Week 17 NFL Game Recaps

Final Score: Atlanta 44, Seattle 41

Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - Chris Redman passed for 251 yards with a career-high four touchdowns, including two to Alge Crumpler, as the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 44-41, in the regular-season finale for both teams. Redman completed 17-of-27 passes and Crumpler had three catches for 67 yards for the Falcons (4-12), who snapped a six-game losing skid. Warrick Dunn chipped in with 70 yards rushing and a score. He also had two catches for 10 yards and became only the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards and have 4,000 receiving yards in a career. Falcons interim head coach Emmitt Thomas, who took over for Bobby Petrino, earned his first career win and is now 1-2. Petrino resigned on December 11 to take the head coaching job at Arkansas. Roddy White chipped in with five catches for 62 yards and a score, while Joe Horn had three grabs for 32 yards and a TD in the win. Matt Hasselbeck completed 15-of-25 passes for 147 yards with a touchdown for Seattle (10-6), which lost for only the second time in its last eight games. Seneca Wallace took over for Hasselbeck in the second half and completed 17- of-22 passes for 206 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The Seahawks, who had the NFC West Division title and No. 3 playoff seed locked up prior to the contest, rested several starters in the second half. Seattle will host the Washington Redskins in an NFC wild-card game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (et). Nate Burleson pulled in seven passes for 119 yards and two scores, while Maurice Morris had 91 yards on the ground and a TD in defeat. Shaun Alexander and Bobby Engram also scored touchdowns for Seattle. Alexander's was the 100th rushing TD in his career.

Final Score: Chicago 33, New Orleans 25

Chicago, IL (My Sportsbook) - Devin Hester scored a pair of touchdowns, one receiving and one on a punt return, as the Chicago Bears ended the slim playoff hopes for the New Orleans Saints with a 33-25 victory at Soldier Field. The Saints' season came to a close at the same venue where last year's Super Bowl hopes were dashed with a 39-14 loss in the NFC Championship Game. On Sunday, New Orleans (7-9) still had an outside chance to reach the playoffs, but needed a victory and losses by both Washington and Minnesota later in the day. Chicago (7-9), meanwhile, concluded a disappointing defense of its NFC crown with back-to-back victories for the first time all season. The Bears beat Green Bay last Sunday to halt a three-game losing streak that ended their hopes for a third straight playoff appearance. Hester scored on a 55-yard reception late in the second quarter and added a 64-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the third. It was his fourth punt return for a score this season and his sixth combined kick return for a touchdown, breaking the NFL single-season record of five he set as a rookie last year. Kyle Orton threw for 190 yards with a pair of scores and an interception for the Bears, while Adrian Peterson ran for 91 yards on 21 carries and also threw a touchdown pass. Drew Brees completed 35-of-60 passes for 320 yards with two interceptions in defeat. He also set an NFL record with 443 completions this season, breaking the old mark of 418 set by Oakland's Rich Gannon in 2002. Pierre Thomas ran for 105 yards on 20 carries for New Orleans. He was also the team's leading receiver with 12 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Marques Colston hauled in eight passes for 94 yards with a pair of scores, but injured a wrist late in the first half and didn't return.

Final Score: Cleveland 20, San Francisco 7

Cleveland, OH (My Sportsbook) - Jamal Lewis gained 128 yards on 26 rushes and Joshua Cribbs had a 76-yard punt return for a score as the Cleveland Browns downed the San Francisco 49ers, 20-7, to close out the 2007 regular season for both clubs. Derek Anderson completed 11-of-20 passes for 152 yards with one touchdown and one interception for the Browns (10-6), who were left out of the playoffs by virtue of the Titans' 16-10 win over the Colts Sunday night. Braylon Edwards had three catches for 67 yards and a score for Cleveland, which rebounded nicely from a deflating 19-14 loss to the Bengals last week, a defeat which put the Titans in the driver's seat for the last playoff spot in the AFC. Frank Gore gained 94 yards on 23 carries for the Niners (5-11), who finished their franchise-record fifth consecutive losing season. Chris Weinke got the start in place of Shaun Hill, who sat with back spasms, and completed 13-of-22 passes for 104 yards with a touchdown. Darrell Jackson had three grabs for 28 yards and a score.

Final Score: Green Bay 34, Detroit 13

Green Bay, WI (My Sportsbook) - Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers tuned up for the postseason with a convincing 34-13 victory over the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Favre played into the early stages of the second quarter and was an efficient 9-of-11 passing for 99 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for the NFC North champion Packers (13-3), who will have a first-round bye in the playoffs after already securing the number two spot in the conference. Craig Nall played the remainder of the contest under center and completed 7- of-15 passes for 88 yards with a touchdown. Ryan Grant ran for 57 yards and a score in limited action while rookie Brandon Jackson rushed for a career-high 113 yards for Green Bay, which rested several key starters, including wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. On the defensive side of the field, cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive end Aaron Kampman were also on the inactive list. Koren Robinson caught four passes for 47 yards with a score in the victory for the Packers, who have now defeated Detroit at Lambeau in 17 straight games. Jon Kitna threw for 246 yards on 22-of-48 passing with a touchdown and two picks for the Lions (7-9), who ended the season with their best record since going 9-7 in 2000.

Final Score: Houston 42, Jacksonville 28

Houston, TX (My Sportsbook) - Andre Davis returned two consecutive kickoffs for touchdowns in a span of 28 seconds as Houston downed a short-handed Jacksonville team, 42-28, at Reliant Stadium. With the Jaguars' playoff position already secured, the team rested seven starters and a key reserve. Quinn Gray was at quarterback in place of David Garrard, and running back Fred Taylor, receiver Dennis Northcutt, offensive tackle Tony Pashos, defensive end Paul Spicer, linebacker Daryl Smith and cornerback Rashean Mathis were all inactive. Third-down back Maurice Jones- Drew also took a seat for the day. Jacksonville clinched the AFC's first wild card spot with last weekend's 49-11 victory over the Oakland Raiders and will travel to Pittsburgh next Saturday at 8 p.m. (et) for the first round of the playoffs. Jacksonville beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 29-22, in Week 15. Ron Dayne ran for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Texans (8-8), who finished the regular season with the best record in club history. Darius Walker added another 86 yards on the ground and a TD on just 10 carries. Sage Rosenfels, making his fourth straight start in place of the injured Matt Schaub, completed 11-of-18 passes for 128 yards with a TD and an interception. Gray played very well in defeat, connecting on 25-of-39 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns for the Jaguars (11-5), who had won six of seven coming into the game. Matt Jones had eight receptions for 138 yards and a TD, while Ernest Wilford had six catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns.

Final Score: Cincinnati 38, Miami 25

Miami, FL (My Sportsbook) - Carson Palmer threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a 38-25 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the season-finale for both teams at Dolphin Stadium. Palmer completed 23-of-32 passes with one interception. Chad Johnson finished with four catches for 131 yards with a pair of scores and T.J. Houshmandzadeh hauled in nine passes for 90 yards. Houshmandzadeh tied New England's Wes Welker for the league lead with 112 receptions this season. Kenny Watson also scored on a two-yard run for the Bengals (7-9), who wrapped up a disappointing season with their first two-game win streak of the campaign. It was the first losing season in five years under head coach Marvin Lewis. The Dolphins (1-15), meanwhile, finished with two straight losses after their lone win of the season against Baltimore. Miami became the eighth team to complete a 1-15 season since the schedule expanded in 1978, and the first to do so since Carolina in 2001. Miami quarterback Cleo Lemon threw for 123 yards with a touchdown before leaving the contest in the third quarter with a hip injury. John Beck, in his first action since being benched on December 9 following a disastrous four- game stint as starting quarterback, threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score in defeat. The Dolphins also played in front of their new executive vice president of football operations, Bill Parcells, who took in the game in person with good friend and former NFL executive Ron Wolf. Parcells will likely start cleaning house Monday following the worst season in Dolphins history. Reports in south Florida on Sunday said general manager Randy Mueller was already on his way out, and head coach Cam Cameron may also be on the chopping block after just one season.

Final Score: Philadelphia 17, Buffalo 9

Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Donovan McNabb completed 29-of-41 passes for 345 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and Brian Westbrook broke a pair of franchise records, as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Buffalo Bills, 17-9, at Lincoln Financial Field. Westbrook gained 42 yards on seven carries and caught four passes for 57 yards for the Eagles (8-8), who wrapped up the season on a three-game winning streak. Reggie Brown finished the game with 83 yards on five receptions and Kevin Curtis made seven grabs for 62 yards. Trent Edwards threw for only 133 yards on 16-of-30 attempts, as the Bills (7-9) concluded the season with three straight losses. Marshawn Lynch rushed for 105 yards on 22 carries and Rian Lindell's three field goals provided all the offense for Buffalo. Westbrook entered the game needing only two yards to break Wilbert Montgomery's (2,006) franchise record for most yards from scrimmage in a season.

Final Score: Carolina 31, Tampa Bay 23

Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - Matt Moore threw a pair of touchdown passes and DeAngelo Williams rushed for 121 yards with a pair of scores, as the Carolina Panthers ended the season with a 31-23 victory over the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Moore connected on 15-of-24 passes for 174 yards with an interception for the Panthers (7-9), who won three of their last five games after a five-game losing streak derailed a promising 4-2 start. After the Panthers ended Tampa Bay's last drive, Vinny Testaverde took the final snap of the contest and of his NFL career. Testaverde, who was called out of retirement in October after injuries to Carolina quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and David Carr, announced Saturday that his 21-year career would come to an end following Sunday's season-finale. The 44-year-old veteran played with Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Baltimore, the New York Jets, Dallas, New England and the Panthers. He threw for 46,233 yards and 275 touchdowns with 267 interceptions. It was a fitting end for Testaverde, who was originally selected with the first overall pick by the Buccaneers in the 1987 NFL Draft after a standout career at the University of Miami- Florida. Luke McCown completed 21-of-28 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Tampa Bay (9-7), which lost its last two games after wrapping up the NFC South. McCown was also Tampa's leading rusher, gaining 47 yards on five attempts. The Buccaneers took the field without many of their starters in anticipation of next Sunday's 1 p.m. (et) playoff game against the New York Giants . Among those on the Bucs' inactive list were running back Earnest Graham, quarterback Jeff Garcia, wide receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, strong safety Jermaine Phillips, fullback B.J. Askew and middle linebacker Barrett Ruud.

Final Score: Arizona 48, St. Louis 19

Glendale, AZ (My Sportsbook) - Kurt Warner passed for 300 yards with three touchdowns, two to Larry Fitzgerald, as the Arizona Cardinals hammered the St. Louis Rams, 48-19, at University of Phoenix Stadium in the season-finale for both teams. Warner finished 23-of-39 passing, while Fitzgerald had 11 catches for 171 yards for Arizona (8-8), which has won two straight and three of its last five games. Edgerrin James rushed for 102 yards on 24 carries with a score and Anquan Boldin pulled in four passes for 56 yards and a TD in the win. Antrel Rolle and Gerald Hayes each returned an interception for a touchdown for Arizona. Marc Bulger was 13-of-25 passing for 176 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, while Torry Holt caught seven passes for 93 yards for St. Louis (3-13), which dropped four in row and five of its last six. Gus Frerotte came in late in the contest and completed one of five passes for four yards and a pick. Oshiomogho Atogwe returned an interception for a score in defeat.

Final Score: Baltimore 27, Pittsburgh 21

Baltimore, MD (My Sportsbook) - Troy Smith completed 16-of-27 passes for 171 yards with one touchdown, and the Baltimore Ravens survived a late surge to down the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-21, in a water-logged contest that closed the 2007 regular season for both clubs. Charlie Batch completed 16-of-31 passes for 218 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Steelers (10-6), who rested quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines Ward. Pittsburgh's loss secured the No. 3 seed for the San Diego Chargers. The Steelers now face a tougher playoff road, having to host 11-5 Jacksonville next Saturday at 8 p.m. (et). Derrick Mason had six catches for 72 yards for the Ravens (5-11), who finally stemmed their franchise-record nine-game losing streak. Musa Smith gained 83 yards with one touchdown on 22 carries, and Cory Ross had 12 carries for 72 yards and a score for Baltimore. David Pittman had two interceptions for the Ravens. The Steelers ground game suffered from the absence of Willie Parker, who broke his leg last Thursday against the Rams, ending his season. Najeh Davenport gained only 27 yards on 12 carries with a score for Pittsburgh. Santonio Holmes had four catches for 98 yards and a score, and Nate Washington gained 68 yards on five catches for the Steelers.

Final Score: Denver 22, Minnesota 19 (OT)

Denver, CO (My Sportsbook) - Jason Elam's 30-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Denver Broncos past the Minnesota Vikings, 22-19, at Invesco Field at Mile High. Minnesota won the coin toss at the start of overtime and on the second play from scrimmage, Tarvaris Jackson fumbled the ball after being sacked, and Elvis Dumervil recovered for the Broncos. Denver decided to trot Elam right onto the field, and after a timeout by the Vikings, the veteran calmly split the uprights to win it. Jay Cutler completed 26-of-37 passes for 246 yards with two touchdowns for the Broncos (7-9), who ended a disappointing season with a losing record for the first time since 1999. Brandon Marshall caught 10 passes for 114 yards with a touchdown in the victory, while Tony Scheffler had seven catches for 52 yards and a score. Selvin Young led the ground game for Denver with 87 yards on a career-high 22 carries. Jackson threw for 175 yards on 16-of-31 passing with a pair of touchdowns for the Vikings (8-8), who needed a win and a loss by Washington to advance into the playoffs. Nothing went right for the Vikes, as the Redskins downed Dallas, 27-6 on Sunday. Bobby Wade caught both touchdown tosses from Jackson while Chester Taylor had 83 yards on 10 carries but lost two fumbles for Minnesota. Rookie phenom Adrian Peterson was held to just 36 yards.

Final Score: NY Jets 13, Kansas City 10 (OT)

East Rutherford, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Mike Nugent's 43-yard field goal in overtime helped the New York Jets edge the Kansas City Chiefs, 13-10, in the season finale for both clubs at Giants Stadium. The game-winning kick came after Nugent nailed a 33-yarder, but had it negated on a holding call. Then, after the Chiefs called a timeout, Nugent split the uprights to give the Jets the victory. Thomas Jones rushed for 98 yards on 25 carries, and also caught one touchdown pass for the Jets (4-12), who snapped a three-game skid and won for only the second time in their last six contests. Kellen Clemens connected on 13-of-25 passes for 115 yards and a TD in the win. Brodie Croyle connected on 20-of-43 attempts for 195 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs (4-12), who wrapped up the season on a nine-game losing streak. Tony Gonzalez caught seven balls for 64 yards in defeat, but did break Shannon Sharpe's record for receptions by a tight end. Gonzalez entered the contest needing three catches to break the old record of 815. He tied the mark on a seven-yard reception on the Chiefs' first play of the second half. Two plays later, Gonzalez smashed the record by hauling in a short pass from Croyle and rumbling 17 yards.

Final Score: San Diego 30, Oakland 17

Oakland, CA (My Sportsbook) - Philip Rivers completed 13-of-23 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, as the San Diego Chargers defeated the Oakland Raiders, 30-17, at McAfee Coliseum. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 56 yards on 16 carries for the Chargers (11-5), who wrapped up the third seed and will host Tennessee, winner of the final AFC Playoff spot by virtue of its 16-10 win over the Colts, next Sunday afternoon. Antonio Gates had 62 yards on six catches and Chris Chambers finished with 49 yards on three receptions and one score. JaMarcus Russell, making his first NFL start, completed 23- of-31 passes for 224 yards with one touchdown and one interception for the Raiders (4-12), who finished the season on a four-game skid. Dominic Rhodes carried the ball 29 times for 122 yards with one score and caught six passes for 42 yards, while tight end Zach Miller hauled in eight passes for 84 yards.

Final Score: Washington 27, Dallas 6

Landover, MD (My Sportsbook) - Todd Collins completed 22-of-31 passes for 244 yards and Clinton Portis scored a pair of touchdowns, propelling the Washington Redskins into the final NFC playoff spot with a 27-6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field. Collins, who replaced injured starter Jason Campbell under center in the season's 13th week, connected with Santana Moss for a second-half touchdown pass and Portis accumulated 104 yards on the ground as Washington (9-7) closed out the regular season with its fourth consecutive win, and will head to Seattle next Saturday to face the NFC West-champion Seahawks in a wild card matchup at 4:30 p.m. (et). In the process, the Redskins eliminated the Minnesota Vikings, who lost at Denver anyway, 22-19. Minnesota entered play a week ago with a full one-game lead for the final playoff berth, but lost two straight to close out the season as Washington came on strong. Moss finished the day with eight catches for 115 yards, and the Redskins defense kept a stranglehold on the Dallas offense, limiting the Cowboys to a franchise-record low one yard on the ground. Tony Romo was 7-for-16 passing for 86 yards and an interception before being lifted in the third quarter for Brad Johnson, who finished 7- for-11 for 79 yards. Dallas (13-3) had little to play for, having already locked up the top seed in the NFC and a first-round bye in the postseason. Still, the short-handed Cowboys did little to generate momentum heading into the playoffs, gaining just 147 yards of total offense and looking out of sync on both sides of the ball en route to their second loss in the last three weeks. The visitors were missing several players that are going to the Pro Bowl, as Terrell Owens, Terence Newman and Andre Gurode, as well as defensive lineman Jay Ratliff, all were held out for a variety of injury and precautionary reasons.

Final Score: Tennessee 16, Indianapolis 10

Indianapolis, IN (My Sportsbook) - Rob Bironas kicked three field goals as the Tennessee Titans claimed the final AFC wild card spot with a 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts at the RCA Dome. Chris Brown scored the lone touchdown, while Kerry Collins came off the bench in place of an injured Vince Young and orchestrated three scoring drives, all field goals, on 10- of-13 passing for 106 yards for the Titans (10-6), who won their last three games to get into the playoffs and will play at San Diego next Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (et). Young left the game with 6:01 left in the third with a leg injury. He went 14-for-18 with 157 yards. The status of his injury is uncertain. Peyton Manning left the game in the second quarter after going 14-for-16 for 95 yards. He went over 4,000 passing yards for the eighth time in his career, which is an NFL record. Reggie Wayne also left the game in the second quarter after finishing with a career-high 12 catches for 87 yards. He finished the season with 1,510 yards on the season, which is tops in the NFL. Jim Sorgi finished the game under center and went 11-for-24 with 68 yards and a touchdown for the Colts (13-3), who had already had the second seed and a first-week bye in the AFC playoffs locked up coming into the game.

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