How Bout 'Em?
Posted January 17, 2010, 9:19 PM ET

No, not the Cowboys....but how 'bout these lousy NFL playoff games?

I had to start figuring out the numbers, as I was bored to tears watching another NFL post-season blowout.

The average margin of victory in the first two rounds of the NFL playoffs was over 17 points per game. Thank goodness for the Jets' 3-point win over San Diego and the Cards' 6-point win in OT during the Wildcard round.

Otherwise, these games have the drama of an August pre-season game. If not for Fantasy Football and gambling, you would have very little interest in watching any of these train wrecks.

Consider that the eight playoff games so far have a total margin of defeat of 137 points; that's the most ever, since the league went to a four-game wildcard format along with the four divisional games. The wildcard games this year were determined by 55 points and the divisional games by 82 points.

The only year that comes close (and it's very close) is the 1992 season, when the wildcard games were determined by 53 points and the divisional games by 83 points.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal did a story in which they determined that there were only 11 minutes of real football action during a NFL game. Based on the last two weeks of play, I'm wondering if we had 11 minutes of football action in a weekend of playoff football?

After all the carnage, we're left with four teams in the upcoming conference championship games:

In the NFC, we have the top two seeds in Minnesota and New Orleans.

In the AFC, it's Peyton Manning and his Colts against the upstart NY Jets.

Nowhere in the equation are the Dallas Cowboys or the San Diego Chargers. I really thought they were both going to get to Miami, but that's why we play these goofy games.

One trend has remained true for every game.....the team that makes the fewest turnovers...wins.

The Cowboys were destroyed 34-3 by Brett Favre and the Vikings...and the final TD pass with less than two minutes touched a nerve with the Cowboys.

Starting linebacker Keith Brooking claimed the Vikes ran up the score, and they were classless for making the call with the game in hand. Hey, Keith...grow a pair. It was your job to stop them.....and you get paid millions of dollars to do so.

Brooking stated that he's already circled the date on the calendar when Minnesota and Dallas are scheduled to play in 2010. Good for you, Keith....now grab a bag of Tom's Snacks and get on the couch and watch the playoffs like the rest of us.

My picks have been so bad in the post-season, that I'm afraid to give you my two cents....but I can't handle a two-week hype of Brett Favre if the Vikings get to Miami. So, I'll be rooting for the Saints to make their first appearance ever in the Super Bowl.

In the AFC, I like Peyton and I like the brash-talking Rex Ryan.....he reminds me of Lane Kiffin...except he actually wins. So, let's go with a shootout (and probable blowout) with the Colts and Saints.

But given my picks so far, that means we'll see the Jets and Vikings.......what do I care? I'm going to Vegas for the Super Bowl, anyhow.

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It didn't take long for the UNC basketball fans to chime in with the "you better get us this year" claim.

After a rare blowout loss to Clemson last week, followed up with a tough home loss to Georgia Tech, the Heels find themselves in unchartered territory. But UNC's problems are pretty obvious, even to a casual observer.....their backcourt and perimeter games are average.....at best.

I can honestly say that in my entire lifetime, I've never seen Clemson destroy UNC in hoops like they did last week. The game was over after the first TV timeout.....word has it that Billy Packer even turned it off with 12 minutes to go in the first half.

But this ACC season is unpredictable, and there's still a long ways to go. For crying out loud, Virginia is in first place and the only undefeated team in the conference. The Hoos were picked DFL by the media before the season started...so let's not get too carried away.

I still think Duke looks like the best team, but this season already has a strange feel to it. Just take the Hoos and Clemson as the perfect examples. The Tigers followed up their monster win over UNC with a road win at NC State on Tobacco Road. To put things in perspective, Clemson's win in Raleigh makes them 17-156 all-time in the Triangle.

That's incredible.

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Finally, I have to give props to the Charlotte Bobcats.

I know they play a pair of home games this week, including an afternoon affair on MLK day.....but Larry Brown's guys are playing lights-out at home. The weekend sweep of the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns was really impressive.

Heading into the week, the team finds itself at 19-19. The team has never sniffed being .500 this late into the season....and people are starting to take notice.

With Sacramento and Miami at home this week and a visit to ATL on Saturday, the Bobcats have folks whispering the "p-word" at the halfway point of the season.