Centerfield

12-2... First round bye all wrapped up... One win, or a Bears loss, from home field advantage throughout the playoffs... Gonna kick Peyton's poutin' ass all over Qwest Field next week, if he plays. Nice that ESPN and Sports Illustrated finally notices professional sports teams in the Pacific Northwest. We're going back to Seattle, then Green Bay, back to Seattle again, then were going to go to Detroit and take back the Lombardi trophy, EEAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!

BTW, Is anybody else hoping Brady and the Pats pull it off and go to a third straight Super Bowl? I doubt it's in the cards, but if anyone could do it, it is a team that experienced and that well coached. Looked good this week, looked damn good. It would be nice, if for any other reason, the rest of the AFC is just plain unlikeable.

I want NE to go to the Super Bowl. Tim Dwight is from my home town and my favorite player. Of course, Bob Sanders and Dallas Clark are huge parts of the Colts. But they only played at my favorite university; they aren't from my home town.

If Chicago can score 10 pts. they'll beat Seattle.

If Chicago can score 10 pts. they'll beat Seattle.

They can't, and they won't, not in Seattle. Besides, they'll need at least 24 against the top-rated offense in the NFL.

As a Pats fan I was pleased by the 28-0 whitewashing of the Bucs, but not too cranked up. TB is the sort of team the Patriots match up well against-strong defense and conservative run first offense. Throw in an inexperienced and thus far mediocre quarterback who can't look d-backs off his routes or make quick decisions under pressure, and NE was an easy call saturday. I expect the Pariots to have far more trouble against any team with a well-balanced offense and an experienced quarterback, so right now I am glad that San Diego is unlikely to make the playoffs, and I fear the Colts.

I grant the edge to the Colts, and I expect the Patriots would also struggle against the Broncos. That said, they are playing their best football now, look confident, and have gotten a lot of injured guys back. The Defensive secondary is still very suspect, but they are dangerous, and who wants to play them? No one.

I count the Seahawks, Giants, and Panthers as having roughly equal shots. Put a guin to my head and I'd pick the seahawks, but their 2005 record lacks the sorts of convincing wins against good teams that sell me on a team. Beat the Colts and we'll talk.

IMO, the Bears are too one-dimensional even though their defense is stellar. But then I can't account for the Bears dominating the Panthers other than by noting that the Panthers seem to lack consistency. I don't see the Bears going all the way by winning every game 10-3. Notice that the Bears went 1-3 against the AFC North, managing to beat only the wretched ravens 10-6 while losing to Cincinnati, the Steelers, and even the Browns.

How 'bout Roses?

Any thoughts on USC vs UT? I only see USC games once a year, in the big bowls; anybody seen both UT AND USC playing this year?