92%
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Record: 7-9
Votes: 2,277

Niners Play Spoiler; Send Chiefs To Playoffs
The next best thing to making the playoffs is forcing someone else to miss the playoffs. That's what the San Francisco 49ers had to settle for on Sunday. At 6-9 the 49ers weren't going to the playoffs but they also weren't getting any respect. Virtually everyone was putting the Broncos in the playoffs before they even took the field against San Francisco. The motivation for an upset was high and the Niners delivered with timely defense and just enough offense to pull out a 26-23 victory in overtime that ended the Broncos season and sent the Kansas City Chiefs to the postseason. Vote

92%
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Record: 13-3
Votes: 1,861

Ravens Win; Get Much Needed Rest
The Baltimore Ravens flexed their defensive muscle to notch a 19-7 victory over the Bills in the final game of the regular season and claim the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. The bye is of the utmost importance to the veteran-laden Ravens who are feeling the impact of 16 hard fought games. Defensive tackle Trevor Pryce may have put it best: "I'm old. I need it." Vote

92%
Team: Tennessee Titans
Record: 8-8
Votes: 1,251

Titans' Win Streak Ends At 6
Jeff Fisher sure knows how to add drama to the already tense NFL season. After starting 0-5, Fisher got the young Titans to jump on the back of rookie quarterback Vince Young and reel off six straight wins to come within a hair of reaching the playoffs and throw his name in the ring for Coach of the Year. Sunday's 40-23 loss to the Patriots put an end to playoff hopes and Fisher might lose out to Sean Payton for coaching honors, but Titans owner Bud Adams was impressed enough to offer Fisher an extension to keep the momentum going into next season. Vote

91%
Team: San Diego Chargers
Record: 14-2
Votes: 1,399

Schottenheimer Looks To Improve On 5-12 Postseason Record
The San Diego Chargers locked up home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 27-20 win over the Cardinals on Sunday. LaDainian Tomlinson had 66 yards rushing on 16 carries to wrap up his first rushing title and the Chargers finished the season at 14-2, unbeaten at home and winners of 10 straight heading into the postseason. Vote

83%
Team: Buffalo Bills
Record: 7-9
Votes: 814

Bills Overmatchd By Ravens In Season Finale
Dick Jauron's first season as the Bills head coach ended with a disappointing 19-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, dropping Buffalo to 7-9. The attention immediately turns to Nate Clements, London Fletcher and Chris Kelsay who are all unrestricted free agents come March 1. But before the official offseason begins, ask yourself if Jauron is to blame for the lackluster play this season. Vote

78%
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Record: 9-7
Votes: 1,136

Seahawks Get Victory Heading Into Playoffs
The Seattle Seahawks may have already secured a spot in the playoffs prior to Sunday's game against Tampa Bay, but pride was on the line as Mike Holmgren's crew attempted to stay above .500 and build momentum by putting an end to their three-game losing streak. They did just that with a convincing 23-7 win over the Buccaneers to finish the regular season 9-7. Vote

76%
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Record: 8-8
Votes: 4,304

Cowher Gets Win In What Could Be Last Game
This surely wasn't how Bill Cowher envisioned the Week 17 matchup against the Bengals before the season started. What could have been a marquee matchup for the AFC North crown and a trip to the playoffs was instead a mostly meaningless exercise for Ben Roethlisberger and company as they closed the book on one of the more disappointing seasons in Steelers history. They did get some satisfaction in defeating the Bengals 23-17 in overtime to knock Cincinnati out of the playoffs but it was short lived. Head coach Bill Cowher is expected to announce his plans for next season in the coming week but most expect the longest-tenured coach in the league at 15 years to step down. But they also expect him to return in the near future. "He's too good of a coach to hang it up forever," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "I'm sure he'll be back. Whether he's back with Pittsburgh next year or not, he'll be back in this league at some point." Vote

74%
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 9-7
Votes: 1,783

With A Little Help From Their Friends . . .
Herm Edwards and the Kansas City Chiefs did their part by winning their final regular season game against the Jaguars 35-30 to finish 9-7. But to reach the playoffs, they needed Cincinati, Tennessee and Denver to all lose. What were the chances of that? Well, as unpredictable as this NFL season has been, should we really be surprised that all of the above happened and the Chiefs are playoff bound? Vote

58%
Team: Detroit Lions
Record: 3-13
Votes: 1,122

Lions Topple Cowboys To Notch Third Win
Not much of anything went right for Rod Marinelli this season. In addition to finishing the season with a 3-13 record after Sunday's 39-31 victory over the Cowboys, the rookie coach is slated to have hip replacement surgery this week which will keep him from coaching the Senior Bowl in late January, an honor given to the coaching staffs with the worst records as a chance for them to get up close and personal with all the top senior prospects in the upcoming draft. The good news for Marinelli is that most of the venom from Lions fans is directed toward GM Matt Millen who is 24-72 over his six-year tenure. However, if Millen is let go, a new GM is likely to want to hire a new coach. Does Marinelli deserve a second chance? Vote

50%
Team: Denver Broncos
Record: 9-7
Votes: 1,031

Broncos Fall To Niners; Miss Playoffs
This one is going to sting for years to come. With their destiny in their own hands, the Broncos simply needed a victory on their home field over the 6-9 San Francisco 49ers for a trip to the playoffs. Leading 13-0 in the second quarter, things were looking good. But a defensive letdown and a 17-point run by the 49ers made things interesting and in overtime, a 36-yard Joe Nedney field goal sent the Broncos packing and the Kansas Chiefs to the playoffs in their place. Vote

46%
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Record: 8-8
Votes: 1,256

Bengals Fall To Steelers; Watch Playoff Hopes Slip Away
Marvin Lewis and the Bengals clung to longshot hopes of making the playoffs until Sunday's 23-17 overtime defeat at the hands of the Steelers ended any possibility of postseason play. While it was a disappointing season on the field, it was an even bigger embarrassment what happened off the field as eight Bengals were arrested in separate incidents. Lewis detractors say he has lost control of the team and should be replaced. But the majority are still behind the man who turned what once was a league laughing stock into an annual playoff contender. Vote

35%
Team: Cleveland Browns
Record: 4-12
Votes: 1,287

Browns Close Season With Four-Game Skid
Sunday's 14-6 loss to the Texans means a second consecutive 6-10 season and has Romeo Crennel on the hot seat. However, the Cleveland Browns have so many holes to fill, the head coach position may be one that the team is willing to forego for another year saving Crennel from the unemployment line. Either way, the Browns are in for a major overhaul as they look to scratch their way to .500. Vote

28%
Team: Washington Redskins
Record: 5-11
Votes: 952

Gibbs' Nightmare Ends
Washington Redskins fans can finally close the book on the disaster that was 2006. At 5-11 following Saturday's 34-28 loss to the Giants, Joe Gibbs is staring at the worst season of his 15-year Hall of Fame career. Some blame Gibbs' hesitation in benching quarterback Mark Brunell, others blame the lackluster play of several offseason acquisitions and many simply claim the game has passed Gibbs by. Whatever it is, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder surely won't have much patience when it comes to fixing the problem. He just won't be making any coaching changes. Gibbs plans to return in '07 and coach the two remaining years on his deal that pays him $5 million annually. But will the results be any different? Vote

22%
Team: Oakland Raiders
Record: 2-14
Votes: 2,941

Raiders Lose; Get First Pick In April
As expected since virtually Week 1 of the season, the Raiders had nothing to gain on Sunday in the final week of the regular season other than to play spoiler for the New York Jets who needed a win to make the playoffs. They failed at that as well, falling to the Jets 23-3. Art Shell's second go-around as coach of the Raiders started in February which left little time to prepare for the upcoming season. It showed as the Raiders could muster only two wins and 11 points per game on offense this season. The good news? The Detroit Lions defeated the Dallas Cowboys, leaving the Raiders with the first pick in the 2007 NFL draft. Vote

20%
Team: New York Giants
Record: 8-8
Votes: 2,391

Barber Sends Giants To Playoffs
Tiki Barber couldn't have picked a better time to come up with the best game of his 10-year NFL career. With his team in need of a win to squeak into the playoffs and his coach needing a win to improve his chances of retaining his job, Barber turned 23 carries into 234 yards and three touchdowns as the Giants downed the Redskins 34-28. They say the playoffs is a whole new season and the Giants certainly hope so. After jumping out to a 6-2 start to the season, the second half was a 2-6 nightmare punctuated by in-fighting and sloppy play. But Saturday's offensive explosion against the Redskins put a fitting cap on the regular season and helps set the tone for a wild card matchup against the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. Vote