Bears book first playoff since 2010, Pats, Cowboys, Seahawks fail
Los Angeles (AFP) - The Chicago Bears clinched their first NFL playoff berth since 2010 with a win over bitter division rivals Green Bay on Sunday, but New England, Seattle and Dallas failed to produce the wins they needed to punch their post-season tickets.
The Bears secured the NFC North division title with a 24-17 victory over the Packers.
The Patriots, seeking a record-setting 10th straight AFC East division title, fell 17-10 to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, the Seahawks succumbed 26-23 to the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, and the Cowboys were embarrased 23-0 by the Colts in Indianapolis.
Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky bounced back from a subpar performance against the Los Angeles Rams last week, completing 20 of 28 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bears defense ended Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ NFL-record streak of pass attempts without an interception at 402, when safety Eddie Jackson picked off a pass intended for Jimmy Graham in the end zone with 3:14 left to play.
“We’ve accomplished a lot,” Trubisky said of the Bears’ worst-to-first campaign. “We know that nobody really believed in us on the outside in the preseason – or even throughout the season. But we knew what type of team we had.”
In the night game, backup Nick Foles took over from injured starter Carson Wentz and threw for 270 yards to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 30-23 upset win over the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams.
- Pats grinding -
Low expectations aren’t something associated with the five-time Super Bowl champion Patriots and their superstar quarterback Tom Brady.
Pittsburgh running back Jaylen Samuels carries the ball in the third quarter of the Steelers' 17-10 NFL victory over the New England Patriots
But for the second week in a row the Pats were unable to lock up a playoff berth, this time against a Steelers team desperate to revive its playoff push after three straight defeats.
Pittsburgh’s rookie running back Jaylen Samuels, making his second start for injured James Conner, ran for a career-high 142 yards and made a key reception in the fourth quarter as the Steelers strengthened their hold on the NFC North lead.
“His whole game was awesome,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.
Roethlisberger threw for 235 yards with two first-half touchdowns and two interceptions. Kicker Chris Boswell nailed a 48-yard field goal with 2:30 remaining and Pittsburgh’s defense, which surrendered fourth-quarter leads in the past two games held off New England the rest of the way.
“It’s a big win for us, beating a playoff caliber/Super Bowl caliber team – perennially,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s the time of year where very win is a big win for us.”
New England quarterback Tom Brady trots off the field after the Patriots 17-10 NFL loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh
Morgan Burnett knocked down Brady’s last-gasp pass to Julian Edelman in the end zone to seal the win over a Patriots team that hurt itself with an uncharacteristic 14 penalties that cost them 106 yards.
“Just didn’t get the job done,” a dejected Brady said, although the Patriots still hold a comfortable lead in the AFC East at 9-5. “We’re going to have to just grind it out.”
The Seahawks, who routed the 49ers 43-16 two weeks ago, squandered a chance to clinch a playoff berth in the return match.
Seattle scored a touchdown on their opening drive, but Sebastian Janikowski missed the extra point and San Francisco returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to gain the upper hand.
Janikowski’s field goal with five minutes remaining knotted the score at 23-23. Seattle got the ball first in overtime but couldn’t score, and San Francisco won it on Robbie Gould’s game-winning 36-yard field goal – the Seahawks paying the price of 14 penalties that cost them 148 yards.
- Cowboys ‘embarrassing’ -
The defeat leaves the 8-6 Seahawks – second behind NFC West division winners the Rams – just half a game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings and one game ahead of the Washington Redskins in the wild card race. The Vikings routed the Miami Dolphins 41-17 on Sunday and Washington beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 16-13.
Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliot walks off the field after the Cowboys' 23-0 NFL loss to the Colts in Indianapolis
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott said the lopsided win in Indianapolis – the first time Dallas had been held scoreless since a 12-0 loss to the Patriots in November of 2003 – was a “reality check”.
“We can’t go out there and do that. We cannot,” Elliott said after the Cowboys’ division lead was reduced to one game. “That is not us, at all. It’s embarrassing.”
The lopsided victory saw the Colts improve to 8-6 – still in with a chance at an AFC wildcard berth. They are tied with Baltimore, who beat Tampa Bay 20-12, with the Ravens holding the tiebreaker for the second wildcard spot.
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