I, for one, am quite tired hearing about how Super Bowl XL is going to be an XL-sized bore. People are complaining that this game has zero buzz. That the Super Bowl is less than Super because it doesn't feature Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears or some other nationally recognized team. I, for one, am looking forward to this SB to be one of the best. It features what all SBs should feature - two excellent, evenly-matched football teams. It's about two teams hoping to play their best football to capture the NFL crown. It is NOT about who looks good (or stupid) in his damn TV commericals, who has the mega-stars that the media is going to bow down on their knees in front of to kiss their sweaty toes nor is it about dynasties. It is about the game - nothing more or less than the game. That's what's important - that the game is shaping up to be highly competitive. I am a Steelers fan. I hope they win. If I were a Seahawks fan, I would be rooting for my hometown guys. But, if there's one thing that ought to unite both Steeler and Seahawk fans its to tell the "media elite" to go suck an egg. Hopefully it'll get caught in their throat, and we won't have to hear their insipid whining about how they don't get to worship at the Atlar of Peyton or Tom. As they gag for breath on their own whining stories, Steeler fans and Seahawk fans will stand there and give you a good, long dose of "I TOLD YOU SO."

I've read several posts on the Indy Star website, the Cincinnati Enquirer website and finally the two Denver newspapers. As you would expect, most posters are local fans bemoaning their team's performances against the Steelers, discussing what their team needs to do and unabashedly flaming some of the rather idiotic Pittsburgh fan posts to the boards. To me, this is what I think about for Cincy, Indy & Denver... Cincy. The injury to Carson Palmer might or might not have changed the game. The way the Steelers played in the second half of that game suggests to me that the Steelers didn't care who was at QB, and that Palmer might not have been able to guide his team to a victory anyway. But that's hard to argue since it never happened. Cincinnati is pretty well set on offense. They have a total stud QB. His knee injury won't adversely affect his career in the long run; he's not the most mobile of QBs to start. Rudi Johnson looks to be the power back of the future for Cincy, and their offensive line is very solid. They need depth - but everyone needs depth. Drafting a potential/project in the 3rd or 4th round might be a very good idea for Cincy. Their main troubles are on defense. As in past years, they were far too weak against the run. The trouble is that many coaches overlook that when a team wins. Cincy was able to jump out to leads on a lot of teams, and when that happens often times the opponent abandons the run. So a weak running defense didn't hurt them too much in the regular season. It killed them in tight games and in the playoffs. Their LB corps looks very solid, and David Pollack is going to be a major star LB for the next few years. I think they ought to look to draft either a solid corner, strong safety or DLineman in the first round. A run-stuffing defensive linemen helps tremendously, and if there's a coach who can really utilize a strong line in front of fast, athletic LBs it is Marvin Lewis (remember, he helped architect the 2000 Ravens squad). I think that Cincy will probably address those needs via draft and free agency as best as they can. Regardless of their moves, unless the injury bug strikes or Carson's knee doesn't rehab as fast as they hope, Cincy is looking at another 11-5 type season, another playoff entry and who knows. Indianapolis This is a very hard team to decide what they need. They are facing some salary cap problems, which might force them to pick between the talents of Edgerrin James or Reggie Wayne. I think that Indy's decisions in the draft and free agency will be dictated by whom Irsay and Polian decide to resign and who they decide to let go. I cannot imagine them letting Edgerrin James get loose, but perhaps they feel that Damian Rhodes can step in and provide an adequate replacement, or they feel they might be able to draft another good, young back. There's a big-time problem with that, and Indy Star posters have been all over this. Peyton Manning needs strong pass protection to play at his best. James, aside from rushing for about 1,500 yards a year, is one the NFL's best backs at picking up blitzes. Rhodes is not as good, and rookie RBs in the NFL receive weekly lessons in blitz pickup failures by the game's best defenses. The Colts should probably look hard at an offensive lineman in the draft (for depth), and depending upon their salary cap decisions, draft offensive talent from there. Marvin Harrison isn't getting any younger, and one day his production will begin to drop. James has been a very good back for a long time, knows the system, and should be retained. The Colts can always draft a young receiver, and Peyton will teach the lad quickly. On defense, the Colts seemed to have their best unit this past year. They could use some corner help - their corners are not strong in coverage - but their safety tandem is set. Their LBs are fast and athletic, and their D-Line has run-stuffers and pass rushers. In my opinion, the Colts are still going to be a fearsome team in the next few years. Having Manning virtually guarantees that. It took John Elway 12 years before he won a title. It took a stud RB in TD to get Elway his two titles; the Colts ought to remember that. If the Colts alter their offensive philosophy some to incorporate more of a power running game to set up Peyton's play-action passing, they would be even harder to stop. Furthermore, they have to commit to the run to win. This means putting an offense into place that Peyton cannot just flap his arms around and change on a whim. It means putting a control in place to make them run the ball more often. Imagine what Indy would be like if they adopted the mind-set of the Steelers. Peyton is just too good to continue to fail. Denver This is another tough one to diagnose. Most, if not all, of the parts were in place, and yet they got stomped by the Steelers. At home, no less. Denver's secondary is weak aside from Champ Bailey. John Lynch is aging, and although he still can knock the stuffing out of people, he's a liability in coverage. Denver's LBs are the stars of this defense, and should be for the foreseeable future. They need more depth at defensive lineman - I still don't think importing 3/4 of Cleveland's defensive line is the long-term answer. But if Foxworth blossoms into a better cover corner opposite Bailey, Denver would really be stingy against the pass. It would then make their line and LBs that much better -they are already stout against the run. Their blitz-heavy schemes might have to be rethought - blitzes work best when they aren't picked up. The Steelers picked them up and Denver got toasted because of it. On offense, Mike Anderson is 32, and in RB years, that's old. Tatum Bell doesn't seem to be an every-down back. Their line is good, but aging. Their receiving corps could use an upgrade, although Rod Smith isn't yet showing signs of slowing down. The real question is at QB. Every one saw what happens to Jake Plummer when he has to try and win on his own. He tends to try too hard, and that old gunslinger mentality starts working against him. Denver really were their own worst enemy in the AFCCG because they allowed themselves to be put into a situation where Plummer had to pass to win. It backfired. I don't see Denver drafting a QB - there probably won't be a talented enough prospect there by the time the draft gets around to them. There are a lot of needs on this team, far too many to be addressed solely through the draft. But they need to get a younger set of core players, and the draft is the only way to do that. They might want to use their first pick for an OL, and then look to get secondary help in the 2nd/3rd rounds. Look for a 4th round WR or TB. Pittsburgh Assume Jerome Bettis retires. As a Steeler fan, I see Duce Staley on the sidelines far too often, so in my mind they have needs at TB for depth. Their center Jeff Hartings is aging. Their defensive line is aging - Kemo isn't going to be able to play for too many more years. The Steelers have some strong LBs, but lack depth. Their secondary is solid, and Troy Polamalu is going to haunt the league for years to come. Ward and Randle El are good options at WR. I think the Steelers need to draft a C/G for depth reasons, another LB project and defensive lineman that fit into their scheme. They also should draft a tailback if a good one is available - preferably one that fits into their "power" mold.

Although I had to attend to certain home-based duties (my wife has me busy redoing the bathroom), I did manage to watch at least parts to all of the 4 divisional games. As it turned out, my predictions were mostly wrong. But then, I don't get paid to write this stuff - I do it because I like to! Seattle def. Washington. This was a sloppy game - I saw some critical mistakes (muffed punt) that Washington blew. I also couldn't believe how timid they seemed on offense. Washington had to play with everything they had if they wanted to win, and they were also given the reprieve of not having to face Shaun Alexander when he departed early with a concussion. But they were unable to do so, and Matt Hasselbeck did an excellent job of managing his offense and generating enough points to win. They did not overwhelm the Redskins, but played a solid, thorough game in all phases, and that's why they won. Denver def. New England. If you would have said 1 team had 5 turnovers, and a pick returned 100 yards, I would have said every single time that it was Denver blowing the game and New England winning it. Alas, that was not the case, and it was the turnovers (at critical junctions of the game) rather than the blown calls that doomed New England. No team - not even one as talented and smart as New England - can overcome 5 turnovers in the playoffs. Pittsburgh def. Indy. A game of superlatives. The Fumble. The Interception that Wasn't. Wide Right. Although the last 5 minutes of this game is getting all of the attention, the game Pittsburgh played was nothing short of amazing. All week, they said they would have to play perfect to win. All week they talked up the Colts (except Joey Porter). And they went and delivered. They forced Peyton Manning into making uncharacteristic mistakes all game long, and the constant pressure rendered him inaccurate. Vanderjagt's miss is getting the headlines, but if Peyton wasn't so frazzled, maybe he called the end of the game differently... Carolina def. Chicago. As Mike and Mike said on ESPN yesterday, if you would have bet that Chicago was going to score more points than Indianapolis, you would have won millions. If you would have furthered that bet, saying that with Chicago scoring more than Indy but losing to Carolina, your millions would have turned to hundreds of millions. But the Chicago coaching staff never adjusted when Steve Smith began torching them, and that cost them the game. All in all, they were four good games. Some were wildly surprising, and others stayed true to form. Unfortunately, the only one constant in all four games was inconsistent to outright bad officiating. The NFL's showcase games should never, ever be but into doubt by the calls of the refs, and yet you could make an argument that the Denver/New England game's outcome was affected because of questionable calls, and the Pittsburgh game nearly was. The Bears game had its dubious moments as well. Calling the refs atrocious would be rather kind, and the NFL really has a responsibility to look into that. Now, the two Championship games feature, in my opinion, the four most solid teams in football. All four of them do the little things correctly. All four excel at fundamentals. They all run and pass block well. All four have good running games. All four have effective passing games. All four stop the run on defense. All four have talented secondaries. All four have solid special teams. Last weeks' losers all had shortcomings in key areas. Indy's defense, despite good stats, was suspect in the secondary and exposed early. Washington's lack of offense finally killed them. New England was shaky all year in protecting the ball. Chicago's offense was bad. The things that were problems for those 4 losers all year came back to haunt them in the 4 losses. Moving on in the playoffs requires a solid team effort. NFC: Carolina at Seattle. Alas, the NFL execs are probably cringing at this matchup. There is nothing sexy about either team. I think that some people in this country couldn't find Seattle on a map. Although the Seahawks had the game's MVP, he's not a household name like Brett Favre or Peyton Manning. The Carolina Panthers are a boring football team. Boring football teams often win, but they're not much for the casual fan to watch. This is not to demean Carolina - I frankly enjoy watching teams that feature tough defenses - but their vanilla offense doesn't generate a lot of excitement. Still, the two best playmakers in the NFL are in this game, and to me that's the reason to watch. How will Seattle try and slow down Steve Smith - you know you're not going to stop him! Can they slow him down and prevent him from single-handedly winning the game? Conversely, how will Carolina's excellent defense fare against the NFL MVP? Will Alexander run wild, or can Carolina keep him under wraps? If either one of those two players have a big game, then that should be the team to win. For the NFL, I hope both run wild - then you'd see a wildly exciting, offensive game. I doubt that's going to happen, but you can always hope. Carolina is a road warrior team this post-season, and I see no reason why traveling to Seattle is going to bother them much. They have jelled while playing difficult games on the road, and is Seattle's home field advantage that much more of an advantage than Chicago's Soldier Field? The noise and crowd won't bother them much, and that takes away one small edge that Seattle had going for it. But I think it will be Carolina's other intangible advantage that will decide this one: Carolina has more recent post-season experience. They've already won an NFC Championship two years ago, and the core players from that team are on this one. Seattle is healthier, but playing in their first-ever NFC Championship game at home might give them the jitters, and Carolina has excelled in taking away home field from the start. They'll do it again I think, and that's where the real game will begin. AFC: Pittsburgh at Denver. At least the NFL has one team with a national presence left in the playoffs, and boy will a lot of people jump on Pittsburgh's bandwagon this week. Most pundits are predicting a Denver win, and for good reason. Denver is a very strong team - 13-3 in the regular season doesn't come to sissy teams. Furthermore, Denver is the only team to not lose a home game this year, and playing in the rarified air in Denver can give visiting teams problems. This is another non-sexy matchup, though, when you take a hard look at both teams. Statistically, they are evenly matched. But there isn't a true "media" star on either team. Jerome Bettis is aging and is well-known, but he's far below the level of Favre or Manning. Roethlisberger might one day be one of those stars, but his stock is merely rising right now, and rising stars don't always make it to the top of the heap. Defensively, these two teams could be mirror images of one another - staunch defensive lineman, fast and athletic playmaking linebackers, and strong secondaries. Denver gets the edge due to shut-down corner Champ Bailey, but Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu is the game's preeminent strong safety, taking the position John Lynch once had. Denver's strong running game belies the fact that they can still pass the ball very effectively. Rod Smith is an ageless wonder, and Ashley Leile is a favorite target for Jake Plummer. Denver will probably need to pass the ball some to loosen up a defense that's going to be keying off of Denver's good running game. Denver might struggle in the running game this week - if any team has the defense to stop the run, its Pittsburgh. But passing effectively will loosen up Pittsburgh's defense. Pittsburgh has been very unconventional (by Pittsburgh standards) in the first halves of games. But if they get a lead, then the time-consuming running game is used to great effect. Still, I cannot foresee a game where either team gets a lead by more than 2 touchdowns. This will be a closely fought game, and could very well come down to the team with the ball last. If that happens, the kicking game is a wash. Jason Elam is very good, but so is Reed. Denver's recent post-season history has been to get utterly destroyed by the Colts, whether it was in Denver or Indy. They went an upgraded their defense in an attempt to stop the Colts. Pittsburgh has played two games in a row in front of hostile crowds, and taken the crowd out of both games early. I would expect Pittsburgh to keep using the silent count in this game, and to at least negate that part of Denver's home field advantage. Denver has the luxury of playing at home, but if they were geared up for the Colts, could merely playing the Steelers be a let down for them? I know its unlikely, but hey - if you were prepared all season long to face Peyton's Colts, and you only get Roethlisberger's Steelers, how would you feel? On the other side of the ball, Pittsburgh is humming with a confidence they've not felt in years. They believe that nothing can stop this team, and playing for Bettis to get to his first-ever Super Bowl might be providing enough extra juice. Still, playing 6 must-win games in a row is going to take its toll on a team, but so far Pittsburgh has proven up to the challenge. Because Denver is playing at home, and in front of their faithful, and in the mile high air of Denver, I am going to predict they will win. But I think the Steelers can and might do it - I wouldn't be surprised to see Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl for the first time in ten years...

Saturday, 4:30 (FOX) features the Washington Redskins traveling to the Pacific Northwest to face the NFC's best team this year, the Seattle Seahawks. Like all of the other divisional games, this one is a rematch of a week 4 contest that had Washington winning at home in overtime. That game has absolutely nothing to do with this one, as the two teams have followed divergent paths since then. Seattle has the NFC's best offense, the NFL MVP, a head coach with Super Bowl winning experience and a veteran quarterback. Walter Jones might be the game's best tackle, and the left side of Seattle's line has been blowing holes open for Shaun Alexander to run through. Alexander is by far one of the game's best running backs, and the entire team should be well-rested for this home game. In contrast, Washington's season has been up and down. They have not found a solid, week-in and week-out rhythm on offense. Their defense has carried them as they went down the stretch, and it is a great unit the Redskins put onto the field. Led by Sean Taylor and LaVar Arrington, the Redskins play physical football and are quite adept at stopping the run. The coaching matchup here is a wash. Joe Gibbs is a Hall of Famer, but Mike Holmgren has gone to two Super Bowls, winning one. Both coaches are admired for their offensive minds, and their play calling abilities. Neither coach spends a whole lot of time with the defense, preferring to let their defensive coaches do the majority of the work. To me, there is only one way that Washington comes out of Seattle with a victory: they find an offensive rhythm. I think that Washington's defense will keep the game close - close enough that the Skins could have a shot at winning late. But that is predicated on the idea that Washington can get some offensive production. They have the skill and playmakers to do it - Clinton Portis is an excellent back, and Santana Moss has been a dangerous weapon this year. The Redskins utilize their H-back well, and often get him into the passing offense. But, and this is a substantial "but," unless Washington can move the ball and put some points on the board, they cannot win this game. Seattle is going to get at least 20 points, even playing against a tough, dominant defense. They are just too good not to get at least 20. If Washington repeats last week's sub-200 yard performance on offense, then the game is over. Saturday, 8:00 PM features the New England Patriots traveling to Denver to take on the Broncos. This should be the best game of the weekend, featuring two very good teams that are relatively evenly matched. In the first meeting between these two teams, Denver ran up a solid 28-20 victory against New England, withstanding a late comeback attempt by the Pats. Denver has remained on the same solid course since then, but New England has improved since that game. Denver features the two-time Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan. Reknown as an offensive genius, he's at it again with the game's best running attack. Denver uses the "stretch" running play better than any other team in the league, and they've done it consistently back to the days when Terrell Davis starred as the half-back for Denver. Since John Elway retired, however, the Denver Broncos have not won a single playoff game. Denver fans are wondering: is this the year? On the other side of the field, New England features the game's best head coach, and the game's best clutch quarterback. Tom Brady has no peer when it comes to performing in the clutch. He's proven it this year more than any other, leading the Patriots back into the playoffs despite the team looking weak at times. He's lifted his offense onto his shoulders, and carried them. On defense, New England was missing both Richard Seymour and Tedi Bruschi last time. They have an impact on this team that cannot be overstated. Denver's challenge will be to brush aside New England's resurgent defense, and the unique game plan that Bill Belichick is certain to design for this one. The single biggest key in this game will be the performance of Jake Plummer. For years, Plummer has been recognized at having talent and great intangibles. Yet, over his career he's taken needless chances with the football, throwing bad interceptions at the worst possible moments, dooming his team to losses. Belichick is fully aware of this, and his game plan will surely be designed to try and force Denver to win using Plummer's arm. If Jake Plummer stays calm, and plays in this game like he has all year, then Denver has an excellent chance to defeat New England again. Plummer will have to remain cool and calm, using accurate passing and making good decisions. He's gotten better this year with more tutelage. Can he take Denver to the next level? As if I'm from Missouri...he's got to "show me" before I'll believe it. Sunday at 1:00 pm will showcase the NFL's best overall team the Indianapolis Colts hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was a favorite pre-season pick for the AFC Championship game, and most observers were still giving the nod to Indy. The first matchup between these two powerhouses had Indy soundly defeating Pittsburgh. Indy was able to coast into the playoffs after that game; Pittsburgh had to face more adversity before they managed to secure a place in the post-season. Indy's offense gets and deserves all of the accolades. The game's best passer Peyton Manning is also praised for his ability to make on-the-fly decisions at the line of scrimmage. Their hurry-up offense denies defenses the ability to substitute, and makes disgusiging their defenses very difficult. Edgerrin James has played perhaps his best year of football this year, and despite Joey Porter's contention, is a very physical, successful runner. Everyone knows about Marvin Harrison's skills, but in reality every skill player on the Colts is a good route runner and pass catcher. Where Indy faltered in past years is on the defense. This year, however, they seem to have figured out how to play Tony Dungy's "Tampa Two" defense very effectively. Despite being undersized, they were among the best in the NFL in giving up points. They use the defense's great team speed and blinding quickness to their full advantage, especially playing on their home turf field. Pittsburgh stayed with their tried-and-true method of winning football games. They rely on a power running game and stingy defense to win. During Pittsburgh's mid-season three-game losing streak, they were forced out of their run-heavy offense. As a result, they lost three in a row. Since then, they've rediscovered their offensive identity, and have bludgeoned opponents. Ben Roethlisberger played quite well last week, absolving himself somewhat from 2004's dismal playoff performance. He's been accurate all year long, is difficult to bring down and athletic enough to avoid the pass rush. In the first game, Roethlisberger was coming off of a 3-week layoff due to a knee injury, and his thumb was also hurt. He looked it, playing badly all game. Pittsburgh is also healthier in this game than they were in the first game, with LT Marvel Smith fully recovered from his ankle problems. ILB James Farrior is also fully healthy, and he's beginning to show the same impact for this defense that he brought last year. The key in this game will be Pittsburgh's offense. They are going to have to adapt quickly to the flow of the game. They will come out in run-heavy formations, and try to blast the smaller, lighter Colts off of the line. If they are successful in doing that, then they should be able to stay competitive in this game. But if the Colts lighting offense strikes quickly, they will have to abadon their game plan and try to play in a shootout. If that happens, you have to like the Colts. Although Pittsburgh has scored over 29 points a game over their last 6 games, their offense is not designed to win shootouts. The Colts are going to do everything in their power to negate Pittsburgh's strong running game. The only way Pittsburgh can win is to get their running game on track. Otherwise, Indy will advance to the AFC Championship game, and will probably do so easily. Finally, at 4:30 on Sunday Carolina travels to Chicago to take on the NFC's #2 seed the Bears. These two teams met in a 13-3 surprise earlier in the season, again in Chicago, where the Bears defense was totally dominant, turning two early picks into points. This game will be the meanest one of the weekend, where two dominant defenses will be turned loose against two power-running game offenses. SImple, straight-forward, smash-mouth football fans will delight in watching this low-scoring affair. Chicago managed a #2 seed in the playoffs despite using a rookie QB and despite having one of the game's worst offenses. But their defense has made some recall the incredible 1985 Bears team. There is no comparison - the 85 Bears were one of the best defenses ever seen in the NFL - but the 2005 Bears squad isn't anything to laugh at. The Bears feature two bookend defensive ends that pressure the quarterback better than any other tandem in the league. Their two interior lineman are great run-stuffers. The line does not allow offensive lineman to touch their excellent middle 'backer Brian Urlacher. As a result, Urlacher swallows up offensive plays better than any MLB in the game today. On offense, the Bears will start Rex Grossman. History shows that first-time starters in the playoffs do not fare well as a general rule. But Chicago has won this year despite a near-total lack of production from the passing game. Carolina has shown the same flashes of defensive dominance that Chicago has done - and proved it last week in New York when the utterly pounded the Giants high-powered, high-scoring offense completely. They feature a strong running game, and if DeShaun Foster manages to find running room in this one, then Jake Delhomme play-action passing game should open up and provide opportunities to move the ball through the air. Carolina will likely try to do to Chicago what Pittsburgh did to them - pound them into submission after gaining an early lead. The key to this game will be the play of Rex Grossman. Reports out of Chicago state that the Bears coaching staff and team is very high on Grossman's play. He is doing this in the privacy of practices that excite them; the question remains as to whether he can do that in the pressure of the playoffs. In the Wild Card round, three teams featured first-time starting quarterbacks - Carson Palmer, Eli Manning and Byron Leftwich. None won, although Palmer's injury forces an asterisk next to that statement. Last year, in Roethlisberger's first playoff season, he looked bad when he had looked so good and confident during the regular season. If Grossman is everything the Bears believe he is, and he is capable of proving that Sunday afternoon, then Chicago should win this game. Otherwise, a poor performance by Grossman will likely lead to a Carolina road victory. All in all, the home teams in this game all have some advantages. The most likely winners are Seattle, Indy, Denver and Chicago, but the NFL playoffs don't always hold true to form. Since all 4 games are rematches, the losers in those games all have an extra mental edge. The winners already know they can defeat their opponent. They should all be very competitive games I think, and all eight teams are capable of winning. That's what is going to make this weekend so exciting.