Detroit suffers historic loss
The Detroit Lions own a dubious piece of NFL history – with perhaps more on the way.
The Lions became the first 0-15 team when they were routed 42-7 by the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Detroit. The Lions will try to avoid an perfectly awful season in the finale at Green Bay, where they haven’t won since 1991.
Drew Brees threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns after four Saints ran for scores in the first half. Brees stayed in the game with a 35-point lead late in the fourth quarter to move closer to Dan Marino’s single-season record for yards passing. He needs 402 at home against Carolina to break Marino’s record of 5,084 set in 1984.
The Lions were outscored by 176 points at home this season, smashing the previous record of 146 set by the 1981 Colts.
Dolphins 38, Chiefs 31: Chad Pennington threw three touchdown passes and Miami beat the Chiefs at Kansas City, continuing one of the most remarkable comeback seasons in NFL history. The game was played in temperatures that plunged into the single digits. The Dolphins (10-5) can clinch the AFC East next week one year after finishing a league-worst 1-15. All they’ll have to do is beat the Jets in the Meadowlands.
Patriots 47, Cardinals 7: New England is peaking in time for the postseason, crushing Arizona with a blizzard of points on a snow-covered field at Foxborough, Mass. It won’t keep the Cardinals out of the playoffs. And it might not be enough to get the Patriots in. Showing vast superiority to the struggling champions of the weak NFC West, the Patriots pressured Kurt Warner into one of his worst games in 11 pro seasons as he threw for just 30 yards.
49ers 17, Rams 16: Isaac Bruce became the fifth player to reach 1,000 catches, scoring on a 3-yard reception with 4:12 to go, and passed Tim Brown for second on the career receiving yards list on the 49ers’ go-ahead drive in a 17-16 victory over the Rams at St. Louis. The Rams (2-13) squandered a 10-point lead for the second straight week, failing to capitalize on four turnovers and four sacks while losing their ninth in a row.
Chargers 41, Buccaneers 24: Philip Rivers threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Chargers beat Tampa Bay at Tampa, Fla., to keep their slim playoff hopes alive and deal a crushing blow to the Buccaneers’ chances. Denver’s loss to Buffalo set up a showdown for the division title and a playoff berth next week in San Diego.
Bengals 14, Browns 0: Cedric Benson rushed for a career-high 171 yards and Leon Hall returned one of his three interceptions 50 yards for a touchdown to help Cincinnati get its first road win this season, defeating the struggling Browns at bone-chilling Cleveland. After losing their first eight games, the Bengals have won two in a row for the first time since the final two games of 2007.
Raiders 27, Texans 17: Johnnie Lee Higgins caught a 29-yard touchdown pass and then returned a punt 80 yards for another score in the third quarter, leading the Raiders over Houston at Oakland. The Texans (7-8) had won four straight for the first time in team history and were hoping for their first winning season. But Houston could generate little offense against the lowly Raiders.
Bills 30, Broncos 23: The Broncos blew an early 13-0 lead and lost to the Buffalo Bills at home in the second-coldest game in Denver’s history, setting up an all-or-nothing game against the Chargers next week for the division title and a playoff berth. Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler threw for 359 yards and he broke Jake Plummer’s franchise record with 4,210 yards for the season.
Redskins 10, Eagles 3: Washington stymied a Philadelphia team that was averaging close to 33 points during a three-game winning streak, and Clinton Portis scored his first touchdown in eight weeks as Washington held on to beat the Eagles at Landover, Md.