NFL Latest: Peyton Manning leads Broncos to No. 1 seed
The latest from NFL games on the 17th Sunday of the regular season (all times EST):
7:50 p.m.
Backup Peyton Manning is still the Comeback Kid.
Manning came off the bench in his first career game as a backup and rallied the Broncos to a 27-20 win over San Diego to give Denver the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Manning led the Broncos to 20 points in less than two quarters after replacing Brock Osweiler. The Broncos would've dropped to the No. 5 seed if they lost.
The Patriots missed a chance to earn the top seed by losing at Miami, but also get a first-round bye.
Cincinnati is the No. 3 seed and will host division rival Pittsburgh.
Houston is the No. 4 seed and will host Kansas City, which has won 10 straight games.
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7:35 p.m.
Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers will stay home throughout the playoffs.
The Panthers beat the Buccaneers 38-10 to finish 15-1 and clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed for the first time in the franchise's 21-year history. Arizona gets the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. Washington has the No. 4 seed.
The winner of the Minnesota-Green Bay game wins the NFC North and hosts a first-round game next weekend. The loser gets in as a wild-card.
If the Vikings win, they'll host Seattle and the Packers will play at Washington.
If the Packers win, they'll host Minnesota next week and the Seahawks will play at Washington.
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6:38 p.m.
Peyton Manning's stint as a backup didn't last long.
Manning entered the game to a loud ovation in the third quarter with the Broncos trailing the Chargers 13-7.
Brock Osweiler and Denver's offense committed five turnovers before coach Gary Kubiak pulled his starter for Manning with the No. 1 seed in the AFC at stake.
On the game's second play, Osweiler hit Demaryius Thomas for a 72-yard score. After that, he threw two interceptions and the Broncos didn't come close to scoring.
Manning has been dealing with an injured foot. He hasn't played since throwing four interceptions before being yanked on Nov. 15 in a 29-13 loss to Kansas City.
Manning showed no rust. He completed both of his passes while leading the Broncos on an 80-yard go-ahead TD drive.
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6:29 p.m.
Cam Newton scored on a quarterback sneak in the third quarter to tie Steve Young for the most career rushing TDs by a NFL quarterback with 43.
Young played in 169 games during his career. Newton reached that mark in just 78 games.
Newton has 10 TDs rushing on the season, including two against the Buccaneers today.
- Steve Reed reporting from Charlotte, North Carolina
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5:20 p.m.
Cam Newton scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter against Tampa Bay for his ninth touchdown rushing of the season.
It was Newton's 41st TD run of his career, leaving him one shy of tying Hall of Famer Steve Young's NFL record for TD runs by a quarterback.
The Panthers led 7-3 and needed a win to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
-Steve Reed reporting from Charlotte, North Carolina
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4:15
The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC is up for grabs.
The Patriots lost their hold on the No. 1 seed by losing 20-10 at Miami. The Broncos now can secure the top spot and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over San Diego.
If the Broncos lose to the Chargers, they would drop to a wild-card spot if the Chiefs beat the Raiders.
New England still has a first-round bye and at least one playoff game at Foxborough.
The Bengals have big interest in the outcome of the Broncos-Chargers game. Cincinnati earns a first-round bye if the Broncos lose. If not, the Bengals would be the No. 3 seed and play home next weekend.
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4:12 p.m.
Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills knocked the New York Jets out of the playoffs.
The Bills beat the Jets 22-17, allowing the Steelers to clinch the final AFC wild-card spot with a 28-12 win at Cleveland.
The Jets, Ryan's former team, entered the game in control of their playoff hopes. They needed a win to get in.
When New York's Ryan Fitzpatrick threw an interception in the final seconds at Buffalo, Steelers fans in Cleveland started waving their yellow towels and players congratulated each other on the sideline.
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3:28 p.m.
New York Jets wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker each scored touchdowns against Buffalo on Sunday, extending their NFL record for most games each recording a receiving touchdown. The duo has now scored in nine games this season, two more times than previous record holders Cris Carter and Randy Moss of Minnesota, who scored in seven games during the 1998 season
Earlier in the second half, the Jets lost star defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson to a right ankle injury. Wilkerson had tears in his eyes while being carted off.
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2:39 p.m.
Terrelle Pryor's first NFL catch as a wide receiver was an impressive one.
The former Oakland quarterback, who changed positions to prolong his pro career, hauled in a 42-yard reception from Browns quarterback Austin Davis late in the first half on Sunday against Pittsburgh.
With cornerback Antwon Blake in coverage, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Pryor made a leaping grab down the sideline to help set up Travis Coons' 33-yard field goal. Pryor was released at the end of training camp by the Browns, who signed him following a rash of injuries at the position.
It was Pryor's second career grab. He made one as a quarterback with the Raiders.
-Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland.
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2:31 p.m.
The New England Patriots were on the run at Miami in the first half, when Tom Brady threw only five passes, the lowest halftime total in any game he has started, according to STATS.
Already assured of a first-round bye, the Patriots were eager for Brady to avoid injury. They held the ball for 16:24, rushing 21 times for 62 yards. Brady targeted five different receivers, completing four passes for 20 yards.
Brady tweaked his left ankle and was examined on the sideline after getting rolled but didn't miss a snap.
The Dolphins led 10-3 at halftime. Miami's Andrew Franks (46 yards) and New England's Stephen Gostkowski (46 yards) both missed field-goal tries.
The Patriots clinch the No. 1 seed with a win or Denver loss.
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2:11 p.m.
Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri and Titans tight end Delanie Walker hit milestone numbers.
Vinatieri extended his own NFL record with a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter, becoming the only player to score 100 or more points in 18 consecutive seasons.
Walker became just the ninth tight end to catch 90 or more passes in a season. Walker also is the first tight end in team history to go over 1,000 yards receiving.
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2:10 p.m.
Bills running back Karlos Williams surpassed 500 yards before injuring his knee on a 2-yard TD run, giving the Bills three players with more than 500 yards rushing in the same season for the first time since 1962.
Williams joins LeSean McCoy (895) and Tyrod Taylor (535). In 1962, Cookie Gilchrist (1,096), Wayne Crow (589) and Wray Carlton (530) all reached the 500-yard mark.
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1:54 p.m.
Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams has been helped from the field with a lower leg injury.
Williams did not put any weight on his right leg as he was assisted to the sideline. He was then placed in the front seats of a cart and driven to the locker room for further evaluation.
Williams broke off a 6-yard run on the left side before he was tackled by Browns lineman John Hughes, who appeared to roll on the back of his leg.
The Steelers need to beat the Browns and hope Buffalo can beat the New York Jets to make the playoffs. Williams has been starting since the Steelers lost star running back Le'Veon Bell with a torn knee ligament in November.
-Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland.
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1:51 p.m.
Kirk Cousins isn't slowing down in a meaningless finale for the playoff-bound Washington Redskins.
Already the first Washington quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards with at least four touchdowns and no interceptions in consecutive games, Cousins threw three scoring passes in the first quarter against Dallas on Sunday.
The first scoring toss, a 5-yarder to Ryan Grant, made Cousins the first Redskins quarterback to throw for a touchdown in all 16 regular-season games. Cousins also had a 39-yarder to Pierre Garcon and a 3-yarder to Jamison Crowder.
Washington clinched the NFC East title last week. The Cowboys, who came in at 4-11, are on their way to their most losses since going 1-15 in 1989, the year owner and general manager Jerry Jones bought the team.
-Schuyler Dixon reporting from Arlington, Texas.
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1:22 p.m.
Antonio Brown has his hands on an NFL record.
Brown became the first player in league history to have 125 catches in two straight seasons. Brown entered Sunday's game with 123 receptions, and quickly grabbed a couple passes from Ben Roethlisberger early in the first quarter against the Browns.
The Pro Bowl receiver also passed his club record for yards receiving in a season and is trying to lead the league in both catches and yards.
Brown had 129 catches for 1,698 yards in 2014. Before he caught his 125th pass, Brown fumbled following a 13-yard reception.
-Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland.
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1:05 p.m.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin posed for a pre-game photo with his entire family, including 11 grandchildren wearing ''Coughlin's Crew'' sweatshirts.
Coughlin could be coaching his last game with the Giants after 12 seasons and two Super Bowl championships. New York missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season after beating New England in the Super Bowl.
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1 p.m.
Meet your backup quarterback, Peyton Manning.
Brock Osweiler is getting his seventh straight start when the Broncos try to wrap up a fifth consecutive AFC West title and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Kickoff against the Chargers is at 4:25. Manning will be suited up for the first time since Nov. 15, when a left foot injury thrust his understudy into the starting job.
This marks Manning's first game as a backup since his freshman year at Tennessee.
On Sept. 24, 1994, Manning replaced an injured Todd Helton in a game against Mississippi State.
So, he went 7,771 days between backup roles.
-Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.
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