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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, December 24, 2007

Patriots (15-0) dump Dolphins

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Tom Brady was intercepted twice, but still threw for three touchdowns as the Patriots remained unbeaten by defeating struggling Miami.

ELISE AMENDOLA | The Associated Press

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PLAYOFF SCENARIOS

Playoff scenarios for week 17:

AFC

CLINCHED: New England, East Division and home-field advantage; Indianapolis, South Division and a first-round bye; Pittsburgh, North Division; San Diego, West Division; Jacksonville, playoff berth.

ELIMINATED: Miami, N.Y. Jets, Kansas City, Oakland, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Houston, Buffalo, Denver.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Cleveland can clinch playoff berth with:

1) A loss by Tennessee.

OR

2) A win or tie and a Tennessee tie.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Tennessee can clinch playoff berth with:

1) A win.

OR

2) A tie and a Cleveland loss.

NFC

CLINCHED: Dallas, East Division and home- field advantage; Green Bay, North Division and a first-round bye; Seattle, West Division; Tampa Bay, South Division; N.Y. Giants, playoff berth.

ELIMINATED: San Francisco, St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Arizona, Philadelphia, Detroit.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Washington can clinch playoff berth with:

1) A win.

OR

2) A tie and a Minnesota loss or tie.

OR

3) A loss and a Minnesota loss and a New Orleans loss.

NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans can clinch playoff berth with:

1) A win and a Washington loss and a Minnesota loss.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

1) A win and a Washington loss.

—Associated Press

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Records aren't important to the Patriots, not yet anyway.

Not finishing the season at 16-0. Not becoming the highest scoring team in NFL history. And not Tom Brady and Randy Moss setting individual marks.

All those are still within reach, but after becoming the first team to go 15-0 in the regular season with a 28-7 win over the Miami Dolphins yesterday, it will mean more if the Patriots have a higher number than the New York Giants on the scoreboard at the end of their game Saturday night.

"When you look back at the end of your career, you'll be excited about individual records," Brady said, "but winning's more important and I think that's really what everyone's concerned about."

Brady threw three touchdown passes, two to Moss, and the Patriots moved to the best start in league history. The old mark: Miami's 14-0 in 1972 when the season lasted just 14 games.

Today's disjointed Dolphins (1-14) couldn't protect the record of their dominant predecessors.

"We wanted to win for them," defensive end Jason Taylor said. "But I wanted to win today, for the guys in this room."

If the Patriots beat the Giants, then go unbeaten in the postseason to finish 19-0, they'll join the Dolphins as the only teams to post a perfect record from opening day until the clock in the championship game runs out.

At the same time, the Patriots need six points to break Minnesota's single-season record of 556 set in 1998.

Brady is one shy of Peyton Manning's NFL record of 49 touchdown passes set in 2004 and tied with Dan Marino's production in 1984; Moss needs one touchdown reception to tie Jerry Rice's mark of 22 set in 12 games in 1987, a strike year.

The Patriots tied their NFL record of 18 consecutive regular-season wins set in 2003-04. They also broke the league mark of 70 touchdowns in one season by the 1984 Dolphins, reaching 71 to go up 28-0.

"I never felt they were playing for the records," Miami coach Cam Cameron said. "They understand what's important."

Brady finished 18-for-33 and threw two interceptions, and Laurence Maroney had a career-high 156 yards on 14 carries as the Patriots surged to a 28-0 lead.

COLTS 38, TEXANS 15

INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes, Joseph Addai and Clifton Dawson ran for TDs, and the Colts (13-2) scored on six of their first eight possessions.

In what was likely to be the last significant action for Indy's starters until mid-January when the AFC's No. 2 seed will play in the divisional round of the playoffs, Manning & Co. finished with 458 yards, scored 38 unanswered points and won their sixth in a row.

The Super Bowl MVP was 28-of-35 for 311 yards with a rating of 132.3 before leaving late in the third quarter and Dallas Clark broke the single-season franchise records for receptions and touchdown catches by a tight end.

Clark caught six passes for 60 yards and two TDs, giving him 57 receptions for 661 yards and 11 TDs this season. Hall of Famer John Mackey held the previous records of 55 receptions and nine TDs.

Houston (7-8) was trying to win a franchise record eighth game.

JAGUARS 49, RAIDERS 11

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Fred Taylor's 62-yard touchdown run on Jacksonville's opening play set the tone for a rout that propelled the Jaguars (11-4) into the playoffs.

Taylor finished with 111 yards as the Jaguars won for the sixth time in seven games and clinched the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs.

So much for a letdown after last week's big win at Pittsburgh. So much for a Pro Bowl hangover. And so much for having to worry about winning at nemesis Houston in the season finale.

The Raiders (4-11), who took their worst loss of the season, finally turned things over to No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell. Russell was 7-of-23 for 83 yards with a touchdown — a 2-yard pass to Zach Miller with 6 seconds remaining — three interceptions and a fumble.

BENGALS 19, BROWNS 14

CINCINNATI — Derek Anderson's consecutive interceptions set up a pair of rapid-fire touchdowns late in the first half, and he threw four in all in a loss that left the Browns (9-6) scrambling for a playoff spot.

Cleveland could have clinched with a victory over the down-and-out Bengals (6-9), who had nothing more than pride on the line and several starters out with injuries. The Browns acted more like the team playing it out: dropped passes, a botched field-goal attempt, coming up short on fourth-and-short.

Anderson tied his career high with the four interceptions, leaving the Browns scuffling with Tennessee for a wild-card berth. With Cleveland's loss, the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched the AFC North title.

One of the NFL's worst defenses allowed Kenny Watson to run for 130 yards and a touchdown for Cincinnati.

TITANS 10, JETS 6

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Titans are back in control of their chase for their first playoff berth since 2003. Pro Bowler Kyle Vanden Bosch had three of Tennessee's six sacks and Chris Brown ran for a touchdown.

The Titans (9-6) have the edge over Cleveland in tiebreakers if tied for the AFC's final wild-card berth. They still must close out the season with a victory over the defending Super Bowl champs in Indianapolis.

They went out and survived a sloppy game in which Vince Young was sacked three times and made two turnovers. LenDale White finished with 103 yards for his first 1,000-yard rushing season in his second year.

The Jets (3-12) started Chad Pennington for the first time since Oct. 28. He passed for 264 yards, but was picked off twice, including once in the end zone by linebacker Keith Bulluck.

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