According to a recent study, NFL ads are full of...sex, violence and alcohol. Throw in the infrequent anti-drug commercial in there, and we have just about everything our parents told us to stay away from until college.

Among the findings of the study:

- 40 percent of games had ads for ED drugs

- over 40% of lewd ads were promos for TV shows on the network. I'm just not seeing it, though. "The Big Bang Theory"? Really?

Conclusion: the NFL is hypocritical. They allow ads for just about everything in their broadcasts, rightly recognizing that the target demographic is very interested in these things. However, they don't allow players to advertise for alcohol (or cigarettes). All NFL-affiliated employees can't engage in that activity despite the fact that they are the NFL's biggest sponsors. That's why all those Coors Light commercials only have ex-coaches. It's a stupid double standard that's basically for publicity, money, and nothing else.

The mayor of Pittsburgh, Luke Ravenstahl, has decided to <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09014/941656-100.stm">change his name</a> in honor of the upcoming Steelers-Ravens bout. Seriously. Temporarily, he will remove the word "Ravens" from his last name and switch it to "Steelers."

What other actions are mayors contemplating this weekend? Let's see:

Not to be outdone, Phildelphia mayor Michael Nutter plans to change his last name to Patterson.

Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon is serving as honorary third quarterback for the Cardinals this weekend. Though analysts widely believe he could leapfrog Matt Leinart on the depth chart by Sunday.

Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon has decided to kill someone to show solidarity with Ray Lewis.

...was this weekend? Let's see:

- When the clock ran down to 00:00 in the Steelers-Chargers game, that was the first game of the entire playoffs where a team with a better record defeated a team with an inferior record.

- Arizona won its first game all season on the East coast against a team they had lost to before. Other Arizona games in the east this season include: 7-47 (New England), 20-48 (Philly), and 35-56 (New York Jets).

- Either 9-7 Arizona or 9-6-1 Phildadelphia will make the Super Bowl. Both teams were one game away from missing the playoffs (if Arizona had lost either contest to the 49ers, they would have lost the NFC West).

- The names of the two NFC Quarterbacks: Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb. That might have made sense six years ago.

- Joe Flacco is the first-ever rookie QB to win two playoff games.

- So much for awards (MVP, RoY, etc) mattering.

- Silver lining if your team was good but is out of the race (New England, Miami, etc): since either Arizona or Philly will make the Super Bowl, their draft pick will drop down to #31 or #32, moving a lot of folks in the 20's up a spot.

All four games this weekend are rematches, and close ones at that. How will round two (of the playoffs and of the teams' series) fare this weekend? Let's see...

Ravens at Titans

This was a very close game the first time around, with the Titans ultimately prevailing 13-10 due to a few extremely poor calls at the end of the game. That makes this a popular upset pick, especially with the way both teams closed the season. However, the game isn't played on paper, and that's why this one will go differently. The Titans have had two weeks of rest, and even though recent history might show us that the team that gets "hot" and plays to the throttle late in the season can race through the playoffs, it's not usually the case. The Titans also have an entire season of game tape on rookie QB Joe Flacco, who will spend his second consecutive week on the road (as well as 3 of the last 4). The Titans will control the trenches and a low scoring defensive struggle will become lopsided late. Titans win 21-10.

Chargers at Steelers

The Chargers are hot, but consider who they've beaten during their win streak: Oakland, Kansas City (with a miracle finish at that), Tampa Bay (who collapsed completely after the Kiffen-to-Tennessee rumors surfaced), and Denver (who was so bad this season that it got Mike Teflon fired). They also beat the Colts, a good team, but a team that had perhaps one of the luckiest streaks in recent memory to make their 12-4 record look a lot better than it really was. Now they face the Steelers in the rematch of the NFL's first ever 11-10 game (which should have been 17-10...remember that fiasco?). To win this game, the Chargers will have to run the ball as well as they did last week, and an end-zone fumble might not get bailed out so easily this week. Darren Sproles will be limited to below 50 yards rushing by a ferocious Steelers' defense. It's one thing to run on the Colts. It's another to run against perhaps the best Steelers linebacking corps ever, which is saying something. Steelers 26, Chargers 20.

Eagles at Giants

These teams know each other very well. The Eagles won the most recent matchup, but the Giants had a lot less to play for in that game, so it's questionable how strong their will was that day. Still, it is noteworthy that the aggregate scores of their regular season games was 51-50, Eagles. The Giants are a team that went from looking like it could go undefeated to stumbling several times down the stretch to basically finish their season in the opposite of last year. That would normally worry me, except that the Giants team doesn't necessarily need the momentum they fed off last year as the underdogs. Going in as veterans and favorites, the team can afford to be more methodical and conservative in its approach, and that will at least pay dividends this week against the Eagles. The Giants' pass rush is their greatest asset in this game, and if they get to Donovan a few times they could force some bad throws (and when Donovan's off, he's OFF). Giants pull this one out, 31-30.

Cardinals at Panthers

The so-called "worst team in recent playoff history" has made it to the second round of the playoffs. Which maybe-washed-up-maybe-not quarterback do we go with in this game? Noteworthy: west coast teams did not win a single game in the eastern time zone, where this game takes place. Arizona got thrashed a fair number of times out East. Oddly enough, the one team they did play tough was the Panthers, racing to a 17-3 lead before giving it away. That makes this an intriguing possibility for upset...don't bite. Arizona's defensive line played on a different level last weekend, as did their offensive line. It's tough to expect that they can keep that up for two consecutive weeks, especially with the Panthers' running game upcoming. Panthers 30, Cardinals 17.

For the second consecutive year, the NFL has agreed to broadcast a team in the pursuit of perfection on multiple TV stations, so that no one misses the historic event. Last year, Patriots-Giants (part one) was shown on multiple television stations so that people without the NFL network could still watch the game. The Patriots delivered and completed the first ever 16-0 season.

Now, America is similarly captivated by the Detroit Lions' pursuit of perfection. And besides the obvious storyline, there are still plenty more to go around. The emergence of rookie running back Kevin Smith, as well as kicker Jason Hanson's record-breaking season are just two side plots in Detroit's storybook season. Will rookie DE Cliff Avril, who has three forced fumbles and three sacks in the last five games, continue to lead his team to loss after loss?

Even if the Lions do complete the perfect season, they must avoid the fate of last year's Patriots, who famously fell to the same Giants in the Super Bowl. If the Lions can finish the regular season 0-16, they must be wary of postseason perfection. Because though they won't qualify for the playoffs, they must find a way to f*** up their #1 draft pick. And without Matt Millen running the show, that might be harder than ever.

With the early injury to Tom Brady and the early struggles of the Colts, this was supposed to be a down year for the AFC compared to last year. However, we find ourselves instead with one of the strongest AFC playoff fields in recent memory, with not a single "pushover" in the mix (except maybe the winner of the AFC West).

The New England Patriots find themselves in uncharted territory: the prospect of being an 11-5 team but sitting at home during the playoffs. This has only happened once before, for the 1985 Broncos, but that was during the era of 10-team playoffs. So, here are all the ways the complicated AFC picture could unfold:

New England wins the AFC East: If the Jets beat the Dolphins and the Patriots beat the Bills, then New England wins their division and the third seed in the playoffs via a better record.

New England gets a wild card: If the Ravens lose to the Jaguars, and the Patriots beat the Bills, then New England gets in as the #6 seed.

Miami wins the AFC East: If the Dolphins beat the Jets, then they win the east.

New York wins the AFC East: If the Jets beat the Dolphins and New England loses to the Bills, then the Jets own the tiebreaker and get the #3 seed.

For New England, though, there is something familiar about how this situation is unfolding. In 2002, the year after their "storybook" first Super Bowl, the team found itself fighting in a three-way tie for the division with, you guessed it, the Jets and the Dolphins. The Jets got the playoff nod by a tiebreaker. If another three-way tie happens this year, the same thing would happen.

You may have noticed that posting has been rather sporadic (i.e., non-existent) for about two weeks now. I've been abroad for a while (I probably should have given prior notice about that...). Posting will be more regular soon enough.

Last night, the Chargers and Raiders dueled in an otherwise forgettable game that was broadcast in three dimensions. People in select locations were able to see the game in special theaters, and according to recaps, the quality and experience was incredible. How else does the NFL plan to enhance the viewing experience?

Really feel injuries and huge hits occur in real-time. Remember Joe Theisman's leg? How about Tom Brady's knee, or Wes Welker getting trucked by Ryan Clark? Feel the experience with a full bodysuit that puts you virtually in the body of the player. Now when you yell "what a pussy!" at the TV when a quarterback can't stomach a particularly hard hit, you'll have the ability to take the hit as well, and back up your words!

Stadiums pipe in at-home crowd noise. Wanna go to the game but you're stuck at home? Don't worry -- now, with a personalized PA system installed in every home, the NFL will be able to pipe in your contribution! Disclaimer: early studies show that a Super Bowl played under these circumstancies could lead to permanent loss of hearing and/or death.

3D Super Bowl halftime performances. Ever wanted to see Janet Jackson's boob in all its glory? Well here's your chance!