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NFL Notes

Imagine if Seattle hadn't been gifted a 14-0 lead…Atari Bigby had to have one of the bigger "where did that come from?" games of the season Saturday…Ironic how Charles Woodson went from being typically overrated in Oakland to being one of the best football players this season, yet pretty much under the radar for the most part…I like Matt Hasselbeck's game, but I like Mike Holmgren's offensive system even more. If he leaves town, Seattle's passing unit needs to be downgraded significantly…Remember when all of New England was crying about Deion Branch leaving town? Good times. Like Billy Beane in baseball, it's best not to trade with the Patriots…Green Bay's rushing attack went from being a weakness, to a strength, to a top-three unit in football. Ryan Grant is a mid-first round pick in fantasy leagues next year.

I realize it's not a terribly important position, but Jacksonville's lack of talent at wide receiver killed them Saturday night. Dennis Northcutt probably just dropped another pass as I'm writing this…I was on board with the Jaguars' game plan of never blitzing and taking away the deep ball, but it's hard to get burned deep in the red zone; they should have blitzed on a couple of those third downs from the 10-yard line…Tom Brady's performance was masterful, don't get me wrong, but completion percentage is obviously far less important than YPA…Watching Laurence Maroney reel off four straight big games has to be frustrating for his fantasy owners from this past season.

Played NBA2K8 for PS3 over the weekend. Probably the most realistic, and best, (sports) video game ever made.

I can't remember a more disappointing performance out of a sports franchise than how the Colts played Sunday. At least not in recent memory. It's like the secondary forgot how to play football…Thanks for showing up, Marvin Harrison. Now, don't let the door hit you on your way out…Reggie Wayne is more a product of Indy's system than a truly special wide receiver. His hands could really improve…In the most important game of the season, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joseph Addai, Antonio Gates, Marvin Harrison and Philip Rivers all left the game hurt at one point. Most were at least hobbled throughout…Credit where credit is due: Philip Rivers has been nothing short of fantastic over the last six quarters…Were you as surprised as me to find out Adam Vinatieri hadn't made a single field goal from more than 39 yards all season long?...I've heard from more than a few people declaring Peyton Manning had a poor game Sunday, but the guy completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and got 8.4 YPA. Both interceptions could have easily been caught…Teams should not be charged a timeout inside 2 minutes if an injury occurs on a dead ball (i.e. an incomplete pass). That rule makes zero sense…I don't understand Tomlinson's comments saying how he could have returned if the score was different. Really? Down three points in the fourth quarter of an AFC Divisional game didn't qualify? I'm not calling him soft. I'm saying I doubt he plays this week…Sunday offered more proof than ever how unimportant the RB position is. Did anyone notice a difference between LT and Michael Turner? Didn't think so…Teams simply must stop insisting on calling three straight run plays when a first down wins you the game. Not only did Sunday's playcalling make even less sense since Indy had timeouts, but it's even more perplexing when you factor in that the defense is gearing toward run, further making a first down via the ground less likely. Call your favorite pass play; if it doesn't work, your opponent is left with one more timeout. If it does, the game is over…I really wanted to see a Colts vs. Patriots matchup again.

No team relies on winning the battle in the trenches more than the Giants, and their line is the No. 1 reason why this team is playing in the NFC Championship game…It's not saying much, but it appears Steve Smith has a chance at being the best WR from USC in quite a while…How much do prospective Brandon Jacobs 2008 fantasy owners have to worry about Ahmad Bradshaw?...I still can't wrap my head around watching Terrell Owens cry profusely while defending Tony Romo over taking a vacation in Mexico with Jessica Simpson…The new "American Gladiators" is more likely to win an Emmy than Julius Jones returning in a Dallas uniform next season…Trying to tackle Marion Barber does not look fun…Eli Manning and Philip Rivers playing terrific football in January. Yep, it's definitely bizarro world.