Chiefs edge Chargers, stay atop AFC
Cowboys rout Vikings
INGLEWOOD, Calif., Nov 21, (AP): Patrick Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for their third touchdown of the game with 31 seconds remaining, and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied past the Los Angeles Chargers 30-27 on Sunday night to stay atop the AFC.
Mahomes hit Kelce on a short crossing route that Kelce took to the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown, concluding a six-play, 75-yard drive that took just 1:15. The Chargers had pulled ahead 27-23 on Justin Herbert’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:46 left.
Herbert and the Chargers had one final chance, but Nick Bolton intercepted a deflected pass to seal it for the Chiefs (8-2), who swept the season series from Los Angeles (5-5) and took a three-game lead in the AFC West.
With a one-game lead over four teams in the conference, Kansas City is in position to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Mahomes completed 20 of 34 passes for 329 yards without two of his top receivers. He still had Kelce, who had six catches for 115 yards. Chiefs rookie Isiah Pacheco rushed for a careerhigh 107 yards.
Herbert went 23 of 30 for 280 yards and two touchdowns, both to Palmer, who had eight receptions for 106 yards.
Cowboys 40, Vikings 3
In Minneapolis, Tony Pollard had two touchdown catches and a career-high 189 yards from scrimmage, and Dallas sacked Kirk Cousins a career-most seven times while ending Minnesota’s seven-game winning streak.
Dak Prescott was flawless at quarterback, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for two scores in his return from injury and Brett Maher made four field goals - including a 60-yarder to end the first half. The Cowboys (7-3) didn’t punt until their eighth possession, and the defense was just as good.
Micah Parsons and Dorance Armstrong had two sacks apiece in the fifth-largest loss ever for the Vikings - and the biggest road win in Cowboys history.
The Vikings (8-2) have been the king of the comebacks in an NFL season featuring the smallest average winning margin in 90 years, none more remarkable than last week at Buffalo when they turned a 17-point deficit late in the third quarter into an overtime victory.
But the Cowboys carried out a near-perfect game plan with stunning ease. Dallas gained 108 yards on the ground in the first half. Pollard, the Cowboys’ most dangerous weapon on offense all year, finished with six catches for 109 yards and 15 rushes for 80 yards.
Patriots 10, Jets 3
In Foxborough, Marcus Jones returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown with 5 seconds remaining and the New England Patriots stunned the New York Jets 10-3 on Sunday.
The rookie’s score was the first TD on a punt return in the NFL this season and broke a stalemate on a day when both offenses struggled to move the ball.
It was the third straight win for the Patriots (6-4) and their 14th straight over New York. They also denied the Jets (6-4) a chance to move into first place in the AFC East this late in the season for the first time since 2010. Instead, New York dropped into last place.
The Jets haven’t won in Foxborough since the 2010 playoffs when they knocked out the Patriots in the divisional round.
The Patriots moved the ball well at times, with Mac Jones completing 23 of 27 passes for 246 yards. But they were 4 of 15 on third down and had only one field goal - with Nick Folk missing two attempts - despite getting inside the Jets 30 three times.
Bills 31, Browns 23
In Detroit, Josh Allen threw a go-ahead, 5-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs late in the first half, and Buffalo beat Cleveland after the NFL moved the Bills’ home game to Detroit due to several feet of snow blanketing western New York.
The Bills (7-3) avoided blowing a third straight halftime lead by scoring on all five of their possessions in the second half and doing a better job protecting the ball.
Cleveland (3-7) rallied within eight points, setting up an onside kick in the final seconds that the Browns failed to recover.
Eagles 17, Colts 16
In Indianapolis, Jalen Hurts ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:20 remaining and
Philadelphia rallied past Indianapolis.
Coming off their first loss of the season, the Eagles (9-1) trailed 13-3 in the fourth quarter. Hurts threw for a touchdown early in the period to get Philly within three.
The third-year quarterback was 18 of 25 with 190 yards through the air and rushed 16 times for 86 yards as the Eagles won their seventh straight road game.
Lions 31, Giants 18
In East Rutherford, Jamaal Williams ran for a career-high three touchdowns and Detroit stunned New York.
The Lions (4-6) posted consecutive roads wins and their first three-game winning streak since November 2017. Until last week, Detroit had not won a road game under second-year coach Dan Campbell.
Williams ran for a 4-yard TD and two 1-yard scores and the Lions’ much-maligned run defense shut down NFL leading rusher Saquon Barkley and forced three turnovers on a cold, blustery day.
Raiders 22, Broncos 16, OT
In Denver, Derek Carr hit a wide-open Davante Adams with a 35-yard touchdown pass on the third play of overtime, powering Las Vegas past Denver.
The Raiders (3-7) never led in regulation but sent the game into OT when Daniel Carlson kicked a 25-yard field goal with 16 seconds left after a crucial blunder by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Broncos (3-7) were clinging to a 1613 lead at the 2-minute warning but Wilson rolled right on third-and-10 from his own 34 and instead of sliding to burn more time, he pulled up and fired out of bounds. That saved crucial seconds for the Raiders.
Falcons 27, Bears 24
In Atlanta, Younghoe Koo made a tiebreaking 53-yard field goal with less than two minutes to play and Atlanta overcame another impressive game from Chicago’s Justin Fields.
Marcus Mariota ran and threw for touchdowns for Atlanta (5-6), which pulled within one-half game of NFC-leading Tampa Bay on the Buccaneers’ bye week.
BASKETBALL
Fields ran for 85 yards with a touchdown, but the Bears (3-8) suffered their fourth consecutive loss and sixth of seven.
Ravens 13, Panthers 3
In Baltimore, Lamar Jackson ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and Baltimore forced three late Carolina turnovers.
Justin Tucker kicked two field goals, including a tiebreaking 37-yarder with 8:27 remaining. Then Marcus Peters forced a fumble by Shi Smith, giving the Ravens the ball at the Carolina 31. Baltimore (7-3) took advantage of a short field, finally reaching the end zone on Jackson’s run with 7:16 to play.
Marlon Humphrey, who recovered Smith’s fumble, later added an interception. Jason Pierre-Paul also picked off a pass in the final minute. It was the 12th straight game Baltimore forced at least one turnover.
Bengals 37, Steelers 30
In Pittsburgh, Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes, three to backup running back Samaje Perine, and Cincinnati rallied past Pittsburgh.
The Bengals (6-4) won for the fourth time in five games by relying heavily on Perine, who thrived with starter Joe Mixon missing the second half after going into the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Burrow completed 24 of 39 passes for 355 yards and became the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career yards passing. Perine ran for 30 yards and caught four passes for 52 yards. Cincinnati has won four of five against the Steelers.
Saints 27, Rams 20
In New Orleans, Andy Dalton passed for three touchdowns, Matthew Stafford left the field to be evaluated for a concussion in the second half New Orleans beat reeling Los Angeles.
Stafford’s departure from the game came two days after he’d been cleared to return from the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Stafford was effective in the first half, after which the Rams led 14-10, and he left the game having completed 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including a 62-yarder to Tutu Atwell.
Commanders 23, Texans 10
In Houston, Taylor Heinicke threw for 191 yards, Kendall Fuller returned an interception for a touchdown, and Washington rolled past Houston.
Heinicke, who started a fifth straight game for the injured Carson Wentz, had another solid performance to help the Commanders (6-5) build on last week’s victory over Philadelphia and win their fifth of six.
Davis Mills threw two interceptions and Houston mustered a season-low 148 yards of offense as the Texans (1-8-1) lost their fifth straight and remained the NFL’s only one-win team.