Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
sports Tuesday 19 december 2017

NFL Capsules:

Continued from Page 17 short kick that would have
sent the game to overtime,
Primary punt returner Jay- Roethlisberger tried to win
don Mickens, who stepped it.
in for injured starter Mar- Instead, he lost it. His pass
qise Lee in the first quar- to Eli Rogers was batted
ter, caught four passes for into the air, and New Eng-
61 yards and two scores land safety Duron Harmon
against the Texans (4-10). came down with it. One
The Jaguars were an NFL- kneel down later, the Pa-
worst 22-74 over the previ- triots had their fifth straight
ous six years, more a laugh- victory over the Steelers.
ingstock than a postseason Brown, the NFL’s leading
contender. receiver, went to a hospital
PATRIOTS 27, STEELERS 24 having his left calf injury ex-
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tom amined.
Brady fed Rob Gronkowski RAMS 42, SEAHAWKS 7
repeatedly to set up Dion SEATTLE (AP) — Todd Gurley
Lewis’ go-ahead 8-yard rushed for 152 yards and
touchdown with 56 sec- scored four total touch-
onds remaining and Ben downs in just 2½ quarters,
Roethlisberger was inter- and the Rams moved to
cepted in the end zone the cusp of their first division Jaguars’ quarterback Blake Bortles throws a pass as he is pressured by Houston Texans’ inside
with 5 seconds left. title since 2003. linebacker Brian Cushing during the first half of Sunday’s game at EverBank Field in Jacksonville,
The Patriots (11-3) gained The matchup to determine Fla.
the inside track for home- first place in the NFC West Associated Press
field advantage in the AFC was completely one-sid- title in 14 years. 6) to a lead as Ryan Suc- Marvin Lewis will not return
playoffs by ending Pitts- ed. Los Angeles (10-4) was 49ERS 25, TITANS 23 cop kicked a 50-yard field next season .
burgh’s eight-game win- dominant, embarrassing SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) goal with 1:07 to play, then The game went so smooth-
ning streak. Brady threw for Seattle into the worst loss — Jimmy Garoppolo led Garoppolo and the San ly that Teddy Bridgewater
298 yards with two touch- during Pete Carroll’s eight one final scoring drive in Francisco offense got one even made his grand en-
downs and an intercep- seasons in charge. the closing seconds to cap last shot. trance, his first live action in
tion. Gronkowski, fresh off a Taking advantage of field a fantastic first home start VIKINGS 34, BENGALS 7 16 months since a massive
one-game suspension, fin- position, the Rams scored and Robbie Gould kicked MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eric knee injury. Bridgewater’s
ished with nine receptions on six of seven first-half a winning 45-yard field goal Kendricks had an intercep- first pass was intercepted,
for 168 yards, including four drives, including a 21-point as time expired. tion return for a touchdown, a high throw that bounced
on the winning drive. blitz in the second quar- Garoppolo threw for a Case Keenum passed for off McKinnon’s hands and
It briefly looked like it ter capped by a 57-yard career-high 381 yards and 236 yards and two scores, into the arms of strong safe-
wouldn’t be enough. TD run by Gurley on third- a touchdown to give the and the Vikings clinched ty Shawn Williams deep in
The Steelers (11-3), who and-20 with less than a 49ers (4-10) a three-game the NFC North over the de- Vikings territory.
played most of the game minute remaining in the first winning streak in a lost pleted and disinterested That set up a short touch-
without injured star wide half to take a 34-0 lead at season. And Tom Brady’s Bengals. down run by Giovani Ber-
receiver Antonio Brown, the break. former backup showed Running backs Latavius nard to keep the Bengals
appeared to take the Gurley had 144 yards rush- he could do it at home as Murray and Jerick McK- from being shut out for a
lead when Roethlisberger ing in the first half, twice well as on the road — and innon combined for 37 second time this year.
connected with tight end scoring from the 1. He add- against a playoff contend- touches and 242 yards Keenum completed 20 of
Jesse James for a 10-yard ed a 14-yard TD reception er, no less — outdueling from scrimmage for the 23 passes, including seven
touchdown with 28 sec- midway through the third Marcus Mariota down the Vikings (11-3), who were easy tosses to McKinnon
onds to left. The play was quarter for a 40-0 Rams stretch as the teams traded given quite the reprieve on for 114 yards in the first 100-
overturned on review, with lead and spent the rest of field goals. the schedule a week after yard receiving game for a
official Tony Corrente say- his day watching. The 152 Gould kicked three of his their eight-game winning Vikings running back since
ing the ball did not “sur- yards rushing were the sec- six field goals over the final streak ended at Carolina Onterrio Smith on Sept. 26,
vive” the completion of the ond best of his career. nine minutes: 50, 48 and 45 in the last of three con- 2004, against Chicago.
catch. The Rams don’t have the yards, and has now gone secutive road trips. They Lewis who lost to a former
Roethlisberger hit Darrius division wrapped up, but 20 consecutive without a were never challenged assistant (Mike Zimmer) for
Heyward-Bey for a short have a two-game lead miss. the Bengals (5-9), missing the first time in eight match-
gain, whp but stayed in with two weeks to play. Gould put the Niners out more than half of the start- ups.
bounds. With the clock run- A win against either Ten- front on a 48-yarder with ing defense to injuries, and Zimmer was the defensive
ning and no timeouts, rath- nessee or San Francisco is 3:08 remaining. Mariota met with a morning report coordinator for the Bengals
er than spike it to set up a enough for their first division then drove the Titans (8- by ESPN that head coach from 2008-13.q