It's Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 4:54pm. I'm sitting here... with nothing to do. Absolutely nothing. I am nervous, my hands are clammy and I'm down. Most of you already know why and feel the same way I do.

Okay, so I embellished a little, regarding my nerves. But I am sad.

This is the first Sunday since August that a football game of any capacity has not been on. And once the Super Bowl is over next Sunday, I have no idea what do to with my Sundays anymore (for the record, the Pro Bowl is not worthy of my time). I'm not a big basketball fan, hockey is only good when the players fight, and even spring training baseball doesn't matter to me much because my team sucks.

I know there are tons of others out there that are feeling PFA just as I am. You ask what is PFA?? That stands for Post Football Anxiety. I don't know if a condition like this actually exists, but it should. Tens of thousands of people, like myself, are are feeling like we lost our best friend and don't know what to do to fill the void. We'll feel empty inside, at least until training camp starts back up.

So I've come up with a list of things you can do on Sundays to waste time until your favorite team jogs back on the field on their quest to make the Super Bowl (or for some teams, their quest to be better than a laughing stock of the league *cough*Detroit Lions*cough*). Read these rules and act accordingly. It will save you until the football season starts back up again

Stop Neglecting Your Children/Godchildren For Once


Okay, I know I'm not the only parent that is glued to the TV when their favorite team is playing. The conversation between my son and I typically go like this on Sundays:

Son: Ma, can I...
Me: SHHHHH!!! Flacco is about to throw
Son: But Ma, I'm Hung...
Me: Didn't I tell you to be quiet?? I can't hear the TV. The Ravens are playing!
Son: But I'm Hungry.....
Me: (inattentive) Uh Huh... gimme a minute baby..... When the commercial comes on I'll get up

20 mins later...
Son: Ma, I'm star...
Me: Look now! I'm gonna beat you if you don't leave me alone!!!

Son: *stomps away*

A lot of us parents/godparents are guilty of not paying their child or children an ounce of attention for at least 3 hours. And sadly enough, we don't really care. As long as the ambulance, police or the Fire Dept don't show up at the door, we don't care what they do. It's a shame, really...

So let's use the time to do whatever the kids want to do. Let them think it's all about them again. Take them wherever they want to go, or let them play any sport they want. But keep reminding them that their time is slowly running out, and that pretty soon you'll be back into football mode.

Just say to them, "Okay baby, we can go there today. But remember, in 15 weeks, football season starts back up. So all of this will come to an end, mmmkay?!" If your child knows the program, they'll be okay. They they don't want to accept it, tell them too bad, so sad!!

Become A Bar Hopper



Every Sunday at 1pm, visit a new sports bar/lounge and watch the other sports on their TV. For every 1/2 hour that your favorite football team is supposed to be playing (which is about 3 1/2 hours), start taking shots in honor of that team. Also buy a beer to go along with those shots. That way, every time you take a shot, you hold the beer up and yell, "Cheers" to everyone and take a sip.

Then proceed to pour a little bit of beer on the floor and say, "This is for all the players who ain't on the field today" and sing the first verse of "Gangsta Lean" shortly after.

Three things could happen if you follow this rule. One, you'll be too drunk that after the 3rd shot you'll forget football should even be on. Two, if you aren't drunk, you'll be having a great time, because other PFA sufferers will be there and feel your pain and join in. Or three, the bar manager will kick you out of their establishment and ask that you never return.

Anyway you look at it, it will temporarily take your mind off the loss of football. You may have a hella hangover because of it, but the mission was accomplished.


For Ladies Only: Shop Til You Drop


There are tons of us girly girls who love the violent sport of football, myself included. There is room in our hearts for pumps and pigskin that holds equal.

Come up with a Sunday budget and hit every weekend sale you possibly can with your budgeted amount. Make sure you do this between the hours of 1pm and 7pm, or else this won't help you cope. The longer you stay out, the more you'll forget that usually at this time of day, Peyton Manning has scored somewhere. Or John Madden has mentioned Brett Favre for the 1,000th time elsewhere.

For Men Only: Support Your Local Gentleman's Club


Fellas, you should also budget for your soon-to-be weekly coping mechanism. Make sure you don't take enough that your significant other doesn't get too mad about it if she finds out what you're doing. So no Champagne Room episodes for you. By a drink, sit at the stage and give out $1 bills, not exceeding ten dollars.

Make sure you say, "What's up" to Adam "Pacman" Jones while you're there. He's there for the same reason. He suffers from PFA, too

Well, since I've already given my early predictions regarding this weekend's championship games, I figured I would turn my attention to the regular stuff that's going on in the NFL

Although there are still 2 more games to be played, there are an abundance of news going on in pro football. So let's take a look at the news for the week, and I'll give you my opinion on each story.

News Story: The Detroit Lions hire Titans Coordinator Jim Schwartz as their new head coach

My Take: I like this hiring. A part of me is biased because he is a Baltimore native. But this is still a great pick up. Look at how the Lions make out for 2009; new coach, a #1 Draft pick, plus extra picks the Lions received from the Cowboys trade for WR Roy Williams. They'll be 6-10 this year easily. Hell, I wasn't about to say he's about to pull a Tony Sparano. But they're on the right path. Bravo, Detroit front office!



NFL News: Cowboys May Possibly Release Controversial WR Terrell Owens

My Take: Why?? Why now? Jerry Jones loves controversial players. Look at the long list of players he brought in. Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Tank Johnson and Adam "Pacman" Jones, to name a few. He lives for this kind of stuff. The Cowboys locker room is better than The Young And The Restless.

So you bring in a player that had you knowingly had truck loads of baggage, but looked past all of that because he has a great amount of talent. For most folks this is a no brainer. But when it comes to revenue, everyone knows that T.O. equals


Now all of a sudden, you decide to listen to the folks who said this is a bad idea all along, and get rid of him? The same year that you move into that huge stadium? Hmmmm.. Why now? Man up Jerry! Stick to your guns. Do you, buddy! Controversy had never stopped this team before, right?! Controversy sells tickets, which is ultimately what we all want anyway. Super Bowl victory, you say?! Bah! You have 5, tied for most all time, you're straight!

Plus, who would want to see the look on T.O.'s face when you give him the bad news?? Let me give you a reminder of how ugly it is:



News Story: Former Broncos LB Bill Romanowski Asked To Interview For Broncos Head Coaching Job

My Take: Okay, when I saw this story online, at first I was lost for words


But after 5 seconds of shock, my next reaction was this:


I mean, seriously. This has to be the joke of the week. A former NFL player who admittedly used steroids and is best known for spitting in the Face of an opponent?? Does he think for one second that anyone will take him seriously? I'm not into drugs at all, but I'd love to know what he's smoking, because it must be good and making him delusional.

To go From Mike Shanahan as your head coach to Romanowski, is like.... turning in a Bentley coupe and personally requesting a 1972 Duece and a Quarter. It's not a good look.

Is this an NFL version of Punk'd? Cause this joke isn't really funny.....


News Story: Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy Retires After 7 Seasons With Team

My Take: This is such a loss to the NFL. One of the nicest, classiest coaches to ever grace a sideline. Not to mention, the first Black head coach to ever win a Super Bowl. Dungy will be missed by so many for different reasons. My reason? Because black coaches in the NFL are few and far between. And to have one of the most successful coaches in the game retire, means that someone has very big shoes to fill. Dungy will be missed, but especially by the ESPN worker behind him in this clip:




News Story: Former Falcons QB Michael Vick Will Be Done Serving His Time And Plans On Filing For Reinstatement

My Take: Oh.......

The AFC and NFC Championship games are set and I couldn't be more excited. As I've stated before, I'm a huge Ravens fan, so this weekend match up against Pittsburgh, our division rivals, is so exciting. I don't know much longer I can wait for Sunday to get here. But this is bigger than my personal bias.

The three bird teams playing next Sunday weren't even in the playoffs in 2007. Pittsburgh, being the only repeating playoff team left, lost in the Wild Card round last year, so they didn't even break a sweat before their playoff hopes were gone.

But this is a great thing. Maybe not or the NFL, or their sponsors. But absolutely for their fans. Why? Because if your teams stinks up the joint one year, they always have a chance at redemption the next year. Just ask the Miami Dolphins.

That being said... while 3 of these teams didn't get an invitation to last year's dance, they all made great strides to being where they are now. Let's discuss, shall we?

Arizona Cardinals- Wow, they really shut me the hell up! I thought this team was terrible coming into the playoffs. They got blown out twice within a 3 week period. How was I supposed to see this coming? While their offense has always been potent (they ended the season #4 in total offense), their defense was sub par at best, finishing #19 in total defense. With the Cards playing against the Atlanta Falcons during Wild Card weekend, I was sure Michael Turner was going to have a field day on their defense. He didn't. The Falcons never got a rhythm going, and they beat the Falcons 30-24.


For some reason, after that win I still wasn't impressed. Next week came, and the Cards were going east to play the Panthers. Arizona has played horribly against teams that are located on the East Coast. So this is a no brainer, right? WRONG!! Jake Delhomme had a horrendous day (on his 34th birthday, of all times to play poor), as the defense created 6 turnovers and beat Carolina convincingly. This pic of Panthers coach John Fox says it all:

Sidenote: Did anyone hear Deion Sanders sing Happy Birthday to Delhomme during the highlight reel? Hilarious!

The Cardinals have me and other non believers looking like fools. This is the second coming of the 2006 Colts, where the defense was below average all season. But when the time came to turn it up a notch, they answered the challenge.The only thing that bothers me is, their team's fans don't really show up when needed. Their wild card playoff game was nearly blacked out, because they didn't sellout soon enough. A playoff game??? I mean, I know we're in a recession, but you may never see the playoffs again! Gotta savor that moment. Ask the Cleveland Browns, they'll give anything to be in your shoes



Philadelphia Eagles- Okay, after McNabb was benched in the Baltimore game, I was convinced the Iggles were done. Their starting QB was benched after only trailing 3 points by halftime. Someone must really think he sucks. Until Kevin Kolb came in and reminded Andy Reid and every McNabb hater that Kolb needs to sit his *hee haw* down and exit the football field like Randy Watson from Coming To America

Now look what's happened since the benching? 5-1 in the regular season since and 2 playoff victories on the road, on their way to their 5th NFC Championship in 8 years. LL Cool J once said, "Don't Call It A Comeback!". McNabb's been here for years, doing what he does best. Finding ways to get to the final four, like he once did four years straight at a point.

"Hello.... Uh hello, Mr. Lurie...what is that you say... You can't win without me?? That's what I thought"


Good for you McNabb, and the rest of the Iggles team. Nothing better than proving folks how WRONG they are about you.

Baltimore Ravens- A team that was 5-11 the year before, and has the most players on injured reserve in 2008. Never in a million years did I think this team would make such a turn around in such a short time to make it to the AFC Championship. As a Purple and Black lover, I still find this so hard to believe that this team have made it this far. Everything pointed to the Ravens not being so successful. Rookie head coach in John Harbaugh, (which is, by-the-way, very easy on the eyes. What a cutie pie) and a rookie QB in Joe Flacco (who, by-the-way, has a mean unibrow. Someone please get me a Nads kit!)

Clearly a team that is rebuilding, right?! Wrong! Parity and hard work has this team at 11-5, with 2 straight playoff victories on the road and one game away from the Super Bowl. One thing that hasn't changed is the defense. Rex Ryan is still the mastermind behind the brilliance of this #2 defense (behind their AFCN rivals, Pittsburgh). Ray Lewis, along with Ed Reed, are still the generals on the field

Not to mention, the Ravens were robbed of a bye week because of Hurricane Ike during Week 2 of the season. This team has played for 17 weeks straight and counting, with no rest. Almost every player on the active roster has a nagging injury, but they still found a way to make it to through.

No one, including myself, expected them to win more than 7 or 8 games (and this is a modest number. NFL "experts" picked up to win 4-5 games easily).One word, WOW!

Pittsburgh Steelers- The most non surprising playoff team in the group. Right now, you can call the Steelers the best team remaining. They had everything go their way against San Diego on Sunday. But this is nothing new for them. The Steelers could've easily lost 2-3 more game. Their offensive line has been patchwork due to injuries, their RBs aren't that effective, and Big Ben sometimes holds the ball for 30 seconds while taking unnecessary sacks.

But for whatever reason, they find ways to win games. It doesn't hurt that they have the #1 defense in the league. Their defense is absolutely stout, lead by the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison

Oh, and Troy Polamalu, not so bad himself.

As a Ravens fan, it's my duty to loathe the Steelers. And in some ways, I do. But I have more respect for them than any other team in the league, hands down. Why? Because they know how to win games when they have to, point blank.

I'm sure Al Davis copyrighted the phrase, "Just Win Baby", but is there a way the Steelers can borrow that for a while. No cliche fits a team better than the Steelers. Right now, they are hitting on all cylinders, and for most people this is no surprise.

Okay, so with that said, here's my predictions with the following games:

Philly at Arizona- Each week, I keep picking against Arizona. And each week, they show up and win. A part of me wants to stop the madness and go with them since I've been wrong this whole time. But my instincts tell me that McNabb and Co will find a way to win this game.

I already know what folks are going to say. Well, the Iggles have only one win in 4 NFC Championship games with McNabb as the QB. This is true. As of right now, history doesn't look good for them. But other than the Steelers, Philly is playing their best football of the year. I know this is gonna come back to bite me, but I think Philly will be ready for Fitzgerald, Boldin and Breaston.

While I'm not taking anything from their regular season showdown (in my opinion, the slate is clean when the playoffs begin), I think Philly wins this one.

Eagles 27 Cardinals 23

Baltimore at Pittsburgh- In my opinion, one of the best rivalries in football right now. I'm not gonna tell you how, both teams hate each other, cities hate each other, and all the other crap the media feeds us. It's been noted. The fact of the matter is, these 2 teams are twins separated at birth. Both teams have great defenses. Both are known to run the ball, and both have young coaches (Harbaugh in his first year, Tomlin in his second).

As I said before, everything is against the Ravens favor and for the Steelers. Growing injuries, rookie QB, rookie head coach and a #6 seed. The Steelers are playing lights out football right now. Not to mention, they swept the Ravens during the regular season (by a total of 7 points. Nonetheless, a sweep is a sweep). But I find this game very intriguing. Mainly because, the Ravens are following almost the exact same path that the Steelers did when they won their Super Bowl in 2005. It's eerie and kinda scary. But true

This game is really a coin toss. Both teams know each other very well. But ultimately it comes down to, who makes the plays at the end. While I am one to believe that 3rd times a charm, I think my boys may have run out of gas, and this is the end of the road.

Steelers 20, Ravens 14

A message to the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, and other teams..... Next year, this could be you I'm blogging about!

God Bless Parity In the NFL!

The college football season has come and gone, with last night's BCS Championship game between Oklahoma and Florida. And it didn't disappoint us.

But with every college football season, comes the annual topic to discuss: Why isn't there a playoff system in college football? Not a year goes by without some regular guy or some ESPN expert having this lengthy discussion that, I for one, am tired of hearing.

I am supporter of having a playoff system in college football. I hate the BCS system and I've made up my own acronyms as to what it means. It could mean Best Controversy Standing, or it could mean Big Crock of S%$@. But ya know what people??? There won't be changes anytime soon... time to live with this reality. At least, not in 2009

So I decided to tell you why there won't be a playoff system anytime soon, all while paying homage to one of my favorite Wu Tang Clan songs, which actually has some parallel points that support my reasoning.


So I wrote a blog about it. Like to hear it... hear it goes....

Reason #1- Money, money, money, money.......MONEY


Okay, so I'm gonna go on a wing here and assume that, if someone said to you, "Hey, I'll pay you a dumb amount of money for you to name your event after my business for promotion purposes", most of us would smile real hard and say, "OKAY!" and dance a jig, like so....

So imagine what the NCAA said to them when corporate sponsors came up with this bright idea to do the same. Now look, I think the Chick-Fil-A, Papajohns.com and Alamo Bowls are all stupid. Usually they are teams that are a bunch of losers anyway that get these bowl invitations as some kind of consolation prize. But, according to the Wu Tang Clan, Cash Rules Everything Around Me... C.R.E.A.M. get the money... dolla dolla bill y'all... Okay, you got my point at Cash Rules.... But I love that song and had a petty moment, feeling the need to quote the most famous line in that song. No one turns down money, no one. Point them out to me and I'll tell you they're either full of crap or some part of the 7th sign that this world is ending. If regular people don't see the need to turn down money, I doubt very seriously the NCAA will follow suit... Just stating the facts, people.....

Reason#2- Scoring Rules In College Football

What does that mean you ask? Well the NFL and college football are 2 totally different beasts. While the NFL wants to be an offense driven sport, it simply isn't. Too many good defenses are becoming key in the pros, as opposed to have high powered offenses. Ask Peyton Manning what it was like to have a Super Bowl caliber offense for years, with guys on the other side that can't even stop a nose bleed, nonetheless a quality wide receiver.

In College, however, scoring points is king. While the overall record is an indicator of who's ranked in the bowl standings, how bad the beat their opponent is just as important. I won't lie, the main reason I started watching college is because I saw points being scored, something that you can't always say you see every week in the NFL. A more-than-likely college score of 55-48, is something that's highly unlikely in the NFL, unless both teams turned the ball over a combined 18 times and the defense is worse than the smell of halitosis (which, by-the-way, is god awful). The more you beat your opponent to a pulp, the better your chances are at getting to one of the 4 major bowl games. I saw an unofficial stat (but probably slightly accurate), that the average points scored in an NFL were 40.2 points. Oklahoma averaged 54 points this year. Like I said, coring point is king in college

Reason #3- The Hot Topic At The Water Cooler


If you're a sports fan, then you already know this is the hot topic every year beginning in November. People whos Alma maters are undefeated but sitting at #6 in the BCS standings start complaining. Others start talking about why USC is better then people give credit for, why The SEC conference is overrated, blah, blah, blah... Excuses and hating are at an all time high when these convos start


Don't you think the NCAA knows this? It's great publicity for the sport. If they start a playoff system now, not only will they lose money but they will lose the annual hype about why there should be a playoff system. A D list celebrity once said, "No publicity= bad publicity". Paris Hilton, the NCAA heard you loud and clear and agrees with that statement. Having coaches and a computer choose who plays for the national championship means that college football is still relevant. That, my friends, is the perfect cliffhanger that most sports don't have.

In conclusion, my advice to you is this..... Stop Your Freaking Whining!!!! It's not gonna change, so get over it! And NO! President-elect Obama is not going to help you. Why,you ask?? UUhhhh, because he has better things to do then to listen to you cry babies complain about the system isn't fair. Life isn't fair!


The BCS..... Because Cash Speaks!!

OT: My Hillbilly Crush Of College- Tim Tebow
I've already expressed my NFL Hillbilly crush on Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers. Well, I have a college crush as well. None other than Mr. Heisman himself, Florida QB Tim Tebow. A well noted devoted christian, when Tebow is on the football field, he's a totally different person. His antics are quite Satanic, getting way too fired up and drawing unsportsmanlike penalties (like he did last night). But I won't lie, something about that makes me smile, and hard. He's the typical athlete's version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, but I love it! There's nothing hotter than a man firing up his teammates and his home crowd. Hats off to you Mr. Tebow. May the force be with you


This message was brought to you by, The NFL Chick (c), 2009

Since I started my blog up again, I've been asked by folks my opinions on things that go on in the NFL. So I figured, why not present those same questions to my blog. You know, like the sports writers do. But they have to be "politically correct" at times. I'm gonna give it to you straight, no chaser. No BSing around on what I think. So without further ado, The NFL Chick's Inaugural Edition of "Ask Me Anything". Shout out to Barack Obama, since his inauguration is next week, I'm gonna keep using the word "inaugural", because I can. Yes I Can!



Foxxy from El Salvador asks, "Hey there. What is your take on team confidentiality and talking to the press. Do you think it's okay for players and coaches to give locker room stories for the press to cover?"

Foxxy, HELL NO I don't think it's okay. If you ask me, it's Bitchassness at it's finest

I would assume we are talking about the issues with the Jets and Brett Favre, along with the Cowboys. With both situations, every story surfaced with an "anonymous source", which is petty and bitchy to me. If you are gonna be the one to break the brotherhood and gossip to reporters, why aren't you bold enough to say who you are?? I am against in-house problems being aired out (well, not totally. Some of these stories are funny and interested. But still petty), so when I heard about how Brett doesn't want to make new friends and go to dinner with them, or when a "source" says that T.O. thinks players are having secret society meetings to get more balls thrown their way, I ask myself, "Who really gives a s*&%!!!" Seriously, man up, grow a bigger pair and speak up if you have an issue. The media is not your friend, guys.



Greg in Parkville asks, "Should San Diego consider cutting or trading LT?"


Greg, neither. I think, for now, they should keep him. However, I did mention in my last blog that they definitely need to find a way to re-sign RB Darren Sproles, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. I'd give LT one more year to redeem himself. For a while, he carried this team offensively, and I believe more teams and players should have some sort of loyalty to their teams. But if he has another injury prone season in '09, then "Peace out, LT!"
Sidenote: The picture below came up when doing an engine search for one... WTF ?!

Joe from Eastside asks, "A friend of mine told me about this blog, and I find this hard to believe that you, a woman, knows all of this info regarding football. Is someone giving you the answers to the questions in class? Better yet, are you even half decent looking?? Somethings gotta a give, what woman knows this much about football?"

Well Joe from Eastside... This is a reoccurring question, one that I get all the time. I don't know how my brain stores all of these facts and information, but I'm the mastermind behind everything I write and think regarding football. I always believed that if I would've been born a male, I would've played football. Who knows, I may have been the next Joe Montana, or Deion Sanders. But I don't need any man or woman to help me with "answers to the questions in class" as you stated. In fact, you'd be surprise how many men I've exposed into being not-so-knowledgeable football fans (which, by-the-way, I absolutely LOVE to do).

As for the way I look, I think I do alright. I'm no Beyonce but I'm sure I could give Pam Oliver or Rachel Nichols a run for their money. No disrespect to either of them, of course. They're good at what they do. But I'll let you be the judge.

Pam


Rachel


Me


Hope this helps! Good day!

Well... Week 18 has come and gone and did it leave with a bang. This weekend's NFL games did not let us football fans down, not one bit. I watched all 4 games, and I honestly felt like I could watch 4 more games (spoken like a true NFL junkie lol).

So let's take a look back at each game and highlight the good and bad moments of each

Atlanta 24, Arizona 30

Highlight of the Game: The resurgence of the Edge. Edgerrin James finally came out of hibernation, having 16 rushing attempts for 73 yards. Just a few days prior, James stated that he didn't envision himself coming back to the Cards, stating that he was, "not an offensive lineman", meaning he was not going to just block people. He wanted to run. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt finally listened to him. He showed why he was more than just a blocking running back


Lowlight of the Game: With 12:44 left in the 4th quarter,Matt Ryan gets sacked in the end zone, orchestrated by DE Antonio Smith, which gives the Cards a safety. Not only does it suck that Ryan & Co gave the Cards more points and basically started adding nails to the coffin of the Falcons season, DE Darnell Dockett gets sexual molested by one of the referees in the game, trying to break up the celebration in the end zone. This is borderline Cinemax At Night activity going on. You don't believe me, watch this clip......


What Did I Learn: For at least one week, the Cards made a fool out of me, and anyone else, by proving at that are in fact, NOT the worst playoff team ever. But they travel to the East Coast next week to play the Panthers, where they been blown out just about every time they come close. I smell a "I told you so" coming on.

Colts 17, Chargers 23 OT

Highlight of The Game- None other than Darren Sproles. This is no offense to LT. I think he was a great player 2 years ago. But the past 2 years, he's been sitting on the sidelines with injuries, not able to help his team. In comes 5 foot, 6 inch Sproles (who, I think, really is about 5' 3 1/2") to save the day. I told my homeboy if the Colts could stop Sproles, they would win. They didn't. 328 all purpose yards, the 3rd most ever in playoff history, including the go ahead 22 yard TD run in overtime to win the game. He's a free agent this off season. As the former Orioles announcer Chuck Thompson used to say, "Give that man a contract!" Sign him San Diego... Sign him now, if you know what's good for you....


Lowlight of the Game: The refereeing. My boy, Ron Winters and his crew, once again, made ticky tacky calls that helped the Chargers in overtime. Personally, I cannot stand this ref crew (Winters is the "tuck rule" and Pittsburgh controversial TD referee). They throw more flags than any other crew, and they call the pettiest penalties. The first penalty in OT that was a holding call to give the Chargers a 1st down, was maybe 2 feet to, maybe, a yard away past the 5 yard mark. Most refs would let that go, because he was barely past the 5 yard mark and he did let him go. Not Winters crew, they had a flag ready and waiting for it. The result? Keeping the drive going that had an addition personal foul penalty (which should've been called) and another holding penalty against the Colts D(another call that was obvious). But it all started with that one penalty, to allow the Powder Blues to get new life. While I'm not complaining (as a Ravens fan, I am GLAD the Colts are out, because that was the only team us fans were afraid to play), let the guys play. Some calls are tit for tat and it takes out some of the excitement in the game. Lighten up!

What Did I Learn: The Powder Blues are Indy's new kryptonite. New England is old news, this is now a growing rivalry which makes a great game every time these two teams play. Oh and I also learned that I have a serious Redneck crush on Philip Rivers. *blush*

Ravens 27, Dolphins 9

Highlight of the Game: What else?! Ed Reed's great interception for a TD. Not because Reed is absolutely awesome (he's also a country bumpkin, too. He was shown arriving at BWI airport with a light blue suit, looking like the Bamma of the Week, Week, Week...). But because NT Haloti Ngata wipes out Ted Ginn, Jr during the return. Dude got jacked up! Nothing made me smile harder than seeing Big 92 take him totally out of the play. Look at it again, y'all. This is football at it's finest:


Lowlight of the Game: Chad Pennington. Four interceptions, when he only threw 7 all season. I actually like Chad Pennington...I do. And I actually felt kind of bad for him. He was flat out embarrassed by the Ravens defense. He's a good player, and seems like a better person. But yesterday he found out he needed to play his position... and that wasn't against this defense

What Did I Learn: All week we kept hearing how Miami lead the league in turnover ratio and protecting, blah..blah..blah.. Well the Ravens lead the the league too. In takeaways. While everyone loved the story of a 1-15 team making a total turn around, they showed that their glass slipper was way too small past midnight, and their carriage of a season turned into one big pumpkin. Better luck next year, though


Philadelphia 26, Minnesota 14

Highlight of the Game: For most of the game, Westbrook looked ineffective and defeated. And McNabb look like he was running out options. Then, out of no where, Brian Westbrook finally broke one against that stingy Vikings defense, with a 71 yard pass for a TD to seal the deal in the Iggles win. One of the sweetest plays of the game, especially since the Vikes were able to contain him. Westbrook is a beast, even when we think he's not. I'm officially sold.

Lowlight of the Game: Tavaris Jackson's interception. Philly CB Samuel jumped all over the pass, taking it back for the TD. That was bad, but what was worse was Jackson thinking he was really gonna actually try to tackle one of Philly's D linemen to try and stop them from scoring. It looked worse than the outcome (Jackson was okay afterwards), but what a dumb move. Know Your Role! You are a QB, Tavaris. Not a linebacker. Know your role......


What Did I Learn: It's not just Adrian Peterson that's a big factor for Minnesota. Once S Darren Sharper went out for the Vikes with an injury, McNabb started rolling. But who am I kidding, I never thought that the Vikings was that great of a playoff team to begin with


What To Watch This Week: BCS Championship Thursday night on Fox. Oklahoma against Florida. I think this will be a great game. Two very quarterbacks, both winning Heisman Trophies as underclassmen. Explosive skilled players and that SEC defense people, like myself, love.


I don't think this will be a blowout, but it'll be a shootout. In the end, I think the Gators will pull it out, simply because their defense is better. Gators 42, Sooners 38

And just so you know, I could care less about tonight's Fiesta Bowl between Ohio State and Texas. The Buckeyes don't impress me at all. I saw their true colors when Chris "Beenie" Wells went out, so they'll be lucky if the Longhorns only score 40 points.