Every March fathers, mothers, co-workers and hardcore gamblers come together to compete against each other on selecting which college basketball team will win a NCAA championship. Everywhere you turn, you will see people filling out brackets for the chance to win money and bragging rights in office, family, and neighborhood basketball pools. There is something very gratifying in being able to correctly predict which of the participating 64 tournament teams will end up cutting down the nets after successfully navigating their way through the maze that we call a tournament bracket. What makes March Madness special is hardcore college basketball fans can still be beat by novice fans. That means, a wife who watches very little basketball could beat her husband who has spent hours researching all the teams. The reason we call this tournament March Madness is any team is capable of knocking off another in a single game elimination, regardless of how high or low they seeded heading into the tournament. Every year we see high seeds being eliminating by lower seeds, proving that anything can happen in a one game setting. That?s why we love it, and that?s way the 2007 NFL post-season has a madness of its own. Now that we have narrowed down the number of participating teams to eight, it is very hard to predict which team is going to play their way to a postgame celebration in Miami. We all know the San Diego Chargers have the best record entering these playoffs, and during the regular season both their offense and defense played extremely well and complemented each other. While this has earned them my number 1 seed, I am not convinced that they should start planning a trip to South Beach just yet. You may not have noticed, but their starting quarterback, Phillip Rivers had two poor performances in the Chargers last three regular season games. While Rivers did end the season on a good note, beating the Cardinals 27-10 and posting a quarterback rating of 117, he struggled in his previous two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. Despite both of these teams below average defense and secondary, Rivers managed to complete only 33% and 34% of his passes in those games showing a crack in his shell for the first time all season. I am sure will give the Chargers playoff opponents are studying those games to pick up on what caused Rivers to play so poorly. Had it not been for the remarkable performances of record breaking teammate LaDainian Tomlinson, Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates, and the remarkable play of the Charger defense, Rivers and the Chargers would have lost both of those games. While Rivers exceeded expectations this year people need to remember that this is still only his first full year as a starting quarterback in the NFL. After holding a clipboard for two years, it?s hard for anyone, especially a quarterback to go from a two-year sideline spectator to a third year starting quarterback that is responsible maintaining his concentration and sharpness for 16 regular season games, and postseason advancement. This is made even tougher when everyone in the media and football world is constantly telling you what a great job you are doing. It seems to me that Rivers has hit a wall, but doesn?t know it yet because its been masked by the Chargers ability to keep winning. Had the Chargers lost one of those games Rivers failed to play well, I feel it would have recharged his energy and focus just in time for the Chargers playoff run. We all witnessed Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo tear up the NFL in his first six starts, only to have his flame burn out at the end of the regular season and post-season. Hopefully, Rivers can avoid the cliff that Romo fell off this year. As the number one seed in this post-season tournament, the Chargers need to guard against what all number one seeds fear, and that is complacency. When you know you finished the regular season as the NFL?s best team, it?s hard not to think that you deserve a Super Bowl birth over the other teams in the playoffs. Much of the mindset of the Chargers will depend on how they spent their wildcard weekend off. If you look at the history of Chargers head coach Marty Schottenhimer, as many of you may well know the NFL teams he has guided in past NFL post season?s, have all seemed to come up short. I have experienced first hand, Schottenhimer?s disappointing playoff exits. During the 1995 NFL season, I had the privilege of being coached by Schottenhimer. That year my Kansas City Chiefs teammates and me finished the regular season with the NFL?s best record. We carried a 13-3 regular season record into the playoffs, which was good enough to earn us a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the 1996 AFC divisional playoffs. I can remember how confident me and my teammates were, because we really thought that the way we dominating teams all year, would make us untouchable in the post season, especially playing at home in Arrowhead, which was known to be one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. To top it off, we were hosting the Indianapolis Colts, who were accustomed to playing their games in the friendly confines of what is now called the RCA dome. We felt the winter weather in Kansas City would give the Colts offense problems throwing and catching the ball. Since we played in a football-crazed market with very limited entertainment options, any player on our team was considered a local celebrity. A large percentage of my teammates had weekly radio shows they hosted during the regular season. Leading up to the Colts game, Schottenhimer banned players from doing their weekly radio shows, my guess is he feared it would take away from us focusing on the game, or he wanted to stay away from us making a comment that would pour gasoline on the Colts fire. We ended up losing to the Colts 10-7, and to this day it is one of the most heartbreaking losses I have ever had to endure as a player. I don?t blame Schottenhimer?s banning us from doing our radio show?s as the cause for why we loss. I do feel that when a coach deviates from a successful routine that led you to 13 wins during the regular season, players have a tendency to tighten up realizing the magnitude of the game. When I look at the Chargers, I see my 1995 Chiefs team. In order to make it to Miami, Schottenhimer needs to keep his team loose by staying with the same routine that enabled them to win 14 games this season. Unlike our Chiefs team, the Chargers and Schottenhimer need to still be aggressive and attack on offense. If Schotenhimer doesn?t follow his regular season plan, the Chargers will walk out of the game looking like the overpowering 1985 Georgetown basketball team who lost to huge underdog the Villanova Wildcats. Villanova's victory over the heavily favored Georgetown Hoyas in the NCAA tournament final in 1985 is still considered one of the biggest upsets in sports history. While the New England Patriots are a far cry from the long shot that Villanova was, they still enter their match up against the Chargers as huge underdogs. If Schotenhimer keeps it loose, the Chargers will advance, if he tightens up, hello upset. My number 1 Seed is the San Diego Chargers. The Rest of the Field #2 Seed, Baltimore Ravens:The Ravens took home a Super Bowl ring in 2002 using Ray Lewis and a smothering defense. Mr. Lewis and the rest of the Ravens defense once again showed the rest of the NFL how to attack an offense. They finished the regular season as the NFL's top defense. Unlike 2002, the Ravens now have a quarterback that may be one of the best clutch performers in NFL history. Steve McNair is a proven winner, with a Super Bowl appearance on his resume. This may be the Ravens year. #3 Seed, New Orleans Saints: With the exception of the Chargers, the Saints are the most balanced team in this tournament. They have a solid defense, and an explosive offense with weapons at every skill position. #4 Seed, New England Patriots: Three Super Bowl rings, and Mr. Clutch himself, Tom Brady, is enough to land the Pats ahead of the other four playoff teams. When you add the genius Bill Belechick to the mix, you will see why the Chargers may have drawn the most dangerous Wildcard winner. #5 Seed, Chicago Bears: The Bears should be the number one or two seed, but because of the poor performances their quarterback Rex Grossman had this year, it is hard to vote them any higher in the playoff brackets. Sorry Mr. Urclacher, but you need a steady QB to grab a ring this year. #6 Seed, Indianapolis Colts: This team would be seeded higher had their defense played the way they did against the Chiefs. But, the Chiefs were a playoff lottery winner and had no business making the playoffs. That means the Colts D is still wider than the gap between Michael Strahan?s teeth. #7 Seed, Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles are the Cinderella team of the playoffs. They ended the regular season winning five straight, and beat the Giants during the Wildcard round last week. They will have to return the glass slipper in New Orleans. #8 Seed, Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks are the last seed in this years playoff race. If I were the Seahawks, I would send Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo a portion of my playoff bonus, and a letter thanking him for the last Christmas present.