AMERICAN FOOTBALL:THE NEW York Jets won in Pittsburgh for the first time, beating the Steelers 22-17 to end a two-game losing streak and move one step closer to a National Football League play-off berth.
The Jets avoided becoming the second New York team to lose on the game’s final play as Ben Roethlisbergers pass into the end zone fell incomplete.
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants 38-31 on DeSean Jackson’s 65-yard punt return for a touchdown as time expired. The Eagles scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to erase a 31-10 deficit to head the National Football Conference’s East Division with two regular-season games left.
The Atlanta Falcons became the first NFC team to clinch a play-off spot by extending their winning streak to eight games with a 34-18 win against the Seattle Seahawks. The Falcons’ 12-2 record is tied with New England for the best in the NFL. The Patriots beat the Green Bay Packers 31-27. The Jets improved to 10-4 as Brad Smith returned the opening kick-off 97 yards for a touchdown at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Quarterback Mark Sanchez added a seven-yard scoring run for the Jets’ first offensive touchdown in three games. New York trails first-place New England by two games in the American Football Conference’s East Division. The Jets are tied in the race for a wild-card play-off spot with the best record among second-place teams.
The Steelers had a four-game winning streak snapped to fall to 10-4. They’re now tied with Baltimore atop the AFC North after the Ravens’ 30-24 win over New Orleans that ended the Saints’ six-game winning streak.
The Eagles scored four touchdowns in the final seven minutes, 43 seconds to erase a 31-10 deficit at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Quarterback Michael Vick threw for three touchdowns and added a rushing score for the Eagles, who improved to 10-4 and won both regular-season meetings against the Giants.
New York (9-5), who led 24-3 at half-time, fell into second place in the NFC East. Jackson’s fourth career kick return for a touchdown completed a comeback engineered by Vick, who completed 21 of 35 passes for 242 yards. He had 130 yards rushing, 94 in the fourth quarter. The Eagles trailed by 21 points with 8:17 left after Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game. Giants coach Tom Coughlin said: “It’s about as empty as you get to feel in this business.”
The Indianapolis Colts kept their post-season chances alive with a 34-24 victory over Jacksonville. Tyjuan Hagler clinched the home win for the Colts by returning an onside kick attempt by Jacksonville 41 yards for a touchdown with 1:47 remaining. Peyton Manning threw two touchdown passes to Austin Collie for Indianapolis, which improved to 8-6 and tied the Jaguars for first place in the AFC South.
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