The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Raiders’ loss proves costly
Defeat in Denver costs Oakland AFC West title; QB McGloin injured.
In a game that couldn’t have gone much worse, Oakland lost its latest starting quarterback, Matt McGloin, to a shoulder injury, then fell 24-6 on Sunday to Denver, a team with nothing to play for and facing the likely exit of coach Gary Kubiak for health reasons.
Combined with Kansas City’s win over San Diego, the Raiders (12-4) squandered the AFC West title and the first-round bye that went with it — and instead fell to the No. 5 seed and a road playoff game against the Houston Texans.
The Raiders came into the last week of the regular season with a chance at the AFC’s top seed. Now, they are a wild card with Connor Cook, a rookie thirdstringer, as their only fully healthy quarterback.
McGloin, who got the start when Derek Carr broke his leg last week, left late in the second quarter.
He completed six passes for 21 yards, missing virtually every throw downfield. He was making his first start since 2013.
Bucs 17, Panthers 16
Jameis Winston threw for 202 yards and one touchdown and the Buccaneers (9-7) broke up Cam Newton’s two-point conversion throw in the closing seconds concluded their first winning season in six years.
Winston threw a 10-yard pass to Mike Evans to snap a fourth-quarter tie and became the first player in NFL history to start his career with consecutive 4,000-yard seasons.
Colts 24, Jaguars 20
Andrew Luck threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jack Doyle with 9 seconds left. Indianapolis (8-8) went 75 yards in 84 seconds with no timeouts to avoid its first losing season since 2011.
Jacksonville (3-13) matched the second-worst record in franchise history.
Titans 24, Texans 17
A concussion that sidelined quarterback Tom Savage could have the biggest impact coming out of the loss by Houston (9-7).
That left Brock Osweiler, benched for Savage last month, running the offense against the Titans (9-7). He threw for 253 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a 1-yard TD.
Patriots 35, Dolphins 14
The Patriots (14-2) clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by beating the Dolphins (10-6) behind Tom Brady’s 276 yards passing and three scores. The Patriots became the ninth team since 1972 to go undefeated on the road in the regular season.
Bengals 27, Ravens 10
Andy Dalton completed his first 10 passes, one of them for a touchdown, and Rex Burkhead ran for a pair of touchdowns as the Bengals (6-9-1) beat the Ravens (8-8) at home for the fifth straight time. Coach Marvin Lewis says he’ll return in 2017.
Eagles 27, Cowboys 13
The Eagles finished 7-9 for the second consecutive season. Tony Romo threw a touchdown pass for Dallas (13-3) in his first appearance of the season.
Vikings 38, Bears 10
Sam Bradford concluded his first season with Minnesota (8-8) with three first-half touchdown passes, completing 25 of 33 attempts for 250 yards, with one interception. His 71.6 percent completion rate set an NFL single-season record. The Bears (3-13) turned the ball over five times.
Falcons 38, Saints 22
The Falcons claimed the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye as Matt Ryan bolstered his MVP credentials with a brilliant first half, throwing four touchdown passes.
Seahawks 25, 49ers 23
Russell Wilson threw for 258 yards and a touchdown and the Seahawks rallied from an early 11-point deficit in what could be coach Chip Kelly’s final game with the 49ers (2-14).
The NFC West champion Seahawks (10-5-1) head to the playoffs as the third seed in the NFC.
Jets 30, Bills 10
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes in what was likely his final game for the Jets, who finished 5-11 but announced they will bring back coach Todd Bowles for a third season. General manager Mike Maccagnan will return as well.
The Bills (7-9) went with EJ Manuel at quarterback, with Tyrod Taylor out with a groin injury.
Cardinals 44, Rams 6
Carson Palmer threw touchdown passes to Jeremy Ross, Darren Fells and Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald caught five passes and took the overall NFL lead with 107 catches in perhaps his final game for the Cardinals (7-8-1). The Rams (4-12) lost their last seven games.