NFL roundup: Commanders rally past Eagles, Penix Jr. wins debut with Falcons
Jayden Daniels threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game with 6 seconds left to give the Washington Commanders a 36-33 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles' winning streak ended at 10 and they lost starting quarterback Jalen Hurts to a concussion early. Daniels led a 57-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:58 to move the Commanders to the verge of making the playoffs and prevent the Eagles from clinching the NFC East title and one of the conference's top two seeds.
Atlanta 34, N.Y. Giants 7
Michael Penix Jr. won his debut as Atlanta’s starting quarterback, thanks largely to a defense that returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns to hand the hapless New York Giants their franchise-record 10th straight loss, 34-7. Jessie Bates and Matthew Judon each had a pick-6 to lead Atlanta to its second straight win after a four-game losing streak put its postseason hopes in jeopardy. The 8-7 Falcons came into the week a game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South and holding the tiebreaker edge over the Bucs. Penix got his first NFL start against the 2-13 Giants after Kirk Cousins was benched. Penix threw for 202 yards with an interception that wasn't his fault.
Las Vegas 19, Jacksonville 14
Aidan O’Connell returned from an injury and passed for 257 yards, and the Las Vegas Raiders ended a 10-game losing streak with a 19-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Raiders' skid was the longest-active streak in the NFL. They won for the first time since beating the Cleveland Browns 20-16 on Sept. 29. The victory means the Raiders (3-12) moved ahead of the league-worst New York Giants (2-13). The team with the worst record is in line for the top pick in next year’s draft. Jacksonville is 3-12 and has lost seven of its last eight games and is 2-9 in one-score contests.
Indianapolis 38, Tennessee 30
Jonathan Taylor rebounded from perhaps the most embarrassing moment of his career by rushing for 218 yards and scoring three times, including runs of 65 and 70 yards to lead the Indianapolis Colts past the Tennessee Titans 38-30. Indy rushed for a franchise-record 335 yards. Taylor's rushing total was the second highest in the NFL this season. It also was the second highest of Taylor's five-year career and his most TD runs in a game since having four against Buffalo in 2021. Tennessee gave up the most yards rushing in a game since moving from Houston to Nashville. The Titans rallied from a 38-7 deficit by scoring 23 straight points. But Kenny Moore II's second interception of the game as time expired sealed the win.
Cincinnati 24, Cleveland 6
Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals are 7-8 and need to win their last two games and get some help to reach the postseason. Burrow passed for three or more TDs for the seventh consecutive game and finished 23 of 30 for 252 yards. Ja’Marr Chase had six catches for 97 yards and a garbage-time touchdown for Cincinnati to reach 1,510 yards this season and break his own franchise record of 1,455 yards set in 2021. The Browns missed some chances in the red zone with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback.
Carolina 36, Arizona 30 OT
Chuba Hubbard ran for a 21-yard touchdown in overtime, and the Carolina Panthers eliminated the Arizona Cardinals from playoff contention with a 36-30 victory. Hubbard finished with 152 yards and two TDs on 25 carries. He rushed for 49 yards on the decisive drive in OT. Kyler Murray threw for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and his 20-yard TD run helped rally the Cardinals from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force the extra period. But it wasn’t enough for the Cardinals, who led the NFC West in early November but have lost four of five since.
L.A. Rams 19, N.Y. Jets 9
Matthew Stafford threw a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee early in the fourth quarter after a turnover by Aaron Rodgers and the Los Angeles Rams beat the New York Jets 19-9 for their fourth consecutive victory. The Rams maintained their spot atop the NFC West standings with the victory after a slow start against the Jets on a day when it was a frosty 23 degrees at kickoff. With the game tied at 9 early in the fourth quarter, Kam Curl sacked Rodgers on a blitz and forced a fumble that Jared Verse recovered at the Jets 21. Three plays later, Stafford found Higbee.
Miami 29, San Francisco 17
Tua Tagovailoa threw for 215 yards and a touchdown, Jason Sanders nailed five field goals, and the Miami Dolphins kept their playoff chances alive by beating the San Francisco 49ers 29-17 on Sunday. The 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs before the game because of wins by the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders earlier Sunday. The loss ensured that last year’s NFC champions will have a losing season for the first time since 2020. The Dolphins (7-8) helped their chances of making the playoffs for third straight season, but will need to win their final two games and get help from losses by the Broncos, Chargers and Colts for that to happen.
Buffalo 24, New England 21
James Cook scored two touchdowns, Buffalo’s defense forced three second-half turnovers and the AFC East champion Bills overcame a 14-0 deficit to pull out a 24-21 win over the New England Patriots. With trainers examining Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s right throwing elbow on the sideline, cornerback Taron Johnson secured the victory by recovering a fumble in the end zone to put Buffalo up 24-14 with 10:10 left. Allen returned on the Bills next possession on which he completed two of three attempts and finished 16 of 29 for 154 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Buffalo improved to 12-3 while New England has lost five straight in dropping to 3-12.