FALCONS 35, RAIDERS 10
Story line: T.J. Duckett set a team record by rushing for four touchdowns, and Atlanta (10-3) clinched just the third division title in franchise history. The Raiders fell to 4-9.
Stars: Travis Hall’s pass deflection landed in the hands of teammate Rod Coleman, who returned it 39 yards for a touchdown that gave the Falcons a 21-3 halftime lead.
Extra point: Duckett broke the Falcons record shared by 13 players, most recently Tim Dwight in 1999.
Quote: “They come out smash-mouthing, just trying to run you down.”–Raiders safety Ray Buchanan.
CHARGERS 31, BUCCANEERS 24
Story line: San Diego (10-3) moved closer to its first playoff berth in nine seasons with a seventh straight win. The Chargers had lost at least 10 five times in the seven seasons.
Star: Donnie Edwards picked off Brian Griese’s pass and returned it 30 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:09 left.
Extra points: Griese was 36 of 50 for 392 yards and three TDs–two to Joey Galloway–but threw three INTs for Tampa (5-8), guaranteed its second straight non-winning season.
Quote: “People said, `He’s too small, he’s never going to last.’ It’s fun to prove them wrong.”
–Edwards, a 6-foot-2-inch, 227-pound nine-year veteran.
BRONCOS 20, DOLPHINS 17
Story line: The lowly Dolphins (2-11) took this game to the wire, but backup tailback Tatum Bell ran for 123 yards and Jason Elam kicked a 50-yard field goal with 2:50 left for Denver.
Star: Bell replaced fumble-prone Reuben Droughns early in the game and ran for two scores, but in the third quarter, Bell left with a sprained shoulder that could end his season. That forced Droughns back into the backfield after he had fumbled twice–losing one–on his first four carries.
Extra point: This was the first regular-season win for Denver (8-5) over Miami since 1968.
Quote: “We fought. We just had to keep on fighting until [we got] it done.”–Denver coach Mike Shanahan.
PATRIOTS 35, BENGALS 28
Story line: New England (12-1) locked up the AFC East title when Pittsburgh beat the Jets, clinching a playoff berth for the third time in four years. The Patriots held off the Bengals (6-7), who had scored 85 points in its previous two games.
Star: Tom Brady was 18 of 26 for 260 yards and two TDs.
Extra points: The Bengals cut the lead to 35-21 on Kyle Larson’s 11-yard run off a fake field goal in the third. . . . The Patriots scored first for the 18th straight regular-season game.
Quote: “He’s smart, but more than that, he’s very patient.”
— Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons on Brady.
RAVENS 37, GIANTS 14
Story line: Coming off two straight losses in which they allowed a combined 39 fourth-quarter points, the Ravens (8-5) forced six turnovers in a redemptive game. They converted two fumbles into 10 points in the first six minutes and limited the Giants (5-8) to 39 first-half yards for a 27-7 lead.
Stars: The Ravens’ Clarence Moore and Todd Heap caught two touchdowns apiece from quarterback Kyle Boller. . . . Ed Reed’s eighth interception of the season set a Ravens record.
Extra point: Reed’s 20th career INT tied Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson and Duane Starks for the franchise high.
Quote: “I think it was a lot of people were confused, myself included. It was crazy, some of the stuff they came up with.”– Giants WR Amani Toomer on the Ravens’ defense.
PANTHERS 20, RAMS 7
Story line: Unthinkable two months ago, the Panthers (6-7) are back in the playoff hunt after their fifth consecutive victory. After starting the season 1-7, Carolina is now tied with the Rams (6-7) for the final NFC wild-card berth.
Stars: Dan Morgan, back from a three-game absence with a concussion, and Ricky Manning Jr. each had two of the Panthers’ franchise-record six interceptions.
Still a bit rusty: Making his first start in over a year, 39-year-old Rams QB Chris Chandler certainly wasn’t crisp. He finished 16 of 29 for 243 yards, one touchdown and six INTs.
Extra point: Carolina’s Nick Goings ran for 108 yards; he has run for at least 100 yards in all four of his starts.
Quote: “They had us for the buzzards, we were road kill. All of sudden, we are coming back.”–Panthers LB Mark Fields.
BILLS 37, BROWNS 7
Story line: Buffalo (7-6) won its fourth straight and seventh in nine games behind a defense that held Cleveland to 17 yards of offense–the fifth-fewest yards allowed in league history. The Browns (3-10) have now lost seven straight.
Star: Willis McGahee scored twice and ran for 105 yards–his sixth 100-yard game in eight starts. Buffalo has won all six.
Extra point: The Browns broke their futility mark of 40 yards, set against Pittsburgh on Sept. 12, 1999.
Quote: “The defense stepped up and played a game like I’ve never seen in my NFL career. The only time you see a game like that is in college.”–Bills QB Drew Bledsoe.
SAINTS 27, COWBOYS 13
Story line: Just when coach Bill Parcells thought Dallas was back in the playoff chase, he found how wrong he was. The Cowboys, who had won consecutive games, wasted an early 10-0 lead and allowed two fourth-quarter TDs. The Saints (5-8) beat Dallas (5-8) on the road for the first time in 10 tries.
Star: Saints running back Deuce McAllister had a season-high 30 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Extra point: Dallas’ Julius Jones ran 23 times, ending his NFL record-tying streak of three straight games with 30 rushes.
Quote: “We just were bad. I’m just disgusted.”–Parcells.
49ERS 31, CARDINALS 28 (OT)
Story line: The 49ers (2-11) blew a 25-point lead, but not the game after Todd Peterson’s 31-yard field goal with 8:38 left in OT. Arizona QB Josh McCown directed three second-half touchdown drives and threw for a career-high 307 yards.
Stars: The Niners’ Ken Dorsey threw for the first three touchdowns of his two-year NFL career, two to Cedrick Wilson.
Extra point: San Francisco is 2-0 against Arizona (4-9) this season, and 0-11 against everyone else.
Quote: “Ken, boy, fires that thing in there. That’s the best play that we’ve made in a long time.”–Wilson on Dorsey’s 19-yard completion on third-and-17 in the Niners’ final drive.
EAGLES 17, REDSKINS 14
Story line: Aided by Ladell Betts’ 70-yard return of the opening kickoff, the Redskins (4-9) took a 7-0 lead on Clinton Portis’ 5-yard run–just their second play from scrimmage. Dorsey Levens’ 1-yard plunge put the Eagles (12-1) ahead 17-7 with 25 seconds left in the third.
Star: Portis’ second TD run pulled the Redskins to 17-14 early in the fourth.
Extra points: Eagles linebacker Jason Short was carted off the field with a broken leg, and Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs was taken off on a backboard.
Monday night matchup
CHIEFS (4-8) AT TITANS (4-8)
TV/radio: 8 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7, WSCR-AM 670.
Line: Pick ’em.
Last meeting: Titans won 17-14 (OT) at home in 2000.
Key stat: Titans have lost three of four since their week off.
Terry Bannon’s pick: Titans 23, Chiefs 20.
