Having already wrapped up the AFC East the previous week, a big win on Monday has the Patriots' sights set on the top spot in the conference. Thanks to four touchdown passes from Tom Brady, New England took a 42-14 win over the Houston Texans on Monday night. New England (10-3), which is now 21-0 in the second half of the season since 2010, has ripped off seven straight wins and is now tied with Denver and just a game behind Houston (11-2) for the coveted top spot in the AFC. Brady was 21- for-35 with 296 yards while Aaron Hernandez posted eight catches for 58 yards and two scores. Brandon Lloyd caught a score and also recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score while Donte Stallworth, who re-signed with the team last Monday, had the other touchdown reception. Stevan Ridley carried the ball 18 times for 72 yards and his touchdown in the fourth quarter put the emphasis on the rout as New England eclipsed the 40-point mark for the fifth time this season, including the third time in the past four weeks. Houston, meanwhile, saw a six-game winning streak snapped and while the team has already locked up a playoff spot, it is still fighting for the top spot in the AFC South. Sitting two games ahead of Indianapolis, the Texans will welcome the Colts to Houston next Sunday. After hosting Minnesota, Houston will play in Indianapolis for the final game of the regular season. Matt Schaub was just 19-for-32 with 232 yards and an interception while Arian Foster had 15 carries for 46 yards and a score in the loss, Houston's first road loss of the season.
Sunday, December 9th
Final Score: NY Giants 52, New Orleans 27
East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Eli Manning threw for a season-high four touchdowns as the New York Giants maintained their grasp on first place in the NFC East with a 52-27 pasting of the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. David Wilson rushed for a career-best 100 yards on 13 carries and scored three touchdowns -- one on a 97-yard kickoff return -- to help New York (8-5) achieve its highest single-game point total since a 55-24 win over Green Bay on Dec. 20 of its 1986 championship season. The win also kept the Giants in front of both Dallas and Washington for the top spot in the NFC East, with a 1-3 stretch that preceded Sunday's matchup enabling the Cowboys and Redskins to close the gap. Manning finished with 259 yards on 22-of-35 passing and was intercepted twice, while Victor Cruz compiled 121 yards and a touchdown on eight catches to lead New York's receiving corps. Drew Brees amassed 354 yards and a touchdown while completing 26-of-43 attempts for New Orleans (5-8), but was intercepted twice as the Saints suffered their third straight loss and saw their fading playoff hopes take another devastating hit. Darren Sproles recorded both a rushing and receiving touchdown for New Orleans, with Joseph Morgan accumulating 106 yards on only two catches.
Final Score: Dallas 20, Cincinnati 19
Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The Dallas Cowboys trailed the Cincinnati Bengals by nine midway through the fourth quarter, then rallied to steal a 20-19 decision on Dan Bailey's 40-yard field goal as time expired. The win came a day after Jerry Brown, a linebacker on the Cowboys' practice squad, was killed in a one-car accident with teammate Josh Price-Brent identified as the driver and subsequently arrested on intoxication manslaughter charges. With its fourth win in five games. Dallas (7-6) remains one game behind the NFC East-leading New York Giants with three to play. The Bengals (7-6) outgained the Cowboys, 336-288, but only scored one touchdown on Andy Dalton's short toss to Andrew Hawkins. Tony Romo finished with 268 yards on 25-of-43 attempts, while his counterpart, Dalton, completed 20-of-33 passes for 206 yards. Each quarterback threw an interception.
Final Score: Washington 31, Baltimore 28 (OT)
Landover, MD (Sports Network) - Robert Griffin III apparently isn't the only rookie quarterback on the Washington Redskins' roster capable of producing a little magic. Replacing an injured Griffin, Kirk Cousins threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon with 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter before running in the game-tying 2-point conversion, and the Redskins later came through with a thrilling 31-28 overtime triumph over the Baltimore Ravens at FedEx Field. Richard Crawford, another member of Washington's 2012 draft class, came through with a pivotal 64-yard punt return in overtime to set up Kai Forbath's third field goal of the afternoon -- a 34-yard kick 3:23 into the extra session. Griffin completed 15-of-26 throws for 246 yards and a touchdown before being forced out by a right knee sprain on the eventual tying drive, while fellow rookie Alfred Morris rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to help the resurgent Redskins (7-6) to their fourth consecutive win. Joe Flacco threw three first-half touchdown passes -- two of which went to Anquan Boldin -- and Ray Rice put up 121 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts for Baltimore (9-4). Still, the Ravens suffered their second straight defeat following a four-game win streak and missed out on a chance to secure a playoff spot.
Final Score: Indianapolis 27, Tennessee 23
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Adam Vinatieri kicked a pair of fourth- quarter field goals to lift the Indianapolis Colts to a 27-23 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts (9-4) rallied from a 13- point halftime deficit for their third straight victory to improve their playoff chances. Indianapolis has won seven of its last eight and is now just two games back of Houston for first place in the AFC South after the Texans were routed by the Patriots on Monday night. Andrew Luck had a subpar day, but still came away with a win. The rookie completed just 16-of-34 passes for 196 yards with a touchdown and a pair of interceptions for the Colts, who have won five straight at home and improved to 6-1 at Lucas Oil Stadium this season. Vick Ballard ran for 94 yards on 19 carries in the victory, while Reggie Wayne caught six passes for 64 yards with a touchdown and moved into 10th place on the all-time receptions list. Jake Locker threw for 262 yards on 22-of-35 passing with a touchdown and a pair of costly second-half interceptions in defeat. Tennessee (4-9) has dropped three in a row since its bye week and fell to 0-5 within the division.
Final Score: San Diego 34, Pittsburgh 24
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Philip Rivers tossed a trio of touchdown passes on Sunday, as the San Diego Chargers spoiled the return of Ben Roethlisberger with a 34-24 triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Rivers completed 21-of-41 passes for 200 yards, while Danario Alexander hauled in seven passes for 88 yards and a pair of scores for the Chargers (5-8), who snapped a four-game skid to avoid locking up their first losing season on the six-season watch of coach Norv Turner. The Chargers also added a defensive touchdown in the victory, their first ever regular-season win in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger missed the last three games due to a sprained right shoulder and an accompanying rib injury, but managed to throw for 285 yards and three scores with one interception on 22-of-42 passing. Mike Wallace finished with seven catches for 112 yards and two scores for the Steelers (7-6), who were coming off a 23-20 triumph over rival Baltimore last weekend.
Final Score: Green Bay 27, Detroit 20
Green Bay, WI (Sports Network) - DuJuan Harris rushed for a tiebreaking touchdown in the fourth quarter, and the Green Bay Packers seized sole possession of first place in the NFC North with a 27-20 victory over the Detroit Lions. Aaron Rodgers also ran for a score in the snow while completing 14-of-24 passes for 173 yards. The Green Bay quarterback did not throw a touchdown pass at Lambeau Field for the first time since Sept. 21, 2008, snapping a streak that had reached 35 games. Randall Cobb had 102 yards on seven receptions for the Packers (9-4), who have won 11 in a row against divisional foes and moved one game ahead of Chicago in the North standings. Matthew Stafford finished with 264 passing yards and one touchdown for Detroit (4-9), but he threw one interception and had a fumble returned for a momentum- altering score. Jason Hanson kicked a 34-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining, but the ball wound up going out of bounds on the ensuing kickoff, sealing Detroit's fifth straight loss. The Lions haven't won a game in the state of Wisconsin since 1991, dropping 22 in a row. The epic slide includes a 1994 playoff contest.
Final Score: Minnesota 21, Chicago 14
Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Adrian Peterson had a pair of first-quarter touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings handed the Chicago Bears a 21-14 loss at Mall of America Stadium. Peterson finished the game with 154 yards on 31 carries while Christian Ponder was just 11-for-17 with 91 yards and an interception for the Vikings (7-6), who kept their playoff hopes alive by snapping a two-game losing streak. Brandon Marshall caught 10 passes for 160 yards and a score while Jay Cutler threw for 260 yards and a touchdown on 22- of-44 passing for the Bears (8-5), but Cutler was picked off as Chicago fell for the fourth time in the last five weeks and now sit one game behind Green Bay for first place in the NFC North.
Final Score: San Francisco 27, Miami 13
San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Frank Gore, Anthony Dixon and Colin Kaepernick each scored a touchdown on the ground as the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins, 27-13. Gore carried the ball 12 times for 63 yards for the 49ers (9-3-1), who bounced back from last week's 16-13 overtime loss to the Rams. Kaepernick completed 18-of-23 passes for 185 yards for San Francisco, which plays at New England next Sunday night. Ryan Tannehill connected on 17-of-33 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown for the Dolphins (5-8), who have lost five of six.
Final Score: Seattle 58, Arizona 0
Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Seattle didn't even need its offense to win this game as the Seahawks dominated the Arizona Cardinals, 58-0. Seattle's defense had four interceptions in the game, including one returned for a touchdown and recovered four fumbles, two of which came on muffed punts and one of those was returned for a touchdown. However, the team also got a huge day from Marshawn Lynch as he carried the ball 11 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns in the most lopsided win in team history. He now has 1,266 yards on the season, a new career-high. Russell Wilson didn't need to do too much as the defense and Lynch took care of most of the game, but he did throw a touchdown on 7-of-13 attempts for 148 yards with an interception for the Seahawks (8-5), who kept pace in the chase for the NFC West as the team remains 1 1/2-games behind the 49ers, who defeated Miami on Sunday. Seattle set a franchise record in points for a single game and largest shutout win. Arizona's John Skelton was picked off four times and also lost a fumble. He managed just 74 yards on 11-of-22 attempts before getting pulled for rookie Ryan Lindley, who was benched after last week's poor performance against the Jets. Since starting the season with four straight wins, the Cardinals (4-9) have been in a free-fall as they now have lost an NFL-leading nine straight games.
Final Score: Carolina 30, Atlanta 20
Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes and broke off a 72-yard TD scamper in the Carolina Panthers' 30-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Newton was 23-of-35 for 287 yards and added a career- high 116 yards rushing on nine carries for the Panthers (4-9), who snapped a five-game losing streak to Atlanta. Steve Smith hauled in seven balls for 109 yards in the triumph. The Falcons (11-2), meanwhile, will have to wait at least another week to clinch a first-round playoff bye. Matt Ryan tallied 302 of his 342 yards in the second half and finished 34-of-49 with two scores and an interception for Atlanta, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Roddy White caught nine passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in the setback.
Final Score: NY Jets 17, Jacksonville 10
Jacksonville, FL (Sports Network) - Shonn Greene and Bilal Powell each had rushing scores and the New York Jets held on for a 17-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Greene rushed for 77 yards on 20 carries while Powell amassed 78 yards on 19 rushes for New York (6-7), which was coming off a 7-6 win over Arizona and has strung together consecutive victories for the first time all season. Mark Sanchez fumbled in the first half and connected on 12-of-19 throws overall for just 111 yards, but completed a 37-yard strike late in the contest to force Jacksonville to use all three of its timeouts. Chad Henne led the Jaguars (2-11) into Jets territory on their final possession, but was intercepted by Ellis Lankster to seal the win for New York. Henne passed for 185 yards, but completed just 21-of-43 throws and was picked off twice in Jacksonville's ninth loss in 10 games. Montell Owens ran for the Jaguars' only touchdown, finishing with 91 yards on 14 carries in defeat.
Final Score: Philadelphia 23, Tampa Bay 21
Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Nick Foles found Jeremy Maclin for a 1-yard touchdown as time expired to lift the Philadelphia Eagles past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-21, on Sunday. Philadelphia (4-9) snapped an eight-game losing streak -- the longest since Andy Reid took over as head coach in 1999 -- with the win. Foles finished the game 32-for-51 passing for a career-high 381 yards. The Bucs (6-7) lost their third straight to fall further behind in the NFC playoff race despite Doug Martin carrying the ball 28 times for 128 yards and a touchdown.
Final Score: Cleveland 30, Kansas City 7
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Trent Richardson rushed for a pair of touchdowns on Sunday, as the Cleveland Browns defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-7, at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Richardson finished with 42 yards on 18 carries, while Brandon Weeden was an efficient 17-of-30 passing with 217 yards for the Browns (5-8), who have won three straight games. Kansas City quarterback Brady Quinn, who spent his first three NFL seasons in Cleveland after the Browns selected him with the 22nd overall pick in 2007, struggled against his former club, throwing for just 159 yards with an interception on 10-of-21 passing. Jamaal Charles was the lone bright spot for the visitors, rushing for 165 yards and a score on 18 carries for the Chiefs (2-11), who snapped a six-game skid last weekend with an emotional 27-21 victory over Carolina less than 24 hours after linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, then traveled to the team's facility and killed himself.
Final Score: St. Louis 15, Buffalo 12
Orchard Park, NY (Sports Network) - Brandon Gibson's 13-yard touchdown catch with 48 seconds remaining lifted the St. Louis Rams over the Buffalo Bills, 15-12. Gibson ended with six catches for 100 yards for the Rams (6-6-1), who have won three in a row for the first time since 2006. Sam Bradford completed 19-of-39 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown and an interception for St. Louis, which scored all 15 of its points in the second half. Steven Jackson carried the ball 19 times for 64 yards and a score for the victors. Ryan Fitzpatrick connected on 25-of-33 passes for 247 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Bills (5-8), who have lost two of three.
Thursday, December 6th
Final Score: Denver 26, Oakland 13
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Led by a resurgent Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos are on a roll. And now the AFC West champs are eyeing a potential first-round bye following their eighth straight win. Manning tallied his 5,000th career completion and threw for 310 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos' 26-13 win over the Oakland Raiders. Manning joined Brett Favre (6,400) as the only NFL quarterbacks with 5,000-plus completions. Manning, who completed 26-of-36 passes, has tossed 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions during his torrid eight-game stretch for Denver (10-3), which is in the midst of its longest winning streak since the 1998 squad began the year 13-0. Knowshon Moreno finished with 119 yards rushing and a score on a career-high 32 carries, while Eric Decker recorded eight receptions for 88 yards in the win. Oakland, meanwhile, is headed in the complete opposite direction. Carson Palmer had 273 yards through the air on 19-of-30 efficiency with two scores and an interception for the Raiders (3-10), who suffered their sixth straight defeat. Raiders head coach and former Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen returned to the sidelines Thursday following the death of his father, Grady Allen. The former NFL linebacker was originally hospitalized last week with heart problems and passed away at the age of 66 on Tuesday. Darren McFadden returned after missing the previous four games with an injured ankle and finished with 52 yards on the ground -- 36 coming on the first play of the second half -- on 11 totes. He added a touchdown reception.
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