Broncos 16 at Colts 28
Peyton Manning threw three TD passes in the first 23 minutes, then was picked off three times, but the Colts earned their 22nd consecutive regular-season win with a 28-16 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The Colts’ defence held off the Broncos as Indianapolis broke the Patriots’ record victory streak set last year. Indianapolis is one of seven NFL teams to go 13-0, including this year’s New Orleans Saints.
While the Colts (13-0) won their 114th game of the decade, breaking a tie with the 1990s San Francisco 49ers, and took a franchise record 13th consecutive home game, Denver receiver Brandon Marshall broke the league’s single-game record with 21 receptions.
Marshall tied the mark on a 5-yard TD catch with 9:44 left in the game to make it 21-16 and broke the record on the Broncos’ final play.
Saints 26 at Falcons 23
Drew Brees was 31 for 40 and threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns, Jonathan Vilma came up with two huge defensive plays, and New Orleans remained perfect with another tight win.
Garrett Hartley won it on a 38-yard field goal with a 4:42 remaining after Atlanta rallied from 14 points down. The offensive-minded Saints (13-0) then turned to defence to preserve another victory — Vilma came up with an interception, then doled out a big fourth-down hit on Jason Snelling to finish the Falcons’ final drive.
New Orleans set a franchise record for wins in a season, clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs and moved a step closer to ensuring home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes to Reggie Bush and another to Marques Colston.
The Falcons (6-7) lost for the sixth time in eight games. Atlanta played without two of its biggest stars, quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner.
Bengals 10 at Vikings 30
Adrian Peterson had 97 yards and two touchdowns, pushing Minnesota past mistake-prone Cincinnati.
Peterson added 40 yards receiving and set a single-season team record with 14 rushing touchdowns, moving Minnesota (11-2) within one more win of a second straight NFC North title.
Seahawks 7 at Texans 34
Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson put together their best game of the season to help Houston snap out of a slump and keep its dwindling playoff hopes alive. Johnson had a season-high 193 yards receiving and two touchdowns to lead the Texans (6-7) over Seattle (5-8), breaking a four-game losing streak.
Packers 21 at Bears 14
Ryan Grant ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns, and Green Bay beat Chicago after letting a lead slip away.
Lions 3 at Ravens 48
Ray Rice ran for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown, and Baltimore enhanced its playoff hopes with a rout of Detroit.
Panthers 10 at Patriots 20
The Patriots (8-5) snapped a two-game losing streak and maintained their one-game lead in the AFC East. The Panthers (5-8) lost for the third time in four games.
Bills 16 at Chiefs 10
Rian Lindell kicked three field goals, and Buffalo intercepted Matt Cassel four times to beat struggling Kansas City.
Buccaneers 3 at Jets 26
Thomas Jones ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns, Jay Feely kicked four field goals, and the New York Jets intercepted rookie Josh Freeman three times while holding sputtering Tampa Bay to 135 yards.
Dolphins 14 at Jaguars 10
Chad Henne completed a team-record 17 consecutive passes, Ricky Williams ran for 108 yards and a score and Miami beat Jacksonville.
Chargers 20 at Cowboys 17
San Diego (10-3) won its eighth straight and is on the verge of a playoff berth. The Chargers also won their 16th straight in December, all with Rivers.
Rams 7 at Titans 47
Chris Johnson ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns and took a short pass 66 yards for another score to lead Tennessee to a rout of woeful St. Louis.
Raiders 13 at Redskins 34
Jason Campbell threw two touchdown passes to give Washington the lead, and Quinton Ganther put it away by running for two fourth-quarter scores.
Eagles 45 at Giants 38
DeSean Jackson scored on 72-yard punt return and a 60-yard pass from Donovan McNabb, sparking the Eagles to their most points this season.