The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Giants outlast Bears for win in overtime
The Los Angeles Rams returned to their lockers in the Motor City, where NFC West championship shirts and hats were waiting to be worn.
The victors, though, refuse to be spoiled by this accomplishment.
Todd Gurley ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns to help the Rams overcome a sputtering start to beat the Detroit Lions 30-16 Sunday and clinch the division title for a second straight season.
“We’re not satisfied yet,” said defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had two sacks and forced a fumble. “But we’re headed in the right direction.”
The Rams (11-1) moved a step closer to earning home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, taking a one-game lead over New Orleans after it lost to Dallas on Thursday night. It is a cushion Los Angeles needs because its only loss was against the Saints last month.
“We’re in a position right now that we feel good about,” coach Sean McVay said. “If we take care of our business, all the rest of that stuff takes care of itself.”
The Lions (4-8) have lost five of six since a surge of success gave them a winning record in late October.
“I’m extremely tired of losing,” center Graham Glasgow said.
Detroit’s defense held Los Angeles’ high-powered offense in check for three quarters, giving the slumping team a shot to potentially pull off a stunning upset.
The Lions, though, failed to make the most of the opportunity because their offense struggled to move the ball and score.
Donald helped seal the win by forcing Matthew Stafford to fumble midway through the fourth quarter. The star defensive tackle had two strip-sacks in his last game on Nov. 19, a 5451 win over Kansas City.
Chiefs 40, Raiders 33: Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes Sunday to join Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the only QBs to reach the 40 TD mark through 12 games and Kansas City won its first game since releasing star running back Kareem Hunt. Spencer Ware replaced Hunt as starter and scored on a direct snap on fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the third quarter.
Broncos 24, Bengals 10: Rookie Phillip Lindsay ran for a career-high 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Denver adapted to a windy afternoon and got its third straight victory. The Broncos have emerged from their bye week and knocked off the Chargers, Steelers and Bengals to stay in contention in December. Case Keenum completed 12 of 21 passes for 151 yards.
Cardinals 20, Packers 17: Zane Gonzalez kicked a 44-yard field goal with 1:41 left, then Green Bay’s Mason Crosby missed a 49-yard attempt as time expired. Crosby pushed his kick wide right, with the flags atop Lambeau Field blowing in toward the field at the time of the kick. The stunned Packers suffered a major blow to their fading playoff hopes. Green Bay has lost three straight and five of six.
McCarthy fired: Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy was fired after the game and offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was promoted to interim head coach. Team president Mark Murphy said the 2018 season “has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers. As a result, I made the difficult decision to relieve Mike McCarthy of his role as head coach, effective immediately.”
Buccaneers 24, Panthers 17: Jameis Winston threw for 249 yards and two TDs as Tampa Bay won its second straight since Winston regained his starting job with the team mired in a four-game losing streak. He completed 20 of 30 passes. And, for the second week in a row, the 24-year-old did not turn over the ball. Andrew Adams had three of Tampa Bay’s four interceptions off Cam Newton.
Seahawks 43, 49ers 16: Russell Wilson threw three first-half touchdowns on just four completions and finished with four TD passes. Bobby Wagner capped a blowout with a 98-yard interception return touchdown, and the Seattle won its third straight. Seattle stayed in the middle of the NFC playoff race by jumping to a 20-0 lead and cruising to its ninth straight victory.
Jaguars 6, Colts 0: Jalen Ramsey and Jacksonville delivered one of the most dominant defensive performances in franchise history. Ramsey helped hold T.Y. Hilton to six catches for 56 yards and also made a game-ending tackle on Erik Swoope with 8 seconds remaining. The Colts entered with the fourth-most points in the league, having averaged more than 33 a game over their last eight.
Texans 29, Browns 13: Deshaun Watson threw a TD pass and Houston intercepted rookie Baker Mayfield three times, returning one for a score, to extend its franchise-record winning streak to nine. The Texans, who opened the season 0-3, haven’t lost since Sept. 23. Houston raced to a 23-0 halftime lead and added two second-half field goals by Ka’imi Fairbairn to give him five for the day.
Ravens 26, Falcons 16: Rookie Lamar Jackson ran for a TD and Baltimore’s defense turned in a dominating performance. Justin Tucker kicked four field goals and Tavon Young scored after scooping up a fumble by Matt Ryan. Facing a once-dynamic offense that led Atlanta to the Super Bowl only two seasons ago, the Ravens finished with a commanding 366-131 edge in total yards.