Rice has 'short memory' when it comes to costly playoff fumble

Ray Rice, like most NFL players, is doing his best to prepare for a new season as the lockout bleeds deeper into its third month.

When the Baltimore Ravens running back does finally get back onto the field, he made it clear in an interview with WFAN 660 in New York that he won't be thinking about the costly fumble that contributed to his team's playoff ouster in 2010.

"I have a short memory. As a running back, you have to have a short memory," he said. "You look at where you came from and you look at where you're going and you can't tarnish your whole career over one mistake."

With the Ravens leading the rival Pittsburgh Steelers 21-7 early in the third quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoffs, Rice caught a short pass from Joe Flacco and was stripped of the ball while fighting for extra yards. The Steelers recovered the ball deep in Ravens territory, setting in motion a comeback that culminated in a 31-24 Pittsburgh win.

It was Rice's first fumble in 331 touches. He has obvious regrets about the play, but said the key is learning from it and getting better.

"It’s the same thing for a quarterback. A quarterback throws an interception, he has to get over it the next drive," he said. "It wasn’t one of those situations where you see me getting laid out. It was a situation where the guy ... it was a perfect tackle, and I was in a cut. Sometimes when you cut the ball comes away from your body."

Rice said the play has led to better focus on the basics of the game in offseason workouts.

"You get back to work on your fundamentals, this offseason I've been doing a lot of strengthening in my forearms so that way when I'm cutting the ball's tighter, securing," He said. "I got over it pretty fast."

Rice's comments were first reported on Friday by The Baltimore Sun.

Entering his fourth season, Rice has been a key contributor for the Ravens since the team drafted him in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Last season, the Rutgers product piled up 1,776 total yards with five touchdowns on the ground and another through the air.

Playing arguably football's most punishing position while standing a stout 5-foot-8 means Rice is more at risk physically than most if the league decides to move to an 18-game schedule. He seemed resigned to however things play out.

“For a guy like me, you really just want to play football but 18 games is a lot," Rice said. "It’s hard on a body. It’s one of those things where, if that’s what they want, and they’re going to get it, then I’m not going to fight it.”

View the original article here

Bears go in for the kill, but Packers stand strong to gain playoff berth

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- There's no such thing as an ugly win when it clinches a playoff berth.

Especially when it comes against a division rival playing all-out for a knockout.

The Green Bay Packers are in the playoffs thanks to their 10-3 victory over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sunday. And as might be expected in a season that began with Super Bowl expectations but nearly was derailed by injuries and inconsistency, it wasn't easy.

"I'm very proud of our football team, just what we've accomplished," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "Nothing's come easy for us, and we wouldn't want it any other way."

Aaron Rodgers' 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Donald Lee gave the Packers the lead in the fourth quarter, and their defense did the rest. Nick Collins' interception of Jay Cutler stopped the Bears on a late drive.

The Packers (10-6) will play at Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.

"Tonight was a struggle, but it's nice to keep that momentum going," Rodgers said. "We've won two in a row and now we've got to go (on the road). And we can't have the kind of inconsistent performances we've had this year that have forced us to be the No. 6 seed."

Needing a win to get into the postseason, the Packers trailed 3-0 at halftime and were tied going into the fourth quarter with the Bears (11-5) -- a team that didn't have anything to play for in terms of playoff seeding but still played its starters, just as Bears coach Lovie Smith promised he would all week.

"Knowing that we had the bye week we weren't playing for an awful lot," Smith said. "We just wanted to keep momentum going. We haven't peaked yet, still, I thought there were some things that we could've improved upon."

Now that the Packers are in, Donald Driver believes they can be a dangerous playoff opponent.

"Those guys told us during the game they didn't want us in," Driver said. "That tells you how much people are scared of us. They didn't want to see us, and now they've got to see us."

But Green Bay didn't look anything like the team that steamrolled the New York Giants to keep its playoff hopes alive last week, at least not for three quarters.

Rodgers threw for 229 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He saluted the defense after the game, but noted that the offense will have to be better to win in the playoffs.

"We can't expect them to hold every team to three points," Rodgers said.

Matt Forte had 91 yards rushing and 60 yards receiving for Chicago, which came into Sunday's game assured of a first-round playoff bye as the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

"We weren't playing for anything," Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "Everything we needed to do was done already. The crowd was loud because there was a lot on the line for them. It didn't seem like a playoff game to me."

Jay Cutler threw for 168 yards with a pair of interceptions and was sacked six times, but he stayed in the game. Smith said he never considered taking his quarterback out of harm's way.

"Why would we do that? I mean, there's a game on the line, we're trying to win a football game," Smith said. "No. That was never part of the mindset at all. We have a week off and we saw it like that."

Cutler joked afterward that he told his coach to rethink his approach to the game, but didn't seem overly concerned about the protection breakdowns.

"There's no real problems out there," Cutler said.

The Packers came into Sunday's game knowing they needed to win to get into the playoffs after Tampa Bay beat New Orleans earlier in the day. The Bears didn't have anything to gain in terms of playoff seeding but played to win.

They didn't quite pull it off, but linebacker Lance Briggs said they made some progress on defense.

NFL RedZone

Watching football on Sundays will be a whole new experience with NFL Network's new channel, NFL RedZone. Find out why.

"The last couple of weeks teams have been scoring a lot of points on us," Briggs said. "It was important to us for the Packers to only get 10 points. We were effective when we did the things we needed to do."

Rodgers finally made some big plays in the fourth quarter, throwing for 21 yards to Driver and 46 yards to Jennings to set up the touchdown to Lee, giving the Packers the lead with 12:42 left in the game.

"I like our chances," Packers cornerback Charles Woodson said. "We feel good about our team. We've had some down moments this year, we've had a lot of injuries, but if you look at this team, we just kept fighting and now we find ourselves with a chance to get into the playoffs and make some noise."

Notes: Smith said linebacker Nick Roach sustained a shoulder injury, safety Chris Harris had a stinger and safety Major Wright had a leg injury, but Smith said he didn't think any of the injuries were serious. ... Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the team had no additional injuries coming out of Sunday's game. "Highlight of the day so far," he joked. ... An awkwardly timed time out by the Bears' bench nullified a long third-down conversion in the third quarter, but Smith didn't dwell on it. "I called timeout," he said. "We weren't in the right formation for the play."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

Chargers knocked out of playoff contention by Palmer's near-perfect game

View the original article here

Ravens secure playoff spot, win sixth straight over division-rival Browns

CLEVELAND -- Ed Reed was on fire, and not because of his two interceptions.

Trying to cope on a biting, blustery day, Baltimore's star safety moved too close to a sideline heater and had his oversized jacket ignite.

"Someone yelled, 'Reed, you're on fire'," he said.

Ravens RB Ray Rice built on his outstanding performance against the Saints last week with another solid outing vs. the Browns. Find out where he ranks among the weekly leaders.

» More: NFL.com blogs

There was no panic, no alarm, no worries. The Ravens were moments away from a playoff-clinching 20-10 win on Sunday.

Reed laughed.

"I just took it off," he said, smiling.

Reed, as cool as they come, picked off rookie Colt McCoy twice and damaged Browns bruising running back Peyton Hillis with a hard hit on Cleveland's second play as the Ravens (11-4) clinched a postseason berth for the third straight season and stayed tied atop the AFC North.

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, Ray Lewis and the rest of Baltimore's tenacious defense backed up some pregame trash talk by bottling up Hillis and the Ravens remained tied with Pittsburgh with one game left.

Lewis had promised Hillis would not repeat his 144-yard performance against Baltimore in Week 3, and the big back didn't come close, rushing for 35 yards on 12 carries. On his second attempt, Hillis was already going down when Reed came flying in and delivered a crushing blow.

Hillis wasn't the same, and neither were the Browns (5-10).

It was a typical outing for Reed, the five-time Pro Bowler who upped his career interception total to 52 and spent the day making life miserable for McCoy, who got duped into a few bad throws by one of the best big-play playmakers in NFL history.

"Ed is just Ed," said Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, who threw Cleveland's only TD pass on a gadget play.

McCoy threw three interceptions and the Browns did little to help embattled coach Eric Mangini, who fell to 10-21 in two seasons and is awaiting a postseason review by president Mike Holmgren. Mangini's cause may be hurt by questionable clock management to end the first half and a failed onside kick to open the second.

"What killed us were the turnovers and the mistakes," Mangini said. "The Ravens are very difficult to beat when you play flawless football. When you turn the ball over as many times as we did, it makes it really, really difficult."

Flacco threw a 15-yard TD to T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the second quarter and a 22-yarder to Derrick Mason in third as the Ravens built a 20-10 lead and turned things over to their stingy defense, led by Lewis.

Asked earlier in the week about Hillis' surprising success against Baltimore on Sept. 26, Lewis scoffed, "A blind cat will find a meal every once in a while. When we get back to Cleveland, it'll definitely be a different outcome. It won't happen again."

The Browns didn't like Lewis' comments.

"Guys definitely made note of it," tackle Joe Thomas said. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out it's a lack of respect."

Lewis said he meant no disrespect to Hillis, but that he was trying to fire up his teammates for an opponent standing in their path to the playoffs.

"We respect him. A lot of us voted him for the Pro Bowl," said Lewis, who told Hillis during the game that he liked his smashmouth style. "It was not trash talking. I was leading my defense, getting them prepared. I was telling my team that as long as I'm here that is not going to happen again."

Reed wasted no time in sending a message to Hillis, ramming his helmet into the back's ribs early on. Hillis said the blow had an effect.

"I couldn't go out there to my full potential," Hillis said.

Billy Cundiff kicked field goals of 27 and 40 yards as Baltimore won its sixth straight over Cleveland.

"Are we in?" joked Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who went out of his way to avoid playoff talk all week. "I told the team, it's just the beginning."

Time could be running out for Mangini, who defended his decision to try the onside kick. Mangini thought he could catch the Ravens napping, but kicker Phil Dawson's bouncer didn't go the required 10 yards and Baltimore took over at Cleveland's 38. "I felt good about it based on what we saw after our other kickoffs," Mangini said. "It was there. We just didn't do a good enough job with it."

NFL RedZone

Watching football on Sundays will be a whole new experience with NFL Network's new channel, NFL RedZone. Find out why.

Flacco, who went 12 of 19 for 102 yards, then found Mason three plays later in the left corner for the TD -- just 1:30 into the third.

Cleveland couldn't sustain any drives in the second half, and the Browns' last real chance ended when Reed intercepted McCoy in the end zone with 4:35 left. McCoy went 15 of 29 for 149 yards, dropped to 2-5 as a starter and learned the Ravens are back up their talk.

"I made a couple poor throws and it cost us," McCoy said. "I just didn't get it done. Turnovers killed us and it's on me."

Notes: Harbaugh said safety Morgan Cox likely tore a knee ligament on the game's first or second play but stayed in. Cox will undergo an MRI on Monday. ... Browns cornerback Joe Haden got his sixth interception, most by a Cleveland rookie since Anthony Henry had 10 in 2001. ... Hillis has 60 receptions, five shy of the team record for a running back held by Greg Pruitt (1981).

Copyright 2010 by the Associated Press

View the original article here

Packers make playoff push with sharp performance vs. stumbling Giants

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers returned from a concussion to turn in his sharpest performance of the season, keeping the Green Bay Packers on a path toward the playoffs with 404 yards and four touchdowns.

It all came at the expense of the New York Giants, whose season is spinning out of control after the Packers blew them out 45-17 at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Rodgers was back, and so was his sense of humor. Backup Matt Flynn played well when Rodgers sat out last week with his second concussion of the season, so Rodgers joked that he had something to prove Sunday.

"I had to get my job back," Rodgers said.

There wasn't much to smile about for the Giants (9-6), who are clinging to fading playoff hopes and certainly appeared to still be in a daze after the previous week's collapse against Philadelphia.

"There's no denying what took place," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "Facts are facts. We're responsible for it. I'm responsible for it. So we have to live with it. And as we say in this game, the only chance you have is to turn around and line up the next week."

The Giants couldn't stop Rodgers and couldn't hold onto the ball, as one of the league's most turnover-prone teams lost two fumbles and watched Eli Manning throw four interceptions.

As if that wasn't enough misery for one team to handle, the Giants were stuck in Wisconsin on Sunday night because of a major snowstorm on the East Coast.

At this point, they might not want to go home.

"I don't care where we're at, it's going to be a long night regardless," safety Deon Grant said. "If we'd go back to New York, it'd probably be a worse night. I know they're not going to be happy. I looked up, the Jets lost, we lost, it's not a good look."

Green Bay (9-6) came into Sunday's game needing to win their final two games to make the playoffs. The Packers host division-rival Chicago in their final regular-season game next Sunday.

Safety Nick Collins said it felt like a playoff game.

"That's how it's going to be next week, too," Collins said.

John Kuhn ran for two touchdowns and caught a pass for a score for the Packers. The unheralded fullback is embracing his growing folk-hero status with Packers fans, who chant "Kuuuuuuuuuhn!" when he touches the ball.

"It's pretty funny," Kuhn said. "It's nice. I don't want to let them down. They call for you ahead of time, so I've got to try and come through."

Greg Jennings caught seven passes for 142 yards for Green Bay, while Jordy Nelson had four catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Rodgers was sacked twice, but wasn't under much pressure otherwise as his offensive line delivered one of its best pass protection efforts of the year.

"Those guys were ready to play," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "They were sick and tired of hearing about how tough the Giants were all week."

Rodgers was anything but tentative after sustaining two concussions this season, but he definitely had safety on his mind when he took off running. Rodgers made a baseball umpire's "safe" sign with his arms after sliding instead of taking a big hit after an early scramble -- a salute, he said, to a team doctor who is reminding him to be more careful when he runs.

"I got a lot of texts in the last two weeks from friends and family," Rodgers said. "'Slide' was the main subject."

Manning threw for 301 yards with two touchdowns and the four interceptions.

"If you have interceptions, it's my fault and we had four today," Manning said. "There's not one that wasn't my fault, so I've got to be smarter with the ball and toward the end of the game, you're in desperate mode, you try to force some things and it didn't go our way."

NFL RedZone

Watching football on Sundays will be a whole new experience with NFL Network's new channel, NFL RedZone. Find out why.

Already trailing 21-14, the Giants began the second half with yet another major mistake. On a third-down play in Packers territory, Charles Woodson stripped the ball from Ahmad Bradshaw and the Packers recovered at the 50. The Packers drove but had to settle for a field goal, taking a 24-14 lead.

The Giants answered with a drive for a field goal, but Rodgers was at his absolute best on the Packers' next possession. Taking over at the Green Bay 30, Rodgers threw for big gains on back-to-back plays -- Donald Driver for 33 yards and Jennings for 36 -- then threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Donald Lee two plays later to give the Packers a 31-17 lead with 4:44 left in the third quarter.

Hakeem Nicks appeared to fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but Coughlin challenged the play and New York kept the ball. Brandon Jacobs then broke free for a long run -- but Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews punched the ball, it popped into the air and the Packers recovered.

This time, Coughlin's replay review was unsuccessful and Green Bay kept the ball.

"We came out and we played like we didn't have anything to play for," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said.

Notes: It was a rematch of the Giants' overtime victory in the NFC title game in below-zero conditions at Lambeau nearly three years ago. Sunday's conditions weren't nearly as challenging, with 25-degree temperatures and little wind at kickoff. ... The Packers have won 10 of their last 11 home games. ... The Giants' Mario Manningham caught four passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Copyright 2010 by the Associated Press

View the original article here

Redskins win in OT to deal Jaguars' playoff hopes a blow

View the original article here

Singletary fired after 49ers knocked out of playoff contention

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mike Singletary was fired by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night after two disappointing seasons, including a 5-10 showing this year for a franchise expected to win the NFC West.

The team made the announcement late Sunday upon returning to the Bay Area, several hours after San Francisco was eliminated from playoff contention with a 25-17 loss at St. Louis. Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted to interim coach and will run the team in next Sunday's season finale at home against Arizona. He was to be formally introduced in a news conference set for Monday at 3 p.m. ET.

Team president and CEO Jed York addressed reporters in St. Louis after the Niners' loss Sunday and was noncommittal about whether Singletary would coach the final game, saying he planned to think about it. Singletary was told of his dismissal back at the team's Santa Clara complex after the trip home.

"I want to thank Mike Singletary for the passion and effort that he brought to this organization," York said in a statement. "He is a tremendous person for whom I will always have great respect."

San Francisco began the year with high hopes of winning the West and reaching the postseason for the first time since 2002. Singletary finished with an 18-22 record in two-plus seasons.

"One of the greatest experiences of my life was having the opportunity to coach the San Francisco 49ers," Singletary said in a statement. "What made it so special were the players. They were some of the most outstanding men I have ever been around in my life. The coaches were truly professionals. I wish the 49ers nothing but the best. I am thankful to the York family for having given me the opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL. I am indebted to them for that. I am also thankful for the Faithful fans, I am just sorry I couldn't give them more."

The 49ers began 0-5 and will finish with a losing record for the seventh time in eight years. They went 8-8 in Singletary's first full season, then produced an unbeaten preseason this year only to drop their first five games. It was the franchise's worst start since losing seven in a row to begin a 2-14 season in 1979 -- in the late Hall of Famer Bill Walsh's first year as coach.

No team has recovered from an 0-5 start to reach the playoffs, but the 49ers would have made it if they had defeated the Rams and won again next Sunday. If that had happened, San Francisco would have won the tiebreaker over Seattle and St. Louis to win the division and become the first team with a losing record in a non-strike season to make the playoffs.

"You know what, I'll put it this way: a personal failure. I'm the head coach of this team and obviously wanted us to do better, felt that we could do better," Singletary said after Sunday's loss. "There are some obvious questions that I hoped would be answered as the season went on, and obviously were not answered. When that happens, you end up out of the playoffs.

"I take full responsibility for every unanswered question."

The 52-year-old Singletary, who first took over as coach on an interim basis when Mike Nolan was fired in October 2008 and soon declared "I want winners!" had two years remaining on his contract. York -- son of owner John York -- seems ready for major change around the Niners despite having to pay Singletary, a Hall of Fame linebacker during his playing days for the Chicago Bears.

"Money is no object," Jed York said in St. Louis. "I mean, our object is to win the Super Bowl, year in and year out be there and compete for Super Bowls. We're going to make sure we get this right."

Initially, Singletary seemed to be the man to do it, with his way of ripping into a player one minute then finding a way to turn it into a positive.

During his debut in place of Nolan -- a 34-13 loss to the Seahawks on Oct. 26, 2008 -- Singletary pulled down his pants in the locker room at halftime to make a point, benched struggling quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan in favor of Shaun Hill, and sent now-Pro Bowl and captain tight end Vernon Davis to the showers early for what he deemed inappropriate behavior following a personal foul penalty. Afterward, Singletary called out his team with the now infamous "I want winners" speech.

"I'd rather play with 10 people and just get penalized all the way until we have to do something else rather than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team," Singletary said. "It is more about them than it is about the team. Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win."

This year, Singletary fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye after Week 3, then lost secondary coach and special assistant Johnnie Lynn when he resigned for personal reasons earlier this month.

Singletary switched quarterbacks three different times, starting with Alex Smith, going to Troy Smith for five games even after Alex Smith's hurt non-throwing shoulder had healed, then back to Alex Smith for two games before Troy Smith started Sunday -- only to give way to Alex Smith in the fourth quarter after Troy Smith had a heated exchange with Singletary.

"I'm not worried about individual things like that. What bothers me is we come in here, this is a playoff-caliber game, and we didn't get it done," York said. "And that's the bottom line."

York said he plans to hire a general manager and will open a search to fill the job. Since former GM Scot McCloughan departed last March -- and ended up with Seattle -- in what York called a "mutual parting," San Francisco's football operations have been run by vice president of player personnel Trent Baalke. He was responsible for selecting two offensive linemen with the team's first-round draft picks in April, and both Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati are starters on the Niners' revamped offensive line.

York was asked whether a new general manager would help in a potential coaching search.

"We'll have a general manager, and as we go forward, that will be something that the general manager and I discuss together," York said after the game.

Finding a quarterback will be another priority. Alex Smith most certainly will be gone after this season once the 2005 No. 1 overall pick's contract expires.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

Bears move toward No. 2 seed; Jets clinch playoff spot despite loss

CHICAGO -- Never mind the recent drama. Rex Ryan and the Jets are headed back to the playoffs, and they're not complaining even if they got in with a loss.

Jay Cutler threw three touchdown passes, Matt Forte ran for 113 yards and the Chicago Bears beat New York 38-34 on Sunday, sending the Jets to their third loss in four games. Chris Harris intercepted Mark Sanchez on a pass intended for Santonio Holmes with about a minute left to end New York's comeback bid, but the Jets' season won't be ending next week.

Jay Cutler established an impressive statistical benchmark that not a single quarterback in Chicago franchise history had reached. Find out what it was in our Milestone Tracker.

» More: NFL.com blogs

The Jets (10-5) clinched their second straight postseason trip under Ryan when Jacksonville lost 20-17 in overtime to Washington. There was a loud roar from the coaches' locker room when the Jaguars lost, and Ryan stopped himself as he addressed the media.

"By the way, I think we're in the playoffs," he said. "Not the way I wanted it, but I'll take it."

LaDainian Tomlinson said Graham Gano's winning field goal for the Redskins was "like Christmas."

They'll have an extra night in Chicago to savor it after a snowstorm delayed their return to New York, and the Bears (11-4) might let this one soak in a bit, too.

They won for the seventh time in eight games after blowing an early 10-point lead and are in good position to lock up a bye. The Bears needed a win, coupled with a loss by Philadelphia and a loss or tie by the Giants. The Eagles won't play until Tuesday after their game against Minnesota got pushed back by snow.

Cutler completed 13 of 25 passes for 215 yards, with Johnny Knox catching four for 92 with two touchdowns, the second coming when he beat Antonio Cromartie on a 26-yarder that broke a 31-31 tie in the third quarter. He also caught a 40-yarder early in the third after a failed fake punt by New York.

"We came into it knowing we were going to have to take a few shots, go vertical on them," Cutler said. "We knew with our speed it would be hard for them to keep up."

Forte had a big game and, assuming those numbers stand, is the first opponent to run for 100 or more yards against the Jets this season. Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall had a yard deducted after initially being credited with 100 last week.

Sanchez seemed to be just fine after playing most of last week's win over Pittsburgh with a shoulder injury. He threw for 269 yards and a touchdown, completing 24 of 37 passes after a sizzling start, but his interception sealed the win for Chicago and capped another wild week for New York that included more headline-grabbing distractions.

At the center of it was Ryan, who was the subject of an embarrassing foot-fetish report by Deadspin featuring videos of a woman -- who bears a close resemblance to Ryan's wife, Michelle -- displaying her toes to an off-screen cameraman who sounds a lot like the coach. Ryan had little to say about the report, repeatedly calling it "a personal matter." The week then ended on a somewhat sour note, with the Jets getting outplayed in the second half.

"To lose the game and I still make the playoffs, that's the best news you can ever have after a loss," said Sanchez, who will likely sit out next week's game against Buffalo.

Sanchez completed 13 of 15 passes for 156 yards in the first half, and the Jets led 24-17, but the momentum turned in a big way after halftime.

A fake punt by New York on the opening drive of the third quarter failed as Sanchez's pass to Brad Smith fell incomplete and things only got worse from there.

Cutler tied it on the next play when he hit Knox in the end zone with a 40-yard touchdown, and in a flash, the Bears were leading thanks to two big plays by Devin Hester.

He returned a punt 38 yards to the New York 32, putting a neat juke on James Ihedigbo as he turned up the right side that caused his leg to give way and left him with a knee injury.

Then, Hester beat Drew Coleman and caught a 25-yard TD pass from Cutler along the left side that gave the Bears a short-lived 31-24 lead.

"That was disappointing to say the least," Ryan said. "I understand you get a play or two, but we're going in there trying to kick away from that guy. We tried to do that all day and he got his hands on it and that's why you see how important it is to kick a way from that kid. He is the best returner in the game."

New York immediately tied it on a 23-yard pass from Sanchez to Holmes, but Knox put Chicago ahead for good when he beat Cromartie for that 26-yarder with about 6 minutes left in the quarter.

"We talk a lot about finishing. That's definitely what we did," coach Lovie Smith said.

As for the Jets?

"I'm a huge Redskin fan, I can tell you that right now," Ryan said.

Notes: Ryan said Ihedigbo, along with Sanchez, will likely sit out next week against Buffalo. ... S Eric Smith sat out his second straight game because of a concussion. ... The Bears had all their key players available, with LB Pisa Tinoisamoa active after missing the past three games because of a knee injury.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

Bucs beat 'Hawks to keep playoff hopes alive

TAMPA, Fla. -- Josh Freeman threw for 237 yards and a career-best five touchdowns Sunday to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers keep their playoff hopes alive with a 38-15 rout of the struggling Seattle Seahawks.

Kellen Winslow and rookie Mike Williams each had a pair of TD receptions for the Bucs (9-6), who guaranteed themselves a winning record after going 3-13 a year ago in their first season under coach Raheem Morris.

Seattle (6-9) played most of the game without injured quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Amazingly, the Seahawks can still win the NFC West - thus earning a playoff spot with a losing record -- by beating the first-place St. Louis Rams (7-8) at home next Sunday.

View the original article here

Colts may continue playoff run without concussed WR Collie

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts may have to make their final playoff push without one of their top play-makers, receiver Austin Collie.

Less than 24 hours after Collie left his third game in seven weeks with a head injury, coach Jim Caldwell said he didn't know when -- or if -- Collie would return this season.

"We lean totally upon those who are in charge," Caldwell said, referring to the doctors. "Here's the thing. There's not a coach that makes any decision based on anybody who has a concussion. Once he's cleared and ready to go, that's the case."

The second-year receiver was injured late in the first half Sunday when Jacksonville linebacker Daryl Smith appeared to hit Collie in the head with his forearm as Collie went low to make a catch.

Unfortunately for Collie, it's been a recurring theme.

Since the second half of a Nov. 7 game at Philadelphia, Collie has played in only three quarters, leaving games twice with diagnosed concussions and a third time with what the team described as "concussion-like symptoms." Caldwell couldn't say definitively whether the third instance was considered a full-blown concussion.

But losing Collie could be another blow to the Colts' postseason hopes.

Despite missing five games and more than a half in three others, he leads all Indy receivers with eight TD catches, is second in receptions (58) and third in yards (649). And when four-time league MVP Peyton Manning was mired in the worst slump of his pro career, Collie wasn't wearing pads.

When he returned Sunday against the Jags, for what amounted to a playoff-elimination game, Manning threw 10 passes to Collie in the first half. He caught eight for 87 yards and two TDs, and, perhaps not surprisingly, his presence helped open things up for Indy's suddenly rejuvenated ground game.

And although Caldwell has not ruled out Collie for this week's game at Oakland, few expect him to play.

"Things are moving in the right direction from what I saw after the game," Caldwell said. "The medical professionals are as good as they come, they take all the necessary precautions. They are very, very conservative."

Clearly, Collie's health has become a serious concern for the Colts (8-6).

Caldwell said it was his top priority, and teammates understand why doctors are likely to be even more cautious given Collie's recent history and the league's new guidelines dealing with concussions.

"I talked to him (Collie) and he said it wasn't as bad as the last one, so that's the good news," Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne said Sunday. "But they're all bad."

Meaning, Indy will probably have to finish its playoff push without Collie.

If the Colts win at Oakland and beat Tennessee at home, they will win their seventh AFC South title in eight years and earn a ninth straight playoff berth.

At least the Colts are playing more like the defending AFC champs.

After limiting Tennessee's Chris Johnson to 111 yards rushing and one TD, Indy held the league's hottest running back, Maurice Jones-Drew, to just 46 yards and no scores. This week, they'll have to contend with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, who helped Oakland run for 264 yards in Sunday's victory over Denver. Then comes the rematch with Johnson.

The other promising sign is that Indy has added balance to its offense.

The Colts ran 32 times, compared with 35 passes, against the Titans, and ran 24 times while throwing 39 times against Jacksonville.

Clearly, it's made a difference in Manning's play. He's thrown four TD passes and no interceptions the past two weeks -- a stark contrast to the 11 picks he threw in the previous three games.

"Your play-action, it (balance) probably gives it a little more pop," Manning said. "Collie's second touchdown was on play-action, so we've got to keep that going."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

Playoff spots within reach for Patriots, Steelers, Jets, Falcons

NEW YORK -- The division-leading New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons, and the second-place New York Jets can clinch playoff berths this weekend.

Would your team be in or out of the playoffs if the season ended today? Find out who's in, who they'd play and who's on the outside looking in. More ...

The Patriots (10-2) would do so simply with a victory over the Chicago Bears. The Patriots also would get in if the Miami Dolphins (6-6) and Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5) both lose or tie, or if the Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts (6-6) both lose or tie.

The Steelers (9-3) need a variety of scenarios, all of them requiring a win over the Cincinnati Bengals except one, in which a tie and losses or ties by the Dolphins, Oakland Raiders (6-6) and San Diego Chargers (6-6), and an Indianapolis loss would do.

The Falcons must beat the Carolina Panthers and have any two of the Giants (8-4), Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) and Green Bay Packers lose (8-4). A Falcons tie and losses by the Giants, Eagles, Packers and a loss or tie by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) also would work for Atlanta.

The Jets need a win over the Dolphins and losses or ties by the Chargers and Jaguars, or Chargers and Colts. A Jets tie and losses by San Diego and Indianapolis, plus a loss or tie by Oakland would do it, too.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

Henne leads the way as Dolphins top Raiders to keep playoff hopes alive

Chad Henne had quite the roller-coaster month, going from Miami Dolphins starting quarterback to getting benched then injured and then back as starter.

He finished the up-and-down month on quite a high.

Watch all the action from Sunday all over again -- online and in HD. Save 50% with a Midseason Subscription! Learn More.

Henne made a triumphant return to the lineup to throw for 307 yards and two scores and Dan Carpenter kicked four field goals to help the Miami Dolphins beat the Oakland Raiders 33-17 Sunday.

"I knew my day would come again," Henne said. "The biggest thing is just staying confident in myself. I know I can get it done out there, I know I can get some wins out there. So, for me, it's just staying confident, fixing mistakes and just keep on improving as a quarterback."

Davone Bess had 111 yards receiving in his first game as a pro in his hometown, and Ricky Williams ran for 95 yards and a score for the Dolphins (6-5), who won for the fifth time in six road games to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Raiders (5-6) returned home following a 35-3 beating in Pittsburgh and put together another dud. Fan favorite Bruce Gradkowski got the nod ahead of Jason Campbell at quarterback, but threw two interceptions and led Oakland to just one offensive touchdown.

The Contra Costa Times reported on Sunday night that Gradkowski re-injured his throwing shoulder in the loss. Gradkowski previously suffered a third-degree separation of the shoulder in Week 5, an injury that cost him five weeks.

Rookie Jacoby Ford was the entire Raiders offense, returning the opening kickoff 101 yards for a score and catching a 44-yard TD pass from Gradkowski in the second quarter. But the Dolphins held Oakland to 16 yards rushing, including 2 on eight carries for Darren McFadden.

"We've played some great quarters, and we've played some great halves, but we haven't put a game together on defense," linebacker Channing Crowder said. "We played a complete game."

Miami also had an offensive turnaround, gaining 471 yards and holding the ball for 41:38 a week after being held to 187. But with Henne at the helm, it was a different story.

Raiders rookie WR Jacoby Ford is making a name for himself with acrobatic catches like the one to the right. Was this image of him making a grab vs. Miami the best from Week 12? Vote now!

» Vote: Should Ford make Pro Bowl?

Henne lost his job to Chad Pennington earlier this month, then was sidelined by an injured left knee after Pennington's return to the lineup was cut short by a shoulder injury. But after Tyler Thigpen struggled in a 16-0 loss to Chicago last week, the Dolphins went back to Henne against the Raiders.

The improvement was evident from the start. Henne led Miami to scores on the first two possessions as the Dolphins' offense clicked all day.

"I want somebody to go out there and make me wrong," coach Tony Sparano said. "That's good. I have no problem with that. But Chad was really positive, and he knew all along here, that as we got on in this thing, that we we're going to be counting on him."

Henne had success going against Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who still looks hampered by a sprained right ankle, and rookie Walter McFadden, who got his most extensive action with Chris Johnson out with a groin injury.

McFadden looked especially bad on the first drive of the second half when he went for an interception on an out route to Marlon Moore. Moore caught it and cruised for a 57-yard score that game Miami a 20-14 lead. Henne kept targeting McFadden after that for big plays.

"That's something we definitely scouted and wanted to exploit early and fast," Bess said. "They gave up some big plays to us and we took advantage of it."

Carpenter added a 44-yard field goal, but Miami missed a chance to break the game open after a 47-yard punt return by Bess when Carpenter missed a 47-yard field goal.

Gradkowski threw an interception to Chris Clemons in the end zone on an underthrown pass to Ford. Ford then beat his former Clemson teammate Clemons for a 52-yard catch that set up a 30-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. That cut Miami's lead to 23-17 early in the fourth quarter.

Carpenter added a 25-yard field goal and Williams iced it with a 45-yard TD run with 3:12 remaining.

The Raiders did nothing between Ford's two first-half touchdowns. Gradkowski threw an interception to Yeremiah Bell and Marcel Reece lost a fumble.

Gradkowski completed 17 of 32 passes for 252 yards and reinjured his shoulder on his final throw of the game so Oakland will likely go back to Campbell next week at San Diego.

NFL RedZone

Watching football on Sundays will be a whole new experience with NFL Network's new channel, NFL RedZone. Find out why.

"There was some good stuff and some inconsistency," Cable said of Gradkowski's play. "Again when you only have the ball a handful of times you don't get a real chance to go out and get some rhythm."

Henne, who threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Cobbs in the first quarter, drove the Dolphins downfield late in the half to lead to Carpenter's second field goal, a 23-yarder with 4 seconds left that made it 14-13.

Notes: Henne has six career 300-yard passing games, second to Dan Marino's 63 in Miami history. ... The Dolphins have scored on their opening drive a league-best eight times this season. ... Ford's kickoff return was the third longest in Raiders history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View the original article here

Vikings deny running up score on Cowboys in '09 playoff game

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Coach Brad Childress said his Minnesota Vikings weren't trying to run up the score late in last season's 34-3 playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Brett Favre threw a touchdown pass to Visanthe Shiancoe with less than 2 minutes to play in the game for the final margin. The play prompted Dallas linebacker Keith Brooking to confront Childress on the sideline and call it "disgusting and classless," accusing Minnesota of running up the score.

"People can do what they want," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said Wednesday. "That's what they chose to do. It's not what I would've done."

The Vikings led 27-3 late in the game when they had a fourth-and-3 at the Cowboys' 11-yard line. Favre found a wide-open Shiancoe for his fourth touchdown pass of the day with 1:55 to go.

Childress said Thursday the team was just trying to get a first down to keep the clock moving, and ultimately scored instead. He said the Cowboys were still blitzing aggressively late in the game, so the Vikings had no choice but to throw the ball.

"If you're slamming people at the formation, nothing says that you have to go in there and have everybody shorten their necks so they stop us," Childress said. "Now we have to make a decision, 'Do we have to kick a field goal?' The easiest thing is to get a first down.

"That's all we're trying to do is get a first down. We happened to score. It would probably be a good idea to cover the guy. Generally on defense, you have to cover the deep plays."

Shiancoe was equally baffled by the accusations. He pointed to the Cowboys using their timeouts late in the fourth quarter and continuing to blitz despite being down 24 points.

"You keep on blitzing though," Shiancoe said Thursday. "I mean c'mon man ... I'm not trying to say anything bad about them, but if you keep on blitzing, what do you want us to do? Just keep on taking hits to the mouth?"

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

View the original article here