The NFL’s next-to-last weekend of the regular season saw a couple of teams end their absences from postseason play.

The Dallas Cowboys, by virtue of a 42-7 thrashing of the Indianapolis Colts, won the NFC East Division title for the first time since 2009. They’re 11-4 after finishing 8-8 the last three seasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers also clinched no worse than a wild card in the AFC, beating the Kansas City Chiefs 20-12. The Steelers end a two-year playoff vacation.

Despite being eliminated from the playoffs (for a sixth straight year), the Miami Dolphins announced they will bring back coach Joe Philbin for a fourth season. There’s one hot seat that suddenly went cold.

Five NFC playoff berths are locked up. The NFC South title will go to the winner of Sunday’s meeting between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. Two of the six AFC berths are yet to be decided. The Cincinnati Bengals can lock one down and reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive year if they can beat the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

 
No. 1 Kentucky made a statement Saturday in running its record to 12-0. The Wildcats scored the first 24 points of the game in beating UCLA 83-44. … No. 6 Virginia held Harvard to an NCAA record-tying one basket in the first half on Sunday and won 76-27. The Cavaliers are 11-0.

BOXING

 
The iconic Muhammad Ali, 72, was hospitalized with pneumonia but a spokesman said Ali should be released shortly. Ali has suffered from Parkinson’s disease for nearly 30 years. … Former heavyweight champion Ernie Terrell died at the age of 75 in Chicago. Terrell famously referred to Ali, who had adopted his new name upon his conversion to Islam, by his former name of Cassius Clay before their title bout at the Houston Astrodome in 1967 and Ali punished Terrell in winning a 15-round decision. Ali taunted Terrell through the fight, yelling ‘What’s my name?’ repeatedly as he pummeled Terrell. Terrell retired from boxing in 1973 and later enjoyed a career in music and also made forays into politics.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .