by John Czarnecki

NFL Week 17

Week 17 action

Vikings 20, Giants 19 -- Recap | Box
Panthers 33, Saints 31 -- Recap | Box
Packers 31, Lions 21 -- Recap | Box
Falcons 31, Rams 27 -- Recap | Box
Texans 31, Bears 24 -- Recap | Box
Patriots 13, Bills 0 -- Recap | Box
Colts 23, Titans 0 -- Recap | Box
Steelers 31, Browns 0 -- Recap | Box
Raiders 31, Bucs 24 -- Recap | Box
Bengals 16, Chiefs 6 -- Recap | Box
Eagles 44, Cowboys 6 -- Recap | Box
Dolphins 24, Jets 17 -- Recap | Box
49ers 27, Redskins 24 -- Recap | Box
Ravens 27, Jaguars 7 -- Recap | Box
Cardinals 34, 'Hawks 24 -- Recap | Box
Chargers 52, Broncos 21 -- Recap | Box


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Analysis

• Marvez: Mangini should blame Favre
• Whitlock: It's all about character

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Video

• NFL on Fox: Scariest playoff team?
• NFL on Fox: NFC playoff preview

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Photos

• NFL Week 17 snapshots
• NFL cheerleaders
• Worst teams ever
• NFL year in photos

But while talking up the NFC, Seattle was the one exception. The Seahawks were never in the game against the Bills in Buffalo and that was rather shocking. Seattle looked primed to win a fifth straight NFC West title, but their offensive line was very average and Matt Hasselbeck definitely was pretty average. He missed too much work with his young receiving corps and relied too much on Nate Burleson. Seattle might really be coming back to the pack in the West, and that means, maybe, that the Arizona Cardinals, the lone unbeaten team in the division, have a real shot at replacing them.

OK, one weekend doesn't make a season. But the Rams figure to be awful this season and the 49ers could be right behind them, once the J.T. O'Sullivan experiment implodes. But the rest of the NFC looks solid. The East, the South and the North. Who knows about the Lions? Jon Kitna has always been an average quarterback to me and he lost to a rookie in Atlanta. That says it all.

Garcia is no Favre

For the past month, all I have been hearing is how upset Jeff Garcia is with Jon Gruden and the Bucs for pursuing Brett Favre. Well, Garcia should quit whining. Enough of the crying. The Bucs probably would have beaten the Saints if Favre had replaced Garcia this season. Favre has a much better arm and he might have made a throw to make Joey Galloway more effective against the Saints.

I know Garcia led the Bucs to the playoffs last season, but like Michael Strahan said, the Giants really weren't afraid of losing to him last January. The Bucs offered basically the same trade that the Jets finally did for Favre, except the Jets went the extra mile, giving up a third-round pick if they make the playoffs. The Bucs would go only as high as a fourth-rounder. They should have offered more and made the decision tougher for the Packers.

Based on one Sunday, Favre can still wing it downfield and Garcia really can't. Yes, Garcia is a solid quarterback, but not one that will take the Bucs back to the promised land, the Super Bowl in their home stadium this season. Tampa Bay has enough pieces to win this season, and they should have gambled more on Favre. It's amazing what one player can do for an offense.

Who will take charge of the AFC?

It is too early to say the Jacksonville Jaguars are overrated, but they were beaten by Tennessee on Sunday. Who knows, the entire AFC South may be turned upside down after the Colts were whipped by the Bears.

The big thing was that Jacksonville was supposed to be the team bringing pressure this season. But David Garrard was sacked seven times while Vince Young was caught only once. That is not a good indicator of things to come. Yes, the Titans won because Kerry Collins found tight end Bo Scaife on a 44-yard reception after Vince Young left with a sprained knee. The Jaguars still need ex-Raider Jerry Porter to help Garrard open up the offense. And there is plenty of time for that.

The Browns, probably the most-hyped team in the offseason, were brought crashing back to earth by the Cowboys. We all expected a big Dallas win, and now the Browns must regroup and figure out how to beat Pittsburgh once again. One good thing for Cleveland, the AFC North may be a two-team race: the Browns and Steelers. The Bengals appear hopeless and Baltimore is a year away.

Tom Brady wasn't the only QB to go down with a knee injury in Week 1. Vince Young left the Titans' game against Jacksonville. (John Russell / Associated Press)

More QB pain for owners to ponder

The NFL owners may want to rethink expanding the regular season while shrinking the preseason. Last year, two-thirds of the teams needed two or more quarterbacks to finish their seasons. You add two more regular-season games and how many more quarterbacks will get hurt? Look at Tom Brady. He didn't play in the preseason and went down in the first half. Vince Young left with a knee sprain and Kansas City lost Brodie Croyle with a bruised A-C joint in this throwing shoulder.

The league's defenses are tough on quarterbacks. The whole idea is to knock them down and, hopefully, knock them out. That's why men like Brady, Favre and both of the Mannings are paid a lot of money. You can't win without a very good (and healthy) quarterback.

Yes, there are enough football players to fill out NFL rosters in the future, but I'm not sure there are ever enough quarterbacks. What I mean is very good quarterbacks. Too many college teams like using a quarterback who can run and pass. Outside of Michael Vick and Young, the NFL prefers a pocket passer, one who has good enough feet to escape the pressure. Whenever the NFL starts playing an 18-game season, I doubt there will be many great quarterbacks standing.

Panthers missed Jake

I always thought it made no sense to say that Carolina coach John Fox and GM Marty Hurney deserved to be on the hot seat this season. Can I say Jake Delhomme? The Panthers weren't going to win last season without Delhomme and with Julius Peppers pulling a disappearance act. Just like Favre, Delhomme ignites the Panthers. He's a leader with a lot of spunk and poise.

I had never heard of Dante Rosario until Sunday. The fifth-round pick out of Oregon last year simply caught the game-winning touchdown as time expired to upset the hometown Chargers. Rosario finished with seven catches for a game-high 96 yards. It was the only touchdown pass Delhomme threw, but he showed so much poise and guts on that final drive. Yes, two Chargers should have intercepted that final pass, but they didn't.

The mighty Chargers sacked Delhomme only once and let's face it, the Panthers came west without their best player, suspended receiver Steve Smith. This was a super victory and the Panthers, with a powerful offensive line, have a quarterback and two solid running backs. When they get Smith back, look out!