Washington

The first overall pick in the 2005 draft, Smith started out with the San Francisco 49ers before going on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Football Team.

The 36-year-old's career was in jeopardy when he suffered a gruesome leg injury in November 2018, leading to 17 operations and - having avoided the need for his leg to be amputated - a lengthy rehabilitation regime.

However, he made his return to action for Washington in a 2020 season that saw the franchise win the NFC East to make the playoffs and Smith named Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

Released in the offseason, he initially indicated a desire to carry on playing but released an Instagram video on Monday confirming the end of his 16-year career in the league.

"Two years ago, I was stuck in a wheelchair staring down at my mangled leg and wondering if I would ever be able to go on a walk with my wife again or play games with my kids in the yard," Smith said.

"Putting my helmet back on was the furthest thing from my mind. I just kept asking myself: 'All this for a stupid game?'.

"Then someone did something that changed my recovery completely – he put a football back in my hands. I don't know what it was, but all of a sudden, I felt stronger, more driven. What once seemed impossible began to come into focus."

Smith was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2004, his final year of college football with the University of Utah before entering the draft.

The signal-caller threw for 35,650 yards with 199 touchdowns and 109 interceptions in the NFL. He completed 62.6 per cent of his pass attempts and ends with an overall QB rating of 86.9.

There were also 15 rushing touchdowns, five of which came in the 2016 campaign when he helped the Chiefs to the first of five successive divisional titles in the AFC West.

"Even though I've got plenty of snaps left in me, after 16 years of giving this game everything I've got, I can't wait to see what else is possible," Smith said towards the end of a montage that included clips of his arduous recovery process.

"But first, I'm going to take a little time to enjoy some of those walks with my wife, and my kids have no idea what is coming for them in the back yard."

Smith's return to action from a gruesome leg injury was one of the feel-good stories of the 2020 NFL season; the 36-year-old was named Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press after throwing for 1,582 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions.  

However, according to a report by NFL Network duo Ian Rapoport and Kim Jones, Washington are expected to part ways with the player in the coming days. 

His career had previously appeared in serious jeopardy after he suffered a compound fracture of his right leg during a game against the Houston Texans in November 2018. Following initial surgery, Smith developed necrotising fasciitis – a rare but serious bacterial infection – and sepsis.  

After a total of 17 operations and having avoided the need for the leg to be amputated, he went through a lengthy and arduous rehabilitation regime before returning to the active roster last year.  

Smith was called to duty when Washington starter Kyle Allen was hurt in the Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams. His family were there to witness him play again too, though it proved to be a tough outing: he was sacked six times while completing nine of his 17 pass attempts for 37 yards in a 30-10 defeat.  

Allen resumed starting duties before a serious ankle injury against the New York Giants in Week 9 put an end to his campaign. Smith again stepped in, throwing for one score and three interceptions in a 23-20 defeat. There were career-high numbers for passing attempts (55), completions (38) and yards (390) the following week in a loss to the Detroit Lions, at which stage the franchise had a 2-7 record.  

Yet Smith celebrated a first win as a starter in 754 days against the Cincinnati Bengals, the first of five in a row for Washington under his stewardship as they rallied to clinch the NFC East title.  

A calf issue denied him the chance to play in the Wild Card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though. Taylor Heinicke started instead and, having done well in his limited opportunities under head coach Ron Rivera, was handed a new two-year deal in February.  

Smith - who previously played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs - will seemingly not be back for the 2021 season. 

The two defensive tackles were sat together on the bench as a 75-yard drive resulted in the Cowboys' third touchdown in a row in the second quarter, sparking a heated conversation between the pair.

Television cameras showed Payne jabbing his finger towards the side of Allen's head before the latter responded by swatting his team-mate's hand away and aiming a punch at his face.

"Emotions are high, things happen," Allen said after the loss when asked about the confrontation. "I don't think it takes a rocket scientist if you look at how that game went."

The players were separated by fellow Washington players and coaches before the duo ended the game on the field together. 

"Just a little brotherly disagreement; maybe the wrong place, wrong time, but it happened," Payne added on the altercation.

"You got brothers? You guys fight, right? It's all good."

Washington are on a three-game losing run to fall to a 6-9 record for the season, with their frailties in defense on Sunday seemingly the catalyst for the fracas between Allen and Payne, who have played together for six years across spells in Alabama and with their current franchise.

Washington coach Ron Rivera said he was informed of the incident after the conclusion of the game but refused to divulge the conversations he held with his players, while revealing the pair would not be disciplined.

"I talked with them, and as far as I'm concerned, that's where it's going to stay," Rivera told reporters. "What my players say to me is nobody's business."

Rivera believes the fight owed to frustrations running high amid a poor run of form, with Washington also missing numerous players due to injuries and COVID-19 issues.

Allen insisted they are already prepared to put the commotion behind them.

"When something happens on the field, you never let it carry into the locker room," Allen concluded. "Things get heated, we fix them, we sit down as grown men and we move on.

"I'll take full responsibility for my actions and so will Payne."

Rivera's team will look to end on a high against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday before closing their regular season at the New York Giants on January 9.

Burrow – the NFL's number one draft pick – was carted off with a serious left leg injury in Sunday's 20-9 loss to the Washington Football Team.

With the Bengals leading 9-7 at the time, Burrow went down when the 23-year-old was hit low while throwing in the third quarter at FedExField, where he was subsequently taken off the field on a cart.

The Bengals star later tweeted: "Thanks for all the love. Can't get rid of me that easy. See ya next year".

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was unable to provide an immediate update on Burrow post-game as Cincinnati fell to 2-7-1 for the season.

Burrow was 22-of-34 passing for 203 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions before he left the game.

"He was making improvements every week and we were getting the offense headed in a direction that we thought was exciting," Taylor said.

"I just told them that we needed to come out with some emotion," Taylor continued. "That's an injury to a team leader that can take the wind out of your sails and we wanted to try to recapture some energy that we had going into half-time. Unfortunately, they went down and scored a touchdown and we had a three and out, so we didn't get that done."

Cincinnati's second-year QB Ryan Finley replaced Burrow and he said: "My thoughts right now are with Joe. I hope he's going to be OK and have a speedy recovery. That was tough to see. We've grown close. That was hard to see.

"I mean, I think guys were a little shook, to be honest. But, you know we have to roll. We've got the [New York] Giants next week and we got a lot of games left in the season.

"Many that we feel like we can win. So it's time to move on and it's time to prepare harder than we have, and even more than we have, and try to keep getting some wins."

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.

Tampa Bay lost heavily to the New Orleans Saints last time out but were much improved against the Carolina Panthers, aided by a record-breaking touchdown from one of their running backs. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars threatened an upset in Green Bay only to come up short, but the Detroit Lions found just enough time to squeeze out Washington 30-27 thanks to Matt Prater's last-gasp field goal. 

Elsewhere, there was a further twist in the NFC East and the Cleveland Browns battled their way to a narrow 10-7 win over the Houston Texans in a game delayed due to bad weather. 

BUCS BACK WITH A BANG

Brady endured an outing to forget against the Saints as the Bucs were beaten 38-3, tied for the franchise's largest home loss. 

However, the six-time Super Bowl champion responded to the setback by throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns, as well as sneaking in for a score himself in a 46-23 triumph. 

The game was tied at 17-17 at the half but the Panthers gave up a 98-yard touchdown run to Ronald Jones in the third quarter, the longest rushing score ever for Tampa Bay. Derrick Henry, Tony Dorsett and Ahman Green are the only other players to manage the same feat in the NFL. 

Jones finished with 192 yards on the ground, tied fifth on the all-time list for the most in a game by a Buccaneer. 

RODGERS LEADS THE WAY

The Packers improved to 7-2 on the season, though it was anything but straightforward for them in a 24-20 triumph over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Aaron Rodgers threw for two touchdowns, including a six-yard strike to Davante Adams that put Green Bay ahead in the fourth quarter. They still had to repel a late drive by the plucky Jaguars, who have now lost eight straight. 

Quarterback Rodgers' other TD pass was far more spectacular. He teamed up for a 78-yard play with receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling - his longest completion since 2014. 

EAGLES FLAWED IN NEW YORK

Astonishingly, the Eagles remain in first place in the NFC East despite slipping to 3-5-1. They boasted a 10-2 against the Giants in New York since 2008 going into the game but slipped to a 27-17 loss that leaves the division wide open. 

Daniel Jones helped the home team record a second successive victory that moves them to 3-7.

The Giants had been 14-3 ahead at the midway stage and while Philadelphia fought back, a pair of Graham Gano field goals in the fourth quarter sealed the result. 

Week 10 scores:

Cleveland Browns 10-7 Houston Texans
Detroit Lions 30-27 Washington Football Team
Green Bay Packers 24-20 Jacksonville Jaguars
New York Giants 27-17 Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 46-23 Carolina Panthers

The Buccaneers face Washington at FedExField on Saturday in their first playoff game since 2007.

With his performance against the Atlanta Falcons, Brady joined Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history with 40-plus touchdown passes in a single season with multiple teams.

And Arians said the playoffs meant Brady had gone to another level ahead of the clash against Washington.

"It's just even more attention to detail," Arians told a news conference when asked what he had seen from Brady.

"Some things he might've let go and talked [about] on the side, he addresses immediately. Same with me.

"I don't accept anything this week at all. If it's a little bit off, if it's two yards off your reception area, you better get in the right spot."

Washington have won three of their past four meetings with the Buccaneers, most recently claiming a 16-3 victory in 2018.

Tampa Bay had a bye last week and will be keen to atone for their 36-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 8.

Bruce Arians' team will be widely expected to bounce back against Washington, whose 2-6 record is in part down to a steep decline from their defense.

However, the defending Super Bowl champions must do so minus Brown and Gronkowski, robbing Tom Brady of two reliable targets.

Tight end Gronkowski has featured just once since injuring his back in the Week 3 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. He returned to face the Saints but played just six snaps before leaving the game.

Brown has been out of action since Week 6 because of an ankle injury and the Bucs' receiving group could also be missing Chris Godwin, who is expected to be a game-time decision with a foot issue.

Tampa Bay's trip to FedEx Field is a rematch of last year's NFC Wild Card clash, which the Buccaneers won 31-23 en route to victory in Super Bowl LV.

The Pats were comfortable 21-11 winners against the Miami Dolphins in their first game since Tom Brady's departure, with Newton contributing two rushing touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Bears hit back at Detroit, who had linebacker Jamie Collins ejected for making contact with an official with his helmet in a bizarre incident.

PATS UP AND RUNNING POST-BRADY

The Pats kicked off a new Brady-less era at Gillette Stadium with a routine opening-day victory thanks in no small part to the performance of Newton.

The 2015 MVP scored the 59th and 60th rushing TDs of his career, going 75 yards on 15 carries while also throwing 15 of 19 for 155 yards.

Sony Michel also rushed home from a yard out in the fourth quarter after Jordan Howard had given the Dolphins some temporary hope.

TRUBISKY DRAGS CHICAGO BACK FROM THE DEAD

Chicago scored 21 unanswered points on three touchdown passes from Mitch Trubisky to claim an improbable 27-23 win at Detroit.

The hosts carried a three-score lead into the final quarter yet somehow failed to see out victory

Trubisky picked out wide receiver Anthony Miller for a diving 27-yard touchdown catch with a little under two minutes remaining complete the fightback.

Detroit lost Collins in the second quarter, the linebacker ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after lowering his head and made contact with an official as he appeared to signal another incident.

RODGERS DISMANTLES MINNESOTA

Aaron Rodgers looked back to his old self, helping himself to a couple of touchdown passes in the second quarter of the Green Bay Packers' 43-34 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

He did not look back from that point on, finishing with four touchdown passes, Davante Adams profiting from two of those, while Marquez Valdes-Scantling also got in on the act.

There was also a scintillating quarterback display from Russell Wilson in the Seattle Seahawks' 38-25 victory against Atlanta Falcons.

Wilson threw for 322 yards and four TDs for the Seahawks, who saw Greg Olsen and Carlos Hyde register debut scores.

JACKSON RESUMES MVP FORM
 
Lamar Jackson was nine-of-10 for 180 yards on throws of 10 yards or more downfield, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Willie Snead, as the Baltimore Ravens beat Cleveland Browns 36-6. 

He completed 20 of 25 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns in total in a formidable performance, helping the Ravens win a season opener by more than 30 points for a third straight season.

It was a tighter contest in the clash between the Carolina Panthers and the Las Vegas Raiders, meanwhile, with the latter clinching a slender 34-30 road win.

Josh Jacobs rushed for three touchdowns, one of those a six-yard scoring run with 4:08 left, to inspire the Raiders to victory in their debut as Las Vegas' NFL team

JACKSONVILLE SHOCK COLTS

The Jaguars got off to a 1-0 start by overcoming divisional rivals Indianapolis Colts 27-20 at EverBank Field.

The Colts, in their first game with veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, were second best against a Jaguars side containing a number of rookies.

Andrew Wingard intercepted with less than five minutes of a tight contest remaining to set up Josh Lambo's second field goal in a surprise result.

Elsewhere, the Washington Football Team - inspired by Peyton Barber - rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-17 from a 17-0 deficit.

Barber ran for two touchdowns in Ron Rivera's debut game, profiting from some poor defensive play from their opponents.

Week 1 scores:

Atlanta Falcons 25-38 Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens 38-6 Cleveland Browns
Buffalo Bills 27-17 New York Jets
Carolina Panthers 30-34 Las Vegas Raiders
Detroit Lions 23-27 Chicago Bears
Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings 34-43 Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots 21-11 Miami Dolphins
Washington Football Team 27-17 Philadelphia Eagles

Head coach Matt Rhule said earlier in the week that the Panthers were "trending" towards starting Newton.

And he confirmed on Friday that the franchise's first overall pick in 2011, who returned for a second spell last week, would get the start under center in Week 11.

Newton will come up against a Washington team led by Ron Rivera, previously his coach in Carolina.

"He's really done a nice job learning the game plan for this week,'' Rhule said of the QB. "He's worked really hard. He's really a smart player. Really a smart quarterback.''

"The energy is awesome. I don't mean to ever diminish it. I just love the fact that he's on the practice field, he throws his last ball each period, turns and runs a lap and runs back. It's way more to me about the example being set.

"We all understand Cam is a force of nature almost in terms of the things he brings. But I don't want it to be all that people realise. What I see is a true professional that wants to win and puts the time in.''.

Newton made his second debut against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and had an instant impact, producing two moments that will live long in the memory.

His first touch saw him find the endzone on a two-yard run to give the Panthers the lead, and on his second he connected with Robby Anderson on a two-yard touchdown pass as Carolina cruised to a 34-10 win.

P.J. Walker was the starter at Arizona, and Rhule suggested he will still get some snaps in relief of Newton against Washington as the Panthers look to boost their playoff hopes and move to 6-5.

"We'll have both guys ready," he added. "Game plan wise, we could see a myriad of different things happen.''

Kansas City trailed 14-0 in the second quarter at Arrowhead Stadium and were behind 14-3 at half-time, however, a lead is rarely safe against the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes and, when they went 17-14 ahead with fewer than four minutes left in the third quarter, the outcome seemed inevitable.

But reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert continues to polish his increasingly impressive resume and he outdueled Mahomes in a bewitching fourth quarter that could prove pivotal in their division and the AFC playoff race.

Herbert connected on the first of two touchdown passes to Mike Williams and, after Mecole Hardman found the endzone for the Chiefs, led a field goal drive to tie the game at 24-24.

Mahomes still had over two minutes to work with to potentially win it for Kansas City but threw a critical interception and the Chargers' gamble to eschew a game-winning field goal paid off as Herbert hit Williams for another touchdown and, despite a missed extra point, Los Angeles held on as a late Hail Mary from the Chiefs came up short.

That missed extra point was the second of the day for the Chargers, the first coming after Keenan Allen caught a four-yard pass from Herbert, who then found Austin Ekeler for a 16-yard score.

Harrison Butker's 34-yard field goal was all the Chiefs could muster in the first half but Jody Fortson caught a high two-yard pass from Mahomes to narrow the gap and Clyde-Edwards Helaire scampered into the endzone to give Kansas City the lead on a 10-yard reception.

Herbert and Williams responded quickly but the Chiefs were in front again after Hardman scooted in on a six-yard pop pass. Tristan Vizciano's field goal levelled matters and, after Mahomes was picked off for the second time – Alohi Gilman snatching an ill-advised throw –  the Chargers were rewarded for their aggressive approach.

A fourth down was converted via a pass interference penalty and Herbert then hit Williams on a four-yard back-shoulder throw. Vizciano's errant extra point gave Kansas City a chance but 32 seconds and a timeout was not enough for Mahomes as the Chiefs dropped to 1-2, their first losing record since Week 11 of the 2015 season.

Tucker's record kick gives Ravens remarkable win

The Baltimore Ravens, winners over the Chiefs last week, avoided a stunning loss in the most improbable fashion thanks to the leg of Justin Tucker.

Baltimore trailed the winless Detroit Lions 17-16 with 64 seconds left and faced a fourth down and 19 with 26 seconds left.

However, Lamar Jackson hit Sammy Watkins for 36 yards to keep their hopes alive and Justin Tucker's 66-yard field goal bounced off the top of the crossbar and over, his kick from an NFL-record distance sparing the Ravens in an incredible finish.

Bills roll, Steelers slump

There was no such drama in Buffalo, where the Bills routed the Washington Football Team 43-21 behind quarterback Josh Allen's 358-yard, five-touchdown performance.

The team the Bills lost to in Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers, suffered a second straight defeat as they were beaten 24-10 by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Justin Fields was sacked nine times in his Chicago Bears debut, which saw them lose 26-6 to the Cleveland Browns, while Jamal Agnew tied the record for the NFL's longest play with a 109-yard return of Matt Prater's missed field goal but the Jacksonville Jaguars still lost 31-19 to the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals.

Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs improved to 13-1 thanks to a hard-fought win over the New Orleans Saints, who welcomed back Drew Brees.

Meanwhile, Murray and Jalen Hurts put on a show as the Cardinals overcame the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cleveland Browns took another step towards a playoff spot and the New York Jets' wait for a first win came to an end.

CHIEFS TOO GOOD FOR SAINTS AS BREES RETURNS

Mahomes and Brees both threw three touchdown passes as the Chiefs recorded a 32-29 victory.

A ninth straight win helped the Chiefs improve to 13-1, and they are on track to secure the top seed in the AFC.

Mahomes completed 26 of 47 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns, while he was sacked four times.

The Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to win six straight games by six points or fewer, as per Stats Perform.

Brees, returning from injury, made the worst start of his career by going 0-for-six. He finished 15 of 34 for 234 yards, three TDs and an interception.

The Saints (10-4) are ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5) in the NFC South.

CARDINALS OVERCOME EAGLES IN THRILLER

Murray helped the Cardinals (8-6) remain on track for the playoffs with a 33-26 victory over the Eagles (4-9-1).

The Cardinals QB was 27 of 36 for 406 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while also rushing for 29 yards and a TD.

Making his second start, Hurts almost inspired the Eagles to another win, also throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for another.

Murray and DeAndre Hopkins connected on a 20-yard pass with just over seven minutes remaining for what proved to be the game-winning score.

According to NFL Research, Murray is the fourth quarterback in the Super Bowl era aged 23 or younger to throw for 400-plys yards and have a 125-plus passer rating in a game. The previous three (Dan Marino, Jared Goff and Mahomes) reached the Super Bowl in that season.

BROWNS BOOST PLAYOFF CHANCES, JETS WIN

The Browns made it 10 wins in a season for the first time since 2007, brushing past the New York Giants 20-6.

Baker Mayfield starred, completing 27 of 32 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jets' wait for a first win of the season came to an end with an upset 23-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

However, the success hurt the Jets' chances of landing Trevor Lawrence in the draft, with the Jacksonville Jaguars (also 1-13) now in position to get the Clemson Tigers quarterback

Week 15 scores:

Green Bay Packers 24-16 Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-27 Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens 40-14 Jacksonville Jaguars
Dallas Cowboys 41-33 San Francisco 49ers
Indianapolis Colts 27-20 Houston Texans
Miami Dolphins 22-12 New England Patriots
Chicago Bears 33-27 Minnesota Vikings
Tennessee Titans 46-25 Detroit Lions
Seattle Seahawks 20-15 Washington Football Team
Arizona Cardinals 33-26 Philadelphia Eagles
New York Jets 23-20 Los Angeles Rams
Kansas City Chiefs 32-29 New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns 20-6 New York Giants

Less than two weeks later, the two sides have finalised a massive deal.

Payne, 25, agreed to terms with the Commanders on Sunday for a four-year contract worth $90million, with $60m guaranteed.

The deal, which was first reported on Sunday, makes Payne the second-highest paid defensive tackle, trailing only the $95m contract seven-time All-Pro Aaron Donald signed with the Los Angeles Rams last year.

Payne was initially due to make $18.94m in 2023 under the franchise tag he agreed to on February 28.

The 25-year-old Payne has emerged as one of the league’s best defensive tackles and was named to his first Pro Bowl last year after leading Washington with a career-high 11.5 sacks, while also recording 18 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.

The 13th overall pick of the 2018 draft, Payne has 26 career sacks, 40 tackles for loss and four fumble recoveries in 81 games over five seasons for Washington.

Dallas were blown away by Washington in the second half of Thursday's showdown – the Cowboys outscored 24-3 after the visitors scored 21 unanswered points in the final period.

The Cowboys have now allowed at least 20 points in all 11 games this season, surpassing a pair of 10-game streaks (2013-14 and 1962-63) as the new longest run in the team's history, per NFL Research.

Dallas also suffered their second largest Thanksgiving defeat, following the 27-0 rout against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1989, via Stats Perform.

While it was a day to forget for the struggling Cowboys (3-8), Washington (4-7) gained sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

Antonio Gibson carried the offensive load for Washington, finishing with 115 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys in Dallas.

Gibson became the first rookie since at least 1948 to have three rushing TDs in a Thanksgiving game – joining DeMarco Murray, Emmitt Smith (twice) and Barry Sanders as the only players to do so in the past 40 years, per NFL Research.

The 22-year-old – the only rookie in Washington's history to have a rushing TD in five consecutive games – is also the first player with 100-plus rushing yards and three-plus rushing touchdowns on Thanksgiving since Sanders in 1997, according to Stats Perform.

Washington quarterback Alex Smith was 19-of-26 passing for 149 yards, one touchdown, an interception and three sacks, while Cowboys counterpart Andy Dalton finished 25 of 35 for 215 yards, a TD and one interception.

In the earlier game, the Houston Texans made light work of the Detroit Lions 41-25.

Texans QB DeShaun Watson made his first career start on Thanksgiving and tossed four touchdowns in the comprehensive victory.

Watson joined Tony Romo (2006) as the only quarterbacks with 300-plus passing yards, four-plus passing TDs and 0 interceptions in their first Thanksgiving starts since at least 1948, via NFL Research.

Houston's Watson was 17 of 25 for 318 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, helping the Texans improve to 4-7 as the Lions fell to the same record.

Lions signal-caller Matthew Stafford finished 28 of 42 for 295 yards, one touchdown, one interception and four sacks in Detroit.

Ron Rivera's team – who can clinch the NFC East title with a win over the Carolina Panthers combined with a New York Giants loss or tie this weekend – were beaten 20-15 by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15.

Haskins, the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has struggled to cement his place as a starter but has played seven games in 2020 - including replacing the injured Alex Smith against the Seahawks.

Smith was absent with a calf strain as Haskins completed 38 of 55 passes for 295 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Photos subsequently emerged on social media of the 23-year-old in a strip club on Sunday evening, surrounded by partygoers.

Haskins was not wearing a mask, in a breach of the NFL's coronavirus protocol, which states that if players are to enter a club without personal protective equipment, it is considered "high-risk COVID-19 conduct".

A violation is punishable by a maximum fine of one week's salary or a suspension of up to four games. Earlier in the season, Haskins was fined for a previous COVID-19 protocol violation.

With his status for Week 16 in doubt, Haskins posted an apology to his Twitter account, which he subsequently switched from public to private.

"I want to publicly apologize for my actions this past Sunday," Haskins said. "I spoke with Coach Rivera yesterday and took full accountability for putting the team at risk. It was irresponsible and immature of me and I accept responsibility for my action.

"I also want to apologize for creating a distraction for my team during our playoff push. I will learn and grow from this and do what's best for the team moving forward."

NFL Network reports Washington have no plans to release Haskins, who has thrown for 1,285 yards, five TDs and five picks this season.

However, the team are said to be in contact with the league and handling the situation internally.

Haskins began his second year as the starter but could only lead Washington to a 1-3 record across the first quarter of 2020, though Ron Rivera's team are only 0.5 games back of the Philadelphia Eagles in a poor NFC East.

QB Haskins has thrown for 939 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions, but ranks near the bottom of the list for quarterbacks in various categories, including passer rating (80.3 - 29th), completion percentage (61 per cent - 27th) and touchdown percentage (2.7 per cent - joint 28th), while only four QBs have taken more sacks than his 13.

He was the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft but the former Ohio State Buckeye has a combined 3-8 record in his 11 starts, and his career completion percentage is below 60 per cent.

Former Carolina Panthers head coach Rivera gave his old team a fifth-round draft pick to acquire Allen in March.

Washington's offensive coordinator Scott Turner was the quarterback coach in Carolina for each of Allen's two seasons as a Panther.

Allen, who went undrafted in 2018, has started 13 games in his career, compiling a 6-7 record, and he will make his 14th against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

His career passer rating (82), completion percentage (62.1 per cent), touchdown percentage (3.7 per cent) and yards per attempt (6.9) are all better than Haskins' figures, though Washington's previous starter has a marginally better interception percentage (2.9 per cent to Allen's 3.1).

Veteran Alex Smith, who has come back from 17 surgeries and a near amputation of his leg, will be Allen's backup.

Haskins' departure follows a tumultuous week for the quarterback, who was forced to apologise after he was pictured partying without a mask at a strip club following Washington's Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Despite that breach of coronavirus protocols, Haskins kept his place as starting quarterback for the Week 16 game with the Carolina Panthers with Alex Smith still on the sidelines due to a calf injury.

However, he emphatically failed to deliver the goods as Washington missed out on the chance to clinch the NFC East title and a place in the playoffs, losing 20-15 to the Panthers at FedEx Field. 

Haskins completed 14 of his 28 passes for 154 yards, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble before being benched for Taylor Heinicke, who finished with 137 yards and a touchdown.

Heinicke will likely get the start in Washington's decisive Week 17 meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Should Washington win, they will qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season. Defeat would hand the NFC East to the winner of the matchup between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys.

Haskins, however, will play no part, with head coach Ron Rivera confirming Washington had decided to part ways with the 23-year-old.

"This afternoon I met with Dwayne and informed him that we would be releasing him," Rivera said in a statement posted to the team's official Twitter account.

"I told him that I believe it benefits both parties that we go our separate ways. We want to thank Dwayne for his contributions these last two seasons and wish him well moving forward."

The 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Haskins ends his Washington career with a 3-10 record as a starter, having completed 60.1 per cent of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Philadelphia's quarterback is expected to start Tuesday after an ankle injury suffered November 28 against the New York Giants kept him out of the Eagles' most recent game on December 5. 

Hurts did work through all of Friday's practice as usual but would still have been listed as questionable if the game had been played Sunday as originally scheduled, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters. 

With a bye last week and an extra two days of treatment thanks to a COVID-19 outbreak affecting Washington that prompted the delay, Hurts should be at full speed Tuesday. 

"I feel pretty confident and feel really good about where he is at right now," Sirianni said.

Backup Gardner Minshew had a brilliant outing in place of Hurts before the bye, completing 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-18 road defeat of the New York Jets. 

Hurts had insisted all week heading into that game that he hoped to play, but the Eagles (6-7) opted to err on the side of caution. 

Now there appears no doubt about Hurts' readiness, as he did not appear on the team's injury report Monday. 

"I’ve been coming in every day doing everything I can in my power to be available," Hurts told reporters last week. "At this point of the season, everybody is playing for a lot. Regardless of who’s out there... we are going to try to go out and play good football all around.

"They have something to fight for and so do we. We want this win in December."

The 23-year-old Hurts has completed 60.1 per cent of his passes for 2,435 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions, in addition to rushing for 695 yards and eight more scores. 

He could end up facing Washington's third-choice QB, as starter Taylor Heinicke and his backup Kyle Allen both are on the COVID list, though they could test out shortly before the game. 

Philadelphia used a big fourth quarter to stun last season's Super Bowl finalists the 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Week 4.

Things got physical between Jalen Ramsey and Golden Tate as the Los Angeles Rams beat the New York Giants 17-9.

There were also wins for the in-form Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts.

EAGLES SHOCK NINERS

After two losses and a draw to open 2020, and with a growing injury list, Philadelphia faced an uphill battle away to the 49ers.

The Eagles (1-2-1) also trailed in the fourth quarter before back-to-back touchdowns lifted Philadelphia past San Francisco.

Carson Wentz threw a 42-yard TD pass to Travis Fulgham with less than six minutes remaining as the Eagles moved ahead 18-14.

With starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sidelined, Nick Mullens then threw an interception that Alex Singleton returned for a TD as the 49ers (2-2) lost at home again.

Mullens, who committed three turnovers, was 18 for 26 for 200 yards and a touchdown before he was replaced by 49ers team-mate C.J. Beathard.

Eagles QB Wentz finished 18-of-28 for 193 yards, a touchdown and interception, while he rushed for 37 yards and a TD as the Eagles moved top of the NFC East.

NO LOVE LOST IN INGLEWOOD

There was not much drama between the Rams and Giants, that was until the game ended.

The Rams (3-1) claimed a hard-fought victory over the winless Giants (0-4) after Jared Goff and Cooper Kupp combined for a 55-yard TD with just under seven minutes left to play at SoFi Stadium.

After grinding out victory, things really heated up as Rams star Ramsey and Giants wide receiver Tate traded punches.

Ramsey, who has two young children with Tate's sister, and the latter were pulled apart by team-mates in chaotic scenes.

"We don't want to have happen at the end of the game what happened," Giants coach Joe Judge said afterwards. "That's not the way we want to be as a team."

BILLS STAY PERFECT

The Bills remain undefeated after seeing off the Las Vegas Raiders 30-23.

Josh Allen led the way, throwing two touchdowns and rushing for another as the Bills improved to 4-0 for the season.

QB Derek Carr was 32 for 44 for 311 yards and a pair of TDs after the Raiders (2-2) lost their second straight game and first at the new Allegiant Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Philip Rivers and the Colts (3-1) took down the Chicago Bears (3-1) 19-11.

Rivers was 16 of 29 for 190 yards and a touchdown as he moved within four completions of joining Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning with 5,000.

Week 4 scores:

Seattle Seahawks 31-23 Miami Dolphins
Cincinnati Bengals 33-25 Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings 31-23 Houston Texans
Cleveland Browns 49-38 Dallas Cowboys
Baltimore Ravens 31-17 Washington Football Team
New Orleans Saints 35-29 Detroit Lions
Carolina Panthers 31-21 Arizona Cardinals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-31 Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams 17-9 New York Giants
Buffalo Bills 30-23 Las Vegas Raiders
Indianapolis Colts 19-11 Chicago Bears
Philadelphia Eagles 25-20 San Francisco 49ers

Under-fire Dan Quinn saw his men surrender a 16-point lead to lose 30-26 a week after a humiliating last-gasp loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

There were big wins for the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns, while the Tennessee Titans once more had Stephen Gostkowski to thank for a narrow victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

The New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers also won, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals playing out the first tie of the season.

FALCONS FELLED BY FOLES

Falcons coach Quinn looks to be in trouble after another fourth-quarter collapse by Atlanta, this time leading to a four-point loss to the Bears.

Nick Foles threw three touchdown passes in the final quarter, the latter connecting with Anthony Miller with two minutes remaining, as Chicago recovered from 16 points down to move to 3-0 for the season.

The Falcons are the first team in NFL history to blow a lead of 15 points or more in the fourth quarter and lose in back-to-back matches.

Matt Ryan was intercepted by Tashaun Gipson late on as a miserable day for the Falcons was compounded by the losses of Russell Gage (concussion) and Grady Jarrett (hip).

RAMS FALL SHORT IN SPECTACULAR COMEBACK, PATRIOTS SIX IN A ROW AGAINST RAIDERS

The Los Angeles Rams almost completed the third-biggest comeback ever in the regular season, only to be denied by a Tyler Kroft touchdown with 15 seconds remaining.

The Bills had squandered a 25-point advantage but were bailed out by Kroft's second of the game following good work from Josh Allen.

Elsewhere in the East, the Patriots moved to 2-0 at home as three touchdowns from Rex Burkhead led them to a 36-20 defeat of the Las Vegas Raiders.

TITANS BUOYED BY GOSTKOWSKI SIX APPEAL

The Titans downed the winless Minnesota Vikings 31-30 thanks to the boot of Stephen Gostkowski.

A career-high six field goals, including a 55-yarder with less than two minutes on the clock, helped to banish memories of some wayward kicking in his first two Titans outings.

Dalvin Cook rushed for a career-high 181 yards and scored for the Vikings, but they are 0-3 for the first time in seven years.

The Steelers are still perfect, though – they moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2010 by defeating the Houston Texans 28-21, Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 237 yards and two touchdowns in a franchise-record 221st appearance.

Week 3 scores:

Atlanta Falcons 26-30 Chicago Bears
Buffalo Bills 35-32 Los Angeles Rams
Cleveland Browns 34-20 Washington Football Team
Minnesota Vikings 30-31 Tennessee Titans
New England Patriots 36-20 Las Vegas Raiders
New York Giants 9-36 San Francisco 49ers
Philadelphia Eagles 23-23 Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers 28-21 Houston Texans