EAST RUTHERFORD: Rex Ryan’s top-ranked defense shut down the Cincinnati Bengals as the New York Jets clinched their first playoff berth in three seasons with a 37-0 victory at a frigid Meadowlands on Sunday.
Needing a win to keep their season alive, the Jets (9-7) set up a rematch against the Bengals (10-6) in the first round of the playoffs Saturday at Cincinnati.
Rookie Mark Sanchez was 8 for 16 for 63 yards with no turnovers before being replaced by Kellen Clemens late in the fourth quarter with the game in hand. Thomas Jones ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns and do-it-all Brad Smith had 92 yards rushing, including a 32-yard TD run, as the Jets set a record for rushing yards in a season.
Texans 34, Patriots 27: At Houston, rookie Arian Foster scored two touchdowns and Bernard Pollard recovered a fumble for a touchdown as the Texans briefly kept their slim playoff hopes alive before the Jets snatched it away.
The Texans, who finished with a winning record for the first time in team history, needed the Jets to lose against Cincinnati in Sunday’s night game to earn the team’s first postseason appearance in its eight-year history.
Cowboys 24, Eagles 0: At Arlington, Texas, Tony Romo threw a pair of early touchdown passes and the defense took over from there, sending Dallas to the National Football Conference East title.
The Cowboys (11-5) earned their third straight impressive win, and the shutout also made for a major milestone in the club’s storied history: First-ever back-to-back blankings.
Ravens 21, Raiders 13: At Oakland, California, Willis McGahee ran for a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns as the Ravens clinched an American Football Conference wild-card berth.
The Ravens (9-7) went into the regular season finale knowing a win would put them in the playoffs and a loss would send them home for an early winter.
Titans 17, Seahawks 13: At Seattle, Chris Johnson became the sixth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, then scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run with 4:33 remaining.
Johnson ran 36 times — three short of Earl Campbell’s franchise record set in 1981 against Seattle — for 134 yards and both touchdowns for the Titans (8-8).
Chiefs 44, Broncos 24: At Denver, Jamaal Charles ran for a Chiefs-record 259 yards on 25 carries and linebacker Derrick Johnson returned two Kyle Orton interceptions for touchdowns in Kansas City’s first victory in nine tries at Invesco Field.
Steelers 30, Dolphins 24: At Miami, a swarming Steelers defense sent two Miami quarterbacks to the sideline, including Pat White with a scary head injury, but the reigning Super Bowl champions were eliminated from the playoff chase.
The Dolphins (7-9), who won the AFC East in 2008, were also eliminated with 2 minutes left in the game when Houston beat New England. Pittsburgh (9-7) needed losses or ties by the Ravens, Broncos and Jets to reach the playoffs, but they were eliminated when Baltimore beat Oakland.
Vikings 44, Giants 7: At Minneapolis, Brett Favre passed for 316 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover in less than three quarters against the Giants. The NFC North champion Vikings (12-4) cruised into the locker room to start watching the Philadelphia-Dallas game with an eye on their seed for the NFC playoffs.
Bills 30, Colts 7: At Orchard Park, New York, Despite near whiteout conditions in the first half, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three touchdown passes for Buffalo (6-10), including a 41-yarder to Terrell Owens.
Packers 33, Cardinals 7: At Glendale, Arizona, Aaron Rodgers, playing mostly against the Arizona reserves, shredded the Cardinals in three quarters, completing 21 of 26 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown.
Charles Woodson returned an interception 45 yards for another score as the Packers (11-5) won for the seventh time in eight games.
Panthers 23, Saints 10: At Charlotte, North Carolina, Jonathan Stewart rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, and the Panthers (8-8) won their third straight. Stewart surpassed Pro Bowl pick DeAngelo Williams for the team rushing lead as they became the first teammates since the AFL-NFL merger to each rush for over 1,100 yards.
Chargers 23, Redskins 20: At San Diego, California, Billy Volek threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to fullback Mike Tolbert with 35 seconds left to rally the playoff-bound Chargers to their 11th straight victory.
Browns 23, Jaguars 17: At Cleveland, Jerome Harrison rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown, and Josh Cribbs ran for a TD, giving Cleveland its first four-game winning streak since 1994. That pushed coach Eric Mangini into an uncertain offseason with momentum to fight for his job.
Falcons 20, Buccaneers 10: At Tampa Florida, Matt Ryan threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Falcons finish with consecutive winning records for the first time in franchise history. Standing in for injured leading rusher Michael Turner, Jason Snelling ran for 147 yards on 25 carries for Atlanta (9-7).
49ers 28, Rams 6: At St. Louis, Vernon Davis equaled the NFL record for touchdown receptions for a tight end with his 13th of the season, helping the 49ers finish strong and the lowly Rams clinch the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Frank Gore added 107 yards rushing on 23 carries and two late TDs for the 49ers (8-8), who pulled away after a desultory first half in which they mustered only 52 yards and trailed 3-0.
Bears 37, Lions 23: At Detroit, Jay Cutler matched a career high for a second straight week with four touchdown passes.
The Bears (7-9) won their final two games and three of the first four. The problem: Chicago lost eight of 10 games between its strong start and finish.
