Jets, Giants, Chiefs Fill Playoff Slots
Monday, January 1, 2007; 4:28 AM
-- Denver seemed headed to the playoffs. Then the 49ers' Walt Harris, Frank Gore and Joe Nedney got in the way, giving Kansas City the NFL's last playoff spot by knocking out the Broncos 26-23 in overtime.
The New York Jets also made it and so did the Giants, who had all but clinched their NFC postseason berth by beating Washington on Saturday night.
  New York Jets coach Eric Mangini, center, is doused with Gatorade during fourth quarter NFL football Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Jets beat the Oakland Raiders, 23-3, to make the playoffs. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) (Bill Kostroun - AP)   The Indianapolis Colts overcome the rain and a sloppy start to beat the Chicago Bears, 29-17. The Colts' victory ignites a wild celebration among the white-and-blue attired fans in the sea of colorful vinyl rainwear that populated the soggy stands. Peyton Manning fills the final hole in his legend as the greatest quarterback never to win the biggest game. Leonard Shapiro: Tony Dungy and Manning seal their place in history by winning the Super Bowl. Manning adds a Super Bowl MVP award to his long list of achievements. Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes plow forward for the Colts go-ahead touchdown and never look back. There was a collective failure by the Bears' offense, but Rex Grossman provides the most vivid images. Notebook: Two assistant coaches who participated in the Super Bowl likely will interview for Dallas' head coaching job. On Our Site Wilbon and Kornheiser share their thoughts live during Sunday's big game. Photos: Relive all of the action from the NFL playoffs. Audio: Manning on the Win. Audio: Grossman on the Loss. Audio: Dungy Praises Smith. Quarterly Report (PDF) A Slew of Errors (PDF) Graphic: Play of the Game. MARK MASKE'S NFL INSIDER • Raiders Release L. Jordan • Cowboys Decide to Cut T. Glenn |
But the most improbable team was the Chiefs, who started the day at the bottom of the potential playoff teams.
It looked especially dark after the Broncos took a 13-0 lead against double-digit underdog San Francisco. But the 49ers rallied behind Gore's running; an interception return for a touchdown by Harris, and Nedney's four field goals, the last a 36-yarder with 1:56 left in overtime.
That knocked out Denver (9-7) and put in Kansas City (9-7) which beat Jacksonville 35-30. The Chiefs needed more help than that and got it _ losses by Tennessee, 40-23 to New England and Cincinnati, which was beaten 23-17 in overtime by Pittsburgh.
The Chiefs took care of their own business first.
"My thoughts were real simple _ we had to win," coach Herman Edwards said. "And I wanted to make sure that our guys understood that.
"I said, `If we win, I've been in this situation before. Things can happen. We ended up winning, and it all worked out for us."
The Chiefs' also thought the victories were a tribute to the team's founder, Lamar Hunt, who died on Dec. 14.
"I've had some people in the locker room suggest that maybe my father hand a hand in that," said his son, Clark Hunt.
The Jets got the other wild-card spot by beating Oakland 23-3 and moved up to the fifth seed when Denver lost. The Jets will go to New England next Sunday after splitting the season's series with the Patriots, including a 17-14 win Nov. 12 in Foxborough.
The top seeds stayed the same.
