Another negated TD helps Pats
Tom Brady passed for a pair of touchdowns, including a onehanded grab by Rob Gronkowski, and the Patriots continued their quest for the top seed in the AFC with a 37- 16 victory over the visiting Bills on Sunday.
The Patriots ( 12- 3), who have won at least 12 games in eight consecutive seasons, locked up a first- round bye with Jacksonville’s 44- 33 loss at San Francisco. The Bills ( 8- 7) remain in contention to break their 17- year playoff drought. It is the longest active streak in North America’s four major professional sports and the longest in the NFL since the 1970 merger.
The Bills appeared to take a 16- 13 lead with two seconds left before halftime when Tyrod Taylor found Kelvin Benjamin in the corner of the end zone for a four- yard touchdown, but it was overturned upon review.
NFL vice president of officiating Al Riveron said in a Twitter post that Benjamin was juggling
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the ball and was only able to get one of his feet down before completing the catch.
It was close, but the replay did not seem to meet the clear and indisputable standard of evidence necessary to overturn a referee’s on- field call.
The Patriots were the beneficiaries of similar controversial disallowed touchdowns in games against the Jets and Steelers earlier this season.
Panthers 22, Buccaneers 19
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton scored on a two- yard touchdown run with 35 seconds left to lift the Panthers to a win over the visiting Buccaneers and secure a spot in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.
The Panthers ( 11- 4) trailed most of the second half, but Newton completed 4 of 7 passes for 52 yards in the final three minutes before turning a potential debacle into amemorable touchdown. Newton fumbled the shotgun snap, but the ball bounced back up into his hands and he alertly picked it up and dove across the goal line for the go- ahead score.
The Panthers sealed the game when Kawann Short sacked JameisWinston on Tampa Bay’s final drive and forced a fumble that Julius Peppers recovered. Winston threwfor 367 yards and a touchdown but was sacked six times and fumbled three times for the Bucs ( 4- 11).
Chiefs 29, Dolphins 13
Alex Smith threw for 304 yards and a touchdown in another steady performance, and Kareem Hunt ran for 91 yards and a score for the host Chiefs ( 9- 6), who clinched back- to- back AFCWest titles for the first time in franchise history.
Tyreek Hill had six catches for 109 yards, and Harrison Butker made five field goals.