Baltimore's Jamal Lewis joins 2,000 club
BALTIMORE, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens needed less than a quarter to join the exclusive 2,000 club, but couldn't break the NFL's single-season rushing record.
Needing 154 yards to break Eric Dickerson's record, Lewis finished with 114 yards on 27 carries in Baltimore's 13-10 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night.
Lewis had 73 yards on seven carries, including a 25-yard touchdown, in the first quarter and was nearly halfway to the total he needed. But over the next three quarters and overtime, Lewis managed just 41 yards on 20 carries and finished the season with 2,066 yards, the second-highest single-season total.
Dickerson holds the record with 2,105 yards in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams.
In his fourth season since being drafted fifth overall out of Tennessee, Lewis passed Barry Sanders (2,053), Terrell Davis (2,008) and O.J. Simpson (2,003) in the 2,000 club.
It has been a magical season for Lewis, who set the single-game rushing record with 295 yards against Cleveland Sept. 14.
Green Bay Packers get a miracle
GREEN BAY, Wisc., Dec. 29 (UPI) - The Green Bay Packers secured a playoff berth thanks to a nail-biting catch miles away for the Arizona Cardinals.
The Packers (10-6), appeared to be on the brink of elimination Sunday before a leaping touchdown catch by Nathan Poole of the Arizona Cardinals catapulted Green Bay into the postseason.
Ahman Green set a club record with 218 rushing yards, including a 98-yard touchdown, to lead the Packers to a 31-3 rout of the shorthanded Denver Broncos.
But the Packers needed the Cardinals to upset the Minnesota Vikings (9-7) in order to qualify for the postseason as the NFC North Division champion. It didn't appear it was likely to happen when the Vikings held a 17-6 lead with under two minutes left.
However, Arizona staged a dramatic rally as Josh McCown hit Poole with the dramatic touchdown on the final play of the game for an 18-17 victory over Minnesota, sending the sellout crowd of Lambeau Field listening on radios into a frenzy.
Brett Favre, the three-time MVP quarterback of the Packers, waved to the fans and hugged teammates on the sidelines. It was quite a culmination to the week for Favre, who learned last Sunday that his father died of a heart attack. He played Monday and threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a win at Oakland.
Green Bay will host former coach Mike Holmgren and the Seattle Seahawks (10-6) in the wild card round next Sunday.
Holmes sets NFL single-season TD record
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 29 (UPI) - Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes is being called the touchdown king Monday with a record 27 touchdowns.
The three-time Pro Bowl running back of the Kansas City Chiefs reached the end zone twice in Sunday's 31-3 rout of the Chicago Bears to set a pair of NFL records -- most touchdowns and most rushing scores in a single season with 27.
Holmes entered the day tied with Emmitt Smith for most rushing touchdowns with 25 and was one behind Marshall Faulk's total of 26. Faulk had 18 rushing and eight receiving scores in 2000 for the St. Louis Rams.
Holmes eclipsed Smith's mark on a one-yard scoring run with 13:40 left in the second quarter. He took a pitch from Trent Green on a sweep play to the left and tip-toed into the end zone.
The crowd responded with a standing ovation as Holmes celebrated with his teammates in the end zone before running to the sideline to hug coach Dick Vermeil.
Holmes then surpassed Faulk when he leaped into the end zone from the two-yard line on a fourth-down play with 58 seconds left in the third quarter.
World Cup downhill canceled due to snow
BORMIO, Italy, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The men's World Cup downhill was wiped out Sunday because of heavy snowfall and poor visibility.
The start, scheduled for noon local time, was delayed six times by organizers in the hopes the weather would clear before the race was called off.
The race was rescheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, with the start moved 50 meters from the original beginning -- below the course's steepest section. However, more than a foot of snow was expected to fall on the course overnight, putting the possibility of a Monday race in question.
Paerson wins Women's World Cup slalom
LIENZ, Austria, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Sweden's Anja Paerson returned to the winner's spot Sunday in the women's World Cup slalom.
Paerson used the fastest second run of the day to beat rival Nicole Hosp of Austria. She was almost a second faster than Hosp in the second trip down the course to win her third slalom of the season in 1 minute, 48.97 seconds.
Hosp, who won Saturday's giant slalom, led the first run but ended up 0.34 seconds behind after the second. The 20-year-old Austrian had won the two previous gate races.
Germany's Monika Bergman-Schmuderer claimed third for her third career podium finish.
The 22-year-old Paerson notched her fourth win of the season and 15th of her career. It is her second slalom win at Lienz, joining former teammate Ylva Nowen as the only skiers to win two slaloms there.
Paerson stretched her lead over Hosp in the overall standings to 110 points.
The women resume World Cup racing next year with a super-G and slalom Jan. 3-4 at the French resort of Megeve.
