There's a buzz all over America, ever increasing in volume, reminding us that the NFL will be here soon. Right now the 2008 season is a clean slate and the possibilities are endless. Will your team make the NFL Playoffs this year? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they won't, and here's why:

AFC East:

Buffalo Bills. Their defense stinks, their offense stinks, and they only won seven games last year because of luck and good special teams play. There'll be frozen tears in Buffalo this winter.

Miami Dolphins. They were the worst team in the NFL last year and then they got rid of Jason Taylor. Perhaps this year they can achieve the goal that eluded them last year: an alldefeated season.

New England Patriots. It takes a lot of hard work to go undefeated during the regular season. Judging by their preseason the Patriots are still worn out both mentally and physically and age is starting to creep up on them. After being the victims of the biggest upset in Super Bowl history they're ready to be the biggest disappointment in regular season history.

New York Jets. Q: Why did the Packers want to get rid of Brett Favre? A: Because he's old and thinks the NFL revolves around him. The Jets were the only suckers who wanted to deal with his drama, and it will be the downfall of the kelly green. The Madden curse lives on!

AFC North:

Baltimore Ravens. They were awful last year and then Jonathan Ogden retired. With an aging defense and an inexperienced offensive line the Ravens have no chance of playing past December.

Cincinnati Bengals. They brought back problem child Chris Henry and their star receiver is forcing everyone to call him by the digits of his jersey number in Spanish. They'll be lucky if they get through a single down without some sort of distraction coming up.

Cleveland Browns. The Browns tried to improve their run defense with a tackle from Detroit, another team that was weak against the run. Real smart, boys. The Dawg Pound is going to be walking home with their tails between their legs an awful lot this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers. The loss of Alan Faneca is a huge blow to their offensive line. Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker won't have the same success as last year without proper blocking. Better get used to losing to the Browns, Steeler fans.

AFC South:

Houston Texans. They may have had the best season in their short history last year, but they still finished in last place. Their division is just too stacked. The Texans' only hope for contention is realignment.

Jacksonville Jaguars. Matt Jones' very presence on the team is a distraction. He was arrested for cocaine possession in July and doesn't even know his team's playbook. The fact that they keep him around tells you that this organization doesn't care about winning. The mediocre season turned in by the Jaguars will only hasten their move to a new city.

Indianapolis Colts. Marvin Harrison won't be the same after last year's injury and the O-line will struggle early on without Jeff Saturday. By the time the Colts are all on the same page it'll be too late to think postseason. At least Peyton Manning has a dad he can talk to about it, since Archie was well-acquainted with missing the Playoffs.

Tennessee Titans. The Titans' offense depends too much on Vince Young. This will be his third NFL season, and teams are learning how to neutralize him. Once he's out of the equation the Titans will be out of the Playoff picture.

AFC West:

Denver Broncos. They let Jason Elam, one of the best kickers in the game, sign with the Falcons. Elam made the Broncos a pretty consistent team during his time in Denver, but without him they'll be struggling to win six games. The only thing in Denver thinner than the air is the Broncos' depth chart.

Kansas City Chiefs. Larry Johnson is nothing without Will Shields. Jared Allen is now playing in Minnesota. Tony Gonzalez is on the wrong side of 30. Their long snapper is French Canadian. The Chiefs are going to be terrible.

Oakland Raiders. Their owner is senile and they strengthened a weak defense by adding some overrated players. Commitment to excellence? Excuse me while I scoff.

San Diego Chargers. Their coach is Norv Turner. This team had the talent to win more than 11 games last year, but ol' Norv found a way for them to underachieve. The farther in the past Marty Schottenheimer gets the worse the Chargers will get. The only successful Bolt that will come out of 2008 is Usain.

NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys. Terrell Owens is like a time bomb. Sooner or later he always becomes a distraction that's too big for the rest of the team to overcome. With malcontents like Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson in the mix these Cowboys are on the verge of sel####estruction. America's Team might have to apply for a new country after they bring shame to this one.

New York Giants. Their defensive line was one of their biggest strengths and then they lost Michael Strahan to retirement and Osi Umenyiora to injury. They got lucky last year, but without the pass rush it's not going to happen again. The 2008 Giants will have a lot in common with the 2006 Steelers.

Philadelphia Eagles. They have lots of talent, but it's not enough in this division. Brian Westbrook's numbers will suffer without Thomas Tapeh and Donovan McNabb's annual injury will keep the Eagles from soaring. The Philadelphia players might as well prepare to be booed now.

Washington Redskins. Last time Joe Gibbs left the Redskins it was seven years before they made another Playoff appearance. Jim Zorn will be this decade's Richie Petitbon.

NFC North:

Chicago Bears. Of all the quarterbacks on their roster they decided the best was a guy who'd completed 52% of his career passes. Their defense looks good on paper, but you know it's only a matter of time before half those guys get injured. Even Bill Swerski's Superfans don't think this team has a chance.

Detroit Lions. Matt Millen is still the general manager. That's all you need to know.

Green Bay Packers. Q: Why did the Packers want to get rid of Brett Favre? A: Because they're idiots. Aaron Rodgers will never be half the quarterback Favre was, and the Packers will get their comeuppance for disrespecting him when they flop this year. Remember Packer football between the Vince Lombardi and Ron Wolf eras? Yeah, it'll be kind of like that.

Minnesota Vikings. Tarvaris Jackson isn't much of a passer and Bryant McKinnie's suspension won't help matters. Adrian Peterson had a great rookie year, but without Tony Richardson blocking for him a sophomore slump is all but certain. Failure, thy color is purple.

NFC South:

Atlanta Falcons. This team is bad on both sides of the ball. Their starting quarterback is a rookie who wasn't very good in preseason. As long as Michael Vick is still on the Falcons' roster they'll be cursed by the spirits of his dead pit bulls.

Carolina Panthers. Every year it's the same old story. Everyone expects the Panthers to be good and they end up being mediocre. This year won't be any different. Last year it was Julius Peppers who mysteriously started playing poorly. Any bets on who it'll be this year?

New Orleans Saints. Their pass defense is one of the worst in the NFL, and their explosive offense isn't enough to offset it. If Jeremy Shockey's act wasn't appreciated in a city known for its rudeness it certainly won't be appreciated in laid-back bayou country. The Louisiana Superdome will be the only super thing related to the Saints.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have too many quarterbacks, their wide receivers are as old as dirt and Jon Gruden has a hard time putting together two straight winning seasons. A lot of things went right for the Buccaneers last year, but there's no way they'll have the same luck this year. Hopefully the Rays' incredible season will be enough for the residents of middle Florida.

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals. Anquan Boldin isn't happy, and we all know that nothing kills an NFL team quicker than an unhappy wide receiver. We expect the Cardinals to surprise us every year, but it never happens. Losing is the Bidwill family's specialty.

San Francisco 49ers. They had the worst passing game in the NFL last year and think journeyman J.T. O'Sullivan will solve that problem? Sorry Niner fans, but the days of Eddie DeBartolo circumventing the salary cap are long gone.

Seattle Seahawks. They had Shaun Alexander and replaced him with...Julius Jones? Yeah, there's an upgrade. It's always a shame when a good offensive line goes to waste. The Seahawks have too many injuries and suspensions right now to think of contending this year. The city of Seattle needs something to be happy about after losing the Sonics, but this team won't be it.

St. Louis Rams. Marc Bulger is good when healthy, but that's virtually never these days. Trent Green is a solid backup, but the Rams have shown that they only make the Playoffs when he's on the bench or the injured list. Translation: The Rams are doomed.

To sum things up, Week 17 is the end of the line. When the Playoffs get here you're going to have to find someone new to root for. You'll begin to dread Sundays, because your team will find new ways to frustrate you each week. But hey, keep your head up. At least you'll be getting a good draft pick.

There's a buzz all over America, ever increasing in volume, reminding us that the NFL will be here soon. Right now the 2008 season is a clean slate and the possibilities are endless. Will your team make the NFL Playoffs this year? You bet they will, and here's why:

AFC East:

Buffalo Bills. After two straight 7-9 seasons this team is ready to get over the hump with a promising young quarterback and running back. Few sights in sports are as beautiful as Playoff football in the snow, and the Bills will make sure we see it this year.

Miami Dolphins. The last time Bill Parcells took over a 1-15 team they had a winning record in his first season. Now that the Tuna is more experienced and doesn't have the added stress of being head coach he can sit back, relax and make the Dolphins a Playoff team.

New England Patriots. They went undefeated last year and this year have an easier schedule. Making the Playoffs is the least they could do.

New York Jets. Two words: Brett Favre. Favre is the ultimate warrior, the greatest quarterback of all time and singlehandedly wins football games. He doesn't even need teammates. Heck, if anything, teammates hold him back. If he played by himself he'd win the Super Bowl every year. Don't believe me? Ask John Madden.

AFC North:

Baltimore Ravens. With Lorenzo Neal blocking for him Willis McGahee is going to run wild all over AFC North defenses. Throw in the good special teams and a defense full of veterans and you have yourself a team no one will want to play come January.

Cincinnati Bengals. Carson Palmer tied for the league lead in interceptions thrown last year. You know who else throws a lot of interceptions? Brett Favre. You know what Brett Favre does? Win. Fear the tiger!

Cleveland Browns. They have an incredible offense that'll only be better this year as they develop more chemistry. The Browns would've made the Playoffs last year if Tony Dungy hadn't rested his starters during the final week, so you can bet that they're hungry to get what they deserve this year. The Dawg Pound is going to be wagging their tails an awful lot this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers. Last year both their offense and defense were in the NFL's top 10, and they've kept most of the core together on both sides. The Steelers have this division so locked up they'd have to try pretty hard to lose it.

AFC South:

Houston Texans. With a promising young front seven, a solid passing game and Alex Gibbs helping coach their offensive line the Texans are ready to sneak up on everyone. It's been 15 years since Houston last fielded an NFL Playoff team, but this is the year that streak ends.

Jacksonville Jaguars. They have one of the most efficient offenses in football and two great running backs. They stayed with the Patriots for an entire half before losing last year in the Playoffs, and now the Jaguars are looking for a rematch. Since the Patriots aren't on their regular season schedule it'd have to come in the postseason. The question isn't whether there'll be one, but in which round.

Indianapolis Colts. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy are back together for another year. Part of that duo's job description is "make the Playoffs," and so far they've gotten good employee evaluations each year they've been together. The Colts are going to cruise into the postseason like they always do.

Tennessee Titans. He led Texas to a championship in college and last year Vince Young led the Titans to the Playoffs. Not only is he a winner, but his team has improved. Alge Crumpler had his best years catching passes for a running quarterback and Jevon Kearse had his best years when he played in Tennessee previously. All that guarantees that the Titans' Playoff-qualifying ways will continue.

AFC West:

Denver Broncos. In Jay Cutler the Broncos have a starting quarterback with a single-digit uniform number. Who was the last one? None other than John Elway. Elway led the Broncos to the Playoffs in his second year as primary starter, and this will be Cutler's second year as primary starter. What does that mean? It means the Playoffs will be played a mile above sea level this year.

Kansas City Chiefs. First David Cook wins "American Idol". Then the Sonics move to Oklahoma City, making them the closest-based NBA team since the Kings called K.C. home. Then the Royals actually flirt with fourth place until August. Clearly this is an "up" year for Kansas City, and the Chiefs will continue that trend.

Oakland Raiders. Gibril Wilson. Javon Walker. DeAngelo Hall. Darren McFadden. All got long-term deals from the Raiders this offseason, all are good-to-great players. Commitment to excellence? You know it. The silver and black is legit and ready to intimidate opponents like in the old days.

San Diego Chargers. Does this team have a weakness? They have the best running back in the game, one of the top two tight ends in the game, a good quarterback, a great defense and solid wide receivers. Shoot, even their special teams are among the NFL's best. I doubt there's one person out there who could give a good reason why this team won't be playing in early 2009.

NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys. Their quarterback is dating Jessica Simpson. Does Jessica Simpson go out with guys who don't make the Playoffs? Didn't think so. America's Team practically has a Playoff spot locked up already.

New York Giants. They may have lost several starters, but no one thought they had a chance going into the Playoffs last year either. These Giants know how to win when it matters most, and Big Blue will keep the Big Apple smiling.

Philadelphia Eagles. They have not one, not two, but three good cornerbacks on this team. Their pass coverage is going to be sick. They're not too shabby against the run either, and with a decent offense the Eagles have their usual formula for success in place. This team will be so busy winning their division they won't notice the flying batteries.

Washington Redskins. In 1986 the Giants won their first Super Bowl. In 1987 the Redskins won it. In 1990 the Giants won their second Super Bowl. In 1991 the Redskins won it. Last year the Giants won their third Super Bowl. Seeing a pattern here?

NFC North:

Chicago Bears. They went with a proven winner at quarterback in Kyle Orton and got rid of a disappointing distraction in Cedric Benson. Throw in a healthy defense and the "Monsters of the Midway" moniker should be back in circulation by Playoff time.

Detroit Lions. Did you see their preseason record? 4-0, baby! Even though the Lions faded in the second half last year they're more focused on playing well all season this time. With four good wide receivers on the roster Jon Kitna's passes will find their way to the end zone like they had GPS navigation. Rod Marinelli will be the first Lions coach since Bobby Ross, another military man, to lead them to the Playoffs.

Green Bay Packers. They made it to the NFC Championship Game last year and then unloaded some dead weight by trading the King of Crucial Moment Picks. With a solid supporting cast the transition to Aaron Rodgers will be seamless. The Pack is back for real this time. Sport the curdled milk proudly, Wisconsinites!

Minnesota Vikings. Their killer rushing attack is the best in the NFL, they've added Bernard Berrian at wide receiver and both their lines are great. Their NFC North competitors all have questions, but the Vikings only have answers. For instance, Q: Are the Vikings a Playoff team this year? A: Ah, yeah.

NFC South:

Atlanta Falcons. Their quarterback is rookie Matt Ryan, who was drafted out of Boston College. As we all know, Boston is the city that produces champions in every sport and is the center of the entire universe according to their fans. Ryan and his New England mystique can't not lead the Falcons to the Playoffs.

Carolina Panthers. John Fox's job is on the line, so you know his players are going to play a little harder in order to save it. With a healthy Jake Delhomme back in the saddle and Julius Peppers ready to redeem himself after a poor 2007 the Panthers shouldn't have any problems running roughshod over the competition. Their coach will definitely be back next year.

New Orleans Saints. They had an incredible offense last year and added a former Pro Bowl tight end. They were decent against the run last year and added a former Pro Bowl middle linebacker. The Saints know what they're good at and stick with it. That type of commitment will get them into the Playoffs for sure.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They've got a Pro Bowl quarterback and a great defense. Doesn't that combination pretty much guarantee at least a Wild Card berth?

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals. As part of the Bill Cowher coaching tree Ken Whisenhunt knows how to win. In his first year as an NFL head coach he led the Cardinals to a non-losing season for the first time since 1998. This year he leads them to double-digit victories for the first time since 1976. These Cardinals are young, exciting and Playoff-bound.

San Francisco 49ers. The 49er Faithful know that they root for the best NFL franchise ever. The 49ers know what it takes to win, and any move they make will eventually prove to be the right one. They already have arguably the best punter-kicker duo in the league, and with Frank Gore tearing it up out of the backfield no one will be arguing their title as best ever after this season.

Seattle Seahawks. They've made the Playoffs the last five years, and there's no reason to think they won't this year. With Mike Holmgren, Matt Hasselbeck, a good offensive line and a talented defense, no one else in their division can compare.

St. Louis Rams. Steven Jackson finally got the contract he wanted and Marc Bulger is finally back from injury. Those two guys combined with an average defense are enough to make the Rams a Playoff team. The Greatest Show on Turf Part II is ready and raring to go.

To sum things up, you're going to see your team play more than the usual 16 games this season. They'll be one of the twelve that gets a spot in that special tournament that ends at the Super Bowl. Sunday will be the most anticipated day of the week for the next four months, because you won't be able to wait for the next exciting moment your team has in store. Savor every minute, because it doesn't get any better than this.

As this calendar year winds down I'm starting to reflect on just how much has happened during this year 2007. It seems like such a long time ago now, but I started this blog back in January, and my first post was about how miffed I was that the Chargers were upset by the Patriots in the Playoffs. At that point 2007 was just getting started, and none of us knew what this year held in store for us. Looking back on it all, there were some sports moments in 2007 that I really enjoyed, but just about all of them ended disappointingly.

Let's start with football. I experienced something this year that I never have before: I got to follow my team, the Chicago Bears, from the first game of the season all the way to the Super Bowl. I was surrounded by co-workers who only wanted to talk about the Cowboys and Redskins, but I always stood up for my Bears in football discussions. Once the Playoffs started one of my friends told me that they'd never make it to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman at quarterback, but the Bears did me proud by proving all the doubters wrong. Unfortunately, the Bears lost to the Colts in the Super Bowl. It wasn't an ideal ending, but the season had been a great ride and there was reason to be hopeful about the future. As it's turned out, the Bears this season have been hurt by injuries and a dismal offense. They're going to finish with a losing record, and it's clear that several changes need to be made if this team is going to return to contention. The best thing you can say about the 2007 Bears was that they beat the Packers twice.

Super Bowl XLI now looks like a missed opportunity that the Bears may not get again for some time, but interestingly enough, it was also the biggest highlight of 2007 for me. I figured if the Bears were going to lose, it might as well be to a team that deserved the title. The Indianapolis Colts were most certainly that. Despite my team's loss, I was happy for the Colts. After having a very good team for so many years they finally got their hands on the Lombardi Trophy, and they did it with class. It was also nice to see the deluded New England fans who liked to say that Peyton Manning would never win the big one and who just couldn't accept the idea that he wasn't a born loser have to eat their words. I'll admit, that part made me feel good too.

In addition to the Bears' struggles, this NFL season has been pretty miserable for me. All five teams I hate (Patriots, Packers, Steelers, Giants and Cowboys) are in the Playoffs. The Patriots are close to going undefeated, but they've had a dark cloud of contempt surrounding them from day one. I'm forced to root for one of those teams I hate in their last game of the season in hopes that the evil Patriots won't pull it off. The Detroit Lions, a true underdog that would've made a great feel-good story, started out the season 6-2 and now could finish with a losing record. The only hope left for lovers of underdog franchises is the Cleveland Browns, who still haven't clinched a Playoff spot. Ultimately though, the only teams that look like they have a realistic shot of winning anything this year are teams whose fanbases have experienced the top of the hill recently enough that they have no underdog appeal. In the end I think it's likely that several of us will be picking a team to root for by figuring out which one we hate the least.

Then there was basketball. As a Bulls fan I was pretty excited when my team swept the defending champion Miami Heat in the first round of the Playoffs. The Heat were treated like a team with some magical formula for stepping up when it counted all season, but the Bulls dispelled that notion in four games. Having followed the Bulls through the post-Jordan years I was proud of those guys. They nearly got swept in the next round by the Pistons, but they hustled their way to two wins before bowing out in Game 6. It would've been nice to see them go farther in the Playoffs, but considering the progress they'd made it was nothing to be ashamed of. Like the Bears, it gave us fans a lot of hope for next season.

We're about two months into "next season" now and things haven't gone as expected. The Bulls have gotten off to slow starts each of the past three seasons, but they've always managed to get it together before too long. This time though, they've stretched out their poor start long enough that Scott Skiles has been fired as head coach and most people already consider this season to be a lost cause. I haven't completely given up on this Bulls team, but I think it's safe to say that even if they do turn things around and make the Playoffs they don't have what it takes to go very far once they get there. It's sad to see a team that started out as a favorite to win the East possibly headed to the draft lottery.

As for the rest of the basketball world, the San Antonio Spurs won their fourth NBA Championship in 2007. The Spurs are one of the most nondescript teams in the NBA. They win championships, but they don't inspire much emotion. The Phoenix Suns, a team that has been on the doorstep of NBA supremacy in recent years, had a chance to beat them in the second round of the Playoffs, but the Spurs ultimately prevailed. It left the Spurs as the only dominant team in the Playoffs and the almost inevitable champion. While I'm not a big LeBron James fan, I was rooting for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, since they'd never been there and the Spurs had. It wasn't even close, as the Spurs swept. When the Spurs won their first NBA Championship in 1999 it was exciting, as several players got their first rings and no former ABA team had ever even made it to the NBA Finals. Every championship they've won since then has been completely anticlimactic. It's like watching a computer win a chess game against a human opponent. This season the Spurs are again looking like the best in the West, while the team that's stepped it up in the East is the Celtics, from the dreaded city of Boston. Out of nowhere they acquired two All Stars in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, giving their ever-obnoxious fans something else to boast about. The Pistons and Magic right now are looking like our only hopes not to have to see them in the NBA Finals.

Of course, there was still the greatest game in the world, baseball. 2007 brought me higher hopes than usual in baseball, only to end with me watching them get crushed successively. First there were my Cubs. They hadn't won the World Series since 1908, but all season they showed flashes of brilliance that gave the optimist in me hope the it could finally be "the year." They made the Playoffs with a mediocre 85-77 record, but as the Cardinals had proven the year before, just getting into the Playoffs is the important thing. Once you're in, anything can happen. After the Cubs fought their way into the postseason, it was as if someone suddenly cut off their supply of "heart" just before they faced the Diamondbacks in the Divisional Series. They seemed completely uninspired throughout the series, and the Diamondbacks swept. In a matter of days all the optimism among Cub fans had turned to disgust.

With the Cubs out of the picture, I decided to pull for another team that had been waiting a long time for "the year": the Cleveland Indians. They hadn't won the World Series since 1948, and they had beaten the hated New York Yankees in the first round. Unlike the Cubs, the Indians had tied for their league's best record, and they looked like they had a real shot at winning the World Series. They went up against another evil Boston team, the Red Sox. They managed to take a 3-1 lead in the series despite some struggles from their best starters, and it seemed as if destiny was on their side. Then it all came crashing down. The Red Sox destroyed them in the next three games to win the pennant and deprive the baseball world of a potentially great story. It didn't help that many members of the irksome "Red Sox Nation" showed a complete lack of class in victory.

I was pretty upset about the Indians having their title as AL Champs usurped by that evil team from America's Most Annoying City, but there was still a glimmer of hope going into the World Series. The Colorado Rockies had spent most of the season playing at a level just below contention, but they'd finished on a tear that took them all the way to the NL pennant. They'd won 21 of their last 22 games going into the World Series, and they were the only team in the NL that looked like a legitimate threat against the superior American League. I loved watching their run, as I'd considered the Rockies one of my "side" teams for years. Unfortunately, they were just starting to cool down as the Red Sox were hitting their stride. The Red Sox swept, and for the first time in my life three teams I'd really embraced lost in one postseason.

I suppose the best way to sum up 2007 in sports would be a year that teased me with the hope of great things to come and ended up as a morass of Boston egotism and the same old teams winning. I'm just glad I've started to follow hockey, as it's been my only refuge in the midst of the disastrous sports scene we're currently surrounded by. I just hope 2008 is better than 2007 was. I don't know if I can take two consecutive years like this one.

Over the past several years we've become familiar with a rivalry between the Patriots and Colts that may be one of the best in the NFL. It's no Bears-Packers, but it has many earmarks o####ood rivalry.

At least one side (New England) hates the other with a passion. I'm not sure how much Colts fans hate the Patriots, but since just about every fan in the NFL seems to be developing a hatred for that team from Foxboro, I can assume there is some animosity toward them in Indianapolis. These two teams possess the NFL's two best quarterbacks, and there's still debate over which one is better (well, at least there is to anyone who isn't a Patriots fan). They've been considered the AFC's best two teams just about every year this decade and they've met in the Playoffs three times in the last four seasons, twice with the conference championship on the line. The Patriots have managed to win the Super Bowl three times, and the Colts finally won one of their own last year. Put it all together and you can see why these teams make good rivals.

How old is this rivalry? About five years? Perhaps its current incarnation is a fairly recent thing, but for old-school Nintendo fans, the debate over which of these teams is better dates back to 1991. In those days there was a popular game for the NES called Tecmo Super Bowl. It was the most realistic football game of its time and is beloved by many to this day. It had all the NFL teams and used the rosters from the 1990 season. Kids who spent a lot of time playing it knew which teams to pick. The Oilers, 49ers, Eagles, Giants, Bills, and Raiders were among the cream of the crop. They also knew which teams to avoid. There's little debate among Tecmo fans that the two worst teams in the game were (you guessed it) the Colts and the Patriots.



These two teams were truly miserable, but which one was worse? Most people say the Patriots, but the Colts have some arguments in their favor. Much of it depends on which elements you valued most. Shall we compare them (to each other, not a summer's day)?

Forget Manning and Brady, their starting quarterbacks (Jeff George and Steve Grogan) were the two worst starters in the game. Their backups (Jack Trudeau and Marc Wilson, respectively) were both better than them, and they were pretty bad in their own rights. Grogan was actually the worst quarterback in the game if you added up all his ratings, and that includes both starters and backups.



Then again, George wasn't too far ahead of him.



Grogan had a much higher "Avoid Pass Block" rating, but aficionados know that the two most important ratings were "Passing Speed" and "Pass Control," areas where George had the clear advantage. In real life Grogan was a pretty good quarterback during the '70's and '80's, while George was a #1 overall draft pick that never quite lived up to the hype. In this game though, George was the better of the two.

How about the running game? Though the Colts had Eric Dickerson at the time, he was left out of the game due to contractual issues, leaving the mediocre Albert Bentley as the team's best running back. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't anything close to elite with his 44 speed. None of the Patriots' running backs had a speed rating higher than 31, which in Tecmo terms translates into "worthless." Neither team's offensive line was very good, though the Colts' was somewhat less crappy.



Then you have the receivers. The Colts' wide receivers were pretty good, while the Patriots' were slightly above average at best. The Patriots' Irving Fryar had a very good "Receptions" rating of 63, but the Colts had a guy of their own with a 63, and another with a 69. The Colts' guys were also slightly faster. The Patriots' best receiver was actually a tight end, Marv Cook. His speed of 44 and good hands (another 69 "Receptions" rating) made him the fastest player on offense and a tie for the best at catching the ball. The Colts' tight ends were nothing special.



Overall the Colts were much better offensively, but what about the defense? Here's where the Patriots had the advantage. The Patriots were somewhat balanced on defense, with one pretty good player each at defensive line, linebacker and defensive back (Ray Agnew, Andre Tippett and Ronnie Lippett, respectively). After those three it was fairly weak, but sometimes in Tecmo you didn't need depth, just one great player in a certain area. While their defense wasn't among the best in the game, it was much better than the Colts'. The Colts didn't have any above-average players on defense. It was just one big lump of sub-mediocrity.

Special teams are of minimal importance, but they can make some difference. The Colts had the better punter (Rohn Stark) while the Patriots had the better kicker (Jason Staurovsky). Stark was a Pro Bowler, while Staurovsky was just a bit better than average. The Patriots' punter and the Colts' kicker were both pretty bad. The Colts' returners were better, but not by a ton. Since I think the kicker makes the biggest difference of any special teamer, I'd give the Patriots a slight advantage in this area.



It's still pretty much a judgment call as to which team is better. While most people probably don't want their team to be known as the worst, sometimes it's better to hold that distinction. For one thing, people remember the really bad teams. Also, if you've played a game long enough that it becomes easy, playing a season as a bad team can present a good challenge. If you can win the Super Bowl with the worst team you'll truly feel a sense of accomplishment. Being the worst means you're the ultimate challenge. I have a friend who played a season as the Patriots, and he just narrowly lost to the 49ers in the Super Bowl. It was heartbreaking, but certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

Would my friend have won with the Colts, or would their horrific defense have prevented him from getting that far? Well, he only lost because of one costly play, so he could've won just as easily. Even if he won the Super Bowl with the Colts it would only prove that he's a really good player, not that either team was better. In other words, the debate continues.

As both teams have the talent to stay in contention down the road, we'll probably be hearing about the Colts-Patriots rivalry for years to come. It's best not to forget its roots though. The relative merits of these two teams have been discussed long before Brady and Manning showed up.




Special thanks to Mr. Paul Schulzetenberg for writing this Tecmo Super Bowl FAQ. It was a great reference for this piece.

As a Chicago Bears fan I'd figured for years that it'd be a while before I ever saw my team play in the Super Bowl. I was too young to follow the legendary 1985 season, and in most of the time I've been old enough to follow them their level of play has fallen somewhere between mediocre and bad. The odds would say that one of these years they had to become a serious contender again though, right? Well, that year finally came. In 2006 I got the experience of following my team from Week 1 all the way to the biggest game of them all. I was disappointed by the final result, but I'm thankful that it was a heck of a ride and that I got to be a part of it as a fan.

Some people want to place the blame for this loss on Rex Grossman. While he didn't have the best game of his career, he was hardly the horrible Rex that we've seen in other games this year. I don't blame him for the loss, because the Colts simply outplayed us in every way. With some losses there's something people can pull out as an excuse, like injuries, officiating or weather. Two of those may have been a factor in this game, but you'd be stretching to say the Bears lost a game they should have won. Since the Bears were doubted all year and were the underdog going up against the Colts, I'm proud of them just for staying in the game up until the last quarter.

I was quick to congratulate the Colts once the game ended. Congratulations to Tony Dungy for showing the world that a nice guy can finish first. For years we've seen football coaches as being tough-guy authoritarians, but Tony Dungy isn't like that. His players love him. They play hard not because they don't want to incur his wrath, but because they want to make him proud. Some critics have called him a coach who couldn't win the big one, but he proved once and for all that he's one of the best coaches in the game today. Unless you have no heart I don't see how you couldn't be happy for a guy like that.

I'm also happy for Peyton Manning. There are plenty of people who hate Manning. I could probably be one of them if I wanted to be. You could say he's a spoiled kid, you could say you're sick of all his commercials, but you couldn't honestly say that he isn't one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. We've heard about how he was the Dan Marino of our era, but now he has the championship many predicted he'd never win. I'm glad that we won't have to debate his greatness in the future because he never won a Super Bowl. Congratulations, Peyton.

Many people have pointed out that Manning's play hasn't been up to its usual level in the postseason, so the rest of the team certainly deserves credit for stepping up their game. Congratulations to the defense for stopping the run after doing so poorly in that area during the regular season. Congratulations to the receivers for making big catches when the team needed them. Congratulations to the defensive backs for coming up with interceptions that shifted the momentum. They frustrated me, but I'll give credit where it's due.

I was also proud of Lovie Smith for showing class in his post-game statements to reporters about the loss. He gave the Colts credit for playing a better game, showed pride in the fact that his team had gotten to their current level and looked forward to next year. No, it wasn't groundbreaking, but he said the best thing he possibly could've under the circumstances. I'm glad we have him as our coach.

I hope the Bears win it next season. However, the way things have gone these past two years I'm inclined to predict the Chargers. Let's take a look at the two most recent champions.

The 2004 Steelers had a dominant 15-1 season but lost in the AFC Championship game. In 2005 they had a streaky 11-5 season, but they got hot just before the Playoffs and carried it all the way to a Super Bowl victory.

The 2005 Colts started 13-0 and finished 14-2 but lost in the Divisional Playoffs. In 2006 they started 9-0 but were inconsistent in the second half, finishing 12-4. They got it together in the Playoffs though, and ended up winning the Super Bowl.

Which team dominated the regular season this year only to lose in the Playoffs? The San Diego Chargers. The similarity breaks down because the Steelers and Colts both were eliminated by the eventual champions while the Chargers weren't, but I won't be surprised if the 2007 Chargers have a very-good-but-not-great year and then get hot in the Playoffs and carry home the Lombardi Trophy.

Even though I would've loved for the Bears to stay undefeated in Super Bowl play, if you're going to lose you might as well lose to a worthy opponent. The Colts were certainly that, and they played like it on Sunday. Congratulations Colts, and better luck next year to my Bears.