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A16 sports
Monday 9 January 2023

Bills celebrate Hamlin, beat Patriots 35-23; NE eliminated

at quarterback for the Jets throwing just five passes all the season for violating the
and veteran Joe Flacco un- season. But rather than go league's personal conduct
der center for the Dolphins. all-out for the slim chance policy, connected on 19
But Thompson did enough of getting a home playoff of 29 passes for 230 yards
on the Dolphins' final pos- game, Ravens coach John with two touchdowns and
session, moving them 36 Harbaugh ensured the Ben- two interceptions, both of
yards in eight plays to set gals will see a somewhat which the Steelers turned
up Sanders' decisive kick. different team when sixth- into points. Nick Chubb ran
Thompson completed 20 of seeded Baltimore returns for 77 yards and caught a
31 passes for 152 yards. to Paycor Stadium next touchdown pass to join Jim
The Jets (7-10) ended the weekend. Ravens starting Brown as the only players
season with six straight loss- quarterback Lamar Jack- in Browns history to exceed
es. New York failed to score son (knee) and backup Ty- 1,500 yards rushing in a sea-
a touchdown in its final ler Huntley were inactive, son.
three games. and the Ravens rested two FALCONS 30, BUCCANEERS
Players gather for a prayer after an NFL football game between On the Jets' last play, they of their biggest offensive 17
the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 8, lateraled the ball a few weapons, Mark Andrews ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie
2023, in Orchard Park. times before Elijah Moore and J.K. Dobbins. Desmond Ridder's first two
Associated Press fumbled, Garrett Wilson re- Brown threw two intercep- career touchdown passes
By The Associated Press day with a 49-yard touch- covered and he was tack- tions and lost a fumble that powered Atlanta past play-
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) down catch from Josh Al- led in the end zone for a was recovered for a touch- off-bound Tampa Bay after
— Nyheim Hines ignited len to put Buffalo ahead safety. down. Tom Brady broke his own
an emotionally charged 35-23 with 8:51 remaining. BENGALS 27, RAVENS 16 STEELERS 28, BROWNS 14 NFL record for completions
atmosphere celebrating Allen finished 19 of 31 for CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Bur- PITTSBURGH (AP) — Najee in a season.
injured Bills safety Damar 254 yards with three touch- row threw for a touchdown Harris ran for 84 yards and a Brady left the game late in
Hamlin by returning two downs and an intercep- and Joe Mixon ran for an- touchdown and Pittsburgh the first half with the score
kickoffs for touchdowns, tion. The Patriots needed other as Cincinnati took beat Cleveland but was tied at 10. He had been 11-0
and Buffalo clinched the only a win to clinch a play- advantage of four Balti- eliminated from the play- in his career against Atlan-
AFC's second playoff seed off berth, but wound up more turnovers to set up a offs when Miami edged the ta, including New England's
with a 35-23 win over the closing the season with five rematch in the first round of New York Jets. 34-28 win over the Falcons
New England Patriots on losses in seven games. Mac the playoffs next week. The Steelers (9-8) will have in the Super Bowl following
Sunday. Jones finished 26 of 40 for The AFC North champion to settle for a 16th straight the 2016 season.
The loss, coupled with Mi- 243 yards and three touch- Bengals (12-4) — playing on non-losing season under The Falcons can now claim
ami beating the New York downs, including two to the same field where Buffa- coach Mike Tomlin, fueled to be responsible for Brady's
Jets, eliminated the Patriots DeVante Parker, and three lo's Damar Hamlin suffered by a 7-2 finish. Pittsburgh's first losing final record in a
(8-9) from the playoffs for interceptions — all in the cardiac arrest in a horrifying ugly 2-6 start included an regular season.
the second time in three second half. scene six days ago — beat injury to star linebacker T.J. Brady and Tampa Bay's
years and just the fourth DOLPHINS 9, JETS 6 a Ravens team that rested Watt and rookie quarter- other healthy regulars start-
time in 23 seasons under MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) some key players ahead of back Kenny Pickett's as- ed even though the Buc-
coach Bill Belichick. Buffalo — Jason Sanders kicked the postseason. Cincinnati cension to the starting job caneers (8-9) had secured
will host the division rival a go-ahead 50-yard field closed the regular season at halftime of a Week 4 loss the NFC South title and
Dolphins in the wild-card goal with 18 seconds left, with eight straight wins. to the Jets. were locked in as the NFC's
round next weekend. and Miami beat New York Cincinnati also avoided a Pickett completed 13 of 29 No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
With the game in hand, to make the playoffs for the coin flip to determine the passes for 195 yards and a Brady began the day
Bills players held up three first time since 2016. site of its playoff game touchdown and avoided needing nine completions
fingers in honor of Hamlin's The banged-up Dolphins against Baltimore. The Ben- an interception for the sixth to top his 2021 single-sea-
number with the crowd (9-8) snapped a five-game gals were unhappy with time in his last seven ap- son record of 485. He set
chanting "Hamlin! Hamlin!" losing streak and then had the prospect of a coin flip pearances. the mark on a 5-yard pass
The Bills (13-3) closed their to wait a few minutes for costing them a home play- Pittsburgh's defense sacked to Russell Gage, the former
season by winning their fi- Buffalo to defeat New Eng- off game and mocked the Deshaun Watson seven Falcons receiver, early in
nal seven games and over- land to make their postsea- rule change with a coin-flip times to assure the Steelers the second quarter. Brady
came an emotional week son appearance official. celebration after Mixon's of finishing ahead of the finished with 490 comple-
in which Hamlin collapsed Seventh-seeded Miami will TD. Browns (7-10) in the stand- tions.
after going into cardiac ar- play at second-seeded Cincinnati's chances at the ings for the 34th consecu- Rookie Tyler Allgeier rushed
rest and had to be resusci- Buffalo next weekend. The No. 2 seed in the AFC end- tive time. for 135 yards on 24 carries
tated on the field in Cincin- AFC East rivals split the sea- ed when Buffalo beat New Cleveland has had 17 sea- to end the fifth consecutive
nati on Monday night. son series with each win- England. sons of 10 losses or more losing season for Atlanta
Stefon Diggs, who visited ning at home. The Ravens (10-7) fought since the franchise reboot- (7-10), which finished with
Hamlin at the hospital im- Neither team scored a gamely behind rookie third- ed in 1999. back-to-back wins under
mediately after that game, touchdown with rookie stringer Anthony Brown, Watson, who was suspend- second-year coach Arthur
sealed the victory on Sun- Skylar Thompson starting who got the start after ed for the first 11 games of Smith.q