Sam Darnold added one other exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns because the Minnesota Vikings held on to beat the Inexperienced Bay Packers 27-25 on Sunday for his or her ninth consecutive victory that put them one win from the NFC’s high seed for the playoffs.
Darnold hit Jalen Nailor, Jordan Addison and Cam Akers for scores to lift his passing landing complete to 35, the fourth-most in NFL historical past by a participant in his debut season with a staff.
The Vikings (14-2) arrange a final-week showdown in Detroit for each the NFC North title and the first-round-bye-plus-home-field-advantage package deal that comes with the perfect report within the convention.
Jordan Love’s solely landing cross for the Packers (11-5) got here with 2:18 left, a 3-yard toss to Malik Heath that trimmed their deficit to 2 factors and reignited the “Go Pack Go!” chants from the green-clad followers blended in among the many purple in one other basic version of this divisional rivalry.
Regardless of one other fierce climb out of a gaping gap towards Minnesota this season, following a 31-29 loss in Inexperienced Bay on Sept. 29 that began with a 28-0 deficit, the Packers fell to a troubling 0-5 towards the highest three groups within the NFC. They have been swept by the Lions, too, and misplaced the opener in Brazil to the Eagles.
Dallas Cowboys 7-41 Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards to high 2,000 on the season, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett ran and threw for scores earlier than departing with injured ribs, and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title by routing the Dallas Cowboys 41-7 on Sunday.
Barkley has 2,005 yards and desires 101 in subsequent week’s largely meaningless regular-season finale to high Eric Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
The Eagles (13-3) led 24-7 within the third quarter when Pickett was drilled by defensive finish Micah Parsons, ending his first begin rather than the concussed Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee, a profession third-stringer, entered the sport and the Eagles completed the drive with a discipline purpose.
McKee later threw two TD passes, a 20-yarder to AJ Brown and a 25-yarder to DeVonta Smith, in entrance of a roaring crowd delighted to look at the Eagles dominate their fiercest rival to wrap up the division title and not less than the No 2 seed within the NFC.
Hurts was injured in final week’s loss at Washington and stays within the NFL’s concussion protocol – he didn’t apply all week – which opened the door for Pickett to begin.
Pickett, acquired from Pittsburgh within the offseason, performed with additional safety underneath his jersey after he suffered a rib damage when he was pressed into service towards the Commanders.
Carolina Panthers 14-48 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield threw for 359 yards and 5 touchdowns to assist the Buccaneers maintain their division and playoff hopes alive with a 48-14 rout of the Panthers on Sunday.
Tampa Bay’s fifth win up to now six weeks nudged the first-place Bucs (9-7) a half-game forward of Atlanta for the perfect report within the NFC South, with the Falcons set to play on the highway later Sunday night time at Washington.
Atlanta holds the tiebreaker within the division race and might finish Tampa Bay’s three-year reign as NFC South champions by beating the Commanders and successful once more subsequent week at residence towards the last-place Panthers (4-12).
Mayfield threw TD passes of two and 1 yards to Mike Evans, and Tampa Bay produced factors on 5 straight first-half possessions to construct a 27-7 lead. Jalen McMillan scored on receptions of 10 and 16 yards, linebacker JJ Russell returned a blocked punt for a third-quarter TD and rookie Bucky Irving had one other huge recreation towards Carolina with 120 yards dashing on 20 carries and 4 receptions for 77 yards.
Irving went over 1,000 yards for the season (1,033) regardless of primarily getting used as a backup to Rachaad White. The fourth-round draft decide ran for 152 yards and a landing on 25 carries towards the NFL’s Thirty second-ranked run protection in Tampa Bay’s 26-23 additional time win at Carolina on 1 December.
Tennessee Titans 13-20 Jacksonville Jaguars
Mac Jones threw two landing passes, together with one to standout rookie Brian Thomas Jr, and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 20-13 within the rain Sunday to comb the season sequence for the fourth time in 30 years.
Jones accomplished 15 of twenty-two passes for 174 yards, with most of them going to Thomas. The primary-round draft decide from LSU completed with seven receptions for 91 yards. His 11-yard TD catch with 7:05 remaining gave him his eighth recreation with not less than 60 yards and a rating, tying him with Corridor of Famer Randy Moss for essentially the most by a rookie in NFL historical past.
Thomas, who has 5 TD catches in his previous 4 video games, additionally turned the fifth participant in Jaguars historical past with double-digit TD receptions in a single season. He joined Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marcedes Lewis and Reggie Williams.
The Titans (3-13) improved their place for the 2025 NFL draft – a possible probability to land a franchise quarterback – and secured final place within the AFC South. The Jaguars (4-12) assured themselves third within the division.
New York Jets 14-40 Buffalo Payments
Josh Allen threw two landing passes and ran for an additional rating, and the Buffalo Payments clinched the AFC’s No 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the unraveling and undisciplined New York Jets on Sunday.
The Payments put the sport away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span within the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo’s protection pressured three takeaways general and sacked Aaron Rodgers 4 occasions, together with a two-yard loss for a security within the second quarter.
Allen had a brief and environment friendly outing, ending 16 of 27 for 182 yards with a 30-yard TD cross to Amari Cooper and a 14-yarder to Keon Coleman earlier than giving strategy to backup Mitchell Trubisky with Buffalo main 33-0 by three quarters. And Trubisky piled on by finishing a 69-yard landing cross to apply squad call-up Tyrell Shavers 2:23 into the fourth quarter.
Allen’s two-TD passing outing was the sixty fourth of his profession to match Peyton Manning for the third most in a participant’s first seven NFL seasons. Patrick Mahomes holds the report with 67 two-TD outings in that span, adopted by Dan Marino’s 65.
Allen additionally turned the NFL’s first participant with 5 consecutive 40-TD seasons, whereas his one-yard rating was the sixty fifth dashing TD of his profession, matching the staff report held by Thurman Thomas.
Las Vegas Raiders 25-10 New Orleans Saints
Aidan O’Connell handed for 2 touchdowns, tight finish Brock Bowers broke two rookie NFL information, and the Las Vegas Raiders received for simply the fourth time this season, 25-10 over the struggling New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Bowers’ seven catches for 77 yards gave him 108 receptions for 1,144 yards this season, eclipsing Mike Ditka’s 1961 rookie tight finish mark of 1,067 yards receiving and Puka Nacua’s 2023 mark of 105 catches by a rookie at any place. Bowers additionally surpassed Darren Waller’s franchise mark of 107 receptions in a season, which had stood since 2020.
Ameer Abdullah rushed for 115 yards for the Raiders (4-12) – the journeyman operating again’s first 100-yard recreation in his 10 NFL seasons.
O’Connell completed with 242 yards passing, together with a three-yard TD cross to Jakobi Meyers and an 18-yarder to Tre Tucker.
Daniel Carlson kicked 4 discipline objectives – his longest from 54 yards – for the Raiders, who didn’t look fazed by flight delays on Saturday that received them into their lodge after midnight, lower than 12 hours earlier than kickoff.
Indianapolis Colts 33-45 New York Giants
The New York Giants snapped a franchise-record 10-game dropping streak and ended the Indianapolis Colts’ slim playoff hopes Sunday as Drew Lock threw 4 landing passes and ran for an additional in a 45-33 victory.
New York earned their first residence win of the season they usually now not has management of the No 1 general decide within the draft.
Lock sandwiched landing passes of 31 and 59 yards to Malik Nabers round TD passes of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and 5 yards to Wan’Dale Robinson in main the Giants (3-13) to their first win since beating Seattle on 6 October.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a 100-yard return on the second-half kickoff on a day the league’s worst offense set a season excessive for factors.
Jonathan Taylor scored on runs of three and 26 yards for Indianapolis (7-9), whereas Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, threw landing passes of 13 yards to Alec Pierce and seven yards to Michael Pittman, the final bringing the Colts inside 35-33 with 6:38 left within the fourth quarter.
Lock, who completed 17 of 23 for 309 yards, iced the sport by main a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a five-yard run.
Miami Dolphins 20-3 Cleveland Browns
Tyler Huntley scrambled for a landing and threw for one whereas beginning for Tua Tagovailoa, and the Miami Dolphins stayed within the playoff race heading into their season finale with a 20-3 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
With Tagovailoa sidelined by a hip damage, Huntley did sufficient to maintain the Dolphins (8-8) alive with one recreation left.
Miami must win subsequent weekend on the New York Jets and hope the Denver Broncos lose at residence to Kansas Metropolis to get a wild-card berth. Sadly for the Dolphins, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and lots of the top-seeded Chiefs’ starters are anticipated to relaxation.
Tagovailoa’s standing for subsequent week is unclear, however Huntley confirmed he can get the job executed if crucial.
He completed 22 of 26 for 225 yards and didn’t have any turnovers in his fourth begin this season. The 26-year-old was with Cleveland in coaching camp earlier than being launched in August.
The Browns (3-13) dropped their fifth straight and completed 2-6 at residence. They improved their draft place for 2025, when they are going to possible search for a quarterback.
