NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

1. Matt Hasselbeck’s last ride.
He’s going to play hurt, and try to win what is a playoff game and perhaps his last shot as a starter. He has experience and I think he gives them a better chance to win than Charlie Whitehurst.
2. The Redskins are possibly playing John Beck.
The Giants need a win and some help. Mike Shanahan has found out that Rex can be a starter in this league, now will he come through on his promise to take a look at John Beck? If he does, it might help the Giants win.
3. The Bears are actually playing their back-ups.
If the fierce Green Bay pass rush hits Cutler, will they switch to Caleb Hanie before the first drive is over? If they do, it could help Green Bay secure a playoff spot. The Bears have horrible depth at corner and safety, so this could be a 7-on-7 drill.
4. The Browns will break out another bag of magic tricks to try to save Mangenius.
The Browns are just sneaky enough of a team with just enough good players and coaching that they could make this interesting. The Steelers are the team with the most at stake of any playoff team. If the season were to end today, they’d be a division winner with a bye and at least one home game. They could go from that to a 6th seed playing on the road during Wild Card Weekend.
5. Collusion 2.0?
The Titans need to do more on defense if they want to help out the Jaguars. One of the least publicized stories in recent memory was the plight of the 2007 Cleveland Browns team. They would have gone to the playoffs if the Colts would have beaten the Titans. Not surprisingly, the Colts decided to rest their starters that week 17 game. Surprisingly, Dungy didn’t even bother to call any timeouts late in a close game to try to win against the Titans. Will Jeff Fisher return the favor to the Colts organization he so desperately wants to feel like a winner with? Stay tuned.

I think the most overblown angle is the lack of David Garrard or Maurice Jones-Drew in the Jaguars’ finale. Rashad Jennings is one of the best back-up running backs in football and Garrard has squandered multiple games with bad turnovers. That said, Trent Edwards isn’t exactly an upgrade.

Another thing getting ignored is how great it would have to be for the Ravens – who’ve incurred bad officiating at the end of games that have helped them get at least 2 of their 4 losses – if Oakland beat Kansas City and they draw the inexperienced Chiefs in the Wild Card round.

A.J. Green, WR, Georgia, 6′4 212

Position Ranking: #1

Strengths: Has excellent height for the position. Played in a pro-style offense and was asked to run a complete route tree. Has very good hands and consistently snatches the ball in the air; will fight to catch passes at the highest point with defenders around. Not a long strider despite his long and rangy frame; releases off the line very quickly to close the cushion. Does a very good job selling his routes with his footwork and putting the defender where he wants him. Is extremely effective on play-action passes and can blow past cornerbacks who take their eyes off him for a brief second. Fearless and isn’t shy about contact when catching passes in traffic; will expose his body to make the play between the safety and cornerback. Can set a defender up by slowing down his release and then suddenly bursting inside to win leverage.

Shows surprisingly great short area quickness in his cuts for a tall receiver. Very good hand/eye coordination and adjusts quickly to throws low, high, away, and behind him. Runs hard after the catch. Knows when to help his quarterback on breakdowns in the playcall. Competitive and plays harder when challenged. Willing blocker in run support

Needs Improvement: Will get lazy in his route running. He’ll often tip the defender off on his break by chopping his feet before he cuts on his route. Though he plays physical he’s not very strong after the catch and won’t run through solid tackles. Has a very lean build and could use extra weight on his frame; can be re-routed by strong physical press corners. Doesn’t always seperate from quick cornerbacks and often makes plays with a man on his hip. Frequently pushes off on defenders with deeper routes if they stick close to him as he breaks on the ball. Can be thrown around in run support at times. Missed 4 games due to NCAA violations.

Bottom Line: A.J. Green is an impressive talent athletically and moves extremely fluid and quick for his tall frame. He has very good speed and quickness but doesn’t have elite speed in his glide, or at the top of his deeper routes to seperate- ala Randy Moss. Green shows special skills because of his combination of quickness and speed that we don’t see from many taller receivers in the NFL. His short stride allows him to release with a good burst and get quickly into his route; while his lateral agility is also uncommon at 6′4. His hand/eye coordination is also special as Green does a great job judging the football and tracking it on all types of throws, making spectacular shoestring type grabs while also staying in his route.

He has the frame to add 5-10 pounds of clean weight which should not affect his athleticism, and would likely make him an even better player, especially against physical corners. A.J. Green reminds me a lot of a former top five pick Charles Rogers from Michigan State. Unfortunately, Rogers’ career was derailed by severe injuries early, and then later bad choices. If Green can stay healthy and avoid the bad choices, he should become the player Charles Rogers was supposed to be when he was drafted 2nd overall.

Draft Projection: Top ten pick.

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 143-94

Miami at New England - The question will be if the Pats will play anyone. New England can’t gain anything with a win or a loss, so likely Tom Brady and co. will play a bit, but that’s about it. The Fins would love to end the season with a win, ending a crazy season with 7 road wins but just one at home. Miami should be able to pull out a game against most of the Pats 2nd team. Miami 24 New England 20

Minnesota at Detroit - Two teams with similar records but very different outlooks on the season. The Lions are clearly on the way up, winning games with three different QB’s. They are playing a Vikings team that pulled out a big win on Tuesday night, but can’t be happy with the way the season has ended up. Joe Webb played well vs the Eagles, but here’s thinking that the Lions make the home crowd happy. Detroit 27 Minnesota 17

Carolina at Atlanta – The Falcons lost just their third game last Monday night, and they should be able to rebound here. The Panthers know it will be an offseason of change with John Fox not coming back, and they will be playing for whoever is their new coach in 2011. The Falcons have too much riding to slip up, and Matt Ryan and company will rebound. Atlanta 23 Carolina 10

Oakland at Kansas City - Who would have guessed that the Chiefs would be AFC West champs? Here we are entering week 17 and the Chiefs are able to look forward to a home game next weekend either vs the Ravens, Steelers or Jets. The Raiders took a big leap this year, and should have something to look forward to in 2011. The Chiefs, despite what they say, won’t have to play the starters much. Oakland 21 Kansas City 17

Buffalo at New York Jets – Same as above, the Jets have little to play for, while the Bills end the year playing much better than the start of the year when they were one of if not the worst teams in the NFL. Look for the Bills to play hard, and in the end against again the Jets 2nd string the Bills will find a way with a late field goal to win. Buffalo 17 NY Jets 14

Tampa Bay at New Orleans – Two good clubs going at it, while the Bucs need to win and help for the playoffs, the Saints are in as a wild card. The Saints played a tough game in the ATL on Monday night, getting a big win, and seem to be playing back to the form of last season. The Bucs have played well all year, but it won’t be easy to win in the Big Easy. New Orleans 31 Tampa Bay 24

Cincinnati at Baltimore - The Ravens are steaming after losing to the Bengals early in the year, and that will be the loss that costs them the #2 seed in the AFC and the division title. They will take it out on the Bengals at home Sunday, a team that played better with younger players last week, and will be looking to 2011 in this one. Baltimore 28 Cincinnati 17

Pittsburgh at Cleveland – The Browns may be another team with a new coach after Sunday, and the Steelers will make that decision a little easier. Looks like Peyton Hillis may not play, while Steelers MVP Troy Polamalu was back at practice Friday and may be on the field. Bottom line, the Steelers need the game, and won’t slip up in Cleveland like last December. Pittsburgh 31 Cleveland 13

Chicago at Green Bay - The Bears may not need to play based on the early game outcomes, and that means the Pack may have the advantage of going for a shot in the postseason. Green Bay gave up a shot early in the year to beat the Bears, but this time Aaron Rodgers and the Pack are playing well, as they took apart the Giants last week. They will have more than enough to beat Chicago here. Green Bay 27 Chicago 17

New York Giants at Washington - Last week in Green Bay the G-Men didn’t respond very well to their last play loss to the Eagles the week before. Now they take on the Redskins, who pulled off a tough win in Jacksonville in OT last week. The Skins seem to be heading for yet another offseason of change, while the Giants may have a new coach as well with Tom Coughlin on the hot seat. Coughlin’s boys pull out a win in what could be his last game. New York Giants 23 Washington 21

Jacksonville at Houston – It sounds like Gary Kubiak will be unemployed on Monday in Houston, but look for them to win this one as the Jags won’t be able to pull it out without David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew. The Texans won’t have Andre Johnson, but will have enough offense to get the job done and win their last home game for Kubiak. Houston 34 Jacksonville 31

Dallas at Philadelphia – After weeks of hearing how good they were, the Eagles laid an egg on Tuesday night, meaning they will sit their starters on Sunday vs the Cowboys. Dallas has been playing hard for Jason Garrett, and even though they will be starting rookie Stephen McGee, he played pretty well in Arizona. Here’s thinking it will be an ugly game with the Cowboys winning late. Dallas 20 Philadelphia 14

Tennessee at Indianapolis – A long season for the Titans is finally ending, and the Colts need to win just to confirm they will take home the AFC South. Kerry Collins and the Titans will make it a game for a half, but in the end, it will be too much Peyton as again the Colts will be in the postseason with a home game vs the Ravens next week. Indianapolis 27 Tennessee 17

San Diego at Denver – A game that doesn’t matter for either team, as the Chargers end a down season with losing last week to the Bengals. The Broncos are seeing the future with a big game last week from Tim Tebow, and he will once again be the feature player this week for Denver. With nothing to play for, look for Denver to pull it out with a field goal. Denver 27 San Diego 24

Arizona at San Francisco – Another meaningless game for two NFC West teams that are going nowhere. The 49ers have already canned Mike Singletary, and will go back to Alex Smith this week. The Cards pulled out a last play win over the Cowboys, but can’t seem to be consistent, which will be addressed big time this offseason. The Cards will have a high draft pick, and their current players will be looking to next year. San Francisco 20 Arizona 13

St.Louis at Seattle – The primetime game for the NFC West, as both teams have lots to play for here. Charlie Whitehurst could be the Hawks future at QB, and this will be a huge chance for him to prove that. The Rams have gone from a one-win team to a possible division champ, and they will rest their chances on Sam Bradford. It won’t be easy to win in Seattle, and the Hawks will have the advantage in a high charged atmosphere and will get a late score to win the west. Seattle 17 St.Louis 13

The Panthers are getting a jump on “Black Monday” as the team has already stated that coach John Fox won’t return next season, ending a nine-year run in which he led the franchise to its only Super Bowl. His departure has been no secret, and Fox said after his final full practice Friday that he’d been preparing for it for two years.

Owner Jerry Richardson said in a statement that he told Fox that he appreciates everything he has done, but that “it is time for both sides to move in different directions.” Fox will coach his final game Sunday at Atlanta.

Fox was first denied a contract extension after the 2008 season. He entered the last year of his contract this fall with the Panthers beginning a youth movement that’s left them an NFL-worst 2-13. Fox is 78-73 in nine seasons in Carolina.

A couple names already being thrown around for the job is Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who is on the hot seat in Cincy, and Russ Grimm, who is coaching with the Arizona Cardinals.

After a season full of ups and downs, the fate of the 2010 NFC West all comes down to its final Sunday matchup.

"You can see it in the looks of the players and the coaches that they're really looking forward to this weekend," said Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll during his Wednesday press conference from his team's Renton, Wash. training facilities regarding his team's regular season finale against the visiting St. Louis Rams for the right to claim the division title and its entry into the playoffs.

"They're really cranked up about it…it's all about winning the championship."

Headed into the Sunday night matchup at Qwest Field, the Rams (7-8) hold a one-game advantage over the Seahawks (6-9). Should St. Louis win, the Rams would be the National Football League's third team ever to win a division with an 8-8 record. If Seattle wins, a tiebreaker held by the Seahawks would leapfrog the team over St. Louis and into the playoffs.

A Seahawks victory would also make Seattle the NFL's first team to play a full season and win a division with a losing record.

"This opportunity that comes up after all that's gone on this season and positions us with a chance to play for our division is a – makes for a lot of excitement, a lot of fun," said Carroll.

Headlining the decisive game will be two rather inexperienced players who've had very different seasons.

Under center for St. Louis will be Sam Bradford. After being taken first overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, the quarterback from Oklahoma has played a big role in turning around a Rams team that finished 1-15 a year ago and went 6-42 from 2007 to 2009.

"What I've seen the most is consistency," said Seattle's head coach about the Rams' first-year signal caller. "He's been the same guy, you know? He's not been waivered by the challenges, by the buildups, the hype, the matchups.

"He's handled it beautifully and not very many guys can do this."

In the span of his first 15 games, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Bradford has rewritten league record books.

Last Sunday at home against the 49ers, he surpassed Peyton Manning's 12-year-old record for most completions in a rookie year with 335. He also jumped over Chris Weinke for second all-time in rookie pass attempts with 554 and needs just 22 more to overtake Manning's 575 for first place. Bradford's also become the league's third rookie to pass for at least 3,000 yards and is also in sight of passing Manning's all-time rookie record for most passing yards of 3,739, needing 382 more yards to do so.

Where Bradford's excelled recently is in the short-range passing game. In his team's 25-17 come-from-behind victory over the visiting 49ers last Sunday, the quarterback completed 21 of 24 pass attempts for 133 yards and a three-yard touchdown pass to Laurent Robinson when throwing passes five-yards or fewer from the line of scrimmage.

"He's just a natural and can get it done," said Seattle's Carroll, "and he's gonna be a big factor in this division for a long time."

Bradford's also shown comfort when the St. Louis offense is in the four-wide spread formation – a formation that the rookie flourished with during a collegiate career that included winning the Heisman Trophy.

Like the Rams, the Seahawks are set to trot out a quarterback Sunday night that has less than a year's worth of game experience in the NFL.

Thanks to a left hip injury suffered by Matt Hasselbeck during a first-quarter one-yard touchdown run in Seattle's 38-15 road loss last week to Tampa Bay, backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is set to get his second-ever start as a professional.

"I'm pumped up for Charlie to take this and am anxious to see our team rally around it," said Carroll.

After Hasselbeck's injury last week, Whitehurst came off the bench and struggled for more than his first 15 minutes of action, completing less than 38 percent of his passes. Once finding his rhythm, the five-year veteran completed eight fourth-quarter attempts to finish the day 11-for-18 through the air with 66 yards, yet it was too late as the game's final minutes waned with Seattle trailing by double digits.

"It's all on him," said Whitehurst's head coach regarding the opportunity for the Seahawks to win the NFC West for the first time since 2007.

"We've already talked about that – that this is the big opportunity. This is the big challenge. This is the big spotlight. This is all of that for him and it's nothing that a player doesn't dream of having."

Sunday's kickoff at Qwest Field between the St. Louis Rams and the Seattle Seahawks is set for 8:20 p.m. Eastern and will be televised by NBC.

Can't get enough SeahawksGab? Follow Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

Senior writer jclombardi previews Packers vs Bears game.

Bears Scouting report: Rushing offense:OC Martz has curbed his pass-first play and has a 54-to-46 pass-to-run ratio. The Bears are tied for No. 24 in rushing yards. Yet, RB Forte finds a way to make a couple plays most games with a nice combination of power and burst. He's a complete back who ranks No. 12 in the NFL in yards from scrimmage and No. 14 in rushing. Forte plays behind an offensive line that plays much better than its pedestrian personnel. Passing offense: The Bears have the NFL's 30th-ranked offense, so they're obviously not putting up big numbers, but they've been much better since Martz adjusted his pass game early in the season from the deeper drops. Martz went to more quicker-read play calls and Cutler's been sacked only 19 times in the nine games since. In the last five games, the Bears have averaged 28 points. They've won the NFC North Division and seven of their last eight games. His passer rating of 90.6 points ranks No. 13 in the NFL. Cutler can stretch defenses with two deep threats, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester. Knox has great straight-line speed and the ability to make big plays. Hester is a premier playmaker with the ball in his hands and has become a competent receiver to go with his game-changing abilities as a return man. Tight end Greg Olsen still is an excellent receiver. Rushing defense: The Bears are one of the hardest teams to run the ball on in the league. Their excellent front seven features playmakers on the defensive line and at linebacker for the NFL's third-ranked rush defense. Passing defense: Chicago still plays coach Lovie Smith's Tampa-2 defense, though on early downs the Bears are just as likely to bring up a safety to play the run. They rank No. 17 in passing yards allowed and No. 20 in sacks percentage, so they're not shutting teams down. But that's part of the signature of the Tampa-2 scheme.  They're going to make teams execute over and over to get the ball in the end zone. Though their secondary isn't overly talented, it can make plays on the ball. Special teams: The Bears win this battle every week because they have perhaps the best return man ever in Hester. Punter Maynard at age 36 has lost the pop in his leg, but he places the ball well. K Gould is an accurate, dependable cold-weather kicker.

Packers defense seeks more pressure: If the Green Bay Packers can get by the Chicago Bears Sunday, they may be able to return to the pass rushing force they were in the first half of the season. Their fearsome twosome of linebacker Clay Matthews (12 sacks) and Cullen Jenkins (seven sacks) would have a chance to reunite and become a terrifying triangle featuring emerging second-year nose tackle B.J. Raji (6.5 sacks). There’s even a chance it could become a fearless foursome if linebacker Frank Zombo (four sacks) picks up where he left off before suffering a knee injury. ”We definitely have our hands full,” linebacker Desmond Bishop said of facing the Bears. “We just have to do what we normally do, and that’s play Packer defense.” Of late, the Packers defense has consisted of staying back in coverage the majority of the time, using well-timed blitzes to add pressure and relying on the likes of Matthews and Raji to provide the pass rush. From a personnel standpoint, Jenkins (calf) looks doubtful for Sunday and Zombo (knee) is questionable. The Packers will probably have to wait at least a week before they are at full strength. The emergence of Raji and the improving healthy of Matthews have kept their sack game existent (10 in the last four games). It’s not the 10 they had in two games before facing the Bears Sept. 27 or the 21 they had after five games, but the arrow appears to be moving upward. They still rank tied for fifth in the NFL with 41.

Commentary:  For the playoffs, the Packers must beat the Bears in the final home game.  Fate and destiny have smiled on the Pack.  It’s payback time!