Cleveland/Green Bay
Oh what could've been. If only the referees had not enforced the rules and allowed the Browns an extra chance at the Jaguars defense then millions of Browns fans - are any admitting to it, kind of like saying you are a proud member of al-Qaida - would have dreams of playoff tickets dancing in their heads. But, no, the mean men in stripes decided that it was more important to call the game correctly and spoil the holidays for the people wearing the rubber masks and hurling the plastic bottles. Instead, what we have is more a must game for the erratic Packers than for the Browns. The Packers love to play the good teams but don't seem to do as well when playing teams that have little juice. The Browns have very little juice. Watch the Browns running game as James Jackson is out and this may be the next chance for Ben Gay to get an opportunity. Watch the pass rush for the Browns, as without it this could be a long day. Watch Ahman Green scamper all over the field, as the Browns are very weak against the run.

San Diego/Kansas City
This game has little NFL intrigue as neither team will be in the playoffs this season but it does have intrigue for infinity and beyond. The QB situation in San Diego could get ugly if Mike Riley doesn't grab hold of it and quick. Since their last win - the Super Bowl against Buffalo - Flutie has five scores and 13 interceptions. Did that game take it out of the little man? Was that his last hurrah? It certainly seems that way, doesn't it. Whether it was or not, it should've been. With two games to go, Drew Brees should get his feet wet. He won't. Why, who knows. Could it be Riley's fear of the wrath of Flutie? Whatever it is, Brees should be playing this week and the one after. On the KC side of the ball, watch the passing attack with Derrick Alexander and Tony Gonzalez against a weaker San Diego secondary. How important was Steve Christie to the Chargers future?

Seattle/Giants
This is likely the elimination bowl for the loser. The winner gets to be eliminated a week later. The Giants staved off elimination - you can't stave off anything else - by squeaking past the Cardinals and the Seahawks beat death by clubbing the Cowboys into reality. What the Giants have found -- and it was staring them in the face all offseason - is that Kerry Collins is a good QB in only the best of situations and that Jason Sehorn is a fraud, at least on the football field. Funny thing is that the problems unearthed in the Super Bowl never left. They have never changed from the team that was smacked by the Ravens. They can run the football and stop the run but they do little else and if they get behind they are dead. However, due to their lack of pass defense, they can be caught from behind. They are the short sprinter that is all start and no pick up. Is Ron Dayne going on the suicide watch, he seems quite depressed about his lack of touches. The Seahawks are the more interesting team as Mike Holmgren has absorbed the loss of their best cornerback, their starting running back, the mediocrity that is Matt Hasselbeck, and kept the team on the fringe of sanity. If they are to take the next step either Koren Robinson or Hasselbeck have to improve. Watch Robinson for signs of life. They also need a better defense. John Randall and Levon Kirkland were nice patches if you had a contender but next year they are a year older and slower. If all works out in a year they will be a good offensive team that can't stop the opposition well enough to be taken seriously. Hopefully, they see the wisdom in trying to pry a pass rusher from the draft. Watch Morten Andersen -- or double e as we like to call him - as this may be his final days on the football field.

Detroit/Pittsburgh
Time to clear out folks the show is over. There was no one more depressed than I the moment the Lions won I had hoped they had it in them to go the whole 16. To fight like the champions I had thought they were and make us all proud. Instead, like the Chargers, Jets, Colts, Patriots, Cowboys, and Saints before them, they are destined to be 15 game wonders. It is sad. If the Steelers are willing to play, the fun should be in watching Mike McMahon race around the field being chased by Jason Gildon and Kendrell Bell. Same type of fun as watching a cat play with a weakened mouse. We don't know how much zip will be in the Steelers step after the beat down they put on the Ravens. If they are feeling their oats - or whatever they like to feel - this could be a bloodbath but they could take Sunday off and allow the Lions to stay in the game. Watch the running game. We wonder what really is wrong with Jerome Bettis as he seems to be getting worse with each succeeding week. Either the Steelers are really trying to give him the proper rest or he is much worse then they are letting on. We think the latter. It may not be the best of days to watch the Steeler passing game but Kordell and Plaxico are starting to look like professionals. Oh, watch how little Matt Millen is shown now that he is off the schneid.

New Orleans/Tampa Bay
These two teams began the year as contenders for the NFC crown and now are trying to stave off - see above -- elimination. The loser may not be out but they are very down. What happened? Weren't the Saints the new sheriffs with a great defensive line, big running game, and the next exciting thing at QB? All they had to do was add Albert "You have the right to remain silent" Connell to the passing game and they would be the Rams of the Deep South. Except, unlike their cousins further on up the big muddy, they would have some defense to go with that offense. They were cocky enough about their team that instead of taking a defensive back - needed desperately - or a wide receiver, they went with a backup for Ricky Williams. Sure Williams had been injured the first two seasons but there is no guarantee he will ever be injured again and that that draft choice ever gets off the bench. It was a mistake. The Buccaneers are a mess. Tony Dungy may know defense but for an ex-quarterback he knows diddley about offense. It didn't help that Warrick Dunn was injured early but Dungy never seemed as if he was wired to Dunn as the No. 1. Also, can anyone explain why Jacquez Green doesn't get the ball in that offense? We know that Brad Johnson can't throw the sphere more than one light pole but get the ball in his hands on some slanting patterns that use his quickness and ability to run after the catch. It would be a little more exciting than those eight-yard tosses to Keyshawn. Watch Ricky Williams. That is, of course, if he gets in the game. If he doesn't play then you know all you have to know about his rib. He should be able to gain some yards against an average Tampa run D. Watch Brooks, as he is the key to the offense. He has been inconsistent but if he has the radar he could do a number on the Bucs. However, if there is something the Bucs have been tough against it is the passing game. Watch Brad Johnson. He doesn't have the quickest release or the strongest arm and that may explain why he has gone from Minnesota to Washington to Tampa as quick as he has. Watch Simeon Rice because if Warren Sapp is injured, Rice will be on his back flopping like a turtle as the Saints run game walks down the field. And watch your wallet as Albert Connell may be lurking in the shadows.

Chicago/Washington
We continue to look back at the Washington/Dallas game as the turning point of a season that has had many twists and turns. Win against the Cowboys and this game is big. Lose and this game has some curiosity value but not as much as Redskin fans would like. It is likely that the Redskins will end at 7-9 or 8-8 and after that 0-5 start every game was of the utmost import. The most important thing to watch is the Bears passing game. They are so conservative that every drive takes 8-10 plays and generally ends at the opponents 15. They have the WRs for a down the field offense but prefer what would be an exaggeration to call dink and dunk. We care less about the Tony Banks/Brian Urlacher whose is bigger contest, as Banks isn't worth talking about anyway. This game could be interesting to watch for Bears and Packers fans but for fans of the Redskins it is a game that will point out what could've been. Oh yeah, watch the Bears secondary. If there is a spot to attack it is the Bears pass D and without an ability to score quickly they will always be at the mercy of opponents scoring quickly. If Tony Banks can pass on them, certainly an NFL professional will tear them to shreds.

St. Louis/Carolina
What sort of letdown will a game in Carolina be for the Rams after stomping the 49ers and Saints in consecutive weeks? Should we expect a big game from the offensive behemoths or will they sit down and play with the Panthers like a cat with a weakened mouse - is this déjà vu? If this is the national game in your area, do the safest thing and turn the set off then head for the mall. There is nothing to watch here.

Cincinnati/Baltimore
The talk that the Ravens were cruising on their laurels and would awaken when faced with a big game should be placed in the same ugly pile as Bill Clinton's honesty and Adam Sandler's acting ability. They cannot turn on what isn't there. The running game wasn't able to move the Steelers, which renders the team to being led by Elvis Grbac who doesn't have the foot speed to get away from a pass rush or the big play wide receiver to bail him out. Remember in KC he had Derrick Alexander and Tony Gonzalez. Though his receivers are decent in Baltimore they are of a lesser pedigree. The Ravens are not Super Bowl contenders anymore. And what to watch is if they can rebound from the realization and put away a one-dimensional team, like Cincinnati. They weren't able to earlier but now the team is in danger of falling out of the playoffs or, at best, finding a long road of road games. Watch Takeo Spikes. Jerome Bettis was, at least, partially correct in that the kid can play.

Dallas/Arizona
Let's be honest, the only reason that this game is played is for Texans to get out and see a little of the world. Sadly, they get to see Arizona. And the Cardinals. Neither team has anything to play or, in Arizona's case, live for. The Cowboys are hoping that they will have solved the QB situation by the end of next training camp but it looks like they will have solved it by playing either Ryan Leaf or Quincy Carter. That is like solving a drinking problem by drinking bourbon instead of beer because it means you are drinking less. If they are to get further down the road the first thing the Cowboys have to do is scrape the five or six posers they have behind center and get a real QB. Won't happen. The reason it won't happen is that Quincy Carter is Jerry Jones' idea. The Cardinals really have a much tougher road at QB because we still can't be quite convinced that Jake Plummer is a playoff QB or if he is the type of QB that gets in the way. The Cardinals are not going to address this, as the defense is the key. Watch Carter as any progress from him will mean many more wins in the future. Watch Cedric Oglesby. No he is not a character from "A Christmas Carol" or any other Dickens novel that I can remember. He is the kicker replacing Bill Operatica. It may be one of his only appearances in a professional uni, so get plenty of pictures. Watch Tywan Mitchell as he has worked quickly into Plummer's favor and could be a reasonable play next season. Watch Jerry Jones. It is scary but watch him.

Jacksonville/Minnesota
Every game that involves the Vikings causes me to shake my head. Why are we here? Where did we miss the road? It's like the time going up the 57 I ended on the 60 in Ontario, California, that is. Not quite sure where my mistake was but had to turn around and backtrack. I'm sure Denny Green is as befuddled. Weren't they 15-1 two years back and a solid Super Bowl contender a season ago but now are knee deep in cowpies with no quick course to get back on the right road. Funny, the Jaguars are in the same position. Some of the blame lies at the feet of the salary cap. Good teams are not really very good if you look past the gloss. Once the teams have to play the second string, for whatever reason, they find that, in most cases, the backups suck. Just can't plug the next guy in the depth charts without a drastic drop. Much of this is due to the fact that veterans that might've hung around as second-stringers are pumping gas at the local Quickie Mart. See, it costs too much to carry them around and to patch it is necessary to backup with rookies. Look at the good teams in the NFL. How many would survive an injury to their QB? Kurt Warner, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Brett Favre, even Kordell Stewart, if any of those guys go down it is lights out. That is what has happened to the Jags and Vikings. They got injured, or old, at certain places and couldn't stockpile the talent to replace the missing pieces. It is the way of today's game and todays big dog, could be hamburger the next season. Watch Randy Moss as it seems he has picked up his game after saying he didn't want to play every day. How strange. Speaking of Randy Moss, he was fined for some childish act against Detroit but the NFL doesn't fine Al Lerner and Carmen Policy for condoning a riot in Cleveland. Talk about hypocrisy. And where the hell is Paul Tagliabue, anyway? Come out of hiding Paul.

Jets/Indianapolis
The Sunday night game could've been a great match tied with Saturday's Patriots/Dolphins game if all four had been enmeshed in the standings. Sadly, the Colts have not held up their end of the bargain. What was the likelihood of the Colts being the team falling down? Certainly we didn't expect the Patriots to even stand up so they would be considered the most likely team to fall. The Jets were next in line as no one gave them a real chance to play better than .500 ball. After that I would think the Dolphins are next due to the simple fact that people overestimate offense over defense. Defense doesn't make the highlights and the value of Randy Moss is considered greater than the value of Ray Lewis but mainly it isn't. So, most thought that the offensive prowess of the Colts was more important than the defensive prowess of the Dolphins. What wasn't figured into the mix was that the Colts defense would be abysmal which nullified their offense and that the Dolphins pedestrian offense was good enough to keep the team afloat. It is sad. Not as sad as having to sit through a co-workers eighth retelling of a dream they had about being naked with their cat but almost as sad. Watch Curtis Martin as his production is down and if he doesn't produce against the Colts he may not produce against anyone. Watch the passing game of the Jets as they have to improve to move up the food chain. There is nothing to watch on the Colts. Watching the Colts is like standing on the shore watching a big ocean liner go down. With Jim Mora standing on the bridge.

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