Housh starting tour in Seattle

You know how a few minutes ago I said that a visit usually is a formality, and that if the player passes their physical they almost always sign a deal right away? Well, that's true 99% of the time, but it might not be so in the case of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Housh is set to visit Seattle today, which would normally lead you to believe a deal would be struck, but considering he's the top free-agent left he might be using the visit as leverage to force the hand of another team interested in acquiring his services.

Houshmandzadeh released a list of teams he'd like to play for that included the Seahawks, as well as the Giants, Eagles and Vikings. I think it's most likely that he'll end up a Seahawk after this visit, because they're the team that is most desperate to add a wide reciever. The other three teams all made the playoffs last season and all (except for maybe NY) already have a solid corps of receivers should they start the season today.

The 'Hawks know that the NFC West isn't going to be a cakewalk anymore, with the emergence of the Cardinals. They need help to stay competitive and they'll pay T.J. handsomely.

Happy Birthday Jake Delhomme

I'm flabbergasted. If you had told me yesterday that the score in the Arizona/Carolina game was 30 to 7 in the 4th quarter I wouldn't have been phased. If you told me that the Cards were on top I wouldn't have believed you. Not even for a second.

Jake Delhomme is delivering one of professional sports' all-time choke jobs. And to add insult to injury it's his 34th birthday.

This is even more embarrassing than that time I ripped my pants.

Congrats to the Cardinals. They're not ready to go home yet, and they're playing their hearts out.

NFL Awards

MVP: Peyton Manning
Manning was the trendy pick for this award. He was red-hot through the last nine games of the season, but this is the weakest of his three MVP campaigns. Still, in the absence of a clear-cut MVP voters went with the safe, comfortable pick.

Biggest Snubs:
Michael Turner was the motor to Atlanta's offense and he made things a whole lot easier on Matt Ryan. A good running back can make any QB look good.

Phillip Rivers and Drew Brees had outstanding seasons, but the fact that their teams' underperformed really hurt their stock.

Offensive Rookie: Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan had a season for the ages, posting one of the best campaigns for a rookie QB. Ever. This kid has the skills to pay the bills and is going to be a perennial Pro Bowler if he can doesn't spiral out of control. Rookie QBs like Ryan, Flacco and Roethlisberger are putting a lot of pressure on any players that follow in their tracks. Coaches, GMs, owners and fans are going to be (unfairly) expecting immediate returns.

Biggest Snubs:
There are a lot of rookie running backs that got the shaft this year. Steve Slaton, Matt Forte and Chris Johnson all topped 1,200 yards and each had at least 8 TDs. Any one of those guys could have gotten serious consideration.

Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson both came up huge for their teams, but a receiver's never going to win this award.

Defensive Rookie: Jerod Mayo
It's easy to measure an offensive player's production in yards and touchdowns, but it's much harder to quantify defensive statistics. 128 tackles, 1 FF and 1 FR are outstanding wether you're a rookie or a veteran player, though. The Pats linebacking corps needed a youth transfusion and they got it.

Biggest Snub:
No one else really deserves the award over Mayo, but the Redskins' Chris Horton comes close. He had 76 tackles 3 INTs and a FR from the strong safety possition. That's an outstanding season.

Comeback Player: Chad Pennington
Pennington was unceremoniously dumped when the Jets picked up Favre, but he was quickly snapped up by Bill Parcells to Quarterback division rival Miami. There are a lot of knocks on Pennington, namely his arm strength and mobility (or lack thereof), but I think his pros outweigh his cons. Simply put this guy is one of the most accurate QBs in the league. I'd take him over at least half the starting QBs, including Favre. Pennington deserved this award.

Biggest Snubs:
Nobody's rise from the ashes was as big as Pennington's but Antonio Bryant's resurgance comes close. Bryant was basically ran himself out of the league with his bad attitude, but has returned, presumably humbled and become a top-tier receiver in Tampa. Remember that one-handed touchdown catch? Outstanding.

Kerry Collins should get a nod here too. He took over for Vince Young in Tennessee and quietly led an outstanding team into the playoffs. Critics claimed that the Titans couldn't win with Collins if you could shut down their ground game and he answered them in week 10 and 11 tossing for 519 yards and 5 TDs in those two weeks, both victories.

Coach of the Year: Mike Smith
No team was in as much turmoil last season as the Atlanta Falcons. Abandoned by Head Coach Bobby Petrino, star Quarterback (read vastly overrated coach-killer) on his way to federal prison for heinous crimes. The team just fell apart. Boy what a difference a year makes. Owner Arthur Blank and management made all the right moves. Hire a high-character coach, sign the best running back available and draft a franchise QB. This team had great success in just one season, but is built for the future.

Biggest Snubs:
Two other rookie head coaches also turned their franchises from doormats to contenders. The Dolphins went from 1-15 to the top team in the AFC East thanks in equal parts to Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells.

The Ravens struggled last year, but Harbaugh managed to turn them around into a playoff team. His feat isn't as impressive, though, since the Ravens were a vastly superior to the Falcons and Dolphins talent-wise.