NFL Early Games week 17

Last week of the regular season for the NFL. There are five teams in the NFC all locked up for their spots in the postseason (Packers, Lions, Falcons, 49ers, and Saints) while in prime time the Giants and Cowboys will go toe-to-toe for the last spot left on the table. In the AFC, the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, and Texans are all locked up, while the Jets, Bengals, Titans, Raiders, and Broncos fight for the remaining spots, with the Bengals having a clear edge, and the AFC West teams also clinching on a win and enemy loss. With that said, nine games will be played on the first wave of kickoffs. First up...

The Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions, with the Packers resting their starters in an NFC North duel. Detroit drew first blood with an 8 yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Titus Young, and Jason Hanson handled the extra point. They added on with a tackle on the ensuing kickoff for a 1 yard loss, resulting in a safety. Green Bay got on the board with a 22 yard Mason Crosby field goal. The Packers got the lead when Matt Flynn threw a 7 yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, and Crosby made the extra point. Detroit took the lead back with a 13 yard Stafford touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson, and Hanson supplied another extra point. Green Bay quickly reclaimed the lead when Flynn passed to Ryan Grant, and after a catch and run of 80 yards, he was in the end zone, allowing the go-ahead point by Crosby. The Lions retook the lead with a Hanson field goal from 30 yards away. The Packers regained the lead and rode it into the half when Flynn threw a 36 yard touchdown to Nelson and Crosby made it 24-19 with the extra point. Detroit shot back and regained the lead once more on a Stafford and Young connection, a 2 yard play iced off by Hanson's PAT. Green Bay took control again with Flynn finding Nelson on a 58 yard connection for a touchdown, iced by Crosby with the extra point. The Lions replied and took the lead when Stafford threw 5 yards to Kevin Smith, good for a touchdown, and they made it a 3 point lead when Stafford found Tony Scheffler on the successful two point attempt. The Packers took the lead back yet again in the most back-and-forth game of the season when Flynn connected with Donald Driver for a 35 yard reception, and Crosby again made the extra point. Detroit took the lead back once more on a Stafford touchdown pass of 12 yards to Scheffler, and Hanson was there to make the extra point. Green Bay ended up ahead in the end by a 45-41 margin when Flynn found Jermichael Finley for 4 yards and a touchdown, allowing a final extra point for Crosby. The Packers are now 15-1 while the Lions fell to 10-6 and will be watching the Falcons in the later wave of games to determine where they will be seeded.

A meaningless AFC South games follows, as the Jacksonville Jaguars welcome the Indianapolis Colts, who had done very well in the vein of "Suck for Luck." Jacksonville was first to score when Blaine Gabbert found Chastin West on a 23 yard touchdown connection, and Josh Scobee kicked in the extra point. Indianapolis got on the board in the second quarter with an Adam Vinatieri field goal of 48 yards. Scobee answered for the Jaguars with a 25 yard field goal. The score favored Jacksonville 10-3 at halftime. The Colts got a few back with Vinatieri making a third quarter field goal from 20 yards. The Jaguars replied with a pair of Scobee field goals, good from 32 and 47 yards away. Scobee kept kicking for Jacksonville in the fourth quarter, true from 39 yards. Indianapolis cut it to 19-13 with Dan Orlovsky throwing 12 yards for Austin Collie, good for a touchdown finished off with a Vinatieri PAT. This was a final, moving the Jaguars to 5-11 and the Colts down to 2-14.

To the AFC East, where the Miami Dolphins look to spoil the day of the New York Jets. Miami got out to an early lead with a 44 yard field goal by Dan Carpenter. New York took the lead with a 1 yard Mark Sanchez touchdown pass to Dustin Keller, allowing Nick Folk to kick the extra point. The Jets added on to the lead in the second quarter with a 31 yard field goal. The Dolphins cut the deficit to 10-6 with a Carpenter field goal from a whopping 58 yards as the half expired. Scoring resumed in the fourth quarter when Miami took the lead on a 1 yard Matt Moore touchdown pass to Charles Clay and Carpenter supplied the PAT. The Dolphins pulled away a little when Carpenter blasted in a 40 yard field goal. Miami put the game out of reach with a Carpenter field goal of 44 yards. New York wasn't done yet, as Sanchez found Patrick Turner with a 10 yard touchdown pass, and Folk's extra point put them within two, as 75 seconds remained on the clock. The Dolphins weathered the storm and won 19-17, improving to 6-10 while officially eliminating the Jets, who are now 8-8.

Back to the west a tad, as the NFC South sees the New Orleans Saints throw a long-shot attempt at clinching a bye against the visiting Carolina Panthers. New Orleans was first to score as Christopher Ivory busted out a 35 yard touchdown run, and John Kasay made the extra point. Carolina answered with a 12 yard Cam Newton pass to Steve Smith, good for a touchdown, and Olindo Mare kicked the extra point. The Saints took the lead back with a 15 yard Drew Brees touchdown pass to Marques Colston, and Kasay tacked on the extra point. Mare got a few back for the Panthers with a 41 yard field goal in the second quarter. New Orleans replied with a Kasay field goal of 43 yards. Carolina retied it when Jonathan Stewart ran 29 yards for a touchdown, and Mare made the extra point. The Saints took the lead back at 24-17 before the half when Brees found Colston gaain, this time a 42 yard connection resulting in a touchdown, and Kasay was true with the PAT. New Orleans kept on the attack in the third quarter when Brees threw a touchdown to Jimmy Graham for 19 yards, and Kasay added the extra point. The Saints rolled on with Brees throwing 1 yard for Jed Collins to record a touchdown, and Kasay again made the extra point. New Orleans didn't stop in the fourth quarter, as Brees lobbed a 9 yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles, and Kasay handled the extra point once more. This made it 45-17, the final, where the Saints went to 13-3 and knocked the Panthers back to 6-10.

Northward to the NFC North, as the Minnesota Vikings host the Chicago Bears, with nothing on the line. Minnesota got on the board when Ryan Longwell nailed a 26 yard field goal. Percy Harvin helped the Vikings extend the lead with a 5 yard touchdown rush, and Longwell supplied the extra point. Chicago got going in the second quarter with a Josh McCown touchdown pass to Roy Williams, a 22 yard play, capped off by a Robbie Gould extra point. The Bears took the lead when Charles Tillman picked off Christian Ponder for 22 yards and a touchdown, and Gould again handled the extra point. Minnesota pulled back with Longwell kicking a 26 yard field goal for a 14-13 score heading into the locker rooms. Chicago added some distance with Gould nailing a 27 yard field goal. The Bears held on to by a 17-13 score, improving themselves to 8-8 and dropping the Vikings to 3-13.

East again, as the other AFC East matchup features the New England Patriots looking to clinch home field against the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo was first on the board with a 4 yard Tashard Choice touchdown rush, and Brandon Coutu added on the extra point. The Bills added on with a Ryan Fitzpatrick tossing an 18 yard touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson, and Coutu was there with the extra point. Buffalo kept the attack up with a 15 yard Fitzpatrick touchdown throw to C.J. Spiller, and Coutu again made the extra point. New England woke up in the second quarter with a 1 yard BenJarvus Green-Ellis touchdown rush, and Stephen Gostkowski made the extra point afterward. The Patriots pulled closer with Tom Brady throwing a touchdown of 39 yards to Aaron Hernandez, and Gostkowski supplied the extra point. The score was 21-14 Bills at halftime. New England got within a point in the third quarter after field goals of 47 and 20 yards by Gostkowski. The Patriots went ahead on a 17 yard Brady touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski, and they made it a 7 point lead with Danny Woodhead's successful two point rush. New England got a little more separation with a 3 yard Green-Ellis run for a touchdown, and Gostkowski was good with the extra point. The Patriots continued the rally with Brady finding Gronkowski again for 7 yards and a touchdown, and Gostkowski had the 42nd unanswered point. New England rubbed some salt in the wound when Sterling Moore picked Fitzpatrick off and took it 21 yards to the house to record another touchdown, with Gostkowski kicking the extra point. The final stood at 49-21, hard to believe after the first quarter, with the Patriots now at 13-3 heading into the postseason and the Bills falling to 6-10 after what was an impressive start to their season.

In the AFC South again, the Houston Texans bring in the Tennessee Titans, as the Titans look to join their opponents in the playoffs. Houston was first on the board with a 4 yard Ben Tate touchdown rush, and Neil Rackers supplied the extra point. Tennessee got on the board with a 21 yard Rob Bironas field goal. The Titans took the lead on a Matt Hasselbeck touchdown pass to Donnie Avery, a 1 yard play, iced off with Bironas on the extra point. Rackers evened it for the Texans on a 52 yard field goal. Tennessee took a 13-10 lead into halftime when Bironas nailed a 43 yard field goal. Rackers tied it again in the third quarter for Houston with his 37 yard field goal. Bironas replied for the Titans on a 33 yard field goal. Rackers again tied the game in the fourth quarter as he made a 22 yard field goal for the Texans. Tennessee took the lead again on Hasselbeck's 23 yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington, and Bironas was there with the PAT. Houston answered late with Jake Delhomme tossing a touchdown of 5 yards to Bryant Johnson, but the two-point attempt after a penalty of their own doing was unsuccessful. The Titans would go on to win 23-22, improving them to 9-7 and knocking the Texans down to 10-6. Tennessee will be biting their fingernails about the TV during the later kickoffs, as they require a Cincinnati Bengals loss, Oakland Raiders win, and Denver Broncos win to get in.

Again returning to the Atlantic area, as the Philadelphia Eagles welcome the Washington Redskins to close out the schedule. Alex Henery put Philadelphia on the board first with a 35 yard field goal. The Eagles extended the lead in the second quarter with a 7 yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick to Chad Hall, and Henery added on an extra point. They took a 10-0 lead into the locker rooms. Washington got on the board in the third quarter when Rex Grossman passed to Roy Helu, who had a touchdown after traveling 47 yards, and Graham Gano made the PAT. Henery replied for Philadelphia by making a 20 yard field goal. The Redskins pulled back when Gano converted a 27 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Eagles added separationwhen Vick threw to DeSean Jackson for 62 yards and a touchdown, and Henery was there to make the extra point. Philadelphia put the game out of reach with a Vick touchdown pass to Brent Celek, a 4 yard reception, with Henery supplying the extra point to make it 27-10. The Eagles continued their attack as Dion Lewis ran 9 yards for a touchdown, and Henery again made an extra point for a 34-10 lead. This was a final, giving the Eagles an 8-8 record and the Redskins a mark of 5-11.

Finally in the morning, the St. Louis Rams host the San Francisco 49ers, where both teams have little to play for besides pride. St. Louis surprisingly scored first as Kellen Clemens ran 18 yards for a touchdown, and Josh Brown added the extra point. San Francisco tied it up with an 8 yard Alex Smith touchdown run, and David Akers was there with the extra point. The 49ers grabbed the lead in the second quarter as Smith tossed a 28 yard touchdown to Michael Crabtree, and Akers made the extra point again. San Francisco extended the lead again with an Akers field goal from 36 yards. The 49ers continued to score with Akers good on a 42 yard field goal, making it 20-7, a score that lasted through halftime. The Rams got a few points back in the third quarter as Brown made a 49 yard field goal. San Francisco answered on an Akers touchdown pass to Crabtree on a trick play, 14 yards for the score, and then the magician kicked the PAT. Brown replied for St. Louis with a 48 yard field goal. The 49ers shot back when Anthony Dixon rushed 1 yard for a touchdown, and Akers made the extra point. The Rams got a few back again as Clemens passed 36 yards to Brandon Lloyd for a touchdown, and Brown handled the extra point. St. Louis continued the furious comeback attempt on a 1 yard Carnell Williams touchdown run, and Brown again made the extra point. They would fall short at 34-27, as San Francisco improves to 13-3 and will be the #2 seed in the NFC, and the Rams fall to 2-14.