Packers fire McCarthy after loss to Cards
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers fired coach Mike McCarthy on Sunday after a 20-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, one of the NFL's worst teams.
Zane Gonzalez kicked a 44yard field goal with 1:41 left, and 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 (4-7-1) suffered a major blow to their fading playoff hopes, having lost three in a row and five of their last six games.
The team announced McCarthy's dismissal after the postgame availabilities with the media.
“The 2018 season has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers,” team president Mark Murphy said in a statement. “As a result, I made the difficult decision to relieve Mike McCarthy of his role as head coach, effective immediately.”
Murphy said the process of hiring the next head coach would begin immediately.
McCarthy was in his 13th season as coach. The Packers won the Super Bowl under McCarthy in the 2010 season. He finishes with a record of 125-77-2.
Aaron Rodgers was 31-of-50 passing for 233 yards and a touchdown.
RAMS 30, LIONS 16
Todd Gurley ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns to help Los Angeles overcome a sputtering start to win at Detroit and clinch the NFC West title for a second consecutive season.
The Rams (11-1) also 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.
CHIEFS 40, RAIDERS 33
Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes to join Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the only QBs to reach the 40-TD mark through 12 games as the Chiefs won at Oakland, Calif.
Kansas City won its first game since releasing star running back Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs (10-2) cut ties with Hunt after a months-old video surfaced on TMZ on Friday, showing him shoving and kicking a woman. No charges have been filed in the case from February, but the Chiefs let Hunt go because he misled them about the incident.
JAGUARS 6, COLTS 0
Jalen Ramsey and Jacksonville delivered one of the most dominant defensive performances in franchise history in a shutout of visiting Indianapolis.
The Jaguars (4-8) needed that kind of effort to make up for a lackluster offense and end a seven-game losing streak. They also snapped the Colts’ fivegame winning streak.
GIANTS 30, BEARS 27
Aldrick Rosas kicked a 44-yard field goal in overtime as New York beat NFC North-leading Chicago at East Rutherford, N.J., snapping the Bears' five-game winning streak.
PATRIOTS 24, VIKINGS 10
Tom Brady passed for 311 yards and a touchdown, while Bill Belichick earned his 250th victory, including playoffs, as Patriots coach as New England defeated Minnesota at Foxborough, Mass.
CHARGERS 33, STEELERS 30
Michael Badgley kicked a 29-yard field goal on the final play to lift visiting Los Angeles over Pittsburgh.
Badgley initially missed a 39-yard kick, but the Steelers were called for offsides. Badgley's ensuing 34-yard attempt was blocked, but Pittsburgh again was flagged for jumping across the line of scrimmage before the snap. He drilled his third attempt at the game-winner.
SEAHAWKS 43, 49ERS 16
Russell Wilson threw three first-half touchdowns on just four completions and finished with four TD passes as Seattle won at home.
Bobby Wagner capped a blowout with a 98-yard interception return touchdown as the Seahawks won their third game in a row.
TITANS 26, JETS 22
Marcus Mariota threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Corey Davis with 36 seconds left as Tennessee rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat New York at Nashville, Tenn.
The Titans (6-6) snapped a two-game skid to keep themselves on the fringes of the AFC playoff chase.
RAVENS 26, FALCONS 16
Rookie Lamar Jackson ran for a touchdown, and Baltimore's defense turned in a dominating performance in a victory at Atlanta.
Justin Tucker kicked four field goals, Tavon Young scored after scooping up a fumble by Matt Ryan, andthe Ravens held the Falcons to 131 total yards in their third consecutive victory.
BUCS 24, PANTHERS 17
Jameis Winston threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns as Tampa Bay won at home — the Buccaneers’ second consecutive time since Winston regained his starting job with the team mired in a four-game losing streak.
The fourth-year pro completed 20 of 30 passes and did not turn over the ball for the second week in a row.
BRONCOS 24, BENGALS 10
Rookie Phillip Lindsay ran for a career-high 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns as visiting Denver earned its third consecutive victory.
The Broncos (6-6) have emerged from their bye week and knocked off the Chargers, Steelers and Bengals to stay in contention in December.
DOLPHINS 21, BILLS 17
Jordan Phillips drew a costly penalty for taunting his former team, setting up a touchdown with nine minutes left that helped Miami rally and win at home.