NFL Week 16 Game Recaps

(Monday, December 25th)

Final Score: Philadelphia 23, Dallas 7

Irving, TX (My Sportsbook) - Jeff Garcia completed 15-of-23 passes for 238 yards and Brian Westbrook led a clock-controlling ground game with 122 rushing yards, as the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff berth and gained the NFC East lead with a 23-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in a Christmas Day battle at Texas Stadium. Correll Buckhalter gained 38 yards on the ground with a touchdown for the Eagles (9-6), who can capture the division title with a win over Atlanta on Sunday in Philadelphia or a Dallas (9-6) loss at home against Detroit in Week 17. Although both the Eagles and Cowboys have identical records, the Eagles would win the crown due to a season sweep of Dallas. Lito Sheppard's 102-yard interception return for a touchdown capped a dramatic 38-24 Eagles win over Dallas in Week 5. Dallas, which has now dropped two of its last three on the heels of a four- game win streak, clinched a playoff berth the previous week. The Cowboys were dominated at nearly every facet and were outgained, 426-201, losing to the Eagles for the 11th time in the last 14 meetings. Philadelphia's 204 rushing yards were the most allowed on the ground by Dallas at home since September 24, 2000 versus San Francisco. Four of the Eagles' scoring drives covered at least 77 yards and the defense also came up with a big goal-line stand early in the second quarter.

Final Score: NY Jets 13, Miami 10

Miami, FL (My Sportsbook) - Leon Washington's 64-yard jaunt on a screen pass set up Mike Nugent's winning field goal with 10 seconds remaining, as the New York Jets moved closer to the playoffs with a 13-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. It's been a remarkable turnaround for the Jets (9-6), as they've won seven of their last 10 games. New York can earn an AFC wild card berth with a victory at home over the 2-13 Oakland Raiders Sunday. Washington finished with four receptions for 108 yards, but none was bigger than the slashing catch-and-run late in the fourth quarter. Chad Pennington threw the ball over the middle to the rookie from Florida State, and Washington eluded a couple of tacklers before picking up a block and surging down the right sideline before being tackled by Renaldo Hill at the 16 with 1:54 left. After three runs by Kevan Barlow, Nugent split the uprights from 30 yards away. The Dolphins couldn't manufacture a miracle return on the ensuing kickoff, ending the game, which was played in a steady rain and hampered both offenses. Pennington completed 14-of-29 passes for 237 yards with a TD to Jerricho Cotchery in the fourth quarter. Cleo Lemon replaced an ineffective Joey Harrington at halftime for Miami and connected on 11- of-16 passes for 104 yards with a score to tight end Randy McMichael, also in the fourth. Ronnie Brown returned to the Dolphins lineup after missing three games with a broken left hand and rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries. The Dolphins (6-9), who end their season at Indianapolis on Sunday, lost their second straight.

Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - Michael Vick became the first quarterback in NFL history to top 1,000 yards rushing in a single season, but did little else as the Atlanta Falcons continued to fade in the uninspiring NFC wild-card chase, losing 10-3 to the Carolina Panthers. Vick only completed 9-of-20 passes for 109 yards and two interceptions, and rushed for only 32 yards on four carries as Atlanta (7-8) fell for the second straight week. The Falcons offensive futility wasn't limited to its air attack, as they only had 83 yards rushing, with Warrick Dunn only gaining 29 yards on nine carries. Carolina (7-8) essentially played keep-away after gaining a seven-point lead, and the Atlanta offense never made the Panthers pay for their one-sided play calling. Chris Weinke completed 4-of-7 passes for 32 yards and one score, and only attempted two passes in the entire second half. DeShaun Foster gained 102 yards on 28 carries, and DeAngelo Williams gained 82 yards on 21 carries as the Carolina offense churned through the Falcons defense for 183 rushing yards to snap a four-game losing streak, and stay alive for a playoff spot.

Final Score: Tennessee 30, Buffalo 29

Orchard Park, NY (My Sportsbook) - Rookie Vince Young threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for 61 yards and a score, as Tennessee edged Buffalo, 30-29, to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. Young, who completed 13- of-20 passes, became the first rookie signal caller in the Super Bowl era to rush for over 500 yards. He also brought his team back from a fourth quarter deficit for the fourth time this season. Travis Henry rushed 25 times for 135 yards and Brandon Jones caught five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Titans (8-7), who have won six straight and eight of the last 10 after an 0-5 start. Tennessee hosts New England next Sunday to close out the regular season. J.P. Losman went 19-of-33 for 266 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, including a costly pick in the final minute of the contest for the Bills (7-8), who were aiming for their third straight win. Buffalo also was eliminated from postseason consideration. Willis McGahee added 95 yards on the ground with a touchdown while Lee Evans added five catches for 64 yards and a score in the loss. Rian Lindell also matched a career best by going 5-for-5 on field goal attempts.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 22, Cleveland 7

Cleveland, OH (My Sportsbook) - Michael Pittman ran for 86 yards and a touchdown, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers battered Cleveland, 22-7. Derrick Brooks returned an interception for a touchdown for the Buccaneers (4-11), who snapped a four-game losing streak. Tim Rattay, making his first start of the season, went 16-for-26 with 212 yards and was picked off once for Tampa Bay, which secured its first road win since winning at Carolina, December 11, 2005. Derek Anderson had a tough day as he went 10-for-27 with just 123 yards and was intercepted four times for Cleveland. Reuben Droughns carried the ball 19 times for 92 yards for the Browns (4-11), who have dropped their last three games.

Final Score: Chicago 26, Detroit 21

Detroit, MI (My Sportsbook) - Robbie Gould kicked four field goals, including three in the final quarter, as the Chicago Bears rallied for a 26-21 win over the Detroit Lions. Rex Grossman completed 20-of-36 passes for 197 yards and was intercepted once for the NFC North Champion Bears (13-2), who have already clinched home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs. Brian Griese relieved Grossman in the fourth quarter and engineered the go- ahead drive, finishing the game 6-of-9 for 51 yards. The Bears, who won their fourth straight game, held on at the end when Detroit wide receiver Mike Williams couldn't come up with a catch in the end zone on the final play. Jon Kitna connected on 27-of-45 passes for 283 yards with three TDs for the Lions (2-13), who have lost seven in a row, the longest skid since they dropped the final eight games of the 2002 campaign.

Final Score: Houston 27, Indianapolis 24

Houston, TX (My Sportsbook) - Ron Dayne rushed for a career-high 153 yards and scored two touchdowns, and Kris Brown booted a 48-yard field goal as time expired, as Houston stunned Indianapolis with a 27-24 victory, the first win in 10 all-time meetings. David Carr completed 16-of-23 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown for the Texans (5-10), who ended a two-game slide. Dayne also surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time since the 2001 season, when he was a member of the New York Giants. Vonta Leach caught his first touchdown pass of the season for Houston, which scored the game's first 14 points to take control early. Peyton Manning went 21-for-27 for 205 yards and three touchdowns for the Colts (11-4), who have lost four of their last five. Manning also surpassed the 4,000-yard passing mark for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, setting a new NFL record. Marvin Harrison hauled in eight passes for 112 yards and two scores while Joseph Addai ran for 100 yards for Indianapolis, which has already won the AFC South championship for the fourth straight year. The Colts could have secured a first-round playoff bye with a win and a Baltimore loss.

Final Score: New England 24, Jacksonville 21

Jacksonville, FL (My Sportsbook) - Tom Brady threw for 249 yards and a touchdown as New England edged Jacksonville, 24-21, to win its fourth consecutive AFC East title at Alltel Stadium. Brady completed 28-of-39 passes for the Patriots (11-4), who are an impressive 6-1 on the road this season. Laurence Maroney and Corey Dillon each ran for a TD and David Thomas added five receptions for 83 yards and a score for New England. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns for the Jaguars (8-7), who significantly damaged their wild card hopes and fell to 0-4 against the Patriots in the regular season. David Garrard connected on 17-of-23 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown for Jacksonville, while Matt Jones had four receptions for 69 yards and a TD.

Final Score: New Orleans 30, NY Giants 7

East Rutherford, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Reggie Bush rushed for a career-high 126 yards with a score, as New Orleans moved one step closer to a first-round bye after a 30-7 win over the fading New York Giants. Bush recorded the first 100-yard rushing game of his career. Deuce McAllister added another 108 yards on the ground and a touchdown for the Saints (10-5), who will claim a first- round bye if Philadelphia defeats Dallas on Christmas Day or if New Orleans wins at home against Carolina next Sunday. Drew Brees threw for 132 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-32 passing, while Marques Colston caught Brees' lone touchdown pass in what was the Saints' fourth win in their last five games.

Final Score: Baltimore 31, Pittsburgh 7

Pittsburgh, PA (My Sportsbook) - Steve McNair threw three touchdowns as Baltimore moved in to the second seed in the AFC with a 31-7 shellacking of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. McNair went 21-of-31 with 256 yards and two interceptions, and Mark Clayton had seven receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown for the Ravens (12-3), who have won their last three games and, thanks to Indianapolis' 27-24 loss to Houston, and are currently the No. 2 seed in the AFC, behind San Diego. Ben Roethlisberger went 15-for-31 for 156 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, and Santonio Holmes had five receptions for 90 yards for the Steelers (7-8), who had a three-game winning streak snapped and were knocked out of the playoff chase, ending any hopes of defending their Super Bowl title. The Baltimore defense sacked Roethlisberger five times and only allowed Pittsburgh across midfield twice in the second half.

Final Score: St. Louis 37, Washington 31 (OT)

St. Louis, MO (My Sportsbook) - Steven Jackson ran 21 yards to the end zone with 8:27 left in overtime, as the St. Louis Rams kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 37-31 victory over the Washington Redskins. After both teams had punted, Marc Bulger hooked up with Torry Holt for five yards, Jackson carried twice for five yards, and Stephen Davis had an eight- yard run. Jackson then broke free down the middle for the 21-yard game-winning touchdown. Bulger completed 25-of-38 passes for 388 yards and four touchdowns for the Rams (7-8), who won their second straight. Isaac Bruce had a season-high 148 receiving yards and now has 13,310 receiving yards to pass Andre Reed (13,198) for seventh all-time. Jackson rushed for 150 yards on 33 carries, and also had six receptions for 102 yards, passing Marshall Faulk (87) for the franchise record for receptions by a running back in a single season with 88. Jason Campbell completed 13-of-26 passes for 160 yards and a score for the Redskins (5-10), who are one of the few NFL teams that have been officially eliminated from postseason contention. Ladell Betts rushed for 129 yards on 29 carries with two scores, and tied Rob Goode (1951) for most consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing in franchise history. This was his fifth straight game at the century mark, and first 1,000-yard rushing season. Chris Cooley caught seven passes for 77 yards and a score.

Final Score: Arizona 26, San Francisco 20

San Francisco, CA (My Sportsbook) - Matt Leinart completed 9-of-13 passes for 162 yards and a score before spraining his left shoulder just before halftime, as the Arizona Cardinals went on to top San Francisco, 26-20, and knock the 49ers out of playoff contention. Leinart got sacked by Roderick Green just under the two-minute mark of the second quarter and went to the locker room with a sprained left shoulder, but Kurt Warner came in to complete 9-of-13 passes for 105 yards in relief. Edgerrin James rushed for 105 yards on 29 carries for the Cardinals (5-10), who have won three of their last four. Larry Fitzgerald caught four balls for 93 yards and a touchdown, while Anquan Boldin added 64 receiving yards on four catches. Alex Smith completed 18-of-29 passes for 190 yards and an interception for the 49ers (6-9), who have dropped four of their last five. Frank Gore rushed for 51 yards on 11 attempts. Vernon Davis had four receptions for 91 yards, and Arnaz Battle posted 55 receiving yards on seven catches. Because of San Francisco's loss, Seattle won the NFC West.

Final Score: Denver 24, Cincinnati 23

Denver, CO (My Sportsbook) - The Broncos improved their playoff chances with a lot of luck Sunday, as the Cincinnati Bengals botched an extra point attempt with 41 seconds remaining, giving Denver a 24-23 win at a snowy Invesco Field. Carson Palmer hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh with a 10-yard touchdown pass over the middle to get the Bengals within a point, but the snap on the extra point from Brad St. Louis was wide of holder Kyle Larson and the ball was recovered under a pile of players well behind the line of scrimmage. The Bengals recovered the ensuing kickoff, but Ahmad Brooks was offside, and Quincy Morgan pounced on the second opportunity for Denver, and the Broncos ran out the clock. Jay Cutler connected on 12-of-23 passes for 179 yards with two touchdowns and was picked off once for the Broncos (9-6), who can secure a playoff berth with a win next Sunday at home against San Francisco. Meanwhile, the Bengals (8-7) could have clinched a wild card berth with a victory since Buffalo and Jacksonville lost earlier in the day, However, now they not only need a win next Sunday at home against Pittsburgh, but help elsewhere. Palmer hit on 21-of-40 passes for 209 yards with two TDs and a pair of interceptions. Rudi Johnson carried the ball 30 times for 129 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals, losers of back-to-back contests. Houshmandzadeh ended with nine receptions for 94 yards.

Final Score: San Diego 20, Seattle 17

Seattle, WA (My Sportsbook) - Philip Rivers did it again, rebounding from a horrid start to lead the Chargers to a comeback victory, 20-17, over Seattle. Despite the defeat, the Seahawks clinched their third straight NFC West title by virtue of San Francisco's 26-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Rivers completed only 10-of-30 passes for 181 yards with two TDs, but he found Vincent Jackson for a 37-yard score with 29 seconds left that gave the Chargers the win, and kept San Diego (13-2) in line for home field advantage throughout the playoffs with their ninth straight win. The Chargers are a game ahead of the 12-3 Ravens for the AFC's top seed, and can clinch home field with either a win next week against Arizona, or a Ravens loss to Buffalo. The Ravens hold the tiebreaker over the Chargers thanks to a 16-13 win in week four. The AFC West champion Chargers earned a first-round bye for the playoffs after Houston beat Indianapolis earlier in the day. San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson had another stellar game on the ground, gaining 123 yards on 22 carries, but failed to add to his NFL-record 31 touchdowns. Matt Hasselbeck completed 17-of-37 passes for 189 yards, and threw two costly interceptions, both in San Diego territory. Shaun Alexander had 31 rushes for 140 yards and two scores, but Seattle (8-7) fell for the third straight week. Bobby Engram had four catches for 65 yards. and Deion Branch caught five balls for 61 yards in the loss for the Seahawks, who head to Tampa Bay next Sunday to conclude the regular season.

Final Score: Philadelphia 23, Dallas 7

Irving, TX (Sports Network) - Jeff Garcia completed 15-of-23 passes for 238 yards and Brian Westbrook led a clock-controlling ground game with 122 rushing yards, as the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff berth and gained the NFC East lead with a 23-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in a Christmas Day battle at Texas Stadium. Correll Buckhalter gained 38 yards on the ground with a touchdown for the Eagles (9-6), who can capture the division title with a win over Atlanta on Sunday in Philadelphia or a Dallas (9-6) loss at home against Detroit in Week 17. Although both the Eagles and Cowboys have identical records, the Eagles would win the crown due to a season sweep of Dallas. Lito Sheppard's 102-yard interception return for a touchdown capped a dramatic 38-24 Eagles win over Dallas in Week 5. Dallas, which has now dropped two of its last three on the heels of a four- game win streak, clinched a playoff berth the previous week. The Cowboys were dominated at nearly every facet and were outgained, 426-201, losing to the Eagles for the 11th time in the last 14 meetings. Philadelphia's 204 rushing yards were the most allowed on the ground by Dallas at home since September 24, 2000 versus San Francisco. Four of the Eagles' scoring drives covered at least 77 yards and the defense also came up with a big goal-line stand early in the second quarter.

Final Score: NY Jets 13, Miami 10

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Leon Washington's 64-yard jaunt on a screen pass set up Mike Nugent's winning field goal with 10 seconds remaining, as the New York Jets moved closer to the playoffs with a 13-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. It's been a remarkable turnaround for the Jets (9-6), as they've won seven of their last 10 games. New York can earn an AFC wild card berth with a victory at home over the 2-13 Oakland Raiders Sunday. Washington finished with four receptions for 108 yards, but none was bigger than the slashing catch-and-run late in the fourth quarter. Chad Pennington threw the ball over the middle to the rookie from Florida State, and Washington eluded a couple of tacklers before picking up a block and surging down the right sideline before being tackled by Renaldo Hill at the 16 with 1:54 left. After three runs by Kevan Barlow, Nugent split the uprights from 30 yards away. The Dolphins couldn't manufacture a miracle return on the ensuing kickoff, ending the game, which was played in a steady rain and hampered both offenses. Pennington completed 14-of-29 passes for 237 yards with a TD to Jerricho Cotchery in the fourth quarter. Cleo Lemon replaced an ineffective Joey Harrington at halftime for Miami and connected on 11- of-16 passes for 104 yards with a score to tight end Randy McMichael, also in the fourth. Ronnie Brown returned to the Dolphins lineup after missing three games with a broken left hand and rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries. The Dolphins (6-9), who end their season at Indianapolis on Sunday, lost their second straight.

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