I haven’t done this column in a couple of weeks but after this weekend’s games, I thought it was an appropriate time to bring it back.

So here’s the latest installment of “I’m just saying…,” NFL Divisional Round-style.

- Colts fans after Nick Folk missed that chip shot field goal in the first quarter of the Jets-Patriots game on Sunday: “Oh come on!”

- After the Packers-Falcons game, I took a quick look at the stats sheet and saw that Aaron Rodgers was 31-of-36 passing for 366 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. My first reaction was: He had five incompletions?!

- Hey, when your team is up 25 points late in the third quarter and all you need to do is run some clock, why wouldn’t you call a halfback pass with Matt Forte and risk turning the ball over? You keep doing your thing, Mike Martz.

- Rex Ryan just beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady (two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history) in back-to-back weeks using two different game plans. Say what you want about his mouth, but the guy knows defense.

- If I’m a team that needs a defensive coordinator, I’m on the phone right now with Rob Ryan. I want that gene pool designing my defenses.

- Most defenders would sacrifice one of their limbs to have a free shot at Jay Cutler when he’s running with the ball towards the end zone. But instead of delivering a punishing blow, Seattle safety Earl Thomas tried to bring the quarterback down by osmosis on Cutler’s touchdown run in the second quarter on Sunday. Somewhere, Ndamukong Suh is weeping.

- Matt Ryan after the game on why he threw the sideline pass that Tramon Williams intercepted and returned for a touchdown instead of throwing the ball away: “Well, I thought if Williams was anything like our corners, he would be playing 10 yards off the ball and I’d be able to pick up an easy seven yards.”

- I know where I’ve seen Bears’ O-lineman Frank Omiyale before: he doubles as a turnstile at Halas Hall during the weekdays.

- Hey Bill Belichick, great game plan. You were successful all season using your tight ends and you decide to mix things up and challenge Darrelle Revis (the best cornerback in the league) in the biggest game of the year. Talk about one of your all-time backfires.

- That was a bad time for a rare fumble, Ray Rice.

- Since the Giants shocked the Patriots in the Super Bowl, New England is 0-2 in the postseason and was knocked out in the first game both times. There’s no reason to doubt the combination of Belichick and Brady but even they have to be saying to themselves, “What the f*&k just happened here?”

- It may not have looked like it to the causal fan, but Atlanta’s defensive game plan actually worked against Green Bay. The Falcons wanted to limit the big play, which is exactly what they did. The Packers’ offensive touchdowns only came from 6 yards, 1 yard, 20 yards, 7 yards and 7 yards out. See, no big plays.

- I hope Mike Williams didn’t forget his purse before leaving Solider Field on Sunday. The guy may have caught two touchdown passes in garbage time, but for the most part he wanted nothing to do with running routes, catching passes or generally trying to help his team win. A stiff breeze could have knocked him off his route.

- Hey Housh, you can’t complain about your role in the Ravens’ offense and then have a perfectly thrown Joe Flacco pass go off your facemask on a pivotal fourth down in crunch time.

- Aaron Rodgers shredded the Falcons in Week 12 when they only rushed three down linemen and sat back in zone. So it made perfect sense that Atlanta defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder would use that same approach for most of the first half as Rodgers picked apart his defense again. You can’t pay enough for that type of game planning.

- Hey Wes Welker, this is why Bill Belichick wanted you to shut your mouth and not respond to any of the Jets’ antics. There was no need to encourage the Jets to back their coach even more than they already do.

- Anquan Boldin did everything right this year for the Ravens except catch that pass at the goal line late in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Talk about a momentum swing.

- Hey Mike Smith, you might want to look up the term “MartyBall” before your next postseason game.

- Lawyer Milloy reminded everyone on that Greg Olsen touchdown pass in the first quarter that he’ll never be remembered for his coverage skills.

- You stay classy Braylon Edwards. Here’s hoping you don’t snap your femur trying to land one of those back flips.

- Speaking of Braylon Edwards, the Browns selected him third overall in the 2005 draft instead of Aaron Rodgers. Good call.

- Of course, the Browns weren’t the only team to pass on Rodgers in that draft. Think the Titans would have selected Rodgers over Pacman Jones if they were given a re-do? Or how about the Vikings: they had two chances to draft Rodgers at No. 7 and No. 18 and instead selected Troy Williamson and Erasmus James. Those two turned out well.

I’m just saying…

Here are five thoughts on the Bears’ impressive 35-24 victory over the Seahawks in the Divisional Round on Sunday.

1. What inexperience?
Jay Cutler did Sunday what Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan couldn’t this weekend: Elevate his game when it mattered most. For all the talk about his lack of postseason experience, Cutler played like a 10-year playoff veteran on Sunday. He set the tone early with a picture-perfect 58-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen on the Bears’ third offensive play from scrimmage and then showed pure grit and determination on his 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. On the day, he was 15-of-28 passing for 274 yards with four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) and zero interceptions (although he came close to throwing a couple of picks, including one at the goal line). Cutler has really put a lot of his past troubles behind him and deserves praise for his unflappable play on Sunday. He was highly impressive.

2. Cutler also got a lot of help from his offensive line.
The Bears’ O-line has taken a lot of heat for its play over the last couple of years, and deservedly so. But they’ve been a transformed unit since midway through the season and a lot of credit goes to Mike Tice and Lovie Smith for moving guys around to better match their strengths (and quite frankly, hide their weaknesses, too). Cutler was excellent but he also had plenty of time to survey the field and pick apart Seattle’s overmatched secondary. His front five did an outstanding job swallowing the Seahawks’ pass-rushers and keeping them out of the backfield.

3. That’s Bear defense right there.
The final score doesn’t do the Bears justice. Their defense played out of its mind for three quarters and that’s about as aggressive as I’ve seen Chicago’s secondary play all season. Unlike other teams who like to play their corners 10 yards off the ball and give opponents easy yards via slants and screens, the Bears’ DBs suffocated Seattle’s wideouts all afternoon. Granted, nobody outside of Brandon Stokley fought back, but credit still goes to the Bears’ corners for bringing the fight to them right from the start. Once again, Julius Peppers failed to record a sack but he got pressure on Hasselbeck all day. You have to focus on him to really appreciate what he does for that defense. He helped paved the way for fellow linemen like Tommie Harris, who did rack up two sacks. Without a doubt, J-Pepp was worth the money the Bears spent this offseason.

4. Martz should still scare the bejesus out of Bear fans.
It makes sense that Mike Martz would attempt a halfback pass when his team was up 28-3 and in complete control of the game early in the fourth quarter. I mean, when all you need to do is run out the clock and put a bow on that sucker, the right decision is to have Matt Forte take a direct snap on a 1st and 10 from your own 43-yard-line and attempt a pass. The pure fact that Forte threw the ball right to Aaron Curry (who returned the gift to Chicago’s 33-yard-line to set up Seattle’s first touchdown) was a pure fluke.

All kidding aside, that’s the crap that Martz has been criticized for in the past and needs to stop. I’m sure Forte was instructed to run the ball if a receiver wasn’t wide open and a defender wasn’t within 20 yards, but why even call that play? The only reason the Seahawks even had a field goal at that point was because of a great kickoff return. Just stay the course next time, Martz. But to be fair, he really did call a great game. The play action pass to Kellen Davis late in the fourth quarter was outstanding.

5. The Seahawks were who we thought they were.
The Seahawks gave football fans an upset for the ages last weekend, but they once again looked like a different team on the road. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story, because this team was dominated on Sunday. Hasselbeck played pretty well, but Chicago’s front seven owned Seattle’s O-line and his receivers dropped way too many passes. I know he wound up reaching the end zone at the end of the game, but Charles Tillman absolutely abused Mike Williams, who clearly wanted nothing to do with running routes, catching passes or trying to help his team win. Hopefully he remembered his purse when he cleaned out his locker following the game. He wasn’t the only one who played like he still had a hangover from last week, either. Most defenders would love to have a clean shot at a quarterback when he’s running, but safety Earl Thomas tried to arm tackle Cutler in the second quarter and the Bears’ signal caller muscled his way into the end zone. When the Bears got up 14-0, Seattle’s defense packed it in. And hey, who could blame them? They were on the field for the entire first half because their offense was trying to see if it could set the record for most three-and-outs in a single game. I’d like to personally thank the Falcons and Seahawks for sucking all the life out of these playoffs.

6. The media gets the match up it craved.
At the start of the postseason, the media wanted one of two matchups for the NFC Championship Game: Michael Vick vs. his former team in Atlanta or Packers-Bears in Chicago. And as soon as Tramon Williams intercepted Vick last Sunday in Philadelphia, most of the media turned into Cheeseheads. Well, thanks to the Falcons and Seahawks giving the Packers and Bears a couple of free wins this weekend, ESPN can blow their load talking about this Green Bay-Chicago matchup for the next six days. Just think, if the Bears would have done their jobs and finished off Green Bay in Week 17, they wouldn’t have to worry about trying to defend a red-hot Packers team next weekend. (Sorry if I sounded like a bitter Falcons fan in this last point. It’s probably because I’m a bitter Falcons fan who had to watch my team get steamrolled by the juggernaut that is the Green Bay Aaron Rodgers.)

The top guys we chose on offense and defense should run away with these awards, but stranger things have happened.

Offensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams—Almost led the Rams to a playoff berth, but either way had a great rookie year—3512 yards, 18 TDs, with 15 picks.

2. Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots—Along with their QB, these two guys are probably the biggest reason the Patriots are 14-2. Check out these combined numbers – 87 catches, 1109 yards, 16 touchdowns. For two rookies!

3. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Bucs—Finished with 11 touchdowns and was a big reason the Bucs became relevant again this season.

4. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns—Can someone explain to me how this guy fell to the second half of the third round of last April’s draft?

5. Christopher Ivory, New Orleans Saints—In just 12 games, had 716 yards and 5 scores

Defensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions—Led all DTs with 10 sacks, but more importantly, earned the respect of everyone and had O-coordinators having to game plan against him.

2. Devin McCourty, New England Patriots—Finished with 7 picks and 82 total tackles.

3. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs—With Cassel, Charles and Bowe, the Chiefs now have a game-changer on defense too.

4. Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns—65 tackles and 6 picks on a team that is going to be really good in a year or two.

5. Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants—Everyone wondered what the Giants would do with another defensive end, but this kid exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Here are three quick-hit observations on the Bucs’ shocking 23-13 win over the Saints.

1. The Saints have issues heading into the playoffs.
After knocking off the Falcons less than seven nights ago, everyone was talking about how nobody wants to face the Saints in the postseason. But after the crap-show they put on Sunday in New Orleans, why should any team be worried about New Orleans? Drew Brees threw an inception in his 12th-straight game. Thomas Julius Jones fumbled at the goal line, which cost the Saints six points. For the second consecutive game, Sean Payton couldn’t get his offense moving. What’s going on here? The Saints are dangerous, period. But because of injuries and inconsistent play, they haven’t be dominant all season and it makes you wonder if they have what it takes to make another run to the Super Bowl.

2. The Bucs prove they can hang with the big boys.
Entering this game, the Bucs didn’t have a win against a team with a winning record. That didn’t mean they weren’t good or that they were lucky to still be in the playoff picture, but they lacked a signature win. Not anymore. For the second year in a row, Tampa went into New Orleans and beat the Saints. That’s remarkable considering the Saints won the Super Bowl last year. Raheem Morris has his young team believing that it can beat anyone and it proved on Sunday that it can. Josh Freeman continues to be special. Mike Williams is a great young playmaker. The defense is starting to take shape under Morris’ guidance. Regardless of whether or not they earn a trip to the postseason, things are starting to take shape in Tampa.

3. Why didn’t Payton remove his starters earlier?
I love Payton’s desire to win but he has to be smarter. The Falcons were obviously in control against Carolina up 31-3 midway through the third quarter and with nothing on the line in terms of playoff seeding for the Saints, Payton should have pulled his starters earlier. Malcolm Jenkins, Jimmy Graham, Chris Ivory and Alex Brown were all hurt in the first half. Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas, Jeremy Shockey and Anthony Hargrove were all inactive before the game. The Saints should beat whichever NFC West team wins on Sunday night in the first round of the playoffs next weekend, but they can’t be shorthanded for the Divisional Round. Payton is fortunate that Brees or another starter wasn’t hurt after he exposed his starters to injury longer than he had to.

It’s definitely been a solid year for rookies in the NFL, and here are the top offensive and defensive ones ranked in order of who we think wins the honors for 2010:

Offensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams—Led the Rams to the team’s biggest victory in years last Sunday, and has to do it again this Sunday.

2. Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots—These two guys continue to put up ridiculous numbers if you combine them (81 catches, 1007 yards, 15 TDs).

3. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Bucs—Two more TDs gave this kid 10 on the season, and he’s on the verge of 1000 yards.

4. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys—He had 8 TDs (receiving and return) through 13 games before getting injured.

5. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns—Okay, so this time the young McCoy had a rough go against the Ravens, but we won’t wipe him off the list.

Defensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions—60 tackles and 9 sacks through 15 games for a DT is amazing for anyone, much less a rookie.

2. Devin McCourty, New England Patriots—He hasn’t had an INT since Week 13, but the guy is all over the field making plays.

3. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs—I’m sure U of Tennessee fans winced when they saw their former star return a pick for a TD against the Titans.

4. Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns—Had another pick against Baltimore along with five tackles. You think Mike Holmgren knows what he’s doing or what?

5. Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants—Even though he’s on a line that already has Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, JPP has 29 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 6 passes deflected. I think Jerry Reese chose well when many doubted this kid.

There was an article in USA Today’s Sports Weekly about what a solid rookie class this has been, and it’s so true.

Offensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams—He’s thrown for 3065 yards on a team that won one game last season, and might possibly lead them to a playoff berth.

2. Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots—Between them, 953 yards and 13 TDs through 14 games. Those are Antonio Gates-esque numbers.

3. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns—Did you need more proof that this kid is the future at QB? Yeah, the Browns lost to the Bengals, but McCoy put up 243 yards with 2 TDs and no picks, and completed 19 of 25 for a ridiculous 76% completion percentage.

4. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Bucs—Through 14 games—58/880/8, and a big reason for the Bucs’ resurgence this year.

5. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys—As electrifying a young player the NFL has seen in a long time.

Defensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions—Becoming a defensive leader on his team as a rookie, and helping the young Lions become respectable again.

2. Devin McCourty, New England Patriots—Not only does this young stud have 6 interceptions, but he has 77 total tackles to rank near the top for NFL corners.

3. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs—This is a guy you just don’t throw the ball near, and even if you don’t , he has ridiculous closing speed.

4. Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns—McCoy is the offensive bright spot, Haden the defensive one on a team showing promise in the Holmgren regime.

5. Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks—Hasn’t had a pick in a while, but his 5 still ranks near the top in the NFL.

Offensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams—We’ll let the New Orleans game slide. For now.

2. Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots—You shut one out, and the other will burn you. Or, of course, will Deion Branch and Wes Welker.

3. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Bucs—Was almost shut out by Redskins, but like Bradford, we’ll let it slide because he’s had such as great season on a promising young team.

4. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns—He will get the start Sunday against Cincinnati after missing a few games with an ankle injury. Let’s see if it makes a difference, because McCoy has sparked the Browns before.

5. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys—The Cowboys sure missed him against the Eagles.

Defensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions—Is anyone really surprised at the ease the big fella transitioned into the NFL?

2. Devin McCourty, New England Patriots—6 picks leads all rookies.

3. Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks—Quiet the last few weeks, but who wants to throw in his direction?

4. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs—Berry’s interception against the Chargers was the only good play of the game for his team, and it was a thing of beauty.

5. Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns—His five picks is right behind Thomas, and his overall play has been stellar.