Just one game left.

Well, we have arrived. The matchup for the Super Bowl is set, now we've got 13 days of hype before the game, and 14 days until one of the most depressing days of the year-the day after the Super Bowl when reality sets in that the football season is over, and it will be months before its back. Thirty teams have been eliminated, many after very nice seasons, and in the end we've got the Arizona Cardinals (!!!!) against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sundays games were both actually very compelling games. In the early game you had the good story Cards making a bid for their first SB appearance against the much maligned Donovan McNabb and the Eagles. And while at the half it appeared it would be the Cards winning in a laugher, McNabb (finally) made enough plays to get his team back into it before the Cards pulled away in the fourth quarter. To me, the game came down to Donovan McNabb simply missing on his passes all day-the plays were there, and he just kept making bad decisions and bad throws. Sure, the Eagles defense didn't play to it's paper (although Larry Fitzgerald has a lot to do with that), but if McNabb could hit his open recievers I believe it's Philly winning the NFC. That said, as a Cowboys fan, all is right in the world as the Eagles won't get that elusive first Super Bowl win this year.

In the late game, we had the expected hard hitting defensive matchup. Two division rivals with great defenses and struggling offenses beating each other to a pulp. I love defensive football games, and as a result really enjoyed the game. How can you not enjoy watching hard hits and players being thrown around like rag dolls? The Joe Flacco cinderella story finally ends as Pittsburgh proved you can get to him, and like any other rookie, when you get to him (and have Troy Polamalu on your team) he will turn the ball over, and the Ravens will struggle to score points. Now, for some observations and musings from the second to last weekend of the season;

-Troy Polamalu, what a freaking stud. There was one drive (assuming a 3 and out can be considered a drive) in the third quarter where he had a sack and a pass defensed. He obviously had the game-ending (and spread breaking) pick-six at the end of the game, but he was flying around the field making plays all game. Top 5 defensive player in the NFL, no doubt.

-Larry Fitzgerald, also a stud. No breaking news there, but he has imposed his will in the playoffs. If Kurt Warner has a few more productive seasons left in him, then Fitzgerald will continue to be the best WR in the game, my apologies to Andre Johnson.

-Donovan McNabb is just an above average QB, and hes just so damn inconsistent. He'll have good games, but he's yet to put enough of them together to get his team to the big game. I realize he doesn't have great WR weapons (though Desean Jackson could develop into one), but he does have Brian Westbrook-and at some point its got to fall on him. The Eagles win yesterday if he can just make the throws. At what point do you find out what Kevin Kolb can do? I'm thinking you could still get some nice draft picks from MIN for McNabb.

-Edgerrin James post-season play is going to get him a nice contract next year, though I'll be damned if I know from who and why. Sure he's had some nice games, but his career is clearly on the downside and has been since he left Indy.

-Limas Sweed should be sick about dropping that sure-thing TD, and then faking an injury costing the Steelers their final timeout and ultimately three points as the clock expired before they could kick a FG.

-Why are you throwing to the middle of the field with no timeouts in FG range as the half is expiring? Bad decision by the Hamburglar.

-I can't figure out what to make of Santonio Holmes. He makes great plays and then bad ones, inconsistency is maddening.

-Steelers are only a touchdown favorite for the Super Bowl, huh? I think that's a pretty good bet.