NFL Roundup: Colts, Chargers Falter; Favre Injured
NEW YORK (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers don't lose in December, when they prove they own the AFC West. The Indianapolis Colts usually clinch the AFC South before Christmas.
On Sunday, both teams saw their division title hopes take huge hits, and with wild-card aspirations farfetched, their chances of making the playoffs diminished, too.
Oakland, which snapped a 13-game slide against San Diego on Oct. 10, swept the season series for the first time since 2001 with a 28-13 victory. The Chargers' streak of 18 straight December victories, which tied an NFL record for most victories in any month, came to a thudding end.
San Diego (6-6) had won four in a row, but now is tied with Oakland in a division Kansas City leads by two games.
"Everyone was talking all week long about the hottest team in football and on and on," Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour said. "We give them a lot of credit. They are a good football team, but we just understand what we need to in order to beat these guys. And we give a lot of credit to the offensive line. We just wanted to run it at them."
Oakland did, piling up 251 yards. Darren McFadden ran for 97 yards and a TD, and Michael Bush rushed for 95 yards and a score.
Dallas was nearly as effective with the run in stunning Indianapolis 38-35 in overtime. Dallas (4-8) rushed for a season-high 217 yards and led most of the way thanks to Peyton Manning's four interceptions, two returned for TDs — by Sean Lee and Orlando Scandrick. The Colts (6-6), undefeated at this point a year ago, fell one game behind first-place Jacksonville in the AFC South.
"We certainly have put ourselves in a hole," Manning said after Lee's second interception set up David Buehler's winning 38-yard field goal. "Unfortunately, we have to scoreboard-watch a little bit and that's not a situation you want to be in. I'm disappointed that I've put our team in a hole, but we do have some division games left."
The defending conference champs might need to win every remaining game to get into the postseason.
Elsewhere, Brett Favre lasted only one series in Minnesota before damaging his right shoulder. Tarvaris Jackson threw three picks, but also hit Sidney Rice for two scores in a 38-14 win against Buffalo. Favre sprained his throwing shoulder after getting crunched by linebacker Arthur Moats, an injury that leaves the Vikings quarterback unsure whether he will be able to start his 298th straight regular-season game next week.
"If we were talking ankles or elbows, thumbs or something like that, I would probably be a little more up to date on how to deal with it," the 41-year-old Favre said. "First time in 20 years I have ever done anything like that, so it is kind of surprising."
Also Sunday, it was: Kansas City 10, Denver 6; Pittsburgh 13, Baltimore 10; Atlanta 28, Tampa Bay 24; New Orleans 34, Cincinnati 30; Jacksonville 17, Tennessee 6; Chicago 24, Detroit 20; Green Bay 24, San Francisco 16; Seattle 31, Carolina 14; St. Louis 19, Arizona 6; the New York Giants 31, Washington 7; and Cleveland 13, Miami 10.
On Thursday night, Philadelphia beat Houston 34-24.
The Monday night game is for AFC East supremacy, with Jets and Patriots facing off in Foxborough. Both are 9-2.
Raiders 28, Chargers 13
At San Diego, Jason Campbell ran for a touchdown and threw for another as the Raiders overcame 13 penalties for 105 yards. The Chargers had a season-low 286 yards in total offense and Philip Rivers was sacked four times.
"It's obviously very disappointing we weren't able to play at the level we've been playing over the last month," coach Norv Turner said.
Cowboys 38, Colts 35, OT
At Indianapolis, four-time MVP Manning finished 36 of 48 for 365 yards with two touchdowns and his second straight four-interception game as the Colts dropped their third in a row. He's thrown a career-high 11 picks in the past three weeks, four going back for TDs.
"There's nothing new or different about the defense Dallas was playing," Manning said. "The four interceptions, guys were covered, they shouldn't have been thrown. That's basic football."
Dallas has won three of four since Jason Garrett replaced Wade Phillips as coach, but lost rookie receiver Dez Bryant with a broken right ankle.
Vikings 38, Bills 14
At Minneapolis, Adrian Peterson rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns on a gimpy right ankle for the Vikings (5-7), who are 2-0 under interim head coach Leslie Frazier.
Drayton Florence had two interceptions, returning one for a score, for the Bills (2-10). But Buffalo committed five turnovers.
Chiefs 10, Broncos 6
At Kansas City, Jamaal Charles rushed for 116 yards and Matt Cassel threw a 3-yard pass to Leonard Pope for the only touchdown for the Chiefs (8-4).
Knowshon Moreno ran for 161 yards for the Broncos (3-9), who are enduring one of their worst stretches in decades, losing 17 of their past 22 games under coach Josh McDaniels.
Steelers 13, Ravens 10
At Baltimore, the Steelers (9-3) took first place in the AFC North when Ben Roethlisberger threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Redman with 2:51 left after Troy Polamalu forced a fumble with a sack of Joe Flacco. LaMarr Woodley grabbed the loose ball and ran it 19 yards to the Ravens 9.
After two incomplete passes, Roethlisberger dumped a short toss over the middle to Redman, who broke tackles by Dawan Landry and Jarret Johnson on his way to the end zone.
The victory left the Steelers a game ahead of the Ravens (8-4).
Falcons 28, Bucs 24
At Tampa, Eric Weems scored on a 102-yard kickoff return and Matt Ryan threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins as Atlanta rallied from a 10-point deficit for its sixth straight victory.
Ryan led his sixth fourth-quarter comeback of the season for the NFC South leaders, and the Falcons (10-2) benefited from costly penalties on the Bucs.
Rookie LeGarrette Blount rushed for 103 yards and fullback Earnest Graham threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to John Gilmore for Tampa Bay (7-5).
Saints 34, Bengals 30
At Cincinnati, Drew Brees threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston with 31 seconds left, rallying New Orleans to its fifth straight victory.
The Saints (9-3) trailed for the first time after newcomer Clint Stitser made a 47-yard field goal with 4:25 to go, putting the Bengals (2-10) up 30-27.
Brees passed Archie Manning as the Saints' career passing leader earlier in the game. Brees 42-yarder to Robert Meacham got New Orleans into field-goal range. On fourth-and-2 from the Cincinnati 7, the Saints tried to draw the Bengals offside.
Lineman Pat Sims jumped, giving the Saints a first down. Brees threw his second touchdown pass on the next play, sending the Bengals to their ninth straight loss.
Jaguars 17, Titans 6
Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for a career-best 186 yards and Rashad Jennings and David Garrard each ran for a touchdown. The win allowed the host Jaguars (7-5) to take over first-place in the AFC South.
Tennessee (5-7) started veteran Kerry Collins at quarterback, but the Titans were unable to avoid their fifth straight loss and have gone 13 quarters without scoring a touchdown.
Bears 24, Lions 20
At Detroit, Jay Cutler threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Brandon Manumaleuna one play after a questionable call midway through the fourth quarter.
The NFC North-leading Bears (9-3) took advantage of referee Ed Hochuli flagging Ndamukong Suh for unnecessary roughness. Suh hit Cutler's shoulder pads hard from behind when the quarterback was running downfield. Cutler then connected with Manumaleuna on a 7-yard pass.
The Lions (2-10) have lost five straight this season and an NFL-record 19 within the division for the longest skid since the 1970 merger.
Packers 34, 49ers 16
Donald Driver's catch-and-run for a 61-yard touchdown broke open a tight game in the third quarter.
Greg Jennings caught six passes from Aaron Rodgers for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the host Packers (8-4). Vernon Davis had 126 yards receiving and a touchdown for the 49ers (4-8).
Seahawks 31, Panthers 14
At Seattle, Marshawn Lynch rushed for a career-high three touchdowns, Lofa Tatupu returned an interception 26 yards and Seattle used a 21-point third quarter.
Lynch scored on a pair of 1-yard runs in the third quarter, sandwiched around Tatupu's interception of Carolina rookie Jimmy Clausen. Lynch added a 22-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Carolina (1-11) dominated the first half, but couldn't hold off the Seahawks (6-6).
Rams 19, Cardinals 6
Steven Jackson ran for 102 yards, including 27 on the game's lone touchdown, and Josh Brown kicked four field goals as St. Louis (6-6) won consecutive road games for the first time in more than three years.
The Rams also ended an eight-game losing streak against Arizona (3-9), which dropped its seventh in a row. St. Louis remained in a first-place tie with Seattle in the weak NFC West.
Giants 31, Redskins 7
Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw ran for two touchdowns apiece. Jacobs ran eight times for 103 yards and scored on jaunts of 8 and 28 yards, while Bradshaw had 97 yards and TD runs of 4 and 10 yards as the Giants (8-4) moved back into first-place tie with Philadelphia in the NFC East. Bradshaw also went over 1,000 yards rushing this season.
A harried Donovan McNabb threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Armstrong for visiting Washington (5-7), which had six turnovers.
Browns 13, Dolphins 10
At Miami, Mike Adams' interception set up a short field goal on the final play, and Cleveland overcame a comedy of errors.
When Browns lineman David Bowens deflected Chad Henne's third-down pass, Adams snatched the ball and ran 25 yards to the 2. On fourth down, Phil Dawson kicked a 23-yard field goal.
Cleveland (5-7) won for the fourth time in six games, and for the first time in Miami since 1970. The Dolphins (6-6) lost for the seventh time in their past eight home games.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
