NFL Week 16 Best Highlights of the Games 2009

Week 16 Best Highlights leave us with one week to go in the NFL 2009 season. There are two AFC playoff spots are up for grabs leaving seven teams fighting for those places. ∞ In the NFC, the six playoff teams are set, but the seeding wont be determined until week 17 is over. In all, nine of the 16 games in Week 17 have playoff implications. Thanks to NFL.com for the greatest pics of the games.

Theme of the football games for the NFL in Week 16 has to be . . .

It's how you finish, not how you start!

And the New Orleans Saints are proof of that fact in winning this week. The Cinnicnatti Bengals, the Green Bay Packers, the San Diego Chargers, also clinch a playoff spot. The New Englans Patriots take the AFC title but the New Yorks are still in it.

Read on for the best game highlights for week 16 in the NFL.

Chargers Secure AFC West

Titans Eliminated

San Diego 42

Tennessee 17

“Everything we do, we’re playing our best football,” said running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who scored two TDs against the Titans.

The Chargers gave themselves a gift on a chilly Christmas night that brought another perfect December to a close. With a 42-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans at LP Field, the Chargers clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed, giving them a bye in the first week of the postseason and guaranteeing them no more than one road game in the AFC playoffs. Even if they had to travel for the conference championship game, it would be to the domed home of the top-seeded Indianapolis Colts.

Philip Rivers must get some MVP consideration. He is the leader of this team and makes the Chargers go. He has been the spark plug to the team’s win streak. He can make nearly every play on the field. He connected with nine different receivers Friday night. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. He simply wills San Diego to win.

Vince Young completed 8-of-21 passes for 89 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, he also rushed six times for 40 yards with a score. Chris Johnson had a solid game but he never really hurt San Diego when it mattered. CJ's quest to become only the sixth NFL player to run for 2,000 yards in a season remains alive as the only goal left for Tennessee. He ran for a TD and 142 yards to put him at 1,872 with the season finale at Seattle left and this puts him 234 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards.

For the Titans now they have their sights set on two historic marks.

Finish 8-8, which no NFL team has ever managed after starting a season with six straight losses. And get Chris Johnson to 2,000 yards rushing, making him only the sixth player in league history to reach that mark.

Buffalo Bills 3

Atlanta Falcons 31

Buffalo Eliminated
Atlanta Eliminated

Matt Ryan, making his second straight start after missing two games with a toe injury, turned in one of his best games of the season for Atlanta.

For the third straight game, Atlanta's defense held the opposing offense to under 100 yards rushing, allowing the Bills only 40 yards on 18 rushes. The Falcons held Buffalo scoreless until they allowed a Rian Lindell 42-yard field goal with under two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Bills were held to 178 total yards, including a season-low 40 yards rushing. Brian Brohm connected with Owens on a 8 yard pass in the second quarter and Terrell Owens hit a hollow milestone become the 6th player with 1,000 receptions. The others before him, Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter, Tim Brown, and Isaac Bruce.

Though the Bills are not going to the playoffs and he was injured this season, Darius Byrd the rookie free safety said upon hearing he was going to the Pro Bowl, “It’s a blessing,” said . “It’s definitely a cool thing. I’m honored.”

With the win, Atlanta improves to 8-7 and will close out the 2009 season next Sunday in Tampa Bay. With a win, the Falcons will record their first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. For Atlanta, the possibility of being the team to end the 43-year-old streak is motivating.

Kansas City Chiefs 10

Cincinnati Bengals 17

Bengals Clinch AFC North
Chiefs Eliminated

Carson Palmer’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Chad Ochocinco completed a 98-yard drive in the closing minutes sending Cincinnati to a home victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that clinched a playoff berth. Yet their was no Gatorade dousing. “I’m not jumping for joy or glee, just thinking about 15 once that clock hits zero,’’ Ochocinco said. “That was everybody’s mind-set, to go out and win this one for him.

These unsung Bengals who came out of no where and are now the AFC title holders did not have a single player named to the AFC Pro Bowl team. According to Ocho they have bigger things to worry about ...

"Who cares?" The Ocho asked. "How many times have I been to the Pro Bowl? OK, five. Been there, done that. That's old. I need to do something new. Going to the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl. That's all we care about. I don't care where it is. My Christmas present is getting the chance to go win it all."

Then he tweeted on Twitter: "bengal fans we wouldn't be able to play in it anyway! SUPER BOWL BABY!"

Oakland Raiders 9

Cleveland Browns 23

One has to ask, do the Raiders suffer from multiple-identity crisis. They beat the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers one week and then lose to the lowly Washington Redskins. Then they beat the AFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles one week and then lose to the New York Jets 38-0 at home.

This week, they entered a game pumped up by an upset victory over the Denver Broncos. Is it any wonder then that the Raiders are 5-10 and one loss away from a seventh straight season of at least 11 losses.

Flags galore – The Raiders were slapped with 13 penalties for a season-high 126 yards and had two players kicked out of the game. Cornerback Stanford Routt (head butt) and tight end Tony Stewart (making contact with an official) made early exits.

Seattle Seahawks 10

Green Bay Packers 48

Seattle Eliminated
Green Bay - Clinched Playoff Spot

The Packers offense had a big day with running backs Grant, Jackson & Green scoring six touchdowns. The defense got four big interceptions to shut down the Seahawks. With the win and Giants loss, the Packers are in the playoffs.

Aaron Rodgers had a pedestrian game completing 12 of 23 passes for 237 yards, 1 touchdown, and 103.0 passer rating. He became the first NFL player to throw more than 4,000 yards in the first two years as starter.

With 16 interceptions this season, Matt Hasselbeck has thrown as many interceptions as touchdown passes. Jim Mora said that he considered benching Hasselbeck during his fourth interception.

Coach McCarthy: “Playoffs, it feels good. Our focus all along was to get to the 10 wins. Fortunately with the 10 wins we get into the playoffs today. That’s always the first step. As we talk as a football team our goal of winning a world championship is in front of us.”

Houston Texans 27

Miami Dolphins 20

When it mattered most, the Houston Texans performed like a playoff team -- which they might yet be. And the Miami Dolphins played like a team going nowhere, which is likely the case.

The Texans built a 27-0 lead and won despite being outscored 20-0 in the final 31 minutes. They kept alive their slim hopes of making the playoffs for the first time.
Boos began midway through the first quarter, and the Texans made sure the jeers grew louder. At one point Houston enjoyed advantages of 15-2 in first downs and 307-46 in yards.
"It's almost as if you can call any play and it's going to work," said Matt Schaub who threw for 286 yards and two early scores. He went 20 for 31 and directed an offense that netted 406 yards, topping 400 for a franchise-record third game in a row. Andre Johnson scored once and made five catches for 71 yards for his second consecutive 1,500-yard season.
The Dolphins' comeback might have been complete if not for a tripping penalty on Lousaka Polite, which negated a 62-yard touchdown pass from Chad Henne to Ted Ginn Jr. in the third quarter.

In order for the Dolphins to get to the playoffs if they need a win next week and a loss for the Jets, Ravens, Texans and Jaguars.

For Houston to get into the playoffs they need

• Win and N.Y. Jets loss or tie and Baltimore loss or tie OR
• Win and N.Y. Jets loss or tie and Denver loss or tie OR
• Win and Baltimore loss or tie and Denver loss or t

Baltimore Ravens 20

Pittsburgh Steelers 23

Both Teams Still In It

“Not dead yet,” Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin said.

Baltimore can still make the playoffs with a win in Week 17, but the loss against the Steelers has to sting. The Ravens leads the NFL in penalty yards, and it was penalties that cost them two touchdowns on Sunday. Those two drives, instead of putting up 14 points, all they got was a total of three: a field goal and a punt. Haloti Ngata is a gifted defensive lineman, but he's got to be the most undisciplined player in the league. It seems like Ngata draws a 15-yard penalty every three weeks or so. The Ravens will need Ed Reed healthy if they're going to make a serious postseason run.

Ben Roethlisberger became the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season in the franchise's 76-year history. The Steelers also have a 1,000-yard rusher in Rashard Mendenhall and three players with 70 or more catches in wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes and tight end Heath Miller.

The Steelers need to win and hope any two of the Jets, Texans or Ravens lose. Although, if the combination of two is the Texans and Ravens, then Pittsburgh would also need the Broncos to lose.

Carolina Panthers 41

New York Giants 9

No Playoff Contenders Here

Every year in the NFL, there are a handful of games in which a team fighting for a spot in the playoffs loses to a team with nothing but pride to play for.

But there aren't many games in which the team with nothing to play for absolutely destroys the team that still has postseason hopes.

That's what happened today at Giants Stadium, where the Panthers dominated the Giants from start to finish. The New York Giants had their proverbial backs against the wall on Sunday. Not only at home but at this particular home for the last time ever. They needed one stellar effort in the House of LT, the House of Parcells, the House Named for Them just one last stellar effort to stave off the ignominy of missing the playoffs in a year in which almost every team in the league is either mediocre or atrocious. One gutsy outing, not against the '85 Bears or Lombardi's Packers, but against the Carolina Panthers. Which Carolina, you ask? The one with the quarterback you've never heard of.

The Giants had no answer for the Panthers' offense, led by backup quarterback Matt Moore and backup running back Jonathan Stewart. Moore completed 15 of 20 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns, while Stewart carried 28 times for 206 yards.

Eli Manning threw two interceptions, while running back Brandon Jacobs carried six times for one yard.

Jacksonville Jaguars 7

New England Patriots 35

Jaguars Slim chance of earning one of the two A.F.C. wild-card playoff berths?

Patriots Clinch AFC East

Tom Brady and his teammates reached the playoffs with a performance worthy of the once dominant Patriots.

Brady threw four touchdown passes, three to Randy Moss, and the young defense put together its third straight solid game as New England beat Jacksonville 35-7 on Sunday, further dimming the Jaguars' slim postseason chances.

For the Patriots, it was another high note in what had been an inconsistent season. They clinched the AFC East title after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 2002 despite an 11-5 record. And they did it in a one-sided manner, just like most of their games in the 2007 season when they lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants 17-14 on a last-minute touchdown.

Brady bounced back after throwing for just 307 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in his previous two games. He completed 23 of 26 passes for 267 yards, on the same level of Bradiness in the last time the teams met -- 26 of 28 for 262 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 31-20 divisional playoff win on Jan. 12, 2008.

Randy Moss third touchdown came six seconds into the fourth quarter, a 17 yard pass on which he reached the ball out to the goal line. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio challenged and, while officials reviewed the play, fans chanted "Randy, Randy, Randy" and he smiled broadly at them.

The touchdown call was upheld, giving Moss the ninth three-touchdown game of his career, and Stephen Gostkowski's extra point made it 35-0. Moss finished with four catches for 45 yards. Wes Welker couldnt be stopped either. He had 13 catches for 138 yards, his seventh game of the year with at least 10 receptions and sixth with at least 100 yards.

Jacksonville dropped its third straight game and fourth in its last five after going 6-4 in its first 10

In order to clinch a playoff spot The Jaguars need:

• Win and Pittsburgh loss and Baltimore loss and Denver loss and Houston loss OR
• Win and Pittsburgh loss and Baltimore loss and Denver loss and N.Y. Jets loss OR
• Win and Pittsburgh loss and Baltimore loss and Houston loss and N.Y. Jets loss OR
• Win and Pittsburgh loss and Denver loss and Houston loss and N.Y. Jets loss OR
• Win and N.Y. Jets loss and Denver loss and Houston loss and Baltimore loss

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New Orleans Saints

Saints clinch NFC South Beat Bucs 20-17

They say that defense wins championships. The Saints rank 24th in yards allowed. The offense is just not playing good enough to cover that up anymore. After scoring more than 20 points in every game, the Saints have just put up 17 points in consecutive weeks.

"I kind of rushed myself a little bit and kind of hit just not a good ball in general. It was all me. The snap and the hold were great. I rushed myself, kind of picked my head up, and that was the result." Saints kicker Garrett Hartley on how he missed a 37-yard field goal attempt as time expired Sunday. Hartley's kick would have given the Saints home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs (After the Vikings OT loss to to da Bears, the Saints have been awarded home field advantage)

The Bucs Carnell Williams rushed for 129 yards and a score, and Connor Barth kicked a 47-yard field goal in overtime. After the game Williams said "It feels great to win two in a row, this organization learned something today: that no matter how far down you are you can still get back up. And that's what happened out here today. I am so proud of our offensive line. They did all the work and all I did was hit the holes."

St. Louis Rams 10

Arizona Cardinals 31

The Rams and all their injuries this season are still a team the Coach Steve Spagnuolo is proud of. And he wants him team to finish out the season with these words, “to play as a team, basically do what they’ve been doing, which is to have tremendous fight, tremendous resolve. It’s a character group of guys; I’ve always said that. Just praying and hoping to finish out a winning note. That’s what we’re all hoping for this week.”

And on a great note for the Rams Steve Jackson was not able to play this week due to his sore lower back. But this week. Steven Jackson gets the Rams back in the Pro Bowl.

For Arizona this game was more of a tune-up for the postseason than anything. The Cardinals had already clinched the NFC West. Kurt Warner compiled 313 yards and two touchdowns through the air with ease and he sent the ball to his usual cast . . Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and even getting Early Doucet involved. Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells combined for 100 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, behind strong line play. The defense took the ball away from Keith Null and the Rams four times, in addition to harassing him for four sacks and numerous hurries.
The Cardinals are looking to enter the playoffs on a high note. They are still fighting with the Eagles and possibly even the Vikings for seeding. Though this is a bit far fetched there is even a scenario that could see the Cardinals winning the two-seed and having a bye.

Denver Broncos 27

Philadelphia Eagles 30

Denver tied in race for AFC Wildcard

Eagles clinch a Playoff Spot

Kyle Orton rallied the Broncos from a 27-10 deficit in the third quarter, but Donovan McNabb led the Eagles on a winning drive in the final minutes.

A seven-time Pro Bowl safety in 13 seasons in Philadelphia, Brian Dawkins returned in a Broncos uniform after leaving in free agency.

The Philadelphia Eagles DeSean Jackson caught his ninth TD of the season. He has a receiving TDs in five straight games.

Brandon Marshall had eight catches for 39 yards. He went over 100 receptions for the third straight season. That's one shy of the NFL record held by Marvin Harrison.

The Eagles can clinch their sixth NFC East title this decade with a victory at Dallas next Sunday. The winner of that game takes the division crown. Also, a victory over the Cowboys coupled with one loss by Minnesota would give Philadelphia a first-round bye in the playoffs.

As for the Broncos, they are trying to avoid a major collapse after starting 6-0. They no longer control their playoff destiny and are tied with four other teams for the final two wild-card spots in the AFC.

New York Jets 29

Indianapolis Colts 15

Jets Clinch a Playoff Spot with a Win

Colts Clinch AFC South and Homefield Advantage

Peyton Manning became the fourth player in N.F.L. history to reach 50,000 passing yards, joining Brett Favre, Dan Marino and John Elway. Yet to see his face on the sideline after being replaced by Curtis Painter and the Colts perfect season end was not a happy picture.

It was Jim Caldwell decision to take his starters out with the game in reach, Indianapolis fans booed and probably feel that it was the worst move possible. Let's look at the Colts previous playoff history. Every time they have rested players before the end of the season and had a first round bye, they have lost in the playoffs. The one time the Colts won the Superbowl, they played the entire season and also had to play during wild card weekend. That kept the momentum going for this team to finally hoist a Lombardi trophy. For the players to get almost 3 weeks of rest is ridiculous. No matter what people say, it does slow momentum and can create timing issues with the offense. Peyton Manning looked pissed yet he defended his coach “Until any player in here is the head coach, you follow orders and you follow them with all of your heart, that’s what we’ve done as players. We follow orders.”

The NFL is all about "bests" shouldn't they play for a chance at history. Hell, they should have played for a chance to shut Mercury Morris the hell up. But now we have to see Morris for yet another year with the same antics. Indianapolis Colts fans must be saying. .. Thanks Caldwell, thanks for nothing!

The victory was more significant to the Jets who took control of their playoff destiny with the victory, and would make the postseason for the first time since 2006 with a win next week at home against AFC North champion Cincinnati.

"We won the game," Coach Rex Ryan said. "We ended up doing what we had to do, whoever was in the Colts' jerseys. I think that there's very little credit that our football team's given, and that's unfortunate."

Dallas Cowboys 17

Washington Redskins 0

Cowboys Clinch Playoff Spot

Washington Elminated

While the Cowboys defense dominated Sunday night, the offense took care of business. Their short-yardage rushing struggled, but Tony Romo played another solid game with 286 yards on 38 attempts. Jason Witten and Miles Austin combined for 209 receiving yards.

Wade Phillips was proud of the Cowboys winning this game clinching a playoff spot was just one of them. On a perosnal note, it meant a lot to him to see the special teams succeed with his son, Wes, running the group (Joe DeCamillis out with appendicitis).

With one game to go in the regular season, Tony Romo ranks among the top quarterbacks for the final month. Among starting quarterbacks, he ranks third in yardage and fourth in rating and completion percentage. Only two quarterbacks have had at least 100 throws and only one interception in the month: Romo and Carolina's Matt Moore, who spent time with the Cowboys.

Minnesota Vikings

Chicago Bears

Vikings Have Clinched NFC North but.....need Iggles to lose to get a buy

Jay Cutler, who has underperformed since being acquired from the Denver Broncos in the off-season, sent a 39-yard touchdown pass to Devin Aromashodu with 9:15 left in overtime to hand the Bears their biggest win of their season.

He threw for 273 yards and ZERO interceptions as the Bears survived the Vikings' second-half fightback and dented their hopes of a first-round bye in the playoffs.

One week after Minnesota coach Brad Childress attempted to pull Favre during the third quarter of a defeat to the Carolina Panthers, leading to a heated discussion that captured headlines, the Vikings appear to have other worries.

The team is far from playing their best football and Peterson has not gained 100 yards rushing in six straight games, the longest drought of his career.

Brett Favre is infected, he's infected with a disease, and a lot of superstars get this disease. They have so many accolades and are idolized, they start to think they are bigger than the team, are more important than any one individual, including the head coach."

-- FOX analyst Jimmie Johnson on the Brett Favre-Brad Childress saga

"Brett, come on just hug it out. Hug it out, guys."

-- Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, during a team meeting, trying to resolve the Favre-Childress dispute. (Eye On Sports Media)

"We have to play better than we did tonight or the last few weeks or we'll be home pretty quickly," Favre said. "I would love to say that we're peaking right now but it would be difficult to say that. I'm very disappointed by I tip my hat to Jay."