Los Angeles Rams 28–31 Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three scores – two of those coming on fourth down – and the Carolina Panthers (7-6) forced three turnovers by Matthew Stafford to defeat Los Angeles (9-3) and halt the Rams’ six-game winning streak. Carolina’s defense snagged Stafford twice, with Mike Jackson returning one for a 48-yard touchdown and concluding the 37-year-old’s NFL record of 28 consecutive TD passes without an interception. Derrick Brown, who tipped a ball leading to one of Stafford’s initial picks, came up with a crucial strip-sack with 2:25 remaining in the game to secure the triumph. Stafford finished 18 of 28 passes for 243 yards with two receiving touchdowns to Davante Adams, his 13th and 14th of the campaign.
Buffalo Bills 26-7 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Buffalo Bills (8-4) rebounded from a defeat at Houston by overpowering the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6). Josh Allen threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Joey Bosa sacked Aaron Rodgers to enable Christian Benford for a game-changing, 17-yard scoop-and-score. James Cook ran for 144 yards as the Bills amassed 249 yards on the ground and controlled the possession for almost 42 minutes. Allen passed for only 123 yards on a blustery day at Acrisure Stadium. His eight-yard touchdown run early in the final quarter essentially sealed the contest. It was the 76th rushing touchdown of Allen’s profession, surpassing the NFL mark for touchdown runs by a quarterback that he briefly shared with Cam Newton.
Houston Texans 20–16 Indianapolis Colts
All of a sudden, there is a contest in the AFC South after the Houston Texans achieved their fourth consecutive triumph, this one against divisional adversaries the Indianapolis Colts. With quarterback CJ Stroud back in the lineup, the two-time reigning South champion Texans got back into the division race. The Texans are 7-5, have not lost a division game this season and are third in the division, one victory behind the Colts and Jaguars (8-4).
Stroud completed 22 of 35 passes for 276 yards and one interception and Nico Collins caught five passes for 98 yards and ran for a score. Stroud was 9-of-13 passing in the latter half, including 3 of 3 on third down. Houston’s defense held the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense to under 20 points for the first time this season and kept Colts running back Jonathan Taylor out of the end zone. Taylor had 85 rushing yards and 36 yards receiving. The Colts were halted on seven of 10 third-down attempts.
San Francisco 49ers 26–8 Cleveland Browns
Brock Purdy rushed for a touchdown and threw for another score in the latter half, and the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) dampened Shedeur Sanders’ initial home start for the Cleveland Browns (3-9). San Francisco tallied 19 consecutive points after trailing in the second quarter. All three of their touchdowns resulted from short fields, taking advantage of turnovers and a long punt return. Purdy completed 16 of 29 passes for 168 yards. San Francisco star Christian McCaffrey added 74 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Sanders passed for 149 yards and a touchdown for Cleveland.
Minnesota Vikings 0-26 Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks (9-3) blanked an opponent for the first time in over a decade in their victory over the Minnesota Vikings (4-8). Ernest Jones IV had the first of five takeaways by the Seahawks’ stellar defense. Jones ran an interception back 84 yards for a touchdown. Seattle’s most recent shutout win was 26-0 over Chicago in September 2015. This one was a disparity, with the Seahawks facing an undrafted rookie quarterback in Max Brosmer. Seattle moved into a first-place tie with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West, while Minnesota dropped their fourth straight.
Arizona Cardinals 17–20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) have broken a three-game losing streak with a win over the Arizona Cardinals (3-9). Mayfield tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs and Tampa Bay’s defense held firm in the final two minutes. Mayfield started after sitting out the latter half of a 34-7 loss to the Rams due to a left shoulder injury. He threw for 194 yards and ran for 27 to assist the Bucs remain first in the NFC South. Arizona have dropped four straight and nine of 10.
Las Vegas Raiders 14–31 Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes while playing through an injury to his non-throwing hand, and Kimani Vidal made a 59-yard scoring run during the Los Angeles Chargers’ victory over the faltering Las Vegas Raiders (2-10). Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey made TD catches and Vidal rushed for a career-high 126 yards as the Chargers (8-4) defeated their longtime AFC West rivals for the fourth consecutive time. Geno Smith passed for 165 yards and threw two touchdown passes to Brock Bowers in the sixth straight defeat for the Raiders, who have just one win since Week 1.
Jacksonville Jaguars 25–3 Tennessee Titans
Trevor Lawrence threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns to guide the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 25-3 win over the Tennessee Titans. The win moves Jacksonville (8-4) into a tie with the Indianapolis Colts atop the AFC South heading into the first of two matchups between the teams next week. The Jaguars outgained the Titans (1-11) 272-188. Tennessee were 2-for-12 on third downs and 1-for-4 on fourth downs. Jakobi Meyers had his best outing since being traded to Jacksonville from the Las Vegas Raiders in November, with six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. The Jaguars sacked Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward three times, with Josh Hines-Allen collecting two sacks.
New Orleans Saints 17–21 Miami Dolphins
De’Von Achane rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown, Riley Patterson kicked four field goals and the Miami Dolphins won their third straight game by holding off the New Orleans Saints. Achane scored on the initial possession of the game and the Dolphins (5-7) never yielded the lead despite a shaky performance by Tua Tagovailoa, who completed 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards with an interception. Rookie Tyler Shough passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns for the Saints (2-10).
Atlanta Falcons 24–27 New York Jets
Nick Folk kicked a 56-yard field goal through heavy mist as time expired, leading the New York Jets to victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Tyrod Taylor went 19 of 33 for 172 yards and a touchdown pass and also ran for a score. Adonai Mitchell had eight receptions for 102 yards and a TD. Kirk Cousins went 21 of 33 for 234 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons, who lost for the sixth time in seven contests. The Jets halted a two-game skid with the triumph.
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