Patriots clinch home-field advantage
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida -- Tom Brady threw for 276 yards and three scores Sunday as the Patriots clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by beating the Dolphins 35-14.
New England took a 20-0 lead in the first half and turned away Miami's comeback bid with the help of a 77-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Julian Edelman and a 69-yard fumble return by linebacker Shea McClellin.
The Patriots (14-2), already assured of a first-round bye, became the ninth team since 1972 to go undefeated on the road during the regular season.
The Dolphins (10-6), beaten for only the second time in the past 11 games, had already earned an AFC wild-card berth. They play their first postseason game since 2008 next weekend at Pittsburgh. Packers 31, Lions 24
Aaron Rodgers threw three of his four touchdown passes in the second half, lifting the Packers to an NFC North clincher.
Detroit's Matthew Stafford connected with Anquan Boldin for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left, but the Packers recovered the onside kick.
The Packers (10-6) closed the regular season with six straight wins, running the table as Rodgers said they could after losing four straight midway through the season. They won the division for the fifth time in six years. Like his team, Rodgers has been perfect during the streak with 15 TD passes and no interceptions.
He will lead fourth-seeded Green Bay at home Sunday against the fifth-seeded New York Giants in an NFC wild-card game.
Detroit (9-7) dropped its last three games after it had a two-game lead in the NFC North. The Lions, though, will be in the playoffs at Seattle on Saturday night.
Giants 19, Redskins 10
Facing an opponent with nothing to play for, Washington blew their chance to make the playoffs with an uninspired loss to New York.
The Redskins would have made the playoffs with a win. Instead, Kirk Cousins was intercepted twice in the second half by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Washington (8-7-1) goes into an offseason filled with questions.
The Packers and Lions each qualified as a result of the Redskins' loss to New York (11-5), which will be the first wild card. Eli Manning played the entire game, going 17 of 27 for 180 yards despite the Giants opting for a conservative approach for much of the second half. The Giants will travel to Green Bay to play the Packers next Sunday.
Elsewhere it was: Chiefs 37, Chargers 27; Broncos 24, Raiders 6; Falcons 38, Saints 32; Steelers 27, Browns 24; Jets 30, Bills 10; Titans 24, Texans 17; Eagles 27, Cowboys 13; Buccaneers 17, Panthers 16; Vikings 38, Bears 10; Colts 24, Jaguars 20; Bengals 27, Ravens 10; Seahawks 25, 49ers 23; Cardinals 44, Rams 6.