Delivering some capital punishment
Revived Redskins dominate Dallas
Redskins 35, Cowboys 7
LANDOVER, Md. -- A perfect day for the Washington Redskins would include a start-to-finish, no-let-up humiliation of the Dallas Cowboys. Make it a game that puts the playoffs within serious reach, and you've got sheer nirvana.
From the raucous pregame chants of ''We Want Dallas" to the seven sacks, four turnovers, and four touchdown passes, the celebration never stopped in yesterday's 35-7 blowout, Washington's most one-sided victory in the 45-year history of the rivalry.
''We've got a lot of Dallas fans, even in D.C.," Washington defensive end Renaldo Wynn said. ''I've been here four years, and I've just been getting sick and tired of hearing about it, what they're going to do. So you don't even know how enjoyable it was for us to get this win and get a sweep. It hadn't happened since '95. It's unbelievable. It's something I'll definitely remember."
The Cowboys' first play from scrimmage was a pass tipped by Phillip Daniels and intercepted by Cornelius Griffin. The rest of the game was more of the same. Daniels finished with four sacks and a fumble recovery, Marcus Washington had two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble, Chris Cooley caught three of Mark Brunell's four touchdown passes, and Clinton Portis ran for 112 yards.
''It was one of those nights where everything went our way," coach Joe Gibbs said.
The score was 28-0 at halftime, with the Redskins scoring on drives of four, eight, two, and two plays. They capitalized off two interceptions, a bad punt, and a long pass to Santana Moss that brought back memories of his two fourth-quarter touchdown catches in the stunning 14-13 win over the Cowboys on a Monday night in Week 2.
''People kept saying it was a fluke that first game," Daniels said. ''I think we showed today it was no fluke."
Many Redskins fans went to sleep that September night thinking their team had lost. This time, they left early knowing the Redskins had won.
The 28-point margin of victory topped the 27-point victories over the Cowboys in 1986 and 1996, and the 37-10 win in 1996 came when playoff-bound Dallas rested its star players in the final game at RFK Stadium.
Washington's third straight victory left the Redskins (8-6) and Cowboys (8-6) two games behind the Giants in the NFC East, but the Redskins hold the tiebreaker because of their first Dallas sweep in 10 years. Washington's 8-2 conference record also puts it in position for a wild-card berth and its first postseason appearance since 1999.
The victory came with a price. Right guard Randy Thomas, the Redskins' most consistent lineman and the lead blocker on many of Portis's wide runs, is lost for the season after breaking a bone in his lower leg in the fourth quarter. Thomas was carted off the field as many of the 90,588 fans -- a Redskins record at
Dallas also had its right guard, Marco Rivera, carted off in the fourth quarter with a strained neck. He was to be re-evaluated overnight in a local hospital.
The Cowboys were an embarrassing shell of a Bill Parcells team. Tied for the league lead in fewest penalties, they committed nine miscues, including three false starts by three linemen on the same drive. Drew Bledsoe threw three interceptions and lost one fumble to account for all of Dallas's turnovers -- even though the banged-up Redskins' defense played without injured starters LaVar Arrington and Carlos Rogers.
''They just outplayed us in every area," Parcells said in a terse postgame briefing. ''We had really no chance to win the game . . . We just lost our poise and played very, very poorly."
Even punter Mat McBriar had a bad day with several shanked punts, one of which set up a Redskins touchdown, and kicker Billy Cundiff missed a field goal. The Cowboys, who have dropped three of four, were blown out for the first time this season -- their five previous losses were by a total of 20 points.
''Nobody's more shocked than us," receiver Patrick Crayton said. ''Mistakes, penalties -- everything we could do to ourselves to kill ourselves, we did it. Right now, it's just embarrassing."
DOLPHINS 24, JETS 20
Miami building confidence
MIAMI -- Backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels sparked a fourth-quarter rally for the second time in three games, and Miami earned its fourth consecutive victory yesterday by beating the New York Jets, 24-20.
But Miami (7-7) was eliminated from the playoff race when Pittsburgh and San Diego won.
''We're just trying to find something to build on," said Marty Booker, who caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Rosenfels for the go-ahead score. ''We want to finish the season strong, and hopefully it'll carry over to next year."
The loss in the Jets' final away game left them 0-8 on the road for the first time. The only other time they went winless on the road was in 1964, when they went 0-7. New York (3-11) returns home a week from tonight to face the Patriots. New England beat the Jets, 16-3, Dec. 4.
It was small consolation that the Jets led on the road for the first time this season. That came when Brooks Bollinger and Doug Jolley connected on a 60-yard touchdown pass to make the score 17-10 midway through the third quarter.
New York's lead lasted 10 minutes before Ricky Williams tied the game with a 23-yard run. On the Dolphins' next possession, Rosenfels and Booker put them ahead to stay.
Replacing an injured Gus Frerotte to start the second half, Rosenfels went 6 for 13 for 99 yards.
Bollinger finished 28 for 42 for 327 yards and two touchdowns. But Miami had six sacks -- three by Jason Taylor -- and the Jets lost three fumbles and botched a short field goal attempt.
BENGALS 41, LIONS 17
That's a wrap for Cincinnati
DETROIT -- Cincinnati clinched its first division title since 1990, Carson Palmer set a team record for touchdown passes, and Deltha O'Neal set one for interceptions.
No, they're not the Bungles anymore.
Palmer threw three touchdown passes in the first half to build a 17-point lead and the Bengals coasted to a 41-17 victory over Detroit yesterday to wrap up the AFC North crown.
Cincinnati (11-3) won its fourth straight game, while the reeling Lions (4-10) lost their fifth in a row.
The tone was set on the opening kickoff when Detroit's R.W. McQuarters fumbled. By the end of the first quarter, the Bengals led, 17-0, after Palmer threw for two TDs.
Palmer was 28 of 39 for 274 yards with three touchdowns, matching a season high, and two interceptions. He has thrown 30 TD passes this season, breaking Ken Anderson's team record of 29 set in 1981. Rudi Johnson had 117 yards rushing. He scored on the first drive after halftime to put the Bengals ahead, 31-7.
Detroit's Jeff Garcia was 13 of 21 for 138 yards with one TD and three interceptions, including one to O'Neal, who set a team record with 10. Garcia was replaced by Joey Harrington (6 of 7, 77 yards, TD) early in the fourth quarter, a move that drew cheers from a crowd peppered with Detroit fans dressed in Bengal orange in protest of embattled Lions president Matt Millen.
STEELERS 18, VIKINGS 3
It's curtains for win streak
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota's six-game winning streak was built on a steady dose of losing teams. Then Pittsburgh came to town.
The Steelers forced three turnovers and a safety in an 18-3 victory over the Vikings yesterday, with the only touchdown coming on Ben Roethlisberger's 3-yard run in the second quarter.
Willie Parker rushed 14 times for 81 yards for Pittsburgh (9-5), which won its second consecutive game and stayed in step with San Diego for the last AFC wild-card spot.
The Vikings (8-6) sealed their own demise at the end of an embarrassing week. Four players, including the injured Daunte Culpepper, were charged Thursday with three misdemeanors apiece for lewd behavior in the infamous bye-week boat party.
''Our focus was great all week. I don't think that had anything to do with it," said Brad Johnson, who threw two costly interceptions -- including one in the end zone late in the first half.
''They beat our butts."
Roethlisberger, playing with a splint and glove on his right hand to protect his banged-up thumb, completed 10 of 15 passes for 149 yards and no turnovers.
Johnson went 16 for 30 for 143 yards, including a woeful 2-for-9, 9-yard output after halftime. Minnesota managed 25 total yards in the final two quarters.
PANTHERS 27, SAINTS 10
Carolina has a Bayou blast
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The departure of former backup Jake Delhomme is haunting the Saints now more than ever.
Delhomme led Carolina back into first place in the NFC South, throwing for a touchdown and running for another as the Panthers defeated New Orleans, 27-10, yesterday.
Delhomme's fourth victory against his former team came in the same week the Saints benched quarterback Aaron Brooks after 82 straight starts. His replacement, seldom-used Todd Bouman, struggled, finishing with four interceptions and a lost fumble.
Throwing only as much as he needed to, Delhomme was 13 of 21 for 176 yards. Carolina rushed for 161 yards, with DeShaun Foster running for a team-leading 75.
The Saints (3-11), who'll play their final home game in San Antonio, failed to win a single game for their disaster-weary fans in Louisiana this season, going 0-4 in LSU's Tiger Stadium.
With Tampa Bay losing Saturday, Carolina (10-4) regained the division lead with the help of receiver Steve Smith, who ran for a 20-yard score on an end-around in the first quarter and caught Delhomme's 15-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Bouman threw three interceptions in the second quarter, one inside the Carolina 5-yard line. Two of the turnovers led to 10 Panthers points: John Kasay's 32-yard field goal and Delhomme's 2-yard sneak, giving Carolina a 17-7 lead at halftime.
BEARS 16, FALCONS 3
Grossman back in business
CHICAGO -- Rex Grossman added a different dimension to the Chicago offense after relieving the struggling Kyle Orton in the third quarter, and the Bears rolled to a 16-3 victory over Atlanta last night at frigid Soldier Field.
The projected starter before breaking his left ankle in a preseason game, Grossman completed 9 of 16 passes for 93 yards with an interception in his first regular-season game since Sept. 26, 2004. It was plenty, though, with Chicago's staunch defense shutting down Michael Vick and the Falcons as the Bears (10-4) rebounded from last week's loss at Pittsburgh.
The NFL's No. 1 defense limited the Falcons (8-6) to 231 yards. The Bears increased their lead in the NFC North to two games over Minnesota -- the teams meet Jan. 1 in the regular-season finale.
Chicago turned to Grossman after watching Orton complete 2 of 10 passes for 12 yards in the first half, and he got off to a quick start, hitting Muhsin Muhammad in stride over the middle for a 22-yard gain on the first play. Thomas Jones capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 13-3 lead.
Vick struggled in the cold. He ran for just 35 yards and was 13 of 22 for 122 yards and two interceptions.
SEAHAWKS 28, TITANS 24
Seattle says hello to bye
NASHVILLE -- Matt Hasselbeck threw three touchdown passes, including a 2-yarder to Darrell Jackson in the fourth quarter, and Seattle rallied for a 28-24 victory over Tennessee yesterday that clinched a first-round bye for the NFC West champions.
Seattle (12-2) won its 10th straight for the first time in team history and also matched the 1984 squad for most victories in a season. The Seahawks still must wait another week to clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs -- another club first.
Hasselbeck finished with 285 yards as the Seahawks beat the Titans (4-10) for the fifth straight time in their first meeting since 1998. Shaun Alexander also ran for a touchdown, giving him an NFL-best 24, and became only the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 1,600 yards in consecutive seasons. He finished with 26 carries for 172 yards.
Steve McNair led Tennessee to 24 straight points and a 24-14 lead midway through the third quarter. He threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns, and Jarrett Payton also ran for a TD.
JAGUARS 10, 49ERS 9
Garrard helps Jags escape
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville moved closer to a playoff berth, making it more difficult than it should have been yesterday as David Garrard ran for a touchdown and Josh Scobee kicked the winning field goal in a 10-9 victory over lowly San Francisco.
Jacksonville (10-4) won for the sixth time in seven games -- all of the victories coming against teams with losing records -- and now can return to the postseason for the first time since 1999 with a victory against Houston or Tennessee to end the season.
San Francisco (2-12) led, 9-7, after Joe Nedney's 33-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter. But Nedney's ensuing kickoff went out of bounds and gave the Jaguars good field position. Jacksonville moved the ball 47 yards to set up a 32-yard field goal by Scobee with 9:41 to play. Garrard was 4 of 5 for 36 yards on the drive, and finished 21 of 40 for 216 yards.
BROWNS 9, RAIDERS 7
Reversal changes fortunes
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Phil Dawson kicked a 37-yard field goal two plays after Reuben Droughns's apparent fumble was overturned by replay, giving Cleveland a 9-7 victory over Oakland yesterday.
Rookie quarterback Charlie Frye earned his first NFL win by calmly engineering the last-minute drive that helped the Browns (5-9) snap a three-game skid. Frye went 4 for 5 for 32 yards on the drive that started after Alvin McKinley blocked Sebastian Janikowski's 46-yard field goal attempt with 3:15 to play.
After Droughns lost the ball at the Oakland 19 with less than a minute left, it appeared the Raiders (4-10) would escape with the win. But after a long replay review, referee Mike Carey ruled Droughns was down before the ball came loose, giving the Browns another chance. After Frye took a knee to let the clock run down, Dawson kicked his third field goal of the game.
EAGLES 17, RAMS 16
McMahon makes amends
ST. LOUIS -- Philadelphia's Mike McMahon offset three interceptions by tossing the winning touchdown pass to long snapper Mike Bartrum on the first play of the fourth quarter in a lackluster 17-16 victory over St. Louis yesterday.
McMahon was 15 for 28 for 97 yards for the Eagles (6-8). That was enough to trump former Harvard star Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was 10 for 24 for 69 yards with one touchdown and an interception for the Rams (5-9) before he was benched in favor of Jamie Martin with 6:40 remaining.
The most electrifying play of a dull game came early, a 59-yard touchdown sprint by Ryan Moats, who squirted through a pileup at the line and broke three tackles for the Eagles' first score. Bartrum made the decisive play when he caught a 3-yard touchdown pass after McMahon rolled out.
TEXANS 30, CARDINALS 19
Doing a two-step in Texas
HOUSTON -- The Texans were without injured running back Domanick Davis, but backups Jonathan Wells and Vernand Morency filled in nicely, combining for three rushing touchdowns in Houston's 30-19 victory over Arizona yesterday.
By breaking a six-game skid, Houston (2-12) is now tied with San Francisco for the worst record in the NFL. The teams play in the season finale on New Year's Day with the top overall draft pick likely at stake.
Arizona (4-10) trailed, 24-10, at the half, and used third-string quarterback John Navarre in the second half after Kurt Warner (knee) and Josh McCown (flu) both were forced to the sideline. Navarre was more than a little rusty but came on late to go 14 of 24 for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
