Prediction: After looking like the second coming of Jesus Christ, Buddha and Voltron combined, Michael Vick will have a pedestrian outing against the Giants D. Yeah, the one that just got their butts handed to them by the Cowboys.

Everything is week to week this year. This week you're a golden god, next week you're a bum.

Hey you're back! Woo Hoo!

Then you tease us about baseball in your 1st article back. Alas, it's about football.

Voltron... now that's an old school analogy from the Transformers aye carumba!

Anyway, it's good to have you back Peter!

Also, you need to get on the Jayson Werth bandwagon! I think I am the only one clammoring for him. It's my opinion that if we get him, the O's could do a trade with the Mets or Royals for some players! Up to and including Greinke or Reyes from the Mets

And if you can please advise Buck Showalter not to hire John Russell! Please have him reconsider that and to do what he can to get Damon Berryhill to move across this great Country from California to Baltimore!

Sorry...can't read your column....

I'm on vacation....................

Sorry...can't read your column....

I'm on vacation....................

Posted by: Bob F.

Snippy Snippy!

But you found time to post......

We can thank Pete "Any given Sunday" Rozelle for this. With a financial even playing field, it's almost impossible for the NFL to have a dominant team. It comes down to the individual teams doing the right thing, and most do.

So while some of us might miss teams like the 70s Steelers or the undefeated Dolphins or the 85 Bears, the flip side is, like Pete's piece said, complete unpredictability. A by product of that, though, is, unfortunately, total mediocrity. But at least your team has a chance when ever it steps on the field.

Glad you're back, Mr. Schmuck. Can't wait for the baseball bloggers to start and I look forward to my annual battles with wayne, blancione, a couple of others whose names escape me, I even look forward to brain games with the rodent.

I just hope MacPhail gives some ammunition with which to work.

All hail Garret Atkins!

"the two wild card spots will likely come down to the second-place team in the North and either the Titans or Dolphins."

Hey Pete,

Don't you mean that the second place in the AFC North will get one wild card and the second place team in the East will get the other. Seeing as the Jets and Pats are currently tied for the best record in the AFC, one would figure the loser of that horse race would get a wild card spot, rather than the Titans or now qb-less Dolpins.

Glad your back. This place was too quiet w/out you!

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Pete's reply: I guess if I was going to cover my rear, I'd say I am not sold on the Jets, but I basically just had a mind cramp.

"Who Let The dogs OUT?!?!?, Why it wasn't #7! He killed them!

Hey Peter, I know you were on vacation when this happened. Still I am surprised no one from the Sun wrote a piece on Dave Niehaus. He was a good announcer as well as a good guy.

Also, yes Ken I look forward to the debates! I just hope you know who you're dealing with....hehehehe lol.

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Pete's reply: Yes, Dave was a prince and a Hall of Famer. I was not in a position to do a tribute piece on him, but certainly agree with you that he will be missed.

Peter -- I can only conclude that there is more parity (mediocrity?) this year in the NFL than in any I can recall OR there are an inordinate amount of games being thrown this year (LOL).

So, if I'm from Detroit, should I gird my lions?

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Pete's reply: No, but you should be ashamed of yourself.

John Boy asks: So, if I'm from Detroit, should I gird my lions?

If I'm from Baltimore and want to know when my team will win another Super Bowl, should I call them the Nevars?

Yes, rodent, I know with whom I am dealing. And, while I think of it, will you have one of your cousins stop pestering me? He sits outside my window sill all night long, just tapping on the glass, tap,tap, tap....drives me batty(another rodent, BTW).

Let the games begin!

I read the article. Wow. I thought the FOX pre-game crew saying Cleveland was going to make a playoff run was jumping the shark.

First, how can you look at the standings and remaining schedules and say that the 2nd place teams in the AFC East and North aren't going to be heavy favorites to be wild cards? It's probably going to take 11 wins to get a wild card in the AFC unless two of these four teams - Ravens, Steelers, Jets and Pats - all fall apart.

Looking at the teams remaining schedules, the only team that has a legit shot at POSSIBLY stealing a wild card spot is Kansas City because their schedule is so bad. Of course, they screwed that up by losing to Denver and Oakland. Jacksonville might have an outside long shot as well. But for either of those teams to get to 11 wins, they can only take one loss the rest of the year.

Tennesse is a train wreck at QB and still has two games with Indy and Houston, and plays Jacksonville, KC, and Washington. If a team that has lost to Denver and can't beat Miami after they lost two QBs is going to get through that schedule with only one loss I'm going to be shocked.

For Miami to have any chance to 11-5, they're probably going to have to beat both the Jets and New England on the road. Worse for them is they lose head-to-head with Baltimore and Pittsburgh in any tiebreak. Then add in the fact that at the moment they're down two QB's. It's not happening.

As for Oakland, here is the your dark horse's remaining schedule: @PIT, MIA, @SD, @JAC, DEN, IND, @KC

Do you really think they can go 6-1 or even 5-2 with that schedule? C'mon. They might be an outright favorite in one of those games.

Barring a miracle or a collapse, it's going to be NE, NYJ, PIT, BAL, AFC South champion and AFC West champion.

Sorry, Peter - but you got this one wrong.

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Pete's reply: Mark, I have to admit, you're right. I whiffed on that. My bad. Jet lag, I guess.

I think that you're correct that among the handful of playoff level teams, it's pretty hard to find a single standout. They have all had head scratching losses and I think one major reason is overall lack of depth. The talent is spread so thin that every team is vulnerable if any of 4 or 5 starters gets hurt. Adding two more games is only going to exacerbate the problem so that by the time the playoffs actually take place, many of the teams will be so banged up it will defeat the whole purpose of having a playoff system to determine who's best. It's more like; who can survive?