GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings won the NFC North by holding on for a 20-13 win Sunday night over the Green Bay Packers.
Adrian Peterson ran for a touchdown, cornerback Captain Munnerlyn returned a fumble 55 yards for a score, and Minnesota (11-5) claimed its first division title since 2009.
The Vikings will host the Seattle Seahawks for a wild-card playoff game next weekend. The Packers (10-6) will travel to Washington after watching their four-year reign atop the NFC North end.
The upstart Vikings survived despite a shaky finish in hostile territory. The defense knocked away a desperation pass in the end zone from Aaron Rodgers on fourth down as time expired.
Packers kicker Mason Crosby forced a fumble on Cordarrelle Patterson’s potentially field-flipping 70-yard kickoff return with 5:21 left. But the Packers’ next drive ended with Rodgers’ pass being intercepted in the end zone by Xavier Rhodes.
TEXANS 30, JAGUARS 6
HOUSTON (AP) — J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus led the defense and Jonathan Grimes scored twice to help the Texans clinch the AFC South.
Houston will host Kansas City next weekend in the a wild-card game.
Grimes had a 12-yard touchdown reception and added a 3-yard rushing score in the second quarter to help Houston take a 20-3 lead by halftime. Kareem Jackson added a score on an interception return in the fourth quarter to pad the lead.
Watt, playing without a cast for the first time since breaking his left hand Dec. 9, had had three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another one to help the Texans (9-7) to their first division title and playoff berth since 2012.
Blake Bortles threw for 239 yards with two interceptions for the Jaguars (5-11)
BENGALS 24, RAVENS 16
CINCINNATI (AP) — AJ McCarron overcame a rough start and threw a pair of touchdown passes.
The Bengals (12-4) matched the best record in franchise history – they also won 12 games during the 1981 and 1988 seasons when they reached the Super Bowl.
Cincinnati will host Pittsburgh next weekend in a wild-card game.
The AFC North champions wasted a chance to clinch the No. 2 seed when they lost in Denver 20-17 on Monday night.
The Ravens finished 5-11.
PANTHERS 38, BUCCANEERS 10
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Cam Newton ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more, and Carolina captured the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time.
Newton tied Steve Young’s NFL record for most career TDs rushing by a quarterback with 43. Young took 15 seasons to reach that plateau; Newton did it in five.
Newton completed 21 of 26 passes for 293 yards as Carolina (15-1) overcame a slow start to build a 31-3 lead in the third quarter.
Rookie Devin Funchess had seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown and Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 44 yards and a score as Carolina won its 11th straight home game.
Jameis Winston was intercepted twice, and the Bucs (6-10) finished last in the NFC South for the fourth time in five years.
CHIEFS 23, RAIDERS 17
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes, Kansas City sacked Derek Carr six times, and the Chiefs collected a franchise-best 10th straight win.
The Chiefs are headed to Houston for a wild-card game next weekend after Denver won the AFC West with its win over San Diego.
Regardless, the Chiefs (11-5) are somehow in the dance after a 1-5 start.
The Raiders (7-9), who accounted for two of those victories, had the ball with 1:34 left. But Carr was sacked one last time, and the clock expired before they came close to a go-ahead touchdown.
SEAHAWKS 36, CARDINALS 6
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes in a second-quarter outburst and Seattle snapped Arizona’s nine-game winning streak.
Seattle will play at either Washington or Minnesota in the wild card round next weekend, depending on the outcome of Sunday night’s game between the Vikings and Green Bay.
The Seahawks (10-6) dominated from their opening possession and led 30-6 at the half.
It was a sour end to the regular season for the NFC West champion Cardinals (13- 3), who already had clinched the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye.
Tyler Lockett set up three of Seattle’s four first-half touchdowns – with punt returns of 66 and 42 yards and a 36-yard reception.
EAGLES 35, GIANTS 30
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants suffered another tough loss in what may have been Tom Coughlin’s final game.
Former Giant Walter Thurmond scored on an 83-yard fumble return in the third quarter and Philadelphia added to Coughlin’s season-long frustrations.
It was the third straight loss for the Giants (6-10) and finished a third straight losing season and a fourth straight year out of the playoffs.
After meeting with Eagles interim coach Pat Shurmur at midfield, Coughlin walked off the field, waving to the crowd just before walking into the tunnel.
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