No need to ruminate on what happened this weekend in the NFL – because nothing of consequence went down. Did anyone out there have the same thoughts as we did when Kerry Collins stumbled onto the field to try and guide the Titans to the playoffs against the Colts reserves? Our second thought was, ‘hey, this looks like the preseason!’ but our first was, ‘no shot.’ The only thing more impressive than Collins’ efficiency was his postgame flannel.

* New York Giants at Tampa Bay Bucs – The rubes (read: common folk) will think, ‘hey, the Giants nearly beat the Patriots, the Giants are 7-1 on the road this year, and just how the hell are the Bucs a playoff team with a lucky balding guy at QB and a third-string RB?’ You’re smarter than that, and you know the pick is Tampa Bay! If you take New York, you might be kicking yourself when ageless Joey Galloway repeatedly burns the porous Giants secondary. Or, when Eli Manning is sacked five times. If you’re looking for subplots … who is the Giant most likely to get embroiled in Tampa’s hot strip club scene this week? How often will Jeff Garcia’s incredibly gorgeous wife get airtime Saturday? Oh, and lastly, a fact you can use! Tampa has the third best scoring defense in the NFL, and is tops against he pass. Also, Garcia beat the Giants in the playoffs last year, but mostly it was thanks to Brian Westbrook. We won’t make a pick until later in the week, but we’re thinking Tampa at -2.5 right now.

* Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks – The Redskins are the hottest team in the NFC. The immobile (indomitable!) Todd Collins has been downright Montana-like in four games to close the season. And to think we once disparaged his name, saying that Eli Manning was better than him! The Skins are going to be a sexy pick because of their late-season momentum, because Seattle isn’t the same dominant home team it was two years ago (when it beat Washington, 20-10 in the playoffs), and because Shaun Alexander is brittle (he barely played in that playoff victory). This game is slightly tougher to predict than the Bucs game, and right now, we’re not sure what to do with the as Skins four-point dogs. This game almost certainly feels like it will be decided by a field goal, whereas the Giants, it seems, are a feast or famine team. In the last four weeks, the Skins have been gold for us against Chicago, Minnesota, and Dallas (still can’t believe we fell for the Giants – arg). Our early guess would be Washington at +4, but that’s nothing we’d wager on yet.

* The AFC is next, but first … we finally hit some form of perfection this week with our picks, depending on how you judge such suchery. The Eagles were a push … so we went 5-for-5 if you exclude that game.

* Lastly, the Atlanta Falcons are the real loser this weekend. Had they inserted DeAngelo Hall at QB, they would have lost and had the 2nd pick in the NFL Draft. Now, they are in a logjam for third with St. Louis and the NY Jets. Going from 2nd to 5th would almost certainly mean no Darren McFadden, or even the chance to dangle him as trade bait. Third wouldn’t be as bad, but it still seems too early to grab Brian Brohm. The Patriots get the 7th pick, and the Rams 2nd.