Tennessee Titans

Burks is in line to be the Titans' leading wide receiver in 2022 after Brown, previously the top man, was moved to the Eagles on the first night of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Tennessee used the pick they received in return to select Burks at number 18, for now a far cheaper option than Brown, who was immediately handed a lucrative contract in Philadelphia.

The former Arkansas wideout has big potential, having been likened to wantaway San Francisco 49ers 'wide back' Deebo Samuel with his varied skillset and threat in the open field, averaging 9.3 yards after the catch in 2021 and also contributing 38 carries across three seasons with the Razorbacks.

Derrick Henry is in charge of the run game in Tennessee, though, and the pressure will be on Burks to replace Brown's production. The former second-round pick passed 1,000 receiving yards in two of his three seasons with the Titans – a mark Burks only topped in his final college season.

But the new man said on Friday: "I'm myself, I'm Treylon Burks. Usually I don't compare myself to anyone because I'm myself.

"There's no other person like me and I handle my business the right way, and that's what I'm going to do."

Rather than be daunted by the responsibility of replacing Brown, who was targeted on 33.5 per cent of his routes last season (second-most among wide receivers with 100 or more routes), Burks was emboldened.

"I'm just thankful for the opportunity that they believed in me to make that trade and believe in me to go out there and represent the organisation like it's supposed to be represented," he said. "That's what I'm going to do."

When Burks was linked to the Titans prior to Thursday, it was imagined he would line up alongside Brown, and he added: "That was one of my dreams, to also play with Brown. But I'm going to do what I do best and just go out there and play football."

Brown, 24, is considered one of the best young receivers in the league, but is coming off his least productive season with 869 yards and five touchdowns from 63 catches, having battled injuries in 2021.

The Eagles previously traded up to pick 13, where they took defensive tackle Jordan Davis after four receivers were selected from the previous five picks.

Philadelphia were clearly determined not to end the night without a franchise-altering talent for quarterback Jalen Hurts to throw to, and parted ways with their second selection to make it happen.

After the trade, it was announced Brown had agreed to a four-year extension with Philadelphia worth up to $100million, with $47m guaranteed.

The Titans used pick 18 on Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks, who has received comparisons to both Brown and Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Packers, led by Rodgers, ran out into a 19-0 lead but had to withstand an attempted fightback from the dangerous Titans.

Tennessee running back Derrick Henry has led the league in carries and rushing yards over the past two seasons, yet he was restricted to 98 yards on 23 attempts.

Henry's longest carry was for 10 yards, tied for his lowest this season - also managing just 10 yards on his best run in the Week 13 defeat to the Cleveland Browns.

There were two picks and two sacks for Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, too, leading Green Bay QB Rodgers to hail his team-mates.

"That was championship-style defense," Rodgers said. "I felt they played with more confidence than maybe they have at any point this season."

Coach Matt LaFleur added: "Anytime you can hold Derrick Henry to under 100 yards, that's a win. I think that was a hell of a performance by our defense.

"I just sense a different energy. Guys are flying around, making plays, making plays on the ball."

Wide receiver Davante Adams, who scored three touchdowns on 11 receptions for 142 yards, agreed this was a complete Packers performance.

"This was it, man. This was definitely it," he said, although the four-time Pro Bowler reserved special praise for Rodgers, who is firmly in MVP contention.

"Being around him the past seven years has definitely allowed me to really know what being a true competitor really is," Adams said of Rodgers, who threw 21-of-25 for 231 yards and four TDs.

"Everybody knows that I hold myself to a crazy high standard and it's been like that for a long time.

"But to be in a situation where I come in and see a guy who's been balling out as long as he has and not be satisfied with the success he has, being with that guy has allowed me to know what true greatness is."

Henry scored his third touchdown for the Titans (4-2) with just over three minutes remaining against the AFC East-leading Bills (4-2) on Monday.

The Titans then held up Bills signal-caller Allen on a fourth-down quarterback sneak in the final seconds to snap Buffalo's four-game winning streak.

Henry joined Jim Brown (1958) as the only players in NFL history to rush for three-plus touchdowns in a game three times in the first six games of a season, according to Stats Perform.

Through Week 6, Henry has three games with 125 or more rushing yards and three-plus rushing touchdowns – it is tied for the most such games in a single season in the Super Bowl era.

After a tense opening quarter – Tyler Bass' field goal for the Bills was the only score – Buffalo and Tennessee traded touchdowns in the second period.

Henry sparked the Titans with a memorable 76-yard TD run before Allen threw a 14-yard pass to Stefon Diggs just over three minutes later and the see-sawing battle continued – Allen's pass to Cole Beasley cancelled out Ryan Tannehill's (18-of-29 passing for 216 yards and an interception) four-yard run to give the Bills a 20-17 half-time lead.

Bass' third field goal and Allen's third TD pass (finishing 35 of 47 for 353 yards, three TDs and an interception) to Tommy Sweeney outweighed Henry's touchdown run as the Bills stretched their lead to 31-24 heading into the final period.

But Tennessee's defence came up big after Henry scored the only TD of the fourth quarter, having watched Randy Bullock convert his 38-yard field goal.

The Bills blew away the Titans after leading 10-7 in the second quarter, with Allen finishing the game with four touchdown passes, completing 26 of 38 passes for 317 yards with no interceptions.

Diggs got on the end of three of those, including a 46-yard third-quarter hand cannon, having 12 receptions for 148 yards. Allen has contributed to four or more TDs in each of his past four games, including playoffs.

Buffalo's win means they have won six straight regular-season games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL. It is also the Bills' NFL-best 13th 14-point-plus win over the past two seasons, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next best with eight.

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill, who was benched late, threw 11 of 20 passes for 117 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, including a Matt Milano pick six. The Bills face the 2-0 Miami Dolphins in Week 3, with three of their next four games on the road.

The Philadelphia Eagles joined the Bills with a 2-0 record after a 24-7 triumph over the Minnesota Vikings led by Jalen Hurts who had a major hand in all three of their touchdowns.

Hurts threw for one touchdown (finishing with 26-of-31 passing for 333 yards), while he ran in two TDs (57 yards from 11 carries), helping the Eagles open up a 24-7 half-time lead, with neither side scoring in the second half. Hurts landed a 53-yard pass for Quez Watkins' TD.

The Eagles defense managed three interceptions from Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who completed 27 of 46 passes for 221 yards with one touchdown to Irv Smith Jr.

An outbreak within the Titans organisation last week led to their Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers being postponed until later this month.

Mike Vrabel's team are yet to return to their facility following the spate of positive tests and, on Thursday, NFL Network and ESPN both reported a fresh instance of a player contracting COVID-19.

In addition, an inconclusive positive test from Wednesday has now been confirmed as a definite positive, meaning that, since September 24, Tennessee have had 12 players and nine personnel staff contract the virus.

Whereas other teams have reported isolated or just a few cases, the Titans' large number has led to an NFL investigation into the possible cause of the outbreak.

Tennessee, who have started 3-0, are due to host the 4-0 Bills on Sunday in Nashville but, given they have been unable to practice at their facility, it seems likely that game will have to be postponed.

That will cause problems with the NFL's schedule given the Titans were given their one bye in Week 4 when their game against the Steelers could not take place.

Should the Bills be handed their bye this week, their next game will be a crucial Thursday Night Football showdown with a Kansas City Chiefs team who would be playing their third game in 11 days.

The defending Super Bowl champions played the New England Patriots on Monday - a day later than planned because of positive COVID-19 tests for both teams.

Stephon Gilmore became the second high-profile Pats player to return a positive test on Wednesday after quarterback Cam Newton did so last week, but there were reports every Patriots player tested negative when the latest results were returned on Thursday.

Brown has been without an NFL team since his release by the Patriots in September last year amid allegations of sexual assault and rape.

The seven-time Pro Bowler only made one appearance for the Patriots following his arrival from the Oakland Raiders, where he never played a game after being dealt by the Pittsburgh Steelers in March 2019.

Brown visited the New Orleans Saints in December however, the 31-year-old wide receiver wants to reunite with Brady in Foxborough.

After the Patriots lost 20-13 to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC wild-card game on Saturday, Brown tweeted: "2020 Only Want To Play With @TomBrady Or No Play."

Brown then shared a video of Brady speaking to the media about his future, with the caption, "call me".

"I'm still the best in the game hated or love it ask your daddy," Brown added.

Brown caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in his lone appearance for the Patriots against the Miami Dolphins.

No team has ever been better in the preseason than the Ravens. What exactly that means in the grand scheme of things is open to debate.  

Backup Tyler Huntley was 16-for-18 with a touchdown pass and Justin Tucker kicked three field goals for Baltimore, which last season eclipsed the Vince Lombardi-coached Green Bay Packers, who won 19 straight preseason games from 1959-1962. The Ravens last loss an exhibition game on September 3, 2015.  

Baltimore’s streak is in no danger of being matched anytime soon, with the Buffalo Bills owning the second-longest active preseason winning streak at eight in a row.  

With starter Ryan Tannehill getting the night off for the Titans, rookie quarterback Malik Willis played the entire first half and went 6-of-11 for 107 yards while rushing five times for 38 yards and a touchdown.  

The third-round draft pick out of Liberty scored on seven-yard run early in the second quarter. After running towards the right side on a designed sprint-out concept, Willis felt pressure and spun away from danger, slipping between two defenders before reaching the end zone.  

The Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) and Minnesota Vikings (8-2) look set to slug it out for number one spot in the NFC but the picture is far tighter in the AFC, where the 8-2 Kansas City Chiefs lead the way ahead of four sides with a 7-3 record.

Week 12's action includes a number of sides looking to boost their chances of featuring in the postseason, with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs all having home field advantage.

Stats Perform has taken a look at some of the more interesting numbers ahead of these and other big games on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) @ Tennessee Titans (7-3)

The Bengals head to Tennessee having scored 37 and 42 points in their last two games, with a total of 79 standing as their most over a two-game span since 2005, and Joe Burrow will be looking to make an impact against an opponent he went touchdown-less against last time out.

In the playoff win against the Titans last season their franchise quarterback did not throw a touchdown pass, with that still the only game which the Bengals have won without Burrow throwing a TD when he has started.

The Titans only really got going in Week 3 this season, boasting a 7-1 record since. That stands as the joint-best across the NFL, tied with Minnesota and Philadelphia – the top two in the NFC, as it stands.

Since Week 4, the Titans have held their opponents to an average of 2.8 yards per rush, the best in the NFL, while the 387 yards rushing allowed in those seven games is the lowest tally by any NFL side in such a span since the 2014 Detroit Lions.

Chicago Bears (3-8) @ New York Jets (6-4)

The Bears have won five straight in matchups against the Jets but travel to New York on the back of a three-game losing streak, each of which has been decided by three or fewer points – the first time in franchise history they have experienced such a run.

Chicago will come up against Mike White as the starting QB for the Jets, who have benched Zach Wilson after last week's horror show against the New England Patriots, where they scored just three points despite not turning the ball over in the game.

White last started in Week 10 of last season, while his four games in 2021 saw him throw an interception on 6.1 per cent of his passes, the highest mark of quarterbacks across the NFL last season with at least 100 passing attempts.

Sunday's matchup will see two vastly different teams on the ground, with the Bears rushing for 54 first downs since Week 8, 15 more than the next-closest team over that span, while the Jets have rushed for just 13 first downs in the same period – the lowest total across the NFL.

Las Vegas Raiders (3-7) @ Seattle Seahawks (6-4)

The Raiders head to Seattle having lost their last five road games against the Seahawks, tied for their longest active losing streak on the road against a single opponent – also losing five straight at Green Bay.

Las Vegas have had no more than one takeaway and no more than one giveaway in nine straight games, the longest streak by any NFL side in the Super Bowl era, but come up against a formidable force in rookie Tariq Woolen.

Woolen has five of the Seahawks' seven interceptions in this season (71.4 per cent) and is on course to shatter the NFL rookie record for the highest percentage of a team's interceptions, which is currently held by Washington's Dan Sandifer, who had 13 of 24 in 1948 (54.2 per cent).

Quarterback Geno Smith has completed at least 64 per cent of his passes in all 10 games so far this season, tying him with Steve Young (1992), Drew Brees (2011) and Kyler Murray (2021) for the longest streak to start an NFL season.

Los Angeles Rams (3-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (8-2)

The Rams head to Kansas City on the back of a four-game losing streak, tied with the 1999 Broncos and 2002 Patriots for the third-longest losing streak by a defending Super Bowl champion – behind only the 1987 Giants and 2009 Steelers (five straight losses).

In the past eight games, the Rams have just a single takeaway, which stands as the lowest by any side over an eight-game span in the Super Bowl era.

The Chiefs have a devastating record against the Rams, having scored 246 points (41 per game) over their last six games against Los Angeles, the second most by any NFL team over a six-game span against an opponent since the 1970 merger.

Having fought back from behind to beat the Chargers last time out, the Chiefs have now won six in a row when trailing at halftime, dating back to last season, the longest streak by any NFL team (regular and postseason) since the 49ers won seven such games in a row from 1989-90.

Elsewhere…

All 10 of the Denver Broncos' games this season have been decided by single digits. If that happens again against the Carolina Panthers, they will tie the second-longest such streak to begin any NFL season, trailing only the 2015 Ravens (12 games).

Green Bay head to Philadelphia having won six of their last eight matchups against the Eagles. They had won just five of their previous 17 prior to that.

The 49ers host the Saints having recorded at least one sack in 37 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest streak for San Francisco in the Super Bowl era.

The Falcons travel to Washington with six wins in their last seven against the Commanders. Atlanta have scored at least 24 points in nine straight games against Washington – the franchise's longest streak against any opponent in team history.

The defending Super Bowl champions - and winners in three of the last five seasons - suffered a shock elimination from the NFL playoffs as the Titans triumphed 20-13 on Saturday.

Belichick felt his side were on the wrong end of the fine margins as their first wild-card outing in a decade ended in a disappointing defeat.

"Obviously a close game," he said. "[We] just couldn't make enough plays.

"It's always disappointing to end like this, but it's the National Football League. Just [had to] keep playing, just got to play a little bit better and we couldn’t do it.

"They [the Titans] made some key plays in critical situations, in the red area on third down, and ultimately those plays were probably the difference in the game.

"Look, I have a ton of respect for this football team [the Patriots]. These guys competed all year. Everybody, all three units.

"We played hard and, as I said, just came up a little bit short."

With Brady set to become a free agent, talk about the 42-year-old's next move was high on the agenda, but Belichick was in no mood to enter the discussion.

"Right now we just finished the game, so we're focused on this game, okay?" he responded. "I mean, really."

Brady, a three-time NFL MVP, was 20 of 37 for 209 yards and an interception against the Titans and declared that retirement was "pretty unlikely", with no indication of whether he would remain with New England. 

Speaking to the media the day after the Patriots' home playoff defeat to the Tennessee Titans, Belichick declared his pride at how hard the team had worked throughout the season, winning the AFC East with a 12-4 record.

Unsurprisingly, however, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach was asked about his long-time quarterback, someone he described as an "iconic figure" in the organisation.

Brady had said in the aftermath of the 20-13 loss that retirement was "pretty unlikely". The 42-year-old is set to become a free agent in March and there has been speculation he could end his long association with New England to play elsewhere.

Asked if he had a timeline in mind for when he planned to hold discussions with Brady, Belichick replied: "No."

He then said during the press conference: "I know it's out there [the question about Brady's future], just like there are a lot of things out there. We could bring up 50 questions like that one, but I've told you my status on that. You can ask all 50 of them but it's going to be the same answer 50 times.

"I'm not going to talk a lot of things about the future because I'm not prepared to talk about it."

Belichick, who also said that "nobody respects Tom more than I do", opted not to provide any update on his own future with the Pats, instead reflecting on the campaign that had just come to an end.

"We are less than 12 hours from the end of the game. Nobody has thought about the future, everybody has been focused on Miami, then Tennessee. That’s where all the focus should have been – and it was," he said in his opening statement.

"Whatever is in the future we will deal with at some point in time – we are certainly not going to deal with it now. It’s always a tough ending to the year, but we lost to a team who was a little better than us last night."

The NFL confirmed the ban for an action at the end of the Bills' 41-7 victory over the Titans on Monday.

Hart was deemed to have taken a swing at an opposing player and missed, making contact with a coach instead, although the NFL did not identify either Titan.

In a letter to Hart, NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote: "As both teams were heading to the tunnel, you walked directly across the field to seek out your opponent.

"You approached him near the end zone and a coach had to hold you back as others shook hands.

"Once you and your opponent were in the end zone near the tunnel, you confronted him and immediately swung at him with a closed fist, striking the head of a Tennessee coach.

"Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional."

ESPN reported Hart, who played three games for Tennessee last year before joining the Bills, would appeal against the suspension.

Having played in a quarter of Buffalo's offensive snaps during Monday's game, Hart is eligible to return to their active roster following Week 3, in which the Bills play the Miami Dolphins.

Despite injury issues at wide receiver and cornerback, normal service was expected to be resumed when the Buccaneers made the trip to FedEx Field having lost to the New Orleans Saints prior to last week's bye.

But a rematch from last season's Wild Card Round instead went the way of a Washington team who entered the week with just two wins to their name.

Taylor Heinicke, whose performance in that playoff matchup catapulted him to cult hero status, led a key game-winning drive in the fourth quarter to close out a 29-19 victory for Washington, who had earlier lost star defensive end Chase Young to what is believed to be a torn ACL, after the Buccaneers had pulled within one score.

Tom Brady was intercepted twice in the Bucs' first three offensive series, with Washington turning that second turnover into a touchdown as Heinicke connected with DeAndre Carter for a 20-yard touchdown pass to put the hosts 13-0 up following a pair of early field goals.

The Bucs' offense could only manage a pair of field goals, sandwiched by another for Washington from Joey Slye, in response before half-time and Tampa Bay continued to struggle to take advantage of what has been a porous defense thereafter even minus the presence of stud pass rusher Young.

They finally knocked down the door in the third quarter with a four-play, 43-yard drive that ended with Brady finding tight end Cameron Brate for the score, only for Washington to reply in kind as Antonio Gibson was pushed over the goal-line by a scrum of team-mates.

A Dax Milne fumble was followed by a 40-yard strike from Brady to Mike Evans to fray Washington nerves with over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, Ryan Succop missed the critical extra point to leave Tampa Bay four points adrift, before Heinicke led a clutch clock-killing drive that was capped with Gibson's second touchdown to drop the Bucs to 6-3 and deal their hopes of claiming the number one seed in the NFC a substantial blow.

Titans hold off Saints

The 8-2 Tennessee Titans remain the frontrunner for the top seed in the AFC, having stretched their extremely impressive winning streak to six games by edging the New Orleans Saints 23-21.

Ryan Tannehill threw for 213 yards and a touchdown while running for another, wideout Marcus Johnson emerging with a 100-yard game a day after Julio Jones was placed on injured reserve by Tennessee. The Saints pulled within two late in the fourth quarter when Trevor Siemian hit Marquez Callaway for a 15-yard touchdown, but both the two-point conversion and the subsequent onside kick came up short for New Orleans.

While the Saints lost for the second straight week, the Dallas Cowboys rebounded from a shock loss with a 43-3 rout of the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills crushed the New York Jets 45-17 a week on from an upset in Jacksonville.

Lions finally don't lose, but don't win

The Detroit Lions' 2021 season has been one defined by gut-wrenching defeats.

They avoided such a fate on this week, but missed a golden opportunity to claim their first win since last December in a 16-16 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers, missing starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger due to coronavirus.

Ryan Santoso had a 48-yard field goal to win the game for the Lions in overtime after a Diontae Johnson fumble, but saw his kick come up short of the goalposts.

The Steelers appeared to be driving for a game-winning kick in the waning seconds of the extra period, yet Pat Freiermuth's fumble ensured a bizarre game ended level, Pittsburgh failing to take advantage of losses for AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, whose quarterback Baker Mayfield was injured in a crushing 45-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

Tom Brady's Bucs had slipped to 3-3 with last week's unexpected defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the team now have a losing record for the first time since the legendary quarterback lost his 2020 debut. Only in 2002, when he missed the playoffs, had Brady previously had a losing record at the end of Week 7.

This reverse was perhaps even more surprising than the Steelers upset, as P.J. Walker, Carolina's third-choice QB, led a Panthers team who had traded away star running back Christian McCaffrey this week.

Following that trade with the San Francisco 49ers, Steve Wilks, the interim head coach since Matt Rhule's October 10 firing, insisted: "There's no such thing as tanking when it comes to myself and the guys in that locker room."

The Panthers backed up that statement by dominating Brady and the Bucs, who were held to three points or fewer for the third time in their three seasons together. A Brady offense had three points or fewer only twice in his entire New England Patriots career.

The Bucs were scoreless through three quarters, in which time Carolina scored two touchdowns – Walker with a 20-yard completion to DJ Moore, before Chuba Hubbard, with just six carries through six weeks alongside McCaffrey, ran in from 17 yards.

Ryan Succop's field goal at the start of the fourth quarter was not to set the stage for a dramatic turnaround, as Walker's 29-yard pass to Tommy Tremble completed the job.

Rodgers also loses once more

Brady's fellow veteran Aaron Rodgers also dropped to 3-4 as the Green Bay Packers lost for the third week running, beaten 23-21 by the Washington Commanders.

The Packers have suffered three straight defeats for the first time since 2018, with Rodgers unable to rally late on after a first half in which he had only 47 passing yards – his second-lowest career mark after 15 or more attempts before halftime.

Dak back but defense dominates

Dak Prescott returned from injury as the Dallas Cowboys beat the Detroit Lions 24-6, although the victory owed more to running back Ezekiel Elliott and the team's defense than their QB. Prescott threw for 207 yards and a TD, as Elliott ran in for a pair of scores while Jared Goff was sacked five times and picked off twice.

Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals' QB, was far more influential as he threw for 481 yards and three TDs in a 35-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. That yardage ranks third in a regular season Bengals game all-time, although the 525-yard record already belongs to Burrow (v Ravens, 2021).

The Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry enjoyed a record-setting performance in victory over AFC South rivals the Indianapolis Colts, rushing for 128 yards. He has 1287 career rushing yards versus the Colts, the most of any Titan against any one team.

The Titans are the top seeds in the AFC heading into Sunday's big game against the New England Patriots, but they are missing a host of key men on offense.

Superstar running back Derrick Henry suffered a Jones fracture in Week 8, having tallied 937 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns to that point – the best start to a season in his career.

Julio Jones then followed Henry onto the IR less than two weeks later due to the hamstring problem that had hampered both the start of his Titans career and his last year with the Atlanta Falcons.

Tennessee still managed to extend their winning run to six games until it was halted in dismal fashion against the struggling Houston Texans last time out.

And Brown, who had 11 receiving TDs in 2020 in his second straight 1,000-yard season, suffered a chest injury in that game that will now keep him out of at least the next three.

This development represents a further blow to quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was erratic against the Texans, throwing for 323 passing yards and a touchdown after tying his career-high 35 completions but also tossing four interceptions from five pickable passes.

Rookie Dez Fitzpatrick is likely to get his chance against the Patriots, although Golden Tate is on the practice squad and could earn a promotion after Tennessee's Week 13 bye.

The 8-3 Titans have already failed to replace a key piece with one big-name veteran, however, with Adrian Peterson lasting just three games after Henry's designation before he was waived.

Cleveland claimed a somewhat nervy 41-35 triumph in Nashville on Sunday, equalling the start they made in 1994, when the Browns began 9-3 under Bill Belichick and went on to win a playoff game, the franchise's last postseason triumph.

There was no such glory for the Jets, however, who are now 0-12 after giving up a slender lead against the Las Vegas Raiders in the most dramatic fashion, losing 31-28.

In Chicago, the Bears also slipped to a late defeat, going down 34-30 to the Detroit Lions.

MAYFIELD MAKES HISTORY AS BROWNS ENSURE WINNING SEASON

Baker Mayfield's excellent form continued as he threw for four touchdowns in a brilliant first-half display from the Browns in their win over the Titans – a victory which ultimately became rather nervy.

Aiming to match their best start since 1994 and ensure a winning season in the process – their first winning record since 2007 – the Browns made a rapid start in Nashville.

Cleveland, thrashed 43-13 by Tennessee win in Week 1 last season, scored five touchdowns in the opening two periods, with Mayfield picking out Jarvis Landry, Kendall Lamm, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Rashard Higgins, and Nick Chubb rushing in late.

It put the Browns into a 38-7 lead by the interval, and made Mayfield the first Browns quarterback since Otto Graham, who led Cleveland to three NFL championships, in 1951 to throw four touchdowns in the first half of a game.

Tennessee, coming off the back of a 45-26 win over the Indianapolis Colts, fought back in the second half, and what looked to be a mere consolation touchdown from Jeremy McNichols teed up a grandstand finish when Ryan Tannehill picked out Cameron Batson for a late score following Mayfield's fumble.

However, a failed onside attempt finally handed Browns the win and put them in a great position to clinch a postseason berth.

LATE HAIL MARY LEAVES JETS IN DESPAIR

New York had a first win of the season in their grasp, but Derek Carr produced a moment of magic to leave them 0-12 for 2020.

The Jets – the 18th team in league history to open the season at 0-11 – were leading 28-24 with a matter of seconds left on the clock.

Yet Carr then salvaged a win for Las Vegas, picking out Henry Ruggs III with a raking, 46-yard pass.

A reprieve for the Jets, perhaps, is that they look all set to have the first pick in the NFL Draft, which is likely to be Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence, with Sam Darnold having struggled this year.

SIX DEFEATS ON THE BOUNCE FOR THE BEARS

Like New York, there was also late sorrow for Chicago at home to Detroit in an NFC North contest.

The Bears were hit by a late blunder from Mitch Trubisky, who was strip-sacked on the third down, deep in Chicago's half, following the two-minute warning.

Chicago led 30-27 at that stage, but Adrian Peterson's five-yard run won it for the Lions, who recently dismissed their head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn.

It brought up a sixth straight defeat for the Bears, with the futures of head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace up in the air.

"I don't get into any speculation on any of that," Nagy told reporters after the defeat. "What my job is to do is to make sure that each and every week I'm giving it everything I can as a coach and as a leader with these guys."

Chicago sit third in the NFC North, a place behind the Minnesota Vikings, who clinched a 27-24 overtime victory over the one-win Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Week 13 scores:

Cleveland Browns 41-35 Tennessee Titans
Las Vegas Raiders 31-28 New York Jets
Minnesota Vikings 27-24 Jacksonville Jaguars
Miami Dolphins 19-7 Cincinnati Bengals
Indianapolis Colts 26-20 Houston Texans
Detroit Lions 34-30 Chicago Bears
New Orleans Saints 21-16 Atlanta Falcons

The Titans trailed 10-0 at half-time but fought back with two second-half touchdowns from D'Onta Freeman and A.J. Brown, on his return from a chest injury, to take the lead.

San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who completed 26 of 35 passes for 322 yards, threw his only TD pass for Brandon Aiyuk to square the game in the fourth quarter before Bullock's late field goal with four seconds left after the Titans expertly managed the clock.

The result means the Titans can clinch the AFC South division if the Arizona Cardinals beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The 49ers were left to rue costly Garoppolo errors, having thrown two interceptions as well as over-throwing a golden opportunity for a TD.

Ryan Tannehill managed the clock brilliantly after Aiyuk squared the game up with 2:20 left, with the Titans quarterback going on a 23-yard run in the decisive drive.

Tannehill threw 22 of 29 passes for 209 yards while Brown finished with 11 receptions for 145 yards.

The result leaves the 49ers with an 8-7 record to sit third in the NFC West.

Chase returned to practice on Wednesday having not played since the Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The hip injury had initially been expected to sideline the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for four to six weeks.

"We expect him to play," Burrow told reporters. "I know he ran yesterday and he felt good. So we'll see how it goes the rest of the week."

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was confident that Chase would be available, labelling him day-to-day.

"He's done all the things we've asked him to do," Taylor said.

"He has done a great job with the trainers in there. Everything has been positive to this point."

The Bengals, who lost last season's Super Bowl, have rallied to 6-4 from an 0-2 start to the season.

Chase has scored six touchdowns on 47 receptions for 605 yards in seven games this season. The 22-year-old scored 14 touchdowns in his rookie year last season.

Rookie Evan McPherson converted a last-gasp 52-yard field goal to send the Bengals to their first Championship Game since 1988 in a 19-16 win over the top-seeded Titans, while it represented their first ever postseason road win.

The question of "Why not us?" has been a common theme of the Bengals' postseason run but for quarterback Burrow that is a motto that is no longer relevant.

"I'm tired of the underdog narrative," said. "We're a really, really good team. We're here to make noise."

Burrow added that McPherson called nailing his game-winning kick.

"He [McPherson] gave a little warm-up swing and he said, 'Ahh, looks like we're going to the AFC Championship,'" Burrow said.

The Bengals managed to triumph despite Burrow being sacked nine times, tying the most in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era.

But they did also manage three interceptions, with Logan Wilson getting in the way of a Ryan Tannehill pass with 20 seconds left that ultimately set up McPherson's kick.

And Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said there is no limit for his team.

"This is the expectation for this team," Taylor said. 

"This is not too big for these guys. I know we haven't been here before, but it sure feels like we have. You just see the attitude of this team and the confidence of this team that we're going to find a way to win."

Shortly before coming in for his news conference, defensive tackle D.J. Reader was asked what the Bengals' new team motto is if not "Why not us?"

He replied "it is us" before saying the team was motivated by what he felt has been disrespect from pundits this season.

Reader said: "As a journalist, do you want somebody to doubt your ability to do your job? No. It's disrespectful. 

"You gotta go out there and get it and take it. You gotta earn respect, though."

"We're confident in us. We feel like we [are] them. We're the people. We're going out there every game, feeling like we're confident, we're the ones that need to get beat."

Tannehill had an indifferent night for the Titans, completing 15 of 24 attempted passes for 220 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

It means the Titans suffered a third straight loss on home turf as the number one seed in the AFC, while their last home postseason victory came back in 2003.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel said: "I don't think Ryan or myself or anybody did enough to win the game. That's how it goes. 

"It's never going to be about one person, not as long as I'm head coach, which will be a while."

Tennessee earned the number one seed in the AFC last season but the Titans saw their season ended by the Bengals despite Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow suffering nine sacks behind a porous offensive line.

Burrow went on to lead the Bengals to the brink of a Super Bowl victory before the Los Angeles Rams' late turnaround saw them secure the Lombardi Trophy.

As the Bengals go on the road to renew acquaintances with the Titans, Burrow is on a hot streak once again, with Cincinnati's offense performing at its highest level of the 2022 campaign.

Indeed, the Bengals have scored 37 and 42 points in their last two games. The 79 points are their most over a two-game span since Weeks 12 and 13 in 2005.

The Bengals have won five of their last six games to improve to 6-4, with Cincinnati's offense averaging 397.2 net yards per game, the fourth-most in the NFL, in that span.

That run, which has kept the Bengals firmly in the mix for a second successive AFC North crown, has seen Burrow throw for 13 touchdowns, tied with the man he outduelled in last season's AFC Championship Game, Patrick Mahomes, for the most in the NFL since Week 6.

Burrow will also be buoyed by the performance of his much-maligned offensive line, which has allowed a pressure rate of 33 per cent this season, the fifth-best in the NFL.

Some of the Bengals' success in that regard is tied to the speed with which Burrow delivers the ball. His average time from snap to release is 2.49 seconds, the seventh-quickest among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts this season.

He will likely need to maintain that speed against a Titans defense that is ranked eighth in pass rush win rate, and Burrow may not have much opportunity to lean on the run game to take some of the burden off his shoulders.

The Titans have held opponents to 2.80 yards per rush since Week 4, the best average in the NFL. Tennessee's 387 yards rushing allowed over those seven games is the lowest total by any NFL team over a seven-game span in a season since the 2014 Detroit Lions.

With Bengals running back Joe Mixon out with a concussion, the Titans will be expected to shut down the Cincinnati run game with little difficulty.

Should they do so, it will turn this matchup into a repeat of the battle between Burrow and a continually underrated Titans defensive front. As the NFL world witnessed in January, that contest can be extremely engrossing.