What If?

In the midst of searching for the much-talked about (and, upon viewing — overhyped) Big Ben piano bar video from earlier this week, I found this. It's a clip from the 2005 NFL Draft, which has been somewhat of a talking-point this Super Bowl week because the draft's first-round was highlighted by projected top-five quarterback, Aaron Rodgers' falling all the way to the Green Bay Packers, 24th overall.

On the forefront, the video doesn't offer much, unless you put any real value on the raw and unfiltered analysis by ESPN's Chris Berman and Mel Kiper, Jr. The interesting part, of course, is while the world-wide leader's "experts" sympathize with and attempt to encourage young Aaron, the Kansas City Chiefs were on the clock, fate to-be-determined, with a soon-to-be star quarterback there for the taking.

It got me thinking, what if?

Chiefs' passing-attack should be judged by victories, not hollow statistics

For the Kansas City Chiefs as a whole, Sunday was an absolute ridiculous and embarrassing shellacking at the hands of the Denver Broncos where even the 49-29 final score was much closer than the game actually was.

For quarterback Matt Cassel and leading-receiver Dwayne Bowe, though, the game was somewhat of a coming-out party, statistically-speaking, at least. Cassel threw for a career-high 469 yards, and Bowe set career-highs for receptions (13) and receiving yards (186). Cassel finished the game with four touchdown passes — two to Bowe — and no interceptions.

Judging by statistics alone, it was by far the tandem's best performance together as members of the Chiefs. Judging by the stat that matters most — wins and losses — it meant nothing.

NFL Predictions 2010: Favre returns to Green Bay for NFC Championship showdown

Football is back!

I've probably made that announcement a couple-hundred times since, well, sometime in April when the NFL Draft was getting underway. The statement will become 100% accurate Thursday, though, when Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings return to New Orleans for a rematch of last season's NFC Championship game with the Saints.