Peter King Gets Paid For This: Vol. 4

To be fair, Pete's Tuesday follow-up was actually pretty sane today. Just a couple of thoughts.

Bottom line: Pick a wild-card team in the NFC. Atlanta? Philly? Washington? Tampa Bay? Dallas, if Tony Romo gets broiling hot? One of those will have to travel to Phoenix on the night of Jan. 3 for the second game of the NBC wild-card doubleheader.

[I'm pretty sure that this is merely a statement of fact and not a dramatic imposition placed upon one the "unlucky" wild-card teams. Because, seriously, given the choice, which of those teams wouldn't LOVE to go to Arizona in January to play a playoff game against..... the Cardinals? Would the Cards be favored against any of those teams? Atlanta, maybe.]

From Brett LaBarge, of Dallas: "Is it time to sit Big Ben and let Byron Leftwich run the offense? Ben is hurt and is forcing things."

You sound like my daughter Laura, my brother-in-law Lou and the rest of Steelerville. If I were Mike Tomlin, I'm calling Roethlisberger into my office today and saying, "Look, you're the guy, and you'll always be the guy. But we've got to think of what's best for the team. I need you to look me in the eye and tell me you're healthy enough to play well against San Diego this week. If you lie to me, I'll never forget it. Tell me the truth."

[Who am I to argue with your brother-in-law Lou? And what good would that creepy, Hannibal Lecter-esque threat by Tomlin do? Obviously Roethlisberger would say he's fine. The better idea would be for Tomlin to challenge Ben to a motorcycle race-- winner take all.]