STEELERS 20, RAVENS 7
Story line: The Steelers (14-1) made certain they won’t leave Pittsburgh until the Super Bowl–if they keep winning–by wrapping up home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and a first-round bye. But the Steelers suffered key injuries to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ribs) and cornerback Deshea Townsend (broken right hand).
Star: Jerome Bettis ran for 117 yards in his sixth 100-yard game this season — all in place of Duce Staley (hamstring), who sat out for the sixth time in eight games.
Extra points: It was Bettis’ first 100-yard effort against the Ravens (8-7) in eight games since 1997. . . . The Steelers are 8-0 at home for the first time since 1979.
Quote: “Now teams are going to have to come in and deal with the weather, the field and our fans. You couldn’t ask for a better situation.”–Steelers receiver Hines Ward.
SAINTS 26, FALCONS 13
Story line: New Orleans (7-8) got a break when the Falcons decided to rest Michael Vick and his aching shoulder. Aaron Brooks, Vick’s cousin, threw for a touchdown and ran for another and Michael Lewis returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score. It’s New Orleans’ first three-game win streak since ’02.
Star: New Orleans’ Deuce McAllister had 128 yards, making him the third player in Saints history to rush for 4,000 yards.
Extra point: The Falcons (11-4) also were without tight end Alge Crumpler and running back T.J. Duckett.
Quote: “It was even bigger because he called it at halftime. He said, `Get ready, I’m going to take one to the house.”‘
–Saints center LeCharles Bentley on Lewis’ run.
BENGALS 23, GIANTS 22
Story line: With a slump-busting win right at their fingertips, the Giants ended up with just some snow in the face. Keiwan Ratliff’s 42-yard punt return set up Jon Kitna’s 4-yard TD pass to Chad Johnson with 44 seconds left to win it for the Bengals (7-8). The 64,606 bundled fans in Cincinnati threw clumps of snow into the air. A few fans even whipped snowballs at the Giants (5-10), who lost their eighth in a row.
Stars: Johnson caught two TD passes from Kitna, the reigning NFL comeback player of the year.
Extra points: Tiki Barber set a Giants season record with his ninth 100-yard rushing game. . . . The Bengals sold out all eight home games for the first time since 1992.
Quote: “That is one of the most bizarre games I’ve ever seen in my life.”–Giants coach Tom Coughlin.
SEAHAWKS 24, CARDINALS 21
Story line: Led by fill-in quarterback Trent Dilfer and big games from Shaun Alexander and Darrell Jackson, the Seahawks (8-7) secured no worse than a wild-card spot, and they’ll win the NFC West and get a first-round playoff game at home if Philadelphia beats St. Louis on Monday night.
Stars: Alexander rushed 30 times for 154 yards with three touchdowns and Jackson caught six passes for 101 yards. . . . Josh McCown threw a pair of 29-yard TDs to Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth, pulling Arizona (5-10) to 24-21 with 2:30 left.
Extra points: Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck didn’t play because of an elbow injury. . . . It’s the first time Seattle has made the playoffs in consecutive years since 1983-84.
Quote: “If you bought a season ticket to the Seattle Seahawks, you got your money’s worth.”
–coach Mike Holmgren.
TEXANS 21, JAGUARS 0
Story line: Maybe the Jaguars took Houston lightly. The Texans (7-8) certainly believed so. The scoreboard may have indicated it too. Jacksonville (8-7) could have taken control of the final AFC wild-card spot with a win, but Houston crippled the Jaguars’ chances with the first shutout in team history.
Stars: Houston’s Domanick Davis ran for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown. . . . Antwan Peek picked up a fumble and returned it 66 yards for his first career touchdown.
Dazed and confused: Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich took a shot to the head on a first-quarter sack. He suffered a mild concussion and played like it until coach Jack Del Rio benched him with 4:04 left. “He told me I looked kind of woozy,” said Leftwich, who finished 6 of 14 for 35 yards and an INT.
Extra points: Jaguars running back Fred Taylor missed the game with a sprained left knee, ending his streak of consecutive starts at 46 games. . . . The Jaguars hadn’t been blanked since a 44-0 drubbing at Detroit on Dec. 17, 1995.
Quote: “This is a team we’ve had success against, and for some reason they don’t respect us. I hope they keep disrespecting us.”–Texans defensive tackle Seth Payne.
COWBOYS 13, REDSKINS 10
Story line: For more than 58 minutes, Vinny Testaverde was the scorn of Cowboys fans. They wanted the 41-year-old benched so they could see a young quarterback and they were more than happy to let him know it. But Testaverde tuned out the boos — and the signs, and the chanting of backup Tony Romo’s name — to show why coach Bill Parcells trusts him so much, throwing a 39-yard TD pass to Patrick Crayton with 30 seconds left to beat the Redskins (5-10).
Star: Testaverde finished 23 of 39 for 234 yards as Dallas (6-9) beat the Redskins for the 14th time in 15 tries.
Extra point: Washington lost running back Clinton Portis to a chest bruise. He had just one second-half carry, finishing with 32 yards on 10 tries. He has 1,315 yards, 128 from breaking the team record set by Stephen Davis three years ago.
Quote: “If you’re booing, you better continue to boo, better boo louder, because it’s not going to affect him.”
–Cowboys receiver Keyshawn Johnson on Testaverde.
BILLS 41, 49ERS 7
Story line: Willis McGahee’s knee felt pretty good after all. He rushed for 102 yards and two TDs as the Bills (9-6) flattened the pathetic 49ers (2-13) and won their sixth in a row, keeping alive their quest to become just the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting 0-4.
Star: Lee Evans caught eight passes for 92 yards, two TDs.
Extra points: Reserves played much of the second half in the Bills’ biggest victory since a 38-point win over Indianapolis in 1992. . . . Buffalo hadn’t won six straight games since 1990.
Quote: “Hopefully, this is a bad dream. Once this season is done, hopefully we’ll go home and wake up, and then we’ll get ready for next year.”–Niners fullback Fred Beasley.
DOLPHINS 10, BROWNS 7
Story line: The Dolphins (4-11) were the less awful of two bad teams as Olindo Mare kicked a 51-yard field goal with 7 seconds left. The Browns (3-12) lost their ninth straight.
Star: Lee Suggs broke Jim Brown’s 45-year-old Cleveland franchise record for carries with 38 for 143 yards.
Extra points: The teams combined for six turnovers and went 31/2 quarters without a point after an early 7-7 tie.
Quote: “This team has not quit.”–Dolphins interim coach Jim Bates, 3-3 since the resignation of Dave Wannstedt.
Monday night matchup
EAGLES (13-1) at RAMS (6-8)
TV/radio: 8 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7, WSCR-AM 670.
Line: Rams by 3.
Last meeting: Eagles won 10-3 at Philadelphia on Dec. 1, ’02.
Players to watch: Eagles back Brian Westbrook has 73 catches, 6 for TDs. The Rams’ Torry Holt has 80 catches, 8 TDs.
Terry Bannon’s pick: Eagles 24, Rams 17.
