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Following the Sunday afternoon games, and awaiting the kickoff of the prime time tilt, we pondered this question: Which of the NFC's three teams at 6-6 had the best shot to run the table, finish at 10-6, and maybe steal a wild-card spot? Ooops, what's that you say? The NFC ("No Freakin' Clue") only has two .500 teams? Uh, yeah, we had posted a "W" for the Tampa Bay Bucs, rather prematurely, as it turns out. OK, so same question, but with a field now down to the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. As much as we love Brett Favre, the loss at Detroit last Thursday revealed how limited he seems to be on some throws because of his thumb. This isn't a Green Bay offense, at least not in its current state, capable of putting up 30 points on a whim. It has less dimension, given the plight of its wounded quarterback, than most of its predecessors. It has to stop opponents with its defense, something it did last Thursday, but not consistently well enough. So that leaves us with the Saints and, yes, we know the history of December collapses over the past two years. But, honestly, is there anyone playing better in the league now than Saints tailback Deuce McAllister. On a near-weekly basis, the guy is simply willing his team to victory. On Sunday, for a third consecutive week, he registered over 190 yards in total offense from scrimmage. The guy has nine straight 100-yard games. While there may be better pure runners in the league (and not many at that), the NFL doesn't possess very many backs who combine McAllister's size, grace, power and big-play components. So, yeah, for a second item in a row, call the funny farm brigade. Maybe the Saints will flop again under Jim Haslett, rumored to have an "out" clause in his contract that would permit him to shuffle off to Buffalo if the Bills want him, but we're gambling that this is the year they get on another kind of December streak. Take a look at the schedule and see if you aren't at least a little tempted to agree. Not hibernating yet Don't look now but the Chicago Bears, those Muddlers of the Midway, are just two games out of first place in the NFC North after Sunday's win over Arizona. That's as much attributable to the implosion taking place in Minnesota, where the Vikings have now dropped five of their last seven, as it is to Chicago's mini-surge. But the energy with which the Bears have played in recent weeks, even as the rumors swirl around head coach Dick Jauron and his dubious job security, is pretty admirable. The odds are that Jauron, who just two years ago led to Bears to a 13-3 mark, will not survive. Of course, there is always a disclaimer, and here is one: The once-banished Michael McCaskey is making a comeback in the Chicago front office, it seems, and the determination of Jauron's fate may not rest solely with general manager Jerry Angelo.
Approximate Word count = 1961
Approximate Pages = 7.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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