What a weekend for the Preacher! With the exception of the Bucs stumbling in Houston and the Cardinals failing to come through with a big upset over the Seahawks that I went out on a limb to predict - I was perfect. And while I’m boasting, how about my calling the fact that three of the four NFC division champs would be crowned and my bonus prediction on the length Michael Vick’s prison sentence? Red hot! I wonder if the judge reads my blog. Hello, Your Honor!

Yes, dogs are safe in Atlanta for the next 18 to 24 months and the playoff picture is beginning to clear. What isn’t so clear is Santa’s list of who is being naughty and who is being nice! In the Chargers / Titans game, Chargers’ LB Shawne Merriman has alleged that Titans Coach Jeff Fisher encouraged his men to take cheap shots and put him out of the game. Naughty Coach! Fisher, for his part, hasn’t responded. Naughty (quiet) Coach! The highlight films look pretty innocent to me.

The same cannot be said for the film of Raiders DE Derrick Burgess and his low hits on Packer QB Brett Favre. They look pretty bad, especially the one where he has a clean shot on Favre and seems to choose the low trajectory. Packers Coach Mike McCarthy has put a call into Santa. He’s lobbying for Burgess on the naughty list.

Then there are those naughty New England Patriots. To a man they deserve coal from St. Nick. What are you thinking picking on poor Pittsburgh FS Anthony Smith? Isn’t it bad enough that he made his silly prediction and then you put a thumping on his team? Did you have to give him a cameo in every touchdown pass you threw? Did QB Tom Brady have to talk trash in his face? Did Bill Belichick have to continue the trashtalk in his post game presser? You better watch out!

Then there is the NFL’s naughtiest punter. Yes, Todd ‘the Grinch’ Sauerbrun, the Broncos ephedra eating specialist was involved Saturday night in an altercation with a Denver area taxi-cab driver that required police involvement. No word yet on the identity of the cabbie. Doesn’t Martin Grammatica drives a cab now? Naughty, naughty!

Even Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden got in on the misbehavior, admitting this week that he has told white lies about QB Jeff Garcia’s injured back the past two weeks to keep his opponents guessing. He’s fessed up, however. Repentance goes a long way with the Lord. Santa, too, I figure. The jury is still out on which list Jon is on. But, he better clean up the expletives when he’s on the sideline. Santa can read lips. My parents always told me that was a quick ticket to a lump of coal in the stocking.

How about a hero, a goat and a quote from this past weekend?

The hero ~ Me! The Pigskin Preacher will take this week’s hero award with a 14-2 weekend plus two extra credit calls, pushing that season mark within a breath of 75% on the season.

The goat ~ Steelers FS Anthony Smith. Not only did you make the silly guarantee, you went out and got torched on every score. Just like they replay Broadway Joe’s famous guarantee over and over, the highlight reel that you produced Sunday will live on in infamy.

The quote ~ “We’ve played a lot better safeties than that.” Bill Belichick. I give you this as the quote of the week to make a point. You would never hear one of the great coaches in the NFL make a statement like that.