1.   And a season that began with playoff hopes ended with the Rockets happy to have come sort of close.

2.   And in their place, nameless, faceless, graceless second stringers have shucked their clipboards and NFL Properties baseball caps and tried to keep playoff hopes alive.

3.   A victory gives the Falcons a tiebreaker edge against the Saints and keeps playoff hopes alive.

4.   Accomplishing this turnaround, even with their playoff hopes all but dead, has actually energized Parcells.

5.   Buffalo in December is a tough place to go with your playoff hopes on the line.

6.   But as big a pain as Jagr was to the New York Rangers, one of their former teammates proved to be even deadlier to their playoff hopes.

7.   But Lee sports a New York Yankees baseball cap on this publicity tour through Boston just days after the Red Sox wild-card playoff hopes unceremoniously fizzled.

8.   But they still have control of their playoff hopes.

9.   But the yelling, brooding and benchings all worked because the Jets crushed the Buccaneers the following Sunday to put new life in their playoff hopes.

10.   But when the Mets decided their wild-card playoff hopes would be best served by putting Harnisch in the bullpen, the pitcher took the easy way out.