NFL Combine Needs to Take a Deep Breath

"It's a much longer season."
"Playing at least four more games is really tough."
"My old team could have beaten the Rams."

They're all noted as being the differences between college football and the NFL (OK, I may have made the last one up). And almost every week early in the season, at both the college and professional levels, we hear about the necessity to remember one thing: it's a marathon, not a sprint.

For such a long season, the NFL sure likes to put the emphasis on anything that's quick. How quickly can you run for a short distance?? How quickly can you reach the lineman across from you on the snap of the ball?? How quickly can you run side-to-side, backwards and every other which way??

What I'd like to know is not only how fast, but for how long.

I think the NFL Combine for college players is great, but I'd really like to see two things added to the list, both involving the long run.

First of all, along with measuring wingspan, measure lung capacity. For one thing, it would cut down on any off-season (or in-season for that matter) cigarette breaks, but it's also one of those physical characteristics that can be overlooked. How do you work on running for longer?? Often you start by increasing lung capacity.

Another addition: instead of setting the distance, set the time -- run as many yards as you can for 30 minutes. These soon-to-be NFL players can run a 40-yard dash before ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols would even consider blinking twice. But the mental strain comes in running down and back, down and back, down and back... but doing it faster than anyone else can do it.

I've often considered this as an Olympic event as well because the finish line is in your own mind. Plus, think of the television opportunities -- it'd be very similar to Olympic cross-country skiing. Watch for a few minutes from the start, take a commercial break, go to another part of the combine for a bit, check out the 15-17 minute time period, go back to the desk with Rich Eisen and company, then see the end. And who wouldn't want to watch a defensive tackle lumber for a half hour?? (OK, first revision: times would have to fit the positions)

Imagine a world in which coaches actually had a better idea as to how long a player could go before needing a breather. I mean, these ideas are better than adding questions to the Wonderlic, right??

Since When Did I Become a Bears Fan?

Hearing all the playoff discussion for the NFC North Division race really made my head hurt, mainly because I've had this discussion once already, with a strange pattern of details matching up.

Think back to Week 17 of last year's NFL season. The Cleveland Browns were 9-6, playing a "meaningless" game at home against the San Francisco 49ers. While the Browns didn't really need their win, the 20-7 victory (my first chance to see rookie QB Brady Quinn play football) meant Cleveland finished with a 10-6 overall record.

But it wasn't their game that really mattered. It came down to the final game of the NFL regular season when Tennessee played on the road against the defending Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts were 13-2, but couldn't lose their #2 seed for the playoffs (remember, undefeated Patriots), so they played Peyton Manning and the boys about as much as they needed to so they would stay sharp, then put Jim Sorgi under center.

Tennessee went on to win the game. Cleveland missed the playoffs, even with its first season with double-digit wins since 1994 (and only the second since 1988). And I was forced to hate Jim Sorgi for the remainder of his life. (A recent joke to a friend went something like, "He may be a Badger, but if Sorgi ever makes it to a Madison bar in the offseason, he's getting a haymaker from yours truly. And I can only hope to be wearing my Brady Quinn t-shirt.")

Re-enter Week 17 of this NFL season. The scenario plays out a little differently, but the song remains the same. If Chicago wins, it moves to 10-6. The big problem comes down to the Minnesota Vikings playing against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants (though it is a home game for the Vikes).

The Giants can't lose their #1 overall seed for the playoffs (and are even more banged up than the Colts were a season ago), so be prepared to see Eli Manning and the boys about as much as necessary to stay sharp before David Carr gets under center. (His career full of being sacked is even worse than receiving a haymaker.)

Minnesota will do what it must -- against many Giants backups -- to win the game. Chicago would have an identical 10-6 record, but would lose out on the playoffs based on tiebreakers. There's still the possibility that the Vikings will lay an egg, at home, against the N.Y. Backups. But if recent history has anything to do with it, Bears fans shouldn't get their hopes up.

Plus they still need to win on the road against a Texans team looking to get to 8-8. That's besides the fact that Houston would finish with a 6-2 record at home in building that was badly damaged during hurricane season and caused the team to have a bye in Week Two. Can you say "inspiration?"

Chicago fans: prepare to make a New Year's resolution not to let next season come down to tiebreakers in the final week of the year. Or, at the very least, you should hope that the team doesn't mirror last year's Browns team in all aspects this offseason. Trust me, you don't want that.

Be thankful you'll know your postseason fate by the end of the early games.