NFL Reactor: Wild Finishes All Around

New England Patriots 34, Washington Redskins 27

The Redskins were ever so close to salvaging an impressive win against the Patriots in a season that has been nothing short of obismal. Then, a freak interception ended any chance they had of winning.

For the Patriots, the win helps them keep pace in the AFC race for the top seed in the playoffs. In a game that most expected the Patriots to role all over the Redskins, they were never really able to get the points separation they needed to simply walk away in the game. Credit goes to the Redskins offense for keeping it close, but the Patriots defense has a lot of work to do to compete with the Steelers, Ravens, and even the Texans once the playoffs begin.

Minnesota Vikings 28, Detroit Lions 34

The Vikings had the ball on the 1 yard line, ready to destroy the Lions’ playoff hopes with 9 seconds left in the game. Then, Joe Webb fumbles the ball which is batted backwards about 30 yards. Needless to say, the Lions held on in a thriller.

The win puts the Lions at 8-5 and in good shape to make the playoffs, especially considering the Bears’ struggles. A loss would have crippled their post-season hopes. They still have a lot of work to do, but it appears that the silver and blue will be in the playoffs once again.

Houston Texans 20, Cincinnati Bengals 19

The Bengals had the Texans backed up with their outstanding defense taking the field for the final time. Then, T.J. Yates showed us what I can only describe as magic. He drove his team the length of the field before throwing the game winning touchdown with only 2 seconds left.

The loss kills the Bengals. They were clinging to a playoff spot, but now they’ll likely need to win out to make a playoff run, especially considering the schedules of many of the other playoff contenders fighting for a wild-card spot.

Other Games:

Indianapolis Colts 10, Baltimore Ravens 24
Atlanat Falcons 31, Carolina Panthers 23
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14, Jacksonville Jaguars 41
Philadelphia Eagles 26, Miami Dolphins 10
Kansas City Chiefs 10, New York Jets 37
New Orleans Saints 22, Tennessee Titans 17

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About Shane Clemons

Shane Clemons came from humble beginnings creating his own Jaguars blog before moving on to SBNation as a featured writer for the Jaguars. He then moved to Bloguin where he briefly covered the AFC South before taking over Bloguin's Jaguars blog. Since the inception of This Given Sunday, Shane has served as an editor for the site, doing his best not to mess up a good thing.

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