Week 14 NFL Game Recaps

Final Score: New England 34, Pittsburgh 13

Foxboro, MA (My Sportsbook) - Tom Brady completed 32-of-46 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns, and the New England Patriots rolled to a 34-13 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers to keep their quest for perfection alive. Brady now has 4,095 passing yards on the season, and 45 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He has three games left to conquer Peyton Manning's record of 49 scoring tosses in a season, set in 2004. Randy Moss had seven grabs for 135 yards and two scores, giving him a New England-record 19 touchdowns on the season. Moss is three scores shy of Jerry Rice's 22-touchdown campaign in 1987, the NFL record. Jabar Gaffney had seven catches for a career-high 122 yards and a score for the Patriots (13-0) who vaulted possibly their last major obstacle to finishing the season an unprecedented 16-0. New England hosts the 3-10 Jets next Sunday, and then the 0-13 Dolphins travel to Foxboro on Dec. 23. The Patriots do have to travel to take on the 9-4 Giants on Dec. 29, but with the Giants slotted into the top wild-card spot in the NFC, the last game of the season may be virtually meaningless for New York. The Patriots, AFC East champions, clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs with the win. Wes Welker had nine catches for 78 yards and a score for New England, which became the fourth team in the modern era to start an NFL season with 13 straight wins, joining the 1972 Dolphins, the 1998 Broncos, and the 2005 Colts. Only the 1972 Dolphins finished a season unbeaten. Ben Roethlisberger completed 19-of-32 passes for 187 yards and a score for the Steelers (9-4). Willie Parker gained 124 yards on 21 carries, and Hines Ward had five grabs for 39 yards. Najeh Davenport had a 32-yard scoring catch for Pittsburgh. Third-year free safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a Steelers win early in the week, and Brady and the Patriots apparently took notice, as Smith was burned several times. The Pittsburgh secondary clearly missed safety Troy Polamalu, who sat for the second straight week with a sprained knee.

Final Score: Buffalo 38, Miami 17

Orchard Park, NY (My Sportsbook) - Trent Edwards threw four touchdown passes, as the Buffalo Bills raced out to an early lead and kept the Miami Dolphins winless with a 38-17 triumph at a snowy Ralph Wilson Stadium. Edwards completed 11-of-23 passes for 165 yards without an interception and improved to 5-1 as a starter in his rookie season. Edwards, despite his success, had just one touchdown pass and four interceptions entering the contest. Fellow rookie Marshawn Lynch returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a sprained ankle in a November 11 victory over Miami and ran for 107 yards on 23 carries. Fred Jackson finished with 115 rushing yards on just 15 attempts in the win, as the Bills had two backs break the century mark in the same game for the first time in 11 years. Buffalo (7-6) has won two straight and six of its last eight to remain in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Buffalo and Tennessee have identical records, with both teams a game behind the Cleveland Browns for the last wild card spot. The Bills play at Cleveland next Sunday. Samkon Gado scored a pair of touchdowns for the Dolphins (0-13), who became the first team since the 1986 Indianapolis Colts to start a season with 13 straight losses. That Colts team went on to win its final three games. With games remaining against Baltimore, New England and Cincinnati, Miami could be on its way to becoming the first team to lose all of its games in a season since the 1976 expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14. The 1980 New Orleans Saints also lost their first 14 games on the way to a 1-15 mark. John Beck made his fourth consecutive start at quarterback for Miami, but was benched after the first three series yielded no first downs and a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. He was 1-of-2 for six yards. Cleo Lemon didn't fare much better, although he did lead the offense into the end zone for the first time in four games. Lemon, who was benched in favor of Beck following the November 11 loss to the Bills, threw for 241 yards on 22- of-42 passing with two interceptions. He also fumbled once for the Dolphins, who turned the ball over five times for the second consecutive week.

Final Score: Cincinnati 19, St. Louis 10

Cincinnati, OH (My Sportsbook) - Rudi Johnson ran for a touchdown, and Shayne Graham booted four field goals to lift Cincinnati over St, Louis, 19-10, in a messy affair played in a raw rain at Paul Brown Stadium. Carson Palmer completed 21-of-29 passes for 189 yards and two interceptions for the Bengals (5-8), who have won two of their past three games. Johnson had 92 rushing yards and the touchdown on 23 carries, while DeDe Dorsey added 81 more on just four carries. The Rams (3-10) were down to third-string quarterback, Brock Berlin. Berlin was under center because regular starter Marc Bulger continues to struggle with the lingering effects of a concussion, while backup Gus Frerotte sat out with an injured right shoulder. Berlin finished 17-of-28 for 153 yards and an interception for St. Louis, which has dropped two of its past three games. Steven Jackson had 91 yards rushing on 18 carries and Torry Holt added eight receptions for 90 yards.

Final Score: Dallas 28, Detroit 27

Detroit, MI (My Sportsbook) - Jason Witten went from goat to hero in a matter of minutes, rebounding from fumbling inside the Detroit one-yard-line in the fourth quarter to catch a 16-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left, and the Dallas Cowboys clinched the NFC East title with a thrilling 28-27 win over the Lions. The division title is the first for the Cowboys since 1998. Witten had a career-high 15 catches for 138 yards, and Tony Romo threw for 302 yards on 35-of-44 passing with two scores for the Cowboys (12-1), who won their seventh straight. Marion Barber had two touchdowns rushing and 43 yards on seven carries, and added 61 yards with another score on 10 receptions. Terrell Owens was a no-show for the Dallas offense, finishing with three grabs for 21 yards. Jon Kitna completed 22-of-36 passes for 248 yards for Detroit (6-7), which dropped its fifth straight to fall further back in the NFC wild card chase. Kevin Jones gained 92 yards on 23 carries with two scores, and T.J. Duckett had a 32-yard scoring run among his 60 yards on nine carries. Shaun McDonald had eight grabs for 96 yards for the Lions.

Final Score: Green Bay 38, Oakland 7

Green Bay, WI (My Sportsbook) - Ryan Grant ran for a career-high 156 yards and a touchdown, while Will Blackmon scored on a punt return and a fumble recovery as the Green Bay Packers locked up the NFC North with an easy 38-7 win over Oakland at Lambeau Field. It was the 18th division title in the storied history of the Packers (11-2). Brett Favre completed 15-of-23 passes for 266 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Green Bay, which has won 15 of its past 17 games dating back to last season. Favre was under center for his 250th consecutive start despite leaving the team's 37-27 setback to the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter last week due to an elbow bruise. Greg Jennings caught two passes for 100 yards and a TD for the Packers while Donald Lee also caught a TD pass. Josh McCown connected on 7- of-15 passes for 110 yards with a TD and two interceptions before leaving in the fourth quarter for the Raiders (4-9), who lost for the first time in three games. Andrew Walter finished up by completing 5-of-8 passes for 38 yards. Justin Fargas had 57 rushing yards on 15 carries for Oakland.

Final Score: Houston 28, Tampa Bay 14

Houston, TX (My Sportsbook) - Sage Rosenfels threw three touchdown passes and Andre' Davis returned a kick for a score, as the Houston Texans beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-14 at Reliant Stadium. Rosenfels went 27-of-36 for 209 yards but did lose two fumbles for Houston (6-7). Andre Johnson caught nine passes for 82 yards for the Texans. Houston's Ron Dayne seemed to favor his ankle after the first drive, but Darius Walker, an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame, picked up the slack with 46 yards rushing and 35 receiving. Luke McCown started in place Jeff Garcia, who sat out his second straight game with a bruised back, and was 25-of-38 for 226 yards. McCown, who led Tampa Bay (8-5) to a win over New Orleans last Sunday, was sacked four times and was under pressure all day. Earnest Graham ran for two touchdowns for the Bucs, who had a four-game winning streak snapped and failed in their first attempt to clinch the NFC South title. Tampa Bay can still claim the division crown on Monday if New Orleans loses to Atlanta.

Final Score: Jacksonville 37, Carolina 6

Jacksonville, FL (My Sportsbook) - David Garrard passed for 230 yards with two touchdowns and Fred Taylor rushed for 132 yards with another score as the Jacksonville Jaguars hammered the Carolina Panthers, 37-6. Garrard finished 20-of-36 passing, while Reggie Williams had five catches for 90 yards and a score for Jacksonville (9-4), which rebounded from a 28-25 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on December 2 and has won four of its last five games. Jacksonville is now one game ahead of Cleveland for the top wild-card playoff spot in the AFC. Clint Ingram had a 39-yard interception return for a TD in the win. Jacksonville remains two games behind Indianapolis for the top spot in the AFC South. Taylor, who has rushed for 100 or more yards in three straight games, surpassed Eddie George for 19th place on the NFL's all- time rushing list. Vinny Testaverde was 13-of-28 passing for 84 yards and an interception for Carolina (5-8), which has dropped six of its last seven. Matt Moore replaced Testaverde midway through the fourth quarter and completed 3-of-10 passes for 21 yards. John Kasay accounted for the Panthers' only points with two field goals. DeShaun Foster had only 46 yards rushing on 11 carries for Carolina.

Final Score: NY Giants 16, Philadelphia 13

Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Plaxico Burress' 20-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter gave New York the lead and David Akers' potential game- tying 57-yard field goal attempt hit off the right upright with one second left, as the Giants held on for a 16-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Burress ended with seven catches for 136 yards for the Giants (9-4), who have won consecutive games for the first time since having a six-game win streak halted coming out of their bye in Week 10. Eli Manning completed 17-of-31 passes for 219 yards with a touchdown for New York, which overcame a pair of Brandon Jacobs fumbles and used some luck to move a step closer to securing the top wild card spot in the NFC. Jacobs ended with 70 yards rushing, but his two turnovers nearly cost the Giants the win. It marks the second straight week turnovers nearly cost the Giants. Last week, Manning threw two picks and lost a fumble before rallying his team for a 21-16 win in Chicago with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Brian Westbrook ran for 116 yards and hauled in five passes for 38 yards and a score for the Eagles (5-8), who have dropped three straight by a combined 10 points -- all to potential playoff teams. However, it was Westbrook's fumble in the third quarter that led to the Giants' go-ahead score. Donovan McNabb returned from his two-game absence due to an ankle injury and went 20-of-30 for 179 yards with a touchdown for Philadelphia, which came inches from tying this game after the Giants offense twice failed to run out the clock down the stretch.

Final Score: San Diego 23, Tennessee 17 (OT)

Nashville, TN (My Sportsbook) - LaDainian Tomlinson scored on a 16-yard run halfway through overtime to complete San Diego's comeback and give the Chargers a 23-17 win over Tennessee at LP Field. San Diego had been down 14 points shortly into the fourth quarter, but scored the tying touchdown with nine seconds left in regulation and finished the contest with the deciding score with 7:29 left in overtime. The Chargers (8-5) maintained their two- game lead over Denver in the AFC West. San Diego could have clinched the division if Denver lost Sunday against Kansas City, but the Broncos (6-7) beat up on the Chiefs with a 41-7 win. Tomlinson finished with 146 yards and the score on 26 carries, despite being held to 33 yards in the first half. He also caught five passes for 27 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers, who have won three straight and four of five. Philip Rivers threw for 228 yards on 21-of-40 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Rivers left the game in the second quarter with an apparent knee injury, but returned after halftime and completed some big passes down the stretch. Antonio Gates also caught six passes for 57 yards and the game- tying score. LenDale White ran for 113 yards and a score on 30 attempts for Tennessee (7-6), which has lost four of five and lost ground in the AFC wild card race. The Titans came into Sunday's game one game behind Jacksonville, which beat Carolina. Vince Young struggled, throwing for 121 yards on 13-of-21 passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions in defeat.

Final Score: Minnesota 27, San Francisco 7

San Francisco, CA (My Sportsbook) - Tarvaris Jackson completed 16-of-25 passes for 163 yards and one touchdown, as Minnesota, despite a struggling Adrian Peterson, kept its playoff hopes alive with a 27-7 drubbing of the San Francisco 49ers. Chester Taylor rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on eight carries for the Vikings (7-6), who extended their winning streak to four games. Minnesota currently holds the final wild card spot in the conference, a game ahead of Washington, Detroit and Arizona. Minnesota defensive lineman Kevin Williams returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown on the game's first play from scrimmage. Peterson was held in check, generating only three yards on 14 carries. Robert Ferguson caught four passes for 57 yards and one score. Trent Dilfer completed 7-of-19 passes for 45 yards and one interception for San Francisco (3-10) before leaving with 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter due to an injury. Shaun Hill, a sixth-year man out of Maryland, replaced Dilfer and finished the game with 180 yards passing on 22-of-28 attempts, as the Niners lost for the 10th time in their last 11 games. He threw one touchdown and was picked off once. Frank Gore carried the ball 16 times for 68 yards and caught eight passes for 49 yards for the 49ers.

Final Score: Seattle 42, Arizona 21

Seattle, WA (My Sportsbook) - Matt Hasselbeck threw four touchdown passes as the Seattle Seahawks pounded the Arizona Cardinals, 42-21, to clinch their fourth consecutive NFC West title. Hasselbeck went 22-of-33 for 272 yards for Seattle (9-4), which has won five straight. Marcus Trufant had three interceptions and returned his second one 84 yards for a touchdown Kurt Warner struggled for Arizona (6-7) throwing a career-high five interceptions. He completed 28-of-46 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns, but was also was sacked five times. Patrick Kerney recorded three of the sacks for Seattle to increase his league-leading total to 13 1/2. Jerheme Urban caught six balls for 123 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals, who despite the loss remain in the playoff hunt. They are just one game behind Minnesota for the final wild card spot in the NFC, with three games left to play. The Cardinals threw an interception on their opening drive with Warner being picked off by Deon Grant deep in Seattle territory. It seemed to set the tone for the remainder of the game.

Final Score: Denver 41, Kansas City 7

Denver, CO (My Sportsbook) - Jay Cutler passed for 244 yards with four touchdowns, including two to Brandon Marshall, and Selvin Young rushed for 156 yards as the Denver Broncos demolished the Kansas City Chiefs, 41-7, at Invesco Field. Cutler finished 20-of-27 passing and Marshall had a breakout game, pulling in 10 catches for 115 yards for the Broncos (6-7), who snapped a brief two-game losing skid. Daniel Graham and Brandon Stokley also had TD catches, while Travis Henry had a running score in the win. Elvis Dumervil led the Broncos defense with three sacks and a forced fumble. Brodie Croyle struggled, completing only 15-of-29 passes for 132 yards with one touchdown and an interception for Kansas City (4-9), which has dropped six straight games. Kolby Smith was held to only 12 yards rushing on 13 carries Tony Gonzalez had seven catches for 76 yards and touchdown for the Chiefs. The Pro Bowl tight end left the contest after suffering an undisclosed ankle injury early in the third quarter but returned to action in the fourth quarter.

Final Score: Cleveland 24, NY Jets 18

East Rutherford, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Jamal Lewis ran for 118 yards and the game-deciding score, helping the Cleveland Browns defeat the New York Jets, 24-18, at the Meadowlands. Lewis also caught a touchdown from Derek Anderson, who threw for 185 yards on 16-of-29 passing. Anderson had two touchdowns and an interception, as the Browns (8-5) kept pace in the playoff hunt by winning their third game in four weeks. Cleveland remained one game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North, which lost to New England Sunday, and are in line for the second wild card slot. The Browns are one game behind Jacksonville, but one game ahead of Buffalo and Tennessee. The Browns host the Bills next Sunday. Kellen Clemens threw for 286 yards on 24-of-41 passing, but had no touchdowns and two interceptions for the Jets (3-10), who have lost two of three. He did have a rushing score late in the game, but Thomas Jones carried the rushing attack with 24 carries for 106 yards.

Final Score: Indianapolis 44, Baltimore 20

Baltimore, MD (My Sportsbook) - Peyton Manning had a banner evening as he threw four touchdown passes to help the Indianapolis Colts to a 44-20 rout of the Baltimore Ravens. Manning went 13-for-17 for 249 yards before being pulled in the third quarter for the Colts (11-2), who have won four straight games and clinched a spot in the playoffs. The defending Super Bowl champions are two games ahead of Jacksonville for first place in the AFC South and can clinch the division with a win next Sunday in Oakland. His second touchdown pass of the game was the 300th of his career, which made him the fifth player in NFL history to reach that plateau. His third touchdown pass moved him past John Elway for fourth place all-time. Also, he has now recorded his 10th straight season with at least 25 TD passes, which is an NFL record and it was his 17th game with four touchdown passes, which ties him with Johnny Unitas for third place. Joseph Addai had two rushing touchdowns and also had a receiving touchdown while Anthony Gonzalez had six catches for 134 yards with a pair of scores for Indianapolis, which has won six straight against Baltimore. Kyle Boller was 19-for-25 with 132 yards and a score, but was picked off three times while Yamon Figurs had a 94-yard kickoff return for a score for the Ravens (4-9), who have dropped seven straight games. That includes a tough 27-24 defeat to the unbeaten New England Patriots this past Monday night. The losing streak is the longest in team history. Also, it is the fourth loss in a row at home for Baltimore, which is also a team record. Troy Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner for 2006, made his first NFL appearance on Baltimore's final drive of the game and he scored on a six-yard touchdown run with under a minute to play to round out the scoring in the contest.

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