Published: Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012 / Updated: Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012 11:06 PM
Dolphins accidentally turn on the waterworks in close win
MIAMI --
Stadium lawn sprinklers briefly showered the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their game.
On a cloudless afternoon, the sprinklers came on between plays and covered most of the field Sunday, drawing a cheer from the crowd and causing a brief delay. The sprinklers were quickly turned off, and players toweled off before the action resumed.
Associated Press
Briefly
• Reggie Wayne broke the NFL record for most consecutive games with multiple receptions.
Cris Carter held the previous mark of 58. Wayne now has had at least two catches in 59 straight games.
Wayne tied the mark last week at New England, and broke it in front of his home crowd late in the first half against Buffalo.
The Pro Bowl receiver also passed former Redskins receiver Art Monk for 12th on the NFL’s all-time receptions list during the first half. Monk finished his career with 940. Wayne now has 943, and Wayne played a key role in a late first-half drive that ended with a 19-yard field goal from Adam Vinatieri as time expired.
• Colts head coach Chuck Pagano received a standing ovation from the Lucas Oil Stadium crowd during his team’s game against Buffalo.
Pagano, who has lost his hair as he undergoes chemotherapy, has not been involved with the usual day-to-day operations since being diagnosed with leukemia Sept. 26. His doctor said earlier this month that the cancer was in complete remission.
• Bears receiver and return specialist Devin Hester left the game against the Minnesota Vikings with a concussion
• Chiefs wide receiver Dexter McCluster left the game against the Denver Broncos to be evaluated for a head and neck injury
• Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden sustained a concussion in the closing minutes of a win over the Steelers.
Weeden appeared to bang his head on teammate Joe Thomas’ leg as he fell awkwardly after throwing an incomplete pass in Cleveland’s 20-14 victory. Browns coach Pat Shurmur said Weeden is being treated for a concussion.
• Before Sunday’s game against the Steelers, the Browns hadn’t gotten eight turnovers since 1989.
• C.J. Spiller’s six straight games with 100 yards from scrimmage is the longest streak by a Bills player since Thurman Thomas in 1992-93.
• With Miami’s Dan Carpenter’s game-winning kick, Seahawks opponents improved to 17 for 17 on field-goal tries this year.
• Cecil Shorts III set a Jaguars franchise record with his fourth reception of at least 50 yards this season.
• Rookie Janoris Jenkins is the first player in Rams history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game.
• The last rookie before Arizona’s Ryan Lindley to return two picks for a touchdown was Bobby Franklin of the Cleveland Browns in 1960.
• San Francisco receiver Kyle Williams and running back Kendall Hunter both were hurt on the same play during the second half against New Orleans.
• Ronde Barber, who made his 210th straight start to tie Jim Otto for the seventh-most consecutive starts in NFL history, has 47 career interceptions.
• Chicago’s Brandon Marshall now has caught passes for more than 1,000 yards in a season with three different teams – the Broncos, Dolphins and Bears.
What they’re writing
• The NFL is America’s pastime, hands down.
Imagine how much fun it would be if they got rid of about half the rule book.
The replay challenge penalty? The tuck rule? Muffed punts can’t be advanced?
Ridiculously harsh. Completely unnecessary. No idea why it’s like that.
The league clearly has too many folks on the payroll who have too little to do, so they get together from time to time in fancy hotels to come up with ways to justify their existence.
The result is a set of rules that have grown into a convoluted mess, with no sense of what is reasonable or even needed. It’s as though the NFL is trying to keep everyone in a constant state of guesswork.
Paul Newberry, Associated Press