The Stretch Run

Every football season begins with a new blend of players entering the league trying to impress their teammates and counterparts on anf off the field. This NFL year, however was plagued by some veterans to go along with young players getting into major trouble.

It all started with "Tank" Johnson and Pacman Jones who each got suspended for at least a half a season; for the Titans cornerback, the punishment was at least a year after an appeal was denied. After these two individuals jeopardized their careers and their self-respect, Johnson was released by the Bears after violating the oath of his contract and signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Meanwhile, Jones tried to earn money through wrestling and other forms of entertainment as long as he kept in shape and did not break any law in his deal.

The behavior that best summates this years' phenomena was when Michael Vick was charged with and pled guilty to financially sponsoring and killing dogs during dogfights. At the time, the League seemed to be in shambles and there were character flaws on all fronts.

Even a successful franchise including the New England Patriots was put under investigation by the NFL after the New York Jets reported there were extra cameras at Giants stadium to steal the signals of the opposing team. In what was known as 'spygate' the Pats might not have been the instigators; it's been alleged that the Jets used additional cameras at Gilette Stadium last year before being told to remove them in a victory over New England (the last regular season defeat for the Pats)

But there are always some aspects of a season that are quite heartwarming such as the recovery of Buffalo Bills Tight End Kevin Everett, the emergence of several quarterbacks who found a fountain of youth (the likes of Vinny Testaverde of the Carolina Panthers and Todd Collins of the Redskins) or teams that have strayed from the tradition of missing the playoffs (like the Titans most recently and the Buccaneers)

After all the turbulence and triumph during the season, it's become time to talk about Jim Mora's favorite line; PLAYOFFS!

DIVISIONAL ROUND

The playoff destinations have been determined for the divisonal round with the Giants going to Tampa Bay to take on the NFC South Champions. The G-men were 7-1 on the road this season including a victory over playoff bound Washington. The running game for New York has been fabulous, averaging more than 134 yards per contest (4th in the NFL). Michael Strahan, Fred Robbins, and Osi Umenyiora are some of the players on the defensive front leading the way for the Giants who ranked seventh in yards allowed per game

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has an elite defense as the squad is third in the NFL in points allowed and squanders the second fewest yards in the league. The Buccaneers also feature quarterback, Jeff Garcia, who has beaten the Giants twice in the playoffs (once with the 49ers when the G-Men lost a 38-14 lead with four minutes left in the third quarter, and another time with the Eagles last season.) Earnest Graham has run the ball quite well considering the third-stringer has come in after injuries to Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman.

As for the other NFC divisional game, the Redskins enter the contest sky-high with a four-game winning streak, led by former backup to Hall-of-Fame quarterback Jim Kelly (Todd Collins). During the four contests, Collins was 67-105 for 888 yards, five touchdowns and two lost fumbles. Clinton Portis is back on track after earning two 100 yard games in the lastthree of the season for the Redskins, with four touchdowns during that stretch.

Seattle's destiny could be matched by how often the Seahawks play at home (7-1 at Qwest Field). Shaun Alexander has had an injury plagued season full of poor performance while veteran Matt Hasselbeck is lifting this club under the spotlight. The defense is much improved and in spite of how well the Redskins have been playing, Seattle has been to the Super Bowl and is capable of a return trip.

The AFC divisional preview comes tommorrow