CLEVELAND (AP) — Johnny Manziel spent his first NFL start being chased and taunted by Cincinnati defenders as the Bengals rudely welcomed the hyped rookie quarterback to the league with a 30-0 demolition of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Manziel failed to live up to the overwhelming buildup surrounding his debut as the AFC North-leading Bengals (9-4-1) built a 20-point halftime lead and rolled to their fourth straight road win.
Bengals rookie Jeremy Hill rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns, backing up his postgame trash talk of the Browns following a loss to them last month.
Manziel, promoted over the slumping Brian Hoyer to spark the Browns (7-7), finished 10 of 18 for 80 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked three times, under pressure all afternoon and had Bengals players imitating his signature “money-rubbing” gesture more than once.
The Bengals got their first shutout since Dec. 21, 2008 in Cleveland.
BRONCOS 22, CHARGERS 10
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Peyton Manning played through a thigh injury and flu-like symptoms and Connor Barth kicked five field goals to lead Denver to a fourth straight AFC West title.
Manning came out of the game late in the second quarter. He apparently hurt his thigh while blocking linebacker Donald Butler on a run by C.J. Anderson.
He returned for the start of the third quarter and on Denver’s second possession threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas to give the Broncos a 16-3 lead.
The Broncos (11-3) won their fourth straight game.
The Chargers (8-6) entered the game as the AFC’s No. 6 seed and saw their wild-card chances diminished. They’ve lost two straight.
COLTS 17, TEXANS 10
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and the Colts won their second straight AFC South title.
Indianapolis (10-4) has won four straight.
It sure wasn’t easy. Luck was 18 of 34 with 187 yards and one interception on the day.
Houston (7-7) lost starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with a left leg injury in the second quarter. Rookie Tom Savage replaced Fitzpatrick and was ineffective, going 10 of 19 for 127 yards.
The Texans took a 7-0 lead on Kendrick Lewis’ 27-yard interception return. Luck tied it with a 26-yard pass to Hakeem Nicks. Luck hooked up with Dwayne Allen on a 3-yard pass to make it 14-7 before halftime. Indy sealed it with a late field goal.
SEAHAWKS 17, 49ERS 7
SEATTLE (AP) — Marshawn Lynch rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown, Russell Wilson threw a touchdown pass to rookie Paul Richardson, and the Seahawks knocked archrival San Francisco from playoff contention.
The defending Super Bowl champions remained in contention for a division title and No. 1 seed in the NFC.
After a sluggish, sloppy first half, Seattle (10-4) awoke in the final 30 minutes behind the running of Lynch and a defense that shut out the 49ers, holding them to 67 yards. Colin Kaepernick was sacked six times and the 49ers didn’t run a play past the Seattle 38 in the second half.
Lynch scored on a 4-yard run late in the third quarter and the Seahawks took advantage of a short field on their next drive, capped by Wilson’s strike to Richardson.
The loss and Detroit’s win eliminated San Francisco (7-7) from contention.
LIONS 16, VIKINGS 14
DETROIT (AP) — Matt Prater’s 33-yard field goal with 3:38 remaining lifted Detroit into a tie for first place in the NFC North.
The Lions (10-4) are now even atop the division with Green Bay, which lost to Buffalo earlier in the day, but Detroit didn’t have an easy time, spotting the Vikings (6-8) a 14-0 lead before a pair of second-quarter interceptions helped the Lions start their rally.
Even at the end, Detroit had to sweat out a 68-yard field goal attempt by Minnesota’s Blair Walsh on the game’s final play. The kick was short.
BILLS 31, PACKERS 13
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bacarri Rambo intercepted two Aaron Rodgers passes and Marcus Thigpen scored on a 75-yard punt return.
Defensive end Mario Williams also forced Rodgers to fumble, which led to running back Eddie Lacy being tackled in the end zone for a safety with 1:51 left. Dan Carpenter hit all three field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder in the second half to help keep Buffalo (8-6) in the AFC playoff picture.
The Bills were also have their first eight-win season since going 9-7 in 2004.
The Packers (10-4) had a five-game win streak snapped, blowing an opportunity to get closer to their sixth consecutive playoff berth.
Rodgers finished 17 of 42 for 185 yards, and two interceptions.
STEELERS 27, FALCONS 20
ATLANTA (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger threw for 360 yards and William Gay returned an interception for a touchdown as the Steelers (9-5) remained a half-game behind Cincinnati in the AFC North with their second straight win.
The Falcons (5-9) ensured themselves of a losing season and slipped out of first place in the NFC South.
Pittsburgh led 13-0 after Gay picked off Matt Ryan’s pass over the middle on the first play of the second quarter, returning it 52 yards. The Steelers extended the lead to 27-13 with Le’Veon Bell’s 1-yard run in the opening minute of the fourth period.
The Falcons made a game of it, pulling within a touchdown on Ryan’s 4-yard pass to Roddy White.
RAVENS 20, JAGUARS 12
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Ravens sacked rookie Blake Bortles eight times and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Baltimore (9-5) gained only 31 yards rushing through three quarters and scored just once with its offense on the field. But the defense and special teams helped the Ravens stay in the thick of the AFC playoff chase.
Terrell Suggs was credited with 2 1/2 sacks and rookie Timmy Jernigan, starting for the suspended Haloti Ngata, had two.
Jacksonville (2-12) tried just about everything in its bid to pull off an upset, including an onside kick and a fake punt. Both worked, but it wasn’t enough to earn the Jaguars their first win on the road.
PANTHERS 19, BUCCANEERS 17
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Derek Anderson threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, Graham Gano kicked four field goals and the Panthers improved their chances in the NFC South playoff race.
The win, coupled with Atlanta’s loss to Pittsburgh, put the Panthers percentage points in first place ahead of New Orleans in the division. The Saints (5-8) play at Chicago on Monday night.
Anderson was 25 of 40 and improved to 2-0 as a starter in place of Cam Newton, sidelined while recovering from a car accident Tuesday that left him with two fractures in his lower back.
Josh McCown threw a touchdown pass and ran for another for the Bucs (2-12).
CHIEFS 31, RAIDERS 13
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith threw for 297 yards and two scores, while Kansas City shut down Derek Carr and the Oakland offense.
Knile Davis had touchdowns running and receiving, and De’Anthony Thomas returned a punt 81 yards for another score as the Chiefs (8-6) got even for a 24-20 loss to Oakland (2-12) last month.
The Chiefs led 10-6 early in the third quarter before scoring three touchdowns in 4 minutes, 42 seconds.
Carr finished 27 of 56 for 222 yards, throwing a TD pass in the final minute.
GIANTS 24, REDSKINS 13
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes to rookie Odell Beckham Jr. and the Giants took advantage of an overturned touchdown at the end of the half.
Manning and Beckham combined 12 times for 143 yards, with touchdown passes covering 10, 35 and 6 yards. The win was the second straight for the Giants (5-9) after seven consecutive losses.
The Redskins (3-11) blew a touchdown and command of the game on a fumble by Robert Griffin III as time expired at the end of the first half. Griffin scrambled for an apparent 8-yard touchdown for a 17-7 lead, diving over the pylon, then running on to the field and spiking the ball with emphasis.
A video review by referee Jeff Triplette determined that Griffin lost control of the ball diving over the pylon and the play was ruled a touchback.
Redskins receiver Santana Moss bumped an official while arguing and was ejected.
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