NFL Wrap

With one game left in the regular season of the NFl, it's time to break down the season.

Things we've learned this season:
- The Jets are definitely not for real.
- The Lions' future is bright
- The AFC West is pitiful
- Likewise is the AFC South
- The AFC lacks a real dominant team
- The NFC was 2-3 dominant teams

The Jets got grounded by their crosstown rival, the Giants. There's nothing much to say about the Jets except for the fact that Mark Sanchez is NOT the answer at quaterback. The only way they make the playoffs is with a lot of help from other teams...and they have to beat Miami, which is much improved compared to the beginning of the season. As long as Sanchez is running the Jets offense, they're not going to win a Super Bowl and they're going to struggle getting into the playoffs in future season. The future isn't looking to bright in New York.

On the other hand, in Detroit, the Lions' future is looking really good. They have come a long, long way from going 0-16. Unlike other perrenial bottom dwellers, the Lions have put their early draft picks to good use; they've drafted a solid quaterback, a deadly receiver, and hungry defensive line. It's a shame that they're in the same division as arguably the best team in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers.

The AFC west is horrible. There is talent in this division with the Raiders and Chargers but talent alone isn't enough in this league. The Raiders were hit pretty hard by the loss of Darren McFadden, but even with the loss of McFadden, the Raiders should have been set for the playoffs. Instead, they decided to not show up in Miami and got blown out, and blew a two possession lead in the fourth quarter to the Lions. Inconsistency and lack of discipline have hurt the Raiders. They Raiders began the season hot, lost Jason Campbell, got Carson Palmer, and then looked promising for awhile before dropping the gauntlet for three consecutive weeks. Perhaps the only thing consistent about the Raiders is committing penalties - lots of them. The Raiders are merely four penalties shy on breaking the single season record for penalties. Had the team been consistent and committed less penalties, they would be resting for the playoffs right now. Instead they have to count on a Denver loss and need to beat the Chargers. So much for controlling they're own fate.

The Denver Broncos were galloping along with Tim Tebow until someone took out their steam. Tebow committed only two turnovers in his first starts but has committed four in his last game alone. The Broncos have a long way to go to be a good team, but hey, they can go to the playoffs with a win.

With the injury to Matt Schuab, the Texans all of a sudden don't look too good. Yes, they're defense is solid. Yes, they have arguably the best running back duo in the NFL. But you simply can't win playoff games with a third string quaterback, sorry. This playoff bound Texan team is the same team which lost to the lowly Colts who are 2-13. The Colts are horrible. They're only hope is to lose again, get the number one draft choice, get Andrew Luck, or hope the aging Peyton Manning is back to full strength next year. The other teams in the division, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars aren't all the good either. The Titans are decent, and the Jaguars have a way to go before they become contenders.

As a whole, the AFC lacks a real contender. The Patriots are good, but are totally beatable because of a porous pass defense. The Ravens have played pretty poorly in a couple games this year. The Steelers are playing with a crippled Big Ben. The rest of the AFC varies from decent to average to downright horrible.

However in the the NFC, there is two to three real contenders. The Green Bay Packers have one loss and Aaron Rodgers at the helm. Need is say more? The Saints are playing great football and that's due to Drew Brees having a MVP-type season. The 49ers are interesting. Yes, they have played better than other teams in the league and have a rock solid defense. But I'm hesitant to call them a real contender because of Alex Smith. Would you want him to have to throw the ball to win a game? I wouldn't.

As the season comes to a close, we've learned a lot. They playoffs should definitely be interesting this year.

Raiders and 49ers

The two professional football teams in the bay area - Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers are poised to make the playoffs for the first time in a while. Both teams have recovered from having absolutely horrible seasons and both have new head coaches.

For the 49ers (9-2) signing Jim Harbaugh as head coach was one of the best moves that they have done. Harbaugh was the perfect fit for a 49ers team that has one of the best running backs in all of the NFL, Frank Gore. This coming Sunday, the 49ers can clinch, guarantee themselves, a playoff berth - 4 weeks before the season ends. While the 49ers wins haven't been flashy or pretty by any means, the niners know how to win games. Alex Smith, quarterback, is finally managing the game like a professional and that's largely due to Harbaugh's coaching style.

On the other side of the bay, the Oakland Raiders (7-4) are also having one of their most successful seasons in a long time. This season has been interesting for the Raiders to say the least. The Raiders began the season 4-2 and were beginning to look like a legitimate team. However in the seventh game of the season, quarterback Jason Campbell broke his colloarbone, thus preventing him from playing again for the entire season. The Raiders then immediately signed Carson Palmer, and it appeared that all was lost. In his first action with the Raiders, he threw three interceptions - in one half. In his next game, he lost to a Denver Bronco team once again throwing three interceptions. However, after time to gel with the team, Palmer has found his swagger and has led the Raiders to three consecutive wins and first place in the AFC West.

While the Raiders are currently playing well, their path to the playoffs will be much more difficult than that of the 49ers. The Raiders currently lead their division by one game over the very hot Denver Broncos. The Broncos play two more tough games and will probably finish the season 9-8. The Raiders, on the otherhand, will end the season against two playoff teams, Kansas City team that beat the Raiders, and a talented but underachieving San Diego squad. Despite having a much more difficult finishing schedule than the Broncos, I think the Raiders can win two of their final four games and will finish the season 10-6. If they finish 10-6, the Raiders will earn a playoff spot and will likely face the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, or the Cincinati Bengals. If they get the Steelers or Broncos, the Raiders will have a difficult time winning, but if they get the Bengals, they have a higher chance to win. This is because the Bengals have a young quarterback, and Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer last played for the Bengals and was furious with the way they treated him. Expect Palmer to play with extra fire.