Everyone else in the NFL

From disarray and heartache to confidence and dominance, the Washington Redskins will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the NFC after Sunday's 27-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys with a hot quarterback and maybe the hottest running back. And with a defense coming off a game in which it allowed exactly 1 yard rushing. And, perhaps most importantly, on a mission for the teammate who wore No. 21. It's been four weeks since the Redskins attended the funeral of their best defensive player, and they haven't lost since. "Win for Sean" was as strong Sunday as it was when the four-game winning streak began Dec. 6, reinforced by everything from the fiery speech given by kick returner Rock Cartwright on the field before the game to the white "21" on the front of the black baseball cap worn by coach Joe Gibbs at his postgame news conference. The Redskins (9-7) will travel to Seattle on Saturday for a 4:30 p.m. game, a rematch of a 2005 division playoff won 20-10 by the Seahawks. Washington will be riding the longest current winning streak in the NFC, including three straight victories by double digits. It's a remarkable renaissance for a team that stayed afloat with close, ugly games before losing four straight, the last defeat coming the day before Taylor's funeral.

Kerry Collins waited all season to prove his value in Tennessee. The Titans wouldn't have been celebrating Sunday night without him. Collins rescued his teammates in the most precarious circumstances, leading them to three straight second-half field goals in relief of injured Vince Young and helping Tennessee rally for a 16-10 win at Indianapolis that drew cheers from Nashville and moans from Cleveland. The final piece of the AFC playoff picture came down to the final game on the final weekend of the regular season. Tennessee had to win to make the postseason for the first time since 2003, while an Indy win would have sent the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Inside the RCA Dome, you could almost hear the groans coming from the shores of Lake Erie when Peyton Manning traded his helmet for a headset early in the second quarter. To the Browns' chagrin, that was how the Colts chose to play.

Three teams finished the season 11-3; Indianapolis, Dallas and Green Bay. I'm rooting for Green Bay to meet NE in the Super Bowl.

Wild Card Weekend	Game
Sat, 1/5, 4:30pm	Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks
Sat, 1/5, 8pm	Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday, 1/6, 1pm	New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sun, 1/6, 4:30pm	Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers
Divisional Playoffs	Game
Sat, 1/12, 4:30pm	Seahawks/Bucs/Giants at Green Bay Packers
Sat, 1/12, 8pm	Steelers/Jags/Titans at New England Patriots
Sun, 1/13, 1pm	Chargers/Steelers/Jags at Indianapolis Colts
Sun, 1/13, 4:30pm	Bucs/Giants/Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
Conf. Championships	Game
Sun, 1/20, TBA	AFC Championship Game
Sun, 1/20, TBA	NFC Championship Game
Super Bowl XLII	Game
Sun, 2/3, TBA	University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

Finally, farewell to Vinny Testaverde, who announced his retirement on Saturday after a 21-year NFL career. I was sad to see him leave NE, and Tom Brady said Testaverde was "one of the best teammates I've ever had". Testaverde was a class act who battled through a horrible first six years in Tampa Bay to have a good NFL career. Maybe he'll end up coaching quarterbacks somewhere.