This is why you gotta love parity.
Eventually, it'll help even the most downtrodden of franchises if they choose to make intelligent football decisions, which the Arizona Cardinals have finally done.
For the first time since 1948, the Cardinals will be hosting a playoff game and the stadium will be rocking. They've done so with Kurt Warner playing like the touchdown machine of old, with two of the most exciting receivers in the game, and with one of the most promising young coaches in the game.
The Cardinals are an inspiration (are you listening, Bengals and Lions fans) that no matter how bad you blow, if you draft talented players and wait for your division to deteriorate, you always have a shot as long as you play competitively. If you think those games the Cardinals played at the end of last season "didn't matter" when they were fighting to finish the year at .500, you don't know much about football.
Who are next year's Arizona Cardinals? Look at the teams finishing the year strong and you'll start figuring out clues.
(Nobody won anything off the Bears-Saints game, except Vegas of course)
Green Bay at Jacksonville
Line: Packers by 2
Both teams have pretty much quit on their season. Neither plays great defense, although the Packers at least have a somewhat effective offense. As for Jacksonville, as bad as the Packers' defense is, when I start seeing Jacksonville make a commitment to running the football, I'll begin to take them seriously. Packers 24, Jaguars 21
Detroit at Indianapolis
Line: Colts by 17
One thing I don't get is if you're the government, why try and bail out Ford and GM knowing the money won't make it past the desk of the President and CEO? That's like the NFL trying to bail out the Lions, which we know isn't happening. Maybe the NFL knows something the government doesn't. If we pump money into you and remain incompetent, it's your own damn fault! Ford cars and trucks and Lions season tickets must be affordable for the common man--nobody will buy a crappy, unaffordable product! Colts 31, Lions 17
Washington at Cincinnati
Line: Redskins by 7
Good thing the Redskins get a "bye week" to sort out their offense. Clinton Portis is an integral part of the Redskins' offense, so he must be involved early and often for the Skins to be successful.
On a side note, what's higher, Ryan Fitzpatrick's Harvard GPA or his NFL QB rating? Redskins 27, Bengals 7
Tampa Bay at Atlanta
Line: Falcons by 3
Tampa's lack of size was exposed against Carolina as the Panthers routinely pushed them back at the line of scrimmage. It doesn't get easier in the Dirty South, as the Falcons are competing for that last playoff spot. If Tampa's DT's aren't healthy, Burner Turner should bowl over them and add to his league-leading TD total of 14.
As for Tampa's offense, I have no idea how a team with a weak-armed QB and slow receivers scores as much as they do. While Tampa is decent at running the ball, they'll have a tougher time doing so against eight-man fronts, as the Falcons will be daring Garcia to throw deep.
NFC South home teams are 10-0 in the division this year; expect that trend to continue. Falcons 23, Buccaneers 17
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