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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Sore knee and all, Frank Sanders is one of the keys to the Arizona Cardinals' hopes of earning their first playoff victory in 41 years.

	Frank Sanders finished one reception behind Miami's O.J. McDuffie for the NFL lead.

Sanders had a shot at leading the NFL in receptions, but had to sit out more than two quarters of Arizona's 16-13, playoff-clinching win over the San Diego Chargers after straining his left knee 11 seconds into the second quarter.

He was unable to practice Tuesday, when the the Cardinals began preparing for the first-round game against Dallas, but said he will be in the lineup in time for the kickoff Saturday afternoon.

"Knee-wise I'm fine," said Sanders, a starter for all but one game since the Cardinals drafted him in the second round in 1995. "There's no ligaments torn or damaged. It's a little sprain."

The remark is vintage Sanders. He broke his a hand in his first training camp but went on to lead NFL rookies by averaging 17 yards on each of his 52 catches.

He had 69 receptions in 1996 and 75 last year, when he teamed with Rob Moore to become the first pair of Cardinals wideouts to each have more than 1,000 yards receiving in the same season.

Thirty-one of Sanders' catches came on third down, the best in the NFL, but he spent the year in the shadows while Moore set franchise records for yardage (an NFL-high 1,584) and catches by a wide receiver (97) and earned his second Pro Bowl berth.

The situation flip-flopped this season.

Moore struggled with a hamstring pull and finished with 67 catches, and Sanders led the NFC with 89, including another 31 on third down. That left him second in the NFL only to Minnesota's Cris Carter, who had 32.

O.J. McDuffie of Miami edged Sanders for the league receptions title by one catch.

"It's something I had not set my heart on this offseason, to lead the (conference) in receptions," said Sanders, who had a career-high 1,145 yards. "To lead the league in third-down receptions, I wanted to take that very seriously, and I'm glad it worked out in my favor.

"But I'm just glad we're in a position to go into the postseason. I'm very excited about that, more than anything."

The Cardinals (9-7) hadn't made the playoffs since 1975, except for the strike-shortened 1982 season, until they finished with a three-game run in which Chris Jacke delivered all three victories by kicking a field goal on the last play.

It was fitting that Sanders set up Jacke's 52-yard winner against San Diego by catching a 10-yard pass to the Chargers 34-yard line with three seconds left. It was Sanders' eighth catch of the game and his fourth in the fourth quarter after he re-entered the game.

"Having Frank on the field with me makes me somewhat of a fan," said fullback Larry Centers, a receiver of note in his own right. "I get caught up sometimes watching the game and watching him play, he's so exciting to watch."

The Cardinals offense seemed dull against the Chargers without Sanders. Left guard Chris Dishman said not too much should be written into that, but agreed Sanders can loosen up defenses.

"I don't know if it's any one thing that makes him Frank, but he seems to get open, and when he does it gives us a chance to move the ball," Dishman said.