Saints fall to Buccaneers, still win NFC South title
TAMPA, Fla. — Jameis Winston threw for 363 yards, including a 39-yard scoring pass to Chris Godwin with nine seconds remaining, to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snap a five-game losing streak with a 31-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
The playoff-bound Saints (11-5) entered the day hoping to clinch their first NFC South championship in six years. They wound up winning the title anyway, with Carolina (11-5) losing its regular season finale at Atlanta.
Trailing 24-23 with 1:58 remaining, Winston moved the Bucs (5-11) 95 yards in 11 plays for the winning TD.
He converted a fourth-and-10 from his own 5 yard line with a 12-yard completion to Cameron Brate and threw 9 yards to Mike Evans on third-and-1 to keep the drive going at the Tampa Bay 35.
The fourth-year pro, who was intercepted three times, found Godwin racing up the right sideline just ahead of Saints cornerback Ken Crawley to put the Bucs ahead for good.
Alvin Kamara scored on a 106-yard kickoff return and had a second touchdown rushing for the Saints, who took a 24-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter when Zach Line caught a 3-yard TD pass from Drew Brees.
Patrick Murray, whose missed an extra point in the second quarter was the difference on the scoreboard when Winston launched the winning drive, made a 42-yard field goal to help the Bucs pull within 24-23 with four minutes left.
Kamara, who’s teamed with Mark Ingram to give New Orleans the only tandem in NFL history 1,500-plus scrimmage yards and more than 10 touchdowns in the same season, wiped out an early 7-0 deficit with his kickoff return.
The rookie’s 7-yard TD run on the Saints’ first offensive possession made it 14-7.
The touchdowns were the 13th and 14th of the season for Kamara, who has eight rushing and five receiving in addition to the second 100 yard-plus kickoff return for a touchdown allowed by Tampa Bay in two weeks.
Winston led a pair of 75-yard scoring drives in the opening half, but was also intercepted twice before halftime.
Brees turned one of the mistakes into the Saints’ first touchdown, throwing 43 yards to Michael Thomas to set up Kamara’s TD run that finished a 65-yard drive. The New Orleans finished 22 of 30 for 245 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
ATLANTA — Matt Bryant kicked five field goals, including a 56-yarder, for all of Atlanta’s second-half points and the Falcons clinched a playoff spot by beating the Panthers.
After the teams played to a 7-7 halftime tie, the 42-year-old Bryant kicked field goals of 30, 42, 30, 56 and 33 yards without a miss.
Atlanta (10-6) clinched the No. 6 seed in the NFC and will play at the Los Angeles Rams next week in the first round of the playoffs.
On a day when Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense struggled, Bryant’s 15 points provided a margin too great for Carolina to overcome.
The Panthers (11-5) had a playoff spot secured entering the weekend, but they couldn’t improve their position.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Buffalo Bills snapped the longest current non-playoff drought in North American pro sports with a victory at Miami and Cincinnati’s victory at Baltimore. The Bills hadn’t made the postseason since 1999.
Buffalo (9-7) will travel to Jacksonville next weekend in a wildcard game.
BALTIMORE — The Ravens were ousted from the playoff hunt in stunning fashion when Andy Dalton threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd with 44 seconds, giving the Bengals the win.
PITTSBURGH — The Browns joined the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams in NFL history to go 0-16 when they failed to find a way to beat the backup-laden Steelers.
Cleveland had a chance late in the fourth quarter, but DeShone Kizer’s fourth-down pass to Corey Coleman bounced off Coleman’s hands and fell incomplete.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Marcus Mariota threw a touchdown and used his legs to help the Titans end an eight-season playoff drought by beating the Jaguars to clinch an AFC wild-card berth.
The Titans (9-7) snapped a three-game skid in a game they needed to win or get some help with losses elsewhere to advance. They also posted their first back-to-back winning seasons since 2007 and 2008.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s defense turned in another dominant performance and Latavius Murray rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Vikings secure a first-round bye for the playoffs.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Dion Lewis ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass, helping the Patriots clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
The win clinched the seventh 13-win season for the Patriots (13-3), second in NFL history to San Francisco’s nine seasons. It was also Bill Belichick’s 250th career regular-season win, moving him into a tie with Tom Landry for third all-time among head coaches.
New England has defeated New York in four straight meetings, and the Patriots haven’t lost to the Jets (5-11) at home during the regular season with Tom Brady starting since 2006. Brady’s 13th win as a starter this season tied him with Brett Favre for most by a starting quarterback at age 40 or older.
DENVER — Patrick Mahomes II made both his first NFL start and his first NFL relief appearance a success Sunday, leading the Chiefs past the Broncos on Harrison Butker’s 30-yard field goal as time expired.
DETROIT — Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes and the Lions beat the turnover-prone and short-handed Packers in a matchup of teams out of the playoff race.
The Lions (9-7) finished with a winning record in consecutive
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