Expect the Unexpected

We haven't talked a whole lot about the NFL in recent weeks. Mainly because it hasn't really mattered all things considered and most of you don't just want to listen to me talk about the Packers constantly. Others do, but that's neither here nor there.

But this weekend in the NFL presents some of the most interesting match ups in recent playoff history. Why you ask?

Let's start in Green Bay. First off, Mike Holmgren won me a Super Bowl. He lost me another. When Mike Holmgren signed with Seattle for the GM/Coaching job but remained with the Packers to coach the Super Bowl, he allowed for the line, "This one's for John" to be spoken. Holmgren sold us out.

We all have a respect for Holmgren for what he did for our team. That's great. That doesn't mean I have to like him. I love playing Holmgren in the playoffs, especially when we have a better team than him, and we're playing at home. It just makes me feel good. Favre brings it against Holmgren like he does against no one else.

Seattle, for a team that isn't really all that great, peaked early. They peaked in about week 15 and haven't looked that great since. Though Matt Hasselbeck will be trying to make amends for his, "We want the ball, we're going to score" comment that quickly turned into an Al Harris pick six, the Packers defense is good enough to make enough plays to force Seattle to be one dimensional and do nothing but eight yard outs.

The other NFC game is huge as well. The Cowboys are the favorites but thanks to Tony Romo's need for the spotlight and star power, focus is on them for the wrong reasons. Do I think Romo going to Cabo with Jessica is a big deal? Not at all, but it's different when you are the Cowboys quarterback and you feel the need to date one of the most famous people in the world. You will draw attention to yourself. No one needs that. PS, Carrie Underwood is a bigger deal than Jessica anyway.

What's most important though is how hard it is to beat a professional team three times in one year. I know that's a cliche, but it's a big deal when you think about it, some teams are bad and others worse, but they are all still professional athletes. This is what makes anything possible. The difference between the best and worst teams in the NFL is incredibly tighter than that of even the #1 and team in college and team that made a December 26th bowl game. The Giants are playing well at the right time and even though I still don't think the Giants are that good, I just think the laws of percentages are on their side. I like the Giants, their pass rush, and Tony Romo's finger. The Giants going to Lambeau? I love my chances.

I like Indy over San Diego, but at the same time I wouldn't be surprised if the Chargers won the ballgame. Why you ask? Well first, LT is a guy who can win a game by himself so whenever he's on the field, the Chargers have a chance at winning. Second, Philip Rivers has been playing well recently, just like Eli. Rivers has been running the offense well, but most importantly he has been throwing with great accuracy and has looked great on play action. I think Indy, not New England, is the team to beat in the AFC and they have been all year long, regardless of how many losses the Pats don't have. Marvin Harrison is...playing this week? I know since he's a veteran, he is expected to not miss a step, but he really hasn't played in how long? I like the Colts, but I don't expect the to struggle, I expect them to get played tough.

The Jaguars are going to beat the Patriots. I'm not just saying that because I am anti-Brady. I'm saying it because they don't match up well against the Jags. Granted, no one really matches up well against Boston, but I believe the difference is as follows: Jack del Rio isn't saying, how are we going to adjust to the Pats, he's going to say, they better adjust to us. The Jags defense is nasty, and they will play nasty. They have probably the best interior play of anyone in the NFL and they can get pressure rushing four. But del Rio's attitude of making the Pats adjust to them is something that we saw from Baltimore, whose defense isn't as good as Jacksonville's and whose offense isn't as good as Jacksonville's. Also, Jacksonville has two great running backs, whereas in the Baltimore game, when Willis McGahee had to take a play off, the offense went dead.

Belicheck is going to study the Raven tape and find out everything he needs to know as to how to scheme up against the Jags. But with an overrated linebacking unit in Boston, I see the Jags wearing them down late in the game. We've seen waht David Gerrard can do with the game on the line and coming off an emotional win on the road, look for Jacksonville to pull off the upset. Mercury Morris is their biggest fan this weekend.