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You know their faces. You know the smell of their sweat. You even know the size of their jock strap (eek). 2007 was then… 2008 is now! There’s only one post season. There’s only one wild card weekend. There’s only ONE JANUARY! Several annoying Dane Cook commercials later, we are finally at the precipice of playoff football. 12 teams. 5 weeks. 1 Super Bowl (Damn that Dane Cook, he’s got me monologuing again).

Not since the 90s in the heyday of Steve Young, Jim Kelly, and Troy Aikman have we seen a “star-studded” playoff bracket like this. With 4 elite teams, led by a Hollywood-like cast of 4 exceptionally talented Hall-of-Fame quality QBs in the same post season like the aforementioned all-time greats, and at least 2 spry dark horse contenders it’s setting up to be an exciting month of football. It’s also no coincidence that Tony Romo, Brett Favre, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning lead those very 4 elite teams that are heavy favorites to meet in their respective conference championships to decide who has the right to go to the Super Bowl. It’s also no coincidence that though all 4 teams are led by suave gunslinging signal callers, the Cowboys, Packers, Patriots and Colts also boast very good championship-caliber defenses. I won’t mince words, any one of these teams (barring upsets which are very possible of course) could easily be your next Vince-Lombardi-Trophy-fingerprint-embedder. Strength-wise all 4 possess potent passing games, with the Cowboys and Patriots possibly having the best of the four, and two of the best WRs this season. The Cowboys and Colts would own the better two rushing attacks with only the Colts the only ones who actually know this and the only ones who actually make a conscious effort to keep defenses honest with their running game. Even without pass-rushing specialist Dwight Freeney, the Colts would also possess the best overall defense in terms of creating turnovers, aggressiveness, and overall balance. The Packers themselves would strike me as the one team with no one glaring weakness as RB Ryan Grant has assured the Cheeseheads will not be a one-dimensional team offensively. It’s very peculiar of me to say this as the Patriots are of course the only undefeated team. By all accounts they should be the most perfect, balanced, badass-go-ahead-and-print-up-the-T-Shirts-Super-Bowl-champs. However I still will not back off my stance (after stubbornly still picking them to lose since week 10) that their D is suspect (slow LBs), their running game nothing special if not at the very least better than average, and the enormous heaps of pressure that orbits this team throughout the post season due to historical implications. Their passing game alone keeps them in games, keeps them from being blown out, and also allows them to blow their opponents out of the water. It is very impressive, from Brady’s impeccable reading of defenses, to Wes Welker’s crisp inside possession routes, to Randy Moss’s freakish athletic ability combined with his talent alongside Donte Stallworth’s in stretching the field. In cold weather, and against aggressive blitzing defenses however, we’ve seen what it can do to the passing game. If they have any hopes of getting the job done, the running game will have to step up as it is very capable. Whatever the case, it will sure to be a very interesting rematch were they to see the Colts again.

Moving on to the rest of the playoff (less media-hyped) contenders, in my honest and unqualified opinion, your best bet for one and done will be:

- the New York Football Giants: something about Eli Manning and playoffs just doesn’t instill confidence.

- Washington Redskins: great story, great end to the season, they are the one team no one wants to play (you’ve got to love having that tag when you’re the underdog), however I have a feeling this emotional roller coaster can only take them so far. They have a great D, good running game, everything you need to win in the playoffs, but as great as Todd Collins has been, I think we’ve seen his peak.

- Tennessee Titans: What’s amazing is that it seems Vince Young has taken a step back in his sophomore year, yet the Titans made the playoffs. It’s a testament to Jeff Fisher’s coaching acumen and the strength of their D. Unfortunately thats about all they have going for them.

- Pittsburgh Steelers: After a fast start, the losses started to pile up and the chinks in the armor started to show. The O-line has given up too many sacks, and the loss of Willie Parker for a run-oriented offense cannot be good news for this team.

The next team I would crumple in with the one and doners, only that they play the Titans and since there’s only one January, only one team can go home, sooo…

- San Diego Chargers: For the same reasons I have little faith in Eli Manning, applies here to Phillip Rivers. Ironic that they were drafted in the same class and swapped for each other. I wonder if they switched places at the beginning of the year, would their teams have the same record? LaDainian Tomlinson could will them to go far, but how much longer until they remember Norv Turner is their coach?

My dark horses, teams that have the talent, pretty solid defense, and intangibles to go deep: (in fact it has dawned on me that all 12 teams in the playoffs all field really solid to good defenses, so it stands to show what you need to have a chance of sniffing the playoffs)

- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: very stout defense, should be well-rested as they started their “tanking” in week 16, and led by a veteran in Jeff Garcia (who by the way wins the ugliest man with hottest wife award) I also would like to see what Jon Gruden is capable of returning to his first playoff since winning the Super Bowl in 2003. After being dubbed one of the great young head coaches in the league, it is not too late for him to live up to that moniker.

- Seattle Seahawks: everyone is writing them off, or just largely ignoring them, but this is essentially the same team 2 years removed from the Super Bowl. The fact that they may not lean as heavily on Shaun Alexander (which may be a blessing in disguise as he is overrated in my under appreciated opinion) may help them in the long run as long as Hasselbeck doesn’t turn the ball over. Their D has also been under the radar but how much of that is contributed to playing in the weak NFC West will be determined this weekend.

The last team falls under the category of dark horse, but since everyone is so “chic” on them, we’ll call them my “slightly-tan-horse”:

- Jacksonville Jaguars: Suffocating defense, check. Superb running game, check. Quarterback that doesn’t turn over the ball, check. Team chemistry, check. Ability to win on the road or dead of winter, check. Head coach that MAY not make stupid calls that will ultimately cost the game, check.

Let’s face it, though any of these teams (even the one and doners) may have the “juevos” to upset one of the elitists as well as every right to advance to the Super Bowl, America doesn’t want to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hate them or love them, we want to see Dallas vs. New England, Dallas vs. Indianapolis, or Green Bay vs. New England, even Green Bay vs. Indianapolis. Hollywood endings be damned, it will be one exciting playoff series nevertheless. Personally I pick the uber-talented (homer pick) Dallas Cowboys to win over the Indianapolis Colts. Remember there’s only ONE January! (at least in 2008)

Happy New Year!