EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The weather conditions were perfect, as far as Jay Cutler was concerned.

Appearing hardly bothered by the steady rain and wind that whipped through the Meadowlands, Cutler threw for 357 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Denver Broncos to a 34-17 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.

"He embraced throwing in the rain," Denver coach Mike Shanahan said. "He likes it. There is nothing that seems to bother him. Some guys it bothers, others it doesn't. With Cutler, he likes throwing the wet ball."

Cutler finished 27-of-43 passing, mixing in short, accurate throws with a few long ones while picking on the Jets' suspect secondary.

"I don't know if 'likes' is the right word," Cutler said. "I think it has a lot to do with mind-set. We knew last night what the conditions would be like. I've had some success in the past in inclement weather, being able to throw it. I just feel comfortable back there throwing it."

• Falcons 22, Chargers 16: At San Diego, Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and the rest of the Falcons are very much alive in the playoff picture. The Chargers, once thought to be Super Bowl worthy, are on life support. Ryan, the rookie from Boston College, threw two touchdown passes and Turner, LaDainian Tomlinson's former understudy, ran for 120 yards against his former team.

• Vikings 34, Bears 14: At Minneapolis, with a gutty goal-line stand and one big heave by Gus Frerotte, Minnesota grabbed control of the NFC North and sent Kyle Orton and Chicago home with a humbling defeat. Seconds after the Bears were stopped four times at the 1, Bernard Berrian pulled in a 99-yard touchdown pass from Frerotte that carried the Vikings to sole possession of the division lead.

• Chiefs 20, Raiders 13: At Oakland, Calif., Tyler Thigpen engineered a 91-yard drive capped by Larry Johnson's 2-yard tiebreaking run early in the fourth quarter to lead the Chiefs to just their second win in their last 21 games. Kansas City had lost seven in a row.

• Colts 10, Browns 6: At Cleveland, defensive end Robert Mathis scooped up Derek Anderson's fumble and rumbled 39 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Colts stayed in the thick of the AFC playoff chase by winning their fifth straight.

• Giants 23, Redskins 7: At Landover, Md., Eli Manning had his first 300-yard game of the season, Clinton Portis was held to 22 yards rushing, and the Giants put aside the Plaxico Burress mess with another dominating performance. The Giants (11-1) have won seven straight, including six in a row against teams with winning records.

The Redskins began the game remembering a much more tragic shooting. Sean Taylor was inducted into the team's Ring of Fame to mark the first anniversary of his death, and Portis honored his fallen friend by running onto the field with a No. 21 flag during the pregame tribute.

• Panthers 35, Packers 31: At Green Bay, Wisc., DeAngelo Williams scored his fourth touchdown of the game with 1:30 left on the clock, giving the Panthers a stunning come-from-behind victory in wintry conditions. The Packers appeared headed for a comeback win of their own after breaking a 28-28 tie on Mason Crosby's 19-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining. But Green Bay immediately gave up a 45-yard kickoff return to Mark Jones and a 54-yard heave from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith to set up first-and-goal on the Green Bay 1.

• Buccaneers 23, Saints 20: At Tampa, Fla., Jermaine Phillips and Phillip Buchanon intercepted Drew Brees, the NFL's leading passer, in the closing minutes and Matt Bryant kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining.

• 49ers 10, Bills 3: At Orchard, N.Y., linebacker Patrick Willis and a suddenly sturdy San Francisco defense certainly did their job as spoilers. Willis had 14 tackles and a forced fumble in a win that all but ended the Bills' dwindling playoff hopes. The 49ers' win also prevented the Arizona Cardinals from clinching the NFC West and their first playoff berth in 10 years -- the longest active playoff drought in the NFL.

• Ravens 34, Bengals 3: At Cincinnati, Mark Clayton put a little sizzle into Baltimore's steadily evolving offense. The fourth-year receiver threw a touchdown pass on a reverse, then made a spectacular one-handed catch for a 70-yard score. The Ravens (8-4) have won six of their past seven games with a renowned defense and an offense coming into its own behind rookie quarterback Joe Flacco.

• Dolphins 16, Rams 12: At St. Louis, the Dolphins (7-5) made it into the end zone only once, but relied on stingy play from a defense that got routed last week by the Patriots to secure their fifth victory in six games.