COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

CHARGERS (9-8) @ STEELERS (12-4): Everyone is going bananas over how hot the Philadelphia Eagles have been the past month, but the fact remains that the Eagles are not the hottest team in football right now, that title belongs to the San Diego Chargers. For the last five weeks San Diego has won ball games with a huge amount of emotion and guts. They have fought, scratched and crawled through each of their games, capturing a divison title at 8-8 and beating up the Colts a week ago. The Chargers success really got going in week 16 on a trip to Tampa Bay. The Bolts who struggled all season on the east coast, not only beat the Buccaneers, they came from behind in the second half and turned that game into a 48-24 laugher. Credit has to go to Phillip Rivers, who has really been the most deserving league MVP. Rivers threw for 4,009 yards and 34 touchdowns in the regular season. He is the heart and soul of San Diego and he proves it each week with one gutsy performacne after another. Darren Sp...

CHARGERS 23 COLTS 17 OVERTIME This is what the postseason is all about. It is about putting two great football teams on the field, squaring off for the right to advance closer to a world championship. On Saturday night the San Diego Chargers showed America why they have the heart of a champion. San Diego grinded out a thrilling 23-17 overtime victory propelling the once 8-8 ball club into the second round of the playoffs. The Chargers had several opportunities to win this game in regulation, but constantly put themselves behind the eight ball. In the third quarter with the Chargers up 14-10, Peyton Manning found a wide open Reggie Wayne streaking down the sidelines for a 72 yard touchdown. The reason this was such an easy catch and run, had to do with the fact that San Diego corner back Antonio Cramartie was staring at the sideline, waiting for a signal from the coaches for a substituition. Manning snapped the ball, and found the distracted player and hit his man down the sideline. La...

2009 is now here and so is the NFL postseason. It doesn't matter how the 12 survivors for the run at the Lombardi Trophy got to this point, they are here. Unlike past years where the Patriots and Colts dominated the AFC, the conference is wide open in 2008-2009. The Patriots are not in the postseason, in their place is the suprising Miami Dolphins led by rookie coach Tony Sparano and Jets cast away Chad Pennington. Pennington was named Comeback Player of the Year and came in second in the MVP voting this year. He deserves it. After being kicked to the curb by the New York Jets, Pennington took a 1-15 Miami team and made them into division champs. The Colts are still in the postseason, but as a wild card. The Tennessee Titans have made it to the playoffs as AFC South champs with very little in the way of offense, and a punishing defense. Meanwhile, in the NFC, the defending champion New York Giants are still the best in the conference. They own 12 wins, and the number one seed. If t...