Playoff Plans Clear for Some

Fresh off their most lopsided loss of the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tapped into their inner Andretti on Sunday and did doughnuts all over the New Orleans Saints.

The 48-21 drubbing went a long way toward clearing up the NFC wild-card picture, as the teams came into the game with 7-6 records.

“We’re in the driver’s seat now,” Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp said.

“We’ve got to crank the car up and mash the gas.”

There’s no rest stop in sight; the Buccaneers, who won three consecutive games before a 27-3 loss at Chicago last Sunday, finish with home games against Baltimore and Philadelphia. The Saints, whose playoff hopes are dented but not dead, close with home games against Washington and San Francisco.

In other pivotal games Sunday:

* Green Bay (10-4) clinched a playoff berth with a 30-7 victory over Cleveland on a bitter-cold day at Lambeau Field. The Packers trail Chicago (11-3) by a game in the NFC Central but still hold out hope for a division title.

“I don’t want to sound like I’m not excited, but we have two games left,” said quarterback Brett Favre, whose team has missed the playoffs the last two seasons.

“Just getting in the playoffs to me is not enough. It’s a start.”

* The Bears held firm atop the NFC Central with a 20-15 victory over Washington, thanks in large part to a 27-yard touchdown reception by linebacker Brian Urlacher on a fake field goal. Holder Brad Maynard threw the pass.

Washington, the first team to win five consecutive games after an 0-5 start, saw its playoff chances vanish.

* While the Packers shivered their way to victory, New England players stayed toasty and let the playoffs come to them.

A day after they beat Miami, 20-13, the Patriots were assured of a playoff berth by virtue of Seattle’s loss to the New York Giants.

More good news for the Patriots: they get next weekend off.

* Pittsburgh has already won the AFC Central, but the Steelers (12-2) have something else at stake. By winning one of their final two games--against Cincinnati and Cleveland--they can wrap up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Apparently, that was ample incentive for a 47-14 lashing of Detroit.

* In winning at Carolina, 38-32, St. Louis became the fifth team in NFL history to go 8-0 on the road.

* Atlanta stayed in the playoff race with a 33-30 squeaker over Buffalo, winning when Jay Feely kicked a 52-yard field goal on the final play. It was the second-longest kick of the season for Feeley, who came into the game a modest 11 for 18 at the Georgia Dome.

* The New York Jets pulled off their second consecutive one-point victory by beating Indianapolis, 29-28. Plenty of interested teams were tuned in--the Jet win eliminated Denver, Tennessee, Cleveland and Indianapolis from the playoff picture. Minnesota was eliminated earlier in the day with a 33-3 home loss to Jacksonville in what probably was receiver Cris Carter’s last home game as a Viking.

The disappointment of those ousted teams was offset by the jubilation of teams such as the Buccaneers, who started slowly this season and didn’t turn things around until they won Nov. 26 at St. Louis on “Monday Night Football.”

The Buccaneers have won their last 10 home games in December or January, and their 48 points were the most under Coach Tony Dungy.

Through their first 13 games, they had scored one first-quarter touchdown. Sunday, they had two more.

“We’ve got some big-time players in this room and the bigger the game, we usually step up our performance,” said Sapp, who sat out most of the fourth quarter because of a sore left shoulder.

“We had to have this one, and we got it done against a tough ballclub.”

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Playoff Picture

AFC EAST

New England has clinched a playoff berth.

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AFC CENTRAL

Pittsburgh has clinched the division title and a first-round bye.

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AFC WEST

Oakland has clinched the division title.

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NFC EAST

Philadelphia can clinch the division title with a win against the New York Giants next Sunday.

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NFC CENTRAL

Chicago has clinched a playoff berth.

Green Bay has clinched a playoff berth.

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NFC WEST

St. Louis has clinched a playoff berth.

San Francisco has clinched a playoff berth.

Buffalo, Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Minnesota, San Diego, Tennessee and Washington have been eliminated from playoff contention.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.