FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes, and James Cook ran for two TDs and caught another as the Buffalo Bills rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat New England 35-31 on Sunday, preventing the Patriots from clinching the AFC East title.
Allen finished 19 of 28 for 193 yards. Cook ran 22 times for 107 yards for the Bills (10-4), who avoided being swept by a division opponent for the first time since 2019. Buffalo reached 10 wins for the seventh consecutive season.
The Bills overcame a double-digit deficit for the third time this year after previously rallying against Baltimore (down 15 points in the fourth quarter) and Cincinnati (down 10).
The Patriots (11-3) lost their first division game of the season and their 10-game win streak ended. They haven’t won the AFC East since 2019 but still lead the Bills by one game with three games left.
Drake Maye had a pair of touchdown runs, and TreVeyon Henderson ran for scores of 52 and 65 yards. Henderson finished with 14 carries for 148 yards.
CHARGERS 16, CHIEFS 13
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Los Angeles Chargers eliminated the Kansas City Chiefs from playoff contention when Derwin James picked off a pass by Gardner Minshew — who had just taken over for the injured Patrick Mahomes — in the closing seconds to preserve a 16-13 victory over the reigning AFC champions Sunday.
Justin Herbert, playing through a broken left hand, threw for 210 yards and a touchdown, and the Chargers (10-4) ensured consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time since 2006-07 by completing a rare regular-season sweep of Kansas City.
Mahomes was trying to rally the Chiefs in the closing seconds, completing a series of passes to get across midfield by the two-minute warning. But on the next play, he was scrambling toward the Kansas City sideline and throwing the ball away when he was spun to the ground by defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP clutching his left knee.
Mahomes was taken briefly to the blue injury tent, then helped to the locker room with a towel draped over his head.
JAGUARS 48, JETS 20
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence accounted for six touchdowns, including a career-high five passing, and the Jacksonville Jaguars overwhelmed the New York Jets from start to finish in a 48-20 drubbing Sunday.
Lawrence completed 20 of 32 passes for 330 yards and didn’t have a turnover for the third consecutive game. His passer rating of 136.7 was the best of his five-year NFL career.
He also ran for 51 yards and a score, a 15-yard scramble in the first quarter that helped set the tone. Lawrence rolled left, juked Will McDonald in the backfield and then scampered down the sideline.
Jacksonville (10-4) scored touchdowns on its first three possessions for the first time since 1998 and topped 40 points through three quarters for the first time since 2005. It was a drama-free day for the home team, which reached double-digit victories for just the second time in the last 18 seasons.
RAVENS 24, BENGALS 0
CINCINNATI — Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns, Kyle Van Noy and Alohi Gilman teamed up for a 95-yard pick-six and the Baltimore Ravens blanked the Cincinnati Bengals 24-0 on Sunday, the first time Joe Burrow has been shut out in his six-year career.
Derrick Henry rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries — his sixth game of 100 or more this season — as the Ravens (7-7) won their fourth straight road game and pulled within a half-game of Pittsburgh in the AFC North. The Steelers host Miami on Monday night.
Jackson threw first-half TD passes to Rasheen Ali and Zay Flowers and finished 8-of-12 for 150 yards. It was the first score of Ali’s two-year career.
Cincinnati was eliminated from playoff contention. Burrow — who vented his frustration about the Bengals' disappointing season earlier this week — was picked off twice as he completed 25 of 39 passes for 225 yards. Ja'Marr Chase had 10 receptions for 132 yards.
BEARS 31, BROWNS 3
CHICAGO — Caleb Williams threw two touchdown passes and the Chicago Bears beat Cleveland 31-3 on Sunday in one of the coldest games ever at Soldier Field even though the Browns’ Myles Garrett moved within a sack of the NFL’s single-season record.
The Bears (10-4) heated up early on a day when the gametime temperature was 8 degrees (-13 C), scoring two first-quarter touchdowns and breaking the game open with two more in the third.
It was just the sort of performance they needed coming off a loss at Green Bay that knocked them from first to seventh in the NFC, with a rematch against their rivals at home next week looming.
Garrett had 1.5 sacks, giving him 21.5 on the season and leaving him one shy of the record shared by New York Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (2001) and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt (2021). He got to Williams in the second quarter on a third down at the Cleveland eight, and he and Shelby Harris took down the quarterback early in the fourth. A four-time All-Pro, Garrett has at least one sack in eight straight games and has 17.5 in that span.
EAGLES 31, RAIDERS 0
PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts rebounded from his worst NFL game to throw three touchdown passes, Saquon Barkley had a two-yard touchdown run and the Philadelphia Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak with a 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
The Eagles (9-5) were able to get their maligned offence under embattled coordinator Kevin Patullo right against the woeful Raiders and finally showed signs of life with a nice mix of play calling in bitter cold temperatures and topped 21 points for the first time in six games.
Hurts had his moments — that included a shovel pass for a score to Dallas Goedert on a day that started with the field blanketed in several inches of snow. Hurts also hit DeVonta Smith on a 44-yard reception on a drive that stalled in the second quarter and settled for a field goal by Jake Elliott and a 10-0 lead. He pitched a four-yard TD pass to Goedert in the third for a 24-0 lead.
Yes, their first three TDs that totalled 10 yards — and a dynamite defensive effort — was enough to beat down a Raiders (2-12) team that lost their eighth straight game and got an anemic performance out of Kenny Pickett in his first start at quarterback for the injured Geno Smith.
COMMANDERS 29, GIANTS 21
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a touchdown, fellow rookie Jaylin Lane returned a punt 63 yards to the end zone, and the Washington Commanders ended their season-derailing skid at eight games by beating the similarly woeful New York Giants 29-21 on Sunday.
The only NFL game this week with no playoff implications has a far bigger bearing on draft positioning. The Giants (2-12) lost their eighth in a row, moving a step closer to the top pick, a last-place finish in the NFC East and potentially front-office changes, with a coaching search already coming.
New York did not have the same expectation as Washington (4-10), which was coming off an improbable run to the conference championship game in Jayden Daniels' AP Offensive Rookie of the Year season. Daniels didn't play Sunday after aggravating a left elbow injury, so it was Marcus Mariota who quarterbacked the Commanders to their first victory since Oct. 5.
Mariota connected with top receiver Terry McLaurin on a 51-yard catch-and-run TD early in the fourth quarter. That was one of only 10 passes Mariota completed on 19 attempts for 211 yards, with a fumble.
TEXANS 40, CARDINALS 20
HOUSTON — C.J. Stroud threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns and the Houston Texans jumped out to a big early lead and cruised to a 40-20 victory over the slumping Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The Texans (9-5) have won six straight games for the first time since a nine-game winning streak in 2018 to improve their playoff hopes. It’s the sixth straight loss for the Cardinals (3-11), whose last win came on Nov. 3 against the Cowboys.
Houston got going immediately with its fastest score of the season when Stroud connected with Nico Collins on a 57-yard touchdown strike on the second play of the game. Collins took the short throw, escaped two diving defenders at around the 40 and ran untouched into the end zone for the score.
The Cardinals fumbled on the ensuing kickoff return and the Texans recovered. They couldn’t move the ball and settled for a 30-yard field goal that made it 10-0.
49ERS 37, TITANS 24
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes and the San Francisco 49ers started the stretch run of their season with a 37-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The 49ers (10-4) came back from a bye week and looked extremely sharp on offence against the overmatched Titans (2-12) by scoring on their first five possessions of a game for the first time since the 2021 season.
Purdy threw two touchdown passes to Jauan Jennings, another to George Kittle and the Niners got a TD run from Christian McCaffrey as San Francisco converted its first seven tries on third down.
Purdy finished 23 for 30 for 295 yards and the Niners won despite getting only 87 yards from scrimmage from McCaffrey.
SEAHAWKS 18, COLTS 16
SEATTLE — Jason Myers kicked a franchise-record six field goals, including a 56-yarder with 29 seconds left, and the Seattle Seahawks outlasted 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts 18-16 on Sunday.
Rivers threw a touchdown pass after coming out of retirement to make his first start in nearly five years, and he led the Colts into position for Blake Grupe’s go-ahead, 60-yard field goal with 47 seconds left.
That was enough time for Sam Darnold and the Seahawks (11-3). Rashid Shaheed returned Grupe’s kickoff 28 yards to the Seattle 37, and Darnold connected with Shaheed twice for 25 yards to set up Myers.
RAMS 41, LIONS 34
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Matthew Stafford passed for 368 yards and hit Colby Parkinson for two touchdowns, and the NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams clinched a playoff berth with a furious second-half rally for a 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Kyren Williams rushed for two scores and Blake Corum added another TD for the Rams (11-3), who came back from a double-digit deficit shortly before halftime with 20 consecutive points to secure their eighth victory in nine games.
Los Angeles is headed to the playoffs for the third straight year and for the seventh time in coach Sean McVay's nine seasons.
After throwing his fifth interception of the season in an inconsistent first half, Stafford ruthlessly led the Rams to victory in the second half. He heard chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” from the SoFi Stadium crowd after hitting Parkinson for an 11-yard score with 4:49 to play.
Amon-Ra St. Brown scorched his hometown team for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 13 receptions for the Lions (8-6). Jared Goff passed for 338 yards and three TDs, but Detroit has alternated wins and losses since Week 5, endangering its hopes for a third straight playoff berth.
SAINTS 20, PANTHERS 17
NEW ORLEANS — Charlie Smyth kicked a 47-yard field goal in the final seconds of regulation, lifting the Saints to a 20-17 comeback victory over the playoff-hopeful Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
The winning kick by the former Gaelic football player from Northern Ireland prevented Carolina (7-7) from seizing sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
It also capped another encouraging performance by rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who won for the third time in six starts for New Orleans (4-10), which was 1-7 when the 40th overall draft choice took over in Week 9 for season-opening starter Spencer Rattler.
Shough was 24 of 32 for 272 yards, including a 12-yard, tying touchdown pass to Chris Olave with 2:29 left in regulation. He also rushed for a team-high 32 yards and did not turn the ball over.
BRONCOS 34, PACKERS 26
DENVER — Bo Nix tied his career high with four touchdown throws and Denver's defence stifled Jordan Love in the second half of the Broncos' 34-26 win Sunday over the Green Bay Packers, who lost star Micah Parsons to a knee injury.
With their NFL-best 11th consecutive victory, the Broncos (12-2) clinched a playoff berth and moved a game ahead of New England for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They stayed two games ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West.
The Packers (9-4-1), who led 23-14 in the third quarter before falling apart offensively, slipped a half-game behind Chicago ahead of their Soldier Field showdown with the Bears next weekend. This was Green Bay's first loss by more than three points.
Denver cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss recorded their first interceptions of the season, the Broncos sacked Jordan Love three times and Denver held the Packers to just one touchdown in four trips into the red zone.
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