Quoth the Raven: "WE ARE THE CHAMPS"

Who would've thought that turning off the lights and part of the power would've flipped a switch and turned this Super Bowl from a rout into a thrilling showdown? The city that never lacks excitement had one more great sports moment to add to its history and what a win for the Baltimore Ravens! 

Joe Flacco made himself a very rich man in victory. 11 touchdowns, 0 INT's this postseason means he's validated himself as a franchise quarterback. As a free agent Super Bowl MVP, he just earned his huge paycheck and showed why I call him Pretty Flacco or now Trinidad Flacco. "Don't Believe Me, Just Watch"

Jim Caldwell deserves a ton of credit as well. He turned Flacco loose calling the plays and as offensive coordinator, he was the driving force of this turnaround. The coach who lost Super Bowl XLIV, was fired from the Colts last year and didn't get offered a head coaching gig last month found redemption in New Orleans. I'm happy for him because he got back to the mountaintop and now has another ring on his resume. Memo to the NFL, he's living proof the Rooney Rule must be expanded to coordinators.

Time to Clean House (A Chargers/Cowboys Lament)

An expression that I've sadly grown accustomed to.

So another season ends. The Chargers are home. The Cowboys got their hearts ripped out once again. 3 straight years that I haven't seen a playoff game involving one of my squads. Ironically it hasn't happened since I quit being a full-time newspaper guy.

Reality is I've been rooting for two teams that have been impossibly hard to be confident in. The Chargers went from an explosive offense to a team that can barely run the ball and watch Philip Rivers erode from great to average. The Cowboys? A total waste of talent and cursed by injuries and inconsistency.

On Jovan Belcher and this Terrible, Complex Tragedy

There is no easy way to react to the full measure of the murder-suicide of Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins. On Saturday, Belcher killed Perkins with multiple gun shots, drove to the Kansas City Chiefs facility, thanked several members of the organization and then killed himself with a shot to the head.

Those are simple facts. What's not so simple is what happened next. Two families are grieving as they should. A Chiefs team grieved as they debated and decided to play on Sunday. A 3-month child named Zoe is now an orphan. The NFL followed their tradition and allowed the Chiefs to play on Sunday instead of stepping in to postpone this game.

In most minds, it makes sense to grieve for Perkins, an innocent victim, while calling Belcher a monster. This is true but to say that chastises the Chiefs for grieving a teammate. It's trying to say that head coach Romeo Crennel, general manager Scott Pioli and others shouldn't be shaken by seeing a man kill himself in front of their eyes. A man they've known for four years.

Monday Night Massacre in the 619

I’m still feeling numb thinking about that Chargers game. Not angry, not frustrated, not even smarting from my teams (Dallas and San Diego) having a combined 4 straight stomach-punching losses. Just numb because this is a new low for a Norv Turner team and that’s saying a lot.

A 24-0 lead at home. Gone.  Fire to finish? Non-existent. Somebody as a calming, firm presence? Nowhere to be found. Philip Rivers looking like a steady leader? Nah man.

I left work with the Chargers up big at halftime. I was puffing out my chest thinking we’re going to see Peyton Manning locked up and owned by San Diego once again. I was wrong.

What I saw qualifies as the worst regular season Chargers loss in my 10 years as a fan. And that’s saying a lot considering there have been at least 2-3 gut-punching games a year. This was a slow descent from Mt. Everest to Death Valley with unbelievable mistakes that just symbolized this era of Charger football.

Football Wrap Week 5B: Mark Sanchez and the USC QB Curse

I start this week’s NFL wrap with a proclamation.

Mark Sanchez has thrown for less than 50 percent of his passes in every start this year. His passes were inaccurate Monday night. His decision-making was suspect. At this point, there’s nothing that says he should be keeping his job. But he is because the alternative is a cult hero in Tim Tebow who isn’t much better.

I don’t care if Sanchez went to two AFC title games and has no help around him. He’s not a NFL starting quarterback right now and he’s barely a capable game manager. But to be honest, it’s not his fault. It’s the USC QB curse.

In the 10 years that USC has been relevant, all of their quarterbacks haven’t panned out well in the NFL. Matt Leinart? Mentally wasn’t ready despite his gifts. John David Booty? Barely got any burn. Sanchez is next in line and unless something changes, so is Matt Barkley.

Football Wrap Week 4B: The Blues (Saints, Cam, Tony Romo and Me)

Who Dat Say Gonna Beat Dem Saints? In the words of Big and Dre "Me and You, Yo momma and yo cousins, too"#Packers #Saints #NFL
— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) September 30, 2012

2012 hasn't been kind to the Saints. They lost a thriller in the NFC playoffs at San Francisco. Then came Bountygate where the NFL accused of them of paying for big hits. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the whole season. And now the bottom has dropped out at they've fallen to 0-4.

If anybody is singing "Wake Me Up When September Ends", it's Drew Brees and Co. But on second thought, they might be singing Louis Armstrong "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" as they sleep on this week.

Clearly they're a team lost in the ocean. They've been in almost every game but something has fallen apart for them. Against Green Bay, they lost on a missed kick. It's the kind of loss that'll sting worse because it's almost a sign that it's going to be harder after this. Or it has to get better.

But chances are, it won't get better in the playoffs. They just gotta worry about getting back to .500
and that won't happen til November. The only thing they'll enjoy is when Drew Brees throws for a TD for his 48th straight game on Sunday for a new NFL record. Then sit back while my Chargers bring that kitchen sink to NOLA.

Football Wrap Week 3B: Things Fall Apart

Pictures say a 1,000 words. I hate blaming the referees but after 3 weeks of horrible playcalling, the final play of Week 3 in the NFL season was perhaps one of the worst calls in recent memory. An interception that became a touchdown. A game-winning interception to quote somebody on Twitter.

We aren't talking about Russell Wilson playing well as a rookie. We aren't talking about the defensive efforts of both teams. We aren't talking about anything but that call. The worst possible scenario for this labor dispute has just unfolded - a game's outcome has been determined by the zebras.

Football Wrap Week 2B - The Replacements (and the NFL's Arrogance)

Week 1, I didn’t see the replacement refs mess up that much but that didn’t convince me all was well. The best thing the NFL could hope for was nobody to notice a huge mess-up and act like all was well.

That’s what happens when you patch a slow, bleeding wound with a kiddie bandage. It’s passable and you hope the wound’s manageable but you haven’t fixed the problem. Eventually it’ll get worse without treatment.

Week 2? I saw a bad call affect Tampa Bay. Mike Williams catches a great ball, takes 2 steps, gets hit and loses the ball out of bounds. Clearly he had possession but the refs said he didn’t.  CBS Sports’ Mike Freeman described otherscrew-ups as well.

Football Wrap Week 1B (RG3's DEBUT, The Kicker and 40 Point Specials)

It was last year that I wrote about how Cam Newton had one of the most impressive debuts of anybody I had seen in any sport. He shattered the rookie record for passing yards and showed everybody that he could indeed be a passing QB, not just a runner.

One year later, what then can I say about Robert Griffin III in his debut?? 320 passing yards, 2 TD's (including an 88-yarder, the 2nd longest debut TD pass in history), ZERO Interceptions and defeated the Saints in the Superdome in front of his family and friends from New Orleans.

It's as good as you can expect a rookie to play. It's poise, command and great skill on display. It's the further evolution of the Black quarterback as a true dual-threat who can hurt you with his arm and legs.  And as Skins fan DragonflyJonez frequently announced on Twitter, he outplayed the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year in his house.

Grinds My Gears: Overvaluing Preseason Football (Or Any Sport)

Been a while since I've had a reason to bring this back but this past week or so reminded me about something that has bugged me for years. Why do we place so much value on a preseason performance or game?

Every year, you hear "So-and-so is making their professional debut" but it's in a PRESEASON game. Andrew Luck, for example, played his first game as a professional last week and threw for a TD on his first pass. That's great but it's not his debut. It doesn't count in his stat sheet. Yes he got paid for it like everyone else but it's no different than a scrimmage in pads.

Football Wrap: On Eli, Tom and Legacies

Eli Manning has two Super Bowl rings. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I woke up today and I'm scratching my head at that fact *Cue Schooly D's "What Does It Mean?"*

Fact: Eli has more rings than Peyton. Raise your hand if you saw this coming.

Fact: Peyton's 2nd Super Bowl saw him commit only 1 turnover, a pick-6 that cost him the game. Eli's 2nd Super Bowl? 0 turnovers.

Fact: Eli has beaten the best QB of our era (Tom Brady) 3 times with 4th-quarter scores. He's beaten Brady in two Super Bowls, including this one in Peyton's house. In other words, imagine beating up your big brother's bully/rival at his school while everyone's watching. Awkward much?

Fact: Tom Brady led the Pats on a record-tying 96 yard scoring drive before halftime to take the lead. Eli topped it with an 88-yard scoring drive in the final three minutes. 88 isn't greater than 96 but in this case, it is.

Fact: Eli's WR's have much better hands than Tom Brady's. Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez should be ashamed of themselves. Mario Manningham's catch may not have been as flashy as David Tyree's (nor did Eli have to make that throw as he did 4 yrs ago), but it was just as pivotal in terms of momentum and setting up the drive.

So what does all of that mean? Eli can sing that he's got more rings than big bro and brag that he stared down Tom Brady twice.** In the playoffs, he beat the MVP on the road (Aaron Rodgers) and avenged his loss to the 49ers.

**(A big chunk of the credit goes to his ferocious defense, led by Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck, and that the Patriots' defense choked down the stretch. Remember, they were a missed FG from overtime vs. Baltimore after Joe Flacco drove on them.)


It means that Little Brother's legacy is a strange one. While he's feasted on two Super Bowls, he's also good for famine, as indicated by him losing one-and-done in the playoffs three previous times. I really have no idea how great Eli is because he's wildly inconsistent. For his great fourth-quarter heroics and desire to be seen as elite, he's had his shortcomings too.

Eli and Ben Roethlisberger have two rings since Brady won his last. Let's just leave it at that and praise them both as Top-5 quarterbacks (assuming Peyton doesn't returns back to his greatness and my man Philip Rivers keeps regressing, which I HIGHLY DOUBT). I'm not saying Eli is a better version of Tim Tebow (average QB with 4th Q heroics) but I am saying let's not go crazy and say he's better than Brady/Peyton.

That same logic means Terry Bradshaw is one of the five greatest quarterbacks of all time since he has four rings. And anybody who says Bradshaw is better than John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett Favre is a fool when Bradshaw is barely a Top-15 QB. Same with arguing Joe Namath is better than Marino or Jim Kelly.

What Eli's win means is we should kill the rings is better than argument because this is the classic case where fools will show themselves. Appreciate the moment and realize he has one of the most peculiar career trajectories we've seen in a while.

As for Tom Brady? What does yesterday's loss mean for him. Besides the fact his WR's have shaky hands and that Rob Gronkowski played decently on a bad ankle, he's exactly where Kobe Bryant was 4 years ago.

2008 saw Kobe lose in his 5th Finals appearance. Just like Brady, he tasted success early in his career and struggled to get back to the mountain top despite great individual success. At this point, his reputation was being re-evaluated as he was getting respect as a leader and a player. Yet people felt he wasn't as great because he hadn't won a ring minus Shaq.

Brady is somewhat there right now. 3 rings early in his career and now haunted by 2 Super Bowl losses that could easily be wins. Wes Welker catches that first down yesterday, his defensive line sacks Eli Manning 4 yrs ago instead of letting him get away to find David Tyree. He's also grown into a much better QB since 2004 just like Kobe became a much better player after those first 3 rings.

It's been 8 years since he's tasted the fresh Lombardi steel and while he'll go down as one of the 10 best QB's ever, you have to wonder if he knows that he doesn't have much time left to get back there. Will his legacy be defined by early success or late greatness without the rings. I say both because Brady has validated his early success wasn't luck but while he's gotten better, his teammates (and defense) haven't and he knows getting back won't be easier because of it.

He had a stretch going 16-for-16 at one point. A Super Bowl record for consecutive completions. And yet, just like his record-setting drive, it's all for naught.

If this brilliant Dan Wetzel column is any indication, Brady's demeanor afterwards says that he's fully aware of it. He lost a game, lost a chance to enhance his legacy and knows that even though his greatness doesn't change, it's a bit dimmed. He's bested one Manning brother but he knows the other beat him at his own game. Just like Kobe in 2008 - the feeling of wondering what more can you do?

Anybody who says Brady isn't the best QB of our era (respect to Peyton) is foolish. Just like people saying Kobe Bryant isn't the best player of this era (respect to Duncan). But had Kobe not won two more rings, people would look at him differently. Maybe the same way they're looking at Brady now - fast success but can't repeat it at the peak of his playing ability.

Yet I'm not going to be one of those people. Tom Brady's legacy doesn't dramatically change as much as Eli's did. You can't take away his rings, his career just like you can't add anymore to Eli's. It's a mark but a whole body of work must be evaluated when all's said and done.

I guess that's the story of Super Bowl 46. Not the Giants D playing well or Hakeem Nicks continuing his postseason resurgence or Mario Manningham's huge catches. It's two men whose legacies are being re-altered and I'm choosing how I fit to see it.

Football Wrap: Defense Still Dominates in NFL

So what do we know at this point, kiddies? No matter how good your offense is, come playoff time, your defense will be the deciding factor.

How else can you explain the 49ers and Giants still being here? It wasn’t just Alex Smith/Vernon Davis and Eli Manning/Hakeem Nicks. It was more of their defenses doing their part as well.

Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers had two amazing seasons which could either have them share the MVP or finish 1-2 with Rodgers winning. Yet all their throwing was no use to staring at a great defense or watching their defense finally let them down.

Consider the AFC too. Baltimore forced four turnovers on a rookie QB-led offense. And New England? Well, besides Tom Brady being Brady, ask Tim Tebow about that beating he took BEFORE halftime, let alone after.

Even in this offensive era, you still need a team to play great defense. I remember the Greatest Show on Turf being hampered by this 10 years ago. Super Bowl 34, they were up 16-0 and nearly gave the game back. The next two years, their defense let them down despite them trying to beef it up.

We all know what happened to New England in 2007, one of the greatest offenses in NFL history. Couldn’t sack Eli Manning, defend David Tyree or not let Plaxico Burress catch the GW TD wide open. Sometimes you can’t just outshoot teams off the field. Even in this offensive era, you have to have some semblance of a great D. That’s your NFL Truth from last week. On to the tidbits.

- Despite what I just said, give it up to Calvin Johnson, DeMaryius Thomas, Vernon Davis, Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles and Hakeem Nicks putting up record postseason catching numbers

- So 49ers/Saints for Game of the Year right? What more can you say. A 17-0 lead, a great comeback and a frenzied 4:02 to remember ending with the Catch 3. Vernon Davis crying reminded me of Terrell Owens crying after the Catch 2 although VD played much better than TO did.

- Want some more irony? Alex Smith got his revenge against Drew Brees and the Saints for what they did in Week 2 last year. For those who forgot, Smith led a late scoring drive against the Saints in SF only to watch Brees march down the field and set up a GW FG.

- Goodbye, Tebowmania. This is the postseason. You know? Where Brady shows his true genius. The Broncos getting housed by halftime made it feel even better.

- Genius strategy by the Pats running Aaron Hernandez out of the backfield. That’s a tight end, folks. Poetic justice of him being a factor in running his former college QB off the field.

- Joe Flacco: 4 straight seasons with a playoff win. As much as you want to love Tim Tebow, Joe Flacco just wins ball games. He wins on the road too. Quietly consistent doing his job.

- Yo, Arian Foster was a beast in defeat. Loved how he and Ray Lewis traded jerseys because if there is one person in the league you want respect from, it’s Ray Lewis.

- Eli Manning’s new nickname should be The Bride cause who dishes out revenge better? Tom Brady in the Super Bowl, now Aaron Rodgers. As much as I want the 49ers to win, revenge is a dish Eli serves as well as anybody.

Oh yeah, that pass to Hakeem Nicks before halftime was beautiful/poor D.  That’s how you kill a team’s spirit (and my blog post praising Aaron Rodgers)

Looking ahead to this week, 49ers-Giants – a rematch the game where the 49ers earned national respect shutting down Eli’s last drive. But it reminds me of another famous meeting.

10 years ago, both teams met in the wild card and it was one of the craziest comebacks/collapses I ever saw. Giants were up 38-14 and cruising in the 3^rd and all a sudden, the Niners caught fire quick. They scored 25 points and survived a botched field goal attempt for the win.

It was the last time the 49ers were in the playoffs before this year. Here they are now. Finally better. Finally back to where they used to be in my youth. I’m sure older heads will remember the 1991 NFC title game where the Giants survived a slugfest with them.

Meanwhile, I remember the Pats-Ravens game in 09. The day I realized Ray Rice was a beast and Tom Brady isn’t invincible (even though Denver and Champ Bailey showed me that before). The Ravens thrashed the Patriots in a way I hadn’t seen them look in years. Think they remember that one?

The game could hinge on how Ed Reed is feeling after injuring his foot in the waning moments of last week. It’s hard to stop Rob Gronkowski but can the Patriots stop Ray Rice and force Joe Flacco to beat them?

My picks: 49ers (Can’t go with the Midgets despite Eli swinging his Hattori Hanzo so I go with the miracle worker Jim Harbaugh) and Baltimore.  Harbaugh Bowl Part 2 for all the marbles.

Football Wrap: The Tide Rolls in the Bayou

Three Words. Beat. EM. DOWN!!! Alabama didn’t just win the title, they took it. They may not have belonged on first glance but they took the title by force in the greatest defensive performance in the BCS era.

The stats don’t tell the whole story but they say a lot about Bama’s D. 4 sacks, 1 INT, held LSU behind midfield for all but one drive and eventually pushed them back to punt. They allowed 92 yards of total offense. 92 yards from the No. 1 team in the nation.

Jordan Jefferson looked dazed and confused and unable to be a quarterback. LSU’s rushing game that floored a few times got dominated off the block. And the funny thing is the same thing happened in the 1^st game. Alabama’s offense played better.

Trent Richardson by himself had 96 rushing yards and the only touchdown of the night.  DragonflyJonez said it best on Twitter, 0 losses, 0 points in the final. Alabama destroyed LSU on a historic level in a similar way to how I saw the Baltimore Ravens destroy the NY Giants in Super Bowl 35.

Nick Saban won his 3^rd title in 8 years as is without a doubt the best coach in college FB. T-Rich wins his 2^nd title. And big ups to AJ McCarron being the first sophomore to win a BCS title game and earning every bit of it with 234 yards and a surprisingly great game behind center.

Final irony. In a year where kickers appeared to cost their teams everything in the end, how fitting is it that Alabama’s kicker Jeremy SHelley did most of the key work tonight.  Congrats to the Tide in a year where Tuscaloosa was ravaged by tornados and tragedy.

NFL Tibits.

Let’s recap a wildcard weekend where two WR’s had 200 yards in their debuts, a highpowered offense showed no mercy and a team suffered the worst embarrassment you can without being “shutout”

Drew Brees is on some Kurt Warner steez. He’s transformed the Saints into the 99-02 Rams and every time something happens, you sit back and wonder how ridiculous they are to stop. Their latest destruction: An NFL record of 616 yards of total offense.

Between him and Darren Sproles’ 2 TD’s, this was a bad week for Chargers fans. Need I remind you that D. Sproles is postseason money. Go look what he did to the Colts in 2009.

Pierre Thomas is a difference maker. I counted at least 4 hard runs that bullied their way through the teeth of the Lions D for 8-10 yards that were difference makers.

Big ups to Houston winning their 1^st playoff game. Remember the expectations I had in 02 of them possibly going to the playoffs. Well they finally met them. Next is now.

Atlanta are some playoff frauds. Frauds, I tell you. It’s still early before assuming Matt Ryan has peaked. I think Atlanta has zero defense to account for their offense and that’ll be their downfall. But that O has major questions about being inconsistent.

Only scoring 2 points is like being shut out in my mind.

Remember Me? I'm Still a Big Deal.

Hakeem Nicks just reminded everyone he was Victor Cruz last year. A sleeper who emerged out of nowhere. 2 TD’s in the postseason shows why the Giants are deadly. Secondaries can’t stop Nicks and Cruz at the same time. And oh by the way, Mario Manningham is lurking.

The Giants are 2007 scary.

Finally, you know why I’m finally giving Tim Tebow his props? Because he had his best game as a pro and did it in the playoffs. He took advantage of what the D gave him and his receivers did the rest. He took John Elway’s advice and let it rip.

Denver’s defense harassed a less than 100% Steelers team and a hurt Big Ben, yet Roethlisberger still led a late comeback like he always does. Only problem was before we could figure out these new overtime rules, Tebow and Demaryius Thomas capped off their great day with a 1-play bomb to end the game.

Coldest stiff arm since Marshawn Lynch stuffed Tracy Porter towards that TD.

The irony is that Tebow played terrible in the 2^nd half. Big ups to Thomas having an insane day on that Pittsburgh secondary and he deserves just as much credit as Tebow.

I honestly thought Big Ben was going to find a way to win like he always does. But everybody’s luck runs out and when you’re hobbling on 1 leg without Rashard Mendenhall, there’s only so much you can do.

This is the first NFL game I can truly say Tebow stepped up and won a game with his arm. The defense made great plays too but I give #15 his due. Dang shame that Tom Brady will have to humble his fans next week.

Football Wrap: Playoffs, Bowls and Perspective

Let’s start with a bowl wrap first shall we?

Rose Bowl – Oregon finally gets over the hump and wins a BCS bowl game under Chip Kelly. The Black Mamba De’Anthony Thomas showed out at home with that insane 91-yard TD run and a cruise control 68-yard run (he slowed up like it was a track meet). Big ups to Darron Thomas and LaMichael James atoning for last year.

And count me as a fan of Oregon’s Chrome Dome uniforms. It makes college football cool when a team not just gets cool unis but also wins with them.

Washington State in the 98 Rose Bowl had 2 seconds to run one last play and it didn’t work. Makes me wonder why Wisconsin didn’t just do a quick play instead of spike it. A great season for Russell Wilson and Montee “Let’s Make a Deal” Ball otherwise.

OutBack Bowl – Michigan State has been in 2 of the most thrilling games this season. Great comeback and Capt. Kirk Cousins deserves to go down in MSU lore for that.

Fiesta Bowl – Andrew Luck and Justin Blackmon had excellent auditions for the NFL but a kicker didn’t deserve to decide this game. Blackmon amazed the mess out of me with his size, elusiveness, Luck ran a brilliant 2-minute offense that he should have finished had the coach let him .

Luck reminded me of John Elway’s last game. Elway led a brilliant last minute drive to give Stanford the lead. But unfortunately Cal’s special teams ran The Play. As for Blackmon, who declared for the draft in his postgame interview, he's going to make an impact as soon as he gets called on the NFL stage. What a marvel

As for OK State, I wish they would’ve had a shot against LSU. But there’s no shame in them having a spectacular season. They have a case to be ranked No. 2 depending on what happens next Monday.

Alamo Bowl – We watched the Present and the Future. Robert Griffin the Great and his tailbacks ran ragged over Washington in maybe his final game as he helped Baylor have their best football season in ages. But Keith Price of Washington had a magical day. 7 total TD’s for the former Bellflower St. John Bosco product. 

That might have been one of the most exciting bowl games I've seen. You literally had to stay tuned otherwise you'd miss the next score because no lead was safe. By the way, this is your Pac-12 QB watch next year:

Matt Barkley (USC), Darron Thomas (Oregon), Keith Price, Matt Scott (former All-State dual-threat QB here in CA now at Arizona under Rich Rodriguez). That's a deadly 4 pack, not to mention Jordan Wynn at Utah.

I have to agree with ESPN’s Gene Wojo who tweeted his frustration about college kickers being frequently put into the role to win games. Having a money kicker is extremely important and with all the specialization going into HS kickers these days, there’s no excuse for college coaches not to offer scholarships.

There’s also no excuse why in this era of spread offenses, coaches don’t take more chances to score in the end zone instead of play for the field goal.  Especially if your quarterback is elite or on a roll.

While kickers have an easy job, coaches have a job to make it easy for them instead of arrogantly forcing them to atone for mistakes. To quote Gene Hackman in The Replacements, winners want the ball and before you give the kicker a chance, give your regular offense a chance to finish what they started if they have time.

NFL Tidbits.

Matt Flynn huh? Outdueling the Lions off the bench with the greatest day in Packers QB history huh? Shout out to the Lions possibly hurting Aaron Rodgers' MVP chances, their playoff mojo and the rep that the SEC typically produces crappy QB's.

Tampa Bay ends the year losing 10 straight.  Raheem Morris went from great coach to out of a job. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (c) Gang Starr

Scariest injury news? Ryan Clark of Pittsburgh sitting out next week’s playoff game due to a sickle cell condition. Props to Mike Tomlin doing the right thing.

Another year, both my Cowboys and Chargers are out of the playoffs and nobody to blame but themselves. The Chargers shot themselves in the foot too early and too late and the Cowboys did the same. And there’s no sign of things potentially changing in 2012 now that Norv Turner will be back as Chargers head coach and Jerry Jones is still the GM.

Pardon me while I go barf in the corner. You are what your record shows and being 8-8 says the Chargers are average despite having above average parts. The Cowboys are slightly above average but can’t be a guarantee to win big games (they have before but aren’t consistent).

Congrats to Cam Newton having the greatest NFL rookie season I’ve seen since Edgerrin James. Has anybody had a better 2-year run short of winning an professional championship? JUCO Nat’l Title, NCAA Nat’l Title, Dominated as a rookie QB in record fashion.

Killin em with a smile the way I remember another rookie doing throughout his "Magic"al career 

I don’t know which offense is scarier – Green Bay, New England or New Orleans. Since I said let’s discuss the playoffs.

Denver v. Pittsburgh. Tim Tebow backs into the playoffs and will promptly be thrown out by the wolves of Steel Town. I can’t wait!! Virgo Gumbo Pick: Pittsburgh

Detroit vs. New Orleans – As great as NO is, do NOT be surprised if Detroit opens up a shocking can because Detroit’s offense can go off in an instant. Calvin Johnson remains a difficult matchup and the Saints are still smarting from Seattle running on them. Yet if Matt Flynn destroyed Detroit, what will Brees do? VG Pick: Saints

Cincinnati vs. Houston – The surprises of the season. The patchwork Texans battling injury to reach the playoffs while Andy Dalton attempts to do his Joe Flacco/Mark Sanchez impersonation. Carson Palmer, meanwhile, has to enjoy this karma at home. VG Pick: Houston

Atlanta vs. New York – You never know which Giants team will show up. The team that beat Dallas and New England and stared Green Bay in the face or the team that sputtered down the stretch. Atlanta on the road is far more overrated despite Matt Ryan and that offense. VG Pick: Giants

Drew Brees and Tom Brady both shattered Dan Marino’s record of 5,084 yards (while Maurice Jones Drew quietly won the NFL rushing title and Rob Gronkowski destroyed several TE records.). It’s impressive once you keep it in context. Marino and Elway slung that rock in an era dominated by running backs and smaller wideouts. Brees and Brady have dominated a more pass-happy era and have excelled at their craft.

Consider this though. 10 QB’s passed for over 4,000 yards. In 1996, only 3 QB’s passed for over 4,000 yards. 10 years ago (2001 season, 02 playoffs), only 2 QB’s did it – including Kurt Warner with an insane 4,830 yards. Times have changed so you can appreciate the now while acknowledging how much more special it was in the past.

If I had to vote for MVP, give it to Aaron Rodgers. The quietest 15-1 season I’ve ever seen and remarkably efficient. His defining moment is either his 6 TD game (4 passing, 2 rushing) or his 1-minute drill against the NY Giants to win the game.