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Panthers, Bengals, Pats advance
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The Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals all clinched playoff spots as the National Football League playoff picture continued to come into sharper focus on Sunday.
Entering the penultimate week of the regular season only the Indianapolis Colts had locked up a division title while the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs had secured playoff spots.
But three more teams confirmed their invitations to the postseason party on a day of high drama.
Nowhere were tensions running higher than in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Carolina quarterback Cam Newton engineered a last-gasp touchdown drive to cap a thrilling 17-13 win over the New Orleans Saints and give the Panthers their first trip to the postseason since 2008.
After Drew Brees had marched New Orleans 97 yards, hitting Jimmy Graham for a go ahead TD, Newton went right to work preventing the Saints from clinching the NFC South division crown and a first-round playoff bye.
With 55 seconds left on the clock and no timeouts, Newton took the Panthers 65 yards on five plays hitting Domenik Hixon with a 14-yard TD strike to stun the Saints and send the sellout crowd wild.
While the Panthers improved to 11-4 and can wrap up the division with a win in the season finale next week, the Saints slipped to 10-5 but could still clinch a postseason berth depending on other results.
“Man it was so close,” said Newton. “We have to win games like this, it wasn’t pretty but this is the definition of a playoff team, a playoff game, real close.”
In Cincinnati, Andy Dalton tossed four TDs as the Bengals (10-5) pounded the Minnesota Vikings 42-14 to clinch a playoff berth.
That result coupled with Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Buffalo Bills was enough to earn the Bengals a third straight playoff appearance.
The Bengals was also confirmed as AFC North champions after the Baltimore Ravens fell 7-41 to the Patriots.
Even before its game New England (11-4) had reason to celebrate, having secured a fifth straight AFC East crown and a playoff spot when the Dolphins (8-7) were upset 0-19 by the Bills in icy Buffalo.
Dan Carpenter booted four field goals and Fred Jackson scored on a nine-yard run to lift the Bills (6-9) to the triumph at a frigid Ralph Wilson Stadium.
In Houston, Peyton Manning enjoyed a record smashing day throwing four TD passes as the Broncos (12-3) tamed the Texans 37-13 clinching a third consecutive AFC West division title and a first round bye after the Chiefs (11-4) were surprised 7-23 by the Colts.
Manning’s four TD hits gave him 51 for the season eclipsing the record of 50 set by the Patriots’ Tom Brady in 2007.
The Dallas Cowboys (8-7) kept their postseason hopes alive when Tony Romo found DeMarco Murray with a 10-yard TD strike with just 68 seconds left to eke out a 24-23 win over the Washington Redskins.
The victory sets up a winner-take-all showdown next Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles (9-6) in the regular season finale that will decide the NFC East champion. The Eagles routed the Chicago Bears 54-11.
Elsewhere, it was: Rams 23, Buccaneers 13; Jets 24, Browns 13; Titans 20, Jaguars 16; Cardinals 17, Seahawks 10; Giants 23, Lions 20 (in overtime); Chargers 26, Raiders 13; and Pittsburgh 38, Green Bay 31.
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