You want a metaphor for the first half of Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game between Atlanta and Seattle, you could do worse than looking to the last play of the first quarter. Atlanta was up 10-0, starting fast but in danger of letting Seattle back into the game. Pinned on its own 13, Atlanta had a long way to go against a Seattle defense that had already picked off one Matt Ryan pass.

And then came Jacquizz.

Jacquizz Rodgers, the five-foot-six Atlanta running back who's gained notoriety by spelling Michael Turner, took a handoff inside and then found some room just past the Seattle D-line. He scampered forward only to see All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas awaiting him downfield. End of the play, right? Rodgers gave them some breathing room, but he'd be swallowed up by the larger Thomas, right?

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Not quite. Rodgers lowered his head, absolutely ran over Thomas, and kept going for another 35 yards. It was the longest

Man, life is tough for a kicker. You get all the blame (and death threats) for losses when you miss a game-winner; you fight for your job with every single soccer player/college kicker/donkey who wanders into camp; and since you're not a hulking physical specimen, people don't even believe you when you say you're a football player.

Even worse? When the freaking halftime entertainment doesn't give you any respect! Check out San Francisco's David Akers trying his best to clear some space for himself at halftime of Saturday night's Packers-49ers divisional matchup. Now, as it turned out, Akers wasn't a factor in the final outcome, as San Fran won going away. But if you're a kicker, you never know when you'll have one of those career-defining moments in the postseason. So you prepare. And you dodge cheerleaders. And you prepare some more.

The NFL. So glamorous, yes?

-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-

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Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis. (@CSteele32)

Sometimes, it's just about realizing when you've been beaten and wishing the best for your opponent. Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis shared a few words nearly two hours after their epic divisional playoff game, and Ravens media director Chad Steele captured it on Twitter.

Lewis' career will go on at least one more game. Manning's year is done. But that's kind of obvious from this photo, isn't it?

-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-

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Sorry, Denver fans. This is from last year. (Getty Images)Silly Denver fans. You thought you were rid of Tebow when your franchise icon John Elway traded him away? Ha ha HA. Tebow is done with you when HE decides he's done with you.

In 2010, the Broncos drafted Tebow, and last year, Tebow led the Broncos to a playoff win. This year, his replacement, some guy named Manning, threw two interceptions as Denver lost in overtime. And while no sane person would say that Tim Tebow is a better quarterback than Peyton Manning, that didn't stop someone with a vested interest in Tebow in pointing out that the most recent Denver playoff win still came at the hands of Mr. Can't-Handle-The-NFL.

Tebow's brother Peter took to Twitter with a simple message: "Am I the only one in Denver who's happy right now?" Well, the Ravens are probably celebrating, but you get the point. (And just to drive that point home, Tebow retweeted someone who wrote, "That's karma, Elway.")

Of course, it's easier to make pro-Tebow jabs on Twitter than it is to score on Denver's

Peyton Manning and his glove. (Getty Images)

Playing in freezing weather is bad enough for any football player, but when you've spent your entire 13-year career playing half your games in a dome, well ... it's a bit of an adjustment. And Peyton Manning is a bit late in his career for adjustments, right?

Maybe not. Maybe the ol' Bronco is learning a new trick. But he'd better hurry.

To start: Manning has never been known as a clutch cold-weather quarterback; according to ESPN stats, he's started three playoff games when the temperature was below 40 degrees, and he's lost all three: twice in New England and once against the Jets. Saturday's temperature in Denver for the Broncos' divisional matchup against the Ravens is forecast at 18 degrees at the 2:30 Mountain Time kickoff.

That wouldn't seem to bode well for Manning, except for the fact that he's had time to get adjusted to the crisp Denver air. And he's done so with the help of a throwing-hand glove, a piece of equipment he's never used before.

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Thirteen years ago, Ray Lewis was in the back of a limousine speeding down an Atlanta street, leaving the chaos of what would become a notorious murder scene.

Today, Ray Lewis prepares to play his final minutes in the NFL as one of the most celebrated and iconic players in league history.

These are two sets of indisputable facts, facts that don't seem to connect in any meaningful way. To accept one set, you have to virtually ignore the other. It just doesn't make sense, no matter which angle you take. How does a man implicated in a double homicide end up receiving a congratulatory bear hug from the NFL commissioner in front of thousands of fans wearing his No. 52 jersey? From the other direction: How could a man who's done so much for his team and his community still be held accountable for a tragedy for which he was absolved?

From any angle, though, this question looms over the entire life and career of Ray Lewis: How on earth did he get here from there?

The story of Ray

Robert Griffin III. (Getty Images)

Say this for Redskins fans: when they love you, man, they go all out.

Some dive onto Christmas trees in celebration. Some create choruses for children to sing in beautiful harmony. Some grow their fingernails to grotesque lengths. And some reorganize their entire businesses.

Washington, D.C. radio station WPGC has changed its call letters this weekend to "WRG3" in support of Robert Griffin III, the injured Redskins quarterback. The change has already taken place on both the station's website and on radio dials around the greater Washington, D.C. area.

It's a temporary change, only for this weekend. But "DC's home of at least 18 jams in a row" will now be home to a weekend-long RG3 lovefest, as fans can call in with their well-wishes and thoughts on Griffin and the Redskins' season.

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Call us crazy or call us Nostradamus, but we'd recommend Mike Shanahan not listen to WRG3 this weekend.

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Paulina Gretzky and Dustin Johnson. (Via Instagram)At the risk of edging into Brent Musburger/Katherine Webb territory here, being a golfer can be a very, very good life. You make tons of cash, you travel to exotic locations for your job, and you meet interesting people. Right about now, Dustin Johnson is probably extremely glad he didn't take up baseball as a kid.

Johnson won the rain-delayed Hyundai Tournament of Champions, which is good enough in itself. It carried a $1.1 million purse, which wasn't bad for 54 holes and two days' worth of work.

But Paulina Gretzky, daughter of Wayne, was spotted following DJ around the course. And as this Instagrammed photo at right shows, they remain close outside the ropes, too. Gretzky indicated that the two were on the way to a birthday celebration for her mother, which is sweet.

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Johnson's quality play hasn't quite carried over to the current Sony Open; he posted an even-par 70 the first round, eight strokes off Scott