Davis kickoff returns spur Texans to victory
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Andre Davis became the seventh player in NFL history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in a game as he led the Houston Texans (8-8) to a 42-28 victory over the playoff-bound Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) on Sunday.
The win came on the final day of the regular season for the NFL, whose playoffs begin next week.
Davis broke a 14-14 tie by returning an Jaguars kickoff 97 yards for a score with 15 seconds left in the first half.
He then took the second-half kickoff 104 yards for another touchdown.
Reserve quarterback Quinn Gray passed for 302 yards and four touchdowns for the Jaguars, who rested many of their regulars for the playoffs.
* The Cleveland Browns stayed in the playoff running with a 20-7 home win over the San Francisco 49ers (5-11). The Browns (10-6) will make the AFC playoffs if the Tennessee Titans lose to the Indianapolis Colts in a later game on Sunday.
* Devin Hester scored twice as the Chicago Bears ended the New Orleans Saints's playoff hopes with a 33-25 home win. Hester ran a punt back 64 yards for his record-breaking sixth kick return of the season and also caught a 55-yard TD pass as both teams finished 7-9. Drew Brees threw for three touchdowns for the Saints.
* Brett Favre threw for two touchdowns in less than two quarters of play as the playoff-bound Green Bay Packers improved to 13-3 with a 34-13 romp over the Detroit Lions (7-9).
* DeAngelo Williams's second touchdown, a 32-yard fourth-quarter run, led the Carolina Panthers (7-9) to a 31-23 road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7), who held out key players in preparation for the playoffs. Williams also had a one-yard run for a touchdown. Vinny Testaverde, the Panthers' 44-year-old reserve quarterback, ended his 21-year NFL career by taking one snap. Both Panthers quarterback Matt Moore and Tampa Bay reserve Luke McCown passed for two touchdowns.
* Chis Redman's four touchdown passes, including three in the fourth quarter, led the Atlanta Falcons (4-12) to a 44-41 home win over the playoff-bound Seattle Seahawks (10-6) to snap a six-game losing streak in their season-ender.
* Carson Palmer passed for three touchdowns and the Cincinnati Bengals (7-9) rolled to a 38-25 road win over the lowly Miami Dolphins (1-15) to end the year for both teams.
* Donovan McNabb passed for a score as the Philadelphia Eagles (8-8) closed out their season with a 17-9 home win over the Buffalo Bills (7-9).
(Writing by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; editing by Miles Evans)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
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