***** National Football League Game Capsules *****
(Sunday, December 28th)
Final Score: Philadelphia 44, Dallas 6
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Donovan McNabb threw for two touchdowns
and ran for another, and the Philadelphia defense scored twice, as the Eagles
completely annihilated the Dallas Cowboys, 44-6, securing an unlikely
postseason berth in a wild Week 17 for NFC playoff hopefuls. The early slate
of games fell exactly as the Eagles needed, as Oakland stunned the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, 31-24, and Chicago fell to the Houston Texans by the same score
to set up the de facto playoff matchup of NFC East rivals for the final wild-
card spot in the conference. McNabb, who was benched after halftime just
five weeks ago in Baltimore, completed 12-of-21 passes for 175 yards as
the Eagles (9-6-1) won four of their final five games to sneak into the
postseason under the franchise signal-caller for the first time since a
Super Bowl appearance in 2004. Jeff Garcia filled in for an injured McNabb in
2006 and finished the regular season with five consecutive wins to bring
Philadelphia to the playoffs. Brian Dawkins, recently named to his seventh Pro
Bowl, forced two fumbles that went for scores, while Chris Clemons forced a
fumble, recovered another and recorded two sacks and a TD in a dominating
defensive effort for Philly. Correll Buckhalter had 122 total yards with a
touchdown grab in the win, as the Eagles look forward to a first-round
playoff bout against NFC North champion Minnesota next Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
(et). Dallas (9-7), the preseason Super Bowl favorite, lost three of its
final four games and have a long offseason of finger-pointing and self
discovery ahead after falling short of expectations yet again. Tony Romo, who
suffered from flu-like symptoms during the week, tossed for 183 yards on 21-
of-39 passes but fumbled twice and threw an interception as the Cowboys
failed to score an offensive touchdown for the only time this season. Terrell
Owens had six catches for 103 yards, while Tashard Choice led the rushing
attack with 56 yards on 13 carries.
Final Score: Miami 24, NY Jets 17
East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Chad Pennington threw for 200 yards and
two touchdowns on 22-of-30 passing, leading the Miami Dolphins to a 24-17 win
over the New York Jets, and their first playoff appearance in seven years. The
Dolphins (11-5) completed a startling turnaround from last season, when they
went 1-15, to win the AFC East. Miami hadn't won the division since 2000, and
hadn't made the playoffs since 2001. Moreover, Miami clinched the division
Sunday at the Meadowlands under the leadership of Pennington, the longtime
quarterback of the Jets who played with New York from 2000-07. The Dolphins
will now host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday at 1 p.m. (et) in the opening
round of the AFC playoffs. Pennington threw touchdown passes to Anthony
Fasano and Ted Ginn, Jr., who finished with two catches for 71 yards.
Phillip Merling had an interception return for a score for Miami, which won
its final five games of the season. Meanwhile, the Jets (9-7) were
eliminated from playoff contention before Sunday's contest even ended, as
they would have needed a New England loss to win the division or a
Baltimore loss to clinch a playoff spot. But the Patriots shut out
Buffalo, 13-0, and the Ravens blasted Jacksonville, 27-7, to leave no chance
that New York would make the playoffs even if the Jets had won. Brett
Favre, the quarterback the Jets selected to replace Pennington in an
offseason trade, completed 20-of-40 passes for 233 yards and one
touchdown, but threw three interceptions in the loss. It was his seventh
multi-interception game of the season and third consecutive, as New York lost
four of its final five games to fall out of contention. Leon Washington ran 10
times for 60 yards and a TD for the Jets.
Final Score: San Diego 52, Denver 21
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 96 yards and
three touchdowns, and the Chargers completed an improbable regular season-
ending run, thrashing Denver, 52-21, to win the AFC West Division title.
Darren Sproles had 115 yards on the ground and a score for San Diego, which
captured its third straight division crown thanks to winning its final four
regular season games. Philip Rivers connected on 15-of-20 passes for 207 yards
and a pair of TDs for the Chargers, who won their 14th straight December game
and became the first 8-8 division champion since the Cleveland Browns captured
the AFC Central with the same mark in 1985. It will be a familiar playoff
opponent for the Chargers, who will host Indianapolis (12-4) next Saturday
night at 8 p.m. (et). San Diego eliminated the Colts in the divisional round
last year with that game taking place in Indianapolis. The Colts, winners of
their last nine games, beat the Chargers in San Diego earlier this season,
picking up a 23-20 win on Adam Vinatieri's 51-yard field goal with no time
remaining on November 23. Rivers had 34 passing touchdowns on the season, a
franchise-record, passing the mark of 33 set by Dan Fouts in 1981. Also,
Tomlinson has 126 career rushing TDs, passing Marcus Allen for second-most in
league history. Denver became the first team since NFL divisions were formed
in 1967 to miss the playoffs after holding a three-game lead with three to
play. It was an ugly end to the season for the Broncos, who lost by 20 points
at Carolina on December 14 and faltered at home in a 30-23 final to Buffalo
last week before getting blown out by their divisional foe. Jay Cutler
completed 33-of-49 passes for 316 yards with a score and was picked off twice
for the Broncos (8-8), who lost out on the division thanks to a 3-3 mark
against AFC West opponents, compared to a 5-1 record for the Chargers.
Final Score: Carolina 33, New Orleans 31
New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - DeAngelo Williams ran for 178 yards, and
John Kasay made four field goals, including the game-winner with one second
left, as the Carolina Panthers secured the NFC South title and a first-
round bye with a 33-31 victory over the New Orleans Saints. With the win,
Carolina locked up the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and will host the
highest-seeded wild card-round team in the divisional round on Saturday,
January 10 at 8:15 p.m. (et). Delhomme completed 14-of-20 passes for 250
yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (12-4), who will appear in the
playoffs for the first time since 2005. Steve Smith caught five passes for
134 yards, while Muhsin Muhammad registered 79 receiving yards and a
touchdown on seven catches. Jonathan Stewart added a touchdown run in the win
for Carolina. Drew Brees threw for 386 yards on 30-of-49 passing for the
Saints, with four touchdowns and an interception, becoming the second all-time
leader in single-season passing yardage. His season mark of 5,069 yards
stands behind only former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who threw for 5,084
yards in 1984. Marques Colston added 123 yards and a touchdown on seven
catches for the Saints (8-8), who will finish short of the playoffs for the
second consecutive season. Moore caught eight passes for 91 yards and two
scores, while Robert Meachem scored a touchdown for the second consecutive
game.
Final Score: Minnesota 20, NY Giants 19
Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Ryan Longwell kicked the game-winning 50-
yard field goal as time expired to give the Vikings their first division title
since the 2000 season with a 20-19 victory over the Giants at the Metrodome.
With the NFC North title, the Vikings stake their claim to the third seed in
the NFC playoffs and will host the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday at 4:30
p.m. (et). The Eagles destroyed the Cowboys, 44-6, on Sunday. Adrian Peterson
recorded his 10th 100-yard game of the season by gaining 103 yards on 21
touches with a score for the Vikings (10-6), who won five of their last six
games of the season to win the division. Peterson leads the NFL in rushing
yards with 1,760, which is also a team record. Tarvaris Jackson logged 239
yards passing on 16-of-26 efficiency with a score and an interception in the
victory. Bernard Berrian totaled 81 yards on four grabs with a TD and Bobby
Wade had a career-high 98 yards on four catches. Eli Manning, who played just
the first half, finished 11-for-19 with 119 yards and David Carr was 8-of-11
for 110 yards and a score for the Giants (12-4), who have lost three of their
last four heading to the postseason. New York owns the number one seed in
the NFC playoffs and will rest on a first-round bye next week before hosting
a game on Sunday, January 11 at 1 p.m. (et). Derrick Ward gained 77 yards on
15 carries, giving him his first 1,000-yard rushing season with 1,015 yards.
The milestone makes him and teammate Brandon Jacobs (1,089) just the fourth
pair of teammates to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. Domenik Hixon
racked up 62 yards on four catches with a touchdown and James Butler had an
interception in the loss.
Final Score: Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 7
Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Joe Flacco threw for 297 yards, and the
Baltimore Ravens clinched a playoff berth with a 27-7 victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens secured the AFC's No. 6 seed and will
travel to Miami to face the AFC East champion Dolphins at 1 p.m. (et)
Sunday, January 4 in the first round of the playoffs, after Miami
defeated the Jets, 24-17, in the Meadowlands. Baltimore defeated the
Dolphins, 27-13, in Week 6 in Miami. Flacco completed 17-of-23 passes, while
LeRon McClain ran for 70 yards and two scores for the Ravens (11-5), who
will head to the playoffs after finishing last season with the exact opposite
record. Michael Clayton caught four passes for 128 yards, while Derrick Mason
eclipsed the 10,000 receiving yard mark for his career with 77 yards on six
receptions. Willis McGahee added a rushing touchdown in the win for Baltimore.
David Garrard struggled, going 14-of-25 passing for 127 yards with a touchdown
and two interception, for the Jaguars (5-11), who posted their worst record
since going 5-11 in 2003. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 78 yards on 23
carries, while Alvin Pearman accounted for the team's only points with a
touchdown reception.
Final Score: New England 13, Buffalo 0
Orchard Park, NY (Sports Network) - LaMont Jordan ran for a touchdown and
Stephen Gostkowski kicked two field goals, as the New England Patriots beat
Buffalo, 13-0, but were eliminated from postseason contention later in the day
and were kept out of the playoffs despite an 11-win season. In order to
capture their sixth consecutive AFC East crown, New England needed the Jets to
knock off Miami at the Meadowlands or could have made the playoffs if
Baltimore lost at home to Jacksonville. Instead, the Dolphins won, 24-17, to
capture the division, and the Ravens hammered the Jaguars, 27-7. The Patriots
became the first 11-win team to miss the playoffs since Denver did it in 1985.
Sammy Morris gained 85 yards on 24 carries and Jordan finished with 64 yards
on the ground for the Patriots (11-5), who notched their first whitewashing
since a 35-0 drubbing of Green Bay on November 19, 2006 and have won the last
11 meetings with Buffalo. Matt Cassel completed 6-of-8 passes for 78 yards
in New England's fourth straight victory overall. Trent Edwards connected
on 14-of-25 passes for 128 yards and Fred Jackson amassed 136 yards
rushing for the Bills, who finished with a 7-9 record for a third consecutive
season under head coach Dick Jauron.
Final Score: Oakland 31, Tampa Bay 24
Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Backup running back Michael Bush ran for 177
yards with two touchdowns and JaMarcus Russell threw for 148 yards and two
scores as the Oakland Raiders spoiled Tampa Bay's playoff hopes by beating the
Buccaneers, 31-24, at Raymond James Stadium. Russell completed 14-of-21 passes
and Johnnie Lee Higgins had six grabs for 52 yards and a score for Oakland
(5-11), which won two straight and split its last six contests. Chaz
Schilens caught three passes for 46 yards and a score for the Raiders, who
improved to 6-1 all-time against Tampa in the regular season. Jeff Garcia
finished 17-of-33 with 257 yards with a touchdown and an interception
for the Buccaneers (9-7), who dropped their last four games and were
eliminated from playoff contention. Carnell Williams led the Tampa Bay
running attack with 78 yards on 12 touches with two scores before leaving
midway through the fourth quarter with a left knee injury. Michael Clayton
had a pair of grabs for 87 yards and a score, while Antonio Bryant had three
catches for 77 yards in the loss.
Final Score: Houston 31, Chicago 24
Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Matt Schaub threw for 328 yards and two scores
on 27-of-36 passes, as the Houston Texans eliminated Chicago from playoff
contention with a 31-24 win over the Bears. Chicago (9-7) could have
clinched the NFC North title with a win and a Minnesota loss, but the
Vikings beat the New York Giants, 20-19, on Sunday to claim the divisional
playoff berth. The Bears also would have needed to win to clinch a wild card
bid, but missed out on the postseason for the second consecutive season.
Andre Johnson finished with 10 catches for 148 yards and a pair of scores for
the Texans (8-8), who finished with a .500 record for the second consecutive
season. Johnson also finished the year as the NFL leader in receptions and
receiving yardage, with 115 catches and 1,575 yards. Steve Slaton had 20
carries for 92 yards and one TD, while Ryan Moats added a running score for
Houston, which ended the season by winning five of its final six games. Kyle
Orton completed 22-of-37 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for
Chicago, which had a three-game win streak snapped. Orton also ran for a
score, while Devin Hester had six catches for 85 yards for the Bears. Brandon
Lloyd and Greg Olsen each recorded a touchdown catch in the loss.
Final Score: Atlanta 31, St. Louis 27
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Jerious Norwood's second touchdown run of the
game, coming with 3:41 left in regulation, was the difference as Atlanta
slipped past St. Louis, 31-27, at the Georgia Dome. Matt Ryan completed just
10-of-21 passes for 160 yards, one TD and two interceptions for the
Falcons (11-5), who ended the season with three straight wins. Coupled with
Carolina's 33-31 road win in New Orleans, Atlanta garnered the fifth seed in
the NFC and will play the NFC West champion Cardinals in Arizona on
Saturday, January 3 at 4:30 p.m. (et) in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Michael Turner rushed for 208 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries, while
Norwood finished with 56 yards on three carries. Roddy White added a reception
for a score for Atlanta. Marc Bulger finished with 230 passing yards and
one touchdown on 19-of-32 throws for the Rams (2-14), who lost their 10th
consecutive contest and finished with their worst record since the Los
Angeles club went 1-12-1 in 1962. Steven Jackson racked up 161 yards and
two TDs on 30 carries, reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth straight
season. Only Eric Dickerson (1983-86) accomplished the feat previously in
franchise history. Torry Holt caught six balls for 90 yards while Donnie
Avery had five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown reception.
Final Score: Indianapolis 23, Tennessee 0
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Adam Vinatieri accounted for 11 points
with three field goals and two extra points as the Indianapolis Colts blanked
the Tennessee Titans, 23-0, in the regular-season finale. Both teams came into
the game with their playoff seeding set as the Titans have the top overall
seed in the AFC while the Colts sit in the fifth playoff spot. Since the game
had little meaning for either club, most of the starters either sat out the
game or saw limited playing time. Tennessee will have next week off while
Indianapolis will travel to take on AFC West champion San Diego next Saturday
at 8:00 p.m. (et). The Chargers beat Denver, 52-21, Sunday night to win their
division. Peyton Manning played just one series and went 7-for-7 for 95 yards
and a score for the Colts (12-4), who have won nine straight games and became
the first team in NFL history to have 12 or more wins in six straight seasons.
Manning's 95 yards moved him over 4,000 yards passing for the season and
extended his own NFL record for 4,000-yard passing seasons to nine. He also
reached two other benchmarks as it was his 117th win as a starter, which moved
him into a tie for sixth-place with Joe Montana, and he now has 3,839
completions, which tied him with Drew Bledsoe for fifth-place. Two other Colts
players set milestones on Sunday as receiver Marvin Harrison moved into second
on the NFL's career receptions list and Dallas Clark broke the Indianapolis
franchise single-season record for yards receiving by a tight end. Harrison
caught a short pass from Jim Sorgi in the second quarter, his seventh of the
game, to give him 1,102 in his career and move him past Cris Carter for second
all-time, leaving Harrison behind only Jerry Rice, who holds the league record
with 1,549. Harrison finished the game with seven catches for 31 yards. Clark
needed just 41 yards to break the team record set by Hall of Famer John Mackey
in 1966 and he accomplished that when caught a pass for a 23-yard gain on the
second play of the second quarter. He left the contest with six catches for 59
yards, giving him 848 yards, 19 more than Mackey's previous mark. Kerry
Collins started under center, but left after the first series. Vince Young
finished the game at quarterback and went 9-for-13 with 55 yards for the
Titans (13-3), who dropped two of their last three games to close out the
regular season. Tennessee will host a divisional round game on Saturday,
January 10 at 4:30 p.m. (et)
Final Score: Green Bay 31, Detroit 21
Green Bay, WI (Sports Network) - The Detroit Lions became the first team in
NFL history to go 0-16 as Aaron Rogers threw three touchdowns and the Green
Bay Packers put down the Lions, 31-21, to end Detroit's season of futility.
The Lions (0-16) became the first team since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
who went 0-14 in their expansion season, and the first team since the league
went to a 16-game format to finish a full campaign without a win. The Lions
now join the 1962 New York Mets (40-112), the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers
(9-73) and the 1974-75 Washington Capitals (8-67-5) as having the worst season
in their respective sports. However, the Mets and Capitals were both
expansion teams when they set the mark. Detroit has finished winless
previously, going 0-11 in the 1942 campaign that saw the war-depleted Lions
outscored by a whopping 263-38. Dan Orlovsky went 22-for-42 with 225
yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while Calvin Johnson had
nine catches for 102 yards and two scores for the Lions, who have dropped
17 straight overall and 12 consecutive games on the road. Rodgers went 21-
for-31 with 308 yards while Donald Driver had six catches for 111 yards and
a score for the Packers (6-10), who stopped a five-game skid, but missed the
playoffs just one season after going 13-3 and coming within an overtime loss
of playing in the Super Bowl.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 0
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Willie Parker ran for 116 yards and a
touchdown on 23 carries, and the Steelers defense held Cleveland to 126 yards
total offense, as Pittsburgh throttled the Browns, 31-0, to close the 2008
regular season. AFC North champion Pittsburgh (12-4) now awaits next week's
results to see who it hosts in the divisional playoff round on Sunday, January
11 at 4:45 p.m. (et). Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a
concussion with 1:48 left in the second quarter after an incomplete pass
to Heath Miller and was replaced by Byron Leftwich. Roethlisberger was
taken to the hospital for observation after throwing for 110 yards and
an interception on 9-of-14 passing. Leftwich completed 7-of-12 throws for
80 yards, while adding a rushing score, in the win for Pittsburgh. Gary
Russell also had a rushing touchdown in the victory. Hines Ward caught six
passes for 70 yards, recording career reception 800 while going past 1,000
yards for the fifth straight season. Cleveland's (4-12) ineptitude on
offense continued with an NFL- record 24 straight quarters without an
offensive touchdown. Bruce Gradkowski, the Browns' fourth starting
quarterback of the season, went a paltry 5-for-16 passing for 18 yards and
two interceptions. Jamal Lewis ran for 94 yards on 23 carries to account for
most of the team's offensive production.
Final Score: Arizona 34, Seattle 21
Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Kurt Warner threw for 263 yards and four
touchdowns on 19-of-30 passing and Larry Fitzgerald had five receptions for
130 yards and a pair of scores, as the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals
defeated Seattle, 34-21, in the final game for Seahawks head coach Mike
Holmgren. Edgerrin James had 14 carries for 100 yards for Arizona (9-7), which
will host the Atlanta Falcons next Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (et) in an NFL wild
card game. The Cardinals will be hosting their first playoff game since
1947, when they were based in Chicago. The Cardinals secured their first
winning season since 1998, their last playoff appearance. It's just the second
time since 1984 they've ended above .500. Holmgren finished 86-74 as
Seattle's head coach in the regular season and 4-6 in the postseason. Former
Falcons head coach Jim Mora, Jr. will take over for Holmgren in 2009. Seneca
Wallace connected on 24-of-43 passes for 250 yards with a pair of scores
and was picked off twice for Seattle (4-12), which also got 90 yards and a
pair of touchdowns from wide receiver Deion Branch.
Final Score: Cincinnati 16, Kansas City 6
Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Cedric Benson rushed for 111 yards on 25
carries and scored a touchdown while Shayne Graham booted three field goals as
Cincinnati beat Kansas City, 16-6, at Paul Brown Stadium. Ryan Fitzpatrick
completed 18-of-30 passes for 129 yards for the Bengals (4-11-1), who
completed the regular season with three wins in succession and emerged
victorious despite playing without their two top receivers, Chad Johnson
and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, due to injury. Andre Caldwell led the Cincinnati
receiving corps, catching five balls for 34 yards. Tyler Thigpen threw for
191 yards and a score on 19-of-36 completions for the Chiefs (2-14), who
finished the year by losing their final four contests and posted their least
amount of wins since going 2-12 in 1977. Dwayne Bowe recorded a game-best 10
catches for 103 yards and Tony Gonzalez had a late TD reception for Kansas
City, which has dropped 23 of 25 games dating back to last season.
Final Score: San Francisco 27, Washington 24
San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Joe Nedney kicked a 39-yard field goal as
time expired to give the 49ers a 27-24 victory over the Washington
Redskins in the season finale on a day San Francisco made Mike Singletary
their permanent head coach with a reported four-year deal. Shaun Hill
finished 21-of-30 passing for 245 yards with a touchdown and an interception
and also ran for a score for San Francisco (7-9), which finished the campaign
on a high note, winning four of its last five games. Frank Gore led the
49ers running attack with 58 yards on 11 carries, while DeShaun Foster
chipped in with 44 yards on the ground and a score. Jason Hill contributed
with a TD catch. Jason Campbell threw for 156 yards on 18-of-30 efficiency
with a touchdown pass and added a rushing score, while Antwaan Randle El had
a touchdown catch for the Redskins (8-8), who closed out the season by
dropping four of five. Clinton Portis had 80 yards on 29 touches with a score
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