TIM BOOTH
TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer
SEATTLE — All the San Francisco 49ers have known with Jim Harbaugh as head coach is playing deep into January with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake.
Three seasons, three trips to the NFC championship game.
“I don’t know too many people who get rid of a coach that’s gone to three consecutive NFC championship games and a Super Bowl, but crazier things have happened,” Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman said.
The debate whether Harbaugh remains as 49ers coach will only heighten over the final two weeks of the regular season after San Francisco was eliminated from contention following a 17-7 loss at Seattle on Sunday.
The Seahawks used another stingy defensive performance to shut out the 49ers in the second half. San Francisco was limited to 67 yards in the final 30 minutes and Seattle leaned on the running of Marshawn Lynch for its fourth straight victory.
Lynch finished with 91 yards rushing and a 4-yard TD run and Russell Wilson threw a 10-yard TD pass Paul Richardson as the Seahawks are back in the contention for a No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The 49ers have nothing to play for the final two weeks.
“I think that’s our expectation that we’re going to get to the playoffs and we’re going to make a run, and to not have that opportunity this year is not something that we’re used to,” San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick said.
The loss and Detroit’s win eliminated San Francisco (7-7) from making the postseason. And for the second straight season, the 49ers hopes of a title ended in Seattle. Eleven months ago, San Francisco walked off disappointed after losing the NFC championship game.
This time, the stakes were far less, but the sting of being eliminated by their most-heated rival remained.
“This is not fun. This is my life. This is what I do. This is what I put all my work into. I don’t just show up on Sundays and hope it goes well. This is my life, man,” 49ers left tackle Joe Staley said. “I don’t play to lose a game. I don’t play to not execute. I give everything I have to this game.”
Kaepernick was 11 of 19 for 141 yards, and rushed for 46 yards, but was constantly under pressure playing behind an offensive line missing two starters. Center Marcus Martin and right tackle Anthony Davis were both inactive with injuries. Kaepernick was sacked six times.
In a season filled with key injuries, the 49ers lost two more players late in the first half and another in the third quarter. Star running back Frank Gore, who scored on a 10-yard run in the second quarter, left with a concussion. Middle linebacker Chris Borland, the NFC defensive rookie of the month in November, hurt his ankle on the final play of the first half. He attempted to return, but was mostly a spectator and replaced by Nick Moody.
Gore’s backup, Carlos Hyde, was bent backward and injured his right leg late in the third quarter.
“It is tough when you’re down like the way we were,” San Francisco receiver Anquan Boldin said.
The absence of Borland was significant. Seattle rushed for 90 yards in the third quarter alone after having just 47 in the first half. Lynch had runs of 13 and 15 yards on his touchdown drive that was capped by strolling the final yard into the end zone.
San Francisco went three-and-out on the next possession, including Hyde’s injury on first down. Seattle took possession at the 49ers 44 and Wilson immediately went for 19 yards on a designed keeper.
The drive was kept alive by a debated third-down roughing-the-passer call against Moody and two plays later, Richardson caught the first TD of his career. Referee Ed Hochuli told a pool reporter after the game he believed Moody hit Wilson with the hairline of his helmet and not the facemask, thus drawing the penalty.
“The crown is the top of the helmet, the hairline is up at the top of the forehead,” he explained. “That is still a foul when you hit the quarterback with that part of your head.”
“I think it was a bad call,” San Francisco safety Antione Bethea said. “It’s so up and down with those types of calls.”
Patriots 41, Dolphins 13
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England clinched the AFC East title for the sixth straight season as Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes in a big third quarter.
Leading 14-13 at halftime, the Patriots scored on four consecutive series while piling up 24 points, the most in any third period in team history.
New England (11-3) can secure home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by beating the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. Miami (7-7) saw its slim postseason hopes dwindle further.
The Dolphins cut the lead to one point at halftime on Ryan Tannehill’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace.
Broncos 22, Chargers 10
SAN DIEGO — Peyton Manning played through a thigh injury and flu-like symptoms and Connor Barth kicked five field goals to lead Denver to a fourth straight AFC West title.
Manning came out of the game late in the second quarter. He apparently hurt his thigh while blocking linebacker Donald Butler on a run by C.J. Anderson.
He returned for the start of the third quarter and on Denver’s second possession threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas to give the Broncos a 16-3 lead.
The Broncos (11-3) won their fourth straight game.
Denver’s 12th straight division road win tied San Francisco’s NFL record set from 1987-90.
The Chargers (8-6) entered the game as the AFC’s No. 6 seed and saw their wild-card chances diminished. They’ve lost two straight.
Colts 17, Texans 10
INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and the Colts won their second straight AFC South title.
Indianapolis (10-4) has won four straight.
It sure wasn’t easy. Luck was 18 of 34 with 187 yards and one interception on the same day Reggie Wayne passed Peyton Manning for the most games and wins in franchise history. Wayne has played in 209 games, winning 142.
Houston (7-7) lost starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with a left leg injury in the second quarter. Rookie Tom Savage replaced Fitzpatrick and was ineffective, going 10 of 19 for 127 yards.
The Texans took a 7-0 lead on Kendrick Lewis’ 27-yard interception return. Luck tied it with a 26-yard pass to Hakeem Nicks. Luck hooked up with Dwayne Allen on a 3-yard pass to make it 14-7 before halftime. Indy sealed it with a late field goal.
Lions 16, Vikings 14
DETROIT — Matt Prater’s 33-yard field goal with 3:38 remaining lifted Detroit into a tie for first place in the NFC North.
The Lions (10-4) are now even atop the division with Green Bay, which lost to Buffalo earlier in the day, but Detroit didn’t have an easy time, spotting the Vikings (6-8) a 14-0 lead before a pair of second-quarter interceptions helped the Lions start their rally.
Even at the end, Detroit had to sweat out a 68-yard field goal attempt by Minnesota’s Blair Walsh on the game’s final play. The kick was short.
Bills 31, Packers 13
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Bacarri Rambo intercepted two Aaron Rodgers passes and Marcus Thigpen scored on a 75-yard punt return.
Defensive end Mario Williams also forced Rodgers to fumble, which led to running back Eddie Lacy being tackled in the end zone for a safety with 1:51 left. Dan Carpenter hit all three field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder in the second half to help keep Buffalo (8-6) in the AFC playoff picture.
The Bills were also have their first eight-win season since going 9-7 in 2004.
The Packers (10-4) had a five-game win streak snapped, blowing an opportunity to get closer to their sixth consecutive playoff berth.
Rodgers finished 17 of 42 for 185 yards, and two interceptions.
Steelers 27, Falcons 20
ATLANTA — Ben Roethlisberger threw for 360 yards and William Gay returned an interception for a touchdown as the Steelers (9-5) remained a half-game behind Cincinnati in the AFC North with their second straight win.
The Falcons (5-9) ensured themselves of a losing season and slipped out of first place in the NFC South.
Pittsburgh led 13-0 after Gay picked off Matt Ryan’s pass over the middle on the first play of the second quarter, returning it 52 yards. The Steelers extended the lead to 27-13 with Le’Veon Bell’s 1-yard run in the opening minute of the fourth period.
The Falcons made a game of it, pulling within a touchdown on Ryan’s 4-yard pass to Roddy White. But the Steelers clinched the victory with their final possession, converting twice on third down to run out the clock.
Ravens 20, Jaguars 12
BALTIMORE — The Ravens sacked rookie Blake Bortles eight times and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Baltimore (9-5) gained only 31 yards rushing through three quarters and scored just once with its offense on the field. But the defense was solid, and special teams helped the Ravens stay in the thick of the AFC playoff chase.
Terrell Suggs was credited with 2 1/2 sacks and rookie Timmy Jernigan, starting for the suspended Haloti Ngata, had two.
Jacksonville (2-12) tried just about everything in its bid to pull off an upset, including an onside kick and a fake punt. Both worked, but it wasn’t enough to earn the Jaguars their first win on the road.
Panthers 19, Buccaneers 17
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Derek Anderson threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, Graham Gano kicked four field goals and the Panthers improved their chances in the NFC South playoff race.
The win, coupled with Atlanta’s loss to Pittsburgh, put the Panthers percentage points in first place ahead of New Orleans in the division. The Saints (5-8) play at Chicago on Monday night.
Anderson was 25 of 40 and improved to 2-0 as a starter in place of Cam Newton, sidelined while recovering from a car accident Tuesday that left him with two fractures in his lower back.
Greg Olsen tied a career high with 10 catches for 110 yards, and rookie Kelvin Benjamin had eight grabs for 104 yards.
Josh McCown threw a touchdown pass and ran for another for the Bucs (2-12).
Chiefs 31, Raiders 13
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Smith threw for 297 yards and two scores, while Kansas City shut down Derek Carr and the Oakland offense.
Knile Davis had touchdowns running and receiving, and De’Anthony Thomas returned a punt 81 yards for another score as the Chiefs (8-6) got even for a 24-20 loss to Oakland (2-12) last month.
The Chiefs led 10-6 early in the third quarter before scoring three touchdowns in 4 minutes, 42 seconds. The last was a 70-yard throw from Smith to Davis, who had taken over the majority of running back duties after Jamaal Charles took a shot to the head.
Charles passed concussion testing and returned briefly to the game.
Carr finished 27 of 56 for 222 yards, throwing a TD pass in the final minute. The Raiders’ rookie also was sacked four times and fumbled a snap that led to a Kansas City touchdown.
Giants 24, Redskins 13
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes to rookie Odell Beckham Jr. and the Giants took advantage of an overturned touchdown at the end of the half.
Manning and Beckham combined 12 times for 143 yards, with touchdown passes covering 10, 35 and 6 yards. The win was the second straight for the Giants (5-9) after seven consecutive losses.
The Redskins (3-11) blew a touchdown and command of the game on a fumble by Robert Griffin III as time expired at the end of the first half. Griffin scrambled for an apparent 8-yard touchdown for a 17-7 lead, diving over the pylon, then running on to the field and spiking the ball with emphasis.
A video review by referee Jeff Triplette determined that Griffin lost control of the ball diving over the pylon and the play was ruled a touchback.
The call incensed veteran Redskins receiver Santana Moss so much that he bumped an official while arguing and was ejected. Instead of a 10-point lead, the Redskins led 10-7.
Jets 16, Titans 11
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Chris Ivory scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:09 left in a game marked by a brawl between teams playing only for pride, with the loser hoping for better draft position.
The Jets (3-11) got their first road win this season in the first NFL game to end with a 16-11 score. They also snapped a three-game skid.
Geno Smith threw for 179 yards and a TD. He also was apparently hit by Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, starting a brawl in the third quarter. Casey was flagged, but not ejected.
The Titans (2-12) now have lost eight straight and 11 of 12 in their worst skid since 1994 when home was in Houston. They got the ball twice late, and reached the Jets 9 after three laterals on the final play came up short.
Cowboys 38, Eagles 27
PHILADELPHIA — Dez Bryant caught a career-best three touchdown catches from Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles after wasting a 21-0 lead.
DeMarco Murray had a pair of TD runs to help the Cowboys (10-4) move ahead of the Eagles (9-5) into first place in the NFC East. The Eagles dominated the Cowboys in a 33-10 road win on Thanksgiving, but Dallas takes control of the division with two weeks left.
The Cowboys jumped to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter before Philadelphia rallied behind Mark Sanchez.
Chris Polk had TD runs of 1 and 5 yards and Darren Sproles ran in from the 1 to give the Eagles a 24-21 lead late in third quarter.
But Romo and the Cowboys answered quickly with two touchdowns in a span of 2:51.
Murray scored on a 2-yard run to cap a 78-yard drive. J.J. Wilcox then intercepted Sanchez’s pass and the Cowboys started the fourth quarter at the Eagles 42. Romo then hit Bryant in stride for a 25-yard scoring pass.