NFL: Week 16 Results - First Wave Of Scores From Around The League

RAIDERS/BROWNS

Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Jerome Harrison followed up his record performance last weekend with 148 yards and a touchdown on 39 carries, as the Cleveland Browns earned a 23-9 win over the Oakland Raiders.

Harrison had 286 yards rushing on 34 handles and three scores in last Sunday's 41-34 victory over Kansas City, eclipsing Hall of Famer Jim Brown's single- game franchise rushing mark of 237 yards set in 1961.

Derek Anderson completed 8-of-17 throws for 121 yards and a touchdown, while Mohamed Massaquoi had three catches for 61 yards and a score for the Browns (4-11), who have won three straight.

Sebastian Janikowski had three field goals, including a career-high 61-yarder to end the half for Oakland (5-10), which was coming off a hard-fought 20-19 road victory over the AFC West-rival Denver Broncos last Sunday. The Raiders had won three of five coming in.

It was the fourth longest field goal in NFL history. Tom Dempsey of New Orleans in 1970 and Jason Elam of Denver in 1998 hold the NFL record with 63- yard efforts. Matt Bryant of Tampa Bay in 2006 booted a 62-yarder.

Charlie Frye returned as the starting quarterback after getting knocked out of last week's game due to a hard hit and threw for 333 yards on 26-of-45 completions with three costly interceptions. Zach Miller had nine catches for 110 yards in defeat.

David Bowens intercepted Frye's screen pass on the second play from scrimmage and brought it back to the Oakland 17. Two plays later from the same spit, Harrison went over left tackle for the score.

After an Oakland three-and-out, the Browns made it a 10-0 game on Phil Dawson's 42-yard field goal that capped a 10-play, 45-yard drive.

Janikowski answered with a 44-yard effort with a shade under three minutes left in the opening quarter to get the Raiders on the board. The sure-footed kicker then drilled a 34-yarder early in the second quarter to get the Raiders within 10-6.

Late in the frame, Cleveland went 93 yards in nine plays with the aid of two Raiders personal foul penalties. Facing a 3rd-and-2 from the Oakland 19, Anderson hit Massaquoi on a go route with 18 seconds left to put the Browns ahead by a 17-6 margin.

Janikowski banged a 61-yard field goal the just cleared the crossbar as the first half expired.

Harrison's 39-yard kickoff return to start the third quarter set the Browns up near midfield, leading to another Dawson field goal, this time from 33 yards out that built the Cleveland lead to 20-9.

The Browns were turned away deep in the red zone when Harrison lost a fumble on the five-yard line near the five-minute mark, but Oakland couldn't capitalize and were forced to punt.

With the Raiders driving early in the fourth, Brandon McDonald picked off Frye's intended pass for Johnnie Lee Higgins and returned it 39 yards to the Oakland 47. The pick led to Dawson's 34-yard effort that made it 23-9 with 8:31 left to play.

Oakland then turned the ball over on downs at the Cleveland two-yard line with 4:32 left, and Frye was picked off by Eric Wright on the Raiders following possession with 2:59 on the clock as Cleveland held on in the closing minutes.

Game Notes

Oakland will host Baltimore in its season-finale next Sunday, while Cleveland closes out its campaign in a home test versus Jacksonville...Raiders offensive lineman Langston Walker was carted off the field in the first quarter with an apparent leg injury...Oakland cornerback Stanford Routt was ejected from the game late in the first half after getting whistled for an unnecessary roughing penalty...Raiders tight end Tony Stewart was also ejected near the midway point of the fourth quarter after being tagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for making contact with an official...Despite the loss Oakland still holds a 10-8 lead in the all-time regular season series with Cleveland.

BILLS/FALCONS

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes, two of which were reeled in by Roddy White, as the Atlanta Falcons took the first step toward making franchise history with a 31-3 victory over the Buffalo Bills at the Georgia Dome.

Ryan, the second-year quarterback out of Boston College, finished with 250 yards on 18-of-35 attempts for the Falcons (8-7), who need a win next Sunday at Tampa Bay to notch back-to-back winning seasons for the first time.

White led all receivers with 139 yards on eight catches.

"I felt our defense played a very solid game, very solid effort," said Atlanta head coach Mike Smith. "I thought our defensive staff did a great job putting together a game plan and the players went out and executed."

Brian Brohm, making his first NFL start in place of injured Buffalo quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards, completed 17-of-29 passes for 146 yards with two interceptions.

"I thought (Brohm) handled himself okay," said Bills interim head coach Perry Fewell. "He was put in a tough position. I think he's got a future. More reps. More work. There's some promise."

Fred Jackson was limited to 39 yards on 13 carries for the Bills (5-10), who have lost three of four.

After Buffalo went three-and-out on the game's opening series, Ryan threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to a streaking White on the first play from scrimmage for Atlanta.

The Falcons led 10-0 when Matt Bryant drilled a 51-yard field goal 36 seconds into the second quarter.

A 12-yard scoring play between Ryan and Marty Booker and Lawrence Sidbury's 11-yard return of a Jackson fumble extended Atlanta's lead to 24-0 with 6:06 to play in the third quarter.

Buffalo got on the board when Rian Lindell converted a 42-yard field goal with 1:58 remaining in the third.

White's five-yard touchdown grab with 4:22 left in regulation accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

Falcons running back Michael Turner was inactive for the fourth time in six games with an ankle injury...Jason Snelling had 68 yards on 15 carries to lead Atlanta's ground attack...White reached 1,000 yards receiving for the third straight season...Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez left the game with a calf injury...Buffalo wideout Terrell Owens caught four passes for 39 yards and became the sixth player in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions...Buffalo wraps up its season next week at home against Indianapolis.

TEXANS/DOLPHINS

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Matt Schaub threw for 286 yards with a pair of touchdowns, as Houston kept its playoff hopes alive with a 27-20 win over Miami at Land Shark Stadium.

Arian Foster ran for 97 yards with a score for Houston (8-7), which has won three straight and continued its mastery of Miami with its fifth win in as many tries against the Dolphins. The Texans need a home victory next week over New England to finish with a winning record for the first time in franchise history, and with some help could also reach the playoffs.

The Dolphins (7-8) were also in the hunt for a playoff berth entering the contest, but fell behind 27-0 in the first half and never recovered on the way to their second straight loss.

Schaub threw for 379 yards with a touchdown and also ran for the winning score with three seconds left in a 29-28 win at Miami last October. This time around, he completed his first eight passes and finished 20-of-31. Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones each caught TD throws in the victory.

Chad Henne completed 35-of-55 passes for 322 yards with a touchdown and an interception in defeat. Lex Hilliard scored twice for Miami, which lost running back Ricky Williams to a shoulder injury in the third quarter. Williams ran for just 35 yards on 10 carries and caught five passes for 26 yards, returning for one snap in the fourth quarter after his injury.

Last Sunday, Miami rallied from an 18-point deficit to force overtime before losing to Tennessee. This week, the Dolphins looked listless on offense and clueless on defense in the first half before making things somewhat interesting in the second.

Miami managed to get on the board just seven seconds before the intermission, as Dan Carpenter kicked a 27-yard field goal after Henne threw incomplete on three straight passes from the Houston nine-yard line.

After an 18-play set on their last possession of the first half, the Dolphins took the second-half kickoff and drove 79 yards on 12 plays for a touchdown. Henne converted 3rd-and-8 with a 10-yard scramble and Hilliard scored from two yards away after Williams was hurt two plays earlier.

Miami's defense came up with a big play on Houston's first offensive series of the second half, as Yeremiah Bell intercepted a tipped pass and returned it to the Houston 33. The Dolphins were unable to take advantage, as Henne was sacked on the first play and Carpenter missed wide right on a 54-yard field goal try.

The Dolphins got the ball back after a punt and appeared to score again when Henne hit Ted Ginn Jr. with a 62-yard touchdown pass, but the play was negated by a tripping penalty on fullback Lousaka Polite.

Miami was eventually forced to punt on the first play of the fourth quarter, but quickly got the ball back after a Houston punt and marched 74 yards in six plays for another score. Hilliard caught a swing pass and took it 10 yards for the touchdown to make it 27-17 with 9:25 remaining.

Needing two scores, the Dolphins managed to trim the deficit to seven with 2:30 left after Carpenter kicked a 38-yard field goal, but Houston recovered the ensuing onside kick and picked up one first down to run out the clock.

The Texans took the opening kickoff and grabbed the lead on a 49-yard field goal by Kris Brown. Two passes to Johnson -- a 13-yard strike and a 25-yard catch and run -- set up the kick.

After a Miami punt, Houston marched 80 yards in nine plays and opened a 10-0 edge. A 35-yard pass to Jones put the Texans at the Miami 19 and they soon after faced 4th-and-1 from the 10. Rather than kick the field goal, Houston went to the air and Schaub hit Johnson with a quick strike at the five and he took it into the end zone for the touchdown.

Schaub was 7-for-7 for 114 yards on the first two possessions, then finally threw incomplete on his ninth attempt -- a drop by Kevin Walter on Houston's third series. Unfazed, Schaub continued to shred the Miami secondary and found Jones with a 44-yard touchdown pass to complete a six-play, 94-yard drive for a 17-0 advantage just 2:19 into the second quarter.

The Dolphins continued to implode on the very next play from scrimmage, as a Henne pass went off Williams' hands and into the arms of Houston linebacker Brian Cushing for an interception.

It took the Texans just three plays to again find the end zone. After an incomplete pass, Ryan Moats caught a swing pass for 11 yards and Foster ran untouched up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown to make it 24-0.

The domination continued after Miami went three-and-out, as Brown connected on a 22-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 60-yard drive for a 27-0 cushion with just 4:25 remaining in the opening half.

Game Notes

The Dolphins lost linebacker Channing Crowder to a foot injury on the second play from scrimmage...Johnson eclipsed 1,500 yards receiving for the second straight season...The 94-yard touchdown drive was Houston's longest of the season...Foster, a rookie from Tennessee, scored his first NFL touchdown.

BUCS/SAINTS

New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Connor Barth's 47-yard field goal in overtime capped a rally from a 17-point deficit and lifted Tampa Bay over New Orleans, 20-17, at the Superdome.

Josh Freeman finished 21-of-31 for 271 yards and two interceptions for the Buccaneers (3-12), who have won two in a row. Cadillac Williams led all rushers with 129 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries while Michael Spurlock tied the game late in the fourth quarter with a 77-yard punt return for a score.

Drew Brees threw for 258 yards and a TD on 32-of-37 passing for the Saints (13-2), who have dropped their last two games and could have wrapped up the top seed in the NFC with a victory.

Pierre Thomas had 60 yards and a score on the ground with six rushes and Robert Meachem added five receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown in defeat.

Tampa Bay won the coin toss in overtime and did not relinquish control. Starting from its own 23, Williams got the ball on nine of the first 10 plays, gaining 40 yards. He picked up two first downs by himself on the winning drive, and his two-yard dash on 3rd-and-6 from the Saints' 31 set up Barth's game-deciding boot.

The Saints completed their first drive of the contest with the game's first points, going up 7-0 after Thomas rumbled up the middle for an eight-yard score.

Darren Sharper picked off Freeman in Saints' territory on Tampa's next series, and six plays later Brees hit Meachem for a 30-yard TD and 14-0 game.

Garrett Hartley then drilled a 28-yard field goal for a 17-0 contest with 6:39 left in the second quarter to cap a 10-play, 83-yard march for New Orleans.

Barth hit a 34-yarder on the final play of the half to put the Bucs on the board, then neither team tallied in the third quarter.

Williams' 23-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter ended a 98-yard drive and brought Tampa Bay within 17-10, and Marques Colston was stripped on the Saints' next series, giving the Bucs the ball on their own 39 after Ronde Barber recovered.

However, the visitors couldn't pick up a first down on 3rd-and-1 or 4th-and- inches from the New Orleans 19 and turned the ball over on downs with just under five minutes remaining.

New Orleans then had a 4th-and-1 from its own 40 derailed by a false start penalty, and on the ensuing punt, Spurlock raced 77 yards for the tying touchdown with 2:25 to play.

The Saints reached Tampa's 19 in the final seconds, but Hartley hooked his 37- yard attempt wide left with five seconds on the clock.

Game Notes

Tampa Bay has won four of the last six meetings...Colston's first of his eight receptions in the contest put him over the 1,000 yard mark for the third time in four seasons...Sharper's INT return gave him 376 return yards from interceptions in 2009, breaking the single season record for return yardage, first set by Baltimore's Ed Reed in 2004...He also tied Hall-of-Fame safety Ronnie Lott for sixth on the all-time list with 63 picks.

PANTHERS/GIANTS

East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Jonathan Stewart rushed for a team- record 206 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, as the Panthers dealt a crushing blow to the Giants' playoff hopes with a thorough 41-9 drubbing at the Meadowlands.

In its final game at Giants Stadium, New York (8-7) was embarrassed by a Carolina club playing for pride, getting outgained 247-60 on the ground.

"Very, very poor performance by our team. For us to play the way we did today, there's obviously no excuse for it," Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said.

Coupled with Green Bay's win over Seattle, the defending NFC East champions are on the brink of an early offseason, as a win by Dallas against Washington on Sunday night would eliminate the Giants from postseason contention.

Matt Moore improved to 3-1 in place of the injured Jake Delhomme, completing 15-of-20 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers (7-8) continued to thrive in the role of spoiler.

"We had to come out and play tough and play to win regardless of what they had on the line. That was kind of our mentality," Moore said.

Eli Manning had three of New York's four turnovers, finishing with 296 yards with a touchdown pass to Steve Smith and on 29-of-43 attempts. Ahmad Bradshaw led the ground game with just 53 yards on 11 carries.

New York appeared to get off to a good start when Smith caught a 26-yard touchdown pass to cap a lengthy opening drive. However, a holding penalty negated the score and Mario Manningham fumbled in the red zone three plays later.

The Panthers held the ball for the next seven minutes and settled on a 38-yard John Kasay field goal on the 15th play of the drive late in the opening frame.

Carolina crossed the goal line its next three times with the ball. Stewart worked his way through the defense for a 29-yard score early in the second, and Muhsin Muhammad got behind the secondary to haul in a perfectly thrown 22- yard toss in the right corner of the end zone after another quick Giants punt.

With five minutes left before halftime, Richard Marshall intercepted a Manning pass at New York's 29-yard line. Mike Goodson's 13-yard gain on a screen pass moved the chains on third down, and Jeff King was left wide open on a play- action fake for a two-yard grab and a commanding 24-0 cushion.

Manning's fumble on the final play of the half ended an eerily reminiscent opening 30 minutes, as the Giants were on the other side of the lopsided score that ended in Washington's gadget play gone wrong last Monday night.

"We had talked all week about consistency and about playing at a high level, and one game just carrying you into the next game and continuing to play well, so I'm at a loss for words," Coughlin said.

The rout was on just two minutes into the second half, as Carolina's Steve Smith caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Moore to finish off a four-play, 71-yard surge against a lifeless defense.

Lawrence Tynes got the Giants on the board behind a 40-yard field goal midway through the third, and Kasay countered seven minutes later with a 27-yarder.

New York's Steve Smith caught a two-yard score three minutes into the final quarter, though the point after failed.

Stewart's 52-yard scamper set up Brad Hoover's one-yard plunge to paydirt, and the blowout was personified when Giants fullback Madison Hedgecock dropped a sure touchdown on 4th-and-goal from the Carolina one late in the game.

Game Notes

New York's first game in Giants Stadium occurred on October 10, 1976, a 24-14 loss to Dallas. The club, which finished 155-117 all-time at the venue in the regular season, plus a 7-4 mark in playoff games, is moving to a $1.6 billion, 82,500-seat stadium that will also house the New York Jets next season. The 32-point margin of defeat was just three points shy of New Yorks worst-ever loss at Giants Stadium, a 35-0 setback to Dallas on September 4, 1995...The Giants end their regular season at Minnesota next week, while Carolina looks to reach .500 against New Orleans...New York was without cornerbacks Aaron Ross (hamstring) and Corey Webster (knee), while Carolina's leading rusher, DeAngelo Williams, sat with a sprained left ankle...Carolina's Steve Smith ended with 60 yards on five receptions but left the game in the second half after fracturing his left forearm. His same-name counterpart caught seven passes for 70 yards for New York.

CHIEFS/BENGALS

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Chad Ochocinco's touchdown catch with 2:03 left in the fourth quarter was the difference, as the Cincinnati Bengals clinched the AFC North title with a 17-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Carson Palmer completed 17-of-25 passes for 139 yards, with two scores and an interception, for the Bengals (10-5), who last won the division in 2005. It is Cincinnati's second division championship since it won the then-AFC Central in 1990.

The Bengals clinched the title Sunday with their first victory this season against a conference opponent outside the division. Cincinnati was 6-0 against the North this season, but just 0-4 versus the rest of the AFC before Sunday.

Cedric Benson ran for 133 yards, and Laveranues Coles had a touchdown reception as the Bengals snapped a two-game slide and won in their first home game since the death of Chris Henry on December 17.

Matt Cassel was 22-of-37 for 180 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions, as the Chiefs (3-12) lost their fifth consecutive game. Jamaal Charles had 102 rushing yards, while fullback Tim Castille recorded the first receiving touchdown of his career.

Castille made his catch just eight seconds into the final quarter to tie the game, 10-10. On 3rd-and-10 from the Cincinnati 20-yard line, Cassel floated a pass over Castille's shoulder, and the fullback held on to the ball as he was hit in the end zone.

After each team punted, the Bengals took over at their own two with 9:21 to play, but went on the game-winning drive despite poor field position. Palmer completed an eight-yard pass to Brian Leonard to convert a 3rd-and-7 from the five, and converted a third down on the next series with a nine-yard pass to Andre Caldwell.

From there, Cincinnati started picking up yardage in big chunks, as Palmer went to Coles for 21 yards, and Benson ran for 20 on the next play. The Bengals eventually got inside the 10, and were faced with a 3rd-and-goal from the six.

Ochocinco lined up on the right side and ran a crossing route over the middle, where Palmer spotted him. The quarterback threw slightly behind the receiver, but Ochocinco leaned back to grab it and landed in the end zone with the ball to cap the 98-yard drive.

The Chiefs still had 2:03 on the clock and two timeouts, getting across midfield without using either. But Cassel's deep pass for Chris Chambers was picked off by Leon Hall with 1:06 to play, and the Bengals ran out the clock from there.

The first half was nearly devoid of offense, particularly for the Bengals, who gained just 53 yards and got only a 29-yard field goal by Shayne Graham with 1:38 left in the half. The Chiefs had 166 yards in the half, but managed only a 30-yard kick from Ryan Succop with five seconds left, making it a 3-3 game at the break.

The Bengals, however, found an offensive groove on the opening drive of the third quarter to go in front. They went 77 yards in 10 plays, the last being a 10-yard grab by Coles over the middle, making it 10-3 nearly six minutes into the frame.

Game Notes

Bengals running back Larry Johnson, released by Kansas City in November, had just 11 rushing yards in his first game against his former team...Ochocinco ended with four catches for 31 yards, and now has 9,952 career receiving yards...Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis got his 56th win with the team, passing Paul Brown for second all-time in franchise history. Sam Wyche, with 61, is the winningest coach in team history...Chiefs rookie tight end Jake O'Connell recorded his first career catch. 

JAGUARS/PATRIOTS

Foxboro, MA (Sports Network) - Randy Moss caught three of Tom Brady's four touchdown passes, as the New England Patriots secured the AFC East crown with a 35-7 victory over Jacksonville at Gillette Stadium.

Brady was nearly flawless, completing 23-of-26 passes for 267 yards as New England finished with an untarnished home record this season.

The elusive Wes Welker had 138 yards on 13 receptions for the Patriots (10-5), who claimed the division title for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Sammy Morris rushed for 95 yards on 12 carries and scored a touchdown in New England's third straight win.

David Garrard threw for 185 yards on 19-of-25 efficiency and ran for Jacksonville's lone touchdown, but was intercepted twice. Maurice Jones-Drew gained 63 yards on 18 carries for the Jaguars (7-8), whose playoff hopes took a major blow.

New England got the ball to begin the game, but Laurence Maroney's fumble at the Jacksonville one-yard line spoiled a promising drive.

The Jaguars took a gamble on the subsequent drive by going for it on fourth down at their own 35. Jones-Drew, however, was wrapped up for no gain. Four plays later, Moss hauled in a two-yard touchdown for a 7-0 New England lead.

Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather picked off Garrard on the ensuing Jacksonville possession. New England quickly capitalized on the turnover when Brady and Chris Baker hooked up for a 26-yard TD on the first play of the second quarter.

A one-yard plunge by Morris and a six-yard strike from Brady to Moss gave the Patriots a commanding 28-0 lead at halftime.

Jacksonville orchestrated an eight-plus minute drive at the outset of the third quarter, but came away with no points when veteran Patriots cornerback Shawn Springs intercepted Garrard at the New England two.

Brady then guided the Patriots on a 10-play, 90-yard drive that Moss capped with a 17-yard scoring reception six seconds into the final frame.

Garrard's two-yard dash broke up the shutout bid with 12:41 remaining in the game.

Game Notes

Brady reached 4,000 yards for the third time in his career, most in Patriots history...Welker has a career-high 122 receptions this season...Moss made four grabs for 45 yards...New England defensive tackle Vince Wilfork was inactive for a second straight game because of a foot injury, while Patriots running back Fred Taylor was active after missing 10 games because of an injured ankle...Jacksonville wraps up the regular season next Sunday at Cleveland...The Patriots close out their road schedule at Houston on Sunday.

SEAHAWKS/PACKERS

Green Bay, WI (Sports Network) - Brandon Jackson scored three touchdowns and Ryan Grant rushed for two more, as Green Bay rolled to a 48-10 thrashing of Seattle and got some help to clinch a postseason berth.

The lopsided win coupled with the Giants' lopsided loss to Carolina on Sunday has guaranteed the Packers (10-5) one of the two wild card spots in the NFC.

"It feels great to make the playoffs," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said. "Our focus all along was to get to 10 wins, which we did today. We're excited about getting into the playoffs, and the momentum you take from this kind of game should keep us going."

Grant rushed for 97 yards on 16 carries while Aaron Rodgers threw for 237 yards with a touchdown to lead the balanced attack. Greg Jennings ended with 111 yards on four grabs, and Atari Bigby had two of the defense's four interceptions of Matt Hasselbeck, who ended with 198 yards on 19-of-37 throws.

"I tip my hat to Green Bay. They executed on both sides of the ball, which is something we didn't do all day," Seahawks head coach Jim Mora said. "I know we've got the players that can make these plays, but we made a lot of mistakes today, and all of us are responsible."

John Carlson caught a TD pass from Hasselbeck, as the Seahawks (5-10) dropped their third straight game, coming by a combined 106-24 differential.

Early in the game, Hasselbeck threw an interception directly to A.J. Hawk, who returned the pick 29 yards to the Seattle 35. Four plays later from the 13, Jackson took a screen pass to the right and worked his way into the end zone at the 6:34 mark of the opening quarter.

After a series of punts, Jennings followed up a 40-yard grab with a shifty 24- yard pitch-and-catch to get to the Seattle three. From there, Grant got to the outside and dove over the goal line with 23 seconds left in the first.

A promising Seahawks drive ended when a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage fell into Bigby's hands in the end zone early in the second.

Seattle got on the board on Olindo Mare's 28-yard field goal midway through the frame, but Grant broke through the line of scrimmage and shook off an arm tackle from Deon Grant en route to a 56-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive.

Rodgers had a touchdown pass nullified due to a pass interference foul late in the half, though Mason Crosby's 29-yard field goal as time expired yielded a comfortable 24-3 lead at the break.

Last week, Green Bay allowed Pittsburgh to storm back and snap the Packers' five-game winning streak on the final play of the game. The Packers kept their foot on the gas Sunday, though, cruising to the finish line thanks to a dominating second half.

"It was clear all week that we would have zero effect from the Pittsburgh game," McCarthy said. "Our players practiced hard all week, and I knew we would play hard all day."

Jarrett Bush's interception of Hasselbeck in the first minute preceded Jackson's six-yard TD run around the right end.

After another Bigby interception in Green Bay territory, Jermichael Finley caught a 38-yard pass on 3rd-and-1 from the Seattle 42. On the next play, Jackson took an inside handoff and barreled over the goal line with 5:27 left in the third.

Crosby tacked on a 52-yard field goal early in the fourth, and Ahman Green got into the act with a six-yard touchdown run, his first of the season.

The Seahawks finally reached paydirt when Hasselbeck hit Carlson for a 16-yard score with just over four minutes left.

Game Notes

Rodgers, who completed 12-of-23 attempts, eclipsed the 4,000-yard passing mark during the game, becoming the first player in NFL history to do so in his first two seasons as a starter...Including playoffs, the Seahawks have lost in their last five trips to Lambeau Field...Justin Forsett led the Seahawks' ground game with 70 yards on 14 carries, while Deion Branch caught five balls for a team-high 53 yards...The Seahawks end the season at home against Tennessee next week, while Green Bay visits Arizona in its regular season finale.

RAVENS/STEELERS

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Ben Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass and Rashard Mendenhall ran for a score as the Pittsburgh Steelers downed the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, in an AFC North battle with major postseason implications.

Baltimore (8-7) and Pittsburgh (8-7) are still alive for a wild card berth in the playoffs, but neither team will win the AFC North as Cincinnati's 17-10 victory over Kansas City gave the Bengals the crown.

"I told our team, this is our bed, but I like how we're laying in it," sadi Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "We still have a pulse here and we'll still control the things that we can control."

Roethlisberger went 17-of-33 for 259 yards and a pick while Mendenhall finished the game with 36 yards on 17 carries for the Steelers, who have won two straight after dropping their previous five. Santonio Holmes had five catches for 86 yards and a score while Jeff Reed went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts.

Joe Flacco was 13-for-25 with 166 yards, two scores and an interception while Todd Heap made his only two catches count for touchdowns for the Ravens, who had won three of four coming into the game. Ray Rice had 141 yards on 30 carries in the loss.

"It was a disappointing loss, but I thought it was a hard fought game and that our team played well," said Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh. "We're going to play our hearts out every week. You go out there and fight and battle. We're competing like crazy to get a win out there, but you make plays, they make plays. We fight our hearts out, but we came up a little short today."

Trailing by 10 points to start the third, the Ravens went on a 10-play, 64- yard drive to start the half and made it a 20-17 game as Heap made a leaping, seven-yard TD catch in the right corner of the end zone.

On the first play of Pittsburgh's ensuing touch, Roethlisberger was picked off by Domonique Foxworth, who took it back into the end zone, but an illegal block call negated the score and Baltimore had the ball at the Pittsburgh 37.

Baltimore was unable to get into the end zone, but it did get into field goal range and a 35-yarder from Billy Cundiff made it a 20-20 game with 6:16 left in the third.

The Ravens again held the Steelers to a three-and-out and got themselves into scoring position, but a rash of penalties saw the team come away with nothing. On 2nd-and-10 at the Pitt 32, Willis McGahee took the ball around the left end and into the end zone, but a holding call brought the play back. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Derrick Mason found himself wide open in the right corner of the end zone, but the ball hit off his facemask and fell incomplete. An illegal formation call followed by a personal foul call on Oniel Cousins pushed the team out of field goal range and they had to punt away.

"When you're in the middle of a drive you don't think about missed opportunities," said Flacco. "But, on the other hand, we definitely hurt ourselves out there today."

The teams then exchanged punts, with Pittsburgh getting the ball back at its own 36 with just over nine minutes to play thanks to a 17-yard punt return from Stefan Logan.

Passes of 14 yards and 19 yards to Tyler Grisham and Holmes, respectively, got the ball down to the Baltimore 19. However, Pittsburgh went back one yard over the following three plays and a 38-yard field goal from Reed made it a 23-20 game with 5:25 to play.

Baltimore got one first down on its next series, but facing a 4th-and-10, Flacco fumbled the ball as he was sacked by LaMarr Woodley and Pittsburgh recovered at its own 42.

From there, the Steelers were able to kill the rest of the clock and hang on for the win.

The Steelers got the first points of the game off a turnover as Flacco was hit as he was throwing the ball and James Farrior picked off the floater and took it to the Baltimore eight-yard line. The Ravens defense, though, held the Steelers to no yards and a 26-yard field goal by Reed made it a 3-0 game with 9:21 left in the first.

Baltimore responded with a nine-play drive that covered 64 yards and was capped on a Cundiff 27-yard field goal to tie the game with 5:18 to play in the first.

Pittsburgh got another field goal off the foot of Reed, this one a 39-yarder that stayed just inside the right upright for a 6-3 lead with 1:09 left in the first.

After holding Baltimore to a three-and-out, Pittsburgh padded its lead as Mendenhall took a handoff up the middle and into the end zone from four yards out for a 13-3 advantage with 12:52 to play in the first half.

The Ravens, though, struck back on their next drive to make it a 13-10 game. On 2nd-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 30, Flacco heaved the ball down the left sideline where Heap came up with the catch in front of the defender and stretched it into the end zone.

At the two-minute warning, Pittsburgh had the ball at its own six, but got out of trouble as Roethlisberger hooked up with Mike Wallace on a 45-yard play down the right sideline. Several plays later, Roethlisberger dumped the ball to the right flat where Holmes caught it, made a defender miss and stretched into the end zone on a 24-yard score and a 20-10 lead going into the break.

Game Notes

Mendenhall went over 1,000 rushing yards on the season in the game...Roethlisberger went over 4,000 passing yards on the season, the first Steeler to accomplish that feat...Mason had seven catches for 77 yards...The Steelers have won seven of their past eight home games against the Ravens...The Ravens play at Oakland next Sunday...The Steelers, who finished the season with a 6-2 home mark, play at Miami next Sunday.

THE SPORTS NETWORK

Via (www.tsn.ca)