So this will do it for the regular season.  I haven’t decided yet whether or not I will continue predicting for the playoffs.  Regardless, let me offer some reflections on this NFL year:

• Never has one man’s profile dropped faster in my view than Brett Favre’s did late in summer.  It was a stark reminder, one more time, that the men who play these games are mere men (that is, they are but men; not mer-men, which would be something else altogether); none of them is made of anything more special than you or me.  Sure, they may be physically gifted, but I like to think everyone is gifted at something.  Certain gifts are just more profitable…
• The Packers’ stock (not the ACTUAL Packers Stock, which has zero monetary value) has been dropping slowly since LAST December’s drubbing at Soldier Field.  Hopefully after this year, we’ll start pulling it back up again…
• Despite the Dolphins resurgence, do not be fooled– not every single thing that Bill Parcells has ever touched turned to gold.
• It has occurred to me that the Vikings only come up looking good on those occasions that the rest of their division utterly licked it.  Hence (if they get in), they will lose in the playoffs.  Again.
• The mighty teams of the last 5 years have been taken down a peg, but no juggernaut has risen to replace them.  It could be an exciting and tough-to-predict postseason…

I am truly hoping for a return from Josh for the 2009 season, if for no other reason than his superior football-related wit.  Meanwhile, I have to be honest and say I had a pretty good record (a .660 percentage is fine no matter how you slice it), even though a number of these teams made it easy week to week with their ineptitude.

Going into the final weekend, a few of our weekly teams have something significant to play for, and some only have pride.  Some don’t even have that anymore.  No matter what, it’ll all be over in about 60 hours, so here are your predictions for this final Week 17.

SEASON RECORD: overall, 70-36; weeklies, 59-26; bonus picks, 11-10

• Packers – win (oh please, let them not lose THIS game..)
• Vikings – lose
• Bears – win
• Lions – lose (you can DOOOO it!!!!)
• Chiefs – lose win lose win lose win lose
• Seahawks – lose
• Dolphins – win

BONUS PICKS!!!

• Colts – win
• Eagles – win
• Ravens – lose
• Chargers – lose

A Happy New Year to you all!