Latest from the NFL: Vikings can clinch playoff spot tonight
The latest from NFL games on the 16th Sunday of the regular season (all times EST):
---
8:20 p.m.
The Minnesota Vikings have some work to do on assuring their spot in the playoffs, after failing to get the help they needed this afternoon to clinch before kickoff against the New York Giants.
With Seattle falling at home to St. Louis and Atlanta handing Carolina its first loss of the season, the Vikings went into the game against the already eliminated Giants without a wild card spot secured.
They can punch their playoff ticket with a win tonight.
No matter what, the Vikings will play at Green Bay next weekend to decide the NFC North title.
---
6:50 p.m.
Aaron Rodgers is still in the game at Arizona, where the Cardinals lead the Packers 38-8 late in the third quarter.
Backup Scott Tolzien was warming up after Rodgers' eighth sack, which resulted in a fumble and a scoop-6 by the Cardinals.
But Rodgers trotted back out onto the field even though he'd been knocked down 10 ties and hit 13 times in 30 drop-backs.
---
5:55 p.m.
The Arizona Cardinals have a 17-0 halftime lead over Green Bay.
The Packers have been shut out in the first half twice this season.
The other time was at Detroit last month when they were down 20-0 and won it on Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary pass on an untimed down on the final play of the game.
In St. Louis, the Rams have a 16-3 lead at the half over Seattle. And New Orleans leads Jacksonville 24-6 early in the third quarter.
---
5:30 p.m.
Drew Brees is backing up his decision to play through a painful tear of his plantar fascia ligament in his right foot.
The record-setting Saints quarterback, who has missed only one game in the past 10 seasons, has led New Orleans to points on four of the Saints' first five offensive series for a 24-6 lead over the Jaguars.
With 2 minutes left in the first half, Brees was 11 of 17 passing for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
Brees injured his foot in the second quarter of last Monday night's game and played through it, throwing for most of his 341 yards and all three of his TDs after his injury - a performance which gave him more than 4,000 yards passing for an NFL record 10th straight season.
Brees' prolific start came despite the absence of Saints all-time receiver Marques Colston, who had three TDs in the past two games, but was scratched Sunday because of a chest injury.
-Brett Martel reporting from New Orleans.
---
4:50 p.m.
The Kansas City Chiefs are heading back to the playoffs after holding off Cleveland today 17-13 for their ninth straight victory. When Pittsburgh lost to Baltimore moments later, the Chiefs clinched at least a wild-card berth.
Both the top team in the AFC and the NFC lost today.
The Patriots were beaten by the Jets 26-20 in overtime after they stunningly chose to kick off after winning the coin toss. Eric Decker's 6-yard TD catch assured the Patriots and Tom Brady never touched the ball in overtime.
The Steelers' playoff hopes took a hit with a 20-17 loss at Baltimore, where Ryan Mallet threw for a career-high 274 yards in his first start for the Ravens.
In other games, Houston beat Tennessee 34-6; Indy edged Miami 18-12; Detroit beat San Francisco 32-17; Buffalo edged Dallas 16-6 and Chicago beat Tampa Bay 26-21
---
4:37 p.m.
The Panthers and Patriots have both lost.
The top team in the AFC, New England won the overtime coin toss and chose to kick off. And Eric Decker caught a 6-yard touchdown pass on the first drive of overtime to give the Jets a 26-20 win.
That put New York in position to make the playoffs. The Jets will earn a wild-card berth with a win next week at Buffalo.
Carolina's bid for an undefeated season ended when Julio Jones' dramatic 70-yard touchdown reception powered the Atlanta Falcons to a 20-13 victory over Cam Newton and the Panthers in Atlanta.
Carolina (14-1) got the ball with 90 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. Newton completed a 19-yard pass to Corey Brown on first down but fumbled when stripped by Vic Beasley Jr. on the following play. Adrian Clayborn recovered for the Falcons.
---
4:10 p.m.
The members of the 1972 Dolphins can pop the bubbly finally. The Carolina Panthers' shot at perfection ended with a 20-13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Panthers had won their first 14 games.
The '72 Dolphins are the only team since the merger to go unbeaten.
---
3:47 p.m.
Houston linebacker Jadeveon Clowney has a left foot injury and won't return against Tennessee.
Clowney was pass rushing when he went down with 13:58 left against Tennessee. The top overall draft pick of 2014 stayed down on his knees for a couple minutes before walking slowly to the sideline.
With Houston leading 34-0, the Texans had no reason for Clowney to return.
Clowney had been as healthy as he's been in the NFL with 3 1/2 sacks in his previous five games, starting to draw double teams normally reserved for J.J. Watt.
-Teresa M. Walker reporting in Nashville, Tenn.
---
3:32 p.m.
Falcons receiver Julio Jones made a spectacular 70-yard touchdown catch that put Atlanta up 14-10 over Carolina in the third quarter.
Jones beat linebacker Luke Kuechly on a deep route down the left side, turning to catch a pass that Matt Ryan launched from the Atlanta 30.
Kuechly had a good chance for an interception or a pass breakup, but Jones reached from behind and snatched the ball away as safety Kurt Coleman fell down.
Catching the ball at the 17, Jones ran uncontested in for the score.
It's his 126th reception, third-most in a single season. Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison set the NFL record in 2002 with 143 catches.
---
3:20 p.m.
New York Jets running back Chris Ivory has returned after being listed as questionable to come back from a knee injury suffered in the first half against the New England Patriots.
Ivory was in the backfield for the Jets' opening possession to start the second half.
---
3:10 p.m.
New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall became the first player in NFL history with six 100-catch seasons.
That breaks a tie with Andre Johnson and Wes Welker, who had five.
Marshall set the mark with an 18-yard catch late in the third quarter against the New England Patriots.
He's the first Jets player with 100 receptions in a season, and set the franchise's single-season mark earlier in the game when he got his 94th catch - breaking Al Toon's record.
- Dennis Waszak reporting from East Rutherford, New Jersey
---
2:35 p.m.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor broke Doug Flutie's 16-year-old franchise record for quarterback rushing yards in a season with a 6-yard run on Sunday.
The run around right tackle came in the second quarter of Buffalo's game against Dallas, and gave Taylor 480 yards this season.
Flutie set the team standard in 1999 when he shattered Daryle Lamonica's 1964 mark of 289 yards, posting 476 rushing yards.
The drive ended with a Taylor interception, and Buffalo and Dallas are tied 6-6 at halftime.
- Nick Mendola reporting from Orchard Park, New York.
---
2:30 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has left the game because of an injury for the fourth week in a row, and has been ruled out for the rest of the game with a shoulder injury.
Hasselbeck was hurt when hit by Miami's Jordan Phillips as he threw an incomplete pass in the second quarter.
Hasselbeck shook his throwing arm in pain, stayed in the game for one more play and threw another incompletion, and was replaced by third-stringer Charlie Whitehurst.
Andrew Luck was inactive, missing his sixth consecutive game with a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle.
Colts guard Hugh Thornton left the game in the first half with an ankle injury and was questionable to return.
---
2:25 p.m.
New York Jets running back Chris Ivory has left the game against the New England Patriots with a knee injury.
The team announced that Ivory was questionable to return after the Jets' leading rusher was hurt in the first half.
Ivory was on the sideline being looked at by trainers, and had what appeared to be a large pad covering his right knee before he got up and headed to the locker room.
Ivory entered with 951 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. He had six rushes for 28 yards and two catches for 7 yards before leaving.
- Dennis Waszak reporting from East Rutherford, N.J.
---
2:20 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has departed because of an injury for the fourth game in a row. Hasselbeck was hurt when hit by Miami's Jordan Phillips as he threw an incomplete pass in the second quarter.
Hasselbeck shook his throwing arm in pain, stayed in the game for one more play and threw another incompletion, and was replaced by third-stringer Charlie Whitehurst.
Andrew Luck was inactive, missing his sixth consecutive game with a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle.
---
2:15 p.m.
Buffalo Bills receiver Marcus Easley has been carted off the field after an injury covering a punt midway through the second quarter against Dallas.
The special teams ace appeared to plant his left leg awkwardly while attempting to get to Cowboys returner Lucky Whitehead during a 28-yard return.
Easley's leg was immobilized and he needed help to sit up. An emotional Easley covered his head in a towel and held it near his eyes.
He will not return.
---
2 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten caught a 12-yard pass from Kellen Moore to set the team record for consecutive games with a catch.
It was the 118th consecutive game with a reception for Witten, who entered the game tied with Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. The first game of his streak came on Nov. 16, 2008.
- Nick Mendola reporting from Orchard Park, New York.
---
1:40 p.m.
The New England Patriots are down yet another offensive lineman.
Starting left tackle Sebastian Vollmer was carted from the field during the Patriots' first offensive possession against the New York Jets with an injured left leg. He appeared to get tied up in a pile on Joey Iosefa's run for no gain on third-and-1 from the Patriots 39.
Trainers came out to check on Vollmer, who appeared to be wincing in pain as his left leg and foot were being examined. After being helped to the cart, several of his teammates and Jets players came over and patted him on the shoulder and back.
New England announced that Vollmer was out for the rest of the game.
The Patriots have used 11 starting combinations on their offensive line because of injuries throughout the season. Vollmer opened the season as New England's starter at right tackle, but moved to left tackle after Nate Solder was injured.
- Dennis Waszak reporting from East Rutherford, N.J.
---
1:30 p.m.
Move over, Al Toon.
Brandon Marshall broke the New York Jets' single-season franchise record for catches, with a 5-yard reception against the New England Patriots.
Marshall, in his first season with the Jets, entered the game tied with Toon, who caught 93 passes during the 1988 season. On third-and-3 from the New York 41, Marshall took a pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick and converted the first down midway through the opening quarter.
Marshall and Eric Decker came into the game with a combined 165 catches, 2,191 yards receiving and 21 TDs (the most combined in team history). They also ranked first among NFL receiver tandems in receptions, second in yards and tied for first in TDs.
Toon was a three-time Pro Bowl selection from 1985-92, but was forced to retire at 29 years old because of several concussions. He had 517 receptions for 6,605 yards and 31 touchdowns.
- Dennis Waszak reporting from East Rutherford, New Jersey.
---
1:25 p.m.
Anquan Boldin is in the 1,000-catch club.
The San Francisco 49ers receiver became the 13th NFL player with at least 1,000 receptions on the first snap of Sunday's game at Detroit. Blaine Gabbert threw a short pass to Boldin, who gained 5 yards on the play. Boldin had two more receptions on the opening drive, helping San Francisco take a 7-0 lead against the Lions.
Boldin reached the milestone in his 185th game, a pace that trails just Marvin Harrison (167), Andre Johnson (168), Jerry Rice (181) and Larry Fitzgerald (182) in league history. Earlier this season, the former Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens receiver became the first player in league history to have at least 50 receptions and 600 yards receiving in his first 13 seasons.
- Larry Lage reporting from Detroit.
---
1:20 p.m.
Mo Lewis was one of the biggest playmakers in New York Jets history and also helped set the course of New England Patriots - and NFL - history.
The former linebacker made a rare public appearance since retiring after the 2003 season, serving as the Jets' ''pilot of the game'' and joining Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Marcus Gilchrist and Calvin Pryor for the coin toss Sunday at MetLife Stadium. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection, had 52 1/2 sacks, 13 fumble recoveries, 14 interceptions and 1,006 tackles, but might be best remembered for his hit on Drew Bledsoe on Sept. 23, 2001.
The Patriots quarterback scrambled to his right after being flushed out of the pocket late in the fourth quarter. As he ran down the right sideline and headed out of bounds, Lewis slammed into Bledsoe's left side and shoulder. Bledsoe played another series, but had suffered massive internal bleeding.
He was replaced at the end of the game by a kid named Tom Brady, who was in his second season. Brady led the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory that season, Bledsoe was traded the next offseason - and the Patriots dynasty was born.
- Dennis Waszak reporting from East Rutherford, N.J.
---
12 p.m.
Ryan Mallett is slated to start at quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mallett is the fourth different starting quarterback for the Ravens over a six-week span.
Joe Flacco started 137 consecutive regular-season and playoff games, the most to begin a career in NFL history, before tearing an ACL in his left knee in November.
Matt Schaub started two games and Jimmy Clausen started two, and now it's Mallett, who was signed Dec. 15.
Clausen was placed on the inactive list for Sunday's game.
Mallett was cut by the Houston Texans on Oct. 27 after missing a flight to Miami. He will probably get a two-week tryout to determine if he's backup quarterback material for next season.
- David Ginsburg reporting from Baltimore
---
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL