NFL Morning Games Week 17 2012

First post of the day for football. No Fantasy Football All-Stars this week, since my teams couldn't make it far enough to justify. The second post today will be the last for the year, and I'll be back with the KHL on Thursday. Nine games for this post, beginning in...

Buffalo, with the Bills hosting the New York Jets for an AFC East game. New York started in the first quarter with a Nick Folk field goal of 47 yards. Buffalo took the lead as Bryan Scott picked off Mark Sanchez and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown, allowing Rian Lindell to make the extra point. The Jets got some back with a second quarter Folk field goal of 23 yards. New York took the lead as Folk was true on a 28 yard field goal. The Bills replied as Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed a 66 yard touchdown pass to C.J. Spiller, and Lindell tacked on the PAT. Buffalo padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Brad Smith ran 4 yards for a touchdown, and Lindell kicked the extra point. The Bills struck again as Tashard Choice ran in a 13 yard touchdown, and Lindell made another extra point. Buffalo won 28-9, improving to 6-10, while dropping the Jets to the same mark.

To the south, the New Orleans Saints welcome the Carolina Panthers in an NFC South game. Carolina opened with a first quarter Graham Gano 20 yard field goal. The Panthers extended the lead in the second quarter as Mike Tolbert ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Gano was there with the extra point. New Orleans got on the board as Drew Brees threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston, and Garrett Hartley made the extra point. The Saints pulled ahead with Jonathan Vilma intercepting Cam Newton for 18 yards and a touchdown, and Hartley again made the PAT. Carolina shot back as Gano made a 31 yard field goal. New Orleans replied with Harley kicking a 53 yard field goal. The Saints extended the lead in the third quarter as Brees passed 19 yards to Jimmy Graham for a touchdown, and Hartley drove in the extra point. The Panthers chipped away as DeAngelo Williams ran 54 yards for a touchdown, and Gano was true with the extra point. Carolina took the lead on another Tolbert 1 yard touchdown run, and Gano again handled the extra point. The Panthers padded the lead with another Tolbert 1 yard touchdown rush, and Gano was there to make the extra point. Carolina kept going as Williams ran in a 12 yard touchdown, and Gano again booted the extra point. New Orleans shot back as Brees passed 9 yards for another touchdown pass to Colston, and Hartley knocked in the extra point. The Panthers scored some more with a 42 yard Gano field goal. The Saints responded as Brees passed 33 yards for a touchdown to Darren Sproles, and Hartley again kicked an extra point. They failed to score again, losing 44-38, and both teams end at 7-9.

East to Atlanta, as the Falcons host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the other NFC South game. Tampa Bay struck first in the first quarter on a Connor Barth 48 yard field goal. Atlanta tied it on a 28 yard field goal by Matt Bryant. The Buccaneers took the lead back in the second quarter as Josh Freeman passed 8 yards for a touchdown to Mike Williams, and Barth was there with the extra point. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Barth 22 yard field goal. The Buccaneers added on as Barth made a 42 yard field goal in the third quarter. The Falcons shot back as Michael Turner ran 17 yards for a touchdown, and Bryant tacked on the PAT. Tampa Bay extended their lead as Doug Martin ran 40 yards for a touchdown, but the two-point attempt failed. Atlanta pulled back in the fourth quarter as Matt Ryan found Harry Douglas for 7 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant supplied the extra point. This was as close as it got, with the final being 22-17, allowing Tampa Bay to move up to 7-9 while Atlanta ends the year at 13-3.

Up north, the Detroit Lions bring in the Chicago Bears to close out a division game for the NFC North. Detroit got going in the first quarter as Jason Hanson made a 44 yard field goal. Chicago took the lead on a 60 yard Jay Cutler touchdown pass to Earl Bennett, and Olindo Mare supplied the extra point. The Bears added on with a Mare field goal of 33 yards. Chicago struck again on a second quarter 1 yard touchdown run by Matt Forte, and Mare nailed the extra point. The Bears padded the lead as Mare made a 40 yard field goal. The Lions answered with Matthew Stafford passing 25 yards to Kris Durham for a touchdown, and Hanson kicked the PAT. Detroit chipped away in the third quarter as Stafford connected with Will Heller for 10 yards and a touchdown, and Hanson knocked in the extra point. Chicago replied as Mare made a 28 yard field goal. The Bears struck again as Mare made a 20 yard field goal. The Lions got some back as Stafford passed 9 yards to Brian Robiskie for a touchdown, and Hanson knocked in the extra point. They failed to tie it, losing 26-24, with Chicago going to 10-6 while the Lions fall to 4-12.

Back east, the New York Giants host their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. New York was first to score in the first quarter as Eli Manning passed 3 yards for a touchdown to Rueben Randle, and Lawrence Tynes kicked in the extra point. The Giants added on with a 38 yard touchdown connection between Manning and Randle, and Tynes again handled the extra point. New York kept going as Manning found David Wilson for 15 yards and a touchdown, and Tynes again made the extra point. Philadelphia got on the board in the second quarter as Michael Vick passed 7 yards for a touchdown to Jeremy Maclin, and Alex Henery tacked on the extra point. The Giants answered with a 1 yard Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown run, and Tynes again handled the PAT. New York got some more as Manning threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz, and Tynes kicked another extra point. The Giants padded the lead in the fourth quarter on a Manning 1 yard touchdown pass to Henry Hynoski, and Tynes was true with the extra point. This was good for a 42-7 win, with the Giants needing help to get in the playoffs at 9-7, while the Eagles end the year at a miserable 4-12.

Southwest to Tennessee, as the AFC South's cellar dwelling Tennessee Titans host their even-worse rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tennessee led off with a first quarter 2 yard touchdown run by Chris Johnson, and Rob Bironas made the extra point. Jacksonville tied it as Chad Henne found Jordan Shipley for 5 yards and a touchdown, and Josh Scobee made the extra point. The Jaguars took the lead with Henne passing 30 yards to Justin Blackmon for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Scobee was true with the extra point. The Titans retied it as Zach Brown returned an interception of Henne for 79 yards and a touchdown, and Bironas knocked in the extra point. Tennessee took the lead on a 69 yard Darius Reynaud punt return for a touchdown, and Bironas again kicked the PAT. The Titans struck again with another punt return for a touchdown by Reynaud, this time for 81 yards, and Bironas drilled the extra point. Tennessee extended the lead with another Brown interception returned for a touchdown, taking Henne's errant pass 30 yards to the house, allowing Bironas to make another extra point. The Titans scored some more in the fourth quarter on a 48 yard Bironas field goal. Jacksonville got some back as Mike Harris returned a blocked punt for 19 yards and a touchdown, but the two-point attempt failed. The defensively-oriented game ended here at 38-20, with Tennessee going to 6-10 and Jacksonville falling to 2-14.

The other AFC South game is in Indianapolis, with the Colts hosting the Houston Texans. Indianapolis began in the first quarter as Andrew Luck passed 1 yard to Coby Fleener for a touchdown, and Adam Vinatieri was there with the extra point. Houston got on the board as Shayne Graham made a 51 yard field goal. The Texans chipped away in the second quarter as Graham made a 37 yard field goal. The Colts padded the lead with a 1 yard touchdown run by Vick Ballard, and Vinatieri knocked in the extra point. Houston shot back as Arian Foster ran 13 yards for a touchdown, allowing Graham to make the PAT. The Texans edged ahead on a Graham 37 yard field goal. Indianapolis retook the lead as Deji Karim returned the ensuing kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, and Vinatieri was there with the extra point. The Colts extended the lead with Luck passing 70 yards to T.Y. Hilton for a touchdown, and Vinatieri made another extra point. This was good for a 28-16 win, with Indianapolis going to 11-5 while the Texans drop to 12-4.

East again, as the Pittsburgh Steelers play a meaningless home game against their AFC North rivals, the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh got things going in the second quarter on a Shaun Suisham field goal of 41 yards. Cleveland tied it on a 51 yard Phil Dawson field goal. The Steelers took the lead with a 1 yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Leonard Pope, and Suisham handled the extra point. The Browns tied it again in the third quarter as Thaddeus Lewis found Greg Little for 7 yards and a touchdown, and Dawson knocked in the PAT. Pittsburgh regained the lead as Roethlisberger found Antonio Brown for 9 yards and a touchdown, and Suisham tacked on the extra point. The Steelers added on in the fourth quarter as Roethlisberger tossed a 12 yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, and Suisham again kicked the extra point. This produced the 24-10 final, with Pittsburgh ending at 8-8 and Cleveland falling to 5-11.

Finally, the other AFC North teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens play in Cincinnati. Baltimore finally started in the first quarter as Anthony Allen ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Justin Tucker supplied the extra point. Cincinnati tied it on an 11 yard Andy Dalton touchdown pass to Marvin Jones, and Josh Brown's extra point was the equalizer. The Bengals took the lead in the third quarter on a 47 yard Brown field goal. Cincinnati struck again as Brown made a 32 yard field goal. The Ravens took the lead in the fourth quarter as Tyrod Taylor ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Tucker's extra point was the go-ahead point. The Bengals retook the lead with a Brown 38 yard field goal. Cincinnati added on as Carlos Dunlap intercepted Taylor and took it 14 yards for a touchdown, allowing Brown another PAT. Baltimore replied with a Tucker field goal of 49 yards. This was as close as it got, with the final being 23-17, and both teams go to 10-6.

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