Jayden Daniels inflicted late heartbreak for the Philadelphia Eagles, Sam Darnold's Minnesota Vikings clinched another dramatic win and the Miami Dolphins kept their slim playoff hopes alive. Here's what happened on NFL Sunday...
Philadelphia Eagles 33-36 Washington Commanders
Daniels threw five touchdown passes including a decisive last-gasp strike as the Washington Commanders ended the Philadelphia Eagles' 10-game winning streak by defeating the NFC East leaders 36-33 on Sunday.
Daniels' heroics culminated with a 57-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:58, finding Jamison Crowder in the end zone with six seconds left. He bounced back from throwing an interception on the previous possession and led the Commanders (10-5) back after they fell behind by 14 points seven minutes into the game and trailed by 14 going into the fourth quarter.
They are now on the verge of making the playoffs after handing Philadelphia (12-3) their first loss since September 29.
The Eagles played without Hurts for the majority of the game and failed to clinch the division and one of the conference's top two seeds despite Saquon Barkley running for 109 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter alone.
Daniels was the primary reason for that, beating the Eagles a month after losing to them on the road. He was 24 of 39 for 258 yards with a pair of touchdowns to Crowder and Olamide Zaccheaus and one to Terry McLaurin, as well as rushing for a team-high 81 yards on nine carries.
That was enough to overcome Brian Robinson Jr. losing two fumbles in the first half and Dyami Brown another early in the third quarter and Marshon Lattimore getting flagged three times for pass interference.
Minnesota Vikings 27-24 Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson with 3:51 left for his third touchdown pass of the game as the Minnesota Vikings outlasted Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 to keep pace with Detroit for the top spot in the NFC.
After the Seahawks took the lead on Smith's third touchdown pass, Darnold led a 30-second drive that was aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty. He stepped up in a collapsing pocket and launched a deep ball that Jefferson hauled in just short of the goal line with two defenders closing in.
Jefferson finished with 10 catches for 148 yards as the Vikings (13-2) won their eighth straight. If they can beat Green Bay and Detroit to close out the season, they will earn the top seed in the conference and a first-round playoff bye.
Darnold threw for multiple touchdowns for the 11th time this season and more than 200 yards for the 10th. He finished 22 of 35 for 246 yards, helping Kevin O'Connell become the first Vikings coach with multiple 13-win seasons.
Smith threw for 314 yards and his four-yard touchdown pass to AJ Barner gave the Seahawks a 24-20 lead with 4:41 left, but he couldn't rally Seattle (8-7) after Jefferson's touchdown catch. Jason Myers missed a 60-yard field goal try after the two-minute warning, and Theo Jackson picked off Smith with 49 seconds left to seal it.
New England Patriots 21-24 Buffalo Bills
James Cook scored two touchdowns, Buffalo's defense forced three second-half turnovers and the AFC East champion Bills overcame a 14-0 deficit to pull out a 24-21 win over the New England Patriots.
With trainers examining Bills quarterback Josh Allen's right throwing elbow on the sideline, cornerback Taron Johnson secured the victory by recovering a fumble in the end zone to put Buffalo up 24-14 with 10:10 left.
Allen returned on the Bills next possession on which he completed two of three attempts and finished 16 of 29 for 154 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. The MVP favourite appeared to be hurt on a seven-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter.
Buffalo improved to 12-3 in keeping alive its slim chances of catching the Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) for the AFC's top seed entering the playoffs. The Bills had their single-season NFL record-tying run of scoring 30 or more points end at eight straight games.
The Patriots scored on each of their first two possessions, with rookie Drake Maye's 28-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte, followed by Rhamondre Stevenson scoring on a 14-yard touchdown run.
Arizona Cardinals 30-36 Carolina Panthers (OT)
Chuba Hubbard ran for a 21-yard touchdown in overtime as the Carolina Panthers eliminated the Arizona Cardinals from playoff contention with a 36-30 victory.
Hubbard finished with 152 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, rushing for 49 yards on the decisive drive in OT.
Kyler Murray threw for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and his 20-yard TD run helped rally Arizona (7-8) from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force the extra period. But it wasn't enough for the Cardinals, who led the NFC West in early November but have lost four of five since.
Bryce Young went 17 of 26 for 158 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a career-high 68 yards, including a 23-yard score, as the Panthers snapped a four-game skid. Adam Thielen and David Moore had touchdown catches for Carolina (4-11).
James Conner rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 49 yards for Arizona before leaving the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. Murray had 63 yards on the ground.
In overtime, Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon went for it on fourth-and-two at the Arizona 18, and Michael Carter picked up the first down with a five-yard run. But the Panthers then sacked Murray at his own seven, forcing a punt. Hubbard took over from there.
Detroit Lions 34-17 Chicago Bears
Jared Goff threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns as the Detroit Lions remained on top of the NFC with their franchise-record 13th victory in a 34-17 over the Chicago Bears.
Jameson Williams had a career-high 143 yards receiving on five catches, including an 82-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 109 yards and a score, and Detroit (13-2) broke a tie with the 1991 and 2023 teams for the most wins in franchise history. The Lions also set a single-season record for scoring with 493 points.
The Lions flexed their dominance by executing a trick play in which Goff intentionally stumbled while dropping back. With Detroit players yelling "Fumble!" and Gibbs pretending to dive for the ball, Goff threw to Sam LaPorta for a 21-yard touchdown that made it 34-14.
Caleb Williams threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns following a string of shaky performances for the Bears, who lost their ninth in a row and drew more boos from their frustrated fans.
Goff delivered another strong showing a week after becoming the first NFL player to lose while throwing for 400-plus yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. The three-time Pro Bowler completed 23 of 32 passes without an interception and had Lions fans chanting his name.
Along with the deep ball to Jameson Williams and the throw to LaPorta, Goff also threw to Amon-Ra St. Brown for an eight-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
San Francisco 49ers 17-29 Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa threw for 215 yards and a touchdown, Jason Sanders nailed five field goals, and the Miami Dolphins kept their playoff chances alive by beating the San Francisco 49ers 29-17.
The 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs before the game because of wins by the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders earlier on Sunday. The loss ensured that last year's NFC champions will have a losing season for the first time since 2020.
The Dolphins (7-8) helped their chances of making the playoffs for a third straight season, but will need to win their final two games and get help from losses by the Broncos, Chargers and Colts for that to happen.
Trailing by nine early in the fourth, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy found tight end Eric Saubert for a two-yard score that cut the lead to 19-17, but the Niners couldn't get past self-inflicted wounds.
After punting the ball back to Miami with 6:45 left, San Francisco were hit with consecutive penalties for illegal substitution, unnecessary roughness and offsides to give Miami 25 yards, helping set up Sanders' 48-yard field goal that stretched the Dolphins' lead to five. The 49ers were penalised 11 times for 90 yards.
Cornerback Kader Kohou then intercepted Purdy on the next drive, after the quarterback was pressured by defensive tackle Calais Campbell. Dolphins running back De'Von Achane sealed it with a 50-yard touchdown run. Tagovailoa finished 22 of 34, while Purdy was 26 of 40 for 313 yards and two touchdowns.
Los Angeles Rams 19-9 New York Jets
Matthew Stafford threw a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee early in the fourth quarter after a turnover by Aaron Rodgers as the Los Angeles Rams beat the New York Jets 19-9 for their fourth consecutive victory.
With the game tied at nine early in the fourth quarter, Kam Curl sacked Rodgers on a blitz and forced a fumble that Jared Verse recovered at the Jets 21.
Three plays later, Stafford found Higbee - making his season debut after missing the first 14 games with a knee injury - for a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown that made it 16-9.
Rodgers limped a bit off the field after the strip-sack and briefly went to the injury tent, but returned on the Jets' next series. Joshua Karty's 45-yard field goal put the Rams up by two scores at 19-9 with 5:17 left.
Stafford was 6 of 10 for 46 yards and an interception in the first half, and finished 14 of 19 for 110 yards. Kyren Williams ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Rodgers was 28 of 42 for 256 yards and a touchdown to Davante Adams in the loss that overshadowed a promising start for New York.
Tennessee Titans 30-38 Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns, including runs of 65 and 70 yards, to lead the Indianapolis Colts past the Tennessee Titans 38-30.
Indy rushed for a franchise-record 335 yards as Taylor posted the second-highest single-game rushing total in the league this season and also of his five-year career. The three rushing scores were the most since he scored four touchdowns against Buffalo in 2021.
Taylor made it look easy after quarterback Mason Rudolph replaced the benched Will Levis and threw a picture perfect 38-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley midway through the first quarter and set up the Titans for a 53-yard field goal.
Anthony Richardson tied the score on his record-breaking run, a five-yard burst that gave him the most rushing TDs by a Colts quarterback in one season (six).
Taylor went untouched on a 70-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half before scoring from a yard out to make it 38-7 during the third quarter. Tennessee would pull within 38-30 with 2.47 to play after two scoring runs from Tyjae Spears, a six-yard touchdown catch by Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and two two-point conversions.
New York Giants 7-34 Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. won his debut as Atlanta's starting quarterback, thanks largely to a defense that returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns as the Falcons bolstered their playoff hopes by handing the New York Giants their franchise-record 10th straight loss in a 34-7 victory.
Jessie Bates and Matthew Judon each had a pick-six to carry Atlanta (8-7) to their second straight win after a four-game losing streak put its postseason hopes in jeopardy.
Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft, got his first NFL start against the Giants (2-13) after the Falcons decided to bench turnover-prone Kirk Cousins, just nine months after signing him to a four-year, $180m contract that included $100m in guaranteed money.
The rookie was not overwhelmed by the moment, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards and an unfortunate interception that bobbled out the hands of Kyle Pitts.
Cleveland Browns 6-24 Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes, including one as he was falling to the turf, as the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
The Bengals (7-8) need to win their last two games and get some help to reach the postseason.
Burrow passed for three or more touchdowns for the seventh consecutive game and finished 23 of 30 for 252 yards.
Ja'Marr Chase had six catches for 97 yards and a late touchdown for Cincinnati to reach 1,510 yards this season and break his own franchise record of 1,455 yards set in 2021.
Myles Garrett meanwhile recorded the 100th sack of his career in the second quarter.
Jacksonville Jaguars 14-19 Las Vegas Raiders
Aidan O'Connell returned from an injury and passed for 257 yards as the Las Vegas Raiders ended a 10-game losing streak with a 19-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Raiders, whose skid was the longest active streak in the NFL, won for the first time since beating the Cleveland Browns 20-16 on September 29. The victory, however, means the Raiders (3-12) moved ahead of the league-worst New York Giants (2-13), who now occupy the No 1 pick in next year's Draft.
Las Vegas' Brock Bowers caught 11 passes for 99 yards, leaving him 10 yards away from breaking Mike Ditka's 63-year-old NFL rookie record for tight ends. Ditka had 1,076 yards in 1961.
Bowers did become the third rookie tight end to reach 1,000 yards in a season, joining Ditka and Atlanta's Kyle Pitts in 2021.
Jacksonville's Brian Thomas Jr. caught nine passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, giving him 73 catches this season and breaking the rookie club record of 64 set by Justin Blackmon in 2012. Thomas also is the Jaguars' rookie record holder for receiving yards (1,087) and touchdowns (nine).
Mac Jones passed for 247 yards and a touchdown for the Jaguars.
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