NFL storylines, life update, it's not THAT cold...

Chilly on the willy

If you take a stroll on the streets of Dublin today, you're in for a big surprise.

And before you jump the gun, it is not a teddy bear's picnic I refer to.

No, it is the absence of the gripping cold that crushed men's testicles like an ice claw last year. Everyone remembers that winter. 'The Big Freeze', survivors called it. As a survivor of the winter of unending snow flurries and countless days of nothingness, I prefer the term 'Frostomania'. It has that wrestling connotation to it, which is in keeping with the struggle we all had to endure.

Fast forward to the present and things could not be more different (channeling my inner Chandler Bing). Temperatures are toasty compared to 2010 and I'm quite pleased about that. Not chuffed by any means (as I hear a voice screaming outside my house in the distance - strange...), but pleased. I am, after all, only home for a few weeks as I am on my Christmas break from my masters studies in sports journalism in Lincoln, UK.

I am not going to lie - having those home comforts back has been refreshing. Dishwashers, double beds and family to name but a few (not necessarily in that order). Let's hope my immediate family don't read this.

The unfortunate thing is that I, along with my other journalism classmates, will be bogged down with work all throughout the break. Instead of cosy lounging by the open fire, I'll be reading about contempt of court and court reporting. It could be worse, I suppose. If there's one thing my three months of law study have taught me, it's that you have to know the law. Otherwise you'll fall at its feet like a fallen soldier begging for mercy from a more powerful adversary.

Pro Football

This season has been an absolute treat. Far away and in the distant past are memories of the one hundred-plus day lockout, replaced by well above average football games on a week to week basis. Despite reservations in the pre-season about a drop-off in the quality of the product, it has been one of the more memorable seasons for quite a while.

What it has offered is a number of storylines that fans have been able to sink their teeth into. Here are a few examples:

Tim Tebow

Two words that, when uttered, cause a certain pocket of fans to shudder to their very core. Two words that, when spoken in media circles, polarise opinions as much as any current player can. Two words that, when announcers say them, are usually accompanied by the words 'touchdown', 'God' or 'throwing motion'.

To an extent, I've had about enough of this Tebow thing. Then again, you can't help but be impressed by how he has revived this team that looked to be on life support under Kyle Orton's stewardship. The Broncos should be able to make the playoffs but they need to add some pieces to be a real contender in my opinion, notably depth at RB, DL depth and OL (if they want to build around a downhill rushing attack).

Aaron Rodgers and the near perfect season

The season that Aaron Rodgers is having cannot be described adequately by the English language, nor any language that exists. If you have watched him play this year, you know that you are witnessing one of the all-time great quarterbacks ply his trade. All I want to say is that it has been an absolute pleasure to watch him and I hope it lasts for many, many more years.

As for the chance this team has at the Super Bowl, it's a good one. I expect them to finish strong, be the #1 seed and probably face New Orleans or San Francisco. Both of those teams could give the Pack a run for their money, but I think we'll see the Cheeseheads representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Houston makes the playoffs... and it's about damn time!

That Houston made the playoffs is an achievement in itself, but to consider that they could be a top seed is - oh wait, they just lost to the Colts last night. That puts a spanner in the works! Be that as it may, the Texans are set up for success in the future. Additions like J.J. Watt, Brooks Reed and Johnathan Joseph have been tremendous and this aggressive defense has the personnel to be disruptive for a long time.

T.J. Yates' deficiencies are being exposed, but he is very competent throwing on the run and as long as Foster/Tate are humming as a tandem, he should be fine and might even win a playoff game.

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That will do it for this entry, folks. It's NFL Saturday tomorrow, the first time I've ever experienced that. I'm looking forward to a great line-up of games, notably the New York derby.