By Zack Cimini

For whatever reason once the playoffs come it brings an excitement that is felt nationwide to avid sports fans. That extra adrenaline carries over to the players, and turns in some of the best performances of the entire season let alone playoffs. In so many past years we?ve seen players turn it up a notch, and carry their team on their back. Sometimes the athletes aren?t even a murmur of life that breakout on the radar in the playoffs. It?s happened every year, and some athletes that jump out are Zack Crockett (Chargers), and Lamar Smith?s incredible playoff record with 240 yards.

Maybe an athlete waits to turn it on until the playoffs, because it certainly seems like certain athletes choose when they want to step it up. How can an athlete all of the sudden go on a two to three week dominate run suddenly? You?d hope that?s not the case, but this year in the playoffs it is going to take that special athlete to carry his team. With all the talented teams in the playoffs, there will be a definite reshuffling of any individual?s playoff pool bracket. It?s amazing how 12 NFL teams can cause more confusion than 64 team?s in college basketball?s March Madness.

Here is a breakdown of the top five individual player?s that their respective team?s will be counting on (Manning, Brady, etc are obvious).

1. Randy Moss
The importance of Moss is the undeniable heart of the Vikings. Just take a look at how Culpepper tried to adjust without him for the stretch when Moss?s hamstring was hurt. The Vikings may have snuck into the playoffs with an embarrassing 8-8 record, but their record is misleading. They lost five games by four points or less, and two of them were against Green Bay. Moss?s integrity has been questioned often in his career, and it arose again this week when he walked off the field before the game was over. Moss just has a hard drive for winning games, and wants to do it. Lets not forget Moss was apart of the Vikings team that fell apart in the NFC championship game against Atlanta in 1998. Moss has been exposed to coming close, but that was seven years ago. This is a guy that?s hiding his anger extremely well, and lets it boil over on the field.

2. Donovan McNabb
McNabb is use to taking the weight on his shoulders, but this year it is more evident than ever. In the past he was able to do it with a weak supporting cast, but it was the same cast he dealt with from week one and beyond. Now without Terrell Owens, McNabb is being hounded daily with questions on how the Eagles are going to do it. With that fact being pounded in his head daily, and the Eagles getting rest it doesn?t bode well for McNabb. He may act in a professional manner in front of a camera, but behind it he knows that he is in an inopportune situation. The Eagles defense is solid, but it may not be strong enough to hold some of the NFC?s potent offenses.

3. Steelers Running Game
Throughout the entire season the talk has been about ?Big Ben?, but it has been the Steelers running game that has been the catalyst to this team. If Jerome Bettis or Duce Staley falter in the playoffs, than the Steelers are in trouble. To have to rely on Roeslinberger?s arm is a risk that Bill Cowher doesn?t want to take. Sure he has plenty of talented receivers, but you can bet defenses will throw different schemes to confuse him. The Steelers are 15-1 for a reason, but don?t be shocked if they are upset by the Colts in round two.

4. Ladainian Tomlinson
Drew Brees development has been 60-65 percent because of Tomlinson. When you have a running back that commands so much attention it?s only going to add confidence to your quarterback. The extra thoughts that are in the back of your head go away, because you always have that safety outlet in your star running back. The Chargers defense is improved especially on the defensive line, but if the Chargers are going to make noise they?ll need high offensive production. Every week Brees, Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates will need to have great outings. It starts off early for Tomlinson as he will be tested this week against the Jets solid defense. The Chargers built their franchise around Tomlinson five years ago, and it all comes full circle in the five year plan of where a franchise intends to be .

5. Mike Vick
Maybe the Falcons should have waited until the off season to offer Vick the biggest contract ever for a quarterback. On the flip side the Falcons may see it as an extra target for Vick?s attention to focus on. The pressure for Vick is old for him, as he has been facing it since his days at Virginia Tech. He shocked people a few seasons ago by defeating Green Bay at Lambeau Field, and that was suppose to carry over last year. Instead he was hurt, and that quickly faded off to be this season?s task. This Falcons team for the most part has the same players, and is ready to take on any opponent. Still Vick will need to showcase his arm more if the Falcons want to represent the NFC. If he can do that, the Falcons could have a great shot at winning the Super Bowl.

The off-season is just around the corner and for the Arizona Cardinals, the question is what to do about the quarterback situation.

Josh McCown has shown some upside as of late. In the St. Louis game two weeks ago, he looked solid, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another two.

Last Sunday against Seattle, however, he looked like a rookie again, making some questionable decisions at times. But then again, McCown threw three deep touchdown passes (two to Larry Fitzgerald and one to Anquan Boldin) that made him look like he actually has a bright future as the Cardinals starting quarterback.

Head Coach Dennis Green stated that McCown will indeed be the starting quarterback of the Cardinals next season. But then again, he also said that Pete Kendall would be the anchor of the offensive line before cutting the center in training camp.

As of right now, the Cardinals would own the seventh pick in the draft. The quarterback class of 2005 should be a weak one meaning if the Cardinals decide that McCown is not the future of this ball club, they will need to weigh their options heavily before investing millions of dollars on a top ten draft pick.

The free agent market isn?t much better.

If the Cardinals can develop a running game over the off-season, the offense will open up for McCown and he may work out after all.

At running back, the Cardinals have Marcell Shipp coming back next season. In 16 games last season, Shipp ran the ball 228 times for 830 yards. In 2002, Shipp ran the ball 188 times for 834 yards and six touchdowns. So his numbers aren?t all that bad, he just simply didn?t have the receiving threats that he will have complementing him next season.

If the Cardinals want to look elsewhere for a running back, Derrick Blaylock of Kansas City and Nick Goings of Carolina are restricted free agents; Kevin Faulk of New England and Reuben Droughns of Denver are both unrestricted free agents and Duce Staley of Pittsburgh is a free agent.

Coming out in the draft will be Cedric Benson, who had four straight seasons of over 1,000 yards rushing for Texas; Ronnie Brown, who can do it all from Auburn; and Carnell Williams of Auburn.

In my opinion, the Cardinals should draft a running back, perhaps Ronnie Brown, with their top ten pick. They should keep McCown and hope he can come out in 2005 with some poise running a wide open offense.

The Cardinals then need to seek a shut down cornerback in free agency. This off-season, Chris McAllister will be available via free agency, Champ Bailey will be a free agent, Troy Vincent will be available, and Charles Woodson will be an unrestricted free agent. If Dennis Green and the front office can come out aggressive this off-season and pick up a top tier cornerback, the Cardinals defense will improve drastically.

As of right now, the nucleus is there for the Cardinal defense. They have Bertrand Berry, who will be playing in the pro bowl this year, and Darnell Dockett, a rookie who showed signs that he will be a solid defensive tackle in the NFL, running the line. Carlos Dansby, who also showed signs of future greatness at linebacker and safety Adrian Wilson, who just signed a five year deal to remain an Arizona Cardinal, in the defensive backfield.

With a shut down corner and possibly another solid linebacker, which they should use their second round pick on, the Cardinals defense will be something to fear come next season.

Despite their 5-10 record heading into the final week of the season, the Cardinals showed some upside in the desert for the first time since 1998 when they last went to the playoffs. And as you can see, they are a mere three players away from becoming a playoff contender.

Now lets see if the front office can put their act together and take advantage of this upside.

By Zack Cimini

This is part two from the AFC outlook story posted on Monday. The NFC may have looked ugly all season long, but the wild card teams are loaded with talent and could shock people. Philadelphia and Atlanta definitely have a better shot at being knocked out than do New England or Pittsburgh.

NFC

1. Philadelphia
The Eagles may have lost on national tv, but there appears to be no apparent danger in front of them. Donovan McNabb led the Eagles on a touchdown on his only drive, and the majority of the players on the field from then on were second and third stringers. Andy Reid realizes has figured out a strategy after being in the NFC championship game many of times. You can tell that the Eagles have a swagger of confidence but yet are fully focused on their goals.

2. Atlanta
All of the talk in preseason was about Matt Schaub, and on Sunday he couldn?t get the job done against the Saints shaky defense. It just goes to show that Vick is this offense, and the whole DVD (Dunn, Vick, Duckett) package is going to need to be there for the Falcons to succeed. Even though they?ll get a bye, their playoff ride may be short lived if they have to face Green Bay or Minnesota.

3. Green Bay
Many people forget that this team was 1-4 at one point. It looked as if Brett Favre would finish this year on the pine, instead of having a competitive chance in January. The defense has been improving, and as long as Brett Favre limits his mistakes this team can beat any team. Favre gets a lot of the credit, but the truth is he is surrounded by tremendous talent. There isn?t another team that can say they have all three components like Favre does. He has a great offensive line, an All-Pro running back, and three top quality receivers. Their wild card matchup against Carolina or the Saints will be scarier than if they play the Falcons in the divisional round. For some reason you have the feeling that Favre and McNabb will get another shot at each other.

4. Seattle
It took awhile for the Seahawks to get in the playoffs but they did it, and now it?s a whole different ball game. In order for any advancement to be made, the Seahawks will need a fully healthy Matt Hasselbeck. Trent Dilfer may have been able to get the Ravens to the Super Bowl, but this defense isn?t even close to the ability of the 2000 Ravens. The luxury of having Shaun Alexander as their back may pay huge dividends in cold weather games. There isn?t a team that can?t stop him, and he has proved that with the most consistent year of any back.

5. Minnesota
The Vikings control their own destiny and shouldn?t have a problem defeating the Redskins to clinch the fifth seed. If it were to happen, we all know that their wild card game against Seattle will be a shootout. Randy Moss is back to his old form, and Michael Bennett is even getting involved with the offense. This team is always in games until the end, and that is always a beneficial plus come playoff time. As long as they have a healthy Randy Moss they are unlimited in what they can do.

6. Carolina
The winner of the Panthers or Saints game will get the last spot, and have a nice matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The Panthers are on a roll, and would present problems to any team with their defense. After starting 1-7, this team must feel that they?ve earned new life to respond to last year?s results. What was thought to be an improbable task could end up happening. It took this team awhile to make the transition of being without Stephen Davis or Deshaun Foster? so just imagine where they could have been? They would likely be in Atlanta?s spot with 11 to 12 wins. Never count out the heart of a champion as Rudy Tomjanovich has said, because this team is relentless.

It only took until the end of week sixteen to get a clear view of the outlook of the 2004 playoff run. With the varied level of teams the seedings are an important aspect of a team?s chances at succeeding. Even though a team may have clinched a third seed, it could present match up problems that wouldn?t have been there at the fourth seed. Excuses though aren?t going to get a true champion anywhere, and playing your strengths over your weaknesses is ultimately going to be the decider in any contest. The seedings are all but stable locks and now is the fun part where we can break down all presentable future matchups.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the NFC.

AFC

1. Pittsburgh Steelers-
It?s great when a veteran quarterback can sit back and accept the fact he has lost his job to a youngster. This situation is developing in the same shape of the Brady-Bledsoe encounter, as Tommy Maddox has shown veteran leadership to help develop Maddox. Roeslinberger?s rib injury shouldn?t be a factor with him not having to play for three weeks. With the advanced treatment for an athlete he should be 100 percent or fully protected with a device. Hopefully with Ben going down, other teams will take notice to not leave their starters out on the field to long in week seventeen. With clinched spots, there is no need to risk your team?s season after coming this far.

2. New England
Keeping the spotlight off himself, Tom Brady quietly macks on and off the field. All of the AFC talk has constantly been about stellar rookie Ben Roeslinberger and Peyton Manning with his record year. With their controlled style of play, there isn?t a team that can beat them if Brady stays away from mistakes. Sure they?ve added a January running back, but will their injuries on defense hurt them in shootouts.

3. Indianapolis
Any quarterback that waves the punting team off the field you would think is a cocky player. It?s the exact opposite with Manning though as he just wanted to win, and that move just pumped up his team even more. He doesn?t give a damn about any records, and they?d be worthless to him if he doesn?t win the Super Bowl. Dan Marino will tell you himself, that?d he give up all his records for a Super Bowl. If you?re the Colts you can?t help but look ahead to the future possible matchup against the Patriots in the divisional round. It?s the team that has had Manning?s number, and will be an ultimate fight until the end.

4. San Diego
A loss usually doesn?t bestow confidence in a team, but the Chargers have to be somewhat high on themselves going into the playoffs. They may have collapsed in the fourth quarter, but at least they know that they can go into Indianapolis with extreme confidence. Another great factor is that they have one of the best coaches in NFL history on their side in Marty Shottenheimer. They?ll get a tough draw on wild card weekend with a game against the Jets. It may be a trap game but the Chargers just will prove to have too much offensive firepower than the Jets.

5. New York Jets
The Jets have had a successful year but it just seems like they don?t have any room or talent to be a deciding factor this season. Chad Pennington is already starting to get the label for not being able to win big games, and all you have to do is look at the Jets losses for evidence. Losses to New England twice, Buffalo, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh all of which are playoff teams or contenders is a standout statistic. Plus they?ve had a lot of close wins against weak teams. In all honesty there are a few teams that will be left out that would serve a better shot at knocking off the stronghold AFC teams. They?ll have an immediate exit in the wild card weekend against the Chargers.

6. Buffalo
The Bills will need the Colts to beat the Broncos, and win against the Steelers to get in. The deciding factor will be how much the Steelers and Colts coaches will play their starters. Hopefully Buffalo can get in because they would be able to do more damage than the Broncos. The Bills would be riding a seven game winning streak, and clinch the idea of making the playoffs (Notjustagame.com November story). Willis McGahee is establishing the running game against every opponent, which has lead to Drew Bledsoe?s ability to hit rookie Lee Evans for nine touchdowns. The Bills 10-6 record is misleading considering they lost their first four games by close margins. Buffalo could definitely compete and have a great shot at knocking off the Colts in the wild card game.

By Zack Cimini

From a young age any prospective athlete is told to never give up on their ambitions of being an athlete. The stories of Jordan not making the team as a sophomore are always brought up, and it inspires kids to work harder. Well there is a new success story in the Cardinals own Bertrand Berry, who earned a Pro Bowl selection for his great season.

Berry was first drafted by the Colts in 1997 as a linebacker, and was a part of the early Manning years when the defense was horrible. After three seasons the Colts gave up on him, and he also was cut from Rams training camp. So during that year out of football he got physically stronger, which enabled him to use his quickness and convert to a new position as a defensive end.

The adjustment paid immediate dividends, as it didn?t take long for him to establish himself with the Denver Broncos. In his contract season last year he had 11.5 sacks, which made him unrealizable for the Broncos to keep. So the Cardinals used their cap room, and got a bargain deal for the caliber player Berry is. These small types of moves are what are starting to turn the Cardinals franchise around. Expect more and more Cardinals names to be added to the Pro Bowl in the next couple of seasons.

By Zack Cimini

Who would have thought that the Arizona Cardinals would still be alive for the playoffs with a 6-9 record? Well, no one but the minimal chance of it happening is a likelihood with the way the Seahawks and Rams are playing. If the Cardinals defeat the Seahawks on Sunday, they would have the tiebreaker over the Seahawks and Rams by virtue of their head to head matchups. The bottom line is that this division is appalling and degrading to the NFL. Every team has been inconsistent, and will likely get blown out in the wild card round. On the reverse side each team has scary talent that could overwhelm an opposing NFC team that comes in unprepared. Another unbelievable outlook is that this division could get the wild card sixth seed as well.

The Cardinals had the best opportunity but dwindled it with poor decisions by Dennis Green. Add to that two losses to the 49ers that could have easily been two Cardinals wins, and you have a team that should?ve finished with nine to ten wins. When you?re struggling, poor decisions are all a part of the transformation when you are trying to assess your teams talents. The media wants to put the blame on Dennis Green, but earlier in the year the Cardinals were winning ugly because of McCown?s ineffectiveness. In fact if it weren?t for their defense, they would have lost many games early on in the year. It just so happens that McCown has had a two fold season, and is finishing out the year well.

Dennis Green hasn?t spoken about his miscue, but in his demeanor you can tell that he learned a lesson. Risk taking is all a part of being a leader and that?s the responsibility of a coach. If Shaun King or John Navarre would have revitalized the Cardinals, Green would?ve been praised nationally. Quietly though it gave more hunger for McCown who has put up two solid performances, and is starting to develop a nice chemistry with rookie receiver Larry Fitzgerald. McCown had a total of four touchdowns (two rushing) on Sunday in a dominant performance over the Rams. Even if the Cardinals don?t make the playoffs, they should have tremendous confidence heading into next season.

St. Louis finishes up at the Eagles and then the following week against the Jets. These two games will test the Rams heart, because one win and they?re almost a lock for a wild card spot if not the division. Seattle has squandered too many chances this year, and the fumble has been picked up by St. Louis. The Eagles have come away with two ugly wins, and if the Rams play anywhere near their capability they should be able to win against the Eagles. The problem is the Rams haven?t been playing well offensively, and just are making inexcusable mistakes. With Terrell Owens more than likely out next week, it all plays in the favor of the Rams. So how bad do they want it?

Seattle?s play is a little reminiscent of the New Orleans Saints. One week they look like a team that could be one of the NFL?s best, and the next they look like duds. All in all the high expectations of the Seahawks coming into this season, could still be a possibility. A successful season means nothing, it is all about the playoffs. It doesn?t matter if you have a 14-2 season, opposed to a 9-7 season if you can get to the Super Bowl. The talent level of this team is right up their with the Eagles, but they just don?t want it as bad as other teams do. That type of play is what drives coaches like Bill Parcells nuts, and leads to ugly disputes amongst the team.

All three of these franchises are headed in different directions. The Rams appear to be in the worst situation, with decisions to make on Mike Martz and the future of Marshall Faulk. Seattle just needs to improve their defense in the off season, and keep their mold together offensively. Arizona obviously needs to decide what they are going to do at quarterback, and let Emmitt Smith return to Dallas. In two seasons this division will be a definite strong hold in the NFC, and this year will be an after thought.