The Brett Favre – Brad Childress soap opera appeared to hit rock bottom before the 41-year-old QB mounted another great comeback. Although they are only 3-5, Minnesota may have saved their season and live to play another week in a division where the mediocre lead. Arizona (3-5) could have moved into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West if they could have held on to a 14-point lead with five minutes to go, but they let one get away.

Jets – 23, LIONS – 20 (OT)

Just how the Jets pulled this one out is still puzzling. New York played horribly, with 11 penalties (three directly leading to Detroit scores) committed and having to burn two timeouts early in the final stanza defensively because they had too many men on the field. The Lions ultimately scored a TD anyway and went up by 10 points. That’s when the Jets – who have not played particularly sharp since their win at Buffalo over a month ago – made their move, with some help from the mistake-prone 2-6 Lions. Just why Detroit HC Jim Schwartz called a pass play on third-and-six with under two minutes to go is a mystery. Kill the clock, Jim. That’s how you win in the NFL. Of course the Jets tied it up, won the coin toss and subsequently marched down the field (with the assistance of a late hit penalty) so that Nick Folk could hit a 36 yarder to improve the Jets to 6-2.

RAIDERS – 23, Chiefs – 20 (OT)

Can anyone believe that Oakland (5-4) is only a half game out of first place this late in the season? Even the staunchest supporters who take up residency in the Black Hole have to cross their fingers behind their backs if they say they did. The Silver & Black won their third straight game with the left foot of kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who tied it up with a 41-yard field goal with seconds remaining and then won it  with a 33-yard kick in the extra period. As far as Kansas City (5-3) goes, they are in a dogfight for the division when it seemed only a few weeks ago tat they would be the only winning club out of the AFC West.

EAGLES  -26, Colts – 24

Michael Vick versus Peyton Manning played out as advertised but with a bit of a surprise ending. Philadelphia came out firing on a all cylinders, allowed Indianapolis to take the lead before stiffening up in the second half for a slim victory. Both teams are now 5-3 and in second place in their respective divisions. Philly is still a bit of a pleasant surprise so far but Indy has to be viewed as a minor disappointment. Sure, the Colts may get hot in the playoffs but need to play more consistent if they are to go far.

Bears – 22, BILLS – 19

Toronto was the setting and the result was the ‘home’ team is still winless. Buffalo (0-9) went up north for the third time in franchise history and played Chicago well but Jay Cutler managed to throw a pass to his teammate and not the opponent for once with a late TD. The Bills are looking at the top spot in April while the Bears try to be the most inconsistent team in the NFL to earn a playoff spot.

BROWNS  - 34, Patriots – 14

The shocker of the day resulted in a game that may play into what will happen in the AFC East. New England (6-2) dropped behind the Jets, who travel to Cleveland next week to face a team that has defeated the defending Super Bowl champs and now arguably the best team in the conference their last two games. The Browns (3-5) put the smack down on the Pats from pillar to post and could very well do the same thing to a Jets team who has been lucky to be 3-1 in their last four games when they very well could be 0-4.

RAVENS – 26, Dolphins  -10

Miami (4-4) lost for the first time on the road this season and Baltimore stayed in first place in the AFC North with a convincing win. The vaunted Raven defense held the Fish to a mere 24 yards on the ground in the second half. They are going to be a force in the playoffs, especially if QB Joey Flacco continues to have games like this (20-for-27, 266 yards and two touchdowns). Miami will be watching the post season from their beach chairs again.

FALCONS  -27, Buccaneers – 21

This was a surprise game to decide first place in the NFC South, but with the Saints struggling that’s exactly what it was. Atlanta (6-2) stayed on top and Tampa Bay fell to 5-3 and third place. When it’s all said and done, New Orleans will be close to the top and make the playoffs if not win the division outright. The Falcons are a playoff contender while the Bucs will fade.

Chargers  -29, TEXANS  -23

Is it too late for San Diego to make a run? They have looked good the past two weeks after a brutal start and are now 4-5 in a mediocre division. Houston (4-4) is now in the basement in the AFC South and are going in the opposite direction of the Chargers. Always considered a playoff team but one that misses out seems to be the case once again with the Texans, while the Chargers – who always make a big run at the end to sneak into the post season – are right on track to do it again.

Giants – 41, SEAHAWKS – 7

New York won their fourth consecutive game with a blowout in the Pacific North West to improve to 6-2, saying atop the NFC East. Seattle dropped their second in a row, fell to 4-4 and actually saw the idle Rams move ahead of them in the putrid NFC West.

Saints – 34, PANTHERS – 3

Playing like a defending Super Bowl champions should, New Orleans (6-3) took care of business against hapless Carolina (1-7). It shouldn’t be too long before the Saints unseat the Falcons and take over the division.

PACKERS – 45, Cowboys – 7

Jerry Jones finally pulled the plug on HC Wade Phillips and should have done so long ago. Another total embarrassment for 1-7 Dallas. Green Bay kept pace with the Bears and should rise to the top by the end of the season.

Photo by Jim Leary

DALLAS COWBOYS

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the ‘Boys  - aka America’s Team – would actually host the Super Bowl in their own stadium on February 6? Don’t count on it, but expect them to finish atop the division and make some noise in the playoffs. The loss of OL Flozell Adams will be felt greatly but the addition of WR Dez Bryant may soften the blow. For QB Tony Romo, it’s put up or shut up time, and the same goes for HC Wade Phillips.

PREDICTION: 10-6 (11-5 in 2009)

NEW YORK GIANTS

Coasting at 5-0 a year ago, the G-Men appeared to be on their way to a dominating season before the wheels came off. Now HC Tom Coughlin must pick up the pieces and that will not be an easy task. Their once impregnable defense is going through a transition period and they still lack a set of receivers that put a scare into anyone. Their backfield? If RB Brandon Jacobs can stay healthy, it will be formidable, but he hasn’t been able to do that in the past. QB Eli Manning needs to be nearly perfect for Big Blue to make the playoffs, and he is far from that.

PREDICTION: 9-7 (8-8 in 2009)

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

HC Mike Shanahan needs to put his stamp on this team right away and straighten out the situation concerning overweight and non-conditioned DT Albert Haynesworth. The overpaid former All-Pro has been a distraction since he came to town and the only way this team will succeed is if he gets his ass in shape or is shipped away. New QB Donovan McNabb is a vast improvement and will look to avenge when the ‘Skins play the Eagles twice.

PREDICTION: 8-8 (4-12 in 2009)

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Even the hard-to-please fans in Philly have to realize that this is a rebuilding year. QB Kevin Kolb gets the nod and will have his hands full. Expect Michael Vick to get more playing time than last year and he may be the difference between third and last place if he can find some of that magic he used to have in Atlanta.

PREDICTION: 6-10 (11-5 in 2009)

Photo by William J. Hauser

Once the Jets finished their offseason shopping spree by bringing in Brett Favre, team owner Woody Johnson my have had visions of grandeur and foolishly thought that he was getting the quarterback of old, not just an old quarterback.

Even when the Jets were 8-3, they were winning in spite of Favre, not because of him. Their five-game winning streak was the one part of the season where Favre was not forcing the long throw and was having success underneath. Why they went away from that and started having the 39-year-old put the game on his shoulders is also a question that needs to be answered.

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Not even waiting 24 hours to digest what happened, Johnson canned Mangini the morning after the 24-17 loss to Miami that completed the Jets’ December collapse. “I appreciate everything Eric Mangini has done for this organization over the past three seasons,” Johnson said in a statement the team released on Monday. “He is a bright, young football mind and I wish him success in the future.

“In our judgement, we made the decision we believe is in the best interest of the organization. We will begin the search for the next head coach of the Jets immediately.”

And that man will no doubt definitely NOT be Bill Cowher or Mike Holmgren. Neither will be on any sideline next fall, especially not one as shaky as the Jets’.

This is an organization that is in a transition period, one that may go smooth or take a long time to fix. The quarterback position is one that holds the most questions. Both Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum stated that they would like Favre to return. A man turning 40 who led the league in interceptions (22) with possible shoulder issues is not a formula for winning. That was proven in the past five weeks, when the Jets were lucky to win even one of those games.

The remaining QBs on the roster are either unproven youngsters (Brett Ratliff, Erik AInge) or one that has proven himself unworthy of starting (Kellen Clemens).

Whatever direction the Jets go, the quick hook given to Mangini shows that Johnson expected big things out of this team, especially because of Favre’s presence. Unfortunately, the Jets were about five years too late.

Where it used to be the New England Patriots and then everyone else in the AFC, the season-ending knee injury suffered by quarterback Tom Brady in the first quarter of the season opener has changed everything. The team that was the preseason favorite to win it all will have to defend their conference title without their field general.

No matter how good a head coach Bill Belichik may be, losing the reigning league MVP may be more than even he can overcome. No slight against Matt Cassel, but he will be making his first start since high school come this Sunday on the road against the Jets.

The former back-up nearly found himself on the unemployment line following a dismal performance in the Pats’ four exhibition losses. Now he is being asked to step in for a team that went 16-0 last season.

Cassel was able to lead the team to a 17-10 home win over the Kansas City Chiefs after taking over for Brady. Under normal circumstances, New England would have dominated a weaker opponent like the rebuilding Chiefs. They barely hung on and if that is any indication of what is in store, first place in the AFC East will not be for long.

Heading into the season, most of the experts were putting New England, Indianapolis and San Diego at the top of the heap. Both the Colts and Chargers lost at home in Week 1 to underdog NFC teams.

An interesting campaign just got a lot more interesting. How all of this plays out is anyone’s guess at this early juncture, but no Brady can make for a long season.

If your team had the opportunity to acquire a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who is also a nine-time Pro Bowler and sure first-ballot Hall of Famer, there wouldn’t be many scenarios where you would want to turn that offer down. Especially when heading into training camp, your quarterback situation is not settled, and the two battling it out for the job are not exactly headed to Canton unless they buy a ticket.

So what would make anyone say that Brett Favre to the Jets wouldn’t end in confetti being blown into the Tampa Bay night sky come February? Before we start booking the flight to Disneyland, it will make more sense once it is broken down.

While Favre is obviously on a decline, he did have a very productive season in 2007. Leading the Packers to the NFC Championship Game, he may have thrown his worst pass of the year on his last attempt, which snuffed out a Super Bowl berth for the Pack and sent the Giants en route to Arizona. During the regular season, Favre threw for 4,155 yards with 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, good enough for a 66.5 completion percentage. He has been a tough out and has started all 16 games in each season dating back to 1993. His leadership skills have never been questioned – for the most part – and playing with that little kid grin has made him the face of the NFL for quite some time.

The Mississippi native will turn 39 in October and has been on the bubble of retiring for two years now. Even in Green Bay where he can walk on water, Favre began to wear out his welcome by taking forever to make up his mind. When he finally held his emotional press conference during the offseason and walked away gracefully, the story seemed to have a great ending. His number four jersey was going to be retired by the organization during the Packers’ home opener on a Monday night versus the Vikings.

But Favre couldn’t let go. Give him credit for being such a gamer, but take some of it away for selfishness. He began to bad mouth the Packers front office by saying that they made him rush his decision, which he now regrets. Regardless of what Favre claims, he is his own man and could have told them that he wanted to think about it a little more. By flip-flopping his decision, Favre is throwing a monkey wrench in not only the Packers’ plans, but also that has trickled down to possible teams vying for his services.

Alex Rodgers was anointed Favre’s successor on more than one occasion, and that still is not written in stone. Green Bay seems to be saying all the right things that it is the youngster’s job, but if Favre shows up to training camp, how could they seriously sell that to anyone? That’s where the Jets come in.

According to NFL sources, the two teams that figure to be involved in trade talks with the Packers are the Jets and Buccaneers. Eric Mangini, the third year head coach of the Jets, is not very informative during his daily press conferences, and usually refutes something like this. But his sheepish grin in tiptoeing around questions about the quarterback spoke volumes once he didn’t say anything that the team wasn’t looking to make a deal.

“We still keep that internal,” said Mangini. “That’s been consistent, too. Mike’s (general manager Tannenbaum) the combination guy. He likes to talk different combinations.”

Draw your own conclusions from that, but if you know Mangini at all, he is not a giggly-type, by any stretch of the imagination. He was openly laughing when asked abut Favre and could have put the entire matter to rest. Could that be part of his plan to push his two signal callers, Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens – in their head-to-head battle for the top spot?

“The bottom line is that sooner or later the organization has to make a decision one way or the other,” Pennington said. “I hope it’s sooner than later. I think for our team to be able to move on and accomplish the things we need to accomplish, the things that coach Eric Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum want to get accomplished, we have to make a decision and the sooner the better.”

The nine-year veteran is absolutely correct, and seems even more determined to prove to his naysayers that he is the right man for the job – even if that group includes Favre. Hypothetically speaking, for the Jets to bring Favre in, reports are that Green Bay wants at least a first round draft choice. That is a lot to give up for someone who may only play one year, even if that person is Favre.

Working with that scenario, Pennington would become an ex-Jet via trade or being waived with Favre in the fold. Unless he delivers a Super Bowl ring, how much is it really worth? You would lose an important draft pick, your 32 year-old quarterback that has been successful and then possibly have to start all over in 2009.

Older quarterbacks that have left their long-time team for greener pastures have mixed results. For every Joe Montana – who was traded from San Francisco and led Kansas City to the 1993 AFC Championship Game the following year – there have been situations like Joe Namath’s, who didn’t want to hang it up even though he was obviously through. Broadway Joe forced a trade from the Jets to the Rams and limped away from the game in 1977 after throwing five picks in only four starts.

Which Joe will Favre be compared to when he ultimately decides that he is going to take his rightful place next to the other greats in Ohio? If it is the latter of the two, the Jets will have undone a smart football move made 31 years ago.

Photo credit: estrip.org