the Chargers mounted a gutsy fourth quarter comeback shutting down Manning and his patsy semi-mullet, good-ole Norv could barely crack a smile.