Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Donovan McNabb threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and the Philadelphia defense scored twice, as the Eagles completely annihilated the Dallas Cowboys, 44-6, securing an unlikely postseason berth in a wild Week 17 for NFC playoff hopefuls. The early slate of games fell exactly as the Eagles needed, as Oakland stunned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-24, and Chicago fell to the Houston Texans by the same score to set up the de facto playoff matchup of NFC East rivals for the final wild- card spot in the conference. McNabb, who was benched after halftime just five weeks ago in Baltimore, completed 12-of-21 passes for 175 yards as the Eagles (9-6-1) won four of their final five games to sneak into the postseason under the franchise signal-caller for the first time since a Super Bowl appearance in 2004. Jeff Garcia filled in for an injured McNabb in 2006 and finished the regular season with five consecutive wins to bring Philadelphia to the playoffs. Brian Dawkins, recently named to his seventh Pro Bowl, forced two fumbles that went for scores, while Chris Clemons forced a fumble, recovered another and recorded two sacks and a TD in a dominating defensive effort for Philly. Correll Buckhalter had 122 total yards with a touchdown grab in the win, as the Eagles look forward to a first-round playoff bout against NFC North champion Minnesota next Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (et). Dallas (9-7), the preseason Super Bowl favorite, lost three of its final four games and have a long offseason of finger-pointing and self discovery ahead after falling short of expectations yet again. Tony Romo, who suffered from flu-like symptoms during the week, tossed for 183 yards on 21- of-39 passes but fumbled twice and threw an interception as the Cowboys failed to score an offensive touchdown for the only time this season. Terrell Owens had six catches for 103 yards, while Tashard Choice led the rushing attack with 56 yards on 13 carries.

Final Score: Miami 24, NY Jets 17

East Rutherford, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Chad Pennington threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-30 passing, leading the Miami Dolphins to a 24-17 win over the New York Jets, and their first playoff appearance in seven years. The Dolphins (11-5) completed a startling turnaround from last season, when they went 1-15, to win the AFC East. Miami hadn't won the division since 2000, and hadn't made the playoffs since 2001. Moreover, Miami clinched the division Sunday at the Meadowlands under the leadership of Pennington, the longtime quarterback of the Jets who played with New York from 2000-07. The Dolphins will now host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday at 1 p.m. (et) in the opening round of the AFC playoffs. Pennington threw touchdown passes to Anthony Fasano and Ted Ginn, Jr., who finished with two catches for 71 yards. Phillip Merling had an interception return for a score for Miami, which won its final five games of the season. Meanwhile, the Jets (9-7) were eliminated from playoff contention before Sunday's contest even ended, as they would have needed a New England loss to win the division or a Baltimore loss to clinch a playoff spot. But the Patriots shut out Buffalo, 13-0, and the Ravens blasted Jacksonville, 27-7, to leave no chance that New York would make the playoffs even if the Jets had won. Brett Favre, the quarterback the Jets selected to replace Pennington in an offseason trade, completed 20-of-40 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown, but threw three interceptions in the loss. It was his seventh multi-interception game of the season and third consecutive, as New York lost four of its final five games to fall out of contention. Leon Washington ran 10 times for 60 yards and a TD for the Jets.

Final Score: San Diego 52, Denver 21

San Diego, CA (My Sportsbook) - LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 96 yards and three touchdowns, and the Chargers completed an improbable regular season- ending run, thrashing Denver, 52-21, to win the AFC West Division title. Darren Sproles had 115 yards on the ground and a score for San Diego, which captured its third straight division crown thanks to winning its final four regular season games. Philip Rivers connected on 15-of-20 passes for 207 yards and a pair of TDs for the Chargers, who won their 14th straight December game and became the first 8-8 division champion since the Cleveland Browns captured the AFC Central with the same mark in 1985. It will be a familiar playoff opponent for the Chargers, who will host Indianapolis (12-4) next Saturday night at 8 p.m. (et). San Diego eliminated the Colts in the divisional round last year with that game taking place in Indianapolis. The Colts, winners of their last nine games, beat the Chargers in San Diego earlier this season, picking up a 23-20 win on Adam Vinatieri's 51-yard field goal with no time remaining on November 23. Rivers had 34 passing touchdowns on the season, a franchise-record, passing the mark of 33 set by Dan Fouts in 1981. Also, Tomlinson has 126 career rushing TDs, passing Marcus Allen for second-most in league history. Denver became the first team since NFL divisions were formed in 1967 to miss the playoffs after holding a three-game lead with three to play. It was an ugly end to the season for the Broncos, who lost by 20 points at Carolina on December 14 and faltered at home in a 30-23 final to Buffalo last week before getting blown out by their divisional foe. Jay Cutler completed 33-of-49 passes for 316 yards with a score and was picked off twice for the Broncos (8-8), who lost out on the division thanks to a 3-3 mark against AFC West opponents, compared to a 5-1 record for the Chargers.

Final Score: Carolina 33, New Orleans 31

New Orleans, LA (My Sportsbook) - DeAngelo Williams ran for 178 yards, and John Kasay made four field goals, including the game-winner with one second left, as the Carolina Panthers secured the NFC South title and a first- round bye with a 33-31 victory over the New Orleans Saints. With the win, Carolina locked up the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and will host the highest-seeded wild card-round team in the divisional round on Saturday, January 10 at 8:15 p.m. (et). Delhomme completed 14-of-20 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (12-4), who will appear in the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Steve Smith caught five passes for 134 yards, while Muhsin Muhammad registered 79 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches. Jonathan Stewart added a touchdown run in the win for Carolina. Drew Brees threw for 386 yards on 30-of-49 passing for the Saints, with four touchdowns and an interception, becoming the second all-time leader in single-season passing yardage. His season mark of 5,069 yards stands behind only former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who threw for 5,084 yards in 1984. Marques Colston added 123 yards and a touchdown on seven catches for the Saints (8-8), who will finish short of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Moore caught eight passes for 91 yards and two scores, while Robert Meachem scored a touchdown for the second consecutive game.

Final Score: Minnesota 20, NY Giants 19

Minneapolis, MN (My Sportsbook) - Ryan Longwell kicked the game-winning 50- yard field goal as time expired to give the Vikings their first division title since the 2000 season with a 20-19 victory over the Giants at the Metrodome. With the NFC North title, the Vikings stake their claim to the third seed in the NFC playoffs and will host the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (et). The Eagles destroyed the Cowboys, 44-6, on Sunday. Adrian Peterson recorded his 10th 100-yard game of the season by gaining 103 yards on 21 touches with a score for the Vikings (10-6), who won five of their last six games of the season to win the division. Peterson leads the NFL in rushing yards with 1,760, which is also a team record. Tarvaris Jackson logged 239 yards passing on 16-of-26 efficiency with a score and an interception in the victory. Bernard Berrian totaled 81 yards on four grabs with a TD and Bobby Wade had a career-high 98 yards on four catches. Eli Manning, who played just the first half, finished 11-for-19 with 119 yards and David Carr was 8-of-11 for 110 yards and a score for the Giants (12-4), who have lost three of their last four heading to the postseason. New York owns the number one seed in the NFC playoffs and will rest on a first-round bye next week before hosting a game on Sunday, January 11 at 1 p.m. (et). Derrick Ward gained 77 yards on 15 carries, giving him his first 1,000-yard rushing season with 1,015 yards. The milestone makes him and teammate Brandon Jacobs (1,089) just the fourth pair of teammates to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. Domenik Hixon racked up 62 yards on four catches with a touchdown and James Butler had an interception in the loss.

Final Score: Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 7

Baltimore, MD (My Sportsbook) - Joe Flacco threw for 297 yards, and the Baltimore Ravens clinched a playoff berth with a 27-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens secured the AFC's No. 6 seed and will travel to Miami to face the AFC East champion Dolphins at 1 p.m. (et) Sunday, January 4 in the first round of the playoffs, after Miami defeated the Jets, 24-17, in the Meadowlands. Baltimore defeated the Dolphins, 27-13, in Week 6 in Miami. Flacco completed 17-of-23 passes, while LeRon McClain ran for 70 yards and two scores for the Ravens (11-5), who will head to the playoffs after finishing last season with the exact opposite record. Michael Clayton caught four passes for 128 yards, while Derrick Mason eclipsed the 10,000 receiving yard mark for his career with 77 yards on six receptions. Willis McGahee added a rushing touchdown in the win for Baltimore. David Garrard struggled, going 14-of-25 passing for 127 yards with a touchdown and two interception, for the Jaguars (5-11), who posted their worst record since going 5-11 in 2003. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 78 yards on 23 carries, while Alvin Pearman accounted for the team's only points with a touchdown reception.

Final Score: New England 13, Buffalo 0

Orchard Park, NY (My Sportsbook) - LaMont Jordan ran for a touchdown and Stephen Gostkowski kicked two field goals, as the New England Patriots beat Buffalo, 13-0, but were eliminated from postseason contention later in the day and were kept out of the playoffs despite an 11-win season. In order to capture their sixth consecutive AFC East crown, New England needed the Jets to knock off Miami at the Meadowlands or could have made the playoffs if Baltimore lost at home to Jacksonville. Instead, the Dolphins won, 24-17, to capture the division, and the Ravens hammered the Jaguars, 27-7. The Patriots became the first 11-win team to miss the playoffs since Denver did it in 1985. Sammy Morris gained 85 yards on 24 carries and Jordan finished with 64 yards on the ground for the Patriots (11-5), who notched their first whitewashing since a 35-0 drubbing of Green Bay on November 19, 2006 and have won the last 11 meetings with Buffalo. Matt Cassel completed 6-of-8 passes for 78 yards in New England's fourth straight victory overall. Trent Edwards connected on 14-of-25 passes for 128 yards and Fred Jackson amassed 136 yards rushing for the Bills, who finished with a 7-9 record for a third consecutive season under head coach Dick Jauron.

Final Score: Oakland 31, Tampa Bay 24

Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - Backup running back Michael Bush ran for 177 yards with two touchdowns and JaMarcus Russell threw for 148 yards and two scores as the Oakland Raiders spoiled Tampa Bay's playoff hopes by beating the Buccaneers, 31-24, at Raymond James Stadium. Russell completed 14-of-21 passes and Johnnie Lee Higgins had six grabs for 52 yards and a score for Oakland (5-11), which won two straight and split its last six contests. Chaz Schilens caught three passes for 46 yards and a score for the Raiders, who improved to 6-1 all-time against Tampa in the regular season. Jeff Garcia finished 17-of-33 with 257 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Buccaneers (9-7), who dropped their last four games and were eliminated from playoff contention. Carnell Williams led the Tampa Bay running attack with 78 yards on 12 touches with two scores before leaving midway through the fourth quarter with a left knee injury. Michael Clayton had a pair of grabs for 87 yards and a score, while Antonio Bryant had three catches for 77 yards in the loss.

Final Score: Houston 31, Chicago 24

Houston, TX (My Sportsbook) - Matt Schaub threw for 328 yards and two scores on 27-of-36 passes, as the Houston Texans eliminated Chicago from playoff contention with a 31-24 win over the Bears. Chicago (9-7) could have clinched the NFC North title with a win and a Minnesota loss, but the Vikings beat the New York Giants, 20-19, on Sunday to claim the divisional playoff berth. The Bears also would have needed to win to clinch a wild card bid, but missed out on the postseason for the second consecutive season. Andre Johnson finished with 10 catches for 148 yards and a pair of scores for the Texans (8-8), who finished with a .500 record for the second consecutive season. Johnson also finished the year as the NFL leader in receptions and receiving yardage, with 115 catches and 1,575 yards. Steve Slaton had 20 carries for 92 yards and one TD, while Ryan Moats added a running score for Houston, which ended the season by winning five of its final six games. Kyle Orton completed 22-of-37 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for Chicago, which had a three-game win streak snapped. Orton also ran for a score, while Devin Hester had six catches for 85 yards for the Bears. Brandon Lloyd and Greg Olsen each recorded a touchdown catch in the loss.

Final Score: Atlanta 31, St. Louis 27

Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - Jerious Norwood's second touchdown run of the game, coming with 3:41 left in regulation, was the difference as Atlanta slipped past St. Louis, 31-27, at the Georgia Dome. Matt Ryan completed just 10-of-21 passes for 160 yards, one TD and two interceptions for the Falcons (11-5), who ended the season with three straight wins. Coupled with Carolina's 33-31 road win in New Orleans, Atlanta garnered the fifth seed in the NFC and will play the NFC West champion Cardinals in Arizona on Saturday, January 3 at 4:30 p.m. (et) in the wild card round of the playoffs. Michael Turner rushed for 208 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries, while Norwood finished with 56 yards on three carries. Roddy White added a reception for a score for Atlanta. Marc Bulger finished with 230 passing yards and one touchdown on 19-of-32 throws for the Rams (2-14), who lost their 10th consecutive contest and finished with their worst record since the Los Angeles club went 1-12-1 in 1962. Steven Jackson racked up 161 yards and two TDs on 30 carries, reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth straight season. Only Eric Dickerson (1983-86) accomplished the feat previously in franchise history. Torry Holt caught six balls for 90 yards while Donnie Avery had five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown reception.

Final Score: Indianapolis 23, Tennessee 0

Indianapolis, IN (My Sportsbook) - Adam Vinatieri accounted for 11 points with three field goals and two extra points as the Indianapolis Colts blanked the Tennessee Titans, 23-0, in the regular-season finale. Both teams came into the game with their playoff seeding set as the Titans have the top overall seed in the AFC while the Colts sit in the fifth playoff spot. Since the game had little meaning for either club, most of the starters either sat out the game or saw limited playing time. Tennessee will have next week off while Indianapolis will travel to take on AFC West champion San Diego next Saturday at 8:00 p.m. (et). The Chargers beat Denver, 52-21, Sunday night to win their division. Peyton Manning played just one series and went 7-for-7 for 95 yards and a score for the Colts (12-4), who have won nine straight games and became the first team in NFL history to have 12 or more wins in six straight seasons. Manning's 95 yards moved him over 4,000 yards passing for the season and extended his own NFL record for 4,000-yard passing seasons to nine. He also reached two other benchmarks as it was his 117th win as a starter, which moved him into a tie for sixth-place with Joe Montana, and he now has 3,839 completions, which tied him with Drew Bledsoe for fifth-place. Two other Colts players set milestones on Sunday as receiver Marvin Harrison moved into second on the NFL's career receptions list and Dallas Clark broke the Indianapolis franchise single-season record for yards receiving by a tight end. Harrison caught a short pass from Jim Sorgi in the second quarter, his seventh of the game, to give him 1,102 in his career and move him past Cris Carter for second all-time, leaving Harrison behind only Jerry Rice, who holds the league record with 1,549. Harrison finished the game with seven catches for 31 yards. Clark needed just 41 yards to break the team record set by Hall of Famer John Mackey in 1966 and he accomplished that when caught a pass for a 23-yard gain on the second play of the second quarter. He left the contest with six catches for 59 yards, giving him 848 yards, 19 more than Mackey's previous mark. Kerry Collins started under center, but left after the first series. Vince Young finished the game at quarterback and went 9-for-13 with 55 yards for the Titans (13-3), who dropped two of their last three games to close out the regular season. Tennessee will host a divisional round game on Saturday, January 10 at 4:30 p.m. (et)

Final Score: Green Bay 31, Detroit 21

Green Bay, WI (My Sportsbook) - The Detroit Lions became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16 as Aaron Rogers threw three touchdowns and the Green Bay Packers put down the Lions, 31-21, to end Detroit's season of futility. The Lions (0-16) became the first team since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who went 0-14 in their expansion season, and the first team since the league went to a 16-game format to finish a full campaign without a win. The Lions now join the 1962 New York Mets (40-112), the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73) and the 1974-75 Washington Capitals (8-67-5) as having the worst season in their respective sports. However, the Mets and Capitals were both expansion teams when they set the mark. Detroit has finished winless previously, going 0-11 in the 1942 campaign that saw the war-depleted Lions outscored by a whopping 263-38. Dan Orlovsky went 22-for-42 with 225 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while Calvin Johnson had nine catches for 102 yards and two scores for the Lions, who have dropped 17 straight overall and 12 consecutive games on the road. Rodgers went 21- for-31 with 308 yards while Donald Driver had six catches for 111 yards and a score for the Packers (6-10), who stopped a five-game skid, but missed the playoffs just one season after going 13-3 and coming within an overtime loss of playing in the Super Bowl.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 0

Pittsburgh, PA (My Sportsbook) - Willie Parker ran for 116 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, and the Steelers defense held Cleveland to 126 yards total offense, as Pittsburgh throttled the Browns, 31-0, to close the 2008 regular season. AFC North champion Pittsburgh (12-4) now awaits next week's results to see who it hosts in the divisional playoff round on Sunday, January 11 at 4:45 p.m. (et). Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a concussion with 1:48 left in the second quarter after an incomplete pass to Heath Miller and was replaced by Byron Leftwich. Roethlisberger was taken to the hospital for observation after throwing for 110 yards and an interception on 9-of-14 passing. Leftwich completed 7-of-12 throws for 80 yards, while adding a rushing score, in the win for Pittsburgh. Gary Russell also had a rushing touchdown in the victory. Hines Ward caught six passes for 70 yards, recording career reception 800 while going past 1,000 yards for the fifth straight season. Cleveland's (4-12) ineptitude on offense continued with an NFL- record 24 straight quarters without an offensive touchdown. Bruce Gradkowski, the Browns' fourth starting quarterback of the season, went a paltry 5-for-16 passing for 18 yards and two interceptions. Jamal Lewis ran for 94 yards on 23 carries to account for most of the team's offensive production.

Final Score: Arizona 34, Seattle 21

Glendale, AZ (My Sportsbook) - Kurt Warner threw for 263 yards and four touchdowns on 19-of-30 passing and Larry Fitzgerald had five receptions for 130 yards and a pair of scores, as the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals defeated Seattle, 34-21, in the final game for Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren. Edgerrin James had 14 carries for 100 yards for Arizona (9-7), which will host the Atlanta Falcons next Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (et) in an NFL wild card game. The Cardinals will be hosting their first playoff game since 1947, when they were based in Chicago. The Cardinals secured their first winning season since 1998, their last playoff appearance. It's just the second time since 1984 they've ended above .500. Holmgren finished 86-74 as Seattle's head coach in the regular season and 4-6 in the postseason. Former Falcons head coach Jim Mora, Jr. will take over for Holmgren in 2009. Seneca Wallace connected on 24-of-43 passes for 250 yards with a pair of scores and was picked off twice for Seattle (4-12), which also got 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns from wide receiver Deion Branch.

Final Score: Cincinnati 16, Kansas City 6

Cincinnati, OH (My Sportsbook) - Cedric Benson rushed for 111 yards on 25 carries and scored a touchdown while Shayne Graham booted three field goals as Cincinnati beat Kansas City, 16-6, at Paul Brown Stadium. Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 18-of-30 passes for 129 yards for the Bengals (4-11-1), who completed the regular season with three wins in succession and emerged victorious despite playing without their two top receivers, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, due to injury. Andre Caldwell led the Cincinnati receiving corps, catching five balls for 34 yards. Tyler Thigpen threw for 191 yards and a score on 19-of-36 completions for the Chiefs (2-14), who finished the year by losing their final four contests and posted their least amount of wins since going 2-12 in 1977. Dwayne Bowe recorded a game-best 10 catches for 103 yards and Tony Gonzalez had a late TD reception for Kansas City, which has dropped 23 of 25 games dating back to last season.

Final Score: San Francisco 27, Washington 24

San Francisco, CA (My Sportsbook) - Joe Nedney kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give the 49ers a 27-24 victory over the Washington Redskins in the season finale on a day San Francisco made Mike Singletary their permanent head coach with a reported four-year deal. Shaun Hill finished 21-of-30 passing for 245 yards with a touchdown and an interception and also ran for a score for San Francisco (7-9), which finished the campaign on a high note, winning four of its last five games. Frank Gore led the 49ers running attack with 58 yards on 11 carries, while DeShaun Foster chipped in with 44 yards on the ground and a score. Jason Hill contributed with a TD catch. Jason Campbell threw for 156 yards on 18-of-30 efficiency with a touchdown pass and added a rushing score, while Antwaan Randle El had a touchdown catch for the Redskins (8-8), who closed out the season by dropping four of five. Clinton Portis had 80 yards on 29 touches with a score.