Lions ride Matt Prater"s leg to win vs. Vikings

DETROIT — It was the type of kick that always seems to go through the uprights against the Detroit Lions.

Nobody has ever made a field goal from 68 yards in an NFL game, but when Minnesota’s Blair Walsh lined up at that distance on the final play Sunday, there were some nervous folks at Ford Field.

"Stranger things have happened to us," Detroit offensive lineman Rob Sims said. "But maybe this is our time. Maybe things are changing."

Walsh’s kick came up short and wide to the left, and Detroit held on for a 16-14 victory over Minnesota.

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Lions ride Matt Prater"s leg to win vs. Vikings

Like/dislike: How does one pick an MVP?

Everybody at NFL Media has to

He rode a swan in a pool once

ICYMI: he’ll begin this week!

I kind of enjoyed how the Packers supporters began the MVP chants through the last minutes of the Monday Night Football game. After all, Rodgers might be my private MVP right now, and he is not even on my fantasy football team. (You will want to take a look at the Monday Nightmare for more on that.)

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Like/dislike: How does one pick an MVP?

Ravens outclass Dolphins in critical AFC matchup

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The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins met Sunday in a matchup of wouldbe AFC rivals. Joe Philbin’s squad was totally coordinated in a 28-13 Ravens success.

1. Elvis Dumervil was the most effective player in the field Sunday, and Joe Flacco was a close second. Let us begin with all the Ravens’ defense. Despite losing two more cornerbacks to harm (Danny Gorrer and Anthony Levine), the Ravens just gave up three points in the last three quarters as a result of ferocious pass rush. Dumervil controlled Dallas Thomas for 3.5 sacks, quitting multiple drives. Terrell Suggs added 1.5 sacks. Ryan Tannehill regularly held the ball a long time, getting knocked down nine times.

2. Flacco has played near perfect soccer the previous couple of weeks. Torrey Smith was quite small due to harm (no catches) but Flacco kept converting third downs with throws on the move to Steve Smith, Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken and a person named Phillip Supernaw. Flacco is playing in the manner of a top-10 quarterback.

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Ravens outclass Dolphins in critical AFC matchup

Andy Dalton leaves Bengals" loss to Steelers in fourth quarter

Andy Dalton left the Bengals’ 42-21 loss against the Steelers late in the fourth quarter. Jason Campbell stepped in for Cincinnati’s starting quarterback.

Earlier in the last frame, Dalton was shaken up after a hit and missed one play, however he finally returned. The signal caller stayed out, leaving the match using the final score line in Pittsburgh’s favor.

When he departed for good, Dalton was 21-of-29 passing for 302 yards and two touchdown passes.

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Andy Dalton leaves Bengals" loss to Steelers in fourth quarter

Ravens outclass Dolphins, dent Miami"s playoff hopes

The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins met Sunday in a matchup of wouldbe AFC rivals. Joe Philbin’s squad was totally coordinated in a 28-13 Ravens success.

1. Elvis Dumervil was the most effective player in the field Sunday, and Joe Flacco was a close second. Let us begin with all the Ravens’ defense. Despite losing two more cornerbacks to harm (Danny Gorrer and Anthony Levine), the Ravens just gave up three points in the last three quarters due to a ferocious pass rush. Dumervil controlled Dallas Thomas for 3.5 sacks, quitting multiple drives. Terrell Suggs added 1.5 sacks. Ryan Tannehill regularly held the ball a long time, becoming knocked down nine times.

2. Flacco has played near perfect soccer the last couple of weeks. Torrey Smith was quite small due to harm (no catches) but Flacco kept converting third downs with throws on the move to Steve Smith, Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken and a person named Phillip Supernaw. Flacco is playing in the manner of a top-10 quarterback.

3. Ryan Tannehill’s inability to throw deep is the Achilles’ heel of the Miami offense. They assembled a 10-0 lead in the first quarter with short throws and inspired runs by Lamar Miller, but the Ravens sat to the brief stuff next. Tannehill however takes a long time to procedure and discover secondary choices, too generally looking in the manner of a statue. The Dolphins do not even attempt to throw deep.

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Ravens outclass Dolphins, dent Miami"s playoff hopes

Chargers gather monumental road win over playoff-quality team

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Here Is the backstory to among the significant minutes of Week 13, the San Diego Chargers’ frenzied final-minute road win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Chargers’ thrilling triumph, along with the finest comeback triumph in Jacksonville Jaguars history as well as the Green Bay Packers’ fending away from the powerful New England Patriots are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Minute of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Minutes of Week 13.

Philip Rivers

One could easily create a claim that Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is having an MVP season. The astonishing seasons of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady — not to mention the havoc-wreaking ridiculousness that’s J.J. Watt’s campaign for the Houston Texans — tend to overshadow what Rivers has done this season. Rivers hammered that point home having a come-from-behind road win against a playoff-quality team, a success that force the Chargers to the center of the AFC playoff race.

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Chargers gather monumental road win over playoff-quality team

NFL declares Week 15 flex scheduling, Week 16 Saturday slate

As the regular season nears its final month, playoff races continue to heat up across the NFL. As a result of adaptive scheduling, more supporters throughout the nation will have the ability to see these significant competitions.

The league on Sunday declared the finalization of both Week 15’s flex program and Week 16’s Saturday doubleheader. The Week 15 1 p.m. ET competition between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns and the 4:25 p.m. ET match between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions will both be broadcast on FOX.

The reversal of network — a fresh element of the flex scheduling procedure called "cross-bending" — for the Cincinnati-Cleveland game brings an instate competition into a bigger audience as both teams fight for supremacy in a closely contested AFC North.

A classic NFC North matchup between recognizable foes takes the 4:25 p.m. time slot when the Vikings travel to Ford Field to take on the upstart Lions.

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NFL declares Week 15 flex scheduling, Week 16 Saturday slate

TCU stumbles, but escapes trip to Kansas behind Trevone Boykin

For three quarters, Kansas played like they were Baylor.

In the final quarter however, they reverted to form and looked like Kansas.

TCU survived a trip to Lawrence and tough winter conditions by a nose in a 34-30 win over a Jayhawks team that was thinking upset from the start.

The Horned Frogs looked as though they were going to put on another offensive show when they started the game with an opening drive touchdown on a quick, seven-play drive that took just over two minutes. Kansas responded right away with a 17-play, 76 yard drive for a score that showed they would be no push over on Saturday however.

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TCU stumbles, but escapes trip to Kansas behind Trevone Boykin

TCU survives against West Virginia on last-second field goal

TCU’s College Football Playoff expects survived — just.

On a lackluster day for the two offenses, Jaden Oberkrom’s 37-yard field goal as time expired gave the Horned Frogs a 31-30 win over West Virginia.

Turnovers were the story of the day, and five of the seven in this one were perpetrated by the Mountaineers, who commanded the match before the closing few seconds behind a top notch defensive attempt that ended up falling just short.

The headliners in the competition, particularly for NFL scouts, was readily a one-name fight for Big 12 supremacy.

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TCU survives against West Virginia on last-second field goal

Peyton Manning"s Denver Broncos certainly Super Bowl favorites

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I feel compelled to write this in advance of Denver’s excursion to New England for the 16th episode of Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

No matter what goes on at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, the Denver Broncos will be the top team in the NFL and needs to be considered the team to overcome as we look toward Super Bowl XLIX.

Peyton Manning and these Broncos are similar to the Miami Heat during LeBron James’ stay in South Beach. Fairly or unfairly, it is about getting to championships and winning titles. LeBron made the NBA Finals in every one of his four years using the Heat, snagging some of bands. That is a success, even whenever total did not quite fit the bevy of titles LeBron nonchalantly promised in his opening dance party. ("Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven …")

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Peyton Manning"s Denver Broncos certainly Super Bowl favorites

Josh Robinson"s stunning runs help Mississippi State to win

No. 2-ranked Mississippi State received a bit of a panic Saturday, but running back Josh Robinson set the actual panic in Kentucky’s shield.

The junior rushed for 198 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs survived a 45-31 road triumph that was closer than the final score suggested. MSU TE Christian Holmes returned an onside kick for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter after Robinson’s 73-yard touchdown run before in the quarter helped give the Bulldogs some much-needed breathing room.

The 73-yarder might have been Robinson’s longest & most impactful run, but it most definitely was not his finest of the day. That distinction goes to the scamper that featured seven broken tackles. Not amazingly, it was Kentucky defensive end Bud Dupree, an NFL draft prospect plus among the greatest athletes to the field Saturday, who ultimately corralled Robinson:

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Josh Robinson"s stunning runs help Mississippi State to win

Good Jay Cutler shows up; Bears roll in Atlanta

The Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons both badly needed at win Sunday. The Bears played like a team that could stick around in a playoff race with a 27-13 road victory. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Despite all the preseason talk, the Falcons are one of the least "tough" teams in football. Chicago’s pass rush finally woke up because they were playing Atlanta’s dreadful line. Meanwhile, the Falcons got no pressure on Jay Cutler all day. He responded with 381 yards and no turnovers.

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Good Jay Cutler shows up; Bears roll in Atlanta

FSU"s Jameis Winston throws for 317 yards in win over Syracuse

Jameis Winston threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as Florida State cruised past Syracuse 38-20 a day after FSU announced that Winston faces a student honor code hearing.

» Report: FSU, police obstructed Winston investigation

Winston threw two TD passes in the second quarter to lift FSU to a 24-6 halftime lead; his final TD pass of the day came in the third quarter for a 31-6 lead that ended any intrigue.

"It’s not about distractions," Winston told reporters afterward. "It’s about Florida State football."

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FSU"s Jameis Winston throws for 317 yards in win over Syracuse

Oklahoma holds on to beat Texas in Red River Rivalry

It wasn’t pretty, but Bob Stoops walked out of the Cotton Bowl a winner once again on Saturday.

Oklahoma’s offense was slowed to a halt most of the day by a feisty Texas defense, but, thanks to a few special-teams plays, the Sooners held on 31-26.

» 14 for ’14: Red River Shootout among top college rivalries

Quarterback Trevor Knight was largely ineffective most of the game, throwing for just 129 yards and a touchdown while the team failed to convert a third down until its final drive of the fourth quarter. Tailback Samaje Perine was held in check as well, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry after the true freshman had been running over the competition in Oklahoma’s previous games.

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Oklahoma holds on to beat Texas in Red River Rivalry

Utah upsets UCLA in rough night for Brett Hundley

UCLA played with fire all season long.

On Saturday night at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins finally were burned.

Utah helped close out a day of crazy college football upsets by shocking UCLA, 30-28, even though the Utes were without starting quarterback Travis Wilson most of the night.

The 6-foot-6 Wilson was reportedly benched early in the game in favor of backup Kendal Thompson, who certainly provided a spark for the Utes’ offense. He finished the game 10-of-13 passing for just 95 yards and a touchdown, but it was his dual-threat nature that either extended plays or allowed him to pick up key yards on the ground.

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Utah upsets UCLA in rough night for Brett Hundley

Eighteen things you need to know from Week 6 in CFB

A doormat no more.

The state of Mississippi, where SEC powers have traditionally gone to score wins as a matter of routine, sent top-10 powers Alabama and Texas A&M home with their first losses of the season Saturday as Mississippi State thrashed the Aggies 48-31, and Ole Miss upended the Crimson Tide, 23-17.

And now, the two Magnolia State schools are both 5-0, both 2-0 in SEC play, and sharing the view from the top of the standings in the tough-as-ever SEC West.

The Bulldogs got it done with offense (see below), while the Rebels used defense to beat Alabama for the first time in Tide coach Nick Saban’s eight seasons at UA. Alabama scored just three points after halftime, and Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson intercepted a pass in the back of the end zone in the final minute to seal the victory.

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Eighteen things you need to know from Week 6 in CFB

Everett Golson throws game-winner to take down Stanford

Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson committed two turnovers and completed fewer than half his passes, but he did hit on his final throw of the game Saturday and that enabled the Irish to edge Stanford 17-14 on a cold, rainy and windy day.

Golson hit tight end Ben Koyack for a 23-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-11 play with 1:01 left for the winning score, which helped Notre Dame improve to 5-0.

Golson was just 20-of-43 in the air — his first game completing less than half his passes in 13 outings, since early in the 2012 season — but the completions went for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Stanford came in allowing a nation’s-low 74.0 passing yards per game; the Cardinal also had surrendered just one touchdown pass in its first four games.

Golson was helped tremendously by his defense and — truth be told — by a middling Stanford offense. Stanford finished with just 205 total yards, including only 47 through the air. Part of that was good defense by the Irish, part uninspiring play-calling by Stanford. The Cardinal has scored just 44 points in three games against Power Five opponents (including the Irish).

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Everett Golson throws game-winner to take down Stanford

Nine things you need to know from Week 6 of college football

A doormat no more.

The state of Mississippi, where SEC powers have traditionally gone to score wins as a matter of routine, sent top-10 powers Alabama and Texas A&M home with their first losses of the season Saturday as Mississippi State thrashed the Aggies 48-31, and Ole Miss upended the Crimson Tide, 23-17.

And now, the two Magnolia State schools are both 5-0, both 2-0 in SEC play, and sharing the view from the top of the standings in the tough-as-ever SEC West.

The Bulldogs got it done with offense (see below), while the Rebels used defense to beat Alabama for the first time in Tide coach Nick Saban’s eight seasons at UA. Alabama scored just three points after halftime, and Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson intercepted a pass in the back of the end zone in the final minute to seal the victory.

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Nine things you need to know from Week 6 of college football

Bo Wallace leads Ole Miss to stunning upset of Alabama

The College Football Playoff picture grew awfully fuzzy on Saturday, and Ole Miss made sure it didn’t miss out on the fun.

The Rebels stunned Alabama, 23-17, to remain undefeated and put the rest of the SEC on notice that they are for real. Now at 2-0 in SEC play, Ole Miss has a share of the SEC West lead along with in-state rival Mississippi State, which upset Texas A&M earlier in the day.

Bo Wallace connected with Jaylen Walton for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 2:54 remaining for the winning score. Crimson Tide cornerback Tony Brown blocked the extra point to keep the deficit at six points, but the Ole Miss defense held on for Alabama’s final drive, when Senquez Golson intercepted a Blake Sims pass in the back of the Rebels’ end zone.

Alabama held a 17-10 lead until Wallace found Vince Sanders for a 34-yard touchdown pass with 5:29 remaining. On the ensuing kickoff, Alabama’s Christion Jones fumbled and the Rebels recovered at the Alabama 31 to set up the game-winning drive.

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Bo Wallace leads Ole Miss to stunning upset of Alabama

2015 NFL Draft to be held in Chicago

The 2015 NFL Draft will be held April 30-May 2 at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Thursday.

"We are excited to have fans from throughout the midwest experience the NFL Draft," Goodell said in a statement announcing the draft location. "We look forward to returning the event to the city of Chicago and working with the city, Choose Chicago, and the Chicago Sports Commission to create a week-long celebration of football for our fans. Mayor Emanuel and the city of Chicago presented us with numerous ways to enhance the Draft experience for our fans and incoming players."

The Windy City beat out Los Angeles, which was the other finalist in the running to host the league’s marquee event next year. Various sites across the country expressed interest in hosting the affair but couldn’t beat out a strong bid from Chicago that was backed by Emanuel.

"Chicago is pleased to welcome the 2015 NFL Draft to America’s heartland," Emanuel said in a statement. "Next year, NFL fans from across the country will travel here or tune in as the future of their team is decided in Chicago. We look forward to working with the Chicago Bears, the NFL, and our neighborhood partners to make this an event that highlights our world class city and reinvests in our communities."

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2015 NFL Draft to be held in Chicago