FOLIO
by Tom Weppel
JAGUARS
Oh, those crazy Jaguars! One weekend, they can pull off a decent win and be in control of their playoff chances, then they go to Indy, losing to Peyton and the Colts, giving up 155 yards rushing to the worst running team in the League!
The bottom line here is that this team is simply unpredictable. We never really know what we’re going to get out of these guys! For Jaguar fans, it can be a very frustrating deal, but it beats having a losing squad, I guess!
And now the Jaguars sit at 8-6. While they are tied at the top of the AFC South with the Colts, they can’t win unless the Colts lose either of their last two games, and the Jags win their last two.
This weekend, Jacksonville plays their final home game, hosting the Washington Redskins. The ‘Skins have been nothing more than a total drama-filled reality program, to say the least! From the whole Albert Haynesworth deal, to the conflict with Donovan McNabb getting yanked from starting at QB, these guys have been a mess, to put it mildly.
The Redskins come in having lost six of their last seven. They have had a miserable season under Mike Shanahan, and it doesn’t seem as though it will get any better. Former Florida QB Rex Grossman will start at QB, as he did last week in their loss to Dallas. Statistically, they rank 28th in rushing Offense, and their Defense is last in the League.
With all that said, they still could prove to be a problem for the Jags. Washington almost came back to beat the Cowboys in Dallas last week. The jags will need to shut down Grossman, then make some good plays on offense. They do that, and they should be able to handle the ‘Skins…
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
With two weeks left in the season, there are still a good number of teams who have a shot at getting in to the postseason. Most of the teams still alive are pretty decent teams, except for one division…the NFC West!
In oh so many ways, this Division is simply B-A-D! The Seahawks and Rams are at the top, with 6-8 records. The 49ers are right behind them, at 5-9, and the Cardinals are 4-10. This means the winner of the Division can only be a .500 ball club at best!
These four teams carry some lousy similarities. They all have been outscored for the entire season. Not one team has won more than two games on the road. They’ve all had QB issues to deal with, although Rams rookie QB Sam Bradford has had a decent season. And they all lost last week…imagine that.
So on Sunday, we’ll see the Niners travel to St. Louis to face the Rams, while the Seahawks travel cross-country to play the Bucs in Tampa. Earlier this season, San Francisco beat St. Louis in OT. I’m sure the Rams will want to even things up. Meanwhile, Seattle has lost four of their last five. QB Matt Hasselbeck has thrown 17 INT’s!
With all that said, the bottom line here is that SOMEBODY has to win! The survivor will get to host a playoff game, as a Division winner, and then they can figure out how to get better as well…
Aside from that whole mess, there actually ARE some good matchups this weekend. The New York Jets, fresh off their solid win in Pittsburgh, now travel to Chicago to face the Bears. The Giants, still dealing with their disappointing loss to the Eagles, also will be traveling…to Green Bay, to play the Packers (should be a good one!). Then on Monday night, the Saints and Falcons will mix it up in Atlanta, with the NFC South on the line.
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