Falcons snap Saints’ six-game win streak
NEW ORLEANS — Matt Ryan passed for two touchdowns and Atlanta ended its six-game slide with a victory over the Saints that stopped New Orleans’ sixgame winning streak.
Atlanta’s defense stunningly dominated New Orleans’ normally stout offensive line. Coming in with an NFL low seven sacks all season, the Falcons sacked Drew Brees six times, with Grady Jarrett, Vic Beasley Jr., Adrian Clayborn and De’Vondre Campbell all getting involved. Jarrett finished with a team-high 21⁄2 sacks.
It was the second time this season the Saints were held without a touchdown at home, but the first time with Brees under center. New Orleans also failed to score a TD in a 12-10 victory over Dallas in Week 4 with Teddy Bridgewater filling in at quarterback.
Ryan, returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him in the game before the Falcons’ Week 9 bye, was 20 of 35 for 182 yards.
His first touchdown went for 8 yards to tight end Austin Hooper in the second quarter and his second to running back Brian Hill in the fourth quarter to put Atlanta in front 20-9.
TITANS 35, CHIEFS 32
Ryan Tannehill threw a 23yard touchdown to Adam Humphries with 23 seconds left, and Tennessee blocked a last-second field goal attempt to beat Kansas City to spoil the return of NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes at Nashville, Tenn.
The Titans (5-5) had a chance to take the lead only after a bad snap by the Chiefs on Harrison Butker’s fifth field goal attempt of the day. The snap caught holder Dustin Colquitt by surprise, and he threw the ball away in desperation for an intentional grounding call, setting the Titans up at their own 39.
Tannehill scrambled for 18, hit Anthony Firsker for 20 yards and then found Humphries who ran in for the TD. Tannehill also ran for the 2-point conversion for a 35-32 lead.
The Chiefs (6-4) had a final chance with Mahomes. He drove them down, setting up Butker for a field goal try from 52 yards.
Joshua Kalu blocked the kick and the Titans poured onto the field to celebrate.
PACKERS 24, PANTHERS 16
Preston Smith and Green Bay’s defense stopped Christian McCaffrey at the goal line as time expired and the host Packers defeated Carolina at a snowy Lambeau Field.
Aaron Jones scored three rushing touchdowns for the second time this season to lead Green Bay (8-2), which improved to 5-2 all-time against the Panthers at home.
The Panthers got the ball back with 2:25 left on their own 11yard line, trailing by eight.
Quarterback Kyle Allen drove Carolina down the field, including completing a 12-yard pass to D.J. Moore on fourthand-10 with 56 seconds left. The Panthers also benefited from an offsides penalty with 13 seconds remaining to convert another fourth down. After Allen threw an incompletion, the Packers stopped McCaffrey just short of the end zone as time expired. A review upheld the call.
Aaron Rodgers was held out of the end zone, but the two-time MVP completed 17 of 29 passes for 233 yards, including 118 yards to Devante Adams.
McCaffrey had a relatively quiet 108 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries for the Panthers (5-4), who fell to 6-10 all-time against Green Bay. McCaffrey, who entered the day leading the league in yards from scrimmage and touchdowns, also had 33 yards on six catches.
Allen completed 28 of 43 attempts for 307 yards. He also had two costly turnovers.
STEELERS 17, RAMS 12
Pittsburgh forced four turnovers — including a 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown by safety Minkah Fitzpatrick — in a win at home that pushed the Steelers’ winning streak to four games and dealt the Rams’ chances of chasing down Seattle and San Francisco in the NFC West a serious blow.
Linebacker Dante Fowler scored Los Angeles’ lone touchdown on a 25-yard fumble return on the second snap of the game. But the Rams’ offense did little against a Steelers defense that has become the team’s identity after losing Ben Roethlisberger to a season-ending right elbow injury in Week 2.
DOLPHINS 16, COLTS 12
Ryan Fitzpatrick scored on an 11-yard run in the first half and the Miami defense made a late stop to preserve a victory at Indianapolis.
The Dolphins (2-7) have won two straight after a miserable start and earned their first win at Lucas Oil Stadium since 2013.
Indianapolis (5-4) has lost back-to-back regular-season games for the first time since October 2018. With starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett out because of an injured left knee, the Colts offense sputtered. Indy gained just 300 total yards and Brian Hoyer was picked off three times, with Miami scoring 13 points off those turnovers.
BROWNS 19, BILLS 16
Baker Mayfield threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins with 1:44 left and host Cleveland snapped a four-game losing streak — and took some pressure off first-year coach Freddie Kitchens — with a win over Buffalo.
The Browns (3-6) rallied for a win that kept their season from completely collapsing.
BEARS 20, LIONS 13
Mitchell Trubisky tied a season high with three touchdown passes, and Chicago withstood a late charge by Detroit with Jeff Driskel filling in for injured quarterback Matthew Stafford at
Chicago to snap a four-game losing streak.
Chicago (4-5) got its struggling offense going, scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter. Detroit (3-5-1) lost for the fifth time in six games.
BUCCANEERS 30, CARDINALS 27
Jameis Winston threw for 358 yards and one touchdown, helping host Tampa Bay rally to snap a four-game losing streak.
Matt Gay kicked three field goals and Peyton Barber scored on a 1-yard run to finish a 92yard, game-winning drive Winston put together after the Bucs (3-6) ended Kyler Murray’s NFL rookie record streak of 211 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.
Murray threw for 324 yards and three TDs to Christian Kirk for Arizona (3-6-1).
JETS 34, GIANTS 27
Le’Veon Bell scored a goahead 1-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter after a 33-yard pass interference penalty on DeAndre Baker, and the Jets rallied and then held on to beat the Giants for Big Apple bragging rights.
Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to Jamison Crowder and ran for another score, and Jamal Adams scored on a 25-yard fumble return on a strip-sack for the Jets (2-7).
Daniel Jones threw a careerhigh four touchdown passes, two each to Darius Slayton and Golden Tate, but couldn’t prevent the Giants (2-8) from losing their sixth straight game.
Saquon Barkley had the worst game of his young career, finishing with just 1 yard on 13 carries. He also had five catches for 30 yards.