AFC wild-card game: Jets rookies Mark Sanchez, Shonn Greene star in 24-14 win over Bengals 
 
 Antonelli/News The Thrill of Victory: Jets QB Mark Sanchez celebrates after a touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller in the 2nd quarter of Gang Green's win over the Bengals. 
 
 Jets 24, Bengals 14 
 
 CINCINNATI - They won it for their grieving owner. They won it for their brash coach. They won it because they sensed everybody thought they couldn't. 
 
 The Jets won their first playoff game in five years, advancing to the AFC divisional round with a 24-14 wild-card victory over the Bengals Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium. Led by rookie Mark Sanchez and his cast of Cincinnati Kids, the Jets announced themselves as a serious postseason contender - just like Rex Ryan had predicted. 
 
 "I think this is just the first step in what we all feel is going to be a great journey," Ryan said after beating the Bengals for the second time in six days. 
 
 Ryan, his eyes red, looked as if he had been crying. Indeed, it was an emotional day for the entire organization, and it culminated in a poignant locker-room scene. Ryan gathered the players and made a presentation to Woody Johnson, who attended the game with family members less than a week after the tragic death of his daughter. 
 
 "There's only one game ball, and it goes to Woody," Ryan told the team, according to players. The coach choked up, they said. 
 
 It culminated a roller-coaster week in which the Jets beat the Bengals in the season finale, 37-0, and grew angrier by the day as they heard "excuses" coming from the Bengals' camp. Ryan stoked the emotions Friday night with a fiery speech to the team. 
 
 "(The Bengals) said they treated last week like a preseason game, but when the chips were on the table they couldn't get it done," tackle Damien Woody said. "So what's their excuse now?" 
 
 The Jets' improbable run will continue on the road, as they will meet the top-seeded Colts or the second-seeded Chargers next weekend. Their opponent will be determined by the outcome of today's Patriots-Ravens game. 
 
 "There is no ceiling for us," said Jets linebacker Calvin Pace. 
 
 Ryan laughed when asked how far the Jets could advance into the playoffs. 
 
 "We can't get much higher than what I predicted," he said, alluding to his headline-making boast that the Jets - a 50-to-1 shot to win the Super Bowl - deserved to be the favorite in the field. 
 
 Maybe it's time to believe. 
 
 In the crucible of the playoffs, the Jets played turnover-free football, took control after an early 7-0 deficit and dropped the hammer in the fourth quarter with two late sacks. 
 
 Sanchez, playing like the franchise quarterback the Jets believe he can be, was magnificent. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, fooling the Bengals with bootleg passes off play-action. And two incompletions came on drops, including a killer by Braylon Edwards on what should have been a 41-yard touchdown. Sanchez became only the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game. ||||| Tom Brady led the New England Patriots back from a three-touchdown deficit as they scored 49 straight points and clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 49-21 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. 
 
 New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez celebrates a long gain to near the goal line, which set up a touchdown, against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Foxborough,... (Associated Press) 
 
 New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) tries to break free of Buffalo Bills linebacker Chris Kelsay (90) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday Jan.... (Associated Press) 
 
 New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, right, hugs Buffalo Bills linebacker Kirk Morrison after an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. The Patriots won 49-21 to clinch home-field... (Associated Press) 
 
 New England Patriots' Devin McCourty (32) and Kyle Arrington (24) break up a pass to Buffalo Bills wide receiver Ruvell Martin (82) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass.,... (Associated Press) 
 
 New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) steps into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday Jan.... (Associated Press) 
 
 New England Patriots defensive end Mark Anderson (95) breaks free from Buffalo Bills tackle Chris Hairston (75) and sacks quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) during the second quarter of an NFL football... (Associated Press) 
 
 Brady finished the regular season with the second most yards passing in NFL history, 5,235, after throwing for 338. Drew Brees, who last week broke Dan Marino's record of 5,084 with the Miami Dolphins in 1984, added 389 Sunday for the New Orleans Saints and ended with 5,486. 
 
 The Patriots (13-3) finished the season with eight straight wins. But for the second straight game, they fell behind early. They beat the Miami Dolphins 27-24 after trailing 17-0 at halftime then rallied after the Bills (6-10) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, drawing boos from the home fans. 
 
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 SAINTS 45, PANTHERS 17 
 
 At New Orleans, _ Drew Brees threw for 389 yards and five touchdowns as New Orleans set a slew of NFL and club records. 
 
 The NFL single-season records set by the Saints (13-3), who head into the playoffs on an eight-game winning streak, included offensive yards with 7,474, team yards passing with 5,347 and first downs with 416. 
 
 Brees, who was 28 of 35, finished with a record 468 completions this season, breaking Peyton Manning's 2010 mark of 450. He finished the season completing 71.6 percent of his passes, breaking his own 2009 NFL record 70.6 completion percentage. 
 
 Tight end Jimmy Graham had 97 yards receiving, finishing with an NFL record 1,310 for a tight end. 
 
 The Panthers finished 6-10. 
 
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 JAGUARS 19, COLTS 13 
 
 At Jacksonville, Maurice Jones-Drew ran for a season-high 169 yards, clinching the NFL rushing title and breaking Fred Taylor's single-season franchise record in the Jaguars' victory. 
 
 The Jaguars (5-11) became the first AFC South opponent to sweep Indianapolis (2-14) since 2002 and gave outgoing owner Wayne Weaver a victory in his final game. 
 
 The Colts may have been the big winners, though. Indianapolis locked up the top pick in April's NFL draft, setting the stage to select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. 
 
 Indy would have dropped to the No. 2 spot in the draft with a victory in Jacksonville. Instead, owner Jim Irsay will have the choice to draft Luck and give the team a young quarterback to join four-time MVP Peyton Manning. 
 
 ___ 
 
 TITANS 23, TEXANS 22 
 
 At Houston, Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes as the Titans kept alive their playoff hopes. 
 
 The Titans (9-7) have their first winning record since 2008 in Mike Munchak's first season, but their postseason fate depended on the outcome of later games in Cincinnati, Oakland and Denver. Tennessee got some early help when the Jets lost in Miami. 
 
 Houston (10-6) will head into its first postseason on a three-game losing streak. The Texans were locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs and coach Gary Kubiak played mostly reserves in the second half. 
 
 Rookie starter T.J. Yates left the game after one series with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Jake Delhomme. Kubiak said Yates could have returned if necessary. 
 
 The Texans pulled within a point late in the game on a 5-yard TD pass by Delhomme, but failed on a 2-point conversion that would have won it. 
 
 ____ 
 
 DOLPHINS 19, JETS 17 
 
 At Miami, Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions and the Jets were eliminated from the AFC wild-card playoff race. 
 
 Each turnover led to a field goal, and the Jets gave up six third-down conversions during the Dolphins' 21-play, 94-yard drive for their only touchdown. 
 
 The Jets (8-8) came into the game needing a win along with losses by three other teams to reach the playoffs. Instead, they finished the season with three consecutive defeats, a big step backward for a team that reached the AFC title game each of the past two years. 
 
 The Dolphins (6-10) completed their third consecutive losing season, their longest such stretch since the 1960s. 
 
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 PACKERS 45, LIONS 41 
 
 At Green Bay, backup quarterback Matt Flynn threw a touchdown pass to Jermichael Finley with 1:10 left to finish off his record-setting day of 480 yards and six TD passes. 
 
 With Aaron Rodgers resting for the playoffs, Flynn set club single-game records for yards passing and touchdowns. It was an ideal afternoon for the Packers (15-1) who got to rest their starting quarterback and several other big-name players without losing momentum. 
 
 Flynn barely got the Packers past Matthew Stafford, who threw for 520 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Playoff-bound Detroit (10-6), has lost 21 straight road games to the Packers, including the postseason. 
 
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 BEARS 17, VIKINGS 13 
 
 At Minneapolis, Charles Tillman's interception return in the second quarter gave Chicago (8-8) the lead, allowing the Bears to stop their five-game losing streak despite 3 1/2 sacks by Jared Allen. 
 
 Allen finished the season with 22 sacks, behind Michael Strahan's NFL mark of 22 1/2 for the Giants in 2001. 
 
 Joe Webb relieved Christian Ponder at quarterback for the Vikings (3-13) for the third time in the last month, but the scrambling Webb wasn't able to keep the Vikings from matching the worst record in franchise history. 
 
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 EAGLES 34, REDSKINS 10 
 
 At Philadelphia, Michael Vick threw three touchdown passes, including a 62-yarder to DeSean Jackson, as the Eagles closed the season with four straight wins. 
 
 The Eagles (8-8) are hoping to carry the momentum from their strong finish into next season. But they can't be satisfied after entering the year with Super Bowl aspirations. 
 
 It's the first time since 2007 that Philadelphia didn't qualify for the postseason and just the fourth time in coach Andy Reid's 13 seasons. The Eagles set a franchise record for total yards on offense with 6,386. 
 
 The Redskins (5-11) finished in last place in the NFC East for a franchise-worst fourth straight year. It was Mike Shanahan's worst full season in 18 years as a coach. 
 
 ___ 
 
 49ERS 34, RAMS 27 
 
 At St. Louis, Michael Crabtree caught two touchdown passes, one from kicker David Akers on a perfectly executed trick play, as San Francisco wrapped up the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC and a first-round bye. 
 
 Crabtree and Vernon Davis had big days for a team short of pass catchers and Tarell Brown had a pair of interceptions that led to touchdowns as the 49ers (13-3) beat the Rams (2-14) for the second time the last five games. ||||| Adam Schefter breaks down the chain of events that led to Tony Romo retiring from football for a job with CBS. (1:45) 
 
 The Dallas Cowboys have officially released quarterback Tony Romo, who will become the lead NFL analyst for CBS, it was announced Tuesday. 
 
 "It was a very difficult decision. I went back and forth a number of times," Romo said on a conference call. 
 
 Romo said the Houston Texans were at the top of his wish list if he kept playing, but the CBS offer was too good to pass up. 
 
 "It really had nothing to do with the Texans and everything to do with CBS," Romo said. "I felt like it was the right decision. My wife would tell you we've had a lot of late nights. It was nice to have some clarity." 
 
 I guess it's time to start dressing up. #CBS pic.twitter.com/GseSRiyNOo — Tony Romo (@tonyromo) April 4, 2017 
 
 Romo hasn't come out and said he's retiring. 
 
 "Do I envision playing football? Absolutely not," he said. "Do I expect to get some calls? Yes, that's the reality." 
 
 One NFL executive told ESPN via text message that "Romo is now every team's emergency backup QB in case your starter gets hurt" and that those teams would have to "pay him to come out of 'retirement.'" 
 
 Romo said: "You never say never," but added that "there's no part of me that wants to play." 
 
 Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he wishes Romo and his family "nothing but the best." 
 
 "As an organization, we did what he asked us to do in terms of his release, and we wanted to do what was ultimately in his best interest and in the best interest of his family," Jones said in a statement. 
 
 "Tony has been a wonderful representative of the Cowboys organization for 14 years, and he left everything he had on the field. He will leave us with many great memories and a legacy of being, truly, one of the greatest players in Cowboys history. We are thrilled for him and his family that he will be able to continue working as a professional in the game he so dearly loves. He is a young man who is just getting started on a long journey in life. All the best my friend." 
 
 With CBS, Romo will become the No. 1 color commentator -- replacing former NFL quarterback Phil Simms -- alongside play-by-play veteran Jim Nantz. He also had drawn interest from Fox and NBC. 
 
 "Going from one legendary team to another as I begin the next phase of my career is a dream come true," Romo said in a statement. "I have always known that once my playing career was over I wanted to become a broadcaster. I am ecstatic for the opportunity to work with Jim as I learn the craft and convey to fans my passion for this great game." 
 
 Romo said on the conference call that he expects his new broadcasting job to be difficult, but "I've got to attack this just like football." 
 
 The Cowboys' move to make Romo a post-June 1 release designation softens the blow against the salary cap this season. Instead of counting $24.7 million against the cap in 2017, Romo would count $10.7 million this year and $8.9 million in 2018. The Cowboys would gain $14 million in cap space this season, but it would not become available until June 2. The Cowboys will carry $19.6 million in dead money for the 2017 season, $8.9 million in 2018 and $3.2 million in 2019. 
 
 Romo's decision came down to his health, sources close to the situation told ESPN. Romo, who turns 37 on April 21, believes his family and his health are paramount. He was limited to playing in parts of just five games over the past two seasons because of collarbone and back injuries, and he suffered a compression fracture in his back in August that led the way to Dak Prescott's emergence. 
 
 Prescott posted his thanks to Romo on Instagram. 
 
 Romo now will get to spend more time with his family while retaining a strong connection to the game. 
 
 As the network's No. 1 color commentator for the NFL, Romo will work with Nantz on Sunday afternoon and Thursday evening games. He also will be in line to work CBS's coverage of Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta in February 2019. 
 
 Romo -- a scratch golfer -- also could wind up working on CBS's golf coverage down the line, sources told ESPN, but he first wants to focus on football. 
 
 "Tony has been one of the NFL's biggest stars for the past decade, and we are thrilled to welcome him to CBS Sports," CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said in a statement. "He will bring the same passion, enthusiasm and knowledge that he displayed on the field to the broadcast booth. He brings a fresh and insightful perspective to our viewers having just stepped off the field. We know Tony will quickly develop into a terrific analyst, and alongside Jim Nantz, will become a must-listen for fans each week." 
 
 CBS said it was discussing future options for Simms, who served nearly 20 years as the network's lead NFL analyst. 
 
 Romo stepping away from the game affects numerous NFL teams since the market for Romo was expected to be robust. Romo no longer will be a consideration for the Texans and Denver Broncos -- unless he were to unexpectedly return from the broadcast booth to the playing field. 
 
 However, a source directly involved told ESPN's Ed Werder, "He's done. It's over. This was a no-brainer." 
 
 Without Romo, the Cowboys' all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, Tom Savage now is expected to be Houston's starting quarterback, with former Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden serving as his backup. 
 
 In Denver, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch will compete for the Broncos' starting quarterback job. 
 
 Romo's transition to TV will finish off one of the great undrafted free-agent stories in NFL history. 
 
 In 2003, Romo bypassed a larger signing bonus from the Broncos to join the Cowboys out of Eastern Illinois. He did not throw a pass in a regular-season game during his first three seasons, but coach Bill Parcells turned to him in the sixth game of the 2006 season at halftime against the New York Giants. 
 
 Romo then sparked the Cowboys to a playoff berth and held the starting job through last August. 
 
 In his first full season as the starter in 2007, Romo threw for a then-franchise-record 4,211 yards -- a mark he would surpass twice more -- and a franchise-record 36 touchdown passes. The Cowboys finished with the best record in the NFC (13-3) but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. 
 
 Romo has a career record of 78-49 but never was able to get the Cowboys past the divisional round in four playoff appearances. His 34,183 passing yards and 248 touchdown passes are the most in team history. 
 
 Riding Off Into The Sunset Tony Romo has the ninth-most passing touchdowns (248) among quarterbacks to have played their entire career with one team: Quarterback Team TDs Tom Brady Patriots 456 Dan Marino Dolphins 420 Eli Manning Giants 320 Philip Rivers Chargers 314 Ben Roethlisberger Steelers 301 John Elway Broncos 300 Aaron Rodgers Packers 297 Dan Fouts Chargers 254 Tony Romo Cowboys 248 
 
 Romo also holds team records for 300-yard passing games (46), games with multiple touchdown passes (79) and consecutive games with a touchdown pass (38). In 2012, he threw for a club-record 4,903 yards, and on Oct. 6, 2013, against the Broncos, he threw for a franchise-record 506 yards. He has the NFL record with a touchdown pass in 41 straight road games. 
 
 "Tony Romo has a unique combination of athletic ability, arm talent, vision, and instincts for the game," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement. "What separates Tony from many other players, however, is a rare competitive spirit. Tony loves to play. Tony loves to compete. The best ones always do. In practice. During games. On the field. Off the field. Tony competes to the end in everything that he does. That relentless spirit that Tony plays with is contagious. He makes his teammates better. He makes his coaches better. He makes his team better." 
 
 In 2013, back injuries started to slow Romo. He had two back surgeries, including a discectomy before the season finale. He suffered two transverse process fractures in 2014 but missed just one game in leading the Cowboys to a 12-4 record and NFC East title. In 2015, he suffered a broken left collarbone against the Philadelphia Eagles and missed seven games. He broke the collarbone again in his second game back and missed the final five games as the Cowboys went 1-11 without him. 
 
 A Star Among Cowboys' Stars Quarterback Tony Romo leaves the Cowboys as the team's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes: Rank Passing yds. 34,183 1st Passing TDs 248 1st QB wins 78 3rd 
 
 After undergoing collarbone surgery last spring, Romo said his back felt as strong as it had in years. However, on the third play from scrimmage in a preseason game against Seattle, he was awkwardly driven to the turf by Cliff Avril and suffered the compression fracture in his back. 
 
 Romo's absence allowed Prescott, the Cowboys' second fourth-round pick last year, to ascend to the starting job. After losing the season opener, the Cowboys won a franchise-record 11 straight games. Prescott finished his rookie season with 23 touchdown passes and just four interceptions and was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. 
 
 Disappointed he would not have the chance to win the job back, Romo defused any controversy with a heartfelt statement backing Prescott upon his return. He served as the backup for the first time since 2006 and saw action in just one game, throwing a touchdown pass on his lone drive in the 2016 finale against the Eagles. 
 
 "He has grown so much as a player and as a person over the course of his career and has made a significant impact on the lives of so many," Garrett said. "I consider myself fortunate to be at the top of that list. It has been one of the great privileges of my life to work with Tony Romo, one of the greatest players in Dallas Cowboys history."
– Dallas won a laugher over Philadelphia, and the Jets took down Cincinnati on the road to advance in the playoffs. Tony Romo (2 TDs, 244 yards) and the Cowboys put up 27 points in the second quarter and cruised to a 34-14 win. Dallas Morning News coverage here. On the schedule Sunday: Ravens-Patriots and Packers-Cardinals. In the Jets game, QB Mark Sanchez (1 TD, 182 yards) showed no rookie jitters in leading New York to a 24-14 win. He got help from fellow rookie Shonn Greene, who ran for 135 yards, and from Bengals kicker Shayne Graham, who missed two critical second-half field goals. Daily News coverage here.