NFL upholds Seahawks' controversial victory over Packers

NEW YORK — The NFL put its stamp of approval on the still-smoldering outcome of the Green Bay-Seattle game:

Wrong call.

Right review.

Wrong team still wins.

Seahawks 14, Packers 12.

With frustration mounting among coaches, players and fans, the worst fear finally materialized: a mistake by a replacement official decided the outcome of a game.

It came while the NFL and its regular officials, locked out since June, were in resumed talks in an attempt to resolve the impasse.

That was still a day late for the Packers.

The fiasco, which unfolded on the prominent stage of "Monday Night Football," was deconstructed by the league Tuesday in a way that surely rendered little comfort for Cheeseheads.

The NFL said Seattle's last-second touchdown pass should not have counted because Seahawks receiver Golden Tate should have been called for offensive pass interference, ending the game with Green Bay winning.

Instead, officials ruled it a touchdown, and penalties either way are not reviewable.

That left it to whether Tate and Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings both had possession of the ball. The officials said they did, but the Packers insisted Jennings had clear possession for a game-ending interception. The NFL agreed that the replay was inconclusive, upholding the touchdown and giving Seattle the victory.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, normally a soft-spoken player who didn't say much after the loss, lashed out on his radio show Tuesday.

"First of all, I've got to do something that the NFL is not going to do: I have to apologize to the fans," he said on ESPN 540-AM in Milwaukee.

Even President Barack Obama got in on the conversation Tuesday, tweeting: "NFL fans on both sides of the aisle hope the refs' lockout is settled soon."

The controversy began on the final play when Russell Wilson heaved a 24-yard pass into a scrum in the end zone with Seattle trailing 12-7. Tate shoved away a defender with both hands, and he and Jennings got their hands on the ball.

"It was pinned to my chest the whole time," Jennings said.

Instead, the officials ruled on the field that the two had simultaneous possession, which counts as a reception.

"The NFL Officiating Department reviewed the video today and supports the decision not to overturn the on-field ruling following the instant replay review," the league said in a statement.

On his weekly appearance on Seattle radio station 710 KIRO-AM, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll made no apologies Tuesday, saying, "The league backed it up and game over. We win."

"Golden makes an extraordinary effort. It's a great protection. It's a great throw. It's a great attempt at the ball and he wins the battle," he said. "They were right on the point looking right at it, standing right over the thing and they reviewed it. Whether they missed the push or not — obviously they missed the push in the battle for the ball — but that stuff goes on all the time."

The NFL locked out the officials in June after their contract expired. Unable to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, the league opened the season with replacements, most with experience only in lower levels of college football.

Coaches and players began griping about the officials in the preseason, but the tension seemed to boil over this past weekend.

Scuffles after the whistle were frequent with players appearing to test the limits of the new officials, and coaches were fined for berating them.

Las Vegas oddsmakers said $300 million or more changed hands worldwide on Monday's call. The Glantz-Culver line for the game opened favoring the Packers by 4?. Had the play been ruled an interception, Green Bay would have won by 5.

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Packers hand Bears lesson

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — The Green Bay Packers rattled and robbed Jay Cutler while Aaron Rodgers and Co. sputtered at times against the stout Chicago Bears defense.

So with all those stars on the field for the NFL's most storied rivalry, the biggest play of the day was a gutsy call for a perfectly executed fake field goal in Green Bay's 23-10 victory at Lambeau Field on Thursday.

With the Packers lined up for a field goal late in the second quarter, punter Tim Masthay flipped the ball to backup tight end Tom Crabtree, who streaked into the end zone.

Watching from the sideline, Rodgers thought something went wrong.

"I saw Crabby running out the back side, I couldn't believe it," Rodgers said. "That's a gutsy call. A gutsy call. You've got to score on that."

Green Bay's defense did the rest.

Cutler threw four interceptions, including a pair to Tramon Williams. Facing a fierce pass rush all night, Cutler was sacked seven times, including 3? for Clay Matthews. New Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall was held to two catches for 24 yards.

It was an impressive rebound from an unsettling season-opening loss to San Francisco.

"We got kicked in the (rear end) four days ago," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "And we were motivated."

While Green Bay is known for its high-octane offense, McCarthy said he'd rather have his team be known for its defense — and Matthews certainly made an impression.

"I thought Clay was off the charts, just with the energy and production that he brought," McCarthy said.

Thursday's game was a huge step backward for the Bears, who were filled with confidence after steamrolling Indianapolis in their opener.

"Of course it was a disappointing effort," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said. "I thought we would play better. We're better than we showed tonight."

The Bears also lost running back Matt Forte to an ankle injury. Smith said it wasn't clear how severe the injury was.

"Maybe we're not as good as we thought we were," linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "We've got a long ways to go."

Rodgers finished the game 22 of 32 for 219 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The touchdown went to Donald Driver, who barely played in the loss to San Francisco. Driver did a celebratory dance in the end zone, recalling his stint on the "Dancing With the Stars" reality television show.

Rodgers got roughed up, too, getting sacked five times. Green Bay got a scare when the NFL MVP appeared to hurt his right arm early in the game, but he stayed in.

Cutler was 11-for-27 for 126 yards, and visibly expressed his frustration throughout the game.

"If they want a quarterback that doesn't care, they can find somebody else," Cutler said.

Cutler threw a late touchdown to Kellen Davis, cutting the lead to 23-10 with 6:49 remaining. But the Bears couldn't mount a comeback as Matthews and the Packers kept turning up the heat.

Earlier in the week, a confident Cutler wished Green Bay's defensive backs "good luck" in trying to match up physically with a new-look wide receiver corps led by Marshall. Stalked by Williams for much of the night, Marshall didn't see much of the ball. And he couldn't convert his one big opportunity, dropping a potential touchdown in the third quarter.

Forte provided much of what little offense the Bears could muster before leaving the game in the third. He appeared to twist his right ankle while being tackled by Charles Woodson.

Mason Crosby hit three field goals for Green Bay, including a 54-yarder in the fourth quarter.

The biggest play of the night, though, came from the unlikely tandem of Masthay and Crabtree.

With the Packers facing fourth-and-26 on the Chicago 27 late in the second quarter, Masthay, the punter who also functions as the holder on field goals, and Crosby appeared to line up for a field goal attempt.

But Masthay took the snap and flipped the ball to Crabtree, who ran through a huge hole and streaked all the way to the end zone.

McCarthy said his club has been working on the fake field goal play for two or three years, although he acknowledged it wasn't the ideal situation to bring it out.

"I was trying to send our team a message when I did call it," McCarthy said. "And, frankly, I would have been fine with the field position."

Cutler then threw an interception to Williams near midfield with just over a minute left and the play was upheld on a replay review, giving the Packers one last chance to score. Rodgers marched the Packers into scoring range, and Crosby hit a 35-yard field goal.

Marshall missed a huge opportunity early in the third, when Cutler found him streaking wide open in the end zone — but the wide receiver couldn't haul it in, and the Bears had to settle for a 45-yard field goal by Robbie Gould that cut the lead to 13-3.

Cutler threw his second interception of the night late in the third, this time to Woodson, and the Packers appeared poised to score when Charles Tillman punched the ball away from Jermichael Finley and recovered the ball for Chicago.

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Philbin leaves Packers to become new coach of Dolphins

MIAMI — A month of wrenching emotion for Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin took another turn Friday when he landed the Miami Dolphins' head coaching job.

The deal was sealed less than two weeks after Philbin's 21-year-old son drowned in an icy Wisconsin river. The Dolphins confirmed the hiring in a news release and plan a news conference Saturday.

Philbin, who has never been a head coach, first interviewed with Miami on Jan. 7. The body of son Michael, one of Philbin's six children, was recovered the next day in Oshkosh.

After spending a week away from the Packers, Philbin rejoined the team last Sunday for its divisional playoff loss to the New York Giants.

Philbin has been with Green Bay since 2003, serving as offensive coordinator since 2007. Coach Mike McCarthy called the plays, but Philbin put together the game plan for one of the NFL's most prolific offenses.

The Dolphins' top choice, Jeff Fisher, turned them down a week ago to become coach of the St. Louis Rams. Miami owner Stephen Ross and general manager Jeff Ireland then conducted a second round of interviews this week with Philbin, Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and Todd Bowles, the Dolphins' interim coach at the end of the season.

"Joe has all the attributes that we were looking for when we started this process," Ross said in a statement. "Jeff Ireland and I felt Joe was the right choice to bring the Dolphins back to the success we enjoyed in the past."

The Dolphins are coming off a third consecutive losing season, their longest such stretch since the 1960s. Even so, Philbin called them "one of the premier franchises in professional sports."

"The Dolphins have a strong nucleus to build around," he said in a statement. "And working with everyone in the organization, I know that together we will return the team to its winning tradition."

Ross fired Tony Sparano last month with three games to go in his fourth year as the Dolphins' coach. When the search for a new coach began, Ross said he would like to give the franchise much-needed stability by hiring "a young Don Shula."

Instead he chose the 50-year-old Philbin, who has 28 years of coaching experience, including 19 years in college.

With Philbin's help, the Packers have ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in yardage each of the past five seasons, including third in 2011. A year ago they won the Super Bowl.

"A huge congratulations to Joe Philbin," Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley tweeted. "No one deserves it more than this guy. The Pack will miss him!"

The hiring might give the Dolphins an edge if they decide to pursue Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn, who becomes a free agent this offseason. Flynn set Packers records with 480 yards passing and six touchdowns in their regular-season finale. Philbin played a major role in the development of Flynn and Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

"Worked five years with Joe Philbin," former Packers executive Andrew Brandt tweeted. "Calm, cerebral, humble and a skilled offensive mind. His style will resonate with players."

Assistants becoming first-time NFL head coaches have had mixed results in recent years. The group includes the Ravens' John Harbaugh, the Saints' Sean Payton and the Steelers' Mike Tomlin, but also three coaches recently fired — Jim Caldwell by the Colts, Todd Haley by the Chiefs and Steve Spagnuolo by the Rams.

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Packers earn NFC's top seed, extinguish Bears' playoff hopes

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — With the first five-touchdown game of his NFL career, Aaron Rodgers ensured that the Green Bay Packers' playoff road will go through Lambeau Field.

He also made sure the rival Chicago Bears will be spending the playoffs at home.

Rodgers broke a close game wide open by leading three quick scoring drives in the second half, and the Packers beat the Bears 35-21 on Sunday night.

Rodgers noted that he once threw six touchdowns in junior college — also in a rivalry game — but acknowledged this one was a little bit bigger.

"Yeah, this one's pretty special," Rodgers said.

With the win, the Packers (14-1) nailed down the No. 1 seed in the NFC and claimed another round of bragging rights in the NFL's most storied rivalry by knocking the Bears out of the playoff chase.

"We wanted the path to go through Lambeau," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jordy Nelson, another two to James Jones, and found tight end Jermichael Finley for a score. Rodgers was 21 of 29 for 283 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions when backup Matt Flynn took over for Rodgers with 7:54 left in the game.

Rodgers surpassed Lynn Dickey's single-season franchise record of 4,458 yards passing with one game left, although it's unclear how much Rodgers will play in the Packers' finale against Detroit.

The loss eliminated the Bears (7-8) from playoff contention and put the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs.

Third-string running back Kahlil Bell rushed for 121 yards for the Bears, who trailed by only four early in the third quarter. But Rodgers drove the Packers for touchdowns on their next three possessions to put the game out of reach.

"When you play the Super Bowl champions, you have to be on top of your game," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "Offensively, we did enough things to keep us in the game and have a chance to win the game at the end. But defensively we just didn't have it."

McCarthy said the team's run defense will be examined after the big performance by Bell, but added that the final score told the story.

"We won big," McCarthy said. "That's the bottom line."

Chicago came into Sunday on a four-game losing streak and beset by injuries. But the Bears were able to stay in the game with solid defense and tough running by Bell, who started because of injuries to Matt Forte and Marion Barber.

Rodgers' second-half fireworks proved to be too much.

The victory was the Packers' fourth over the Bears in 2011. Green Bay also beat Chicago in the 2010 regular-season finale, the NFC Championship game, and at Soldier Field on Sept. 25.

With the Bears trailing 14-3 at halftime, quarterback Josh McCown found Earl Bennett wide open for a 49-yard gain to set up first-and-goal on the 1. Bell fumbled just short of the goal line on the next play but offensive lineman Edwin Williams recovered the ball for a touchdown.

With the Packers nursing a four-point lead, and the Lambeau Field crowd nervously quiet early in the third quarter, Rodgers answered by dropping deep and throwing a rainbow pass to Nelson, who blew through the Chicago secondary and hauled in the ball for a 55-yard touchdown.

Rodgers then showed his running ability on the Packers' next possession, juking his way between Bears linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs on a scramble. Rodgers finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown toss to Jones, giving the Packers a commanding 28-10 lead.

Packers safety Charlie Peprah came up with an interception, and Rodgers found Nelson for another score to give Green Bay a 35-10 lead.

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Bears train sights on Packers QB Rodgers

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — With Aaron Rodgers trying to help the Green Bay Packers secure a No. 1 playoff seed against a sputtering Chicago Bears team missing its two best offensive players, the NFL's most storied rivalry is looking pretty lopsided these days.

Going into a Sunday night matchup at Lambeau Field, the Packers can clinch home-field advantage in the NFC with a win, with the added bonus of knocking their rivals out of the playoffs and beating them for the fourth — yes, fourth — time in 2011.

The Packers may have lost their shot at a perfect season with a loss at Kansas City last week, but probably won't need a perfect performance to beat a team that has turned to Josh McCown at quarterback.

Green Bay does have one major concern, though: Can an offensive line depleted by injuries keep Rodgers from taking too many big hits from a still-dangerous Bears defensive line?

Rodgers conceded that the Packers may have to adjust their offense to compensate for a reshuffled line.

"Depending on who's playing where, you might have to tweak a few things because those guys are used to playing in certain spots," Rodgers said. "If they have to move around a little bit, it's going to take getting used to. We feel confident about the guys we're going to line up, and there's an expectation that they're going to play and play well. But you've got to be smart with the personnel you've got as well."

Kansas City got good pressure on Rodgers, including four sacks, and the Bears hope to do the same.

"We're lucky we're athletic up front," linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "We've got some guys who can rush the passer with four, which has helped us quite a bit. And we're pretty athletic in the back end as well, so we run around. But there's really not a whole lot you can do against him. He's going to make his plays. Hopefully we can make some as well."

The Packers could be without three of their top four offensive tackles on Sunday after injuries to starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga and backup Derek Sherrod. Bulaga sprained his left knee and has been ruled out for Sunday, while Sherrod broke his right leg and is out for the season.

Veteran left tackle Chad Clifton returned to practice this week, but it's not clear when he'll be ready to play. Clifton hurt his hamstring in the Packers' Oct. 9 victory at Atlanta, then hurt his back during the rehabilitation process.

The Packers could play Marshall Newhouse at left tackle, Evan Dietrich-Smith at left guard, Scott Wells at center, Josh Sitton at right guard and T.J. Lang at right tackle. In that scenario, Wells and Sitton would be the only starters playing their natural positions.

Even before losing Bulaga and Sherrod on Sunday, the Packers have been allowing too much pressure on Rodgers the past few weeks. Rodgers has been sacked seven times in the past two games and taken several other big hits.

"Obviously, everybody knows the sacks and the hits, problems that we've had the past few weeks," Lang said. "It's never good to watch a quarterback get hit as many times as he's getting hit. We've got some guys moving around. That's not an excuse for us. Our mentality is, whoever's playing, your No. 1 job is to protect the ball carrier, protect the quarterback."

Packers receivers also struggled to make up for the absence of Greg Jennings, who has a left knee sprain and is expected to return for the playoffs. But Urlacher said Rodgers' play can cover up a lot of other issues for the Packers' offense.

"No. 12's still playing quarterback, so that's all that matters in that offense," Urlacher said. "He gets rid of the ball so fast and knows where to go with the ball. It may be a little bit of a weakness for them, but he's still playing quarterback for them, so they're still dangerous."

But even if the Bears deliver a typically good performance on defense, they still might struggle to score.

Jay Cutler broke his right thumb against San Diego on Nov. 20, when the Bears were 7-3. Running back Matt Forte then sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in a loss to Kansas City Dec. 4, leaving the Bears without their two most critical players on offense.

Backup Caleb Hanie took over for Cutler and struggled, throwing nine interceptions in four starts, all losses. Now the Bears are turning to McCown, who hasn't started a game in four years.

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Rodgers executes late drive to keep Packers unbeaten

EASTRUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Tied with less than a minute to play and 80 yards from the end zone, Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to wait until overtime.

Meet at the quarterback: Giants quarterback Eli Manning is hit by Packers defenders Clay Matthews, rear, and Erik Walden on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. AP PHOTO

It was the perfect choice for a team pursuing perfection.

Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards in a lightning-quick five-play drive to set up a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby on the final play, and the Green Bay Packers remained undefeated and clinched a playoff berth with a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.

"Those are the fun ones when they end up like that," Rodgers said.

The defending Super Bowl champions (12-0) won their 18th straight game.

"We've had a number of games we won by a couple scores," Rodgers said. "You get the ball on the 20, under a minute, and we get it down there for a chip-shot field goal, it's very rewarding. It probably (ranks) right at the top."

Rodgers hit all four of his passes in the 58-second drive that sent the Giants (6-6) to their fourth straight loss, starting with a 24-yard laser to tight end Jermichael Finley just over the hands of rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams.

"I thought it was mine. I thought it was mine," Williams said after the game. "Like I said, it's a good throw and catch. He made some good throws."

The second one covered 24 yards to Jordy Nelson down the left sideline and moved the ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings two plays later moved the ball to the 12. The third toss was a 1-yard loss.

Green Bay called time out with 3 seconds to go, and then Crosby delivered his winning kick.

"It was a huge drive," said Jennings, who also caught a 20-yard touchdown. "We haven't had one like that at the end in a while. It was very quiet in the huddle, actually. You could see everybody was focused. It's great to see what we could do at the end like that."

Saints 31, Lions 17: In New Orleans, Drew Brees passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns.

Brees' performance gave him 4,031 yards on the season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in the first 12 games of a season.

Broncos 35, Vikings 32: In Minneapolis, Tim Tebow led yet another late rally, passing for a season-best 202 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns to help the Broncos win their fifth straight game.

Steelers 35, Bengals 7: In Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger passed for two touchdowns and set a team record for career completions.

Cardinals 19, Cowboys 13 (OT): In Glendale, Arizona, LaRod Stephens-Howling caught a short pass from Kevin Kolb and zipped 52 yards for a touchdown in overtime, snapping the Cowboys' four-game winning streak.

Texans 17, Falcons 10: In Houston, rookie T.J. Yates threw a touchdown pass in his first NFL start and Arian Foster rushed for 111 yards.

49ers 26, Rams 0: In San Francisco, Frank Gore ran the Niners into the playoffs, becoming the 49ers' career rushing leader in a shutout that wrapped up the franchise's first NFC West crown and postseason berth since 2002.

Patriots 31, Colts 24: In Foxborough, Massachusetts, Rob Gronkowski caught two touchdown passes then scored on a lateral and New England then withstood a fourth-quarter rally to keep Indianapolis winless.

Dolphins 34, Raiders 14: In Miami, Reggie Bush rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown and once-woeful Miami won for the fourth time in the past five games.

Titans 23, Bills 17: In Orchard Park, New York, Chris Johnson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns as Tennessee remained in the playoff chase.

Chiefs 10, Bears 3: In Chicago, Tyler Palko shook off two miserable starts and threw for 157 yards and a touchdown even though he was briefly lifted for Kyle Orton.

Jets 34, Redskins 19: In Landover, Maryland, Mark Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4:49 to play, and Shonn Greene added a pair of insurance scores.

Ravens 24, Browns 10: In Cleveland, Ray Rice rushed for a career-high 204 yards, breaking loose on a game-changing 67-yarder in the third quarter.

Panthers 38, Buccaneers 19: In Tampa, Cam Newton ran for three touchdowns to set the NFL single-season record for rushing TDs by a quarterback.

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