Less than two weeks after suffering two fractures in his back in a rollover car crash, Cam Newton led the Carolina Panthers to a 17-13 win over Cleveland on Sunday.
Newton's nine yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Stewart in the final quarter was the difference as the Panthers' win now sets the stage for a winner-take-all NFC South division showdown on the final week of the National Football League's regular season.
"We have been through so much," Newton said. "Hearing the fans roar, it gives you energy."
Newton's health was the biggest concern for the Panthers heading into Sunday's contest with the Browns. The star quarterback was injured in a two-car smash on December 9 near the Panthers' practice facility.
Newton, who missed last weekend's game, said he was lucky to have survived the accident. A quick healer, Newton he was out the hospital and back at training just a couple of days later.
The scoring strike to Stewart capped a seven-play, 66-yard drive and came less than three minutes after the Browns took their first lead on Brian Hoyer's 81-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Cameron.
Hoyer replaced Johnny Manziel late in the first half after the rookie left the game and did not return with a hamstring injury.
The Panthers (6-8-1) will travel to Atlanta next week with the division on the line. Whoever wins that game will not only clinch the NFC South, but will also host a postseason contest.
"We are prepared for this moment," Newton said.
The Falcons beat New Orleans 30-14 to end the Saints playoff hopes.
The former Heisman Trophy winner Manziel was injured when he was hit hard by two Panther defenders as he dove for the sidelines.
Manziel's struggles in his NFL debut last week were well documented, and he didn't fare much better on Sunday completing just three-of-eight passes for 32 yards.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass as the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a playoff spot with a 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at Heinz Field.
"We had to take advantage of the opportunities we had. They possessed the ball a long time. We won the game that is all that matters," said Roethlisberger.
The Steelers (10-5) secured a wild card berth and will host Cincinnati next Sunday for the AFC North title. The Bengals host AFC West-champion Denver on Monday.
"We still got one more game to go so we are going to treat this next one like a playoff game," said Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh, who is in the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season.
They held the Chiefs out of the end zone and limited them to four Cairo Santos field goals. Kansas City's playoff hopes are slim heading into next Sunday's home game against Phil Rivers' San Diego Chargers.
The Green Bay Packers also locked up a playoff spot and the New England Patriots clinched a bye Sunday.
The Patriots secured a first-round bye with a 17-16 win over the lowly New York Jets as Tom Brady completed 23-of-35 passes for 182 yards with one touchdown. New England (12-3) will clinch the AFC's top seed if Denver loses on Monday.
The Packers clinched a spot in the playoffs for the sixth straight season behind a strong defence as they limited Tampa Bay to just 109 yards of offence in a 20-3 win.
Next week the Packers host the Detroit Lions, and the winner of that game clinches the NFC North title. Detroit rallied for a 20-14 win at Chicago on Sunday.
Source: AFP