***** National Football League Game Capsules *****
(Sunday, December 21st)
Final Score: Cincinnati 14, Cleveland 0
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Leon Hall had three interceptions, including
one returned for a touchdown, as the Cincinnati Bengals edged the Cleveland
Browns, 14-0, in an AFC North defensive clash. Cedric Benson had 38 carries
for 171 yards while Chris Henry had a touchdown reception for the Bengals
(3-11-1), who have won two straight and also avoided going winless on the road
this season. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 5-for-9 with 55 yards and a touchdown
for Cincinnati, which last won a game on the road at Miami on the final week
of last season. Ken Dorsey was a horrid 10-for-17 with 68 yards and three
picks while Jamal Lewis had 16 carries for 76 yards in the loss for the
Browns (4-11), who have dropped five straight and went just 1-7 at home this
season. The Cleveland offense has now gone five games without an offensive
touchdown. The last time the offense found the end zone was early in the
fourth quarter against Buffalo on November 17. The teams combined for just
428 yards with Cincinnati getting 246, including 191 on the ground.
Final Score: New Orleans 42, Detroit 7
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Drew Brees threw two touchdown passes as the
New Orleans Saints crushed Detroit, 42-7, and kept the Lions on their march
toward infamy. The Lions (0-15) became the first team to ever start a season
with 15 straight losses and are staring a winless season in the face. Detroit
now has one chance left, next Sunday in Green Bay, to avoid becoming the
first team to finish a full season without a win since the league went to
a 16-game format in 1978. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14 in their
expansion season, while several teams have gone 1-15 since the implementation
of the 16-game ledger. Brees went 30-for-40 with 351 yards while Marques
Colston had nine catches for 99 yards and two scores for the Saints (8-7),
who have won two of three but have already been knocked out of playoff
contention. Brees has 4,683 passing yards on the season and needs a 401-
yard game next week to tie Dan Marino's single-season record set in 1984.
Kevin Smith had 24 carries for 111 yards and a score while Dan Orlovsky went
10-for-23 with 125 yards and two interceptions for Detroit, which has lost 16
straight overall going back to last season.
Final Score: Miami 38, Kansas City 31
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Chad Pennington's second touchdown pass to
Anthony Fasano snapped a tie with just over four minutes remaining and lifted
the Miami Dolphins to a 38-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at a frigid
Arrowhead Stadium. Pennington completed 26-of-34 passes for 235 yards with
three touchdowns for the Dolphins (10-5), who have won four in a row and
still control their own destiny for the AFC East title with just one game
remaining. Miami started the day tied with New England and the New York
Jets atop the division. The Patriots kept pace with a win over Arizona, while
the Jets fell one game behind with a 13-3 loss at Seattle. The Dolphins visit
the Meadowlands next week to face the Jets and a win would give Miami the
division crown. It was the coldest game in Dolphins history with temperatures
hovering around 10 degrees and wind chills near minus-10. Despite the
conditions, the teams combined for 895 yards of offense. Tyler Thigpen
completed 20-of-41 passes for 320 yards with two touchdowns and three
interceptions for the Chiefs (2-13), who have lost three straight -- all
by seven points or less -- and completed their home schedule just 1-7.
Thigpen added 57 yards with a touchdown on the ground, while Larry Johnson ran
for 108 yards and a score on just 12 carries in defeat.
Final Score: New England 47, Arizona 7
Foxboro, MA (Sports Network) - Matt Cassel threw three touchdowns passes and
LaMont Jordan added two scores on the ground, as the New England Patriots
walloped the Arizona Cardinals, 47-7, at a snowy Gillette Stadium. Cassel,
who was taken out in the fourth quarter with New England in firm control,
totaled 345 yards on 20-of-36 passing for the Patriots (10-5), who kept pace
with the Dolphins atop the AFC East. Miami outslugged Kansas City, 38-31,
on Sunday, while the Jets lost to Seattle, 13-3, to fall a game back in
the division. In order to capture the division crown, New England needs to
win at Buffalo next Sunday and New York to beat the Dolphins. Jabar Gaffney
had 90 yards on five receptions, while Wes Welker registered 68 yards and one
score on seven grabs for New England. Sammy Morris rushed for 88 yards on 15
carries and Jordan finished with 78 yards rushing. The Patriots collected
points on nine of their first 10 drives. The wintry conditions and New
England's defense hamstrung Arizona's explosive offense. Kurt Warner was a
putrid 6-of-18 for 30 yards before he was lifted late in the third quarter
in favor of Matt Leinart. Leinart completed 6-of-14 passes for 138 yards
with one touchdown and an interception for the NFC West champion Cardinals
(8-7), who are limping into the postseason, having dropped four of their last
five contests. Arizona's previous sojourns to the Eastern Time Zone this
season have also been fruitless, losing to the Redskins (24-17), Jets (56-35),
Panthers (27-23) and Eagles (48-20). In fact, the Cardinals are 3-7
overall outside the underwhelming NFC West.
Final Score: San Francisco 17, St. Louis 16
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Shaun Hill tossed two touchdowns in less than
a three-minute span late in the fourth quarter as the San Francisco 49ers
pulled out the season sweep of the St. Louis Rams with a remarkable 17-16
come-from-behind victory. Hill, who was picked off three times, found
Isaac Bruce for a three-yard touchdown pass with 4:03 remaining and,
following a quick three-and-out by the Rams, lofted a jump ball to rookie Josh
Morgan, who came down with the 48-yard score despite being surrounded by three
St. Louis defenders with 1:22 to go. Hill finished with 216 yards on 18-
of-34 throws and also rushed for a team-high 45 yards as San Francisco
(6-9) moved to 4-4 under interim head coach Mike Singletary. Marc Bulger
threw for 227 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-36 passes but was picked off
in enemy territory driving for the go-ahead score with under 20 seconds
remaining. Steven Jackson carried the load for the Rams (2-13) with 108
yards on 32 carries as the team lost their ninth consecutive game for the
first time since 1991. The Niners were without leading rusher Frank Gore
for the second straight week with an ankle injury and it showed as the offense
struggled until late in the game.
Final Score: San Diego 41, Tampa Bay 24
Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Philip Rivers threw for 287 yards and four
touchdowns, including a pair of scores to Antonio Gates, as the San Diego
Chargers kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
41-24, at Raymond James Stadium. Rivers completed 21-of-31 passes, while
Gates had four catches for 43 yards for the Chargers (7-8), who have won
three straight games. San Diego is now one game behind Denver for first
place in the AFC West. The Chargers will host the Broncos next Sunday
with the winner claiming the division title. Buffalo helped San Diego keep its
playoff hopes alive when the Bills upset Denver 30-23 on Sunday. Darren
Sproles had three grabs for 46 yards and a score, while Antoine Cason had a
59-yard interception return for a TD in the win. Vincent Jackson
contributed with seven catches for 111 yards and LaDainian Tomlinson rushed
for 90 yards on 21 carries. Jeff Garcia turned in a gritty effort for Tampa
Bay (9-6), completing 21-of-35 passes for 232 yards with one touchdown
pass and a rushing score before leaving late in the fourth quarter after
suffering a bloody forehead following a hard hit. Antonio Bryant had six
catches for 127 yards with a touchdown for the Buccaneers, who have
dropped three in a row. Tampa Bay hosts Oakland next Sunday and needs a
win to have any chance of making the playoffs.
Final Score: Tennessee 31, Pittsburgh 14
Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Kerry Collins passed for 216 yards and hit
Justin Gage for a touchdown, as the Tennessee Titans rattled off 21 unanswered
points to seal home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 31-14
victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Collins connected on 20-of-29 throws
while Gage finished with 104 yards on five catches for the Titans (13-2),
who finished with 323 total yards in the win, becoming the first team this
season to surpass the 300-yard mark against the vaunted Steelers defense.
Chris Johnson and LenDale White each logged rushing touchdowns as the Titans
have won three of their last four games to force the rest of the conference to
come through Tennessee to get to the Super Bowl. Despite defensive linemen
Albert Haynesworth (knee) and Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin) being out with
injuries, the Titans held Pittsburgh to a mere 71 rushing yards and
forced four turnovers. Jason Jones led the way defensively with 3 1/2 sacks
and Michael Griffin had two interceptions, returning his last one 83 yards for
the clinching score. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 331 yards and two
touchdowns on 26-of-40 throws, but he was also picked off twice and lost two
fumbles for the Steelers (11-4), who had their five-game winning streak
snapped and have to settle for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Hines Ward and
Santonio Holmes each caught a touchdown pass to go with 109 and 93 receiving
yards, respectively, for Pittsburgh, which wrapped up the AFC North last
week with a win against Baltimore.
Final Score: Buffalo 30, Denver 23
Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Trent Edwards threw for 193 yards and a
touchdown and Rian Lindell kicked three field goals as the Buffalo Bills
surprised the Denver Broncos, 30-23. Edwards completed 17-of-25 passes and
Fred Jackson had 113 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown run after Marshawn
Lynch left with a shoulder injury. Lynch finished with 34 yards on the
ground with a score. Buffalo (7-8) snapped a three-game losing streak with
the victory. Jay Cutler passed for 359 yards on 25-of-45 passing with an
interception and ran for a pair of scores for Denver (8-7), which has lost
two in a row. The Broncos will play at San Diego next Sunday with the
winner claiming the AFC West title. The Chargers beat Tampa Bay, 41-24,
earlier on Sunday. Brandon Marshall led the Broncos receiving corps with
10 catches for 129 yards, while Matt Prater converted 3-of-4 field goal
attempts for Denver.
Final Score: Oakland 27, Houston 16
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Johnnie Lee Higgins had a punt return for a
touchdown and caught a touchdown pass as the Oakland Raiders thumped the
Houston Texans, 27-16. JaMarcus Russell went 18-for-25 with 236 yards and
two scores while Chaz Schilens added three catches for 52 yards and a score
for the Raiders (4-11), who snapped a three-game slide. Matt Schaub went 19-
for-36 with 255 yards and one interception while Owen Daniels added seven
catches for 111 yards for the Texans (7-8), who had a four-game winning
streak stopped.
Final Score: Seattle 13, NY Jets 3
Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Seneca Wallace threw a touchdown pass and
Maurice Morris gained 116 yards on the ground, as the Seattle Seahawks
defeated the New York Jets, 13-3, at a snow-covered Qwest Field. Wallace
finished 18-of-25 for 175 yards for the Seahawks (4-11), who recorded
a victory in Mike Holmgren's final home game as head coach. Brett Favre was
very inconsistent for the Jets (9-6), completing 18-of-31 passes for 187
yards with two interceptions. Thomas Jones rushed for 67 yards on 17 carries,
while Jerricho Cotchery made six grabs for 81 yards. New York has dropped
three of its last four games and now finds itself one game back of Miami
and New England in the crowded AFC East. The Dolphins and Patriots both were
victorious on Sunday, and the Jets need to beat Miami next week in the
regular-season finale and New England to lose at Buffalo in order to secure
the division crown.
Final Score: Atlanta 24, Minnesota 17
Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Matt Ryan threw for a touchdown and Michael
Turner ran for another, as the Atlanta Falcons clinched a playoff berth with a
24-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. Atlanta (10-5)
clinched a Wild Card spot with the win and Minnesota (9-6) can still claim
the NFC North title -- which would be its first division crown since the
2000 season -- if the Bears lose to the Packers on Monday night. The top two
rushers in the NFL were on hand, as Adrian Peterson gained 76 yards to
move his season-total to a league-leading 1,657 yards for Minnesota. Turner
ended with 70 yards to stay in second place at 1,491 yards for the
visitors. Ryan finished 13-of-24 with 134 yards for the Falcons, who
have won two straight and four of five to get into the postseason. Michael
Jenkins tallied 61 yards on four grabs, while Jerious Norwood had two
catches for 11 yards with a score in the win. Tarvaris Jackson logged 233
yards and a pair of TDs on 22-of-36 passing and notched 76 yards on eight
carries for the Vikes, who saw their four-game win streak halted. Visanthe
Shiancoe led the way for the Minnesota air game with 136 yards and two scores
on seven catches.
Final Score: Washington 10, Philadelphia 3
Landover, MD (Sports Network) - Clinton Portis rushed for 70 yards and the
game's only touchdown, and the Redskins' defense staved off a late
Philadelphia drive to damper the Eagles' playoff chances with a 10-3 victory.
Donovan McNabb nearly orchestrated a game-tying 91-yard drive, but his 17-yard
pass to Reggie Brown as time was winding down was stopped just short of the
goal line, and the Redskins, though eliminated from playoff contention, capped
the season sweep of their NFC East rival. Jason Campbell threw for 144 yards
on 18-of-33 passes, while Jason Taylor led the defensive effort with two sacks
and a forced fumble that set up the only TD for Washington (8-7), which had
lost five of six coming into the game after a solid 6-2 start to the season.
McNabb finished with 230 yards on 26-of-46 passes, while Brian Westbrook
recorded 116 yards from scrimmage for Philadelphia (8-6-1), which had
controlled its playoff destiny thanks to Tampa Bay's (9-6) loss on Sunday.
With the setback, however, the Eagles must now beat Dallas next week and hope
the Buccaneers lose at home to Oakland in Week 17 and for Chicago to lose one
of its two final games against Green Bay -- on Monday -- and Houston.
Final Score: NY Giants 34, Carolina 28 (OT)
East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Derrick Ward gained a career-high 215
yards on 15 carries and Brandon Jacobs had three touchdowns -- including the
game-winner in overtime -- as the New York Giants clinched home-field
advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a 34-28 victory over the
Carolina Panthers at Giants Stadium. Carolina, which has already clinched a
postseason berth, can still clinch the NFC South and the number two seed in
the NFC playoffs with a win next Sunday at New Orleans or an Atlanta loss to
St. Louis. Jacobs finished with 87 yards on 24 touches for the Giants (12-3),
who close out their regular season next Sunday in Minnesota. Eli Manning
tallied 181 yards with a TD on 17-of-27 passing. Domenik Hixon logged 71 yards
on four catches and Kevin Boss had a touchdown catch in the win as the Giants
snapped a two-game slide. Jake Delhomme threw for 185 yards on 11-of-19 throws
for the Panthers (11-4), who saw a three-game win streak halted. DeAngelo
Williams ran for 108 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries. Williams now
has 18 rushing scores this season which is good for the league lead.
***** National Football League Game Capsules *****
(Monday, December 22nd)
Final Score: Chicago 20, Green Bay 17 (OT)
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Robbie Gould's 38-yard field goal with 11:28
left in overtime lifted Chicago to a 20-17 win over the Green Bay Packers,
keeping the Bears in the thick of the NFC North race. With the win, Chicago
(9-6) moved into a tie with Minnesota for first place in the division, after
the Vikings lost to Atlanta on Sunday. The race for the NFC North crown will
come down to Week 17, when Chicago plays at Houston and Minnesota hosts the
New York Giants. Chicago can clinch the division and the No. 3 playoff seed
next Sunday with a win or tie combined with a Vikings loss. Matt Forte ran
for 73 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries for the Bears, who have won
three in a row and two consecutive in overtime. Kyle Orton threw for 142
yards on 14-of-27 passing for Chicago, with two interceptions and a
touchdown to Greg Olsen. Aaron Rodgers completed 24-of-39 passes for 260
yards and two TDs, with one interception, as the Packers (5-10) lost their
fifth in a row, and seventh game by four or fewer points. The Bears blocked
a 38-yard field goal with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter to send the
game to overtime, in which Chicago took the ball first. Orton connected
with Olsen for 17 yards to midfield, and on the play a horse-collar tackle
penalty on Green Bay put the Bears at the Packers' 35-yard line. Forte ran
twice before catching the ball and running for a 14-yard gain. Forte ran twice
more to put the Bears in a 3rd-and-10 situation, as Gould came on and booted
the winning kick through the uprights.
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