NFL roundup: Giant win nearly locks up division

Published: Monday, Dec. 1, 2008 12:08 a.m. MST
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Garcia was limited to 119 yards passing, but threw 38 yards to Antonio Bryant for a third-quarter touchdown that put the Bucs up 20-10. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams also scored on an 8-yard run, his first TD since a career-threatening knee injury 14 months ago.

Brees completed 25 of 47 passes and wiped out a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit by throwing a 20-yard TD pass to Pierre Thomas and taking advantage of a short punt to tie the game on Garrett Hartley's second field goal with 5:34 to go.

49ERS 10, BILLS 3: At Orchard Park, N.Y., linebacker Patrick Willis and a suddenly sturdy San Francisco defense certainly did their job as spoilers. Willis had 14 tackles and a forced fumble in a win that all but ended the Bills' dwindling playoff hopes. The 49ers' win also prevented the Arizona Cardinals from clinching the NFC West and their first playoff berth in 10 years — the longest active playoff drought in the NFL.

Isaac Bruce scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass — the 90th of his career — and Joe Nedney hit a 50-yard field goal as the 49ers never trailed. San Francisco (4-8) won for the second time in three games and second time for interim coach Mike Singletary.

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The Bills (6-6) lost for the fifth time in six games and looked nothing like a team coming off a 54-31 win at Kansas City, or the team that got off to a 4-0 start. Buffalo came away with no points on four trips inside the red zone, and also got nothing on two extended drives of 15 plays or longer.

RAVENS 34, BENGALS 3: At Cincinnati, Mark Clayton put a little sizzle into Baltimore's steadily evolving offense.

The fourth-year receiver threw a touchdown pass on a reverse, then made a spectacular one-handed catch for a 70-yard score.

The Ravens (8-4) have won six of their past seven games with a renowned defense and an offense coming into its own behind rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. Each week, the Ravens give him a little more freedom and a little more of the playbook.L

DOLPHINS 16, RAMS 12: At St. Louis, the Dolphins (7-5) made it into the end zone only once but relied on stingy play from a defense that got routed last week by the Patriots to secure their fifth victory in six games.

Miami and St. Louis had the top two picks of the draft and the Rams (2-10) are likely to get another real early pick next April after losing their sixth in a row. They ended a string of blowout losses the previous four games behind Steven Jackson, who had 94 yards on 21 carries, but were undone by mistakes in the second half against a franchise that's quickly become competitive after going 1-15 last season.

Marc Bulger, sidelined by a concussion last week against the Bears, threw three interceptions in the second half — the clincher by Andre' Goodman at the Dolphins 5 with 35 seconds to go. Renaldo Hill's second pick of the season, and second in two games, set up Dan Carpenter's third field goal for the final score with 6:39 to go.

Against a team that has scored one touchdown the past four games, that was plenty of cushion.

The Rams got a perfect day from kicker Josh Brown, who matched his season best with four field goals in four attempts.

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Nick Wass, Associated Press

New York running back Brandon Jacobs (27) tries to leap over the pile and into the end zone for a touchdown in the Giants' 23-7 win.

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