New England 8 to 1, Dallas 9 to 1, NYG and PIT 10, Indy and San Diego 12, Baltimore 14, Ten 16.

At the other end, Detroit and KC are 100 to 1 shots.

So, explain to me how we can have odds for next year’s game already?  We haven’t had the NFL draft yet, coaches and players may change squads, Tom Brady may have Jello for knee cartilage… honestly I’m all for wagering if that’s your ball of fun but how can we think that the Patriots with questions at QB and Dallas in mild turmoil are more likely to win the Super Bowl XLIV than the team that just won?

What a joke.

Watching Bruce inappropriately pelvic-thrust the world’s viewing audience.

Arizona can’t run the ball very well, but the Steelers stop the run so well it probably wouldn’t matter anyway.

Arizona throws it well – they won’t beat the Steelers deep but might complete 35 passes for short range.

The Steelers haven’t run the ball well all year and if Hines Ward is at 50% their passing game won’t be very effective.

I’m thinking this is going to be a much lower scoring game than I believed before and the Cardinals have a real shot at winning it.

It will be hard to top last year’s game but this has the makings of being a very good one.

So Arizona defied the odds by winning a third straight game.  At some point you need to wonder if they are a team of destiny (not density).  Everything is falling their way.  They beat a team that runs the ball well but not letting them run, they beat a different running team by getting so many interceptions that running was no longer an option and then beat the Eagles by giving up a 3 TD lead, then scoring again to win late.

The Steelers won exactly the way everyone thought they would, by holding the Ravens to 10 for 30 passings with multiple INTs and showing speed in every aspect of defense.

Which team do you choose?  The team that is catching every break or the team that is playing exactly the way that everyone knew they would play.  Given the choice of luck and skill I will always take skill.

The Steelers are an early TD favorite and I have to say I would lean towards giving it but since I would never encourage gambling I will simply say that I think the Steelers will win and the Cardinals will continue their 6 decade long franchise streak without a title.

First…I’m all for throwback jerseys – some are really cool.  But this year we have been subjected to two terrible ones.  Detroit’s logo-less silver helmet with plain blue jerseys.  Seriously, Mattel Intellivision had better graphics. The other bad one is Pittsburgh’s yellow-helmet look.  Not a good one. Steel City gets high marks for using a hypocycloid on the helmet – now keep the classic black jersey and be done with it.

dishonorable mention?  Houston Texans with Red jerseys on Red pants.  They looked like popsicles.

If the NFL playoffs began today…

AFC : Tennessee and Pittsburgh get the bye, Denver hosts Baltimore and Jets host Colts.  Denver loses, Jets win at home (cos they can run the ball and possess).  That leaves Tennessee hosting Baltimore in what will be the first 3-0 playoff final score in decades and the Steelers beat the Jets at home.  Then Tennessee beats Pittsburgh 9-6 and goes to the Super Bowl.

NFC: Giants and Carolina get the bye, Minnesota hosts Dallas, Arizona hosts Tampa.  If I were the Cardinals I’d be afraid of this game. If Dallas shows up, they win, I trust Arizona just enough to win.  Then the Giants beat Dallas at home, Carolina beats Arizona at home but holding the ball for 40 minutes of game time and the Giants go to a second straight Super Bowl.

Giants can pass some, run some, Tennessee passes none, runs a lot. Take the Titans 20-14.

The first problem with that scenario?  Half those teams might not make it.  Carolina hosts Denver, then travels to the #1 Giants and to #1 in Offense New Orleans.  There’s a 10% chance the Panthers don’t win another game.  That would mean the winner of this week’s Tampa-Atlanta game wins the division.  Take the Bucs defense to emerge.  The only thing that helps the Panthers is a Giants victory to clinch the #1 seed and maybe they rest the starters and Carolina wins a meaningless-to-the-home-team game 30-10.

2nd problem?  If Baltimore loses to Pittsburgh this week that leaves it open for any of Jets-New England-Miami that doesn’t win the AFC East to become a wild card. Working for the Ravens is those teams have divisional games and will knock each other off.  Working against? Ravens follow the Steelers game at Dallas in a game that Dallas needs.

My guess is the AFC East winner is the Jets and they take the high seed over Denver which helps both of them.  The Jets are more likely to beat a running team like Baltimore than they are likely to beat the Colts and Denver is more likely to beat the Colts than the Ravens. Take the home teams throughout; Tennessee still sits Super.

In the NFC I believe Carolina will beat Denver and the Giants may lose at Dallas which leaves a tie for the #1 seed and the Panthers seem to be rolling.  If the Panthers win at the Giants they get home field throughout and as they are unbeaten at home…The playoffs would perhaps be Cardinals over Bucs, Cowboys over Vikings – Panthers over Cowboys, Giants over Cardinals, Panthers win the rematch.

Super Bowl of previous losing teams Titans and Panthers – take Tennessee’s defense for their first ever Super Bowl triumph 26-20.

So, yeah, that’s who I am picking right now.  Ask me again in 24 hours.