NFL

Defensive end Bruce Smith, tight end Shannon Sharpe and defensive back Rod Woodson headline the list of 17 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009.

If there was just one knock on the Arizona Cardinals heading into their NFC Wild Card Playoff game last Saturday, it was that the team had a tendency to be one-dimensional, something that might prove to be its ultimate undoing.

For all the talk of what the Minnesota Vikings had heading into last Sunday's playoff bout with the Philadelphia Eagles, in the end it came down to who they didn't have on the field.

As a longtime football fan and admirer of the NFL, I've become pretty used to estimating how well a team will fare in the upcoming year. Making a prediction for the 2009 Indianapolis Colts couldn't be any easier -- they will return to becoming the toast of the AFC. And it doesn't matter if New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady makes a triumphant return, either.

An impressive finish to the regular season labeled the Philadelphia Eagles as a team one would rather not face in the opening round of this year's playoffs. Recent history supports that suggestion as well.

The clock struck midnight on the Atlanta Falcons' Cinderella season with this past Saturday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round of the NFC Playoffs. The 30-24 setback not only offered a glimpse of the team's rosy future, but also revealed a few holes that need to be filled in order for the up-and-coming club to continue its progression.

Giddy Baltimore Ravens fans are all too aware of the parallels.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was honored on Tuesday as the Associated Press' Offensive Player of the Year.

Quick: name the all-time leader in playoff victories for a Chargers head coach.

It was 2003 when the Dallas Cowboys, in their first year under Bill Parcells and with a relatively unknown assistant named Tony Sparano also patrolling the sideline, were one of the NFL's pleasant surprises.