The playoffs are less than a month away, so what better time than now to re-adjust my predictions for the NFL?s 2008 postseason? AFC East ? N.Y. Jets North ? Pittsburgh South ? Tennessee* West ? Denver Wild Cards ? New England, Indianapolis NFC East ? N.Y. Giants* North ? Minnesota South ? Tampa Bay West ? Arizona* Wild Cards ? Carolina, Dallas (Preseason predictions are in italics, * designates a clinched spot) The Downs First Down?Who Are The Chargers? The Chargers we thought we?d see all season showed up on Thursday night in their 34-7 drubbing of the Raiders. Philip Rivers was tremendous, throwing for 214 yards and three touchdowns on just twenty-two attempts, and LaDainian Tomlinson continues to improve his efficiency on the ground. It?s too bad that San Diego?s playoff hopes all but ended with Denver?s comeback win over Kansas City on Sunday afternoon. Something will have to change this offseason, especially with L.T. showing serious signs of slowing down. Rivers is a keeper, as are a majority of their receivers, but help is needed on defense and the sideline. Second Down?A Giant Egg The Giants laid an egg of sorts against the Eagles on Sunday, losing just their second game of the season after playing some pretty horrible football. Had it not been for some luck on a blocked kick and a poor effort by Philadelphia?s defense on New York?s final drive, Eli Manning and Co. might have actually posted an egg on the scoreboard. Brian Westbrook burned the G-Men for 200 total yards and two touchdowns. That means he has six touchdowns in his last two games, coming off his four-touchdown performance against the Cardinals on Thanksgiving night. Doesn?t it seem like that game took place weeks ago, though? Third Down?Top To Bottom The Vikings and Lions represented opposite ends of the spectrum on Sunday, as Minnesota continued to rise to the top of the NFC North, and Detroit extended their search for a win this season. It?s really too bad that Brad Childress didn?t get himself a more dangerous quarterback this past summer because a majority of the pieces are in place for a strong playoff run. With three games left, it?s looking more and more like the Lions are going to go winless in 2008. I don?t think anyone believed that Detroit would be this bad, especially after they started last season with a 6-2 record. That means they have lost twenty of their last twenty-one games. Ouch. That?s a deep burn. Fourth Down?Patriots Barely Beat Seahawks Matt Cassel led the Patriots back against the Seahawks on Sunday, helping the team avoid an embarrassing loss out on the West Coast. Cassel wasn?t as productive as he has been lately, but he did enough, especially in the fourth quarter, to move New England into a tie with the Jets (and Dolphins) in the tight AFC East. Seneca Wallace tore up the New England defense to the tune of 212 yards and three touchdowns on 20-for-28 passing. If the Patriots are going to either miss the playoffs, or bow out early, it will be because of their defense and not the absence of Tom Brady. The ?Back From The Dead? Statline of the Week? Deion Branch, Seattle: Four catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Keyboard Prediction for Week Fifteen N.Y. Giants @ Dallas: Sunday 8:15 PM EST Despite losing last Sunday, the Giants have still won the NFC East. However, the Cowboys can make a huge statement with a home win over the defending-champions. Dallas was less than two minutes away from a big victory over Pittsburgh, and New York will likely be out for blood after their listless performance against Philadelphia. Assuming Brandon Jacobs and Marion Barber both play, I like the Cowboys in this one. Dallas is playing extremely well, and New York appears to have finally been affected by the trials and tribulations of Plaxico Burress. Luckily for Tom Coughlin, his team built enough of a lead that they can reassess where they stand and get things together before the postseason begins. The Keyboard Prediction: Dallas 27, New York 19 Season Record: 8-6 My Fantasy Diary: Week Fourteen was nothing more than a day of rest for The Drew Crew with the division locked up and the East Coast Pigskin playoffs still a week away. The Crew lost, falling to 8-6 on the season, but no harm was done. My players came away uninjured and got a stinker out of their systems. Without much to report, I thought it was as good a time as ever to introduce the other four teams that are included in my weekly record. Italian Stallions, Nichols Football VI League A league of Nichols College graduates that I started six years ago. The Stallions are 9-5 and heading into a battle with the Champ Is Here (the two-time reigning league champion) in Week Fifteen. Indianapolis Red Balls, Average Joe?s League A smattering of a league, if that makes any sense. It is comprised of some college friends, some high school buddies, a few cousins, and some people that were picked up along the way. I was the league?s inaugural champion, but three seasons later I have already bowed out in the first round to the Coney Island Whitefish. The Pinhos, Yahoo Public I like to compete in a public league every year, and I usually dominate. It?s kind of my way of balancing out my record, in a completely legal way. Typically, half of the league bows out because of either lack of interest or pure laziness. This year, The Pinhos were my worst team. They finished the regular season 5-8-1. Yes, Tom Brady was my first-round pick. Donovan McMunchkin, Dan Orlovsky?s Charity League First of all, Dan Orlovsky is in no way affiliated with this league. For the most part, it?s comprised of guys I graduated high school with, the very same public school in Connecticut that the Detroit quarterback attended. We are in our ninth season, and after a 6-0 start, The Donovan McMunchkins stumbled into the playoffs with an 8-5 mark. And lost. Week One Record: 4-1 Week Two Record: 4-1 Week Three Record: 1-4 Week Four Record: 3-2 Week Five Record: 2-3 Week Six Record: 4-1 Week Seven Record: 3-2 Week Eight Record: 4-1 Week Nine Record: 3-2 Week Ten Record: 2-3 Week Eleven Record: 0-5 Week Twelve Record: 3-2 Week Thirteen Record: 5-0 Week Fourteen Record: 1-2 Week Fourteen Playoff Record: 0-2 Regular Season Record: 39-29 (.573) Playoff Record: 0-2 (.000) Top Ten Fantasy Starters At Each Position For Week Fifteen Based On Prior Week Performance And Matchups Because the fantasy playoffs are upon us, I?m completely disregarding any player with a mid-to-serious injury. Now isn?t the time to take chances. Quarterbacks 1. Drew Brees, New Orleans 2. Kurt Warner, Arizona 3. Jay Cutler, Denver 4. Philip Rivers, San Diego 5. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis 6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay 7. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia 8. Tony Romo, Dallas 9. Matt Cassel, New England 10. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Running Backs 1. Thomas Jones, N.Y. Jets 2. Michael Turner, Atlanta 3. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota 4. Matt Forte, Chicago 5. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia 6. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina 7. Chris Johnson, Tennessee 8. Clinton Portis, Washington 9. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego 10. Steve Slaton, Houston Wide Receivers 1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona 2. Roddy White, Atlanta 3. Anquan Boldin, Arizona 4. Calvin Johnson, Detroit 5. Greg Jennings, Green Bay 6. Andre Johnson, Houston 7. Terrell Owens, Dallas 8. Brandon Marshall, Denver 9. Randy Moss, New England 10. Steve Smith, Carolina Tight Ends 1. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City 2. Jason Witten, Dallas 3. Antonio Gates, San Diego 4. Owen Daniels, Houston 5. John Carlson, Seattle 6. Chris Cooley, Washington 7. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis 8. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota 9. Dustin Keller, N.Y. Jets 10. Zach Miller, Oakland Kickers 1. Stephen Gostkowski, New England 2. Rob Bironas, Tennessee 3. Ryan Longwell, Minnesota 4. John Carney, N.Y. Giants 5. Jason Elam, Atlanta 6. David Akers, Philadelphia 7. Mason Crosby, Green Bay 8. Rian Lindell, Buffalo 9. Matt Bryant, Tampa Bay 10. Neil Rackers, Arizona Defense/Special Teams 1. Baltimore Ravens 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4. Tennessee Titans 5. Philadelphia Eagles 6. New York Giants 7. Chicago Bears 8. Minnesota Vikings 9. New York Jets 10. Dallas Cowboys Predictions, Fantasy Stories, or Comments? [email protected]