LETS GO PLAYOFFING!!

Starting with the early game and working our way forwards:

Ravens - Titans

Sometimes when two teams get together and its a low scoring game people say that it was a defensive struggle. People would certainly say that about this game. I would not be one of those people though. This was an offensive struggle. This was a struggle to keep me interested. If I were CBS I would have cut to pictures of hot chicks dancing in between plays just to pique people's interests. Now I understand why people gamble on games that they don't have a natural rooting interest in.

I can't even sum up what happened for you, simply because I don't think anything did happen. Each team had the ball, failed to move anywhere, and then punted. The game winning FG wasn't exciting because it happened late in the game, but more because someone had the ball close enough to actually kick a FG.

A lot of people have likened this run by the Ravens to their title run in 2000 because they win with defense, because they beat the Titans on the way to the title, and because Ray Lewis threatened to hurt them if they didn't. I however liken it to that title run because that was the most boring Super Bowl I remember watching. Just mind numbingly bad. That and beating Kerry Collins.

Cardinals - Panthers

Back by popular demand (and by that I mean, I liked it, so I'm bringing it back) we look at the Cardinals game through the thoughts of their backup QB, Matt Leinart.

Jonathan Stewart opens the scoring with a 7-yd TD run - Matt thinks - I wonder which Carolina we're in.

Cardinals tie the game at 7 after a Kurt Warner 3-yd TD pass to Tim Hightower - Matt thinks - Nothing actually. He was asleep on the bench when this happened, but the sound from his teammates cheering woke him up.

Edgerrin James puts the Cardinals up for good, 14-7, following a 4-yd TD run - Matt thinks - Did Edge play for USC like me? I think maybe I remember he and I were teammates before this.

Jake Delhomme opens the second quarter with an interception - Matt thinks - I could have thrown that interception. Piece of cake.

Jake Delhomme throws his second interception - Matt thinks - if this guy's a starter, I should be able to get a job starting somewhere too. I mean really. I can throw 2 picks in a game.

Jake Delhomme throws his third interception, just minutes after a Kurt Warner INT - Matt thinks - I'm heading over to the Panthers sideline right now. They could really use me right now.

Jake Delhomme throws his fourth pick of the game - Matt thinks - Again, Matt was asleep. He was going to go over to become a Panther, but couldn't figure out how to cross the field during the game, so he gave up.

Jake Delhomme throws his fifth pick - Matt thinks - That's four interceptions. Even I never did that.

Jake Delhomme throws a meaningless TD to get his team within 20 points - Matt thinks - Well I guess they don't need me anymore. Too bad we couldn't have won this game. I would have really liked a chance to sell an NFC Title ring.

OTHER HEADLINES

- Utah finishes the season ranked #2 in AP polls. So people honestly believe that Utah would beat USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State, etc.? Forget a plus-one system to determine champion, I want one to prove once and for all that just because a non-BCS team like Utah beats Alabama and finishes undefeated, doesn't mean they're better than everyone else or even Alabama. On that same point, TCU is ranked above the co-Big Ten Champs, which simply makes no sense. How can a team that's only game against a legitimately ranked team (sorry Boise State, you didn't beat anyone either) was a 35-10 loss to Oklahoma be considered a top-10 team. Stupid. Seriously, that's just stupid.

- Adam "Pacman" Jones believes that even though he was cut by the Cowboys that his playing days in Dallas aren't over. He's right. I believe Dallas does have an Arena team and he'd be a perfect fit on that squad.

- Rod Marinelli gets a job as the D-Line coach for the Bears. Apparently in those two games the Bears played against they Lions this year they must have been really impressed by the way Lions' D-Line attacked. It's good to know that someone saw something positive about how the Lions played this year, because I was beginning to think no one would. In a related note, Staples still has no interest in hiring Rod Marinelli, but the manager was quoted as saying "we wish Rod the best of luck in his future endeavors, however, we can't understand why anyone thinks he has any marketable skills. "