It was all good just a week ago.

Two 13-0 teams vying for history and a chance to do what the New England Patriots couldn't do a few years ago. Have the first 19-0 season and the game’s ultimate prize.

Truth be told, the New Orleans Saints had me worried back when they should have lost to the Washington Redskins. But current Cowboys kicker and former Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham missed a chip shot and the Saints came back to win in overtime.

Seeing two 18-0 teams playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy would have undoubtedly been the most hyped up Super Bowl of all time! The Saints wanted it. They wanted a shot at football immortality. The Indianapolis Colts were indifferent. They could care less about going undefeated AND winning the Super Bowl. Wouldn't that be nice to put on your resume?

Don't get me wrong. A Super Bowl victory will definitely suffice, but an undefeated Super Bowl season would have to go at the top of your resume, above your name. Actually, chances are you wouldn't even need to use your resume to land some future employment. People will know who you are and what you've accomplished. Having your top players fresh and rested heading into the playoffs is of the utmost importance. We get it. 

But.

But listen here. You win that game against the New York Jets with no problem at all if you leave your starters in. So it kind of sounds like you forfeited because you literally didn't show up to play in the second half. Not to mention the 23 home game winning streak you just gave away.

Obviously the Colts have a team full of proven winners on their roster, so why not let them do what comes naturally? Now the Colts have just a seed of doubt that maybe they shouldn't feel so secure in the warm confines of Lucas Oil Stadium. Well... they could have won that game last week if they really wanted, so technically there should be no doubt. But they didn't win and their fan booed them for the last 20 minutes of the game because they felt cheated. A relatively easy road to regular-season perfection was passed on like dessert after a hefty meal.  

The players hate this decision. Look into their eyes on the sidelines in the waning minutes of the game. Not one face read, "At least we have home field advantage throughout the playoffs." No sir. Just pure disappointment. Helpless even. They're winners and they know how to win but were not afforded that opportunity. Judging from what Colts owner Bill Polian said about this decision, I truly believe it came from the top. It is a smart business decision. But not good for the players’ or fans’ psyche.

Super Bowls are not won by the most rested teams, but by the team with the most momentum heading into the playoffs. The Colts understand that all too well. Having home field advantage throughout the playoffs does not guarantee anyone a Super Bowl appearance, and resting your key players a whole month before your first playoff game gives them plenty of time to lose any momentum gained during the regular season.

But it is Polian's team, and he who writes the checks can do whatever he chooses. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

Once the 2009 NFL season started, there were 32 teams who had dreams and aspirations of becoming world champions. Dreams of hoisting up the Lombardi Trophy and telling the world that they'll be going to Disney World to tell Mickey and Minnie Mouse about your accomplishments.

And then something goes wrong. Terribly wrong. Maybe it's an injury to a player that a team desperately needs to make a Super Bowl run. Maybe there are distractions that just won’t go away and that team can't stay focused on the one and only goal... winning.

Whatever the reasons may be for losing, no one really cares. No matter how legitimate the reasons may be, in the end they just sound like a bunch of excuses. All we really care about is the bottom line, and that is winning.

So what happens when a team is less than halfway through a season and their postseason hopes have all but diminished? "Well, we're all professional athletes and we are going to out and continue to give 110% every single snap because that's what we are paid to do." Sound familiar? Well what else are they going to say? "Man this season is a wrap! I can't wait until the off-season!" That may not go over very well with a lot of people, but I assure you that the thought has crossed every pro athlete’s mind when a season goes south and there is nothing left to play for. Not even pride. Because when you're 0-7, even your pride wishes you were on a tropical island, sipping on something with an umbrella in it.

So with nine games left in the 2009 regular season, what might the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7), St. Louis Rams (0-7), Tennessee Titans (0-6), Kansas City Chiefs (1-6), Cleveland Browns (1-6) and Detroit Lions (1-5) be thinking about?

At first they may convince themselves that anything is possible. A miraculous run of winning 8 or 9 games in a row. Sneaking into the playoffs and doing what no other team in NFL history has done. Win a Super Bowl after a disastrous start. So at the very next game, everyone is pumped up because the head coach has just given them the "win one for the Gipper" speech. Guys are flying around during warm-ups and ready to give it their all. They open the game with enthusiasm and lots of energy and even make a few big plays. Then they fall behind and the doubts return. All the reminders of why that team is in the predicament they're in are now staring them in the eyes. Poor quarterback play. A porous defense. A special teams unit that loses the battle for field position constantly. A coach worried about making it through the rest of the season. A recipe for disaster.

Now what?

An uninspired organization from top to bottom trying to find ways to make it through a season that will undoubtedly end after Week 17. Awaiting off-season decisions and changes that will alter the course of the most promising career. Ultimately resulting in poor performances on the field. Guys no longer playing for the good of the team but for individual incentives. The guys who don't have any contractual incentives (or anything to play for) usually check out mentally. No longer in the moment, but looking forward to their postseason exit physicals, sandy beaches and 5-star resorts.

Looking forward to being part of winning team again.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

Last year, when San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary threw tight end Vernon Davis off the sidelines and into the locker room, my radar went off.

My intuition was screaming, "Keep an eye on Mike!" As a player, everyone understood that he didn't play around. His eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head with an intensity that made some people uncomfortable. 

If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then he is soul brother number one.

Sometimes he looked like he wasn't playing with a full deck. Like he would take out all the queens because he didn't want any girls playing. A tough man with a fierce desire to compete and a “take no prisoners” mentality. When you look at the recipe for success for an inside linebacker, he had all the ingredients.

As a head coach, he's still not playing!

While the 49ers were down, 35-10, 11-year veteran, two-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl champ Dre Bly stepped in front of a Matt Ryan pass and started streaking toward the end zone. Nothing but open green pasture in front of him. Perfect time to pay homage to Deion Sanders, right? Why not? So what that they were getting their doors blown off the hinges. This was the silver lining on this dreary day. If the hand is behind the head for 80 yards, it's definitely on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. See, um... ok, this is what happened. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, who just happened to be the fastest guy on the field, was right behind him and knocked the ball loose. Falcons regain possession.

The only time I ever worry about a player's well being is when he is lying motionless on the field. I thought Bly was on his way. I thought Singletary was going to choke him out right there on the field. I thought it was going to get very ugly! The only thing that saved both Singletary and Bly from an awkward, and probably most embarrassing, moment was that Singletary was so focused on Bly carrying the ball like a loaf a bread that he didn't see Bly's hand go up to the back of his head. Whew, that was close. And then to add insult to injury, he told a reporter after the game that he had done nothing wrong because "Dre is going to be Dre."
 
I thought Singletary had gone soft on me. No repercussions when Bly came off the field and no post-game comments about the incident. After a 45-10 beatdown he obviously has a lot of other things to worry about than a turnover than turned out not to be, but after what happened last year with Davis I expected a little bit more from Mr. No-Nonsense.

I just had to be patient.

Funny how fast word travels.

Fast forward to Monday morning when Bly reached the 49ers facility and approached Singletary for a meeting. If I were a fly on the wall, I imagine I would have heard something about how every player on that team is accountable for their actions and how every action has a consequence. And that foolish actions may have embarrassing consequences for everyone involved. And since everyone in the organization was affected, Bly was "going to apologize to everyone in the building, practically." Singletary also probably said something about not showboating when your team is on its way to the worst loss at Candlestick Park ever and that his perceived selfishness has no place in the ultimate team sport.

Whatever was said hit home. During Singletary's Monday morning press conference, he called a very remorseful and humbled Bly to the podium to get his first round of apologies out of the way. (He was set to address his teammates later in the day.)

There is no doubt that Singletary has the respect of every player in that locker room and probably a lot of other locker rooms across the league. We haven't seen a coach like him since the days of black and white television.

Now we get to enjoy him in high def.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

So who would have ever thought it would come down to this?

Brett Favre wearing a purple uniform and playing against his former team on Monday Night Football. Well, here we are! And I am pretty excited! This is by far this year’s most intriguing matchup because we all want to know what revenge actually looks like. Is it ugly like Betty or beautiful like a fall day in Wisconsin? Is it vengeful or forgiving? Is it angry or focused? No matter what you call it, it’s very interesting. Interesting not because this a rivalry between two teams in the storied black and blue division, but because this time there were some feelings hurt, some egos bruised, some hard business decisions made and a lot of people left scratching their heads.

Confused? Upset? Maybe I can shed a little light.

This summer I had the privilege of being inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. The night prior to the ceremony some childhood friends of mine went out to celebrate. In the cab on our way to the local watering hole our driver decided to tell me how he really felt about old No.  4 playing for the Vikings. His voice started to crack a little and I was pretty sure he was about to have a full blown emotional breakdown if I didn’t offer a little insight. We didn’t have much time left until we reached our destination so I tried to help calm his nerves as soon as possible before he lost it and we ended up in the river. I’m not sure if he did not understand where I was coming from or if he really cared about my assessment of the situation, but I’m pretty sure he cried after he dropped us off. One of my boys said “dude was in pretty bad shape, huh?” Yup.  And he’s not alone.

Maybe this will help.

Just imagine for minute that you’re dating this girl. When you met her, you had a girlfriend down in Atlanta but there were some early signs that this relationship was going nowhere fast. You were young and talented with all of the potential in the world but the fast life may have limited your ability to be successful. So you pray that situation will somehow, some way improve so that you can live out your dreams and be all that you can be. Then this cute little girl from the Midwest gives you a call and tells you that she has a better situation for you. A situation where she would nurture you, groom you and surround you with people who really care about you. She sounds a little boring and not as warm and sunny as Atlanta, but sometimes change is good. And besides, Atlanta says she doesn’t want you anymore because you’re immature, you party too much and you’re quite the headache. So you pack up your flip flops, cargo shorts and an extra sweater. Hop in your pickup truck hoping that this new chick is just what the doctor ordered.

She was cute but young. Her mom was the hottest chick on the block around 30 years ago but her beauty had faded since and she just wasn’t as attractive to guys as she was when Vince Lombardi was handing out relationship advice. But now there was a mentor by the name of Mike Holmgren and he had taught guys like Joe Montana and Steve Young how to handle their women on the West Coast and their relationships flourished. And they had rings to prove it! Holmgren and relationship guru Ron Wolf had also convinced a minister (Reggie White) to come to Green Bay to handle all these new nuptials.

Over time this relationship flourished. She couldn’t be mentioned without somebody bringing up Brett’s name. She helped Brett earn MVP three different times. They even went to the big dance twice.  He was tough and played with reckless abandon and she loved him for it. But like all relationships, there will eventually be some bumps in the road. She still loved him but she liked being in the national limelight. She loved the attention when she danced in front of millions. She needed to go back to the big dance again. She needed to feel the excitement. He got her to the doorstep but he couldn’t get her in. She grew impatient and he told her “I’m not sure if I can stay in this relationship much longer.” He had said it before but she didn’t believe him. Then he said it again. And again. Sensing that one day he was going to say it and mean it. She prepared to move on. She found this young stud out of California who would eventually replace him. She asked him to mentor this youngster so he would be ready once he decided to end this relationship but he declined. “If you want a new boyfriend, you help him.”

The new relationship guru (Ted Thompson) sat Brett down and said “Your old loyal and faithful girlfriend has had enough. She’s leaving you for the young fella. She’s tired of all of the waffling and since you can’t make the call, she will make it for you.”

Say what? Really? You’re dumping me? Sure I can’t make up my mind about my future but I’ve given you the best days of my life. Blood, sweat and tears. An addiction to pain meds. My dad passed away and I still played for you and this is how you repay me? OK. Fair enough. So let me date whoever I want to date. If I ain’t good enough for you, I’m sure there are plenty of women out there who still think I’m attractive. So let me get this straight- I can date that woman up in New York but that’s it? Well she ain’t really my type but she’ll do. You guys really have some nerve. You win this time but if I ever get the chance to put on my dancing shoes again, I’m going to make you wish you never divorced me.

I guess what I’m trying to say even though the NFL is a business, it’s also very personal. Feelings do get hurt. When you’re with an organization like the Green Bay Packers they make you feel like family and that separation can be tough regardless of the circumstances surrounding your departure. If my longtime girlfriend left me for some good looking young dude, I would want to make sure the next time she saw me I was with the reigning Miss Brazil. Immature?  Maybe. Spiteful? Definitely. But as a competitor all you’re taught to do is win. And we love a challenge! Let’s see how good Brett’s new girl looks on Monday night.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

As a player, I know for a fact that the off-season flies by. As a former player with nothing to do during the off-season, it seems to take forever. How much Little League World Series, tennis and NASCAR can one man watch before he starts to fiend for football season like a Kanye West fiends for attention? Although watching Serena Williams tell that official she would shove that tennis ball down her throat was very entertaining. Now that the NFL season has started, we can focus on what's really important!

Week One
 
No matter what the preseason prognosticators predict, no one really has a clue as to how the 2009 season will unfold because no one can predict injuries at key positions and how they will affect a team. Especially at quarterback. See the 2008 New England Patriots.

Fast forward to Week 1 and let's take a closer look at one of the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles. This prediction was based on QB Donovan McNabb being the play-caller all season long and getting the ball Brian Westbrook and his younger skill players. Then they sign Michael Vick, with McNabb’s blessing, to incorporate a different look on offense and keep opposing defenses off-balance. Great plan, right? Makes me wish I still had a couple of years of eligibility left. Then Vick plays in his first preseason game and McNabb doesn't seemed thrilled that the offensive continuity is disrupted. Understandable, because we have yet to see an NFL team rotate two QBs and be successful.

And please stop referring to Vick as a Wildcat QB. He's just a plain ole NFL QB who happened to lead his former team to within one game of the Super Bowl. Oh yeah, and the best running QB the NFL has ever seen.

As a former Eagle I was a bit concerned because Donovan has had some injury issues over the past few seasons and the Philly fan base doesn't seem to appreciate a QB who has taken them to the NFC Championship game 5 of the last 8 years. Grow up! I know he hasn't won a Super Bowl yet, but on the flip side you could have been born in Detroit and have to root for the Lions. I digress. So when Donovan gets injured in the Carolina game, with Vick in a skybox with owner Jeffrey Laurie, I couldn't help but think, “Aw damn! Here we go!" A QB controversy that really isn't a controversy. McNabb is the best QB on that roster but there will be some fans who want to see and believe that a QB who hasn't played in two years gives them a better chance to win. 

Did I say grow up already?

Vick will be a work in progress until he gets his legs back under him, and then we'll see how he fits into the game plan.

As for Jeff Garcia, he's a great short-term fix, but once Donovan has recovered from his rib injury, I don't see the Eagles keeping four QBs on their roster. Kevin Kolb appears to be the future of the franchise so I don't see him going anywhere. The odd man out in this whole ordeal is WR Hank Baskett, who was released to make room for Vick on the 53 man roster. At least he has a former Playboy bunny to help ease his pain.

Speaking of guys with pretty wives, Tom Brady looked like his old self. Orchestrating a fourth-quarter comeback against the Buffalo Bills shows why he has three Super Bowl rings and a supermodel. On the flip side of that, one of the Bills coaches should have told kick returner Leodis McKelvin to get what he could and get down. No need to fight for extra yardage in a situation where the Patriots are only after one thing. The football.

Speaking of footballs, T.O. didn't get many thrown his way and didn't seem happy about it.  Especially when those other guys on the other team caught 12 balls apiece. Stay tuned. This could get interesting.

Minnesota QB Brett Favre flew under the radar in the Vikings’ win over the Cleveland Browns. He managed the game very well and looked great handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson. It's amazing what any running back can do when there aren't 8, 9, 10 guys in the box. It could get downright ugly for opposing teams when Peterson only has 6 or 7 guys in the box. That's why the Vikings need Favre. Even though he only threw for 110 yards, the mere threat of him throwing the ball downfield will keep defenses honest. Pick your poison. It will hard to stop both Favre and Peterson. The latter, if healthy, will be the best RB this league has ever seen. Favre, on the other hand, will not be satisfied just managing the game for much longer.

New Orleans QB Drew Dangerfield will finally get the respect he deserves this year. Brees would be mentioned in the same breath as Brady and Peyton Manning if he had only won a Super Bowl. He is clearly one of the top three QBs in the NFL, but in this game you're judged by championships, not statistics. Even though his 5,000 yards passing a year ago is something neither Brady nor Manning has accomplished. And he did it with receivers not named Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss or Wes Welker.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

Most Super Bowl stories you read about will be about how guys finally made it to the “Big Dance” and what it was like to play in the most the most exciting single game any athlete could dream of.

How, when you walk out of that tunnel for the first time on Super Bowl Sunday, your heart starts to race and will not stop racing for the next five hours. How it’s the most exhausting, most exhilarating, most nerve-wracking, most memorable sporting event of your life. About when they introduce your name in the starting lineup, and you run between the cheerleaders and the crowd goes wild.

And at that very moment, no one on this planet has a swagger like yours.

Then you realize there are 800 million people watching on TV and your family in the stands look more nervous than you can ever remember. And that swagger you had a minute ago is gone like the wind because this game is really about to start and you have to piss like a racehorse but it’s just nerves. And if you’re too nervous, people are going to think you’re scared and this ain’t the time to be scared. Your manhood is on the line.
 
Yawwnnnn...
 
I tell that story so much, even I'm tired of hearing it. One of my best Super Bowl stories  happened not 12 years ago in New Orleans, but just last fall in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was the Green Bay Packers alumni weekend, so I was in town to celebrate with some Packer legends. I always make my customary visit to the Oneida Casino to make my yearly donation and my routine doesn't change much. Go find a Pitch (double deck blackjack) table, order a cocktail and proceed to watch my chips disappear.

On this special day, there are only two other gentlemen playing at this particular table. A very quiet, shy type of fellow who had a child molester quality about him. You know, fidgety, head down all the time, and when he looks up there is something in his eyes that says the wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead. Real talk. Made me a little uncomfortable. Let's call him “Chester.” Chester is to the far right, or what us blackjack players call 3rd base. I'm in the middle seat. To the far left (1st base) is a gentleman who looks like he could be an Italian man from Jersey who had that mobster/gangster look from 1977. He had slicked-back hair, a Midwestern accent and a gold bracelet on his left wrist that read “Raheem,” and two other gold bracelets on the same wrist. Two more bracelets on his right wrist. Two gold chains and one silver chain that bore a charm with some initials that didn't have the letter R in them. And my favorite, a 1997 Green Bay Packer NFC Championship ring – the same ring I own but never wear because it's just a reminder of losing the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos.

He was an Italian version of the “Boondocks” – “A Pimp Named Slickback” minus the gold teeth. Let's call him “Raheem.”

I remember the details so vividly because I was fascinated by this man and tried to sneak a peak at him every time I thought he wasn't looking. Well, apparently I'm not too good at sneaking looks and he became annoyed at the fact that I was “sweating” his ring. The next time he caught me he turned his nose up like a snooty elitist and rolled his eyes at me. So the next time the dealer takes a break to shuffle, I ask him about his ring. He smirks, takes off the ring, turns his head and in the most dismissive way possible, tosses the ring across the table. Like a no-look pass. It rolls past me and, as I turn to grab it, I meet eyes with Chester. He puts his head down and grins from ear-to-ear.

I couldn't help but chuckle. Chester knows I was on that team. Raheem has no idea. No worries. I was having a great weekend choppin' it up with a bunch of my old teammates, reminiscing about Super Bowls 31 and 32, and I wasn't going to let Raheem ruin that. But I was going to entertain him. He begins to tell me, with a cockiness you had to see to believe, what the ring is while implying the whole time that he had a hand in earning this ring. Not as player, considering he was about 55-60 years old, but as a member of the Packers front office and/or coaching staff. I feel bad for saying this, but I didn't recognize the name on the ring. So while the name looked familiar, I couldn't put a face to the name. But one thing for sure, it's not Raheem's ring. I snapped out of my trance when I saw him out of the corner of my eye motioning me to give him his ring back. Waitress. I need one more Long Island Ice Tea and a shot of Patron.
 
We play a few more rounds and temporarily forget about Raheem because the dealer is just killing me and I can't concentrate on both the money I'm losing and Raheem. In the meantime, someone comes up with a No. 25 jersey and asks for an autograph. I look at Chester, and his spooky little eyes say, "I can't believe you let this go on for as long as you have." I look at Raheem and he has just seen a ghost.

Game over.

He proceeds to tell me, in the most humble voice, about how he owns a pawn shop and he bought the ring from one of my former teammates who also played in the NFC Championship game. The player sold the ring to Raheem because he was only signed to the team two weeks prior to the game and “wasn't attached to it.” Now, because he was only on the team for two weeks and it was 12 years ago (and I may have taken too many hits to the head), I honestly couldn't remember who this guy was. Then Raheem said he was a running back, and I know for a fact that it wasn't a running back because we would have been in meetings together all day and I do remember those guys. So Raheen got very upset because he felt that I was saying that he got scammed by some dude posing as a former Packer and his ring was a fake. Chester starting laughing hysterically and I cashed in my chips and went to my room. When I left, Raheem was screaming something at the dealer about the Packers and then the dealer starting laughing.
 
The next day, I asked some of my old teammates if they knew who this guy was whose name was on the ring and no one could remember. It wasn't until I asked one of our equipment managers, did I find someone who remembered the name on the ring. But by then the damage to Raheem's ego had been done. And I imagine the next time he wants to pose as a former Packer employee who was part of one those very good teams of the late 1990's, he won’t do it in Green Bay during alumni weekend.

Bless his heart!

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

What happened to your favorite team this year?

You thought this could be the year your team finally made a strong push toward that ever-elusive Lombardi Trophy, but somewhere along the line something went wrong. So now you're on the phone with your travel agent cancelling the flights, rooms and jet skis you reserved in Tampa for Super Bowl 43 and putting a deposit down for the same thing in Miami next year because there is no doubt in your mind that next year is definitely the year your team makes it. Your team is going to make some off-season moves that will improve whatever weaknesses need to be addressed and your QB will undoubtedly be better than he was this year because he will understand the offense a lot more and will make better decisions with the football.

Isn't that the same thing you said at this time a year ago? Well, good luck buddy!

The defending Super Bowl champs looked like they would make a strong push at defending their title, but during the last six weeks of the season the wheels fell off the wagon that "Cheddar Bob" Burress was driving. The New York football Giants looked very strong up until the evening their star WR shot himself in the leg. They even managed to win a game after the incident and gave their fans some hope that they could overcome that distraction and continue their push toward football immortality. But, contrary to popular belief, football players are human beings, too, and have to deal with their problems the same way everyone else on this planet has to, and after a while it takes a toll on you. Couple that with the fact that DE Michael Strahan retired, TE Jeremy Shockey was traded to the New Orleans Saints, DE Osi Umeniyora was placed on injured reserve, special teams standout and Mr. Catch of the Year, David Tyree, missed the whole season with an injury and your best wide receiver was unavailable with a flesh wound. The fact that the Giants still clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC is remarkable. Their first round playoff exit, on the other hand, did not come as a shock.

My Green Bay Packers were mentally drained by midseason after dealing with the Favre saga and it showed on the field. Sooner or later, all of the distractions will catch up with you, no matter who you are or who you play for. QB Aaron Rodgers actually played pretty well considering he had to replace a legend and almost had to replace a shoulder. Ryan Grant was slowed by a hamstring injury for the first half of the season and the running game never really got going. When you can't run the ball, you can't sustain drives, and when you can't sustain drives, your defense is on the field way longer than it should be, and when your defense is tired it resembles wet toilet paper and you can't stop $#it with wet toilet paper. Flush this season and start all over again next year.

The most talented team in the NFL didn't even make it to the playoffs this year. What a shame! The Dallas Cowboys found a way, out of seemingly no way, to screw this up. Ten straight seasons without a playoff win is painful for such a revered franchise. Too many egos and not enough footballs to go around. Bill Parcells would have never let things unfold the way they did this year. To be a "Parcell's guy," you have to play hard-nosed, disciplined football. To be a Wade Phillips guy, apparently all you have to do is invite him to your birthday bash. Phillips understands that he needs to get tougher on his players, but how will his players respond to this? Once you lose the respect of your players, it's hard to get it back.

Good luck.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

The Rant
 
Initially I wanted to blog about the playoffs, but if you’re reading this, chances are you already know everything there is to know about the games this past weekend.

All things considered, I really thought my newly adopted Atlanta Falcons would beat Arizona, considering the Cardinals were blown out by Minnesota and New England and then beat a Matt Hasslebeck-less Seattle team to close out the regular season. Did I mention they were dead last in the NFL in rushing, too? Wouldn’t it be great if head coach Ken Whisenhunt could tell us which one of his bi-polar teams is going to show up in Carolina this weekend?

Could someone please explain to me how the Colts, who won their last nine regular-season games and has the league MVP at quarterback, loses to an 8-8 San Diego team that probably shouldn’t have even made it to the postseason? Am I the only one who thinks that if LaDanian Tomlinson isn’t 100% he shouldn’t suit up, so we can see if little Darren Sproles can handle a full playoff load against the league’s best defense?

Speaking of really tough defenses, does anyone really want to see the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs?

Donovan McNabb is going to win Super Bowl MVP and everyone will finally get off his jock! Yea, I said it!!! Come on 5! And Andy Reid will find more creative ways to run the ball with Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter and he will keep the mid-life crisis full beard for the rest of his coaching career. Let’s go, Andy! Who knew the Giants’ wildcard run to an improbable Super Bowl victory last season would come back to haunt them, because now the Eagles believe they can win three playoff games on the road and win the Super Bowl?

Can Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin still be “that cool brotha” when the weather is below freezing? And how does his barber keep his edge-up so crisp?

Sorry. Sometimes I get carried away and type out loud! What I really meant to talk about was...
 
Reading Between the Lines

Jets running back Thomas Jones says that any player who is not playing well should be benched, and I agree 100%. Problem is head coach Eric Mangini couldn’t sit Brett Favre because owner Woody Johnson has an infatuation with Brett and Mangini understood that. Which is why Mangini shouldn’t have been fired, considering Brett was playing with a torn tendon in his bicep and was making bad decisions with the football. The same bad decisions that a healthy, younger, Brett would turn into an incredible play. But those days may be behind Brett, and obviously Mangini’s coaching days in New York are behind him, as well, but what we all want to know is who is to blame? Nope, not my man Brett. Nor Eric Mangini. But Woody Johnson. Let me break it down for you...

When a player is playing poorly, it is the coach’s job to tell that player what he is doing wrong in order to get that player to play better in the future. Problem was, Mangini reprimanded Brett in front of the whole team a few times and that didn’t sit so well with Brett. You see, Brett is not really used to that kind of criticism around his peers, and since he is the NFL’s greatest quarterback ever statistically, he may feel that since he has accomplished so much, he has earned enough respect in this league not to be talked to in a certain manner. You know, like a rookie who has yet to earn his stripes. And if you want to criticize him, it should be done behind closed doors so you don’t embarrass the future first ballot Hall of Famer. So, since Brett was doing the Jets a favor by gracing them with his presence, he in no way wanted to be talked to openly, like most coaches talk to their players who are not performing well.

You see the catch 22?

Mangini has only been a head coach for 3 years and thought he could be like his mentor turned arch-nemesis, Bill Belichick, and not treat the “superstars” any different than the other players. Well you see, it doesn’t work like that everywhere and I’m sure it works a lot better when you have three Super Bowl rings and you were the first coach to ever enter a Super Bowl with an 18-0 record. I know it’s a tough lesson to learn, but on some teams they actually treat the “superstars” like “superstars.” Maybe Mangini didn’t see the Levi’s commercial.

So now, Mr. Johnson, who has a “woody” for Mr. Favre, decides that he likes the attention that Brett brings to that franchise (and jersey sales), a lot more than he likes Mangini. And since he writes the checks, and Brett’s not going to hang around for another year to be yelled at like a red-shirt freshman, someone had to go. They teach you that in business school. Simple math. So as Favre contemplates his future with the New York Bretts and makes his list of pros and cons, the con side will be a little lighter than the pro, “I love New York” side.

As for Brett being “distant” from the rest of his teammates, consider this: He is 39 years old and one of his teammates, Erik Ainge, is 22. So in 1996, when Brett won NFL MVP and a Super Bowl, Erik was in the fifth grade wiping boogers on the back of some little girl he had a crush on. When I asked him how he got along with the players in Green Bay in his final year with the Packers, Brett mentioned that he really didn’t have a lot in common with the players because of the age differential (Green Bay had the youngest team in the NFL last season). So maybe he feels a little out of touch. Or maybe there was a little bit of culture shock in moving to the big city. New York is just a little different from Green Bay and a lot different from Kiln, Mississippi. Maybe some traffic. Or maybe Saul from New Jersey flipping him the bird for cutting him off in traffic. Only to catch up with him, recognize him and flip him off again by name.

I’m just saying it’s a little different.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

Every year, the NFL regular season seems to become more and more eventful. In 2008 there were many events that made for great talk around the water cooler on Monday morning. Some good, some not so good and some just downright ugly. Regardless of who your favorite team is, sooner or later they made the headlines and gave you something to be proud of or made you hang your head in shame. I have a feeling I won’t see as much Dallas Cowboys apparel this off-season as I have in the past.
 
The Good
 
The Atlanta Falcons basically starting from scratch like an expansion team (new general manager, head coach and quarterback), overcoming the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino situations and coming within a 51-yard field goal with :01 left in New Orleans by the Carolina Panthers of having a first-round bye and the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Miami Dolphins’ season was just as impressive following a 1-15 showing a year ago, tying the record for the biggest single-season turnaround in NFL history (10 games), winning the AFC East and hosting the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs. The Indianapolis Colts starting the season 3-4 and winning their last nine games. In the crazy AFC West, the San Diego Chargers becoming the first team in NFL history to start a season 4-8 and make it to the postseason. How about the last two weeks of the regular season, when so many games had playoff implications?  And, finally, the 2010 Pro Bowl being moved to Miami the week before the Super Bowl in the same stadium. Now the Pro Bowl will officially commence “Super Bowl Week.” South Beach, here we come!
 
The Bad
 
The Dallas Cowboys not making it to the playoffs despite having the most talented team in the NFL and the circus-like atmosphere that followed this team around all season. The Cleveland Browns failing to live up to high expectations. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting 9-3, only needing one win to make the playoffs, and losing their last four games. Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis firing another head coach. Then, the St. Louis Rams following Davis’ lead and firing their head coach in the middle of the season. The way the whole Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers saga ended with no clear-cut winner and both the Jets and Packers at home for the playoffs. Commissioner Roger Goodell protecting quarterbacks like the Secret Service protects the president. Maybe defensive players would be better off throwing their cleats at the QB. And Patriots WR Wes Welker being fined $10,000 for making a snow angel the week before Christmas.
 
The Ugly

The Detroit Lions becoming the first team in NFL history to go 0-16. A distinction that may haunt the players and coaches for the rest of their lives. And it may get even uglier if they draft Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree with the first pick of the draft. An 8-8 San Diego team which gets in the playoffs over an 11-5 New England team. Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shooting himself in the leg in a New York City nightclub after catching the game-winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl last year. Talk about going from the penthouse to the outhouse to possibly a jail cell. Jacksonville offensive lineman Richard Collier being shot 14 times, being paralyzed from the waist down and having to have his left leg amputated.
 
There is still a month left in the NFL season and anything is possible. Hopefully we will have more good and less bad and ugly. Stay tuned.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

The playoffs don’t officially begin for a couple of weeks, but until then there are some very intriguing match-ups that will determine who’s in, who’s out and where the games will be played. From a player’s perspective there are a few different scenarios that are running through the minds of everyone who has put on a helmet this season. Having played 11 NFL seasons, going to the playoffs in nine of them and being fortunate enough to have played in three Super Bowls, let me try and explain the players’ train of thought as the season comes to an end:
 
The U-Haul and UPS Crew
 
The Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs are all leaders of this pitiful 2008 crew. Somewhere around the halfway point of the season, the harsh reality of having a bad season starts to settle in. There is a slight glimmer of hope that someway, somehow, your team can go on a miraculous run and enter the playoffs as the hottest team in football. And then you get beat down once again, at home even, and hopelessness starts to settle in. Before you start to wonder about next season, you begin to look around the locker room and try to figure out how it all went wrong. Maybe there were some injuries at key positions, maybe your defense resembled a wet paper bag all season, your quarterback’s play was below average or no one liked the head coach. So many things can go wrong during the course of an NFL season that can cause a team to have a sub-par year, and year-in and year-out there are several teams that fall into this category. Some teams seem to be in this category almost every year. When that’s the case, something is terribly wrong in the front office and there is not much the players can do about that. Just ask Chad Johnson, er, Ocho Cinco. So with two weeks left in the regular season these guys have already reserved the U-Haul truck and/or packed their belongings to be shipped off to their off-season homes. At any rate, this crew will be watching the playoffs from home or an exotic island where nobody knows their name, no one speaks English and the only football they care about involves a soccer ball.
 
The Cross-Your-Fingers Crew

The Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles are all in the hunt but have not secured a playoff spot just yet. Right now this crew is playing the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” game. We could’ve beaten that team if we didn't turn the ball over three times. We would’ve won that game if the referee hadn’t blown that call. We should’ve won that game but our best player got hurt in the second quarter. Now they are forced to play the “is-ness” game. This is the way it IS, so get over it! If Miami wins at Kansas City and at the New York Jets, they are in the playoffs. Not bad for a team that was packed and ready to go home at this time last year. New England has to win at home against Arizona and at Buffalo and hope that the Jets and Dolphins lose a game. The Falcons have to win their last two games and hope Dallas and/or Tampa Bay loses a game. The Falcons could go 11-5 and not make the playoffs. Last year at this time Bobby Petrino had just resigned as head coach and taken a job at the University of Arkansas and Michael Vick was finding out the hard way that this is a dog-eat-dog world. What a difference a year can make! The Eagles need to win at Washington and at home vs. the Cowboys and hope the Bucs and Falcons lose. Good luck, fellas.
 
The “What Dreams Are Made Of” Crew

The New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers are on pace to be the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in their conferences. These teams have played well for the majority of the season and have the best chance of making it to the “big dance.” These guys are dreaming about how great it would be to play in the Super Bowl and what they could possibly do to snag that MVP award. Or just be a part of a Super Bowl winning team and all the perks that come along with it. Especially the ring. A first-round bye will give these guys a chance to rest and for injured guys to get as healthy as possible. No team could use this time off as much as the Titans, who will be without DT Albert Haynesworth and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch for the remainder of the regular season. The Panthers and Steelers appear to be the hottest teams heading into Week 16, but that changes from week to week. The Giants, on the other hand, have lost two straight with Carolina coming to town this weekend and a regular-season finale in Minnesota. On top of that, RB Brandon Jacobs has a bad knee and they still have the Plaxico Burress situation hanging over their heads. On second thought, maybe they should go in the “cross your fingers” category. Only time will tell.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

Dear Juice,

Now that you have a little extra time on your hands, I was wondering if you could help me understand a few things?

First and foremost, I'm having a really hard time understanding why, after you were acquitted of double murder in 1995, you didn't buy a nice villa in Costa Rica, find you a nice little senorita, and lay low? I mean, really?

And please don't think I'm writing you to make you feel worse than you must be feeling at this moment but a lot of things just don't make sense and some clarity would be great!

Your life up until that "incident" in 1994 had been pretty spectacular. One of the best running backs to ever play professional football and one of, if not the first, black pro athlete to cross over into the marketing and film mainstream with astonishing success. Who will ever forget the commercial where you were running through the airport? Definitely an inspiration for young, black athletes all across America.

I can't help but think that every time your name comes up, it should be followed by, "Whatever happened to him? Dude just disappeared!" Unfortunately, that is not the case.

When you got acquitted, it was the happiest I had seen our people in a long, long time. Not as happy as when my main man Barack Obama won the presidential election, but elated nonetheless. But for some strange reason, I believe you took that the wrong way. We weren't happy because a black man may have gotten got away with murder. No sir. I sincerely believe that anyone, regardless of race, who murders two people should be put away for life. We were happy because black men routinely get railroaded by “The Man” and “The System” at an alarmingly disproportionate rate than our white counterparts, and for once, the same "system" that never seemed to work in our favor let you walk out of that courtroom a free man even though there was some pretty strong evidence against you. Even if some of it was presented by a racist cop.

And while we're talking about “The System,” could you please explain to me why you were in shackles in the courtroom this time around and not the last? Doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me but I don't have a law degree.

I must say that your plea to the judge in Nevada seemed very sincere and I really believe that you had no idea that this would hit the fan the way it did. A good friend of mine said they would get you with the "make-up call" on this one for what happened in California. Even though the judge felt it was necessary to state that that was not the case at all. Who are we kidding? Sounds like you got set up to me, man! Everything that happened that day either recorded by audio or video tape. It was your stuff right? Someone was out to get you! Mission accomplished.

With that said, writing a book about how you could have killed the two murder victims and gotten away with it was a really, really horrible idea! Really? What were you hoping to accomplish? Paying the $33.6 million dollar civil judgment to the Goldman family? There had to be a better way! It almost seems as if you were rubbing it in some people’s faces. Definitely not a good idea. I'm sure the late Johnny Cochran would have advised against it.

In closing, I really hate to see anyone in this situation. Especially black athletes. But the numbers don't appear to be declining. Maybe we can all learn from your mistakes. Maybe you can speak to some of these guys and tell them where you went wrong.

Former All-Pro running back Dorsey Levens writes a weekly blog for playerpress.com at www.dorseylevensreport.com.

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