It was a strange Sunday night with no football, as the foul weather forced the postponement of the Vikings/Eagles game until Tuesday. It might seem a hasty and overanxious move by Roger Goodell and the league, but if you?ve ever been on I-95 anywhere south of Connecticut when it?s snowing, you know this was a sage move. I once drove from Baltimore to Richmond in a snowstorm with a lot less punch than this one, and it looked like a bad disaster movie on the roads. Cars were strewn all over the place, those still moving were barely creeping, and gas stations and grocery stores were picked clean of all essentials. Now I get to look forward to a game on Tuesday night, which I find pretty cool. $.01-- Green Bay put on quite a display in routing the Giants 45-17 and seizing control of their own playoff destiny. I was skeptical of letting Aaron Rodgers return against a team noted for sending quarterbacks to the doctor, but Mike McCarthy knew better. Rodgers was awesome, throwing for over 400 yards and four TDs and looking very fresh and fully rejuvenated by his concussion-induced break. Green Bay was the quicker, smarter, better-prepared team in all phases of the game, and it provides the Packers with the chance to win their way into the playoffs. They even created a back door scenario that isn?t implausible should they lose to the Bears. But the way this team plays at home, and the confidence and swagger that Aaron Rodgers showed in eviscerating the Giants, it will be a surprise if they don?t win their way in. Meanwhile the Giants appeared in a DeSean Jackson hangover. They carried themselves with the mannerisms and posture of a team that knew they blew their chance a week ago, particularly the defense. There was little communication or movement in concert from the G-Men defenders, a stunning collapse from a unit that was in the argument for most feared in the league not too long ago. Eli Manning had one of his trademark bad days, and it came at a very bad time. Now the Giants, who were arguably the best team in the NFC a month ago, are almost certainly eliminated from the playoffs. They need to beat the Redskins next week and have the Packers lose to Chicago, or have New Orleans unexpectedly lose out. Stranger things have indeed happened, but this strikes me as a team that watched destiny turn off the radio when Jackson ran back that punt in Week 15, and they have no clue how to turn it back on. $.02-- New England pounded Buffalo 34-3 in the sort of game that exemplifies why the Patriots are the best team in the league. The Bills were almost comically inept after their initial drive, committing seven turnovers and continually giving Tom Brady a short field. It?s often tough for teams to keep focus when an opponent is so thoroughly overmatched. Give credit to the Patriots for not succumbing to boredom. Brady often had enough time to scan the stands for supermodels while waiting for a receiver to come open. He stayed amused enough to throw three touchdowns while breaking one of the more underappreciated records in the books. Brady broke Bernie Kosar?s record of 308 attempts without an interception, a stunning accomplishment and a testament to why Brady is the league MVP this year. For him to still take such good care in a game that was over early is a marker of great focus, both from Brady and his teammates. Lesser teams get into a game where the opponent is awful and tend to play down to their level. Not these Patriots. I love that about them--that respect for the game and consummate professionalism. Too many players and teams are too eager to talk first and forget to take care of business. New England leaves the crap to the other guys and just wins more than anyone else, often impressively. There is no question they are the team to beat heading into the playoffs. $.03-- Much to the consternation of Redskins nation, Mike Shanahan?s bold move to bench Donovan McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman is looking smarter all the time. The Skins rallied to beat the Jaguars, a team fighting for its playoff life, and Grossman was better than David Garrard. The knock on Grossman throughout his career is his uncanny penchant for the most untimely turnovers, but he threw just one INT. His numbers weren?t pretty: 19-for-39, one TD, one INT, 182 yards. But Rex avoided the ghastly plays, and his receivers did little to help him--see Chris Cooley?s TD drop or Santana Moss stopping on a 3rd down route. Last week against the Cowboys he looked pretty darn good, and here he managed the game to a win over a potential playoff team. So is Sexy Rexy really the answer in Washington? I still say no. Shanahan loves quarterbacks who are rallying points for his team, and it is clear Grossman does not have this locker room on his side. It?s doubtful he ever will, through no fault of his own. This Redskins team was sold on McNabb being The Man and The Leader, and Rex unwittingly played the role of Shanahan?s lackey. Do I think McNabb could have won this game? Maybe, maybe not. This game was more about what Jacksonville and their beleaguered QB couldn?t do than anything Grossman or the Washington offense did. I think the Skins will hit the offseason with Grossman as the #1 in pencil, but will do whatever they can to draft a prominent rookie in the hopes that Shanahan?s pencil happens to have an eraser. I see McNabb going to Arizona or Minnesota, where I believe he will (again) be a disappointment, albeit an unusually popular one. I know people who are insistent that Shanahan would have drafted Jake Locker a year ago if he had the chance, and he?ll get that chance come April. If that?s the case, he?d better hope Grossman sticks around. Jacksonville still has hope, but it?s a longshot. They must beat the Texans, but the catch is that the Titans must also beat the Colts. Fat chance of both happening. David Garrard could be on the outs, as once again his play in a key game left much to be desired. For all the times when he has been brilliantly efficient this season, every time the team has needed him to come up big, he has let them down. It?s time for a changing of the guard in Jacksonville too. I believe Garrard has more to offer than McNabb but will not get anywhere near the courtship. $.04-- A funny thing happened on the way to the anticipated defensive struggle in Chicago. The Jets and Bears erupted for a 38-34 shootout that left the Bears holding the #2 seed in the NFC and the Jets back-dooring their way into the playoffs despite losing three of their last four. Chicago now gets to play in Green Bay to clinch that #2 seed, while at the same time rain all over the Packers? playoff parade. That?s powerful incentive, but just as pressing is the need to tighten up a defense that has gone south lately. In their last three home games they have surrendered 96 points, all to playoff teams (PHI, NE, and the Jets). The Bears offense has the firepower to overcome giving up a lot of points, but it?s harder to pull that off in the playoffs. Jay Cutler continues to slice and dice secondaries, and the steady improvement of his receiving corps is one of the best stories of 2010. But can we really trust them in a playoff game where they have to outscore the opponent? I think Bears fans, not to mention Lovie Smith, would prefer if the defense stepped up its game. As for the Jets, the point production was a pleasant diversion but it cannot hide the stench of a team that peaked early. One month ago this was arguably the best team in the league, but now they lose their way into the #6 seed and a trip to Kansas City in the Wild Card round. Mark Sanchez continues to struggle with turnovers, and the run defense has gone from fearsome to vulnerable. The coach is embroiled in a bizarre foot fetish fiasco, and the Jet juggernaut suddenly seems full of a lot of hot, empty air. They haven?t beaten a team that currently has a winning record since Week 2, and the way they?ve played lately, they?re not going to break that streak anytime soon. $.05-- St. Louis won on Sunday, mercifully ending San Francisco?s desperate playoff hopes and Mike Singletary?s coaching career with the Niners. That sets up a game in Seattle next week where the winner takes it all in the NFC West. Yes, the Seahawks are still alive despite getting beat 38-15 at Tampa in a game that really wasn?t as close as the final score would indicate. Seattle has lost seven of nine, giving up at least 33 points in every loss. Their two victories came against the 1-win Panthers and the 5-10 Cardinals. Here?s hoping that Sam Bradford and the Rams take care of business in Seattle, because they are clearly the most deserving NFC West team of making the playoffs. Their victory over San Francisco is typical of how these Rams win--it wasn?t pretty, but they outworked the opponent and made fewer mistakes. Bradford was almost perfect in the second half while the Rams watched Troy Smith and Mike Singletary get in a shouting match on the other sideline. The Niners took away Steven Jackson, so the Rams found other ways to win. James Hall and the defense created some opportunities, while Bradford accurately carved up the Niners with throws all over the field. That should work well against the reeling Seahawks, even in Seattle. $.06-- You probably missed it, but on Christmas night the Cowboys and Cardinals played a highly entertaining game. I was impressed with the Cardinals pulling out a victory over Dallas after blowing an early lead, and I was just as impressed with Dallas 3rd string QB Stephen McGee, who furiously rallied the team in the second half after Jon Kitna stunk early and then left with an injury. Arizona scored on pick-sixes on Dallas? first two possessions. McGee replaced Kitna full-time in the second half and was very good, including a throw to Miles Austin that Tony Romo couldn?t do any better. But a missed extra point doomed the Cowboys, leaving the door open for Arizona to need a FG for the win and not the tie. Larry Fitzgerald finally caught a ball--on a critical 4th down no less--and John Skelton drove the team into position for that field goal, taking full advantage of a loophole in the rules along the way. It would have been very easy for Arizona to mail it in from the beginning, what with a 4-10 record, a 3rd string greenhorn rookie QB, and playing on a holiday in front of a largely hostile crowd at home. But they chose to stand and fight, a credit to Coach Whisenhunt and the leaders on the team like Larry Fitzgerald, Adrian Wilson, and Darnell Dockett. That should give Cardinals fans real hope for next year?assuming they get a real QB. Even though John Skelton made a couple of nice throws, he clearly isn?t the long-term answer. Still, of these two 5-10 teams that both won playoff games a year ago, I think the Cardinals have the easier climb back upwards. Assuming they get a quarterback. $.07-- The Detroit Lions are also 5-10, but with the arrow decidedly pointing up. Deandre Levy returned an INT for a touchdown with just over 2 minutes remaining to give the Lions a win in Miami. That?s road wins in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2003, and three straight wins for just the third time this century. Once again it was the Detroit defense that got the job done. Levy?s INT was the second 4th quarter pickoff of Chad Henne, the other by Nathan Vasher, who also made the game-sealing tackle by keeping a flying Ronnie Brown in bounds. This is precisely the type of game that the Lions have consistently lost for most of the last 10 years. Miami outgained them by a huge margin, but the defense came up with big plays when needed. It was Miami committing the back-breaking penalties, the killer turnovers, the bonehead decisions. You have to give a lot of credit to Lions coach Jim Schwartz for continuing to drill his team on finishing games and in changing the culture of losing. You also have to give a lot of credit to GM Martin Mayhew for collecting some very useful parts off other teams? scrap heaps. Vasher is a former Bear that most everyone thought was completely washed up. Bobby Carpenter led the team in tackles and was excellent in coverage most of the day; the Cowboys and Rams both gave up on him this year. Lawrence Jackson and Turk McBride both had strong games at defensive end; both were unceremoniously dumped last year. Stefan Logan has more than capably filled the gaping hole at return specialist after the Steelers let him walk. Maurice Morris scored another rushing TD, another low-tier free agent paying dividends. It?s tough to attract premier talent to such a losing environment, and Mayhew has done a great job at finding useful pieces where others have been too proud to look. It?s that sort of resourcefulness that has given the Lions surprising depth to go with their young stars in Suh, Johnson, Best, Delmas, and Levy. Look out in 2011! $.08--6 NFL quickies: 1. How badly does Seattle need a new QB? Matt Hasselbeck injured himself while scoring a touchdown on a play where he was completely untouched. That would be really funny if it weren?t so sad. 2. At almost the exact same moment, Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 59-yard field goal while Bengals kicker Clint Stitser missed an extra point by a good 10 yards wide. People gave Al Davis a lot of crap for drafting Janikowski so high all those years ago, but he?s been an above-average kicker for the last decade. 3. The San Diego Chargers will miss the playoffs despite having the #2 overall offense and the #1 overall defense in the league after 15 games. I feel for Norv Turner, but when a team underperforms that badly, the buck stops at the head coach. 4. The Titans and Texans have each lost seven of their last eight games (it?s eight of nine for the Texans, but who?s counting?). Both teams scored their only win against the other. Both teams sure look like they will have new coaches and dramatically different rosters next season. Both need it. 5. It was not a coincidence that Carson Palmer had his best game of the year on a day where both TO and Ochocinco were absent from the lineup. Instead of worrying about who was getting the damn ball, Palmer looked relaxed and reinvigorated in spreading the ball around to Jordan Shipley, Andre Caldwell, and Jermaine Gresham. Marvin Lewis has to wonder what could have been without all the diva drama. 6. Tim Tebow lit up the Texans for 308 yards and a TD, plus another rushing, perhaps lending some credence to his ability to run an NFL offense successfully. That optimism is tempered by the fact that the Texans are now statistically the worst pass defense in NFL history, but I saw Tebow do some things in this game that portend well for his future. His pocket presence is more advanced than many rookie QBs, and he keeps his eyes down the field when pressured. He?s also a lethal red zone operator already, an attribute that killed the Texans in this game. He also has somehow managed to import his transcendent leadership from Florida to Denver; I have rarely seen teammates so genuinely enthused to play alongside someone, let alone a rookie on a bad team. $.09--4 College/Draft quickies: 1. Boise State woke up from a first half nap and pounded Utah in a game that was the Mountain West future against the Mountain West past. Two things I took from the game: First, much like their TCU game I was surprised at how bad Utah played. Secondly, Boise might have enough in their starting 22 to win any given game, but they?re not deep enough to win 11 games in any BCS conference, not even the Big East. 2. One of the questions I get asked a lot is what positions are the strongest and weakest in this draft. The strengths are still highly dependent on which underclassmen declare, but the weaknesses are pretty obvious. I don?t see one tight end worthy of being taken in the first two rounds. It?s not a good year to need an impact safety either, though the lesser-known, later-round guys could produce a few pleasant surprises there. 3. Two Florida State players have committed to the Senior Bowl, and it will be a make-or-break week for both Christian Ponder and Rodney Hudson. Ponder needs to show confidence in his arm and that his elbow is sound if he hopes to salvage his status as a 1st or even a 2nd round quarterback (I think he will). Hudson projects better at guard but wants to cash in on his potential and experience as a tackle. He?ll get the chance to sink or swim in Mobile, much like John Jerry a year ago. 4. Is it just me or this the most apathetic bowl season ever? I?ve paid scant attention to the games that have already been played, and even the BCS games aren?t real exciting. Maybe I?m getting too far away from college to get into the frothy enthusiasm I usually do, but I?m thinking it?s more of a case of overkill and underwhelming matchups. I?m optimistic though; I?m taking my 5-year old son Layne to the Texas Bowl next week, and I hope his youthful wide-eyed vigor helps bring mine back too. $.10-- The hypocrisy and obstinacy of the NCAA hit close to home this week, as several key Ohio State players were suspended for the first five games of next season for violating NCAA rules. The rule they broke involved them selling their own personal property, albeit property that they acquired as a result of their status as Ohio State football players. What the NCAA is saying here is that it?s okay for the schools to profit from what these players do on the field, but if the players themselves try to capitalize, even inadvertently, it?s against the rules. What kind of message does that send to these kids? It?s beyond indentured servitude; the NCAA has taken over the role of slave master. Lest the slaves get too powerful and rise up in a rebellion, the NCAA swiftly acts to cut off the legs with yet another display of a public lynching of its most prominent slaves. This fragile domination that the NCAA stubbornly clings to is destined to end. Badly. At some point the concept of exchanging tuition for the ability to play football is not going to be enough for the elite athletes like Terrelle Pryor. And it?s the elite athletes like Pryor, and Cam Newton, and Reggie Bush, and A.J. Green, and most of the North Carolina defense, that are what makes the BCS football schools filthy rich. When enough of these high profile athletes wake up and smell the slave coffee they?re forced to guzzle, it will end. It simply cannot pervade or persist as it has for too long now. I?m not saying that the implicated Buckeyes are innocent, and I hope you aren?t gullible enough to think so either. Their claims of naivet? and ignorance of the law ring as hollow as the diploma in general studies that they earn for four years of football glory. But where the NCAA sees an insidious act worthy of extreme punishment, I see Nat Turner raising a battle flag for all the other enslaved brothers in pads. If the NCAA is purporting to protect the ideal of the student athlete, suspending these players is a complete sham. Does the NCAA honestly think that Pryor, Posey et al will really go back to school with the specter of half a season lost? Are the NCAA wonks really that drunk on their own riches? Can they not see the fires burning in the fields from the lofty porches of their grand plantations? These suspensions do nothing but reinforce the notion that the NCAA cares for nothing but lining its own pockets. Need further proof? The suspensions don?t hit until next season, because there?s no bleeping way they?ll damage the golden goose of a BCS Bowl game. If these players served at Ohio University and not Ohio State, they wouldn?t just have missed the Bobcats bowl game, they would have been permanently ineligible? and nobody would have cared outside of the 2500 or so Bobcat die-hards that traveled to New Orleans to watch our alma mater get pummeled by Troy. But this is Ohio State, and it happens to involve one of the biggest and most prominent recruits of the last decade in Terrelle Pryor. Trust me; the top high schoolers are watching what happens here. Here?s hoping they understand the inadvertent power the NCAA has given them by elevating this slave trade to unreasonable heights. They need to demand real adequate compensation for their football services, and force the top-tier football schools to part from the NCAA. The money will be there, no question. Enough of the hypocrisy and the exploitation of young men who are commodities first, football players second, and students a very distant third. Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com