Championship Sunday Picks

This is the most exciting weekend in the NFL. You have the four best teams going at it for the ultimate prize...a trip to the Super Bowl. The two games this weekend ought to be great.

Green Bay (-3) @ Chicago
Aaron Rodgers is looking like the second coming of Joe Montana and everyone's riding the Packers wave through this game and into Dallas. I say, not so fast. This will not be a walkaway. Jay Cutler is playing the best football of his life and the Bears defense isn't going to lay down like Atlanta and Philly did. Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher are going to have a say on how many points Green Bay will score. After all my bragging about Chicago, I'm still not sold on this game. The Packers defense will give Cutler fits as well and I see this as a relatively low scoring contest. I'm taking the Packers, only because Vegas is ALWAYS right on Championship Sunday but I'm still not truly sold on my prediction.

Green Bay 17 Chicago 14

Jets (+3) @ Steelers
I really like the way the Jets have been playing the last two weeks and they have all the swagger in the world right now. Sanchez is making good decisions, the line is blocking for the run game, and the defense looks solid. However, you can fake swagger all you want...you can't fake competence. Going into Indy, and winning. Going into Foxboro, and winning. And now going into Pittsburgh...and winning? I don't think so, the stars don't line up like that too often. Pittsburgh is no joke. Roethlisberger and his running game are ok, but the defense is spectacular. This might fare bad for the Jets but I've been wrong before.

Jets 10 Steelers 21

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McDaniels lands in The Lou.

Josh McDaniels will be Sam Bradford's new mentor after all. The Rams hired McDaniels as offensive coordinator, team and league sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Earlier Tuesday, sources said a significant snag in negotiations between the Rams and McDaniels had led the team to broaden its search to include coaches with West Coast-system roots in which Bradford excelled during his rookie season.

McDaniels will replace Pat Shurmur, who was hired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns last week. After two days of negotiations failed to a produce a deal, talks between the Rams and McDaniels resumed later Tuesday.

McDaniels was fired as the Broncos' head coach on Dec. 6 after a rocky year-plus tenure in Denver. However, Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton flourished under McDaniels' tutelage, reaching career-highs in yards, touchdowns and passer ratings over two seasons.

Bradford passed for 3,512 yards and threw 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his rookie season and is expected to be name the NFL's rookie of the year.

McDaniels also oversaw Tom Brady and current Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel while on New England's staff.

After Seattle fired offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates on Tuesday, McDaniels name surfaced in connection with that opening. The Rams even went through league channels Tuesday morning to request interviews with coaches including Bill Musgrave of the Falcons and Darrell Bevell of the Vikings. Musgrave is the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach in Atlanta and Bevell has been in limbo as the offensive coordinator in Minnesota.

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Jim Mora to Denver?

If the Eagles plan to make a play for Jim Mora (Not the "PLAYOFFS?!?!" Jim Mora, his son) as the franchise’s next defensive coordinator, they’d be wise to do so very soon...Like now.

Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post reports that Mora is close to becoming the next defensive coordinator of the Broncos. Mora served as head coach of the Seahawks in 2009, after two seasons as an assistant under Mike Holmgren. Before that, Mora spent three years as head coach of the Falcons.

Per the Post, Mora nearly became defensive coordinator of the Panthers under new Broncos coach John Fox in 2003, after Jack Del Rio was hired out of the position to become head coach of the Jaguars. It would be Mora’s first stint in the AFC since he spent seven seasons with the Chargers, from 1985 through 1991.

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Plaxico talks already

Receiver Plaxico Burress is a free agent. Until June, however, he’s not free.

When his prison term ends, one team that has been trying to upgrade the receiver position could be interested. The Ravens. “I don’t know Plaxico Burress at all, I’ve never met him, but we’d consider him,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday, per NFL.com. “We’d consider anybody. It just depends on where he’s at. I’d like to find out what kind of person he is, to see where he’s really at in his life.”

Burress went to jail in 2009 after pleading guilty to charges arising from carrying a loaded weapon into a Manhattan nightclub. The gun went off, shooting Burress through the leg. Last year, the Ravens traded for Anquan Boldin in the offseason, and they landed T.J. Houshmandzadeh after he was dumped by the Seahawks in the final preseason roster cuts. But Boldin was invisible for long stretches of Saturday night’s game, and Houshmandzadeh dropped a pass that would have extended a potential game-tying drive.

Though Burress, if he still can play after two years away from the field, would be an upgrade, the Ravens still need a consistent deep threat that can stretch the field and draw double coverage. Burress would be great along the sidelines or in the back of the end zone, but to truly upgrade, the Ravens may need to make a run at Terrell Owens or Randy Moss. Though no longer truly dominant, they provide more of a down-the-field presence than anyone currently on the Ravens’ roster.

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Daboll hired in Miami

Brian Daboll certainly wasn’t the biggest name that the Miami Dolphins interviewed for their open offensive coordinator job, but he’s the one who will get the gig. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that Daboll —the former Browns offensive coordinator under Eric Mangini —should be formally named to the job later Monday or Tuesday. Former Vikings head coach Brad Childress met the Dolphins about the job, as did Cowboys tight end coach John Garrett. Chargers tight end coach Rob Chudzinski was believed to be the favorite for the job. Daboll was well regarded from his time in New England and then under Eric Mangini with the Jets and Browns. Still, his Cleveland teams were among the league’s worst in yards and points in both of his seasons there. There is more talent in Miami to work with than Cleveland, but this isn’t a hire that makes me think the Dolphins’ offensive philosophy will change that much.

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Carolina hires McDermott to run defense

Fired in Philadelphia after only two years on the job as defensive coordinator, Sean McDermott has landed in Carolina. McDermott won’t even have to take a step down in title, as he’ll be the defensive coordinator for the Panthers according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN. McDermott will have to take a step down in responsibility. Defensive-minded head coach Ron Rivera has said he’ll run the defense, so McDermott may not even be calling plays. There is great familiarity between the two men from the time they shared together under Jim Johnson in Philadelphia. Ron Meeks will stay in Carolina as secondary coach.

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Carolina names an offensive coordinator

On the same afternoon the Panthers chose Sean McDermott as defensive coordinator, they have picked a leader for the offense and special teams too. Darin Gantt of the Charlotte Observer reports former Chargers tight end coach Rob Chudzinski will run the team’s offense. It’s a massive hire because new head coach Ron Rivera has only coached defense, and Carolina’s biggest problems certainly reside on offense. Chudzinski has been a premier tight ends coach and coached up an explosive Browns offense in 2007. When the bottom fell out of Derek Anderson in 2008, “Chud” was sent packing along with head coach Romeo Crennel. Gantt points out that Chudzinski replaces Jeff Davidson as offensive coordinator for a second time, having also displaced him in Cleveland. There are decent offensive pieces in Carolina starting with a solid offensive line and promising backfield, even if DeAngelo Williams leaves this year. The problem, as ever, is at quarterback. It’s hard to imagine Jimmy Clausen entering training camp as a presumptive starter. The team also hired former Vikings special teams coach Brian Murphy as special teams coordinator. The team will also retain Sam Mills III.

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