The Crystal Ball 2013 The Divisionals

Sure, it was cold in Green Bay for the 49ers/Packers tilt, but it wasn't Ice Bowl Cold. Heck, even Tom Coughlin was sitting at home yelling, "You call that cold? You should have seen my cheeks!" at the television.

Opening Kickoff

If Peyton Manning had taken care of business back in Week 15, on Sunday he would be facing a Pittsburgh team with a questionable secondary and below average run defense. Instead he faces a Chargers team full of whiz and vinegar, playing with house money and feeling like a team of destiny. Way to make your life more difficult there Peyton ol' boy. It's your move now.

The Way It Was

The Chiefs and Colts 89 point affair personified the "wild" in Wild Card Weekend.

Did anyone on the Chiefs sideline ever come to the realization that they should have covered T.Y. Hilton? Obviously not. I wonder if they're making the adjustment now.

Maybe KC starters shouldn't have taken last week off. They got bit big time by the injury bug, and I wonder if it's because they were "saving" themselves for this week.

Come on Andy Reid, you were supposed to play the Eagles for the championship, just to drive every Philly fan insane. You couldn't focus for the second half long enough to prevent at least one score?

Yeah, that looks like a great comeback for Indy, but you know they'll lose this week. I mean, come on, they were down 28 points at home. That's not the sign of a world beating team.

Although scoring five touchdowns in 24 second-half minutes, is a sign of a world beater. New England's thin defense had best tighten up about midway through the third quarter.

Now, Kansas City is 0-8 in the playoffs since 1993, the last time they won a playoff game.

You think that's bad? The Bungles, who reverted to true form, are winless in the playoffs since 1990. Head coach Marvin Lewis is now 0-5 lifetime in his playoff career as Bungles head coach.

I know no one was surprised the Bungles blew it at home. I shouldn't have picked them, and I knew it going in. But I was picking more against San Diego than anything. Yeah, that worked out well.

I hope Bill Leavy is happy. Now he has half of the fan bases in the AFC North ticked off at him and the Chargers after his crew blew those two critical calls that allowed San Diego to reach the post season instead of Pittsburgh. If the Chargers pull off the upset against the Broncos, he may want to avoid Denver for future vacations as well.

I'd like to point out to all those who state they don't see the point of hiring NFL officials full time, I'm looking in your direction Peter King, that maybe this particular situation could be reason enough? If the officials worked full time, then perhaps they would be focused solely on the game and how to properly officiating it rather than splitting their attention between football and how they make a living. If they had this sole year round focus to really absorb the rules, know and drill extensively about what to expect and look for in any conceivable situation, then possibly they don't miss things like an illegal overload to one side on a field goal attempt, and then the Steelers, Chiefs, Bengals and their fan bases aren't griping to the NFL for the entirety of the off season.

Brady has a 17-7 playoff record

Peyton is 9-11

What’s that say…

The Steel Pit

So far the off season has started off relatively quiet. Team president Art Rooney II made the media rounds, and stated he was excited about how the team finished, pleased with the direction of the team and looking forward with great anticipation to the 2014 season.

So far, who stays, who goes, what free agents get resigned and who gets released, Roethlisberger's potential contract extension, any coaching changes and many other questions are just now being asked. Hopefully, the beginning of some answers will emerge soon.

Only In Faux NFL Reality…

Jim Harbaugh made a moronic statement after the 49ers win, calling Michael Crabtree the greatest catcher. How stupid, everyone knows that arguably the greatest catcher is Johnny Bench. Oh, he meant receiver? Well, in that case he's even dumber, since that title is held by FORMER 49er Jerry Rice. You know, that guy catching passes in a suit during the goodbye ceremony for Candlestick Park? It would seem the dumbest player instructor, or is it coach, sits in the head office for the 49ers.

It would seem the Puppy Bowl is on target to destroy the Super Bowl in ratings this year. I'm a huge Puppy Bowl fan, but I don't see it happening. Let's get real here. People love to gawk at accidents, and this Super Bowl in New Jersey is shaping up to be a real train wreck. Sorry Puppy Bowl, but you don't have a chance.

Professional wrestler Ric Flair gave a pep talk to the 49ers before their game. Well no wonder they won. Come on Green Bay, you couldn't call up Rowdy Roddy Piper?

More wrestling/football crossover news, as it turns out that Hulk Hogan is a Patriots fan. I guess this makes sense, considering Hogan's persona in the 1980's wrestling scene, but for shame Hulkster, for shame.

With more former players finding fault with the NFL's concussion settlement and opting out to take their chances at individual lawsuits, it appears the deal is in danger of falling apart. Ok, now who here is surprised that Goodell's quick fix to the NFL's dirty concussion secret is failing?

Speaking of ol' Rog, it looks like he's up to his old tricks again. Seems the commish wants to expand the NFL further, potentially playing the Super Bowl overseas in London. Come on Goodell, don't you think we should wait to see if this current cold weather Super Bowl experiment works out first before we make any big new promises?

And to the surprise of no one, a Philadelphia fan spit on a New Orleans fan during their game. You stay classy Philadelphia.

Upon Further Review

For me, this season I think one of the most enjoyable stories all year has been the maturity and leadership of Michael Vick. This year, I believe we finally saw him become the man he could be, should have been, and one we all hoped we would see upon his return to the NFL.

I understand that many will never forgive or give Vick any quarter. And I completely understand. The dog lover and owner in me will never forgive Vick for his past actions. And that part of me has trouble reconciling with the other parts of me that support Vick's attempts to rebuild his life and career.

But I have always believed that as a nation that believes in second chances and redemption, Vick's story has always been one to potentially be a great one. And this year, I think we've really seen the fruit it bears.

Michael Vick has shown incredible leadership, intelligence and poise in a season that may have marked his last in the NFL as a starting caliber quarterback.

This season, Vick showed true leadership. When teammate Riley Cooper was caught publicly using a hateful racial epithet, the devastation in the locker room could have derailed the season before it even began. A Caucasian man using such insults when he works with African American men, the divide could have been great. But Vick took control of the situation. He defused the controversy, stood up for his embattled teammate and even went so far to chastise his younger brother who had stepped over the line in reaction to Cooper's antics. It showed true leadership of the locker room and of his team

It also showed to me a tremendous amount of compassion as well. Vick stood up for a fellow teammate that made a terrible mistake. He could have piled on him like many were doing and chastised him for his mistake. Instead he reached out to a man who made a mistake, and helped lift him up and support him through a tough time. That showed incredible compassion and kindness.

But he didn't stop there. He also showed incredible humility, intelligence and support when the change at quarterback came. He could have blown up, demanded his job back, and become a real distraction to the team. Instead, he supported the team and its decision to go forward with Nick Foles as the offensive field general. He went even further by helping Foles learn his new role as a starting NFL quarterback. His magnanimous support of Foles allowed the team to overcome a sluggish start, win the division and host a playoff game.

A small part of me was rooting for the Eagles to win it all just for Michael Vick. It feels weird just saying such a thing, but it's true. To me, at least, he has shown incredible growth as a person, teammate, friend and human being since his downfall brought on by his hubris and despicable ways.

For me, the 2013 NFL season will be the season that marks the rise of the Michael Vick redemption story. And in true redemption fashion, it cost him his most coveted professional desire, to be a starting NFL quarterback, to truly realize his full potential. This is the stuff of heart warming movies. I wonder if Disney has purchased the film rights yet.

NFL Firing Line

Exciting moves and plenty of intrigue color the NFL coaching searches. Here's where we stand.

Cincinnati: – To replace Jay Gruden, see below, the Bungles hired Hue Jackson to be the teams new offensive coordinator. Watch your back Marvin Lewis.

Cleveland: - The team as interviewed several candidates, but leading candidate Josh McDaniels removed himself from consideration. Wow, how terrible must the Browns situation be if even McDaniels says no?

Detroit: - Apparently, the job is Ken Whisenhunt's to lose. I guess we'll see what happens whenever San Diego exits the playoffs.

Miami: - The team fired offensive coordinator Mike Sherman, and came to a mutual parting of the ways with general manager Jeff Ireland. That's a good start, but with that team, and what they allow behind closed doors, I'd keep going with the firings.

Minnesota: - The team's search phase is over, and apparently the leading candidate is Bungles defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. What is with teams thinking guys who coached a team that has not won a playoff game since 1990 are a good bet?

Tennessee: - The Titans are taking their time and being patient in their coaching search. That sounds good, but dang, give us something to wag gums about.

Washington: - The Snyders hired Bungles offensive coordinator Jay Gruden as their new head coach. Yeah, that'll work out well. Let's all meet back here in 3 years for the next new Washington head coach.

He Said He Said

"People talked about cold weather and it would be a tough-to-catch ball, but the greatest catcher of all time, Michael Crabtree, catches everything. If my life depended on it and someone had to catch a ball, I'd enlist Michael Crabtree to do it." - 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh on receiver Michael Crabtree

Considering Crabtree's history and penchant for dropping balls, I’ll take that bet. Hey Harbaugh, I'm your huckleberry.

“It’s mind over matter.” - 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick on going sleeveless in Green Bay

Yeah, he didn't mind because all that mattered is no sleeves means everyone gets to see his cool tats.

“I left everything out there. I’m too tired to drive. I just want to go to sleep.” - Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton after his transcendent performance in not wanting to drive home

Is there anyone available to drive a future All Pro receiver home?

“They had their hearts ripped out. They should hurt. That’ll make us better.” - Chiefs head coach Andy Reid

Yeah, that would. What would also make the team better is their coach not making terrible clock management decisions or bad play calls that preserve time for an opponent who is fighting the clock. But I guess that didn't need to be said.

"What can I say? I've always been a very good heel." - professional wrestler Ric Flair on the controversy of his support for the 49ers while also having been supportive of the Panthers, who reside in his former city

WHOOOOOOO!

“In the end we were not able to agree on the direction of the franchise. We’re looking for great things. If you look at where we are as a team, it was probably time to make a change.” - Titans general manager Ruston Webster on the firing of head coach Mike Munchak

Wait for it.....

“I can’t fire someone when I don’t believe they should be fired. Firing someone is awful.” - former Titans head coach Mike Munchak, to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Reportedly, Munchak was fired in part due to his hesitation to fire staff members.

Apparently, Munchak and Webster have very different feelings regarding letting go of people.

“Because certainly, the light is at the end of the tunnel for me, no question. And so, I think you enjoy these things maybe even more than maybe you have in the past.” – Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning on his career winding down and savoring every moment

This one’s….for Peyton! Nah, just doesn’t have the same ring to it, no pun intended.

Idiot of the Week

Lots of idiots this week. Lots and lots of idiots. Our nominees include:

Andy Reid - How do you lose a 28 point 3rd quarter lead? Yes, the team was riddled by injuries, but still. How? And when you had their defense out of position at the end of the game, and a chance for the winning touchdown, you call time out? Wow.

Jay Gruden - Damn man, have you ever heard of a hurry up offense? Or at least of the concept?

Phillip Rivers - Really, a bolo tie? Are you auditioning for the Cowboys?

All worthy of winning, and its truly an honor just to be nominated. But this week our winner is......Washington owner Daniel Snyder!

First Snyder, in cleaning house after the dismal season, announces he's retaining defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. I guess the team didn't bother to look at the defensive statistics, or even the game film, from the 2013 season.

Next, he hired as his new head coach, an occasion to which Snyder is well accustomed, Bengals offensive coordinator Jay "no I'm not Jon" Gruden. The hiring seems to be based on Gruden's reputation as an offensive guru and developer of quarterbacks, but have you seen how far he’s developed Andy Dalton as a quarterback? In all fairness, Dalton most likely an average quarterback at best, so there's only so much any coach could do with limited material. But Gruden is the one who lobbied to draft Dalton over the owner’s first choice of Colin Kaepernick. Gruden didn’t think Kaepernick was as good as Dalton.

And finally, we get this wonderful article from The Washington Monthly, that succinctly encapsulates what an arrogant, elitist scumbag Snyder truly is. Looking past the initial items in the story, how he has driven the franchise into the ground, increasingly raises prices for an ever cheapening product, and sues grandmothers because they cannot afford to pay his astronomical ticket prices, we get to the heart of this story. How Snyder, who wanted a river view from his home, almost got an innocent man sent to prison because he blew the whistle on a sweetheart deal Snyder had made to cut down trees belonging to the National Park Service. Trees and park area that belong to all Americans, not just the entitled.

So for continually making bad football decision after bad decision, increasingly bilking fans out of money and providing less and less of a quality, or even decent, product in return and for basically being a wealthy, entitled, selfish, arrogant egomaniac who would have fit in well in pre revolution France, Daniel Snyder, you are an idiot.

On Tap This Week

Boy, the wildest thing about Wild Card weekend was the aim on my picks, as in it was way way off.

Last week: 1-3

Season to Date: 166-94

Ok, let's try this again....

Saturday

New Orleans (12-5) at Seattle (13-3)

I smell 2005 Steelers at Colts all over this one. And yes, I know, Seattle is my NFC horse. But something just seems off about this one. I'm sure I could be wrong, but dang, it really feels like the same setup and situation. Perhaps I'm just having flashbacks or something. Oh, sorry, I forgot to switch over to Beast Mode. My bad. Ok, everything is green and blue now.

Seahawks over Saints

Indianapolis (12-5) at New England (12-4)

You can question Tom Brady's age, his diminishing skills, his lack of true weapons, his no name no star defense, Belichick's penchant for trying to do everything on the sidelines, the team’s injury bug and decimated depth, Brady’s 7-7 playoff record in his last 14 games or anything else you want. Indianapolis barely squeaked out a 1 point victory last week, at home, to a team that by the end was using third string cornerbacks and running backs just to field 11 guys. You feel good about them on the road against the most successful head coach/quarterback combination of the last 15 years? I thought so.

Patriots over Colts

Sunday

San Francisco (13-4) at Carolina (12-4)

Apparently, Ric Flair speaking to San Francisco last week kicked up a maelstrom of nonsense to the point where Flair will not be at the game this week.. Flair used to live in Charlotte, and has been receiving death threats for supporting Carolina's opponent. He also knows some of the Panthers team members and the coaches, and some of the players have adopted his WHOOO! as part of their game preparations. Wow, who knew this was such a big deal? What I want to know is, how come no NFL team has adopted Junkyard Dog or Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka as their official wrestler?

Panthers over 49ers

San Diego (10-7) at Denver (13-3)

I've been looking at this San Diego situation all wrong. I need to be rooting FOR them. The more they win and stay in the playoffs, the more the light shines on the horrific state of officiating in the NFL, how convoluted the rules are, how capriciously they are enforced and how stupid Roger Goodell looks for not addressing this issue head on. Plus, since they've been doing everything the opposite of my desires all season, if I start pulling for them, the more likely they'll just lose. So I should pick them to win!

Oh even I'm not that stupid. As much as I question Peyton's playoff ability, I'm not questioning it this week. Although If he "pulls a Peyton" and loses this game, I'm advocating for Eli to publicly taunt his brother with his TWO "Patriot slaying" Super Bowl rings.

Broncos over Chargers