The Week That Was the Divisional Playoffs in the NFL

Super Bowl 43 is turning out to be quite possibly one of the most boring Super Bowls in recent memory. With the way the divisional playoffs went, if you thought that the Steelers-Seahawks title game from a few years back was boring, you've seen nothing yet.

Only three of the final four teams have the kind of buzz that brings the masses to their television sets on Sundays, and that's Pittsburgh.

If I were an NFL exec, I'm hoping that the Steelers beat Baltimore next Sunday, because whoever comes out of the NFC won't bring a massive following (or enough hype to give the Super Bowl huge ratings).

Maybe an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl may get people to their TV sets. Maybe Donovan McNabb still has the star power to draw the huge crowds. But, right now, I am not looking forward to next Sunday's championship games nor am I looking forward to February 1.

To the rest of the week:

• There's Tim Sullivan of the Union-Tribune spouting off the obvious...again. However, this time, rightfully so. Pass rush and a lack of a running game has plagued the Chargers all year. It finally bit them in the ass in what was a miracle of a run that was the last five weeks. But now the season's over and A.J. Smith has got to address those problems.
• BTW...not even the 2006 edition of LaDainian Tomlinson could have ran behind the 2008 San Diego Chargers offensive line. The line is the problem, not LT or Sproles or Hester or even Michael Bennett.
• What happened to Carolina? How did the Panthers implode like that?
• I guess it wasn't a Happy Birthday for Jake Delhomme.
• The Giants looked ordinary against Philadelphia.
• And we all knew that Tennessee was a fraud. C'mon. Kerry Collins? Really?

Extra Point:

It's too bad Tony Dungy finally retired. However, I think it's the right time--at least the right time to leave Indianapolis. The sun has set on Peyton, Dungy and the Colts. It's time to start anew and someone had to leave. And that someone had to be Tony Dungy.