NFL Q&A, Playoff Edition

The NFL's second season begins with even more questions to answer than before the regular season started. But before we get to the playoffs, some time has to be spent on a guy who spends more time at the NFL draft than Mel Kiper.

After the 2000 season, the Detroit Lions were on the cusp of being an above-average team. A 54-yard field goal in the final game of that season kept the Lions home that winter, and to poeticize, they have been stuck in the cold ever since.

Matt Millen was hired that offseason to install the winning ways that aided him in his playing days. Millen was on the winning end of four Super Bowls throughout his career. Detroit, conversely, had only won one playoff game since 1957.

The experiment has been an utter catastrophe.

Millen has led Detroit to the worst record in the league in his tenure, more losses than two expansion teams, the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. An astounding record of 24-72.

With terrible records usually come great draft picks. In the first round, Millen has done nothing of note, except draft three straight receivers in the first round. Only one, Roy Williams, has panned out as of yet.

It is odd that coaches have come and gone, players have changed addresses, but yet Detroit continues to lose. What will it take to prove the problem lies in the front office? Fans to walk out of games ... check. Players to question his GM ability ... check.

This week, he emphatically stated he will never quit. For the fans of Detroit, as long as Millen is running your personnel decisions, you can quit hoping for a playoff run.

Other Thoughts From This Season

Mike Shannahan, tie, and you're in the playoffs ... go for the win? This has talked about to death. Find me one NFL coach who would have played to tie, and I'll show you a coach out of work.

New England Patriots, ask Tom Brady to take a pay cut, then sign ... nobody? The Patriots are pulling a Minnesota Timberwolves and putting their best player around inferior talent. Lucky for him, unlike Kevin Garnett, he's won a couple rings, but his season ends before a trip to Miami.

Carolina Panthers ... Super Bowl runner-ups '03, '04: 7-9, '05: NFC championship runner-ups, '06: 8-8, '07: playoff team? Who knows what to think of this team? Jake Delhomme has been outed as a below-average quarterback, the defense played inconsistent all year, so is it the game plan, coach?

Miami Dolphins ... Got a coach? One of the most storied franchises in NFL history has never been the same since Don Shula left. Now Nick Saban has left the NFL to go to college, when's the last time any coach did that?

Donovan McNabb ... what are you thinking right now?

The Eagles, on the other hand, have a serious shot at an NFL crown. Yes, I'm bias, as anyone who read my predictions column can attest to, but it is not that far-fetched considering how much parity exists in the NFC this year.

Saturday's game features two teams going the wrong way down a one-way street. The Cowboys, losers of three of their last four, have come down to earth since winning four straight during Tony Romo's "Pro Bowl" period. The defense looked absolutely befuddled against Detroit in the season finale, and have given up a league-high 132 points to close out its last four games.

Seattle? Well, let's just put it this way, the Seahawks gave up more points then they scored this year. The defending NFC champions also have lost three of their last four, including a defeat at the hands of Arizona, and a completed sweep by the 49ers. Seattle has given the ball away eight more times this year than they have recovered, all leading to what will be an absolute shoot-out.

Seattle is at home with two of the best players in the NFC in their backfield in Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck, and those two will prove to be the difference as Seattle holds court to move on and end a wild season for the Cowboys, who have 79 million reasons to want to play next year.

In the other NFC matchup, the resurgent Philadelphia Eagles, behind veteran Jeff Garcia, take on division rival New York Giants. The two teams split the season series, and both teams are headed in different directions.

The Giants started off the year hot, finishing off the first half of the season at 6-2. The problem is, the G-Men finished off the year 2-6. Eli Manning has been exposed as an average quarterback who makes too many bad decisions. Luckily for New York, they have Tiki Barber playing in his last season. Tom Coughlin will live and die with Barber, holding Manning's hand in the process.

While the offense has been more than up to the task, the defense has been injury-ridden to the point that the word on the street is Jim Burt is dusting off his sweats to get back in there. Okay, that might be a stretch, but so is New York's defense. The Giants have allowed 107 points in their past four games — fourth-worst in the league. They've allowed 399.3 yards per game in that span — the second-worst average.

Philly on the other hand has been rolling, winning five straight, including defeats over Dallas and New York both on the road. But to not jinx the team I root for, and let subjectivity rule my pen, I'll leave it at that, and let the stats speak for themselves.

In the AFC, someway or another the gods smiled down and granted Kansas City an improbable playoff berth. Then, to sweeten the deal, the Chiefs got the Indianapolis Colts and the worst rush defense in the NFL. The game plan for both is simple. KC wants to run the ball down Indy's throat, mimicking the thumping Jacksonville laid on the Colts earlier this year. Indy hopes to get up big early, and take away Larry Johnson from the equation.

They say defense wins in the playoffs, that's why the Colts keep losing. I say Peyton Manning chokes in the big games, and with a terrible defense, allowing 109 points over the past four games, more than any team in the AFC over that span, the Chiefs pull off the upset and win one for Lamar Hunt.

On Sunday, it's another tasty matchup as the Jets and Eric Mangini take on his mentor, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots. If you haven't heard Mangini's story as to how he came an NFL head coach, I suggest you do. It is a testament to hard work and dedication. Nobody expected the Jets to be here, including me, and as much as I like the Jets and all they have accomplished this year, it's hard to go against, Belichick, Tom Brady, and the experience the Patriots bring to the table.

The two teams split the series, but the postseason is something different, and Mangini will get a view from a different room, to why Belichick and the Patriots have been so successful this decade.

The Patriots move on and visit Baltimore. San Diego hosts division rival Kansas City.

Philadelphia visits New Orleans. Soldier Field and Chicago welcome Seattle.

And, this just in, Matt Millen has drafted Calvin Johnson ... it could happen.