USA TODAY International Edition
Winless no more: Lions top Vikings 29- 27
DETROIT – The Lions finally found a victory when Jared Goff threw an 11- yard touchdown pass to Amon- Ra St. Brown as time expired, lifting previously winless Detroit to a 29- 27 win over the Vikings on Sunday.
Not only was the finish dramatic, it was stunning. Goff led the Lions on a 75yard decisive possession without a timeout after Kirk Cousins threw a 3yard TD pass to Justin Jefferson with 1: 50 left. The Vikings failed on a twopoint conversion for the third time.
Goff threw two touchdown passes in the first half to put Detroit ahead by 14 points, its biggest lead this season. Then he turned over the ball twice in the second half to help Minnesota rally.
He came through in the end, leading the long drive and delivering a sharp pass to the rookie receiver, who took advantage of the Vikings secondary playing too deep in the end zone.
The Lions ( 1- 10- 1) ended a 15- game winless streak that lasted 364 days since winning at Chicago last season, giving first- year coach Dan Campbell his first victory with the franchise.
The Vikings ( 5- 7) hurt their chances of earning a wild- card spot in the playoffs by losing a game they were favored to win by a touchdown – and led until the very last tick of the clock.
Goff finished 25 of 41 for 296 yards with three TDs, an interception and a fumble. St. Brown had 10 receptions for 86 yards – and the TD that set off a roar in Ford Field loud enough it might’ve been heard on Motor City streets.
Cousins was 30 of 40 for 340 yards with two touchdowns and a fumble.
CARDINALS 33, BEARS 22
CHICAGO – Kyler Murray threw for two TDs and ran for two in his return from an ankle injury for Arizona. The Cardinals ( 10- 2) got back Murray and three- time All- Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins after both missed three games because of injuries, then rolled to an easy victory over Chicago ( 4- 8).
The NFC West leaders, who have the NFL’s best record, intercepted Andy Dalton four times. Jalen Thompson and Budda Baker picked off passes that deflected off the intended target on Chicago’s first two possessions. – AP
STEELERS 20, RAVENS 19
PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh thwarted a two- point conversion attempt after Lamar Jackson’s TD pass to Sammy Watkins got Baltimore within one with 12 seconds to go. Rather than turn to Justin Tucker for an almost automatic 35- yard extra point, the Ravens ( 8- 4) went for the knockout punch. Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews couldn’t haul in a flip by Jackson. The Steelers ( 6- 5- 1) recovered an onside kick to seal it.
Pittsburgh ended a three- game winless streak behind the 39th fourth- quarter comeback engineered by Ben Roethlisberger. The 39- year- old quarterback threw for 236 yards and two second- half TDs to Diontae Johnson, the final one a 5- yard catch- and- run with 1: 48 to play that gave the Steelers a 20- 13 lead.
Jackson took the Ravens 60 yards in eight plays, the last six coming on a tumbling grab by Watkins in the back of the end zone. The offense stayed on the field for the two- point conversion. The Steelers brought pressure on Jackson – a constant for three- plus hours – and his hurried throw was too far out in front for Andrews to bring it in. – AP
WASHINGTON 17, RAIDERS 15
LAS VEGAS – Taylor Heinicke threw two TD passes and set up new kicker Brian Johnson’s winning 48- yard field goal with 37 seconds remaining to lead Washington to its fourth straight victory. Heinicke threw a 7- yard TD pass to Logan Thomas on the opening drive and a 4- yarder to Antonio Gibson early in the fourth quarter. But Washington ( 6- 6) then allowed the Raiders ( 6- 6) to score on successive drives to take a 15- 14 lead on Daniel Carlson’s 37- yard field goal set up by Nate Hobbs’ interception of Heinicke. Heinicke responded and drove Washington down the field to set up the kick by Johnson. who was signed last week after Joey Slye went down with an injury. – AP
RAMS 37, JAGUARS 7
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. caught touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford, and the Rams snapped their three- game losing streak. Stafford passed for 295 yards while Sony Michel rushed for 121 yards and a score for the Rams ( 8- 4), who rebounded from a winless November with a solid all- around effort against a struggling opponent. Kupp had his 100th reception of a remarkable season among his eight catches for 129 yards.
Stafford also snapped back into form, playing turnover- free football after giving the ball away six times during the three- game skid that threatened to derail the Rams’ playoff plans.
Rookie Trevor Lawrence passed for 145 yards for Jacksonville ( 2- 10), which
has lost four straight. – AP
COLTS 31, TEXANS 0
HOUSTON – Jonathan Taylor ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns and Indianapolis rolled.
The Texans turned over the ball twice in the first quarter and quarterback Tyrod Taylor was benched in the third quarter as Houston ( 2- 10) lost for the ninth time in 10 games.
Indianapolis’ Taylor, who leads the NFL in yards rushing, has 16 rushing TDs, which ties the franchise record set by Lenny Moore in 1964. It’s the 10th straight game when he’s ran for a TD
Carson Wentz threw for 158 yards and a touchdown for the Colts ( 7- 6) before being replaced by Sam Ehlinger with five minutes left in the fourth quarter and the game long decided. – AP
SEAHAWKS 30, 49ERS 23
SEATTLE – Russell Wilson played his best game since returning from finger surgery, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns, and Seattle made a late goal line stand. Seattle ( 4- 8) snapped a three- game losing streak but it wasn’t easy as a number of mistakes gave the 49ers ( 6- 6) a chance for a tying touchdown in the final moments. Gerald Everett fumbled at the San Francisco 2 with 4: 03 left and Seattle on the cusp of a clinching score. Jimmy Garoppolo led the 49ers 95 yards to the Seattle 3. But a third- down pass for Trent Sherfield was broken up by Sidney Jones, and a fourth- down pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage by Carlos Dunlap. It was the second big play by Dunlap, who sacked Garoppolo for a safety early in the third quarter. – AP
DOLPHINS 20, GIANTS 9
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla – Tua Tagovailoa threw two short TD passes, and Miami extended its winning streak to five games. Isaiah Ford and Mack Hollins had the scoring grabs for Miami ( 6- 7), which has shaken off a 1- 7 start. Mike Glennon started at quarterback for the Giants ( 4- 8) in place of Daniel Jones, sidelined with a neck injury. Glennon completed 23 of 44 throws for 187 yards, and the team said he was diagnosed postgame with a concussion. – AP
EAGLES 33, JETS 18
EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. – Gardner Minshew started in place of injured Jalen Hurts and led clock- eating Philadelphia to scores on its first seven possessions. Minshew was 20 of 25 for 242 yards and two touchdowns to Dallas Goedert. Kenneth Gainwell ran for a score, Jake Elliott kicked four field goals and the Eagles ( 6- 7) improved to 12- 0 all time against the Jets ( 3- 9). The Jets held the ball for only 70 seconds in the third quarter – just three plays for 3 yards. Meanwhile, the Eagles had 24 plays for 81 yards over 13: 50 in the period.