Bears, Rams Lose, NFL Roundup

Lions Outlast Bears

(Chicago, IL) -- Joique Bell and Reggie Bush each had a rushing touchdown as the Lions rallied for a 20-14 win over the Bears in Chicago. Jimmy Clausen started in place of the benched Jay Cutler and was 23-of-39 for 181 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for Chicago. Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte had TD grabs as the Bears fell to 5-10. They close the season at Minnesota on Sunday.

Giants Rough Up Rams

(St. Louis, MO) -- Eli Manning was 25-of-32 for 391 yards and three touchdowns as the Giants knocked off the Rams 37-27 in St. Louis. Shaun Hill threw for 290 yards, two scores and an interception for the Rams, who fell to 6-9 with their second straight loss. Tre Mason rushed for 76 yards and a TD in the loss. The Rams close out the season against the Seahawks in Seattle this Sunday.

Redskins Push Eagles To Brink Of Playoff Elimination

(Landover, MD) -- Kai Forbath's 26-yard field goal with five seconds left lifted the Redskins to a 27-24 upset win over the Eagles at FedEx Field. Robert Griffin the Third threw for 220 yards and an interception for Washington, which improved to 4-and-11 by snapping its six-game losing streak. Alfred Morris rushed for 83 yards and a score, while DeSean Jackson had four catches for 126 yards against his former team. Mark Sanchez was 37-of-50 for 374 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Eagles, who fell to 9-6 with their third straight loss. Zach Ertz made 15 catches for 115 yards in defeat. The Lions secured a playoff spot by virtue of Philadelphia's loss.

Chargers Rally To Beat Niners In OT

(Santa Clara, CA) -- After trailing 28-7 at the half, Nick Novak's 40-yard field goal in overtime gave the Chargers a 38-35 win over the 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Philip Rivers tossed for 356 yards and four touchdowns. Antonio Gates finished with 92 yards and a pair of scores. Eddie Royal and Malcom Floyd each caught a TD for San Diego, which moved to 9-6. Colin Kaepernick had 265 total yards and two touchdowns while Frank Gore rushed for 158 yards and a score. Bruce Ellington scored two TDs for San Francisco, which dropped to 7-8.

Seahawks Torch Cardinals, Grab Control Of NFC West

(Glendale, AZ) -- Russell Wilson threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Seahawks to a dominating 35-6 victory over the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Wilson added 88 yards and a score on the ground while Marshawn Lynch totaled 113 yards and a pair of TDs on just 10 carries. Luke Wilson finished with 139 receiving yards and two touchdowns and Doug Baldwin caught seven balls for 113 yards. Seattle improved to 11-4 and now holds the lead in the NFC West. The Arizona offense finished with just 216 yards of total offense.  Ryan Lindley went 18-for-44 for 216 yards and an interception for the Cards, who dropped to 11-4.

Falcons Down Saints

(New Orleans, LA) -- Matt Ryan went 30-for-40 for 322 yards and a touchdown to help guide the Falcons to a 30-14 victory over the Saints at the Superdome.  Julio Jones caught seven balls for 107 yards and Devonta Freeman rushed for 36 yards and a score. Matt Bryant converted on all three of his field goal attempts and the defense forced four turnovers as Atlanta moved to 6-9. Drew Brees tossed for 313 yards, one TD and two interceptions in the loss. Jimmy Graham finished with 53 yards and a touchdown and Mark Ingram also found the end zone. New Orleans dropped to 6-and-9 and has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Falcons will host the Carolina Panthers for the NFC South Division title in Week 17.

Cowboys Roll Colts, Grab NFC East Crown

(Arlington, TX) -- Tony Romo fired four touchdown passes and passed Troy Aikman as the franchise leader in yards as the Cowboys took down the Colts 42-7 in Arlington. Dallas won the NFC East at 11-and-4 for the first time since 2009. Romo finished with 218 yards and just two incompletions. DeMarco Murray rushed for 58 yards and a score. Jason Witten led the way with 90 yards receiving and a TD, plus Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley found the end zone. Terrance Williams hauled in two touchdown passes, one from backup quarterback Brandon Weeden. Andrew Luck threw two picks for 109 yards in the loss, but he wasn't the only aspect of the offense that struggled. Indy rushed for just one yard on 10 carries. Zurlon Tipton caught the lone score from back-up quarterback Matt Hasselbeck as Indy fell to 10-and-5.

Raiders Hang On To Beat Bills

(Oakland, CA) -- Derek Carr went 17-for-34 for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Raiders to a 26-24 win over the Bills at O.co Coliseum. James Jones and Jamize Olawale each caught a TD as Oakland improves to 3-and-12 on the year. Latavius Murray rushed for 86 yards on 23 carries, and Sebastian Janikowski converted on four of his five field goal attempts. Kyle Orton threw for 329 yards, three scores and two interceptions. Buffalo finished with only 13 rushing yards on as many carries. Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods each had a touchdown catch in the loss. Buffalo falls to 8-7 and is now eliminated from playoff contention.

Texans Top Ravens

(Houston, TX) -- Arian Foster rushed for 96 yards and threw a touchdown pass to C.J. Fiedorowicz as the Texans dropped the Ravens 25-13 from NRG Stadium.  Randy Bullock hit all six field goals attempted for Houston, which improved to 8-7. J.J. Watt had eight tackles and a sack in the win. Kareem Jackson picked off Joe Flacco twice. Flacco ended 21-of-50 for 195 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for Baltimore, which is still alive at 9-6. Torrey Smith had five catches for 59 yards and both TDs.

Steelers Sink Chiefs To Clinch Playoff Berth

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- Le'Veon Bell rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown to help the Steelers sink the Chiefs 20-12 and clinch a postseason berth. Ben Roethlisberger had 220 yards and a touchdown for Pittsburgh, which moved to 10-and-5 and can clinch the AFC North with a win next week against Cincinnati.  Antonio Brown hauled in seven balls for 72 yards and the lone TD. Alex Smith was 31-of-45 for 311 yards for Kansas City, which is still alive at 8-7.

Dolphins Edge Vikings In Shootout

(Miami, FL) -- Terrence Fede blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety with under a minute left to give the Dolphins a 37-35 win over the Vikings at Sun Life Stadium. Ryan Tannehill tossed for 396 yards and four touchdowns, while Lamar Miller totaled 92 yards and a score on the ground. Mike Wallace caught a pair of touchdowns for Miami, which moves to 8-7. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 259 yards, two TDs and an interception as Minnesota drops to 6-and-9 with its fourth loss in six games. Matt Asiata rushed for 58 yards and two scores on 16 carries in the loss.

Panthers Top Browns, Grab Division Lead

(Charlotte, NC) -- Jonathan Stewart's nine-yard touchdown catch with 7:07 left in the game sealed it as the Panthers beat the Browns 17-13 at Bank of America Stadium. Stewart finished with 129 total yards and the score. In his return from a one-game absence, Cam Newton tossed for 201 yards while also rushing for 63 and a pair of TDs. The win improves Carolina to 6-8-1 and moves them into first place in the NFC South. Johnny Manziel was 3-for-8 for 32 yards before leaving in the second quarter with a hamstring injury. Brian Hoyer threw for 134 yards, a score and an interception in his place. Jordan Cameron caught the lone touchdown as Cleveland falls to 7-and-8.

Pats Edge Jets To Clinch First-Round Bye

(East Rutherford, NJ) -- The Patriots secured a first-round bye with a 17-16 win over the Jets at MetLife Stadium. Tom Brady threw for 182 yards, a touchdown and an interception for New England, which is a win or a Broncos loss away from clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Rob Gronkowski had a touchdown grab and Jonas Gray ran in for a score in the victory. Geno Smith passed for 210 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Jets, who fell to 3-12. Jeff Cumberland hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass in the loss.

Packers Top Bucs, Clinch Playoff Spot

(Tampa, FL) -- Aaron Rodgers threw for 318 yards and a touchdown to help the Packers beat the Buccaneers 20-3 and clinch a postseason berth. Eddie Lacy rushed for 99 yards and a score for Green Bay, which improved to 11-4. Jordy Nelson had nine catches for 113 yards and a TD, while Randall Cobb brought in 11 balls for 131 yards. Josh McCown tossed for 147 yards and an interception for Tampa Bay, which slipped to 2-13 with its fifth straight loss.

Sunday, December 21 Scoreboard

NFL

Miami Dolphins 37, Minnesota Vikings 35

Houston Texans 25, Baltimore Ravens 13

Detroit Lions 20, Chicago Bears 14

Carolina Panthers 17, Cleveland Browns 13

Atlanta Falcons 30, New Orleans Saints 14

Green Bay Packers 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3

Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Kansas City Chiefs 12

New England Patriots 17, New York Jets 16

New York Giants 37, St. Louis Rams 27

Dallas Cowboys 42, Indianapolis Colts 7

Oakland Raiders 26, Buffalo Bills 24

Seattle Seahawks 35, Arizona Cardinals 6
 

Monday, December 22 Schedule (All Times Central)

NFL

7:30 p.m. - Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals