NFLWIRE.Net

After Minnesota stuffed Chicago on four tries from the 1, Gus Frerotte threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian to help the Vikings take a 17-7 lead over the Bears after two quarters Sunday night. Matt Forte’s 26-yard run gave the Bears a first-and-goal at 1 midway through the second quarter.

The weather conditions were perfect, as far as Jay Cutler was concerned. Appearing hardly bothered by the steady rain and wind that whipped through the Meadowlands, Cutler threw for 357 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Denver Broncos to a 34-17 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. “He embraced throwing in the rain,” Denver coach Mike Shanahan said.

It’s all but over for the star-studded San Diego Chargers, who were done in Sunday by a rookie quarterback, a rookie head coach and a former teammate. Yes, Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and the surprising Atlanta Falcons are very much alive in the NFC playoff picture, thanks to their 22-16 win over the collapsing Chargers.

The Steelers snapped the Patriots’ spell over them with a plan that has worked all season: knock ‘em down, steal the ball and keep them from gaining yards. Pittsburgh’s top-ranked defense got rolling in the second half, leading the Steelers to a 33-10 win on a cold and rainy Sunday, only their second victory in eight games against New England.

Atlanta 6 9 0 7–22 .

Denver 17 10 0 7–34 .

Kansas City 3 7 0 10–20 .

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards suffered a groin injury in the first half of San Francisco’s 10-3 surprising victory over the Bills on Sunday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings right tackle Artis Hicks was scratched from a pivotal NFC North game against Chicago on Sunday night with a right elbow injury.

On a cold, wet afternoon that turned fingertips numb, receiver Mark Clayton had the touch. Clayton put a little sizzle into Baltimore’s evolving offense Sunday, throwing a touchdown pass and making a spectacular one-handed catch for another during a 34-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals that kept the Ravens a game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North.

New Orleans 3 7 0 10–20 .

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Relentless all day long, Tampa Bay’s defense finally shut down Drew Brees when it mattered most.

Carolina 7 14 0 14–35 .

Indianapolis 3 0 0 7–10 .

CLEVELAND (AP) — Peyton Manning stepped up to the podium for a postgame interview like he has done so many times following an Indianapolis win. But this time there were no touchdown passes to review, no career milestones to celebrate, no last-minute scoring drive for him to detail.

LANDOVER, Maryland (Reuters) - The New York Giants won their seventh straight game and made a bold move toward claiming the NFC East title by crushing the Washington Redskins 23-7 Sunday.