Could any NFL football fan have asked for a better four games in one weekend? Wow. All terrific games, all close, all down to the final few minutes.

The Colts' defense surprised the hell out of me for the second week in a row. Who on earth would have thought they would hold opponents to 8 points and 6 points in consecutive playoff games? The Ravens' powerhouse defense held Peyton Manning in check but couldn't score enough points to win. Those last few minutes, when the Colts eked out one first down after another and bled the clock, were like the final chapter of a thriller.

There is not much I can say about the 2006 Saints without getting a little gushy. What a story. Not just the New Orleans angle, the rebound from Katrina (which may be a faux angle -- the murder rate was way up last year), but just the way these guys have played. They were 3-13 last season. Repeating: 3-13. They took a chance on a quarterback coming off shoulder surgery and he was the best QB in the league. An electrifying rookie running back, a gritty veteran who let everyone know he's still around, a wide receiver from Hofstra who was the fourth to last player picked in the draft. Ah love this team, as Bill Clinton would say. I will be cheering for the Bears next Sunday, I'm loyal, but it wouldn't be a bit of a problem cheering for the Saints in the Super Bowl.

Da Bears .... well, that was the dull game. Never in doubt. LOL

And the grand finale, the Patriots figuring out a way to snatch a victory in San Diego. I have liked the Chargers going back to the Lance Alworth days and was hoping they would go to the Super Bowl for the first time ever. Kudos to the Patriots. They were overmatched in some ways, they were down by 8 in the 4th quarter, and they still figured out a way to win.

I love the matchups next weekend, too. These are four of my favorite teams in football -- just add the Chargers and Packers -- so I truly will not be disappointed no matter what happens. And there are angles galore. The only prediction I am making, or will make, is that the Saints will beat the Bears. They might hang 50 points on them.

That's next weekend. This weekend's games were beautiful.