Page 65 - MIN VOS 8 DEC 2015

SPORTS A19
NFL Roundup:
Panthers stay unbeaten while Patriots suffer shock loss
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Un-
beaten Carolina wrapped
up the NFC South division
title with a 41-38 win at New
Orleans on Sunday, with
Cam Newton finding Jer-
richo Cotchery with 1:05 to
go for his fifth touchdown
pass of the game.
The Panthers improved to
12-0 — only the ninth team
in NFL history to win their first
dozen games — and be-
came the first team to se-
cure a division title.
The surprise result of the
day came at New Eng-
land, where the Patriots
suffered a shock defeat at
the hands of struggling Phil-
adelphia, while other key
games saw Seattle romp
past Minnesota in a meet-
ing of NFC playoff contend-
ers, and Arizona improve to
10-2 with a convincing win
at St. Louis.
Carolina quarterback New-
ton, who completed 28 of
41 passes for 331 yards,
twice had to lead the
Panthers back from fourth-
quarter deficits to preserve
the Panthers’ unbeaten re-
cord.
Jonathan Stewart had a
5-yard scoring run on a
pitch from Newton.
New Orleans quarterback
Drew Brees passed for 282
yards and three touch-
downs, while Saints line-
backer Stephone Anthony
returned a fumble 31 yards
for a score and also be-
came the first player in NFL
history to return a blocked
extra-point kick for 2 points.
Philadelphia raced out to a
21-point lead at New Eng-
land and held on to beat
the fast-finishing Patriots 35-
28.
The Eagles came into
the game with a 4-7 re-
cord and had given up 45
points apiece in consecu-
tive weeks heading into
a meeting with a Patriots
team that had not lost
back-to-back games since
2012, but pulled off a stun- three touchdowns and
ning result.
Najee Goode scored on
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess (17) scores a touchdown in front of New Or-
leans Saints cornerback Brandon Browner (39), New Orleans Saints linebacker James Anderson
(42) and defensive tackle Kaleb Eulls (71) in the second half of an NFL football game in New Or-
a blocked punt, Malcolm
Jenkins returned an inter-
ception 99 yards for anoth-
er touchdown and Darren
Sproles returned a punt 83
yards as the Eagles special
teams and defense put the
visitors up by 21.
Patriots quarterback Tom
Brady threw for a touch-
down and then, after an
onside kick, ran it in from
the 1 yard-line to cut the
deficit to seven points with David Johnson and Ker-
3 minutes left.
New England’s second
onside kick failed, but the
Patriots (10-2) forced a
third-down fumble to give
Brady one more chance,
but his receivers could not
hold on to their subsequent
chances.
A surging Seattle won a
third straight game with a
38-7 victory at Minnesota.
Russell Wilson threw for
rushed for another while
the Seahawks’ defense
didn’t allow a score.
Doug Baldwin had two
touchdowns and 94 yards
receiving and Thomas
Rawls rushed for 101 yards.
Minnesota’s star running
back Adrian Peterson was
limited to 18 yards on eight
carries, and the Vikings (8-
4) got their only points from whelmed Indianapolis 45-
a kickoff return in the third 10.
quarter.
Arizona’s running backs
wynn Williams scored a
touchdown apiece to lead
the Cardinals to a 27-3 win
at St. Louis.
Johnson, a rookie, had 99
yards on 22 carries in his
first start and caught one
of two TD passes by Carson
Palmer, who led an offense
that accrued 524 yards.
Tuesday 8 December 2015
Williams scored his first ca- fore leaving in the fourth
reer TD on a 35-yard run. quarter because of neck
The Cardinals (10-2) have and shoulder pain. The
won six in a row, and with Colts remain tied with Hous-
a three-game lead in the ton for the lead in the AFC
NFC West, seem certain to North.
Denver won 17-3 at hapless
San Diego, with second-
string quarterback Brock
Osweiler throwing for one
touchdown.
leans, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Bill Feig) Osweiler improved to 3-0
since taking over for the
win the division. injured Peyton Manning,
The Rams (4-8) have lost while Danny Trevathan
five in a row and have intercepted a pass and
been outscored 58-10 over returned it 25 yards for a
the past two. score.
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben It was potentially the pen-
Roethlisberger threw for ultimate Chargers game
364 yards and four touch- in San Diego, with the fran-
downs as the Steelers over- chise eyeing a move to Los
Angeles and the NFL tell-
ing the city of San Diego
Antonio Brown caught that it had until the end of
eight passes for 118 yards this month to come up with
and two scores and also re- plans for a new stadium or
turned a punt 71 yards for the Chargers would move.
a touchdown for the Steel- Kansas City extended its
ers (7-5), who started slowly winning streak to six games
but dominated the final with a 34-20 victory at
three quarters. Oakland, aided by three
Colts quarterback Matt fourth-quarter interceptions
Hasselbeck, standing in for thrown by Raiders quarter-
Andrew Luck, threw for 169 back Derek Carr.
yards with a touchdown The New York Jets rallied
and two interceptions be- from 10 points down with
4:24 to go and beat the
crosstown Giants 23-20 in
overtime, with Randy Bull-
ock kicking a 31-yard field
goal on the first possession
of OT.
Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor threw
a 40-yard touchdown pass
to Charles Clay with 1:53
left to lead the Bills to a
30-21 win against Houston,
putting the two teams on
6-6 records in the AFC play-
off race.
Cincinnati closed in on the
AFC North title with a 37-3
win at a woeful Cleve-
land which has lost seven
straight. Bengals quarter-
back Andy Dalton threw
two touchdown passes
and ran for a score.q