Rookie Arian Foster scored two touchdowns, Bernard Pollard recovered a fumble for a touchdown and had a key interception as the Texans rallied to beat the New England Patriots 34-27 Sunday. The victory gives Houston (9-7) its first winning record and keeps its slim playoff hopes alive. The Texans are primarily competing with Denver, Baltimore and the New York Jets for a wild-card spot. They needed two of those teams to lose to make the first postseason appearance in the eight-year history of the franchise. The Texans trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter before ending the game with three unanswered touchdowns. Foster scored the go-ahead TD on a 3-yard run with about 2 minutes remaining. That score was set up by Pollard's interception and 15-yard return four plays earlier. Tom Brady was hit by Mario Williams as he released the ball. Steelers 30, Dolphins 24 – A swarming Steelers defense sent two Miami quarterbacks to the sideline, including Pat White with a scary head injury, and the reigning Super Bowl champions averted a late collapse. The Dolphins (7-9), who won the AFC East in 2008, were eliminated with 2 minutes left in the game when Houston beat New England. Houston's win hurt the Steelers' chances. To make the postseason, Pittsburgh (9-7) needed losses or ties by the Ravens, Broncos and Jets in late games Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes, but the stadium grew silent when White was carted off the field with a head injury following a helmet-to-helmet collision with cornerback Ike Taylor. White moved his arms and legs before leaving the field after an eight-minute delay. A team spokesman said White “seems to be OK in terms of movement,” but is being examined at the hospital. Miami starter Chad Henne sat out the second half with an eye injury, and when the rookie White departed with 2 minutes left in the third quarter, Tyler Thigpen made his first appearance for the Dolphins. They trailed 27-10, but Thigpen led touchdown drives on his first two series. Roethlisberger appeared to favor his throwing arm late in the game, but led Pittsburgh on a 14-play, 83-yard drive. It ended with Jeff Reed's third field goal for a 30-24 lead with 40 seconds left. Taylor intercepted Thigpen on Miami's next play to seal Pittsburgh's third consecutive win. Vikings 44, Giants 7 - Brett Favre passed for 316 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover in less than three quarters against the barely there Giants (8-8). Controlling the game from the very first drive against a Giants team sitting five players who started at least four games this season, the NFC North champion Vikings (12-4) cruised into the locker room to start watching the Philadelphia-Dallas game with an eye on their seed for the NFC playoffs. They needed an Eagles loss to finish second behind sputtering New Orleans and get a first-round bye, and throughout the second half the crowd broke into “Let's go Cowboys!” chants. Bills 30, Colts 7 - Despite near whiteout conditions in the first half, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three touchdown passes for Buffalo (6-10), including a 41-yarder to Terrell Owens. Fred Jackson had 212 yards rushing, the seventh-highest rushing total in team history, to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, and also scored on an 11-yard catch. Browns 23, Jaguars 17 - Jerome Harrison rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown and Josh Cribbs ran for a TD, giving Cleveland its first four-game winning streak since 1994. That pushed coach Eric Mangini into an uncertain offseason with momentum to fight for his job. Falcons 20, Buccaneers 10 - Matt Ryan threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Falcons finish with consecutive winning records for the first time in franchise history. 49ers 28, Rams 6 - Vernon Davis tied the NFL record for touchdown receptions for a tight end with his 13th of the season, helping the 49ers finish strong and the lowly Rams clinch the No. 1 overall draft pick. Bears 37, Lions 23 - Jay Cutler matched a career high for a second straight week with four touchdown passes. The Bears (7-9) won the final two games and three of the first four. The problem: Chicago lost eight of 10 games between its strong start and finish.
