The undrafted and twice-waived point guard’s overnight transformation from bench warmer to folk hero has given a previously moribund New York Knicks franchise a transfusion of energy and excitement not even Spike Lee could have envisioned when injuries and lackluster play forced head coach Mike D’Antoni to put the Harvard grad into the starting lineup earlier this month.

The phenomenon dubbed “Lin-sanity” has the Knicks realistically thinking about the playoffs while D’Antoni seemingly has secured a measure of job security that was unthinkable as recently as when the ball dropped in Times Square.

The lack of a penetrating point guard who could both dish and swish like Steve Nash did for D’Antoni in Phoenix was the most noticeable flaw in the makeup of a Knick lineup that prior to Lin’s insertion relied mostly on its inconsistent perimeter shooting.

Enter Lin, who by forcing opposition defenses to respect his abilities to drive to the hoop, shoot from the outside or find an open teammate, has expanded the New York offense like a flower in bloom. The result: eight wins in the team’s last nine games.

Lin’s spot on the Knicks roster was in grave jeopardy—so much so that he refrained from leasing his own apartment in Manhattan, choosing instead to bunk with his brother, a dental-school student.

The veteran Baron Davis was originally brought in to be New York’s answer at point guard once he was able to return from a herniated disc. Now Davis, who has yet to play for the Knicks, will be lucky to get 10-15 minutes a night with Lin leading the offense.

Lin’s inspirational story continues to be written on almost a daily basis. In the latest chapter, his 28 points and career-high 14 assists Sunday led the Knicks to a nationally televised comeback victory over the Dallas Mavericks, ending the reigning champs’ six-game winning streak.

The good vibes generated by Lin’s play have thankfully overshadowed some random acts of insensitivity and outright racism related to the young man’s heritage as the first American player in the NBA to be of Chinese or Taiwanese descent.

First there was MSG Network’s inane decision to air a fan’s sign containing an image of Lin’s face over a broken fortune cookie with the words: “The Knicks Good Fortune.” (MSG is owned by Cablevision, the parent company of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden.)

Then some now-unemployed moron at ESPN thought it clever to send out the headline “Chink In The Armor” to accompany a story on mobile devices detailing the team’s first loss with Lin in the starting lineup.

It is impossible not to root for Lin. His enthusiasm and poise on and off the court has Knick players, coaches and fans believing that only good things lie ahead. And the execs at the league office must be in their glory now that their franchise in the No. 1 media market is generating positive buzz for the first time in years, led by an unsung hero whose ethnicity also enhances the NBA’s already formidable global brand.

Mere months ago it appeared labor strife would wipe out the 2011-12 NBA season. Now the league is grabbing the biggest headlines on the sports pages, thanks in large part to a 23-year-old kid who not long ago was a roster move away from being jobless. How great is that.

Tom Brady was the first to concede he “sucked” in the AFC Championship Game. He flat-out whiffed against the Ravens, missing on a couple of glorious scoring opportunities and tossing two interceptions, yet the Patriots remain in pursuit of the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

That Brady struggled against a stout Baltimore defense is nothing to be ashamed of. However, a glance at the stats shows the future Hall of Famer’s play in the postseason has generally been lackluster since 2008.

Yes, Brady was spot on when he tied a record with six TD passes in this year’s Divisional Playoff against the Broncos and his record prior to ’08 is best exemplified by three Super Bowl rings. But take away the Denver game and Brady has 4 TDs and 6 picks in his last four playoff games.

The Giants defense he will face Sunday in Indianapolis is playing at its highest level of the year, so New England’s best chance to win is if its offensive line can withstand constant pressure from the New York pass rush so Brady has time to survey the field. If he does, the Giants’ secondary can be exposed. The problem is no offensive line has been able to contain the Giants in more than a month.

New England hasn’t truly relied on its running game since Curtis Martin wore the colors. This is a pass-first offense that features daunting threats in receivers Wes Welker and Deion Branch and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The latter two provide serious match-up difficulties for even the best defensive units, though Gronkowski will not be at 100% with a high left-ankle sprain. Thus, it will be paramount for New York’s defensive backs to do what they can to disrupt the timing of the Patriots’ receivers.

The Pats had a 10-game winning streak going before the Giants beat them 24-20 in November. Now the Giants are the team with the momentum, having won five straight including road playoff victories in Green Bay and San Francisco. In those five games, New York QB Eli Manning has thrown 12 touchdown passes and only two interceptions.

Reports out of Indianapolis this week have the Giants looking loose and confident. Manning’s been sharp, they say, as have his top receivers Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham. And in the midst of his best season as a pro, Manning has consistently risen to the occasion when the pressure’s been at its peak.

In the years when the Patriots were winning Super Bowls it was Brady who was the unflappable field general. That label now belongs to Manning, who will be gunning for his second ring against the team he beat on pro football’s biggest stage four years ago.

Lack of mistakes on offense and an unrelenting pass rush have carried the day for the Giants since they began their winning streak Christmas Eve against the Jets. They will again Sunday in Indy.

FINAL SCORE: GIANTS 24, PATRIOTS 17.

Thomas dissed the photo op with President Obama because, he said, he was exercising his “right as a Free Citizen.”

A staunch Tea Party libertarian who has the words “Don’t Tread on Me” on his game mask, the all-star railed against all government in a statement he posted Monday night on his Facebook page.

“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People,” he wrote. “This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.

“Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.”

With Thomas’ snub coming the same week Arizona’s Republican Gov. Jan Brewer—far from the most tactful (or eloquent) of our states’ chief executives—wagged her finger in Obama’s face upon his arrival for a speech in that state, it’s hard not to lament how the principle of respect for the Presidency of the United States has become so trivial for so many.

That Thomas has that right of free speech with no fear of retribution is indicative of the liberties we continue to enjoy in this country. Obama is no despot; he’s the man we elected to be our leader in 2008 and the one we can throw out this November if that’s the will of the electorate—another liberty that some of us apparently take for granted.

It’s hard not to be as sour as Thomas about the way Washington operates and, yes, he does have the right not to go to the White House. But in choosing this path he went rogue on his teammates and symbolically flipped off Obama. In his own way, Thomas helped to perpetuate the divisiveness that has plagued this nation since Vietnam.

Way to stand tall, Tim Thomas, for your country, your teammates and especially for yourself. For your sake we sure hope you won’t have to pay a higher tax on that $5 million salary of yours. Why would we want to impose on you to perhaps help others less fortunate. Ah, the hell with ‘em. They can’t even stop a slapshot.

They say defense wins championships so according to that adage, the 49ers and Ravens should advance to the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

The rematch of the Harbaugh brothers. Two of the stoutest defensive units in the game. Sounds enticing, but not so fast.

When we look at the current versions of the Giants and Patriots, we recall the amazing climax to the 2007 season and see parallels to the two squads that battled it out in the Super Bowl, won by the underdog Giants 17-14.

That year, the Giants had to make the playoffs as a wild-card team and then win all its playoff games on the road, including a trip through Green Bay. The Patriots and their precisioned offense engineered by Tom Brady entered the Super Bowl undefeated after fending off New York 38-35 in the final week of the regular season and then disposing of the Jaguars and Chargers in successive weeks.

This year’s Giants had two fewer wins than in ’07 but as they got healthier down the stretch they began to peak on both sides on the ball. Last week they went on the road and sent the Packers packing once again with a potent passing game and a stifling defense that, combined with several Green Bay miscues, left little suspense in the end.

Meanwhile, the Patriot offense looked as mighty as ever as Brady sliced and diced the Denver defense early and often, tying a playoff record with six TD passes. As good as the New England offense was in ’07, it’s even better now.

Sunday the Giants draw the 49ers, who showed tremendous resilience in securing a last-minute 36-32 win over the favored Saints in which there were four lead changes in the final four minutes.

The 49er offense went toe-to-toe with the Saints, but the Giant defense as it is playing now is a much better unit than the one San Francisco saw last week. It will be harder for Alex Smith to replicate the success he enjoyed against the Saints, placing more pressure on the 49er defense to contain Eli Manning and his red-hot receiving corps of Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.

Make no mistake: The 49er defense is capable of shutting down the Giants. If San Francisco wins it will be because they forced turnovers, the same formula that ultimately helped them get by the Saints.

We believe the Giants will continue to protect the ball the way they have since they started their late-season run, putting added emphasis on the 49ers to win the time of possession battle and establish a running game with Frank Gore to keep Smith out of harm’s way. It could be a tall order.

In the AFC, the Ravens have the defensive stars to make things tough on Brady. The Broncos failed to sack the quarterback last week, allowing him to survey the field and find open receivers all game long. That can’t happen to the Ravens because everyone in the New England offense is a legitimate threat; the magic of the Pats is there’s no one player that can be keyed on. And the presence of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez creates mismatches that can vex even the best of defensive units.

Baltimore’s weapon of mass destruction on offense is running back Ray Rice and he has posed problems for the Pats in the past. But unless Joe Flacco can be consistent with the passing game and find holes in the porous New England secondary, the Ravens will find themselves with their backs to the wall. Add to the mix the Ravens aren’t a great road team, and what you have is an uphill struggle.

Momentum is everything in the postseason. You ride the hot hand. In the NFL right now, Tom Brady and Eli Manning are the hot hands. So no matter how good the 49er and Raven defensive units are, The Big Mo appears to favor the Patriots and Giants.

FINAL SCORES: Patriots 34, Ravens 13; Giants 28, 49ers 20.

Saints at 49ers: At home the New Orleans Saints are virtually untouchable. On the road they’re still very good, but mortal.

Based on momentum alone, the Saints should be the pick in this game. Their offense is playing at an elite level and while they tend not to score on the road with the same frequency as at home, they still put plenty of points on the board.

What the 49ers also bring to the table is an efficient offense, one that likes to run to set up the pass; one that likes to methodically march down the field. If Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter are effective against the sometimes porous Saints defense and Alex Smith plays mistake-free football, the 49ers can theoretically keep the ball out of Drew Brees‘ hands and keep the game close.

Brees and his various receiver options continue to pile up the yards and touchdowns, and the running-back trio of Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory are playing their best ball of the year at just the right time.

The tempo of this contest will determine the outcome. If New Orleans is at all out of rhythm offensively in the second half, the 49ers will have a chance. If, however, the Saints are anywhere near as fluid as they’ve been for most of the season, they will advance because the 49ers will be unable to keep pace. FINAL SCORE: Saints 27, 49ers 20.

Broncos at Patriots: New England put up 41 points on Denver earlier in the season, despite two Tim Tebow rushing TDs.

The lopsided 18-point victory doesn’t indicate the Broncos were competitive in this game until they tripped over their own laces by coughing up the ball three times in the second quarter. Even they couldn’t Tebow themselves back after that.

Conversely, Tom Brady was on his game, completing 23 of 34 passes for 320 yards, two TDs and no picks. That can’t happen again this week or else the Broncos will find themselves in too deep of a hole.

Credit Denver’s defense for the way they manhandled the Steelers’ offensive line in last week’s wild-card playoff, but Ben Roethlisberger‘s inability to move around in the pocket clearly put Pittsburgh behind the eight ball. The Broncos won’t have that advantage this weekend.

Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy put together a masterful game plan, allowing Tebow to keep the Steelers off-balance by mixing up the running game between his quarterback and halfback Willis McGahee and as a result, setting up big plays via the pass. Expect Denver to try more of the same against New England’s defense.

For Denver to keep its improbable season alive it must stop Brady. Sacks, hurries, interceptions—without them the Broncos will be unable to keep the Pats from lighting it up and delivering a knockout punch. FINAL SCORE: Patriots 42, Broncos 23.

Texans at Ravens: Just as the Saints are dominant at home, so are the Ravens. The problem for them is they’ve not had many chances to host playoff games at M&T Bank Stadium and have exited the playoffs earlier than expected. This year will be different.

With the defense healthy and the offense spearheaded by the explosive Ray Rice, the Ravens have their best chance to make it to the Super Bowl since their triumph over the Giants in 2001.

Houston’s defense continues to sparkle even without Mario Williams, but it will have to control the line of scrimmage, stop Rice cold and force Joe Flacco to beat them through the air if they are to have any chance in this one. That’s a lot to ask.

Meanwhile, Baltimore figures to let loose on rookie QB T. J. Yates, meaning Arian Foster and the Houston offensive line must dominate as they did a week ago against the Bengals to keep the Ravens at bay. Again, a lot to ask. FINAL SCORE: Ravens 23, Texans 10.

Giants at Packers: Shootout at the frozen tundra.

In early December the Packers and Giants played an epic game at the Meadowlands, with Green Bay pulling it out in the final seconds 38-35. The Packers had been given a scare but survived; the Giants had lost their fourth in a row and looked as good as dead.

Fast-forward six weeks and its the Giants who are gelling thanks to a revitalized pass rush and an offense with Eli Manning firmly in command and receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks routinely making big plays. But will it be enough against Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay’s offensive juggernaut?

Rodgers’ 45-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season is staggering. These are the kind of numbers that make MVPs and put you firmly on the road to Canton. The guy just doesn’t make mistakes and as the Giants learned the hard way, he can drive his team down the field virtually at will if not contained.

All week long the Giants have been studying game film of the Packers’ only blemish of the year, a late-season road loss to the Chiefs. In that game, Kansas City did a lot of things right, including maximizing protections for its quarterback and pressuring Rodgers and his receivers. But most important, the Chiefs controlled the time of possession and kept Green Bay’s offense off the field for a good chunk of the time.

The Giants will try to emulate Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel‘s battle plan while looking to have Manning exploit Green Bay’s vulnerable defense. New York also knows it can win at Lambeau Field—the Giants did just that in 2007 en route to their Super Bowl victory over the Patriots. This is our upset pick of the week. FINAL SCORE: New York 35, Green Bay 31.

There’s little joy in Spudville as we were 2-2 on our wild-card picks with the biggest surprise emanating from Denver, where the Broncos thoroughly outplayed the Steelers on both sides of the ball.

Tim Tebow had all day to throw the ball and was able to make several big plays against the normally stingy Pittsburgh defense.

Tebow averaged almost 32 yards per completion, including the mammoth 80-yard strike to Demaryius Thomas in overtime to send the Steelers home 29-23.

Coming into Sunday’s game, Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy was already being mentioned as a candidate for one of the NFL head-coaching vacancies; his masterful game plan against the confused Steelers will boost his stock.

A major part of Ben Roethlisberger‘s game is his ability to avoid sacks and throw on the run. That was virtually negated by the obvious discomfort from his ankle injury. The Denver pass rush routinely steamrolled his protection and caused the Steeler quarterback fits all game.

Despite a valiant fourth-quarter Pittsburgh comeback aided by a critical Willis McGahee fumble, it was Tebow’s ability to slice and dice the secondary, most notably corner Ike Taylor, that propelled the Broncos to victory. Next up for Denver is Tom Brady and the Patriots.

It looks as if the Giants are peaking at exactly the right time. Their defense pitched a shutout Sunday against a better-than-average Falcon offense. Michael Turner was held to just 41 rushing yards while Matt Ryan couldn’t break 200 yards through the air or throw a TD.

Conversely, the Giants were able to run the football effectively with Brandon Jacobs (92 yards) and Ahmad Bradshaw (63 yards), and Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns without an interception in the 24-2 win.

The Giants know they are capable of winning on the road in Green Bay—they did it en route to their Super Bowl victory in 2009—despite entering the week as an eight-point underdog. They played Green Bay tough earlier in the year in a 38-35 home loss when their defense was riddled with injuries. Now that they are playing their best ball of the year, it remains to be seen whether the Giants are any more capable of slowing down the Packers’ juggernaut offense.

When push came to shove we picked Andy Dalton over T.J. Yates in the battle of the rookie QBs in the Bengals-Texans game. While Yates was efficient, Dalton was a deer in the headlights against Wade Phillips‘ swarming defense. The Texans completely shut down the run and forced Dalton to throw 42 times, of which three were intercepted in Houston’s 31-10 triumph.

Arian Foster was great Saturday, rolling for 153 yards and two touchdowns and taking away the urgency for Yates to have to throw the ball. The rookie only had to put it up 20 times and one of them was a TD pass to Andre Johnson, the star receiver’s first playoff score in an illustrious nine-year career.

The Bengals are a team on the rise and making the playoffs was a great step forward, but on Saturday they were outclassed by a Texan team that should not be counted out next week in Baltimore.

In New Orleans, the Saints continued to decimate teams at home by posting 45 points against a game Lion squad that got out early but simply couldn’t keep pace.

The Saints can pass (Drew Brees went for 466 yards and three TDs) and run (their three top runners combined for 164 yards and three scores) seemingly at will on the Superdome turf. Detroit QB Matthew Stafford (380 yards and 3 TDs) showed again why he has gained elite status, but as good as he was it’s virtually impossible for any offense to have to keep playing from behind to win.

Of the four road teams in next weekend’s second round, only the Saints are favored to come away with a victory. Will their explosive offense attack be able to stay on course against a tough 49er defense in San Francisco? We’ll analyze all four games later in the week.

Bengals (9-7) at Texans (10-6): We’ve been saying for weeks the Texans could go deep in the playoffs because of their punishing running game. We’ve also been riding the Bengals bandwagon, thanks in large part to the play of rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green and their improved defense. So what’s a fence-straddler to do?

Though they are on the road, we like the Bengals to squeak by in this one. Dalton, the red-headed gunslinger from TCU, has made The Queen City forget Carson Palmer and with Green has given Cincinnati a solid foundation to build around.

Dalton, a Houston-area native, has been so impressive (he was 300-516 for 3,398 yards in the regular season) that he could lose his offensive coordinator. It’s been reported Jay Gruden, brother of ESPN’s Jon, is a leading candidate for the head-coaching vacancy in Jacksonville largely as a result of his work developing the young quarterback.

Another rookie, T.J. Yates, will get the start at QB for Houston after leaving last week’s game with a bruised shoulder. Yates rallied the Texans to a last-second 20-19 win over the Bengals on Dec. 11, a game Cincinnati no doubt hasn’t forgotten after blowing a 13-point lead.

Yates gets a break with top receiver Andre Johnson back healthy for the first time in weeks, and the Texans will certainly pound the ball with Arian Foster and Ben Tate.

But in the end, Dalton & Co. will put enough points on the board and this time, Mike Zimmer‘s defense won’t crumble. FINAL SCORE: Bengals 23, Texans 20.

Lions (10-6) at Saints (13-3): It was only three years ago the Lions failed to win a regular-season game, so to get 10 this year is testament that a rebuilding effort doesn’t have to take forever if the right people are in place. That said, Detroit’s ride ends Saturday in New Orleans.

Can anyone stop the Saints in the Superdome? Since Thanksgiving they’ve won by 25, 14, 29 and 28 points at home. Drew Brees‘ 5,476 passing yards is the most in single-season history and the Saints offense may be the deepest and most talented of any team in the playoffs, the Packers included.

When the two teams last played five weeks ago, the Lions were competitive for a while (they lost 31-17) despite being without four defensive starters, including star tackle Ndamukong Suh. That won’t be the case this week as the Lions are fully stocked.

Detroit features a dynamite passing game led by Matthew Stafford (who also surpassed 5,000 yards) and the league’s best receiver in Calvin Johnson. Detroit will score points but it remains to be seen if its defense can keep the high-powered Saints under wraps long enough to get a lead.

Detroit has also been a lousy road team for most of the season, which is a recipe for disaster this week in New Orleans. FINAL SCORE: Saints 38, Lions 27.

Falcons (10-6) at Giants (9-7): Will the real New York Giants please stand up? Will we see the team that in the past two weeks gave the Jets and Cowboys fits, or will the squad that looked downright inept against inferior Seahawk and Redskin teams show up this week against Atlanta?

Momentum is indeed on the Giants’ side. The pass rush last week against the Cowboys showcased New York at its unrelenting best. The return of Osi Umenyiora alongside Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul provided a spark that even a healthy Tony Romo wouldn’t have been able to deal with.

Quarterback Eli Manning continues to have his best season as a pro, looking more and more like brother Peyton in the way he handles the offense and in his ability to avoid pressure. With the league’s worst rushing attack, Manning has had to rely more on wideouts Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks and tight end Jake Ballard, who returns this week from injury.

The Giants will have to figure out a way to run the ball against the Falcons to keep Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense off the field. The Falcons have the potential to neutralize the Giants’ defensive pressure if they can open holes for bruising rusher Michael Turner.

Atlanta’s strength is its passing game, with receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones and tight end Tony Gonzalez all potentially lethal weapons. If the Falcons can keep the Giants off balance by establishing a consistent rushing attack, it will open up opportunities for Ryan to go downfield against New York’s suspect secondary.

If, on the other hand, the Giants can snuff out Turner and force Ryan to abandon the run, it could be a long day for the Falcons’ QB. FINAL SCORE: Giants 24, Falcons 20.

Steelers (12-4) at Broncos (8-8): If the Steelers were playing this game even relatively healthy, it would be no contest. But Pittsburgh is banged up and must play on the road. Thus, the Broncos have a chance—albeit very slim.

Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger continues to play in pain with a badly swollen left foot and has not looked comfortable throwing the ball. Meanwhile, Rashard Mendenhall had been running well until he injured his knee in last week’s season finale, abruptly ending his season. The Steelers will now have to rely on reserves Isaac Redman and Mewelde Moore to pick up the slack.

With any other team, an offense featuring a hobbling QB and second-team running back would spell concern. But the Steelers get it done with defense and this week will be no exception.

For all the Tim Tebow madness, the most valuable player on the Denver offense has been running back Willis McGahee, a discard in Buffalo and backup in Baltimore who emerged this season to amass 1,199 yards on the ground.

The Broncos are coming off three consecutive losses and after last week’s abysmal 60-yard effort against the Chiefs, Tebow looks every bit the mere mortal. Going up against the league’s best defense, Tebow will be lucky to put a touchdown on the board.

Denver’s only hope is that Von Miller, D.J. Williams and the rest of its defense can make life miserable for Roethlisberger and slow the offense so the Broncos can stay in the game long enough to get a game-winning field goal in altitude-friendly Invesco Field. However, the odds of that happening are longer than kicker Matt Prater‘s range. FINAL SCORE: Steelers 16, Broncos 6.

An eloquent storyteller whose signature human-interest pieces were a staple of CNN sportscasts and TNT’s coverage of the professional golf tour, Huber spent 27 years with Turner Broadcasting after a successful stint on local television in Atlanta.

A cause of death was not immediately disclosed but Scott Michaux, a columnist for The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, reported Huber passed away after being diagnosed with acute leukemia.

Michaux wrote a tribute to his friend that appears in Tuesday’s edition of the paper and is also available online. We thought it worth sharing.

Will it be the Giants or the Cowboys from the NFC East? Neither has looked like a playoff team on a consistent basis and this week’s winner-take-all game at the Meadowlands features two squads just lucky to be in the postseason conversation.

Tony Romo will play for Dallas with his swollen passing hand while Felix Jones will carry the bulk of the rushing load. Meanwhile, Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora looks like he may return this week from the injured ankle that’s kept him on the sidelines. His return alongside Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul in the defensive front would be a significant lift for the Giants.

Receivers Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham did not practice on Wednesday, giving the Giants something to worry about on offense.

Congratulations to the Saints’ Drew Brees for breaking Dan Marino‘s 27-year-old single-season mark of 5,084 passing yards. Others such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers could follow suit this week as the Year of the Quarterback winds down.

Marino was a true gunslinger in his day and surely would have racked up more yards if he played under today’s conditions. Still, the Brees accomplishment is literally one for the books.

The Broncos and Bengals can make the playoffs this weekend and both would be sensational stories. With Denver left for dead in last place in the AFC West at the time Tim Tebow was elevated to No. 1 quarterback, few would have predicted they would be in the hunt in the final week of the season.

Tebow and the Broncos got schooled by the Patriots in Week 16 and clearly have their work cut out for them against former teammate Kyle Orton and the Chiefs. Look for a low-scoring defensive tussle.

Meanwhile, the Bengals were supposed to be in rebuilding mode this year with a rookie quarterback and a core of young players. Instead, strong seasons from first-year QB Andy Dalton, receiver A.J. Green and a defense put together by one of the best coordinators in the business in Mike Zimmer, and Cincinnati is knocking hard on the playoff door.

The Bengals get the Ravens this week and if they win they’ll secure the No. 2 wild card. With a loss, Baltimore would drop from the No. 2 to the No. 5 seed in the AFC. Clearly there’s a lot riding for both teams.

With Todd Haley (Chiefs) and Tony Sparano (Dolphins) already fired, at least four other head coaches who started the season could be on their way out after this week’s games: Norv Turner (Chargers), Raheem Morris (Bucs), Steve Spagnuolo (Rams) and Jim Caldwell (Colts).

Of the four, Turner and Spagnuolo would seem to be the most endangered. Turner and the Chargers can dash the Raiders’ playoff plans with a win on the road.

The pretender du jour was the Arizona State Sun Devils, whose 6-6 regular-season record and 4-5 showing in the Pac-12 got head coach Dennis Erickson whacked. Too bad for him he had to stay on long enough to watch his team get dismantled by Boise State 56-24 in Thursday night’s MAACO Bowl Las Vegas.

Having finally been put out of its misery by a superior Bronco team, Arizona State will now attempt to get its football program back on solid footing under the leadership of Todd Graham, a man whose track record indicates he uses a very loose interpretation of the word “commitment.”

Graham is migrating to Tempe after just one season as coach at the University of Pittsburgh. The ASU gig will be Graham’s fourth head job at the Division 1-A level in the past six years; at two of the previous three stops (Rice being the other), he left after one year.

It has been reported Graham didn’t even inform the Pitt players of his decision to leave. Instead, he sent a statement to his director of football operations, who then texted it to the young men.

With all of that as a backdrop, you’ve got to love this statement by ASU president Dr. Michael Crow announcing Graham’s hire:

“What we sought in a football coach was someone who would be in it for the long term at Arizona State, who would build and guide a program that would be competitive in the Pac-12 and on a national level year after year after year, who would communicate and connect with the community, and represent our University with honor. In Todd Graham we have that person.”

It is understood in college football recruiting that oral agreements given schools by recruits are non-binding, so some do change their minds when the signing deadline hits in February. That’s just part of the process.

But shouldn’t it be expected that the coaches doing the recruiting—the teachers and mentors who represent their colleges and universities—be held to a higher standard?

What of the student-athletes Graham recruited to play for him at Pitt and Rice? What of the promises that were made to their families as they wrestled with the decision of where their kids would play? These are life decisions and if a youngster is asked to commit to a school, the school has an obligation to commit to the youngster.

No coach is an indentured servant in the sense that he must absolutely honor his contract in lieu of more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. But one year and out twice in a period of six years?

If among Dr. Crow’s criteria for a new football coach at ASU includes “someone who would be in it for the long term at Arizona State” and a leader “who would communicate and connect with the community, and represent our University with honor,” then Graham seems like an odd choice indeed.

Hopefully with Graham at the helm Arizona State can field a better football team so we’re not stuck with them again next year in yet another undeserved bowl appearance. We also hope for the university’s sake that he decides he likes his new desert digs well enough to stay for a while.

Then there’s Paul Chryst, the coach who will replace Graham at Pitt and try to control the damage caused by his predecessor’s sudden vanishing act. The outgoing offensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Chryst is the fourth Pitt coach in the past 13 months and so bringing stability to a damaged Panther program will be his first major task. The kids he inherits surely deserved better.