Call me cynical, but it’s official, the 2006 NFL Draft Watch has begun! If you bothered to watch the last minute 1:37 of ESPN’s Saints/Jets final on Sunday night, you know exactly what I mean.

Far be it from me to suggest that any NFL team would be simply playing tug-of-war rather than trying to win, but it was never as painfully obvious as it was last Sunday at the Meadowlands.

In early November, there was considerable buzz around the league that Jet HC Herm Edwards was headed to Kansas City to succeed Dick Vermiel as the Chiefs’ helmsman. The plane’s owner, Woody Johnson, somehow convinced Edwards that his future lay with Gang Green and he received a reprieve for a terribly injury-plagued 2005.

Armed with that vote of confidence, let’s take a look at Edwards’ “Clock Management” in his team’s final series, considering the Jets had lost five straight and hadn’t won since Oct. 9.

(1:37) First and ten, Jets 46, no timeouts. Brooks Bollinger completes an unlikely pass, threading the needle to Doug Jolley, who makes his way to the Saints 33. At this point, the Jets have used 14 seconds and have a 50-yard FG for the win with one kicker (Mike Nugent) which was already in four. for four at night.

(1:24) First down, Saints 33. Curtis Martin, who has rushed for 93 yards on 23 carries to this point, unarmed right-hander for one-yard loss. No spikes, clock ticking.

(1:01) Second and 11. Out of the shotgun, Bollinger misses a fumble and is dropped for a three-yard loss. Once again, there is no spike and the clock keeps ticking.

(0:38) Third and 14. Out of shotgun, Bollinger finds Jerricho Cottechery for three big yards down the middle of the field. At this point, Edwards can’t stop the clock and trots out Mike Nugent. Haslett wasn’t inclined to freeze the rookie out of Ohio State with his last time out of him.

(0:14) Fourth and 14. Nugent’s kick goes in the center but is inches from the crossbar. Hard loss Herm. The Jets drop to 2-9 to join the Texans, Packers, 49ers and possibly Arizona in the race for the top pick. Real conspiracy theorists could question any of the other four losses this week.

The Texans blew a 21-point halftime lead against the Rams and then allowed 10 points in the final 26 seconds before succumbing in overtime. Did I mention the Rams were led by the Harvard rookie who threw for 310 yards and 3 TDs in less than three quarters of work?

The Packers led the entire second half before allowing the Eagles 12 to play a 60-yard drive, resulting in FG with 4:31 left. The Eagles lead 16-14. No problem, Favre takes Pack to FG rank for the winner, right?
Wrong! Andrae Thurman fumbles via knockout return and the Eagles manage to run another 2:34 off the clock and add a knockout FG that sends all of Packer’s ticket holders (+4.5) looking for Jack Daniels and Draino .

The 49ers lead 14-9 at half-goal, give up 24 unanswered to the Titans, who ultimately win 33-22. The week before, Ken Dorsey threw the last-play 2-point conversion to the ground against the Rams. Cards drove 56 yards in less than a minute only to see his return deflected by Kurt Warner’s fumble.

On Saturday, USC’s Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush will line up vs. cross-town rival UCLA Bruins in a game that will likely secure the Trojans their long-awaited Rose Bowl matchup with Texas, possibly decide the Heisman Trophy and, depending on performance, influence the coveted first overall pick in the draft next year’s NFL.

On Sunday, Houston, the Jets, the Packers, the 49ers and the Cardinals will meet in games that in many ways will determine their short- and long-term futures. It’s probably a good idea to keep that in mind as you do your craft this week.