Bridgewater hurt in Broncos’ loss
DENVER — Khalid Kareem snatched the ball from backup quarterback Drew Lock on second-and-goal early in the fourth quarter and the Cincinnati Bengals stayed in the thick of the logjammed AFC playoff race with a 15-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The Bengals (8-6) won despite star rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase being held to a single catch for 3 yards and Tee Higgins managing only 23 yards on two catches.
The Broncos (7-7) saw their postseason hopes whittled with their fourth home loss of the season.
Lock was in for Teddy Bridgewater, who was taken to the hospital in the third quarter for further evaluation of a head injury after he was carted off the field following a scary collision that also sent Bengals linebacker Joe Bachie from the game with a leg injury.
Bridgewater had movement in his extremities and coach Vic Fangio said he’d be held overnight for observation but was expected to be OK.
Bengals Broncos 15 10
SAINTS 9, BUCCANEERS 0
In Tampa, Fla., New Orleans’ defense gave Tom Brady fits again, shutting down the Buccaneers’ high-powered offense as the Saints put Tampa’s division-title celebration plans on hold with a victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Despite playing without coach Sean Payton on the sideline, the Saints (7-7) beat the Bucs (10-4) for the seventh straight time during the regular season — fourth since Brady left New England for Tampa Bay in 2020.
The victory gave New Orleans a sweep of the season series between the NFC South rivals and boosted the Saints into playoff position. It also forced Tampa Bay to wait at least one another week to clinch its first division crown since 2007.
The Bucs, who did win a playoff game at New Orleans last January en route to winning the Super Bowl, lead the division by three games with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
Brady leads the NFL in completions, attempts, yards passing and touchdown passes but was just 26 of 48 for 213 yards and one interception — the eighth he’s thrown in four regular-season games against the Saints, who didn’t have any turnovers Sunday night.
PACKERS 31, RAVENS 30
In Baltimore, Aaron Rodgers tied Brett Favre for a major franchise record, and Green Bay won the NFC North.
Both of those accomplishments felt a bit like formalities as the season wound down, but this latest victory for the Packers included plenty of drama.
Rodgers threw three touchdown passes — tying Favre on Green Bay’s career list — and the Packers became the first team this season to clinch a division title when they beat Baltimore. Green Bay nearly squandered a 14-point lead in the final quarter but held on when the Ravens missed a 2-point conversion in the final minute.
The Packers have won the NFC North three straight seasons.
49ERS 31, FALCONS 13
In Santa Clara, Calif., Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 235 yards and a touchdown, San Francisco ran for three more scores and the 49ers won for the fifth time in six games, beating Atlanta.
“Guys were locked in today,” Garoppolo said. “You felt it throughout the week, too. It was a big game, NFC opponent, playoff picture and everything like that. It’s December football. We knew what we were in for.”
The Niners (8-6) scored touchdowns on four straight drives to make easy work of the Falcons (6-8) to remain in wildcard position as the sixth-place team in the NFC.
BILLS 31, PANTHERS 14
In Orchard Park, N.Y., Josh Allen says his sprained left foot felt fine — still, he was grateful for how his Buffalo teammates helped carry the load.
Devin Singletary sparked what had been a pedestrian running attack with a season-best 86 yards. A much-maligned and COVID-19-depleted offensive line delivered in both run blocking and pass protection.
And the Bills’ defense had four sacks and an interception in a 31-14 win over the offensively challenged Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
“We’re just trying to find ways to win games, and we did that today,” said Allen, who stayed mostly in the pocket in going 19 of 34 for 210 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception a week after getting hurt in a 33-27 overtime loss at Tampa Bay.
STEELERS 19, TITANS 13
In Pittsburgh, Joe Haden stuffed Tennessee wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine inches short of a first down at the Pittsburgh 10 in the final seconds, sealing a victory that resuscitated — for the time being anyway — the Steelers’ playoff hopes.
Facing fourth-and-7 at the Pittsburgh 16, Ryan Tannehill found Westbrook-Ikhine at the 10. Haden, who missed four games with a sprained foot, closed immediately and shoved Westbrook-Ihkine backward. When the official measurement confirmed what Haden already knew — that the game was over — Pittsburgh’s defense celebrated a win that marked another abrupt momentum shift in their topsy-turvy season.
DOLPHINS 31, JETS 24
In Miami Gardens, Fla., Duke Johnson rushed for 107 yards and had a career-best two touchdowns, DeVante Parker caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa with 3:37 left and the Dolphins extended their winning streak to six games by topping New York.
Johnson — basically the go-to back for Miami as a last resort because of virus-related issues throughout the week — helped the Dolphins (7-7) rally from an early 10-0 deficit. It was the first 100-yard game from a Miami rusher this season.
TEXANS 30, JAGUARS 16
In Jacksonville, Fla., Tremon Smith returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, ending the longest drought in the NFL, and undermanned Houston beat woeful Jacksonville to end a threegame skid and extend their dominance in the series.
Smith somehow escaped five defenders near the 30-yard line – Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins broke his right ankle trying to make the tackle — before coasting the rest of the way. It was Houston’s first kickoff return for a score since Oct. 4, 2009, and it helped Smith end haunting memories of getting tackled at the 3-yard line as a rookie with Kansas City in 2018.
Texans rookie quarterback Davis Mills won for the first time in eight starts. He connected with Brandin Cooks twice for touchdowns, once early and again late. The second one was a 43-yarder that sealed yet another Houston victory against Jacksonville.
LIONS 30, CARDINALS 12
In Detroit, Kyler Murray’s shaky performance helped the Lions stun Arizona.
The Cardinals (10-4) started the day tied for the NFL’s best record, undefeated on the road and a win away from ending a six-year postseason drought.
Meanwhile, the Lions (2-11-1) were at the bottom of the league standings before the first snap and somehow looked as if they were the team that had more at stake.
Arizona, coming off a loss on Monday night to the NFC West-rival Los Angeles Rams, missed its chance to get in the playoffs for the first time since 2015 with a win over a team it was favored to beat by nearly two touchdowns.