Bills 17, Redskins 16
After scoring the game's only touchdown, Clinton Portis lifted his jersey to reveal a white shirt with the words "In memory of Sean Taylor."
They played for Sean. They tried to win for Sean, just as Sean's father had told them to. The grief of the Washington Redskins was on full display Sunday, in front of 85,000 fans waving their No. 21 towels.
But their fragile emotions were shattered when Rian Lindell kicked a 36-yard field goal with 4 seconds left, giving the Buffalo Bills a 17-16 victory.
Five days after Taylor died from a gunshot wound in Florida, the Redskins' defense did Taylor proud by not allowing a touchdown. Buffalo's points came on five field goals and a safety, and a major gaffe played a part in leaving Washington's players disconsolate at the final whistle.
Lindell made a 51-yard attempt that didn't count because the Redskins called timeout just as the ball was snapped. Washington then tried the same tactic again, but consecutive timeouts aren't allowed when attempting to freeze the kicker. The resulting 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the veteran Lindell a much easier kick. His winner gave him a streak of 17 consecutive made field goals.
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Jets 40, Dolphins 13
Rookie John Beck threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles, and the Dolphins fell to 0-12. Beck's turnovers led to a touchdown and three field goals. In three starts, he has yet to direct the offense to a touchdown.
Despite the Dolphins' woeful record, they were favored by 1 1/2 points, and the game was touted as their best remaining chance to avoid the NFL's first 0-16 season. Instead, the margin of defeat was their widest yet. Miami extended a franchise-record losing streak to 15 games, and Cam Cameron remained winless as an NFL coach.
The Dolphins took a brief 13-10 lead on Michael Lehan's 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown, but they didn't score again. In the third quarter, Beck fumbled three times in a stretch of five plays, and the Jets (3-9) recovered twice, leading to 10 points. A third consecutive Dolphins series ended in a turnover when Beck was intercepted by Drew Coleman, setting up Mike Nugent's fourth field goal for a 33-13 lead.
Darrelle Revis and Kerry Rhodes also had interceptions for the Jets, who came in with only nine all season.
Giants 21, Bears 16
Eli Manning led two late touchdown drives and Reuben Droughns scored on a 2-yard run with 1:33 remaining. Manning was awful for most of the game, but delivered in the latter stages after throwing four interceptions the previous week in a drubbing by Minnesota.
The embattled quarterback threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer, which was initially ruled incomplete, with 6:54 left to cap a 75-yard drive and pull the Giants (8-4) within 16-14.
After the Bears (5-7) punted, the Giants launched a 77-yard drive that ended with Droughns running around right end with 1:33 left. Manning hit David Tyree with a 24-yard pass and threw a 15-yarder to Plaxico Burress that put the ball on the 2.
The Bears got the ball with 1:28 remaining and marched to the Giants 28, before Rex Grossman threw three incompletions.
Cardinals 27, Browns 21
Arizona turned three of Cleveland's four turnovers into touchdowns, Edgerrin James topped 100 yards rushing for only the second time this season and the Cardinals held on to go 3-1 against the AFC North.
Kurt Warner threw two touchdown passes and Neil Rackers kicked a pair of late field goals.
Derek Anderson had two touchdown tosses, but was intercepted twice and fumbled once for the Browns (7-5), who lost for just the second time in seven games. Two of the turnovers came on Cleveland's first two possessions and led to touchdowns that put the Cardinals (6-6) ahead 14-0.
Rod Hood returned an interception 71 yards for a touchdown for the first score. On the next possession, Anderson's fumbled snap led to a second score by Arizona.
The Browns got a controversial 67-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Braylon Edwards, and a 2-point conversion, to cut the lead to 21-18 on the final play of the third quarter.
But a pair of late personal foul penalties damaged the Browns' chances for a final comeback.
Raiders 34, Broncos 20
Josh McCown threw three touchdown passes for Oakland despite missing two series when top overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell played for the first time. Justin Fargas carried 33 times for 146 yards and a touchdown and Oakland (4-8) scored 24 points off four turnovers to snap a five-game losing streak to Denver (5-7).
The Raiders also ended a 12-game home skid to AFC West rivals a week after snapping a 17-game losing streak in the division by winning 20-17 at Kansas City.
Russell, the No. 1 overall draft pick out of LSU, made his long-awaited debut in the second quarter. He threw a 16-yard completion to Jerry Porter on his first play and moved Oakland downfield, but was unable to lead the Raiders to any points on his two drives.
Buccaneers 27, Saints 23
A botched trick play may have cost the Saints their season.
Devery Henderson fumbled a late, awkward toss from Reggie Bush, then backup quarterback Luke McCown drove Tampa Bay for a touchdown with 17 seconds left. The winning score was a quick 4-yard pass to Jerramy Stevens, who had to outleap Jason Craft to make the catch.
The victory gave Tampa Bay (8-4) a comfortable three-game lead in the NFC South with only four games left, while the Saints (5-7) probably have to win out to have a chance at a wild-card berth.
Tampa Bay starter Jeff Garcia was kept out of the game with a bruised lower back. But McCown completed his first 15 passes and wound up 29-of-37 for 313 yards and two touchdowns.
Colts 28, Jaguars 25
The Colts are on the verge of their fifth straight AFC South title after Peyton Manning threw four touchdown passes, two after the Colts won replay challenges.
It was the second victory by the Colts (10-2) over the Jaguars (8-4) this season, essentially giving them a three-game lead with four games left in a division they've controlled since Tennessee won it in the first year of its current configuration.
The Colts' first two TDs came in a bizarre first quarter in which there were three replay challenges — two won by Indianapolis, the other lost by Jacksonville.
The first one came on the Jaguars' first possession when Robert Mathis sacked David Garrard and knocked the ball free. The officials first ruled Jacksonville recovered at its 11, but Colts coach Tony Dungy appealed and referee Terry McAuley ruled the Colts' Raheem Brock recovered.
Two plays later, Manning threw a 5-yard TD pass to Dallas Clark.
On the Colts' next possession, the officials ruled Ben Utecht fumbled. Dungy appealed, McAuley ruled it an incomplete pass, and on the next play, Manning threw a 48-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne.
Manning has 23 TD passes, tying him with Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw more than 20 in each of their first 10 NFL seasons.
Seahawks 28, Eagles 24
Lofa Tatupu set up Seattle's first two touchdowns by intercepting A.J. Feeley twice in the first quarter, and he sealed victory with another pick at the Seahawks 4 in the final minute.
Maurice Morris had a 45-yard touchdown run, Matt Hasselbeck threw for two scores and Shaun Alexander had 65 yards rushing and one TD after missing three games with a sprained knee.
Playing their second straight game without injured QB Donovan McNabb, the Eagles (5-7) didn't have problems moving the ball on a cold, rainy day. But Feeley's interceptions cost Philadelphia again.
Brian Westbrook's 64-yard punt return put the ball at Seattle's 14 with under two minutes left, but Feeley threw his fourth interception on third down.
Seattle leads the NFC West at 8-4.
Chargers 24, Chiefs 10
Norv Turner finally found a way to beat Kansas City. All it took was two touchdowns and 177 yards rushing by LaDainian Tomlinson and eight sacks by the defense.
The San Diego coach is now 1-6 lifetime against the Chiefs.
Since a 30-16 loss to Kansas City plunged them to 1-3 and triggered an outcry against Turner, the Chargers (7-5) have gone 6-2 and seized the lead in the AFC West. The Chiefs (4-8) have lost six of eight and five in a row and could be on the brink of their worst season in two decades.
Shawne Merriman had three of the eight sacks, which broke the Chiefs' record of seven allowed in a game. The Chargers also had three interceptions, two off Damon Huard and one off Tyler Thigpen, the third-team quarterback who entered late in the fourth quarter when Huard injured his hand.
Tomlinson had only 60 yards on 13 carries in the first half, but came on after intermission with scoring runs of 31 and 28 yards.
Vikings 42, Lions 10
Adrian Peterson is back in a big way. The rookie rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns in his return from a knee injury and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson continued his steady improvement against the free-falling Lions.
Aundrae Allison returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown.
Jackson was 18-of-24 for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and the Vikings (6-6) scored TDs on their first six possessions to win their third in a row and fourth in the last five games. The streak has the Vikings right back in the thick of the NFC playoff picture.
The Lions (6-6) have lost four in a row to waste a 6-2 start that had fans crowing that the roar was restored in Detroit. The Lions rushed for just 23 yards on seven attempts against the league's top-ranked run defense, committed three personal foul penalties and were manhandled at the line of scrimmage.
Titans 28, Texans 20
Vince Young, who missed the previous matchup with his hometown team that Rob Bironas won with an NFL-record eight field goals, threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns in rallying the Titans, snapping a three-game skid.
The Titans (7-5) had defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth back after an injured hamstring kept him out of the three defeats. His return helped revive a defense coming off its worst performance of the season in a 35-6 loss at Cincinnati last week.
Titans end Antwan Odom knocked Matt Schaub out of the game for the second time this year, sacking him and hurting his left shoulder in the first quarter. By the time backup Sage Rosenfels settled in, it was too late for the Texans (5-7), who lost their second straight.
Mario Williams, the defensive end Houston chose to draft last year over Young, had 2 1/2 sacks.
Rams 28, Falcons 16
Gus Frerotte threw three touchdown passes in the first half, then sweated out two second-half interceptions that fueled an Atlanta comeback in the Rams' first home win this season.
Frerotte fumbled a routine snap on fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the final minute of a five-point loss to the Seahawks last week at home. He needed a defensive stop after Chris Crocker's interception and 16-yard return to the Rams 33 with 5:33 left gave the Falcons a shot at the lead.
Chris Redman threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter after replacing an ineffective Joey Harrington for the Falcons (3-9).
Oshiomogho Atogwe intercepted an overthrown ball and returned it 27 yards to midfield with 1:31 left, and Steven Jackson scored on a 50-yard run two plays later to clinch it for St. Louis (3-9).
Panthers 31, 49ers 14
Vinny Testaverde threw two touchdown passes and the Panthers snapped a five-game losing streak with their first home win in more than a year.
Using razzle-dazzle rarely seen under conservative coach John Fox, the Panthers (5-7) snapped a seven-game home losing streak dating to last season with Testaverde, who at 44 years, 19 days became the second-oldest starting QB in NFL history.
Testaverde also became the oldest starter to win, beating his own record set seven weeks ago in Arizona — Carolina's last victory.
The Panthers' defense stepped up, too, with six sacks and Richard Marshall's 73-yard interception return for a touchdown, spoiling the 49ers' confidence a week after they snapped an eight-game losing streak.
Trent Dilfer threw for two touchdowns, but was intercepted four times and hit all day by Carolina's much-maligned defense. The 49ers (3-9) committed six turnovers.
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