KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs kept their fading playoff hopes alive on Sunday.
Alex Smith threw for 297 yards and two scores, Kansas City shut down Derek Carr and the Oakland offense and the Chiefs beat the Raiders 31-13 to end a three-game losing streak.
Knile Davis (Arkansas Razorbacks) added touchdowns running and receiving, and De'Anthony Thomas returned a punt 81 yards for another touchdown as the Chiefs (8-6) got even for a 24-20 loss to the Raiders just 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 appeared to pass a series of concussion tests 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.
The Chiefs, who had been poor against the run the past three weeks, even managed to bottle up Raiders running back Latavius Murray. The second-year pro had 112 yards and two scores on just four carries in their first meeting, but was held to 59 yards on 12 carries Sunday.
The Raiders (2-12) have lost 10 consecutive on the road, and still have not won back-to-back games since Weeks 7 and 8 of the 2012 season.
BILLS 31, PACKERS 13 Bacarri Rambo intercepted two Aaron Rodgers passes and Marcus Thigpen scored on a 75-yard punt return for the host Bills. 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-victory 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 2 interceptions.
PATRIOTS 41, DOLPHINS 13 Host New England clinched the AFC East title for the sixth consecutive 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.
BRONCOS 22, CHARGERS 10 Peyton Manning played through a thigh injury and flu-like symptoms and Connor Barth kicked five field goals to lead visiting Denver to a fourth consecutive 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 consecutive game. The Chargers (8-6) entered the game as the AFC's No. 6 seed and saw their wild-card chances diminished.
COLTS 17, TEXANS 10 Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and the host Colts won their second consecutive AFC South title. Indianapolis (10-4) has won four consecutive. 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
SEAHAWKS 17, 49ERS 7 Marshawn Lynch rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown, Russell Wilson threw a touchdown pass to rookie Paul Richardson, and the host Seahawks knocked archrival San Francisco from playoff contention. The defending Super Bowl champions remained in contention for a division title and No. 1 seed in the NFC. After a sluggish, sloppy first half, Seattle (10-4) awoke in the final 30 minutes behind the running of Lynch and a defense that shut out the 49ers, holding them to 67 yards. Colin Kaepernick was sacked six times and the 49ers didn't run a play past the Seattle 38 in the second half. Lynch scored on a 4-yard run late in the third quarter and the Seahawks took advantage of a short field on their next drive, capped by Wilson's strike to Richardson. The loss and Detroit's victory eliminated San Francisco (7-7) from contention.
LIONS 16, VIKINGS 14 Matt Prater's 33-yard field goal with 3:38 remaining lifted host 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.
STEELERS 27, FALCONS 20 Ben Roethlisberger threw for 360 yards and William Gay returned an interception for a touchdown as the visiting Steelers (9-5) remained a half-game behind Cincinnati in the AFC North with their second consecutive victory. 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.
RAVENS 20, JAGUARS 12 The host 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 victory on the road.
PANTHERS 19, BUCCANEERS 17 Derek Anderson threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, Graham Gano kicked four field goals and the host Panthers improved their chances in the NFC South playoff race. The win, coupled with Atlanta's loss to Pittsburgh, left the Panthers a half-game behind New Orleans in the division. Carolina (5-8-1) can move into first place if the Saints lose to Chicago tonight. 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 (2-11).
GIANTS 24, REDSKINS 13 Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes to rookie Odell Beckham Jr. and the host 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 victory was the second consecutive 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.
JETS 16, TITANS 11 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 visiting Jets (3-11) got their first road victory 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 consecutive and 11 of 12 in their worst skid since 1994 when home was in Houston.
Sports on 12/15/2014