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FOOCH'S NOTE: Josh put this together and offered it up and I thought we could hold off with more in-depth analysis until tomorrow.  Let's end the night with a little levity.

For those who don't know (a.k.a. "n00bs"), I posted a columns a couple of times a week during last season (you can check those out here). Due to time constraints, I've gone postless since the Super Bowl, but I'm back with a vengeance for the greatest offseason event in sports -- Draft Day.

I’ve watched the NFL Draft for over 20 years now. And I’ve never experienced it in any other way than on ESPN. I can still vividly remember being super pissed when the Jets took Roger Vick, a RB out of Texas A&M, with the 21st pick in 1987, because Mel Kiper made it clear the Niners wanted to take him at #22. Boy, that really came back to bite the Niners, huh?

When the NFL Network began airing the draft, I always meant to give their coverage a try. But I’m a creature of habit, so I never managed more than a cursory click-over during a commercial or particularly annoying part of ESPN coverage. The coverage was decent enough, with Mooch, and Deion, and Marshall Faulk. It also had Rich Eisen leading the charge, a huge improvement over Berman. The Net’s version of Mel Kiper is Mike Mayock. He actually played in the NFL, so he’s got that going for him. And he’s every bit as abrasively East Coast as Mel -- his Phillyese is quite similar to Mel’s Baltimorese.

Because I’m so into my comfortable routines, I’ve never actually gave them a shot, going with them right from the get-go. But after 20+ years of Chris Berman’s bad jokes, Mel Kiper’s hair, and the ever expanding Scott Stuartization of their coverage, I’ve finally had enough. I need to go one year without it. So today’s the day -- except for that rare click-over during commercials, I plan to stay ESPN-free today. I'm flying with The NFL Network -- The Net, for short -- all day today. Won’t you join me on this journey of discovery?

8:59am -- I’m all ready for this draft. All settled in on the couch, got my notebook, food, drink, computer, TV’s on. I’M READY ROCK N’ ROLL!!!

9:01 -- Wait, the draft’s not on. Checking my programming guide, I see it doesn’t start until 1pm. Totally forgot about that. So I got up at 8:30am for no absolutely no reason. Oh well, more time to download porn do research.

11:47 -- After a long nap, I’m back and ready to roll again. Turn on the NFL network pre-game draft just in time to see Rich Eisen toss it to Santa Clara, where Brian "Creepy Pinky" Baldinger is at Niner HQ. He breaks big news on the Niners plan of action for the draft: "That’s what this draft is all about -- improving the roster, improving their chances of winning next season." Mind blown. Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.

11:49 -- After that truly enlightening report from Baldinger*, the feed switches back to the ballroom, where a camera mounted up high gazes down at reporter’s doing stories on the main floor. This shot includes a sweet look at Erin Andrew’s ass. Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor again (this time for real). We’re going to see a lot of talent on display here today, but surely none will be as awe-inspiring as that. * No actual enlightening included

11:50 -- More shots from the ballroom floor, including one of Michael Crabtree. Rich Eisen and Marshall Faulk take this opportunity to praise him for his lavender shirt. There’s a joke in there somewhere, but I’m too lazy to look for it.

11:53 -- Back from commercial, we’re presented with a 3-man satellite desk where Brian Billick, Charles Davis, and Brian Billick discuss the Jets. Dukes’ microphone appears to be turned off -- nice work by the crew there, and I’m not being sarcastic.

11:57 -- Dukes’ mic is now working -- the Lord giveth, and He taketh away.

12:00pm -- High noon. Now I can start drinking alcohol without feeling guilty. Don’t get me wrong -- I’ve been drinking since dawn, it’s just that until now I’ve been feeling guilty about it.

12:01 -- Nice ponytail, Cushing. Now that was sarcasm.

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Welcome to ‘Any Given Friday’, where we can't remember a Super Bowl matchup this unsexy which had so much potential to be a great game since Rams/Titans or at least Rams/Pats, where we’re still waiting to hear the last name of the Niners’ new offensive coordinator (Jimmy Raye What?), and where we're unhappy to say that due to real life commitments which take precedence over football (it's true, they exist), this will be my last column for while.

You know how when something is really big, they’ll say it’s the “Super Bowl of ________”? Like “The Super Bowl of competitive eating”, or “The Super Bowl of dog fighting”, or “The Super Bowl of Poker”. Okay, maybe that last one doesn’t really work -- and that’s only because the NFL will sue the pants off anyone who officially uses the term. But you know what I mean. It’s not just how we hype something up. We use the words “Super Bowl” to pump needed life into small-time matchups, like our fantasy league championship games: “It’s the Super Bowl of The Labia League, as the Pounding Fathers take on Porn on the Cob.”

It’s not just hype, it’s the very pinnacle of hype. The Super Bowl of hype, if I may be so bold. I say “Super Bowl”, you don’t just think football, you think expensive commercials, fighter plane flyovers, shots from the blimp, long halftimes, Media Day, and two weeks of hype, hype, hype. I don’t know how it is for you, but the Super Bowl is the one game I’ve never had to sell to a wife/girlfriend. There’s always a fun party to go to, or even just some friends getting together, and they bring their significant others as well. If the girls aren’t interested -- and surprisingly often they are -- then they can talk to each other and/or make us more food. Right there, my friends -- that’s the power of hype.

That being said, this year’s game is a little hard to get hyped up about. Sure, you’ve got the whole Whisenhunt-against-the-team-that-passed-him-over thing, the will-Hines Ward-play-or-not thing, and even the What-the-hell-was-Anquan Boldin-thinking-on-the-sidelines thing (more on that in a moment), but that doesn’t exactly get the blood boiling for Sunday. We do have a serious darkhorse against a team going for a record sixth Super Bowl, and that’s not all bad. And, as i stated in the opening, I also have a feeling this could be a sleeper matchup -- one which doesn't seem like a classic, but could be surprisingly entertaining.

BOLDIN BEAUTIFUL: I know the Anquan Boldin sideline situation has been talked to death, but I never got my two cents in, so before I get to the actual game, I wanted to rant a moment. Here goes: Things which happen on the sideline during a football game are supposed to be chalked up to extreme competitors expressing their will to win in a tremendously competitive environment. Even if a player is acting in what would usually be thought of a selfish manner, players and coaches alike write it off to “the heat of the battle”. And I usually agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. But there have to be limits. And when your team is in a position to clinch a trip to the Super Bowl, you need to set your ego aside. 

What bothered me most about Boldin’s actions during last week’s game against the Eagles wasn’t that he was arguing about playing time during the (very successful) drive which clinched the NFC Championship. It was the fact he tried to defend (or at least explain) the move afterwards by saying he was never told why he wasn’t in the game. 

What does it matter why? That’s not for him to question. Especially when the team is running well in a formation which only features one WR. Boldin may be a great WR -- he’s actually been one of my personal favorites in terms of style and toughness -- but he’s not Larry Fitzgerald. Not before the playoffs, and certainly not after Fitz’s postseason performance, or Boldin’s injury. If there’s one WR in, Boldin should expect it to be Fitgerald. And if the formation is working, you shouldn’t complain. Being competitive is great, even if it makes you hard to deal with sometimes, but being competitive means wanting to win, not wanting to play a key role in a win. 

Boldin leaving the game immediately is a little troubling as well. As a competitor, you’d imagine he’d want to savor the most important win in your career. You’d think his antipathy towards the Cardinal organization wouldn’t keep him from wanting to celebrate with his teammates. But that’s his decision, and while it’s distasteful, but not bad enough to be deemed unprofessional.

All that being said, if Boldin’s a great player, and will give his all in the Super Bowl. If his problems with Arizona management force a trade, I don’t see too many WR-needy teams who would balk at acquiring him over something like this. But he could still use a productive game vs. Pittsburgh to wipe the bad taste of this incident from people’s mouths.

After the jump, I'll get to the game.

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Welcome to 'After Further Review...', where we can't believe the Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl, where we're seriously re-thinking our choice for coach of the year, and where we're not sure if we mentioned this or not, but the Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.

CARD TRICKS: In the NFL Films annual Super Bowl highlight show after the 1984 season, there’s a clip of Niners C Randy Cross on the sideline late in their 38-16 win over Miami in Super Bowl XIX, grinning at the camera with pride: “People came to see an offense, and the wrong one showed up.” He was of course referring to all the hype leading up to the game about Dan Marino and his record breaking offense, and how it was Montana and Bill Walsh who delivered the high-flying offense that day. I was reminded of this Sunday watching the Arizona’s 32-25 win over Philly, as Cards O-coordinator Todd Haley was taking it to the Eagles defense. After all the talk of what Philly D-coordinator Jim Johnson could do to the Cards (myself included), it seemed everybody came to see a coordinator and the wrong one showed up.

Haley seemed to be one step ahead of Johnson the entire 1st half, as Arizona ran as effectively as they have all year, and had the Warner-to-Fitz express working as well. RB Edgerrin James was tearing off yardage in big chunks -- something he didn’t do even during his recent resurgence -- and the O-line was keeping the Eagles rush off him for the most part. But the highlight was the 62-yard double pass TD from RB JJ Arrington to Warner to Fitzgerald early in the 2nd quarter, which gave Arizona a 14-3 lead, and set the tone for the game. It was quite reminiscent of the to flea flicker from Warner to Fitz in the 1st quarter of the wild card round against Atlanta, which gave the Cards a 7-0 lead and set the tone for that game.

There’s no question Haley had some guidance from head coach Ken Whisenhunt, a former offensive coordinator known for his effective use of trick plays -- like the WR pass from Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward he called in Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl victory three years ago. But coordinators get hired and fired based largely on their ability to call the right play at the right time, and Haley was all over it on Sunday. Besides the big plays, he also did a great job on the Arizona drive in the 4th quarter which resulted in the game-winning TD.

Philly had scored 19 straight points to grab a 25-24 lead. Arizona was on the ropes, struggling on offense, and badly in need of a momentum-changing drive. Facing a 4th and 1 at the Philly 49, Whisenhunt and Haley went with a run to RB Tim Hightower around the end (despite the fact Hightower had been stuffed on the previous play, a 3rd and 2). The play gained six yards, thanks largely to a block by FB Terrell Smith at the edge on CB Quintin Mikell. Then on 3rd and goal from the Philly 8-yard line, Haley again dialed up the right call, a screen pass to Hightower again for the game-deciding score to send the Cardinals to their very first Super Bowl. The Cardinals and Super Bowl -- it doesn’t sound right, but it is.

WHOOPS: In my Friday post before the playoffs, I ranked all the teams playing wild card weekend in terms of their chances to make the Super Bowl. I ranked Arizona last. Don't laugh, in the poll which accompanied that post, you all voted Arizona last as well -- they got one vote out of 100 cast (that guy should take a bow right about now). Before the second round, I re-seeded the teams and again picked the Cards last. Again, in the poll, you did as well -- they got two votes out of 210 cast. So I thought I'd give us a chance to explain ourselves. What happened? Were the Cards lucky to play the right teams at the right time and avoid cold weather? We were we stupid? Or was it just that unpredictable? Has parity made the NFL playoffs such a crapshoot that any team can get hot and run the table? Am I asking too many questions?

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Welcome to the ‘Any Given Friday’, where we think the defenses might out-score the offenses in Pittsburgh this weekend, where we’re wondering whether Mike Nolan might petition the league to become the first D-coordinator to wear a suit on the sidelines, and where we wouldn't pay a dime to watch Pac-Man Jones play football, but we can't get enough of listening to him talk.

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL: I woke up a little late last Sunday, just before kickoff, so I missed all the pregame shows. I did, however, record ‘The NFL Today’, and watched it sped through it on my TiVo, stopping to laugh at Dan Marino’s attempts at making a point, and Bill Cowher’s attempts at English. Toward the end of the show, was James Brown's interview with Pac-Man Jones and his lawyer, Red-Faced Dude With Toupee Hair about allegations that Jones ordered the murder of a guy who disrespected his lady friend in a strip club (I really hate it when that happens). 

Now, you may have seen Stephen A. Smith’s interview with Pac-Man and Red-Faced Dude on ESPN, discussing the same allegations, but that was a little more of a side-show -- it was Stephen A., after all. But J.B. was at his professional best, and went all Jim Grey on Pac-Man, peppering him over and over with the same questions about his transgressions, and even making critical comments on the situation which weren’t even questions (maybe he thought he was the one being interviewed?). Pac-Man didn't help his case much, mumbling "scrip club" and "I had a drinking problem" a whole lot.

Then, at the end, JB flipped the switch into Oprah mode, giving Pac some homespun, fatherly advice -- that before he worried about getting back in the league, Jones should make sure that he “succeed in the game of life”. It really was one of the highlights of the season for me. If JB doesn't win a Sports Emmy for that, he'll fire his publicist. Although I will say one thing in favor of Stephen A.'s interview: he did get Pac-Man to say, about why he was hanging out in strip clubs, “I was just bein' rebellion".

I think we just found the title to his inevitable reality show -- 'Bein' Rebellion With Pac-Man Jones'.

NO, NOT THOSE SAFETIES, THE OTHER SAFETIES: I’ve been writing all year about what seems to be a tremendous rise in the amount of safeties (the 2-point play), but this weekend you'll probably hear a whole lot more about safeties (the defensive backs). Each team playing on Sunday has an outstanding safety playing for them, one their defense depends on for big plays and leadership.

Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu had a career high seven INT’s this season, and ranks among the game’s hardest hitting safeties. That group also includes Brian Dawkins, Philly’s longtime team leader who forced a career-high six fumbles this year. Baltimore’s Ed Reed is the NFL’s premiere ballhawk, leading the league in INT’s this season with nine. Arizona’s underrated (at least, outside the NFC West) Adrian Wilson does a little bit everything -- hard hits, tackling (he’s topped 100 twice, 75 this year), the occasional sack (he had eight in 2005, 2.5 this year), and forcing turnovers. The teams which win will probably look back to great play from their standout safety as one of the big reasons why.

CINDERELLA VS. CINDERELLA?: Never before have both #6 seeds made it to the conference championship games in the same year, so it's a bit surprising neither is an overwhelming underdog. Not only have Philly and Baltimore survived two road games to make it one step from the Super Bowl, they both can make excellent cases for why they will be in Tampa in two weeks. Philly is favored in their game on the road, playing a team they beat 48-20 in the regular season. Baltimore is a road dog, but they played Pittsburgh very tough in both their matchups this year (more on this later). 

Of course, arguments for both home teams as well -- Arizona is hot and has played very well at home, and Pittsburgh is the top remaining seed and is 2-0 vs. the Ravens this year. So, what say you, Niners Nation? Who do you think will be playing in the big game?

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Welcome to 'After Further Review...', where we think all these upsets are making the NFL playoffs feel like March Madness, where we can't wait for Steelers/Ravens III ("This time, it's for Tampa"), and where we'd like to remind you we wrote on this in Friday's post: "we were tempted to take each of the four road dogs this weekend (yes, even Arizona)."

I also said the divisional round was the best week, with the most shocking upsets, even of #1 seeds. So what happens? Both #1 seeds take it in on the chin, and a #2 as well. The Arizona upset of Carolina felt like a #10 seed beating a #2 to make the Sweet 16. Of all the top seeds, only Pittsburgh won at home, and will host one championship game, while Arizona, the red-headed stepchild of the NFC playoffs, will host the other -- the only 9-7 team ever to host a championship game.

Cinderellas were lurking everywhere: both #6 seeds are in championship games for the same time ever, and #6's are now 4-0 against #1 seeds in the last four games, after losing all of the previous 10. Most of us got Tennessee right in the upset poll last week, and several folks took Philly (a select few even picked Carolina). Unfortunately, when it came to my bracket picks, I didn't have the cojones to take the Cinderellas I liked. See, I wanted to take Arizona, honest I did. And I wasn't all that hot on New York, either. I only ended up only picking one road team (luckily, it was Baltimore), so I got two of the Final Four right. Why didn't I have a great 3-1 or 4-0 weekend, with at least two upset picks? Because I was too much of a [SITE DECORUM] to go with my gut. Let that be a lesson to you youngsters out there: Don't be a [SITE DECORUM]. 

Philly beat New York 23-11 -- the only game ever to end with that score. Just like the only 11-10 game ever earlier this year. Why all these weird scores involving the number 11? The power of the safety, baby. The power of the safety. And you know what that means...

SAFETYWATCH '08: That's right -- you know it, you love it, you can't live without it*...

Giants DE Justin Tuck forced Eagles QB Donovan McNabb into an intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety in the 2nd quarter Sunday. I really think we're headed for a Super Bowl-deciding safety this year. It's my dream, and it's my nightmare. And with either Baltimore or Pittsburgh in the game, it's damn likely as well.

* Not true.

SUCKER PUNCHED: Last week, I wrote about how the divisional round of the playoffs provides the opportunity for a hot team coming off a big win (and often a string of them) to knock off a conference power coming off a bye (and often rusty). I mentioned how a great season can be derailed by one flat effort, one bad matchup, one otherworldly performance. Bill Simmons often writes about “The Gut Punch Game”, where a team loses a game it seemingly had in the bag. Well, this should be called “The Sucker Punch Game”, because you almost never see it coming, and because that’s the best way for any underdog to win a fight -- by knocking the bigger guy on his ass before he knows what’s going on. Kind of like Michael Westbrook v. Stephen Davis (scroll down to #9). 

No game this weekend better exemplified this phenomenon than Cards/Panthers. Carolina came out looking very strong, scoring a TD on their opening drive after only five plays -- gashing Arizona on the ground, left and right. It looked like a replay of the Cardinals other games vs. playoff opponents down the stretch, when they quickly fell behind 21-0 to Philly, Minnesota, and New England. Unfortunately, it looked like the Panthers had seen those game tapes, because they immediately went into sleepwalk mode, as if Arizona would just lay down for them. They didn’t.

The Cardinals did what they’ve struggled to do all year on the road -- take an early punch, and counter back with their own attack rather than roll up into a ball. They scored to tie the game, then recovered a fumble, and turned that into another score. The rest is a blur, but it involves a whole lot of Jake Delhomme throwing picks and Larry Fitzgerald running wild through the Panther secondary (more on them in a moment). Before it was over, the Cardinals had run off 33 straight points, and the score looked just about how most people expected -- except in reverse -- 33-13. 

I don’t think there’s much doubt the Panthers suffered the sucker punch of the weekend -- a supposedly soft passing team from a dome, with a coach in his first playoffs goes on the road to take down the running-and-defense team with the coach who’s been to a Super Bowl.

TURNING POINT #1: Donovan McNabb had just thrown a pick. His team was down 11-10, and his offensive numbers did not look good. The Eagles' only TD came on a one-yard drive, Giants rush was getting to him, and the crowd was into it. He faced a 3rd and 20 when he dropped back to pass, had to avoid both Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka in the backfield, but twisted away from both (injuring Kiwanuka in the process). Finding a little space, he found WR Jason Avant for a 21-yard gain, and a huge first down. The Eagles got another big 3rd down conversion from WR Kevin Curtis (after he dropped what would’ve been a long gain), and eventually kicked a FG to take a 13-11 lead. That was a lead they would never lose, as they ended up coasting to a surprisingly easy win. So easy, McNabb felt comfortable making a phone call during the game -- from the Giants bench, picking up a 15-yard penalty. McNabb told FOX’s Chris Meyers he shouldn’t have done that, but something tells me the Giants and their fans might remember that one for awhile.

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Welcome to ‘Any Given Friday’, where the divisional round of the playoffs is  traditionally our favorite week of the season, where we can’t understand how a guy who just got fired from the Jets has a new job already while a guy who just interviewed for the Jets opening has been fired already, and where we were tempted to take each of the four road dogs this weekend (yes, even Arizona).

There’s nothing worse than earning the bye, waiting for a week, and then getting kicked in the teeth at home by some wild card team on a roll. Actually, getting kicked in the teeth is a more pleasant experience than watching the Vikings beat the 13-2 #1 seed Niners in this debacle at The Stick in January of '88. The 49ers seemed flawless during the regular season, but had two rookie CB's (Don Griffin and Tim McKyer) seeing significant time. Anthony Carter exploited that to have one of the all-time great post-season performances -- 10 catches, 227 yards, and two circus catches which would make Jerry Rice blush (while Rice was held to three catches for 28 yards). That was bad enough, but seeing Joe Montana throw a pick-6 and then get benched for Steve Young (in his first year with the team) was like a knife to the gut.

I was so bummed out after that game, I laid on my bed in the dark for hours. I wouldn't even take calls from my friends. That’s all I could really do -- I was a kid, and liquor had yet to enter my life. Unfortunately, when the defending world champion Niners lost at home after a bye to the Packers in this disaster in January of '96, liquor was a key component in me splintering my coffee table with an aluminum bat. I was enraged when the Niners first play from scrimmage went to FB Adam Walker, who had a cast on one hand and had struggled to hold on to anything late in the year. Walker fumbled, and it was returned for a TD by CB Craig Newsome. I only got angrier (and drunker) as both Green Bay’s TE’s Mark Chmura and Keith Jackson caught TD’s on obvious pick plays that had Niners SS Tim McDonald in the ref’s faces). That year, McDonald had increasingly been a target for passers, as he'd lost a step off of what was never great speed -- Favre and his receivers exploited that. 

The point is, this is the weekend where those small flaws get exploited, where a sluggish start can spell a quick finish for even the greatest of seasons. That’s what all the fans of this weekend’s home teams are worrying about right now. Will they be rusty? What if they come out flat, and the road dog takes the lead early? How will they respond to adversity? 

Sometimes the matchups just don’t go your way. Other times it might be a key injury. And sometimes someone just goes Anthony Carter all over your ass. Either way, both top seeds don’t usually end up the conference title games. The question is, who will be the top seed staying home? Here are my rankings -- from most likely to win to most likely to be upset:

Carolina -- Arizona played them very tough in Week 8, the focus and film study will be better, Arizona hasn’t beaten a non-NFC West team on the road this year, Boldin’s injury is a major question mark for the Cards. You get the idea.

New York -- They may be playing a division rival for the third time -- always tough, as they know from last year’s divisional round upset at Dallas -- and they may have lost to them only five weeks ago at home, but I think they are probably still the best overall team in football.

Pittsburgh -- The Chargers have already played the Steelers tough in Pittsburgh once this season, losing that infamous 11-10 game. And despite their injuries, San Diego has been great in the playoffs under Turner, even playing well on the road -- including a win in this round last year at Indy, also without LT.

Tennessee -- This isn’t a slam on the team, but they have several the things you look for in a potential upset victim -- 1) non-dominant offense (if they fall behind, they’ll be in trouble), 2) questionable QB (think of Collins trying to throw to win late against Ed Reed), 3) a previous game against the same opponent where they almost lost -- and won due to a bad call.

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Welcome to 'After Further Review...', where we watched every minute of every playoff game this weekend and have the couch sores to prove it, where we don't understand why nobody's talking about the fact the Colts got screwed by the refs Saturday night, and where we think the battle of minds between Andy Reid and Brad Childress in the last minute of the first half in Minnesota was a great clinic for coaches -- on what not to do.

We'll get to the rest of the odds, ends and trends around the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs in a second, but first the moment you've all been waiting for...

SAFETYWATCH '08 '09: Yes folks, you can't keep a good fad down. And safeties are a good fad, maybe the best of fads. Not only did Arizona get one safety when DE Antonio Smith got credit for a sack in the end zone when QB Matt Ryan was ruled "in the grasp", despite getting the ball off -- and completing it -- but they should've had another. DE Bertrand Berry was clearly held by Cards T Sam Baker in the end zone, but the refs missed the call. 

There were several other near misses as well -- Donovan McNabb in Minnesota and Philip Rivers against Indy. Mark my words, the safety will strike again. And we'll be there when it does. Stay tuned...

THE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: If you had asked me before this weekend if it was even possible that a punter could be the most important player in a playoff weekend, I would’ve said, "no way", or "get away from me". But it’s not often a punter plays the deciding role in a game -- at least, in a non-Niners game -- and Chargers P Mike Scifres went above and beyond the call of duty Saturday night, putting on a display even Andy Lee would be proud of. Hell, I’ve never seen Lee -- or any punter, for that matter -- have a game like Scifres did against the Colts. And I saw Ray Guy play.

Scifres had six punts -- all pinned Indy’s 20-yard line (the first time in playoff history a punter has had that many), five were at or inside their 10-yard line, three inside the 5. Three of the five inside the 10 were directly converted into Colt punts followed by Charger points -- resulting in all 17 points they scored in regulation. What’s more, Scifres averaged 52.7 yards a punt, third best in playoff history. That’s amazing distance coupled with extremely precise placement. That’s unbeatable.

You could make the argument, he was their best offensive player due to the points he caused, though RB Darren Sproles would have something to say about that (see below). But there’s almost no doubt in my mind that he was their best defensive player. The Colts, like most teams, were conservative in the shadow of their goal line, and the Colts don’t do conservative very well. They weren’t a good running team during the season, and that didn’t change Saturday. But they passed well when they had the ball in good field position. Thanks to Mike Scifres, that wasn’t very often.

THE "DARREN SPROLES X-FACTOR AWARD" GOES TO...: If you didn't seen this going to Chargers RB/KR/PR/Colt Killer Darren Sproles, then you're not paying attention. Sproles went off Saturday night, subbing for starter LaDainian Tomlinson (again), who was injured (again), and killing the Colts (again). The 5'6", 181-pounder had 328 total yards, third-most in NFL playoff history (Ed Podolak KC - 350, Keith Lincoln, SD - 329), and scored two TD's -- including the game-winner in OT. He had 105 yards rushing, 45 receiving, 106 on kick returns, and 72 more on punts.

This isn't the first time Sproles has has helped the Charger beat Indy -- it's the third time in two years. Last year in the regular season, Sproles didn't get a single touch on offense in the Chargers 23-21 win, but still managed to be his team's best scoring weapon. He took back the opening kickoff 89 yards for a TD, and ran back a punt 45 yards for another score less than 10 minutes later as San Diego jumped out to a 23-0 1st half lead. In the playoffs last year at Indy, Sproles only got two touches on offense in the Chargers 28-24 win, but took one of them 56 yards for the go-ahead TD on the last play of the 3rd quarter to help escort the Colts form the post-season.

The only game in the last two years where he didn't do major damage against Indy was earlier this season, when he only got four touches on offense. Sproles is a free agent after the season, but if he stays with San Diego, the Chargers might want to consider using him more against the Colts -- even if Tomlinson is healthy. In fact, the Colts might want to think about signing him just to keep him from ending their seasons every year.

THE MULLIGAN: As a whole, we as a community pretty much screwed the pooch on our poll last week. An overwhelming percentage picked Indy -- myself included (though the numbers are skewed due to some late arrivals picking after Indy lost). In our defense, Vegas saw it the same way. In my defense, I stated my fears right out front about how the Chargers always gave the Colts a hard time. Either way, a whole lot changed over the weekend, so I thought I'd give us all a second chance to make a first impression. Knowing what you know now, who is the best bet of the weekend's winners to make it to the Super Bowl?

Here's my re-re-seeding: 1. Philly, 2. Baltimore, 3. San Diego, 4. Arizona

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Welcome to ‘Any Given Friday’, where we find it hard to believe Eric Mangini went from “Mangenius” to fired in the span of two years (especially since the last was a winning one), where we can’t remember any playoff week before where all the road teams were favored, and where the NFL postseason gives us tingly feelings in places we don't feel comfortable talking about in public.

If there was ever a week to show us the seedings in the NFL playoffs mean nothing, this is it. With smaller divisions, the odds go up that mediocre teams can win bad divisions (see: Arizona and San Diego), while better teams are wild cards because they happen to reside in the same division as a conference power (see: Indy, Baltimore, and Atlanta). That's how you get a week when three of the four road teams have better records than the teams hosting them (Baltimore and Miami have the same record). The lower eight seeds are as jumbled as ever.

In recent years, we’ve seen lesser seeds which played on wild card weekend go on runs to win the Super Bowl -- Pittsburgh, Indy, and the Giants. The question is, if one of the lower eight seeds goes on such a run, which is the most likely? To find out, I've re-seeded the teams -- not according to who has had the best year, or even who is the best team overall, but who has the best chance to advance in the specific conditions set forth in this year's playoffs. Here’s my list, please feel free to leave your own in the comments section:

1. Indy -- The funny thing is, I’m not even sure they’ll get through Saturday’s matchup -- the Chargers have played the Colts exceptionally tough over the past three seasons (more on this below). In fact, the Colts go against everything you usually look for this time of year -- the ability to run and stop the run. But nine wins in a row is still nine in a row. And they couldn't stop the run before the playoffs in 2006, but got healthy and rounded into shape at the right time of year. They may be doing it again, and just about every key player on the team already has a ring, so they know the way. If RB Joseph Addai and the O-line are back near 100%, and they manage to get through this week, they could be trouble.

2. Philly -- The Eagles are a team nobody wants to play. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson’s blitz pac kages give play callers nightmares, and when QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook are on their game, they can lay 35+ on somebody. Of course, they’re also capable of struggling to get double-digits. The Eagles are a gambler’s nightmare, mainly because you just don’t know which offense will show up. But their D has allowed a n average of just 10 points over the last quarter of the season. If they keep up their improved play, they’re a good bet to keep advancing.

3. Atlanta -- My pet second team has a lot of the elements which can carry teams in the playoffs -- a dominant running game, a good QB who doesn’t turn the ball over, and a great pass rusher. However, they're also a dome team, with a defense in the bottom third against both the run and pass -- that could bite them down the road. Also, there’s not much of track record of success among rookie QB’s (or rookie head coaches) in the NFL playoffs. Still, they're terrific front-runners with their ability to control the clock with RB Michael Turner, and rush the passer with DE John Abraham.

4. Baltimore -- Anytime you can play defense like the Ravens can, you have a chance. Because of a reliance on the running game with RB's Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain, Flacco hasn’t really been exposed yet, but falling behind on the road in the playoffs has a funny way of doing that. I think before it's all said and done, he'll need to show a little more than he already has. Two reasons they're not higher: 1) They are 0-3 vs. Pittsburgh and Tennessee, two teams between them and the Super Bowl, and 2) See: above note about rookie coaches and QB’s in the playoffs.

5. San Diego -- QB Philip Rivers led the NFL in passer rating (by a lot -- 105.5 to Chad Pennington’s 97.4), threw for over 4,000 yards and 34 TD’s, and carried the team for much of the season. If they continue to allow teams to throw on them at will, he'll need to stay every bit as hot in the playoffs (possibly without TE Antonio Gates). But if RB LaDainian Tomlinson can overcome his injuries and can run again like he ran last week vs. Denver, this team can go deep. Unfortunately, that’s no sure bet. 

6. Miami -- Not turning the ball over and playing good defense can go a long way in the playoffs. So can running the ball and stopping the run. Miami does both, so their game should be able to travel pretty well to the northeast. They are every bit the typical, old-school built-for-the-playoffs team the Colts aren't. So why are they #6 while the Colts are #1: They lack the offensive fire power to shoot it out with the big boys. However, as long as they can keep the scores down, they have a shot.

7. Minnesota -- With RB Adrian Peterson and an All-Star defensive line capable of both rushing the passer and stuffing the run, you’d think the Vikings might be a little higher on this list. With Tarvaris Jackson at QB and Brad Childress at head coach, you wouldn’t. It's a tough trade-off, because Peterson is always capable of carrying them on his back if the D does its job, but I just don't see it.

8. Arizona -- As long as Arizona is at home (6-2 record), or another dome (1-0), or on the west coast (2-0), their fine. But put them on the east coast, or in some weather, and they fall part quicker than Dick Vermeil watching 'Brian's Song'.

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