Here are the top needs for each team in the NFL in reverse draft order:

1. Carolina Panthers:

-Defensive Tackle: The Panthers get very good play from their defensive ends, but receive no internal penetration from their tackles. Nick Fairley makes a lot of sense at the top of the draft.

-Guard: The Panthers have solid tackles when Jeff Otah is healthy, but have very little in the way of talent at guard. An upgrade could be in order in either the 3rd or the 4th round (maybe both).

-Tight End: Carolina has not had a pass catching tight end in years, but hopefully the new coaching staff will look to upgrade Jeff King. If the Panthers had their top pick in the 2nd round, they would reunite Clausen, with Kyle Rudolph his college tight end. Look for a potential trade, or a free agent signing to fill this need.

-Wide Receiver: The Panthers lack a top notch receiver to go along with Steve Smith, and it does hinder their offensive ability. While A.J. Green is in the mix for the top spot, the Panthers have invested a lot of draft picks of late into the position, so my guess is they will take a pass. I could see them adding a receiver via free agency.

-Quarterback: While I believe the Panthers should give Jimmy Clausen a fair look this season, they need to bring in a veteran backup in case he falters or gets injured. I think Clausen will be fine, if they can just improve around him enough.

-Corner back: Richard Marshall is a free agent this season, and he is coming off his worst year as a starter, so I don’t see the Panthers resigning him. That will mean Carolina needs to address the corner back position this offseason, likely through free agency.

-*Defensive End: The Panthers top sack leader, Charles Johnson, is primed to become a free agent. If the Panthers can’t work out an agreement, this need shoots up the list. As it stands now, this is only a need for depth purposes.

Denver Broncos:

-Corner back: Champ Bailey is a free agent this offseason, and even if they resign him, it is an area of weakness as the Broncos have nothing at the opposite corner. If Bailey does leave I think Denver will draft either Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara with the 2nd pick in the draft. And if they do resign Bailey, they could still look to address their need early.

-Defensive End: While it isn’t 100% clear whether or not the Broncos will run a 3-4 (like they have been doing) or a 4-3 (which is Coach Fox’s preference), the Broncos need big time help at defensive end. If they go back to the 4-3 both Da’Quan Bowers and Robert Quinn will be targets. If they stay with the 3-4 Nick Fairley or Marcel Dareus could be the pick.

-Defensive Tackle: Again this is dependent on what system they run, but defensive tackle is a serious need for Denver. If they stay in the 3-4 a Nose Tackle in the 3rd or 4th round would make sense, and if they go 4-3 Fairley and Dareus are in play for the 2nd overall pick, this time for the inside.

-Safety: It really is hard to say what is a bigger priority, strong or free safety as they both need to be addressed. I typically lean to adding a free safety first, but Denver should look at both positions.

-Right Tackle: Ryan Harris is a free agent, and even if they do resign him he has been pretty injury prone these last few years. If he isn’t retained a starter is needed, if he is signed a good backup is a priority.

Buffalo Bills:

-Offensive Tackles: The Bills need to add a pair of  tackles this offseason after completely ignoring it last year. At this point it doesn’t matter who lines up under center, as they have no chance without a massive upgrade at the tackle spots. There isn’t any franchise tackles in this draft, so baring a trade down the Bills should consider the Free agent route. On the right side they could look at using their 2nd or 3rd round pick on bringing in an upgrade.

-Rush Linebacker: The Bills were unable to put any consistent pressure on the quarterback and it cost them dearly. If they want to run the 3-4 they need to bring in guys who can get to the quarterback. Robert Quinn should be a serious option for them at number 3 overall.

-Defensive End: The Bills need to get more push from their defensive line, so adding a talented 3-4 end like Dareus or Fairley makes a lot of sense at number 3. They could wait until the 2nd round, but it would be hard to pass up those top guys.

-Quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick is a solid starter, but he’s likely not franchise material. While I don’t see the Bills grabbing a QB in round one, a 2nd or 3rd round pick could be invested into the position.

Cincinnati Bengals:

-Wide Receiver: Terrell Owens is on his way out, and it seems likely that Chad OchoCinco is about to follow him. The Bengals need to add a top flight receiver, so if A.J. Green is still on the board he won’t fall any farther in the draft.

-Defensive End: Antwan Odom has been a force at end, but over the last two seasons he his missed the majority of his games. Without him that pass rush struggles, despite the emergence of rookie Carlos Dunlap. The Bengals should consider Bowers at number 4 if Green is off the board.

-Strong Safety: The Bengals have excellent corners, but Roy Williams has been a major liability in coverage for Cincinnati and they have to find an improvement. If they can’t sign a free agent a 3rd round pick should do the trick.

-Running Back: Cedric Benson really struggled this past year, and while some of that blame is on the offensive line a lot falls on his shoulders as well. The Bengals need to address their running back need either in free agency or the draft, but it is pretty clear they will have to look outside the organization to do so.

-Quarterback: Carson Palmer had a resurgence at the end of last season, but before that he looked like he was completely done. He might have a year or two left in the tank, so the Bengals need to start looking for a replacement.

Arizona Cardinals:

-Rush Linebacker: The Cardinals had one of the most ineffective pass rushes last season and it left their secondary out high and dry. Arizona needs to look long and hard at Quinn and  Von Miller with their 5th pick if they want to improve.

-Offensive Tackle: The Cards offensive line needs a complete overhaul and that should start with the tackle position. There aren’t any great options for the top 5 in the draft, so I’m guessing they look to free agency to fill this need. For the right side a mid-round pick could suffice (and probably even start this year).

-Guard: Arizona needs to keep rebuilding their line if they want to have an effective offense again, and adding a guard in the mid-rounds (or through free agency) is a smart choice.

-Corner back: Arizona’s corners got beat quite a bit last season, that it wouldn’t be shocking to see them target a top corner at number 5. Overall I think they could just look at adding better depth and focus on improving their pass rush which should, help their corner back play.

-Quarterback: There is little doubt that Arizona needs to add a quarterback, but I think it is more for a short term fix than a long term issue (don’t right John Skelton off just yet). Look for Arizona to add a veteran as they look to get at least average production from their signal caller.

Bengals Bring Back Marvin Lewis: This is probably the biggest surprise among coaching hiring and firing since the season ended, considering that Lewis didn’t have a contract and the Bengals could simply move on to another option. While I like Lewis as a coach, I don’t think he is who they want to rebuild this team, which is exactly what needs to be done. They should have added a fresh face to the mix to reshape this roster from the bottom up. Also, from the team perspective the Bengals need to handle their personnel decisions better and put more resources into their team. Cincinnati is making a commitment to Lewis so I hope for their sake they are also making a commitment to the actual team. This could be an odd year for the Bengals as they could explore parting ways with Carson Palmer, though Lewis’ re-signing makes that less likely.

Raiders Move On From Cable: While the Raiders had their best season in years, it is no shock that Tom Cable is out of a job. Much of the credit for the Raiders offensive breakout goes to offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, who is being approached by other teams for their head coaching vacancies. I believe that the Raiders made this move to retain Jackson and install him as their head coach. If that works out, then I think they made a great move. Cable not only struggled some as a coach, but he had his share of off the field issues that didn’t do anything to help the Raiders negative P.R. Jackson brings to the table a very good offensive mind, one that is capable of shaping the Raiders into a powerhouse. His work is cut out for him since he doesn’t have a 1st round pick, but I can see Jackson staying around to finish what he started with the Raiders.

49ers Tap Trent Baalke As Their G.M.: Baalke was a smart decision, since he had basically been running things most of this season, including negotiating contract extensions with a couple of their top players. He has a well-rounded background in coaching, scouting and contracts, and is seen pretty favorably around the league. Although the 49ers were perhaps the League’s most disappointing team last year, they still have plenty of championship caliber talent on their roster. I think by retaining from within, it will ensure that there isn’t a massive overhaul on this team and they can keep their quality young players together. Baalke’s hiring also could benefit the 49ers in another way as he is known to have close ties with Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh sits atop every team’s wish list, and his ties with Baalke could push the 49ers to the top. If Baalke can close the deal on Harbaugh, the 49ers could be in line for an immediate turnaround.

Patriots -6.5 @ Lions- I’m going with the upset pick today that I’m sure I’ll regret by halftime, but I’ll take the Lions getting the points. I know, I know, it is the mighty Patriots going up against the hapless Lions, but Detroit is better than you think. They have been in just about every game this season, and have taken some very good teams down to the wire. Even with their backup quarterback at the helm the Lions can give the Patriots a game. Now I haven’t gone so crazy to believe the Lions will win (though wouldn’t that be sweet), but I think they will keep it close enough to cover. Brady and the Pats might have trouble finding the endzone and I think they will have to settle for a couple of FG’s. Patriots win 27-21.

Saints -3.5 @ Cowboys- Dallas has looked like a brand new team with Wade Phillips out as their head coach, and that is without their quarterback Tony Romo. Backup Jon Kitna has filled in wonderfully, and the ‘Boys are once again a force to be reckoned with. Now it may be too late for their playoff hopes, but Dallas can play spoiler down the stretch. The Cowboys first chance to upset the apple cart will come today, when the Saints come into to town. New Orleans might have 7 wins, but they are far from a lock for the playoffs. They are a game back against the Falcons and essentially tied with the Buccaneers, so a loss today would really set them back. Dallas is never easy to play on Thanksgiving, so I look for this one to be a battle, and a bit of a shootout. I have cautious optimism that the Saints can pull this out and cover the spread, but Dallas should keep it close. Brees prevails in the end, 34-28.

Bengals +9.0 @ Jets- In a rematch of the first round of last years AFC Playoffs, the Jets should have no trouble replicating what they did last season. The Bengals looked to be a force in the AFC this season, building on their success from a year ago, but it is very likely they end up 4th in the North division this season. Despite adding all sorts of talent to their receivers and tight ends, Cincinnati finds a way to lose. Carson Palmer has become incredibly inconsistent, and it is costing the Bengals games. Nine points are usually a big enough spread that you’d consider taking the Bengals, but I don’t see any logical reason why anyone should play them. Sure the Jets have been a bit inconsistent this year, going down to the wire against the Browns and Lions, but I think they win this game easily. Jets 35-20.

Happy Thanksgiving and Enjoy the Games!

I really don’t even know what to say anymore as it appears each week is crazier than the last:

-While it isn’t too shocking that the Colts beat the Chiefs yesterday (though maybe a bit surprising that Indy had trouble scoring), what it meant was pretty surprising. Not only did the Colts hand the Chiefs their first loss, and knock off the final unbeaten team, but they ensured that no team started the year 4-0 or better. It is the first time since the 70′s that at least one team hasn’t been able to win at least their first 4 games. And considering that last year the Saints and Colts went pretty deep into the season before they got their first loss, it is even more shocking.

-The Redskins once again had the game decided on the final play of the game. In 4 of their 5 games this season the Redskins fate has been decided on the final play of the game. Now some of that makes sense since in overtime the game is sudden death so any score is the final play, but the Redskins have already had two overtime games which is a bit much. This Redskins version of the “Kardiac Kids” are 3-1 in those final play games so luck is on their side, but for their fan’s sake it would be nice to see them take a knee in one game.

-The Cowboys fall to 1-3 after getting beat bad by the Titans at home. The Cowboys were easily good enough to win that game, but their penchant for penalties (which has plagued them all year) has lost them another game. Dallas is now two games back in the division that they were supposed to win this year. And for all the hype of them having a chance to have a ‘home’ Super Bowl, not only is the idea of them making it unlikely at this point, but would they even want to? The Cowboys are now 0-2 at home this year, and have looked completely lost.

-The Chargers fall to the Raiders for the first time in 13 games. San Diego can’t seem to put two good week’s together this season. One week after dominating the Cardinals, the Raiders come out and just flat out beat the Chargers. San Diego might not be out of the division, but this does not look like a team that could go far in the postseason.

-The Bengals lose another game. After losing to the Browns last week, this week the Bengals lose to the Buccaneers. This was considered a Super Bowl contender after they added T.O., Jermaine Gresham and a few other options to Carson Palmer’s arsenal. The problem apparently isn’t Palmer’s weapons but Palmer himself. He threw three interceptions yesterday. One of which was returned for a touchdown, while the other two set up both the game tying and game winning drives (pretty short fields on both) in the final 3 minutes of the game. The Bengals gave this game away and now have serious question marks at QB going forward.

-Undrafted Hall and the Cards knock off the Super Bowl Champs. Now who ever saw this coming? I liked Max Hall coming out of college and thought he would be a solid backup in the league, but he showed a lot of moxie and poise in yesterday’s win. Now Hall didn’t ‘lead them’ to victory in the traditional sense, but he played solid football. And most importantly he kept them in a position to win. The Saints didn’t give up a single rushing or passing touchdown, but their 4 turnovers (two of which were returned for scores) sealed their fate. They also weren’t able to rattle the rookie quarterback too much, as the Cardinals held the ball for half the game. Saints are another Super Bowl contender who right now 5 weeks into the season look like anything but. It’s a long way to go but it is pretty troubling start so far.

Baltimore Ravens:

Baltimore once again showed why they are one of the top teams in the league each year. They had another brilliant draft, trading out of the first round and recouping the picks they lost in their trade for Anquan Boldin. In the 2nd round the Ravens took a pair of very talented players, both of whom are perfect fits for Baltimore. OLB Sergio Kindle is a tenacious pass rusher and benefits by slipping some to the Ravens. Now instead of being one of the top guys on a bad team, Kindle can have the time to develop into a great player. He should find plenty of freedom playing along with all the starts the Ravens have on D. Baltimore’s second 2nd round pick, will do a great job in opening up holes for Kindle and the rest of the linebackers. Nose tackle Terrence Cody is a perfect fit in Baltimore. They have the depth that he won’t have to be an every down player, also his presence next to Ngata along the front line should give the Ravens a devastating run defense. After filling their defensive needs, the Ravens loaded up on pass catchers drafting tight ends in the 3rd and 4th rounds (thanks to the Tim Tebow deal) and a receiver in the 5th round. Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson are good complimentary tight ends. Dickson is the stronger, faster and more athletic one. While Pitta has great hands and instincts. Both should be immediate contributors, giving Joe Flacco one of the best arsenals in the league. Fifth round pick David Reed, was one of my favorite players in this draft and I expect him to emerge as the successor to Derrick Mason. The Ravens also added a solid DT/DE in Arthur Jones in the 5th round. He will move to end in the 3-4, but has a lot of potential. While the Ravens didn’t draft one of their bigger needs (cornerback), they added another fantastic class. When you factor in Boldin to this mix, Baltimore gets a very strong Grade A+.

Cincinnati Bengals:

The Bengals did a great job of filling their two biggest needs going into this draft, defense and pass catchers. The Bengals landed the top tight end in this draft with their first round selection of Jermaine Gresham. Gresham should give the Bengals passing game the jolt they needed last season. He has all the talent and skill to develop into an elite tight end in the NFL. In the 3rd round the Bengals grabbed Jordan Shipley who should help on special teams and as a slot receiver. He might never be a game breaker, but Shipley filled a big need for Cincinnati. Late in the draft the Bengals got great value by adding receiver Dezmon Briscoe, who was projected to go earlier in the draft. He has excellent size and speed and could develop into a starter. On defense the Bengals added four good prospects, who all have starting potential. 2nd rounder DE Carlos Dunlap, could develop into a top notch defensive end if he ever gets his mental game figured out. Cornerback Brandon Ghee was excellent value for the Bengals in the 3rd round, as were DT Geno Atkins and LB Roderick Muckelroy in the 4th round. All three of whom should be solid rotational players as rookies. The Bengals didn’t address their needs at safety, but filled every other position. While a lot of this draft is based on potential, I think the Bengals made some excellent selections. Grade B+

Cleveland Browns:

The Browns had a mixed bag with this draft. They traded away some picks to acquire Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong and got some nice prospects, but they didn’t fill all of their needs. Joe Haden I thought was a interesting pick, since they had just acquired Sheldon Brown. Even if they do move Brown to safety, the Browns missed out on a chance to trade up for Eric Berry, who would have filled a major need for Cleveland. Considering the fact that the Browns used both their 2nd round pick and 5th round pick on safeties, it is safe to say Cleveland still was looking to upgrade the position. While I think Ward is a solid prospect and Asante offered them nice value in the 5th round, them combined don’t equal Berry, whom I think was the best player in this entire draft. For me, Ward was a bit of an overdraft and it would have made more sense to either trade back to the middle of the round or just outright select Jimmy Clausen with that pick. While they did eventually get their quarterback in the 3rd round, Clausen I feel will be ready sooner and has more upside. Trading up for Hardesty in the 2nd round was a bit of a surprise as well. While I like him as a player, they gave up a good bit to get him (picks that would have made more sense, plus others towards a deal for Berry). I did like both WR Carlton Mitchell and DE Clifton Geathers in the 6th round. I feel both have big upsides and should find roles on the Browns. Overall it seemed like a strange draft for Cleveland, where they addressed the majority of their needs but seemingly at the wrong times with the wrong players. There grade will remain high because of the addition of Brown and the talent they acquired, but I don’t know if this draft can put them back into contention. Grade B-

Pittsburgh Steelers:

The Steelers had a very good all-around draft, with the only question mark coming at the lack of drafting a corner early (they did trade for Bryant McFadden, so that did help and is weighted in this grade). Overall I loved their picks of Pouncey and Scott along the offensive line. Both players have nice upside and were good values for where they were drafted. Pouncey should start from day one in Pittsburgh and help solidify that unit. The Steelers addressed their skilled positions well, by adding a pair of receivers and a power back. WR Emmanuel Sanders in the 3rd round, offers good value and could work his way into the rotation. 6th rounder Antonio Brown, I thought was pretty underrated and should develop into a solid player, as well as helping early on in the return game. At running back the Steelers added Jonathan Dwyer, a bruising back out of Georgia Tech. A Dwyer-Mendenhall backfield should be very formidable, and Dwyer was excellent value in the 6th round. On defense the Steelers drafted 3 linebackers, one defensive end, and a corner. Most of those were depth picks but I believe the two rush linebackers they added should give them value. I’m actually higher on 4th rounder Thaddeus Gibson than 2nd rounder Jason Worilds. In fact I think Pittsburgh missed a golden opportunity with their Worilds pick. There were a number of trades at the end of that 2nd round, and if Pittsburgh had moved back they could have gotten additional picks, but also would have been able to grab one of the corners before they were all drafted at the top of Round 3. To me Worilds is more of a 3rd or 4th round prospect, and while he might fit in Pittsburgh I think he could be a bust as well. Gibson was excellent value for the 4th round, and should well continue the tradition of Pittsburgh sack masters at some point in his career. Overall I really liked what the Steelers did, but would have probably rather seen them trade back to the end of the 2nd round and grab a corner over Worilds. Other than that though I don’t have any real complaints or issues about this draft. Grade A-

The Cincinnati Bengals filled a big hole yesterday with the signing of the top unrestricted free agent wideout, Antonio Bryant. The Bengals, who won the AFC North last season, had the league’s 26th ranked passing attack, despite having a good quarterback (Carson Palmer) and a top receiver (Chad Ochocinco). Adding weapons to their passing attack was a top priority this offseason, after the death of Chris Henry last year, and the release of Laveranues Coles. Bryant was one of two legitimate starting receivers on the market, with Terrell Owens being the other one. While T.O. might have been considered the better option by some, Bryant is the safer and more sure bet. Owens is on his last legs and did see his numbers drop off some last season (though being in Buffalo probably had a lot to do with that). At best, he probably has two good years left in the league, whereas Bryant is still in his prime and should have no problem playing at a high level for his entire four-year contract.

Some people might say the Bengals overpaid Bryant who has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career. Since they paid him roughly what the Ravens paid Anquan Boldin after they traded for him, 4 years at $28 million. Yes $7 million a year sounds pricey, but you have to remember Nate Burleson got $5 million a year (with a good bit guaranteed). If Burleson is worth $ 5 million a year, you’ve got to pay Bryant $7 million a year. And while I’ll fully admit Bryant hasn’t been an elite receiver, and had his share of issues, labeling him as inconsistent is a bit unfair. Bryant has not exactly been blessed with being apart of good offenses.

Since Bryant entered the league in 2002, here is the list of starting quarterbacks throwing him the ball:

Dallas: 2002: Chad Hutchinson, Quincy Carter, 2003: Quincy Carter, 2004: Vinny Testaverde* (played 5 games with Dallas before trade)

Cleveland: 2004: Jeff Garcia, Luke McNown, Kelly Holcomb, 2005: Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye

San Francisco: 2006: Alex Smith

Tampa Bay: 2008: Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, 2009: Byron Leftwich, Josh Johnson, Josh Freeman

That is not exactly an ‘A list’ of NFL quarterbacks. In fact some of those names wouldn’t make a ‘Z list’ if it existed. Bryant’s two best years (which should come as no surprise) were when he had solid veterans (Dilfer and Garcia) throwing to him the majority of the time. People try to knock him for his production slipping to half of what it was in 2008, but seem to forget the MAJOR drop off between Jeff Garcia and Josh Johnson and Josh Freeman. In addition to playing with bad quarterback situations, Bryant has routinely been (far and away) the best receiver on his team (with the exception of his early years in Dallas). Also, Bryant’s teams have for the most part had awful ground games (exception of Frank Gore) putting more pressure on the quarterback, and more safety help deep. Despite playing on some anemic offenses, Bryant has 372 career catches and 5685 yards. He has averaged 15.3 yards per catch, and 3.5 catches and 53.6 yards per game. The per game numbers are a bit deceiving since he didn’t start all of those games, so those numbers should be a bit higher.

Now Bryant isn’t without his issues. Vocal fights with coaches got him sent out of both Dallas and San Francisco. And while he’s not considered a ‘bad’ teammate he has been somewhat of a distraction in most of his stops. Bryant was also suspended from the league for substance abuse, though that was later thrown out without a real explanation. He has rebuilt his reputation in Tampa, and was a big reason for their success in 2008. He didn’t have any major locker room or coach issues and has obviously stayed clean since returning to the league.

All-in-all Bryant has shown himself to be a quality receiver in the NFL capable of stretching the field, and giving smaller corner backs problems with his size and strength. Cincinnati is a good fit for Bryant because it gives him the three things he’s never had, a quality running game, a good quarterback and a top notch option opposite him. This is a win-win scenario for both sides here. Bryant finally has a team around him, and the Bengals have another weapon to expand their passing game this season. Now if Cincinnati can add a quality tight end, in the draft or through trade, they will have an offense to make a Super Bowl run.

Running to Victory:

The Jets and Bengals will meet up for the 2nd straight week, though this time the Bengals will the home team, and will hope for a different result. Last week they got absolutely demolished 37-0. Now the most ardent Bengals fan will tell you that they played a ‘vanilla’ game and they rested their starters in the 2nd half. What they forget to mention is that Carson Palmer has had some bad performances in recent weeks (even if you excuse Sunday night’s debacle) against the Browns, Vikings and Chiefs. Now you can understand Vikings game, they were on the road, and Minnesota is a pretty good team. But struggling against the Browns and Chiefs is a bit more problematic, those are the two worst teams in the AFC this season (they also lost to Oakland earlier this year). What’s more, is it wasn’t just Palmer who has struggled some, their running game has come to a halt of late, and their defense isn’t dominating like it did earlier in the year. The one saving grace for the Bengals is they face the New York Jets and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

One dimensional doesn’t even describe the Jets offense right now, as all they truly do is run the football (the only positive is you know you can run some play-action passes against the Bengals today). While we’ve seen our fair share of run-oriented teams with a strong defense make the playoffs in recent years, and the Ravens, Steelers (in 2005), and Bears all went to the Super Bowl, none of them compare to the Jets this season. Mark Sanchez has a bright future, and may one day end up being a franchise quarterback. That day won’t be today, as the Jets know the more passes Sanchez attempts the lower the teams chances of winning are. And it wouldn’t shock me in the least if Wildcat quarterback Brad Smith dusted off the old arm and put the ball in the air a few times.

The fact is I don’t think the Jets will need to throw the ball too many times, as I see their running game having no problems carrying the load today against the Bengals. The Bengals defense has fallen off as the season has worn on, and the Jets have too many weapons running the ball with Thomas Jones, Shonn Greene, and Brad Smith all figuring to get their share of carries. The Jets also have one of the league’s best offensive lines, who have opened up big holes all season for Jets’ runners. With that kind of ground game, I think the Jets will call a couple play-action passes and a few screens to keep the defense somewhat honest. Outside of that I think New York will keep on running it until the Bengals show they can stop it.

It will be up to the Jets defense to keep the Bengals from scoring and give the offense some short fields to work with. I see their defense having no trouble either task. The Jets were first in the league in points allowed, total yards and passing yards (thank you Darrelle Revis). Their rush defense was 8th and quite a force as well. To see just how dominate the Jets passing defense was, one only needs to look at this stat: The New York Jets had the 31st ranked passing offense (in terms of yards) yet in 10 out of their 16 games had the top passer of the game (Sanchez 9 times, Clemens once). Of the 6 games where they didn’t have the top passer (solely in terms of yards, not interceptions) the QB’s that beat them were Brady twice, Brees, Henne, Garrard and Manning. That is pretty impressive considering only Brady threw for over 300 yards (in the 2nd game) and in the first game against Brady he had bad overall numbers just enough yards over Sanchez. I think the Jets defense puts up another great performance and shuts down the Bengals 24-13.

By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Geoff Nelowet:

Can Tony Romo Finally Win a Playoff Game?

Not only is this an NFC East divisional rivalry, but also this is a rematch of just last week’s meeting. Dallas trounced Philly 24-0 at home days ago, and it culminated in a season sweep over the Eagles. Last weekend’s contest determined the winner of the NFC East, and gave Dallas home field for the opening round of the playoffs.

The Cowboys have been up-and-down this season, and they have been a bit unpredictable, but they are a talented group that has come together at the right time. The Cowboys finished the season beating New Orleans, Washington and then Philly when many people had written them, as they had collapsed late in the season so many times before.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, there is still plenty of time left to collapse, and Tony Romo is still working on his first playoff victory. Should the Cowboys lose, there will be a lot of talk of Romo’s inability to pull out wins in the playoffs, which may be unfair and results-oriented, but that is criticism that comes with being a quarterback.

With that in mind, this is arguably Romo’s biggest game as a pro. He is going up against a team that he has already taken down twice this season. He beat the Eagles only a few days ago, and this playoff game is essentially a replay. The only difference is that it is the first game of the playoff tournament, and anyone that thought Romo was incapable of carrying a team in the playoffs will now have much more ammunition if the Cowboys lose.

If it has not been made clear yet, the Cowboys losing to the Eagles is a definite possibility. The Eagles have one of the most talented offensive teams in the NFL, and when Donovan McNabb connects on his deep plays – mainly to DeSean Jackson – they are virtually unstoppable. The Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, are waiting for the winner of this game, will most likely be rooting against the Eagles because they are team nobody wants to face – even the Cowboys.

The Eagles will avenge both losses earlier this season, and they will hand Dallas yet another devastating and frustrating playoff loss that will re-open the “Romo can’t win in the playoffs” talk. Final score: Philly 30 Dallas 21