Newton shines for Carolina
PANTHERS 30, FALCONS 20
Cam Newton threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns and scored on a 72-yard run.
Newton piled up a careerhigh 116 yards on the ground as the Panthers racked up 475 total yards to avenge an earlyseason loss with a dominating performance against the NFC South champion Falcons.
Carolina (4-9) came in with little to play for except to gain a measure of revenge on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, whom they felt disrespected them after Atlanta’s 30-28 comefrom-behind win earlier this season at the Georgia Dome. Ryan threw for 342 yards and two scores, but had a costly fourth-quarter interception.
REDSKINS 31, RAVENS 28
With Robert Griffin III sidelined with a sprained right knee, the Washington Redskins rallied behind backup Kirk Cousins to tie the game in the final minute of regulation, then Kai Forbath kicked a 34-yard field goal in overtime Sunday for a 31-28 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Griffin was hurt at the end of a 13-yard scramble while attempting to lead the gametying drive with the Redskins trailing 28-20. He left for one play, returned for four, then was no longer able to continue. Cousins stepped in and hit Pierre Garcon for an 11-yard touchdown pass, then ran in the two-point conversion with 29 seconds to play. The Redskins improved to 7-6.
GIANTS 52, SAINTS 27
Rookie David Wilson returned a kickoff 97 yards for one touchdown, ran for two more scores and piled up 327 all-purpose yards and Eli Manning threw four touchdown passes to lead the Giants.
The win allowed New York (8-5) to maintain its one-game lead in the NFC East over Washington and Dallas. The loss all but ended the playoff hopes of Drew Brees and the Saints (5-8), who turned the ball over four times.
BROWNS 30, CHIEFS 7
Rookie Travis Benjamin’s electrifying 93-yard punt return touchdown gave Cleveland momentum and the Browns won their third straight game. Benjamin’s game-changing runback helped the Browns (5-8) continue their resurgence under second-year coach Pat Shurmur, whose future in Cleveland remains uncertain. The Browns have one more win than last season, and their longest winning streak since 2009. Trent Richardson had a pair of one-yard TD runs for Cleveland.
CHARGERS 34,
STEELERS 24
Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes, two to Danario Alexander, and San Diego won for the first time in 15 regular-season visits to Pittsburgh.
The Chargers (5-8), who snapped a four-game losing streak, dominated from the outset. They never let Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger get comfortable in his first game in nearly a month.
COLTS 27, TITANS 23
Andrew Luck led Indianapolis back from a 13-point second-half deficit and Adam Vinatieri made two fourthquarter field goals.
Luck has now engineered six fourth-quarter comebacks for Indy (9-4). It wasn’t all Luck. Delone Carter cut the deficit to 20-14 with a 1-yard TD run on Indy’s opening possession of the second half. And after Pat McAfee’s 52-yard punt went out of bounds at the Titans 1-yard line, Cassius Vaughn jumped in front of Nate Washington, picked off Jake Locker’s pass and scored on a 3-yard interception return to make it 21-20.
EAGLES 23, BUCCANEERS 21
Nick Foles threw a pair of touchdown passes in the final four minutes, including a 1-yarder to Jeremy Maclin with no time remaining.
The rally allowed the Eagles to end an eight-game losing streak — their longest in 42 years.
Foles completed 32 of 51 passes for 381 yards in his fourth start in place of the injured Michael Vick. The rookie threw an 11-yard TD pass to Clay Harbor with 3:55 remaining, then led the Eagles on a 64-yard game-winning drive after the Philadelphia defence forced a Tampa Bay punt.
RAMS 15, BILLS 12
Sam Bradford threw a 13yard touchdown pass to Brandon Gibson with 48 seconds left. Bradford was 5 of 8 for 68 yards to cap a 14-play, 84-yard drive. St. Louis (6-6-1) continued its late-season resurgence by winning its third straight for the first time since closing the 2006 season with three victories. The Bills (5-8) blew a lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter for the second time this season.
49ERS 27, DOLPHINS 13
Frank Gore ran for a 1-yard touchdown, reached 1,000 yards rushing for the sixth time in his career, and San Francisco beat Miami.
Gore finished with 63 yards, Anthony Dixon also had a 1-yard scoring run and Colin Kaepernick ran for a late 50yard touchdown and threw for 185 yards in his fourth straight start since being promoted over Alex Smith.
SEAHAWKS 58,
CARDINALS 0
Marshawn Lynch had three touchdown runs and Seattle set a franchise record for points. The Seahawks forced eight turnovers. Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner each had two interceptions.
Seattle (8-5) kept firm grasp on the final NFC wild-card spot and kept alive slim chances of catching San Francisco in the NFC West race. The 58-0 victory was the biggest shutout in Seattle’s history. Arizona (4-9) was shut out for the first time since 2003 against Seattle.