NFL

(Newser) - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger plans to start Sunday’s playoff game despite having sustained a concussion on the final day of the regular season, and he and the people aiding and abetting that foolhardy decision need a wake-up call. “Ben Roethlisberger is not brave,” Charles P. Pierce writes for OT , the Boston Globe ’s weekly sports magazine. “Ben Roethlisberger is a moron.” More »

(Newser) - Jack Kemp, the former NFL star and Republican congressman, is in treatment for cancer, the Buffalo News reports. A spokeswoman said the type of cancer is “undetermined,” but that tests are under way to identify it. Kemp, 73, served 18 years as a representative from New York before a stint as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and was Bob Dole’s vice-presidential running mate in 1996. More »

(Newser) - All four match-ups for next weekend's NFL playoffs are been-there, done-that this season, but the outcomes aren't necessarily givens, USA Today reports: Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco's interceptions helped the Titans as much as Kerry Collin's 80-yard touchdown drive in defeating the Ravens, but Flacco's seen a lot of play since then. More »

(AP) - All but forgotten as a postseason contender just a month earlier, Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, and the Philadelphia Eagles have a playoff win. Next up: the Super Bowl champion Giants. Brian Westbrook caught a short pass and zigzagged through the Minnesota defense for a devastating 71-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and the Eagles spoiled the Vikings' first home playoff game in eight years with a 26-14 victory today. More »

(Newser) - The Baltimore Ravens stifled QB Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins to win 27-9 today, AP reports. Pennington, who threw only seven interceptions during the regular season, tossed four away and went 23-for-36 for 234 yards. Baltimore’s Ed Reed had two interceptions, and Jim Leonhard and Fabian Washington each grabbed one. Rookie coach John Harbaugh now takes his Ravens to Tennessee to play the NFC South champion Titans on Saturday.  More »

(AP) - The San Diego Chargers ended the Indianapolis Colts' nine-game win streak in nail-biting fashion tonight with a 23-17 overtime win in their wildcard playoff game. Darren Sproles ran for a 22-yard touchdown after the Chargers won the coin toss and marched downfield in OT. They got there by tying the game with 33 seconds left on a 26-yard field goal by Nick Kaeding. Peyton Manning passed for 310 yards for the Colts, and Philip Rivers had 244 for San Diego. More »