Cincinnati Bengals 34–39 Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills (9-4) rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Cincinnati Bengals (4-9). Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and ran for one, and Christian Benford scored the go-ahead TD on a 63-yard interception return. Allen’s 40-yard TD rush broke his record for the longest by a Bills quarterback. Buffalo flipped the game with big plays on defense on a snowy afternoon. Benford and defensive end AJ Epenesa intercepted Joe Burrow on consecutive plays from scrimmage, leading to the Bills scoring three touchdowns in a span of 4:20 in the fourth quarter.
Houston Texans 20-10 Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs (6-7) are facing the very real possibility that they will miss the postseason for the first time since the 2014 season after losing to the Houston Texans (8-5) on Sunday Night Football. According to Next Gen Stats, the loss leaves the Chiefs with a 14% chance of reaching the playoffs. Patrick Mahomes was intercepted three times, although he was repeatedly let down by drops from his receivers and questionable calls from head coach Andy Reid. He also had to contend with a ferocious Texans defense, who deprived him of time in the pocket. The Chiefs defense was excellent in the second-half and the margin of defeat would have been larger without its efforts. The Texans, meanwhile, have won five in a row and move into the wildcard spot in the AFC.
Pittsburgh Steelers 27–22 Baltimore Ravens
Aaron Rodgers threw for 284 yards and a touchdown and even ran for TD in perhaps his best game with the Steelers, and Pittsburgh (7-6) took sole possession of first place in the AFC North, holding on for victory over the Ravens (6-7) when a Baltimore touchdown with 2:43 remaining was overturned by a replay review. Isaiah Likely secured a pass from Lamar Jackson with two hands in the end zone, and both his feet came down, but as he was about to complete another step with his right foot, Joey Porter Jr knocked the ball free. It was initially called a touchdown but then changed to incomplete. The Ravens eventually turned the ball over on downs.
Chicago Bears 21–28 Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) have overtaken the Chicago Bears (9-4) for first place in the NFC North. Keisean Nixon intercepted Caleb Williams’ pass in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining to seal Green Bay’s win over Chicago. The Bears were facing fourth-and-one from Green Bay’s 14-yard line when Williams faked a handoff and rolled to his left. Tight end Cole Kmet had gotten behind Nixon in the end zone, but Nixon made a leaping catch of the underthrown pass. Josh Jacobs scored the tiebreaking touchdown on a two-yard run with 3:32 remaining as the Packers won their fourth straight and snapped Chicago’s five-game win streak.
Indianapolis Colts 19–36 Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdowns, and Travis Etienne rushed for two others to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to a commanding victory in a crucial AFC South matchup as the Colts lost Daniel Jones to a reported torn achilles. Lawrence completed 17 of 30 passes for 244 yards. Brian Thomas Jr caught three passes for 87 yards, while Tim Patrick had 78 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Jacksonville (9-4) won their fourth straight game to move into sole possession of first place in the AFC South. Indianapolis (8-5) lost Jones in the first quarter, and ESPN later reported his season is over. The offense continued to move the ball at times with his backup, rookie Riley Leonard, but struggled to finish drives.
Los Angeles Rams 45–17 Arizona Cardinals
Matthew Stafford threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns, Puka Nacua and Blake Corum both scored twice and the Los Angeles Rams (10-3) rolled past the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams (10-3) scored 35 unanswered points to bounce back from last week’s turnover-filled loss to the Panthers. They won for the seventh time in eight games. Los Angeles are tied with the Seahawks atop the division, one game ahead of the 49ers. The reeling Cardinals (3-10) have lost five straight and 10 of their past 11 after starting the season with a 2-0 record.
Denver Broncos 24–17 Las Vegas Raiders
The Denver Broncos have finally won a game where they didn’t fall behind. Bo Nix passed for 212 yards and rushed for a touchdown, and the Broncos beat the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders lost quarterback Geno Smith, who injured his right hand and shoulder in the third quarter and was replaced by Kenny Pickett. The Broncos improved to 11-2. They tied New England for the top seed in the AFC, and they ended their NFL record of rallying for nine consecutive victories. The Raiders (2-11) have lost seven straight.
New Orleans Saints 24-20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The New Orleans Saints upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to tighten the NFC South race. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough ran for two touchdowns for lowly New Orleans, who improved to 3-10. The Saints were 8.5-point underdogs. They frustrated Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in a sloppy game mostly played through a storm. The four-time defending division champion Bucs fell to 7-6. They lost for the fourth time in five games and fell into a first-place tie with Carolina. The Bucs and Panthers face off twice in the final three games.
Seattle Seahawks 37–9 Atlanta Falcons
Rashid Shaheed returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, Seattle’s defense came up with three turnovers and the Seahawks beat the hapless Atlanta Falcons. Seattle improved to 10-3 and have their sights on a division title, maybe even a top seed in January. Sam Darnold threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of scores to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks broke away from a 6-6 tie at halftime with a 31-point beatdown of the Falcons over the final two quarters. The Falcons dropped to 4-9 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Tennessee Titans 31-29 Cleveland Browns
Cam Ward threw two touchdown passes and Tony Pollard ran for two touchdowns as the Tennessee Titans ended a seven-game losing streak. The Titans kept Cleveland (3-10) out of the end zone in the second half until the Browns tallied two touchdowns in the waning minutes–- and followed both with failed two-point conversion attempts – to create drama between a pair of struggling teams. Shedeur Sanders threw seven yards to Harold Fannin II for a touchdown with 1:03 to play, but a two-point conversion pass failed. Pollard rushed for 161 yards on 25 carries as the Titans (2-11) won despite managing only 292 yards of total offense. Tennessee piled up their largest point total of the season. Ward was 14-for-28 for 117 yards and threw an early interception.
Washington Commanders 0–31 Minnesota Vikings
JJ McCarthy threw a career-high three touchdown passes in his first turnover-free game, returning from his latest injury absence in prime form for the Minnesota Vikings in a victory that sent the Washington Commanders to their eighth straight loss. McCarthy went 16 for 23 for 163 yards in his seventh NFL start. He sat out last week with a concussion while the Vikings were shut out for the first time in 18 years. McCarthy hit his tight ends for all three scores, two to Josh Oliver and one to TJ Hockenson. The Vikings are 5-8. The Commanders are 3-10.
Miami Dolphins 34–10 New York Jets
Tua Tagovailoa remained unbeaten against the New York Jets, leading the Miami Dolphins (6-7) to victory over their AFC East rivals. With the win, Tagovailoa improved to 7-0 against the Jets (3-10) as a starter. The Dolphins have now won five of their last six games. De’Von Achane ran for 92 yards and a touchdown before leaving with a rib injury. Jaylen Wright stepped in with a career-high 107 yards. The Jets, now eliminated from playoff contention, saw rookie quarterback Brady Cook make his NFL debut after Tyrod Taylor left with a groin injury. Miami’s defense and special teams also played key roles in the win.
