CAROLINA 33, NEW ORLEANS 31

NEW ORLEANS The Carolina Panthers withstood a gutsy comeback attempt by Drew Brees to put away their first division title in three years.

John Kasay kicked a 42-yard field goal with one second remaining Sunday as the Panthers defeated the New Orleans Saints, 33-31, to clinch the NFC South crown.

Carolina (12-4), the only team to go 8-0 at home this season, secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye.

The dramatic victory came after Brees threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to rally in the Saints (8-8) from a 30-10 deficit.

New Orleans took a 31-30 lead on Brees 13-yard TD pass to Lance Moore with 3:16 remaining.

Brees threw for 386 yards, falling just 16 yards shy of Dan Marinos NFL single-season record of 5,084 yards set in 1984.

Carolinas DeAngelo Williams rushed for 178 yards on 25 carries to set two franchise marks as the Panthers rebounded from last weeks 34-28 overtime loss to the New York Giants. That defeat cost Carolina home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Williams finished the year with 1,515 yards, breaking Stephen Davis previous team mark of 1,444 set in 2003. He also established another team record with his eighth 100-yard game of the season.

The Panthers dominated from the start, putting together drives of 12, 9 and 9 plays on their first three possessions.

But after settling for field goals each time, Carolina appeared to take control by scoring two touchdowns in a six-second span late in the second quarter.

An interception by safety Chris Harris set up Jake Delhommes 8-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad with 3:03 remaining in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, linebacker Landon Johnson knocked the ball loose from Skyler Green. Cornerback Dante Wesley scooped up the fumble and returned it 12 yards for his first career TD, giving the Panthers a 23-3 cushion.

Brees answered with a 26-yard TD strike to Marques Colston to pull the Saints within 23-10 at the half.

However, the Panthers forced a punt on the Saints first possession of the second half and regained their three-TD advantage on rookie Jonathan Stewarts 2-yard TD run with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.

With the score, Carolina became the fifth team in NFL history to have two players with 10 or more rushing touchdowns in one season. Williams paced the NFL with 18 rushing TDs.

ATLANTA 31, ST. LOUIS 27

ATLANTA Michael Turner rushed for 208 yards and a touchdown and backup Jerious Norwood added a pair of scores as the Atlanta Falcons rallied for a 31-27 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Norwoods 45-yard burst with 3:41 accounted for the go-ahead touchdown for the Falcons (11-5), who will enter the NFC playoffs as the No. 5 seed and visit the Arizona Cardinals next weekend.

Turner carried 25 times, including a 9-yard scoring run, as Atlanta completed a dramatic turnaround from last seasons 4-12 season.

Steven Jackson rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams (2-14), who closed out the season with a 10-game losing streak.

MINNESOTA 20, NY GIANTS 19

MINNEAPOLIS Ryan Longwell kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the Minnesota Vikings to a 20-19 victory over the New York Giants and the NFC North Division title.

Tarvaris Jackson hooked up with Bernard Berrian for a 54-yard touchdown pass for the Vikings (10-6), who rallied from a 19-10 fourth-quarter deficit.

Minnesota entered the day needing only to win to clinch the NFC North.

Derrick Ward rushed for 77 yards for New York (12-4), which pulled most of its starters prior to the second half.

NEW ENGLAND 13, BUFFALO 0

ORCHARD PARK, New York The New England Patriots did their job and will be forced to play a game of scoreboard-watching.

Sammy Morris rushed for 85 yards and LaMont Jordan scored on a 2-yard run as the Patriots made their bid for a playoff spot with a 13-0 win over the Buffalo Bills at wind-blown Ralph Wilson Stadium.

New England (11-5) still will miss the playoffs if Miami and Baltimore win later Sunday. The Patriots can clinch the AFC East title if the New York Jets beat the Dolphins, and will claim a wild card spot if the Ravens lose at home to Jacksonsville.

It was the 11th consecutive win by the Patriots over the Bills (7-9), who lost nine of their final 12 games following a 4-0 start.

With howling winds gusting over 50 miles per hour, attempting to pass turned into a travesty and field goals were an adventure at both ends of the field.

Stephen Gostkowski converted field goals of 33 and 23 yards for the Patriots, who havent lost to the Bills since September 7, 2003.

Matt Cassel finished just 6-of-8 for 78 yards for New England, which posted its four straight win overall and 12th in a row in December.

OAKLAND 31, TAMPA BAY 24

TAMPA, Florida Michael Bush rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns as the Oakland Raiders snuffed out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playoff hopes with a 31-24 win.

Bush scored on a 67-yard run midway through the fourth quarter as the Raiders (5-11) reeled off 17 unanswered points to send Tampa Bay (9-7) to its fourth consecutive loss.

The defeat by the Buccaneers means the winner of the Philadelphia-Dallas game later Sunday will clinch a wild card berth and play at Minnesota in the opening week of the playoffs.

JaMarcus Russell finished 14-of-21 for 148 yards with two TDs and one interception for Oakland.

GREEN BAY 31, DETROIT 21

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin The Detroit Lions gave new meaning to futility in the NFL, completing their amazingly imperfect season with another loss on the frozen turf of Lambeau Field.

Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes Sunday to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 31-21 victory over the record-setting Lions, who became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16.

Detroit joined the 1976 Tampa Buccaneers, who went 0-14, as the only winless teams in the Super Bowl era.

The Lions showed some intensity in their attempt to avoid NFL ignominy, rallying from a pair of deficits to enter the fourth quarter with a 14-14 tie.

But Rodgers threw a pair of TD passes in the fourth quarter, sending the Packers (6-10) to a win in their season finale while stamping the Lions permanent spot in the NFL record book.

HOUSTON 31, CHICAGO 24

HOUSTON Matt Schaub threw a pair of touchdown passes to Andre Johnson in the second quarter Sunday as the Houston Texans eliminated the Chicago Bears from playoff contention with a 31-24 victory.

The loss ousted the Bears (9-7), who squandered an early 10-0 lead, from the wild card race. Chicago was eliminated from the NFC North moments earlier when the Minnesota defeated the New York Giants, 20-19.

Houstons victory enabled the Texans (8-8) to finish at .500 for the second straight season.

Houston put away the game with an 89-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, taking a 31-17 lead on a 2-yard TD by rookie Steve Slaton with 3:28 remaining.

PITTSBURGH 31, CLEVELAND 0

PITTSBURGH The Pittsburgh Steelers must be relieved to have earned a bye in the postseason. Ben Roethlisberger will need it to rest up.

In what amounted to a meaningless game, Roethlisberger suffered a concussion in the first half of Pittsburghs 31-0 win over Cleveland on Sunday.

Roethlisberger was carted off the field after a vicious hit in the first half.

Roethlisberger was hit by Willie McGinest and DQwell Jackson simultaneously and, as he fell, his head smashed into the turf. He was able to move his legs while laying on the ground.

After about a 15-minute delay, Roethlisberger gave a thumbs-up to the crowd as he was carted off the field. He was 9-of-14 for 110 yards and an interception before leaving.

The Steelers (12-4) already have clinched the AFC North and had no reason to keep Roethlisberger in that long.

Jamal Lewis had 94 yards on 23 carries for Cleveland (4-12).

INDIANAPOLIS 23, TENNESSEE 0

INDIANAPOLIS -Peyton Manning was perfect in limited playing time and Adam Vinatieri kicked three field goals as the Indianapolis Colts rolled to a 23-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

In what amounted to little more than a glorified preseason game, Manning was 7-of-7 for 95 yards – including a 55-yard TD toss to Joseph Addai.

Jim Sorgi went 23-of-30 for 178 yards in place of Manning.

Guard Jamey Richard recovered a fumble in the end zone for Indianapolis (12-4), which has won nine straight following a 31-21 loss to Tennessee that dropped them one game under .500 on October 27.

Tennessee (13-3) has already clinched home-field advantage and rested several key starters.

CINCINNATI 16, KANSAS CITY 6

CINCINNATI Shayne Graham kicked three field goals and Cedric Benson ran for 111 yards and a score as the Cincinnati Bengals posted a 16-6 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Cincinnati (4-11-1) outgained Kansas City, 329-220 en route to its third straight win.

The Bengals did so without wide receivers Chad Johnson (hamstring) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (back), who were both inactive.

Tony Gonzalez caught a touchdown pass for the Chiefs (2-14), who wrapped up the worst season in the franchises 49-year history.

PHILADELPHIA 44, DALLAS 6

PHILADELPHIA Given a reprieve following an unlikely series of events earlier in the day, the Philadelphia Eagles stormed into the playoffs by tearing apart one of their hated rivals.

Donovan McNabb ran for one touchdown and threw for two more as the Eagles humbled the Dallas Cowboys, 44-6, to claim the sixth and final seed in the NFC on Sunday.

Philadelphia (9-6-1) ripped off 41 unanswered points to behead the Cowboys (9-7) and earn a date at NFC North champion Minnesota next weekend.

Dallas would have claimed the final wild card spot with a victory. Instead, the Cowboys completed another late-season swoon, failing to post a winning record in December for the 12th straight season – the longest active streak in the NFL.

The rout reached comical proportions midway through the third quarter, when Philadelphias Chris Clemons and Joselio Hanson returned fumbles 73 and 96 yards, respectively, as the lead

ballooned to 41-3.

MIAMI 24, NY JETS 17

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins completed their story-book run to a division title, defeating the New York Jets, 24-17, to clinch the AFC East.

It was the ultimate revenge for Pennington, who won the division crown at Giants Stadium, where he spent the first eight years of his career. He was released by the Jets in the summer when they acquired Brett Favre.

Miami (11-5), which captured the division crown after winning just one game last season, will host Baltimore in a first-round playoff game next week. The 10-game turnaround matched the 1999 Indianapolis Colts for the best in NFL history.

Pennington tossed two touchdowns, including a 20-yard strike to tight end Anthony Fasano that gave the Dolphins a 21-17 lead with 7:16 left in the third quarter.

Favre threw three interceptions, finishing the season with a league-high 22. New York (9-7) was eliminated following its fourth loss in five games.

BALTIMORE 27, JACKSONVILLE 7

BALTIMORE LeRon McClain rushed for two touchdowns, leading the Baltimore Ravens to a 27-7 victory over the Jacskonville Jaguars.

Willis McGahee also ran for a touchdown for Baltimore (11-5), which clinched a wild card berth in the AFC.

After falling behind, 7-3, the Ravens rallied for three second-quarter touchdowns to put away the Jaguars (5-11).

In coach John Harbaughs first season as the Ravens coach, he took a team that had been 5-11 last season under Brian Billick and engineered a remarkable six-game improvement.

It is the fifth time Baltimore has qualified for the playoffs, the fourth as a wild card. In 2000, they won the Super Bowl as a wild card.

ARIZONA 34, SEATTLE 21

GLENDALE, Arizona Kurt Warner threw for 263 yards and four touchdowns as the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 34-21, in Mike Holmgrens final game on the sideline.

Larry Fitzgerald had 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help the Cardinals win for just the second time in six games. But Arizona (9-7) managed to get back on track offensively in this one after being outscored, 82-21, in the last two losses.

Edgerrin James ran for 100 yards on 14 carries while Steve Breaston and Jerheme Urban also caught touchdown passes for the Cardinals.

The loss ended a disappointing season for Holmgren, who announced prior to the season it would be his last at the helm for Seattle (4-12).

Seneca Wallace connected with Deion Branch on a pair of touchdown strikes and T.J. Duckett scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown for the Seahawks.

SAN FRANCISCO 27, WASHINGTON 24

SAN FRANCISCO Shaun Hill threw for 245 yards and led a game-winning drive that was capped by Joe Nedneys 39-yard field goal as the San Francisco 49ers posted a 27-24 victory over the Washington Redskins.

Hill finished 21-of-30 with one touchdown and ran for another, leading the 49ers (7-9) to their fifth win in seven games.

Frank Gore ran for 58 yards on 11 carries and Jason Hill caught a TD pass for San Francisco, which improved to 5-4 under interim head coach Mike Singletary. This win only enhances Singletarys chance of keeping the job full time.

Reports earlier in the week stated that the 49ers would offer the Hall of Fame linebacker a multi-year deal after this game.

Clinton Portis ran for 80 yards and a score for Washington (7-9), which tied the game on a 2-yard TD run by quarterback Jason Campbell with 1:15 to play.

SAN DIEGO 52, DENVER 21

SAN DIEGO LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for three touchdowns and Darren Sproles added two scores as the San Diego Chargers clinched their third straight AFC West Division title with a 52-21 triumph over the Denver Broncos.

Philip Rivers tossed scoring strikes to Brandon Manumaleuna and Sproles for San Diego (8-8), which secured the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs and a home date against the fifth-seeded Indianapolis Colts (12-4) on Saturday night.

Jacob Hester capped the scoring with a 4-yard run for the Chargers, who recorded seven touchdowns and a field goal on their 10 possessions.

Tomlinson ran in from 1, 4 and 14 yards, respectively, to give him 126 career rushing touchdowns, putting him in sole possession of second place on the NFLs all-time list. He trails Emmitt Smith, who has 164 scores.

Tatum Bell rushed for touchdown runs of 26 and 37 yards and Tony Scheffler reeled in a 25-yard TD pass for Denver (8-8), which became the first team since division play began in 1967 to miss the postseason after having a three-game lead with three weeks remaining.

Posted on December 29th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: NFL football news