Monday December 27th, 2004 - Page updated at 10:30pm
NFL Week 16 Game Recaps
By: Q. Smyth
Senior Editor For WagerOnFootball.com Sportsbook Review

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NFL Game Summary - San Diego at Indianapolis

(Sunday, December 26th)
Final Score: Indianapolis 34, San Diego 31 (OT)

Indianapolis, IN (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Peyton Manning's NFL record-setting 49th touchdown pass of the season helped tie the game late in the fourth quarter and Mike Vanderjagt's 30-yard field goal early in overtime won it, as the Indianapolis Colts rallied for a 34-31 victory over the San Diego Chargers at the RCA Dome.
Manning, who finished 27-of-44 passing for 383 yards and two TDs, broke Dan Marino's 1984 record of 48 TD passes in a season when he threw a 21-yard scoring strike to Brandon Stokley that pulled Indianapolis to within 31-29 with 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Edgerrin James' two-point conversion run tied it at 31.
"Obviously, at the time that I threw it, there wasn't a lot of emotion for me because of the two-point conversion," said Manning of the record-setting toss. "If we don't get that two-point conversion, it is kind of a downer."

The Colts got the ball first in overtime and Manning used passes of 23 yards to Stokley and 35 yards to Reggie Wayne to get the ball down to the San Diego 12. Vanderjagt then split the uprights from 30 yards out 2:47 into the extra session to win the game and clinch the No. 3 seed in the AFC for Indianapolis (12-3), which has won eight in a row.
With his team trailing 31-16 early in the fourth quarter, Dominic Rhodes sparked the Colts' comeback with an 88-yard kickoff return that started a string of 18 unanswered points.

Drew Brees was 21-of-31 passing for 290 yards and three touchdowns for the AFC West champion Chargers (11-4), whose win streak was halted at eight games. LaDainian Tomlinson set an NFL record in the loss by rushing for a touchdown in 12 consecutive games in a single season.
San Diego tight end Antonio Gates also set a league mark for the most TD catches by a tight end with his 13th touchdown reception of the season.
Manning tied the record of Marino, the former Miami Dolphins great, when he threw his 48th TD pass of the season, a three-yard shovel toss to James Mungro with 6:11 left in the third quarter. The score brought Indianapolis to within 24-16.
Brees then engineered an 11-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a 16-yard TD run by Tomlinson that put the Chargers up 31-16 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. But Rhodes' 88-yard return of the ensuing kickoff for a score made it 31-23 with 14:42 left in regulation.

Later in the fourth, the Colts drove down to the San Diego 29, but Vanderjagt hit the left upright with a 47-yard field goal attempt with a little more than five minutes left.
However, the Colts tied it at 31 when Manning threw his record-setting TD pass and James ran for the two-point conversion in the final minute of regulation, capping a nine-play, 80-yard drive.
"I'm glad it happened on that drive," said Manning. "I think Johnny Unitas would have been proud of that drive and the way it happened."
On San Diego's first play of the ensuing drive, Brees hit Eric Parker with a 22-yard pass to the Chargers' 49. However, Parker was injured on the play and Brees had to waste a down by spiking the ball. After two straight incompletions, Brees threw a pass that was intercepted by Rob Morris at the Indianapolis 27.
Morris returned the interception 39 yards to the San Diego 34, but an illegal block by Montae Reagor pushed the ball back to the Colts' 44 and Manning ran the clock out by taking a knee to send the game into the extra frame.
Stokley finished with seven catches for 123 yards and the one touchdown while Marvin Harrison had six receptions for 111 yards. James carried the ball 22 times for 86 yards in the victory.

"That was phenomenal game," said Colts head coach Tony Dungy. "We didn't play our best but we were playing against a very good football team that can make you look bad at times."
Tomlinson rushed for 81 yards on 21 carries and caught five passes for 95 yards, while Parker finished with seven receptions for 103 yards for San Diego.
"We are very, very disappointed that we weren't able to finish the task," said San Diego head coach Marty Schottenheimer. "But I'll say this -- our team played toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the National Football League."
Indianapolis drove deep into Chargers' territory on its first possession of the contest. However, on a 2nd-and-6 play from the San Diego three-yard line, Manning threw a pass that was intercepted by Donnie Edwards.
It was only the 10th interception thrown by Manning this season.

Off that turnover, the Chargers drove 92 yards in five plays and took a 7-0 lead on Brees' 74-yard touchdown pass to Tomlinson with 4:48 left in the first quarter.
The Colts had to settle for a 36-yard field goal by Vanderjagt in the opening minute of the second quarter after tightly covered tight end Dallas Clark couldn't hold onto a third-down pass from Manning at the one-yard line.
But San Diego regained a seven-point lead when Nate Kaeding's 50-yard field goal made it 10-3 with 12:46 remaining in the second quarter.
The Chargers took a 17-3 lead when Brees hooked up with Parker on 19-yard touchdown pass with 7:09 left in the second.
A 26-yard field goal by Vanderjagt pulled Indianapolis to within 17-6 with 4:30 left in the second.

The Colts drove down to the San Diego five-yard line late in the second, but James fumbled on a 3rd-and-1 run. The ball was recovered by Indianapolis center Jeff Saturday and the Colts again had to settle for a field goal. Vanderjagt split the uprights from 23 yards away with 18 seconds left in the quarter to make it a 17-9 game at the half.
But San Diego added to its lead, marching 70 yards in nine plays on its first possession of the second half and going up 24-9 on Brees' four-yard shovel pass to Gates for a touchdown.

Game Notes
The Colts have scored 508 points this season, making them the 11th team in NFL history to reach the 500-point plateau...Edwards' interception was his fourth in three games...Parker has multiple catches in 10 consecutive games...Gates finished with seven catches for 49 yards...Stokley's touchdown catch was his 10th of the season. He joined Marvin Harrison (14 TDs) and Reggie Wayne (11 TDs) to become the first trio of receivers on the same team in NFL history to register double-digit TD receptions. They also became the fourth trio of receivers in league annals to each have 1,000 yards receiving.

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NFL Game Summary - Chicago at Detroit

(Sunday, December 26th)

Final Score: Detroit 19, Chicago 13
Detroit, MI (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Kevin Jones rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown, Jason Hanson kicked four field goals, and Detroit held on for a 19-13 victory over Chicago at Ford Field.
Joey Harrington ended 15-of-30 for 166 yards with an interception for Detroit (6-9), which snapped a two-game losing streak.
The Lions bounced back from a heartbreaking 28-27 decision to Minnesota in Week 15, when they botched a snap on what would have been the game-tying extra point in the closing seconds.
The Bears nearly sent Detroit to its second-straight tough loss after it appeared they tied the game on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Chad Hutchinson to Bernard Berrian with 1:26 remaining.

But the play was ruled an incomplete pass on the field, and despite replays that showed it may not have been, the call stood upon review.
"I was shocked, because I thought for sure they were going to call it a touchdown," Hanson said. "But I'm not going to complain."
Hutchinson ended 20-of-35 for 114 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
The Bears (5-10), who are 1-3 since turning to Hutchinson in Week 13, have lost three straight. They have scored just 21 total points in those losses.
Jones' 123 yards puts him at 1,063 for the season. He joined Barry Sanders and Billy Sims as the third Lions running back to surpass 1,000 yards rushing as a rookie.

"It's a great honor, because they are two of the best ever," Jones said.
After a series of punts to open the game, Detroit took a 3-0 lead on Hanson's first field goal of the game, a 31-yarder at 3:06 of the first quarter.
Jones sparked the 46-yard scoring drive with a 39-yard run on first down, and he gave the Lions a 10-0 lead with a one-yard touchdown burst 30 seconds into the second quarter. That play capped a 70-yard drive.
Hanson kicked a 39-yard field goal with 5:50 remaining in the first half to give Detroit a 13-0. He added a 34-yarder with no time remaining to make it 16-0.
Lance Briggs returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown to pull the Bears within 16-6 with 3:40 remaining in the third quarter. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

Hanson's 40-yard field goal at 11:29 of the fourth quarter put the Lions in front 19-6.
The Bears responded with a 90-yard drive and pulled within 19-13 on Hutchinson's 15-yard touchdown pass to Jason McKie with 7:04 remaining.

Game Notes
Jones has four 100-yard games this season...Detroit also beat the Bears 20-16 in Week 1. The Lions have won three straight against Chicago at home, with the Bears' last victory in the Motor City coming by a 24-0 count in 2001.

NFL Game Summary - Baltimore at Pittsburgh

(Sunday, December 26th)
Final Score: Pittsburgh 20, Baltimore 7

Pittsburgh, PA (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Ben Roethlisberger passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns before leaving in the third quarter with a rib injury, and Pittsburgh avenged its only loss of the season with a 20-7 victory over Baltimore at Heinz Field.
Roethlisberger was 14-of-19 with an interception, winning his 13th straight start since taking over for an injured Tommy Maddox during the Steelers' Week 2 loss to the Ravens.
He was hurt on his second touchdown pass of the game by a late hit from Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs. Roethlisberger looked shaky on the sidelines afterwards, but he was back on the field after Baltimore's Matt Stover missed a 44-yard field goal attempt.

However, after two passes, Roethlisberger walked off the field and was replaced by Maddox. Maddox threw one pass, and Jeff Reed's 40-yard field goal gave Pittsburgh its 20-7 lead with 12:53 remaining in the game.
The Steelers (14-1) clinched homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with the win.
"Teams are going to have to come in and deal with the weather, the field and our fans," said Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward. "You could not ask for a better situation."

Jerome Bettis rushed for 117 yards in the win. He passed Eric Dickerson for fourth on the NFL's all-time rushing list with 13,294 yards.
Plaxico Burress, playing for the first time in five weeks, caught three passes for 97 yards and a touchdown for Pittsburgh.
Kyle Boller was 18-of-32 for 177 and an interception for Baltimore (8-7), which saw its playoff hopes in the tough AFC all but extinguished. Jamal Lewis rushed 14 times for just 26 yards, and scored the only Ravens touchdown on a five-yard run in the first quarter.
Pittsburgh took a 7-0 lead at the end of its first possession when Roethlisberger and Burress hooked up for a 36-yard touchdown just 4:36 into the game.
Baltimore answered with a 68-yard scoring drive to tie the game, pulling even at 7-7 on Lewis' five-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in the first quarter.
Roethlisberger was intercepted by Will Demps on the next play from scrimmage, but the Steelers got the ball right back when Joey Porter picked off Boller six plays later.

Pittsburgh turned that into three points and a 10-7 lead on Reed's 23-yard field goal at 13:02 of the second quarter.
The Steelers were driving at the end of the first half, but Antwaan Randle El fumbled at the Baltimore 29 and the Ravens recovered.
Pittsburgh opened the third quarter with a 71-yard touchdown drive, pulling ahead 17-7 on Roethlisberger's two-yard touchdown pass to Jerame Tuman.
Suggs was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty after driving the quarterback's head into the ground on the play. Roethlisberger was helped off the field and was checked out by doctors on the sideline.

Game Notes
Bettis posted his 60th career 100-yard rushing game. All six of his 100-yard games this season have come in place of the injured Duce Staley...The Steelers went 8-0 at home for the first time since 1979, when they won their last Super Bowl...The Steelers hold a 12-6 lead in the all-time regular season series with Baltimore. They snapped a two-game losing streak against the Ravens.

NFL Game Summary - Buffalo at San Francisco

(Sunday, December 26th)
Final Score: Buffalo 41, San Francisco 7

San Francisco, CA (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Willis McGahee ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills kept their playoff hopes alive with a 41-7 romp over the San Francisco 49ers at Monster Park.
Drew Bledsoe completed 21-of-32 passes for 172 yards with a touchdown for Buffalo (9-6), which has won six straight for the first time since capturing eight in a row in 1990. Lee Evans added 92 yards and two touchdowns receiving for the Bills, who compiled 441 yards of offense on the way to their ninth win in 11 outings after starting the season 0-4.
The Buffalo defense forced five turnovers, recorded three sacks and held an inept Niners offense to just 189 total yards -- 73 of which came on San Francisco's final possession. In the last two games, the Bills have recorded 14 sacks and 14 takeaways.

McGahee, who surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season with a 20-yard run early in the third quarter, was questionable up until game-time with a knee injury. He now has rushed for 1,049 yards this season, over 100 yards in seven of his 10 starts and also recorded his fourth multi-TD game.
The Bills are currently tied with the Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot, but find themselves on the outside looking in because the Broncos hold the tiebreaker with a better conference record. However, if Denver loses its final game next weekend at home versus Indianapolis and the Bills win at home against Pittsburgh, the Bills will make the postseason for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
"I'm pretty sure it's going to be a pretty intense game next week," said McGahee. "We're not worried about the playoffs, we've still got a game ahead of us. We're not going to count our eggs before they hatch. Pittsburgh's a great team, they're going to come in, they're going to play hard. That's what we expect and we're going to come in and play hard."

Buffalo can also clinch a playoff berth one other way. The Bills moved within one game of the New York Jets in the AFC East standings as New England went into the Meadowlands and came away with a 23-7 victory on Sunday to drop the Jets to 10-5. If the Bills win their final game and the Jets lose at St. Louis next Sunday, the Bills will also make the postseason regardless of what Denver does.
Buffalo holds the tiebreaker against the Jets thanks to a better record against common opponents, which is the third divisional tiebreak scenario.
"This whole season has come down to one game for a long time," said Bledsoe, whose team hasn't lost since Week 10 at New England. "We've been playing playoff games for months and we put ourselves in that situation by losing the first four. We took a big hit against the Patriots and had to bounce back from that and we've been playing for our lives for a long time and that's what we're doing this week also when we play the Steelers. If we win, then we've got a shot, if we don't, we're home."

Ken Dorsey ended 5-of-10 for 54 yards with one interception and one lost fumble for San Francisco (2-13), which has dropped two straight and nine of 10. He left the game in the third quarter with a right hand injury and was replaced by Cody Pickett, who ended 4-of-10 for 55 yards with two picks in his first NFL action.
"I wish it could have been a little better," said Pickett. "I threw some interceptions and forced some balls, but it felt good to get out and get some action. It's the first time in about 17 weeks I've gotten some playing time and it felt pretty good."
Kevan Barlow ran for 72 yards and a TD for the Niners, whose only two wins this season came in overtime against Arizona.
The Bills began to pull away in the second quarter by scoring 17 points to break a scoreless contest.

Buffalo bridged the first and second quarters with a nine-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a three-yard TD run by McGahee. Bledsoe was 4-of-4 for 50 yards on the drive, with the big play being a 16-yard completion to Eric Moulds that brought the ball down to the Niners' 16.
Then, after the Bills made the score 10-0 on a Rian Lindell 23-yard field goal on the club's next possession, a costly fumble by Dorsey on the ensuing drive led to seven more Buffalo points.
Bledsoe hit Evans with an eight-yard scoring pass with 25 seconds left in the half to give the team a 17-0 cushion. The nine-play, 40-yard drive was kept alive by two 3rd-and-short conversions and was started when Aaron Schobel recovered a Dorsey fumble back at the Niners' 40.

Coming out of halftime, Buffalo extended the advantage to 20-0 when Lindell nailed a 31-yarder nearly three minutes into the third. McGahee then ran in from a yard out for a 27-point lead with 4:20 remaining in the quarter.
In the fourth, Evans caught a 33-yard TD pass from Shane Matthews to end a six-play, 52-yard drive 1:34 into the stanza and Shaud Williams ran in from 27 yards out just under a minute later. The Williams TD was set up by a Josh Stamer interception of Pickett on the first play after the Evans score.
"This is what you're working for is opportunities like we have right now," said Buffalo head coach Mike Mularkey. "To come into this final week with a showdown with another very good football team, we'll see. I think these guys realize how hard they worked and understand the opportunity regardless of who we're playing this week."

The Niners avoided their second shutout of the season when Barlow capped a 14- play, 73-yard drive with a one-yard score midway through the final stanza.
San Francisco could match the worst record in team history with a loss at New England next Sunday. The last time the Niners ended a season 2-14 was 1979, which was Hall-of--Fame head coach Bill Walsh's first season and the second straight year the club did it.

Game Notes Matthews ended 2-of-3 for 44 yards and rookie J.P. Losman also played QB for the Bills and didn't attempt a pass in two drives...Williams finished with 93 rushing yards...Evans became the first Bills rookie to catch a touchdown pass in four straight games...The Buffalo defense has held its opponents to nine or fewer points three times during its six-game win streak...The Bills have scored over 30 points in six straight games and seven times overall this season...Buffalo clinched its first winning record since the 1999 season...SF WR Brandon Lloyd sat out the second half with a foot injury.

NFL Game Summary - Washington at Dallas

(Sunday, December 26th)
Final Score: Dallas 13, Washington 10

Dallas, TX (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Patrick Crayton caught a 39-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter to give Dallas a 13-10 win over Washington at Texas Stadium.
Vinny Testaverde completed 23-of-39 passes for 234 yards for the Cowboys (6-9), who were officially eliminated from playoff contention because of victories by both New Orleans and Carolina.
Keyshawn Johnson caught nine passes for 84 yards and Julius Jones ran for 57 yards on 22 carries for Dallas, which extended its home winning streak in the series to nine games.

I'm happy about this one," said Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells. "That was a pretty stirring comeback. We made it hard on ourselves with some turnovers inside the red zone, but our guys hung in there and they were ready to play."
Patrick Ramsey finished 19-of-29 passing for 158 yards and a score for the Redskins (5-10), who have lost two of their last three games overall and 14 of their last 15 against Dallas. Ladell Betts and Clinton Portis combined for 75 rushing yards on 23 carries and Laveranues Coles made seven catches for 53 yards.
Shawn Springs registered six solo tackles, two sacks and an interception for Washington, which went ahead 10-6 on a five-yard TD catch by Robert Royal midway through the fourth quarter.
"I feel sorry for the players," Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs remarked. "If there has ever been a group of guys who played hard every week, this is it. Give (Dallas) credit. They made a play there at the end."

Dallas rallied after getting the ball back for the last time with 1:25 to go. Crayton caught a 15-yard pass on fourth-and-10 to extend the nine-play, 75- yard drive. Five plays later, Crayton and Testaverde hooked up on a throw along the right sideline on 3rd-and-3 for the score.
"That is one thing about having someone like Vinny in there," said Parcells. "He is a good long passer and he can hit those."
Jeff Chandler attempted a 57-yard field goal with five seconds left for Washington, but missed it short.
Midway through the first quarter, Ramsey completed seven straight passes to move the Redskins to the Dallas 11-yard line. But he was intercepted by Lynn Scott at the three to end the scoring threat.
"Things like that happen in close football games," Gibbs said. "I feel like we had an excellent first drive but then we had trouble moving the ball. A good defense across from you will do that."

Ramsey led Washington to the Cowboys' seven-yard line on its next possession, which led to a 3-0 lead on a 25-yard field goal by Chandler with 3:01 left in the first. A 39-yard punt return by Antonio Brown set up the seven-play, 16- yard march, and Rod Gardner's nine-yard catch on third down kept it going.
A 26-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff with 9:51 left in the second quarter forced a 3-3 tie for Dallas. During the 13-play, 73-yard series, Jones ran for three yards and Johnson caught a six-yard pass to convert two third downs.
Jones' fumble inside Washington's five-yard line later in the first half ended a scoring threat for the Cowboys. Sean Taylor knocked the ball loose and Fred Smoot fell on it at his one-yard line.
Another field goal by Cundiff, this one from 26 yards on the final play of the second, put Dallas ahead 6-3 at halftime. Johnson extended the 12-play, 42- yard drive with his eight-yard catch on fourth down.

A four-yard run by Jones set up a first-and-goal from the Redskins' four-yard line with 22 seconds to go. But Dallas was forced to settle for three points.
Late in the third quarter, Testaverde led Dallas to the Washington three-yard line. After two Jones rushes lost three yards, Springs picked off a pass in the end zone.
Royal's five-yard TD catch with 6:44 to go in the fourth quarter put the Redskins ahead 10-6. Brian Kozlowski's eight-yard catch on third down extended the 13-play, 80-yard series, which featured seven straight completions by Ramsey. A 27-yard catch by Taylor Jacobs set up the score.

Game Notes
Portis, who ran for 32 yards on 10 carries, left the game at the end of the third quarter with a bruised shoulder...Jason Witten finished with six catches for 50 yards for the Cowboys, who lead the all-time series 54-32-2...Gardner registered five receptions for 31 yards for the Redskins, who last won in Texas Stadium in 1996...Washington head coach Joe Gibbs suffered his eighth straight loss against Dallas' Bill Parcells...The Redskins forced two turnovers and posted five sacks.

NFL Game Summary - Cleveland at Miami

(Sunday, December 26th)
Final Score: Miami 10, Cleveland 7

Miami, FL (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering) - Olindo Mare drilled a 51-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining to give Miami a 10-7 victory over Cleveland in a forgettable battle between two three-win clubs at Pro Player Stadium.
A.J. Feeley compiled 176 yards on 25-of-43 passing along with a touchdown and engineered the game-winning, 40-yard drive inside the final two minutes. Randy McMichael caught nine of Feeley's passes for 59 yards for the Dolphins (4-11), who have now won two straight and improved to 3-3 under interim head coach Jim Bates.
The win comes one day after Miami reached an agreement with Louisiana State's Nick Saban to take over the team for the 2005 season.
"I have built confidence being in this position that I can handle this job," Bates remarked. "There isn't any doubt in my mind that I can do this type of work."
Lee Suggs ran for 143 yards and broke Jim Brown's 45-year franchise record with 38 carries in the loss, Cleveland's ninth in a row.

Luke McCown completed 9-of-16 attempts for 161 yards and was intercepted twice for the Browns (3-12). Fifty-eight of those yards came on a touchdown pass to Dennis Northcutt in the first quarter.
Northcutt had 114 yards on four receptions in the defeat.
The AFC's two worst teams combined for six turnovers, 15 punts and a total of just 33 first downs.
"It wasn't a pretty game for people who like to see 80 points on the board," said Cleveland's Earl Little. "We knew somebody would get that one break at the end and win."

Feeley opened the final series, which began at the Miami 28 with 1:49 to play, with a 13-yard pass to Bryan Gilmore. Sammy Morris later broke off a 13-yard run to the Cleveland 38 with under a minute left, and a five-yard reception by McMichael two plays later moved the Dolphins to the 32 with 15 seconds to go. Feeley's third-down pass for McMichael then fell incomplete, but Mare came through with the tie-breaking kick.
"A lot of times, we've seen teams quit," said Bates. "They're 4-11, and they're ready to go home. They've got their bags packed. This team has not quit."
After getting the ball back with four seconds on the clock, McCown hit Northcutt down the middle, and the wideout scampered for 42 yards to the Miami 43 before being brought down.

McCown was picked off by Patrick Surtain near midfield on his second pass of the night and the turnover led to the game's first points.
A seven-yard completion to Marty Booker on third down followed by Chris Chambers' 16-yard end around brought Miami inside the Browns' 20. Feeley then delivered an 18-yard strike to Derrius Thompson in the end zone for a 7-0 Dolphins' lead with six minutes gone by the first quarter.
Cleveland answered the touchdown less than a minute-and-a-half later. On a 3rd-and-6, McCown rolled to his left and heaved a pass down the sideline to Northcutt, who got behind the Miami secondary and hauled in the throw for a 58-yard, game-tying score.

The Browns had a golden opportunity to move in front early in the second quarter after Feeley was sacked by Gerard Warren at his own 17-yard line and fumbled away the ball. Three straight runs by Suggs got Cleveland to the two- yard line, but the second-year back was stripped by Sammy Knight at the one and Miami recovered.
Both teams failed to capitalize on scoring chances during a scoreless third quarter, which began when Cleveland's Richard Alston fumbled the opening kickoff and the Dolphins recovered on the Browns' 37-yard line.

Miami got as far as the Cleveland 25-yard line, but a five-yard loss on a run by Morris led to the drive stalling. The Dolphins lined up for a 48-yard field goal attempt, but the snap went directly to Mare, who pooch-punted into a stiff wind.
On the ensuing possession, McCown's deep pass for Northcutt was intercepted by Arturo Freeman on the Miami 20-yard line. After a series of laterals, the last of which was mishandled by Sam Madison, the Browns wound up back with the ball on the Dolphins' 34, 26 yards downfield from where the play originated.
Cleveland failed to get a first down after getting its second chance and Phil Dawson was brought out to try a 43-yard field goal. The usually reliable Dawson's kick wound up hitting the right upright and bouncing back onto the field.
"That kind of sums up our season," said Browns center Melvin Fowler. "We haven't gotten many breaks."
Morris finished with 69 yards on 17 rushes.

Game Notes
Cleveland has managed just 29 points in four games since Terry Robiskie took over as interim head coach...Miami has won the last six games between the clubs and owns a 9-4 advantage in the overall series. The Browns haven't beaten the Dolphins since 1986, although the teams last met in 1993...Brown rushed 37 times against the Chicago Cardinals on October 4, 1959...Bates was a Browns defensive assistant from 1991-93 as well as the 1995 season...Robiskie was a Dolphins running back from 1980-81.

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