In the AFC Championship Game, the upstart New York Jets were able to contain the 2009 NFL MVP, albeit for one quarter. The league’s number one defense actually sacked Manning on consecutive offensive plays over two series and at one point in the second quarter, the Jets led 17-6. Answering a Jay Feeley field goal, Manning sliced through Gang Green’s secondary to cut into the deficit at the half to four points.

While Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez (17 for 30, 257 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) played extremely well, the offense could not get going and went scoreless in the second half. At the same time, the Colts controlled the pace and Manning had his way. He threw for 377 yards and three scores to three different receivers in Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark en route to the 30-17 victory.

The Superdome hosted the NFC Championship Game and what was expected to be a close shootout between two offensive juggernauts in the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings did not disappoint. Brett Favre came out slinging as expected, as did Drew Brees. At half time, the score was even at 14 and although they had four turnovers, the Vikes were very much in the game and actually were in position to win the game in the waning seconds. But a penalty for too many men in the huddle set them back five yards, setting up a third down. Instead of calling a conservative run to set up a long field goal attempt, Minnesota elected to throw.

Favre rolled to his right out of the pocket and threw into double coverage across his body. On cue, the ball was picked off and we were headed into the extra stanza. For all the great things that Favre (28 for 46, 310 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions) has done in 19 NFL seasons, he has a tendency to make a terrible decision at the worst time. It happened in the playoffs before, against the Giants and Eagles.

The Saints won the coin toss and went on a drive that seemed to go on forever due to three booth reviews. Garrett Hartley nailed a 40-yard field goal and there was happiness in the bayou.

Super Bowl XLIV will be an interesting affair, one that will pit an old dog that has been there/done that in Manning and a bunch of wide-eyed Saints. Expect a lot of offense in this one, so take the over.

On Saturday, the New Orleans Saints rebounded after a lackluster end of the regular season with a convincing 45-14 knockout of the Arizona Cardinals. last season’s NFC representative in the Super Bowl. Reggie Bush scored two touchdowns as the Superdome rocked and rolled. Not much of a surprise there, as the Saints were expected to dispel of a team that may have still been showing the affects of an exhausting overtime win against Green Bay the week before.

That evening, the Baltimore Ravens were ousted by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, 20-3. They took a two-touchdown lead at half time and coasted the rest of the way. Three turnovers did the Ravens in, setting up Indy to play host next weekend one game away from Super Bowl XLIV. Although they played extremely well in taking out the Patriots in the Wild Card round, Baltimore was clearly outclassed versus a well-rested Colts squad.

On Sunday, Brett Favre turned back the clock and led his new team to the conference championship. The 40-year-old former Packer and Jet threw for four touchdowns (three to Sidney Rice) to lead the Minnesota Vikings to the 34-3 victory over Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones’ boys may have exorcised some December (and early January) demons by winning their division and then dispatching the Eagles, but were never even competitive in the dome.

Saving the best for last, the game of the weekend came in San Diego pitting the Chargers against the upstart New York Jets. Given no chance to move on, the Jets came out and played the 11-win Bolts tooth-and nail. They trailed by a mere seven points heading into the locker room and were clearly the team ‘hanging around’ against a formidable opponent.

Jay Feeley hit a 46-yard field goal to cut into the lead during the third quarter. Then the turning point in the game occurred towards the end of the quarter. The Jets downed a punt deep in the Chargers zone and a few plays later, Philip Rivers was intercepted by Jim Leonhard. A Chargers personal foul moved the ball inside the 10 at the start of the final stanza, which set up Mark Sanchez’s two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller and a 10-7 advantage.

Sanchez is not the only Jet rookie to be making a name for himself in the postseason, as running back Shonn Greene had another 100-yard performance and a long run for a score. He scampered 53 yards to give the Jets a 10-point lead with 7:26 left in the game. San Diego scored with 2:14 left when Rivers dove in from a yard out, but Kerry Rhodes recovered Nate Keading’s onside kick. The game wasn’t decided until Thomas Jones moved the chains on fourth and one with 1:09 left in the contest.

Keading, the AFC’s Pro Bowl representative, had a forgettable day with three missed field goals (36, 57 and 40 yards), which opened the door that the Jets kicked in on their way to Indianapolis for their first appearance in the AFC Championship Game since 1998.

Say what you want about the Jets and their outspoken rookie head coach, but Rex Ryan will have another week in the spotlight to psyche up his charges. The strategy has clearly worked and this team is going into Indy believing in themselves.

When the two teams met up in Week 16, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell pulled Manning in the third quarter with a 15-10 lead. The Jets rallied against back-up quarterback Lance Painter and that began their ascent towards where they are today. Once again, the Jets will be heavy underdogs and that is exactly the way they like it.

It had been a full decade since the Giants had appeared in a Super Bowl, and after missing the playoffs the previous two years, head coach Jim Fassel guaranteed that his 7-4 team (at the time) after two home losses, would make the playoffs. The Giants responded by winning their final five regular season games to clinch the NFC’s top seed. However, many thought that the Giants wouldn’t be able to slow down the high-powered, second-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the 200 NFC championship game, on January 14, 2001. Although the Giants would get blown out by Baltimore, 34-7, in Super Bowl XXXV, they not only reached that game by slowing down Minnesota, but they completely shut the Vikings down, and shut them out. In a game they could have won 80-0 if they wanted to, the Giants completely dominated Minnesota on both sides of the ball in a 41-0 thrashing, after leading 34-0 at halftime. Vikings’ star wide receiver Randy Moss called it “the worst defeat in his life.” Though, stay tuned for later in the list for one that might have been tougher for Moss to swallow, even if the score was a lot closer.

#9) 2009: The Knicks Slowly Returning To Relevance

After the Knicks achieved much success in the 1990’s, but finished that decade the same way they completed the 1980’s –- without an NBA title — former Knicks’ head coach Jeff Van Gundy could see the Knicks’ impending decline coming well in advance. With the Knicks still over .500 (10-9), just 19 games into the 2000-2001 NBA season, Van Gundy resigned on December 8, 2001. The Knicks proved Van Gundy’s prophecy correct, going 22-43 after Van Gundy stepped aside, to finish that season 32-50 while failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 24 seasons. From that point, the Knicks, despite being the most highly valued NBA franchise financially, have remained irrelevant in the NBA. However, as the decade winds down, there appear to be real signs that the Knicks might finally be turning the corner back on the road to relevance and respectability –- which would be great for both city which houses basketball’s mecca, and for the NBA, which has always considered New York its biggest market. On April 2, 2008, the Donnie Walsh era began, and the Knicks have since been pointed in a better direction. By no means has Walsh made all of the perfect moves since he’s joined the Knicks, and he certainly has plenty of work still cut out for him. But, with the firing of former GM and head coach Isaiah Thomas, and the hiring of current Knicks’ head coach Mike D’Antoni, Walsh has given the Knicks something they had lacked since the 1990’s –- an actual working blueprint for restoring success to the franchise. Walsh was been able to effectively clear cap space to possibly bring in top free agents, while developing a young core of supporting talent. While about half of the current team will likely not be part of the team next season, there are still several players on one of the NBA’s youngest rosters who will be part of the future and who have given reason for hope. With those players contributing significantly after a 1-9 start (tying the worst in franchise history) en route to a 3-14 mark through November, the Knicks are 9-5 in the final month of the decade, with one very winnable game left New Jersey before 2010. And, they’re no longer simply trying to outscore teams under D’Antoni, as they’ve returned to their 1990’s roots, holding teams under 100 points in their past 11 games, while compiling a 7-4 record during that stretch.

Week 4

CONTENDERS:

#1  NEW ORLEANS SAINTS                   4-0              Wk 3:  #1                  Wk 4: Beat NY Jets, 24-10

The Saints remain at #1 for the third straight week, and they’re starting to become more of a complete team each week. We knew they could pass, but they’ve shown a strong running game and a great defense, too.

#2  NEW YORK GIANTS              4-0               Wk 3:  #2               Wk 4: Won at Kansas City, 27-16

Steve Smith has emerged as the go-to receiver the Giants were seeking. Hakeem Nicks showed why the Giants used a 2009 number one pick on him, burning the Chiefs for his first career touchdown on Sunday. And, the D has been strong.

#3  INDIANAPOLIS COLTS           4-0               Wk 3:  #5               Wk 4: Beat Seattle, 34-17

Like a fine wine, Peyton Manning is getting better with age. Four 300-yards games in four games, all Colts’ wins, 9 TD’s and only 3 picks. Very impressive, even by Manning’s standards. Indy can all but end the Titans’ season on Sunday.

#4  MINNESOTA VIKINGS            4-0               Wk 3:  #7               Wk 4: Beat Green Bay, 30-23

Speaking of getting better with age, in his final game in his 30’s, Brett Favre had a terrific game against the franchise that he’ll represent in the Hall Of Fame. As expected, Jared Allen has been a force with 18 tackles and 6½ sacks.

#5  DENVER BRONCOS               4-0               Wk 3:  #6               Wk 4: Beat Dallas, 17-10

Dallas may end up a .500 team this year, but by beating them, the Broncos eased some questions about the legitimacy of their staying power in the AFC, at least for now. And, their defense has allowed a league-low 26 points (6.5 ppg).

#6  NEW YORK JETS                  3-1               Wk 3:  #4               Wk 4: Lost at New Orleans, 24-10

After three impressive weeks, Mark Sanchez and the Jets were dealt a huge case of reality down in the Bayou, but they only fall two spots after losing to #1 on the road, and because the defense for the most part, remains solid.

#7  NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS     3-1               Wk 3:  #16             Wk 4: Beat Baltimore, 27-21

A big jump of 10 spots after beating last week’s #3 team. New England has righted the ship with a pair of solid home wins over Atlanta and Baltimore after raising a lot of early questions with poor showings against the Bills and Jets.

#8  BALTIMORE RAVENS            3-1               Wk 3:  #3               Wk 4: Lost at New England, 27-21

The Ravens have still been pretty good overall, and thus, they’re still in the top 8, but losing a competitive game at New England, Baltimore falls from one of the elite teams down to one notch below the Patriots, for now.

#9  SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS                  3-1               Wk 3:  #8               Wk 4: Beat  St. Louis

The Niners are still that one late Favre-to-Lewis Week 3 Minnesota Miracle pass from being a perfect 4-0. With everyone else in the NFC West under .500, San Francisco clearly looks like the best out west in the NFC.

#10  CHICAGO BEARS                            3-1               Wk 3:  #15             Wk 4: Beat Detroit, 48-24

The Bears have shown some mettle, rebounding from a tough season-opening loss in Green Bay, to win three straight. With 11 fewer first downs, 122 fewer yards, and 13 fewer minutes holding the ball, the Bears beat Detroit 48-24 (?!).

#11  ATLANTA FALCONS             2-1               Wk 3:  #12             Wk 4: Bye

Matt Ryan looked sharp in a couple of home wins against poor competition (Miami and Carolina) but a trip to New England exposed some Falcon flaws. Coming off a bye, Atlanta will be tested again going to San Francisco next.

#12 CINCINNATI BENGALS            3-1               Wk 3:  #10             Wk 4: Beat Cleveland, 23-20 (OT)

The Bengals are one of the league’s biggest enigmas thus far. The blow a game to Denver at home and struggle to beat the lowly Browns, yet they win at Green Bay and beat Pittsburgh. It all adds up to a good 3-1 start at the quarter mark.

#13  PITTSBURGH STEELERS                  2-2               Wk 3:  #17             Wk 4: Beat San Diego, 38-28

If the Steelers could maintain their focus for a full 60 minutes each week, they’d rank in the top five. But, that problem let two road games Pittsburgh should have won get away, and instead of a perfect 4-0, their only at .500

#14  PHILADELPHIA EAGLES                  2-1               Wk 3:  #13             Wk 4: Bye

The Eagles’ bye bought Donovan McNabb the final week of time he needed to recuperate and return to the lineup on Sunday. Games against three bad teams (Tampa Bay, Oakland, and Washington) ease McNabb back into things.

MIRED IN MEDIOCRITY:

#15  DALLAS COWBOYS               2-2               Wk 3:  #9               Wk 4: Lost at Denver, 17-10

At 2-2, Dallas looks to be on the path to 8-8. What they do well one week, they may not do the next, particularly with an inconsistent Tony Romo missing Terrell Owens. Dallas gets an easy one in Kansas City next, before the bye comes.  

#16  JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS      2-2               Wk 3:  #20             Wk 4: Beat Tennessee, 37-17

From 0-2 to 2-2. Is Jacksonville better than expected or did Tennessee already quit on the season after three tough losses? Maybe both. David Garrard has played well enough for the Jags to open it up more with the passing game.

#17  SAN DIEGO CHARGERS                   2-2               Wk 3:  #11             Wk 4: Lost at Indianapolis, 34-17

The Chargers reach the bye and will remain in this area of the rankings until they can raise their game to match that of better opponents. So far, wins over the bad Raiders and Dolphins, but missed chances against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

#18  GREEN BAY PACKERS           2-2               Wk 3:  #14             Wk 4: Lost at Minnesota, 30-23

Sure, Favre won the big showdown, but bigger picture, Jarred Allen has 4½ sacks, and Cincinnati’s Antwan Odom had five sacks in Green Bay’s other loss. Until they can fix their offensive line woes, the Pack won’t challenge in the NFC.

#19  HOUSTON TEXANS               2-2               Wk 3:  #21             Wk 4: Beat Oakland, 29-6

The Texans have been inconsistent week to week, as shown by the L, W, L, W result. The Raiders at home were the perfect medicine for what was a very shaky defense that allowed a bunch of yardage over the first three weeks.

#20  ARIZONA CARDINALS            1-2              Wk 3:  #19             Wk 4: Bye

The Cards would have been wise to use the bye week to work on their defense after Peyton Manning torched them in the desert. Warner and Arizona were great in Jacksonville but they’ve yet to play well at home in two losses.

LOOKING TOWARD THE 2010 DRAFT:

#21 WASHINGTON REDSKINS                  2-2              Wk 3:  #25             Wk 4: Beat Tampa Bay, 16-13

With Redskin-of-the-teeth wins over awful St. Louis and Tampa Bay, and a loss in Detroit, Washington is about as unimpressive a 2-2 as a team can be. The defense has been okay, but the Skins are still waiting on Jason Campbell.

#22  MIAMI DOLPHINS                  1-3               Wk 3:  #27             Wk 4: Beat Buffalo, 38-10

Starting 0-3, looking pretty bad, and losing their starting quarterback to his latest season-ending injury, the Dolphins seemed to be going nowhere. Then, a 38-10 thrashing of Buffalo. That’s the unpredictability of the NFL at its best.

#23  BUFFALO BILLS                             1-3               Wk 3:  #18             Wk 4: Lost at Miami, 38-10

Now the flip side of that unpredictability. The Bills play well enough to win in New England, lose to the #1 Saints (understandable), and beat Tampa Bay easily. So, 0-3 Miami without Chad Pennington? Naturally, a 38-10 loss. Huh?!

#24  SEATTLE SEAHAWKS            1-3               Wk 3:  #22             Wk 4: Lost at Indianapolis, 34-17

Now that we’ve got the NFL’s unpredictability down, here lesson 2: how quickly fortunes can change. After crushing St. Louis, the Seahawks lose three straight and go from #3 on this list all the way down to #24.

#25  DETROIT LIONS                             1-3               Wk 3:  #24             Wk 4: Lost at Chicago, 48-24

Could it be? Two wins in a row after 19 straight losses? Trading touchdowns in a 21-21 half in Chicago, the Lions made that thought possible. But, then that pesky 27-3 second half came and Detroit became the Lions we’re used to seeing.

#26  TENNESSEE TITANS             0-4               Wk 3:  #23             Wk 4: Lost at Jacksonville, 37-17

What is going on down in Tennessee? From the only 13-3 team and a number one see a year ago, to an 0-4 start this season. So, no more Haynesworth, but way too much talent on the field and on the coaching staff to be winless.

#27  CAROLINA PANTHERS           0-3               Wk 3:  #29             Wk 4: Bye

Good news for Panthers fans! Jake Delhomme didn’t turn it over last week. Oh right, Carolina was off. Ever since last year’s regular season ended, Delhomme has not been the same quarterback. At 0-3, he’d better find it again soon.

#28  OAKLAND RAIDERS              1-3               Wk 3:  #26             Wk 4: Lost at Houston, 29-6

Jamarcus Russell has completed a shade under 40 percent of his passes and there’s talk of head coach Tom Cable being arrested for breaking the jaw of one of his assistants. The Raiders are a mess right now, but at least they have a win…

#29  TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS     0-4               Wk 3:  #31             Wk 4: Lost at Washington, 16-13

Which bring us to the winless bottom four, and we start with the Bucs, who early on, couldn’t stop anyone while moving the ball some. Now that the defense has improved a little, the offense has disappeared. Long season in Tampa.

#30  CLEVELAND BROWNS           0-4               Wk 3:  #32             Wk 4: Lost to Cincinnati, 23-20 OT

The Browns nearly got a… well, not a win, but almost a tie. Hey, gotta set you sights somewhere before you get better.

Cleveland did play Cincinnati tough after three bad games, so maybe there’s a some hope for a little improvement.

#31  KANSAS CITY CHIEFS            0-4               Wk 3:  #30             Wk 4: Lost to NY Giants, 27-16

All you need to know about the Chiefs so far this season, besides losing to three good teams each by double digits, is that when they statistically dominated the bad Raiders at home, they still managed to lose that one as well.

#32  ST.LOUS RAMS                    0-4               Wk 3:  #28             Wk 4: Lost at San Francisco, 35-0

And, bringing up the rear this week, falling four spots to get here after a horrid performance in Frisco, are the Rams. Two shutouts already? Just 24 points in four games? St. Louis is the NFL’s version of minor-league football right now.

Still, there are some early signs that the final 2009 NFL standings could look drastically different than they did a year ago.

Only two (the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings) of last year’s eight division winners thus far are leading those same divisions this year.

And, three teams (Miami, Tennessee, and Carolina) that captured division titles a season ago are each still seeking their first win in 2009.

Last year’s AFC East champions, the Miami Dolphins have run the wildcat successfully enough to rank third in the league in both rushing offense and time of possession, but as we saw in their 27-23 loss to Indianapolis in which the Colts set a league record for having the ball for the least amount of time in a victory, that formula doesn’t necessarily translate to enough points (Miami is averaging just 14.3 per game) or wins (the Dolphins are 0-3). Throw in starting quarterback Chad Pennington’s latest season-ending injury, and Miami might be poised to go from the best turn-around in NFL history (from 1-15 in 2007, to 11-5 last season) right back to where it was two years ago.

The Tennessee Titans meanwhile, have been in every game they’ve played so far this year, and they’ve had some tough-luck losses, two by a field goal (one of those in overtime), and a third by a touchdown. However, last season’s AFC South champions have remarkably gone from the NFL’s best record (13-3) after a 10-0 start in 2008, to already matching last season’s loss total with an 0-3 beginning this year. Tennessee has a lot more talent and thus hope, than Miami, to turn things around, but NFL history has been unkind to 0-3 teams making the playoffs let alone winning a division.

And then there’s the Carolina Panthers, last year’s NFC South champions, also starting this season at 0-3 after going 12-4 a year ago. The Panthers were thoroughly embarrassed against Philadelphia in their 2009 season opener at home, a place where they went a perfect 8-0 in the 2008 regular season… that is until they were upset in a blowout loss to Arizona in last year’s NFC divisional playoff game –- which also marked a sharp turnaround for quarterback Jake Delhomme and the Panthers’ offense. Over Carolina’s last four games, Including last season’s playoff loss plus the Panthers’ first three games in 2009, Carolina has lost as many games (4) and Delhomme has thrown as many interceptions (12) as the Panthers and Delhomme had respectively, throughout the entire 2008 regular season. Carolina has already been outscored by 50 points (87-37), averaging a measly 12.3 point per game this season. That’s a huge departure from the team that was the number two seed in the 2008 NFC playoffs.

Meanwhile, last season’s Super Bowl participants, Pittsburgh and Arizona, the only teams to navigate through their respective divisions with perfect 6-0 records in 2008, are each just 1-2, and each has already lost its first game within its division.

Of course, if some of last year’s division winners are struggling now, there must be others which have stepped up and taken their place, and that’s been the case so far this year in nearly every division in the league.

In the AFC East, the 9-7 Jets of a year ago have begun 3-0 to lead that division on the strength of one of the NFL’s best defenses thus far in 2009.

In the AFC South, the Baltimore Ravens were already good last year, but they fell short to Pittsburgh by a game for the 2008 division title. This year however, they look to be one of the NFL’s most complete teams en route to a division-leading 3-0 record.

A similar situation for Indianapolis in the AFC South. After losing the division by one game to the Titans in 2008, the Colts have again ridden quarterback Peyton Manning’s arm to the top of the AFC South –- for now –- where they sit at 3-0.

And, to round out all AFC divisions with new leaders at 3-0, the undefeated Denver Broncos, albeit against a soft schedule to this point, have played well, allowing an NFL-low 16 points (just 5.3 points per game).

In the NFC, the only stability from last season can be found in the NFC East and in the NFC North.

But, with the Panthers and Cardinals faltering, last season’s 8-8, last place New Orleans Saints look like the NFL’s best team so far in 2009, storming their way to a 3-0 mark, crushing their opponents by a combined 120-56 so far; and the first-place San Francisco 49ers, just 7-9 a year ago, have already won at Arizona this season, and are a Minnesota Miracle pass (a Vikings’ game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass with just :02 left) from also being perfect at 3-0.

There’s a lot of football left, and November and December in the NFL often look a lot different than September. But, so far, it looks like we should be forgetting all about 2008 and possibly getting ready for a lot of new faces as either division winners or at least, playoff contenders, in 2009.