NFL roundup
Browns grab improbable win over Ravens BALTIMORE (AP) – The Cleveland Browns’ playoff hopes rested on their ability to move 92 yards in just over two minutes, without a timeout.
Some teams might have panicked. For the Browns, it was just another Sunday.
Tim Couch capped a frantic drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mark Campbell with 29 seconds left, and Phil Dawson’s conversion gave Cleveland an improbable 14-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
“This team has been in those situations all year long, and we’ve come out on top quite a few times,” Couch said. “As long as you have the chance to score and get back in the game, you’ve got to always believe.”
The victory kept the Browns’ playoff hopes alive. In the process, Cleveland practically eliminated its most-hated rivals.
The Ravens left the stadium still alive in the wild-card chase, albeit only mathematically.
“It was a great opportunity to prove something to a lot of people, and we were so close,” Baltimore quarterback Jeff Blake said. “To lose like that is tough.”
This was the Browns’ 11th game that came down to the final minute, and on this day Cleveland (8-7) pulled out a victory by torching a defense that dominated since the first quarter.
Down 13-7 and taking over on their 8 with 2:18 remaining, the Browns desperately needed a touchdown. Couch calmly jogged onto the field, supremely confident it was going to happen.
“We went out in the huddle and we knew our season was riding on that drive. It’s either you go down and score or you go home,” Couch said.
Cleveland needed only eight plays to reach the end zone. The key moment came when Couch connected with Jamel White with a 28-yard pass, and a late hit by Chris McAlister moved the ball to the 13.
Three plays after the penalty, Couch hit a wide-open Campbell to doom the Ravens (7-8), who were vying to get over .500 for the first time this season.
Instead, Baltimore’s dreams of reaching the postseason for a third straight year all but dissipated.
That made the victory much sweeter for the Browns, because Ravens owner Art Modell took his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore before the 1996 season.
Ironically, the Browns’ hopes of reaching the playoffs now depend in part on the Ravens. If Tampa Bay beats Pittsburgh on Monday night and the Ravens defeat the Steelers next week, then Cleveland can win the AFC North by beating Atlanta.
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – The Tennessee Titans clinched the AFC South by beating Jacksonville, becoming the first AFC team to earn a playoff berth.
The Titans (10-5) were helped when the New York Giants moved ahead of New Orleans for the final NFC wild-card spot by beating Indianapolis 44-27, while the Saints lost in Cincinnati 20-13. The Colts’ loss handed Tennessee the division crown.
Oakland also won its division, the AFC West, when it beat Denver 28-16.
Otherwise, the playoff picture remained muddled in the next-to-last week of the season, particularly in the AFC. Miami’s 20-17 loss in Minnesota on Saturday left 14 of the 16 AFC teams technically alive for the playoffs entering Sunday’s games.
Jacksonville (6-9) was eliminated by its loss to the Titans, and Buffalo (7-8) was knocked out by losing in Green Bay.
In the NFC, Philadelphia (12-3), which beat Dallas 27-3 Saturday to stay ahead for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, Green Bay (12-3), Tampa Bay (11-3) and San Francisco (10-5) all have clinched berths. The 49ers beat Arizona 17-14 Saturday.
Atlanta (9-5-1), the Giants (9-6) and New Orleans (9-6) are competing for the two wild-card spots, in that order.
Eddie George ran for two scores and Peter Sirmon returned an interception for a touchdown for Tennessee.
Giants 44, Colts 27
INDIANAPOLIS – Kerry Collins threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns, three to Amani Toomer, as the Giants won their third straight. If the Giants (9-6) beat Philadelphia next Saturday they get a wild-card spot.
The Giants led 10-3 at the half, then scored twice in the first five minutes of the second half. On the first play of the third quarter, Collins hit Toomer on an 82-yard flea-flicker. Toomer had 10 catches for 204 yards, while tight end Jeremy Shockey had seven catches for 116 yards.
Raiders 28, Broncos 16
OAKLAND, Calif. – Rich Gannon set the NFL single-season record for completions and passed for 201 yards as the Raiders surged into the playoffs, clinching their third straight division title.
After scoring on its first three possessions, Oakland (10-5) weathered a strong second-half comeback led by backup Steve Beuerlein, who passed for 234 yards after relieving an injured and ineffective Brian Griese for Denver (8-7).
Bengals 20, Saints 13
CINCINNATI – Nick Luchey’s 3-yard touchdown run with 1:46 to play gave Cincinnati its second victory.
The Bengals (2-13) hadn’t won at home this year. Playing in a half-empty stadium, they fell behind 13-7. But Luchey, who changed his name from Nick Williams in September and hadn’t carried the ball all season, scored on a 1-yard run with 10:42 left, but the extra point was blocked, leaving it tied at 13. Luchey was filling in for Corey Dillon, who bruised his left elbow in the third quarter.
Falcons 36, Lions 15
ATLANTA – Quentin McCord, signed off the practice squad earlier this season, caught seven passes for 182 yards and scored the first touchdown of his career as Atlanta moved to the front of the three-team battle for two NFC wild-card spots.
Michael Vick had a career-high 338 yards passing, even though he didn’t look sharp much of the game. The Falcons (9-5-1) can make the postseason for the first time since 1998 with a victory at Cleveland next Sunday.
Chiefs 24, Chargers 22
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Michael Husted, who became Kansas City’s placekicker this week when Morten Andersen went on injured reserve, kicked a 38-yard field goal with 1:08 left.
Playing without star running back Priest Holmes, the Chiefs (8-7) clinched their first non-losing season in three years. The Chargers, in their first season under former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer, also fell to 8-7.
Packers 10, Bills 0
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Vonnie Holliday sacked Drew Bledsoe five times, forcing fumbles on three, as two foul-weather teams played a foul-weather game.
Holliday’s first forced fumble led to Green Bay’s only touchdown and his last ended Buffalo’s hopes with 1:13 left.
The Packers (12-3) are the only NFL team to win all their home games this season, but they’ll need losses by Philadelphia and Tampa Bay to get anything more than a first-round playoff game at Lambeau Field, where they’ve never lost in the postseason.
The Bills (7-8) were eliminated from the playoffs.
Redskins 26, Texans 10
LANDOVER, Md. – Patrick Ramsey threw two touchdown passes as the Redskins (6-9) broke a three-game losing streak.
Rookie Ladell Betts had 20 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown and first-year player Kenny Watson had 20 carries for 110 yards filling in for Stephen Davis.
Panthers 24, Bears 14
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carolina, 0-8 at home during last year’s 1-15 season, improved to .500 at Ericsson Stadium by turning a rash of Chicago fumbles into a victory.
Chicago (4-11) lost its seventh straight road game, extending a season-long slide from last year’s 13-3 record and the NFC Central title.
Seahawks 30, Rams 10
SEATTLE – Matt Hasselbeck threw for 303 yards and one touchdown, and Seattle’s porous run defense tightened against Marshall Faulk.
Hasselbeck completed 20 of 32 passes without an interception, his third 300-yard passing game since replacing the injured Trent Dilfer eight weeks ago. Seattle (6-9) is 5-4 since then and won for the second straight week.
Jets 30, Patriots 17
FOXBORO – Chad Pennington saved the New York Jets’ season again.
Pennington threw three touchdown passes as the Jets beat the New England Patriots 30-17, avoided playoff elimination and improved to 7-4 since he became the starter.
New England cut a 17-10 halftime deficit to 20-17 before the Jets took over at their 25-yard line. Pennington led a 75-yard drive that iced the game on his 15-yard scoring pass to Wayne Chrebet with 8:45 left.
If New York beats Green Bay and New England beats Miami next weekend, the Jets will win the AFC East with a better division record than the Dolphins and a better record against common opponents than the Patriots.
New England will win the division if it beats Miami and New York loses to Green Bay, because the Patriots will have a better division record than the Dolphins.