FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Miami Dolphins had just spent more than 10 minutes marching to a wildcat touchdown when Randy Moss used one stiff-arm to wipe out their lead.
Moss sped to a 71-yard touchdown after grabbing a short pass over the middle and shoving rookie cornerback Vontae Davis out of his way as the New England Patriots tightened their grip on the AFC East with a 27-17 win Sunday.
“That’s like getting stabbed in the heart right there,” Patriots guard Logan Mankins said. “You grind it out for like 10 minutes and finally score, and then in like a minute and a half we come right back.”
The touchdown — and a two-point conversion connection between Tom Brady and Moss — put the Patriots ahead 24-17 with 3:15 left in the third quarter, and the Dolphins failed to get inside the New England 40-yard line after that.
“It was tough for us. The offense had just come off of a great drive,” Miami linebacker Jason Taylor said, “but Randy Moss made a play . . . what he’s done for a million years.”
The Patriots (6-2) lead the idle New York Jets (4-4) and Miami and Buffalo (both 3-5) in the AFC East. The win was especially important since Miami had been 3-0 in division games and New England only 1-1.
On Sunday, Moss caught six passes for 147 yards while Brady went 25-for-37 for 332 yards, his third straight game with more than 300 yards and team-record 27th of his career.
Buccaneers 38, Packers 28
TAMPA, Fla. — Rookie Josh Freeman passed for 205 yards and three touchdowns, including a 7-yard throw to Sammie Stroughter on fourth-and-4, for the Bucs (1-7), the last team in the NFL to win this season.
In his first pro start, the 17th pick in the draft out of Kansas State completed 14-of-31 passes with just one interception. It was also the first victory for the league’s youngest head coach, 33-year-old Raheem Morris.
Cardinals 41, Bears 21
CHICAGO — One week after throwing five interceptions, Kurt Warner tied a career high by throwing five touchdown passes and the Arizona offense racked up 438 yards despite missing wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Jay Cutler passed for 369 yards while completing 29- of-47 passes and was sacked four times, and the Bears are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
Jaguars 24, Chiefs 21
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Claimed off waivers Tuesday from San Diego, Chris Chambers caught a 54-yard TD pass with 2:32 to play. After recovering an onside kick, Matt Cassel hooked up with Dwayne Bowe for 36 yards and then found Chambers near the sideline for a 5-yard score. The Chiefs made the 2-point conversion, cutting the lead to 24-21 with a little more than a minute to play. But the Jaguars recovered the ensuing onside kick.
Titans 34, 49ers 27
SAN FRANCISCO — Six plays after his 81-yard touchdown run was overturned, Chris Johnson took a pitch from Vince Young and ran 2 yards for the go-ahead score, and San Francisco has lost four straight.
Seahawks 32, Lions 20
SEATTLE — Matt Hasselbeck rallied the Seahawks from a 17-0 deficit with a franchise-record 39 completions, and Seattle avoided the embarrassment of being the first home team to lose to the Lions in 25 months.
Falcons 31, Redskins 17
ATLANTA — Michael Turner ran for a season-high 166 yards, breaking away from former Falcons CB DeAngelo Hall on a 58-yard touchdown that finished off Washington early in the fourth quarter.
The Associated Press
