“just call me nastrodamus lol, my picks this week are philly over the giants, pittsburgh over san diego, carolina over arizona, and in my upset special baltimore over tennessee in a nailbiter! I almost forgot GATORS by 13 yeeeeeaaaaaa boooooooyyyyyyyy “

 O, and here are my picks, just go we can get a little honest competition going over here:

GIANTS over EAGLES (Philly’s fairy tale ends here)
CARDINALS over PANTHERS (These two played a very close game in Carolina, and Arizona nearly won. This time they do.)

STEELERS over CHARGERS (I can’t stomach the idea of an 8-8 team having a chance to make the Super Bowl. Big Ben rebounds.)
RAVENS over TITANS (Tennessee just hasn’t looked the same recently. I think their dream season ends as Baltimore’s defense causes havoc on Kerry Collins and that running game.)

SCOTT JACOBS

1:03

ESPN analyst Shaun King who picked the Dolphins to win the AFC East, apparently has no plans on jumping ship now.  When I asked him who he’s picking to win the Phins-Jets clash at the Meadowlands, King didn’t think twice:

“im nostradomus lol dolphins by 10″

And so with that, we start our coverage on an unbelievable week 17.  This should be a season finale for the ages.

1:08

O dear, Buffalo’s first punt of the game in the swirling winds of Ralph Wilson Stadium goes 13 yards.  This game is not for the kicker’s faint of heart, so if I was either team I wouldn’t be hoping that this game comes down to any kind of kick.

1:15

Wow, the Bills dodge a huge bullet.  Bills punt returner Leodis McKelvin muffed Chris Hanson’s punt, and it was a free for all from there, as the Pats failed to recover it in the endzone, and instead, Fred Jackson saves the day for the Bills for a rather harmless, but heart stopping touchback.  Still 0-0.

1:19

Start the countdown to 0-16.  The Packers are on the board as DeShawn Wynn goes 73 yards.  7-0 Pack.

1:29

I know it’s early, but the Rams are beating Atlanta 7-3.  Any chance of a letdown after an emotional playoff clinching win last week over Minnesota?

1:31

The Bears are up early in Houston, racing out to a 10-0 cushion.  A win by Chicago, and a loss by the Vikings to New York would clinch the Bears the NFC North.

1:37

The first quarter ends in Buffalo with the Bills having failed to throw a single pass the entire quarter! They have good reason: the wind wouldn’t allow them to throw the ball.  They must be thrilled to switch sides!

1:42

Detroit may be a lock for 0-16 before the first half is over.  Jermichael Finley’s three yard touchdown puts the Packers up 14-0 and we’re still in the first quarter.

1:45

Holy Buffalo!  Rian Lindell’s 47 yard kick  goes from left to wayyyyyyyyyy right.  The howling winds just destroyed that kick.  It will be interesting to see how the two teams choose to play this game with these unbelievable winds swirling around Ralph Wilson.

1:52

NFC North race: Vikings lead Giants 10-0, Bears lead Texans 10-0.  Advantage: Vikings, they’re the team that wins and they’re in.

Drew Brees Record watch: He needs 402 yards to break Dan Marino’s all time record for yards passed in a season: 47 yards so far

1:57

They’re holding down the goal posts so the Patriots will be able to kick a ‘fair’ field goal.  I have never in my life seen this before.  What an incredible 26 year field goal attempt into the wind.

1:58

And Gostkowski misses it!  The kick looked perfect, and then the wind just took it for a joy ride.  This is wild!

2:15

Bizarre finish to the first half in Buffalo.  The Bills were deep in Pats territory, ran a running play with 22 seconds left and no timouts, and then somehow were unable to get off another play.  Just a nightmare in terms of clock management to finish that half.  3-0 Pats in a wild one in Western New York.

Carolina is rolling, as they fly out to a 23-3 lead over the over-rated Saints, and Drew Brees, who has just 101 yards doesn’t appear to have any chance of catching Marino for the all time season record.

2:21

Bucs appear on version of implosion, as JaMarcus Russel hits Chaz Schilens for a three yard score.  Tampa Bay has lost three in a row, and is trailing the lowly Raiders 14-7 with any playoff hopes they have at stake.  This is great news for Eagles fans, who need a Bucs loss and either a Vikes or Bears loss as well to have any shot of making the playoffs as an NFC wild card.

2:28

Best sign of the day so far: “Jets fan for a day” held up by a Patriots fan.  Stat of the day: going into the swirling Buffalo winds neither the Pats or Bills have attempted a single pass.  Wow.

Eagles watch: The stars are really aligning for Philly right now.  The Eagles need Tampa to lose (they’re trailing Oakland at halftime 14-7) and a Bears or Vikings loss (Bears are losing to the Texans 14-10), as well as a victory of their own against the hated Cowboys to get in.  At this rate, that 4:15 Dallas-Philadelphia game could be winner take all for the NFC’s sixth and final playoff spot.  We’ll keep our eye on that as the day goes on.

2:36

Breaking News from CBS Sportsline: “Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is carted off on a stretcher with an apparent head or neck injury after a hit late in the second quarter against Cleveland.”

The Steelers opted to play Roethlisberger in their meaningless game against the Browns, and if this injury is as serious as it initially looks, Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl dreams could be put on ice before the playoffs even start.  This would be the second year in a row a Steelers offensive star suffered a devastating injury: last year it was Willie Parker.

2:42

Updates on the irrelevant games (games that have no impact on playoff picture):

Draft Pick Bowl: Bengals 13 Chiefs 0.  Backup Bowl: Colts 16 Titans 0.  Steelers 14 Browns 0.  We’re still awaiting word on Big Ben’s injury.  It is a given that he won’t be playing any more today, but how serious is the injury?  Steelers fans must be shaking with terror right now.  If Big Ben is done for the year, so are the Steelers.

2:50

11 plays, 41 yards, and just like that the Patriots are up two scores.  And they tack on the oddest looking extra point. 10-0 Pats.  Remember, they need a win and a Dolphins or Ravens loss to get into the playoffs.  Anything else, and they could be out of the playoffs even with an 11 win season.

2:55

Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward are now over 1000 yards rushing on the season apiece, and with that, they become just the fourth set of team-mates to both hit the century mark in rushing in the same season.

Here’s the latest on Roethlisberger: he laid motionless for 15 minutes before being carted off.  He gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was taken off the field, and we will keep you posted as we find out more information on this huge injury.

3:02

Drew Brees chase for the record: not going so well.  He’s 15/27 for 185 yards and not even halfway to what he needs to eclipse Marino.  But the Saints are getting pounded into submission by a motivated Panthers team, that must have been ticked by all the naysayers this week who didn’t think they would win this ever crucial game.  Looks like the Panthers will wrap up the NFC’s #2 seed and a first round bye.  With that the Falcons will be locked into the 5th seed.

3:06

Things are getting very interesting in the NFC North.  David Carr’s 23 yard touchdown to Domenik Hixon puts the Giants ahead 16-10, and revives hope for the Bears, who are also trailing 21-17.  It’s looking right now like the team that wins will take the Norris, but only the Vikings know a win gets them in.

3:09

Have two teams from the same conference ever missed the playoffs after both finishing 10-6?  It’s a prospect the AFC potentially faces if the Jets beat Miami, and New England finishes off the Bills (they’re leading 13-0 now early in the 4th).  The Pats would be 11-5, and the Dolphins and Jets would be on the outside looking in (baring a Ravens loss) at 10-6.

3:13

0-16 Lions watch: Packers 14 Lions 14.  Infamy could come down to the wire at Lambeau.

3:20

0-16 watch: Ryan Grant ran 80 yards for a touchdown breaking a 14-14 tie, but in a rare twist of good luck the Lions challenged the play and the refs ruled that he was down by contact, turning an 80 yard score into a 21 yard gain.  Maybe no team is meant to lose ‘em all?

Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer in Minnesota.  First he throws a bad pick to James Butler, and then he gets a bad penalty hitting Butler out of bounds.  The Bears still trail at Houston, but the Vikes are giving Chicago every possible opportunity to claim the division.  Either way, neither one of these teams (Chicago or Minnesota) will go anywhere in the playoffs.  In fact, I’d argue both Arizona and the NFC North winner could be underdogs next week hosting their respective wildcard games.

3:29

This has to be some sort of a record: four teams might be shutout today (Buffalo, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Tennessee).  I guess no one’s running to hand Vnce Young the Titans starting QB job anytime soon.

3:31

The Raiders are making it interesting: Johnnie Lee Higgens 12 yard TD reception closes the gap to three, as the Bucs hold on for dear life to their playoff dreams.  The way they’re playing, I don’t think they belong in the post-season, but with a win and a Cowboys loss they’d indeed be in.  We’ll keep our eye on that one.

3:34

Put this one in the who woulda thunk it category: St. Louis is tied with Atlanta 24-24 with 13 minutes left in the fourth.

3:37

Shutout #1 is in the books: The Colts win the Backup Bowl 23-0 over the Titans.  The game was meaningless for both teams, as the Titans had already clinched the top seed and the Colts were locked into the fifth seed.  The Colts will play the winner of the AFC East next week (either New England or Miami).

3:39

Jerod Mayo sacks Trent Edwards, and the Patriots will defeat Buffalo.  The only question now is if they will hold onto the shutout they are pitching.  With the win the Patriots continue their dominance over the Bills to 11 straight games.  So it’s simple now: the Jets cannot win the AFC East.  Their only hope of getting into the playoffs is to beat Miami and get some help from the Jags, who have nothing whatsoever to play for after a terrible season.

3:46

Drew Brees record watch: not only are the Saints fighting back against the Panthers after digging themselves a 30-10 hole, Brees is positioning himself for a chance at the record.  Brees has 341 yards, remember he needs 402 to break Marino’s single season record, and there’s still over five minutes left to play. Not only that, but the Saints are now down just 30-24.  Meanwhile, the Falcons are having their own issues with one of the NFL’s worst teams, the Rams, who are driving deep into Falcons territory with the game tied at 24 and under seven minutes to play.

3:49

Two shutouts in the books.  Pats finish off Bills 13-0.  They need a Dolphins loss to win the AFC East or a Ravens loss to secure the AFC’s sixth and final wildcard.  The Jets have no hope of making the playoffs, but they can be spoilers.

3:50

Are you kidding me Tampa Bay?  Michael Bush and Oakland just took a 28-24 lead on the shell shocked Bucs, who are laying an end of season egg.  Remember, the Bucs were 9-3 a few weeks ago with a chance to win the NFC South.  Since then, they’ve lost three straight and are in danger of losing a fourth in a row.  Jon Gruden’s job may be on the line if Tampa Bay loses this one.

3:54

Just win baby?  Nah!  The Vikings might lose their game against New York, but it won’t matter because the Bears are trailing Houston by two touchdowns with under three minutes to play.

0-16 watch: It’s getting close now.  Green Bay just took a 10 point lead and there’s 7:16 to play.  Does Detroit have a miracle left in a season of unspeakable nightmares?  It doesn’t look good right now.

3:57

No freaking way!  Drew Brees has led the Saints to a 31-30 lead over Carolina, and in doing is now just 16 yards shy of Marino’s record.  If you can believe it, the only thing likely preventing Brees from getting the record is a sustained drive by Carolina for the winning field goal.  If the Panthers turn the ball over and Brees gets the ball back with the lead would the Saints still continue to throw to get Brees the mark?  Or would they take a knee and secure an amazing comeback?

4:01

Atlanta just took the lead on St. Louis, and the Panthers are trailing in New Orleans (but driving).  Wow, what a crazy finish to a crazy season!

4:03

Ryan Longwell from 50 yards out to clinch the NFC North for the Minnesota Vikings…

4:05

The kick is up and it’s GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!  Vikings win!  Clutch!  Clutch!  Minnesota locks up the NFC North on a terrific kick!

4:06

Meanwhile, Carolina trails by a point and they too need a field goal to win their division.  42 yard attempt to claim the South and he got it!  Right down the middle with just one second remaining!  Unbelievable!  Within the span of like 5 seconds, two divisions are won on field goals!  Gotta love the NFL.  There is still one second left, will New Orleans call a fair catch and give Brees a chance to get the record on a short pass?

4:08

One final play: Brees needs 16 yards to break Marino’s mark.  And a delay of game on New Orleans?  Baffling, just baffling.

Atlanta has won.  The Panthers win too as Brees pass hits the carpet.  Brees falls just 16 yards short.

4:09

Jeff Garcia is sacked.  Tampa Bay is done.  Unbelievable.  The Oakland Raiders, of all teams, go into Tampa and beat the Bucs.  Of all the teams to go across the country, who would have ever thought that the Raiders would be the ones to pull it off?  What a stunning disappearance act by the Buccaneers.

4:10

And with the loss, the NFC East clash between the Eagles and Cowboys will determine the NFC’s final wild card spot.  Wow, two winner take all games to come.  This is scintillating, memorable stuff.

4:15

Playoff spots still up for grabs:

AFC East
AFC West
AFC Final Wild Card
NFC Final Wild Card

With the win Atlanta will travel to Arizona next week as the five seed.  The Vikings will host the winner of the Cowboys/Eagles game.

In the AFC, the Colts will play the AFC West winner, and the the other matchup is still up in the air.

The Panthers are locked into the number two seed, and all byes have been secured.

4:15

This is the most exciting week of football I’ve ever seen!

And we are underway in New Jersey!

4:23

0-16 watch: Detroit Lions lose 31-21.  Packers avoid embarrassment, Lions sure to feel a lot more of it, as they become the first team in NFL history to fail to win a game since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule.  And with the NFL potentially changing their schedule to 17 or 18 games in 2010 no team may never accomplish this feat again!

4:33

Favre is a pro bowler?  He throws his 20th pick of the season to Andre Goodman, and now he has just one more TD throw then his leading INT total.  Ouch!

Meanwhile, the Ravens lead 3-0, and so do the Eagles.  If both of those teams win, they’re in.

And the Cardinals are trailing Seattle at home 7-0.  Oy Vey, what a miserable conclusion to a once promising season.  Atlanta must be salivating at the thought of a playoff game with the Cards.

5:49

Halftime and the playoff picture is beginning to really clear up

Dallas has run out of chances, and are getting whacked in Philly 27-3!  The Eagles will secure the NFC’s sixth seed with a win over the pathetically free falling Cowgirls, who just might cost Wade Phillips his job.  If the Eagles, who are up four scores, hold on, they will complete an improbable turnaround from 5-5-1 to 9-6-1.  That tie was a gift from above, and so was Oakland’s shocking victory over Tampa Bay.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins lead the Jets 14-9 at halftime.  Brett Favre has already tossed two picks to add to his league leading total, including one that was taken back for six by Philip Merling, and the Jets also botched an extra point.  If the Dolphins win, they clinch a stunning AFC East crown.  A loss hands the division to the Patriots.

In Baltimore, the Jags presented an early challenge, but have since folded.  The Ravens lead 24-7 now, and would lock up the AFC’s sixth and final playoff spot if they hold on.  The Pats and Jets are at the mercy of the Ravens.  A Dolphins and Ravens win would knock out both the Jets and Patriots.  A Jets win and a Ravens loss would give New York the wildcard.  A Dolphins win and a Ravens loss would hand New England the wild card.

The AFC West is to be decided tonight, winner take all in San Diego.

7:08

The Ravens have defeated Jacksonville 27-7.  They have clinched the AFC’s last wild card.  Their win eliminates the Jets from the playoffs.  The Patriots, who won 11 games including a gutsy 13-0 shutout at Buffalo today, will amazingly fall short

7:17

The Dolphins, leading 24-17 are 17 seconds away from securing the most improbable, unbelievable, seemingly unattainable division crown arguably in NFL history.  In typical Miami fashion, the Dolphins punted the ball away and pinned the Jets inside the five. 17 seconds, are the Dolphins, from completing this miracle turnaround.  They won one game last year!  One.  And now, with CBS’s best announcing the game on the last day of the season, Miami is on the verge of securing the AFC East and knocking the Pats out of the playoffs.

7:18

Ouch, Brett Favre took a lick on that lateral.  Seven seconds left, and they’re taking Brett out of the game.  In what will be likely his final game.  The Jets lateral the ball all over the field, and finally its recovered by Miami!  Tony Sparano gets the Gatorade shower.  Chad gets his revenge.  Miami wins!  Miami wins!  They will play Baltimore next weekend, a rematch of two teams who played last year during lost seasons.  Remember, the Ravens were Miami’s only win last year.  Now the two will meet with two rookie head coaches, and a combined 22 wins between them.

7:21

Chad Pennington for MVP! I think he should win it.  Sorry Peyton.

7:22

I still can’t believe Miami just won the East.

7:23

Next week’s schedule (times to be determined after tonight’s Denver-San Diego winner take all):

AFC

6. Baltimore at 3. Miami
Early Line: One of the most improbable playoff matchups in recent memory, between two teams who last year won six combined games.

5. Indianapolis at 4. San Diego/Denver
Early Line: Colts finish season with seven straight wins; AFC West winner gets a playoff spot by default.

Byes: Tennessee, Pittsburgh

NFC

6. Philadelphia at 3. Minnesota
Early Line: Eagles pulverized Cowboys into the ground, and lo and behold that tie saved their season; Vikings barely won North.

5. Atlanta at 4. Arizona
Early Line: Expect points and lots of them.  We’ll put our money on this being the most exciting game of the weekend.

Byes: New York Giants, Carolina

SCOTT JACOBS

We’ve come to expect stupid comments from our sports analysts. We’ve come to expect controversial comments from our sportscasters. But it’s going to take some time before I get used to totally ludicrous claims. Shaun King, step up to the plank, jump off the ship, we’re throwing you overboard and giving you the “most moronic statement of the week” award.

Now King, the former Tulane quarterback, was never a great analyst. Nothing he’s ever said on ESPN ever made my head spin in awe. I’ve come to expect that from the majority of ESPN’s hires.

It does take talent (not the good kind) to make as dumb a bold proclamation as King did today. When asked who the best team in the NFC was, King was quick to answer, The Philadelphia Eagles.

Whatttttttttttttt?

Is he watching the same league that I am? Is he? Because the Eagles aren’t even the best team in their division, nevermind ALL of the NFC! The 3-3 Eagles? That’s the best team in the NFC? Now, I’m no rocket scientist or nothing, but how can you call a .500 team the best in the conference?

Some of his reasons, besides the fact that he picked them to go to the Super Bowl before the season, were:

*The signing of Asante Samuel
*They have a bye week this week to right the ship

Uh, whatever you say Shaun.

Here’s the thing about the Eagles. They probably are better then their record. They lost that nailbiter in Dallas 41-37 in week 2, and they are the only team to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are 4-1. However, they have lost to every other quality team they’ve faced, including the Bears and the Redskins. Two of their wins are over the Rams and the 49ers, and let’s be real here: those aren’t exactly bona fide contenders.

The Eagles are last place in the NFC East.

But yeah, they are the best team in the conference. Clearly!

Seven teams out of the 15 team conference are 4-2 or better. Yet, its the 3-3 Eagles that are the best?

I understand records can be deceiving. For example, if the Patriots announced tomorrow that Tom Brady was okay to play this coming week, everyone would scrap their 3-2 record and steady fall, and proclaim them one of the favorites again. Injuries give you excuses at least. But the Eagles are healthy for the most part. Sure Brian Westbrook has been hurt two of the past three weeks, but the Eagles have gone a respectable 1-1 in his abscence. Donovan McNabb hasn’t missed a game yet, and the Eagles are still just a .500 team.

I understand that on paper people want to believe the Eagles are a very good team. But no one’s ever won a championship on paper. See: Yankees, New York. You have to go on the field and prove it.

Let’s look at the numbers and see what they say (Rankings in conference)

Offense:
Yards per game: 7th
Points per game: 5th
Yards per play: 5th
Third down percentage: 7th
Time of possession per game: 11th

Pretty average numbers, though we will point out that they’re the least penalized team and they have the best turnover ratio in the conference, so we’ll give them that.

Defense:
Points allowed per game: 7th
Yards per play: 2nd
Yards per game: 2nd
Percent of 3rd down stops: 5th
Penalties per game: 6th most

Their defense is pretty good, but if you look a the numbers overall (offense and defense) this is far from the best team in the NFC, even during a year where there might not be one elite team that stands out from the rest.

Here’s the list of all the teams that are better (by record) then the Eagles right now:

Giants (4-1)
Bucanneers (4-2)
Cardinals (4-2)
Redskins (4-2)
Panthers (4-2)
Falcons (4-2)
Cowboys (4-2)

And please, can we stop vehemently proclaiming that the NFC East is the NFL’s best division, a no brainer? Because, the NFC South has three teams that are 4-2, and one that is 3-3. That’s pretty darn good if you ask me. Sure, they lack the “tradition” that the Giants, Redskins, Cowboys and Eagles have, but let’s look at the facts:

Three of the NFC East’s teams lost this past Sunday.
Three of the NFC South’s teams won this past Sunday.

If this is truly a what have you done for me lately league, then I’d say the two are just about neck and neck right now.

One thing’s for sure though: until proven otherwise there is no way that the Eagles are the best team in the NFC right now.

Up for grabs doesn’t mean pick a name out of a hat.

Hopefully Shaun King will learn that.