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Blech.

Four rematches on the slate for the upcoming Wild Card weekend, and three of them just happened yesterday. And the ones that happened yesterday were all legit blowouts. So, what does that portend for next week? Who the eff knows? If you are a Bengals fan (mauled 37-0), Cardinals fan (mauled 33-7) or Eagles fan (mauled 24-0), you better hope it is not a harbinger and that there were good reasons for the drubbings.

And if you are the Patriots facing a white hot Ravens team without Wes Welker, well, sitting starters might have made some sense, no? At any rate, the chattering class have this to say:

—Don Banks on si.com with Snap Judgments and this:

Kind of hard to take the Bengals seriously in the AFC playoffs field after their 37-0 debacle in the Meadowlands. Marvin Lewis made it pretty clear that his team’s goal in the second half of the season was to play its way onto the NBC Sunday Night Football flex schedule, but I’m guessing even Cincinnati’s head coach would admit his club wasn’t ready for prime time against the Jets.

New York’s got a legit defense, but the Bengals set offensive football back at least a couple decades with that showing. Cincy hasn’t been explosive on offense all season, but before Sunday night, it had at least found ways to move the ball. Carson Palmer played well into the third quarter, and finished with one completion in 11 attempts, for zero yards and interception. The Bengals finished with 72 yards of offense, with five first downs and zero passing yards.

Of the three rematches in the first round of the playoffs next weekend, I’d say the Bengals (10-6) turning right around and beating New York (9-7) next Saturday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium is the most unlikely of all scenarios. The Jets are going to the Queen City with a world of confidence, and the feeling that they’re already playing with house money by even making the postseason. It wouldn’t shock me if New York blew out the Bengals again, this time on the road.

I don’t think the Jets are a strong threat to beat anyone else in the AFC field, but the Bengals clearly are their best matchup. That much was proven in vivid detail. Cincy has one and done written all over it, and making matters worse, it’s facing a short week of work to close a very sizable gap between itself and New York.

That all makes a lot of sense. Bengals fans (say, me) have to hope that Marvin Lewis was being cagey and the Bengals were pure vanilla last night and that the return of missing starters Domato Peko, Robert Geathers and Chris Crocker on defense will make a difference sizable enough to close what appeared to be a cavernous gap last night. You also have to hope that the Bengals will actually try this upcoming weekend, because they sure appeared to mail it in early last night. At any rate, a season of close calls that depended on health and luck may have finally caught up with the Bengals. I sure would like to see them squeeze one more win out of it and end that stupid have-not-won-a-playoff-game since 1990 thing, but it doesn’t look good this morning.

—Clark Judge at sportsline.com with Judgements and this:

The New England Patriots are in deep kimchi, and it’s not just because of that report that has Tom Brady with three broken ribs. It’s because they just lost their leading receiver and because they can’t win on the road. Without Wes Welker, the Patriots were 1-2 … that is, if you include Sunday’s loss, which I do. Now they get to find out where they stand without him again, and good luck with Julian Edelman. But let’s say they win their first-round game. Well, then, they’re still toast. They must go on the road, where they were 2-6 — with one of those victories in London.

Players on playoff teams lost to injuries yesterday in largely meaningless games? Wes Welker, Dominque Rodgers-Cromatrie, Charles Woodson, and Pat Sims (Bengals d-tackle). Roger Goodell can kiss various parts of my anatomy with his concern over teams resting starters late in the season after they have clinched playoff spots. The Colts are at least relatively healthy heading into the playoffs, a bunch of other teams can only wish the same were true for them.

—John Clayton on espn.com with Last Call and this:

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels faces a long, turbulent offseason after losing eight of his last 10 games, including Sunday’s 44-24 loss to the Chiefs, and missing the playoffs. McDaniels was hired for his brilliant offensive mind, but the offense wasn’t as explosive with Kyle Orton replacing the traded Jay Cutler.

Yes. For all the fun of Denver’s magical 6-0 start, I would imagine that any lingering good feelings from that are gone among the fanbase. And should be.

As for whatever is left of my thoughts, ntyc, here they are:

—I am always impressed when coaches of teams dead-in-the-water keep them playing hard to the end of the season. Probably because I have had ample opportunity to see that in action (or not in action) so much in the last two decades as a Bengals fan. At any rate, congrats to Tom Cable, Todd Haley and Eric Mangini in Oakland, KC, and Cleveland for the efforts they got from their teams in the last month of the season. That’s not easy to do. Just ask Jim Mora up in Seattle…

—The Bills need to order snowstorms for all their home games starting in late October. Damn that was pretty to watch in HD.

—The Eagles’ collapse yesterday was massively puzzling, given what they had to play for. It sure makes Dallas seem very dangerous all of a sudden on the flip side.

I will go ahead and make my seat of the pants Super Bowl guess through bleary eyes this morning:

Colts v. Cowboys.

Manning ends up winning his second.

The Saints and Colts grind toward perfection. The Texans once again come up painfully close to joining the kids at the big boy table. The Giants lose the cover of the Yankees. The Packers continue their passive aggressive quest to see Aaron Rodgers maimed. On to the national types:

—Don Banks, per usual, to the head of the class with this thought amongst many others in Snap Judgments at si.com:

I’m starting to think Carson Palmer owns the Ravens. He’s now 8-3 in his career against Baltimore, and the Bengals quarterback looks like he’d love to play the Ravens every week. No fear. No hesitancy. Just execution. Palmer was even better than his 20-of-33, 224-yard day would indicate.

Hey, thanks for belatedly noticing, Don Banks. Coming into yet another week where for some reason that kind of seemingly pertinent stat was widely ignored, under Palmer, yes, the Bengals have been very tough against the Ravens. I am kinda hoping that might be remembered when those teams take the field again in 2010. When Palmer is healthy, the Bengals have a chance against most any team in the league. As for Ced Benson’s continued resurgence? His second 100+ yard day of the season against Baltimore makes him the first back to do that against the Ravens in a season since Jerome Bettis in 1997.

—Clark Judge at sportsline with Judgements and this thought:

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why Tom Coughlin says he was “misunderstood” when he termed his team’s meeting with San Diego a “one-game season.” If you take that stand, then lose — which the Giants did — what does it mean for what follows? It means you’re toast, which is why Coughlin sought to clarify those remarks.

He did what now? I missed that quote heading into Sunday’s game. Good luck spinning that in the aftermath. As for the loss, Coughlin and his offensive coordinator earned it. 1st and goal from the four with a three point lead and two minutes to go, and three uninspired play calls later they settled for a field goal. One, you may want to throw it there. Two, the we-pound-you-regardless meme took a hit when they couldn’t pound it in while not throwing it. And that against a Chargers front who has not been all that stout this year. The heat in NY will be high today. As it should be.

—John Clayon at espn.com with Last Call and this note:

The Wildcat seems to have run its course in Miami. The formation is effective at times, but it doesn’t produce victories. The novelty is over. The Dolphins lost to the Patriots 27-17, and once again, the Patriots contained the Wildcat. The Dolphins tried to confuse the Patriots by putting quarterback Pat White in an option formation. That worked for 52 yards on four plays — including a touchdown — in the first half. In the second half, it produced 8 yards on four plays. Over the past three weeks, defenses have found ways to keep up with the Dolphins’ imagination. The Dolphins’ worst moment of Sunday’s loss came on a second-and-8 at the Patriots’ 44. Quarterback Chad Henne was split out at wide receiver. Ronnie Brown took a direct snap and got the ball to Henne, who was sacked for an 11-yard loss, which put Miami out of field goal range with the Patriots leading 24-17.

The problem with the Wildcat is that it takes a quarterback out of his rhythm when he’s being shuttled between quarterback, wide receiver and the bench. Henne was 19-of-34 for 219 yards and two sacks. The NFL is a game dominated by quarterbacks who get into a rhythm. The Dolphins continue to lose to those types of quarterbacks. Tom Brady was 25-of-32 for 332 yards. The Dolphins are 3-5. It’s time to rethink the strategy. To win against the good teams and the good quarterbacks, the Dolphins need more than a running game that revolves around the Wildcat.

I don’t know that I agree with this. In fact, I don’t. How were the losses to the Colts and Saints late the fault of that offense? Seems to me that the Wildcat helps mask some real deficiancies in Miami’s receiving corp and gives them a chance to win games they might otherwise not. Hell, even while shoveling dirt on the offense, Clayton notes it got Miami to a score early. Miami wants to fix what ails it? Start with their defense.

Vinny Iyer at Sporting News with his Checkdown column and this note:

Fresh off their second loss to Brett Favre and the Vikings, the Packers couldn’t hold a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and lost to the previously winless Buccaneers by 10. For Aaron Rodgers, sacks continue to be a problem, and Green Bay’s poor protection boosted Tampa’s struggling defensive line. After allowing six more sacks, the Packers are on pace for yielding 74. On defense, they have produced only 13.

Packers fans want to be mad at Ted Thompson? Go right ahead. But make sure the focus of the anger is targeted correctly. Keeping Aaron Rodgers and making him quarterback? The right move. Although points off for trying to control the end of Favre’s career. Putting the line from Unneccessary Roughness in front of Rodgers to block? Simply cruel. With games left at Pittsburgh and home to Baltimore, Rodgers may have traction in his future.

Bucky Brooks at nfl.com with capsule looks at each game including this:

The inability to stop the deep pass continues to undermine the Chiefs’ chances of winning. Kansas City allowed Mike Sims-Walker and Jarett Dillard to slip behind the defense on bombs. Sims-Walker, in particular, delivered two game-changing plays (a 61-yard touchdown reception and a 45-yard catch-and-run) that helped the Jaguars jump out to a 24-6 lead that was ultimately too much for the Chiefs to overcome. The Chiefs have allowed a league-worst 12 completions over 40 yards this season and rank as one of the worst pass defenses. Until defenders stop allowing balls to fly over their heads, Kansas City will continue to have a tough time winning against top teams.

Perhaps. Seems to me that all that little problem needs is a motivational poster…

As for my thoughts, trademarked n.t.y.c., read on:

—Tough ending to what started out as a good day for Matt Stafford, but there remains no question in my mind that Detroit is finally off the quarterback merry-go-round. They have theirs. And if he can stay on the field for these last eight games, he will get the valuable learning season out of the way and Detroit can start to focus their rebuild elsewhere. Like defense.

—Hey! Vince Young! Or, perhaps, more correctly, hey! Chris Johnson! No shock to me that with consistent carries to Johnson the Titans have won two in a row. Young has managed a nice game, but Tennessee’s puzzling refusal to consistently build offensive gameplans around Johnson cost them games in their six-game slide to start the season. At the least, it didn’t help. I still am befuddled over Johnson’s just getting nine carries when Tennessee faced Indy earlier this year. At any rate, focusing on Johnson is a good way to help fix what was ailing the Titans.

—Andy Reid clearly owns David Akers on his fantasy squad. And, as a fellow Akers owner, I am glad he does. Kicking a 52-yard field goal when down by seven with four minutes left in the game rather than trying to get the tying touchdown? Great moments in fantasy entrant. And a dumbass moment in real life coaching entrant.

—One more Bengals note (because I can reminder), the key to their defensive resurgence has been the maturation of the two former first round corners Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph. The ability to leave your corners on an island is a wonderful thing. And, in case you have not noticed, and you probably have not, Leon Hall is crossing over to shutdown corner status. He should be in Hawaii (er, South Beach) this year.

—If Pittsburgh takes care of Denver tonight, we have a race again all of a sudden in the AFC West. A Broncos loss would put them at 6-2 just one game ahead of the Chargers with a return game to Denver for the Chargers looming. And it says here that Pittsburgh wins tonight, 21-10.