This Weeks Football Action

Item 1: The Steelers are hurting, but I suspect that a lot of it is hangover from the big loss to NE last week. Against a Team of Destiny like that, players got hyped, got excited, and then felt a huge let-down upon learning that they didn't stack up. Even the hallmark PIT run defense was weak against JAX, which was the main reason for the loss. No disrespect to JAX, which is definately a team on the rise (which not incidentally conincides with better play on the offensive and defensive lines), but in the long run, PIT will bounce back. It helps that PITs remaining games are against STL and BAL, even if they are on the road for both. There is just enough time, against opponents that are just a bit soft, for PIT to get healthy and on a roll headed into the playoffs. I don't think they can beat either NE or IND, but they can beat SD, and any of those games will be fun to watch.

Item 2: Backing into the playoffs is never a good thing, and it's happening to some good teams. Dallas looked horrible against PHI, in a game that would have been more of a blowout but for some good sportsmanship from Westbrook. Dallas also has to go on the road for the last two games of the season. But the biggest threat acually comes from within. Faced with tough, physical defenses (CAR and WAS), DAL might choose to "rest starters" for the last stretch, depending on how close GB is to taking away home field: both are 12-2, but DAL has the tiebreaker. However, GB should beat both CHI and DET to close out the season, which might be enough pressure to save DAL from themselves. Any serious Dallas fans should be cheering for GB to keep the race close, lest Wade Phillips back off on the throttle and let his team stay cold or get colder headed into the playoffs. When a talented team or a talented player struggles, they need to play through it; resting doesn't help. DAL is good enough to win the NFC, but needs to right the ship, and will need two full games of good play from the starters to go into the playoffs in good shape. These games matter for more than just playoff seeding. If they rest starters in either of their last two games, they will get beat by either GB or MIN. Rest assured that NE will start all of their regulars againt both MIA and NYG; regardless of seeding, Bellichick knows how important it is to keep your guys hot and in rhythm, which requires them to play every week.

Item 3: The San Francisco defense managed to spend less time on the field that an opponent's defense, and got a win. Of course, a big part of this was that the SF offense got to play against the CIN defense, which at one point over the season only had two healthy LBs on their entire roster. Still, the SF D played well against a pretty good group led by Carson Palmer; if the offensive unit can get them some breathing time and a lead, they have the talent and the coaching to be a legitimate threat to beat anyone (except NE).

Item 4: Notwithstanding a bad outing in bad weather againt NYJ, the Pats continue on the road to breaking the 1972 Dolphins' record as the only team in history to go undefeated. Although I'm not a big Pats fan, this pleases me. If ever there was a bunch of arrogant self-rightous fucks who deserve to get knocked off their pedestal, it's the 1972 Dolphins.

Item 5: Atlanta, in danger of falling into from the fourth level of hell into the fifth, has hired Bill Parcells to take over as head coach. I'm not a big Parcells fan; a whole lot of his big victories came when he had a guy named Bellichick running his defenses. Bill P. hasn't won a SB without Bill B. Bill B. has won several without Bill P. You do the math. On the other hand, Bill P. is an excellent teaching coach, and has the right mentality to clean house and kick ass in ATL, where the team has siezed on the readily available excuses to play half-ass football all season. I don't know why this move by ATL surprises anyone, especially since Bill Cowher turned them down. Parcells has made a career righting ships anyway; he's the man for the job, and Art Blank is in a position where he has to do SOMETHING to get things headed in the right direction. Personally, this is the first good decision he made since he traded up to draft Michael Vick.