For starters, I couldn't be happier for both the Seahawks and Jaguars. Both teams sweated out pretty tough victories, but in the end it was pretty clear that the better teams won. In both games, the winners dominated throughout the first half and for most of the third quarter, faltered and actually relinquished their leads and then fought back and took back what looked to be theirs from the get-go. The Steelers put up more of a fight than the Skins and Collins(who showed why he has been a carreer backup), but they fell short to the much more physical and multi-dimensional Jags. It just looked like the Jags wanted it more. Regarding Collins, what yesterday's game showed is that while he can make a lot of the throws over the middle of the field, he does not have enough arm strength to get the ball out on sideline routs. On any timing based routes outside the hash-marks, his recievers were well into their breaks when he was just releasing the ball, allowing the Seahawks' DB's to get all over the receivers or pick off the ball. Bad sideline throws often turn into six points the other way, and that game was no exception. If he starts next year for the Skins, or any team for that matter, look for defenses to force him into sideline throws. He just doesn't have enough zip in his arm.

All that being said, the reason I wrote this blog is to praise two of my favorite coaches in the league, Mike Holmgren and Jack Del Rio. Del Rio took an enormous risk in the pre-season and instead of just swapping Gerrard and Leftwich on the depth chart, he cut Leftwich and put all of his eggs in the Gerrard basket, which any competitive player would love to have his coach do. Cutting Leftwich was the ultimate vote of confidendce by Del Rio and it has paid off tremendously. The way Del-Rio is able to get as much as he does out of such an underwhelming roster is very admirable and under appreciated. They do have stud RB's, but the coached have done a great job all year long in how they have gotten a decent quarterback to play like a Pro-Bowler, and the same could be said about the receivers. Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Earnest Wilford, Dennis Northcut and Mercedis Lewis don't exactly scare anybody, but they are big, physical guys that have come up with big plays all year long. The defense, even with the attention it has garnered the last few years, is still underrated. The linebackers are seldom heard of and most fans couldn't name two of them, let alone one. Again, the job Del Rio and his staff has done with their units is exceptional and can not go unnoticed.

The other winning coach, Mike Holmgren,(contrary to public opinion, and the opinion of Jerome Bettis for that matter) told the world that he planned on abandoning the run and would throw all day, and nobody, not even the hottest team in the NFC, has been able to really shut down his offense, evgen on a day where his quarterback played a lot worse than he is capable of. Holmgren is one of the most candid and secure coaches in all of sports, and doesn't bother hiding his emotions or sugarcoating his opinions, among other things. He also does something that I and fellow Chicagoans have come to believe as impossible, hold open practices, as reported by ESPN 1000 Bears' reporter Jeff Dickerson, my favorite Bears' reporter in Chicago. Holmgren actually came on ESPN Radio about two weeks ago and said flat out that his offense is and will continue to be very pass-heavy and made no bones about it. After listening to Lovie Smith pontificate, waffle, flip flop and cliche his way through his weekly press conferences, listening to Holmgren kinda opened my eyes as to what a good, honest guy Mike Holmgren is. I can't help but love the big fella.

This is no way intended to slight the other coaches who have brought their teams to the playoffs. Jeff Fisher, Tony Dungy and obviously Bill Belichik are all tremendous coaches and have done great jobs with their respective teams. From the remaining coaches, I would have to say that I have been least impressed by the jobs done by Mike Tomlin, Tom Coughlin and Joe Gibbs. When you consider all three coaches' personel and what they have had at their disposal, their accomplishments have not been too impressive. The Chargers have regressed a bit, but I think Norv turner has them playing good football and I expect them to at least take at least one playoff game, perhaps even more. Mike McCarthy has also done a good job in Green Bay, but the real praise should be given to the management and scouts who have brought in all of those good, young receivers and linemen who have made what they do on offense possible. Wade Phillips has a tremendously talented roster and I need to see how he does in the playoffs before I really formulate an opinion on him.

The games today were great and hopeful tomorrow's will be even better, although i don't think they will be nearly as good. San Diego will beat up on the Titans and i expect the elder Kiffin to put together a good enough defensive gameplan to shut down Eli and force 2-3 INT's. It will be close until the fourth quarter, in which Eli decides he is too close to playing a decent, complete game and throws a pick six, and the game for that matter, into the waiting hands of Mr. Ronde Barber.

Without going too in-depth in my analysis of each of the NFC's teams, here are my quick, consise thoughts on what each team will do in the upcoming 07 season. The order the teams are listed in have nothing to do with how i think each division will shape up.

NFC North
Chicago Bears- The defense is good enough to get a bye in the NFC on it's own. Even a decent offensive performance from last year's highest scoring team(NFC) should at least get them home field advantage.

Green Bay Packers- Brett Favre's last hoorah. From what i have heard from up north in Green Bay, the end of the Favre era couldnt get here any quicker. An imporoving defense and semi-decent offense will make them the tallest of the other three NFC North midgets.

Minnesota Vikings- A goop defensive team with no offense whatsoever. Chester Taylor and Adrian peterson are good, but even the best struggle when defenses consistently pack eight men in the box. Its up to Tarvaris Jackson, but he isnt up to the task.

Detroit Lions- Jon Kitna says a minimum of ten wins are in store for the Lions.... I say 7 or eight maximum. Last time a Lion ran his mouth(Roy Williams on the Bears) there was a massacre in Soldier Field. The offense will have it's highs, but the team overall will have many, many lows.

NFC West
Seattle Seahawks- A strong team. If Alexander comes back strong and Hasselback can make it through another season full of nagging injuries, this team will take the division, which from what i have heard, has already been handed to....

San Fransisco 49'ers- The new hot sh%$ in the NFC. Everybody is ready to annoint them, but if they go out and play like they did against the Bears in the only pre-season game that means anything, which i think they will, another 8-8 or 9-7 season is in store for San Fran. By the way, Nate Clements, their big-time signing this offseason, was destroyed by Bernard Berrian.

St. Louis- What an offense. Too bad the defense is among the worst in the league. The offense will thrill but the defense will thouroughly dissapoint. The offense will keep them in games, but i see some high scoring losses for the Rams. Still, a playoff birth is a reasonable expectation for this offensive beast.

Arizona Cardinals- New Coaching Staff, Revamped Offensive Line, same old story, at least for one more season. Leinart will perform well but the offensive line will hold the running game back. I expect the line to imporve a bit, but if it doesnt, Leinart will have a season to forget. The defense also has a long way to go.

NFC South
New Orleans Saints- I cant stand the Saints and am a bit biased, but i will admit that the Saints are a good team. Good, but not great, as many seem to think. They were thoroughly thumped in the NFC Championship game last season and the recievers as a whole are extremely young. The defense, the secondary in particular, will have to improve greatly if they want to get home field in the playoffs.

Carolina Panthers- This team will be a thorn in the Saints side all season long. They have an easier schedule than the Saints but have what i believe to be a more complete team. Oh yeah, that Steve Smith guy is pretty good too. I think there is a very good chance that the Panthers take the division crown back this year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Quantity over Quality. That seems to be the theme when it comes to their group of QB's. Honestly, they have a bunch of trash at their position. Jeff Garcia had a good 1/2 season for the Eagles last year, but the Bucs are a different team. Cadillac, even with his immense talent, will have another poor season.Tteams will stack up against the run and force them to pass, and that will absolutely work.

Atlanta Falcons- Quite frankly, even a falcons team WITH Michael Vick doesnt scare me that much. What has been forgotten throughout this whole dogfighting mess is that he hasnt been too good as of late. Joey Harrington, one of the many failed draft picks of Matt Millen, will show all Atlantians why he wasnt even good enough to start in Detroit. Atlanta is perhaps the worst team in the NFC.

NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles- Look no further for the comeback player of the year. Donovan McNabb, when healthy, is the best QB in the NFC. I would rather have him than Bulger, Romo, Hasselback or even
Drew Brees. The Eagles will take back the East crown and McNabb will make a Pro Bowler out of Reggie Brown. The defense is also one of the most underrated year in and year out.

New York Giants- Not as bad as advertised. I expect a decent season from the Giants. Eli Manning, in his quest to make a (good)name for himself, will step up and improve on his not-so-bad numbers of last year. However, his supporting cast, i.e the defense and running game, will weigh down the Giants and keep them out of the Playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys- Tony Romo is perhaps one of the most undeservedly heralded quarterback in the league this side of Matt Schaub. He played well last year but rarely do undiscovered QB's emerge out of the shadows and light the world on fire. The Cowboys are a good team and will be competitive in each and every game, but they dont have enough firepower, on defense or offense, to beat the Eagles out for the top spot in the strongest division in the NFC.

Washington Redskins- Does any other team in the league have so many unheard of players? When i think of the Skins', the only big name players that come to mind are Portis, Taylor and Moss. Their offense is very old-school and somewhat out-dated. The defense doesnt exactly strike fear in an opponent either. Book it, another season at the cellar of the East.