- It’s ironic really. Three weeks ago every NFL talking head said that if the Packers could get past the Lions in Detroit and the Giants in New York that they’d probably go undefeated. And after Green Bay mopped the floor with Oakland last Sunday, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Pack would finish 16-0. Then the Chiefs, led by a chewed up and spit out Kyle Orton, go out and pull off the upset of the year by knocking off Green Bay, 19-14. Everyone will analyze this game to death but there’s not much to dissect. The strength of Kansas City, its defense, once again stepped up and played incredibly well. Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, did not as the usually explosive Green Bay offense fizzled for the first time all year. Romeo Crennel didn’t pan out as a head coach but there’s no doubt the man knows how to run a defense. He put together a scheme today that will be studied, picked apart and emulated by every defensive coordinator that may face the Packers down the road. To hold Rodgers and Green Bay to just 14 points is truly remarkable.

- When you think about it, it makes more sense that an inferior team like the Chiefs were the ones to knock off the Packers instead of a playoff contender like the Lions or Giants. The Packers will always see Detroit or New York coming, so theoretically they should play their best football. A team like Kansas City, however, has a better chance of sneaking up on Green Bay (again, theoretically). Still, the Chiefs have nothing offensively so for them to pull off an upset like this was almost flabbergasting.

- The talk this week leading up to the Patriots’ clash with the Broncos was how Tim Tebow needed to step up in order to match Tom Brady. But in the end, Brady essentially made Tebow a non-factor by craving up a Denver defense that has the biggest reason for the Broncos’ success these past six weeks. One of the many things that make Brady so great is that he usually doesn’t force his hand when he doesn’t need to. For example, with Deion Branch out with an injury and Wes Welker and Rob Gronkwski drawing double teams, Brady simply keyed on Aaron Hernandez, who shredded the Broncos for 129 yards on nine catches. Even though New England’s defense was shaky at times (especially in the first quarter), the Pats proved how difficult it’ll be for Denver to match up with the elite teams in the AFC come playoff time.

- There’s no reason to devote 150 words to how the Saints beat the Vikings today in Minnesota. The Vikings’ secondary resembles a revolving door to the end zone, so it wasn’t surprising to see Drew Brees throw for 700 yards and 19 touchdowns versus a bad Minnesota defense. But it must be a little unnerving to fellow NFC contenders that the Saints finally looked good on the road. They haven’t played well away from the Superdome this season and quite frankly, they’ve developed a reputation of being more conservative on the road than at home. But today they went out and made it look easy. With the Packers falling for the first time all season, maybe the power structure in the NFC has shifted ever so slightly in New Orleans’ favor. If you were to pick one team and one team only to beat Green Bay, it has to be the Saints, who are the only NFC team that can match up with Green Bay in a shootout.

- If I’m a team like the Falcons or Lions, I’m praying that the Giants make it into the playoffs. Because right now they’re about as dangerous as a roll of Tollhouse cookie batter. In the last six weeks the Giants have wilted against good competition (San Francisco, New Orleans and Green Bay) and floundered against inferior division rivals (Philadelphia and Washington). The only reason they’re still alive in the NFC East is because the Cowboys crap themselves whenever they’ve expected to rise to the challenge and make a stand. As I noted in my predictions piece this week, I expected Washington to hang with the Giants. But I even wrote that I didn’t expect the Skins to win. Instead, they absolutely dominated the Giants from the opening kickoff and somehow managed to sweep New York for the first time since 1999. Given how Dallas had already won, how first place was on the line in the division, and how they were at home, it was inexcusable for the Giants to lose to the Skins. But why be shocked given how poorly New York has played the past month and a half? We should be long past expecting this team to dominate an opponent just because it’s better on paper, especially considering how the Giants have played down to their competition all season long.

- Between the Jets, Titans and Bengals, I don’t know which team I want to see in the postseason less. The Jets were absolutely manhandled by the Eagles from start to finish in Philadelphia, the Titans couldn’t muster more than 13 points in a loss to the previously-winless Colts, and the Bengals were in a 6-6 deadlock with the powerhouse Rams before finally shaking loose in the second half. At this point the NFL should just give the No. 3 seed in the AFC a bye and save itself the embarrassment of a Mark Sanchez v. T.J. Yates battle royale.

- I shudder to think how good the Detroit Lions could be if they had even an ounce of discipline and/or composure. As they showed today in Oakland, the Matthew Stafford-Calvin Johnson connection is electrifying, the front four will give most offensive line fits and the linebacker corps continues to overachieve. That was a great come-from-behind win for Jim Schwartz’s squad but this is a team that lacks the fundamentals (see tackling and not committing stupid penalties). Still, at 9-5 the Lions look like a lock for one of the two Wild Card spots in the NFC and after a decade of miserable football, it’s all smiles right now in Detroit…

- …of course, the Raiders really handed the Lions that game today. Had Oakland stuck with Michael Bush and the running game instead of getting cute with shotgun formations late in the fourth quarter, the Raiders probably win today and make things interesting again in the AFC West. (It also didn’t help that Carson Palmer missed a wide open Chaz Schilens on a third-and-three that could have sealed the game for Oakland.) For all intents and purposes Hue Jackson has done a great job for the Raiders this season, especially considering all the injuries Oakland has suffered through. But he could have managed the fourth quarter better today.

- The Texans were due for a game like they had today against the Panthers. They deserve all the credit in the world for persevering through injury after injury after injury, but T.J. Yates is their starting quarterback. At some point he was going to turn in an ugly performance and he certainly did today. Even with Arian Foster and that powerful rushing attack, it was only a matter of time that the defense would falter and Yates would stumble trying to make plays. That said, seeing as how they’re already in the playoffs this loss will actually serve Yates and the Texans well in the end. It’ll be a good learning experience for the rookie.

- Why again did the Bears not reach out to Donovan McNabb a few weeks ago? Because Mike Martz’s offense is too complicated to learn in a short period of time? That makes sense. Far be it for me to question Jerry Angelo but the odds were rather high that Hanie would struggle as a full-time starter. I would have rather given McNabb a shot to learn a scaled back version of Martz’s offense than allow Hanie to piss away a potential Wild Card spot. Granted, McNabb has shown nothing in two years that would make you think he could have saved Chicago’s season but at least with him there was a chance to catch lightning in a bottle.

- The Seahawks have been pretty fun to watch these past few weeks. Disagree with me and I’ll remind you that they had a fat guy score a touchdown today. Fat guy + touchdown = fun. It’s science.

- I would hate to play the Panthers if I were a team fighting for a playoff berth right now. They pulled off a “fumblerooski” with Richie Brockel in their 28-13 win over the Texans today. There’s no telling what else they’re capable of.

- Next Monday night in New Orleans is going to be f.u.n. – fun. The Falcons have finally found some consistency on offense and if they’re firing on all cylinders out of their no-huddle attack, they can hang with the Saints. New Orleans has been unstoppable at home this year but if the Falcons can get Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) back from injuries then the Atlanta defense is capable of slowing Brees and Co. down. The defense has quietly been the strength of the Falcons team this season.

- Hello, George Wilson? Yes, this is the grounds crew at Ralph Wilson Stadium. One of our employees retrieved your jockstrap following today’s game. We went back and watched the film and we can pinpoint the moment you lost it. Do you remember when Reggie Bush did that spin move on you in the second quarter? Right, well he spun you right out of them. You can come pick it up at lost and found at your earliest convenience.

- I would love to be a fly on the wall whenever Buffalo’s front office gets together to watch Ryan Fitzpatrick play. There must be a ton of, “Dear God what…were…we…thinking!” after they handed him that seven-year, $62 million contract back in late October. Dude has been brutal ever since. Don’t be fooled by his stat line (31-of-47, 316 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) from today’s loss to the Dolphins. He was awful, posting his two touchdowns and the majority of his yards when the game was pretty much out of reach in the fourth quarter.

Jets @ Broncos, 8:20PM ET, Thursday
Tim Tebow will have a hard time winning another game this season in which he only completes two passes, especially this one tonight against the Jets. I know – I’m going out on a limb with that statement. I fully expect an angry Rex Ryan defense to shut Tebow down but then again, who knows? Maybe Tebow has another surprise up his sleeve. Denver’s defense is certainly good enough to keep this one close and if Mark Sanchez starts turning the ball over and making boneheaded decisions, the Broncos are certainly capable of pulling off the upset.

Eagles @ Giants, 8:20PM ET, Sunday
Last week I saw a team in Philadelphia completely give up. But they always seem to give the Giants problems, especially in New York. If Vince Young (assuming he plays for the injured Michael Vick) comes out motivated, then there’s no reason the Eagles can’t pull off the upset. But Eli Manning is playing some of the best football of his career and Philadelphia’s defense has looked lost under coordinator Juan Castillo. This game could really go either way. The G-Men could roll to an easy victory and keep Dallas at bay in the division, or Philly could surprise and turn the NFC East completely on its head.

Bengals @ Ravens, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The Ravens have been playing up or down to their competition all year. One week they’re beating the Steelers (twice), Texans and Jets, while the next they’re losing to the Jaguars and Seahawks, or nearly losing at home to the Cardinals. Thus, it’ll be interesting to see how Baltimore comes out for this one. The Ravens blew it by not showing up last Sunday in Seattle and while Cincinnati is banged up, the Bengals have been competitive all season (as evidence in their 6-3 record). Will the real Ravens show up or will they view Cincinnati as an inferior opponent and once again take their foot off the gas?

Chargers @ Bears, 4:15PM ET, Sunday
The Chargers’ loss last week to the Raiders was pretty jarring, even for an underachieving San Diego bunch. Oakland has been competitive all year but the Raiders were banged up on both sides of the ball, were without Darren McFadden and were playing on the road. The Chargers needed to win that game. Instead, they lost for the fourth week in a row and now they have to travel to Chicago to play a red-hot Bears team playing with a ton of confidence right now. With Oakland in Minnesota this Sunday, it’s entirely feasible that the Bolts could be staring at a two-game deficit in the AFC West with six games to go. Philip Rivers has to step up at some point and stop making so many mistakes.

Titans @ Falcons, 4:15PM ET, Sunday
Here are the Falcons’ next five games: home against Tennessee and Minnesota, on the road against Houston and Carolina, and then back home against Jacksonville. There’s no reason Atlanta can’t be 10-4 when it travels to New Orleans for a Week 16 rematch against the Saints, but at some point its offense needs to put it all together. Matt Ryan has to be better, offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has to be better and Roddy White definitely has to be better. Julio Jones or no Julio Jones, this Falcon offense has too much talent to be this inconsistent. There’s not a doubt in my mind that if Atlanta doesn’t play to its absolute full potential that Tennessee could win this Sunday. The Titans have an extra spring in their step following the news of Matt Schaub’s season-ending injury and their defense could definitely shut the Falcons down if it plays as well as it did last Sunday in Carolina.

Cowboys @ Redskins, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The Giants sometimes have trouble with the Eagles so this is a prime opportunity for the Cowboys to pick up a big road win and then sit back and see if Philly can knock off New York on Sunday night. If that happens, both New York and Dallas would be 6-4 atop the NFC East. But the ‘Boys can’t get caught looking ahead. The Redskins have been abysmal offensively over the past month but Rex Grossman nearly led Washington to a win in Dallas earlier this season. Of course, that was when the Cowboys couldn’t even snap the ball and had several no-names at receiver, but still – take heed Dallas.

Bucs @ Packers, 1:00PM ET Sunday
Does anyone else feel as though the Packers are flying under the radar? I realize that’s hard to do at 9-0 but nobody is talking about this team. Between Tim Tebow, Rex Ryan, and daily updates on the Dallas Cowboys (for whatever reason), the national media outlets barely talk about the Pack. And it’s almost like they do a drive-bye segment when they do. Green Bay has a very realistic shot at going undefeated although this is a prime letdown game coming up on Sunday. Tampa Bay has played like crap-o-la the past three weeks and the Packers are coming off a short week having played on Monday night. Still, the Bucs lack the firepower necessary to keep pace so I don’t see Green Bay stumbling at home this week.

Cardinals @ 49ers, 4:05PM ET, Sunday
Considering Arizona has won the last two weeks, this game is a little more interesting than some would think. I don’t expect the Niners to lose at home but they are playing a 3-6 Cardinals team one week after flexing their muscles against the Giants. And with a trip to Baltimore coming next Sunday, this is a prime letdown situation for San Francisco. Don’t be surprised if Arizona keeps it close this weekend.

Chiefs @ Patriots, 8:30PM ET, Monday
The last time the Patriots played a backup quarterback on national television, Matt Flynn nearly led the Packers to an upset victory on Sunday night football last year. I don’t envision Tyler Palko beating the Patriots but you never know. Sometimes a new guy takes the controls and all of a sudden things start coming together. I’m assuming New England will run away with it on Monday night but crazier things have happened.

Raiders @ Vikings, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
This is a little early to say this but technically the Raiders do control their own destiny in the AFC West. They hold a one game lead over the hapless Chargers, the red-hot, Tim Tebow-led Broncos, and the pitiful Chiefs. But lose this weekend in Minnesota and Oakland opens the door for one, if not all of those teams to sneak back through. The Vikings are coming off a short week in which Green Bay blasted them 45-7, but it’s not like they don’t have talent. Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen can still make life miserable for teams if opponents aren’t careful. This is a game the Raiders need to have.

Bills @ Dolphins, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
At 5-4 the Bills certainly aren’t on life support but if the Jets win tonight in Denver and New England mops the floor with Kansas City on Monday night like everyone presumes, then Buffalo could be in real trouble if it loses this Sunday. Miami is coming off back-to-back wins but it’s not like Matt Moore is keeping defensive coordinators up at night. The Bills are still the better team in this matchup but nobody doubts that they could lose. Especially not with the way they’ve played the past two weeks. Chan Gailey’s team is being smacked in the face with adversity. Let’s see how the Bills respond.

Panthers @ Lions, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The Lions can’t lose this game. The Panthers are a competitive 2-7 but they’re 2-7 nonetheless. Cam Newton has kept Carolina in most games but the defense is overmatched every week. Hopefully for Detroit’s sake Matthew Stafford sheds those Kurt Warner-esq gloves that he was wearing last week and doesn’t turn the ball over like he did versus Chicago. (Four times to be exact.) With the Packers sitting at 9-0, the Bears sitting at 6-3, and a loss to the 5-4 Falcons already on their record, the Lions can ill-afford to lose a home game to an inferior Carolina team.

Jaguars @ Browns, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The offensive explosion that comes from this game might be too much for people to handle. Best to wear a lot of sunscreen and protect your eyes if you’ll be attending this major conference battle. Also, bring an umbrella. Because Colt McCoy and Blaine Gabbert will be making it rain all day…

Seahawks @ Rams, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
Imagine if the Seattle team that beat the Giants, the Ravens and nearly beat the Falcons showed up every week. Then maybe the 49ers wouldn’t be able to clinch the NFC West in Week freaking 11. Ah, well. I completely expect Seattle to lose this week in St. Louis and that statement has nothing to do with the Rams (who are just plain bad). I just don’t expect Pete Carroll’s squad to get up for a game against a 2-7 opponent when it just beat the Ravens at home. And that’s ridiculous when you consider the Seahawks are only 3-6 themselves.

DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING…

- The Giants and Eli Manning had the game I thought they would last week in Arizona. Manning threw three touchdown passes but he was also picked off three times as the Giants started slow and finished poorly. Of course, Eli wasn’t the only reason the G-Men dropped a game they simply had no business losing. Their defense couldn’t stop a Seattle offense that has suddenly started to hit their stride after staging a dramatic comeback in the second half last week against Atlanta. Tarvaris Jackson, Charlie Whitehurst and Marshawn Lynch tuned up New York’s defense for 424 total yards. What’s most remarkable about the Seahawks’ 36-25 win is that the Hawks fumbled twice in New York territory. This could have been an even bigger blow out.

- The Steelers winning a home game against the Titans hardly constitutes a “Didn’t see that coming” moment. That said, this was a Pittsburgh team that didn’t have Casey Hampton, James Harrison, Aaron Smith, Chris Kemoeatu, or a fully healthy Ben Roethlisberger. Considering how good Tennessee’s defense has been this season, it was rather surprising to see Big Ben (who threw five touchdown passes) and Pittsburgh bully the Titans for four quarters. It appears those claims about the Steelers being finished were greatly exaggerated.

- Much like the Steelers’ win over the Titans, it’s hardly surprising that the Raiders traveled to Houston and beat the Texans. This isn’t the same Oakland team that was pathetic four or five years ago. That said, Al Davis just passed away yesterday and the Raiders took on a solid Texans team that just bullied Pittsburgh a week ago. Nobody would have been surprised if the Raiders’ hearts weren’t in it and left Houston without a win. But they played hard for four quarters, shut down Arian Foster, and won a huge road game to get to 3-2 on the season. Granted, Matt Schaub did throw an inexcusable interception at the end of the game and the Texans were without Andre Johnson. But “Just win baby?” Absolutely.

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM…

- Hey Andy Reid, this is why you don’t hire your offensive line coach as your defensive coordinator. I realize that’s kind of harsh because it’s not like Juan Castillo is the only reason the Eagles are now 1-4 after losing today in Buffalo. (After all, it’s not Castillo’s fault that Michael Vick is careless with the football or can’t manage a clock near halftime.) But there’s no way the Eagles’ defense should be this bad. I don’t want to take anything away from Buffalo because its offense can score on anyone. But Reid’s decision to hire Castillo looks like a massive miscalculation. MASSIVE.

- Mark Sanchez has to raise the level of his play if the Jets are going to succeed this season. For the past two years the Jets have relied on their rushing game and defense to make the playoffs, where Sanchez has been very good. But this year has had a different feel to it for New York. The defense hasn’t been as good and the ground game has been non-existent. Thus, 166 yards against one of the lowest ranked defenses in the league just isn’t going to cut it. He was very good on the 85-yard drive in the second half to cut New England’s lead to 27-21, but that was the only time he looked sharp all day. If Sanchez doesn’t start playing as well in the regular season as he does in the postseason, the Jets won’t make the playoffs this year. That’s just the bottom line for Rex Ryan‘s struggling team, which has lost three in a row after starting the year 2-0.

- What in God’s name was Matt Schaub thinking on the Texans’ final play? He could have waltzed into the end zone from inside the Raiders’ 5-yard line but he gave the game away instead by throwing an interception to Michael Huff. Schaub is going to think about that pass all week.

- Nobody saw them being blown out 48-3 but the Bucs’ loss to the 49ers was hardly surprising. Tampa certainly had some built in excuses coming into Sunday’s action (i.e. a short week, a cross-country trip), but I don’t think the Bucs were as good as their 3-1 record indicated. Their offense lacks explosion, their run blocking hasn’t been good, and opponents can take advantage of their pass defense just like Alex Smith (three touchdowns) and San Francisco did today. The Bucs’ run defense apparently wasn’t up to snuff either, as Frank Gore rushed for 125 yards on 6.3 yards per carry. At 3-2 Tampa is still in good shape but I don’t think this was a loss that Raheem Morris can just chalk up to a bad day. The Bucs have issues that need to be corrected if they want to keep pace with the Saints in the NFC South.

- The Panthers deserve more praise than criticism for hanging with the Saints today, but what was Ron Rivera and his coaching staff thinking when they took a timeout with two seconds remaining in the first half? The Saints were trying frantically to get their field goal team on the field and Carolina saved them the trouble by calling a time out. Naturally, John Kasay made the kick to give New Orleans a 20-13 halftime lead in a game they eventually rallied to win by? You guessed it: Three points.

- Considering how many issues the Vikings have had in the second half of games this year, one would have thought Leslie Frazier would have kept his foot on the gas towards the conclusion of the first half today against Arizona. But instead of trying to increase their lead by pushing the ball up field, Frazier and the Vikings were content with a 28-3 lead. They were promptly booed by the home crowd, which chanted Christian Ponder’s name heading into the locker room. Only the Vikings could make fans uneasy with a sizable lead.

- Peter King speculated on “Football Night in America” that Mario Williams “probably” tore his pectoral muscle in the Texans’ loss to the Raiders on Sunday. That would be a massive blow to a team that lost its best offensive player a week ago when Andre Johnson hurt his hamstring against the Steelers. Suddenly the AFC South looks like a crapshoot.

“CHAMPIONSHIP”…

- All week I wrote about how the Bills’ loss to the Bengals last Sunday was an aberration. They got caught with their pants down but they obviously learned from it. The Eagles made a ton of mistakes today but let’s not take credit away from a Buffalo team that everyone completely overlooked coming into the season. It wasn’t hard to figure that Fred Jackson would have a big day against Philadelphia’s pathetic run defense and that he did, rushing for 111 yards with a couple of good-sized runs. I’ll be honest, part of me has been waiting for the Bills’ play to fall off but I’m over that notion. This Buffalo team isn’t going anywhere.

- Bill Belichick works in mysterious ways doesn’t he? For weeks the Patriots have kept the ball in the air against opponents while BenJarvus Green-Ellis has largely been an afterthought in the offense. In fact, Stevan Ridley was starting to garner some attention has a better option than Green-Ellis in the ground game. Yet with the Jets in town today, Green-Ellis rushes for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots defeated their AFC East rivals, 30-21. Granted, Tom Brady (24-of-33 for 321 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and the passing game was still highly active but the game was clearly on Green-Ellis’ shoulders. This is one of the many reasons why Belichick is so good. He doesn’t forget about any of his weapons and if he sees a weakness that he can exploit, he attacks it. He also knows how to feed the hot hand and he doesn’t over think the game as it plays out. Some may disagree but he has the best mind in football in my eyes.

- It’s not like I’m drinking the Kool-Aid, but I’ve been really impressed with the Bengals. Yeah, beating the Jaguars and their rookie starting quarterback isn’t earth-shattering news. But who does Cincinnati have starting under center? Andy Dalton, a rookie quarterback, whose main playmaker is a rookie receiver in A.J. Green who has received less attention than Julio Jones and yet is producing week in and week out. The Bengals showed a lot of poise down 20-16 in the fourth quarter on Sunday and rallying to beat the Jaguars. Who would have thought that Cincinnati would be 3-2 with the mess of an offseason they had?

- Championship? Not quite, but the Chiefs do have a pulse after winning their second straight game. Matt Cassel was outstanding in Kansas City’s comeback over Indianapolis, completing 21-of-29 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns. I don’t want to get carried away after one game but this is the type of performance out of Cassel that shows people that he can be a serviceable starter.

- There’s no need to overreact to his performance today because he’ll probably go back to his inconsistent ways next week, but Alex Smith was very efficient in the Niners’ 48-3 win over the Bucs. It was nice to see him react to the pressure instead of lo0king for it and then making mistakes. He kept his eyes downfield, didn’t stare down receivers and finally played with a sense of purpose. It helped that Tampa’s pass rush is weak and Frank Gore was gashing the Bucs on the ground, but let’s give credit were credit is due. Smith was very good.

- The Giants deserve to be ridiculed for their embarrassing loss to the Seahawks but Victor Cruz was nearly unstoppable today. He turned his 11 targets into eight receptions for 161 yards and one touchdown, and made one of the best catches I’ve ever seen. Just think, we may have never seen what this kid could do had the Giants not suffered as many injuries to their receiving corps. Not that I want to see anyone get hurt but Cruz has been really fun to watch the past couple weeks.

It’s pretty funny to watch commentators and writers overreact to week one of the NFL. It happens every year, and this year we had Warren Sapp calling the Steelers “old and slow” after they got whipped on opening day by the Baltimore Ravens.

I guess Sapp can ask Pete Carroll what he thinks of the Steelers after they handled his Seahawks 24-0 today in Pittsburgh.

Beating on the hapless Seahawks doesn’t make the Steelers a lock to repeat as AFC champs, but I think they’re still a team to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, what the hell is Pete Carroll doing in Seattle? Tarvaris Jackson? Really? They’re paying you almost $7 million per season for that?

Dave Mahler of 950 KJR in Seattle tweets that he the Seahawks have offered the Eagles a first and a third round pick for quarterback Kevin Kolb. Mahler says that he hears this “from a source.”

But following his tweet, Mahler did qualify his statements via his Facebook page:

“Deal I reported yesterday was made sometime in the last 4 months..I think it says more about where Hasselbeck is on the priority list in Seattle than it does about the chances of Kolb coming. Eagles since offer have also reportedly expresssed desire to trade for players instead of picks.”

Speaking of Hasselbeck, the Nashville Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt writes that Hasselbeck could still be on the Titans’ radar.

“I’m talking about three members of the front office, all have ties to Seattle,” Wyatt said. “They know Matt Hasselbeck. Likely Jake Locker knows Matt Hasselbeck because he’s worked with him.”

Re-signing Kerry Collins would make a lot of sense for the Titans, although it’s not like the new coaching staff has an allegiance to Collins so maybe Hasselbeck would be a fit there. Either way, the Titans need to bring in a veteran quarterback to help take some of the pressure off Locker’s shoulders. Even if it’s a forgone conclusion that a rookie will start, no head coach wants to just hand a young player a job without making him earn it first. (Especially a young quarterback as raw as Locker.)

Getting back to Seattle, I wonder if the Hawks will eventually decide to bypass trading for Kolb and give Charlie Whitehurst a chance to succeed as the full-time starter. Outside of his solid play against the Rams in Week 17 last year (a game that won the NFC West and lifted Seattle into the playoffs), it’s not like Whitehurst has shown that he deserves a full-time opportunity. But the Seahawks did trade a third-round pick and swapped second rounders with San Diego to acquire him from the Chargers in 2010, so they may decide to give him a shot.

We’ll see. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Kolb when the lockout finally lifts.

After asking ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio what his “gut feel” is on where Kevin Kolb will end up next year, SI’s Peter King tweets that the Cardinals are “a slam dunk as much as you can have a slam dunk” to land Kolb.

Here’s the actual tweet:

Asked Sal gut feel where Kolb ends up. “Arizona … a slam dunk as much as you can have a slam dunk.” But only if Phl likes compensation.

The thing that will determine Philadelphia’s compensation is what the market will be like for Kolb once the lockout lifts. If Seattle, Arizona and Miami are all interested in Kolb, then the Eagles can pit the three teams against each other and drive up the price. But if the Cardinals are the only team that’s seriously interested, then Philly may have to settle for less than what they’re expecting in exchange for the veteran QB.

What the Seahawks need to do is drive up the price whether they’re interested or not. If Paolantonio’s “gut feel” is right and Kolb-to-Arizona is a slam dunk, then Seattle needs to make sure the Cardinals (their rivals in the NFC West) pay top dollar for the quarterback. They can always renege and pull their offer off the table if the Eagles get close to accepting it. (That may piss off Philadelphia but hey, the NFL is a business first and foremost.)

Where Kolb lands will be the question of the offseason once the owners and players stop d*cking fans around with this labor dispute.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is not expected to return to the Seahawks in 2011.

From Rotoworld.com:

Schefter made this statement on NFL Live, and ESPN’s John Clayton — a former Seahawks beat writer — has been saying the same. Charlie Whitehurst is the only Seattle quarterback under contract, and OC Darrell Bevell’s ties to free agent Tarvaris Jackson could lead to another offseason addition. Neither Whitehurst nor Jackson is a starting-caliber quarterback, however.

Interesting that a report like this would come out two weeks after the Seahawks failed to address their need at quarterback via the draft. As Rotoworld points out, Whitehurst will have the opportunity to earn the starting job but one has to believe that Pete Carroll will make a run at Carson Palmer, Kevin Kolb, Kyle Orton or Vince Young when/if they become available when/if the lockout is lifted. (Palmer would make the most sense because of his ties to Carroll at USC, but he’s not the long-term fix the Seahawks need so Seattle may take a pass if Cincinnati makes him available.)

If Hasselbeck is indeed done in Seattle, the Dolphins may be a fit. The Redskins could also be interested too, as Hasselbeck is familiar with Mike Shanahan’s system having played 13 years in the West Coast Offense.