Dec 23, 2013 ... ARIZONA. Tony Jeferson, SS, (OU): 2 solo, 1 assisted tackle ... Jermaine
Gresham, TE, (OU): 3 catches, 49 yards, 1 touchdown; 1 .... termined to leave
their mark on. Candlestick's ... $1.2 billion Levi's Stadium at team ... cisco to a 28-
27 win and its first Su- per Bowl. .... es, 144 yards) provided the home team ...
Monday, December 23, 2013
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B7
NFL: WEEK 16 TWO-MINUTE DRILL
DALLAS
LOCALS
FROM B1
STARS
On Sunday, the Cowboys fell lat in the third quarter instead of the fourth, leaving just enough time for a comeback. “Coming back and playing well and working hard can help your character. Now, I don’t recommend the way we came back today as a way to get there,” Dallas owner Jerry Jones said with a smile. “I would’ve liked for it to be a little easier and conident.” The Redskins (3-12) aren’t building much of anything. They lost their seventh straight, the second in a row by one point, both with Kirk Cousins starting in place of shut-down franchise player Robert Griin III. Pierre Garcon (11 catches, 144 yards) provided the home team highlight by breaking Art Monk’s singleseason franchise reception record, while veteran linebacker London Fletcher played in what is expected to be his inal home game before retiring. Embattled coach Mike Shanahan clinched his worst record in his 20 seasons as a head coach. “Everybody on the team is fed up at this point,” Washington linebacker Perry Riley said. “We should be winning. Need to be winning. We’re not winning. And that’s frustrating.” Romo completed 17 of 27 passes for 226 yards
Tony Jeferson, SS, (OU): 2 solo, 1 assisted tackle, 1 quarterback hit.
Peyton Manning, Broncos: Finished 32-for-51 for 400 yards and four touchdown passes in Denver’s 37-13 win over Houston. Manning has 51 touchdown passes and passed Tom Brady (50 in 2007) for the most in a single season in NFL history. Manning is the irst player to pass for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in the same season. Manning has 5,211 yards passing and is the ifth player to throw for at least 5,000 yards in a season. He joins Drew Brees, Hall of Famer Dan Marino, Brady and Matthew Staford. Andy Dalton, Bengals: 27-for-38 for 366 yards and four touchdown passes in Cincinnati’s 42-14 win over Minnesota. Tony Romo, Cowboys: 17-for-27 for 226 yards and two touchdown passes and an interception in Dallas’ 24-23 win over Washington. Le’Veon Bell, Steelers: 26 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 38-31 win over Green Bay. Pierre Garcon, Redskins: 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown in Washington’s 2423 loss to Dallas.
Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas, Broncos: Decker had 10 catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns and Thomas had eight catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. Nate Washington, Titans: Six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee’s 20-16 win over Jacksonville. A.J. Green, Bengals: Seven catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
Luke Kuechly and Greg Hardy, Panthers: Kuechly had 24 tackles and an interception and Hardy three sacks in Carolina’s 17-13 win over New Orleans. Since tackles became a recognized stat in 1994, Kuechly’s 24 are tied for the most in a game (New York Jets’ David Harris, Nov. 4, 2007). Kuechly is the irst player since Tampa Bay’s Derrick Brooks (Sept. 30, 2001) to make at least 20 tackles and an interception in the same game. Cortez Allen, Steelers: Returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. Will Hill, Giants: Returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown in New York’s 23-20 overtime win over Detroit. Robert Quinn, Rams: Had three sacks in St. Louis’ 23-13 win over Tampa Bay. He leads the league with 18.
STREAKS & STATS • The Lions were eliminated from the postseason after a 23-20 loss to the Giants. It was their fifth loss in six games, and they blew fourth-quarter leads in each setback. • The Ravens’ 41-7 defeat to New England was their most lopsided loss since a 37-0 defeat at Pittsburgh in 1997. • Arizona has won seven of eight and ended the Seahawks’ 14-game home win streak with a 17-10 victory. • Houston extended its franchise-record skid to 13 games with a 37-13 loss to Denver. • The Redskins lost their seventh straight, the second in a row by one point in a 24-23 loss to the rival Cowboys. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARIZONA ATLANTA Dominique Franks, CB, (OU): Monday night.
CAROLINA Frank Alexander, DE, (OU): 1 assisted tackle, 1 pass defended.
CINCINNATI Jermaine Gresham, TE, (OU): 3 catches, 49 yards, 1 touchdown; 1 lost fumble.
CLEVELAND Brandon Weeden, QB, (OSU): Did not play. Armonty Bryant, DL, (East Central): Played; 1 solo tackle.
DALLAS
Dez Bryant pulls in a touchdown in front of the Redskins’ Brandon Meriweather. Bryant had 73 yards on four catches. ALEX BRANDON/Associated Press
with two touchdowns and played much of the game with back pain. He was limping noticeably after a couple of plays in the fourth quarter. “I took a hit that kind of triggered it a little bit. ... I felt it after that play, the rest of the game,” Romo said. “You just play through it, just like anything in football.” The Cowboys led 14-6 at halftime before committing turnovers on back-to-back drives — a fumble by Tyler Clutts and an interception by DeAngelo Hall. The Redskins scored on three
straight possessions and took a 23-14 lead on the irst play of the fourth quarter. But Romo converted a fourth-and-6 at the Washington 40-yard line to set up a ield goal that cut the lead to six with 6:09 to play. The Cowboys started the go-ahead drive at their 13 with 3:39 remaining. A 51yard pass to Terrance Williams set up the winning score, with the Cowboys surviving the 9-yard loss by Murray when knocking on the door at the 1. “A couple of self-inlicted wounds in the second half hurt us,” Dallas coach Jason
CHIEFS FROM B1
ald Brown had TDs on the ground and through the air as the Colts (10-5) scored the game’s inal 23 points. Alex Smith threw for 153 yards, but he fumbled once and was picked of twice after throwing just six interceptions his irst 14 games. Knile Davis also fumbled the ball away for Kansas City. “I think it was a team efort in not a very good way,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “You can’t pull your foot of the accelerator when you go out that quick. You have to keep going.” The Chiefs vowed to do that if the teams meet again in two weeks. Kansas City is assured of the No. 5 seed in the playofs after Denver beat Houston earlier Sunday to wrap up the AFC West and the No. 1 seed. That means the Chiefs would head to Lucas Oil Stadium for a wild-card game if the Colts end up as the No. 4 seed. “I know we’ll have some motivation. Deinitely,” Chiefs ofensive lineman Geof Schwartz said. “They might think we’re one team, but we’ll be back in a couple of weeks.” Early on, the Chiefs appeared as if they were going to pick up right where they left of last week, when they hung 56 points on the Raiders. They marched downield on the opening drive, and Charles took a carry
Dan Bailey, K, (OSU): Played; 1/1 FG (25), 3/3 XP. Dez Bryant, WR, (OSU): 4 catches, 73 yards, 1 touchdown; 1 misc. assisted tackle. Joseph Randle, RB, (OSU): Played; 1 specialteams solo tackle. DeMarco Murray, RB, (OU): 22 carries, 96 yards, 1 touchdown; 3 catches, 15 yards, 1 touchdown.
Jerrell Freeman intercepts a pass intended for Jamaal Charles. Charles ran for 106 yards and scored the Chiefs’ only touchdown early in the game, but Kansas City couldn’t ind any ofense after that. CHARLIE RIEDEL/Associated Press
around the right side 31 yards for a touchdown. The Colts defense stifened after that, though, and the closest Kansas City came to scoring again in the irst half came when Ryan Succop yanked a 47-yard ield goal wide left. “Anytime you can play the type of game we played today, against a playof team in a hostile environment, it speaks to the character of our football team,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “They stick to the process
and stay focused on the process.” Indianapolis kept taking advantage of breakdowns in the Kansas City pass defense, the most glaring one coming after Davis fumbled in the second quarter. Brown leaked out of the backield unnoticed by the Kansas City defense, Luck hit him with a dump-of pass that he took virtually untouched 33 yards for a score. “I think they busted the coverage,” Brown said, “so
DENVER
Garrett said. “But you keep playing. Our guys scratched, clawed, and fought.” Notes: Michael Spurlock, signed Wednesday because of an injury to Dwayne Harris, set up a TD with a 62-yard punt return in the irst quarter. ... Murray ran for 96 yards, becoming the irst Cowboys back to rush for 1,000 yards since Julius Jones in 2006. ... The Cowboys are 5-0 in the NFC East; the Redskins are 0-5. ... Injuries: Cowboys RB Phillip Tanner (head) and Redskins LBs Brian Orakpo (right groin) and Nick Barnett (sprained left knee). that made my job a lot easier.” Brown’s job wasn’t a whole lot tougher when the Colts got the ball back in the third quarter of Smith’s interception. He raced through a gaping hole, then tight-rope walked down the sideline 51 yards for a score — a video review showed that he somehow stayed inbounds. Adam Vinatieri added to the Colts’ cushion with his third ield goal, capping a drive kept alive by a defensive hold and a taunting penalty after the Chiefs had already held on third down. “I can’t tell you why we came out here and performed the way we did today, we just did,” Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers said. “We should have come out and matched their intensity.” Smith was picked of again by Jerrell Freeman in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, and then the quarterback fumbled the ball away with 3:24 left to seal the game. “The way we opened up, marching down the way we did, it felt like things were going to be the way they’ve been,” Smith said. “We really didn’t get into a rhythm after that, didn’t execute in any area, and then the turnovers. The turnovers hurt you.” Notes: Vinatieri has now scored 1,993 points, passing fellow kicker Jason Elam for seventh on the NFL’s career list. ... Three of the Chiefs’ four losses have come at Arrowhead Stadium.
Wes Welker, WR, (OKC Heritage Hall): Not active. Chris Harris, DB, (Bixby HS): 3 solo, 1 assisted tackle, 2 passes defended.
DETROIT Corey Hilliard, OT, (OSU): No stats. Brandon Pettigrew, TE, (OSU): Not active. Travis Lewis, LB, (OU): Suspended.
GREEN BAY Lane Taylor, OG, (OSU): Not active.
HOUSTON Antonio Smith, DE, (OSU): 1 quarterback hit.
JACKSONVILLE Justin Blackmon, WR, (OSU): Suspended.
KANSAS CITY Donald Stephenson, OT, (OU): No stats.
MIAMI Charles Clay, FB/TE, (TU): 4 catches, 32 yards; 1 kickof return, 8 yards.
MINNESOTA Charlie Johnson, OL, (OSU): No stats. Kevin Williams, DT, (OSU): 1 assisted tackle. Phil Loadholt, OT, (OU): No stats. Adrian Peterson, RB, (OU): 11 carries, 45 yards; 1 catch, 2 yards.
NEW ORLEANS Curtis Lofton, LB, (OU): 3 solo, 1 assisted tackle, 1 sack (11 yards), 1 tackle for a loss, 1 quarterback hit. Kenny Stills, WR, (OU): 2 catches, 23 yards; 1 carry, 3 yards; 1 misc. solo tackle. Robert Meachem, WR, (BTW): Played; 2 catches, 14 yards; 1 carry, -5 yards.
N.Y. GIANTS Josh Brown, K, (Foyil HS): Played; 3/3 FG (41)(52)(45), 2/2 XP.
OAKLAND Ryan Robinson, DE, (OSU): Played; no stats. Stacy McGee, DT, (OU): No stats.
PHILADELPHIA Lane Johnson, OT, (OU): No stats. Damaris Johnson, WR/PR, (TU): No stats.
PITTSBURGH Landry Jones, QB, (OU): Not active. Felix Jones, RB, (BTW/Arkansas): Played; 1 carry, 7 yards; 4 kickof returns, 63 yards.
SAN FRANCISCO Kendall Hunter, RB, (OSU): Monday night.
SEATTLE Alvin Bailey, OT, (BA/Arkansas): Played; no stats. Michael Bowie, OT, (OSU/NSU): No stats. Russell Okung, OT, (OSU): No stats.
ST. LOUIS Jermelle Cudjo, DT, (UCO): Played; 1 solo tackle.
TAMPA BAY Davin Joseph, OG, (OU): No stats. Gerald McCoy, DT, (OU): 4 solo, 2 assisted tackles, 1 sack (10 yards), 1 tackle for a loss, 1 quarterback hit.
WASHINGTON Chris Chester, C, (OU): No stats. Trent Williams, OT, (OU): No stats.
Candlestick’s farewell draws mixed emotions • The home of the 49ers 49ers vs. Falcons since 1971, the stadium’s 7:40 p.m. Monday last game is on Monday. TV: ESPN-25 BY JANIE MCCAULEY Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — On Monday, Dwight Clark will make a point to walk to the spot of his famous gamewinning touchdown known only as “The Catch” for probably the inal time. He will spend a moment relecting on that special patch of grass in the far right corner of the north end zone at Candlestick Park, a thrilling memory he is reminded of daily even now, nearly 32 years later. “This will be the last time I’ll be able to stand on that spot as far as I know,” Clark said. Joe Montana didn’t expect to make it Monday, when The Stick says its last public goodbye after a run of Super Bowl success; baseball greats like Willie Mays and home run king Barry Bonds; the 1989 earthquake that interrupted the Bay
Bridge World Series; and even The Beatles’ farewell concert. “It’s going to be weird,” Terrell Owens said before a game last month. “I’m glad I got an opportunity to be here.” The current 49ers (10-4) are determined to leave their mark on Candlestick’s legacy by beating Atlanta (4-10) in the dilapidated stadium’s last hurrah Monday might in a rematch of the NFC championship game won by San Francisco. “We feel that it’s something special,” safety Donte Whitner said. Those who spent their most memorable years in the iconic venue — with that recognizable boomerang-shaped concrete shell — are sad to see it go. Even if the unpredictable swirling winds of the bay and bitter cold hardly made it a cozy home ield. Jerry Rice walked through the
A ield wall reads “Farewell Candlestick Park” below seating by the scoreboard at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The San Francisco 49ers are about to play their last football game at the stadium they have called home since 1971. ERIC RISBERG/Associated Press
stadium several weeks back and “It’s very diicult for me to come to soaked in the cheers from every games. Hearing those cheers again, I direction, signed autographs and want to get back on that ield,” Rice posed for photos. said. “This is where everything start-
ed. It’s sort of sad to see it coming to an end because I know next year they’ll be in Santa Clara.” The Niners will move into $1.2 billion Levi’s Stadium at team headquarters, while Candlestick waits out its implosion day, likely in late 2014. Everybody realizes it’s time. “I’ll forever be grateful to have played on that ield and shared that ield with guys who are in the Hall of Fame and guys who have won championships for this organization,” linebacker Patrick Willis said. There’s no debate that a dynasty was born with “The Catch.” Candlestick’s top-10 football moments have been counted down during each home game this season, with “The Catch” at No. 1 for the regularseason home inale. That 6-yard touchdown reception with 51 seconds left sent San Francisco to a 28-27 win and its irst Super Bowl. The 49ers shared Candlestick with the Giants until the baseball club moved into its downtown waterfront ballpark in 2000.
