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LANDOVER, Md. -- Chants of "Green Bay won!" started to spread in the stadium in the game's final minute, taunting a New York Giants team in no mood to celebrate a victory of its own.

The Giants got the win they needed but not the help Sunday. New York's 17-14 victory over the Washington Redskins was rendered moot for postseason purposes when Green Bay topped Chicago 10-3 to claim the remaining wild card berth in the NFC.

"This is the most somber winning locker room you'll ever see," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "And that's because we fell short of our goals. ... Knowing that we won but we didn't fulfill our own destiny and we came up losers on the day, it's definitely weird."

In the dreariness, there was positive news for Tom Coughlin. Co-owner John Mara said after the game the coach would return next season, despite back-to-back years in which the team faded down the stretch.

Osi Umenyiora stripped Rex Grossman twice as the Giants forced four turnovers to complete a 10-6 season, making New York and Tampa Bay the first NFC teams since 1991 to miss the playoffs despite double-digit victories. The Giants have only themselves to blame: They blew a 31-10 fourth-quarter lead in a loss to NFC East leader Philadelphia on Dec. 19, then got blown out 45-17 by the Packers last week, costing them the tiebreakers against two teams also in the hunt.

"It was all self-inflicted," said linebacker Keith Bulluck, who had an interception. "We were in the driver's seat. And then we were in the passenger seat. And now we're in the back seat."

Last year, the Giants started 5-0 before losing eight of 11 down the stretch. Questions were raised about Coughlin's job security just three years after he led the team to the Super Bowl title, but Mara said "there was never any doubt" the coach would be back.

Coughlin's players showed up against the Redskins, never trailing even as they tried to ignore the Chicago-Green Bay game that was played at the same time.

Eli Manning completed 17 of 29 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Mario Manningham had 101 yards receiving on four receptions, including a 92-yard touchdown catch. Derek Hagan, starting in place of the injured Hakeem Nicks, had a career-high 70 yards receiving on six catches.

A spinning one-handed snag by tight end Kevin Boss set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs. Manning was never sacked behind a reshuffled offensive line that included Kevin Boothe playing center in the NFL for the first time, after Rich Seubert was carted off the field with a dislocated right kneecap in the first quarter.

But none of that mattered when the Giants looked at the video screen and saw the replay of the Packers making a game-sealing interception.

"To win the 10 games was nice," Coughlin said. "But we all wanted to win the 10 games so we could get a chance to play next week as well."

The Redskins (6-10) finished last in the NFC East for the third straight season. They went 2-6 at home, their worst mark since 0-8 in the 3-13 season of 1994. Mike Shanahan matched his worst full-season record in his 17 years as an NFL coach -- he was also 6-10 with Denver in 1999.

But 2010 will be most remembered for Shanahan's decisions to suspend Albert Haynesworth for the rest of the season with four games to play and to bench Donovan McNabb with three games to go.

"A lot of unwanted news and distraction," said fullback Mike Sellers, when asked about the most frustrating thing about the season. "But that's football. You've got to be professional, and not even worry about that."

Grossman went 26 for 44 for 336 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, but he also lost two fumbles. He got his longest completion of his career when he hit Anthony Armstrong for a 64-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Grossman had seven touchdowns, four interceptions, four lost fumbles and a 1-2 record in his three starts after McNabb was benched.

The big consolation for Redskins fans was that New York didn't make the playoffs, either.

"Their fans were all cheering and whatnot," Cofield said. "That shows you the state of their team, that they have to cheer about us failing. That's when you have no success; those are the kind of things that excite you."

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -With the game on the line and playoff implications at stake, David Garrard threw an interception.

It was a turning point in overtime and maybe in Garrard's up-and-down career.

Kevin Barnes intercepted Garrard's second pass in overtime, setting up Graham Gano's 31-yard field goal that gave the Washington Redskins a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and snapped a four-game losing streak Sunday.

Garrard, asked to do more with Maurice Jones-Drew sidelined with a right knee injury, came up short. He completed 22 of 38 passes for 299 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. He ran for a score, but also took four sacks and fumbled twice.

His last error was the most troublesome. Under heavy pressure, Garrard floated a pass to the sideline. Barnes stepped in front and put the Redskins in position for Gano's winning kick. Gano drilled it through a swirling wind on third down, finding a little atonement after missing two short field goals in a one-point loss to Tampa Bay two weeks ago.

"In hindsight, you wish you could hold onto it and not throw that pick," Garrard said. "But we're just trying to make plays. I was trying to make a play and that's how the game is."

Washington (6-9) made just enough plays. Rex Grossman had a touchdown pass early, and Ryan Torain added a 1-yard plunge on fourth down late. But the Redskins won this one with defense. They played without several starters, including linebacker Brian Orakpo and safeties Reed Doughty and Kareem Moore, and lost cornerback Carlos Rogers during the game.

They hardly seemed to miss them. The Redskins stuffed Jacksonville's running game, pressured Garrard and came up big when it mattered most.

The win was Washington's third in four overtime games this season.

The Jaguars (8-7) have lost two in a row and need help to make the playoffs. They need to win at Houston next week and have Tennessee upset Indianapolis to win the AFC South.

The Titans lost 34-14 at Kansas City, a score that caught Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio's eye during the game.

The Jaguars had a chance to clinch the division last week against the Colts, but faltered in every phase of the game.

They came out flat against the Redskins and looked mostly uncomfortable in the coldest home game (38 degrees) in team history. They had seven penalties, allowed four sacks, fumbled twice, had two turnovers and missed a field goal.

The Redskins were much more efficient.

Grossman completed 19 of 39 passes for 182 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Torain ran 20 times for 65 yards. Santana Moss had five receptions for 85 yards.

"When you play a game like this, where one team is playing for the playoffs and the other team for pride, you see what type of character you have," Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said.

Jacksonville tied the game at 17 on Garrard's 20-yard run with 2:44 remaining. The quarterback draw seemingly caught the Redskins by surprise, and a key block by center Brad Meester created enough of a crease for Garrard to reach the end zone.

Jacksonville sacked Grossman on the ensuing drive and settled for overtime. The Jaguars won the toss, took the ball and then watched things implode. Rashad Jennings gained a couple of yards, Garrard hit Jennings in the flat for a few more, then on third-and-4, the Redskins blitzed Garrard and got the pick.

The Jaguars probably were fortunate to keep the game close, considering they recovered both of Garrard's fumbles and were on the positive side of three close calls near the end of the first half.

Washington managed just 251 yards, punted nine times and made only four third-down conversions. The Redskins used a long kickoff return and a turnover to jump out to a 10-0lead and then turned to the defense to seal the win.

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- With his team up by 20 points in the third quarter and Rex Grossman doing a lousy job as Washington's new starting quarterback, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones let out a sigh of relief. He figured the game was "tucked away ... a cakewalk."

Apparently, he forgot how lousy his defense is.

Grossman and the Redskins rallied to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter, leaving Jones gasping for air.

Then, David Buehler put Dallas back ahead with a 39-yard field goal with 50 seconds left and the defense finally came through with a crucial stop, pulling out a 33-30 victory Sunday.

Dallas led 13-0 before Grossman had crossed midfield. Washington coach Mike Shanahan's benching of Donovan McNabb looked even worse when Grossman fumbled early in third quarter and the Cowboys turned it into a touchdown that stretched their lead to 27-7.

They could've been up even more, but had only field goals to show for drives that reached the 20 and 2, and didn't have anything to show for drives that reached the 1 and 18.
Still, the way the game was going, what could go wrong?

Well, Shanahan figured out a few things, and so did Grossman. He led the Redskins to touchdowns on three straight drives over the third and fourth quarters, getting 2-point conversions on the last two. Mike Sellers danced with joy after catching a lob that tied the game at 30 with 7:37 left.

Santana Moss caught two of Grossman's touchdown throws and might've had a third in the closing minutes. The cornerback covering him fell and there was only a safety to beat when a ball hit Moss in stride around midfield -- but he dropped it. The Redskins punted and the Cowboys answered with the winning drive.

It went only 31 yards over seven plays, but drained plenty of time and set up Buehler's final kick. It made up for a missed 35-yarder and provided a bit of revenge for a loss to Washington in the opener that sent the Cowboys' season spiraling down the drain.

"I'm just happy I got that opportunity," said Buehler, who's had the winning kick in Dallas' last two victories.

The Cowboys improved to 4-2 under interim coach Jason Garrett, guaranteeing no worse than a break-even finish for his tenure. They also have a chance to avoid finishing last in the NFC East. Dallas and Washington are both 5-9 and tied for third.

Garrett might even have Tony Romo back from a broken collarbone for the final two games. He could be cleared to return Christmas night in Arizona, although Jones wasn't optimistic after seeing him throw before this game.

"Frankly, he's still having sensitivity there," Jones said. "We're a little behind where I thought we would be on how healthy he is. ... He's not ready to play. That doesn't mean he might not get out there, throw and practice, but he's not ready."

Fill-in quarterback Jon Kitna was 25 of 37 for 305 yards with two touchdowns, so he's obviously not holding Dallas back.

It's a defense that has allowed at least 30 points for four straight games, the club's worst streak since doing it five in a row while going 1-15 in 1989.

Maybe that's why Shanahan figured this was the perfect time to turn to Grossman.

Making his first start since November 2008, Grossman was 25 of 43 for 322 yards and tied his career high with four touchdowns. He threw two interceptions and was sacked five times.

"I didn't have jitters, but it took a while to get into the flow of the game," Grossman said. "Maybe we started our run a tad too late."

McNabb watched from the sideline in a black Redskins hat, arms crossed or grasped behind his back. He stood mostly by himself and by the third quarter had to be wondering how low his stock had fallen for Grossman to be considered better than him.

Grossman's first series ended with a pair of incompletions. His second ended on an interception thrown to an area lacking any Redskins. He was sacked for an 8-yard loss on the third series. Later, he threw a pass so off target that Garrett caught it.

Then came what could've been the game's deciding play -- third down on the opening drive of the second half, Grossman bumped into left guard Kory Lichtensteiger, making him a sitting duck for DeMarcus Ware to sack him and knock the ball loose.

Dallas recovered and got the touchdown that made it 27-7.

Instead, that jump-started Grossman's rally.

"I thought he demonstrated a lot of poise and played well," Shanahan said. "He performed like a veteran should perform."

Washington lost its fourth straight and sixth in the last seven.

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CLEVELAND -- Teenage pitching sensation, World War II hero, outspoken Hall of Famer and local sports treasure. Bob Feller was all of them.

One of a kind, he was an American original.

Blessed with a right arm that earned the Iowa farmboy the nickname "Rapid Robert" and made him one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Feller, who left baseball in the prime of his career to fight for his country, died Wednesday night. He was 92.

Feller, who won 266 games in 18 seasons - all with the Indians - died at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday night of acute leukemia at a hospice, said Bob DiBiasio, the Indians vice president of public relations.

Remarkably fit until late in life, Feller had suffered serious health setbacks in recent months. He was diagnosed with leukemia in August, and while undergoing chemotherapy, he fainted and his heart briefly stopped. Eventually, he had pacemaker implanted.

In November, he was hospitalized with pneumonia and recently released into hospice care.

Even as his health deteriorated, Feller continued doing what he loved most - attending Indians games deep into last season.

"Nobody lives forever and I've had a blessed life," Feller said in September. "I'd like to stay on this side of the grass for as long as I can, though. I'd really like to see the Indians win a World Series."

Feller, in fact, was part of the rotation the last time the Indians won it all - in 1948.

Fiercely proud and patriotic, Feller was an American original. Blessed with a fastball that could make any hitter look silly, Feller began his major league career at the tender age of 17. His win total remains a Cleveland team record, one that seems almost untouchable in today's free-agent era.

"Bob Feller is gone. We cannot be surprised," Indians owner Larry Dolan said in a statement. "Yet, it seems improbable. Bob has been such an integral part of our fabric, so much more than an ex-ballplayer, so much more than any Cleveland Indians player. He is Cleveland, Ohio.

"To say he will be missed is such an understatement. In fact, more to the point, he will not be missed because he will always be with us," he said.

Feller was part of a vaunted Indians' rotation in the 1940s and '50s with fellow Hall of Famers Bob Lemon and Early Wynn. He finished with 2,581 career strikeouts, led the American League in strikeouts seven times, pitched three no-hitters - including the only one on opening day - and recorded a jaw-dropping 12 one-hitters.

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Sometimes the path to victory comes from simply watching the other team mess up, and that's what happened for the Buccaneers on Sunday. Nick Sundberg's slightly high snap sailed through holder Hunter Smith's hands and kept on bouncing, preserving a 17-16 win and keeping Tampa Bay's playoff hopes firmly intact.

"It was almost weird. We're sitting on the sidelines, and something just didn't feel right," Tampa Bay running back Cadillac Williams said. "I was like, 'Man, he's going to miss it; we're going to block it.' Something just didn't feel right, man. When I see the snap go over the place-kicker's head, I was like 'Wow, OK, game's over.' "

The Buccaneers (8-5) snapped a two-game losing streak and were buoyed by the news that the Packers, another team in the wild card race, were beaten by the Lions. The injury breaks continued to go against the Tampa Bay, however, with first-round draft pick Gerald McCoy lost for the season with a right biceps injury and defensive tackle Quincy Black "potentially" out for the season with a broken forearm, according to coach Raheem Morris.

Tampa Bay lost cornerback Aqib Talib and center Jeff Faine for the season last week against Atlanta, and guard Davin Joseph and safety Cody Grimm suffered season-ending injuries the previous week against Baltimore.

Tampa Bay's only touchdown came when Josh Freeman hit Kellen Winslow for a 41-yard scoring pass with 3:47 to play, getting an assist from the officials who didn't see left tackle Donald Penn get away with an obvious hold on Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo. Winslow made a nice over-the-shoulder grab down the middle, and Freeman got credit for his fifth fourth-quarter comeback win of the season.

"It was a weird game in all honesty. It was strange," Tampa Bay linebacker Dekoda Watson said. "Style points are out the window right now. It's not like this is the BCS. We've got to get to a playoff game."

The gaffe ending was symbolic of another lost season for the Redskins (5-8), who have lost five of six and dropped four straight at home. They wasted a career-best 172-yard rushing day by Ryan Torain, with 158 yards coming in the first half.

Graham Gano hit the left upright from 34 yards in the first quarter, then badly pulled his kick wide left from 24 yards in the second quarter. Redskins linebacker Chris Wilson also fumbled away a squib kickoff to start the second half, with no Buccaneers player anywhere near him.

"I could have been the difference in that game," said Gano, who barely made a chip-shot 25-yarder late in the first half. "I just have to stay confident and move on to next week."

Gano also injured his ribs in the scramble for the ball after the flubbed extra point. Sundberg said the snap was higher than he wanted it to be, but the holder took full blame.

"People are going to call for Graham's head. They're going to say it was a high snap. They're going to blame me for dropping it," Smith said. "I'm a 12-year vet and I have to catch the ball and get it down. It doesn't matter if it's raining; it doesn't matter where the snap is. If anybody needs to lose their job, it's me, certainly not one of those guys. I certainly accept blame and hope I receive the blame."

Said Redskins coach Mike Shanahan: "You can't make the mistakes we made and win a tight football game."

On a chilly day that drew one of the sparsest crowds in recent Redskins history -- never mind the official announced attendance of 66,124, the 90,000-seat stadium wasn't more than half full -- a tight game with a slippery ball seemed inevitable.

The first half was dominated by Torain, returning after missing four games with a hamstring injury. The second half belonged to Freeman, who finished 15 for 25 for 266 yards, including 11 for 16 for 214 yards after halftime -- although he also lost a fumble at the Redskins' 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Seven of the second-year quarterback's 11 career victories have been fourth quarter or overtime comeback wins.

But the Redskins stole the show by leading in one vital statistic: unforced errors. The Buccaneers didn't mind at all.

"I'm not going to be apologetic for any form of wins," Morris said. "No, I don't feel lucky."