Quick Kicks

Changes coming in Washington

Only a few players dropped by Redskin Park on Sunday, either to pick up mail or to have treatment for an injury. All of them had the would’ve-should’ve-could’ve feeling that accompanies a one-point loss in the playoffs.

Behind the scenes, the end of the Washington Redskins season marked the beginning of the next chapter in the uneasy relationship between coach Norv Turner and owner Dan Snyder: Who has final say-so over the assistant coaches?

Six months into his ownership, Snyder has shown a desire to keep a tight rein on the organization, and he’s made no attempt to disguise his less-than-warm feelings for defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. The Redskins defense ranked 30th this season, but came on strong in the second half and was outstanding in the playoffs as the new starters grew comfortable with the scheme.

“Defensively, we obviously made great progress,” Turner said. “Everyone got a feel for each other.”

But was it enough? There were reports late in the season that Turner was fed up with Snyder’s heavy-handed involvement and wanted to find a way out without resigning so he could pursue, say, the opening in Dallas. The latest scenario has Turner refusing to yield to Snyder’s demands to fire some assistants, thus getting himself fired in the process.

Moses would be proud

On a big day for offense, no one was bigger for the St. Louis Rams than Tony Horne.

“That was so big, it’s almost biblical,” defensive tackle D’Marco Farr said of Horne’s 95-yard kickoff return to open the second half of the Rams’ playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings. “It’s like Tony Horne parts the TWA Dome.”

The Rams trailed 17-14. Horne, who had two scoring returns in the regular season and led the NFL with a 29.7-yard average, put them ahead for good on the opening play of the second half.

“Every time we touch the field, we expect something good like that to happen,” Horne said. “Everybody is looking for it to go to the house.”

It signaled the start of a 35-point run for the Rams, who led 49-17 in the fourth quarter before the Vikings got three late touchdowns.

“The momentum changed, no doubt,” wide receiver Ricky Proehl said. “He got us ignited, and we just exploded offensively.”

Moss reverts to form

While the Vikings didn’t live up to expectations, Minnesota receiver Randy Moss lived up to his advance billing in more ways than one.

Moss, considered by many to be the league’s most explosive receiver, had 9 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

Moss, who was passed over by many teams in the 1998 draft because of his off-field behavior, showed in the fourth quarter that his bad-boy nature still remains. Upset because an official didn’t call pass interference after an incompletion, Moss squirted the official with water, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty.

Rout concerns Coughlin

Complacency and overconfidence are among the few things that petrify Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin. This week he figures to have more trouble with that mindset than his team did in dispatching the Dolphins.

The Jaguars scored more than a point per minute in their 62-7 playoff victory over Miami, a win that pushed them into the AFC title game next Sunday.

When the rout was over, Coughlin went about breaking down film and came out with one more surprise.

“On offense, if you knew how we grade, you’d be surprised to know that it’s probably only 60-40, good to bad,” he said. “On special teams, I had some concerns. There were some things that can be key factors in close games.”