Bears Fall To Pack, NFL Roundup

Rodgers, Packers Clinch NFC North With Win In Chicago

(Chicago, IL) -- Aaron Rodgers found Randall Cobb for a go-ahead 48 yard touchdown with 38 seconds to go as the Packers beat the Bears 33-28 to clinch the NFC North Division title at Soldier Field.  Rodgers returned from a seven-game absence due to a broken collarbone, while Cobb played for the first time since Week Six due to a knee injury. Rodgers finished 25-of-39 for 318 yards with two TD's to Cobb and two interceptions for Green Bay, which won three-of-four to end the regular season 8-7-1. Jordy Nelson had 10 catches for 161 yards in the victory. Jay Cutler was 15-of-24 for 226 yards with two touchdowns and a pick for the Bears, who lost their final two games to finish 8-8. Matt Forte ran for 110 yards and two scores and added four grabs for 47 yards and a TD in defeat.

Bears Extend Gould's Contract

(Lake Forest, IL)  --  The Bears agreed to a four-year contract extension over the weekend with kicker Robbie Gould.  The deal is worth a reported 15-million-dollars with more than nine-million guaranteed.  Gould was in the final season of a six-year deal.

Panthers Clinch NFC South, First Round Bye

(Atlanta, GA) -- The Carolina Panthers have clinched the NFC South Division title and a first round playoff bye with a 21-20 win over the Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Cam Newton was 15-of-27 for 149 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Panthers, who finished the season 12-4 following a 1-and-3 start. Newton also ran for 72 yards on 12 carries, while Greg Olsen and Ted Ginn both had TD catches in the victory. Carolina is heading to the postseason for the first time since 2008. Matt Ryan was 28-of-40 for 280 yards with two TD's and a pick for the Falcons, who went just 4-12 a year after playing in the NFC Championship Game. Tony Gonzalez had four catches for 56 yards in the final game of his career.

Bengals Blast Ravens In Finale

(Cincinnati, OH) -- Andy Dalton threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Bengals blasted the Ravens 34-17 in the regular season finale at Paul Brown Stadium.  Dalton finished 21-of-36 and had four interceptions on the day. A.J. Green and Marvin Jones both had 61 receiving yards and a score for the Bengals, who will host the Chargers Sunday. Vontaze Burfict racked up 14 tackles to finish the year with an NFL-best 157. Joe Flacco was 30-of-50 for 192 yards with a TD and three picks for the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens, who finish the year 8-and-8 and were eliminated from the playoffs. Marlon Brown had the lone TD catch in the setback.

Titans Top Texans

(Nashville, TN)  --  Chris Johnson rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries to lift the Titans to a 16-10 win over the Texans at LP Field.  Rob Bironas hit three field goals for Tennessee, which ends the year at 7-and-9.  Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 166 yards and an interception in the season-ending win.  Matt Schaub tossed for 229 yards and a pair of picks for Houston, which lost 14 straight after starting the year 2-and-0.  The Texans will have the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft.  Jonathan Grimes rushed for 50 yards and a TD in defeat.

Colts Crush Jaguars In Season Finale

(Indianapolis, IN) -- Andrew Luck threw for 282 yards and a touchdown as the Colts crushed the Jaguars 30-10 in the regular season finale at Lucas Oil Stadium. Luck is the first player in NFL history to reach 8,000 yards in his first two seasons. T.Y. Hilton had 11 catches for 155 yards, while Donald Brown and Trent Richardson both had rushing touchdowns for the Colts, who will play the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the postseason on Saturday. Chad Henne finished 30-of-51 for 331 yards with a TD and an interception for Jacksonville, which ends the year 4-12. Kerry Taylor had eight grabs for 75 yards and a score in the setback.

Dolphins Miss Out On Playoffs With Loss To Jets

(Miami, FL) -- The Dolphins' late season collapse was completed when they fell to the Jets 20-7 in South Florida. Despite giving up control of their own destiny with a Week 16 loss to the Bills, Miami still would have gotten into the playoffs for the first time since 2008 with a win because the Ravens fell to the Bengals. New York owner announced immediately after the victory that head coach Rex Ryan would be retained. Geno Smith threw for 190 yards and picked up 44 on the ground with a TD to help the Jets get to 8-8. Fins quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw three picks, two to Dee Milliner. Tannehill also connected with Mike Wallace for a TD as Miami also finished the season at .500.   

Vikings Top Lions In Metrodome Finale

(Minneapolis, IN) -- Cordarrelle Patterson sandwiched 13 Detroit points with a pair of touchdowns as the Vikings defeated the Lions 14-13 in the final game at the Metrodome. Patterson had a 50-yard run in the first quarter and an eight-yard reception six minutes into the fourth quarter to put Minnesota up for good. Matt Cassel threw for 189 yards with the TD and a pick for the Vikings, who finish the season at 5-10-1. Matt Asiata ran for 115 yards on 14 carries in the win. Matthew Stafford threw for 217 yards and a touchdown for Detroit, which closes the year at 7-9 after starting 6-3. Reggie Bush had five catches for 33 yards and a TD in defeat.

Giants Roll Redskins

(East Rutherford, NJ) -- Jerrel Jernigan rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown to carry the Giants to a 20-6 win over the Redskins at MetLife Stadium.  He also had six catches for 90 yards and a score from Eli Manning. Manning threw for 152 yards, the TD and an interception for New York, which finishes the year at 7-and-9 after starting 0-6. Kirk Cousins was 19-of-49 for 169 yards and two picks for Washington, which ends the year at 3-13. Alfred Morris had 62 rushing yards in the loss.

Steelers Miss Playoffs Despite Win Over Browns

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- Le'Veon Bell ran for 90 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers beat the Browns 20-7 in the season finale at Heinz Field. Despite the win, Pittsburgh was eliminated from the playoffs with San Diego's victory over Kansas City. Ben Roethlisberger finished 19-of-31 for 179 yards with a TD and two interceptions for the Steelers, who won three in-a-row to finish the season 8-8. Jason Campbell was 23-of-41 for 240 yards with a TD and a pick for Cleveland, which lost seven straight to end the year 4-12. Fozzy Whittaker had the lone TD for the Browns late in the fourth quarter.

Broncos Break Records, Blast Raiders

(Oakland, CA) -- Peyton Manning threw for 266 yards and four touchdowns as the Broncos defeated the Raiders 34-14 in Oakland to secure the AFC's top spot in the postseason. Manning broke the all-time single-season passing yard mark set by Drew Brees in 2011. He closed the year with 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns, both new NFL single-season records. Demaryius Thomas had six catches for 113 yards and two scores for Denver, which will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Terrelle Pryor threw for 207 yards and two scores for Oakland, which ends the year at 4-12. Rod Streater had five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Denver finished the year at 13-and-3 and also broke the NFL single-season mark for points scored set by the Patriots in 2007.

Patriots Handle Bills, Capture First-Round Bye

(Foxboro, MA) -- LeGarrette Blount ran for 189 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Patriots in a 34-20 win over the Bills at Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady threw for 122 yards with a touchdown and interception as New England improved to 12-and-4 and clinched a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. The Pats will enter the postseason as the conference's two-seed. C.J. Spiller ran for 105 yards for Buffalo while Fred Jackson added 60 yards and a TD on the ground. Thad Lewis had 247 passing yards and a touchdown for the Bills, who end the year at 6-10.

Saints Slam Bucs, Grab Postseason Berth

(New Orleans, LA) -- Drew Brees threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns as the Saints rolled the Buccaneers 42-17 in New Orleans to clinch a postseason berth. Brees also added a score on the ground for New Orleans, which went 11-and-5 and 8-0 at home. The Saints will play the Eagles in the first round of the postseason. Lance Moore had four catches for 73 yards and a TD for the Saints. Jimmy Graham had five grabs for 71 yards and a score in the win. Mike Glennon tossed for 219 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for Tampa Bay, which finished the season at 4-12. Tiquan Underwood had five catches for 93 yards and a score in defeat.

49ers Clip Cards To Earn Fifth Seed In NFC

(Glendale, AZ) -- Phil Dawson nailed a game-winning 40-yard field goal as time expired to lift the 49ers to a 23-20 win over the Cardinals in the regular season finale at University of Phoenix Stadium.  Dawson also made a 56-yarder with 1:50 to play before Jay Feely's field goal tied the game at 20 with 29 seconds left. Colin Kaepernick finished 21-of-34 for 310 yards and two touchdowns for the Niners, who captured the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs. San Francisco opens the postseason at Green Bay next weekend. Anquan Boldin had nine catches for 145 yards and a TD against his former team. Carson Palmer was 28-of-49 for 407 yards with two TD's and an interception for the Cards, who missed the playoffs despite going 10-and-6 in head coach Bruce Arians first season. Larry Fitzgerald had six grabs for 113 yards in the setback.

Seahawks Clinch Top Seed In NFC With Win

(Seattle, WA) -- The Seattle Seahawks clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs with a 27-9 win over the Rams at CenturyLink Field. Russell Wilson finished 15-of-23 for 172 yards and a touchdown for the 'Hawks, who end the regular season 13-and-3 and will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason.  Marshawn Lynch ran for 97 yards and a TD, while Golden Tate had eight catches for 129 yards and a score in the victory. Malcolm Smith returned a Kellen Clemens interception 37 yards for a TD just 5:10 into the game for the Seahawks. Clemens was 21-of-30 for 157 yards with a TD and two picks for St. Louis, which ends the year last in the NFC West at 7-9. Zac Stacy was held to 15 yards on 15 carries in defeat.

Eagles Steal NFC East From Cowboys

(Arlington, TX) -- A third straight season ended the same way for the Cowboys as the Eagles snatched up the NFC East with a 24-22 win at AT&T Stadium.  Dallas lost with the opportunity to earn a playoff spot in Week 17 to the Redskins in 2012 and Giants in 2011. Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly locked up a playoff berth in his first year on the job.  The game was clinched on a Brandon Boykin interception of Kyle Orton with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Nick Foles connected with Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy for touchdowns along with 263 yards. McCoy also compiled 131 yards on the ground for Philly, which went 10-6. The Eagles will play the Saints at home on Saturday night in the NFC Wild Card round. Kyle Orton threw for 358 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions filling in for the injured Tony Romo. Dez Bryant scored on a 32-yard reception to pull Dallas within in two, but the 'Boys missed the two-point conversion. The Cowboys finished the year 8-8 for the third straight season.

Chargers Top Chiefs In OT

(San Diego, CA) -- Nick Novak nailed a 36-yard field goal in overtime and the Chargers' defense held on for a 27-24 win over the Chiefs in San Diego to clinch the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. San Diego scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to rally and tie the game, and Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop missed a 41-yarder with under 10 seconds left that would have put Kansas City up with only a few seconds to play in regulation. Chase Daniel threw for 200 yards and a touchdown while Knile Davis ran for two scores for KC.

Rams Get Number-Two Pick

(St. Louis, MO) -- The Rams continue to see the benefit from the Robert Griffin the Third trade. After the Redskins lost the Giants in Week 17, St. Louis now owns Washington's number-two overall pick. The Texans have the top selection. The Rams will pick second and 13th in the first round of the NFL Draft.   

Sunday, December 29 Scoreboard

NFL

Carolina Panthers 21, Atlanta Falcons 20

Cincinnati Bengals 34, Baltimore Ravens 17

Tennessee Titans 16, Houston Texans 10

Indianapolis Colts 30, Jacksonville Jaguars 10

New York Jets 20, Miami Dolphins 7

Minnesota Vikings 14, Detroit Lions 13

New York Giants 20, Washington Redskins 6

Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Cleveland Browns 7

Green Bay Packers 33, Chicago Bears 28

Denver Broncos 34, Oakland Raiders 14

New England Patriots 34, Buffalo Bills 20

New Orleans Saints 42, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

San Francisco 49ers 23, Arizona Cardinals 20

San Diego Chargers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 24 (OT)

Seattle Seahawks 27, St. Louis Rams 9

Philadelphia Eagles 24, Dallas Cowboys 22