Donald, Kelce unanimous AP All-Pros; Rodgers, Henry chosen
(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File)Dynamic defensive star Aaron Donald and unstoppable tight end Travis Kelce were unanimous choices Friday for The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team. Donald, who has helped the Los Angeles Rams to the top-ranked defense in the NFL, earned his sixth All-Pro selection. โI think the best display of greatness is making people around you better,โ Rams coach Sean McVay said of Donald. Joining Donald and Kelce were 15 players returning to the squad, and 14 newcomers. Rounding out the offense were Cleveland right tackle Jack Conklin (second selection), and Washington right guard Brandon Scherff (first).
A bonus for NFL fans in Week 16: 4 straight days of games
They do have a sack in an NFL-record 71 straight games and have sacked Philip Rivers 15 times during seven games while he played for the Chargers. Rivers has had two or more TD passes in five straight games. He had career bests of 10 catches for 163 yards last week, and Ridley's seven 100-yard games lead the NFL. The 19 straight seasons without losing both games to a divisional opponent is an NFL record. The Jaguars have allowed at least 24 points in each of those 13 games, an NFL record.
Dolphins eliminate Patriots from playoff race with 22-12 win
Undrafted rookie Salvon Ahmed and veteran Matt Breida combined for 208 yards rushing Sunday to lead the Dolphins to a 22-12 victory over the Patriots, who were eliminated from postseason contention. This is a big win.โBreida added 86 yards and the Dolphins totaled a season-high 250, the most allowed by New England in seven years. The Patriots (6-8) will finish at .500 or worse for the first time since 2000, the year they drafted Tom Brady. They were shut out in the first half, but mounted a 14-play, 90-yard touchdown drive midway through the second half to take the lead for good. DE John Simon (hamstring) and C David Andrews (calf) were sidelined in the second half.
A winner: Chiefs vs Saints, with Brees back to face Mahomes
1 conference seed is tight, with the Packers one game ahead of the Saints, the Rams and Seahawks one game behind. Drew Brees will be active after missing four games with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, making for an intriguing matchup with Patrick Mahomes. The Bills (11-3) scored twice in a 17-second span in the third quarter to ice their fourth straight victory that officially ended the New England Patriotsโ 11-year reign atop the division. The Ravens have run for at least 100 yards in 36 straight games, seven short of the NFL record set by Pittsburgh from 1974-77. Baltimore is averaging 173.8 yards on the ground and topped 200 yards in each of the past two games.
Mahomes, Chiefs clinch AFC West with 33-27 win over Dolphins
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. โ Patrick Mahomes took a 30-yard sack before he got the Kansas City Chiefs going in the right direction. The Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit and four turnovers Sunday to clinch their fifth consecutive AFC West title by beating Miami 33-27. But he threw for 393 yards and two scores to help the Chiefs (12-1) earn their eighth consecutive victory. It was the Chiefsโ second consecutive comeback at Hard Rock Stadium, where they won the Super Bowl in February despite Mahomes' two interceptions. He threw an interception, bobbled a snap and took the big sack to set up the Dolphinsโ first touchdown.
The Latest: Pats' Newton hits rushing TDs milestone for QBs
Hurtsโ only pass during that drive was a 34-yarder to Jalen Reagor, the Eaglesโ second completion to a non-tight end in the game. ___5:15 p.m.Green Bayโs Davante Adams has caught a touchdown pass in seven consecutive games. Until Ryanโs TD pass, the only points against New Orleans in the past three games were scored on seven field goals. Mayfield may top those numbers before halftime with Cleveland routing the Tennessee Titans 31-7 still in the second quarter. ___1:50 p.m.New Orleans quarterback Taysom Hill has thrown the first touchdown pass of his NFL career.
Dolphins earn 5th straight win by beating Chargers 29-21
The surprising Miami Dolphins earned their fifth consecutive victory, beating the Los Angeles Chargers 29-21 Sunday. The Chargers were also outplayed on special teams, where they were hurt by two mistakes that allowed Miami to take a 14-0 lead. Jakeem Grant, the NFL leader in punt return yards, helped the Dolphinsโ field position with three runbacks for 57 yards. Nick Vigil made a 44-yard return before Tagovailoa tackled him, and Herbert scored on a fourth-down sneak to make it 14-7. Chargers: They play the second of three consecutive games against the AFC East when they host the New York Jets on Sunday.
Dolphins turn up heat on Jets and embattled Gase, 24-0
The Jets (0-6) became the NFL's only winless team and continued their worst start since 1996, increasing the heat on embattled coach Adam Gase. The Dolphins blanked the Jets for the first time since the January 1983 AFC championship game, which they won 14-0. The two teams were a combined 0 for 19 on third downs before the Jets finally converted with 11 minutes left. The Dolphins' only third-down conversion came on a completion by Tagovailoa, who went 2 for 2 for 9 yards. ANTHEMRunning back Ty Jackson was the only player kneeling for the Jets during โThe Star-Spangled Banner.โThe Dolphins stayed in the locker room.
Allen reaches career high in passing as Bills beat Dolphins
Allen reached a career high in yards passing for the second week in a row, and became the first Buffalo quarterback to have consecutive 300-yard games since Drew Bledsoe in 2002. Allenโs 46-yard touchdown pass to John Brown sealed the win. Allen led an offense that totaled 524 yards, including 342 in the first half, the Bills' most since 2000. After the delay, the Dolphins offense got a spark and scored 10 consecutive points to take a 20-17 lead. It was the first NFL touchdown reception for Gilliam, an undrafted free agent out of Toledo.
3 things to watch for this NFL Sunday
OliverCardall/Pixabay(CNN) - For many NFL teams, their hopes of making the playoffs have already been dashed. Going into the third NFL Sunday of the season, teams will look to capitalize on early momentum, correct miscues that have exposed weaknesses or start planning for the 2020 Draft. Relatively unknown backups are taking the fieldThe season started with a bombshell when Andrew Luck, the top pick from the 2012 NFL Draft, unexpectedly retired from football. The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to finish a season undefeated. WATCH: Miami Dolphins vs. Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at 1 pm ET on FOXThe-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.