Three of the top teams in the NFL had a Black Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers ignored the one-day plague and clinched the NFC West.
The 49ers reclaimed the division crown won by the Panthers last season when they beat Carolina 27-19. The Niners (10-1) won the West for 13th time in 17 years. The clinching in the 11th game matched the Chicago Bears for the quickest division title since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978.Indianapolis won its first game of the season, at the expense of the Green Bay Packers. It was the third straight year the Colts upset the defending Super Bowl champion.
Despite the 41-38 loss, Green Bay remained tied for first in the NFC Central, because Minnesota lost to Detroit 38-15. Tampa Bay moved into a tie with Minnesota and Green Bay after beating New England 27-7. The Bucs (8-3) ended their NFL-record streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons.
At Indianapolis, Cary Blanchard kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired, the third game-winning field goal by Blanchard against the defending Super Bowl champion in three years.
The Colts (1-10) moved 72 yards in the final 5:19 after Green Bay (8-3) tied the game 38-38 on Brett Favre's second touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman.
Paul Justin, who passed for a career-high 340 yards, completed 27- and 28-yard passes to Ken Dilger to take the Colts to the Packers 1.
Blanchard, whose field goals beat San Francisco two years ago and Dallas last year, then kicked the game-winner, which amounted to nothing more than an extra point, as time ran out.
"I'm not going to miss an extra point. I've never missed an extra point," Blanchard said.
The Colts became the fourth team, joining Houston, the Los Angeles Rams and San Diego, to beat a defending Super Bowl champion three years in a row.
"It's tough to lose any game," Favre said. "I tip my hat off to the Colts. I knew there was no team in this league that could go without a win. Unfortunately, it was against us."
Chiefs 24, Broncos 22
At Kansas City, John Elway's late-game heroics were not enough for Denver (9-2). Pete Stoyanovich kicked a 54-yard field goal on the game's final play as the Chiefs won 24-22 to move within a game of Denver in the AFC West.
Just a minute earlier, Jason Elam had kicked a 34-yarder that gave Denver the lead. It ended a 61-yard march that appeared to be the 44th come-from-behind fourth-quarter drive of Elway's career - his seventh against the Chiefs.
"He's stuck the dagger in me a lot," said Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer, who lost twice to Elway as coach of the Cleveland Browns in the AFC championship game.
49ers 27, Panthers 19
Getting an electrifying kickoff return for a touchdown from Terry Kirby and surviving a blocked field goal late in the game, San Francisco completed its 8-0 run through NFC West opponents.
The 49ers swept the Panthers (5-6), who upset San Francisco twice last year in taking the division in their second year of existence.
Lions 38, Vikings 15
Scott Mitchell, shaking off a sore leg, passed for 271 yards and two touchdowns as Detroit (5-6) snapped visiting Minnesota's six-game winning streak.
Barry Sanders turned in his ninth straight 100-yard rushing game, running for 108 on 19 carries.
Bucs 27, Patriots 7
Trent Dilfer threw for 209 yards and one touchdown and Mike Alstott and Errict Rhett scored on 1-yard runs for host Tampa.
The Patriots (6-5), who started the day tied for first in the AFC East, were held to 16 yards and no first downs in the first half.
Jets 23, Bears 15
Otis Smith intercepted two passes, returning one for a 38-yard touchdown, and caused a third by tipping a pass as New York stayed atop the AFC East.
The Jets (7-4) survived the loss of starter Glenn Foley, who was sacked and forced out early in the second quarter with injuries to his left leg.
The Bears (1-10) committed five turnovers and were sacked five times.
Ravens 10, Eagles 10
The Ravens (4-6-1) wasted nine sacks and lost a 10-3 lead at home in the final four minutes of regulation. The Eagles (4-6-1) had only three first downs in the first half and botched a chance to win when Chris Boniol's 40-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right as time expired.
"We had a chance to win it and fell short. A tie is just like a loss to me," Eagles linebacker William Thomas said.
It was the first tie since the Cleveland Browns (now the Ravens) tied Kansas City 10-10 on Nov. 19, 1989.
Cowboys 17, Redskins 14
Troy Aikman's clutch passing and Richie Cunningham's 42-yard field goal with four seconds left kept Dallas close in the NFC East.
Dallas (6-5) needed the win to keep pace with the New York Giants (7-4) and the Redskins (6-5), who had beaten the Cowboys at home earlier in the season.
Dallas drove 97 yards and tied the game at 14 with 1:55 left on Aikman's 6-yard pass to Michael Irvin and a 2-point conversion pass to Emmitt Smith.
Giants 19, Cardinals 10
Charles Way ran for 114 yards and Danny Kanell threw for two touchdowns to keep host New York in first place in the NFC East.
The Giants throttled Arizona's running game for the second time this season. But Jake Plummer, who completed 22 of 33 passes for 388 yards, kept the Cardinals (2-9) close until Jason Sehorn's interception set up Brad Daluiso's clinching 34-yard field goal.
Steelers 20, Bengals 3
At Pittsburgh, Kordell Stewart threw two touchdown passes in the second half as Pittsburgh remained tied for first in the AFC Central with Jacksonville.
The Steelers (8-3) won for the seventh time in eight games and assured the Bengals (3-8) of a seventh consecutive non-winning season.
Jaguars 17, Oilers 9
Jacksonville kept Eddie George in check and got an efficient game from Mark Brunell as the Jaguars won their 12th straight home game.
Brunell was 22-of-30 for 267 yards and one touchdown, but the injury-riddled defense stole the show. The nine points scored by the Oilers (5-6) were the fewest Jacksonville had given up since a 24-9 victory over Pittsburgh on Sept. 1, 1996.
Falcons 27, Rams 21
At St. Louis, Chris Chandler threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Brian Kozlowski with 6:03 to go as Atlanta (3-8) beat St. Louis for the second time in three weeks.
The Rams (2-9) scored twice in a span of 3:49 late in the third quarter, including Lawrence Phillips' fourth touchdown in four games, to go ahead 21-17 before Chandler's game-winning throw.
Saints 20, Seahawks 17
Warren Moon was intercepted on the first play of overtime and Doug Brien kicked a 38-yard field goal on the next play to give New Orleans (4-7) the victory at home.
The Seahawks (6-5), who tied the game with 1:40 left on a 34-yard TD pass to James McKnight, had Todd Peterson miss a 45-yard field goal with 22 seconds left.