Oh boy, Saturday games, and some nail-biters too.  This should separate the men (Marina) 
from the boys (us).
 
Pats/Bucs - Chris Simms on the road, against the juvenating NE defense, spells some trouble.  
They've got Clock Killin' Corey Dillon back, too.  PATRIOTS
 
NY/KC - This is the worst.  My heart has one option, but being a homer can cost you (**15-1, 
ahem**).  And the last time I openly doubted Trent Green, someone told him (probably Ben, 
to keep me at the bottom of the table) and he threw for about 700 yards and twelve touchdowns 
that week.  Defensively, the G-men are strong enough to slow Larry Johnson with just seven.  
Strahan and Umenyiora are the best end tandem in the league.  In the end, I'm leaning with 
defense and hoping that Eli wakes the hell up, already.  GIANTS  (and I probably cost them 
the wild card)
 
Bills/Broncos - my brother is the big Bills fan in the family.  He isn't going to have a 
merry time; Denver is motivated and they need the game.  BRONCOS
 
Minny/Pitt - I doubt no more, mighty Diller.  No more.  STEELERS
 
Indy/SD - the Chargers are probably a better team than Jacksonville or Cincinnati, who have 
been the only teams to give the Colts any sort of trouble.  They will cover the eight points, 
but can they win in the dome?  It would be a stretch.  COLTS  (PS - no, 16-0 is not as important 
as winning the league.  Yeah, they play a Super Bowl every year, so 16-0 would be unique - 
but 16-0 and losing in the playoffs isn't the kind of unique you want.  Play to win, and don't 
get sidetracked.)
 
Jax/SF - the kind of game that kills you if you've got a 14.5 spread to consider, like we 
do at work.  This just smells like a one-score game, with the Niners somehow driving at the 
end and the Jags finally swatting the fourth-down heave to the turf.  Jacksonville does that 
sort of thing a lot.  JAGUARS
 
Tenn/Sea - having should have lost to Houston, I can't see the Hilts giving the Hawks any 
sort of game.  SEAHAWKS
 
Cowpats/Cards - Dammit, Kris Brown.  That was the worst time to pull out the Judge Smails 
drive.  The utter worst.  But this is the hell of it: the Cards aren't so hot either, and 
Houston's not playing badly on defense.  For that matter, Brown isn't playing that badly - 
80% on figgies, nine touchbacks on kickoffs.  You know full well Reggie would rather stay 
in school like Leinert did than play for these hosers, so they may as well win.  TEXANS
 
Miami/NY - another game where records seem not to matter.  They just clobber each other in 
these late-season deals.  Hell, I'd rather see this on Monday Night than the stinker we're 
in for.  But there's something I've noticed: it's December 16th and nobody is making "it's 
Hannukah, time for Miami to lose every game" jokes.  Gone like Wannstedt and his porn 'stache.  
That's what Nick Saban's doing for this team, with Gus Frerotte, no less.  DOLPHINS
 
Saints/Cats - a bit of a trap game.  The Medavoys finally ditched Aaron Brooks (who should 
have been in the "Mediocre at Best" column instead of McNabb).  But this is such a messed-up 
squad right now that I think they'll just go into the funk (like Joe Horn seemed to) instead 
of respond.  Jake Delhomme, you'd better not screw this up.  PANTHERS
 
Wash/Dallas - boy o boy, fun is in the air and the last gasps of the playoffs are on the line.  
Jenn and Wes may have a knife fight outside of Diller's house at halftime.  COWBOYS, who damned 
well remember that they should have won the first.
 
Detroit/Cincy - I think we know who the alpha cat is in this tussle.  BENGALS
 
Oak/Cleve - just like last week's Raiders-Jets game; one of these squads has given up on its 
coach and packed it in for the year, and one hasn't.  That team will win.  BROWNS  (Channing 
Frye on the road, yeah, but have you seen Norv Turner lately?  He looks like he's slept in the 
same clothes ever since Randy Moss got hurt.)
 
St.L/Phila - I will go a little out on the limb here and say that, unless Stephen Jackson 
goes crazy, that the Rams will move the ball like it was chained to the turf.  EAGLES
 
Chc/Atl - All of a sudden the Bears have to worry a little about losing their home game first 
round.  They have the Giants chasing them for second seed, they finish with two road games - 
the rival Packers and the Vikings, who just happen to be chasing them for the division lead.  
The Falcons are one of the teams still in the lurk, hoping to get the ninth win and the 
head-to-head tiebreaker.  Incidentally, Vick and the Pips finish by playing the two teams 
ahead of them in the South, and that may work against them - they may not be quite as desperate 
here, on the road in the cold and the sting against a fine defense.  BEARS
 
Balt/GB - Boller! Gado!  It's Monday Night Football!  Oh, yeah, and also the ghost of Brett 
Favre, doomed to roam the battlements at night.  Lawsamydee, what a clunker.  PACKERS, and 
I hope this week Favre throws more TDs to his own guys than theirs.