Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington 20, Jacksonville 17 (OT) Jacksonville, FL (Sports Network) - Kevin Barnes' interception in overtime set up Graham Gano's 31-yard game-winning field goal, as the Washington Redskins hurt the Jacksonville Jaguars' playoff hopes with a 20-17 victory. Rex Grossman completed 19-of-39 passes for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Redskins (6-9), who snapped a four-game skid. Ryan Torain carried the ball 20 times for 65 yards and a score. David Garrard connected on 22-of-38 passes for 299 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions for the Jaguars (8-7)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - -When the New England Patriots played the Ravens in October, they averaged less than 3 yards per rush. Starting running back Laurence Maroney, however, questioned the significance of that statistic given the game's outcome. "Did we win?" Maroney asked facetiously. "Well, it was enough then." The Patriots relied primarily on quarterback Tom Brady's arm to eke out a 27-21 victory, but Maroney said the team will need better balance to be successful in today's wild-card game at Gillette Stadium, turning serious when discussing just how different this contest could be. "We definitely have to step the run game up," he said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Maurice Jones-Drew is a kid at heart and doesn't take himself too seriously. Case in point: On the day before Halloween, the running back drove his Hummer home from Jaguars headquarters wearing the giant, fuzzy red head of a popular Sesame Street character. So when a cluster of Jets fans taunted him before last Sunday's game at the Meadowlands with a chant of "Over-rated! Over-rated!" this 5-foot-7 Elmo impostor was - what else? - tickled. "It got pretty bad; they almost rattled me," Jones-Drew said.

It figures that in an NFL draft with outstanding second-round value, coach Bill Belichick would own three picks in the round and be in position to overhaul his sagging New England Patriots defense. The Patriots have a total of four picks (Nos. 23, 34, 47, 58) in the first two rounds of the draft, which begins Saturday. That pretty much makes Belichick the winner before the Detroit Lions, who have the top selection, even get on the clock. Here's a primer on what else to expect. Trade bait There hasn't been a trade for one of the top five picks since 2004, thanks to the astronomical financial guarantees committed to less-than-Hall-of-Fame talent.

The Ravens clinched the fifth playoff berth in team history, but they did it in a way unknown in this era of Baltimore football. Realizing they had to win to get in - the New England Patriots had won about 20 minutes before kickoff - the Ravens completed a surprising regular season by riding a big-play rookie quarterback to a 27-7-victory yesterday over the Jacksonville Jaguars before an elated 71,366 at M&T Bank Stadium. Joe Flacco threw for a season-high 297 yards as the Ravens (11-5)

As Ray Lewis emerges today from the smoke-filled tunnel at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens' fiery linebacker will again send the sellout crowd into a frenzy with his trademark arm-flailing, hip-thrusting gyrations. But could this mark Lewis' last dance in Baltimore? The longtime face of the franchise, Lewis is nearing the end of his contract, which places even more significance on this game. Because the Ravens (10-5) would have to play all of their postseason games on the road as the lowest-seeded AFC playoff team, this could become the final Baltimore home game in Lewis' storied career.

To reach the playoffs, the Ravens only have to avoid something that has yet to happen this season: a letdown. The Ravens are 6-0 against teams that now have losing records, winning by an average of 19 points. That's why it isn't surprising the Ravens (10-5) are favored by 12 1/2 points over the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10). This point spread is the Ravens' largest of the season. The only other time the Ravens were more than a touchdown favorite was Week 8 against the Oakland Raiders, when the Ravens were giving up eight points.

A day after they made NFL history in a 33-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Ravens got some definition on their potential playoff future. If the Ravens (10-5) beat the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10) at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, they would clinch the sixth and final AFC playoff spot and play at the AFC East winner in the first round of the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins (10-5) have the best shot to capture the division, needing only to win at the New York Jets (9-6). The New England Patriots (10-5)

IRVING, Texas - The Ravens closed out venerable Texas Stadium by making some history of their own. Le'Ron McClain's 82-yard touchdown run - the longest by a visiting back in the stadium's 37-year existence - finished off the Ravens' critical 33-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys and ruined the much-anticipated celebration. The Ravens (10-5) now need only a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10) next Sunday in the regular-season finale to clinch a playoff berth. Their path to the postseason remained clear because they hurdled a tough roadblock against the Cowboys (9-6)

Peyton Manning was nearly perfect, exactly what the Indianapolis Colts needed to overcome all the emotion the Jacksonville Jaguars got from Richard Collier's return. Manning completed his first 17 passes, picked apart Jacksonville's secondary, and led the visiting Colts to their eighth consecutive win and seventh straight playoff berth. Manning finished 29-for-34 and threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns, and the Colts secured the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs with a 31-24 victory over the Jaguars last night.