=========================
Return to PREVIOUS page
=========================
THIS WEEK: We have four Wild-Card playoff games:
The Washington Redskins at the Seattle Seahawks Sat., 2:30 PT NBC
The Jacksonville Jaguars at the Pittsburgh Steelers Sat., 6:00 PT NBC
The New York Giants at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sun., 11:00 PT FOX
The Tennessee Titans at the San Diego Chargers Sun., 2:30 PT CBS
The Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and New Patriots all have byes.
=========================
DALLAS COWBOYS
As Associated Press sports writer Jaime Aron suggested, Wade Phillips figures a lack of motivation is all that's been wrong with the Cowboys lately. Once the playoffs start, he's certain they will snap back to form.
To the form that started 5-0. To the form that had them 12-1. To the form that finished 13-3, tying the best in club history.
At least, that's the spin he was pushing Monday -- pushing hard, too, despite evidence the Cowboys are nowhere near entering the playoffs on a roll.
"13-3, I'm very happy with," Phillips said. "I don't think anyone could be happier than we are right now."
Phillips didn't want to talk about the 27-6 loss to Washington in the finale on Sunday, which is understandable considering the game meant little and his team played like it.
However, Aron suggests, it was far more curious that he refused to acknowledge that Dallas is playing below its own standard since beating Green Bay on Nov. 28.
Actually, Phillips didn't just refuse, he turned defensive about it, despite evidence that includes a 2-2 record in December. The Cowboys didn't score a touchdown in either loss and the wins weren't much better -- a pair of squeakers over teams that were nowhere near making the playoffs; they trailed until the final seconds of the first and held off a team starting its fourth-string quarterback in the other.
Instead, Phillips kept bringing the conversation back to their 13 wins. He mentioned it seven times in a 24-minute news conference.
"You don't get that every year," he said. "Didn't get that every year here, except once, I believe, in the whole history."
So there's nothing to be worried about?
"I'm concerned about our football team getting ready for this game," he said. "Throw in Chicken Little and the sky is falling and all that, if you want to. But I think we have a strong football team and a great chance to be where we want to be."
He's right, of course, as Dallas is the top seed in the NFC playoffs. The Cowboys have a bye this weekend, which means a full week to work out some of the kinks. They'll spend next week getting ready to play Tampa Bay, Washington or the New York Giants at Texas Stadium.
Phillips noted that big games have brought out the best in his club -- well, all except New England. Yet the stakes have gone down in the last month and so has the caliber of play.
The question now is whether Dallas can get back to playing the way it did in October and November, a must if the Cowboys are going to have any chance of succeeding in January and February.
"With 16 games, it's tough to be really good in every game," Phillips said. "(In some recent games) it wasn't like, `Man, we've got to win this game!' Now, we're in a big game, so we'll see how we play. But I think we'll play fine."
He offered up plenty of reasons, too -- all of the season-long variety.
There was the statistical feat of being among the 10 best in 18 of the 24 main team statistics and there was the fact the top seed was notched after the 15th game in a division that had no losing teams.
And he revived a unique way of thinking that he began pushing last week: The Cowboys already have "won" a playoff game by having a first-round bye.
"Nobody's reported that yet," he said, laughing.
Aron went on to suggest that Monday's media session might have been so tense because Phillips knows what is coming next -- revived talk about the biggest black spot on his resume, being 0-for-3 in the playoffs.
The breakthrough was supposed to come this season, but that's far from a sure thing for a club that's gone from outscoring teams by an average of 12.3 points over the first 12 games to being outscored over its final four.
"Everybody says you've got to win every game by 20 points; you're not going to do that," Phillips said. "I thought our schedule was really tough at the end of the year."
There was one bit of undeniably good news for Cowboys fans. The team is healthy, all things considered.
Terry Glenn came out of his season debut better for having taken some hard hits, even if he didn't catch a pass.
Terrell Owens remains in a protective boot for his high left-ankle sprain and is not expected to practice when the team resumes workouts Wednesday.
Owens, who missed his first game of the season Sunday, has been a quick healer throughout his career and Phillips remains hopeful he will be ready for the playoff.
Phillips tried to shoot down speculation on lingering effects from Tony Romo's thumb injury, suffered two weeks ago against the Eagles.
"I thought the first series of the second half, he came back out, he was into it," Phillips said. "He had one that would've been a 60-yard touchdown, obviously. And the guy dropped it, and that's when I took him out of. But I thought he was back into the game, he was sharp."
Still, as Dallas Morning News staffer Jean-Jacques Taylor noted, in this case, the numbers don't lie as Romo completed just seven of 16 passes for 86 yards with an interception before retreating to the sideline after the first series of the third quarter against Washington.
There were a few dropped passes, and Romo didn't have Owens, but as Taylor suggested: "Anyone who has seen him play the past two seasons knows the quarterback didn't come remotely close to playing his best football. ..."
Taylor went on to advise readers: "Blame the wet weather. Or the sprained right thumb. You can even blame the gloves he wore to compensate for the inclement weather.
"Just don't forget to blame offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. ..."
This after Garrett abandoned the running game, forcing Romo to carry the offense for the second time in three games.
Taylor believes it's a warning that if Garrett doesn't alter his approach to calling plays, just a little, then this team is going to struggle in the postseason. ...
Fort Worth Star-Telegram staffer Charean Williams had another thought: "The Cowboys need Owens."
As Charean went on to explain, "It can be argued that he is every bit as important to the Cowboys' offense as Romo. After Sunday, you even could make a case for him as the team's MVP."
"Shoot, go look at the yards, man, and look at the way that teams have to play coverages on us when he's in the game," Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton said. "It's a big difference. We're a totally different team when he's in there."
In the first 15 games, the Cowboys had 54 passing plays of at least 20 yards -- at least one in every game. Owens contributed 22 of those.
In the first game against the Redskins, a 28-23 victory, Owens had catches of 23, 31, 46 and 52 yards, three for touchdowns. Washington had no answer for him as he abused the Redskins' secondary for eight catches, 173 yards and four touchdowns.
Last Sunday, the Cowboys had no touchdowns and only two plays of 20 or more yards. Replacement Miles Austin dropped two potential touchdown catches, and Sam Hurd was the team's leading receiver with three receptions for 64 yards.
"Yeah, obviously they're different [with him], because he draws a lot of attention," Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs said.
As Williams summed up: "Owens is the Cowboys' big-play threat. As Sherman points out, Owens opens up things for Jason Witten; he opens up things for Marion Barber; he opens up things for Crayton.
"The Cowboys' record-setting offense isn't the same without him. ..."
Whatever the case, as SI.com insider Peter King pointed out Monday, Dallas had two first downs in the first half at Washington on defensive penalties and two others. That's it. Two first downs the Cowboys earned in 30 minutes.
And as King summed up: "Not exactly the way you want to go into your bye week. ..."
With the playoffs looming, backup QB Brad Johnson said the team needs to develop "amnesia" on Sunday's events and move on. And he does feel – as the only player on the team to win a Super Bowl – he can bring a little something extra to these weeks with a team Johnson still believes has what it takes.
"We're 13-3, we're the No. 1 seed, we've got a bye and we've got two weeks to prepare," Johnson said. "Obviously this was not a good performance, but this is what you set yourself up for. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... A source close to Barber told Pro Football Weekly that there has been dialogue with the team about getting a new contract done.
Barber, the Pro Bowl player who is due to be a restricted free agent, almost certainly would be tendered at the first- and third-round level if the two sides could not come together.
The Cowboys just got a four-year, $14 million deal done with Crayton. ...
Julius Jones finished with eight carries for seven yards and no touchdowns in the loss to Washington. Jones was visibility upset in the second quarter after he was taken out. Jones was on the sidelines yelling, waving his arms and he then threw a towel against the bench.
"I was upset that we were losing," he said. ...
The Cowboys re-signed tight end Tony Curtis to a one-year deal worth $445,000. In doing so they have also created $3.5 million in 2008 salary cap space. ...
And finally. ... Despite the Cowboys' poor offensive performance in their 27-6 loss at Washington on Sunday, Garrett is one of the hottest names in the assistant ranks.
According to various reports, Garrett is of interest in both Atlanta and Baltimore, the two teams with current openings.
Garrett insists that should he be called for an interview or two, it won't be a distraction from his current job.
"When something concrete comes from it, we'll address it," he said.
Namely, that the playoffs are a different animal.
Silverstein went on to suggest, if the 36 players on the 53-man roster who have never played in a post-season game thought the Dallas game Nov. 29 was high energy, then they're about to find out what electric really means.
"They're going to walk out on the field that day and they're going to feel it," said receivers coach Jimmy Robinson, who has four players on his unit who haven't experienced playoff football. "It almost becomes surreal."
Following the team's 34-13 victory over Detroit Sunday, head coach Mike McCarthy dismissed his players for the bye week and won't require them to return until Thursday night. On Friday and Saturday, they'll practice in pads, with the aim of working on fundamentals, as they wait to see who their opponent will be in the divisional round.
As the Packers' playoff destiny became clearer late in the year, coaches and veteran players began their initiation program for the youngsters. It has not been uncommon for a younger player to hear quarterback Brett Favre or wide receiver Donald Driver or cornerback Al Harris talk about the switch that gets turned on in the playoffs.
As Silverstein pointed out, the Packers entered the season with the youngest roster in the NFL, and as they head into the playoffs, they have vastly less playoff experience than their competition. In their opening playoff game, the Packers will face the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or New York Giants, depending on the results of the wild-card round.
The Packers, who haven't been to the playoffs since 2004, have 17 players with a combined total of 94 games of playoff experience. Favre (20), Harris (10), long-snapper Rob Davis (10) and cornerback Charles Woodson (seven) account for half of those games.
By comparison, the Seahawks have 39 players who have been to the post-season with a combined 195 total games. The Buccaneers have 31 players with a combined total of 129 games of playoff experience and the Giants have 35 with a combined total of 95 games.
According to Silverstein, no team in the NFC playoff pool has gone longer than the Packers since their last playoff game.
For all their post-season inexperience, the Packers have players and coaches who have been to playoff games and Super Bowls. There are at least a few sources the younger players can tap into, if they want to understand what they're in for come Jan. 12.
And if they don't seek the wisdom, it will probably be delivered.
"It comes down to the same things, your attitude, your mind-set," said running backs coach Edgar Bennett, who played in 10 post-season games with the Packers, including Super Bowl XXXI.
"You have to take nothing for granted. You have to play your best football at that time, because if you don't, then you allow the possibility of not being able to continue playing. And you have to fully understand that these opportunities don't come that often."
Bennett's backfield has zero years of combined playoff experience, so his players will be leaning heavily upon him for guidance. He said he intends to continue addressing the importance of paying attention to detail so that opponents will have less to exploit on game day, and may show them some playoff film to get them ready.
The closest thing the Packers have had to a playoff atmosphere was the showdown with the Cowboys. Both teams were 10-1 and homefield advantage during the playoffs was on the line. The game was billed as the NFC Super Bowl.
Silverstein went on to note McCarthy plans to maintain the same approach he has all season, and, in fact, said he thought it would be a big mistake to try to give the players more than they can handle just because it's the playoffs. He expects them to come back from their four-day respite with a lot of energy and the same loose demeanor they've had all season.
When it's playoff time, they'll find the environment different, and how they react could make a big difference in the outcome of their first game.
"I know that from this point on, you win you continue on, you lose and you're out," Favre said after the victory Sunday. ...
Other notes of interest. ... According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, running back Ryan Grant didn't have any lingering effects from the stinger he sustained in the first half against the Lions.
McCarthy said he saw Grant on Monday morning, when Grant had just finished a workout. Grant didn't return after his injury -- suffered in the first quarter of Sunday's game -- but could have, according to McCarthy.
"As soon as I saw him, he came off to the sideline hanging his arm, that's all I needed to see," McCarthy said. "He could have went back in, but we did the right thing."
According to the Sports Xchange, McCarthy also acknowledged Monday that he was ready to let Grant take a run for 1,000 before pulling him,.
"We would've taken a crack at it," McCarthy said. "(Offensive coordinator) Joe Philbin and I talked about it, if he could break one early, I was going to give him a chance, and he did that. He would've had an excellent chance."
Grant indeed had a couple big gains in the early going, including a 27-yard touchdown in Green Bay's first possession. He had six carries for 57 yards before going out with the injury.
Rookie Brandon Jackson, who opened the season as the starting halfback, picked up the slack with a career-high 113 yards on 20 carries. ...
McCarthy also said receiver Greg Jennings mild ankle sprain was fine. Jennings was held out of Sunday's game but could have played if it had been a meaningful game.
Fullback Korey Hall could be ready to return to the field at the end of the week. The rookie starter was sidelined the last two games because of a hip injury. ...
Aaron Rodgers could return to his role as the No. 2 quarterback in practice on Friday if his hamstring passes a test on Wednesday. ...
Scheduled to make $4.5 million in 2008 even though he is no longer the team's starting tight end, eight-year veteran Bubba Franks remains a good bet to be shown the door once the Packers' season is over. But in the meantime, Pro Football Weekly advised readers that insiders believe Franks, who returned to action in Week 16 after missing eight weeks with a knee injury, could be an X-factor in the upcoming postseason for a couple of reasons.
For starters, Franks adds an intriguing two-TE wrinkle to a Packers passing offense that has been a bit sporadic the last month, and he is also a much better option in terms of spelling Donald Lee than is Ryan Krause, who had only two catches for 11 yards as Franks' replacement.
Just as importantly, Franks is a proven blocker who can help a run game that has been a bit out of sorts recently, Grant's occasional big gainers notwithstanding.
Finally, it's very much worth noting that Franks is one of the few veterans with playoff experience on the league's youngest team.
"Anyway, Harrison was out there before Sunday night's 16-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, doing some easy running, throwing the football around with a ballboy, all, we figured, as a prelude to his long-awaited return.
"No such luck.
"The Return of Marvin will have to wait.
"Again. ..."
"We sat down with him a couple of hours before the game, and our strength and conditioning guys felt like it was very important for him to go through a whole (pregame) workout," team president Bill Polian said before the game.
"Ultimately, the question became, is it better to cut back on the workout and play him for 10 to 15 plays, or have him finish the full workout, not play and be ready to go 100 percent full practice Wednesday?"
Kravitz went on to note that when head coach Tony Dungy was asked after the game about the decision to sit Harrison, his answer was very curt, very out of character for the perpetually affable head coach. That seems to be a trend. Every time Peyton Manning is asked about No. 88, he clenches his jaw and spits out a response.
Kravitz added: "We're reading minds and body language and voice inflections here, but Dungy sounds frustrated, too.
"With what or with whom, it's hard to say."
"It was Marvin and the doctors, [Polian] and I, we thought it wasn't the time," Dungy said, leaving it at that.
But you have to believe all involved are at least a little worried -- their public proclamations to the contrary notwithstanding.
"Aren't you concerned that Marvin will be rusty when he gets back?" Polian was asked.
"No, I'm not," he said evenly. "Because the knee is fine. If you can get him back in a game, you do it, but the most important stuff is done at practice, and that's where he needs to be 100 percent."
After the game, Dungy was asked the same question: Concerned?
"Not really," he said. "It would have been ideal to get a game in, but again, this is not a first- or second-year guy we're dealing with. He's a Hall of Famer who's caught almost a thousand balls from Peyton Manning. So I think they'll be fine."
Still, Harrison has missed 10 straight games. He has missed 11 of the last 12 games. And as Kravitz asked: "Remember how important it was for Dallas Clark to come back for last year's regular-season finale?"
So, you wonder, what's the inside scoop? What's really going on with Harrison? He played four games, suffered what the team described as a knee bruise, then missed 11 of the next 12 games.
And the truth is, it might be nothing at all.
They took the same approach last year with Bob Sanders. The safety played only four regular-season games, and was held out the final month of the season before returning to the playoffs.
And Sanders did pretty well. ... But it remains to be seen if Harrison can do the same. ...
Meanwhile, as Star beat writer Mike Chappell noted, securing one of the top two seeds in each conference guarantees a comfortable seat in the living room for this weekend's first round of the NFL playoffs, but nothing else.
Since the current postseason format was adopted in 1990, the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, rested after the bye, have gone 54-14 (79.4 percent) in their first games in the divisional round. But the mark is just 4-4 the past two years.
The Colts are No. 2 in the AFC behind undefeated New England, and will return to the field Jan. 13 against San Diego, Pittsburgh or Jacksonville. That's 13 days between games.
Not to worry, insisted Dungy.
"Bye's a great thing. Bye's a great thing," he said Monday afternoon. "I think anybody would rather move into that second round without having to play."
Dungy isn't worried that his team might lose a bit of its sharpness during the lull. The key always has been how the Colts practice, he said, and it will be again.
"We really want to stay sharp and continue to practice well," Dungy said. "I thought we had very, very good practices the last two weeks even though we haven't had a lot riding on the games."
Dungy won't overwork his squad this week. After two off days, players return to practice Wednesday and Thursday. A three-day weekend follows before postseason preparations crank up next Monday.
The goal this week is two-pronged: Give players dealing with injuries additional time to heal, and do some advance work against 3-4 defenses, which the Chargers and Steelers use.
"The big thing is to stay in the groove of a rhythm," Dungy said. "When we come back in next Monday, we'll know who we're playing and be ready to zero in."
Ready and able, if the team's medical staff is on target with its extensive prognosis.
Seven front-line players did not play in the regular-season finale against Tennessee: Harrison (knee) and Anthony Gonzalez (foot), offensive tackle Ryan Diem (knee), tight end Ben Utecht (shoulder), defensive end Robert Mathis (knee), safety Antoine Bethea (knee) and defensive tackle Raheem Brock (rib).
The bye provides healing time. Everyone should be available for the first playoff game, if not sooner, the team said. ...
And finally. ... There remains some lingering concern around Adam Vinatieri's ability to come through in crunch time.
Pro Football Weekly conceded it sounds incredulous that there would be such skepticism about the most clutch kicker in league history, but Vinatieri has been uncharacteristically shaky this season.
He has connected on just 22-of-28 field-goal attempts, including a pair of misses -- from 42 and 29 yards -- in a two-point loss to the Chargers in Week 10. Particularly unnerving is that his longest successful FG attempt this season has been from only 39 yards.
The teams played Dec. 16, with the Jaguars winning 29-22 at Heinz Field. Now the Jaguars are attempting to become the first team ever to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh in the regular season and then beat them in Pittsburgh again in the playoffs.
But conditions this time around won't be the same.
The first game was played on a windy, snowy day, which is usually an advantage for the Steelers especially against a Southern team.
But the Jaguars played well in cold weather with their strong running game and run defense, although the cold temperature hurt their kicking game.
Expect milder weather this time. The early forecast is for cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 30s. The Steelers also figure to have more of a home-field edge because Heinz Field will be packed for the Steelers' first home playoff game in three years. They had several thousand no-shows for the first game.
Stellino also believes this game will have a different dynamic because of the Jaguars' victory last month.
The win earned the Jaguars a lot of respect in the national media and they're being hailed as the team nobody wants to play in the playoffs. That -- and the fact the Steelers have lost four of their last seven games -- explains why the Jaguars are a 1-point favorite.
But winning is Pittsburgh in the playoffs after doing it in the regular season is no easy task.
In fact, it's never been done. Teams have won in Pittsburgh in the regular season and then beat them at home in the playoffs (Tennessee did it in 2002). But beating the Steelers twice in Pittsburgh would be historic.
Still, as the Sports Xchange suggests, the Jaguars are rested and ready for just their second playoff game since 1999.
This after resting eight starters, plus running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who's technically a backup, and had eight other starters on limited duty in their 42-28 loss to Houston in their regular-season finale Sunday.
To get to the Super Bowl, Jacksonville would probably have to win three road playoff games, a feat pulled off only twice in NFL history -- by the 1985 Patriots and the 2005 Steelers.
The Patriots lost to the Bears in the Super Bowl while the Steelers beat Seattle.
When head coach Jack Del Rio was asked how far his team can go in the playoffs, he said, "We're getting ready to find out. Does it matter what I think or what I feel or what I say right now in front of you? I think what is most important is how we prepare for the opportunity. We need to go in and make the most of this opportunity by playing. That's what I'm most concerned with.
"Making statements, making proclamations, really isn't worth any points. If it is, I'll make a few. But I don't think they'll give me any points, so let's go compete."
The Jaguars last won a playoff game after the 1999 season when they routed Miami, 62-7, to advance to the AFC title game, where they lost to Tennessee.
The Jaguars' only playoff game since then was a 28-3 loss to New England in 2005.
Running back Fred Taylor, one of the starters who didn't play in the finale, thinks the rest will help the Jaguars.
"I think it works to our team's advantage considering pretty much everyone we're going to count upon in the playoffs, they're healthy. We're ready. People like to say, 'Should they rest them or should they stay hot?' I don't believe that. I think it was a positive for us to get some rest," he said.
They'll find out Saturday night if they're really ready. ...
Other notes of interest. ... In case you missed it Taylor likes the challenge of playing against Pittsburgh -- and he often rises to meet it.
In fact, Taylor has played 10 games against them and gained 915 yards, including 234 yards in Pittsburgh in 2000 that is the 17th-best game on the all-time list and a record at Three Rivers Stadium before they tore it down.
He racked up 147 of those yards last month. ...
So it might be worth noting that Taylor chided the Steelers on Tuesday for their substandard grass field. He and suggested they spend $1 million on artificial turf to improve one of the NFL's worst playing surfaces.
"That field is terrible," Taylor said in a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters. "That's a lawsuit pending. That's ridiculous."
Taylor wants to see artificial turf the next time he travels to Pittsburgh.
"I prefer grass, but these cold-weather teams, late in the season, they allow high schools to play on their field and they allow colleges to play on their field," said Taylor, ninth in the league with 1,202 yards rushing. "It just goes completely bad.
"So I think a million-dollar investment won't hurt their pockets. ..."
David Garrard didn't play in the closer, but finished with the second-lowest interception percentage in a season for any quarterback in NFL history with 300-plus attempts at 0.92 (three interceptions in 325 attempts).
The lowest was 0.90 by Steve DeBerg in 1990 (four interceptions in 444 attempts). He was the first quarterback to throw more than 300 times and have fewer than four interceptions. ...
Reggie Williams set a team record by catching a touchdown pass in his fourth consecutive game last Sunday, giving him 10 for the season, which is also a team record. He broke Jimmy Smith's mark of eight last week.
Williams also wound up with 629 receiving yards, a career high, but his total of 38 catches was 14 shy of his total of 52 catches last year.
Last year, he saw more action as he started 14 of 16 games. By contrast, he was inactive for the first game this year and wound up starting only six games.
Of his late-season surge, Williams said he's healthier now that he was earlier in the year when he had some hamstring issues. ...
Meanwhile, Matt Jones, given an extensive opportunity against the Texans because Dennis Northcutt was inactive, responded by catching eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown from Quinn Gray.
By contrast, in his first 11 games this year, he caught only 16 passes for 179 yards, although he caught a 37-yard touchdown pass last week against Oakland.
"I don't know the stats or anything, but whenever the coach gives you an opportunity to play, you want to go out there and perform," Jones said.
Gray said, "Matt Jones is a good athlete and a great football player. The last couple of weeks, the fans tended to get down on him a little bit because I guess they think he's not giving 100 per cent. I can vouch for him that every time he goes out and plays football, Matt is going 100 miles an hour whenever he can."
Del Rio didn't seem eager to discuss Jones.
"Matt Jones made some good plays," he said in his opening statement.
When he was asked about whether Jones was improving, he declined to mention Jones' name and talked about the team improving.
"We think our football team has improved over the course of this year, individually and collectively. We feel like we've really been able to improve. We're going to need to continue to improve," he said. ...
As Pro Football Weekly suggested, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
While Garrard and Taylor have justifiably been praised for their roles in the stunning success of the offense, a pair of coaching castaways have been almost as critical. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and QB coach Mike Shula both were unceremoniously canned from their 2006 posts as head coaches of Arizona State and Alabama, respectively.
But their role in developing Garrard and the implementation of a ball-control-oriented scheme has worked wonders. The question now inevitably becomes, "Will they get another crack at running their own college program?"
For now, the answer for both is no. But there are murmurs that Koetter might eventually find his way back to campus life. A sterling tenure as Boise State head coach before heading to the desert proved that he has ability, and his resoluteness regarding his desire to stay in the NFL could be tempered if an attractive college opening presents itself.
And finally. ... Del Rio and the Jaguars lead the NFL in fourth-down attempts and conversions.
They also lead by a stunning margin.
The Jaguars have gone for it on fourth down 33 times this season, an average of more than two per game – more than doubling the average (16.1) through the rest of the league.
"The only thing I can tell you is that we just do the things that we think give our team the best opportunity to win games," said Del Rio, whose team converted 19 of those fourth-down attempts.
Though his words said otherwise, anybody who's seen Belichick work knew any personal celebration of New England's perfect season was effectively over the second he was done talking in the post-game press conference.
According to Litke, the coach already had his eyes on the prize gleaming in the distance.
"We are going to take a little bit of time and enjoy this one and feel good about what we have accomplished," Belichick said, then followed that up without taking a breath. "Pretty soon, we are going to have to turn the page and move on."
After a 38-35 win over New York, in what was not the best-played game of the season but might have been the most honest in terms of effort, Belichick touched on a number of topics and didn't reveal much about any of them.
Watch him talk about most things for more than a minute and you're left with the impression this is a guy who seems to have had his emotions and sense of humor surgically removed.
Tom Brady and Randy Moss both set NFL single-season records on the same play -- a 65-yard strike that gave the quarterback 50 passing touchdowns and his sidekick 23 TD receptions -- and put New England in front to stay.
"I'm happy for the players that got them. I know there were several of them. I wasn't sure what they all were," he said. "But whatever they were, I'm happy they got them.
"But I'm more happy for the team."
Nobody expected two teams with postseason berths already locked up to pull out the kitchen sink on the last weekend of the regular season, let alone try to beat each other over the head with it. But that's what happened in New York.
And as Litke suggested, that the game-breaker happened to tie together several of the most important elements from the Patriots' journey to the NFL's first perfect regular season in 35 years -- another clutch play, another fourth-quarter comeback, the brilliance of Brady and Moss -- was pure serendipity.
Yet the way his players reacted to it, both at that moment and afterward, well, that was pure Belichick. He might not appear to have enough personality, at least not in public, to go around. Whatever there is, though, has been grafted onto his team.
Someone asked linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who's been at Belichick's side for the entire championship run, what he was thinking about after that record-breaking score.
"What is the score? What does it do for us? Does it put us in the lead? Are we behind after the score? What do I have to do as a defensive player once we kick off the ball and get the return. That's how focused we are," he said.
"I think I realized what had just happened when Randy threw the ball back to the sideline. I was like, 'There is the ball. The ball that set those records.' Then you shake it off, and realize here comes the kickoff and 'What do we have to do?"'
Brady had barely escaped from a brief, impromptu celebratory hug with his offensive line when he poked two fingers into the sky, not a "victory" sign to be sure, but a signal to the rest of the offensive unit that they needed a two-point conversion. They got that, got everything else they needed to win, in fact, but afterward his celebration was almost as brief.
"Coach has kept us pretty grounded," Brady said. "He's not so concerned with records and stuff like that. He's most concerned with us putting our best out there each week."
That was a lesson Belichick learned from his mentor, Bill Parcells, who also taught him "there's no meaningless games when you're playing in them. ..."
Meanwhile, SI.com insider Peter King noted on Monday that most people think the Patriots aren't playing as well on offense as they did early in the season, and that might be right.
But in the last five games of the year, three played with weather a factor, New England scored 27, 34, 20, 28 and 38.
As King suggested, "I can think of eight or 10 teams who'd like to be slumping that much on offense right now. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... In addition to the NFL-record 50 touchdowns, Brady tossed just eight interceptions, compiled 4,805 yards (third all-time for one season), a 68.9 percent completion rate and a 117.2 rating this season.
He's only the fourth quarterback to average 300 passing yards per game for a season, becoming the only cold-weather quarterback to ever do that.
Dan Marino, Kurt Warner (dome) and Dan Fouts are the only guys in the 300-yard-average club. ...
King also reminded readers the Patriots traded second-, fourth- and seventh-round picks (the 60th, 110th and 238th overall choices) in the draft last spring to Miami (60 and 238) and Oakland (110) for Wes Welker and Moss, respectively.
What they acquired through those incredibly productive trades, combined, just might be the keys to a fourth world championship in seven years.
The two combined for 210 catches, 2,668 yards for a 12.7 per catch average and 31 touchdowns.
Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (205 catches, 2,583 yards, 20 touchdowns) were next in production by a receiving tandem. ...
Asked after Saturday's game what it felt like to break Jerry Rice's TD-catch record, Moss suggested that other aspects were of greater interest to him.
"Shutting you guys up is what makes it special," Moss said in addressing the room full of reporters. "All the negativity and all the critics. It's really a good feeling to come in and have a good season like this, to have confidence in myself that I can still get it done.
"My mindset was to come out here and have a hell of a season."
Mission accomplished. ...
In a related note. ... Pro Football Weekly reports that Brady has been forcing the issue, and he knows it.
Armed with the reputation of being the best in the league at spreading the ball around, Brady admitted to targeting Moss too often, including some instances where Moss, often fighting through double or triple coverage, would ordinarily be the last option.
Never was that more obvious than in the second half of the Pats' Week 16 victory over the Dolphins, when Brady's repeated heaves down the field had many questioning how the perennial Pro Bowler could make such desperate decisions.
With the record book no longer a factor in the postseason, PFW expects to see less of the Brady-to-Moss show. However, the Patriots will remain a freewheeling, long-ball-unleashing offense.
As was the case a couple of times in the regular season, Moss could very well have as much value as a decoy as he possesses as a TD maker in the playoffs. ...
On a 14-yard reception in the first quarter -- his first catch of the game and his 102nd catch of the season -- Welker set the Patriots' single-season receptions record, passing Troy Brown's mark of 101 receptions in 2001.
Welker finished the regular season with a total of 112 receptions.
Entering this season, Welker's previous single-season career high was 67 receptions, achieved in 2006 with the Miami Dolphins. ...
On Moss' four-yard touchdown reception from Brady in the second quarter, the Patriots set an NFL record for most points scored in a season. Following the touchdown, the Patriots had scored 561 points in 2007, topping the old record of 556 points scored by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings.
The Patriots finished the game with a total of 589 points, for an average of 36.81 points per game. New England's 36.81 points per game rank second in league history, trailing only the 38.83 points per game scored by the 1950 Los Angeles Rams (466 points in a 12-game season).
New England's final 2007 scoring differential was plus-315 (589 points scored, 274 points allowed), topping the previous league record of plus-292, achieved by the 1942 Chicago Bears (376 points scored, 84 points allowed in an 11-game season). ...
As the Sports Xchange noted, New York held Laurence Maroney to 46 yards on 19 carries, meaning the Patriots have yet to effectively run the football against a playoff-caliber defense this season.
On the bright side, Maroney scored two touchdowns and ran hard. He may not have piled up the numbers but Maroney ran with the mean streak that he's been lacking at times this season. As a team, the Patriots only averaged 1.7 yards per carry on the ground. The Giants did a good job of shooting gaps and penetrating into the backfield. ...
According to PFW, the recent absences of No. 1 and No. 2 tight ends Ben Watson and Kyle Brady have thrown a kink in the Patriots' offensive plans. It's not that they were factored too prominently in the passing game, but they were still targets and contributed adequate blocking.
Replacement Stephen Spach is a fine athlete, but his limited knowledge of the playbook makes him somewhat of a liability. Luckily for the Pats, Watson, who played well against New York, and Brady should both be ready for the playoffs.
"I don't know that you can move toward the playoffs in a better way than to play against the No. 1 team in the league, a team that is 16-0, and hold your own, at least for the majority of the evening," Coughlin said Sunday. "Those are all positives."
The question now is whether the Giants can build off of it and win a playoff game for the first time in three years. They were knocked out in the first round by Carolina two years ago and were beaten by Philadelphia in another wild-card game last season.
New York will play the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla. in an NFC wild-card game on Sunday.
As Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan noted, there is no doubt that the Giants played one of their best games of the season in Saturday night's 38-35 loss to New England, which had to put a scare into the Patriots' hopes for a piece of history.
Eli Manning threw four touchdown passes, the Giants built a 12-point second-half lead and were a little unfortunate that cornerback Sam Madison aggravated an abdominal muscle on a play that left Randy Moss wide open to catch a go-ahead 65-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter.
While the loss in a hard-fought game was positive but frustrating, the injuries are a concern.
Madison was feeling better Sunday, but Coughlin was uncertain about his status for the Bucs. The same is true with weakside linebacker Kawika Mitchell and center Shaun O'Hara, who both sprained knees and had MRIs on Sunday.
Coughlin said they were feeling better, but he was still waiting for test results.
However, backup safety Craig Dahl tore an anterior cruciate ligament in the first quarter and will miss the rest of the season.
According to Canavan, Coughlin was a little sensitive about the injuries, which all happened in the first half. In the week leading up to the game, he had been asked whether he might rest some starters in what was a meaningless game for New York.
No matter what happened, the Giants were going to play the Buccaneers this coming weekend.
Tampa Bay has rested many of its starters the past two weeks, dropping a 31-23 decision to Carolina on Sunday for its second straight loss.
"I would again challenge you on who you are going to pick out as starters who aren't going to play," Coughlin said. "How are you going to do that?"
Grey Ruegamer replaced O'Hara and played well, Coughlin said, as did Gerris Wilkinson filling in for Mitchell.
Coughlin also said that cornerback Kevin Dockery, who has started four games this season, is getting over a hip flexor and may be ready for the playoff game.
Giants players had no problem with the way Coughlin handled the game.
"It is definitely a good momentum builder going into the playoffs," safety Gibril Wilson said. "We are coming out with positive attitudes with this game. If we play the way we did tonight, I think it can carry us a long way."
Plaxico Burress, who caught two touchdown passes, said the performance was the one he has been looking for all season from the offense.
"We went out and we played hard, and physical," said Burress who finished the regular season with a career-high 12 TD catches. "If we can go out and play with that same intensity, we can win a lot more football games."
At the least, the Giants gained respect around the league.
"Maybe everybody will stop doubting (us) and everybody will stop talking about a bad 10-6 team, but a playoff team," linebacker Antonio Pierce said. ...
Meanwhile, Manning admitted that the offense "needed a good showing, it was overdue," and as has become his custom, shrugged off individual credit and dispensed it instead to the team: "The receivers made some great catches on tough balls, the line played very well and I thought we finally got a good game without the additional challenge of bad weather."
Of course, if Manning performs the way he did against the Patriots this and throws four touchdown passes or something close, the Giants have a good shot at beating the Buccaneers.
The concern is that the bad Manning could show up in the postseason once again. He is 0-for-2 in the playoffs and his performances. ...
Fortunately, as Pro Football Weekly pointed out, the Giants have become a running team.
This, of course, is no shock to anyone who has watched the team over the past month, and really since the first month of the season. A combination of factors, including the strength of the offensive line and the inconsistencies of Manning, has made the Giants a strong running team this season, even without Tiki Barber.
Brandon Jacobs has fought through injuries to have a successful third season and become the workhorse back the team had expected with a 5.0-yard rushing average and six total touchdowns.
But the latest face to emerge in the rushing derby has been unheralded rookie Ahmad Bradshaw. It's a testament to the line that virtually anyone who has run this season, including Derrick Ward (602 yards, 4.8 yards per carry) and Reuben Droughns (six TDs), has had success.
Bradshaw, who sat out Week 17 with a calf injury, carried the ball only six times heading into the Week 16 Buffalo game but hit the Bills for 151 yards, including an 88-yard TD.
If healthy, Bradshaw could be a real weapon to consider in the playoffs to complement Jacobs.
At this point, all indications are Bradshaw will be good to go against the Bucs. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Burress established a career high with 12 TD receptions. ... Jacobs finished the season with 1,009 rushing yards, despite missing five full games and almost all of a sixth.
Coughlin called Domenik Hixon's 74-yard kickoff return for a touchdown Saturday night "a clinic" for the way it was run and blocked. ...
According to New York Post staffer Paul Schwartz, it a game many Giants believed was poorly officiated, the one call that absolutely astounded them on Saturday night was a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Amani Toomer early in the fourth quarter.
Hixon returned a kickoff 33 yards to the Giants' 38-yard line and was hit extremely close to the sideline by Patriots rookie Brandon Meriweather. Replays showed the hit came in bounds. Meriweather, standing near the Giants bench, jawed with several Giants and then tripped and fell while he was backing away. Suddenly, a flag was thrown and Toomer for some reason was called for a personal foul.
"No, they didn't call me on it. ... I didn't touch the guy. He fell down on his own," Toomer said before he was informed he indeed was deemed the culprit.
"They called me for that?" he asked. "Are you serious? That's unbelievable, because I didn't touch the guy. He tripped over the ref, he was backing up and tripped on the ref.
"They called me for that? Unbelievable. I was trying to explain to the referee what happened, that he tripped over the referee's foot. Unbelievable."
Another call that was blatantly missed was Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork sticking his fingers inside the facemask of Jacobs -- a dirty play sure to warrant a fine from the league, but a misdeed that somehow wasn't seen by any official.
Burress complained that at another point in the game, cornerback Ellis Hobbs dragged him down with no penalty flag.
"Cheap shots," Burress said. "I think we knew about that coming in. That was some of the worst officiating I've ever been a part of."
Patriots safety Rodney Harrison accused Burress of foul play.
"Plaxico was going for my knees," said Harrison, who is no choir boy himself. "There's no room for that. ..."
One last note here. ... Having the luxury of knowing their playoff opponent, the Giants' pro personnel department last week broke down the Buccaneers' tendencies and Coughlin said he "did some work myself on Friday and Saturday."
"Ready or not, here we come," head coach Mike Tomlin said. "We didn't like our performance the last time we played those guys, taking nothing away from them."
The Jaguars beat the Steelers, 29-24, Dec. 16, running for the most yards in Heinz Field history, 224. Baltimore had success running as well yesterday with 180 yards rushing against the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense.
And that wasn't Fred Taylor or Maurice Jones-Drew tearing through the Steelers' defense. It was former backup Musa Smith, who had 83 yards, and little-known Cory Ross, a 5-foot-6 undrafted, second-year pro getting his first 12 NFL carries for 72 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown run.
"It's disappointing to us," defensive end Brett Keisel said, "especially this team that loves to stop the run and prides itself on stopping the run and we haven't been able to do that."
Making matters worse, a handful of Steelers were injured against the Ravens, the most worrisome of which is the season-ending knee injury left tackle Max Starks sustained in the first half.
That means Trai Essex will protect Ben Roethlisberger's blind side against the Jaguars.
Moving Alan Faneca from left guard to left tackle is also an option for the Steelers, Tomlin said.
In other injury news, Allen Rossum is questionable because of a hamstring injury. If the return specialist cannot play against the Jaguars, Najeh Davenport or Willie Reid will return kickoffs and Cedrick Wilson or Santonio Holmes will return punts, Tomlin said.
According to the Denver Post, the Steelers signed Jeremy Bloom to the practice squad Monday. Bloom will be with the Steelers this week in preparation for Saturday's game and likely will stay with the Steelers into next season. ...
Other players that will be limited in practice this week include strong safety Troy Polamalu (knee), wide receivers Hines Ward (knee) and Reid (shoulder) and cornerbacks Deshea Townsend (foot) and Bryant McFadden (ankle).
Roethlisberger, who sprained his right ankle in a Dec. 20 game and didn't play against the Ravens, is fine, Tomlin said.
The Steelers' players were off Tuesday and returned to practice Wednesday. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Roethlisberger set a team record with a 104.1 passer rating for the season and now owns the top three slots in Steelers history. His 92.5 career rating also is an all-time best in Pittsburgh. ..
When the Steelers lost Willie Parker to a broken leg in the Dec. 20 win at St. Louis, they lost one of their most important offensive players. As Pro Football Weekly pointed out, when Parker hits a crease, he can go a long way.
Also, he's been durable and dependable ever since becoming a big part of the offense in 2005. However, PFW reports the coaching staff is quietly confident there won't be much of a drop-off from Parker to backup Najeh Davenport.
Davenport fits the mold of the big, physical back the Steelers have so successfully used over the years, with Jerome Bettis the most recent example. When Davenport has been given a chance to play, he's usually produced. He bailed out the Steelers with 124 yards on 23 carries in the crucial win at St. Louis. Davenport is also an underrated weapon in the passing game, as evidenced by his TD catches at New England and St. Louis.
However, in Week 17, the Steelers' running game was limited to 46 yards on 19 carries. Davenport had 27 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries.
While Steelers will miss Parker, they don't believe their offense is in dire straits.
Four players were fined by the NFL for their actions in the Chargers' victory, and a great deal more left with animosity toward the other side. Bad blood spread later in the week when Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman suggested that Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher put out a hit on him shortly before he left with an injury.
These memories are fresh. Just four weeks will have passed since the two teams played what many Chargers identify as their most physical game of the season.
Will the mudslinging continue? Will there be retaliation to avenge past wrongs?
Absolutely not, say the Chargers. Winning a playoff game for the first time in nearly 13 years would validate a season and mean more than exacting revenge for a cheap block or late hit.
"It's really do or die," Merriman told Bair. "That's harsh to say, but it's true. You win and you go on, or you lose and you go home. It doesn't matter who we're playing, and I don't think there's any extra motivation because it's Tennessee. Everything that happened in that game, the league took care of it. I'm over it."
That's not just a case of players toeing the party line. Post-season victory is far more important for a group that lost heartbreaking home playoff games after the 2004 and 2006 seasons. Excluding the most recent expansion teams, only the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions have gone longer without a playoff victory than the Chargers, whose last postseason win came in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 15, 1995.
That fact is not lost on this year's group, which is desperate to break a four-game post-season losing streak.
"I think that all of our guys know it," head coach Norv Turner said. "As I said, it can put pressure or it can give you great focus. I hope it brings us great focus."
Dealing with the extracurricular posturing stemming from the Dec. 9 game, the party line goes, would only detract from that effort. The Titans are merely a team that stands in the Chargers' way.
"There were some unfortunate plays in that game," Philip Rivers said. "What happened, what didn't happen, what were the intentions. ... It really doesn't matter. That's not going to really give us any added motivation this week. It's a playoff game. You really don't need much more than that."
Added linebacker Shaun Phillips: "It doesn't really matter who's on the field. I doesn't matter if my mom's cooking team is on the field. We'd put the same effort. All that matters right now is winning."
Bair reminded readers that outlook comes from playoff experience, from heartbreaking losses to the New York Jets in 2004 and last year's debacle against New England after a 14-2 regular season.
"(Last season) it felt so easy throughout the year," LaDainian Tomlinson said. "Winning something like 10 straight, you had to get to the point where we were kind of a little arrogant and saying, 'You know what? We don't think anybody out there can beat us. We won 10 straight.' You can have a tendency; it's human nature to do that. We did that last year and we paid for it.
"This year, things have come tougher for us. We have really been in some tough games. We have lost some close games, some tough games, and we've had games where we just got embarrassed. I think all that said, you go into the playoffs with a newfound respect. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Although it wasn't among his finest performances, Tomlinson's 56 yards on 16 carries against the Raiders last Sunday were enough to win him his second straight rushing title. Tomlinson finished with 1,474 rushing yards, well ahead of Minnesota rookie Adrian Peterson, who gained only 36 yards against Denver and finished second with 1,341.
"This one has been more difficult than last year, obviously," said Tomlinson, who a year ago was the league's MVP. "Things went our way last year, not only for me, but it just seemed like we breezed through the whole season. This year we had a lot of adversity, and it was more difficult. So I think for me it's a little more special because we had to really work for it.
"There were times where it seemed like it just wasn't going to happen, and then you find yourself in position at the end of the year. It feels great."
Also yesterday, Tomlinson became the first player since Barry Sanders in 1994 to finish a season with more than 300 touches and no fumbles.
"That's something I take a lot of pride in," said Tomlinson, who finished with 375 touches, same as Sanders did in '94. "Now that it's over, I'm happy I did that. I'm really proud of that."
For what it's worth, Tomlinson's 1,474 yards are the third-fewest to lead the league in a non-strike year since the league went to a 16-game season in 1978. But it is impressive nonetheless, in that he ranked 33rd after three games and 16th after five games.
He had said in recent weeks it was as important for him to get the title for his offensive line, considering how far they had come since October.
"I think it was mutual because they had talked about it and obviously with us talking about it I think we all came to a point where we said this is something we both want," said Tomlinson, the first player to lead the NFL in rushing in consecutive seasons since Edgerrin James did so in 1999 and 2000.
"I could tell by the way we've played, running the football these last four or five games how bad these guys wanted it, and I'm just happy we got it done. ..."
According to San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Kevin Acee, kicker Nate Kaeding was on crutches yesterday, as a deep bone bruise continues to bother him and makes it unlikely he will kick off in Sunday's AFC wild-card playoff game against Tennessee.
It appears almost certain that Dave Rayner, who made his Chargers debut two days ago at Oakland, will be retained at least another week to handle kickoffs. The Chargers do not seem concerned about Kaeding's ability to attempt placements. The crutches were to relieve the pressure on his leg, which was injured Dec. 24 against Denver.
Kaeding kicked three field goals at Oakland, but came out worse for it. Kaeding said Sunday as he limped away from McAfee Coliseum that the leg "didn't respond as well as I'd hoped."
If Kaeding is unable to kick Sunday, the Chargers would have an experienced backup.
Rayner made 41-of-58 field goals over parts of three seasons with Indianapolis, Green Bay and Kansas City. He was 15-for-22 with the Chiefs this season but was released in November after missing field goals of 43 and 45 yards in a three-point loss to the Colts, and missing a 33-yarder in a three-point loss to the Raiders the next week. ...
Also on the injury front. ... Turner said fullback Lorenzo Neal is making progress but said "it would be a long shot for him to be able to play" Sunday. Neal suffered a fractured fibula in the Chargers-Titans game on Dec. 9.
Neal said recently he was more confident about his chances to play in a second-round game, should the Chargers win Sunday. That game would be played on Jan. 13 at Indianapolis.
According to Pro Football Weekly, Michael Turner's injured shoulder (he originally hurt it in Week 15) may not be 100 percent until the offseason, but he's expected to be OK when asked to spell Tomlinson in the playoffs. ...
Also according to PFW, the way Chris Chambers has fit in on offense since the mid-season trade from Miami is a big part of the Chargers' late-season success story.
Although his statistics since his arrival -- 35 catches for 555 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games -- are hardly overwhelming, the respect he commands with his big-play potential has opened things up for Antonio Gates and kept defenses honest against Tomlinson.
Rivers called Chambers a "huge addition" and said he developed an immediate trust in him because of how eager Chambers was to work and the time he put in mentoring the team's younger receivers. And the rapport between Chambers and Rivers is aided by the fact Chambers has made a number of plays in traffic across the middle and has not had a problem with dropped balls, dispelling the two supposed knocks on him during his time with the Dolphins.
"I think he's starting to learn some of my mannerisms, some of the things I like doing, and giving me opportunities to make plays for him," Chambers said of Rivers. "He knows he doesn't have to be perfect. If he puts it somewhere in the vicinity, away from the defensive back, then I'll have an opportunity to grab it for him. ..."
After rookie Craig Davis returned punts for three straight weeks, Turner utilized Darren Sproles – the returner for the previous 11 games – and Davis in Oakland.
Turner said he would continue to use both Sunday, although it wouldn't be surprising to see Sproles get the first shot. He's averaging 9.5 yards on 24 returns; Davis' average is 8.7 on six returns. ...
And finally this week. ... The Chargers signed general manager A.J. Smith to a five-year contract extension, ESPN.com first reported Tuesday.
According to the report, Smith's deal is worth $11 million. The $2.2 million average would make him the third-highest paid GM in the league behind Bill Parcells ($3 million) of the Miami Dolphins and Matt Millen ($2.5 million) of the Detroit Lions.
Smith, 58, has been the club's GM since 2003. This season, San Diego won the AFC West Division for a second straight campaign en route to reaching the playoffs for a third time in four years.
Smith has largely been responsible for building a Chargers team which has sent 17 players to the Pro Bowl the last two seasons.
In 2006, Smith clashed with former Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, who wound up being fired after San Diego went 14-2 and lost to the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs.
But, Farnsworth wondered, is the mystique of a stadium enough to offset the emotion the Redskins have been playing with the past month after the shooting death of Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor?
That question, among others, will be answered Saturday afternoon when the Seahawks host the Redskins in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
Farnsworth went on to point out it's no secret that the Seahawks are a different team when they play at Qwest. They are 7-1 at home this season, and 25-7 during their run of four consecutive NFC West titles -- and that doesn't even factor in victories in their past three home playoff games.
"There is no tougher place than Seattle," Washington coach Joe Gibbs said Monday during his news conference at Redskins Park. "We remember this from two years ago going out there. Extremely tough conditions to play in against a very good football team.
"It will be a huge challenge for us."
But one they're better prepared to handle than in 2005, when the Seahawks beat the Redskins 20-10 in the second round of the playoffs at Qwest -- their first post-season step toward advancing to the Super Bowl.
In fact, head coach Mike Holmgren was hoping that the Seahawks would play Sunday. No, he felt they deserved to play Sunday after making a cross-country trip for their regular-season finale.
"We shouldn't have to play Saturday," he said after Sunday's 44-41 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta.
But he wasted little time in preparing for the Saturday game. The coaches huddled to devise the game plan Monday, when the players were off.
The team was scheduled to hold full practices Tuesday and Wednesday, then stage a walk-through Friday.
The Seahawks lost only three times in their final 10 games -- all on the road, and by a total of nine points.
"We wanted a win going into the playoffs," wide receiver Nate Burleson said. "But regardless of what you did up to this point, it doesn't matter when the playoffs start. Now it's a one-game season, and we've got that first game at Qwest Field."
But as Farnsworth noted, the Redskins have their own mojo working. They haven't just won their past four games over the Bears (by eight), the playoff-bound Giants (by 12), the Vikings (by 11) and the top-seeded Cowboys (by 21); the defense has been stifling against the run and the offense efficient under the control of quarterback Todd Collins. ...
--
Meanwhile, Seattle Times correspondent Guy Curtright reports that Shaun Alexander joined an exclusive NFL club Sunday. He just doesn't know who is in it with him.
"I've never seen [the list]," Alexander insisted after becoming only the eighth player with 100 rushing touchdowns.
The Seahawks' running back definitely should take a glance. With names like Emmitt Smith, Marcus Allen, Walter Payton and Jim Brown, it's certainly impressive.
Alexander reached the milestone with a 2-yard blast in the first quarter for the Seahawks' first touchdown against the Falcons. There weren't a lot of Seattle highlights in the final regular-season game, but at least there was No. 100 for Alexander and the team's second consecutive successful game running the football.
It has been a struggle this season for Alexander and the Seahawks' ground game. Maybe things are starting to come around, however.
"I think it's us finally getting healthy," Alexander said.
The Seahawks rushed for a season-best 167 yards against the Falcons, bettering the 144 yards they gained last week in a victory over Baltimore.
Alexander turned over the playing time to Maurice Morris in the second half and the former Oregon player had a 29-yard touchdown run en route to 91 yards on 13 carries.
"Maurice ran well," Holmgren said.
"It always feels good to break a touchdown," Morris said. "We were able to run the ball better the last few games and the line should get the credit for that. They blocked great and it's our job to get the yards when the holes are there."
Alexander, suffering through his second consecutive injury-plagued season, had one rushing touchdown since the second game of the season and at first it looked like this might be another unproductive day.
The five-time 1,000-yard rusher headed to the sideline holding his right side after his first carry. Was Alexander hurt again?
"He got some ribs [nicked]," Holmgren said.
Alexander didn't want to be specific about where he felt sore, calling it "just football." But he showed quickly that he was OK.
Soon after returning, Alexander had a 15-yard run to set up his touchdown.
"I think we ran the ball a little bit better," said Alexander, who had 31 yards on eight carries in limited duty.
In addition to getting his 100th rushing touchdown, the former league most valuable player passed Earl Campbell to move into 24th place on the career yardage list.
Alexander took the ball to the bench for safe keeping, just as he had 99 previous times.
Now, Alexander is ready to look ahead to the playoffs and he can do that feeling a little more positive.
"You have to run the ball well to win in the playoffs," Gray said. "I think we'll be able to do that if everyone can stay healthy. Not just Shaun, but everybody. ..."
Also of interest. ... Matt Hasselbeck injured his right wrist early in the second quarter when he fell awkwardly in Atlanta. He returned to the game and while Hasselbeck did not play in the second half, Holmgren said that was the plan for playing time and not because of an injury.
Still, Hasselbeck underwent X-rays after going to the locker room, and no fracture was detected.
"I was throwing the ball away and hit the ground," Hasselbeck said. "I don't know if I landed on it or somebody landed on it, but just kind of fell awkwardly."
Hasselbeck had some tape applied in the second quarter, and iced it afterward. He doesn't anticipate it will cause him to miss any practice time. In fact, he threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Engram after the injury. ...
Josh Brown made two field goals of more than 50 yards in the first 15 games. He made two in the 16th game, including a season-long 54-yarder in the second quarter. His previous best this season was a 52-yarder against New Orleans.
Brown has made all six field-goal attempts since the Seahawks signed Jeff Robinson to be the long snapper Dec. 11. Brown also made two special-teams tackles, including one that might have prevented a touchdown on a 61-yard return by Adam Jennings.
"Tackling is a bad thing when I have to do it," Brown said. "There's not much satisfaction in it."
Marcus Pollard caught more than two passes only once in Seattle's first 13 games and that was the season-opener against Tampa Bay.
He caught three passes in the first half Sunday, his third consecutive game with at least three receptions. Burleson caught seven passes for 119 yards -- both season highs -- and he scored two touchdowns.
D.J. Hackett returned after missing the past four games because of an ankle injury. He caught four passes for 41 yards. ... Deion Branch missed Sunday's game with a strained calf. He did not practice Thursday or Friday because of a calf injury, but he made the trip. Branch should play as usual this week.
"Garcia, never one to back down from challenges big or small, lives for the postseason. ..."
"It's exciting for me," he said. "Anytime you take it to that next level, I'm a guy who rides the emotion and the electricity and understands the importance of the game. I'll be flying high."
And as Holder further suggested, if anyone knows how to beat the New York Giants, it's Garcia. He did it twice last season as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, including once in this same round of the postseason.
But when Garcia examines the 2007 Giants defense, he sees the same characters playing vastly different roles. Hard-charging defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora are still rushing quarterbacks with abandon, but wrinkles have been added to their attack.
Hard-hitting linebacker Antonio Pierce is still roving the middle, but his intentions are better disguised. Now, a litany of various blitzes come fast and furious.
Across the board, the Giants have made both subtle and not-so-subtle defensive changes since Garcia last saw them.
"Defensively, they're going to present a different scheme than they did last year," Garcia said. "Many of the same players are still there, but in a lot of ways, defensively, they've played better this year than they were last year."
Said head coach Jon Gruden: "This defense is completely different. They've made radical changes. ... There's no similarity between the Giant football team this year and last year if you ask me."
So much else about this week seemed so familiar. Just like in 2006 with the Eagles, Garcia this season led the Bucs to a division title. Also like last season, he rested heading into the playoffs, sitting out the final 11/2 games this time. Even the matchup is the same, with Garcia going into a home playoff game opposed by the Giants.
In his two meetings against the Giants in 2006, Garcia completed 36 of 59 passes for 390 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He engineered a 23-20 Eagles victory in the wildcard game, sending Philadelphia to the division round in which it lost to the Saints.
But under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the Giants are employing a new defensive approach that is among the most aggressive in the game, "if not the most aggressive that I've seen," Gruden said. "They take some chances."
And it has paid dividends. The Giants finished the regular season with a league-high 53 sacks, led by Umenyiora's 13 and Justin Tuck's 10.
"They do a great job of getting after the quarterback," Garcia said. "We saw that Saturday night. Here was a quarterback who has been relatively untouched throughout the season and they got to him many times."
Lucky for the Bucs, Garcia has seen a trick or two in his nine seasons. Though he has a healthy respect for the Giants and their bold defensive package, opponents would be wise to respect Garcia's savvy and adjustability under even the most intense pressure.
"Since he stepped on the field when he got here, you just knew he was a guy who had been through it and weathered the storms by the way he handled himself," receiver Michael Clayton said. "There's just a total confidence in our ability to go out there and make plays and there should be nothing they can throw at us that we're not prepared for."
Holder added that Garcia's experience might be as important as ever this week.
"Experience is a great asset when you get into these kind of tournaments," Gruden said. "Normally, the guys who do well are the guys who have had some experience at this."
For what it's worth, Garcia's experience includes a history of success against the Giants, against whom he is 4-1 as a starter including two wins in the postseason.
"I've always enjoyed playing against the Giants," he said. "It's always been a fun game for me. ..."
Meanwhile, Gruden said rookie left guard Arron Sears sustained a sprained ankle during a 31-23 loss against Carolina and should play this week. Sears, injured on the third play of the game, left the stadium wearing a protective boot on his right leg. It was feared he could miss significant playing time, but the injury does not appear devastating.
"They took him in and evaluated him," Gruden said. "We've got a number of doctors that have some long-lasting evaluation periods. We'll just update you on Wednesday as to what his status is, but there was some concern Sunday when he twisted his ankle."
As Tampa Tribune staffer Anwar Richardson noted, the concern is there because Tampa Bay already has several key players nursing injuries.
Earnest Graham, Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, safety Jermaine Phillips, linebacker Barrett Ruud and fullback B.J. Askew did not play in the regular-season finale to prevent further damage to their nagging injuries.
However, Gruden said Askew, who has played sparingly the past few weeks because of a severely sprained ankle, will play in Sunday's home playoff game against the New York Giants.
"We've had concerns all year," Gruden said. "We've lost our quarterback, running backs, fullbacks, left tackles and we've lost a lot of guys. Our receiving corps is depleted. We hope to have some of these guys ready to go for New York.
"I think everybody at this point in time has their share of injuries. I'm done talking about the analyzing of the last two weeks and the injury status. We're going to go out and play and we'll get what we deserve."
For the record, Graham, who was inactive in the season finale against the Panthers, will start against the Giants on Sunday. Galloway and Hilliard are also expected back. ...
Other notes of interest. ... After the Bucs acquired Michael Bennett on Oct. 16 via a trade with Kansas City, the seven-year veteran bided his time by learning the extensive playbook. He showed off his knowledge on Sunday against Carolina when he had a team-high 15 carries for 39 yards.
Getting his most extensive action as a Buccaneer, Bennett hopes Sunday's performance leads to playing time in the postseason.
"I think anytime I get the ball, I just want to show something whether it's in practice or in a game," Bennett said. "I just want to go out and play football. My thing is to continue to get better and to show Coach that by me making plays on the field, he can have confidence in putting me in.
"I think I did a pretty decent job of that today."
Don't bet Bennett getting the kind of time he'd like unless something happens to Graham.
Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck sums it up nicely: "If people missed the first one that we played, tune in."
As Associated Press sports writer Teresa M. Walker noted, when the Titans lost 23-17 in overtime to the San Diego Chargers on Dec. 9, it was a physical game with players hurt almost on every other play. Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman accused the Titans of a cheap shot that left him with an injured knee.
Even LaDainian Tomlinson was flagged for a personal foul.
Titans center Kevin Mawae was fined $5,000 for a hit on Merriman, and right tackle David Stewart was fined $12,500 for hitting Merriman and for a late shove on someone else. They weren't happy that Merriman collided with Vince Young after handing off to a running back.
Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips was fined $7,500 for a horse collar tackle on Titans running back Chris Brown.
So no wonder Mawae said Sunday's AFC wild-card game will be a grudge match between the No. 6 seed and the AFC West champs.
"I know that there's a lot of things went on a few weeks ago when we played them at our place, a lot of bad blood in this game. So it'll be interesting to see. We're going to try to stay focused this week and not get caught up in the locker room trash talk and just focus on ourselves," Mawae said.
"We go out to San Diego and give them our best shot."
Based on recent history, Walker notes, this isn't much of a rivalry.
San Diego has won five straight, with a record of 9-3-1 at home, and leads 22-13-1 overall. Head coach Jeff Fisher has yet to beat the Chargers in four games.
But the Titans went into that Dec. 9 game determined to prove they had grown up, that they were no longer the team the Chargers whipped 40-7 on Sept. 17, 2006, in San Diego.
Most recently, The Titans held Philip Rivers to 37 yards passing through three quarters, sacked him five times and led 14-3 with about nine minutes left. It fell apart as Rivers tied the score with 13 seconds left to force overtime, and Tomlinson ended it with a 16-yard touchdown run with 7:29 left in overtime.
"They could probably make the case that they did not play well here a few weeks ago, but we went toe-to-toe with them, and they're an elite team," Fisher said. "So we have familiarity. There is recall as far as the game plan, the players, the personnel and those sorts of things."
San Diego coach Norv Turner said the comeback showed the Chargers' mental toughness.
"I think our mental toughness has improved throughout the year, which allows you to handle a lot of things," Turner said.
The Titans prefer to remember something else.
Yes, the defense tired at the end and gave up some big plays. But they look to a key play on fourth-and-5 on the final drive of regulation. Rivers, under pressure from end Travis LaBoy, flung a pass downfield to Chris Chambers who had to dive back for the ball.
Officials ruled it a catch.
It was replayed and CBS, which televised the game, had only one angle available not blocked by players. Chambers said later he made sure to keep his arms under the ball as he got up.
The ruling stood. The Chargers forced overtime with the tying TD 11 plays later.
"I don't think anybody's happy about the way that game ended," Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch said.
"We take a lead, we'd like to be able to finish a game. We give them credit. They made big plays when they had to beat us. At the same time, there was definitely some unfinished business when they came to Nashville."
For its dominance, San Diego is 0-3 in the postseason against the former Houston Oilers, including a 17-14 loss in their last playoff meeting on Dec. 29, 1979.
For Bulluck, the recent games are more personal. He was on the teams blown out in San Diego by the Chargers in 2004 and 2006 by a combined score of 78-24, and said there is no love lost between teams who know what to expect in Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates.
"We love to get a chance to play against those guys," Bulluck said. "It's great for this team. We're one of the young teams in the NFL, but we're definitely the future -- for us to get in the playoffs and these young guys to get this taste of the playoffs and see how far we can go. ..."
Meanwhile, Nashville Tennessean beat writer Jim Wyatt notes that Young could make some history in Sunday's playoff game at San Diego -- if his injured right quadriceps allows it.
Fisher remained optimistic Monday that the second-year pro will be able to practice this week and make his playoff debut against the Chargers. The 24-year-old Young, who re-injured the quad in a playoff-clinching victory at Indianapolis on Sunday night, would become the youngest quarterback in franchise history to start a postseason game.
Fisher made no promises, however. He said Young underwent treatment but no further tests Monday, when the quarterback was unavailable to reporters.
"It will be a day-to-day thing," Fisher said. "I can't really say right now whether Vince is going to play this week, but I have a good feel that he'll be back on the practice field and we'll just see where it goes."
The Titans return to practice Wednesday and leave for San Diego on Saturday morning.
Young was 14-of-18 passing for 157 yards against the Colts before leaving the game in the third quarter. Backup Kerry Collins came off the bench and guided the Titans to a 16-10, come-from-behind win against their AFC South rivals.
Asked about his status after the game, Young said: "I can't answer that right now. I have to wait until I see the doc and Wednesday I will have a great answer for you."
Fisher praised Collins for another job well done but left no doubt that Young would start against the Chargers if he's healthy enough to play.
Collins passed for 280 yards while leading the Titans to a 38-36 victory at Houston on Oct. 21, the only game Young missed after initially injuring the quad Oct. 14 at Tampa Bay.
Young told Wyatt he tweaked the quad in the first half against the Colts, falling untouched to the turf after making a handoff, but played on.
Fisher said the injury "really has not been a factor" in recent weeks.
"He got over it," Fisher said. "I think it was a subconscious concern the week after the Houston game. Beyond that, it has not been an issue for him on the practice field or any other time. He ran around pretty good (against the Colts)."
On Sunday night, Young sounded excited about getting a chance to participate in an NFL playoff game for the first time.
"Just talking to the veteran guys, they say the tempo, it is like a different edge to the game," Young said. "I am looking forward to being a part of it."
And if he isn't?
Collins, a 13th-year pro, looked sharp in completing 10 of 13 passes for 106 yards against the Colts. He led the Titans to field goals on three consecutive possessions.
"I never know when my number is going to be called and I certainly don't look for anything bad to happen to Vince, but it is something that happened and I had to step in," Collins said Sunday. "It is the life of a backup quarterback. You don't know when your number will be called."
It should be noted that Collins started -- and didn't play so well -- the above-mentioned 2006 drubbing in San Diego. He was 6-of-19 for 57 yards with two interceptions and was replaced by Young.
"It is nice to know that Kerry can come in, warm up a little bit, take a snap, and come in and make plays," Fisher said. "Kerry has done a great job all year preparing himself to play. He comes in and makes plays. ..."
According to the Sports Xchange, other Titans recovering from injuries: running backs Chris Brown (back) and LenDale White (knee), cornerback Nick Harper, guard Benji Olson and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (right hamstring).
Haynesworth said he thought he might have torn some scar tissue, which would actually be a good development.
The status of Mawae, who's missed the last two games with a left calf injury, is also unknown as the Titans head toward their first playoff game since the 2003 season.
"We're doing some tests on a few guys, but everybody was in getting their treatment," Fisher said. "It's not as bad as it looked. We'll have more specifics hopefully on Wednesday."
Among those tested was tight end Bo Scaife; unfortunately, the news isn't good.
Scaife, the team's third-leading receiver, will miss the playoffs due to a lacerated liver suffered in last Sunday's victory at Indianapolis. The injury wasn't discovered until Monday. It will not require surgery, but Scaife cannot have any physical contact for at least six weeks. He was placed on IR Tuesday.
The third-year pro had 46 receptions for 421 yards and one touchdown this season.
The Titans promoted tight end Jamie Petrowski from the practice squad to the active roster and signed tight end Leonard Stephens for the practice squad.
The Redskins, whose victory over Tampa Bay in a first-round game had been their sixth in a row, struggled in the first half and poured it on in the second but could not capitalize.
As the NFC's best team, the Seahawks were coming off two weeks of rest and were playing in a stadium in which they had not lost all season. They may have been stumbling -- stung by the loss of running back Shaun Alexander to a concussion in the first quarter and losing the turnover battle (3-1) -- but the Redskins' offense was bumbling.
"We just had a tough time of it in the first half," head coach Joe Gibbs said.
The shoe could be on the other foot this time. ...
With the Seahawks coming off an embarrassing loss in Atlanta last Sunday, the Redskins head to Seattle after holding the Cowboys to a franchise-record low one yard (on 16 carries) and 147 total yards in Sunday's 27-6 playoff berth-sealing victory, the Redskins are playing as well as they have on defense during their four years in assistant head coach Gregg Williams' scheme.
"A spectacular effort on their part," Gibbs said of the defense's performance against the Cowboys, which included getting off the field on all 12 third downs. "If you're going to get something done in the playoffs, your defense is going to have to lead you."
As the Sports Xchange noted, Washington finished fourth in run defense and eighth in total defense, a year after ranking 27th and 31st in those categories. When the Redskins last made the playoffs in 2005, they were ninth overall and 13th against the run.
They were third overall and second in run defense during Williams' debut season of 2004. ...
Meanwhile, the big question in Washington is Todd Collins or Jason Campbell?
At this point, according to Gibbs, there is no question.
According to Washington Post staffer Jason La Canfora, Gibbs said Monday that veteran backup Collins will remain the starting quarterback for Saturday's first-round playoff game at Seattle, with Campbell "a long ways away" from recovering from a knee injury.
Collins has been outstanding in an improbable four-game winning streak that has taken the team to the playoffs, with accolades pouring in after every performance.
Campbell, who dislocated his left kneecap and strained a knee ligament when he was hit early in a game against Chicago on Dec. 6, has been rehabilitating the injury since then, but he has been unable to practice. Gibbs said Campbell continues to be evaluated daily and could increase his workload, but the staff does not anticipate him being on the game-day roster to face the Seahawk, with veteran Mark Brunell and rookie Sam Hollenbach behind Collins for now.
"I doubt right now that Jason will be back to that point yet [to serve as a backup]," Gibbs said. "We've still got quite a ways to go. I talked to [director of sports medicine] Bubba [Tyer] this morning and I think there's a long ways to go there still. ... We're going to take it day by day and you never know with our players, but we think right now it's still a little into the future before we can get him ready."
Collins, who had not started a game in 10 years before this season but is versed in the system from years as an understudy, has yet to make a major misstep, throwing five touchdown passes and no interceptions. As La Canfora pointed out, Collins has posted a passer rating of 100 or better in three of his four games -- a windy storm in New York the only exception -- and his 106.4 rating overall was second best in the NFL in December. Only Peyton Manning had a better rating -- 122.2.
Gibbs again praised Collins' intellect and "fearlessness" Monday after he completed 22 of 31 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown in a 27-6 victory over Dallas to cement a playoff spot. With Collins playing, the offense -- ranked just 15th overall for the season -- has been more dynamic, with playmakers Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Chris Cooley and Antwaan Randle El all involved.
"I think Todd's opening things up for everybody the way he's spraying the ball around," Portis said. "Teams got to play us honest."
The passing game has far outpaced the running game (averaging just 3.3 yards per carry during this four-game streak), and the coaches have shown more confidence in throwing with a lead with Collins. Still, as the Washington Times pointed out, the resurgence of the Redskins has been in sync with the re-emergence of Portis.
The workhorse tailback continued his strong late-season running with 104 yards rushing on 25 carries with two touchdowns in Sunday's win. Portis has rushed at least 20 times in each of the last three games -- including going for 126 against the New York Giants on Dec. 16 -- and scored at least one touchdown in each.
Portis failed to reach 100 rushing yards in the first seven games of the season before erupting for 196 yards against the New York Jets. He also has been a key receiver with 47 catches for 389 yards this season.
Also worth noting: Portis is also back to his old flamboyant self. He wore a pinstripe suit, fedora, sunglasses, a red scarf and red shoes after the game. He also did a flip into the end zone to finish his first touchdown run, which came on a cutback from 23 yards out to give Washington a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. ...
Portis is the only Skin playing well. ... Moss went over 100 yards receiving for just the second time this season. The only other time he managed to top the century mark was in the loss to Dallas on Nov. 18.
Moss's eight catches for 115 yards and a touchdown gave him 28 catches, 537 yards and four touchdowns in five games against the Cowboys since he joined the Redskins in 2005. ...
On the injury front. ... Backup receiver James Thrash, who missed four recent games with a high ankle sprain, hurt it again against Dallas and is in a walking boot.
However, Gibbs wouldn't rule Thrash out for Saturday. Gibbs is also hopeful that Godfrey will be able to recover from the abdominal strain he suffered against the Cowboys and play at Seattle.
The coach said offensive tackle Stephon Heyer didn't report for treatment of his mild sprained knee, telling the training staff he was fine. Offensive tackle Chris Samuels will play with a sprained finger.
And finally. ... As Pro Football Weekly noted, just like in 2005, the Redskins' last playoff season, turnovers appear to be the dictating factor in whether the team wins or loses. Since the Week 4 bye, the Redskins are plus-five in turnover margin in their seven wins and minus-12 in their six losses.
And of those six losses, only one -- the blowout by the Patriots -- was decided by more than one score.
Last season, the Redskins were one of the least opportunistic teams in modern NFL history, forcing only 12 opponent turnovers. This season they have been far better, forcing 24.
PFW went on to suggest one of the benefits of going from Campbell to Collins at quarterback is that the latter has been far more stingy in giving the ball away. Campbell, in 13 starts, threw 11 interceptions and lost eight fumbles. Collins, meanwhile, hasn't turned the ball over since losing a fumble against the Bears (in Week 14) in relief of the injured Campbell, playing 14 turnover-free quarters since then.