The joke running through Jacksonville these days carries the same punch line as the one in Kansas City:

“Our team is so bad it can’t even stink in the right year.”

The Chiefs and Jaguars will vie for the top pick in the NFL draft in separate games Sunday. But the value of “winning” the race to the NFL’s worst record is debatable in a year without a clear, franchise-changing prospect.

The Chiefs and Jaguars are both 2-13, but the Chiefs hold the tiebreaker for the No. 1 pick because of their weakness of schedule. The only way Jacksonville can take it is by losing to Tennessee and Kansas City beating Denver. That would give the Jaguars the worst overall record.

Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson have highlighted their sensational comeback seasons by making the Pro Bowl.

Also selected Wednesday to the NFL’s all-star game was Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Manning missed all of the 2011 season with neck and back problems that required several operations. He then signed with Denver as a free agent.

Minnesota’s Peterson tore up his left knee on Christmas Eve last year, underwent major surgery, then was back for the season opener.

Griffin is one of three rookie QBs who had superb debut seasons, along with Andrew Luck of Indianapolis and Russell Wilson of Seattle. Luck and Wilson weren’t voted to the Pro Bowl by players coaches and fans, although their teams are in the playoffs; Griffin can get to the postseason if Washington beats Dallas on Sunday.

Despite a 2-13 record, five Kansas City Chiefs players made the AFC roster. Safety Eric Berry, running back Jamaal Charles, punter Dustin Colquitt and linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson will represent the Chiefs in the NFL’s All-Star game at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 27.

For Berry, Charles, Hali and Johnson it will mark the second time each has officially been selected to the Pro Bowl. This will mark the first time in Colquitt’s career he has earned the accolade.

The expectations placed upon Andrew Luck almost seemed unfair.

Being the heir to Peyton Manning in Indianapolis is heady stuff for a rookie taking the reins of a franchise that won two games last season.

Now, after guiding the Colts back to the playoffs – and breaking Cam Newton’s single-season passing record for a first-year player – it’s safe to say Luck exceeded just about all of them.

Luck threw for 205 yards Sunday, and his 7-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne on third-and-goal late in the fourth quarter gave the Colts a 20-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. That put them into the playoffs without worrying about anybody else.

”Would we have done it without him?” Colts interim coach Bruce Arians asked. ”No.”

Luck broke Newton’s record of 4,051 yards passing in the second quarter. But it was extending his own rookie record for fourth-quarter comebacks to seven was more important.

The Chiefs had rallied behind Jamaal Charles’ 226 yards rushing to tie the game 13-13 heading into the fourth quarter. The Colts’ defense stuffed quarterback Brady Quinn on fourth-and-inches to give Luck a chance.

That’s all he needed.

After a miserable stretch in which he connected on 1 of 13 passes, the fabulous freshman calmly led Indianapolis (10-5) downfield. He completed a key pass to T.Y. Hilton on third down and made two nice throws to Wayne before hitting the veteran in the back of the end zone.

”We had so many opportunities all game, especially on third down, that we squandered,” Wayne said. ”We wanted to get that done. That was the opportune time to do it.”

Darius Butler returned an interception 32 yards for the Colts’ other touchdown, helping them join the 2008 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to win at least 10 games after losing 14 or more the previous season.

Most of those wins have come under Arians, who has filled in admirably while Chuck Pagano underwent treatment for leukemia. Pagano is expected to rejoin the Colts this week.

”Mission accomplished. That’s all I can say,” Arians said. ”Without getting emotional again, knowing that (Pagano) is going to be back Monday, the work week shouldn’t be as stressful.”

Charles’ big day included an 86-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half. It was his second 200-yard game of the season, and came one week after he managed 10 yards on nine carries against Oakland.

”It was fun today, competing out there and doing it while we were trying to come back,” Charles said. ”It was fun going out there and putting out a performance like that.”

Charles joined the Titans’ Chris Johnson and former Lions great Barry Sanders as the only players with three runs of 80 or more yards in a season. His third career 200-yard game also set a franchise record, which he had shared with Larry Johnson.

Peyton Hillis added 101 yards on the ground for the Chiefs (2-13), who had 352 yards rushing in a losing effort – the first time that’s happened in NFL history.

A big reason why was Quinn, who was just 10 of 22 for 162 yards with two interceptions.

”This game was without a doubt, 100 percent on my shoulders,” he said. ”You can’t play the way I played today and win a football game.”

His trouble began with the Chiefs’ fifth offensive play, when he threw woefully behind Dexter McCluster – who wasn’t even looking for the ball. Butler picked off the pass in stride, taking it untouched to the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Kansas City managed a field goal by Ryan Succop, but he missed his next try and the Colts went the other direction to set up the first of Adam Vinatieri’s two field goals.

Charles fumbled in the red zone later in the second quarter, and the Colts moved into Vinatieri’s range for a 36-yard field goal and a 13-3 halftime lead.

Charles electrified a sparse crowd on the first play of the second half. He angled to the left and then found room down the sideline, cutting back toward the middle of the field and winning a foot-race with the Indianapolis defense for an 86-yard touchdown run.

The Chiefs were in position to take the lead later in the third quarter, but Quinn was picked off by Vontae Davis in the end zone. The defense forced a three-and-out and Kansas City was driving again before settling for Succop’s tying 47-yard field goal.

The Chiefs got the ball back again late in the fourth quarter, but Quinn was stuffed on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-inches from the Indianapolis 27.

That turned the ball over to Luck, who completed an 11-yard pass to T.Y. Hilton to convert a third down before he and Wayne won it.

”At times it looked a little bleak,” Arians said. ”Guys hung in there, made plays when they had to make them. Offensively we struggled, and then put together a drive, like we have all year.”

— Associated Press —

The defense dominated, the running game clicked and the Oakland Raiders finally ended up on the winning end for the first time in seven weeks.

If only the Raiders could play the Kansas City Chiefs more often.

Sebastian Janikowski kicked five field goals, Darren McFadden rushed for 110 yards and the Raiders shut out Kansas City for the second time ever, beating the Chiefs 15-0 on Sunday.

”It’s extremely hard to shut anybody out. It doesn’t matter who they are. That’s an accomplishment that we take great pride in,” Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. ”I think it’s huge. Our guys needed something where they get a little bit of confidence.”

The Raiders (4-10) overwhelmed the undermanned Chiefs (2-12) to snap a six-game losing streak. Sandwiched around those losses are two wins over Kansas City, a rare bright spot in this disappointing season in Oakland.

There has been little to cheer for this season for the Chiefs, who have lost 10 of 11 games and are tied for the second most losses in franchise history behind a 2-14 mark in 2008. Kansas City’s only win since September came the day after linebacker Javon Belcher killed his girlfriend before committing suicide at the team’s practice facility.

”Offensively we couldn’t get much done at all,” coach Romeo Crennel said. ”Couldn’t run the ball, couldn’t throw the ball, got into the red zone and couldn’t get any points. Defensively we tried to hang in there but we missed too many tackles and on third down we were unable to get off the field and allowed them to keep drives alive and end up with field goals.”

About the only bright spot from this loss is it kept Kansas City in the running for the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Chiefs and Jaguars are tied with the worst record in the NFL with two weeks remaining.

This matchup between two old AFL rivals lacked the meaning many of the past meetings had with both teams entering the game with at least 10 losses for the first time ever.

The quality of play matched the poor records for much of the day as the Chiefs took nearly 40 minutes to earn their initial first down of the game and the Raiders failed to reach the end zone.

But strong running by McFadden and Mike Goodson giving the Raiders a season-high 203 yards rushing, Carson Palmer playing turnover-free for the first time since September and the Raiders dominating defensively, Oakland came out on top.

”It just feels great to be able to go out there and run the ball the way we did,” McFadden said. ”We did a great job running and the offensive line did a great job. Just a good all-around game for us.”

The Raiders held Jamaal Charles to 10 yards rushing on nine carries, giving him 14 yards on 14 carries in two games against Oakland this season. Brady Quinn was 18 for 32 for 136 yards and an interception as he missed injured receiver Dwayne Bowe.

Kansas City’s best play was a 42-yard run by Charles that got called back by a holding penalty on guard Joe Asamoah.

”That was kind of how the day went,” Quinn said. ”We’d have a big play like that and a penalty. A guy wide open and a dropped ball or I wouldn’t be able to have time to throw it. We just weren’t able to sustain any sort of consistency the entire day.”

The Chiefs finally got a first down with just more than five minutes remaining in the third quarter when Dexter McCluster fought for 8 yards on a catch on third-and-6. Two penalties by Oakland gave Kansas City 42 yards and helped set up Kansas City with first-and-goal from the 9. But the drive stalled when Charles was tackled at the 8 by Matt Giordano after a short catch on fourth down.

Kansas City also failed to capitalize on a fumble by McFadden that Justin Houston recovered at the Oakland 18. An offensive pass interference and four straight incompletions by Quinn gave the ball back to the Raiders and helped seal the shutout.

The last time the Raiders recorded a shutout came in the 2002 regular season finale when they beat Kansas City 24-0. That was also the only other time they shutout the Chiefs in this long rivalry.

”We had a rough season, and it was our last home game, so we wanted to go out there and prove to our fans that we’re still playing with heart and passion, we’re still giving it everything we’ve got,” safety Tyvon Branch said. ”So this was one of those games, it was like a fan appreciation game.”

The fans even got to see third quarterback Terrelle Pryor for the first time all season. He entered to cheers on the first series of the second quarter. The former Ohio State star player handed off on his first two plays and threw an incompletion on third down before Palmer returned to the game.

”It’s a steppingstone, a step,” Pryor said. ”I enjoyed the four plays or whatever it was. It’s a stepping stone, and I was excited to get in there at least.”

— Associated Press —

The Kansas City Chiefs put wide receiver Dwayne Bowe on injured reserve Saturday night, ending his season and potentially his up-and-down career in Kansas City.

The Chiefs’ leading receiver already had been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Oakland after hurting his ribs while delivering a block in last weekend’s game at Cleveland. Bowe underwent a series of MRI exams and other tests this week to determine the extent of the injury.

“Well, one of the things that Bowe presents is he presents some dependability to our offense, playmaking ability,” Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said earlier this week.

“We all kind of depend on him a little bit. So now with him being out, what we’re going have to do is, we’re going to have to rely on those other guys to step up and be able to make some plays for us so that we can generate some offense.”

Bowe has 59 catches for 801 yards and three of the Chiefs’ eight TD grabs this season.

“Everybody’s got to do a better job, collectively,” offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said. “Dwayne was a big part of the passing game, obviously. Everybody else is going to have to chip in and make sure they’re doing their jobs really well.”

Bowe was playing this season on a $9.5 million deal as the team’s franchise player, and it’s possible the two sides could agree on a new deal or the Chiefs could franchise him again.

Bowe wasn’t happy about getting the tag last season, though. He refused to sign his tender until well into training camp, forcing him to play catch-up at the start of the year.

The former first-round draft pick rarely speaks to the media, but said a few weeks ago that he wouldn’t mind finishing his career in Kansas City. There were reports in previous weeks that he was unhappy with the Chiefs and wanted to become a free agent.

With Bowe ruled out, the Chiefs head into Sunday’s game against the Raiders and their final two games against Indianapolis and at Denver with precious few down-field options.

Wide receiver Steve Breaston has been inactive more than he’s played in recent weeks, and the Chiefs’ next-leading receivers after Bowe are running back Jamaal Charles and former running back Dexter McCluster, who are more adept at catching short-yardage passes.

Bowe had his best season in 2010, when he was voted to the Pro Bowl after catching 72 passes for 1,162 yards and a league-high 15 touchdowns. He had 81 catches for 1,159 yards last season, and has caught 415 passes for 5,728 yards and 39 touchdowns in his six-year career.

“Any time you lose a guy like Dwayne Bowe, it’s going to hurt you,” Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn said. “He’s a special player. He really is.”

— Associated Press —

Defensive end Juqua Parker emerged from the trainer’s room and headed to his locker singing a tune – one that might sum up the current Browns.

”We’re not gonna take it,” Parker said, repeating the chorus to Twisted Sister’s 1980s hard rock anthem. ”We’re not gonna take it … anymore.”

The Browns are tired of losing.

Rookie Travis Benjamin’s electrifying 93-yard punt return touchdown early in the second quarter swung momentum in Cleveland’s favor and the Browns won their third straight, 30-7 over the emotionally drained Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Benjamin’s game-changer helped the Browns (5-8) continue their resurgence under second-year coach Pat Shurmur, whose future in Cleveland remains uncertain. With three games left, the Browns, who opened this season 0-5, have surpassed their win total from last season and have their longest winning streak since 2009.

”It’s all kind of coming together,” said 14-year veteran kicker Phil Dawson, who booted three field goals. ”We’re just doing all the little things right now. Guys are hungry to come back to work every day. There’s some energy around here that I haven’t felt. This is all good.”

Rookie running back Trent Richardson had two 1-yard TD runs for the young-and-improved Browns, whose 23-point margin of victory was their largest since 2003 – a significant accomplishment for a franchise with 11 double-digit loss seasons since 1999.

”It’s been a long year,” linebacker D’Qwell Jackson said. ”At first, it was rocky. We were in a lot of close ballgames and we weren’t able to finish, and now we’re starting to create something. We had some young guys at the beginning of the season that were a little immature, and they’ve grown up a little bit.

”We have something going right now.”

Jamaal Charles ran for 165 yards, breaking off an 80-yard TD run on the game’s first play for Kansas City, playing its road game following linebacker Jovan Belcher’s suicide. The 25-year-old killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, at their home before driving to the team’s practice facility on Dec. 1 and shooting himself.

Richardson’s second TD early in the fourth quarter gave the Browns a 27-7 lead and finally put away the Chiefs (2-11), who a week ago were able to pull together and win at home over Carolina, less than one day after Belcher’s unspeakable act.

Coach Romeo Crennel rallied his team through the difficult ordeal, but it may have been too much to expect the Chiefs to repeat last week’s performance. Their practice schedule was adjusted during the week to attend a service for Belcher, and the days of reflection and grief may have taken a toll.

”It is going to be with some guys the rest of their lives,” quarterback Brady Quinn said. ”But it was not a distraction because we live to play football. We just didn’t play an all-around football game like we did last week.”

Charles returned after sustaining a rib injury knocked him out one series. Kansas City, though, lost leading receiver Dwayne Bowe, who injured his ribs in the first half and didn’t come back.

Without Bowe, Quinn was without his top target. Quinn, who had his finest game as a pro last week, finished 11 of 22 for 159 yards and one interception.

Dawson kicked field goals of 23, 24 and 34 yards for the Browns, 3-1 since the bye with the loss at Dallas in overtime. Dawson’s first kick made him the 25th player in NFL history to make 300 field goals.

Benjamin’s 93-yard punt return – the longest in team history – gave the Browns a 10-7 lead.

Just before the snap, Benjamin lined up to block Kansas City’s gunner before sprinting 50 yards and switching spots with Josh Cribbs, who rushed up the middle. Benjamin fielded the kick inside his 10, cut sharply left, picked up a few key blocks and outran the rest of Kansas City’s coverage unit.

The Browns worked on the play in practice and sprung it on the Chiefs.

”Biggest play of the game,” quarterback Brandon Weeden said. ”They were yelling something crazy on the sideline. I didn’t know what they were doing, and all of a sudden they pulled something out their hat and Travis breaks one. That got us the lead and we were able to keep it.”

The return by the speedy Benjamin, a fourth-round pick from Miami, was one yard longer than Eric Metcalf’s TD at Cincinnati on Sept. 4, 1994.

Now with Benjamin joining Richardson, Weeden and wide receiver Josh Gordon as playmakers, the Browns have a solid offensive foundation for the future. On defense, several rookies, including linemen Billy Winn and John Hughes have contributed all season.

Shurmur and his staff have the Browns headed in the right direction, but there’s no guarantee new owner Jimmy Haslam will allow them to stay next season.

”Guys are excited,” Weeden said. ”Guys are still hungry. We’ve got a close-knit group guys. We don’t have any knuckleheads.”

The Browns drove 60 yards after the second-half kickoff with Richardson plowing in for his eighth rushing TD. He later got his ninth score to tie the team rookie record set by Hall of Famer Jim Brown (1957).

— Associated Press —

Romeo Crennel stood in the middle of the Kansas City Chiefs’ locker room Sunday, the emotion threatening to overcome the good-natured coach.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was at his side, offering support. Members of the team hugged each other, the mud smearing with tears on their cheeks. And over along the wall stood the empty locker that once belonged to Jovan Belcher, his jersey still hanging from a hook.

Just one day after the linebacker killed his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself, the Chiefs banded together to play their finest game of the season, an inspired 27-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers that ended an eight-game losing streak suddenly rendered trivial.

”As far as playing the game, I thought that was the best for us to do, because that’s what we do,” Crennel said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. ”We’re football players and football coaches and that’s what we do. We play on Sunday.”

According to authorities, Belcher shot his girlfriend multiple times early Saturday at a residence near Arrowhead Stadium, then sped to the team’s practice facility and turn the gun on himself as Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli watched in the parking lot.

Pioli walked through the press box before the game and said he was doing ”OK.”

”It’s been an incredibly difficult 24 hours for our family and our entire organization,” Hunt said. ”We have so many guys on our team and our coaching staff who are really, really hurting.”

Chiefs players gathered in the tunnel leading to the field for a brief prayer before their pregame stretching. A few fans in the half-empty stadium held up signs referencing the shootings, and there was a moment of silence to remember all victims of domestic violence.

Kansas City police have not released a motive for the shootings, which claimed the life of Belcher and 22-year-old Kasandra M. Perkins, and left a 3-month-old girl, Zoey, an orphan.

”I’m just trying to get through the rest of today,” said the Chiefs’ Brady Quinn, who threw his first two touchdown passes in three years. ”The emotions of what has taken place will probably hit home for a few guys the next few days, when they realize what’s taken place.”

Cam Newton threw for 232 yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers (3-9), who were informed the game would be played as scheduled while they were heading to Kansas City on Saturday.

DeAngelo Williams added 67 yards rushing, carrying the load with Jonathan Stewart out with an injury. Steve Smith, Greg Olsen and Louis Murphy caught Carolina’s TD passes.

”You definitely feel for them. What they are going through is tragic,” Olsen said. ”But we have a job to do. Our job is to come here and prepare to win. They wouldn’t expect any less.”

Peyton Hillis had a touchdown run for Kansas City (2-10), while Tony Moeaki and Jon Baldwin had touchdown catches. Ryan Succop hit a pair of field goals, including a 52-yarder with 4:54 left that forced the Panthers try for a touchdown to steal the win.

Instead, they went three-and-out, and the Chiefs were able to run the clock down to 31 seconds before giving back the ball. Newton completed two quick passes to reach the Carolina 38, but his final heave as time expired was caught by Smith short of the end zone.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera greeted Crennel at midfield and gave him a hug.

”They played an inspired football game,” Rivera said. ”They did some really good things, and we have to give them credit, because they suffered through a very difficult time.”

The emotions were raw even after the kickoff.

Kansas City took the opening possession and marched 74 yards in just six plays, including a 21-yard pass to Dwayne Bowe and a 34-yarder to Baldwin that got the Chiefs to the Carolina 2.

Hillis powered in to score the first touchdown for Kansas City on the opening possession of a game since Dec. 26, 2010. It was also the first touchdown drive engineered by Quinn since December 2009, when he helped the Browns beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Hillis ran to the sideline after scoring his first touchdown of the season and handed the ball to Crennel, then gave the guy who managed to hold the team together a hug.

The Panthers answered with a long touchdown drive of their own. The big play came when safety Abe Elam watched Olsen haul in a 47-yard pass from Newton for the tying touchdown.

The Chiefs had tacked on a field goal when the Panthers struck again, this time after Newton completed three passes to convert third downs, the last finding Smith in the end zone.

But Kansas City finished off the half with one of its best drives of the year, an 80-yard march that took up the final 7:25. Hillis was stuffed at the line on third-and-goal, and Crennel allowed the clock to hit 2 seconds before calling timeout. On the final play of the half, Quinn saw Moeaki open in the back of the end zone and delivered a soft toss for a 17-14 lead.

Breathing room came late in the third quarter when the Chiefs used 17 plays to go 87 yards on a drive that lasted another 10 minutes. Quinn finished it with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Baldwin.

Carolina mounted a comeback with the opening drive of the fourth quarter, with Newton hitting Murphy on a quick slant route from the 8 to get the Panthers within a field goal. But the Chiefs added their own field goal, and then burned enough of the clock to ensure the victory.

One that allowed the Chiefs to celebrate in the midst of their mourning.

”There were pockets in the game where reality hits you again, and that’s sobering,” said Chiefs linebacker Andy Studebaker. ”I’ve been telling people, Jovan was like a brother to us. His family was family to us. Our hearts go out to them, man, and the game maybe took our heads off it for a while. It brought us closer as a team today, I think. But it’s never going to be easy.”

— Associated Press —