The latest on Week 17, the last regular-season weekend in the NFL (all times Eastern):
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3:25 p.m.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones (11) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) celebrate after Golladay’s 54-yard touchdown run during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
If this is Jim Caldwell’s last game as Detroit’s coach, the Lions are sending him out in style so far.
Detroit took a 27-3 lead over Green Bay late in the third quarter on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate.
The Lions were caught off guard on the opening kickoff when Green Bay recovered an onside kick, but it’s been all Detroit since then. The Packers have turned the ball over three times.
Both teams are out of playoff contention, and the big question is whether Caldwell will return for the Lions.
– Noah Trister reporting from Detroit
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2:50 p.m.
The New England Patriots are closing in on home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
The Patriots, needing a win to take the top seed over the Pittsburgh Steelers, led the New York Jets 21-3 at halftime behind two late first-half touchdown passes from Tom Brady.
Earlier in the half, Brady misfired on some passes and was sacked twice. He was 13 of 24 for 107 yards before halftime.
Bryce Petty was 7 of 12 for 103 for the Jets in the first half.
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2:40 p.m.
The Minnesota defense is dominating again.
The Bears have netted minus-1 yard rushing through two quarters, with their only score coming on a punt return for a touchdown. Chicago has only one first down with five punts.
The Vikings, who entered the final week of the regular season leading the NFL in fewest yards and fewest points allowed, have allowed only one offensive touchdown over the last three weeks. That came by Cincinnati late in a blowout game with mostly backups on the field.
Minnesota, needing a win or tie to clinch a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs, leads 16-7 at halftime.
– Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis
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2:30 p.m.
The offenses for the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are playing like it’s a meaningless game on a frigid day in Philadelphia.
The Eagles and Cowboys are scoreless at halftime. It’s the first time both teams were scoreless in the first half in a Philadelphia game since Sept. 20, 1998, at Arizona. That was a 17-3 loss for the Eagles.
It’s the first such game for the Cowboys since Nov. 3, 2002, at Detroit. The Lions were 9-7 winners in that one.
The last time an NFL game was scoreless at halftime was Dec. 11, 2011, when Chicago visited Denver. The Broncos won 13-10 in overtime.
The Eagles have already wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention last week.
Nick Foles played the first four series and threw an interception before coming out for Philadelphia. The Eagles had 109 yards at halftime, the Cowboys 107.
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2:05 p.m.
The frigid weather isn’t bothering the New York Giants against the Washington Redskins.
Eli Manning and company had three scoring drives in the first quarter, including Orleans Darkwa’s 75-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game.
Manning threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Hunter Sharp after an interception by Kirk Cousins. The two-point conversion pass failed after the PAT was blocked following Darkwa’s touchdown. Aldrick Rosas kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 15-7 lead.
The Giants had 193 total yards midway through the second quarter.
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1:50 p.m.
The Cleveland Browns are 45 game minutes away from joining the Detroit Lions as the only 0-16 teams in NFL history.
The Browns trail the Pittsburgh Steelers 7-0 after the first quarter. The Steelers outgained Cleveland 145 to minus-16 in the first 15 minutes despite sitting stars Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell.
– Will Graves reporting from Pittsburgh
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1:25 p.m.
It was 13 degrees at kickoff for New England’s game against the New York Jets, and the Patriots wanted to make sure their visitors knew it.
A thermometer was hung in the Jets’ tunnel on Sunday. New York players filed past on their way to and from the field before the game.
It was the coldest regular-season home game in Patriots history. They had a playoff game that was colder. It was 4 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like minus-10 for a divisional game against the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 10, 2004.
There were other frigid Week 17 starts as well.
It was 11 degrees in Pittsburgh, where the winless Cleveland Browns were visiting.
The kickoff temperature was 16 degrees in New Jersey for the New York Giants’ home game against Washington. It was the coldest game for the Redskins since it was 4 degrees in a divisional playoff win over Chicago on Jan. 10, 1988.
It was 19 degrees with a wind chill of 3 in Philadelphia, with Dallas visiting.
And all this happened on the 50th anniversary of the Ice Bowl in Green Bay. That game-time temperature was 15 below, with wind chill in today’s calculations at minus-48. The Packers beat the Cowboys 21-17 to earn a spot in the second Super Bowl.
– Jimmy Golen reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are giving Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le’Veon Bell and other starters the day off against the winless Cleveland Browns despite having a shot at home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
Roethlisberger and Bell were joined on the sidelines by offensive linemen David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey and defensive end Cam Heyward. All are healthy but inactive for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have already clinched a first-round bye. To earn home-field advantage, they need to beat Cleveland and have New England lose to the New York Jets.
Landry Jones will start in place of Roethlisberger with Stevan Ridley taking Bell’s spot in the backfield.
Quarterback Nick Foles is active for Philadelphia even though the Eagles have clinched the home field in the NFC.
But running back Jay Ajayi is inactive after coach Doug Pederson said during the week he planned to play the starters for at least part of the game against the Dallas Cowboys, the defending NFC East champs who were eliminated from playoff contention last week.
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady puts on a coat on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Minnesota Vikings running back Latavius Murray (25) celebrates in front of Chicago Bears defensive end Jonathan Bullard, right, after scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Dallas Cowboys’ Dez Bryant, top, is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles’ Rasul Douglas during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
New York Giants running back Orleans Darkwa (26) runs past Washington Redskins inside linebacker Martrell Spaight (50) for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer (7) is sacked by Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Sean Davis (28) during the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
A thermometer in the runway displays a temperature in the teens as New York Jets tackle Ben Ijalana (71) and defensive end Xavier Cooper (75) take the field for an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson, left, and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin visit on the field during warmups before an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
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