Erickson Should Be Preparing His Resume

Dennis Erickson is 22-24 as coach of the Seahawks, and while pulling a Lazarus last year, anything short of making the playoffs and he will be unemployed.

The Seahawks are 7-7 with games to play against Indianapolis and Denver. How would you like your job riding on the final game of the season--in Mile High Stadium?

If Seattle wins out, New England must still lose its final two games, Tennessee must lose one of two and Pittsburgh and Oakland must drop one of two.

So the obvious question is: Who will be the new coach in Seattle?

See what happens when you leave the warmth of L.A. for the cold of Oakland: Since returning to Oakland, the Raiders are 2-13 in December.

The Chargers’ defense is mad at the team’s offense because it has this little problem: It can’t score.

“You see guys smiling and laughing after a loss,” said safety Rodney Harrison, blasting his teammates. “Where are their hearts? It’s obvious they weren’t into the game.”

Said linebacker Kurt Gouveia, who broke his hand in the last game: “There’s laughter, there’s fun, but there is a different kind of laughter on defense. When it’s time to fool around, we fool around. When it’s time to work, we’re serious in how important that is. Everybody needs to look at themselves and say, ‘Are you really preparing yourself for this game?’ ”

Well, not everybody. Just the offense.

The Charger defense is No. 1 in the NFL, as if that means something when you’re 5-9 and out of the playoffs, but lame-duck Coach June Jones said he was starting Craig Whelihan instead of Ryan Leaf, in part to protect that ranking.

CENTRAL / How About: You Could Have Won More Games

Ted Marchibroda is 15-30-1 as coach of the Ravens and two weeks away from being replaced.

“There are times that I look [at] what could I have done differently,” said Marchibroda, too kind to say he should never have signed on to work for owner Art Modell. “I don’t see anything. I really don’t. Nothing that hits me between the eyes.”

Bruce Coslet is 16-23 as coach of the Bengals, and who would want to coach Cincinnati? The Bengals were 2-3 after beating Pittsburgh, and then Coslet gave the players the next day off. They haven’t returned to work since, losing eight in a row.

The Jaguars’ grip on the No. 2 spot in the AFC playoffs has disappeared, shifting to the Jets after injuries to quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Jamie Martin left the team in the hands of Jonathan Quinn.

EAST / Flutie’s No Fluke to Pro Bowl Voters

The Bills were 0-3 until Doug Flutie saved their season, and after two unsuccessful tries to make it in the NFL with Chicago and New England, Flutie has been rewarded with a Pro Bowl invitation.

“It’s kind of a feeling of acceptance,” he said. “I’m no longer a novelty. They actually take me seriously as a quarterback.”

Can you name the $25-million quarterback who started the season for the Bills? Rob Johnson. The Bills traded first- and fourth-round picks for the former Jaguar, who gave way to Flutie after being injured.

The Bills have won six in a row at home with Flutie but plays a Jet team hellbent on clinching its first AFC East title Saturday.

“We’re focused on this game,” Buffalo Coach Wade Phillips said. “It’s a big, big game. I do think it’s not as big a game for the Jets, because they can win the division and have a good chance for a bye by beating New England at home next week. The game obviously is more important for us. They’re in the playoffs already; we’re not. So this is a big, big game for us.”

The Jets win all tiebreakers with the Jaguars to gain the No. 2 seeding.