Definitely Worth It

The scoreboard read: Vikings 20, Cowboys 3. Less than 8 minutes remained. The game was essentially over.

But Brett Favre was not finished having fun. Showing off his 40-year-old "arm" (that's what they call the cannon that's attached to his shoulder), Favre fired yet another touchdown pass to Sidney Rice.

Done yet? Nope.

Five minutes later he threw another, this time to Visanthe Shiancoe. There were times in the game when it looked liek Favre's work was finished. But as much as it appeared that way, it wasn't. Every time you thought he was done, he came back.

Sound familiar?

Favre upset many fans when he chose to come out of retirement. Again. And a lot of them are still upset right now. But Minnesota sure isn't, and neither is he. As obvious as that is now, let's not forget the doubt that surfaced very recently. A two-game skid in December caused the doubters to speak up again. As Favre said, "We lost, so I guess this falls under 'Brett can't play in cold weather'." Of course he was right. Either that or "Brett's too tired out".

But now the doubters are silenced. And one must admit that it has certainly been worth coming back for Brett, and that it was certainly worht it for the Vikings to sign him.

Brett came back to have some fun. You can tell me that he came back to stick it to the Packers all you want. But that's not Brett. Brett is the guy that wants to play because, well, he wants to play.

And he certainly wants to play now.

NFL Playoff Forecast: Round 3

Whoops. Looks like I goofed and forgot to forecast round 2. Oh well, here's my round 3 predictions.

The Vikings and Saints offer quite an intriguing matchup with their high-powered offenses. Will Brees finally get into the Super Bowl? The Saints have been playing very well, and yes, Brees has had a very good year, not to mention the fact that they're playing at home. But when I really thought this one over, I also noted that the Vikings have an equally talented and much more experienced quarterback, as well as a considerably stronger defense. Vikings 31, Saints 20.

Now for the Colts and Jets. The Jets head into the game following upsets of Cincinatti and San Diego, and finished the season with the fewest points allowed. They also beat the Colts in week 16. But I found that this was a classic case of "Things That Make You Go 'Hmm'". Like the fact that the Colts' backups were the ones playing during that game. Hmm. Or that Peyton Manning was recently named MVP. Hmm. Or how about the fact that Mark Sanchez's statistics for the season were very comparable, believe it or not, to those of Matthew Stafford. Hmm! Colts 20, Jets 13.

End of an Era

Uncork the champaign. Cue the inspirational music. Stich up that torn up Tony Romo jersey, Dallas fans, because, at long last, the misery is over. You can now crawl out from underneath the desk that you hide in when this time of year comes. Becuause it's finally over.

They won. God Bless America, they won. Tony Romo didn't ruin Dallas's January this year. Instead, he led a team that looked better than ever.

The Cowboy's didn't just win, they dominated. Thumping the hated Eagles, 34-14, the numbers said it all. 27 first downs to Philly's 17. 426 total yards. And how about the time of possesion? Dallas held the ball for a whole 39 minutes and 34 seconds, nearly two-thirds of the game!

The Cowboys defense overpowered the Eagles, and their offense capitalized. They were strong both by the air and on the ground. Who wants to play a team that shuts 'em down on defense, runs the ball efficiently, and has a powerful aerial assault? Not many.

Granted, Minnesota will be a test. The Vikings are similar to the Cowboys in many ways. They share a strong front four, an effective running game, and the ability to pass. Don't be surprised if the winner ends up taking home the Lombardi Trophy.

But for Dallas, none of that matters right now. They are out of their misery. The long-lived winter depression that they seemed to enjoy putting fans through for years is over. Tony Romo can come out of the shadows. He is now a playoff quarterback.

Great Guru Playoff Forecast: Round 1

Ah, a new year has arrived, as well as a new set of playoff teams. Today marks the beginning of the NFL playoffs. The doubleheader starts at 4:30 and lasts until well past 11. Translation: football fans are now in paradise.

But back to the new year. Since resolutions are always being made at this time of year, I've decided that, for this week, I not only will forecast the games, but also do my best to guess some of the resolutions.

-The Eagles ought to try resolving to actually get into the end zone this time. Tony Romo has probably made his resolution a playoff victory. Both will succeed. Cowboys continue to roll.

-I'm guessing that the Packers (as well as the rest of the NFC) have resolved to not let the Cardinals sneak up again this year. The way Aaron Rodgers is playing, it'll probably come true. Cheaseheads move on.

-Could Bill Belicheck possibly have resolved to actually punt the ball this year? Think again. Will the Ravens succeed in their resolution to end the Patriots winning streak at home, as well as their resolution to live up to their hype? Think again. Pats and Belicheck win, despite no resolution.

-Chad Ochocinco has more than likely decided on a resolution: catch a few passes against the Jets this time. I don't know what the Jets could possibly resolve to, since they're apparently a perfect team, at least according to Rex Ryan. Too bad he's wrong. Bengals change their luck, but will Ochocinco change his name?

Pick of the Week

What happened to Pittsburgh this year? They started out slow, recovered in the middle, and now they're falling apart again.

I don't think that this will be their turnaround week, considering that they'll have to deal with Aaron Rodgers. Expect the defensive woes to only be maximized. I like Rodgers and the Packers in this one.

Wings show signs of return

Early on in the season, things were strange and unusual for Red Wings fans. We watched in disbelief as our Wings hovered around .500. It just didn't seem like it was happening. This was the Red Wings after all.

And yet, it looked as if the Red Wings, the most dominant team in the NHL over the last 15 years, give or take, were heading into the season as underdogs. Underdogs.

Players had gone away. Marian Hossa headed to Chicago, Jiri Hudler to Moscow. Johan Franzen remains out for a few more months with a torn ACL, while Valteri Flippula is expected back sometime after Christmas. Niklas Kronwall, Dan Cleary, Jonathan Ericsson, and Jason Williams are all injured as well.

But recent games have brought back hope. It's mainly the new faces that are providing it, too. Patrick Eaves, Jimmy Howard, and Drew Miller are just a few of the young stars that have been shining lately. Add Todd Bertuzzi's recent perfomances, and things are suddenly going very, very well.

Should Franzen, Flippula, and the other wounded Wings return, things may actually look more promising than ever. The Red Wings will have immense depth, should the young guys continue to perform well.

Even better here is the fact that, as a team now compsed of young stars, the Wings look to be in for bright future. Why, who knows? It's very possible to say that, in 5 years or so, Eaves and Flippula will be the equivalent of Datsyuk and Zetterberg; Howard the equivalent of Chris Osgood (come to think of it, Howard could be there in more like one year, the way he has been playing).

But what about now? Well, this is the Red Wings. They can overcome a rough start. They certainly have the weapons to do so. Once the injured players return, they will probably be better than they were last year. I mean, they would have most of the same guys, with extra depth, defensive improvement, and a much better goaltending situation.

For the first time all season, things are looking up in Detroit.

Extra Pick of the Week

I can't believe the lack of respect that Eli Manning and the New York Giants are getting. Even more unbelievable is how great most people think that the Philadelphia Eagles are.

Yep, you guessed it. I'm picking the Giants in this one.