Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys: NFC East Crown on the Line

At roughly 4:15 PM EST, the invasion will begin.

Both teams are in the playoffs, but there is much more at stake here. Not just a No. 2 seed, not just a division win, but a title. A chance to rub it in. A chance to exact revenge.

For the Eagles, it is a chance to stroll into Jerry Jones’ modern-day kingdom and escape with a most-prized treasure. For Tony Romo, it is an opportunity to free himself of the ghosts of woulda, coulda, and shoulda that have plagued him for two seasons.

A year ago, the Cowboys strutted into Dallas needing a win to make the playoffs. They left with their tails between their legs after a merciless rout. Fast-forward to today. The Eagles need a win in Dallas to clinch the division and steal the No. 2 seed. The Cowboys cannot get the No. 2 seed after the Vikings’ win earlier, but a title would be just as sweet for a team barraged by reports of a “December jinx.”

Donovan McNabb, DeSean Jackson, and Brian Westbrook will be the Eagles’ battering ram against the fortress of Cowboy Stadium. Romo, Roy Williams, and Jason Witten will be the counterattack.

With teams resting players for the playoffs, it is a rare sight that Week 17 brings us a match-up that football fans can really sink their teeth into. This is a true show-stopper in the making. Frenzied crowd, rivalry, revenge, glory, and bragging rights are at stake.

There was similar build-up to last season’s finale, but the Cowboys succeeded in deflating it with a spectacular implosion. That failure will no doubt be on their minds when they take the field today. For the Eagles, this is a chance to reclaim the glory of a season ago, and escape the house that Jones built with his most valued possession, a win.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys: NFC East Crown on the Line

At roughly 4:15 PM EST, the invasion will begin.

Both teams are in the playoffs, but there is much more at stake here. Not just a No. 2 seed, not just a division win, but a title. A chance to rub it in. A chance to exact revenge.

For the Eagles, it is a chance to stroll into Jerry Jones’ modern-day kingdom and escape with a most-prized treasure. For Tony Romo, it is an opportunity to free himself of the ghosts of woulda, coulda, and shoulda that have plagued him for two seasons.

A year ago, the Cowboys strutted into Dallas needing a win to make the playoffs. They left with their tails between their legs after a merciless rout. Fast-forward to today. The Eagles need a win in Dallas to clinch the division and steal the No. 2 seed. The Cowboys cannot get the No. 2 seed after the Vikings’ win earlier, but a title would be just as sweet for a team barraged by reports of a “December jinx.”

Donovan McNabb, DeSean Jackson, and Brian Westbrook will be the Eagles’ battering ram against the fortress of Cowboy Stadium. Romo, Roy Williams, and Jason Witten will be the counterattack.

With teams resting players for the playoffs, it is a rare sight that Week 17 brings us a match-up that football fans can really sink their teeth into. This is a true show-stopper in the making. Frenzied crowd, rivalry, revenge, glory, and bragging rights are at stake.

There was similar build-up to last season’s finale, but the Cowboys succeeded in deflating it with a spectacular implosion. That failure will no doubt be on their minds when they take the field today. For the Eagles, this is a chance to reclaim the glory of a season ago, and escape the house that Jones built with his most valued possession, a win.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Did He Just Say That? LaMarr Woodley’s Take on the Pittsburgh Steelers Situation

And the winner for funniest sports quote of the day is Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley, speaking out about his team’s slim post season chances entering the last week of the NFL regular season.

The Steelers need some help from both New England and Cincinnati, both of whom have clinched playoff berths already and thus have little incentive to play their starters in match ups with Houston and New York, respectively. With a win, the Jets would clinch an AFC playoff berth, leaving the defending Super Bowl champions out in the cold.

It is likely that the Patriots and Bengals will not want to risk injury to their starters, and may follow the Colts‘ lead by pulling their starters after halftime. This is something that Woodley, who smells a conspiracy afoot , simply cannot stand for:

“All of them lay down,” Woodley said Wednesday. “No one wants to see Pittsburgh in it. That’s just how it is. Everybody knows we’re a dangerous team once we get into the playoffs, no matter how we played the whole year. Once we get into the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers is a playoff team.”

Let’s read that again, a little more closely, and you’ll see why this is funny. (Emphasis mine)

“Everybody knows we’re a dangerous team once we get into the playoffs, no matter how we played the whole year. Once we get into the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers is a playoff team. “

How about that? One must assume that he was aiming for some sort of tried and true cliche, something along the lines of: this team is built to succeed in the playoffs . Or: if we get into the playoffs, everyone knows that we will be a hard team to beat because of our battle-tested quarterback .

Whatever he meant, I don’t think it came out the way he wanted to. Who knew that if the Steelers make the playoffs, Pittsburgh will be a playoff team?

All kidding aside, this statement once again brings to light a contentious issue: should NFL teams be allowed to rest their best players in preparation for the playoffs when the games still matter for other teams? The knee-jerk reaction would be no. Every game should count, and should be played on an equal level.

If the Jets beat a depleted Bengals team, they will have clinched a playoff spot with two easier-than-they-should-have-been victories over resting teams. Is that fair? Definitely not, especially when so much is at stake for a franchise like Houston–who has never even been to the playoffs.

There is another side to the argument (as there often is). Teams that have done well enough to reach the playoffs have every right to be looking ahead and planning for future success.

There is a popular saying now that teams like the Colts have “earned the right” to rest their players, but that is a hard notion to buy into. What about the fans that paid money to park, buy food, and see the game? How much did they spend to see Curtis Painter under center and a chance at an undefeated season slipping out the window?

As for the Steelers, it is hard to be too sympathetic. This has been a great franchise over the past decade, with two Super Bowl wins in the last three years. But Pittsburgh lost five consecutive games from Week 10 to Week 14. Three of those losses came against woeful teams: the Raiders (at home), Chiefs and Browns.

The champs really have no one to blame but themselves. In addition, the Steelers don’t seem to strike anyone (Ravens, Browns and Eagles fans aside) as a particularly vilified franchise. Hints at a league wide conspiracy against the black and yellow are surely overdone.

So before Mr. Woodley goes about blaming other teams for his team’s potential playoff-less end, perhaps he should look at the losses in Cleveland, Kansas City, and Baltimore and realize where it all got away.

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Rest For the Weary in Indy Brings Out the Restless Fans

Unfortunately for that guy, it doesn’t appear that Colts head coach Jim Caldwell got the message. With a 15-10 lead in the third quarter and a 23-game winning streak on the line, the first-year head coach made a gutsy decision to pull many of his starters. With Peyton Manning and others out, the desperate New York Jets went on a run to close in on a playoff spot .

The Colts fans weren’t too happy with the choice. From ESPN.com:

“The hometown fans didn’t like the imperfect ending one bit.”

[…]

“Stunned fans didn’t react immediately, but when Curtis Painter, Manning’s replacement, returned to the field for his second series, the boos began.”

[…]

“The Jets sealed it with two fourth-quarter scores — Jay Feely’s 43-yard field goal and Thomas Jones’ 1-yard TD run — and afterward, the fans who stuck around booed loudly again as the players shook hands.”

The reaction of the home crowd is understandable, as is the decision of the Colts coaching staff to keep its players out of harm’s way late in a meaningless game.

But wait. Was this game really meaningless? This is a team that had a legitimate chance to become just the third team in NFL history to finish the regular season undefeated. That is no small feat. When you have players like Manning, Clark, and Wayne, it is entirely possible, if not probable.

Of course, the Jets have no problem with the choice. They win the game, and are now in control of their playoff destiny. Win against the Bengals next week and the Jets sneak in. And therein lies the problem.

As an NFL team, the Colts do have some sort of an obligation to put out a competitive team and attempt to win the game. Why? Because the result of games like today had a profound effect on other teams trying to squeeze into the postseason. So how fair is it for the Jets to have a chance to come back against a less-than-the-best Colts team that Caldwell put on the field for much of the second half? Not very.

But, there is always a counterpoint. This is a professional football team. The players on the field are being paid to perform well and win, whether they are second, third, or fourth string. Therefore, these players that the Colts put out, like untested quarterback Curtis Painter, did not just lay down and roll over for New York. Many can argue, with some validity, that Caldwell can do whatever he wants to do if he thinks it is best for his team.

The Colts fans may not like it. Football fans in general may not like it. Hell, even his players may not like it. But Caldwell and his staff obviously feel that this strategy will help Indianapolis play at a higher level in the playoffs, and made the call accordingly.

A coach doing what he thinks will help his team win a championship is hard to argue with. But when you look at the disappointment in the faces of the home crowd, you can see their point.

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Chargers Roll and Titans Sink

The score was stunning.

San Diego 42, Tennessee 17.

When you’re wrong, you’re wrong. Even the best laid plans of mice and men…

San Diego was dominant. The Titans took a 3-0 lead, and the Chargers never looked back. It was supposed to be a grudge match. Instead we got a triumphant rout.

Just like that, Tennessee’s season ended. All of the hard work the Titans put in was gone, quick as a flash of the lightning bolt on the victors’ helmets.

To quote Dickens, as is appropriate on this holiday, there was more of Titanic than Titan about this team tonight.

And the Chargers were the iceberg.

When you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. The Chargers’ bandwagon grows heavier with each passing game, each leaping touchdown catch, each head-shaking victim.

We are seeing Tomlinson redux—a personal renaissance of sorts, the transformation of style to accommodate a slower body, but the same powerful drive.

In Rivers, America is seeing not a rebirth, but the creation of a great quarterback; moxie, antagonism, and gall come with the package.

San Diego has now won its last 17 games played in December, a stunning achievement in a league where the attrition of injuries and poor play late in the season is the norm. Even more amazing is that Rivers has yet to lose a single game in the last month of the year.

As for the Titans, a valiant comeback effort is doomed to fall short, and the fans are left to wonder what could have been.

It is a team with plenty of talent: Chris Johnson is possibly the best back in the league, and Vince Young turned his early career around to show enough promise to merit a starting spot.

The defense, however, has been the major casualty this season. After guiding Jeff Fisher’s team to a No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs in 2008-2009, there has been a precipitous fall off. Tonight, the home team allowed the Chargers to rack up 425 yards in a must-win game.

As for the Chargers, it might be time for any remaining cynics to start buying into this team, which has consistently risen to the challenge against good competition late in the year.

San Diego has won 10 games in a row, and seems to be picking up steam heading into the playoffs. Of course, anything and everything can change on a weekly basis in the NFL. This team, however, looks to have all the weapons in place for another deep post season run.

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The Disinegration of a Legend

Not too long ago, there was the charm. A golden smile to go with a winning arm. There used to be charisma and glory. He had the courage to go deep when few would, throwing touchdown passes on a night meant for grieving. 

It’s sad, really, when you think of the time that has gone by.

Now there is folly. Now there is narcissism. Gone are the smiles, the gracious hugs, and the character that won over so many. Gone is the respect and admiration.

The Brett Favre legend rolls on, but the stories have become tall tales. The bandwagon is growing emptier by the day, and the groans are becoming more audible. The man who once inspired leagues of faithful fans in one of the NFL’s greatest cities now inspires rolled eyes and tired yawns.

Will he come back? I’m sure if you asked many, the answer would be a resounding “who cares?” And besides Viking fans and the ESPN big shots, who really does? With much flip-flopping, Favre has become the ultimate Boy Who Cried Wolf, only this time it’s the Man Who Cried Quit one too many times. He’s Junior Seau to the third power. He makes Michael Jordan look like a retirement rookie.

He has become an attention addict. This from a man who for so long played in a city that inspires a small town feel and home spun values. To be fair, the media has most certainly gone overboard, spouting off “breaking news” stories about mailed X-ray results and lawn mowing.

Someone has got to put a stop to it, and it looks like Vikings coach Brad Childress might just be the one to do it. Finally seeing some sense and knowing that Favre will undoubtedly continue to delay his second “comeback,” Childress has demanded that Favre make his decision within the week.

Finally, a deadline. I’m sure that when Favre announces his intentions later this week news and sports media outlets will go bananas with coverage and “analysis.” I, for one, hope that this finally puts an end to this misguided Brett Favre Hysteria.

It is long overdue.

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