Week 16 NFL Game Recaps

Final Score: Dallas 20, Carolina 13

Charlotte, NC (My Sportsbook) - Marion Barber rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries as Dallas moved a step closer to obtaining home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs by topping Carolina, 20-13, at Bank of America Stadium. The win may have come at a cost though. Wide receiver Terrell Owens caught five balls for 48 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game late in the first half with a high left ankle sprain. X-rays taken were negative, and Owens will undergo an MRI on Sunday. Tony Romo, nursing a bruised right thumb, completed 28-of-42 passes for 257 yards with one TD and one interception for the Cowboys (13-2), who rebounded after a 10-6 loss to Philadelphia last Sunday. The Cowboys can secure home field throughout the conference playoffs if Green Bay loses on Sunday at Chicago. Dallas had not won 13 games in a season since 1992, when the Cowboys were 13-3 en route to the first of three Super Bowl victories in four years. The Cowboys go for a franchise-record 14th win next Sunday at bitter division rival Washington. Patrick Crayton had seven receptions for 65 yards to lead the receiving corps for Dallas. Matt Moore threw for 182 yards, one touchdown and one pick on 15-of-28 passing for the Panthers (6-9), who have lost seven of their last nine games and were officially eliminated from playoff contention. Steve Smith had nine receptions for 137 yards and a score, while DeAngelo Williams gained 60 yards on 10 carries in the loss.

Final Score: NY Giants 38, Buffalo 21

Orchard Park, NY (My Sportsbook) - Kawika Mitchell and Corey Webster returned interceptions for fourth-quarter touchdowns and Ahmad Bradshaw sandwiched an 88-yard touchdown run in between, as the New York Giants recovered from an early 14-point deficit and clinched a playoff spot with a 38-21 victory over the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Giants (10-5) bounced back from last week's 22-10 setback at home against Washington and won for the third time in four games. They also finished their road schedule with a record of 7-1, winning seven in a row after losing the season-opener at Dallas. New York secured the No. 5 seed in the NFC after Washington beat Minnesota Sunday night. The Giants will be on the road in the playoffs as a wild card and will play at NFC South champion Tampa Bay on the first weekend in January. The Giants are in the playoffs for the third straight year, but have yet to win a postseason game under head coach Tom Coughlin. Bradshaw finished with 151 yards and Brandon Jacobs added 145 with two touchdowns before leaving the contest with a sprained ankle. The Giants piled up 291 yards on the ground in rainy, snowy and windy conditions. Eli Manning needed to throw just 15 times and completed only seven for 111 yards with a pair of interceptions in the victory. Amani Toomer caught five passes for 99 yards. The Giants clinched prior to hosting the unbeaten New England Patriots next Saturday night. Trent Edwards completed just 9-of-26 passes for 161 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions for the Bills (7-8), who have lost two in a row. Marshawn Lynch ran for 70 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in defeat and reached 1,000 yards in his rookie season.

Final Score: Chicago 35, Green Bay 7

Chicago, IL (My Sportsbook) - Adrian Peterson ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Corey Graham returned a blocked punt for a score as Chicago trounced Green Bay, 35-7, in a frigid contest at Soldier Field. The loss cost the Packers (12-3), who have already secured the NFC North crown and a first- round playoff bye, a chance at homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys, who beat Carolina on Saturday, earned homefield throughout the conference playoffs thanks to their win and the Packers loss. The temperature was just 17 degrees at game time with a wind chill of minus-one and tricky winds that played havoc with Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre and punter Jon Ryan. Favre had two interceptions and Ryan had two punts blocked and botched a snap on another attempt. Kyle Orton completed 8-of-14 passes for 101 yards and a TD for the Bears (6-9), who snapped a three-game skid. Brian Urlacher recorded five tackles and returned an interception 85 yards for a score. Favre was just 17-of-32 for 153 yards for the Packers, who lost both games versus Chicago this season and have lost five of their past six versus the Bears. Ryan Grant rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries, with a 66-yard TD run.

Final Score: Cincinnati 19, Cleveland 14

Cincinnati, OH (My Sportsbook) - Kenny Watson gained 130 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown, and the Cincinnati Bengals held on for a 19-14 win over the Browns, preventing Cleveland from clinching a playoff berth for the first time since 2002. The wind was swirling in Cincinnati, leading to a difficult day for the quarterbacks, who combined for six interceptions. The Bengals won despite a Watson fumble deep in Cleveland territory with under two minutes left in regulation. The Browns had one last chance to win, driving to the Cincinnati 29-yard-line, but Derek Anderson's throw into the end zone fell incomplete as time expired, and the Bengals survived. The loss by the Browns (9-6) clinched the AFC North title for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat the St. Louis Rams 41-24 on Thursday to go to 10-5. Cleveland controlled its own destiny entering play, but after Tennessee's 10-6 win over the Jets on Sunday, the Titans are now the team in the driver's seat for the last wild card in the AFC. Both teams are 9-6 and, if Tennessee beats the Colts next Sunday night, both will have 7-5 conference records. The Titans have a 4-1 record among common opponents, however, better than Cleveland's 3-2 mark. For the Browns to get the last AFC wild card, they need a Titans loss at Indianapolis, or for the Titans and Colts to tie, coupled with a Cleveland win. A Tennessee win, regardless of the outcome of the Browns-49ers game earlier in the day, clinches a berth for the Titans. Carson Palmer completed 11-of-21 passes for 115 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions - both to Leigh Bodden - for the Bengals (6-9), who rebounded from a tough loss to the 49ers. Chad Johnson had four catches for 44 yards, and Chinedum Ndukwe intercepted Anderson twice. Anderson had an awful day, throwing four interceptions, including two on consecutive plays late in the first half that led to 13 Bengals points. He threw for 250 yards on 29-of-48 passing with two scores. Jamal Lewis gained 92 yards on 21 carries, and Kellen Winslow had seven grabs for 73 yards for the Browns. Braylon Edwards had eight catches for 52 yards and two scores for Cleveland.

Final Score: Detroit 25, Kansas City 20

Detroit, MI (My Sportsbook) - T.J. Duckett rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, as the Detroit Lions snapped a six-game losing streak with a 25-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Ford Field. Duckett averaged 6.8 yards per carry on his 15 attempts, including a 53-yard run. Jon Kitna completed 9-of-16 passes for 115 yards with an interception for the Lions (7-8), who hadn't won a game since November 4 against Denver. Jason Hanson connected on all three of his field goal tries, with the second being the eventual game-winner. Paris Lenon returned an interception for his first career touchdown, while Shaun Rogers notched two sacks and Boss Bailey had a sack that resulted in a forced fumble. Damon Huard hit on 24-of-36 throws for 305 yards with a pair of touchdowns for Kansas City (4-11), which has lost a non-strike year franchise record eight straight games. Huard was forced into the game in the second quarter after Brodie Croyle injured his right hand while making a low block following Lenon's interception. Tony Gonzalez grabbed 10 passes for 137 yards, and Dwayne Bowe had 97 yards on eight catches with one touchdown in defeat. Jared Allen recorded two sacks, forced a fumble, and even caught his second touchdown pass of the season.

Final Score: Indianapolis 38, Houston 15

Indianapolis, IN (My Sportsbook) - Peyton Manning completed 28-of-35 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns as the Indianapolis Colts scored 38 straight points on their way to a 38-15 dismantling of the Houston Texans at the RCA Dome. Dallas Clark caught a pair of touchdown passes and Reggie Wayne had 143 receiving yards and a score for the Colts (13-2), who amassed 458 yards of total offense and a franchise record-tying 33 first downs on their way to a sixth straight victory. Manning sat the entire fourth quarter, and finished the game 46 yards shy of 4,000 yards on the season. When the Colts host Tennessee next Sunday, he will attempt to become the first player in NFL history to pass for 4,000-plus in each of his first eight years in the league. Sage Rosenfels was 22-for-36 for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Houston, but also threw three interceptions as the Houston offense went silent after an opening-drive score, save for a meaningless late touchdown. Darius Walker rushed for 66 yards and Kevin Walter and Andre Johnson had touchdown catches for the Texans (7-8), who had a two-game win streak snapped and will need to win at home against Jacksonville in their season finale to achieve a franchise-record eight wins.

Final Score: Jacksonville 49, Oakland 11

Jacksonville, FL (My Sportsbook) - Fred Taylor rushed for 111 yards on only seven carries and a score as the Jacksonville Jaguars clinched a playoff berth with a lopsided 49-11 win over the Oakland Raiders at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. David Garrard finished 11-of-18 passing for 199 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Jaguars (11-4), who clinched the top wild card spot and have won three straight and six of their last seven games. He also ran for a score. Quinn Gray took over for Garrard in the third quarter and threw for 54 yards and two scores on 5-of-8 passing. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 44 yards and a score and also caught six passes for 96 yards. Greg Jones, Matt Jones, Reggie Williams and Richard Angulo also pulled in TD catches for the Jags. Josh McCown started and finished 6-of-8 passing for 46 yards for Oakland (4-11), before giving way to rookie JaMarcus Russell, who finished a woeful 7-of-23 for 83 yards with his first career touchdown pass and three interceptions. Dominic Rhodes gained 115 yards on the ground on 27 carries, while Zach Miller had three catches for 27 yards and a TD in defeat.

Final Score: Philadelphia 38, New Orleans 23

New Orleans, LA (My Sportsbook) - Donovan McNabb threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New Orleans Saints 38-23 at the Louisiana Superdome. Despite the loss, the Saints remain alive for a wild card spot going into the final weekend of the season. They could have been eliminated from the playoff picture if the Vikings beat the Redskins Sunday night, but Washington won, 32-21. That means for the Saints to make the playoffs, they must win at Chicago at 1 p.m. (et) and then hope for losses by the Vikings and Redskins later in the day. Washington hosts Dallas, while Minnesota plays at Denver, both at 4:15 p.m. (et). McNabb finished 24-of-35 passing for the Eagles (7-8), who have won impressively on the road in two straight weeks. Brian Westbrook ran for 100 yards on 17 carries for Philadelphia, which was coming off a 10-6 win at Dallas last Sunday. Drew Brees went 30-of-45 for 289 yards with an interception for New Orleans (7-8). Aaron Stecker had two touchdown runs in the loss.

Final Score: Arizona 30, Atlanta 27 (OT)

Glendale, AZ (My Sportsbook) - Neil Rackers hit a game-winning 31-yard field goal just 5 1/2 minutes after drilling a kick to send the game to overtime, and the Arizona Cardinals recovered from blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to hold off the Atlanta Falcons, 30-27, in overtime at University of Phoenix Stadium. Kurt Warner completed 36-of-53 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, and Anquan Boldin had a huge day, catching 13 passes for 162 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Arizona (7-8) also got 76 rushing yards from Edgerrin James and 72 receiving yards from Larry Fitzgerald on its way to snapping a two-game losing streak. Chris Redman was 28-for-42 for 315 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Falcons (3-12), losers of six straight. Roddy White had 12 receptions for 141 yards and Laurent Robinson caught seven balls for 114 yards, while Morten Andersen was 2-for-2 on field goals, including the go-ahead kick that gave Atlanta a short-lived 27-24 edge.

Final Score: San Francisco 21, Tampa Bay 19

San Francisco, CA (My Sportsbook) - Shaun Hill threw for 123 yards and three touchdowns, as the San Francisco 49ers edged the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21-19, at Monster Park. Jerramy Stevens caught four passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns, the second of which brought Tampa Bay within two points of the Niners with 1:20 to play. He caught a 24-yard pass from Luke McCown on a scrambling throw. The two-point conversion failed, though, as Michael Clayton stepped just out of bounds with one foot, despite catching McCown's pass in the back of the end zone. Hill completed just 11-of-24 passes and was picked off once, but won his second career start as the Niners were victorious in their second straight game. He helped San Francisco (5-10) beat Cincinnati, 20-13, last Saturday. Frank Gore ran for 89 yards on 21 attempts to go over the 1,000-yard mark for the second season in a row, just the fifth player in Niners history to do so. He also caught four passes for 43 yards and a touchdown, while Vernon Davis and Darrell Jackson each caught a touchdown pass. Jeff Garcia threw for 196 yards and a score on 12-of-20 passing against his former team before being taken out for McCown, who threw for 185 yards and a score, completing 18-of-32 throws. The Buccaneers (9-6), who had already clinched the NFC South Division title last week with a 37-3 win over Atlanta, will be the fourth seed when the playoffs begin in two weeks. They were still jockeying for seed position with Seattle, which improved to 10-5 with a 27-6 win over Baltimore on Sunday. However, the Seahawks hold the tiebreaker over the Bucs by virtue of a season- opening win versus Tampa Bay.

Final Score: New England 28, Miami 7

Foxboro, MA (My Sportsbook) - Tom Brady completed 18-of-33 passes for 215 yards and three scores, as the New England Patriots made history by remaining perfect on the season with a 28-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Brady's three first-half touchdowns gave him 48 for the season, one behind Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's record of 49 set in 2004. Laurence Maroney rushed for a career-high 156 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries for the Patriots (15-0), who became the first team ever to win their first 15 games in a regular season and have won 18 consecutive regular-season games dating back to last December, tying their own record from 2003-04. Randy Moss had five receptions for 50 yards and a pair of scores, giving him 21 TD catches on the season, one off the league record set by Jerry Rice in 1987. Wes Welker caught five balls for 49 yards, tying him with Troy Brown for most Patriots receptions in a season (101), originally attained in 2001. New England will attempt to be the only club in NFL history to go 16-0 next Saturday night on the road against the New York Giants, who clinched a playoff spot with a win earlier Sunday. Cleo Lemon threw for 171 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-41 passing for the Dolphins (1-14), who could not sustain the momentum from last week's surprising overtime win against Baltimore. The Dolphins also failed to preserve their own bit of history, as their 1972 team is the only in NFL annals to go through an entire year, including postseason, unbeaten. Miami went 14-0 during the regular season that year. Greg Camarillo had a TD reception and Jesse Chatman rushed for 38 yards and had two catches for 25 yards in the loss, but the bright spots were on defense. Joey Porter recorded two sacks and Jason Taylor one while Jason Allen and Derrick Pope each had an interception.

Final Score: Seattle 27, Baltimore 6

Seattle, WA (My Sportsbook) - Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes and Shaun Alexander ran for 73 yards and caught a touchdown as the Seattle Seahawks routed the Baltimore Ravens 27-6 at Qwest Field. Seattle clinched the No. 3 seed in the NFC with the win. Hasselbeck, who did throw two interceptions, finished 18-of-27 for the Seahawks (10-5), who have won six of seven. His two touchdown passes give him a career-high 27 on the season. Alexander needed just 13 carries to amass his 73 yards. Bobby Engram finished with five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown for Seattle, breaking Darrell Jackson's team record for receptions in a season. Engram has 90. Troy Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner making his first NFL start, went 16-of-33 with a touchdown for the Ravens (4-11), who extended their franchise-record losing streak to nine games.

Final Score: Tennessee 10, NY Jets 6

Nashville, TN (My Sportsbook) - LenDale White rushed for 103 yards on 23 carries to help lead the playoff-hopeful Tennessee Titans to a 10-6 win over the New York Jets at LP Field. Vince Young completed 12-of-23 passes for 166 yards and had one interception for the Titans (9-6), who are in control of their own destiny for the final AFC wild card spot. The Titans are tied with the Cleveland Browns, who dropped a 19-14 decision at Cincinnati earlier Sunday. If Tennessee wins next Sunday night at Indianapolis, the Titans will be in the postseason. If the Titans lose, the Browns will get the sixth and final AFC wild card spot. This would be regardless of what the Browns do in their home game against the San Francisco 49ers earlier in the day. The Titans are 6-5 in AFC play, while the Browns are 7-5. If the Titans win next week and finish 7-5, it could go to a third tiebreaker, which is common opponents, and the Titans would win based on the Browns' losses to Oakland and Cincinnati. The Titans lost to Cincinnati, but beat Oakland, the Jets and Houston two times. If by a scant chance the Colts and Titans tie, the Browns would have to tie or win to get into the playoffs. Roydell Williams caught four passes for 54 yards and Justin Gage had three receptions for 48 yards. Kyle Vanden Bosch had three of Tennessee's six sacks, as the Titans posted a winning record for the first time since 2003, the last time they made the playoffs. Chad Pennington completed 26-of-32 passes for 264 yards with one score and two interceptions for New York (3-12), which has dropped three straight. Thomas Jones gained 58 yards on 21 carries. Jerricho Cotchery caught eight passes for 152 yards and one touchdown.

Final Score: Washington 32, Minnesota 21

Minneapolis, MN (My Sportsbook) - Todd Collins threw for two touchdowns, as the Washington Redskins gained an advantage in the race for the final wild card spot in the NFC with a 32-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Redskins, Vikings and New Orleans Saints are vying for the sixth seed in the NFC wild card race for the right to play at NFC West champion Seattle the first playoff weekend. However, the Redskins (8-7) are in the driver's seat and can lock up a postseason berth with a win at home against the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday. Dallas has already locked up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs and isn't expected to have an injured wide receiver Terrell Owens for the game at FedEx Field. Washington could still make the playoffs if Minnesota (8-7) and the Saints (7-8) lose. The Vikings play at Denver at 4:15 p.m. (et), the same time of the Redskins game. The Saints play at Chicago earlier in the day. Minnesota has to win and hope for a Washington loss to get in the playoffs, while the Saints need not only a win, but also losses from the Vikings and Redskins. The Vikings had a shot to clinch the wild card spot with a win after the Saints lost to Philadelphia earlier in the day. However, they surrendered the first 25 points and are now on the outside looking in. Collins completed 22-of-29 passes for 254 yards for the Redskins, winners of three straight following a timeout gaffe by head coach Joe Gibbs against Buffalo on Dec. 2. Last week, Collins made his first start since Dec. 1997, and now the Redskins are just one victory away from clinching a playoff spot during an emotional season, which has been marred by the shooting death of safety Sean Taylor on Nov. 27. Clinton Portis rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown and threw a pass for a TD in the victory. Tarvaris Jackson ran for two scores and threw for another for the Vikings, who had a five-game winning streak broken. Jackson completed 25-of-41 passes for 220 yards, but was also picked off two times. He also ran for 44 yards, but the Redskins limited Adrian Peterson to 27 yards on nine carries. Minnesota came into the game with the No. 1 rushing offense, but logged just 87 yards on the ground. The Vikings also had the top-ranked ground defense in the NFL, but gave up 106 rushing yards.

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