Peyton Manning sets record and wins

Jerome Bettis of the Steelers carries the ball against the Ravens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Sunday. Pittsburgh won 20-7. PHOTO: AFP

Peyton Manning got both the win and the season record for touchdown passes.

He rallied the Indianapolis Colts from a 15-point deficit in the final quarter, throwing his record-breaking 49th touchdown pass of the season to help tie the game in the last minute of regulation, then leading the winning drive in overtime as the Colts defeated San Diego 34-31 Sunday.

The victory was the eighth straight for the Colts (12-3) and gave Indianapolis the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. San Diego's winning streak ended at eight games. The Chargers (11-4) will still host a first-round game as the No. 4 seed.

Manning, who tied Dan Marino's record on a 3-yard shovel pass to James Mungro, threw a 21-yard TD pass to a wide open Brandon Stokley with 56 seconds left in regulation to break the record. Edgerrin James then ran for the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 31, a play Manning called at the line.

In overtime, Manning hooked up with Stokley on a 23-yard gain, then found Reggie Wayne on a 35-yard catch-and-run, setting up Mike Vanderjagt's winning field goal from 30 yards with 12:13 to go.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning spots receiver Brandon Stokley for his 49th touchdown of the season, breaking Dan Marino' long-standing record of 48, during the fourth quarter against the Chargers in Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday. PHOTO: AP

Steelers 20, Ravens 7

In Pittsburgh, the Steelers wrapped up home-field advantage in the AFC as Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes before being pulled with a rib injury.

The Steelers (14-1) won't have a meaningful game until Jan. 15 or 16. But a team that has been playing without six injured regulars sustained two more injuries, as both Roethlisberger and cornerback Deshea Townsend (wrist) were pulled in the fourth quarter.

Reggie White of the Packers celebrating after a victory over the Buccaneers in the NFC divisional playoffs at Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Jan. 4, 1998. White, the NFL all-time sack leader, died at home on Sunday, just after his 43rd birthday. PHOTO: AFP

After being leveled by Terrell Suggs while throwing a 2-yard scoring pass to Jerame Tuman that put Pittsburgh up 17-7 late in the third quarter, Roethlisberger was assisted off the field -- a large clump of grass sticking out of the left side of his face mask. Roethlisberger returned on Pittsburgh's next drive, but was replaced by Tommy Maddox. The loss all but eliminated the Ravens (8-7) from playoff contention.

Seahawks 24, Cardinals 21

In Seattle, Shaun Alexander rushed 30 times for 154 yards with three touchdowns and Darrell Jackson caught six passes for 101 yards as Seattle clinched a playoff berth.

The Seahawks (8-7) will clinch the NFC West if Philadelphia beats St. Louis on Monday night. It's the first time Seattle has made the playoffs in consecutive years since 1983-1984.

Josh McCown threw a pair of 29-yard TD strikes to Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter, pulling the Cardinals (5-10) to 24-21 with 2:30 to play. He also found Fitzgerald for a score with 11:32 remaining.

Patriots 23, Jets 7

In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Tom Brady and New England dominated division rival New York to clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Jets (10-5) must win their finale at St. Louis next week to be assured of making the AFC playoffs as a wild card.

Brady two touchdown passes and went 21-of-32 for 264 yards after tying a career high with four picks against Miami. The Patriots defense, which surrendered an 11-point lead with 4 minutes remaining in the Miami game, harassed Chad Pennington all day and stopped NFL leading rusher Curtis Martin.

Panthers 37, Buccaneers 20

In Tampa, Florida, Jake Delhomme threw for 214 yards and four touchdowns, helping the defending NFC champions move within a victory of clinching a playoff berth.

The Panthers (7-8) won for the sixth time in seven games after a 1-7 start, and can earn a wild-card spot by beating New Orleans at home next Sunday.

Delhomme TD passes of 15 and 6 yards to Muhsin Muhammad and the Panthers blocked a punt to set up a field goal as the first half expired to build a 17-7 lead. Carolina marched 70 yards after the second half kickoff to go up 24-7 on Delhomme's 4-yard TD throw to Keary Colbert.

Texans 21, Jaguars 0

In Jacksonville, Florida, Domanick Davis ran for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown and the Texans crippled Jacksonville's postseason chances.

Because Baltimore lost at Pittsburgh, the Jaguars (8-7) could have taken control of the final AFC wild-card spot with a victory against Houston (7-8). Instead, they will need to win next week at Oakland and get some help to return to the postseason for the first time since 1999.

Jacksonville, playing without starting running back Fred Taylor, managed just 126 total yards as Houston got the first shutout in its three-year history.

Saints 26, Falcons 13

In New Orleans, Aaron Brooks scored on a fourth-down 1-yard run and Michael Lewis had a 96-yard kickoff return to keep the Saints (7-8) in playoff contention.

Atlanta rested Michael Vick, with a sore shoulder after clinching a first-round bye in the playoffs. Brooks, Vick's cousin, went 12-of-24 for 227 yards.

The Falcons also rested two other key offensive players: tight end Alge Crumpler and running back T.J. Duckett.

Bills 41, 49ers 7

In San Francisco, Willis McGahee rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns on an injured knee, Lee Evans caught two scoring passes and the Bills easily earned their sixth straight victory.

Drew Bledsoe went 21-of-32 for 172 yards and a touchdown for the Bills (9-6), whose longest winning streak since 1990 has them alive in their quest to become just the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting 0-4. Buffalo also clinched its first winning record since 1999.

The 49ers (2-13), who stayed on track for the first pick in the upcoming draft.

Bengals 23, Giants 22

In Cincinnati, Keiwan Ratliff's 42-yard punt return set up Jon Kitna's 4-yard touchdown pass to Chad Johnson with 44 seconds left, rallying the Bengals.

It was the eighth straight loss for the Giants (5-10) and a jubilant ending to another disappointing home season for the Bengals (7-8).

Eli Manning went 19-of-37 for 201 yards, leading New York to scores on six consecutive possessions.

Cowboys 13, Redskins 10

In Irving, Texas, Vinny Testaverde silenced the boos from fans who wanted him benched with a 39-yard touchdown to Patrick Crayton with 30 seconds left that gave the Dallas its fourth straight win over Washington and 14th in 15 games.

Dallas fell behind 10-6 with 6:44 left on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Ramsey to Robert Royal.

Dallas over at its 25 with 1:25 left and threw three straight incompletions, then hit Crayton for 15 yards on fourth-and-10.

Testaverde Jason Witten for 14 yards and Richie Anderson for 7 more. Facing third-and-3, he threw deep to Crayton down the right sideline and the seventh-round pick caught it in stride for his first career touchdown.

Dolphins 10, Browns 7

In Miami, Olindo Mare kicked a 51-yard field goal with 7 seconds left, and the Dolphins edged the Cleveland Browns, prompting a big cheer from the 20,000 fans who remained until the finish.

Jim Bates won in the matchup of interim coaches against Terry Robiskie. Bates improved to 3-3 since Dave Wannstedt resigned, but he'll be replaced after the season by LSU coach Nick Saban, who accepted the Miami job Saturday.

Reggie White, a two-time National Football League Defensive Player of the Year and selected to the Pro Bowl a record 13 times, died Sunday, his wife said. He was 43.

A cause of death was not immediately known.

"Today our beloved husband, father and friend passed away," White's wife, Sara, said in a statement through a family pastor. "His family appreciates your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of Reggie White. We want to thank you in advance for honoring our privacy."

An Christian minister who was known as the "Minister of Defense," White played a total of 15 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers. He retired in 2000 as the NFL's all-time leader in sacks with 198. The mark has since been passed by Bruce Smith.

Eagles Jeffrey Lurie called White "one of the greatest men ever to play the game of football."

"His legacy on and off the football field will never be forgotten," Lurie said in a statement.

A member of the NFL's 75th anniversary team, White was selected for the Pro Bowl, the NFL's post-season all-star game, 13 straight times from 1986-1998. He was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and 1998.

After an All-American senior season at the University of Tennessee, White began his pro career with the Memphis Showboats of the US Football League in 1984, and joined the Eagles, who held his NFL rights, after the USFL folded in 1985.

After eight years as an integral piece in Philadelphia's "Gang Green Defense," White signed as a free agent with Green Bay in 1993 for US$17 million over four years, huge for that era. His signing, along with a trade for quarterback Brett Favre, brought a measure of respectability back to the franchise and he was the first major black player to sign with the Packers as a free agent.

"That's what changed the football fortunes of this franchise. It was huge," Packers president Bob Harlan said Sunday. "Everyone thought the last place he would sign was Green Bay and it was monumental because not only did he sign but he recruited for Green Bay and got guys like Sean Jones to come here. He sent a message to the rest of the NFL that Green Bay was a great place to play and before that this was a place people didn't want to come."

He helped lead the Packers to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including a win over New England in 1997, when he set a Super Bowl record with three sacks.