Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes, including a 94-yarder to the rookie Martavis Bryant in the fourth quarter, and the Pittsburgh Steelers drubbed the host Cincinnati Bengals, 42-21, on Sunday, turning the A.F.C. North into a wide-open race.
In a game they had to win, the Steelers caught up and ran away with 25 points in the fourth quarter.
'We have a great opportunity in front of us, so I'm going to embrace it,' said Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, who ran for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass. 'This is the part of the year where things get a little tight; they get more exciting.'
The division's four teams are separated by a game and a half. For Cincinnati, the game was a second straight lopsided loss at home to a division rival.
COLTS 25, BROWNS 24 Andrew Luck threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to T. Y. Hilton with 32 seconds left, rallying Indianapolis over host Cleveland.
Before Luck connected with Hilton, Colts running back Daniel Herron picked up 2 yards on fourth down to keep the drive alive. Luck, who threw two interceptions and spent the day being harassed by an energized Browns defense, then fired his second touchdown pass to Hilton.
The Colts trailed by 21-7 in the third quarter but stormed back behind Luck, who finished 24 of 53 for 294 yards.
RAIDERS 24, 49ERS 13 Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes, and Oakland put a dent in San Francisco's dwindling playoff hopes with a victory at home in the Battle of the Bay.
Carr completed 22 of 28 passes for 254 yards and outplayed his counterpart, Colin Kaepernick, as the Raiders won their second consecutive home game.
With a second straight loss, the 49ers are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in Coach Jim Harbaugh's four-year tenure.
RAVENS 28, DOLPHINS 13 Baltimore played more than 17 minutes before picking up a first down, then overcame a 10-point deficit at Miami.
The Ravens rallied with consecutive touchdown drives of 97 and 75 yards and added the clinching score after a favorable replay reversal.
The victory gave Baltimore a significant edge over Miami in the scramble for an A.F.C. wild-card playoff berth. The Dolphins, who have not been to the postseason since 2008, are now a long shot with three games to go.
SEAHAWKS 24, EAGLES 14 Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Seattle stifled host Philadelphia's high-powered offense for a third straight win.
Wilson had 263 yards passing and ran for 48.
Richard Sherman and the Seahawks' defense held the Eagles to 139 total yards, the fewest under Chip Kelly.
CARDINALS 17, CHIEFS 14 Kerwynn Williams rushed for 100 yards two days after being elevated from Arizona's practice squad, and the Cardinals rallied past visiting Kansas City.
The N.F.C. West-leading Cardinals took the lead when Drew Stanton threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Brown in the third quarter.
Jamaal Charles scored two first-half touchdowns on a 63-yard run and an 18-yard pass from Alex Smith, but the Chiefs were shut out in the second half.
TEXANS 27, JAGUARS 13 Arian Foster ran for 127 yards and a touchdown, and Houston won at Jacksonville.
The Texans won consecutive games for the first time since Week 2 and kept pace in the muddled A.F.C. wild-card race.
Foster's 1-yard run on the second play of the fourth quarter gave Houston a comfortable cushion in what had been a back-and-forth game.
BRONCOS 24, BILLS 17 C. J. Anderson ran for three touchdowns, and Denver overcame a rare unsteady outing by Peyton Manning to beat visiting Buffalo.
Manning's streak of 51 straight games with a touchdown throw - three shy of Drew Brees's N.F.L. record - ended on a sun-splashed, almost still afternoon in Denver, where the game-time temperature was 63 degrees.
Despite three turnovers, the Broncos won their third straight game since changing from a pass-oriented attack to a run-heavy approach.
RAMS 24, REDSKINS 0 St. Louis achieved back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1945, winning at Washington and compiling its first winning streak of the season.
Jared Cook caught two touchdown passes, Tavon Austin returned a punt 78 yards for a score, and the defense allowed 206 total yards.
The Rams sacked Colt McCoy six times. He suffered a neck injury on the sixth sack just before the two-minute warning, and Robert Griffin III finished the game in his first appearance since being benched two weeks ago. Griffin was sacked once during his brief appearance.
LIONS 34, BUCCANEERS 17 Matthew Stafford threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns, including one off a fluky deflection late in the game, and Detroit kept the pressure on in the N.F.C. North race with a victory over visiting Tampa Bay.
The Lions trail first-place Green Bay by half a game, with the Packers hosting Atlanta on Monday night.
Tampa Bay was finally eliminated from playoff contention; the N.F.C. South's mediocrity could keep the Bucs in it for only so long.
PANTHERS 41, SAINTS 10 Cam Newton passed for three touchdowns and appeared to incite a scuffle with frustrated New Orleans after he went over the pile for another score, and visiting Carolina ended a six-game skid with a rout of the Saints.
Jonathan Stewart added a 69-yard touchdown as the Panthers pulled closer to the N.F.C. South leader, Atlanta.
PLAYERS SEND A MESSAGE Lions running back Reggie Bush and Browns cornerback Johnson Bademosi warmed up in shirts printed with the message 'I Can't Breathe' before games Sunday, and Rams offensive lineman Davin Joseph wore the slogan on his cleats. Rams tight end Jared Cook had it written on his wrist tape during the game, and he said receiver Kenny Britt and two or three other offensive players had done the same.
The slogan refers to Eric Garner, a Staten Island man who died after a police officer placed him in a chokehold while arresting him on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes. A grand jury decided Wednesday not to indict the officer. A video of the arrest showed Garner saying, 'I can't breathe.'
Posted by Unknown on Sunday, December 7, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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