ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) β The Dallas Cowboys are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
Tony Romo threw four of the Cowboys’ five touchdown passes in a 42-7 laugher against Indianapolis. Romo was almost perfect this afternoon, completing 18 of his 20 passes for 218 yards and no interceptions before sitting out the fourth quarter. He broke Troy Aikman’s team record for passing yards as the Cowboys clinched the NFC East while ending Philadelphia’s playoff hopes.
DeMarco Murray played just six days after undergoing surgery on his broken left hand. Murray had a one-yard scoring run to make it 28-0 midway through the second quarter, but he had just 58 yards on 22 carries.
The Cowboys improved to 11-4 and stayed in contention for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
The 10-5 Colts had nothing to play for after wrapping up the AFC South title.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) β Aaron Rodgers threw for 318 yards and one touchdown to help the Green Bay Packers beat Tampa Bay 20-3 and clinch a wild-card playoff berth.
Eddie Lacy scored on a 44-yard run, Jordy Nelson caught a 1-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter and had nine receptions for 113 yards, while Randall Cobb finished with 11 catches for 131 yards.
The win sets up a showdown game for 11-4 Green Bay against Detroit. The winner earns the NFC North title.
The 2-13 Bucs have lost five straight and remain in contention for the first overall pick in the 2015 draft.
CHICAGO (AP) β Joique (JOYK) Bell scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead Detroit to a 20-14 win over Chicago.
Calvin Johnson added six catches for 103 yards for 11-4 Detroit, which came away with a narrow victory over a struggling team after locking up its second trip to the postseason in 15 years.
Detroit was hoping to lock up its first division championship since 1993. But because the Packers beat Tampa Bay, the NFC North race will come down to next week’s game at Green Bay.
The Bears benched quarterback Jay Cutler last week in favor of the undistinguished Jimmy Clausen but the switch didn’t do much for the Bears disappointing season.
Matthew Stafford overcame two interceptions and completed 22 of 39 passes for 243 yards. He hit the 4,000-yard mark for the fourth straight year.
PITTSBURGH (AP) β Ben Roethlisberger (RAWTH’-lihs-bur-gur) passed for 220 yards and a touchdown to help Pittsburgh locked up a postseason berth with a methodical 20-12 win over Kansas City.
Pittsburgh faces Cincinnati next week for the AFC North title. Either way, the Steelers will be playing January football for the first time in three years.
Antonio Brown caught seven passes and a touchdown for Pittsburgh, which has won seven of nine and can clinch a division title for the first time since 2010 by beating the Bengals next week.
Kansas City’s Alex Smith passed for a season-high 311 yards but was sacked six times. The 8-7 Chiefs have lost four of five and need to beat San Diego next Sunday and receive plenty of help to make it back to the playoffs.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) β Julio (HOO’-lee-oh) Jones returned from a hip injury to catch seven passes for 107 yards, and Atlanta remained in playoff contention with a 30-14 victory over New Orleans.
Matt Ryan completed 30 of 40 passed for 322 yards and a touchdown, and Devonta Freeman ran for a 31-yard score for 6-9 Atlanta, which can win the NFC South by beating Carolina next week.
The 6-9 Saints committed three turnovers in the fourth quarter on the way to be eliminated from the playoffs.
The Saints had a chance to drive for a winning score inside the final three minutes, but Robert McClain’s interception of Drew Brees in Saints territory set up a field goal, and Osi Umenyiora (OH’-see yoo-mihn-YOHR’-uh) returned Brees’ fumble for an 86-yard TD as time expired.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Cam Newton threw for one touchdown and ran for another to lead Carolina to a 17-13 win over Cleveland. The win put the 6-8-1 Panthers in sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
The victory sets up a winner-take-all showdown next Sunday at Atlanta for the division title.
Newton threw for 201 yards and ran for 63 yards just 12 days after the quarterback suffered two fractures in his lower back following an automobile accident.
Jonathan Stewart ran for 122 yards and caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Newton.
Johnny Manziel (man-ZEHL’) made his second NFL start for Cleveland but left with 1:49 left in the first half with a hamstring injury and did not return.
HOUSTON (AP) β Running back Arian Foster threw a touchdown pass, Randy Bullock made a franchise-record six field goals and Houston’s defense dominated to give the Texans a 25-13 win over the Baltimore. The Texans improved to 8-7 and kept their faint playoff hopes alive.
The 9-6 Ravens now need some help next week to get into the postseason after Joe Flacco threw a season-high three interceptions and the offense struggled all day.
With three quarterbacks hurt, the Texans started Case Keenum, who got his first win in nine NFL starts.
Foster ran for 96 yards. But his highlight came when took a pitch from Keenum and, with a defender in his face, threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Fiedorowicz to make it 16-0 in the second quarter.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) β Rookie Terrence Fede blocked a punt for a safety with 41 seconds left to give Miami a wild 37-35 win over Minnesota.
Ryan Tannehill threw four touchdown passes to help the 8-7 Dolphins come from two touchdowns down to pull out the win. Miami scored 23 points in a 41-point fourth quarter.
Minnesota scored 15 points in an 11-second span in the period to surge ahead. Teddy Bridgewater connected with Jarius Wright on an 8-yard scoring pass and the Vikings added a two-point conversion. Then Matt Asiata scored on a 5-yard run for 6-9 Minnesota.
Tannehill drove Miami 80 yards and hit Damien Williams for a 3-yard score with 1:11 left to make it 35-35. Fede blocked Jeff Locke’s punt out of the end zone for the winning points.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) β Jonas Gray scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter to give New England a 17-16 win over the New York Jets. The Patriots improved to 12-3 and clinched a first-round playoff bye with the victory.
Tom Brady threw a 3-yard TD pass to Rob Gronkowski for the 12-3 Patriots, who could earn home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs if Denver loses to Cincinnati on Monday night.
With the 3-12 Jets leading 13-10 late in the third quarter, Smith’s pass for Jace Amaro hung in the air for an easy interception by Jamie Collins β and led to Gray’s score minutes later.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) β Buffalo’s playoff hopes died in Oakland as Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes and Sebastian Janikowski kicked four field goals to help the Raiders beat the Bills 26-24.
Carr was 17 of 34 for 214 yards and no interceptions. Meanwhile, the Raiders held the Bills to just 13 yards on 13 carries.
Kyle Orton threw for three touchdowns while completing 32 of 49 throws for 329 yards. Orton also had two interceptions as the Bills fell to 8-7 and stretched their playoff drought to 15 seasons.
The Raiders are 3-2 since an 0-10 start, with victories coming against Kansas City, San Francisco and Buffalo.
ST. LOUIS (AP) β Odell Beckham Jr. had another big game as the New York Giants outscored the Rams 37-27 in St. Louis.
Beckham had eight receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard scoring grab that put the Giants ahead 34-20 late in the third quarter. He set a franchise rookie record with his 10th and 11th TD catches, shattered another rookie mark for receptions and topped 1,000 yards while shrugging off a pair of late hits in the second quarter. The second led to a brawl and three ejections, none of them to starters.
The Giants had a season-best 514 total yards and moved to 6-9 with their third straight win.
Kenny Britt had 103 yards on nine catches for the 6-9 Rams.
