Prescott, Cowboys edge Giants in finale
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Dak Prescott threw a 32-yard fourth-down touchdown pass to Cole Beasley on a play that was reversed by video replay and added a winning two-point conversion pass to Michael Gallup with 1:12 to play as Dallas defeated the New York Giants 36-35 on Sunday.
In what might have been quarterback Eli Manning’s final start for the Giants (5-11), Prescott passed for 387 yards and the season-high four touchdowns — the first three to tight end Blake Jarwin. Dallas (10-6) won for the seventh time in eight games.
The game was meaningless for the NFC East champion Cowboys, who will host Seattle in a wild-card game Saturday night. Coach Jason Garrett rested NFL leading rusher Ezekiel Elliott and two of his top offensive linemen but kept Prescott (27-of-44) on the field the whole game to build momentum for the postseason.
RAVENS 26, BROWNS 24
Baltimore squeezed past visiting Cleveland and into the playoffs, using two rushing touchdowns by rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson and a late defensive stand to winn and claim the AFC North title.
Kenneth Dixon accounted for 117 of the Ravens’ season-high 296 yards on the ground, Jackson had 90 as rejuvenated Baltimore (10-6) ended a three-year playoff drought with its sixth win in seven games. The fourth-seeded Ravens will open the postseason next weekend at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Browns (7-8-1) were denied their first winning season since 2007.
STEELERS 16, BENGALS 13
Ben Roethlisberger passed for 287 yards and a touchdown, and newly acquired kicker Matt McCrane booted three field goals as Pittsburgh beat visiting Cincinnati but fell short of the postseason.
The Steelers (9-6-1) saw their chance at capturing the AFC North end when Baltimore held off Cleveland.
EAGLES 24, WASHINGTON 0
Nick Foles did it again, leading Philadelphia to the NFC’s final wild-card berth with a win at Landover, Md., when Chicago won at Minnesota.
The Eagles (9-7) will visit the Bears (12-4) next Sunday.
Foles, who tied Philip Rivers’ NFL record by completing 25 consecutive passes, threw two touchdown passes before a chest injury forced him out of the game. Nate Sudfeld fired a 22yard TD on his only pass.
Washington (7-9) lost six of seven.
BEARS 24, VIKINGS 10
NFC North champion Chicago refused to let up, riding Jordan Howard for 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns and a relentless defense in a win at Minneapolis.
Tarik Cohen scored the last touchdown on a short run with 7:46 left to cap a 16-play drive for the Bears (12-4), who posted their best regular-season record since the 2006 team finished 13-3.
PATRIOTS 38, JETS 3
Tom Brady threw for three first-half touchdowns as New England clinched its ninth consecutive first-round bye in the playoffs with a victory at Foxborough, Mass.
The Patriots (11-5) finished the season as the NFL’s only undefeated team at home.
New York fired head coach Todd Bowles after the game. He went 24-40 in four seasons.
CHIEFS 35, RAIDERS 3
Kansas City finally clinched its third consecutive AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with an easy victory over visiting Oakland as Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs’ offense continued to shatter records.
Mahomes threw for 281 yards, highlighted by a 67-yard TD pass to Tyreek Hill and an 89-yard TD toss to Demarcus Robinson. That gave the first-year starter 5,097 yards and 50 touchdown passes, joining Peyton Manning as the only QBs to hit 5,000 and 50 in the same season.
RAMS 48, 49ERS 32
Brandin Cooks and Josh Reynolds each caught two touchdown passes from Jared Goff as Los Angeles (13-3) won at home to secure a first-round bye in the NFC.
CHARGERS 23, BRONCOS 9
Philip Rivers and Los Angeles recovered from a slow start for their first win at Denver since 2013.
The Chargers (12-4) are headed to the playoffs for the first time in five years, but they will go in as a wild card thanks to a last-second loss to the Broncos at home in November.
SEAHAWKS 27, CARDINALS 24
Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 33-yard field goal on the final play, giving Seattle a victory over visiting Arizona and wrapping up the No. 5 seed in the NFC.
LIONS 31, PACKERS 0
Matthew Stafford threw for 266 yards and two scores to T.J. Jones, and kicker Matt Prater tossed a touchdown pass after faking a field-goal try as Detroit won at Green Bay.
PANTHERS 33, SAINTS 14
Undrafted rookie Kyle Allen passed for 228 yards and two touchdowns before injuring his shoulder as Carolina won at New Orleans against a Saints team looking ahead to the playoffs.
Matt Ryan’s first career reception went for a touchdown as the Atlanta quarterback also threw for 378 yards and two TDs in a win over Tampa Bay at Tampa, Fla.
The Bucs fired coach Dirk Koetter a little more than three hours after the game.
BILLS 42, DOLPHINS 17
Rookie Josh Allen had a careerbest three touchdown passes and scored two more rushing, and defensive tackle Kyle Williams closed his 13-year career as Buffalo beat Miami at Orchard Park, N.Y.