NFL - Week Thirteen Review

The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers stamped their tickets to the NFL Playoffs on Sunday by clinching their respective division titles with victories.
The Packers (12-0) knocked off the stubborn New York Giants, 38-35 to clinch the NFC North while the 49ers (10-2) shut out the visiting St. Louis Rams, 26-0 that gave them the NFC West division title.

 Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week Aaron Rodgers (pictured right) threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns for Green Bay, including leading the Packers on a drive to the winning 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby in the final minute of the game.
Eli Manning had three TD passes and 347 passing yards in the loss, which was the Giants' fourth consecutive defeat.
The defense once again led the way for the 49ers in their shutout win, limiting the Rams to just 157 yards in total offense. San Francisco has allowed a league low 161 points through twelve games.
The Pittsburgh Steelers rolled to another win, 35-7 over the visiting Cincinnati Bengals. Running back Rashard Mendenhall scored twice and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had two touchdown passes to pace the win.
Baltimore remained in first place in the AFC North with a 24-10 pounding of the Cleveland Browns. Ravens' RB Ray Rice ran for 204 of his team's 290 rushing yards and scored a touchdown.
The New England Patriots roared out to a big lead and then held off the visiting Indianapolis Colts (0-12) in a 31-24 win to go to 9-3 for the season. Pats' tight end Rob Gronkowski scored three times, including two TD receptions from QB Tom Brady to lead the way.
A 21-point outburst in the final five minutes of the game propelled the New York Jets to a 34-19 win at Washington as running back Shonn Greene scored three touchdowns in the win.
The Miami Dolphins beat down the Oakland Raiders, 34-14 behind a stingy defense that held the Raiders to a paltry 46 yards rushing for the game. Dolphins' QB Matt Moore threw two TD passes in the win.

Tim Tebow

Denver came from behind in a 35-32 win at Minnesota as QB Tim Tebow passed for 202 yards and a pair of TD passes to offset 381 passing yards by Vikings' QB Christian Ponder, including two touchdown strikes to wide receiver Percy Harvin (eight catches for 156 yards).
In a yawner game, the Houston Texans defeated Atlanta, 17-10 to improve to 9-3 in the AFC South.
Carolina rolled over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 38-19 as QB Cam Newton rushed for three scores and passed for another to lead the way.
The Dallas Cowboys squandered a game at Arizona in a 19-13 overtime loss as Head Coach Jason Garrett called for timeout as kicker Dan Bryant was making what appeared to be the game winning field goal in the last seconds of regulation.
But the kick didn't count because of the timeout and Bryant missed the 49-yard try and the Cardinals took the ball in OT and scored the winning touchdown on a 52-yard scoring pass from Kevin Kolb to LaRod Stephens-Howling.
The Tennessee Titans (7-5) won on the road, getting a 23-17 win at Buffalo behind running back Chris Johnson, who had 153 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Kansas City rode a "Hail Mary" pass play for a touchdown at the end of the first half to a 10-3 win at Chicago.
The Bears lost running back Matt Forte' to a sprained knee injury while QB Caleb Hanie was intercepted three times and the Chicago offense was limited to 181 yards in total offense.
Last Thursday night, the Seattle Seahawks routed the hapless Philadelphia Eagles, 31-14 with running back Marshawn Lynch leading the way with 148 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The Seahawks' defense picked off three passes, including a 77-yard interception returned for touchdown by David Hawthorne.

The New Orleans Saints cruised to their fourth straight win, beating Detroit 31-17 behind three TD passes from Drew Brees in the Sunday Night Football game.
 The San Diego Chargers kept their slim playoff hopes alive on Monday Night Football, blasting the host Jacksonville Jaguars, 38-14 as quarterback Philip Rivers (pictured right) passed for 294 yards and three touchdowns.
Rivers threw touchdown passes to three different receivers and running back Ryan Mathews gained 112 yards on just 13 carries and scored a touchdown as well.