The NFC Playoff Picture

What I saw:

Seahawks/Redskins - Joe Gibbs' swan song, but we didn't know it then.

Which is fine, because I've never liked Joe Gibbs. I still hold the '83 NFC Championship Game loss against him. That phantom PI call...OK, don't get me started.

So, the game last weekend - what a strange game. Seattle dominates, you think they're going to blow Washington out of the water, then out of nowhere the Redskins take the lead! Reminded me a bit of the Seahawks/Niners game last year in Seattle, where the Niners looked like this year's Niners for most of the first 3 quarters only to come alive and win going away.

Ahh, the good old days when Alex Smith seemed like he was developing and the 49ers were on the rise...

OK, I'm back from my daydream.

It really was reminding me of that game though, and just when I was thinking maybe Seattle just has no mental toughness they come on like gangbusters and do end up blowing out the 'Skins. Here's a question - when was the last time there was a 35-14 game where the team with the 14 had the lead and all the momentum in the 4th quarter? Got me, but that's how it went down.

just like in Steelers/Jags the better team won, but in an odd sort of way.

Bucs/Giants - I don't buy all this talk that the Bucs lost because they rested guys down the stretch. Um, those great old Niner teams (here I go again with the daydreaming) always rested guys down the stretch, I don't recall it ever hurting them. Lots of teams do that and it works. That's too easy an answer.

I do put some stock in the idea that the Giants' playing the Pats so tough last week helped them confidence wise. That did play a factor.

Ultimately, though, it was the same story as in the other 3 games last weekend - the best team won. We shouldn't be surprised, it wasn't due to rest. You know, because previous Giants teams have collapsed down the stretch we tend to think this team will too, but remember that they were considered one of the 2 or 3 best teams in the NFC for most of the season, that they are undefeated on the road since week 1, and are a truly good team.

The Giants were just better. It's that simple.

The NFC games as a whole were less interesting than the AFC games, both in matchups and the drama of the games themselves, but it does set up some very intriguing matchups for this weekend, which I'll get in to tomorrow.