- I originally thought Kimo Von Oelhoffen's hit on Carson Palmer was accidental, but after watching numerous replays and looking at photos of the hit, I think that Von Oelhoffen went low, and he wrapped Palmer's knee with his arm. The hit should have been penalized, and Von Oelhoffen should have been fined for going low. Marvin Lewis said that the play was accidental, but he should remind his players all offseason of the hit, and he should make sure that they come out next season with revenge on their minds.
- Eli Manning continued his poor play against the Panthers going 10-18 for 113 yards and 3 interceptions. Manning looked lost most of the game, and everyone was rewarded with multiple glimpses of the pouty Eli Manning face.
- The Redskins somehow managed to win against Tampa Bay despite only gaining 120 yards of total offense. Washington can thank Chris Simms and Edell Sheppard for setting up their offense and for dropping the go ahead touchdown pass. They will not be so lucky in Seattle this week.
- That was some effort by Jacksonville. I still cannot figure out why Jack Del Rio went with Byron Leftwich even though he had not played since he got hurt in Week 12. Leftwich was noticeably immobile, and Willie McGinest recorded a playoff record 4.5 sacks as a result. Jacksonville would have benefited greatly from David Garrard's mobility. It might not have been the difference, but they would have scored more than 3 points with Garrard at the helm.
- Hines Ward might be one of the bigger phonies in the league. He is always referred to as a blue collar, humble guy. The truth is that he talks as much garbage as anyone on the field, and last time I checked he was the one who held out prior to this season, not T.O.
- The Bengals desperately need to get bigger and more physical on defense. Their D-line and linebackers are all undersized, and they have no one on defense that is physically imposing.
- The Bengals do not need to resign Jon Kitna, but if they do not they need to find a contingency plan in case Carson Palmer is not ready to go at the beginning of the season. There should be some veteran quarterbacks on the free agent market, and if there is no one to their liking, they will need to draft one no later than the 4th or 5th round.
- It will be interesting to see if Jake Plummer can finally win a playoff game with the Broncos. The game is in Denver, and if the Broncos can control the ball, they should win. However, if Plummer plays like the Snake, it will be the same old story and the Patriots will have another crack at the Colts.
- If things work out, the Patriots Colts game in the AFC Championship would be another classic. Peyton Manning will have no excuses this time, and he will have to overcome his own playoff curse to help the Colts to the Super Bowl.
- Who needs a playoff win more? Neither Mike Holmgren nor Mike Shanahan have won a playoff game since they have been separated from their Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Shanahan is 0-3 in the playoffs since John Elway retired, and Mike Holmgren is 0-3 since leaving Green Bay and Brett Favre behind. I think hat Holmgren needs it more because he is playing a team that he is heavily favored against, and he did lose to Shanahan in the 1997 Super Bowl.
There is nothing like the NFL Playoffs, and it is almost disheartening to think that there are only 7 games left including the Super Bowl. As a Bengal fan, I am looking forward to the offseason and hoping that the Bengals can land the defensive talent to get them over the top.
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