NFL Gallimaufry

Some thoughts on yesterday's action...

*The 2009 Giants sure had their struggles, but I thought they had a lot more pride and fight than what they showed. However, I am strangely not that bothered by this loss for two reasons: One, I had already pretty much written them off after the Eagles loss a couple weeks ago. And two, if they don't even bother to show up in an elimination game, at home against a 6-win opponent, then they obviously don't care. And if they don't care, why should I? So 2009 is a loss, but I am confident that Jerry Reese will make the kind of offseason moves it takes to get back on track for next year. (Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan being fired is one obvious move.) I think I can live off of the 2007 championship, the greatest in the history of sports, for a year or two longer...but I would love to see another title run in the near future.

*I'm very disappointed in the Colts for not being interested in winning at home against the Jets. It's one thing if you're 10-0 and you've clinched the division, and you rest some starters with six games still left in the regular season. But at 14-0, and leading 9-3 at halftime, just 90 minutes away from a perfect season, they take their foot off the gas? I wonder how many more times the Colts have to go perfect the first 12 to 14 weeks, ease up for the rest of the regular season, then lose in the divisional round, before they learn? And correct me if I'm wrong, but the one year they did win it all, 2006, didn't they go 12-4 and play hard through the end of the regular season?

*If there's any team that knows how to get their fans' hopes up, only to crush them in a new creative way every season, it's the Jets. So, with this team in control of its playoff destiny, I look for them to come from ahead to lose to the Bengals on Sunday night. Maybe by a missed field goal, stupid personal foul, or a Sanchez pick-six. Hey, they're the Jets, they'll probably find a way that's none of the above! So as you can see I suddenly find myself being very anti-Jets, as I feel they don't deserve to be in this position, especially at the expense of Pittsburgh - a team that actually can do something in the playofffs if healthy. But, as Clint Eastwood says in Unforgiven, "Deserving ain't got nothing to do with it."

*As for the Steelers, they do need a win plus a lot of help...but they should have thought of that while they were losing to the Raiders and Browns a few weeks ago.

It should be an intriguing final weekend of the regular season. And coming soon, 2009 NFL Preview revisited.