Packers’ perfection punctured; Patriots stop Tebow, Broncos
Published 11:57 pm Sunday, December 18, 2011
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers’ perfect season came to a crashing halt on Sunday against the beleaguered Kansas City Chiefs, who rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel and new quarterback Kyle Orton to a shocking 19-14 victory.
Orton finished 23 of 31 for 299 yards in his first start for the Chiefs (6-8), who fired coach Todd Haley last Monday with the team having lost five of its last six games. The loss also ended the Packers’ 19-game winning streak.
But behind an inspired performance by the defense, four field goals by Ryan Succop and Jackie Battle’s short touchdown run with 4:53 left in the game, Kansas City managed to hand the Packers (13-1) their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England — exactly one day shy of a full year.
Aaron Rodgers was just 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered eight yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in the game. But the Packers were unable to recover the onside kick and then pick up a couple of first downs to secure the victory.
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COLTS 27, TITANS 13
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Dan Orlovsky threw one touchdown pass and the key block on an 80-yard TD run, leading the Colts to their first win of the season.
Indianapolis (1-13) avoided becoming the second team in NFL history to go 0-16. The loss dealt a serious blow to the Titans’ playoff hopes. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was picked off twice and Chris Johnson rushed for only 55 yards for Tennessee (7-7).
Orlovsky gave Indy a 10-6 lead with an 18-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne in the third quarter, and Jacob Lacey made it 17-6 with a 32-yard interception return for a TD.
Jake Locker got the Titans within 20-13 with a 7-yard TD pass to Nate Washington with 3:43 to go. But on the next play from scrimmage, with Donald Brown reversing field, Orlovsky threw a block that helped Brown get to the corner and sprint 80 yards to seal the win.
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PATRIOTS 41, BRONCOS 23
DENVER (AP) — Tom Brady and the Patriots shut down Tim Tebow and clinched a playoff berth with their sixth straight victory.
The Patriots (11-3) won another AFC East title by bouncing back from an early 17-6 deficit and an awful first quarter in which they were outgained on the ground 167 yards to 4.
This time, there was no last-minute magic from Tebow, Denver’s enigmatic quarterback who had guided the Broncos (8-6) to four straight fourth-quarter comebacks and six straight wins.
Instead of another slow start followed by a fantastic finish, the Broncos started out fast and then fizzled. They scored on their first three possessions and then were done in by a trio of second-quarter turnovers.
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EAGLES 45, JETS 19
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — LeSean McCoy ran for three touchdowns to set two team records and keep Philadelphia alive in the NFC East race.
The Eagles (6-8) have won two straight for the second time this season and somehow still have a chance to repeat as division champions despite underachieving most of the year. But they have to catch Dallas (8-6) and the New York Giants (7-7).
The loss snapped New York’s three-game winning streak, dropping the Jets (8-6) into a tie with Cincinnati for the final wild-card spot in the AFC.
Michael Vick threw for 274 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a score.
McCoy had 102 yards rushing and surpassed Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren with his 19th touchdown of the season and 16th rushing TD.
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CHARGERS 34, RAVENS 14
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Philip Rivers threw for one score and reached the 4,000-yard mark for the fourth straight season, Ryan Mathews ran for two scores and hit 1,000 yards rushing, and the San Diego Chargers kept their slim postseason hopes alive with a 34-14 victory against the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.
The Chargers (7-7) neutralized Baltimore’s normally ferocious defense, which got Ray Lewis back after a four-game injury absence, and scored on six of their first seven possessions.
San Diego is tied with Oakland, a game behind Denver with two to play. San Diego has won three straight after a six-game losing streak.
The Ravens (10-4) had their four-game winning streak snapped, but clinched a playoff berth earlier in the day thanks to losses by the New York Jets, Oakland and Tennessee.
Baltimore’s Joe Flacco was sacked five times — three by former Ravens linebacker Antwan Barnes — and intercepted twice.
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LIONS 28, RAIDERS 27
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matthew Stafford threw a 6-yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson with 39 seconds remaining to cap a 98-yard scoring drive as Detroit rallied from 13 points down late in the fourth quarter.
The win wasn’t sealed until Ndamukong Suh blocked Sebastian Janikowski’s 65-yard field goal attempt on the final play. Suh threw his helmet in celebration after providing a perfect exclamation in his return from a two-game suspension.
The Raiders (7-7) appeared in control of the game when Aaron Curry returned a fumble 6 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-14 with 7:47 remaining.
But Stafford led two late scoring drives to win it and give the Lions (9-5) a two-game lead in the NFL wild-card race.
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SEAHAWKS 38, BEARS 14
CHICAGO (AP) — Red Bryant returned an interception 20 yards for the go-ahead TD in the third quarter and Seattle kept its faint playoff hopes alive.
Chicago quarterback Caleb Hanie was hit hard on the play by K.J. Wright and threw the ball right into Bryant’s arms as Seattle (7-7) scored two TDs in a 50-second span early in the third quarter. Brandon Browner returned another interception 42 yards for a TD in the final quarter as the Seahawks outscored Chicago 31-0 in the second half.
Marshawn Lynch added two touchdown runs for Seattle.
Chicago (7-7) lost its fourth straight and played most of the game without wide receiver Johnny Knox, who was carted off the field after injuring his back while scrambling for a fumble early in the game.
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SAINTS 42, VIKINGS 20
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Drew Brees threw for 412 yards and five touchdowns to New Orleans to its sixth win in a row.
Brees completed 32 of 40 passes to help the Saints (11-3) overcome a slow and sloppy start and stay two games ahead of Atlanta in the NFC South. Brees is 304 yards from breaking Dan Marino’s single-season record for yards passing with two games to play.
Brees threw two touchdown passes to Lance Moore and one each to Darren Sproles, Jimmy Graham and John Gilmore.
The maligned Saints pass defense held the Vikings to 94 yards passing. Adrian Peterson rushed for 60 yards in his return from a three-game absence for the Vikings (2-12).
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REDSKINS 23, GIANTS 10
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Rex Grossman threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss and Washington hurt New York’s playoff hopes.
Grossman threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss, Darrel Young scored on a 6-yard run after one of three interceptions by the Redskins (5-9) and Graham Gano kicked three field goals. It was Washington’s second win in its last 10 games.
The loss knocked the Giants (7-7) out of first place in the NFC East. Dallas (8-6) now leads the division by a game with two to go, including one with Giants on the final weekend. If New York beats the Jets and the Cowboys in its final two games it will win the division.
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PANTHERS 28, TEXANS 13
HOUSTON (AP) — Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes, DeAngelo Williams ran for a score and Carolina ended Houston’s seven-game winning streak.
Newton completed 13 of 23 passes for 149 yards, outplaying opposing rookie quarterback T.J. Yates. The Panthers (5-9) built a 21-0 halftime lead, then ended Houston’s second-half rally when linebacker James Anderson intercepted Yates in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter.
The Texans (10-4) are playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs after clinching the AFC South last weekend.
But their top-ranked defense looked vulnerable without coordinator Wade Phillips, who’s on medical leave after undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery this week. Linebackers coach Reggie Herring made the defensive calls.
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DOLPHINS 30, BILLS 23
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Reggie Bush ran for a career-best 203 yards and touchdown to lead Miami to a 30-23 win over the Buffalo Bills in interim Dolphins coach Todd Bowles first game.
Bush sealed the win with a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Matt Moore threw two touchdowns passes, and Vontae Davis had two of Miami’s three interceptions.
Bowles replaced the fired Tony Sparano last Monday. Miami (5-9) has won five of seven.
The Bills (5-9) have lost seven straight and could finishing last in the AFC East for the fourth straight year. Ryan Fitzpatrick finished 31 of 47 for 316 yards and a TD.