Colts 29, Titans 27\nNASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Call the Indianapolis Colts road warriors -- and possibly AFC South champs.\nEdgerrin James ran for two touchdowns and Mike Vanderjagt kicked five field goals as the Colts beat Tennessee 29-27 to sweep the defending division champion Titans, taking control of the division with three games remaining.\nThe Colts (10-3) improved to 6-1 on the road by scoring 19 straight points and forcing four fumbles, which they turned into nine points.\nIn this game featuring would-be MVP quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Steve McNair, Manning easily outplayed McNair, even using his legs to scramble for a couple of first downs. He ran for 20 yards and was 22-of-34 for 228 yards.\nMcNair still nearly rallied the Titans (9-4) to a tie, throwing two touchdown passes in the final 9:24 and even running for a 2-point conversion.\nMcNair pulled the Titans within 29-27 with 1:52 to go with his second TD toss, a 2-yarder to Derrick Mason. McNair tried to find Mason again on the 2-point conversion, but defensive end Dwight Freeney, held to one sack, tipped the ball, and it fell incomplete.\nThe Tennessee defense forced the Colts to punt with 50 seconds left, giving McNair plenty of time. But Justin McCareins fumbled after an 11-yard return, and Anthony Floyd recovered for the Colts.
Ravens 31, Bengals 13\nBALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens made Cincinnati look like the same old Bengals.\nJamal Lewis ran for 180 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and the Ravens gained sole possession of first place in the AFC North with a 31-13 victory Sunday.\nThe Bengals (7-6) came in looking to enhance their turnaround season with a fifth straight win. Instead, they played a game that was all too typical of their recent past.\nCincinnati committed five turnovers, yielded a season-high six sacks and had no answer for the punishing runs of Lewis, who scored on runs of 1, 3 and 13 yards.\nIt all added up to the Bengals' seventh straight loss in Baltimore, and a disappointing homecoming for Cincinnati first-year head coach Marvin Lewis, the Ravens' defensive coordinator from 1996-2001.\nBaltimore (8-5) moved a game ahead of the Bengals in the AFC North. Cincinnati beat the Ravens in October, and would have gained a tiebreaker with a victory. But the Bengals never led after Lewis scored a first-quarter touchdown following a Cincinnati turnover.
Eagles 36, Cowboys 10\nPHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb said all along the Philadelphia Eagles were the team to beat in the NFC East. Maybe they're the team to beat in the whole conference.\nMcNabb threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Eagles clinch a playoff spot with their eighth straight victory, 36-10 over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.\nThe Eagles (10-3), who have the best record in the NFC, can clinch their third straight division title with two more victories or one win and another loss by the Cowboys. Philadelphia hasn't lost since a 23-21 defeat in Dallas on Oct. 12.\nThe Cowboys (8-5) are 3-4 after a 5-1 start under Bill Parcells.
Steelers 27, Raiders 7\nPITTSBURGH -- A week after coach Bill Callahan labeled them the dumbest-playing team in America, the Oakland Raiders are nearing another distinction: the NFL's worst team.\nThe Raiders' collapse a season after playing in the Super Bowl reached new depths Sunday as Antwaan Randle El's playmaking led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 27-7 victory in a matchup of disappointing teams.\nJerome Bettis moved past Thurman Thomas into ninth place on the NFL career rushing list with 106 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown run that put Pittsburgh up 10-3 in the second. It was the first 100-yard game by a Steelers runner this season and only Bettis' second in 2 1/2 seasons.
Vikings 34, Seahawks 7\nMINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings put their playoff hopes in better shape by going back to their best combination -- Daunte Culpepper deep to Randy Moss.\nCulpepper and Moss connected on a pair of long touchdown passes for Minnesota, and a suddenly stingy defense shut down the powerful Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in a 34-7 victory.\nThe Vikings (8-5) played just as they did in September and October, before five losses in six games wiped out a 6-0 start and placed their NFC North lead over Green Bay in serious question.\nThe Seahawks (8-5) were stymied by a defense that fell to 29th in the league after a 48-17 loss at St. Louis last week. After scoring 110 points in the last three games, Seattle continued to struggle on the road and fell further behind the Rams (9-3 entering Monday) in the NFC West.
Buccaneers 14, Saints 7\nNEW ORLEANS -- For less than two minutes, with Warren Sapp leading the way, it looked like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of old.\nIt was enough to beat New Orleans.\nThe Bucs (6-7) scored two touchdowns in the final 1:25 of the first half, including one by Sapp, to defeat the Saints 14-7 on Sunday.\nLosers of four of their last five, the defending Super Bowl champions need to win all their games to just finish above .500. They were determined to start a run by beating the Saints (6-7), who had beaten them in their last three meetings.
Redskins 20, Giants 7\nEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Bruce Smith gave a little meaning to a meaningless game between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins on Sunday by setting the NFL record for career sacks.\nSmith set the career mark when he trapped Jesse Palmer, while Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes as the Redskins beat the Giants 20-7 in a game that ended with only a couple of thousand people and few snowmen in the stands.\nThe win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Redskins (5-8) and handed the Giants (4-9) their fifth straight loss and their sixth in seven home games. It also eliminated New York from the playoff picture.
Packers 34, Bears 21\nGREEN BAY, Wis. -- Mike McKenzie more than made up for his first-half mistake Sunday.\nBurned early for a 61-yard score, McKenzie returned his second interception of the day 90 yards for a touchdown in Green Bay's 34-21 victory over the Chicago Bears.\nThe Packers (7-6) were clinging to a 19-14 lead when McKenzie stepped in front of receiver Dez White and picked off Kordell Stewart's pass at his 10-yard line and ran it all the way back with 9:16 left.\nIt was his second career touchdown return and his second career two-pickoff performance. His day could have been bigger but he dropped another interception in the closing minutes.\nNo matter, Grady Jackson sacked Stewart at the 1 on fourth down on the next play, and Ahman Green ran it in to make it 34-14.\nThe Bears (5-8) took a quick 14-0 lead but they turned the ball over five times.
Chargers 14, Lions 7\nDETROIT -- LaDainian Tomlinson's best game as a receiver was enough to beat the Detroit Lions.\nTomlinson caught nine passes for 148 yards, a season-high for running backs, and had two touchdown receptions to build a lead the San Diego Chargers held onto in a 14-7 victory over Detroit on Sunday.\nTomlinson's 73-yard and 16-yard scores in the first half gave San Diego a 14-0 lead it maintained through three-plus quarters, but the Chargers had to knock down Joey Harrington's heave with three seconds left to ensure a rare win.\nSan Diego (3-10) had lost three straight, and 17 of 21. The Lions (4-9) had won three straight at home, and were a victory away from tying their combined wins from the last two seasons.
Jaguars 27, Texans 0\nJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville's improving defense left Houston still looking for its first winning streak and rookie quarterback Dave Ragone still in search of his first scoring drive.\nTony Brackens had two sacks to help Jacksonville stifle Houston's undermanned offense for a 27-0 victory Sunday. The Jaguars (4-9) handed the second-year Texans (5-8) their first shutout and pulled within one game Houston in the "race" for third place in the AFC South.\nBrackens got his fifth and sixth sacks of the season. Fred Taylor broke a late 62-yard run to finish with a season-high 163. Jimmy Smith caught a 32-yard touchdown and Byron Leftwich threw for 194 yards to lift Jacksonville to its second straight victory.
49ers 50, Cardinals 14\nSAN FRANCISCO -- Happy birthday, T.O. Love, the Arizona Cardinals.\nTerrell Owens caught seven passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns on his 30th birthday, and Jeff Garcia threw four TD passes and ran for two more scores in the San Francisco 49ers' 50-14 victory over the lifeless Cardinals on Sunday.\nKevan Barlow rushed for a career-best 154 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers (6-7) nursed their faint playoff hopes with their sixth win in seven games at Candlestick Park. This one was almost embarrassingly easy, with Owens and Garcia leading the Niners to their highest-scoring performance since 1994.
Bills 17, Jets 6\nORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Pain couldn't stop Travis Henry. Neither could the New York Jets.\nContinuing to play with a broken bone in his right leg and torn rib cartilage, Henry ran for a career-high 169 yards and a touchdown, carrying the Buffalo Bills to a 17-6 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.\nDrew Bledsoe had an efficient performance, finishing 9-of-15 for 72 yards and a 6-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reed. And the defense, led by Sam Adams' two sacks, limiting the Jets to two field goals -- the first time in Chad Pennington's 18 career starts that New York has failed to score a touchdown.\nThe victory kept Buffalo (6-7) on the fringes of the playoff hunt while the loss all but mathematically eliminated the Jets (5-8), who failed to build off the momentum of last Monday's 24-17 upset win over Tennessee.\nHenry also enjoyed the 13th 100-yard rushing game of his career, and fifth this season.
Broncos 45, Chiefs 27\nDENVER -- Clinton Portis is getting better every week, keeping the Denver Broncos in the playoff hunt.\nPortis had 218 yards and a team-record five touchdowns, leading Denver to a wild 45-27 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday that kept the Broncos within reach of their first playoff appearance in three years.\nPortis impressed teammates with a 34-carry, 170-yard game in the rain last week against Oakland, but was even better this time.\nHe had touchdown runs of 11 and 1 yards in the first half, then added scores of 59, 28 and 53 yards in the second to turn the game into a rout. Portis had 188 yards after halftime and finished with his fifth consecutive 100-yard game -- third straight with at least 160 yards.\nPortis' effort helped Denver (8-5) tie Miami for the final AFC playoff spot and prevented Kansas City (11-2) from winning its first division title since 1997.
Patriots 12, Dolphins 0\nFOXBORO, Mass. -- The New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 12-0 Sunday to become the first team to clinch a division title this season.\nTedy Bruschi returned an interception 5 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, prompting many of the 45,738 fans who braved the snow -- at least 28 inches in the area since Friday night -- to clutch fistfuls of the powdery stuff and fling them into the wind, giving the stadium a festive and frosty air. All 68,436 seats at Gillette Stadium were sold, but there were 23,058 no-shows.\nThe Patriots (11-2) won their ninth consecutive game, including two over division rival Miami (8-5), which would give them an edge in a tiebreaker. The shutout was New England's second in four games, both 12-0, and the first sustained by the Dolphins in 32 games.
Carolina at Atlanta was not completed when the IDS went to press.
