ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -Rookie Trent Edwards’ four touchdown passes, two each to Lee Evans and Robert Royal, led Buffalo to a 38-17 win over the woeful Dolphins on Sunday, dropping Miami to 0-13.
It was the Bills’ most TD passes in a game since Drew Bledsoe had that many in 2004.
The Bills’ running attack produced two 100-yard rushers for the first time since 1996, with Fred Jackson having 115 and Marshawn Lynch adding 107.
Buffalo’s defense did its part, racking up a season-high five sacks and forcing four turnovers, including safety George Wilson returning rookie quarterback John Beck’s fumble 20 yards for a score.
Buffalo (7-6) won for the sixth time in eight games.
Miami (0-13) is off to the third-worst start to a season in NFL history, joining Oakland (1962) and Indianapolis (1986) And the Dolphins, who host Baltimore next weekend, are one loss short of matching the 0-14 record set by Tampa Bay, as an expansion team in 1976, and New Orleans in 1980.
Miami has lost 16 straight dating to last season, matching the eighth longest streak in NFL history.
Cowboys 28, Lions 27
DETROIT (AP) – Jason Witten caught a 16-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass with 18 seconds left. With the win, Dallas (12-1) clinched the NFC East and moved a step closer to earning home-field advantage in the conference playoffs.
The tight end had career highs with 15 receptions and 138 yards, and was able to enjoy his accomplishments because he redeemed himself after fumbling inside the 1 midway through the fourth quarter.
Detroit (6-7) has lost five straight and won’t be able to live up to quarterback Jon Kitna’s expectations of a 10-win season.
Romo was 35-of-44 for 302 yards and two TDs, helping the Cowboys win 12 of their first 13 games for the first time in franchise history.
Kevin Jones ran for 92 yards and two scores, T.J. Duckett had a 32-yard TD run and Detroit led 27-14 after three quarters. Detroit outgained Dallas 390-368, had 152 yards rushing against one of the NFL’s best teams against the run and allowed only one sack after giving up the most in the league.
Packers 38, Raiders 7
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – The Packers didn’t need Brett Favre to throw the ball all over the field to clinch the NFC North, relying on the running of Ryan Grant and a pair of special teams touchdowns from Will Blackmon.
The Packers (11-2) assured an end to their two-year absence from the postseason with three games left to play.
Blackmon, a backup cornerback who has missed most of the season because of a broken foot, returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown and recovered a muffed punt by Raiders returner Tim Dwight in the end zone.
Grant, acquired in a trade with the Giants just before the season, took over as the starter last month. He rushed for a career-high 156 yards and a touchdown, his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Grant’s hard running and sharp cutbacks took pressure off the sore left shoulder and right elbow of Favre, who extended his quarterback-record consecutive starts streak to 250 regular-season games despite leaving last week’s loss at Dallas because of the injuries.
Favre completed 15 of 23 passes for 266 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against Oakland (4-9). His biggest play went to Greg Jennings, who came down with a deep jump ball as Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt fell, then ran for an 80-yard touchdown to put the Packers ahead 24-7 midway through the third quarter.
Chargers 23, Titans 17, OT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – LaDainian Tomlinson scored on a 16-yard run with 7:29 left in overtime, and the Chargers rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter for their third straight victory and seventh in nine games.
Tennessee (7-6) had a chance to run out the clock in a game the Titans desperately needed to stay close to Cleveland and Jacksonville for the AFC’s two wild-card berths. But they gave the ball back to San Diego (8-5) with 2:24 left in regulation and went three-and-out in overtime.
The loss wasted a strong performance by the Tennessee defense, which had five sacks and three interceptions. But the Titans couldn’t get close enough to Philip Rivers, who overcame a sore left knee and two interceptions to throw two TD passes in the final 7:29 – the last with 9 seconds left.
Rivers started the rally with a 7-yard TD pass to Tomlinson with 7:29 left, pulling San Diego within 17-10 to cap a 92-second drive.
Then Rivers moved the Chargers 80 yards in 2:15 even with one play erased by review when Tomlinson was ruled to have stepped out of bounds. Rivers threw down the middle on fourth-and-5 to Chris Chambers for 20 yards, a play that stood under replay.
Tomlinson finished with 26 carries for 146 yards.
Texans 28, Buccaneers 14
HOUSTON (AP) – Sage Rosenfels threw for three touchdowns to lead the Texans (6-7) and has won both games he’s started in place of the injured Matt Schaub.
Rosenfels lost two fumbles, but Tampa Bay (8-5) was only able to convert one into points.
The Buccaneers could have secured the NFC South title with a win, but instead saw their four-game winning streak snapped due to miscues and ineffectiveness.
They started Luke McCown as Jeff Garcia missed his second straight game with a bruised back. McCown had a big game last week in a win over New Orleans, but was sacked four times and harassed for most of the day in this one. He was 25-of-38 for 266 yards with no touchdowns and a fumble.
Mario Williams was in McCown’s face often in this one and sacked him late in the fourth quarter to push his sack total to 9 1/2 this season.
Rosenfels had two touchdown passes of 4 yards and one for 8, and Andre’ Davis added a score on a 97-yard kickoff return. The quarterback finished 27-of-36 for 209 yards.
Greg White sacked Rosenfels three times.
Jaguars 37, Panthers 6
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Fred Taylor ran for 132 yards and a touchdown and Jacksonville (9-4) harassed Vinny Testaverde, stuffed DeShaun Foster and locked down Steve Smith – the defense’s most complete game since consecutive wins at Denver and Kansas City early in the season.
The defense ended up sharing the spotlight with Taylor, whose 80-yard TD run with 9:48 to play was the longest run from scrimmage in the NFL this season.
Taylor started up the middle, cut left and then ran untouched for the score. He outran several defenders on his way to the end zone and ended up passing Eddie George (10,441) and Tiki Barber (10,449) on the NFL’s all-time rushing list.
Taylor now ranks 18th with 10,457 yards. He would have had more yards, but ended up losing 21 yards on a fumble in the second quarter.
The Panthers (5-8) lost for the sixth time in seven games. With games remaining against division leaders Seattle, Dallas and Tampa Bay, Carolina probably needs to win out to even have a shot at making the postseason.
Giants 16, Eagles 13.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Eli Manning threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, Lawrence Tynes made three short field goals and the Giants moved closer to a wild-card playoff spot.
David Akers hit the right upright on a 57-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds after Donovan McNabb drove the Eagles 50 yards in the final minute.
The Giants (9-4) are almost locked into the No. 5 seed in the NFC. Meanwhile, the defending division champion Eagles (5-8) are all but eliminated from contention following their third straight loss.
McNabb hadn’t played since spraining his right ankle against Miami on Nov. 18. A.J. Feeley led the Eagles to a win over the Dolphins, but threw costly interceptions in the final minutes of losses to New England and Seattle.
McNabb led the Eagles into the end zone on their first possession, but they managed just a pair of field goals the rest of the game.
The Giants were driving to put the game away when defensive end Juqua Thomas came forced Brandon Jacobs’ fumble following a 21-yard gain. Thomas recovered at the Eagles 5 with 5:51 left. Philly drove to New York’s 44, but McNabb’s pass to Jason Avant on fourth-and-6 was incomplete and the Eagles didn’t get the ball again until the final minute.
Bengals 19, Rams 10
CINCINNATI (AP) – Rudi Johnson ran 1 yard for a touchdown, Shayne Graham kicked four field goals on a nasty day, and the Bengals took advantage of the Rams’ novice quarterback Brock Berlin.
A steady, often driving rain on a 38-degree afternoon made it tough to throw, catch or hold onto the slick footballs – not what the Rams (3-10) wanted when using their third-string quarterback. Berlin, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, played because injuries wiped out the Rams’ top two options. Marc Bulger (concussion) sat out a second straight game, and backup Gus Frerotte was sidelined by an injury to his passing shoulder.
That made it easy on the Bengals (5-8), who needed only to contain running back Steven Jackson and avoid mistakes. They were barely able to do it.
Fakhir Brown intercepted Carson Palmer’s first pass of the second half and returned it 36 yards for his first career touchdown. Jackson ran 18 times for 91 yards and caught four passes for 26 yards.
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