Foss' Football Forecast, January 6-7, 2007

Happy New Year everyone! I had a good final week of the NFL regular season winning 7 of 10. My final regular season NFL record was 64-41 for a 61.0 winning percentage. I was only stumbled up by three upsets as the Detroit Lions ended their dismal season on a high note defeating the Cowboys in Dallas, 39-31. The loss prevented the Cowboys from clinching the NFC East title after it seemed a lock with a four-game win streak during November. Instead the Cowboys handed it to the Philadelphia Eagles, who soared back into first place ending the season on a five-game win streak to win the division for the fifth time in the last six seasons. At 9-7, the Cowboys still earned the NFC wildcard spot, but are stumbling into the playoffs losing three of their final four games. The Cowboys loss, combined with a Seattle Seahawks win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-7 let the Seahawks host the first round wild card game against the Cowboys. The Seahawks won the weak NFC West with just a 9-7 record, but Coach Mike Holgren should be given a lot of credit for keeping his team together despite many injuries to star players as QB Matt Hasselbeck and last year's MVP RB Shaun Alexander missed most of the season. The team is getting healthy just in time for the playoffs and is catching the Cowboys at just the right time. The Seahawks should send the home crowd home happy and advance in the playoffs. It doesn't really matter what the Seahawks record is, they made it into the playoffs. The second season belongs to them as they look to defend their NFC Championship and earn a second trip to the Super Bowl.

My other two losses were San Francisco's upset of the Broncos in Denver in overtime, 26-23, knocking the Broncos out of the playoffs and the Kansas City Chiefs in. My third loss came in Green Bay's upset of the Bears in Chicago, 26-7. I wanted to take the Packers as a sentimental favorite, as it was most-likely QB Bret Favre's last game, and the Bears were playing with nothing to lose already clinching home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with the best record of 13-3. If it was his last game Favre went out with style winning his last game over the best team in the NFC, he completed 21 of 42 passes for 285 years, one touchdown pass and one interception. He won his 147th game to tie with Dan Marino for second place all-time and it would only take two more wins next season to pass John Elway (148 wins) for the top spot. After a 1-4 start, the Packers were able to even their record at 8-8 to end the season in second in the NFC North after a four-game win streak.

Do they grow lemons in Miami? The Dolphins do as they gave rookie QB Cleo Lemon his first start. Like me, most of you are saying Cleo who? He was drafted out of Arkansas State two season's ago, but didn't see his first action until this season playing in three Miami games before getting his first start in the final game. He played well completing 18-of-36 for 210 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and rushed two times for nine yards, but it was just enough to keep the game close as the Indianapolis Colts won at home, 27-22. Lemon got his chance after the Dolphins benched Joey Harrington again after two staight losses to Buffalo and the New York Jets. Miami was 5-6 under Harrington, including a four-game win streak in mid-season to give the Dolphins playoff hopes, but sank at the end of the season. Former University of Oregon QB Harrington finished his first season in Miami completing 223 of 388 passes for 57.5 percent, 2,236 yards, 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He rushed 19 times for 24 yards, was sacked 15 times and lost one fumble.

Another former Duck quarterback, A.J. Feeley had a better finish to end the regular season, starting his first game of the season, while Jeff Garcia was rested for the playoffs, Feeley threw for a career-high 321 yards and three touchdowns to lead his Philadelphia Eagles over the Atlanta Falcons, 24-17, it was an exact pick for me as I picked the Eagles to win by seven. While Harrington's season is over, Feeley will be Garcia's backup QB in the playoffs as the Eagles found a way to end the season on a five-game winning streak instead of collapsing when they lost their star QB Donovan McNabb for the season in game 10 versus Tennessee. The Eagles (10-6) play their divisional rival New York Giants (8-8) in the Wild Card playoffs. After a 6-2 start for the Giants, New York is stumbling into the playoffs losing six of their final eight. They had to win their final game against Washington, 34-28 just to make the playoffs. The Giants earned the wild card over Carolina and St. Louis, who also finished 8-8, by having a better conference record by one game over both of them. The Eagles should continue to soar as I see them winning by seven.

In the other two wildcard games, the Indianapolis Colts (12-4) should easily stampede away from the Kansas City Chiefs (9-7). The Chiefs won a wild one over the Jacksonville Jaguars at home, 35-30, in what was an elimination game as the Jaguars had a shot at the playoffs too. Then needed help to make the playoffs and were glad to see the 49ers defeat the Broncos to keep the Chiefs season alive. After a 7-4 start to almost assure K.C. of making the playoffs, they also struggled in the second half of the season, losing three in a row to drop to 7-7, but turned it around at the right time and ended the season with two-straight wins entering the playoffs. However, six of their nine wins came at home, while the Colts are undefeated at home (8-0) for the first time since 1958. The Colts should win easily, putting on a show for the home crowd and sending them home happy by two touchdowns.

New York's other team the Jets (10-6) also made the playoffs with a wildcard bid and also start on the road against a divisional rival the AFC East champ New England Patriots (12-4). I think the Jets like starting the playoffs on the road, they went 6-2 on the road this season and won their regular season meeting at New England, 17-14, so the Jets know how to win there. That loss dropped the Patriots to just 6-3 and it looked like their strangle hold on the AFC East title may finally come to an end, but New England finished strong winning six of their final seven games to win the division by two games over the Jets. The Jets also finished strong winning three in a row and five of their last six. It may come down to who has the ball last. The Patriots have the revenge factor, but I'm taking the Jets by at least three. It may come down to a last second field goal. It should be a defensive duel as the Patriots only gave up 237 points this season (only 14.8 points-per-game) the best in team history. The Jets defense isn't too shabby either only giving up 295 points or 18.4 per game. The Jets have the Patriots number this season and know how to shut down Tom Brady.

For the record here are my NFL Wildcard playoff picks:
Saturday, January 6, 2007:
AFC: INDIANAPOLIS by 14 over kansas city
NFC: SEATTLE by 7 over dallas

Sunday, January 7, 2007:
AFC: new york jets by 3 over NEW ENGLAND
NFC: PHILADELPHIA by 7 over new york giants

One final post script, congratulations to the Oakland Raiders who at 2-14 earned the first pick in the NFL Draft. Just goes to show, no matter how many all-star players Owner Al Davis signs, you can't buy a championship. Every team needs role players and guys who can play together. Only winning two games, the Raiders proved to be a bad chemistry project.

Enjoy the games all!