Donald Igwebuike

For weeks, Coach Jim Mora refused to talk about playoff possibilities. But after the New Orleans Saints clinched their first playoff berth Sunday with a 44-34 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mora had to give in. "I'm happy to say we are now a playoff team," Mora said of his Saints (9-3). Three weeks ago, Mora said, "We're not good enough." Two weeks ago, he did say the Saints could be considered contenders, but "everyone's a contender when the season starts. Only 10 of them make it."

Interim Coach Vince Tobin got the congratulatory phone call right after the game, and it wasn't from Ronald Reagan. Coach Mike Ditka was in the hospital, but he wasted no time in letting the Chicago Bears know how he felt about their 28-10 victory Sunday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "I talked to him," Tobin said. "He said he was extremely pleased and thought it was a great game. "We didn't go out with the idea of playing this game for anyone but ourselves and the players.

Count Donald Igwebuike among the kickers who aren't fond of windy Soldier Field. But Igwebuike ignored the wind Sunday and kicked his fourth field goal of the game, a 28-yarder, on the last play Sunday to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 32-31 victory over the Chicago Bears. "It's not my favorite place to kick, it's the last place I like to kick, but I'll take that last field goal," Igwebuike said. "All that matters to me is winning."

The Indianapolis Colts, 12-36 in their first three years since moving from Baltimore, traded for Eric Dickerson in the hopes he would carry them to the playoffs. Carry them he did Sunday, 57 days after being obtained from the Rams, as he ran for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 24-6 victory over Tampa Bay. That gave the Colts the AFC East title with a 9-6 record, their first playoff berth and first plus-.500 season in a decade.

A couple of days before he lost his job as coach of the Oakland Raiders, Lane Kiffin tried something wild. He let the first-half clock wind down to :01 against San Diego, called a timeout, and let Sebastian Janikowski attempt a 76-yard field goal. That's 13 yards longer than the NFL record. Although the kick fell far short, the try wasn't a complete joke. After all, Janikowski had tried a 64-yarder last season that hit midway up an upright before bouncing wide.

Don Majkowski, the Green Bay Packers' Pro Bowl quarterback, agreed Tuesday to end a 45-day holdout and sign a one-year contract that will pay him at least $1.5 million, his agent said. Randy Vataha said the contract agreement, which with incentives could could pay Majkowski as much as $2 million, was reached during a meeting with Tom Braatz, Packer vice president, in Detroit.

Herschel Walker has come under criticism from NFL observers and even some of his Minnesota Viking teammates this season for failing to use his full ability. But Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, Walker answered his critics by scoring on a 58-yard run with 2:28 left in the Vikings' 24-21 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Fuad Reveiz kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Vikings (4-6) their third consecutive victory.

Odds-on favorite T K's Skipper won Saturday night's race in the American Pacing Classic Series at Los Alamitos. Shortly after the finish, a loud pop sounded throughout the track. Videotape of the stretch drive showed that the right wheel of the winner's sulky was vibrating, providing the bettor who had $20,000 to show on TK's Skipper a rare opportunity: Cheering for a tire.

Both Green Bay Coach Forrest Gregg and Tampa Bay Coach Leeman Bennett had reason to be satisfied Sunday--and not just because the game between the Packers and Buccaneers marked the end of the season for both teams. "That was important to us and Tampa Bay," Gregg said after the Packers closed out their third straight 8-8 season with a 20-17 victory. "With nothing at stake for either team, they played professionally.

What is the saying, better him than me? New Orleans Coach Bum Phillips sympathized with Coach Leeman Bennett of winless Tampa Bay Sunday, but it didn't ruin his post-game celebration. "I'm sure glad I ain't 0-3," Phillips said after his team scored its first victory of the season, defeating the Buccaneers, 20-13. A crowd of only 45,320 showed up to watch the Saints, who had been roundly criticized by fans and reporters for being unimaginative on offense and easy to read on defense.