Football thoughts

The big bowls are almost here. Can't wait for tomorrow. Though I really hope we get out of the house and make it to EGF to catch Sherlock Holmes. That's why we have DirecTV and can record all the games.

I wasn't shocked to see the Bengals have zero Pro Bowlers. They have the fifth ranked defense, yet no one in the Pro Bowl. I'm not surprised by this. They play great team defense and no one really stands out. I think if Atwan Odom hadn't torn his Achilles he'd have gone. He was leading the league in sacks when he got hurt.

But the Bengals are a relatively small market team, with no nationally televised games. They are the only division winner with no Pro Bowlers, but when you think about it, Carson isn't throwing the ball all over the place; Chad's having a good, but not great, year; our corners are worthy of the Pro Bowl, but Revis in NY plays in a large market area and Bailey in Denver has the reputation.

Maybe this snubbing will motivate them more in the playoffs. They sure could use it.

Here's a list of the Bengals best players and the ones worthy of the Pro Bowl --

Demato Peko. The guy with the long Samoan hair down his back. He is the most underrated run stuffing DT in the league.

Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph. The best corner tandem in the league. Joseph schooled Rice when they played the Vikings and Hall has been steady all year, though he did get burned against San Diego on more than his share of passes.

Bobbie Wiliams. The elder statemen on the offensive line and the best guard in the AFC North.

Cedric Benson. Had he not gotten hurt and missed most of three games, he'd likely be second in the AFC in rushing. Of all the Bengals, he deserved to get in.

Andrew Whitworth. The Bengals new left tackle. He played guard the past two years but found himself at tackle this year (he played left tackle most of his rookie year too). He is easily as good as their former starter Levy Jones, who was a Pro Bowl alternate a couple of times.

The Bengals play in NY Sunday night. There has been some talk of resting the starters.

NO!

The Bengals did this in '05 when they had the division wrapped up and had nothing to gain. And KC wiped them out. They had no momentum going in to the playoffs and lost to Pittsburgh when Palmer's knee got shredded.

Play to win the game. Go into the playoffs with some momentum.

There is some talk from Lamar Woodly of the Steelers that the Pats and Bengals will lose on purpose to keep the Steelers out.

Though I love that idea, it's preposterous.

Yes, the Steelers are really hot right now, but it's not the Bengals fault the Steelers lost five in a row early in the season.

If you want to get in to the playoffs don't lose to the cellar dwelling Cleveland Browns or the streaky Oakland Raiders (in Pittsburgh none the less) or let the Bengals beat you twice!

Ask the Pats last year how it felt. The Pats were one of the hottest teams in the league but didn't get in the Dolphins blew them out early in the season.

And besides, Woodly is talking as if the Steelers have already beaten the Dolphins on the road. And that hasn't happened. Typical Steeler arrogance (hey, they have two Super Bowls), but it might just make this whole discussion moot too.