Eagles hold on to top Washington, wrap up playoff spot
LANDOVER, Md. — Jalen Hurts scrambled out of trouble while showing no ill effects from a recent ankle injury, Boston Scott rushed for two touchdowns, and the Eagles held on to beat Washington, 20-16, Sunday and ended the night in the playoffs thanks to the Packers’ victory.
Hurts ran six times for 45 yards and was 17 of 26 passing for 214 yards in leading the Eagles to a fourth consecutive victory.
Philadelphia (9-7) started slowly yet again, and its league-leading rushing attack was held to a season-low 3.4 yards a carry with Miles Sanders out because of a broken left hand. Twelve days after racking up 238 yards on the ground against Washington (6-10), the Eagles picked up only 119 yards rushing.
PACKERS 37, VIKINGS 10
Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes, A.J. Dillon ran for two more scores and the host Packers routed the Vikings on Sunday night to wrap up the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.
Green Bay’s victory, coupled with Philadelphia’s triumph at Washington earlier in the day, dropped the Vikings (7-9) from postseason contention and gave the Eagles a playoff berth. The Vikings were playing without quarterback Kirk Cousins after he was placed on the reserve/ COVID-19 list Friday.
The Packers (13-3) are the lone NFL team with an unbeaten home record and have a chance to reach the Super Bowl without leaving Lambeau Field. Sunday night’s game exemplified the potential advantage the Packers have playing home games in January, as the temperature was 11 degrees with a wind chill of 1 just before kickoff.
TITANS 34, DOLPHINS 3
In Nashville, Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes as the Titans clinched their second straight AFC South title, snapping the Dolphins’ seven-game winning streak.
The Titans (11-5) won their second straight overall and third in four games to clinch their first back-to-back division titles since the start of the AFL when this franchise was the Houston Oilers and won three straight Eastern Division championships.
PATRIOTS 50, JAGUARS 10
The Patriots returned to the playoffs when rookie quarterback Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes and Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for two scores apiece in their blowout of visiting Jacksonville.
RAIDERS 23, COLTS 20
Derek Carr directed the visiting Raiders to Daniel Carlson’s winning 33-yard field goal as time expired as they moved one step closer to an AFC wild card. After Michael Badgley kicked a tying 41-yard field goal for Indianapolis with 1:56 left, Carr and the Raiders got the ball back at their 25 after a touchback. Carr found Hunter Renfrow for 24 yards on third-and-10 in the final minute, setting the stage for Carlson’s third field goal of the game.
BILLS 29, FALCONS 15
Buffalo clinched a playoff berth when Devin
Singletary scored two touchdowns rushing in the second half to make up for Josh Allen’s sloppiness in a victory over visiting Atlanta that eliminated the Falcons from contention.
The AFC East-leading Bills rallied to clinch their third consecutive playoff spot. Buffalo (10-6) did so by beating the Falcons, coupled with the Ravens’ loss to the Rams.
RAMS 20, RAVENS 19
Matthew Stafford shook off three turnovers to guide a fourth-quarter rally that carried the visiting Rams to their fifth straight victory.
Stafford threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Odell Beckham Jr. with 57 seconds left immediately after completing a 5-yarder to Beckham on a fourth-and-5. After Los Angeles failed on a 2-point conversion, the Ravens — playing a third straight game without injured quarterback Lamar Jackson — never got close enough for a field-goal try.
SEAHAWKS 51, LIONS 29
In Seattle, Rashaad Penny rushed for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns, Russell Wilson threw three of his four TD passes to DK Metcalf, and the Seahawks routed the Lions.
SAINTS 18, PANTHERS 10
Alvin Kamara turned a short pass into New Orleans’ first touchdown in more than 11 quarters, Brett Maher kicked four field goals, and the Saints beat the reeling Panthers in New Orleans.
CHARGERS 34, BRONCOS 13
Justin Herbert threw for two touchdowns and set the franchise single-season record, Andre Roberts returned a kick 101 yards for a score, and the host Chargers moved back into an AFC playoff spot with a victory over the Broncos.
Los Angeles (9-7) is in the final wildcard spot but needs a win at Las Vegas next week to wrap up its first postseason berth since 2018. The Colts, Chargers and Raiders all have the same record, but the Chargers currently hold the tiebreaker over Las Vegas.
49ERS 23, TEXANS 7
Rookie Trey Lance threw two touchdown passes in the second half of his second career start, and the 49ers closed in on a playoff berth with a victory over the visiting Texans.