Saturday, December 24, 2005
NFC
Redskins 35, Giants 20
LANDOVER, Md. -- In his first four plays after replacing Mark Brunell, Patrick Ramsey used two time outs. On the fifth, he threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss. Moss caught three touchdown passes, and Clinton Portis ran for one score and threw for one in a victory that kept Washington on pace for its first playoff berth in six years. The Redskins have won four straight and will clinch at least a wild card berth if they win at Philadelphia in next week's regular season finale. They will win the NFC East with a win and a Giants loss at Oakland next week. Despite the loss, the Giants will secure a playoff berth if Minnesota loses against Baltimore tonight. They will win the NFC East with a win against the Raiders. The Redskins were leading 21-17 when Brunell left the game with a sprained knee after being sacked by Nick Greisen on the first series of the second half. Ramsey, who was benched after getting hurt in the season opener, entered on the next series and had a sputtering start until he unloaded a long one for Moss, who caught the ball and easily dismissed Will Allen's feeble tackle attempt to give Washington an 11-point lead.
Buccaneers 27, Falcons 24 (OT)
TAMPA, Fla. -- Given a second chance, Matt Bryant redeemed himself and moved Tampa Bay a step closer to the playoffs for the first time since winning the Super Bowl three seasons ago. Bryant's 41-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Bucs the win and a share of first place in the NFC South heading into the final week of the season. The Bucs are tied with Carolina, which lost to Dallas. They finish at home against the Saints, while Atlanta hosts Carolina. Both teams wasted opportunities to win earlier in the extra period, with Atlanta's Todd Peterson having a 28-yarder blocked after recovering a fumble on the overtime kickoff, and Bryant shanking a 27-yarder that would have won it six minutes later. Chris Simms threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams ran for 150 yards to go over 1,000 for the season, including a 6-yard burst that tied the game 24-24 in the closing seconds of regulation.
Cowboys 24, Panthers 20
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Terry Glenn caught a 2-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds to play to give the Cowboys the win and ruin the Panthers' chance to lock up a postseason berth. Dallas needed a second chance to win, getting it when Julius Peppers was called for running into the kicker after Billy Cundiff missed a game-tying 33-yard field goal attempt with 1:12 to play. The Panthers thought Peppers -- who blocked a Cundiff attempt in the first half -- or Ken Lucas tipped the ball, but an official review said they didn't and Dallas had three more chances. After two running plays, Drew Bledsoe found Glenn in the corner of the end zone for the game-winning score. It was a terrific bounceback for Dallas, which was humiliated 35-7 in Washington last week, and kept the Cowboys in contention for one of the NFC's wild-card spots. The Panthers now find themselves in a logjam for the NFC South title.
Lions 13, Saints 12
SAN ANTONIO -- Jason Hanson rushed onto the field and kicked a 39-yard knuckleball field goal as the final seconds ticked off, giving Detroit the victory. New Orleans, which lost on a bizarre penalty and rekick on the final play two months ago against Atlanta, figured to have this one locked away when John Carney kicked his fourth field goal for a 12-10 lead with 1:52 to play. Joey Harrington, who had been benched twice this season, then connected with Roy Williams for two big completions on the Lions' final drive. On the second, with about 13 seconds left, Williams caught the ball in the middle of the field. Detroit, with no timeouts had to hustle Hanson and the field goal unit onto the field and as the seconds ticked off, Hanson launched a low kick that knuckled through the uprights for the win.
AFC
Jaguars 38, Texans 20
HOUSTON -- Fred Taylor's 15-yard touchdown run with just more than nine minutes left allowed Jacksonville to clinch an AFC wild card playoff berth. The Jaguars trailed 13-10 at halftime and 20-17 in the fourth quarter before scoring three late touchdowns against the Texans, who have the league's worst record and the inside track on the first pick in next April's draft -- likely Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush. Jacksonville added two touchdowns late in the game on a 36-yard reception by Ernest Wilford and a 17-yard run by LaBrandon Toefield that was set up by an interception. That touchdown was Toefield's third score of the day.
Chiefs 20, Chargers 7
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Larry Johnson went over 100 yards rushing for the eighth game in a row and the Chiefs won their 18th straight December home game, eliminating the defending AFC West champion Chargers from playoff contention and clinching the division title for Denver. Playoff hopes remain alive for Kansas City, which seized a 20-7 halftime lead and made it stand. San Diego was flagged for seven penalties for 58 yards and had two turnovers and hardly resembled the tough-minded outfit that went into Indianapolis last week and ruined the Colts' unbeaten season. Johnson scored on a 4-yard dash and a tackle-busting 28-yard catch-and-run from Trent Green, finishing with 131 yards rushing. Since he became the starter Nov. 1 after Priest Holmes went on injured reserve, Johnson has a league-leading 1,150 yards on the ground.
Dolphins 24, Titans 10
MIAMI -- In his best performance since returning from a one-year retirement, Ricky Williams rushed for 172 yards and helped Miami cap a perfect December. The Dolphins, eliminated from playoff contention last week, have won five in a row for the first time since 1999. They went 4-0 in December under first-year coach Nick Saban, finishing the month unbeaten for the first time in 20 years. The Titans matched last season's loss total with one game still to go. They lost quarterback Steve McNair in the second quarter because of a strained pectoral muscle.
Associated Press
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