Aaron Rodgers threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with 38 seconds remaining Sunday to give Green Bay a 33-28 victory at Chicago and a National Football League playoff berth.
The Packers joined the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles in claiming playoff spots on the final day of the regular season.
Philadelphia beat Dallas 24-22 in a head-to-head battle for the NFC East division crown and a playoff spot, while New Orleans secured a post-season position with a 42-17 rout of Tampa Bay and San Diego edged Kansas City 27-24 in overtime to seal a playoff berth.
Rodgers, who missed the past seven games with a broken collarbone suffered in a loss to Chicago last month, connected with wide-open Cobb, who had been out for more than two months with a knee injury, to convert a third consecutive fourth-down play on the winning drive.
“This is an amazing feeling. What a game,” Rodgers said. “So many plays. I felt like I was in a rhythm, like we were moving good.
“We left some points out there but against our rivals, win or go home game, I couldn’t be prouder.”
The Bears saw their season end on an interception off a desperation pass on the game’s final play as the Packers took the NFC North division title.
“You have to give the Packers credit,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “They were able to convert three fourth downs and Aaron Rodgers was able to make a great play to win the game.”
Philadelphia led Dallas 17-16 late in the third quarter, but the Cowboys’ denied the Eagles on a fourth-down run from the 1-yard line.
But on the next Eagles possession, Bryce Brown scored on a 6-yard touchdown run around left end, giving Philadelphia a 24-16 edge with 6:09 to play.
The Cowboys, guided by Kyle Orton after Tony Romo was sidelined after surgery Friday on a herniated disk, answered on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Orton to Dez Bryant, but when a two-point conversion pass failed, Dallas still trailed 24-22 with 3:50 to play.
The Eagles were forced to punt to Dallas but Brandon Boykin intercepted an Orton pass to end the last Cowboys threat.
It marked the third consecutive season the Cowboys had reached a season-ending game where the winner made the playoffs and the loser was out. Dallas lost all three.
CHARGERS 27, CHIEFS 24, OT Nick Novak kicked a 36-yard field goal with 5:30 left in overtime, ending the San Diego Chargers' three-year playoff drought with a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chargers (9-7), who trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter, held the Chiefs on downs to win it after they reached the San Diego 41. The Chiefs (11-5) go into the playoffs having lost five of seven.
SAINTS 42, BUCCANEERS 17 Drew Brees passed for four touchdowns and ran for another score, and New Orleans (11-5) clinched a wild-card spot with a victory over Tampa Bay.
Mike Glennon passed for 219 yards and two TDs for Tampa Bay (4-12), who closed the season with losses in their last three games, and four of their last five.
BENGALS 34, RAVENS 17 Andy Dalton threw for two touchdowns, ran for another and set a pair of Bengals passing records, leading Cincinnati to a victory that eliminated the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens (8-8) for the play-offs.
It was an erratic performance by the third-year quarterback, who also threw four interceptions for AFC North winner Cincinnati (11-5).
BRONCOS 34, RAIDERS 14 Peyton Manning set the NFL single-season record for yards passing and threw four first-half touchdown passes to help the Denver Broncos (13-3) clinch the top seed in the AFC playoffs with a win over the Oakland Raiders (4-12), who ended their 11th straight non-winning season with six straight losses.
SEAHAWKS 27, RAMS 9 Malcolm Smith returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, Marshawn Lynch added a 2-yard scoring run and the Seahawks (13-3) clinched the NFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over the St. Louis Rams.
JETS 20, DOLPHINS 7 The Dolphins were eliminated from the scramble for the AFC's final wild-card berth by the Jets, who thrived in the role of spoilers against their archrivals. Then owner Woody Johnson said coach Rex Ryan would return despite the Jets (8-8) sitting out the postseason themselves for the third year in a row.
STEELERS 20, BROWNS 7 Le'Veon Bell ran for 90 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers (8-8) drubbed the Cleveland Browns. Ben Roethlisberger passed for 179 yards and a touchdown against two interceptions as the Steelers won their third straight to avoid the franchise's first losing season since 2003.
PANTHERS 21, FALCONS 20 Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes, Greg Hardy had a team-record four sacks and the Panthers (12-4) clinched the NFC South. Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez had four catches for 56 yards and was honored at halftime in his final regular-season game. He has announced plans for retirement.
PATRIOTS 34, BILLS 20 LeGarrette Blount rushed for a career-high 189 yards and two touchdowns and had two long kickoff returns as the New England Patriots (12-4) beat the Buffalo Bills and clinched a first-round AFC bye. The Bills (6-10) missed the playoffs for the 14th straight year, the league's longest current streak.
49ERS 23, CARDINALS 20 Phil Dawson made a 40-yard field goal as time expired to lift the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) to a win over the Arizona Cardinals that clinched the NFC's No. 5 playoff seed.
COLTS 30, JAGUARS 10 Andrew Luck threw for 282 yards and one touchdown, Robert Mathis reclaimed the NFL sacks lead and Adam Vinatieri joined the 2,000-point club. Indy (11-5), the AFC South champs have won three straight, matching their longest streak of the season.
TITANS 16, TEXANS 10 Chris Johnson ran for 127 yards and a touchdown in what might be his last game with the Titans (7-9), a win that may help coach Mike Munchak's argument to stay on the job in 2014. With their 14th straight loss, the Texans (2-14) clinched the No. 1 selection in next May's draft.
GIANTS 20, REDSKINS 6 New York's Jerrel Jernigan caught a 24-yard touchdown pass and ran 49 yards for another score in what might be Mike Shanahan's final game as Redskins (3-13) coach. The Giants (7-9) also aren't going to the playoffs, but they closed the season with a 7-3 record after losing their first six games.
VIKINGS 14, LIONS 13 Rookie Cordarrelle Patterson scored two more touchdowns, including the go-ahead catch in the end zone in the fourth quarter, and the Vikings (5-10-1) won their final game at the Metrodome after 32 seasons. Lions (7-9) coach Jim Schwartz fell to 29-52 in five years with the Lions.
sport@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Janet Yellen's Firsts
- In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve
- In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
