NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

I was surprised to see even two pundits pick against the Bucs. Phil Simms picked Detroit to win and The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, picked them to at least cover. There have been few actions more consistent in football this year than the Bucs beating a team with a losing record. The Bucs have won all 8 contests against sub-.500 teams.

It comes down to the fact that Freeman negates average-to-bad pressure by being so strong in the pocket with the ability to throw deep, scramble or both. Also, average-to-bad starting corners can’t handle Mike Williams. Additionally, average-to-bad offenses can’t score consistently on their physical, stingy defense. And what to sub-.500 teams have? Average-to-bad pass rushes, starting corners and offenses.

When Tampa is running: Even though the Bucs weren’t getting much out of Cadillac Williams early in the year, they’ve become a really good running attack that gets lost in the shuffle of the great ones in New Orleans and Atlanta. The Bucs have now rushed for 95+ yards in 11 of their 13 games, only failing to hit that mark against Pittsburgh and New Orleans. In overall rushing yards allowed, Tampa Bay’s bad record last year has reaped benefits this year. This will be their 7th game against bottom 13 rushing defenses in yards allowed, with an 8th coming next week against Seattle. Teams have gashed Detroit’s defense for 1595 yards (22nd) and 15 touchdowns (29th). I expect a solid day and would like for Earnest Graham to get more than two touches. Edge: Tampa, slightly.

When Tampa is throwing: The Lions had a great performance against a quarterback coming off the bench cold last week. They should have given up a huge gain to Greg Jennings earlier when he dropped it into an interception and Matt Flynn overthrew a sure touchdown in Green Bay’s last shot. They are still young, inexperienced and below average statistically in the secondary and are still without Kyle Vanden Bosch for the pass rush. Raheem Morris and Greg Olson promised to get Arrelious Benn more involved in the passing game. Edge: Tampa.

When Detroit is running: Detroit has some talented runners but injuries, inexperience and blocking have kept all Detroit runners under 4.0 ypc. I hear Stefan Logan will get some carries this week. He is shifty, while Maurice Morris is more pummeling. Jahvid Best will likely play but he is very hit and miss like CJ Spiller and averages only 3.3 yards a carry. Edge: even.

When Detroit is throwing: They never seem to try to throw it high to Calvin to take advantage of his size and vertical leap. The other wide receivers are pretty nondescript. Stanton seems to have sporadic moments of accuracy and he has more zip than Shaun Hill. That said, the Bucs secondary has shut down better quarterback s(see Matt Ryan a few weeks back). If Detroit goes up-tempo and moves Pettigrew around, the Bucs linebackers are more than able to take care of him. I expect Ruud, Hayes and the corners to prevent first downs from backs coming out of the backfield. Edge: Tampa.

PREDICTION: The Lions have been pesky but they also have shot themselves in the foot. While they’ve been held back by mediocre offensive play-calling worse than Tampa Bay has, their young, big-armed quarterback has been knocked out twice while Josh Freeman has had a very nice season. Tampa Bay has played cohesive football with few mistakes and outlasted teams at the finish or at clawed teams to the finish. Year 2 of the Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz Makeover has the Lions close but not there yet. The Bucs will make plays in all three facets but they must be disciplined because the Lions have playmakers in all three phases, too. I believe they score a little in all of the first three quarters, then pull away late. Buccaneers 27, Lions 7.

The rest of the games (home team in bold):
Eagles 35, Giants 28
Redskins 31, Cowboys 24
Ravens 28, Saints 21
Browns 28, Bengals 21
Steelers 21, Jets 14
Vikings 17, Bears 10
Texans 23, Titans 14
Packers 21, Patriots 10
Colts 21, Jaguars 17
Falcons 21, Seahawks 20
Rams 21, Chiefs 10
Panthers 28, Cardinals 24
Broncos 24, Raiders 21
Bills 21, Dolphins 20

(Chris writes for Buccaneers Gab)

Washington Redskins (5-8) vs. Dallas Cowboys (4-9)
Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
When: Sunday 1:00 pm EST
Media: FOX

Talking with Tony Dorsett this week, he said he felt that this rivalry had lost a little meaning in the era of free agency.  While he is absolutely right, one thing is for sure:  Cowboys fans still hate the Redskins!  While the last decade has been tame in this battle between storied rivals, this game might actually be interesting.  There has been no shortage of drama in, either, the nation's capital or in Big D.  The Redskins drama jumped a little bit more this week with the announcement of Donovan McNabb riding the pine for the rest of the year.

Don't expect Cowboys fans to show any sympathy.  The Cowboys have been without their starting quarterback for seven and a half weeks.  This week we will have the anticipated matchup of…Jon Kitna vs. Rex Grossman.  Tickets are selling fast!  Seriously though, while at any given point over the last decade either one of these teams has been up and down, the rivalry might heat up this week with both teams having nothing else to play for. It is the battle for the basement in the NFC East.

Washington Redskins

Clearly the key for the Redskins will be to keep DeMarcus Ware away from Rex Grossman.  Althrough Grossman's career he has never faired well when pressured and hit.  The Redskins will have to rely heavily on their offensive line to protect Grossman and open up some rushing lanes for HBs Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams, also backups.  It would appear that the Redskins are thin when it comes to the skill positions on offense.  But let's not forget about, Cowboy killer, WR Santana Moss.  Moss has decimated the Cowboys since coming to Washington in 2005.  Against Dallas he recorded 6 receptions for 77 yards in the season opener, a 13-7 win in Washington.  Moss will have the opportunity to pull off some big plays against a Cowboys secondary that is 27th in the league in pass defense.  The Eagles' DeSean Jackson lit the Boys up last week for over 200 yards on only 4 receptions.  Moss has similar speed and capability, and Grossman still can chuck the ball pretty well.

On defense the Redskins need to pressure Jon Kitna.  If they can force him to throw when he doesn't want to that will allow some chances for the Redskins defense to get some takeaways.  The Skins will be without, standout safety, LaRon Landry who was placed on injured reserve this week.  The Skins are also without troubled DT Albert Haynesworth who has had an irreparable rift with head coach Mike Shanahan.  The Redskins front will have problems with the big Cowboys offensive line if they try to go toe-to-toe.  Look for them to use their speed to get around the immobile Cowboy blockers.

The key matchup for the Redskins will be their linebackers on Jason Witten.  Witten is has been terrific this season and has become Kitna's main safety blanket.

Dallas Cowboys

One of the only teams worse against the pass then the Cowboys is the Redskins.  The Skins are giving up 260 yards/game through the air.  Look for the Cowboys to try to take advantage of it.  The Boys will be playing with some new faces at the receiver position with Manny Johnson and Jesse Holley mixing into the action.  With Kevin Ogletree and Dez Bryant on IR for the rest of the year, and Roy Williams suffering from a groin injury this week in practice, the Cowboys are really thin at the wideout position.  Marion Barber does make his return to the lineup this week and hopefully can help the Cowboys 24th ranked running game come to life.  The real problem with the offense this year, however, has been the play of the offensive line.  The big men up front have played anything but big.  The tackles have had trouble against good pass rushers and the interior of the line is struggling to open up any kind of running room.  Walter Payton would have bad numbers behind the line this year.

On defense it is simple…get pressure.  If they pressure Grossman he will turn the ball over.  When Rex came in for McNabb a couple of weeks ago in a loss to Detroit, Grossman threw a pick and fumbled once.  If they Cowboys get pressure that will also help neutralize Santana Moss on the outside.  Part of the reason the Cowboys have are ranked 27th against the pass this season is the corners are being asked to cover too long.  Newman, Scandrick and Jenkins will benefit from a good pass rush.  The Cowboys should be able to contain the Redskins running attack.  But, on any given Sunday.

The key matchup for the Cowboys will be DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer on the Washington offensive tackles. Look for Ware and Spencer to unleash their full arsenal of pass rush moves.

The game will be entertaining but I think the Cowboys will walk away victors.  31-13.

Q. The Jets rank 16th in the league in red zone offense. Do they have similar problems to the Steelers?

A. Yes, and probably for similar reasons. A lot of their key components who work in that area have been in and out. Santonio Holmes has missed some time, and some other guys have missed some time. When that's a part of it, there can be something of a lull in production.

Q. The Jets have the No. 4 rushing offense in the AFC. How do you deal with that?

A. They have a two-headed monster, first with LaDainian Tomlinson and then Shonn Greene, who is a great supplemental alternative to him. They have a wildcat quarterback in Brad Smith, and we have a great deal of respect for his skill-set and what he's capable of doing. There's no question they're going to attempt to run the football, to limit the exposure that Mark Sanchez gets to us. We have to turn them away because of that.

Q. Did Tomlinson simply need a change of scenery?

A. Sometimes a change of scenery is good. I don't know what the intimate circumstances were in terms of his departure from San Diego, but I respect his body of work, and not only his body of work, but his recent body of work in 2010. He's still a top-flight runner.

Q. What do you see when you study Mark Sanchez on video?

A. I see a very talented young guy who's going through the natural maturation process and what comes with it. There are highs and lows, lulls in the action. This is a talented guy. He went to a high profile university, and he's got some quality veteran leaders around him like Tony Richardson. He's going to get out of the funk he's in, but I just hope it's not against us.

Q. The Jets have been something of a streaky team. Their nine wins have come from a five-game winning streak, and then a four-game winning streak. Is that unsettling to a coach getting ready to play them?

A. We acknowledge that they're a good team. Really, there's not much difference between us and the New York Jets in the big scheme of things. We're 10-3 and they're 9-4. We barely got out of Miami with a win, and they weren't able to do it. And that's about it. We have a big matchup against these guys. New England has soundly beaten us both here in recent weeks. I like where we are, and it's going to create an awesome matchup. One that will be riveting.

Q. Does Rex Ryan run the same defensive schemes that he did in Baltimore, with all of the multiple fronts?

A. It's probably a little more similar to the early 2000s Baltimore teams than the Baltimore teams of late. That early 2000s Baltimore group had Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle, and he has similar animals in terms of this top-flight cornerback tandem he has in Darelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

Q. Is Bart Scott their ring-leader on defense?

A. Not only on defense, I believe Bart is the ring-leader for the whole outfit. I believe he is the extension of Rex Ryan in a helmet, and that's why he was brought to New York.

Q. What does Jason Taylor give the Jets?

A. He's a situational player who hadn't played a lot for them in recent weeks. They've already stated publicly they want to get him going again. He's a Western Pennsylvania guy, a Woodland Hills High School guy. We can't let him get going at our expense.

Q. What are the keys for the Steelers in this game against the Jets?

A. We cannot turn the ball over. This group thrives off the plays their defense provides, so we can't turn the ball over. We can't allow them to get a consistent running game going offensively, and of course we've got to get a splash play or two from our special teams units.

Season Records:

Cardinals: 4-9, 4th in NFC West, Last Week: W vs. Denver, 43-13

Panthers: 1-12, 4th in NFC South, Last Week: L vs. Atlanta, 31-10

Gametime:

Sunday, December 19th, 1:00 p.m. EST, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

A Pair of Rookie Quarterbacks go to Battle:

So a couple of last place teams with rookie quarterbacks will face off at Bank of America Stadium this Sunday.  This match up is a far cry from the 08-09 divisional playoff game between these two squads when Kurt Warner and the Cardinals' defense shocked the NFL with a stunning 33-13 victory over Jake Delhomme and the heavily favored Panthers.  These are two starkly different teams now that are just trying to navigate their respective ways through a thoroughly disappointing season.

The Cardinals will send out their rookie quarterback, John Skelton, for his second start and first road start of his career.  Skelton was solid throwing the ball last week against the Broncos.  The rookie's day started off pretty shaky as he didn't complete any of his first seven attempts.  After the rocky start, Skelton settled down and finished the day by completing 15 of 30 passes for 146 yards, which is nothing dazzling, but he also didn't turn the ball over and wasn't sacked, which is an accomplishment for a rookie making his first start.  In addition, Skelton showed a good deal of synergy with Larry Fitzgerald, as Fitz grabbed six balls for 72 yards.  The Cardinals will certainly look to build on Skelton's positive start this week, but he shouldn't be expected to go out there and win the game for the Cards.  "I think what I really liked was his demeanor and how he handled himself," Whisenhunt said.  "He was able to handle (the pressure) and make some throws.  There's potential there to grow into that position and that's the exciting part of it."  Making his first road start will be a great opportunity for growth.  The fact that it will be against a 1-12 team that's a mess right now should be as comfortable a proposition as a rookie quarterback could want.  Considering Tim Hightower's impressive 18 carry, 148 yards, and 2 TD performance last week, Arizona should look to get things moving on the ground in order to make Skelton's job easier.  If the Cards, however, get stuck in a lot of third and long situations, which happens often unfortunately, Skelton and the Cardinals could be in for a rough day.  Beanie Wells presumably has recovered from a high fever that plagued him during game time last weekend and should be much more involved in the offense.

Jimmy Clausen has had a pretty rough go of it with his team.  The Golden Domer is a long way from South Bend, where he achieved a great deal of individual success, though the Irish underachieved as a team under Clausen's tenure.  Apparently, Clausen has problems off the field as well as on it.  The quarterback apologized to linebacker Jon Beason for his 14/24 for 107 yards performance in last week's loss to Atlanta.  Wide receiver Steve Smith didn't appreciate that, a fact which he made clear by stating that, "You should apologize to the people in the huddle with you.  He has a lot to learn.  He ain't at Notre Dame anymore, that's for sure."  The Panthers aren't without talent, though.  Jonathan Stewart has returned and he and fellow running back Mike Goodson combined for 203 of the Panthers' season-high 212 rushing yards last week against a pretty stout defense.  In addition, the Cardinals rank 30th in the NFL in run defense.

It's pretty hard to believe, but after this weekend the Arizona Cardinals could be only 1.0 game out of first place in the NFC West with a 5-9 record.  San Francisco takes on San Diego tonight on Thursday Night Football, which will obviously be a tough game for the 49ers.  The Rams welcome the Chiefs to town, which will also be a tough battle for the Rams, even though they are at home.  Finally, the Seahawks host the Falcons, who may be the best team in the NFC.  As a result, the Cardinals could very well be the only team that comes out of Week 15 with a win.  The standings would be as follows:

1. St.  Louis Rams: 6-8, 0 GB, 2-2 division record
2. Seattle Seahawks: 6-8, 0 GB, 3-2 division record
3. San Francisco 49ers: 5-9, 3-1 division record
4. Arizona Cardinals: 5-9, 1-4 division record

I’m predicting Gary Kubiak, Lovie Smith, Marvin Lewis and John Fox get fired while Jeff Fisher gets one more chance (perhaps because the best candidates get signed before Bud Adams acts). Where would the most attractive spot be? I must say that while I think the top 3 spots are a tier slightly above the others, the other jobs are all about the same.

Now, this is evaluating the city and the personnel mostly. I will let an extreme case of bad owner or GM creep in to the rating process, but I believe that you get control by winning. We’ve seen two coaches – Jon Gruden and Jimmy Johnson – pile up victories, not get control, then land somewhere else and get control.

Here are my picks for the hot spots, now (and soon to be) vacated by coaches – with the exception of Fox – taking vacations at hot spots:

1. Minnesota. Young nucleus? Harvin and Peterson. Chris Cook, Gerhart and Webb look promising. Gotta sign Rice. Vets? Many to sign, but Jared Allen, Winfield and Henderson are under contract. Minneapolis doesn’t have a functioning stadium right now but – whether it’s the Twin Cities or Los Angeles – you have a big market, a big fanbase, and the best running back in football.

2. Houston. Young nucleus? Ryans, Cushing, Williams, Foster, Dreessen and an excellent O-line. Vets? Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, Mario Williams, Antonio Smith. Houston has a team that has it absolutely together on offense. Schaub was missing Owen Daniels for half the season last year and still led the NFL in passing. Arian Foster leads the NFL in rushing yards and TDs. Even half a defense could put you in the Wild Card. Their patience would be strong if you could just get them into the playoffs once. That would be more than they’ve ever had.

3. Dallas. Young nucleus? Not really. This closing window, along with having to deal with Jerry Jones, are two reasons to avoid this job. They have talented young players like Sean Lee and Felix Jones but Dez Bryant is the only true leader and main contributor drafted by the Cowboys in the last four drafts. Vets? James, Romo, Newman, Free, Witten, Ware, Ratliff and McBriar all under contract make the strongest group of vets on this list. In Dallas, the expectations are a Super Bowl with coaches allowed to hang around while not reaching those expecations. I think being somewhere with patiently high expectations is the best scenario, where the pressure and challenge are huge but the fanbase and owner are understanding if injuries hit hard or if rebuilding must take place. I think Dallas fits that bill and the opportunity is to coach the 2nd biggest franchise behind the Steelers.

4. Cincinnati. Young nucleus? Nope. Vets? A lot of them are free agents or might be cut or approached for a paycut. This team has enough talent that if they lost half their star players, you’d still have something to work with. Hopefully, you can get there before they cut Terrell Owens and Cedric Benson, the only impact skill position players other than Leon Hall – who is having his worst season – and Antwan Odom – who has only played nine games the last two years. Like I said earlier, low expectations shouldn’t be a plus for any coach that is worth his weight. Just because a playoff win would endear you to the city forever, doesn’t make this job attractive.

5. Carolina. Young nucleus? This is tough because I think they have a lot of great young talent but they have no quarterback, and questions at pass rush and secondary. Beason, Stewart, Goodson and Anderson are all 27 or younger. Charles Johnson is a nice surprise with 8.5 sacks. Vets? Not a lot of great ones beyond Steve Smith and Gross. Carolina is a small market but you get to test yourself in the hottest division in the NFL. Also of note, the #1 overall pick in a year where there may be a rookie wage scale.

6. Denver. Young nucleus? Most of it is playing for Cleveland, Chicago and Miami. They have a nucleus that might have saved McDaniels’ job if they had stayed healthy. Vets? Champ Bailey needs to be re-signed but he and Brandon Lloyd are the only ones of note. Denver’s defense has intercepted a pass in just 3 of their 13 games and have given up more rushing touchdowns, 19, than anyone else. There is certainly a mystique there but GM Brian Xanders wants more control, Pat Bowlen is making some questionable decisions lately and they need a lot of players.

7. Chicago. Young nucleus? This is probably the worst group of players drafted between 2007-2010 on this list. Some decent special teamers, a pretty good safety in Danieal Manning and a decent back in Matt Forte but no offensive line. Vets? Strong veteran group, led by Jay Cutler. There aren’t many better football cities than Chicago. Their fans are passionate, it’s one of the biggest markets with some great rivalries for years to come. The main problems are the lack of depth and the potential problem of being hired while Angelo and Ruskell are still there. Personnel approval is necessary and there are a lot of holes to fill. It is going to be difficult to win there when the other three teams have more elite talent and Detroit and Green Bay have done such great jobs drafting.

Senior writer jclombardi previews Packers vs Patriots.

Preview:Teams: Packers (8-5) vs. Patriots (11-2). Time: 7:20 p.m. Sunday, Wisconsin time. Place: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass. The TV coverage: NBC. Injury report: DE Cullen Jenkins (calf) is out. QB Aaron Rodgers (concussion) and LB Frank Zombo (knee) are doubtful. S Anthony Smith (ankle), LB Diryal Briggs (ankle) and CB Pat Lee (ankle) are questionable. LG Daryn Colledge (knee), LB Clay Matthews (shin), DE Ryan Pickett (ankle), CB Charles Woodson (toe, ankle), S Atari Bigby (hamstring), LT Chad Clifton (knees), RG Josh Sitton (knee), LB Desmond Bishop (hamstring) and FB Korey Hall (knee) are probable. The line: The Patriots are favored by 14 points. FIVE THINGS TO WATCH–No Flynn-ching: Starter Aaron Rodgers was ruled out Saturday morning after Rodgers did not advance through the NFL's designated post-concussion protocol. That means Flynn will be the first backup to start for the Packers since Brett Favre took over for an injured Don Majkowski against the Pittsburgh Steelers 18 years ago. Flynn will face the challenging task of leading the Packers to victory against the NFL's current Super Bowl favorite. Epic challenge: The Packers defense's Achilles' heel last season, when they ranked No. 2 overall in total defense, was their inability to contain elite quarterbacks. This season, while the Packers rank No. 1 in scoring defense, they've yet to face a truly elite quarterback. Certainly, nothing comes close to comparing to what they'll face in the Patriots' Brady. "It's the biggest challenge we've had," Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers confessed. Linebackers lament: While there are certainly more dangerous jobs in the world than playing outside linebacker for the Packers, it's definitely been a difficult year at the position. With right outside linebacker Frank Zombo not expected to play after suffering a knee injury at Detroit, the Packers are down to Erik Walden. Playing for pride: The losing grades were across the board, given to each member of the Packers' offensive line in the wake of an abominable performance during last Sunday's loss in Detroit. It marked the first time all season that that's happened. If the players have anything to say about it, it won't happen again. And unlike last season, when the group had a number of poor collective performances, Campen believes the unit will rebound against the Patriots. Getting his kicks: Packers punter Tim Masthay had what special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum called an "outstanding" day last Sunday in the cozy, climate-controlled confines of Ford Field, but he'll face a much greater challenge in the final three weeks, with Sunday night's game at Gillette Stadium followed by back-to-back home games at wintry Lambeau Field to close out the regular season.

Preview: DUAL TROUBLE: The Patriots haven’t had a Pro Bowl TE since Ben Coates in 1998.  In 2010, they drafted Rob Gronkowski and Rob Hernandez. Suddenly, a position of glaring weakness has become a position of overwhelming strength. PLAYING BRADY: “Brady’s a guy where if you just run standard coverages, then he’ll just kill you,” Jets coach Ryan said. “We’re going to pressure him, mix our coverages, change our blitzes. Sometimes we’re going to go all-out blitz, sometimes simulated pressure, sometimes three-man rush, sometimes four-man rush. That’s how you play Brady. There are a lot of good quarterbacks, but for my money Brady and Peyton Manning are the two best guys.” Dating to November 2006, Brady is 26-0 in home games he has started in the regular season and 3-1 in home playoff games. CAPABLE REPLACEMENTS: The Patriots are getting tremendous mileage from early-down RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, a rookie they signed as a free agent in May 2008, and third-down match-up problem RB Woodhead. ADMIRATION SOCIETY: Ryan and former Minnesota coach Brad Childress discussed their respect for Patriots coach Bill Belichick before games this season. “There are very few coaches that I steal from and Bill Belichick’s one of them,” Ryan said Dec. 2. “He’s so creative. What he does coverage-wise, putting traps out there. That guy’s an amazing coach. The best coach in football. It’s not even close. SOLID GROUP: The Patriots’ offensive line has seasoned starters. “You can tell there’s great communication,” one scout said. “They play smart within the scheme. Help each other. Rarely out of position. Brady may have a lot to do with that in terms of calls. There’s not necessarily an outstanding Pro Bowler in the unit, but they’re very well-coached.”

A report from Pittsburgh suggests that star safety Troy Polamalu could miss his team’s final three games of the regular season, making sure that he’s as close to as 100 percent as possible for the postseason.

If the Steelers can win their final three games, they will wrap up at least the #2 seed in the AFC, meaning they won’t play a home game till January 15th or 16th, almost a month from now.

Polamalu re-injured his leg injury last Sunday during a win over the Bengals. He didn’t miss a play in the contest, and ended the game with two interceptions and was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

The problem, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is a strained right Achilles tendon. A source told the newspaper Polamalu’s return could depend on the team’s playoff seeding.

Entering their biggest game of the season with the AFC South basically on the line, the Jaguars may have to play it without starting quarterback David Garrard.

The QB is suffering from a hamstring injury, and it now looks like it might be worse than many at first believed.

The Jags Friday re-signed veteran Todd Bouman, the same day they listed Garrard as questionable for Sunday's critical game at the Colts. Garrard tweaked his hamstring in practice Thursday and was limited in practice Friday.

He was getting treatment Friday and unavailable for comment during the team's open locker room session. Former Bills quarterback Trent Edwards is Garrard's backup.

The Jaguars (8-5) placed cornerback Terrence Wheatley (hamstring) on injured reserve to make room for Bouman, who served a pair of two-week stints with the team earlier this season.

Bouman started at Kansas City on October 24th and completed 18 of 34 passes for 222 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

On Thursday Night, most of you saw the Chargers thoroughly beat the San Francisco 49ers. Apparently, the 25, and 21-point losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs were not enough. The Chargers beat us by 27, and quite honestly, it was not even that close.

The team just had no fight in them. They were never prepared. Now, even though we are sitting on a 5-9 record, there is still hope for the playoffs, as crazy as it sounds. As long as both the Seahawks and the St. Louis Rams are not victorious this weekend, we still have a shot.

The fact that we still have a shot brings me to this point; should we even make the playoffs? To start off, I don't think the NFL would want a 7-9 team in the playoffs. The competition committee is already looking for ways to prevent future possible division winners with losing records to host playoff games.

Secondly, as a fan of the Niners, I do not want the dubious honor of being the first team to make the playoffs with a losing record. Many of you who will disagree will point out that once the playoffs start, it is a whole new season. That is entirely true, but let's not kid ourselves here. If any fan genuinely believes the Niners will make some noise in the playoffs, I assure you that they have been watching DVD's of the team from the 80's and early 90's, and not this season's Niners. In my opinion, the Niners have reached an all-time low.

I haven't watched this team since its inception, but I firmly believe this team is one of the worst in Niners history. I probably feel this way because the expectations before the season were so high. I mean, big things were supposed to happen for us this year. The goal was to win the division, get to the playoffs, and make some noise. We were the trendy pick to come out and surprise the whole nation. Merely halfway into the season, we realized that we were fooling ourselves.

Record-wise, the team has already regressed from last season. If we make the playoffs, it will be a shame to our division and to the NFL. Moreover, I have great fear that if we do reach the playoffs, Singletary will use that to his advantage and influence Jed York into bringing back both he and Alex.

Mike Singletary's plan to insert Alex Smith at quarterback has fired back in just two games. In his first game back, Smith had arguably his best game in his six years in the NFL. But, Thursday against the Chargers, we saw the same ol' Alex. I saw the move as a failed desperate attempt by Singletary to prove to management that both he and Alex have what it takes to reach the playoffs.

It is becoming increasingly clear that neither Smith nor Singletary has what it takes to take San Francisco to the promised land, let alone the playoffs. The Yorks-mainly Jed- will have plenty of work to do in the offseason because both Smith and Singletary must be gone. If either of the two keep their roles for next season, this team will never go anywhere unless someone else purchases it and overhauls it.

I am curious to see who Jed would bring in for interviews when the head-coaching position opens up. Over the past couple months, the names of Jon Gruden, Jim Harbaugh have surfaced as possible replacements for Singletary. The search will have to be more exhaustive.

The Niners cannot just interview the two and hire one of them. Who knows if management is even interested in those guys. The Rooney Rule will require them to interview a minority candidate, and perhaps, such candidate may be our next head coach. I, for one, am waiting for the season to play out-even though it is basically done for us-before I start speculating on who the Niners should bring in for interviews. First, I think the Niners will have to bring in an established General Manager before they hire a head coach.

Maybe someone in the mold of Bill Parcells or Mike Holmgren; proven guys in the NFL. I am not suggesting that it should be either of them, but someone of such pedigree. Take a quick look at the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs. Not long ago, they were down-and-out franchises, but there owners brought in respected guys around the league. The Falcons hired Thomas Dimitroff from the Patriots, while the Chiefs picked up Scott Pioli, also from the Patriots. Both of them have been instrumental in the success of their teams this season. They have created a system in which they will work.

They both made good coaching hires. The coaches they hired were not exactly splash hires either. Neither Mike Smith (Falcons) nor Todd Haley (Chiefs) had previous head coaching experience in the NFL. But, they have quickly rebuilt by drafting players that fit their systems. They both have made superb trades to help their team; the Falcons trading for Tony Gonzalez, and the Chiefs trading for Matt Cassel. That being said, the Niners are not too far away from being one of the NFL's better teams. This offseason, they don't have to go for a big-name General Manager. They simply have to do their homework and bring in someone with good pedigree.

So, it is obvious that things can certainly get better for the Niners. And, they can get better really fast. It is not as if we are short on talent. In fact, I know that we are more talented than many of the teams ahead of us. I will argue to the death of me that we are more talented than the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Chicago Bears, and the St. Louis Rams which would all be in the playoffs if the postseason started today.

It all starts from the top, from the owner to the front office staff to the coaching staff and ultimately to the players. There has to be a structure that flows from the top to the bottom. In my eyes, this is what the Niners are lacking. And quite frankly, I do not know if the people that are in such position have what it takes to implement changes drastic enough to reverse the direction of this team. Then again, I am no expert and maybe all of this I just said is a complete load of nonsense.

Don't get me wrong, making the playoffs is always good. It brings a sense of pride and it rejuvenates all kinds of people, both within the team and all over the world. There are other benefits to reaching postseason. It would bring in some cash to the team and city, and free agents would not look at the team with a black eye. But, for the 2010 Niners, again, I see no substantial benefit in making the playoffs.

On the surface, it would appear that maybe things have changed or will change, however things would remain the same. If making the playoffs means that this coaching staff remains, we would be back to square one next season. During the postgame press conference after Singletary's first game as a coach, he said "I WANT WINNERS". Singletary has not been a winner in his time as a head coach.

By missing the playoffs, Jed York will realize that enough is enough and Singletary is not the answer. So far, he has not had the guts to let Singletary go, but missing the playoffs would make it clear that neither Singletary nor Smith (Alex) will ever give the Niners a fighting chance in the NFL.

Brett Favre's shoulder is still hindering his ability to play and has already been ruled out for Monday night's frozen showdown against the Bears.

Also, for a third consecutive game, guard Steve Hutchinson will not play due to a broken thumb.  Safety Tyrell Johnson, dealing with a knee injury, has also been scratched from Monday's game.

Ray Edwards (ankle) and Jamarca Sanford (concussion) are both questionable.

Adrian Peterson (thigh) is listed as questionable but is expected to start after missing some practice this week.

Joe Webb has been declared the starter for the first time in his young career, but joins Asher Allen (ankle) as being listed as probable because of a lingering hamstring injury.

Newly acquired quarterback Patrick Ramsey will serve as Webb's backup, and the Vikings might choose to place undrafted rookie R.J. Archer on the active roster to serve as the third quarterback.