Chests and nuts roasting on an open fire, 
Al Davis nipping at your toes 
Tom Walsh being strung up by the choir 
And fans dressed up like Raider-Shmoes 

Everybody knows,
Fewer turkeys and a decent quarterback 
Would help to ease poor Art Shell's woes 
Raider diehards with their rivets aglow 
Will find it hard to sleep tonight 

They know that Santa's on his way 
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh 
A first round draft pick
a Quinn or Smith
Just bring us someone who can play
And do it quick!

And so I'm offering this simple phrase 
To kids from one to ninety-two, and Al Davis too

Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you 
Ho-Ho-Ho, you poor bastards

_____________________________________________________________________

Well week fifteen is in the books and some teams are assured of a playoff berth, while others are still hoping and wishing.
It's a funny (and not in a ha-ha type of way) time of year in the NFL.

The contenders are planning their strategies. Do they rest their playmakers, or do they keep playing and keep all body limbs crossed and hope they don't lose a key player to injury in a game that means nothing? Oh such a problem.
Some teams are still vying for a bye or home-field and so that is an element that must be taken into consideration.

While the dogs of the NFL are planning their vacations, updating their resumes and generally thinking about how many more hours before they can stop beating their heads against the wall. Then there are the teams who had high expectations and are now on the brink of elimination. Perhaps they are the ones in the most pain as their hopes have been dashed this season.

Lumps of Coal
Detroit – will Matt Millen survive another season as the head honcho in Detroit ?
Oakland – Can Al Davis eat crow and let the coach run the team. Or will Shell be the next sacrificial lamb in Oaktown?
Bucs – Gruden needs to find a quarterback and fast!
Houston – Will they ever get over not taking Reggie or Vince in the draft?

The Ghost of Christmas Past
New York – If the G-Men can't get into the playoffs will Tom Coughlin pay the price?
Carolina – What has happened here? The usual steady Panthers are probably going home much earlier than anyone expected.

Denver – Can Jay Cutler save the day and maybe even Shanahan's job in Denver ?

The week that was:

Redskins 16 Saints 10
The Saints were upset, at home by the Redskins. Yes it's another case of late season spoilers giving the old one finger salute to the teams strutting their playoff confidence.
But the Saints are legitimate contenders and it will be exciting to see them in the playoffs this season.

Eagles 36 Giants 22
Jeff Garcia has arrived on his wobbly skinny legs to save the day for the Eagles. Meanwhile Little Manning has struggled and hasn't had much help from his supporting cast.

Charger 20 Chiefs 9
LT is the most exciting player in the game today. The Chargers should go deep into the playoffs. Who can beat them? I think the Ravens can.

Titans 24 Jags 17
The Titans are making remarkable strides with Vince Young at the helm. The Jags should be a better team but they just can't play consistently and Garrard's turnovers have been costly.

Bears 34 Bucs 31 (OT)
The Bears are who we thought they were. They are dominant on defense and can play inspired on offense, sometimes. The playoffs will be a real challenge for this number one NFC seed. I don't think they can overcome themselves.

Jets 26 Vikings 13
The Jets are a great story. Chad Pennington is my choice for comeback player of the year.
They are in the wild car hunt but they aren't really ready to go very much further.

Buffalo 20 Miami 0
All indications are that the Dolphins can win with Joey Harrington. And surprisingly the Bills can win with J.P. Losman. Who'd of thunk?

Steelers 37 Panthers 3
The terrible towels may be crying towels for the defending Super Bowl champs.
They are still in the wild card hunt but I don't see them getting there.

Pats 40 Texans 7
Now this is the Tom Brady we all know and love. All smiles and putting up loads of points. The Pats are making the playoffs and who knows what they'll do once they get there. They are a “money” team.

Ravens 27 Browns 17
The Ravens, I believe, are the scariest team in the playoffs.

Denver 37 Arizona 20
It could be any early exit for the Broncos this season. The Cardinals have shown signs of life in the last few games with Matt Leinhart learning on the job.

Green Bay 17 Lions 9
There are simply no words to describe the Millen era.

Rams 20 Oakland 0
There are simply no words to describe the Raiders horrific season.

Forty Niners 24 Seahawks 14
Is it now the Alex Smith era? Certainly this break-out game was cause for optimism.

Week 15 record 10-6
Season record 128-96
Ho-Ho-Ho