AMERICAN FOOTBALL NFL:THE GREEN Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers secured their spots in the National Football League (NFL) play-offs on Sunday with four weeks of regular season action still to go.
The unbeaten Packers were gifted a place in the post-season even before their game against the New York Giants (6-6) kicked off when their NFC North division rivals, the Chicago Bears (7-5), were upset 10-3 by the Kansas City Chiefs (5-7).
The reigning Super Bowl champion Packers then crowned their success by edging the Giants 38-35 in a thriller at Meadowlands Stadium that came down to the last play, improving to 12-0 and on track for a rare perfect season.
The Packers sealed the division title when the Detroit Lions (7-4) lost 31-17 to the New Orleans Saints (8-3) in Sunday’s late game.
The 49ers (10-2) sealed their play-off berth, and the NFC West division title, with a 26-0 shutout over the St Louis Rams (2-10) while the battle for play-off spots in the AFC looked likely to go down to the wire with none of the teams able to break free of the pack.
Last year’s Super Bowl runners-up, the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3), romped to a 35-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals (7-5) only to remain behind Baltimore (9-3) in the AFC North division after the Ravens won 24-10 at the Cleveland Browns (4-8).
The Houston Texans (9-3) snuck past the Atlanta Falcons (7-5) to move two games clear in the AFC South while the New England Patriots (9-3) held off the winless Indianapolis Colts 31-24 to lead the AFC East by two but not assured of anything.
The Denver Broncos (7-5), led by in-form quarterback Tim Tebow, rallied for a 35-32 win over the struggling Minnesota Vikings (2-10) after Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard field goal on the final play to join Oakland (7-5) atop the AFC West as the Raiders fell 34-14 to the Miami Dolphins (4-8).
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdowns and Mason Crosby kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired as the Packers survived a scare from a Giants team that has lost four straight and is in danger of missing the post-season.
“This was the first step,” said Rodgers. “Get in the play-offs, win the division, get a first-round bye, homefield advantage and hopefully go undefeated.”
The 49ers showed why they have the best defence in the NFL as they booked their first play-off berth in nine years with Alex Smith throwing for two long touchdowns.
Weekend Results(home team in caps) –
PITTSBURGH 35 Cincinnati 7, Carolina 38 TAMPA BAY 19, NY Jets 34 WASHINGTON 19, HOUSTON 17 Atlanta 10, Tennessee 23 BUFFALO 17, Kansas City 10 CHICAGO 3, MIAMI 34 Oakland 14, NEW ENGLAND 31 Indianapolis 24, Denver 35 MINNESOTA 32, SAN FRANCISCO 26 St. Louis 0, Green Bay 38 NY GIANTS 35, ARIZONA 19 Dallas 13 (OT), Baltimore 24 CLEVELAND 10, NEW ORLEANS 31 Detroit 17. (OT denotes overtime win)
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