McCarthy fired after Pack loss
GREEN BAY — The Packers have fired coach Mike McCarthy and made offensive coordinator Joe Philbin the interim head coach.
The move, announced by team president Mark Murphy, came after a stunning 20-17 loss on Sunday to the Arizona Cardinals, dropping Green Bay to 4-7-1.
Murphy, in a statement, 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.”
Murphy said the process of hiring the next head coach would begin immediately.
CHARGERS 33, STEELERS 30
Michael Badgley kicked a 29-yard field goal on the final play to lift the Chargers over the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Badgley initially missed a 39-yard kick, but Pittsburgh was called for offsides. Badgley's ensuing 34-yard attempt was blocked, but the Steelers were again flagged jumping across the line of scrimmage before the snap. He drilled his third attempt for the game-winner, and the Chargers gleefully declined another Pittsburgh offsides penalty.
PATRIOTS 24, VIKINGS 10
The Vikings came into Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon with a chance to bolster their playoff prospects and put themselves back in the thick of the NFC North race. They left knowing they'll need a win on the West Coast eight days from now to keep their postseason chances in good standing. It's come to that for these Vikings, beset by injuries on defense and unable to find a rhythm on offense in a loss to the Patriots.
RAMS 30, LIONS 16
Perhaps it was the early wake-up call for their only game in the Eastern time zone. Or the comedown from such a breathless pace and finish in their last game.
Whatever the reason, the Rams looked sluggish on Sunday against the struggling Lions. Todd Gurley ran for two touchdowns, Jared Goff passed for another, and star defensive tackle Aaron Donald once again came up with a big play that helped the Rams clinch the NFC West.
SEAHAWKS 43, 49ERS 16
Russell Wilson threw for three first-half TDs on just four completions and finished with four TD passes. Bobby Wagner capped a blowout with a 98-yard interception return TD, and the Seahawks won their third straight by beating the visiting 49ers. Seattle (7-5) stayed in the middle of the playoff race by jumping to a 20-0 lead and cruising to its ninth straight victory over its NFC West foe.
BRONCOS 24, BENGALS 10
Rookie Phillip Lindsay rushed for a career-high 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Denver adapted to a windy afternoon in Cincinnati and got its third straight 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.
TEXANS 29, BROWNS 13
Entering the game in Houston, rookie Baker Mayfield had been playing well and protecting the ball and the Browns were on a roll, having won consecutive games for the first time since 2014. The Browns (4-7-1) came back to earth, with Mayfield throwing a career-high three interceptions, one of which was returned for a TD.
RAVENS 26, FALCONS 16
The Baltimore defense made life miserable for Matt Ryan and the Falcons' offense — and gave rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson plenty of room for error. The visiting Ravens turned in a dominating defensive performance, limiting Atlanta to its fewest yards in almost two decades while Jackson guided Baltimore to its third straight victory.
DOLPHINS 21, BILLS 17
The Dolphins (6-6) kept their playoff hopes alive with a victory over the Bills (4-8) in Miami in front of an announced crowd of 65,155.
JAGUARS 6, COLTS 0
The visiting Colts put the ball in Andrew Luck's hands. They probably should have trusted Adam Vinatieri's leg. The Colts failed to convert three fourth-down plays — all in field-goal range — and lost 6-0 to offensively challenged Jacksonville.
BUCCANEERS 24, PANTHERS 17
The host Buccaneers got after Cam Newton, sacking the Carolina star four times and intercepting four of his passes.