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Broncos defeat Chargers, 22-10; Bengals dominate Johnny Manziel

San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram, left, knocks a pass way from Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning during the first half of the Broncos' 22-10 win Sunday.
(Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press)
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Peyton Manning played through a thigh injury and flu-like symptoms and Connor Barth kicked five field goals to lead Denver to a 22-10 victory against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday that gave the Broncos their fourth straight AFC West title.

Manning came out of the game late in the second quarter. He apparently hurt his thigh while blocking linebacker Donald Butler on a run by C.J. Anderson.

He returned for the start of the third quarter and on Denver’s second possession threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas to give the Broncos a 16-3 lead.

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The Broncos (11-3) won their fourth straight game.

Denver’s 12th straight division road win tied San Francisco’s NFL record set from 1987-90.

The Chargers (8-6) entered the game as the AFC’s No. 6 seed and saw their wild-card chances diminished. They’ve lost two straight.

Bengals 30, Browns 0

Johnny Manziel spent his first NFL start being chased and taunted by Cincinnati defenders as the Bengals rudely welcomed the hyped rookie quarterback to the league.

Manziel failed to live up to the overwhelming hype surrounding his debut as the AFC North-leading Bengals (9-4-1) built a 20-point halftime lead and rolled to their fourth straight road win.

Bengals rookie Jeremy Hill rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns, backing up his postgame trash talk of the Browns following a loss to them last month.

Manziel, promoted over the slumping Brian Hoyer to spark the Browns (7-7), finished 10 of 18 for 80 yards and two interceptions.

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He was sacked three times, under pressure all afternoon and had Bengals players imitating his signature “money-rubbing” gesture more than once.

Seahawks 17, 49ers 7

Marshawn Lynch rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown, Russell Wilson threw a touchdown pass to rookie Paul Richardson, and Seattle knocked archrival San Francisco from playoff contention.

The defending Super Bowl champions remained in contention for a division title and No. 1 seed in the NFC.

After a sluggish, sloppy first half, Seattle (10-4) awoke in the final 30 minutes behind the running of Lynch and a defense that shut out the 49ers, holding them to 67 yards. Colin Kaepernick was sacked six times and the 49ers didn’t run a play past the Seattle 38 in the second half.

Lynch scored on a 4-yard run late in the third quarter and the Seahawks took advantage of a short field on their next drive, capped by Wilson’s strike to Richardson.

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The loss and Detroit’s win eliminated San Francisco (7-7) from contention.

Bills 21, Packers 13

Bacarri Rambo intercepted two Aaron Rodgers passes and Marcus Thigpen scored on a 75-yard punt return, leading Buffalo to a stunning upset.

Defensive end Mario Williams also forced Rodgers to fumble, which led to running back Eddie Lacy being tackled in the end zone for a safety with 1:51 left. Dan Carpenter hit all three field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder in the second half to help keep Buffalo (8-6) in the AFC playoff picture.

The Bills were also have their first eight-win season since going 9-7 in 2004.

The Packers (10-4) had a five-game win streak snapped, blowing an opportunity to get closer to their sixth consecutive playoff berth.

Rodgers finished 17 of 42 for 185 yards, and two interceptions.

Colts 17, Texans 10

Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and Indianapolis won its second straight AFC South title.

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Indianapolis (10-4) has won four straight.

But it sure wasn’t easy. Luck was 18 of 34 with 187 yards and one interception on the same day Reggie Wayne passed Peyton Manning for the most games and wins in franchise history. Wayne has played in 209 games, winning 142.

Houston (7-7) lost starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with a left leg injury in the second quarter. Rookie Tom Savage replaced Fitzpatrick and was ineffective, going 10 of 19 for 127 yards.

The Texans took a 7-0 lead on Kendrick Lewis’ 27-yard interception return. Luck tied it with a 26-yard TD pass to Hakeem Nicks. Luck hooked up with Dwayne Allen on a 3-yard TD pass to make it 14-7 before halftime. Indy sealed it with a late field goal.

Patriots 41, Dolphins 13

New England clinched the AFC East title for the sixth straight season as Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes in a big third quarter that carried them to victory.

Leading just 14-13 at halftime, the Patriots scored on four consecutive series while piling up 24 points, the most in any third period in team history.

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New England (11-3) can secure home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by beating the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. Miami (7-7) saw its slim postseason hopes dwindle further.

The Dolphins cut the lead to one point at halftime on Ryan Tannehill’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace with five seconds left.

Giants 24, Redskins 13

Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes to rookie Odell Beckham Jr. and New York took advantage of an overturned touchdown at the end of the first half to defeat Washington.

Manning and Beckham combined 12 times for 143 yards, with touchdown passes covering 10, 35 and 6 yards. The win was the second straight for the Giants (5-9) after seven straight losses.

The 35-yarder gave the Giants a 17-13 lead late in third quarter. The 6-yarder with 4:41 to go sent the Redskins (3-11) to their sixth consecutive loss in a game they seemed to control as the half ended.

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Robert Griffin III scrambled for an apparent 8-yard touchdown as the half expired for a 17-7 lead. The video review showed that Griffin lost control of the ball diving into the end zone and the play was ruled a touchback.

Steelers 27, Falcons 20

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 360 yards, William Gay returned an interception for a touchdown, and Pittsburgh held off Atlanta.

The Steelers (9-5) remained a half-game behind Cincinnati in the AFC North with their second straight win. The Falcons (5-9) ensured themselves of a losing season and slipped out of first place in the NFC South.

Pittsburgh led 13-0 after Gay picked off Matt Ryan’s pass over the middle on the first play of the second quarter, returning it 52 yards. The Steelers extended the lead to 27-13 with Le’Veon Bell’s 1-yard run in the opening minute of the fourth period.

The Falcons made a game of it, pulling within a touchdown on Ryan’s 4-yard pass to Roddy White. But the Steelers clinched the victory with their final possession, converting three times on third down.

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Chiefs 31, Raiders 13

Alex Smith threw for 297 yards and two scores, and Kansas City shut down Derek Carr and the Oakland offense to end a three-game skid.

Knile Davis had touchdowns running and receiving, and De’Anthony Thomas returned a punt 81 yards for another score as the Chiefs (8-6) got even for a 24-20 loss to Oakland (2-12) last month.

The Chiefs led 10-6 early in the third quarter before scoring three touchdowns in 4 minutes, 42 seconds. The last was a 70-yard throw from Smith to Davis, who had taken over the majority of running back duties after Jamaal Charles took a shot to the head.

Charles appeared to pass concussion testing and returned briefly to the game.

Carr finished 27 of 56 for 222 yards, throwing a TD pass in the final minute. The Raiders’ rookie also was sacked four times and fumbled a snap that led to a Kansas City touchdown.

Panthers 19, Buccaneers 17

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Anderson threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, Graham Gano kicked four field goals and Carolina won to remain alive in the NFC South playoff race.

The win, coupled with Atlanta’s loss to Pittsburgh, leaves the Panthers a half-game behind New Orleans in the division. Carolina (5-8-1) can move into first place if the Saints lose to Chicago on Monday night.

Anderson was 25 of 40 and improved to 2-0 as a starter in place of Cam Newton, sidelined while recovering from a car accident Tuesday that left him with two fractures in his lower back.

Greg Olsen tied a career high with 10 catches for 110 yards, and rookie Kelvin Benjamin had eight grabs for 104 yards. Josh McCown threw a touchdown pass and ran for another to lead the Bucs (2-11).

Lions 16, Vikings 14

Matt Prater’s 33-yard field goal with 3:38 remaining to lift Detroit into a tie for first place in the NFC North.

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The Lions (10-4) are now even atop the division with Green Bay, which lost to Buffalo earlier in the day, but Detroit didn’t have an easy time, spotting the Vikings (6-8) a 14-0 lead before a pair of second-quarter interceptions helped the Lions start their rally.

Even at the end, Detroit had to sweat out a 68-yard field goal attempt by Minnesota’s Blair Walsh on the game’s final play. The kick was short.

Ravens 20, Jaguars 12

Baltimore sacked rookie quarterback Blake Bortles eight times and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to squeeze out a lackluster victory.

Baltimore (9-5) gained only 31 yards rushing through three quarters and scored just once with its offense on the field. But the defense was solid, and special teams helped the Ravens got a victory they needed to stay in the thick of the AFC playoff chase.

Terrell Suggs was credited with 2 1/2 sacks and rookie Timmy Jernigan, starting for the suspended Haloti Ngata, had two.

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Jacksonville (2-12) tried just about everything in its bid to pull off an upset, including an onside kick and a fake punt. Both worked, but it wasn’t enough to earn the Jaguars their first win on the road.

Jets 16, Titans 11

Chris Ivory scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:09 left, and New York won in a game marked by a brawl between teams playing only for pride with the loser hoping for better draft position.

The Jets (3-11) got their first road win this season in the first NFL game to end with a 16-11 score. They also snapped a three-game skid.

Geno Smith threw for 179 yards and a TD. He also was apparently hit by Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, starting a brawl in the third quarter. Casey was flagged, but not ejected.

The Titans (2-12) now have lost eight straight and 11 of 12 in their worst skid since 1994 when home was in Houston. They got the ball twice late, and reached the Jets 9 after three laterals on the final play came up short

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