So, this weekend had some superb football, and none of the games were particularly bad (no real blowouts, although some games had an air of inevitability to them).

The first game was Seahawks-Redskins, where Washington showed off the same offense in the first half that helped the win their wild card game. Yes, the offense that gained the fewest yards ever in a playoff victory. The Seahawks, meanwhile, were busy turning the ball over and losing the NFL MVP to a concussion. Hasselbeck to Jackson became the heroic combination of the day as they racked up 143 yards and were able to lead the Seahawks to a 17-3 lead with 14 minutes left. The Redskins made it interesting with a quick TD on their next drive, then a fumble recovery on the subsequent kickoff, but John Hall missed a 36 yard field goal. This lead to a great clock killing drive by the Seahawks, taking 5 minutes off of the clock and getting 3 points. The Redskins, down to their last drive were able to convert on a 4th and 16, but alas the Seahawks carried the day.

Then came the Pats-Broncos tilt. Until the last couple minutes of the 1st half, there was nothing going on, although the Patriots seemed to slowly be gaining momentum, leading to a FG with about 4 minutes left. They then forced a quick punt and got the ball back with well over 2 minutes left in the half, when Kevin Faulk fumbled to the Broncos. A poor pass interference call on the Patriots in the end zone helped the Broncos get score the first TD of the game. Then, the Patriots fumbled on the kickoff return, leading to a Broncos FG before the end of the half. The Patriots picked up a FG in the middle of the third, setting up the pivotal drive of the game. The Patriots were on the Denver 5 yard line, and Tom Brady made one of his uncharacteristic mistakes, throwing the ball to a covered Troy Brown, which Champ Bailey intercepted and proceeded to run downfield. Spiderman's uncle, Ben Watson, realizing that he had great power and the responsibility to keep after Bailey was able to knock the ball out of his hand as he reached the goalline. It appeared to go out in the end zone (around the pylon), but the officials declared it out at the one. Upon a challenge, there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the call (although I am as sure that that went out in the end zone as I am that the "tuck" was a fumble). And, it actually mattered because if it went out in the end zone, it would have been Pats ball at the 20. Instead, Denver scored on the next play, putting the game nearly out of reach. The Pats recovered enough to get close enough for a 43 yard FG, which old reliable, Adam Vinatieri, missed. After stopping the Broncos, they went for a punt block and Troy Brown had to run all the way back and catch the punt and he muffed it, giving the Broncos the ball back and, soon enough, a 24-6 lead. The defending champs were not done yet and scored on the next play, a 73 yard pass from Brady to Givens. When the Broncos picked up a FG on their next drive, the Pats had less than 3 and a half minutes to score two TDs to tie, but Brady was quickly intercepted to end it all. The defending champs were finally beaten, clobbered by their own uncharacteristic mistakes.

The games on Sunday were much crazier. THe first one pitted the Steelers and the Colts, two teams that had been troubled by the Pats the past two years. The Steelers, a power-running team, came out passing and Big Ben quickly guided his team to a TD. Meanwhile, the Colts went 3 and out on their first two possessions, before Big Ben led his team to another TD. After each team traded a couple of punts, the Colts went on one of their once-a-game-clock-killing-drives that announcers are always shocked they do. After 9 and a half minutes, they were able to pick up a FG. In the middle of the third quarter, Manning was sacked, with the ball in the end zone. The officials called it a sack at the one because he was not completely inside the end zone, but from what I understand, safeties have the same rule as TDs...if the ball has broken the plane when you are down, it is a safety, and the ball was about a yard deep. This led to a punt from the 1, which the Steelers were able to return to the 30. The Steelers chose to run every time, and picked up another TD. On the Colts' next possession, they faced a 4th and 2 and Manning sent the punting unit off the field to go for it. After converting, it took the COlts just two plays to get a TD and finally join the competition. The Steelers again played kill-the-clock, erasing 8 minutes on a drive that included two 4th down conversions, 11 runs, and 1 pass. The Colts got the ball back and Troy Polamalu intercepted a Manning pass, fumbled, and recovered it. With 5 and a half minutes left, the Steelers were going to run out the clock, and the game was over. Of course, Indianapolis had to challenge the catch, and somehow, someway, in the worst replay call I have ever seen (including the tuck), they called it an incomplete pass. Manning then took advantage of the shaken Steelers defense and the Colts scored in a minute, then picked up the 2-point conversion to make it a 3 point game. The Steelers could only run 2 minutes off of the clock, leading to a potentially epic drive for Manning against a Steelers defense that had been harassing him all day. So, the Steelers were able to stop the Colts for 2 yards, sacked Manning, then an incompletion and sack to the Steelers 2 yard line. With 1:20 left, the game was over, even though the Colts still had three timeouts. Everyone knew that the Bus was getting the ball to push it in from the two and end it all. The Bus, who has fumbled once every 100 carries and hasn't lost a fumble since 2003. So, of course, the Bus fumbled, and Nick Harper, the man stabbed in the leg by his wife Saturday night, picks up the ball and jaunts downfield with one man to beat...Big Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben grabs a hold of a leg, making the biggest play of his career...a tackle. Because of that tackle, the Colts have to drive at least 30 yards for the game-tying field goal, instead of picking up the game-winning TD. Manning starts well, completing consecutive passes, but then the Steelers defense tightened its coverage after a Colts timeout and the Colts are forced into 4th and 2 at the Steelers 28. Mike "Drunken Idiot Kicker" Vanderjagt, aka the most accurate placekicker in NFL history, sets up for a 46 yard field goal to tie the game on turf and indoors. And he shanks it nearly as bad as the one that Kris Brown hit to help the Texans get a shot at Reggie Bush. And Peyton Manning's reputation as a choker remains untarnished.

The final game in this set was Carolina at Chicago. Chicago's defense had dominated their previous match up two months ago. However, Delhomme went to Steve Smith on consecutive plays to start the game, and Smith single-handedly demolished the Bears secondary. He is the only real game-breaking player left in the playoffs. From that point on, neither team could do much for awhile, although Rex Grossman was seriously threatening to allow Kyle Orton into the game. The Panthers almost went up 14-0 on a fumble recovery by Julius Peppers, but it was overturned on review, officials calling the knee down before the ball popped out. Steve Smith made his next big catch for 46 yards to the Bears 2, leading to a field goal to start the 2nd quarter. At this point, the only way the Bears could stop the Panthers was with an Urlacher interception, but the Panthers were still able to take a 13-0 lead with 36 minutes left in the game. After that FG, Grossman, who had gone 3-14 for 2 yards, led a TD drive going 5-6 for 62 yards. Carolina was able to pick up a FG at the end of the half to go up 16-7. In the 2nd half, Grossman continued his hot streak, starting 3-4 for 30 yards and a TD, while Thomas "I-was-a-Cardinals-1st-round-bust" Jones ran 4 times for 33 yards. The Panthers then took a big hit when DeShaun Foster (Tustin High alum, where he had 3,300 yards rushing and 59 TDs in a single season) broke his ankle. It didn't hurt the Panthers much, as Smith continued to eat through the Bears secondary, which would not double him up, for 3 more catches for 58 yards, including a WIDE open 39 yard TD catch. On the Bears next drive, Thomas Jones scored a TD and by throwing the ball over the pylon. The play was challenged and reveresed, which would give the Panthers the ball at their own 20, except there was a personal foul face nask on the play, which gave the Bears the ball at the three, where they punched it in on the next play, pulling to within two at 23-21. The Panthers then ran a bunch, successfully, including a 22 yard end around by Smith, leading to a Delhomme TD pass to Mangum (WIDE open) from the 1. Kasay missed the extra point, keeping it a 1 score game with 8 minutes left. Grossman then threw three straight incompletions, forcing a punt. The Panthers couldn't convert a 3rd and 1, leading to the pivotal drive of the game. Using a mixture of passes and runs, the Bears made it to the Panthers 37, where Grossman threw an interception with two and a half minutes left. The Bears defense bore down to get the ball back with a minute and a half, but the game ended with a 4th and 1 incompletion. Smith finished with 12 catches for 218 yards and 2 TDs, fourth all-time in single game playoff receiving yards.