ted Southgates decision to bench him against Slovenia with apparent good grace and insisted this was not the begin

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ezekiel Elliott celebrated a short touchdown run by jumping into an oversized Salvation Army red kettle and the Dallas Cowboys closed in on home-field advantage in the playoffs with a 26-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night.The Cowboys (12-2) bounced back after their franchise-record 11-game winning streak ended, hanging on after what looked to be a festive night following Elliotts antics turned tense when Jameis Winston rallied the Bucs from a 17-3 deficit to a 20-17 lead.Making his debut in the Sunday night spotlight, Winston threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns but had four turnovers, including an interception that led to Dan Baileys 38-yard field goal that gave Dallas a 23-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.Tampa Bay (8-6) had its five-game winning streak snapped and fell a game behind Atlanta in the NFC South. Dallas stayed two games ahead of the New York Giants in the NFC East and needs a win without any help to clinch the home field throughout the NFC playoffs.Elliott, the NFLs rushing leader, had a career-high 159 yards, including a 42-yard run to set up Baileys fourth field goal for the six-point lead.Fellow rookie Dak Prescott bounced back from his worst game as a pro, going 32 of 36 for 279 yards a week after completing less than 50 percent of his passes in a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants.Elliott had NFL career rushing leader and former Dallas star Emmitt Smith and plenty of other people laughing when he jumped into the kettle and disappeared when he crouched down following a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He drew a 15-yard penalty.TITANS 19, CHIEFS 17KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ryan Succop kicked a 53-yard field goal into the wind as time expired to give Tennessee the victory over Kansas on a frigid afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium.Succop, who spent the first part of his career with Kansas City, came up short on his first try at the winner, but Chiefs coach Andy Reid had called a timeout just before the snap. Given a second chance, Succop knocked it through with a couple feet to spare as the Titans poured off the bench to celebrate.The Titans rallied from a 17-7 hole, and Derrick Henrys second touchdown got Tennessee (8-6) within 17-16 with just over three minutes left. But Titans coach Mike Mularkey went for the 2-point conversion and the lead. Marcus Mariota was pressured immediately and his pass never reached the end zone.But the Chiefs (10-4), trying to clinch a playoff spot, were unable to run out the clock and Tennessee got the ball back with a minute left. With no timeouts, Mariota calmly found Rishard Matthews for 19 yards and Delanie Walker twice to set up Succops field-goal attempt.Tennessee is tied for the AFC South lead with Houston.RAIDERS 19, CHARGERS 16SAN DIEGO -- Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 44-yard field goal with 2:40 left, his fourth of the game, and the Raiders beat the Chargers in the Relocation Bowl to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2002.Playing before what looked like a home crowd at 70,000-seat Qualcomm Stadium, the visiting Raiders (11-3) earned a playoff nod on the same field where they made their last postseason appearance, an embarrassing 48-21 loss to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl on Jan. 26, 2003.There was a surreal atmosphere to the game, which might be the Chargers second-to-last in San Diego. Team chairman Dean Spanos seems almost certain to move the Bolts (5-9) to the Los Angeles area after failing to get a big public subsidy to help him replace aging Qualcomm Stadium.The Raiders could be on the move, too, with owner Mark Davis eyeing Las Vegas, although theyd still play in Oakland until a new stadium is built in Sin City.TEXANS 21, JAGUARS 20HOUSTON -- Tom Savage threw for 260 yards after Brock Osweiler was benched in the second quarter, and Lamar Miller scored Houstons only with less than three minutes remaining.Jacksonville fired coach Gus Bradley after the game.The win was Houstons 10th straight in the division and left the Texans (8-6) tied with Tennessee for the AFC South lead. But Houston controls its playoff future with a 5-0 mark in the division.Osweiler threw interceptions on consecutive drives in the second quarter to help Jacksonville build a 13-0 lead. Coach Bill OBrien had insisted all season he hadnt thought about benching Osweiler, but hed seen enough after that and brought in Savage. The move was met with a huge ovation from the home crowd that had been booing Osweiler for most of the day.The Jaguars got the ball back twice after falling behind, but they failed on a fourth-down conversion the first time and Blake Bortles was intercepted the second time. Bortles threw for 92 yards and ran for a touchdown for the Jaguars (2-12), who dropped their ninth straight.PATRIOTS 16, BRONCOS 3DENVER -- Tom Brady overcame a slow start to lead the Patriots to a rare win in Denver, dealing a crushing blow to the Broncos playoff hopes.Brady missed his first six passes for just the second time in his career; the first was way back on Oct. 12, 2003, against the Giants. But he came back to lead the Patriots (12-2) to a record eighth consecutive division title and a first-round bye.Brady returned to the site of his worst beating, a 20-18 loss in the AFC championship 11 months ago when he was hit a career-high 23 times. This time, he brought a power run game and a much-improved O-line with him.The result was just his third win in Denver in 10 tries, and it was the Broncos hopes of defending their Super Bowl title that took a beating. The Broncos (8-6) lost for the third time in four games and were supplanted by the Dolphins for the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC race with two weeks remaining.PACKERS 30, BEARS 27CHICAGO -- Aaron Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson with a 60-yard pass to set up Mason Crosbys 32-yard field goal as time expired in one of the coldest games ever played in Chicago.Wide receiver-turned-running back Ty Montgomery ran for a career-high 162 yards and two touchdowns, and the Packers (8-6) earned their fourth straight victory despite blowing a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter.They also moved ahead of Minnesota for second place in the NFC North and pulled within a game of division leader Detroit.The Bears (3-11) tied it on a field goal by Connor Barth with 1:19 left. The Packers took over at their 27, and on third down at the 26, Rodgers unleashed a deep pass down the middle of the field to Nelson, who got behind CreVon LeBlanc.With no timeouts, the Packers downed the ball before Crosby booted his winner.The game-time temperature was 11 degrees with a minus-4 wind chill. Chicago hosted the Packers in 3-degree temperature and a minus-15 wind chill -- the lowest ever for a Bears home game -- on Dec. 18, 1983. The Bears coldest home game, temperature-wise, was against Green Bay on Dec. 22, 2008, when it was 2 degrees with a minus-13 wind chill.The Packers tied the NFLs oldest rivalry for the first time since 1933 at 94-94-6.BILLS 33, BROWNS 13ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The bumbling Browns are two losses short of becoming the NFLs second team to go 0-16 in one season.LeSean McCoy had a season-best 153 yards rushing and scored twice, and the Bills kept their slim playoff hopes alive.The Browns dropped to 0-14, matching the second-worst start to a season set by the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 1980 New Orleans Saints. The 2008 Detroit Lions , meanwhile, are the NFLs only team to go without a win in a 16-game season.Cleveland has also lost 17 straight dating to last year, moving into a tie with the St. Louis Rams (2008-09) and Houston Oilers (1982-83) for the leagues sixth-longest skid. The Browns have now gone a calendar year since their last win, a 24-10 victory over San Francisco on Dec. 13, 2015.The Browns have been so bad they havent had a lead in 17-plus quarters, dating to a 7-6 edge in the third quarter of a 28-7 loss at Baltimore on Nov. 10.STEELERS 24, BENGALS 20CINCINNATI -- Chris Boswell tied the club record with six field goals, and Ben Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.The Steelers (9-5) have won five straight and can clinch the AFC North title with a victory at home next Sunday against Baltimore (8-6). As a first step, they rallied from a 14-point deficit -- kick by kick -- and eliminated the defending champions at a place where theyre right at home.They beat the Bengals (5-8-1) in the opening round of the playoffs 18-16 last January, getting the winning field goal with the help of penalties on Vontaze Burfict and Adam Pacman Jones. Burfict and Jones each got a personal foul on Sunday -- Pittsburghs Marcus Gilbert had one as well -- as the animosity continued.So did the Steelers dominance at Paul Brown Stadium, where theyve won four in a row.Boswell accounted for Pittsburghs first 15 points with kicks from 45, 49, 49, 40, 49 and 30 yards.In the end, there was another Bengals meltdown. They had penalties on four consecutive plays -- including Pat Sims personal foul -- that set up Roethlisbergers 24-yard touchdown pass to Eli Rogers for a 24-20 lead.RAVENS 27, EAGLES 26BALTIMORE -- The Ravens survived a desperate comeback bid by the Eagles, stopping a 2-point conversion with 4 seconds left.On a wet and windy day, the Ravens maintained control of their playoff possibilities. If Baltimore defeats Pittsburgh on Christmas Day and Cincinnati in the regular-season finale, the Ravens will enter the postseason as AFC North champions.Baltimore (8-6) led 27-17 with just over six minutes left when Joe Flacco threw an interception inside the Philadelphia 10 to give the Eagles (5-9) another chance.Rookie Carson Wentz directed a drive that produced a field goal with 2:22 remaining.The Eagles got the ball back at their 41 with 1:39 to go. A 24-yard completion to Zach Ertz and a pass interference call against rookie Tavon Young set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Wentz that got Philadelphia within a point.First-year coach Doug Pederson went for the win. Wentz threw over the middle to Jordan Matthews, who couldnt get his hands on a ball that appeared to be tipped.Philadelphia has lost five straight and seven of eight.GIANTS 17, LIONS 6EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Odell Beckham Jr. made another one-hand touchdown catch to delight replay fanatics, the defense turned in another stifling performance and the Giants inched closer to their first playoff berth since 2011.NFC North-leading Detroit (9-5) had won five in a row.The win was the eighth in nine games for the Giants (10-4) and it gave them their best record through 14 games since 2008, when they were 11-3.The formula was the one the team has followed in Ben McAdoos first season: just enough offense and a tough stingy, pass-rushing defense. That unit has come up with big back-to-back performances against two division leaders in Dallas (11-2) and Detroit, giving up 13 total points.Eli Manning (20 of 28 for 201 yards) threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard on a 75-yard opening drive. He then iced the game with a 4-yarder that Beckham caught with his left hand and then pranced into the end zone for a 11-point lead with 5:20 to play.FALCONS 41, 49ERS 13ATLANTA -- Devonta Freeman ran for three touchdowns, Matt Ryan passed for two more and the Falcons clinched their first winning season since 2012.Freeman rushed for 139 yards and capped his big day with a 34-yard touchdown run. Ryan completed 17 of 23 passes for 286 yards, including a pair of 9-yard scoring tosses to Taylor Gabriel and Austin Hooper.Aldrick Robinson, stepping up with Atlanta star Julio Jones missing his second straight game with a toe injury, had a career-best 111 yards on four receptions.The Falcons (9-5) made sure they didnt overlook the 49ers (1-13), moving a step closer to getting back to the playoffs after a three-season absence.The 49ers have totally fallen apart since that trip to the Super Bowl. They extended a franchise record with their 13th straight loss, keeping the heat on first-year coach Chip Kelly.SAINTS 48, CARDINALS 41GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Drew Brees snapped out of a two-game funk to throw for 389 yards and four touchdowns in the highest-scoring game in the NFL this season. Brees, who had no TDs and six interceptions his previous two games, completed 37 of 48 with no picks.Brandin Cooks caught seven passes for a career-best 186 yards for the Saints (6-8), including touchdown plays of 65 and 45 yards.David Johnson rushed for 53 yards and caught four passes for 55 yards for Arizona (5-8-1). The second-year back became the first player in NFL history to have at least 100 yards from scrimmage in the first 14 games of a season.Johnson rushed for two touchdowns, giving him 17 TDs this season and 30 in the first 30 games as a pro.The teams amassed 913 yards, 488 by New Orleans, 425 by Arizona, which finished 4-3-1 at home.COLTS 31, VIKINGS 6MINNEAPOLIS -- Andrew Luck threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns, Robert Turbin rushed for two touchdowns, Mike Adams forced a fumble and added an interception for the Colts (7-7).Frank Gore rushed for 101 yards and Indianapolis won on the road for the fourth time this season, dominating a Vikings defense that has been among the best in the league.Adrian Peterson had just 22 yards on six carries and lost a fumble in his first game back from a knee injury for the Vikings (7-7).The Vikings believed they needed to win the final three games to make the playoffs. Sam Bradford threw for 291 yards with one interception and one lost fumble for Minnesota.After a critical home loss to Houston last week, the Colts trail the Texans and Titans by one game in the AFC South.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLNike Air Presto Schweiz . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. Nike Air Force 1 Bestellen Schweiz . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. http://www.airforce1justdoitschweiz.ch/ . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Nike Sf Air Force 1 Outlet .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Air Force 1 Just Do It Schwarz . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1.PARIS -- There is no such thing as the beginning of an end. An end is just an end. However short, the period until that finality remains one of possibilities, as Wayne Rooney will prove.Taking their cue from interim manager Gareth Southgates decision to drop Rooney from Englands starting XI for its 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Slovenia on Tuesday, some observers are now prematurely digging the 30-year-olds footballing grave, predicting that his time is running out.It doesnt take a genius to argue that age, the wear-and-tear of nearly 700 appearances for clubs and country and the displacement of older players by younger ones will, in the not unforeseeable future, combine to permanently sideline Rooney. Like weathermen who predict rain, those now pointing to that writing on the wall are bound to be right, eventually.But there are compelling footballing and sentimental reasons to both hope and believe that between now and the inevitable, Rooney will still surprise.First, the football.It has for several seasons been clear to all, including Rooney, that he no longer has the scything speed that made him such a bulldog forward in his younger days and that he is increasingly struggling with footballs ever-quicker tempo, notably in Englands Premier League.But by recognizing and accepting a variety of retooled roles for himself in the England and United midfields and on their benches, Rooney has shown intelligence, pragmatism, adaptability and no shortage of guts. Embarking on what is, essentially, a second career further down the pitch was never going to smooth. It hasnt been made any easier by the unsettling managerial churn at both United and England.On off-days, Rooney looks ponderous and a brake on, not a creator of, attacking momentum for his teams, unable to play box-to-box for extended periods or create enough goal-scoring chances for others.But on good days, which he still has, Rooneys sweet passes, industry, tactical brains and leadership make him an undeniable asset. Even though Southgate and, at United, Jose Mourinho may no longer think first of Rooney, his enduring value is proven by the fact they still want him on their benches when not in their starting lineups.There is no shame in that. That the all-time top scorer and most-capped outfield player for England and soon-to be top scorer for United (he is just three goals shy of Bobby Charltons record off 249) is willing to play cameo roles is the mark of a player who puts the team before himself.ddddddddddddy sharing his experience with younger players and imposing his maturity on the dressing room, qualities that Southgate described as gold dust, and by shielding teammates from some of the intense media spotlight that so often unsettles the England team, Rooney can still chip in to its effort to qualify for the World Cup in Russia and shake off the disaster of being knocked out of the European Championship by Iceland this June.There is no embarrassment, Rooney said. Ill be ready to come off the bench if needed.On the sentimental side, Rooney stands as an example of how football can help polish rough kids from rough neighborhoods, of how the game offers opportunity for youngsters to better themselves and isnt solely defined by the corrupt officials who have soiled the sports reputation, at FIFA and elsewhere.The kid from a grim suburb of Liverpool, as thrilling as he was to watch with the ball at his feet, long disappointed as a person. His temper was short, his moods often foul, and the headlines he generated often bad. He stomped on Ricardo Carvalho (2006 World Cup, red card) and vented to pitch-side cameras (2010 World Cup; West Ham vs. Man United in 2011, two-match ban). His stock fell so low that the town of Edenbridge in Englands southeast burned a 30-foot effigy of Rooney in 2010, giving him the ears of cartoon ogre Shrek.In short, a very different character from the poised elder statesman who accepted Southgates decision to bench him against Slovenia with apparent good grace and insisted this was not the beginning of the end that some described it as.I understand this is part of football. It is something which you have to go through and I am big enough to deal with it, he said. I have said before that I will not stop playing for England and then think of going to Dubai for a few days in the international break. I will turn up when called upon and be ready.The fan of boxing may be down, but he is not out.---John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicester. See his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/john-leicester ' ' '