I was out doing last-minute shopping and didn't see the two early Saturday games, except for the end of the 49ers-Cardinals, but I can say this: I picked the Vikings to win. Heh heh. The second game was pretty much meaningless.

As for the night game, I have to say this: they've won 5 games but Dallas is the worst team I've seen this year. (Disclaimer: I haven't seen any games involving the Bengals.)

And here's an idea for those teams who are desperate for a quarterback: put together a trade package and try to get A.J. Feeley for next year. You could do worse.

Poor Emmitt Smith. His last game in Dallas as a Cowboy (presumably) didn't go well. He does seem like he can still play, but he needs to get the ball more. They gave it to him a couple times early and they were moving, then they went away from him completely and went backwards. Only 30 yards. And after a 6-yard gain on first and goal (after the long punt return) to move the ball to the 3, they didn't give him the ball again. Stupid. The Cowboys can't hire Bill Parcells fast enough.

Laugh of the night: I had the game on the local radio instead of listening to the ESPN announcers. Eagles play-by-play man Merrill Reese had commented a couple of times about how surprised he was that Dallas QB Chad Hutchinson ran a couple of times and didn't slide forward, but instead kept running and left himself open to be whacked by Eagles defenders. A little later Hutchinson went back to throw, and as he's being chased Reese says... "And he runs out of bounds--and loses yards! (slight pause) What is WRONG with him?"

Sorry Cyd, but you're once again wrong about not ranking the Pack in your Top 5. And not including Favre in your MVP list is insane.

They're the only team to go undefeated at home this season.

The Pack's cobbled-together defense shut out the other Pro Bowl and higher-paid QB yesterday.

Beating the NFC West champs in S.F. last week was no small feat.

They have won four in a row -- undefeated thus far in December -- giving them momentum going into the playoffs.

Almost losing to Minnesota at Lambeau? -- well look what the Vikes did to one of the AFC's best teams on Saturday.

Best yet, fingers-crossed, a Giants win against the Eagles this weekend -- and just one more T.B. loss (can they break the sub-34 degree jinx in Champaign?) and all roads lead to Lambeau!

See ya in San Diego!!

[ December 23, 2002: Message edited by: DCBucky ]

Thanks to the Steelers for the early Xmas gift! The NFC road to the Super Bowl now goes through Philly or the Frozen Tundra!

Hey DCBucky. . . don't be so quick to count your snowballs there. . . .In order for the "road" to go through Lambeau Land, the Pack has to beat a tough Jets team who is fighting for their playoff lives. . . . if Green Bay loses (which I think will happen) and Tampa gets by the Bears, then that road for the Pack likely will come through Buccaneers country. . . and we would LOVE to host ya'll again! . . . . . . .Please get well soon Brad Johnson!!!!!!!!! GO BUCS!!

Meanwhile, Joe sits by waiting for someone to determine whether the Pack or the Bucs will record the final football loss in Veterans Stadium history....

I was just talking to Outsports Jim and, after the way the Iggles choked away the game (and home field throughout the playoffs)today, we expressed worry for Joe in Philly's health, both mental and physical. We both speculated that suicide hotlines will be jammed in the greater Philadelphia area.

Joe? You okay? Joe??????

Unbelievable that David Akers would miss a gimme field goal. He's been money all year and for home field advantage to come down to a sure game-winner and not execute was just amazing to me. The football gods somewhere and somehow have designed a bigger plan.

Thank you Mr. Akers! And the Giants win ... Go Pack -- beat the Jets for home field advantage at Lambeau

The Pack better not blow it!

I had an uneasy feeling about the Eagles-Giants game this week so I went with the Giants. The Eagles did play a bad game offensively, and could have been beaten much worse were it not for the Giant turnovers. However, I think Eagles will be fine come playoff time with 2 weeks of rest to get ready.

Wow, what an intense Giants - Eagles game! Frankly, the Giants should have won easily. They pretty much dominated play on both sides of the ball, then would self-destruct with turnovers and penalties in the red zone (Tiki, if you're reading this, USE TWO HANDS!). I was watching with fellow Outsporters, and when Jean Dixon_the Viking Fan said it was "over" when Akers came out to kick the gimme field goal I sensed it was in the bag for Big Blue.

[quote]Originally posted by Jim Allen:
I was just talking to Outsports Jim and, after the way the Iggles choked

---

Jim, are you out of your mind? Choked? The Eagles got part of what they wanted on Monday night when a REAL choke job happened. The Eagles were already guaranteed no worse than second seed and a bye for the first round, which is needed to get some rest for injured players. And they were facing a desperate Giants team who needed to win just to make the playoffs. And in spite of all of that, not to mention Tiki Barber and that jerk Jeremy Shockey going nuts up and down the field, in the end it took an extremely rare missed field goal attempt for New York to get to overtime.

And home field still is possible since the Packers have to play against a desperate Jets team on that same garbage turf the Eagles and Giants played on today. Really, why don't they tear down that dump of a stadium in East Rutherford (and find Jimmy Hoffa's remains once and for all)?

And even if they ended up going to Lambeau for the NFC title game, the Packers don't scare me.

Do I need to school y'all again on how you shouldn't count out the Eagles?

I don't know if the Eagles choked, but they did look awful today. They were lucky that the game went to overtime, given the fact that the Giants had four turnovers, had two touchdowns taken away by questionable holding calls, and missed an easy field goal attempt. But the Eagles do get a chance to get it together in two weeks.

Go JETS, Patriots, and Falcons.