You have to love the Greg Cote at the Miami Herald On-Line this morning...the playoff hopes are dead, bring on the draft baby. As an irrational fan, I say we blame the whole season on the Sports Illustrated Jinx.

Yeah, saw that article, too.

So how does one break the curse and does it involve Nick Saban's head and a bamboo spear?

At one point I was willing to volunteer to carve Mularkey's name on the bamboo spear but the more I read the more I think it is the foundation. Marino lasted as long as he did because he had a offensive line that was near impossible to penetrate...they just weren't the best run blockers. But that was OK because Shula wasn't really committed to growing another Czonka/Morris pair. The current line appears to have mastered only the "Hey, look out!" block. So, really it looks like it's "bring on the draft" and we look to see if Saban has developed a clue to success in the NFL. Face it, he can't blame an interfering owner.

Saban isn't the problem. But maybe he isn't the solution, either.

I don't have the time for the exercise, but I'd wager if you went through the "who used to play for me who now plays well on another team" exercise, I think you'd see the problem in very simple terms -- you're paying the wrong players money, and letting the wrong players go.

This is one thing the Pats absolutely understand. There are very few folks the Pats have let go who have blossomed elsewhere.

Speaking of the Pats, does their game against the Colts next week promise to be one of the kick-ass match-ups of the season, or what?