Week 16 in the NFL

Examining some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the 16th week of the season.

•   I no longer consider Bears games worthy of their own blog posts or columns this season. One thing I want to say after Sunday's 35-21 loss at Green Bay is that it's sad how many people are gushing about the performance of a quarterback who had a 76.8 rating. I'll say this — Josh McCown looked better than many backup quarterbacks do these days and should have a job in a league where the likes of Caleb Hanie can be considered a No. 2. But McCown's performance was strong only in a comparative sense. It was better than the catastrophic quarterback play we'd endured for the past month (gosh was it nice to see a quarterback actually make something happen occasionally in the face of a pass rush rather than curl up in a ball or panic-chuck the ball to the other team), but let's be honest, it wasn't heroic or even good. At least the offense can say it carried some of its share of the load, though it came on a night when the defense was no match for Aaron Rodgers and company.

•   Very few people would argue that the Packers are the team to beat in the NFC. I wouldn't. But if there is one (impossible) scenario in which I may pick against them, it would be if they had to go to New Orleans for a playoff game in prime time. Drew Brees became the NFL's single-season record holder for passing yards in fitting fashion — as his team was piling up 45 points on a nine-win Falcons team on Monday Night Football. The Saints are averaging a silly 40.6 points in their seven home games this year (that number could go up when Carolina comes to New Orleans next week). In five prime-time games, their point totals are 34, 62, 49, 31 and 45. Can even Rodgers and the Pack keep up with that offense in its comfort zone?

•   I think trading for Peyton Manning makes too much sense for the Jets (assuming the Colts don't blow their pole position in the Andrew Luck derby) for it not to happen this offseason. Other than on the 99-yard Victor Cruz touchdown catch, the Jets defense played well enough to beat the Giants. Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson weren't dominant, but the Jets running game was fairly effective. And Mark Sanchez produced just 259 yards and one touchdown on 59 pass attempts against a bad secondary. It seems pretty obvious to me that he's just not going to become the guy the Jets hoped they were getting when they drafted him fifth overall in 2009. The window isn't going to stay open for much longer, and I'd dangle a couple of first-rounders at the Colts for Manning and see if they bite, or winnable late-season games against rivals will likely continue to go against the Jets.