NFL Week 14 Game Recaps

(Tuesday, December 12th)

Final Score: Chicago 42, St. Louis 27

St. Louis, MO (MySportsbook) - Rookie Devin Hester returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as Chicago throttled St. Louis, 42-27, at the Edward Jones Dome. The two scores gave the dynamic Hester six return touchdowns on the season, a new NFL record. Rex Grossman completed 13-of-23 passes for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Bears (11-2), who won their fifth straight game and clinched a first-round playoff bye thanks to the win and losses on Sunday by Dallas and Seattle. Thomas Jones added 76 rushing yards and a score, while Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad each caught a TD pass for Chicago. Marc Bulger connected on 34-of-55 passes for 356 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for the Rams (5-8), who lost for the seventh time in eight games and virtually fell out of the playoff race.

Final Score: New York Giants 27, Carolina 13

Charlotte, NC - Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes and 172 yards, as the New York Giants snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Carolina Panthers,, 27-13. Manning completed 17-of-33 passes and tossed TD strikes to three different receivers for the Giants, who at 7-6 remained in a three-way tie with Atlanta and Philadelphia for the two NFC Wild Card spots. Carolina (6-7) dropped a game back of the wild card hunt with the loss. Plaxico Burress made four catches for 77 yards and Jeremy Shockey hauled in six passes for 49 yards in the win. Both players made touchdown receptions. Tiki Barber rushed for 112 yards in the win and went over 10,000 for his career. Panthers starting quarterback Jake Delhomme was inactive for the game with a right thumb ailment. He suffered the injury in last Monday's loss to the Eagles. Chris Weinke started in his place and threw for club-record 423 yards and a touchdown on 34-of-61 throwing, but was intercepted three times. His favorite target was Drew Carter, who made eight catches for 144 yards with a score. DeShaun Foster returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games with an elbow injury, but rushed for just 23 yards on eight carries in the Panthers' third straight setback. Steve Smith made five catches for 64 yards, while Keyshawn Johnson had 51 yards through the air on five catches.

Final Score: Cincinnati 27, Oakland 10

Cincinnati, OH - All of Cincinnati's major players got into the act, as Rudi Johnson rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson both went over 100 yards receiving and Cincinnati kept moving toward a playoff spot with a 27-10 pounding of Oakland. The offensive explosion marked the first time in club history that a running back ran for 100-plus yards and two receivers reached the 100-yard receiving plateau. Rudi Johnson also reached 1,000 yards rushing for the third straight campaign. Carson Palmer finished 20-of-28 for 297 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions for Cincinnati (8-5), which has won four straight games. However, the road doesn't get any easier as the Bengals finish the season at Indianapolis, in Denver and against Pittsburgh. Aaron Brooks completed 23-of-39 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown and interception for Oakland (2-11), which continued its terrible season with its sixth straight defeat. Ronald Curry hauled in eight passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, but fellow wideout Randy Moss left the game in the second quarter and did not return. The demonstrative wide receiver did not appear to be injured when he left the field after catching two passes for 28 yards.

Final Score: Minnesota 30, Detroit 20

Detroit, MI - Artose Pinner ran for a career-best 125 yards and three touchdowns as Minnesota held on to beat Detroit, 30-20, at Ford Field. Pinner, an ex-Lion, was playing in place of the Vikings' leading rusher, Detroit native Chester Taylor, who was nursing a rib injury. Brad Johnson completed 14-of-22 passes for 159 yards and an interception for the Vikings (6-7), who won for just the second time in their past seven contests but beat Detroit for the 10th consecutive time. Dwight Smith had four tackles, an interception and a sack for a Minnesota defense that forced six turnovers and held the Lions to minus-three yards rushing in the game. Jon Kitna connected on 28-of-41 passes for 294 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions for the struggling Lions, who have lost five straight games and remained tied with Oakland for the league's worst record at 2-11.

Final Score: Tennessee 26, Houston 20 (OT)

Houston, TX - Tennessee rookie quarterback Vince Young made his first start in his hometown of Houston and rushed for a 39-yard touchdown in overtime to lift the Titans to 26-20 victory over the Texans at Reliant Stadium. Young, who many Houston fans wanted the team to select in last April's draft, completed 19-of-29 passes for 218 yards with an interception and also rushed for 86 yards for Tennessee (6-7), which posted its first four- game winning streak since running off six straight victories during the 2003 campaign. Young, the former University of Texas star and third overall pick in last year's draft, was bypassed by Houston, which went with defensive end Mario Williams instead with the first overall pick. Drew Bennett hauled in six passes for 113 yards and Travis Henry rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the victory for the Titans, who were coming off a 20-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts last week after Rob Bironas drilled a 60-yard field goal with just seven seconds left. Ron Dayne had 87 yards on the ground and two touchdowns for the Texans (4-9), who have lost three of their last four games. Houston quarterback David Carr went 17-of-23 for 140 yards and Andre Johnson had seven catches for 68 yards.

Final Score: Jacksonville 44, Indianapolis 17

Jacksonville, FL - Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 166 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdowns, as the Jacksonville Jaguars crushed the Indianapolis Colts, 44-17 at Alltel Stadium. Fred Taylor finished with 131 yards on nine carries and one score, while Reggie Williams had three receptions for the Jaguars (8-5), who have won three of their last four games. David Garrard was 8-of-14 for 79 yards for no scores and one pick, and Alvin Pearman gained 71 yards on 13 rushes with one touchdown. Peyton Manning completed 25-of-50 passes for 313 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Reggie Wayne led the receiving corps with 110 yards on eight catches, and Marvin Harrison caught six balls for 101 yards for the Colts (10-3), losers in three of their last four. The blowout loss denied Indianapolis the chance to clinch the AFC South division title.

Final Score: Baltimore 20, Kansas City 10

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City picked a bad time to lose in December at Arrowhead, as Steve McNair threw an 87-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton to push the Baltimore Ravens over the Chiefs, 20-10. McNair passed Kyle Boller for the second most passing yards by a Raven in a single season, throwing for 283 yards and the long TD to Clayton, while Jamal Lewis ran for 81 yards and another score. Baltimore has now won six straight games when Lewis rushes for a touchdown. Trent Green threw for 178 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, and Larry Johnson ran for 120 yards on 23 carries, but 47 of them came on one play. Kansas City (7-6) now must travel to San Diego next Sunday night in a crucial game for its playoff hopes.

Final Score: Miami 21, New England 0

Miami, FL - Sammy Morris gained 123 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries as the Miami Dolphins blanked the New England Patriots, 21-0, at Dolphin Stadium. Marty Booker hauled in eight passes for 103 yards and a score, while Joey Harrington completed 18-of-30 passes for 190 yards and TD for the Dolphins (6-7), who have won five of their last six games. Tom Brady was just 12-of-25 for 78 yards before being lifted for Matt Cassel with under five minutes to play. Corey Dillon carried the ball 16 times for 79 yards, while Troy Brown made three catches for 25 yards for the Patriots (9-4), who had won their previous seven road games.

Final Score: Atlanta 17, Tampa Bay 6

Tampa, FL - Michael Vick completed 14-of-23 passes for 155 yards and Justin Griffith had 57 yards rushing on 12 carries with a score as the Atlanta Falcons posted a 17-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood both left the game in the third quarter and did not return. After a nine-yard gain, Dunn limped off the field with a left calf injury, while Norwood injured his right knee four plays later. The status of both players will be updated during head coach Jim Mora's Monday press conference. Atlanta (7-6), winners of two straight, entered the contest in a four-way tie with the Philadelphia Eagles, N.Y. Giants and the Carolina Panthers for the NFC Wild Card. Bruce Gradkowski started at quarterback for Tampa Bay (3-10), which lost for the third consecutive time. Gradkowski completed just 13-of-24 passes for 121 yards before he was pulled in favor of Tim Rattay in the fourth quarter. Rattay threw for 83 yards on 9-of-13 completions. Cadillac Williams carried 20 times but was held to just 48 yards rushing, while Michael Pittman led the receiving corps with seven catches for 73 yards.

Final Score: Philadelphia 21, Washington 19

Landover, MD - Jeff Garcia threw a pair of touchdown passes as the Philadelphia Eagles held on to edge the Washington Redskins, 21-19, at FedEx Field. Garcia ended 15-of-23 for 164 yards without an interception for the Eagles (7-6), who remain right in the thick of the NFC wild card chase. Brian Westbrook racked up 126 all-purpose yards, while Donte Stallworth and L.J. Smith each caught a touchdown pass. The Philadelphia defense scored 14 points off turnovers, including an 84-yard interception return for a touchdown by safety Michael Lewis. Jason Campbell struggled, completing just 15 of his 27 pass attempts for 182 yards with a TD toss and two interceptions. Ladell Betts rushed for 171 yards for Washington (4-9), which has dropped four of its last five. Antwaan Randle El had six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown reception in defeat.

Final Score: Arizona 27, Seattle 21

Glendale, AZ - Edgerrin James rushed for a game-high 115 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries as the Arizona Cardinals hung on for a 27-21 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. Matt Leinart threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-34 passing for Arizona (4-9), winners in three of their last four games. Bryant Johnson had three catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, Larry Fitzgerald caught seven balls for 79 yards and one score and Anquan Boldin chipped in with four catches for 47 yards. Matt Hasselbeck completed 20-of-28 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns for Seattle (8-5), which had a two-game winning streak halted. Shaun Alexander gained 76 yards on 22 carries, while D.J. Hackett hauled in four balls for 104 yards and one touchdown. Darrell Jackson had five receptions for 60 yards and another score. Nate Burleson's only catch of the game also resulted in a touchdown.

Final Score: Green Bay 30, San Francisco 19

San Francisco, CA - Donald Driver hauled in nine passes for 160 yards and a score as the Packers defeated the 49ers, 30-19, giving head coach Mike McCarthy a win in his return to San Francisco. McCarthy was the 49ers offensive coordinator last season. Driver moved across the 1,000-yard threshold for the third consecutive season and the fourth time in his career. He leads the team with 1,103 receiving yards. Brett Favre completed 22-of-34 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns for the Packers (5-8), who snapped a three-game slide. Ahman Green had 21 carries for 77 yards a touchdown and Dave Rayner was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts. Alex Smith connected on 12-of-29 passes for 201 yards, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions for struggling San Francisco (5-8), which has lost three straight. Frank Gore rushed for 130 yards on 19 attempts and had one score and Vernon Davis caught three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Final Score: Buffalo 31, NY Jets 13

East Rutherford, NJ - Willis McGahee overcame an upset stomach to rush for 125 yards and a touchdown as Buffalo stunned the Jets, 31-13, at Giants Stadium. McGahee, a notorious Jet killer, passed the century mark for the fifth straight time against New York (7-6), despite missing a good portion of the first half with the illness. J.P. Losman was steady and completed 10-of-15 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns for the Bills (6-7), who won for the third time in four games. Lee Evans and Robert Royal each caught TD passes for Buffalo. Chad Pennington connected on 22-of-35 passes for 182 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Jets, who lost for the first time in three games and fell one game behind both Jacksonville and Cincinnati in the race for an AFC wild card berth. Laveranues Coles hauled in four receptions for 67 yards and a score for New York.

Final Score: San Diego 48, Denver 20

San Diego, CA - LaDainian Tomlinson continued his superb year, scoring three touchdowns to set a new record for the most touchdowns in a single season, as San Diego clinched a playoff berth by winning the AFC West title with a 48-20 victory over Denver. Tomlinson, who finished the game with 103 yards rushing, now has 29 touchdowns on the season, breaking the record set by Seattle running back Shaun Alexander last year. The Chargers used the help of Baltimore to win the AFC West as the Ravens defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 20-10, earlier on Sunday afternoon. Antonio Gates caught seven passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns and Philip Rivers completed 15-of-23 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns for the Chargers (11-2), who have won seven straight. Rookie quarterback Jay Cutler made his second start for Denver and completed 17-of-30 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns for the Broncos (7-6), who have lost four straight. Tony Scheffler hauled in three passes for 66 yards and two scores and Tatum Bell rushed for a team-high 116 yards in the loss.

Final Score: New Orleans 42, Dallas 17

Irving, TX - Drew Brees threw five touchdown passes as the New Orleans Saints crushed the Dallas Cowboys, 42-17, at Texas Stadium. Brees finished 26-of-38 for 384 yards and Mike Karney caught two touchdowns and ran one in for the Saints (9-4), who have won their last three games and have a two-game lead on Atlanta for first place in the NFC South. Deuce McAllister carried the ball 21 times for 111 yards in the win. Tony Romo went 16-of-33 for 249 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and Terrell Owens had three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown for the Cowboys (8-5), who had a four-game winning streak snapped and now lead the Giants and the Eagles by just one game for first place in the NFC East.

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