NFL roundup: Vikings edge Giants, Jaguars top Broncos
J.J. McCarthy ran for a touchdown before leaving with an injury to his right, throwing hand, and backup quarterback Max Brosmer helped the Minnesota Vikings win their third game in a row, beating the New York Giants 16-13 in a matchup of teams eliminated from playoff contention. Brosmer led a go-ahead scoring drive in the fourth quarter that ended with Will Reichard making a 30-yard field goal. Rookie Jaxson Dart had just 33 yards passing as the Giants lost their nine consecutive game to fall to 2-13.
Jaguars 34. Broncos 20
Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 34-20 win over the Denver Broncos. The Jaguars snapped the Broncos' 11-game winning streak and handed them their first home loss since October 2024. The Jaguars have won six straight games. Bo Nix threw for a career-high 335 yards but he wasn't his usual sharp self as he threw an interception in crunch time, short-circuiting Denver's comeback attempt.
Texans 23, Raiders 21
C.J. Stroud threw a touchdown pass and Derek Stingley returned an interception for a touchdown to lead the Houston Texans to a 23-21 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday for their seventh straight victory. The loss is the ninth straight for the Raiders (2-13) and Houston’s winning streak is the team’s longest since a nine-game streak in 2018. The Texans (10-5) remain a game behind the first-place Jaguars (11-4) in the AFC South after their win over Denver Sunday. Stingley’s touchdown came in the first quarter and Ka’imi Fairbairn made three field goals to help the Texans to the win on a day when their offense struggled.
Bills 23, Browns 20
James Cook rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Buffalo Bills to a 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The win brought the Bills closer to a playoff berth. Ty Johnson also scored for Buffalo, who have won four straight. Josh Allen played the second half despite injuring his foot. On Sunday, the Browns' Shedeur Sanders threw for 157 yards and a touchdown but also had two interceptions. Harold Fannin Jr. scored both of Cleveland's touchdowns. Cook's performance marks his ninth 100-yard rushing game this season, tying him for second in franchise history.
Panthers 23, Bucs 20
Bryce Young threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns, Lathan Ransom intercepted Baker Mayfield with 42 seconds left and the Carolina Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 on Sunday to take over first place in the NFC South. The Panthers (8-7) can wrap up with the division title next Sunday with a win over Seattle and a Buccaneers (7-8) loss to Miami. However, if both teams win or both teams lose, the Panthers would need to beat Tampa Bay again on the road in Week 18 to claim their first division title since 2015.
Chargers 34, Cowboys 17
Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score and the Los Angeles Chargers closed in on a playoff spot with a 34-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The Chargers’ fourth consecutive victory gave them a chance to clinch their second postseason berth in two seasons under coach Jim Harbaugh. LA would be in with a loss or tie by Indianapolis on Monday night. Dak Prescott had TD passes on his first two drives but couldn’t find the end zone again for Dallas. The Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs for the second year in a row with Philadelphia’s NFC East-clinching victory at Washington on Saturday.
Falcons 26, Cardinals 19
The Atlanta Falcons have won their second straight game. Bijan Robinson gained 171 yards from scrimmage and had a touchdown catch, and Kirk Cousins threw two TD passes and ran for a score in Sunday's 26-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Robinson had 92 yards receiving and 76 yards rushing. Arizona has lost seven straight and 12 of 13. Arizona’s defense made a fourth-down stop at its own 40-yard line with 2:05 left, setting up a chance to tie the game or take the lead, but Atlanta’s C.J. Henderson made a diving interception of Jacoby Brissett’s pass to seal it.
Bengals 45, Dolphins 21
Joe Burrow rebounded from his first time being shut out to throw for 309 yards and four touchdowns as the Cincinnati Bengals routed the Miami Dolphins 45-21. Miami and Cincinnati were both eliminated from playoff contention last week, but both insisted they were still motivated for the final three games of the season. It appeared that way in the first half. Cincinnati held a 17-14 halftime lead before blowing the game open with 28 points off four Dolphins turnovers. Burrow carved up Miami’s defense, completing 25 of 32 passes before being replaced by Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter.
Titans 26, Chiefs 9
The Tennessee Titans have snapped an 11-game home skid with a 26-9 victory over the banged-up Kansas City Chiefs. Cam Ward threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns for Tennessee. The Titans (3-12) improved to 1-7 at home this season with their first win at Nissan Stadium since Nov. 3, 2024. The skid matched the franchise’s worst since moving to Tennessee in 1997. With two games left, the Chiefs are 6-9. They are assured of their first losing record since 2012. A week after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending torn ACL, his backup, Gardner Minshew, was knocked out of the game with a knee injury.