Chiefs beat Miami 29-13 to win back-to-back AFC West titles

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Andy Reid addressed the Kansas City Chiefs in a jubilant locker room dressed from head-to-toe in a Santa Claus suit, which not only fit him perfectly but was also perfectly fitting.

The Chiefs had just given their fans quite a present.

Alex Smith threw for 304 yards and a touchdown in another steady performance, Kareem Hunt ran for 91 yards and a score, and the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 29-13 on Sunday to clinch back-to-back AFC West titles for the first time in franchise history.

"Just phenomenal," Reid said, likely smiling beneath his fluffy white beard. "But we're not going to sit on this. We're not done yet. We're going to enjoy the holiday and get right back at it."

Tyreek Hill had six catches for 109 yards, and Harrison Butker converted five field goals, as the Chiefs (9-6) dashed what faint postseason hope the Dolphins (6-9) still harbored.

"It's hard to win football games only kicking field goals," Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler said. "A couple fumbles, couple of missed opportunities here, a penalty when we're driving - it's those types of things that'll hurt you."

Cutler threw for 286 yards and a touchdown, but a big chunk of that came on a 65-yard toss to Jakeem Grant late in the first half. Otherwise, Miami went 0 for 8 on third down and struggled against a Chiefs defense that has been stingy and opportunistic the past two weeks.

That's coincided with the return of Marcus Peters from his disciplinary suspension.

The Chiefs' star cornerback had two interceptions and forced a fumble against the Chargers last week, a win that pushed them to the brink of the playoffs. He recovered a fumble and forced another on Sunday, giving Peters a hand in five turnovers the past two weeks.

"He's always around the ball," said Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, who forced the first fumble. "Marcus is always playing with fire, this whole year."

Both turnovers led to points, but they weren't the Dolphins' only costly miscues.

They also were nailed for defensive holding four times, all of which came on three scoring drives for Kansas City. And the Dolphins inability to get off the field on third down, after holding opponents to 8 for 39 the past two games, was similarly deflating.

"Got in a couple situations that we couldn't use some of the things that we had planned," Miami coach Adam Gase said. "We just need to find a way to be consistent and get them off the field."

Still, the Dolphins had the ball trailing 17-13 late in the first half, the outcome and their longshot playoff hopes were still in the balance. But they soon went three-and-out and the Chiefs added a field goal to make it 20-13 at the break, then another to start the second half.

Even when the Dolphins made a crucial stop on fourth down to get the ball back later in the third quarter, they squandered the opportunity. Peters stripped Kenny Stills to give the Chiefs the ball, and Butker hit his fourth chip-shot field goal for a 26-13 lead with 12:19 to go.

That gave a sparse crowd that turned out on Christmas Eve, braving slick roads from an overnight snowfall and frigid wind chills at kickoff, plenty of time to celebrate a division title.

Turn their thoughts toward a home playoff game in the new year, too.

"It's a great feeling," Hunt said. "We've got these fans that are going to go crazy for the playoff game, and we get to play in Arrowhead Stadium one more time."

FROZEN FIELD

There was no tarp on the field overnight, so a crew of workers used shovels to remove about an inch of snow by hand. The footing turned out to be fine, but Smith thought the cold weather gave Kansas City an advantage. "We have a lot of experience playing in cold weather," he said. "All the little things, the snaps, they're that much harder, and I think all the reps do help."

STATS AND STREAKS

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce had four catches for 47 yards and a score , and has a catch in 63 straight games. ... Chiefs coach Andy Reid improved to 5-1 against Miami. ... Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry had five catches for 51 yards, giving him a league-best 103 catches this season. ... The Dolphins had won seven of their last 10 against Kansas City. Their last loss at Arrowhead Stadium was in 2002.

INJURY NOTES

Dolphins DT Vincent Taylor hurt his knee on the opening kickoff, while CB Alterraun Verner went down with a hamstring injury later in the half. Miami DE Andre Branch played despite a knee injury.

UP NEXT

Dolphins conclude their season against the Bills next Sunday.

Chiefs head to Denver on Sunday to finish their regular season.

Bills RB McCoy passes 10,000 yards mark in win

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- With one chase behind him, LeSean McCoy has another in his sights.

McCoy passed a personal milestone on Sunday, becoming the 30th player in NFL history to surpass 10,000 career rushing yards while helping the Buffalo Bills remain in the playoff chase with a 24-16 victory over the Miami Dolphins at New Era Field.

"My whole mindset was, let's get the win, and let's get 10K," a smiling McCoy said during his postgame remarks while wearing a blue sweatshirt with "WE CHASING 10K" emblazoned on the front. "I'm happy it's over. I'm happy it's done. Now I look forward to trying to get in these playoffs."

McCoy compiled 96 total yards (50 rushing, 46 receiving) and two touchdowns as the Bills improved to 8-6 for just the third time in the 18 years since the team last reached the postseason.

Several of McCoy's teammates wore matching sweatshirts to the game and took pride in helping him conclude his season-long 10K chase.

"It's so cool to share that with Shady and the guys on this offensive line," guard Richie Incognito said. "What we've been doing here for the last three years is really special running the football."

Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor returned after missing one game with a bruised knee and completed 17 of 29 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown to McCoy. Taylor also ran for 42 yards and another score.

The loss diminished the Dolphins' playoff chances following an upset win over the New England Patriots last Monday night. Jay Cutler completed 28 of 49 passes for 274 yards but threw three interceptions for Miami (6-8). Kenyan Drake ran for 78 yards and a touchdown, and Cody Parkey kicked three field goals.

"We didn't do anything really well today," Dolphins coach Adam Gase said. "I can't say we were doing things wrong, it was just they played better than us."

Miami scored the only 10 points of the fourth quarter to make things interesting.

Drake's 1-yard touchdown run to cut the Bills' lead to 24-13 with 7:57 remaining in the fourth. The Dolphins' scoring drive was extended by an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on Buffalo's Adolphus Washington for swiping at Drake out of bounds after the Bills' defense made a stop on third-and-goal from the 1.

Parkey made a 27-yard field goal with 37 seconds left, and punter Matt Haack recovered an onside kick at midfield. However, Buffalo rookie cornerback Tre'Davious White intercepted Cutler on a deep pass to seal the victory.

Shareece Wright's 49-yard interception return -- which included the cornerback recovering his own fumble at the end of the run -- set up Stephen Hauschka's 34-yard field goal that made it 24-6 late in the third quarter. Safety Jordan Poyer also intercepted Cutler.

"We just made too many mistakes," Dolphins defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh said. "We allowed them to move the ball, especially early, give them their momentum, and we can't allow teams to do that. We've got to be able to get off the field. We did a little bit better job in the second half, but we've got to clean it up."

Taylor led an 80-yard drive in the final two minutes of the first half and scored on a 9-yard run just before the break for a 21-6 lead.

McCoy scored Buffalo's first two touchdowns, pushing his career total to 81 and moving into the top 60 on the NFL's all-time list.

Having gotten the wind knocked out of him on a 14-yard run that put him over 10,000 yards for his career, McCoy returned two plays later to catch a 16-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone that put the Bills ahead 14-6 in the second quarter.

"We didn't think we'd get a linebacker guarding me," McCoy said. "I looked at Tyrod like, this is a surprise. An early Christmas present."

The Bills never trailed after scoring a touchdown on their opening possession for the first time this season. McCoy's 4-yard run capped an 81-yard drive.

NOTES: Bills RB LeSean McCoy moved past Ricky Williams for 29th on the NFL's all-time rushing list with 10,011 yards. He went over 10,000 yards on 2,145 carries, fewer than all but four other running backs: Jim Brown, Adrian Peterson, Barry Sanders, O.J. Simpson. ... Bills CB E.J. Gaines left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury and did not return. WR Kelvin Benjamin (knee) started after being listed as questionable. ... Dolphins S T.J. McDonald sustained a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. DE Andre Branch (knee) and CB Cordrea Tankersley (ankle/shoulder) were inactive. ... Buffalo plays its final two games at New England (Dec. 24) and at Miami (Dec. 31). The Bills went 6-2 at New Era Field this season for their best home record since 1999. ... Dolphins WR Kenny Stills and TE Julius Thomas kneeled during the national anthem. ... Bills TE Charles Clay caught five passes for 68 yards against his former team.

Brady throws for 4 TDs, Patriots beat Dolphins 35-17

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Rob Gronkowski was upset that he didn't get to sample any of the biscuits Tom Brady made for Thanksgiving.

They worked it out on Sunday.

Brady tossed four TD passes — including two to Gronkowski — and the New England Patriots pushed through injuries and a mistake-filled game for a 35-17 victory over the sliding Miami Dolphins.

"Anything (Gronkowski) wants I try to get for him," Brady said. "So anything to keep him happy."

New England (9-2) posted its seventh consecutive victory and third straight win over Miami. The Dolphins (4-7) have lost five straight for their longest slide since 2011.

It was Brady's 28th career game with four or more touchdown passes — ranking third all-time. His 26 touchdowns passes are the most ever in a season after turning 40 years old.

Rex Burkhead also scored two TDs and Dion Lewis had 15 carries for 112 yards for New England, marking his first career 100-yard game. The Patriots went 5 for 5 in the red zone.

"We know our biggest games are ahead of us," Brady said. "All the good teams are gonna start playing really well. We've gotta be one of those teams."

Miami got within 28-17 in the fourth quarter, but came up empty on a fourth-down pass play with 8:48 left. On the ensuing series, the Patriots scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Brandin Cooks.

The Dolphins played without quarterback Jay Cutler, who practiced Friday, but remained in the concussion protocol.

Matt Moore struggled to find a rhythm in his second start of the season. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown, but also had two interceptions. He was sacked seven times.

Despite the losing streak, Moore said the locker room is staying together.

"The overall pulse is OK. I mean, the world's not ending," he said. "But it's not what we want, for sure."

Miami also lost more key players to injury.

Running back Damien Williams was carted off the field in the third quarter with a shoulder injury following an 11-yard run. Return man Senorise Perry was placed in the concussion protocol after what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet collision with New England's Trevor Reilly on a second-half kickoff return.

The Patriots got tricky to set up their first score, using a fourth-down run by Nate Ebner on a fake punt to keep their opening drive alive. Burkhead finished it with a 2-yard touchdown run.

Following a quick three-and-out by Miami, New England made it 14-0 via a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Gronkowski.

Miami rebounded late in the second quarter, taking advantage of a rare self-inflicted mistake by New England.

Patriots center Ted Karras sent a second-down shotgun snap flying past Brady , who was not ready for the ball. It was scooped up by Dolphins safety Reshad Jones and returned for a touchdown.

Karras was filling in for David Andrews, who sat out for the second straight week with an illness.

But New England bounced right back. A pair of defensive holding penalties, a 27-yard pass from Brady to Cooks and a 22-yard run by Burkhead helped the Patriots drive to the Dolphins 1. Two plays later, Brady hit Burkhead for a 1-yard score to push the lead to 21-7.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Miami cornerback Bobby McCain was ejected for throwing a punch at New England receiver Danny Amendola.

McCain and Amendola got into it at the bottom of the pile early in the second half. McCain, who intercepted Brady in the second quarter, was called for unnecessary roughness and thrown out for throwing the punch. He had a few words for the referee as he left the field, and then was walked off toward the Dolphins locker room.

The penalty put the Patriots at the Miami 12. Two plays later, Brady found Gronkowski for a 15-yard TD and a 28-10 lead.

MOVING ON UP

It was the 16th multi-touchdown game by Gronkowski, setting a franchise record. Randy Moss held the old record with 15.

INJURIES

Dolphins: DE Terrence Fede was helped off the field after being injured in the scrum during Jones' fumble recovery touchdown run.

Patriots: Ebner left with a knee injury after his fake punt run in the first quarter. ... Reilly left with a head injury after the collision with Perry. ... DL Trey Flowers (ribs) and LB Marquis Flowers left in the third quarter after a collision. ... OL LaAdrian Waddle left in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. ... LB Kyle Van Noy (leg) was able to walk off the field on his own after he was shaken up in the fourth.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Return home to host the Broncos next Sunday.

Patriots: Play first of three straight road games at Buffalo next Sunday.

Fitzpatrick throws for 2 TDs, Bucs top Dolphins 30-20

By TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, Patrick Murray kicked a 35-yard field goal with four seconds remaining and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snapped a six-game road slide by topping the penalty-prone Miami Dolphins 30-20 on Sunday.

O.J. Howard and DeSean Jackson caught those scoring throws for the Buccaneers, who outscored Miami 17-0 in the second quarter.

They also stuffed three straight 1-yard-to-go runs by the Dolphins at the Tampa Bay 34 in the fourth quarter, forcing a turnover on downs on a day where Miami had more mistakes than points.

Miami (4-6) tied the game at 20-20 on a 61-yard touchdown pass from Matt Moore to Kenny Stills with 3 minutes left. Fitzpatrick coolly moved the Buccaneers 58 yards on the ensuing drive, and Murray delivered what essentially was the winner.

Adarius Glanton got a bonus touchdown for Tampa Bay (4-6) on the final play, when the Dolphins' lateral-filled last-ditch attempt at a kickoff return turned into a Bucs' score.

Jay Cutler threw three first-half interceptions and didn't play in the second half because of what the Dolphins said was diagnosed as a concussion. Moore went 17 of 28 for 282 yards and the touchdown in relief, but Miami couldn't overcome five turnovers and 17 penalties — one shy of the franchise all-time record.

Stills caught seven passes for 180 yards, and Jarvis Landry had six catches for 95 yards and another touchdown for Miami, which has lost four straight for the first time since 2013.

A pair of short drives gave the Bucs control in that big second quarter. Howard's score came on a two-play, 6-yard drive after an interception, and Jackson's score capped a four-play, 37-yard drive following a Miami fumble.

BIG PLAYS

The Dolphins had their three longest passing plays of the season — the 61-yard touchdown pass to Stills, a 49-yarder to Landry and another 45-yard strike to Stills. Before Sunday, Miami's longest pass play was a 36-yard throw from Cutler to Stills against the Jets on Oct. 22.

INJURIES

Buccaneers: RG Evan Smith left in the first half and was diagnosed with a concussion.

Dolphins: Besides Cutler's concussion, the Dolphins lost RG Jermon Bushrod in the third quarter to a left foot injury. LB Chase Allen, who started in place of Rey Maualuga — who was arrested early Saturday in a dispute over a bar tab and quickly waived by the Dolphins — also was evaluated for a concussion in the second half. LB Stephone Anthony had a knee injury, the specifics of which were not announced.

PLENTY OF BIRTHDAYS

Howard, the Bucs' rookie tight end, celebrated his 23rd birthday Sunday. For the Dolphins, CB Cordrea Tankersley turned 24 and DE Terrence Fede turned 26.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: Visit Atlanta on Nov. 26, the second game in a three-week stretch of road contests.

Dolphins: Visit New England on Nov. 26, the start of a three-week stretch where Miami will see the Patriots twice.

Carr throws for 300 yards to help Oakland beat Miami 27-24

By STEVEN WINE
Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders headed home early Monday after a long trip, ready for a rest with their season back on track.

Derek Carr threw for 300 yards and Oakland completed a two-game East Coast swing Sunday night by beating the Miami Dolphins 27-24. It was only the Raiders' second win since Week 2, but at 4-5 they're still in the playoff chase.

"A real solid win on the road," coach Jack Del Rio said. "We're ready to get home."

The Raiders spent the week practicing in Sarasota, Florida, after losing a week ago at Buffalo. Following a bye, their next game is Nov. 19 in Mexico City.

The Dolphins fell to 4-4. Here are things to know about their second consecutive prime-time defeat, and the Raiders' change in direction:

DEEP THREAT

Carr went 21 for 30. His favorite target was tight end Jared Cook, who made eight catches for 126 yards.

Seldom-used Johnny Holton had the biggest catch, a 44-yard touchdown reception on a long pass from Carr. Holton's only other catch this year went 64 yards for a score.

"When he gets in the game, people are pointing him out — 'Oh, the fast guy is in,'" Carr said.

"Johnny can go get it, man," Del Rio said.

COMEBACK

Oakland's Marshawn Lynch scored twice in his return from a one-game suspension for shoving an official. His 22-yard touchdown run was his longest gain this year, and he finished with 57 yards on 14 carries.

Carr said the offense was different with Lynch back.

"A lot more jokes, him talking trash to me," Carr said. "He's our brother. We love him. The more we can run the ball, the more stress it takes off me. I'm all for that."

SLIPPING TO .500

Jay Cutler returned to give Miami's worst-in-the-NFL offense some life. After missing one game with cracked ribs, he completed his first 16 throws and finished with 311 yards passing and three scores.

The offense also overcame the recent trade of leading rusher Jay Ajayi. Running backs Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams each made six catches, and Drake had a 42-yard run to set up a touchdown.

But now the defense is showing cracks. The Dolphins have allowed 95 points in the past three games, and they're the AFC's lone .500 team.

"Nobody wants to be 4-4," defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. "Luckily it's halfway. We still have opportunities."

Miami plays its third consecutive prime-time game on Monday, Nov. 13.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Marshall Newhouse, the Raiders' 330-pound tackle, briefly became an imposing ball carrier when he scooped up a Carr fumble and took off. He also fumbled when hit, and Miami recovered.

"I don't really think he was thinking first down," Del Rio said. "He was thinking, 'I'm going to score.'"

PROTEST

Dolphins players Julius Thomas, Michael Thomas and Kenny Stills knelt during the national anthem for the first time since coach Adam Gase established a rule requiring players either to stand for the anthem or stay in the tunnel.

Before recent games, the three players waited in the tunnel. But they told Gase the wait was interfering with their game preparation, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The person said Gase told them he preferred they stand during the anthem but respected their right to express themselves and relaxed the team rule. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins didn't comment on the latest protests.

Eagles acquire Pro Bowl RB Ajayi from Dolphins

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Pro Bowl running back Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft.

The swap came just hours before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Ajayi joins a backfield in Philadelphia that also includes offseason acquisition LeGarrette Blount. The Eagles own the NFL's fifth-ranked run offense, earning 129.2 yards per game on 30.8 rush attempts.

The 24-year-old Ajayi has rushed for 465 yards this season on 138 carries, but has been held out of the end zone. He has seen his rushing average drop from 4.9 yards per game in 2016 to 3.4 this season.

Ajayi rushed for just 23 yards on 14 carries in a 40-0 rout by the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday. The performance drew criticism from Dolphins coach Adam Gase, who did not mention Ajayi by name.

"We've got to stop trying to hit home runs all the time," Gase said. "It's on the running back. Do your job. It's not hard to do."

Ajayi has rushed for 1,924 yards and nine touchdowns in 31 career games for Miami since being selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft out of Boise State.

He is signed through 2018 on a four-year, $2.5 million contract.

The Dolphins likely will turn to second-year running back Kenyan Drake as their starter. Drake has just 25 rushing yards this season on 10 carries.

Ravens lose Flacco, beat Dolphins 40-0 behind defense

By DAVID GINSBURG
Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was dazed and bleeding as he was helped off the field.

Diagnosed with a concussion after absorbing a late hit by Miami linebacker Kiko Alonso late in the second quarter, Flacco was taken to the locker room and did not return.

Fortunately for the Ravens, they didn't need him in a 40-0 rout of the Dolphins on Thursday night.

Alex Collins ran for a career-high 113 yards, and Baltimore (4-4) returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the most lopsided shutout in franchise history.

In the midst of one of his best performances of the season, Flacco was hit high by Alonso while sliding at the end of an impromptu run. Flacco's helmet flew off his head, and the 10-year quarterback appeared wobbly as he struggled to his feet.

Alonso was flagged for unnecessary roughness, providing Baltimore with a first down that ultimately turned into a touchdown.

Flacco was initially placed in concussion protocol, and by halftime was ruled out.

"Joe had a concussion and a cut ear," coach John Harbaugh said. "They were stitching it up without any anesthesia, so he's a tough dude. That's as much as I know."

Flacco went 10 for 15 for 101 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin.

After losing four of five to fall under .500 for the first time this season, the Ravens put it all together with a showing that included a 63-yard interception return by C.J. Mosley and a 50-yard pick-six by Jimmy Smith.

"We coached a lot better, obviously. And we played a lot better," Harbaugh said. "It was just a much better game for us."

The Dolphins (4-3) came in with a three-game winning streak after rallying from 17- and 14-point deficits in the previous two weeks. There would be no comeback in this one, not against a swarming Baltimore defense that limited Miami to 196 yards.

Matt Moore was making his first start of the season, for an injured Jay Cutler. Four days earlier, Moore engineered a victory over the Jets after Cutler left with fractured ribs.

In this one, Moore completed 25 of 44 passes for 176 yards. He was sacked three times, and both his interceptions turned into scores for Baltimore.

"This is tough. These are hard ones," Moore said. "You don't ever go into a week preparing and expect it to turn out like this. I don't know what to say right now. It's just tough, tough. We got to figure some stuff out. I got to figure some stuff out."

Moore received little backing from the running game, which generated only 45 yards against the 32nd-ranked rushing defense in the NFL.

"It was inept. We're not doing anything," Miami coach Adam Gase said.

Baltimore went up 7-0 when Maclin slipped behind Bobby McCain and Nate Allen to haul in Flacco's perfect pass on the right sideline.

Justin Tucker added field goals of 55 and 48 yards in the second quarter. After Cody Parkey missed from 50 yards for the Dolphins — his first misfire in nine tries this season — Flacco began the drive that would end in the end zone without him.

The late hit by Alonso gave Baltimore a first down at the Miami 5. Three plays later, Ryan Mallett threw a 2-yard TD pass to Benjamin Watson.

Mosley iced it with 14:15 left when he snared a poor throw by Moore near the line of scrimmage and turned it into his first career interception return for a touchdown.

As the Ravens were closing in on another score, a few players exchanged shoves and punches before Chris Moore pounced on a fumble in the end zone.

Overseeing an offense focused on protecting a sizable lead, Mallett went 3 for 7 for 20 yards.

CAT NAP

A cat ran onto the field in the fourth quarter, providing some amusement after the game had lost all suspense.

The feline reached the Miami sideline and skipped around a bit before running out of sight.

INJURIES

Dolphins: Allen hurt his calf in the second quarter and did not return.

Ravens: TE Vince Mayle was placed in concussion protocol in the second quarter. ... LT Ronnie Stanley hurt his shoulder in the third quarter but returned to action.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Miami plays the second of three straight night games, this one at home against Oakland on Nov. 5.

Ravens: Baltimore faces Tennessee on the road on Nov. 5, the first meeting between the teams since 2014.

Moore leads Dolphins to 31-28 comeback win over Jets

By STEVEN WINE
Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Matt Moore replaced an injured Jay Cutler and threw two touchdown passes in the final 12 minutes to lead the Miami Dolphins to a comeback victory, their biggest since last week.

Rallies are becoming routine for the overachieving Dolphins, who pulled off another improbable win by erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the New York Jets 31-28 on Sunday.

Josh McCown threw three touchdown passes and ran for another for the Jets, buthis interception in the final minute set up the winning field goal.

Bobby McCain stepped in front of a pass intended for Jermaine Kearse to give Miami the ball at the Jets 27 with 39 seconds left. Cody Parkey kicked a 39-yard field goal with 22 seconds to go for the Dolphins' first lead of the game.

It was the second consecutive comeback win by the Dolphins (4-2), who overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half a week ago for an upset victory at Atlanta. They've won 12 games in a row when the margin is seven points or less. The NFL record is 14 consecutive games.

"It sounds like a broken record," said defensive end Cameron Wake, who had 2½ sacks. "It's a belief in one another. We've been showing that over and over and over."

Miami avenged a loss to the Jets (3-4) in Week 3.

Cutler left the game due to a chest injury with his team trailing 21-14. Cutler is believed to have suffered a cracked rib that will force him to miss at least one start, a person familiar with the situation said.

After the Jets took a two-touchdown lead, Moore threw scoring passes to Kenny Stills covering 28 and 2 yards to tie it.

"That was fun, man," said Moore, who played for the first time this year. "It's always fun to get a win, and then when you can contribute and have a comeback like that, it's fun for everybody."

McCown threw for touchdowns of 29 yards to Kearse, 17 yards to Robby Anderson and 10 yards to Austin Seferian-Jenkins. They came against a defense that hadn't allowed more than 20 points all season.

But the Jets were shut out over the final 16:41, and McCown's poor pass on first down from his own 15 with the score tied and 47 seconds left proved costly.

"I don't want to think about it. It makes me sick," McCown said. "To come out on the road and get going like we did and then finish it like that is frustrating."

There were signs at the end of a Jets meltdown. Anderson angrily spiked his helmet in the final seconds, and after the game, defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson could be heard shouting in the locker room behind closed doors.

Cutler threw for two touchdowns before going to the locker room after being hit by linebacker Jordan Jenkins early in the third quarter. Some Miami fans cheered when Moore entered the game to replace Cutler, who drew boos in his Dolphins home debut two weeks ago.

Moore's fifth pass was intercepted by Marcus Maye, whose 33-yard return set up the Jets' final score. Moore finished 13 for 21 for 188 yards.

Teammate Jarvis Landry had seven catches for 93 yards and a score. He gained 17 yards on a catch and run that included a leap over a defender , helping to fuel the comeback.

"Don't give up on us, baby," Landry said. "Tell people to stop giving up on us."

OVERTURNED: Stills set up Miami's first score with a sensational 36-yard catch, pulling in a jump ball after he fell to the turf. The pass was first ruled incomplete, but the call was reversed following a replay review.

DEFENSIVE SCORE: An interception by 315-pound defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson set up the touchdown that gave the Jets a 21-14 halftime lead. With the Dolphins backed up at their 7, Wilkerson caught a pass deflected by Jamal Adams on a safety blitz and was tackled at the 1. McCown scored on a sneak two plays later.

Seferian-Jenkins scored for the third week in a row.

GETTING COMFORTABLE: Anderson celebrated his 18-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter by joining the crowd.

After Anderson made the grab, he ran through the end zone, leaped over the retaining wall and took a seat in a cushy first-row chair, his feet propped on the wall. Fans around him laughed even though the score left Miami behind 14-7.

INJURIES

Jets: T Brandon Shell suffered a neck injury in the first quarter. LB Darron Lee went to the sideline with cramps in the second quarter. Reserve CB Xavier Coleman suffered a shoulder injury in the third period.

Dolphins: LT Laremy Tunsil suffered a knee injury and DE Andrew Branch hurt his groin. Both departed in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: play at Baltimore on Thursday, with Moore now expected to start.

Jets: play at home against Atlanta next Sunday.

Dolphins rally from 17-point deficit to stun Falcons 20-17

By PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Jay Cutler and the Miami Dolphins finally generated some offense.

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons totally fell apart.

The result: a stunning 20-17 victory for the Dolphins.

Cutler threw a pair of touchdown passes, Cody Parkey kicked a pair of field goals and Miami rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit, rekindling memories of Atlanta's epic collapse against New England in the Super Bowl.

And next up for the Falcons — a rematch against the Patriots.

"It's tough," Atlanta linebacker Vic Beasley Jr. said. "We experienced that feeling before in the Super Bowl."

Ryan, who had five interceptions in the two previous games, threw another crucial pick with the Falcons in position to at least attempt a tying field goal.

Cordrea Tankersley got a hand on a pass intended for Austin Hooper and Reshad Jones swooped in to make the game-clinching interception inside the 10 with 39 seconds remaining.

"I kept my eyes on the ball and made a great play," Jones said. "This was a huge win for us against a great offense."

The Falcons don't look so great at the moment.

Ryan is just one interception away from his total for all of last season, when he was the league's MVP.

"I understood we were in field goal range to tie the game. I also understood that we had plenty of time on the clock," Ryan said of the final possession.

"It was a throw I felt good about, so I let it rip. Just a good play by them. Sometimes, that's how it goes."

Parkey put the Dolphins (3-2) ahead for the first time with 2:30 remaining, booting a 38-yard field goal after a gutsy play by receiver Jarvis Landry, who was hit by six players but still managed to power ahead for a crucial first down.

Cutler, who struggled in his first four games as the Dolphins' fill-in starter after putting off retirement, completed 19 of 33 for 151 yards, including scoring passes to Landry and Kenny Stills. Jay Ajayi had a big game on the ground, rushing for 130 yards.

"We can't be satisfied with this game," Cutler said. "This is a one-week business."

The Falcons (3-2) appeared headed for an easy victory, especially against a team that had scored only three offensive touchdowns all season.

Marvin Hall, promoted a day earlier from the practice squad because of an injury to starting receiver Mohamed Sanu, hauled in a 40-yard touchdown with his first career reception . Tevin Coleman scored on a 6-yard run, and Matt Bryant had a 50-yard field goal.

Cutler failed to complete a pass longer than 12 yards over the first two quarters and was picked off by Deion Jones late in the half.

But the Dolphins totally turned things around in the second half, taking advantage of two huge mistakes by the Falcons.

"Today was the first time the offense kind of gave the defense a little hope," said Miami coach Adam Gase, whose team endured a tumultuous week after offensive line assistant Chris Foerster resigned Monday when a video surfaced that appeared to show him snorting a white powder while sweet-talking a Las Vegas model.

A silly roughing-the-quarterback penalty on Grady Jarrett negated another interception by Jones deep in Atlanta territory, and Miami scored two plays later when Cutler flipped a 7-yard touchdown pass to Landry.

The Falcons also botched a punt with a snap that may have struck the up-back. Matt Bosher picked it up and was dumped far short of the first down, setting up the Dolphins to drive for Parkey's 49-yard field goal, which tied the game at 17 with 8½ minutes remaining.

Miami opened the second half with its most impressive drive, a 15-play, 75-yard effort that ended with Cutler's 11-yard scoring pass to Stills.

"This one hurts," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. "For us to be the team we can be, we've got to be more consistent."

SECOND-HALF WOES

The Falcons have been outscored 72-40 after halftime this season.

That lack of a finishing touch has led to two straight home losses.

In their previous game, the Falcons squandered a 10-7 halftime edge against the Buffalo Bills and lost 23-17.

This was much worse.

Atlanta managed only 106 yards and five first downs in the second half. Ryan finished 24 of 35 for 248 yards, but just 97 yards came after halftime.

INJURY REPORT

Dolphins center Mike Pouncey went out in the second quarter with a possible concussion and didn't return.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Return home to face the New York Jets for the second time this season. The AFC East rivals met in Week 2, with the Jets prevailing 20-6.

Falcons: Travel to New England for a primetime rematch against the Patriots, who rallied from a 28-3 deficit in the Super Bowl to win in overtime.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paul%20newberry
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Saints' second half propels them to shutout win vs. Dolphins

By ZAC BOYER
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Alvin Kamara wasn't sold on it when the New Orleans Saints installed a shovel pass at practice during the week. On Sunday, he became a believer.

Kamara scored a touchdown on that very play, taking Drew Brees' left-handed toss 12 yards to the end zone, and the Saints used it to punctuate their 20-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins on a rainy afternoon at Wembley Stadium.

A rookie out of Tennessee, Kamara finished with a season-high 96 all-purpose yards, including 71 receiving, and had Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael to thank.

"That's one of those special plays where we're like, 'All right, we're practicing it, but are we going to run it?'" said Kamara, who scored with 3:57 remaining. "We dialed it up and ran it."

Brees threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, with Michael Thomas catching the other, as New Orleans (2-2) picked up the first shutout in 19 games held in Britain's capital.

It was the first time the Saints didn't allow a point since Dec. 16, 2012, a 41-0 win against Tampa Bay. Miami (1-2) finished with 186 total yards — its fewest since its last shutout, a 19-0 loss at Buffalo on Dec. 22, 2013.

"The defense got a shutout," Brees said. "Offensively, we sustained drives. We did all the things you need to do for winning football."

It was expected to be a big homecoming for the Dolphins' Jay Ajayi, who was born in the city, but the running back finished with 46 yards on 12 carries.

Jay Cutler completed 20 of 28 passes for 164 yards with an interception for Miami, which has now scored only once in its last eight quarters — a touchdown on the final play of a loss at the New York Jets in Week 3.

"On offense, we need to have some pride in ourselves, some respect for ourselves," Ajayi said. "Put some points on the board. We're not doing that. We need to get back to what we know we can do."

The teams threatened to have the first scoreless opening half since Week 14 of the 2011 season until Saints kicker Will Lutz connected from 43 yards with no time remaining.

Lutz made two other field goals, a 43-yarder and a 45-yarder, and Thomas, who had eight catches for 89 yards, caught a 4-yard pass from Brees to push the score to 10-0 in the third quarter.

STREIF'S STRIFE: Saints right tackle Zach Streif, active despite missing time in practice during the week with a knee injury, left the game after sustaining a knee injury on the first play of the fourth quarter when a Dolphins defender fell on his legs. He did not return.

Also leaving the game injured were Saints TE Josh Hill (concussion) and LB Alex Anzalone (shoulder), and Dolphins LB Mike Hull (shoulder), none of whom returned.

The Dolphins were also without cornerback Byron Maxwell, who injured a hamstring in the team's walk-through on Saturday and was replaced by rookie Cordrea Tankersley, a third-round pick out of Clemson who was inactive for the Dolphins' first two games.

HOMETOWN HEARTBREAK: Ajayi, who was with the Dolphins for their last international trek in 2015 but did not play because of an injury, expected 30 to 40 family members to attend the game, including his three younger siblings, all of whom were born in the United States and had never before been to London.

"This was all that mattered for the trip, this game on Sunday," Ajayi said. "Regardless of anything else I did these last couple of days, this was the primary objective, and we didn't get that done."

FLAGS FLYING: The teams combined for 19 penalties, 11 by the Dolphins, with five called in a four-minute span at the end of the second quarter. Saints coach Sean Payton was not pleased. "Don't get me going here," he joked after the game. "I'm in a good mood."

CRAWLEY'S CATCH: With P.J. Williams taken out of the starting lineup as punishment for a violation of team rules, cornerback Ken Crawley made the most of his second consecutive start, intercepting Cutler on a fade intended for tight end Julius Thomas to end the game's opening drive. "I saw it," Crawley said, dismissively. "It's a tight end ... and I just played the fade."

UP NEXT

Saints: A Week 5 bye means they'll next be in action at home against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 15.

Dolphins: The home debut, at last, against the Tennessee Titans — Miami's latest opener since 1987.

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Wentz, Cutler look sharp; Eagles beat Dolphins 38-31

By ROB MAADDI
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carson Wentz and Jay Cutler are ready for the regular season. Most of their teammates still need more work.

Wentz threw touchdown passes to both of his new receivers, Mychal Kendricks returned an interception 31 yards for a score and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Miami Dolphins 38-31 on Thursday night.

Playing his second game since coming out of retirement to replace injured Dolphins starter Ryan Tannehill, Cutler was 5 of 8 for 105 yards and one TD . His surgically repaired right shoulder looked fine on a 72-yard pass to DeVante Parker.

Wentz connected with Torrey Smith on a 50-yard TD down the right side on a third-and-8 on Philadelphia's opening series for a 7-0 lead. Smith, who was signed along with Alshon Jeffery in free agency to bolster the receiving group, didn't have a catch in the first two games.

Wentz then hit Jeffery for a 20-yard gain and found him again for a 15-yard TD pass over the middle on his fourth and final series. Wentz finished 6 of 10 for 129 yards, two TDs and one interception. Coming in, there were concerns Jeffery wasn't on the same page with Wentz because he has missed a lot of practice time.

"I felt really confident in our chemistry going back to the spring, but it was nice to do it in a game here in front of the fans," Wentz said.

Jay Ajayi had a pair of 2-yard TD runs for the Dolphins and Cutler tossed a 1-yard TD pass to Julius Thomas.

"It seems like his pocket presence is coming back," Dolphins coach Adam Gase said of Cutler. "It was a step in the right direction."

Eagles reserves led by No. 3 quarterback Matt McGloin had a six-play, 53-yard TD drive against Miami's starters. Corey Clement capped it with a 3-yard TD run that tied it at 21.

"They got a good feel for us and they made a couple plays," Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell said.

Mychal Kendricks then intercepted Matt Moore's tipped pass and returned it for a score to put Philadelphia ahead 28-21.

The teams were quite familiar with each other after scrimmaging twice this week.

"That helped me a lot, really sped up my clock," Cutler said.

SHOOTOUT

The Dolphins hadn't scored this many points in a preseason game since 1999. The 69 combined points were the most in a preseason game in team history.

QB WATCH

Dolphins: Moore was 5 of 11 for 43 yards and two interceptions. ... No. 3 QB Brandon Doughty was 2 of 7 for 74 yards and one TD, a 69-yard TD pass to Jakeem Grant.

Eagles: Backup Nick Foles sat out again while resting an elbow injury. ... McGloin was 22 of 26 for 155 yards, one TD, one interception.

IMPRESSIVE RETURNS

Dolphins DT Jordan Phillips had a rumbling 18-yard return after he picked Wentz, setting up one of Ajayi's TD runs.

Eagles reserve LB Don Cherry had a nifty 42-yard return after intercepting Doughty's pass.

DEFENSIVE GOAT

CB Ronald Darby, who was acquired from Buffalo two weeks ago, struggled after an impressive debut with the Eagles. He allowed the long pass to Parker and had a 42-yard pass interference penalty in the end zone.

ANTHEM PROTEST

Philadelphia's Chris Long, who grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, put his arm around teammate Malcolm Jenkins as a show of unity during the national anthem for the second straight week. Jenkins stood with his right fist raised in the air as he's done since last season. He was surrounded by Long, who is white, and Rodney McLeod and Najee Goode. Ron Brooks took a knee behind them.

LEG STRENGTH

Miami's Andrew Franks made a 56-yard FG at the end of the first half.

INJURIES

Dolphins: TE Thomas Duarte suffered a concussion.

Eagles: Rookie LB Nate Gerry left with a hamstring injury.

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Cutler debuts, but Ravens roll past Dolphins 31-7

By TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jay Cutler's night started by getting an ovation from Miami Dolphins fans just for taking the field, and ended with him giving a shout-out to Mark Bowen.

That's the surgeon who fixed his right shoulder after his season with the Chicago Bears ended last December.

Cutler's shoulder is just fine, and that's about all Miami had to cheer about. Ryan Mallett threw for 113 yards and a touchdown , Josh Woodrum ran for two more scores and the Baltimore Ravens beat the Dolphins 31-7 on Thursday night in the second preseason game for both teams.

"Dr. Bowen in Chicago, nice job," Cutler said, with a thumbs-up for emphasis.

Cutler played the first two series for the Dolphins, his debut as injured starter Ryan Tannehill's replacement in Miami. He was 3 of 6 for 24 yards , some of it in a no-huddle tempo, and his highlight play was one that didn't count. Facing a third-and-16, Cutler stepped up and found DeVante Parker for what would have been a 31-yard gain — one erased by a holding flag.

"Thought he was good," said Dolphins coach Adam Gase, who also coached Cutler in Chicago. "First time out. Looks like we really weren't apart for a year. His tempo was really good."

Cutler took a big hit on his last snap, courtesy of the Ravens' Za'Darius Smith. He got up without any problem, then switched his helmet for a baseball cap and headset.

"I was kind of glad to get that one out of the way," Cutler said.

Ravens starting quarterback Joe Flacco isn't expected to play until Week 1 of the regular season because of back woes, and Mallett played the entire first half.

"I thought he did good," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He got out of trouble a few times. He made a few throws."

Mallett completed 13 of 22 passes, getting intercepted twice — both on passes intended for Quincy Adeboyejo. The first pick was by Xavier Howard on a ball lofted down the left sideline and overthrow, the other coming when Cordrea Tankersley ripped the ball out of Adeboyejo's hands after he had to reach back to make a catch on a quick slant.

"I think I played better," Mallett said. "There's still plays to be made."

Woodrum completed eight of 10 passes for 110 yards.

"He's got some poise, he can play the game," Harbaugh said.

Senorise Perry had an 11-yard touchdown run for Miami, but he also fumbled away a kickoff return — one of many Miami special-teams miscues. The Dolphins also had a punt blocked in the second quarter, setting up Mallett's 1-yard touchdown toss to Larry Donnell, and later had a hold on a kickoff return.

Gase said Miami had 10 men on the field for the blocked punt.

"It's one of those unforced errors we can't have happen," Gase said.

TUCKER AUTOMATIC

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is automatic from 50 yards or more.

Tucker connected on a 52-yarder for the Ravens' first points of the night. He also made a 59-yarder in Baltimore's preseason-opening win over Washington, and was 10 for 10 on tries from 50 yards or more last season.

Tucker also recovered a fumble on a misplayed kickoff return, one of Miami's many special-teams issues. But Tucker also tried to scoop-and-score the fumble recovery, drawing serious ire from Terrell Suggs and others on the Ravens sideline.

"Suggs was about to strangle him when he came off," Harbaugh said.

Said Tucker: "Obviously, I'm better with my feet than my hands."

QB WATCH

Dolphins backup Matt Moore, like Cutler, was also done for the night by the time the first quarter was over. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 11 yards, before getting relieved by David Fales. Brandon Doughty came in for Miami in the second half.

COMING HOME

Baltimore's third quarterback, Thaddeus Lewis, was enjoying a homecoming. He played his high school ball at nearby Hialeah-Miami Lakes High.

TOUGH START

Dolphins offensive lineman Sam Young was flagged for holding on consecutive plays in the first quarter, including one that wiped out the Cutler-to-Parker play for 31 yards.

MORE OF THE SAME

The Ravens and Dolphins last met in December, with Baltimore winning that matchup 38-6. Baltimore is 25-9 in its last 34 preseason games.

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Dolphins QB Tannehill to undergo season-ending surgery

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is undergoing season-ending surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday. The Miami Herald first reported the news.

Tannehill originally suffered a partially torn ACL late in the 2016 season, forcing him out of Miami's final three regular-season games and AFC Wild Card loss to Pittsburgh. Instead of surgery, the quarterback opted for stem-cell therapy and rehab over surgery. After the same knee buckled during practice last week, that decision proved costly.

Freeman scores but Falcons blow lead at Miami, 23-20

By STEVEN WINE
Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons' new investment in Devonta Freeman is already reaping dividends.

Now the NFL's highest-paid running back, Freeman looked the part in a brief appearance Thursday night, scoring on a 15-yard reception from Matt Ryan as Atlanta lost to the Miami Dolphins 23-20.

Freeman, who agreed Wednesday to a $41.25 million, five-year contract extension, scored to cap the Falcons' first preseason possession.

"It was just about me competing, doing what I love to do," he said.

Freeman ranked seventh in the league last year with 1,541 total yards.

"We're really thrilled to get this deal gone, knowing what a significant factor he is for us," coach Dan Quinn said.

Freeman's touchdown capped a 36-yard drive by new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkasian's unit after a 39-yard punt return by newcomer Andre Roberts.

The Dolphins' exhibition season began badly. Second-round draft pick Raekwon McMillan, the front-runner to start at middle linebacker, hurt his right knee on Roberts' return.

After the game, coach Adam Gase said he did not yet know the severity of the injury. McMillan left the locker room on crutches.

"It's tough to see a young player go down," Gase said.

Miami backup safety Walt Aikens also left the game in the first quarter with a back injury.

The Falcons, who blew a 28-3 advantage against New England in last season's Super Bowl, this time let a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead get away. Undrafted rookie Damore'ea Stringfellow caught a 99-yard touchdown pass from David Fales to cap Miami's comeback, but neither is likely to make the roster.

First-teamers on both sides saw little or no action. New Miami quarterback Jay Cutler sat out, and backup Matt Moore played one series, which went three-and-out after confusion forced the Dolphins to call timeout before their first snap.

"That was my fault," Gase said with a wry smile. "I thought they were in different personnel and changed the call, and didn't give Matt enough time."

The Falcons were on their third quarterback before the first quarter ended. Ryan played one series and went 3 for 3, hitting three receivers for 32 yards.

His touchdown pass came on fourth and 1, when he faked a handoff to Freeman, who then circled out of the backfield to make the catch in the flat and score untouched.

Freeman and Ryan celebrated in the end zone with a flying shoulder bump and hug.

Miami's second-team offense drove 40 yards to the Falcons' 20 before Atlanta's first-teamers came out of the game. The Dolphins then settled for a field goal.

CROWD SUPPORT

Freeman, who grew up in Miami, said he had about 70 kids from his local youth program at the game, along with two dozen friends and relatives.

"It's always fun to come back to Miami," he said.

GOOD CATCHES

Dolphins receiver Leonte Carroo, a disappointment as a rookie last year, outmaneuvered C.J. Goodwin to catch a 33-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Doughty.

"We were on the same page, and I was able to make a great play on the ball," Carroo said.

Stringfellow hauled in Fales' pass at the Miami 30, cut twice to elude safety Marcelis Branch and raced down the sideline for his score to put Miami ahead to stay.

KICKING CONTROVERSY?

Matt Bryant, who's entering his 16th season, missed a 47-yard field goal attempt for Atlanta, while second-year pro Mike Meyer made kicks of 30 and 53 yards.

"Mike nailed it like he does in practice," Quinn said. "He has a fantastic model to look for in terms of consistency in Matt Bryant."

GROUND GAME

Terron Ward, contending to be Atlanta's third running back, carried 11 times for 48 yards and a touchdown. Kenyan Drake led Miami rushers with 21 yards in five carries.

YOUNGSTERS

Rookie defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and second-year receiver Jakeem Grant had impressive moments for Miami.

"I liked how all of our young guys tried to play as fast as they could," Gase said. "And I didn't feel like we had a lot of mistakes."

SIDELINED

Falcons first-round draft pick Takkarist McKinley and receiver Julio Jones sat out. Among those not playing for the Dolphins were running back Jay Ajayi, center Mike Pouncey and left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

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"Big Three" power Steelers by Dolphins 30-12

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Injuries forced Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell to wait three seasons for the chance to run onto the field together in the playoffs. The wait for the Pittsburgh Steelers' "Big Three" to do it again won't be nearly as long.

Bell ran for a franchise postseason record 167 yards and two scores, Brown caught five passes for 124 yards and a pair of first-quarter touchdowns from Roethlisberger as the Steelers overwhelmed the beaten-up and mistake-prone Miami Dolphins 30-12 on Sunday.

Pittsburgh (12-5) ran off its eighth straight victory by avenging a whipping by the Dolphins (10-7) in mid-October to set up a visit to AFC West champion Kansas City (12-4) next Sunday. The Steelers rolled by the Chiefs 43-14 on Oct. 2.

Bell missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons with knee injuries, and Brown sat out a divisional-round playoff loss to Denver 12 months ago due to a concussion. They played as if trying to make up for lost time.

The Dolphins tried to hype themselves up by running around in shirt sleeves in the single-digit wind chill during warmups. Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier did them one better, racing around shirtless — as if to send a message that his team is plenty comfortable playing this time of year.

It sure looked like it.

The Steelers scored on their first three possessions, and Miami's playoff victory drought was wall on its way to 17 years and counting.

Brown turned a pair of short passes into long scores. The first, a 50-yard sprint down the left sideline, came after Brown patiently waited for tight end Jesse James to provide the one block he needed. The second, a crossing pattern Brown turned into a 62-yard touchdown, ended with the All-Pro receiver pointing at a Miami defender as he crossed the goal line to put the Steelers up 14-0 before the game was 10 minutes old.

Matt Moore, making the first playoff start of his decade-long career with Ryan Tannehill still sidelined by a sprained knee, played on despite taking a helmet-to-chin shot from Pittsburgh linebacker Bud Dupree in the second quarter. Moore returned just minutes after sitting dazed on the turf and completed 29 of 36 passes for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception. But he fumbled twice with the ball in Steelers territory and the game still in doubt.

The first fumble, caused by an unblocked James Harrison, ended a Miami drive at the Pittsburgh 13. The second, when Moore collided with running back Jay Ajayi, set up a Chris Boswell field goal that pushed Pittsburgh's lead to 23-6 midway through the third quarter.

Shazier stepped in front of Moore's pass on Miami's next possession, and when Bell darted it from 8 yards, the Steelers were up 30-6.

The Dolphins hardly looked like the team that pushed around the Steelers three months ago when Ajayi ran for 204 yards and two scores. That set the stage for Miami's 9-2 finish to send the franchise to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

"Last time we felt like we didn't play well," Bell said. "Those guys got after us, they jumped on us early."

There was no running room for Ajayi this time. He was held to 33 yards on 16 carries, forcing the Dolphins to rely on Moore and a defense incapable of handling the Steelers.

"The defense played great today, stopping their run game, making it tough on (Ajayi) on their side, he's a great runner," Bell added. "On the other side, we wanted to control the ball, score some touchdowns and we did our job today."

After Brown controlled the first quarter, Bell dominated the second. He carried 10 straight times during an 83-yard touchdown drive as Pittsburgh showcased the varied ways it can beat you.

It's a healthy blueprint they'll take to Kansas City next weekend.

INJURIES

The Dolphins badly missed cornerback Byron Maxwell (ankle), out a third straight game. Miami held Brown to four receptions for 39 yards in October, but he topped that total before the game was three minutes old.

Pittsburgh avoided any major concerns heading to the divisional round, though tight end Ladarius Green (concussion) was inactive for a third straight week.

UP NEXT

Miami: The Dolphins showed signs of progress in coach Adam Gase's first season and may be the AFC East team best positioned to challenge New England in 2017.

Steelers: Pittsburgh's only playoff visit to Kansas City came in 1993, a loss to the Joe Montana-led Chiefs 27-24 in overtime.

Steelers beat Dolphins 30-12, will face Chiefs in Div. Round

The Pittsburgh Steelers had two touchdowns each from Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell as the team defeated the Miami Dolphins 30-12 on Sunday in an NFL Wild-Card Playoff Game.

The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000.

Brown had two catches in the first quarter that led to two touchdowns. He ended the game with 5 REC for 2 TD and 124 PASS YDS.

Bell had a 1-yard TD run in the second quarter that led to a huge run that fell just near the end zone on thr play before. The long run was reviewed, and Bell did not go into the endzone until one play later with thr one-yard run.

Bell ended his day with 29 ATT for 167 RUSH YDS and 2 TDs.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger completed 13/18 passes for 197 yards and 2 PASS TDs, along with two interceptions.

Damien Williams ran four yards for a touchdown for Miami.

Matt Moore completed 29/36 passes with one PASS TD and 289 PASS YDS.

Moore was hit hard after a pass in the second quarter, but only missed one play and returned to the field.

The Steelers continue their playoff campaign next Sunday on Jan. 15 at the Kansas City Chiefs at 1:05pm ET.

Brady throws for 3 scores to help Pats beat Miami 35-14

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) The New England Patriots finished the regular season with a perfect road record, and are hoping their next trip is to the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady threw for 276 yards and three scores Sunday to help the Patriots clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by beating the Miami 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 Mcclellan.

The Patriots (14-2) were already assured of a first-round bye but played all-out, as coach Bill Belichick had promised.

”It’s just important to keep that foot on the gas pedal,” Brady said.

New England 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 and will play their first postseason game since 2008 next weekend at Pittsburgh. That made the thumping by New England much easier to take.

”Flush it,” safety Michael Thomas said. ”We’re still in it. Last year at this time we were going home.”

If the Dolphins beat Pittsburgh, they’ll face New England again in two weeks.

”Can’t wait,” Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry said.

The Patriots had lost their past three games in Miami, and appeared intent from the outset on snapping that streak. By the time they led 20-0, they had advantages of 238 to 30 in yards, and 17 to one in first downs.

”This has always been a challenging place for us, for one reason or another,” Brady said. ”But we just found a way to beat a good football team.”

After Miami mounted consecutive 75-yard touchdown drives to make it 20-14, Edelman caught a short pass from Brady, broke free thanks to a crushing downfield block by Michael Floyd and scored on the longest reception of his career.

When the Dolphins threatened early in the fourth quarter, Devin McCourty forced a fumble by Damien Williams, and McClellin returned it 69 yards to set up a touchdown for the game’s final score.

The Dolphins were steamrolled by a Brady-led offense that wasn’t forced to punt until late in the third quarter.

”He’s a Hall of Famer,” Miami coach Adam Gase said. ”It happens. A lot.”

Brady went 25 for 33 with no turnovers . Edelman had a career-high 151 yards on eight catches.

Miami’s Matt Moore, subbing again for injured starter Ryan Tannehill, went 24 for 34 for 205 yards.

INJURIES

Miami’s Jay Ajayi went to the X-ray room after the game but said he was fine. He ran for 59 yards and finished his breakout season with 1,272.

NEWCOMER

Floyd scored his first touchdown with the Patriots when he caught a short pass and powered into the end zone for a 14-yard score to make it 14-0. Floyd was acquired last month after the Cardinals released him following a DUI arrest in Arizona.

”To come in at this point is very tough,” Brady said. ”There’s not really the time to make the mistakes anymore. But he’s a veteran, he has played for a long time.”

CLIMBING THE LIST

Brady increased his career yardage total to 61,582 to surpass former Dolphins quarterback and Hall of Famer Dan Marino for fourth place on the NFL’s career list. Next is the Saints’ Drew Brees, who went into Sunday’s game with 65,761 yards.

Brady finished the regular season with 28 touchdown passes and two interceptions.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: The Dolphins will have a rematch against the AFC North champion Steelers, who lost 30-15 at Miami in Week 6.

Patriots: The Patriots swept the regular-season series against Miami for the first time since 2012, and could now face the Dolphins in consecutive games. If the Dolphins beat the Steelers, they’ll play at New England the weekend of Jan. 14-15.

Regular-season finale means something to Patriots, Dolphins

Stats, LLC

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Both teams are headed for the playoffs and both still have something to play for when the New England Patriots visit the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

For the Patriots, who have won six straight games to go to 13-2, a win means home-field advantage for the entire AFC playoffs.

For the Dolphins, a win could move them from the No. 6 to the No. 5 seed, which would send them to Houston instead of Pittsburgh. That would happen with a Miami win and a loss by the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Patriots are trying to become the ninth team dating to the 1972 Dolphins to finish a perfect road season. But they face a team that is 6-1 and has won the last five at home. Last year, a New England loss at Miami

cost the Patriots home-field advantage in the playoffs.

“Going in there and getting a win I think would be big for us and overall it’d be a great accomplishment,” defensive co-captain Devin McCourty said Wednesday.

“But I think, for us, this is a really tough test. We haven’t won down there in three years. It’s even bigger than just this year. It’s trying to go down there and play well, because not winning shows we just haven’t played well down there.”

The Patriots defeated the Dolphins 31-24 at Gillette Stadium in the second game of the season — New England winning Game 2 of Tom Brady’s four-game suspension and the Dolphins falling to 0-2 en route to a 1-4 start.

Brady, of course, is back and has been brilliant in his 10-1 run (25 touchdowns, two interceptions). Miami lost quarterback Ryan Tannehill in Week 14 and veteran Matt Moore is now the starter.

“They’ve been the best team in the second half,” New England coach Bill Belichick said. “There’s got to be something to it.”

Brady, who sat out Wednesday’s practice nursing a sore thigh, has lost his last three games in Miami but enters this game 70-18 all time against the AFC East. Last week, he had his 50th career game with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions.

The Patriots have adjusted to life without injured Rob Gronkowski, with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels still dialing up a potent offense.

“It’s not surprising. It has been consistent over his whole career,” Miami coach Adam Gase said of McDaniels, his boss when McDaniels was the head man in Denver in 2009-10. “He figures out what the guys that he has available to him can do, and he really puts an emphasis on that and doesn’t try to go outside that ability that those players have. He really focuses on, ‘What can I get this guy to do to help us win the game?'”

Last week, tight end Matt Lengel caught the first pass of his NFL career and became the 64th player to catch a touchdown pass for Brady.

Moore has stepped in for Tannehill and gone 28 of 48 for 471 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions in officially leading the Dolphins back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

“Veteran guy,” McCourty said. “We played him a couple years ago when he was a starting quarterback for Miami. (He’s) a guy that’s not in a situation that is unknown to him. He’s started and led that football team.

“I would imagine that that team has tremendous trust in him player-wise for his leadership and what he brings and I think the biggest thing is he’s 2-0. He has taken over and he’s doing everything that the offense needs him to do.”

Asked Wednesday about Tannehill perhaps returning from his knee injury for the playoffs, Gase said, “I’ve purposefully avoided our doctors. I haven’t asked.

“I told them, ‘If something changes, let me know.’ I just know that he’s working hard to try to get as healthy as he can. I have no idea what our timetable is.

“Right now, we’re playing it every week of saying, ‘att (Moore) is our quarterback until somebody tells us different.’ That’s, really, the take I’ve been coming into each week as.”

Moore will face a defense that has surprised people with its stinginess. The Patriots have not allowed a touchdown in more than nine quarters and have yielded 17 points or less in 10 of their 15 games.

Earlier this week, Belichick bristled at a question concerning resting his players if this game didn’t mean anything.

“I mean look, I don’t really understand that question,” he said. “We have — I don’t know how many starters we have — but we have a lot more than — we can only inactivate seven players. This isn’t like a preseason game where you have 75 guys on your roster. This is a regular-season game.

“I don’t really understand that whole line of questioning. I’m not saying I’m a great mathematician or anything, but the numbers just don’t add up for that type of conversation, so there’s no point in even getting involved in it.”

Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi, Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey and Browns DE Jamie Meder named AFC Players of Week 16

Running back JAY AJAYI of the Miami Dolphins, cornerback JALEN RAMSEY of the Jacksonville Jaguars and defensive end JAMIE MEDER of the Cleveland Browns are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the 16th week of the 2016 season (December 22, 24-26).

OFFENSE: RB JAY AJAYI, MIAMI DOLPHINS

DEFENSE: CB JALEN RAMSEY, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 

SPECIAL TEAMS: DE JAMIE MEDER, CLEVELAND BROWNS 

2016 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 

	Offense	Defense	Special Teams
Wk 1	RB DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh	LB Whitney Mercilus, Houston	K Stephen Gostkowski, New England
Wk 2	QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets	LB Von Miller, Denver	DE Lawrence Guy, Baltimore
Wk 3	QB Trevor Siemian, Denver	CB Marcus Peters, Kansas City	P Ryan Allen, New England
Wk 4	QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh	LB Zach Brown, Buffalo	PR-WR Will Fuller, Houston
Wk 5	QB Tom Brady, New England	CB Nickell Robey-Coleman, Buffalo	K Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis
Wk 6	RB Jay Ajayi, Miami	LB Dont’a Hightower, New England	P Drew Kaser, San Diego
Wk 7	RB Jay Ajayi, Miami	LB Denzel Perryman, San Diego	P Marquette King, Oakland
Wk 8	QB Derek Carr, Oakland	CB Bradley Roby, Denver	P Shane Lechler, Houston
Wk 9	RB Melvin Gordon, San Diego	DE Khalil Mack, Oakland	KR Jordan Todman, Indianapolis
Wk 10	QB Marcus Mariota, Tennessee	S Eric Berry, Kansas City	S Justin Simmons, Denver
Wk 11	QB Tom Brady, New England	DE Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh	K Dan Carpenter, Buffalo
Wk 12	WR-KR Tyreek Hill, Kansas City	DE Khalil Mack, Oakland	K Justin Tucker, Baltimore
Wk 13	QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis	S Eric Berry, Kansas City	K Stephen Gostkowski, New England
Wk 14	RB Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh	DT Geno Atkins, Cincinnati	WR-KR Tyreek Hill, Kansas City
Wk 15	QB Matt Moore, Miami	LB Bruce Irvin, Oakland	K Ryan Succop, Tennessee
Wk 16	RB Jay Ajayi, Miami	CB Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville	DE Jamie Meder, Cleveland