NFL Sunday Recap - End of the Regular Season Edition!

Ok, so after taking a week off for the post-Christmas/New Year period, its time to look at some playoff teams:

NFC Top Seeds:
New Orleans Saints
The Saints looked great for 14 weeks, the terrible the last three. Of course, they weren't helped by sitting Drew Brees this week. They managed to finish in the top six of every major team offensive category, but 20th or worse in every defensive category. Their plan should have been to work on their mistakes in the final game of the season, then take the week off. Instead, the rested players and lost to the Carolina Panthers, 23-10. They have two weeks to fix things now, but that also means two weeks for rust to collect. The only good knews they have right now is that they can't play Dallas, the team that gave them their first loss, as their first opponent. That news actually isn't all that great when you consider that their potential opponents are Green Bay, Philly, and defending NFC Champ Arizona.

Minnesota Vikings
Whether or not the Vikes are facing a schizm between the head coach and QB is irrelevant at this point. The fact is they beat the Giants, 44-7, in the finale, putting at least a little momentum behind them going into their bye week. They still need to get their running game going, though. Best case scenario for them would be Philly and Green Bay winning their games. That would ensure a third meeting against the Packers, a team they already beat twice in the regular season. It doesn't look likely, since Philly already lost twice to the Cowboys, but that doesn't mean it won't. A worst case scenario would probably be a Cowboys win. Remember what Julius Peppers did to Brett Favre a couple of weeks ago? Just think of what DeMarcus Ware would do. It wouldn't be pretty.

3 & 4 Seeds:
Dallas Cowboys
The 'Boys and their fans have to be breathing a sigh of relief this week. Not only did the team not suffer another Cowboy Collapse, but they face an Eagles team they've already beaten twice. If this week's 24-0 beating of the Eagles is to be believed, the Cowboys are probably the hottest NFC team going into the playoffs. They've won their last three games by a combined score of 65-17, which includes two shutouts and their 24-17 win over New Orleans. Their offense is one of the league's best, and their 15.6 points allowed per game is second only to the Jets. If the 'Boys are really over their December/January woes, they could make the Super Bowl this year.

Arizona Cardinals
Fresh off a 33-7 pounding at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, the Cards will be facing their first round opponent, the Green Bay Packers. Despite what the loss looked like, the Cards were resting pretty much everybody. The concern is a couple of potentially major injuries to the starters that did play. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, WR Anquan Boldin, and DE Calais Campbell all left the game with injuries of varying severities. They'll all be evaluated this week, and if any of them can't play, it would be a major blow to the Cards. It could be one-and-done for last year's Super Bowl loser.

Wild Card Teams:
Green Bay Packers
The Packers have the luck of being one of the three teams to face a team they just beat, and the defense to take advantage of it. Lost in the stories of how many sacks Aaron Rodgers was taking was the simple fact that the Pack has one of the NFL's best defenses. They are ranked first in rush defense, second in total yards allowed, and seventh in points allowed. Their offense also scores 10 more points per game than their defense gives up. Thats a recipe for success. Of course, now they need to back that up. The big question mark going into their rematch on their attitude. Will they change the way they play with Kurt Warner back under center this week? Or will they carry the emotion of their blowout win into the playoffs the way the Giants did after narrowly losing to the Patriots before going on to win Super Bowl XLII?

Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have to be worried after this week. With both teams playing their starters, they got shut out in Dallas and lost the NFC East as a result. Before the season I said Philly would win the Super Bowl. During the season I said they'd never win a Super Bowl with Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook. This week was a game with playoff implications, and was also Westbrook's second game working back into the offense since his concussion. His nine times touching the ball were most on the team, and they couldn't score a point. Things do not look good in Philly right now, and they won't look any better when they play in Dallas again this week.

AFC Top Seeds:
Indianapolis Colts
What a difference a few weeks makes. After Week 15, we were all wondering if the Colts could go unbeaten. After Week 16, everyone was pissed they pulled their starters and lost to the Jets. And after Week 17, everyone is wondering what the Colts gameplan was and is for the playoffs. In blizzard-like conditions, the Colts starters played the first quarter in Buffalo, and the team lost, 30-7. Over the past few years, when Peyton Manning doesn't play the whole game at the end of the season, the Colts have been bounced in their first playoff game. When he did play, they made it to the AFC Championship Game one season, and won the Super Bowl the other. Looking at potential match-ups, it would be hard to believe the Colts wouldn't make the Championship Game again. Then again, stranger things have happened.

San Diego Chargers
If the Cowboys are the hottest team in the NFC, the Chargers are the hottest team in the NFL. They are the anti-Colts. After their terrible 2-3 start, they've pulled off 11 straight wins. And yet, aside from their fifth-ranked passing game, there is nothing about this team that stands out. They are second-to-last in rush offense, 10th in total offense, and outside the top 10 in every major team defensive category. And yet, here they are, on the strength of Philip Rivers, and not much else. Somehow, it is also hard to believe they won't make the Championship Game. And then, somehow, based on the idea they will probably face the Colts, they will make the Super Bowl.

3 & 4 Seeds:
New England Patriots
The Pats have been up and down this season, but they certainly earned their playoff spot. Tom Brady knocked the early season rust off, and they made a strong statement that they can play with the best. Play with, but not beat. Three of their six losses came against other playoff teams, and a fourth against the then 4-0 Denver Broncos. There defense is in good-but-not-great territory, sitting just outside the top 10 in most categories. Their offense is what has carried them. Brady's early season misfires gave way to a passing game that ended the season ranked third in the NFL. It was a different team that almost lost to the Ravens in Week 4 in New England. This one may be better, but it isn't good enough to make the Super Bowl.

Cincinnati Bengals
Much like Eagles fans, the people of Cincinnati have to be concerned about their playoff hopes. Their first round opponent just shut them out, and Chad Ochocinco is having an MRI on the knee he injured in pregame warmups as I type this. Is all hope lost? Certainly not. The Jets beat a team that was sitting any starter that had even a minor injury. That included team rushing leading Cedric Benson and defensive run-stopper Robert Geathers. Both are expected to start in the playoffs. Of course that doesn't mean a Week 17 blow-out loss will turn into an easy win, but it should at least make things more competitive.

Wild Card Teams:
Baltimore Ravens
For the Ravens, this season has mostly been business as usual. They win games with a stiffling defense and a solid running game. That can only get you so far. It also shows a similarity with New England, their first round opponent: they can play with the best, but not beat them. All seven of their losses came against teams in the playoffs, and eight of their nine wins were against teams that finished 9-7 or worse. The only aberration was a 31-26 win over San Diego in Week 2. Their strong-defense-and-run-the-ball gameplan may have gotten them this far, but it won't get them past the first round.

New York Jets
I saved the Jets for last even though they're a higher seed than the Ravens for one simple reason: People keep saying the Jets don't belong in the playoffs. The idea of that is completely rediculous. The Jets didn't make the playoffs simply by winning their last two games. They also needed a bunch of teams ahead of them to lose. The fact of the matter is, first and foremost, that none of those teams could get it done. If the Jets beat the Colts and Bengals backups rather than, say, the Rams and Lions starters has no bearing on the Jets being in the playoffs. The fact remains that the Jets won, and other teams didn't. Aside from that, people that say the Jets don't belong keep ignoring the statistics. The Jets may have finished the season second to last in passing offense, but they were first in rush offense, passing defense, total defense, and points allowed. Does anyone really think a team that finished #1 in that many categories doesn't belong in the playoffs? Will it get them very far? Maybe. I doubt they will make the Championship Game, and if they do, I doubt they would make the Super Bowl. But when you have a #1 defense, anything is possible.

Rookie Roundup: Using a complex scoring system to rank two major rookies for the season

Week 16:
Mark Sanchez: 12/19, 106 yards, 2 sacks
Points: 8.3, 60.45 overall

Matthew Stafford: DNP
Points: 0, 69.15 overall

Week 16 Winner: Sanchez

Week 17:
Mark Sanchez: 8/16, 63 yards, 2 rushing yards
Points: 3.15, 63.6 overall

Matthew Stafford: DNP
Points: 0, 69.15 overall

Week 17 Winner: Sanchez

Overall Winner: Matthew Stafford, without playing since Week 13, thanks to the Jets conservative play down the stretch.

What Have We Learned?: Three things we can take away from this season
JaMarcus Russell looks like a bust
If you thought Russell was bad before this season, then your opinion is probably set in stone at this point. The Raiders began the season 2-7 with Russell as their starter before benching him after Week 10. Unfortunately for them, the rest of their QBs kept getting hurt. The good news is, at least he couldn't stop them from winning games he didn't start. After the benching, the team went 3-4. Russell played in one of those wins, and two loses. Records aren't enough to prove a player is bad, though. His stats prove it, too. On the season, Russell totaled 120 completions on 246 pass attempts for a 48.8 completion percentage. He had 3 TDs, 11 INTs, and lost 6 fumbles. He only had one game where he threw for a score and didn't turn the ball over, and even in that game he fumbled the ball once. Could he be a backup somewhere? Sure, I guess he proved that at least. But without some kind of major help, he'll most likely never be a competent starting QB.

The Vince Young Express is back!
In a reverse of the 2008 season, this time it was VY coming off the bench to help the Tennessee Titans. Last year, with the team unbeaten, Young went down with an injury. Kerry Collins took over for him and never gave the job up, leading the Titans to a 13-3 record. This year, with the team 0-6, Vince took over for an ineffective Collins after the Week 7 bye and led the team on a 8-2 run that had them barely missing the playoffs. If JaMarcus Russell proved he isn't a starting QB, Young clearly proved he is.

Rookie/rookie pairings can still work
Last season, we had the crazy result of two teams making the playoffs with a rookie head coach and a rookie QB. It was looked at as an aberration, and really, it is. So while some teams still struggle with a rookie/rookie situation, the Jets made it work. There were growing pains along the way, but both Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan learned from their mistakes. Ryan learned clock management and took a greater interest in the offensive side of the ball. Through a red/yellow/green system, Sanchez has been learning when he needs to make a play, and when he should just hold on to the ball. He's also learning how and when to slide. By limiting their mistakes down the stretch, the Jets went from a lost season to a 9-7 record and a Wild Card berth in the playoffs. Even if they lose in the first round, it shows that a rookie head coach and a rookie QB really can win together. And if the Ravens and Falcons are any indication, it should set up for more competitive seasons in the future.