The Dallas Cowboys missed the chance to clinch a playoff berth as they suffered a stunning overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who claimed a thrilling 40-34 win on a pick-six from Rayshawn Jenkins.

Dallas led 27-10 in the third quarter with a postseason place within their grasp, and had the chance to punch their ticket late in regulation despite 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence leading a Jaguars turnaround with touchdown passes of 59 yards and three yards to Zay Jones, which were sandwiched by a 10-yard toss to Marvin Jones Jr.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott spun out of the pocket and found a diving Noah Brown for a 13-yard connection that marked Brown's second touchdown catch of the day and restored the Cowboys' lead with just over three minutes remaining.

Lawrence then fumbled on an 11-yard scramble as the Jaguars tried to respond to seemingly gift the game to Dallas, only for the Cowboys to quickly go three and out and hand the Jags a final chance to tie the game.

They did just that as Lawrence hit Zay Jones again for 19 yards with five seconds remaining to set up a 48-yard Riley Patterson field goal, which levelled matters at 34-34.

An engrossing quarterback duel between one of the NFL's best and one of its future stars was settled by an interception as Prescott's short third-down pass bounced off Brown's hands and into the grasp of Jenkins, who sprinted 52 yards the other way to seal a remarkable win.

The Jags improve to 6-8, just a game back in the win column of the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans, while the 10-4 Cowboys are still likely to make the playoffs but have a mountain to climb to win the NFC East, where they trail the Philadelphia Eagles by three games.

Chiefs, Eagles survive scares

The Kansas City Chiefs stunningly struggled to put away the one-win Houston Texans with the chance to clinch a seventh successive AFC West title.

It looked as if they may fall victim to the biggest upset of the season when Harrison Butker missed a game-winning 51-yard field goal to force overtime and Patrick Mahomes was sacked to give Houston the ball. However, Davis Mills fumbled the ball back to Kansas City on Houston's first offensive snap of the extra period, setting up Jerick McKinnon to seal a 30-24 win with a 26-yard walk-off touchdown run.

The Eagles were not pushed quite as far by the Chicago Bears, but another impressive dual-threat showing from Justin Fields meant the NFC's number one seed had to work hard for a 25-20 win, their 13th of a spectacular campaign, which was secured when A.J. Brown made his ninth catch of 181-yard display to convert on third down and allow Philadelphia to kill the clock.

Lions' surge continues as Jets let time run out

The Detroit Lions' hopes of an unlikely playoff berth were boosted once again as they claimed a dramatic sixth win in seven games to improve to 7-7.

Detroit dented the New York Jets' postseason prospects with a 20-17 win at MetLife Stadium, Jared Goff's 51-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright on fourth down with 109 seconds remaining proving decisive.

The Jets, starting Zach Wilson once more in place of the injured Mike White, were left to rue poor clock management on the final drive, with Wilson's improvised 20-yard cross-field completion to Elijah Moore only progressing them to Detroit's 40-yard line with one second remaining. Greg Zuerlein's 58-yard field goal attempt drifted well wide, dropping the Jets to 7-7 after a 6-3 start.

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees has been taken to hospital ahead of the clash against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday after being involved in an on-field collision.

The 73-year-old's neck was stabilised by medical staff on the 35-yard line before he was placed on a stretcher and carried off the field.

In a statement, the Falcons said: "Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees was involved in an on-field pre-game collision.

"He was stable, alert and responsive and has been transported to University Medical Center New Orleans for medical testing.

"Frank Bush will serve as interim defensive play caller for today's game."

Pees has been with the Falcons for the past two seasons, having come out of retirement following the hiring of Arthur Smith.

Kyler Murray is expected to miss six to eight months after suffering a torn ACL, meaning he can hope to be ready for the start of the 2023 season.

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback left the field in tears as he was carted off during Monday's defeat to the New England Patriots.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury confirmed Murray would undergo surgery once the swelling in his knee reduces.

However, ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported there appear to be no additional complications that would delay Murray's recovery. Doctors believe all the other ligaments in his knee are intact, Schefter said.

Colt McCoy will deputise during Murray's absence for the Cardinals' clash with the Denver Broncos, having also filled in earlier this season, and Kingsbury saluted the 36-year-old.

"The respect level [his team-mates] have for him is through the roof, and he puts in the work," Kingsbury said earlier this week. "He's a brilliant football mind, and then he is really good when he gets a chance to play.

"He could be a coach if he wanted to right now. He'd probably take my job easily. He has that type of knowledge and that type of command in the locker room."

The Indianapolis Colts were very aware they were becoming "a punch line" in the NFL ahead of Saturday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, in which they sought to respond.

Remarkably, the AFC South strugglers only made matters worse as they threw away a 33-0 lead in a record-breaking defeat.

The Colts initially had an answer to their critics, building a big lead against the high-flying Vikings on the back of a brilliant first-half defensive performance.

But the latest miserable episode in this Indianapolis season – described as "heartbreaking" by interim coach Jeff Saturday – swiftly followed.

The Vikings rallied for the biggest comeback win in NFL history, first taking the game to overtime via a 22-point fourth quarter before Greg Joseph's field goal clinched victory and the NFC North title.

The Colts had given up 33 points in the fourth quarter of the previous week's defeat to the Dallas Cowboys, a desperate franchise record.

Indy's woes are on both sides of the ball, though, as Frank Reich's firing earlier this year came after a Week 9 loss to the New England Patriots in which 121 yards of total offense represented their worst performance since 1997.

"You give it literally everything you have, you've been through a whole lot of adversity," said Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin.

"We've been hearing everybody talk about us like we're a punch line and we took that very personally. I think you could tell by how we came out and played.

"For the game to go the way it did at the end, it's definitely a tough, tough pill to swallow."

The Buffalo Bills had to give "everything" to rally past the Miami Dolphins and clinch their playoff berth, but Josh Allen's heroics were of no surprise to his team-mates.

The Bills led their AFC East rivals 21-13 at halftime but were then 29-21 down in the fourth quarter, requiring quarterback Allen to step up.

In snowy conditions, his 44-yard run ignited a drive that ended with a two-point conversion to tie the game, although Buffalo soon faced giving the ball back to the Dolphins with time on the clock.

Instead, Allen led his team 65 yards up the field on a 15-play drive that used up all of the remaining time and put Tyler Bass in position to kick the decisive field goal.

An exhausting effort was rewarded with a playoff berth and left coach Sean McDermott "humbled".

"It took everything we had to pull this one out tonight," he said. "It just makes it special.

"It's humbling. Really, that's how I feel about it. Humbled to be a part of it in this great town that doesn't get as much credit as it deserves, honestly.

"And the fans, I mean, this place is unique. So, just awesome. Awesome."

Allen is similarly unique, according to his team-mates.

"He makes plays that I've never seen before," said tight end Dawson Knox, who caught the final TD pass of the game. "Sometimes you kind of turn into a fan while you're watching him.

"Unfortunately, I was under a 300-pound 3-technique on that play that he reached the ball over on the two points, so I didn't see it until we saw the JumboTron.

"But I've talked about it before. It's not even surprising at this point. You're just like, 'oh, there's Josh being Josh again'.

"He's the best quarterback in the league, the best football player in the league. So, anytime you've got him on your team, you've got a chance to win."

The Bills have made the postseason for a fourth straight year, but they have not been back to the Super Bowl since losing four in a row in the early 1990s.

"You can't win the Super Bowl unless you make the playoffs," added Allen. "So, that's goal number one down. Goal number two now is to clinch the division. That's how we'll take it.

"We'll take it one game at a time. Be ready for next week."

Deshaun Watson celebrated a "special" home debut for the Cleveland Browns after leading them to victory over the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday.

Watson threw the only touchdown of the 13-3 win with a three-yard pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the third quarter, completing 18 of 28 passes for 161 yards with a further 22 rushing yards.

A cold and partially snowy night saw both AFC North rivals struggle to score, but Watson made the difference in his third outing for the Browns and first in Cleveland.

"It was a great, fun game on the lake, especially in the fourth quarter when [the snow] started coming down and swirling around," he said after the win. "It was fun to be out there. My first home game was a victory, and it was special. Many more to come.

"Football is coming back each and every week. I don't need to come in and try to do anything special. If we just come in and I just do my job as a quarterback, then everything is going to come in place."

Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski was pleased with his quarterback but added Watson still has room for improvement after missing so much football in the past two seasons.

"He was seeing [the field] very clearly," Stefanski said. "I thought he was very poised and making good decisions.

"There are always plays that I know he can be better, I can be better, we can design better plays and all of those type of things, but I know I continue to see a guy who is just getting better and better."

The win moved the Browns to 6-8, still just about in playoff contention ahead of Watson's second home game against the New Orleans Saints next Saturday.

The Buffalo Bills stormed into their fourth straight playoffs on the back of a Tyler Bass field goal as time expired which edged them past the Miami Dolphins 32-29 in snowy conditions on Saturday.

Bass converted his 25-yard attempt for his fourth career fourth-quarter or overtime field goal to clinch victory with scores locked amid a wild contest at Bills Stadium where the Dolphins had rallied from a 21-13 half-time deficit to lead 29-21 in the last.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen was heroic, going on a dazzling 44-yard run, the second longest of his career, before capping the same drive with a TD pass for Dawson Knox to make it 29-27 as the snow started to fall heavily in the fourth quarter.

Allen then took the airborne route to convert the two-point conversion to square up the game, breaking the plane of the goal line by inches on review after it had originally been ruled short.

The 26-year-old QB finished the game with four touchdown passes, completing 25 of 40 attempts for 304 yards, with 77 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Allen linked up with Quinton Morris, Nyheim Hines, James Cook and Knox for TD passes, showcasing his elite composure to find Cook right on half-time to open up an eight-point lead. 

The Bills' efficiency was arguably the difference in a gripping AFC East contest, with Miami settling for two field goals and one TD from Salvon Ahmed in the first half.

The Dolphins sparked to life in the third with Tua Tagovoiloa linking up with Jaylen Waddle on a 67-yard TD pass, before finding Tyreek Hill for another score to claim a 26-21 lead. 

Tagovailoa completed 17 of 30 passes for two touchdowns with no interceptions, as Miami slipped to their third straight loss and an 8-6 record, behind the Bills (11-3) in the AFC East.

Deshaun Watson led the Cleveland Browns to a 13-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in his first home start since his 11-game suspension as they kept alive their playoffs hopes on Saturday.

Watson threw the game's only touchdown to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the third quarter, with the Browns QB completing 18 of 28 passes for 161 yards with 22 rushing yards for the game at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The victory improved the Browns to 6-8 overall, going 2-1 since Watson returned, while the Ravens dropped to 9-5, with the Cincinnati Bengals moving ahead of them in top spot in the AFC North by half a game.

It was a game to forget for the Ravens, who had a run of possessions that included a missed field goal attempt, an interception and a fumble in the second and third quarters. Baltimore had three turnovers on downs too.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed two field goals in one game for the first time since December 2018, including putting a 48-yard attempt wide, while he had a fourth-quarter 50-yard attempt blocked.

Baltimore QB Tyler Huntley, standing in for the injured Lamar Jackson, threw 17 of 30 attempts for 138 yards, with Denzel Ward intercepting his third quarter pass in the redzone intended by DeSean Jackson with the score 6-3 at the time.

The Browns scored the game's only TD from their next drive, with Watson linking up with Amari Cooper twice for decent gains, before the QB's three-yard pass for the open Peoples-Jones.

Browns running back Nick Chubb added 99 rushing yards on 21 carries, while J.K. Dobbins was the Ravens' best offensive outlet, running 125 yards from 13 carries.

Kirk Cousins has told the Minnesota Vikings they need to play better when playoff football begins after his side's record comeback victory against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Vikings trailed 33-0 at the break but rallied in the second half, registering 29 unanswered points to send the game to overtime with the score tied at 36-a-piece.

A 40-yard field goal in the final moments secured the win and the biggest comeback win in NFL history, beating the previous record set by the Buffalo Bills against the Houston Oilers in January 1993.

The win also secured the Vikings the NFC North title for the first time since 2017 and books a return to the playoffs following a two-year absence, but Cousins made it clear there is work to be done.

"The goal every year when the season starts is to win your division, get a playoff game, then sort it out from there," he said on the field to the NFL Network.

"That's the first goal, we were able to secure that, but we've got to play a lot better. You've got to play better football to win in the playoffs.

"Obviously, there's still a lot to play for with our seeding."

Despite the first-half blowout, and a deficit that looked unassailable, Cousins says there was still belief in the locker room.

"It was an ugly first half but we found a way back with complimentary football, a lot of plays, a lot we'd like to have back as well, but we'll take it," he added.

"There was belief at half-time. Patrick Peterson said all we needed was five touchdowns; I thought he was being sarcastic. Obviously, there is some yelling, there is some frustration.

"That [comeback] doesn't just happen. Basic people don't do what we just did."

The Vikings host the New York Giants on Christmas Eve for their final home game of the regular season, followed by back-to-back road trips against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

The Minnesota Vikings set the record for the biggest comeback in NFL history, recovering from a 33-0 half-time deficit against the Indianapolis Colts to clinch a 39-36 victory and the NFC North title.

A strong defensive performance in the first half looked to have put to put the Colts in cruise control, with a pick-6, a blocked punt for a touchdown and limiting the hosts to just a single first down at U.S. Bank Stadium.

But the second half saw a new Minneapolis Miracle written into legend, as Minnesota fought back from 36-7 to hit 29 unanswered points and send the game to overtime.

There, a 40-yard field goal from Greg Joseph delivered the NFC North crown to the Vikings for the first time since 2017, and shattered the record books in the process.

The 33-point comeback set the mark as the biggest-ever in NFL history, surpassing the 32-point deficit the Buffalo Bills overturned against the Houston Oilers in January 1993.

It was a bitter reverse for the Colts, who having seized the lead through a field goal, returned a blocked punt for a touchdown through JoJo Domann before Deon Jackson finished a seven-play drive to extend their advantage.

The Vikings' woes continued in the second quarter, seeing Julian Blackmon intercept Kirk Cousins for a pick-six and with a further three field goals conceded to leave them 33 points down on the scoreboard at half-time.

A two-yard K.J. Osborn touchdown in the third quarter got the Vikings off the mark before another Colts field goal took the game to 36-7 - but it was then that the hosts came alive in sensational fashion.

Bagging 21 unanswered points to bring the game towards a dramatic finish, Dalvin Cook then delivered a 64-yard touchdown followed by a two-point conversion to square matters up.

That took the game to overtime where, with the clock ticking down, Joseph sealed the deal - and with it, the Vikings' first playoff appearance since 2019.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor exited Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with a right ankle injury and was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

Taylor suffered the injury on the Colts’ first possession of the game on a 13-yard reception.

The leading rusher in the NFL last season, Taylor has battled ankle soreness all this year and has missed three games this season due to ankle issues.

Taylor entered Week 15 ranked 11th in the league with 861 rushing yards in 10 games. His 86.1 rushing yards per game this season ranks fourth in the NFL.

The injury left Zack Moss and Deon Jackson to handle duties in the backfield as the Colts looked to avoid a seventh loss in their last eight games.

Quarterback Dylan Raiola decommitted from Ohio State on Saturday, with the top-ranked prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft available again.

Raiola chose the Buckeyes in May over USC, Alabama and other major programmes but is now set to be on the move, though a decision on his destination will not be rushed.

Speaking to 247Sports, Raiola's father Dominic, a former NFL center, said his son's services are not "close off to anybody".

"We have a lot of respect for Coach [Ryan] Day and the Ohio State programme," he said. "Everything is back on the table. His process is almost like it's restarting. It's not close off to anybody."

Nebraska could be the destination of choice for Raiola, with his uncle Donovan retained on the staff as offensive line coach following the appointment of Matt Rhule – though he already held the position when the commitment to Ohio State was made.

Raiola's departure comes ahead of Ohio State's College Football playoff against Georgia, where current starting quarterback C.J. Stroud may make his final appearance.

The New England Patriots will remain without running back Damian Harris for Sunday's trip to face the Las Vegas Raiders, adding to the team's woes in that position.

Harris' absence for the third consecutive game with a thigh injury comes alongside Rhamondre Stevenson listed as questionable with an ankle injury, which was suffered in Monday's win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Stevenson leads the team in rushing yards (742), receptions (58) and total touchdowns (5) this season, while Harris has 383 yards and three touchdowns – with the absences leaving a significant void in the Patriots' offense.

Bill Belichick will have to rely on rookies Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr as their running back options if Stevenson is unable to feature, though they could also promote J.J. Taylor from their practice squad.

Both had a key part to play in Monday's win against the Cardinals after Stevenson exited the game, Kevin Harris having a 14-yard touchdown run and Strong adding a three-yard touchdown of his own.

Sat 7-6, the Patriots are seeking a win to maintain their postseason push in a tight AFC playoff picture and face a 5-8 Raiders team led by former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Ever since Dan Campbell took to the podium for his introductory press conference in Detroit and made eyebrow-raising statements about biting the kneecaps of opponents, the Lions have had a strong following as the 'second favourite team' of many in the NFL world.

Their reputation in that regard has been furthered by Campbell's aggressive decision-making and the impressive way in which he and his staff have developed their young talent.

But eventually, rebuilds – like the one the Lions started when they traded franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for a host of draft picks – must yield results.

When the Lions dropped to 1-6 with a home defeat to the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, it was fair to question if Campbell was the right man to lead a rebuild.

Since then, the Lions have won five of their last six games and, in a top-heavy NFC, are now in with a shout of sneaking into the playoffs as a Wild Card.

With only one of their final four opponents owning a winning record, the Lions look well-placed to complete an unlikely run to the postseason. However, if they get there, will Detroit be a threat?

Looking solely at the offense, there is plenty of reason to suggest the Lions can challenge to spring a first-round upset.

The Lions rank seventh in the NFL by yards per play (5.86) and possess an exciting combination of a well-rounded running back room and an explosive downfield passing game.

Detroit's offense has produced 46 pass plays of 20 or more yards, the fourth-most in the NFL, while the running back combo of D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams has delivered both efficiency and potency. Swift's average of 5.36 yards per carry is the fifth-best among backs with at least 50 carries and Williams leads the league with 14 rushing touchdowns.

The mix of an effective ground game and an aerial attack featuring a legitimate number one receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown, whose presence is supplemented by that of D.J. Chark and the return of rookie speedster Jameson Williams from a knee injury suffered in his final college game has turned the Lions' offense into an extremely difficult one to stop, with quarterback Jared Goff - acquired as part of the Stafford trade - facilitating their outstanding production with a remarkable renaissance.

Cast off by the Rams when viewed as a quarterback Los Angeles won in spite of, Goff has been one of the best signal-callers in the NFL when defenses know he is passing.

Indeed, as of Week 14, Goff was averaging 0.96 yards over expected in expected passing situations, putting him sixth among quarterbacks with at least 100 such plays.

The Lions can run the ball well and they can produce through the air when everyone knows what is coming, but there are clear weaknesses that figure to be exploited in the postseason.

Detroit's offensive line, was 23rd in pass block win rate heading into Week 15. In a postseason where they could face the fearsome defensive lines of the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, an inability to protect Goff would obviously be a huge detriment to the Lions.

And the Lions' defense would also be a massive concern heading into a potential postseason campaign. The Lions rank last in the NFL in yards per play allowed, giving up an average of 6.22.

But that defense has stiffened in recent weeks and has shown a habit for making game tilting plays. Since firing their defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant on October 31, the Lions are second in takeaways (11) and tied-fourth in points off takeaways (28), with rookie second overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, who has seven sacks on the season, enjoying an increasing influence in stopping the drives of opposing offenses as he did in last week's victory over the 10-win Minnesota Vikings.

The defeat of Minnesota represents the signature win of a team few had anticipated would be in position to play in the second week of January. The Lions were also unfortunate not to beat the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, but that narrow 28-25 loss arguably represented a more accurate representation of where they are in their evolution.

The Lions can trouble the league's elite, but they still have too many holes to be considered a threat to do damage in the postseason. Still, in year two of the Campbell era, that is a place Detroit should be more than happy to be.

Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins will look to get their offense back on track amid heavy snowfall on Saturday when they face the Buffalo Bills on the road in Week 15.

The Dolphins have had one of the most explosive attacks in the NFL in 2022, but Miami's offense has stalled in recent weeks.

Back-to-back defeats to the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers have dropped the Dolphins to 8-5, with Miami scoring just 17 points in each loss.

Miami's defeat to the Chargers was especially worrying, as it saw the Dolphins record a season-low 127 passing yards.

Their 10 completions in that game were their fewest since Week 13, 2015 (nine), with that anaemic performance coming against a struggling Charger defense ranked 30th in the NFL by yards per play allowed (5.96).

That is a very bad omen with a Buffalo defense ranked eighth by the same measure, though the elements may be the primary reason why the Dolphins fail to bounce back.

Lake-effect snow, which forced the Bills to move their Week 11 home game with the Cleveland Browns to Detroit, is forecast for Saturday's contest.

This week's game has not been moved, meaning Tagovailoa will have to fight through extremely challenging conditions not conducive to offensive production if the Dolphins are to prevail.

And the omens for Miami claiming a surprise victory over the 10-3 Bills are not promising.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott is 9-2 in his career against the Dolphins, the best record by any coach with at least eight games against Miami all-time.

Only two coaches have 10 or more career wins against Miami (Bill Belichick, 26, and Marv Levy, 15).

The Bills also own a five-game winning streak at home against the Dolphins, tied for their longest all-time. It is one game shy of matching Buffalo's longest home win streak against a divisional opponent all-time (twice against the Colts and once against the Patriots).

Miami once looked like shoo-ins for the playoffs. Now all the signs point to another defeat that will damage their postseason prospects unless they can find a way to master the elements and an opponent that has their number in games in Buffalo.