Just a few observations from the final Sunday of NFL regular season action:

• DETROIT FIRST EVER TO GO 0-16 - The Lions did it! We finally have an 0-16 team. One year after we witnessed our first 16-0 team ever, we now have an 0-16 team as the Lions lost in Green Bay 31-21. The Lions haven't won since Dec. 23, 2007, actually, when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs. And Green Bay is where this woeful streak began at the end of last season. Since then, the Lions have lost 17 straight and been outscored 551-281.
  
  
• PENNINGTON GETS LAST LAUGH - I am a big Brett Favre fan and I really do think that I saw him play his last game ever today. Still, I was rooting for Pennington to come back to the Meadowlands and claim the division title in front of the fans that were so happy to replace him with the future Hall of Famer to start the season. The bonus came with Miami's win also eliminating the Patriots from the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Tony Romo proves once again that he can't handle the pressure of a big game.
  
  
• COWBOYS SUFFFER WORST LOSS IN FRANCHISE HISTORY - After both the Bucs and Bears blew their chances to put pressure on the Cowboys, the Eagles learned just before the kickoff of their game that a win over Dallas would give them the NFC's final playoff berth. The Eagles embarassed the Dallas Cowboys, who I've said all year long is the league's most overrated team. They proved it on Sunday as they lost 44-6 with their season on the line.
  
  
• BLOWING IT DOWN THE STRETCH - If you look at the four teams that missed out on the playoffs on Sunday that at one point looked like a lock - the Cowboys, Bears, Bucs, and Jets - you see one consistent trend. Disappointing finishes. Over the last five weeks of the season the teams mentioned above went 6-14. Enough said. I don't think Lovie Smith or Jon Gruden are going anywhere, but it wouldn't surprise me to see the ax come down with any of these teams.
  
  
• RESTING STARTERS NOT A BAD IDEA - I am not a big fan of how it robs me of a good week of fantasy football, but you can't argue with coaches that sit their players with the playofs in hand. Mike Tomlin is wishing he would have pulled the plug on Ben Roethlisberger before he got knocked out of the game with a concussion. The look on Tomlin's face when his franchise quarterback was on the turf for nearly ten minutes said it all. Big Ben suffered a concussion and should be alright in two weeks when the Steelers next play.
  
  
• FALCONS, RAVENS RIDE THEIR ROOKIE QB'S - Nothing is more impressive than the 1-15 turnaroud Miami had to win the AFC East. Still, I couldn't end this blog post without mentioning how amazed I am that both Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco led the Falcons and Ravens to wildcard berths respectively. I didn't give either team much of a chance to compete this year, especially with rookie quarterbacks. I don't expect either team to go too deep into the playoffs, but I learned my lesson and won't take them for granted either. Both teams are very much capabale of beating their first round opponents next.

NFL lions, packers, dolphins, jets, chad pennington, brett favre, cowboys, eagles, tony romo, buccaneers, bears, lovie smith, jon gruden, falcons, ravens, matt ryan, joe flacco