San Diego at New England (-14) – Do the banged up Chargers have one more win left in them? With Rivers, LT, and Gates all banged up, it is going to be hard to score many points. The defense should do an admirable job against the Pats offense, but no one has been able to shut it down totally. New England should be able to put up at least 28 points, which will be enough to win the game and cover the spread. Pick: New England –14

NY Giants at Green Bay (-7) – We know Michael Strahan is tired of the Brett Favre love fest, but Brett really is the story here. If he can stay on his feet, the Packers will win handily. The real concern for the Packers is keeping Justin Tuck from getting pressure up the middle. In the end, the freezing cold weather and Lambeau Field will prove too much for the streaky Giants. Pick: Green Bay -7

Was Sunday’s defeat at the hands of his former employer, the Green Bay Packers, the last we will see of Mike Holmgren on the sidelines for the Seattle Seahawks? Mike was quoted recently as saying, “Where I am in my coaching life, I’ve got more years behind me than I have ahead of me, that’s for sure. You think about it [being the last chance]. If you get into the playoffs, you probably think about it every year.

“My mindset has not changed. . . . At the end of each season Kathy and I will get away from here for a week and just kind of bang [the possibility of retiring] around a little bit and think about how we’re going to do this in fairness to everybody—the players, the owner, everybody.

“You have to take some time and let things settle in. It’s an important decision.”

Mike and Kathy do take time each year to evaluate their situation; however, this year seems different. Mike has not hid the fact he would like to try his hand as a general manager again. This may be just what Dan Snyder, the Redskins owner, is waiting for. Joe Gibbs stepped down as coach and president of football operations last week. He is now acting as a special advisor to owner Dan Snyder. Mike and Joe have been friends since Gibbs was on the coaching staff at USC in 1969 when Mike was a QB. That connection, along with Snyder’s affinity for making a big splash with his hiring, may be enough to get Holmgren to the nation’s capital.

There are other positions that might interest Mike as well. San Francisco just hired a GM, but the team would love to have Holmgren on its staff. Maybe he would fit in as president of football operations for the 49ers. Mike was an assistant under Bill Walsh in San Francisco and is a native of Northern California; he would love the opportunity to return home and be part of the rebuilding project. In addition, Mike recently commented on Bill Parcells’s new job as President of the Dolphins. “It’s one of those good gigs,” he said. “They pay you a lot of money. You sit in a nice office. You make decisions like a king. Probably a little less stress in his life than being a coach.” Sounds like he envies Parcells a little.

No one knows for sure if Holmgren will stay or not—we’re not even sure he knows—but the writing is on the wall. He has been coaching for a long time and seems ready for a new challenge. The next week or two will be hell for Seahawks fans as they await the decision of the “Big Show.” No matter what happens one thing is for sure, Mike has become the greatest coach in Seahawks history.

As we have been analyzing the Divisional playoff match-ups, we started looking at the key ingredients to championship teams. Defenses are always vital in postseason football, as are special teams. But the dominating factor is QB play. We all know there have been teams that have won championships without great QBs; however, those teams had decent QBs that avoided big mistakes. We decided to rate the 8 QBs left in the playoffs. Remember, this is the order we would want them for a playoff run:

Tom Brady – We would love for someone to argue with us over this one. Tom Brady may be the best postseason QB in history. He has 3 Super Bowl rings under his belt and is the favorite to add a 4th. If we were choosing a QB to play for us in the playoffs, Brady would be the guy.

Peyton Manning – Last year’s Super Bowl winner is next on the list. Manning got the monkey off his back by beating the Bears and winning the “big game.” He has a chance to repeat this year, but it is a tough road to get there. If we can’t have Brady, Manning would be a great consolation prize.

Brett Favre – Yes, he is 55 years old, but he still has it. He is the only other QB in the playoffs that has a ring and should be good for at least one more playoff run. The only thing that scares us is that Favre still makes silly mistakes at times. He needs to play within himself to compare to Brady and Manning.

Matt Hasselbeck – We almost put Matt ahead of Favre on this list. Hass has been in the playoffs the last 5 years and has won at least 1 playoff game in each of the last 3 postseasons. He has grown into a great leader and a tough competitor. We would not hesitate to put a playoff game on his shoulders.

Tony Romo – Romo gets this spot based solely on his talent. He blew his chance to win a huge postseason road game last year in Seattle but has bounced back nicely this season. The key here is to avoid mistakes. If he can do that, he will notch his first playoff victory.

David Garrard – Please don’t stop reading. We know after last week many people would not want him, especially ahead of Eli and Phillip, but he is the type of guy that can win a Super Bowl. Garrard reminds me of Trent Dilfer, nothing flashy but doesn’t put his team in bad situations. We would be confident with David leading our team.

Eli Manning – Let us preface this by saying last week was great for Eli. We hope he has grown up and will play another game like he did against the Bucs. The inconsistency is what worries us. He will have a good game and then totally blow up the next. If he can over come that, he will win us over.

Phillip Rivers – We are not sold on Rivers at all. The Chargers are in the playoffs because of LT and defense. We will give him his due as he played decently last week, but of the 8 QBs he would be the last one we would want going into this weekend.

This list is based on whom we would like leading our team in a playoff situation. This should be a great weekend of playoff football. We can’t wait to see which of these QBs leads his team to victory.

Seattle at Green Bay (-7.5) – The last time the Seahawks visited Green Bay in the playoffs, Matt Hasselbeck guaranteed a score after winning the coin toss in overtime. Instead, Hasselbeck threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The Seahawks have far more playoff experience than the Packers this time around, which should be to their favor. The weather will also keep this game close. The forecast says 30 degrees with snow flurries. Expect the Seahawks to at least keep this game within 7 points. Pick: Seattle + 7.5

Jacksonville at New England (-13) – The Jags appeared to be the team to sneak up and contend for the Super Bowl as the playoffs began. However, they couldn’t slow down Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense last week. If the Steelers can score 29 manylcf points, the Pats should easily score over 30 points with their preparation and rest. The Patriots will make a statement this weekend. Pick: New England – 13

San Diego at Indianapolis (-9) – These two teams met in week 10 of the regular season with the Chargers edging the Colts by 2 points. If Manning throws 6 picks like he did in the regular-season match-up, the result will be the same. We don’t anticipate Manning throwing 5 INTs; in fact, he will be looking to avenge that loss. The Colts will also get a boost with the return of Marvin Harrison. The Chargers are going to need a huge game from LT if they want to have a chance at a win. They may be without one of their big weapons, Antonio Gates (dislocated toe). In the end, Bob Sanders and company will keep LT in check and force Rivers into mistakes. Pick: Indianapolis –9

NY Giants at Dallas (-7.5) – Believe it or not, this is the first time these two teams have ever met in the postseason. Dallas will try to start quick and get the fans into the game. The Giants, on the other hand, will try and get to Romo early and put him on his heels. Ultimately, the game is going to come down to one player, TO. If Owens is close to 100%, the Cowboys will roll into the NFC Championship game; if not, this will be a nail biter. Pick: Giants +7.5

These are the questions Clemens had to wrangle with before making any type of statement.

• Is Clemens name in any way associated with the purchase of the “vitamin B-12” or “lidocaine”?
• Did he use any checks or credit cards to purchase these items?
• Did anyone see McNamee inject Clemens with the materials?
• Did anyone see Clemens with the materials at any time?
• Did Clemens need to contact any associates to feel assured they would never come out against him?

It took three weeks for Clemens and his counsel to feel comfortable with the answers to those questions. After covering all their bases, they feel assured it will be McNamee’s word against Clemens’s word. McNamee has no proof to link Clemens to any of the illegal drugs. Clemens can now plead his innocence until he finally gets inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The problem for Roger Clemens is the evidence is too bizarre not to believe McNamee.

• Why would McNamee tell the truth about Andy Pettitte but then lie about Roger Clemens?
• How would it benefit McNamee to lie about Clemens’s use?
• Why would McNamee make up so many specifics about the times he injected Clemens with the drugs?

The simple answer is either McNamee has a crazy vendetta against Clemens or he is telling the truth.

Clemens obviously feels confident it’s his word against McNamee’s and can fight it until the end because there isn’t any proof. We wouldn’t be surprised if Clemens goes to Congress to testify he did nothing wrong. The one place you won’t see Roger Clemens is taking a lie detector test. You can bank on that.

The reality is Clemens’s only shot to prove his innocence to the majority is to show McNamee has a motive to destroy his baseball legacy. This motive would need to be stronger than McNamee facing jail time for lying about Clemens’s drug use. It’s a road Clemens obviously can’t prove and therefore is being ignored.

Washington at Seattle (-3.5) – The Seahawks are as good as it gets at home. They outscored their opponents 217-111 this year and went 7-1 at home. The Seahawks should win this game, but you can’t measure the emotion and unity of this Redskins team since the loss of Sean Taylor. The team has played as if it were in the playoffs since week 14. No team has come within 8 points of the Redskins in their last four games. Will Todd Collins continue to play like a Pro Bowl quarterback for another week? We’ll really believe in the ‘Skins if they can accomplish their biggest task in Seattle. The Redskins should keep it within 3 points regardless of the result. Pick: Washington +3.5

Jacksonville (-2.5) at Pittsburgh – These teams played each other only three weeks ago with Jacksonville winning 29-22 in Pittsburgh. The Jags scored a touchdown with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter to seal the game after giving up a 22-7 lead to start the fourth quarter. Ben Roethlisberger struggled, completing less than 50% of his passes in the game. He struggled even though Willie Parker ran for 100 yards on only 14 carries. This time, Parker is injured and won’t play. This doesn’t bode well for the Pittsburgh offense. The Jags should keep the pressure on Big Ben and win this game by at least three points. Pick: Jacksonville -2.5

NY Giants at Tampa Bay (-2.5) – This game really comes down to one match up… Jeff Garcia vs. the Giants secondary. Jeff Garcia should be 100% healthy, while the Giants secondary is banged up and not at 100%. Joey Galloway should have a huge game as the Giants have struggled against speed receivers all year. The Giants need to put plenty of pressure on Garcia to take pressure off the secondary. Luckily, they have Umenyiora and Strahan. One interesting note is that Garcia is the first QB to ever face a team 3 times in the playoffs while playing for 3 different teams. Garcia beat the Giants with the 49ers and the Eagles; can the Giants stop that trend? Pick: NY Giants + 2.5

Tennessee at San Diego (-10) – Can Tennessee overcome the injury bug that has plagued it over the last couple of weeks? Vince Young will give it a go, but he may not play the whole game. Kerry Collins is an adequate back-up, but who will he throw to? Bo Scaife and Roydell Williams are both out for the game against the Chargers. Look for San Diego to load the box to stop the run and force Tennessee to beat them with the pass. Norv is looking to get the Chargers a playoff win for the first time since we can remember. Look for him to rely on LT to carry the load. The Titans will give the Chargers everything they have, but it won’t quite be enough. Pick: Tennessee +10

Here are the records so far for conferences during the bowl season:

• SEC 7-2
• Big 12 5-3
• Mountain West 4-1
• Pac-10 4-2
• Big Ten 3-5
• ACC 2-6
• Sun Belt 1-0
• Big East 3-2
• WAC 1-3
• Conference USA 2-4
• Independent 0-1
• MAC 0-3

Notes for the BCS Bowls for next year:

• A non-BCS school must play at least one top BCS conference team in order to be invited. The terrible schedule the Hawaii Warriors played this year proved they had no business being in a high-profile BCS game this season. Television sets were turned off on the east coast before the second half even started.
• The Rose Bowl needs to scrap the Pac-10 – Big Ten rivalry game if it doesn’t have both champions playing. Illinois had no business going to Pasadena this year. The team had a nice season and a good story, but to put it in the Rose Bowl game to be clobbered by USC was a huge mistake by the bowl committee and for the fans.
• The Rose Bowl should have selected the real national championship game of the year – USC vs. Georgia. Weren’t you eating your chips and dip wondering why Illinois and Hawaii were invited to the BCS? Were you wondering why USC and Georgia weren’t playing against each other? It could have happened, but the arrogant Rose Bowl committee wanted to keep tradition. We guess 41-10 and 49-17 results in the BCS games are more important than giving us a game we want to watch.
• The BCS must change the rules and invite the best teams. Missouri had no business looking on the outside of the BCS after beating up on Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.
• The BCS grade so far this year: D. The BCS solution was to pit the best teams in the nation against each other. It hasn’t happened yet.

Killed his stock in the NFL draft:

• Colt Brennan 22-38 169 yards 0 TD 3 INTs.

Welcome to week 17 of the NFL season. We have no idea which players will play this week and/or how long they will be in the game. If you feel the need to place money on any NFL games this week, please look for counseling immediately to recover from your addiction. With that said, we can’t resist putting in our two cents on the ball games.

New England (-13.5) at NY Giants – With the perfect season on the line, don’t expect the Patriots to rest their starters. The Giants, on the other hand, need to get healthy for next week. This should be an easy victory for the Pats. Pick: New England –13.5

Buffalo at Philadelphia (-7.5) – The Bills seem to have given up on the season. The Eagles have shown a lot of heart and are looking to finish the season strong. This could be Donovan’s swan song. Pick: Philadelphia –7.5

Carolina (-2.5) at Tampa Bay – Carolina is another team that is trying to finish out the season on a positive note, while the Buccaneers are trying to get ready for next week’s first-round playoff battle with the Giants. John Gruden showed last week he is ready to rest his starters. Pick: Carolina +2.5

Cincinnati (-2.5) at Miami – This line tells you how far the Bengals have fallen. They are only 2.5 point favorites against a one-win Miami team. Neither team has much to play for, but we expect the Dolphins players and coaches are auditioning for Bill Parcells. The team should be fired up. Pick: Miami +2.5

Detroit at Green Bay (-4) – Although we are huge fans of Jon Kitna, we are not sure how much the Lions have left. They clawed a victory out last week, but that was against an equally lousy team, Kansas City. The Packers should come out firing. After that debacle against the Bears last week, they need to regain some confidence. It is imperative that this young team go into the post season with full confidence. Pick: Green Bay –4

Jacksonville at Houston (-6) – We don’t see Jack Del Rio as a coach that is going to let down. We will see him playing to win in Houston. The Texans are a solid club and will play with a lot of pride. We expect a close game here. Pick: Jacksonville +6

Seattle at Atlanta (-1) – This may be the first time all year the Falcons have been a favorite. This line is clearly based on the Seahawks resting their starters for most of the game. The Hawks starters will get a rest but not until they have built a nice first- half lead. Regardless, the Seattle second teamers may be better than the Atlanta starters. Pick: Seattle +1

San Francisco at Cleveland (-10) – The 49ers have been playing inspired ball as of late, and we expect that to continue in Cleveland. Cleveland has everything on the line as it must win or its playoff chances are out the window. Cleveland should win in the end, but we like the points here. Pick San Francisco +10

New Orleans (-2) at Chicago – The Saints have an outside shot of reaching the playoffs if the Redskins and Vikings both lose. The way this season has gone for them, don’t expect them to have that option after the game ends. Pick: Chicago +2

Dallas at Washington (-9) – The Cowboys should rest any starter with a looming injury. The result will be a Redskins victory, but the spread is awfully high for playing against a team that has lost only two games. Pick: Dallas +9

Pittsburgh (-3.5) at Baltimore – The Steelers still have an outside shot of avoiding the Jags in the first round. They will want to get ahead early and keep the lowly Ravens down. Expect them to be successful. Pick: Pittsburgh -3.5

Minnesota (-3) at Denver – The Vikings were so hot a couple of weeks ago and completely froze up in the Minneapolis air. The Vikings hope the Redskins struggle against the Cowboys and the Broncos don’t show up for another week. Pick: Denver +3

San Diego (-8) at Oakland – JaMarcus Russell finally gets his shot to play a full game this season. This draft pick has been a mess all season and won’t look better after the Chargers lock up the third spot in the AFC. Pick: San Diego -8

St. Louis at Arizona (-6) – This is a game nobody will be watching. Will the players even care? Pick: St. Louis +6

Kansas City at New York Jets (-6) – These two teams are lousy. How can a team this lousy win by more than six points? It will be ugly, and the shortest highlight reel of the season. Pick: Kansas City +6

Tennessee (-6.5) at Indianapolis – The Titans care and the Colts don’t this week. We didn’t think the Colts were going to show up last week but blew out the Texans 38-15. The Colts will make it close enough to keep the Titans on their toes for 60 minutes. Pick: Colts +6.5

New England @ NY Giants – New England is going to play its starters and attempt to be the first team to ever go 16-0 in the regular season. We believe it should play its starters. The team has next week off due to its first-round bye, so why not go ahead and make history. The Giants, on the other hand, are in a tough spot. The whole world wants them to play their starters against the Pats and make them earn the 16-0 record. If we were the Giants’ coach, we would rest players. The Giants have been dinged up all year and have to go on the road to play a tough game against the Bucs to start the playoffs. They don’t have the luxury of a bye, so they should do what’s best for the team and rest their players.

Tennessee @ Indianapolis – Tennessee has everything on the line in this game. If the team wins, it goes to playoffs; if it loses, it watches from home. The Titans are playing any one who can possibly go. Indy is in a different situation; the Colts locked up the second seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. Do they play their starters and try to keep a division foe from making the playoffs or do they rest and look towards the post season? We say play the starters. Indianapolis has a first-round bye and a whole week to get its players healthy. We say give the Titans everything the Colts have.

Dallas at Washington – This match up is similar to the Tennessee/Indy game. Washington gets in with a win. The difference here is that Dallas has some injuries to deal with. We say play the players that are healthy but take the opportunity to get everyone else healthy for the playoff run.

Seattle at Atlanta – This is the last game we will comment on. From the outside, it looks like Seattle should just sit its starters and look towards next week’s playoff game; however, Seattle has the DJ Hackett factor. Hackett is a big play receiver for the Hawks and has been out the last several weeks with an ankle injury. He is ready to go now and needs to make sure his timing is in synch with Matt Hasselbeck. We suggest playing the offensive starters for at least the first half to make sure the timing is good and the running game is ready for the playoffs.

The answers for the rest of the games are fairly clear. If teams are going to the playoffs and are playing insignificant games, rest the players. If teams are not going to the playoffs nor need a win to get in, they should play their starters. It is not always an easy call; that is why we are here to help.

Dallas (-10.5) at Carolina – The Cowboys lose one game, and it’s the end of the world. Is Tony Romo’s thumb okay? We’ll find out on Sunday. The Panthers gained some confidence by shutting down the Seahawks last week. Expect them to keep the game within 10 points. Pick: Carolina +10.5

Cleveland (-3) at Cincinnati – If the weather permits, this game should be another offensive explosion. The Browns won earlier this year 51-45 at home. Expect Cleveland to cover the spread and keep the pressure on the Steelers. Pick: Cleveland -3

Green Bay (-8.5) at Chicago – The Packers are rolling, and the Bears are done for the year. However, the weather is going to be a high of 24 degrees and snowing. That should keep this game within the 8 points. Pick: Chicago +8.5.

Houston at Indianapolis (-7) – The Texans kept within 6 points last time they played the Colts this season. This game means nothing to the Colts as they begin to focus on keeping healthy and the playoffs. Pick: Houston +7

Kansas City at Detroit (-5) – Both teams stink, stink, and stink. We won’t be watching a moment of this one. Expect both teams to try to give the game away to their opponent. The score will be within five points. Pick: Kansas City +5

New York Giants (-3) at Buffalo – The Giants get to face the wind again in Buffalo this week. It won’t be as bitterly cold, but the Bills should make things very difficult on Eli Manning. The Bills will win this game. Pick: Buffalo +3

Oakland at Jacksonville (-13) – The Raiders played the Colts tough last week but also got squashed last time on the road in Green Bay. The Jags are still on a high after the victory in Pittsburgh. Expect the Jags to have a bit of a letdown. Pick: Oakland +13

Philadelphia at New Orleans (-3) – The Saints need this game in order to keep the pressure on the Vikings. The Eagles come off a nice victory in Dallas. Philadelphia’s defense will keep Drew Brees on his toes or back all day. Pick: Philadelphia +3

Atlanta at Arizona (-10) – Normally, we would go with the Cards because they are a far superior team. This week, however, you have the potential of an Arizona letdown; they were eliminated from playoff contention last week. You also have the potential of Falcons players rallying together in the wake of the Petrino fiasco. Pick: Atlanta +10

Tampa Bay (-6) at San Francisco – The 49ers showed some signs of life last week with Shaun Hill at QB. They are trying to ride their defense and running game to a strong finish. Too bad they face the Bucs this week. Don’t expect Tampa Bay to rest anyone. Pick: Tampa Bay –6

Miami at New England (-22) – The Dolphins have created quite a buzz this week with their first victory and hiring Bill Parcells to resurrect their once proud program. That buzz will quiet after losing to the Pats. We don’t see a New England letdown, but we don’t see a 22-point blowout either. Pick: Miami +22

Baltimore at Seattle (-10.5) – Don’t expect to see the Seahawks roll out another clunker of a game like last week. They will be ready to play against an injured Ravens squad. Pick: Seattle –10.5

NY Jets at Tennessee (-8.5) – This is an interesting match-up. Pennington is back in as the starting QB after the injury to Clemens. The veteran QB may be able to keep it close against the Titans. We like the Titans to keep their playoff hopes alive but the Jets to cover. Pick: NY Jets +8.5

Washington at Minnesota (-6.5) – This is one of the biggest games of the weekend. Minnesota controls its own destiny as far as the playoffs go. We love the Minnesota running game as well as its run defense. We also like the way Todd Collins has added a new dimension to the Redskins offense. We could see this being a close game. Pick: Washington + 6.5

Denver at San Diego (-8.5) – This is a rivalry game with a big spread. We like the Broncos to cover. Pick: Denver –8.5