Six games on this afternoon, beginning with an NFC South battle between the in Atlanta Falcons and out Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fine state of Georgia. Atlanta struck first with a Jacquizz Rodgers touchdown run of 1 yard, and Matt Bryant supplied the extra point. The Falcons added on with a Matt Ryan touchdown to Julio Jones, a 17 yard play capped by a Bryant PAT. Ryan and Jones met up on the next offensive drive, this time going 48 yards to nab another touchdown connection, and Bryant was there with the extra point for Atlanta. The Falcons continued to dominate in the second quarter as Michael Turner ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Bryant tallied another extra point. Atlanta turned to the defense next, as Curtis Lofton picked off Josh Freeman and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown, allowing Bryant the extra point. Turner picked up the Falcons offense again by ripping off an 81 yard touchdown rush, and Bryant was there with the extra point once again. Tampa Bay finally woke up and said something, as Freeman found Dezmon Briscoe for a 2 yard touchdown pass, and Connor Barth finally got a chance to kick an extra point. The score sat at 42-7 for halftime. The Buccaneers continued on the "comeback" trail with a third quarter field goal by Barth, from 41 yards away. Tampa Bay continued as Elbert Mack picked off Chris Redman for 40 yards and a touchdown, and Freeman passed to Kellen Winslow for the two point conversion. The Buccaneers rolled on in the fourth quarter with a Freeman and Briscoe connection, a 5 yard touchdown play, capped off by a failed two-point run for Freeman. Atlanta had some parting gifts when Bryant nailed a 20 yard field goal. This made it 45-24, the final, improving the Falcons to 10-6 and dropping the Buccaneers to 4-12. Atlanta will take the fifth seed in the NFC with the victory.
Out west, the Arizona Cardinals take on their NFC West opponents, the Seattle Seahawks in a meaningless game. Arizona drew first blood with a 1 yard Chester Taylor touchdown run, and Jay Feely made the extra point. Seattle answered in the second quarter on a Steven Hauschka field goal from 43 yards away. Feely answered for the Cardinals with a 41 yard field goal. This gave them a 10-3 lead to take into the half. The Seahawks tied it in the third quarter when Leon Washington unleashed a 48 yard touchdown run, and Hauschka supplied the extra point. Arizona took the lead again on a John Skelton touchdown pass of 13 yards to Todd Heap, and Feely made the extra point. Feely added a 43 yard field goal for the Cardinals in the fourth quarter. Seattle got back within range on Hauschka's 26 yard field goal. The Seahawks tied it with a 61 yard touchdown pass from Tarvaris Jackson to Ricardo Lockette, and Hauschka had the tying extra point. The game went to overtime, where Arizona won it on Feely's 28 yard field goal, improving them to 8-8, and dropping Seattle to 7-9.
Just a little to the northwest, the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers will go to war for AFC West and California pride, where the Raiders need a win to stay in the postseason conversation. The Raiders are the underdogs here, requiring both a win and a Denver loss to clinch. Oakland was first on the board with a 3 yard Carson Palmer touchdown pass, this one landing in the hands of Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Sebastian Janikowski made the extra point. San Diego tied it up with Philip Rivers throwing a touchdown to Antonio Gates, a 38 yard play finished off by a Nick Novak extra point. The Chargers gained the lead with a 1 yard Mike Tolbert rush for a touchdown, and Novak was there with the extra point. The Raiders pulled back with Janikowski kicking a 52 yard field goal. San Diego quickly made up for it with a return of the ensuing kickoff by Richard Goodman for 105 yards and a touchdown, allowing Novak to score an extra point. Oakland got a few back again as Janikowski made a 43 yard field goal. The Chargers answered with Novak kicking a 51 yard field goal for a 24-13 lead, which lasted to halftime. Janikowski pulled the Raiders back in range again in the third quarter on a 27 yard chip shot. San Diego shot back when Rivers passed 13 yards to Vincent Jackson for a touchdown, and Novak made his PAT. Oakland kept kicking with a 32 yard field goal from Janikowski's foot. The Raiders pulled within shouting distance as Palmer connected with Kevin Boss for 22 yards and a touchdown, allowing Janikowski the extra point. The Chargers got more separation with Rivers throwing 43 yards for Malcom Floyd, resulting in a touchdown and a Novak extra point. The final is 38-26, eliminating Oakland from playoff contention on a tiebreaker with Denver. Both teams here are 8-8, but do not hold a tiebreaker advantage, and the wild card positions have been taken care of, so they are out on that front as well.
A similar situation unfolds in Denver, as the Broncos will need to beat their AFC West opponents, the Kansas City Chiefs to have a chance at a playoff seed. The Broncos have the upper hand over Oakland as mentioned above, needing only a win or an Oakland loss. Kansas City was first on the board with a 21 yard touchdown rush by Dexter McCluster, iced off with a Ryan Succop extra point. This lasted to halftime as a 7-0 score. Matt Prater got Denver on the board in the third quarter with a 38 yard field goal. This made it 7-3, and after a silent fourth quarter, the score was finalized. The Chiefs improve to 7-9, and the Broncos are now 8-8, and will take the division anyway due to a Raiders loss.
Back to Ohio, where the Cleveland Browns take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North. The Steelers would like this game and a Baltimore Ravens loss (see next paragraph) to clinch a bye next week. Cleveland first dented the scoreboard with a second quarter Phil Dawson field goal of 26 yards. The Browns added on with a Dawson kicking a 45 yard field goal. Pittsburgh got on the board as the half expired with a Shaun Suisham field goal of 19 yards, for a 6-3 score. Suisham evened the score for the Steelers with a 29 yard field goal in the third quarter. Pittsburgh grabbed a lead when Isaac Redman ran 7 yards for a touchdown, and Suisham nailed the extra point. Cleveland got a few back with Dawson kicking a 49 yard field goal. The Steelers managed to hold off a furious late rally, improving to 12-4 while dropping the Browns to 4-12. Pittsburgh will be playing as a wild card next week due to the Baltimore victory below.
Finally, still in Ohio, the Cincinnati Bengals host the Baltimore Ravens for AFC North pride. Baltimore will have a bye next week with a win, while Cincinnati would like this game to clinch in the wild card race. Baltimore wasted little time getting on the board as Ray Rice busted out a 70 yard touchdown run, and Billy Cundiff kicked the extra point in. Cundiff added on a 42 yard field goal for the Ravens. Cincinnati replied on a 46 yard field goal from the boot of Mike Nugent. Baltimore replied back in the second quarter with Joe Flacco's 9 yard touchdown pass to Dennis Pitta, and Cundiff made it 17-3 with the PAT, which would be taken to the locker rooms. The Bengals replied in the third quarter on a 25 yard Bernard Scott touchdown run, iced off by a Nugent extra point. Cincinnati pulled closer when Nugent kicked a 46 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Ravens pulled farther ahead as Rice unleashed another big run, a 51 yard dash to the end zone for the touchdown, and Cundiff made the extra point. The Bengals got back within range as Nugent made a 23 yard field goal. The final here was 24-16, improving Baltimore to 12-4 and the advantage of a bye next week while Cincinnati falls to 9-7, who clinched the sixth seed thanks to a Denver loss.
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