The last time Joe Gibbs coached a playoff game for Washington, Bill Cowher was a rookie coach in Pittsburgh and Jon Gruden was just starting out as a receivers coach in Green Bay.

All three guided their teams into the postseason Sunday, claiming the final NFL playoff berths on a day when three other coaches departed. Mike Tice and Dom Capers were fired and Dick Vermeil retired.

It was a strange concluding day that also saw Doug Flutie convert a drop kick for an extra point — the first since the 1941 NFL title game — and the Houston Texans, in Capers' last game, clinch the top draft pick.

Plus, Shaun Alexander set an NFL record for touchdowns in a season with 28 and Arizona's Neil Rackers broke the single-season field goal mark with 40.

Gibbs ended his first stint with the Redskins in 1992. He returned in 2004 and went 6-10, but Washington (10-6) won its last five games this season, and a 31-20 victory at Philadelphia earned it a wild-card berth at Tampa on Saturday.

"Any time you get into the playoffs, it's a huge deal," Gibbs said.

He'll face Gruden, who coached the Buccaneers to the 2002 championship, then failed to make the playoffs the next two years. They're in as NFC South champions at 11-5 after a 27-13 win over New Orleans.

"That was one of our goals, to win the NFC South, and we found a way to do it," cornerback Ronde Barber said. "Regardless of what 2004 was all about, 2005 gave us a new opportunity."

Cowher nearly always gets the Steelers into the postseason — 10 times in 14 seasons. They qualified by beating Detroit 35-21, and will visit AFC North champion Cincinnati on Sunday. Pittsburgh (11-5) won its last four games and won at Cincinnati in the regular season.

"It's obviously a big challenge," center Jeff Hartings said of attempting to win three road playoff games in three weeks. "Nobody's ever done it (as a sixth-seeded team). We're going to try to make history and be the first ones."

The Broncos, Colts, Seahawks and Bears have byes next weekend.

At Philadelphia, Clinton Portis ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns, giving Washington its first postseason berth since 1999."To win five in a row says a lot about this football team, its character and how we stuck together," quarterback Mark Brunell said.Mike McMahon threw two TD passes to Reggie Brown as Philadelphia (6-10) completed its first losing season since '99 after reaching the Super Bowl last February.

At Tampa, Joey Galloway caught two touchdown passes from Chris Simms.Galloway, rebounding from injuries that sidelined him for part of 2004, finished with 83 receptions for 1,287 yards.The Saints (3-13) completed a chaotic season that saw them play home games in three cities after New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Tice left the Metrodome a winner, then lost his job. Minnesota (9-7) finished with a winning record, but it was not enough to save Tice after another up-and-down season marred by a scandalous boat party during the team's bye week.Brad Johnson passed for 247 yards and two touchdowns.Thomas Jones ran 12 times for 62 yards in the first half to finish with 1,335 yards for Chicago (11-5). It was the highest rushing total for a Chicago player other than Walter Payton and the most since Payton had 1,551 in 1985.

At San Francisco, the Texans (2-14) gained the first overall pick and, if Reggie Bush comes out of Southern Cal, likely will draft the Heisman Trophy winner. They also lost Capers, the only coach they've had, according to a person close to the team who told the AP that Capers would be fired Monday.Mike Adams lateraled his second interception to Ben Emanuel for a 35-yard return in overtime, Joe Nedney kicked a 33-yard field goal with 3:52 left and the 49ers (4-12) earned consecutive victories for the first time in more than two years.

At Kansas City, the 69-year-old Vermeil went out with a win as the Chiefs (10-6) fell short of the playoffs."It's the right time for me to go," he said. "It's the right time for me to leave the Chiefs. I just wish I was 10 years younger."Larry Johnson ran for 201 yards and a career-high three scores on 21 carries, his ninth straight 100-yard game, and broke Kansas City's single-season rushing record.

Brett Favre gave Lambeau Field fans who want him to return a treat by throwing his first touchdown pass in five games to lead Green Bay (4-12).Meanwhile, Seattle's Alexander stole the show, setting an NFL record for touchdowns in a season with a 1-yard run. He also won the NFL rushing title, gaining 73 yards to pass the Giants' Tiki Barber.Favre was 21-of-37 for 259 yards as the Seahawks (13-2) played backups in the second half.

Visiting Miami (9-7) won its sixth straight game, its longest winning streak in 13 seasons.The Patriots (10-6) staged a late comeback in which Flutie converted the NFL's first successful drop kick in 64 years, according to the Web site for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then backup quarterback Matt Cassel cut the lead to 28-26 with a 4-yard pass to Benjamin Watson with no time left. But Cassel's pass for a 2-point conversion fell incomplete.The 43-year-old Flutie made the NFL's first successful drop kick since Ray McLean for Chicago against the Giants on Dec. 21, 1941."It's nice to have a situation where you can make it fun," Flutie said.

The Colts' defense had a late goal-line stand after Jim Sorgi threw two touchdown passes to give coach Tony Dungy a victory three days after he returned to the team following his oldest son's funeral in Tampa.Host Indianapolis (14-2) set a single-season franchise record for victories. Dungy earned his 107th career victory — and perhaps his most emotional.Before the game, the Colts had a moment of silence in honor of 18-year-old James Dungy, who was found unresponsive Dec. 22 in his Tampa-area apartment.The Cardinals finished 5-11.

At Atlanta, DeShaun Foster ran for 165 yards and Jake Delhomme threw for two TDs.Atlanta completed a second-half collapse and extended one of the most inglorious streaks in pro sports. With only two victories in their final eight games, the Falcons (8-8) not only missed the playoffs after going to the NFC championship game last season, they also kept alive the franchise's failure to post back-to-back winning seasons throughout its 40-year history.

Host Jacksonville (12-4) avoided another slow start and gained some much-needed momentum for the postseason. The Jaguars scored 27 points in the first half for their eighth win in the last nine games. Although all eight victories came against teams with losing records, this one felt much different than others in recent weeks.After trailing in the second half in each of the last four games, the Jaguars scored touchdowns on their first two possessions, took advantage of two turnovers and essentially sealed the victory on Derrick Wimbush's 6-yard TD run with 4:11 remaining in the second quarter.Tennessee finished 4-12.

Aveion Cason and Arlen Harris ran for their first touchdowns since 2003 and Jeff Wilkins added two field goals for the visiting Rams (6-10). Dallas (9-7) was eliminated from the wild-card chase more than an hour before kickoff.

Justin Miller returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown with 5:58 remaining, and Ty Law had three interceptions.After Buffalo (5-11) went ahead on Rian Lindell's 36-yard field goal, Miller took the ensuing kickoff and tiptoed down the sideline, finally providing the special teams score the Jets (4-12) lacked all season.

At Cleveland, Dennis Northcutt's 62-yard punt return helped the Browns (6-10) win their sixth game under first-year coach Romeo Crennel.The Ravens finished the season 6-10. They were 0-8 on the road.