Minus suspended Owens, Philly loses fight at finish
REDSKINS 17, EAGLES 10
LANDOVER, Md. -- With or without Terrell Owens, the Eagles are losing and in danger of slipping out of the playoff race.
Philadelphia fell into sole possession of last place in the NFC East last night because of their anemic running game and an offense that produced only one touchdown. Washington, rebounding from the worst loss of coach Joe Gibbs's career, rode a more balanced attack and touchdown runs by Mike Sellers and Clinton Portis to a 17-10 victory.
The Eagles didn't really miss the suspended Owens -- unless he could have transformed into a running back. Donovan McNabb threw for 304 yards and completed passes to seven receivers, and Owens's replacement in the starting lineup, rookie Reggie Brown, caught a 56-yard TD pass and had five receptions for 94 yards.
But Brian Westbrook gained only 24 yards in 17 carries, more evidence why Philadelphia entered the game with an unseemly imbalance of passing the ball a league-high 72 percent of the time.
Washington's passing was precise as Mark Brunell completed 21 of 29 passes for 224 yards. Chris Cooley caught seven passes for a career-high 85 yards. Portis ran 21 times for 67 yards. While those numbers aren't spectacular, they were a change of pace after last week's 36-0 blowout against the New York Giants.
The victory ended Washington's seven-game losing streak against Philadelphia and moved the Redskins (5-3) into a tie with Dallas for second place in the division, one game behind the Giants. The Eagles (4-4) have lost three of four.
Philadelphia made it close, taking the ball from its 15-yard line to Washington's 7 in the final minutes. The drive ended when Ryan Clark intercepted a McNabb pass on fourth and 4 with 1:25 left.
Owens was suspended indefinitely without pay by the Eagles Saturday and was not with the team for the game. Owens apologized Friday for his critical comments about the team, but the damage already was done.
Former teammate Hugh Douglas said last night that he and Owens were involved in a locker room fight on Wednesday. ESPN.com reported the fight started when Douglas entered the team's training room and said: ''I know there are people in here faking injuries." Owens missed Wednesday's practice with an ankle injury.
Eagles president Joe Banner said coach Andy Reid would meet with Owens this week and ''basically figure out where we go from here." Banner wouldn't say how long the suspension would last, or what the specific reason was for the punishment.
FALCONS 17, DOLPHINS 10
Vick gets a passing grade
MIAMI -- Motivated by detractors who derided his recent passing performances, Michael Vick came out throwing strikes yesterday to help Atlanta beat Miami, 17-10.
Working primarily from the pocket, Vick was 22 for 31 for a season-high 228 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and had another dropped while directing four drives of more than 70 yards.
''People say I can't throw the ball from the pocket. I had to show them," Vick said. ''From here on out, I don't want to hear that question -- if I can throw from the pocket."
The Falcons (6-2) remained tied with Carolina atop the NFC South by converting 11 of 17 third-down situations, totaling 27 first downs, and keeping the ball for more than 36 minutes.
The Dolphins (3-5) went 0 for 9 in third-down situations, including their last one: Keion Carpenter made a diving interception after Miami had reached the 8-yard line with less than three minutes left.
Vick made several pinpoint throws on the run and scrambled for 38 yards on eight carries. The only possible criticism of Vick and the Falcons would be that they struggled to put the game away. Drives covering 71, 84, 92, and 91 yards produced only 17 points. One threat ended with a fumble and another with a field goal after Brian Finneran dropped a third-down pass in the end zone.
Ronnie Brown rushed for 67 yards for the Dolphins, and Ricky Williams added 52 and a touchdown. Miami hosts the AFC East-leading Patriots next Sunday.
BENGALS 21, RAVENS 9
First-rate effort by Bengals
BALTIMORE -- It didn't take a mathematician to figure out why Cincinnati beat Baltimore yesterday.
Each team had three scoring drives. Cincinnati scored touchdowns; the Ravens settled for field goals. As a result, the Bengals remained in first place in the AFC North with a 21-9 victory.
Carson Palmer threw two touchdown passes and directed touchdown drives of 80, 31, and 91 yards for Cincinnati (7-2). Rudi Johnson ran for 97 yards and a score, Chad Johnson had five catches for 91 yards, and the Bengals averaged 5.2 yards per offensive play.
Baltimore (2-6) got only 49 yards rushing from Jamal Lewis, averaged 4.1 yards per play, and managed only three field goals by Matt Stover.
Cincinnati (7-2) was nursing a 14-6 lead before Palmer capped the 91-yard drive with a 3-yard TD pass to Chris Henry with 6:05 to go. That was enough of a cushion to dispatch the Ravens, who haven't scored more than 19 points in any game this season.
Anthony Wright went 19 for 30 for 153 yards, and the Ravens' flickering playoff hopes took another hit. Baltimore's start is the worst in franchise history, matching the mark of the 1998 team.
CHARGERS 31, JETS 26
Tomlinson (4 TDs) in zone
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- LaDainian Tomlinson and his Chargers teammates watched the Jets get one final chance to pull out an improbable victory.
No matter that Tomlinson was dazzling with a career-high four touchdowns. Drew Brees fumbled with 3:06 to go, and a surprisingly effective Brooks Bollinger had 30 yards to lead the Jets to the winning score.
This was all too much for the Chargers, whose four losses all came in the closing minutes. But Quentin Jammer rescued San Diego (5-4) when he batted down a fade pass for Justin McCareins on fourth and goal, preserving a 31-26 victory yesterday.
''It was nice. So many times we've been on the losing end of games like this. I figured one game would have to go our way," Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson scored on three runs and one catch, becoming the first Charger since Chuck Muncie against Denver on Nov. 29, 1981, to have four touchdowns in one game. He finished with 107 yards on 25 carries.
Bollinger replaced an injured Vinny Testaverde (strained calf) in the third quarter and threw two TD passes, including an 8-yarder to Laveranues Coles with 6:14 to play. Then John Abraham sacked Brees and forced a fumble, which Jonathan Vilma recovered. But the Jets (2-6) failed on four attempts from the 3.
STEELERS 20, PACKERS 10
Road remains right path
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Troy Polamalu returned Brett Favre's fumble 77 yards for a touchdown, and Tyrone Carter's interception set up Pittsburgh's only offensive touchdown in the Steelers' 20-10 win over Green Bay yesterday.
The Steelers (6-2) became the first team since the 1989-90 San Francisco 49ers and the fourth team overall to win 11 straight road games. And they did it without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (knee) and running back Jerome Bettis (thigh), who were joined on the sideline in the second half by starting tailback Willie Parker, who turned his left ankle.
Duce Staley, who replaced Bettis and had his first carries since January, ran for 76 yards and a TD on 15 carries. Backup quarterback Charlie Batch made his first start since Dec. 2, 2001, and completed 9 of 16 passes for 65 yards and one interception.
The Packers fell to 1-7 at the halfway point for the first time since 1986 under Forrest Gregg. Favre was 20 of 35 for 214 yards and an interception. Fifth-string running back Samkon Gado scored his first career TD and rushed for 62 yards.
GIANTS 24, 49ERS 6
Giants breeze by the Bay
SAN FRANCISCO -- Eli Manning passed for 251 yards and a touchdown, Brandon Jacobs rushed for two short fourth-quarter scores, and the Giants' defense yielded just 138 total yards in New York's 24-6 victory over San Francisco.
Plaxico Burress had five catches for 79 yards in the third straight victory for the Giants (6-2), who maintained their lead in the NFC East by suffocating the 49ers' offense, which hasn't scored a touchdown in its last 13 quarters at home.
Joe Nedney kicked two field goals for San Francisco (2-6). Cody Pickett, making his first NFL start, finished 12 of 21 for 102 yards.
BEARS 20, SAINTS 17
Win is ground-controlled
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Robbie Gould kicked a 28-yard field goal with six seconds left, and Chicago showed off its depth at running back in a 20-17 victory over New Orleans.
The Saints (2-7) knocked starting back Thomas Jones out of the game in the first half, only to watch Adrian Peterson and Cedric Benson combine for 137 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. Peterson (58 yards on six carries) gave the Bears a 17-10 lead in the third quarter on a 6-yard TD run. Benson had 79 yards on 14 carries, including a 27-yarder during the Bears' final drive.
Kyle Orton set up Gould's field goal with a 22-yard, third-down completion to Muhsin Muhammad at the 10-yard line. That allowed Chicago (5-3) to run the clock down to 10 seconds before lining up for the winning kick.
BROWNS 20, TITANS 14
Droughns makes amends
CLEVELAND -- Just days after apologizing to teammates and Cleveland fans following his arrest on a drunken driving charge, Reuben Droughns rushed for 116 yards and caught four passes for 73 more, powering the Browns over Tennessee, 20-14.
In the third quarter, Droughns caught a short screen pass over the middle and weaved 51 yards to set up Jason Wright's 6-yard TD run -- Cleveland's first rushing touchdown in 50 quarters.
Dennis Northcutt caught a 58-yard TD pass from Trent Dilfer and had a 31-yard run on a reverse, and Phil Dawson kicked field goals of 37 and 19 yards as the Browns (3-5) held off the Titans (2-7) to snap a three-game losing streak.
PANTHERS 34, BUCS 14
Carolina runs streak to five
TAMPA -- Stephen Davis ran for two touchdowns, Steve Smith caught his ninth TD pass of the season, and Chris Gamble scored on a 61-yard interception return to lead surging Carolina to a 34-14 rout of Tampa Bay.
The Panthers (6-2) have won five straight overall and five in a row against their bitter NFC South rival. Tampa Bay (5-3) fell out of a first-place tie with Carolina and Atlanta after losing for the third time in four games.
Smith scored on a 35-yard pass from Jake Delhomme in the fourth quarter, while Carolina's defense forced four turnovers and sacked Chris Simms five times.
VIKINGS 27, LIONS 14
Johnson picks up offense
MINNEAPOLIS -- Brad Johnson passed for 136 yards and two touchdowns in place of Daunte Culpepper, Michael Bennett rushed 18 times for 106 yards, and Minnesota (3-5) beat Detroit, 27-14, to create a tie for second place in the punchless NFC North.
Johnson sandwiched second-quarter scoring tosses to Bennett and Nate Burleson around rookie Ciatrick Fason's first touchdown on a 3-yard run.
In his return as starting quarterback, Joey Harrington finished 28 for 48 for 263 yards and two interceptions for the Lions (3-5).
JAGUARS 21, TEXANS 14
After half, Leftwich all right
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Byron Leftwich was 11 of 11 for 162 yards and a touchdown after the break, directing two long scoring drives in the fourth quarter and rallying Jacksonville to a 21-14 victory over injury-riddled Houston.
Leftwich, who finished 19 of 25 for 218 yards, directed scoring drives of 80 and 82 yards in the final quarter. He capped the first drive with an 8-yard run on third down to tie the game at 14. On the next possession, Leftwich and Jimmy Smith connected for a 23-yard gain on third down, and Greg Jones scored from 12 yards out to put the Jaguars (5-3) ahead for good.
The Texans (1-7) again failed to protect David Carr, who was sacked six times to give him a league-high 43.
SEAHAWKS 33, CARDINALS 19
His TD runs go a long way
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Seattle's Shaun Alexander gained 173 yards in 23 carries, including touchdown runs of 88 and 14 yards, and the Seahawks (6-2) won their fourth in a row by defeating Arizona, 33-19.
The 88-yard run, on the first play of the second half, tied the franchise record Alexander set against Oakland Nov. 11, 2001. In the last three games against Arizona, Alexander gained 467 yards and scored nine touchdowns.
Neil Rackers kicked four field goals for the Cardinals (2-6) and is 26 for 26 this season. Kurt Warner, replacing Josh McCown as starting quarterback, completed 29 of 48 passes for 334 yards and a TD. But he also threw three interceptions.
