The Latest on Week 17 of the NFL’s regular season (all times Eastern):
5:15 p.m.
The Rams have forced three turnovers by the 49ers in the first quarter.
After Aqib Talib returned a fumble inside the San Francisco 10 on the Niners’ opening drive, Cory Littleton and Blake Countess intercepted tipped passes from Nick Mullens.
Los Angeles scored touchdowns off the first two turnovers, taking a big early lead despite running five only offensive plays for 19 yards.
The playoff-bound Rams can clinch a first-round bye with a win.
They hadn’t forced three turnovers in the first quarter of a game since September 2009.
– Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles
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5:10 p.m.
The Seattle Seahawks’ hopes of tying the NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season ended in the first quarter against Arizona.
Russell Wilson was intercepted by David Amerson on Seattle’s first offensive possession. The Seahawks had 10 turnovers on the season and were trying to match that mark set by the 2010 New England Patriots and 2011 San Francisco 49ers, who both finished the season with just 10 turnovers. It was just the second turnover by the Seahawks in the past six games, both Wilson interceptions.
Wilson rebounded to throw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett to become Seattle’s all-time leader in TD passes with 196.
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5:05 p.m.
Early on, Philip Rivers is off target. The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback has been picked off by Broncos defensive backs Isaac Yiadom and Will Parks in the first quarter.
Rivers has thrown two interceptions in three straight games.
He has 31 TD passes this season and 12 interceptions.
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5 p.m.
Jaguars decision-maker Tom Coughlin blasted running backs Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon after the season finale in Houston.
Fournette, who was inactive because of foot/ankle injuries, and Yeldon were caught by TV cameras sitting on the bench and chatting while the offense had the ball most of the game. They were clearly disengaged with teammates and coaches.
”I am disappointed in the behavior today from T.J. Yeldon and Leonard Fournette,” Coughlin said. ”They were disrespectful, selfish and their behavior was unbecoming that of a professional football player.”
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4:45 p.m.
Former Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman caught a 28-yard touchdown pass to give the Browns a 7-3 lead over Baltimore.
Perriman, a former No. 1 pick, was a bust with the Ravens and they cut him before this season began.
After the score, he was booed soundly by the hometown fans who know Baltimore must win this game to clinch the AFC North title and end a three-year playoff drought.
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4:40 p.m.
Tyreek Hill has set the Chiefs’ franchise record for receiving yards in a season, hauling in a 67-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to cap their opening drive against Oakland.
Hill came into the game with 1,378 yards. His long touchdown catch on a perfectly thrown post route moved Hill past Derrick Alexander, who set the previous record of 1,391 yards in 2000.
It was the 49th touchdown pass of the season for Mahomes, who earlier in the drive set the Chiefs record for completions in a season. He entered the game tied with Trent Green with 369.
The Chiefs can clinch the AFC West and No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a win over the Raiders.
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4:25 p.m.
The Houston Texans clinched the AFC South title as Deshaun Watson threw for 234 yards and ran for a touchdown, and DeAndre Hopkins had 147 yards receiving in a 20-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Texans (11-5) won nine in a row after starting 0-3 to save their season and will make their fifth playoff appearance after winning the division for the fifth time in franchise history.
Houston returns to the postseason for the third time in four years after bouncing back from last year’s 4-12 record in a season where Watson and J.J. Watt sustained season-ending injuries.
Also in Sunday’s early games, Tom Brady threw for three first-half touchdowns and the New England Patriots clinched their ninth straight first-round bye in the playoffs with a 38-3 victory over the New York Jets.
The Patriots (11-5) finished the season undefeated at home, and they guaranteed themselves at least one playoff game in Foxborough. New England could still earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC if both Kansas City and the Los Angeles Chargers lose later Sunday.
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4 p.m.
The Jaguars are sticking with coach Doug Marrone, top decision-maker Tom Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell in 2019.
Team owner Shad Khan made the announcement minutes after Jacksonville’s season finale, a 20-3 loss at Houston.
Khan said he gave Coughlin the option of making changes, but that he ”preferred entering the 2019 season with as much stability as reasonable or possible at the top of our football operation.” Coughlin agreed.
Khan gave all three one-year contract extensions after Jacksonville made the 2017 AFC championship game.
”I have the same trust in Tom, Dave and Doug as I did upon their introduction two years ago, and I do believe our best path forward for the moment is the one less disruptive and dramatic,” Khan said.
”Stability should not be confused with satisfaction, however. I am far from content with the status quo and while it’s best to put 2018 behind us, I will not overlook how poorly we accounted for ourselves following a 3-1 start.
”There were far too many long Sundays over the last three quarters of the season, with today’s loss in Houston being the final example, that cannot repeat itself in 2019. That’s my message to our football people and players, but also our sponsors and fans, both of whom were remarkable.”
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3:25 p.m.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ up-and-down season has ended with a concussion.
The Green Bay Packers confirmed the diagnosis early in the fourth quarter, trailing 24-0 to the Detroit Lions. Rodgers lost his helmet on a sack on his second play of the game.
He played two more series before walking back to the locker room early in the second quarter, when he was replaced by DeShone Kizer.
Rodgers was also dealing with lingering left knee and groin injuries.
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3:10 p.m.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso and defensive end Robert Quinn, and Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Jordan Mills have been ejected following a late hit on quarterback Josh Allen during the third quarter.
Allen was already sliding when Alonso dived in front of him and kicked the quarterback in the helmet.
A scuffle broke out amid a group of players, and Quinn came running in at full speed from about 20 yards and dived atop the pile.
Alonso was ejected for kicking Allen, while Quinn and Mills were ejected for personal foul penalties.
Quinn remained on the sideline for the remainder of the Bills series, which ended with LeSean McCoy scoring on a 9-yard run.
Officials then went to the Dolphins sideline, and Quinn was escorted to the locker room.
– John Wawrow reporting from Orchard Park, New York.
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3 p.m.
Halfback Saquon Barkley has joined Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (2,212 yards in 1983) and Edgerrin James (2,139 in 1999) as the only rookies with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in NFL history.
He hit the plateau with a 68-yard run in the third quarter that set up a TD pass to TE Evan Engram.
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3 p.m.
Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty suffered a head injury early in the third quarter and the team said his return was questionable.
McCourty was injured on the same play as linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung.
McCourty went to the team’s injury tent behind the bench before heading to the locker room. The other two players returned to the game.
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2:20 p.m.
Saquon Barkley has broken Reggie Bush’s NFL record (88) for most catches by a rookie running back. The No. 2 overall pick in the draft came into the game needing two catches to break the record set in 2006. He tied it in the first quarter and claimed it late in the second with a 17-yard dump-off pass over the middle. The Giants trail 14-7 at the half.
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2 p.m.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers walked back to the locker room with 10:36 left in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.
It’s unclear when Rodgers may have gotten hurt, but he lost his helmet during a sack early in the first quarter. He has also been dealing with lingering left knee and groin injuries.
The first half has been painful overall for the Packers, who trail 14-0 to the Detroit Lions. The second touchdown came after kicker Matt Prater took a direct snap after lining up for a field-goal try and finding a wide-open Levine Toilolo for an 8-yard touchdown
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1:30 p.m.
Referee Walt Coleman is officiating the final regular-season game of his 30-year career at the Patriots-Jets game.
Appropriately, it’s in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
New Englanders remember Coleman from the snowy 2002 playoff game against Oakland in which he cited the then-obscure ”Tuck Rule” to overturn a fumble call and keep the Patriots alive.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady lost the ball, but because he had not tucked the ball back into his body it was considered to be in the act of throwing and thus an incomplete pass. A fumble would have essentially clinched the game for the Raiders. Instead, Adam Vinatieri tied it with a field goal and kicked another in sudden death to win it.
And Coleman never called another Raiders game in his career.
The game is looked upon as the start of the Patriots’ dynasty.
AP freelancer Ken Powtak reporting from Foxborough, Mass.
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1:20 p.m.
Dolphins cornerback Torry McTyer has been escorted off the field after being knocked woozy by a hit from Bills tight end Logan Thomas.
McTyer was tracking Bills running back Chris Ivory running up the middle of the field, when Thomas leaned his shoulder and bowled him over near the goal line on Buffalo’s opening possession.
McTyer was on the field and was slow getting up before being immediately escorted up the tunnel.
The Dolphins announced McTyer was being evaluated for a concussion.
McTyer was starting in place of Xavien Howard, who missed his fourth consecutive game with a knee injury.
– John Wawrow reporting from Orchard Park, New York.
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1 p.m.
The Buffalo Bills have honored retiring defensive tackle Kyle Williams before their season finale against the Miami Dolphins.
Williams was the final Bills player out of the tunnel and was then greeted by his wife, Jill, and five children at the 35-yard line. He pumped his fist while running out on the field to a large cheer from the fans.
Williams on Friday announced this will be his final game and that he is retiring after 13 seasons, all with the Bills. As he’s done all year, Williams was among the first players on the field and spent time sitting on the Bills bench.
He is Buffalo’s longest-tenured active player and holds Bills records among defensive tackles with 183 games played and entered the game with 48+ sacks.
Before the Bills took the field, the team aired on the stadium video scoreboards a variety of interviews of players congratulating Williams, followed by a note which read, ”Thank you, Kyle Williams.”
– John Wawrow reporting from Orchard Park, New York
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12:30 p.m.
There are plenty of playoff implications heading into the final day of the NFL’s regular season on Sunday.
Already in the playoffs, the Texans need a win over the Jaguars to clinch the AFC South.
In Kansas City, the Chiefs need a win over Oakland to clinch the AFC West and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
The Patriots need a win over the New York Jets to secure a first-round bye and would clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win and losses by Kansas City and the Chargers. If Houston wins and the Patriots lose or tie the Texans would receive a first-round bye.
Baltimore would clinch the AFC North with a win over Cleveland and would clinch the division and a first-round bye with a victory and losses by New England and Houston.
The Chargers need a win over Denver and a loss by Kansas City to clinch the AFC West and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
The Colts will earn a playoff berth with a win over Tennessee. They would win the AFC South with a victory and a loss by Houston. The Titans would win the AFC South with a win and a loss by Houston. They could secure a first-round bye with a victory and losses by Houston, New England and Baltimore.
The Steelers would clinch the AFC North with a win over Cincinnati and a loss or tie by the Ravens.
In the NFC, the Rams need a win or tie over San Francisco or a loss or tie by Chicago to secure a bye in the first round.
The Bears would get a first-round bye with a win and a loss by the Rams.
The Vikings would clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie against Chicago or a loss or tie by the Eagles at Washington.
The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles need a win and a loss by the Vikings to earn a playoff berth.
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