This week, Four Downs takes a inside look ahead at four of the matchups in Week 17 and what could be key factors.

The time has come. And Brett Favre will be sitting on my bench.

Rookie RB Toby Gerhart will miss the Vikings’ OTA next week, and minicamp in June is in jeopardy too, thanks to Stanford’s mid-June graduation ceremonies. NFL rules prohibit draft picks from participating in anything more than a rookie minicamp before their school’s graduation.

Before we turn our full attention to the combine, free agency and the draft, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on Super Bowl XLIV before we plunge full on into the 2010 offseason.

The Saints’ defense matched up well with the Colts’ passing attack thanks to a 3-3-5 formation.

Colts tight end Dallas Clark’s domination of safety Roman Harper is putting Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in a quandary when it comes to play-calling.

NFL.com analyst Pat Kirwan is down on the sideline, passing along his observations as both teams begin to make their way onto the field for warmups.

Saints coach Sean Payton explained the Saints have made it this far for a reason, and now isn’t the time to make changes.

DeWayne Walker remains a top candidate to become Pete Carroll‘s defensive coordinator with the Seahawks, according to league sources.

Who do you blame when one of the game’s most prolific wide receivers goes without a catch for the first time in 185 consecutive games? As it turns out, everyone is to blame, including the New Orleans Saints defense.

If the preseason told us anything, it told us that the New Orleans Saints are for real. They went out and started to prove it in Week 1.

A quick spin around some match-ups as kickoff appraoches. The Browns held another negotiating session with WR Josh Cribbs, with a face-to-face session with his agent conducted Saturday in Cleveland. The sides continue to make “good progress” toward a deal.

Musician/actor/recording artist Harry Connick Jr. will be singing tonight’s national anthem, an honor he said he takes quite seriously while chatting after his soundcheck.

We’re all excited for the games to finally begin. Plenty of reasons to keep an eye on each offering.

In calling my first preseason game of the summer I noticed that it takes a little time reacclimating to the booth, the crew and all the elements required to help the broadcast go smoothly. It reminded me of how the coaches and players were using the preseason to iron out wrinkles in their game.