NFL Week 16 scores are in. Here are the scores, rundown, highlights and lowlights.
Broncos 24 Texans 23: Tim Tebow won his first NFL game and did it with a comeback. Down 17-0 at half-time, 
Denver’s D held Houston to a couple of FGs to allow Tebow and the offense an opportunity to win. Correll Buckhalter (two TDs) rushed for a score and caught another from Tebow from 23 yards out before Tebow delivered the dagger on a six yard sprint with three minutes left in the game. Matt Schaub threw a pick during the final drive and the Broncos won. Arian Foster scored on touchdown on 91 yards on the ground while Owen Daniels caught one for another score. Houston’s nightmare season continues and the Broncos win their fourth game, this one with Tebow taking the snaps.
Packers 45 Giants 17: Aaron Rodgers threw for four TDs and learned how to slide when he escaped the pocket. On the other side of the field, Giants quarterback Eli Manning, threw four picks and two TDs to prove that the melt down against the Eagles last week was the first step in their slide out of the playoffs. John Kuhn added two scores on the ground for the Pack while the Giants runners were left out in the cold, gaining only 74 ground yards on the day.
Bengals 34 Chargers 20: The Chargers have no one to blame but themselves for trailing the Chiefs in the AFC West with early season losses leaving them in a hole they couldn’t escape from. Bengals’ QB Carson Palmer found his game and threw four TDs, without Batman and Robin on the field. Chargers RB Mike Tolbert was knocked out early on a hard hit, leaving Ryan Matthews to pick up the slack. It didn’t happen. Philip Rivers was 27 of 40 for 256 yards, one TD and a pick. San Diego had won four straight AFC West titles and took only its second loss in the last 22 games the team played in the month of December.
Colts 31 Raiders 26: Joseph Addai was back for Indy and Peyton Manning waa happy. Addai ran for 45 yards and a score while running mate Dominic Rhodes contributed 98 more on the ground. Manning threw a couple of picks but overcame that with three TDs, two of them to Garcon, Tamme and the “Blair White Project”. The Indy D held the two headed running monster of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush to only 64 yards all day. Oakland’s scoring came from four FGs, a Jason Campbell TD pass and a kickoff return by Jacoby Ford. Indy is one home win away from clinching another division title.
Buccaneers 38 Seahawks 15: Another Seattle loss and another game that Matt Hasselbeck couldn’t finish. The Seahawks have lost seven of the last nine games making it more likely they need a QB who can carry the team and take a hard hit. His replacement, Charlie Whitehurst was sacked three times, threw 11 completions out of 18 attempts and had no impact. Meanwhile, Tampa kept its playoff hopes alive on the arm of QB Josh Freeman who threw for five TDs on the day, two each to Kellen Winslow and rookie Mike Williams.
Redskins 20 Jaguars 17 OT: The Jags were fighting to remain alive in the playoff hunt and lost it after the second INT of David Garrard on the day. Graham Gano kicked his second FG and just like that, Rex Grossman and the Redskins had a win. Ryan Torain ran for one TD on 65 yards rushing and Grossman threw for a TD. Garrard who ran in for a score to tie the game late in the fourth, threw for one TD on 299 yards through the air.
Patriots 34 Bills 3: Tom Brady broke Bernie Kosar’s record of 308 pass attempts without an INT and also tossed three TDs on 140 yards in the air. Danny Woodhead gained 125 all purpose yards and scored once. The Bills’ D was a portrait in futility and their offense was barely a notch above that. Fred Jackson gained 81 yards on the ground, Stevie Johnson caught five passes for 58 yards and the Bills went down hard, positioning themselves for yet another top draft pick.
Lions 34 Dolphins 27: The Lions’ D should get the game ball for this win. They intercepted Chad Henne twice late in the game and scored on each turnover. Detroit has now won three in a row for the first time since 2007 and mathematically eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention. Detroit began its come from behind victory with Jahvid Best’s 53-yard TD off a short pass from Shaun Hill and finished it with a FG off an INT and a pick six.
Bears 38 Jets 34: In a game most thought would be a low scoring game in frigid Chicago, was anything but that. The difference came late in the 4th Q when Mark Sanchez’s only pick of the day came on a late drive but the Jets made the playoffs due to the Jags loss to the Redskins. The Bears scored three TDs in nine minutes in the 3rd Q to take the lead for good. Sanchez threw for 24 of 37 passing for 269 yards and a TD. Cutler threw for three scores on only 13 completions for 215 yards.
Ravens 20 Browns 10: Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes on only 12 completions for a total 102 yards in the game as the Ravens D held the Browns in check. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the Ravens’ defense caused four turnovers including three picks of Browns QB Colt McCoy and held Peyton Hillis to 35 yards on the ground. The only TD for Cleveland actually came on a Mohamed Massaquoi pass to Brian Robiskie earlier in the game.
Chiefs 34 Titans 14 The Titans had one of those days they’ve seen all too often in the second half of this season. Without a solid passing game, Chris Johnson didn’t even smell the end zone and picked up 58 yards for the game. Matt Cassel threw three TDs on 24 of 34 passing for 314 yards; two to Jamaal Charles, and kicker Ryan Succop added two FGs. Kerry Collins was picked twice and tossed two TDs. The Chiefs maintain a game and a half lead in the AFC West.
Rams 25 49ers 17: This loss would end up making 49ers head coach Mike Singletary lose his job. Combined, the Smith boys at QB for the 49ers were 17 of 34 on the day, with one TD and one pick. It was the INT by Troy Smith that caused the meeting on the sideline between he and Singletary when he was informed he’d be pulled for Alex. In a game that was a must-win for both teams, only the Rams did enough not to lose, with one TD each from Steven Jackson and Sam Bradford.
Used with permission of the author.
Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.
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