Losing team could make the playoffs

Four teams are 4-7 and three of them are out of the playoff picture.

Then there's San Diego. The underachieving Chargers not only are in the picture, there's actually a scenario in which they could win their third consecutive AFC West title with only two more victories, as long as one of them is against division leader Denver (6-5) on Dec. 28.

No NFL team has ever made the playoffs with a losing record. Only eight have made it with an 8-8 record. And yet the Chargers could win the AFC West at 8-8, 7-9 or, yes, even 6-10.

"That's the only positive spin you can put on this whole deal," Chargers QB Philip Rivers said. "I don't know how much longer we can say it, but at least this week we're still in the hunt for everything we set out to accomplish."

Since 1990, when the playoffs were expanded to 12 teams, only the 1995 Chargers and the 1996 Jaguars made the playoffs after starting 4-7.

Little Fitz tops Superfreak With his third catch in last Sunday's game against the Giants, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. unseated Randy Moss as the youngest player in NFL history to reach 400 receptions.

Fitzgerald, a former Holy Angels star who was a Vikings ballboy when Moss played for them, was 25 years, 119 days old when he grabbed No. 400. Moss was 25 years, 305 days.

Cowboys try to buck trend The Cowboys have won three in a row but now head into the time of season where they have consistently faded since 1996.

Not only has Dallas not won a playoff game since 1996, but it's also 18-36 in December and January since 1996.

This year's schedule presents another challenge. The Cowboys finish the regular season at Pittsburgh (8-3), home against the Giants (10-1) and Baltimore (7-4), and at Philadelphia (6-5-1).

Avoid aging running backs Packers General Manager Ted Thompson made no attempt to re-sign Ahman Green after Green rushed for 1,059 yards in 14 games in 2006. The Texans probably wish they had also passed on the aging running back when they signed him in 2007.

Green turned 30 shortly before signing with Houston. In two seasons with the Texans, he's made more than $11 million while carrying the ball 144 times for 556 yards and five touchdowns in just 14 games.

LT has a match in 'MT' The Falcons knew they were getting a quality running back when they signed Michael Turner, the long-time backup to the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson. But they probably didn't figure on getting a player who would match LT's productivity.

Both players have accumulated 1,099 yards from scrimmage. LT has 242 touches (203 carries, 39 receptions). MT has 255 touches (251 carries, four receptions).

Welcome back, Houston Monday's Jaguars-Texans game will mark the first "Monday Night Football" game from Houston since 1994 when the Oilers were still in town. The last time MNF was there, Jeff Fisher was making his Oilers head coaching debut as the interim coach who replaced the fired Jack Pardee. The Oilers lost to the Giants 13-10 in overtime.

Quote of the Week "I only threw the ball 32 times in college. So this thing is rested up."