During the Redskins-Seahawks game, a local commercial ran that I hadn't seen in years. Apparently, they were going to have a "Starving Artist" sale where you can get great paintings from "struggling" artists for $19.99. These sales may run frequently in your area, but they used to run almost monthly in our area about 15 years ago. Armed with a $20 bill and with visions of a masterpiece to hang over our mantle, our family went down to the local hotel where the sale was being held to get a bargain. Once inside, we found one painting for $20 and the remaining paintings were priced as if the artists weren't "struggling" at all. The one "low-priced" painting was nice, but it didn't knock your socks off either.

Kind of reminds me of this weekend's playoff games. Most of the games were pretty boring, with the exception of the Steelers-Jaguars game. When the big boys come out to play next week, maybe we won't have to watch anymore "starving artist" games.

Here's a recap of the weekend's games, in case you missed them. If you did, consider yourself lucky.

Seattle defeats Washington 35-14
Seattle's defense completely dominated this game, with the exception of the last 5 minutes of the 3rd Quarter and the start of the 4th quarter. The highlight of the game was when NBC announcer started the 4th quarter stating that Washington QB Todd Collins was "as good as it gets in the 4th Qtr". He then proceeded to have the worst 4th quarter of his life.


What they are saying locally:
In Washington, they believe the missed FG early in the 4th Quarter cost them momentum and the game. But the best part of Michal Wilbon's article is the juicy tidbit that Tony Romo of the Cowboys spent the weekend in Cancun with Jessica Simpson. Imagine if the Cowboys lose next week to the Giants, we'll never hear the end of it.

In Seattle they finally have a playoff defense. It was needed in the 4th Quarter as Washington started to make their run. If they really have a "playoff defense", we'll need to see it at Green Bay on the road this week. Also, the over/under on the number of times you'll see the "Matt Hasselback coin flip" quote this week is 100.

Jacksonville defeats Pittsburgh 31-29

Pittsburgh left the field at halftime, down 21-7, to a chorus of boos from the hometown crowd. The Steelers made a great run in the second half and actually took the lead 29-28, until David Garrad gave his best Tommy Frazier impression on a crucial 4th and 2 late in the fourth quarter. This game was by far the most entertaining of the weekend.

What they are saying locally
In Pittsburgh it was all "Big Ben's" fault. Not sure I agree totally, but he did have a pretty bad game.

In Jacksonville, they're loving the 4th and 2 call. Could it be a defining moment for the Jags, or will everyone forget about it after they face the Patriots this weekend?

NY Giants defeat Tampa Bay 24-14

This game didn't even feel this close. The Giants seemed to have control of the game the entire game. OK, here's the problem with my "Hangover Game Theory" I posted on Friday. When the following week's game has some importance, such as being a playoff game or a game against your rival, it's easier to shed the emotional baggage of the previous week's game. I still believe the Hangover Game Theory works. I just don't think this game qualified as one. Maybe next time I should do a little more research. Oh yea, and Tampa's injuries didn't help either.

What they are saying locally
In New York, this columnist believes the conservative offensive game plan helped Manning to lead the Giants to victory. Maybe so, but it sure seemed the defensive pressure on Jeff Garcia had a much bigger impact on the outcome of the game.

Tampa's already looking to the future. They feel they need to add some playmakers on offense and this team is a little soft. Looks like they are getting a little old too, if you ask me.

San Diego defeats Tennessee 17-6
Yawn! I think everyone could have predicted this game going this way. LT finally made a couple of plays in the second half and the Chargers walked away with it. The Chargers have been winning games like this for weeks now, but they'll have to step it up against the Colts next week. Remember, San Diego has beaten Indy once this year, so they are not going to sneak up on Manning and Co.

What they are saying locally
In San Diego, I guess they now feel justified in bringing Norv Turner. I would say "Hey Norv, act like you've been there before", but he really hasn't.

In Nashville, they feel LT was just too much for them. Did they really feel like a playoff team to you?

Overall, the teams that got the most pressure on the QB's seemed to win the games. Sounds simple, I know. But that is why the four top seeds are so good. All four teams (New England, Indy, Dallas and Green Bay) seem to do a good job of protecting their quarterback. We'll see what happens next week.