The Kansas City Chiefs incredibly remained unbeaten by blocking a 35-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the game to hold off the Denver Broncos 16-14 on Sunday.
Two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City went ahead on Harrison Butker's 20-yard field goal with 5:57 left, but Denver put together a drive that brought the Broncos down to the Chiefs' 17-yard line with one second remaining.
The Chiefs then blocked Will Lutz’s field-goal attempt to hang on and win their 15th straight game, including the play-offs, dating back to Week 17 of last season. The streak is the longest in the NFL since the Green Bay Packers won 19 straight spanning the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Kansas City (9-0) trailed 14-3 before Patrick Mahomes threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce with 1:44 to go in the first half to pull the Chiefs within four points.
Butker’s second and third field goals of the game were the only points either team scored in the second half.
Mahomes finished with 266 yards on 28-of-42 passing, while Kelce recorded eight catches for 64 yards.
Bo Nix completed 22 of 30 attempts for 215 yards with touchdown passes to Devaughn Vele and Courtland Sutton for Denver (5-5), which has lost two straight since winning five times in a six-game stretch.
Lions rally past Texans despite five Goff interceptions
Jake Bates kicked two long field goals, including a 52-yarder as time expired, as the rolling Detroit Lions overcame five Jared Goff interceptions in a stunning 26-23 comeback win over the Houston Texans.
Down 23-7 at half-time in this interconference clash of division leaders, Detroit scored 19 unanswered points over the final two quarters to extend its winning streak to seven games in improbable fashion. The Lions are the first team to win a game in which their quarterback was picked off five times since the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Arizona Cardinals in 2012.
Goff did deliver a pair of touchdown passes, a 20-yarder to Sam LaPorta in the second quarter and a 9-yard strike to Amon-Ra St. Brown with 11:38 left that brought Detroit within 23-20. The Lions tied it 6 1/2 minutes later when Bates knocked home a career-long 58-yard field goal.
Detroit, which is 8-1 for the first time since 1954, began its rally with the first of two second-half picks of C.J. Stroud, which set up David Montgomery's 3-yard touchdown run that trimmed Houston's lead to 23-13 after the Lions failed on the ensuing 2-point try.
Stroud did throw a 15-yard touchdown pass to John Metchie late in the second quarter that sent Houston (6-4) into the break up 23-7. The Texans also got three first-half field goals from Ka'imi Fairbairn and an 8-yard touchdown run from Joe Mixon in the first quarter, a score that came shortly after the Texans got their first of three first-half interceptions of Goff.
Fairbairn missed a 58-yard try with the game tied at 20-20 with under two minutes to go, however, and Goff's 11-yard completion to St. Brown on third down shortly after put the Lions in range for Bates' winning kick.
Metchie finished with 74 yards on five catches in the loss, the Texans' second straight and third in four games.
Wilson's late touchdown pass to Williams puts Steelers over Commanders
Mike Williams made an immediate impact in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut, as the wide receiver hauled in a go-ahead 32-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson with 2:22 remaining to lift his new team to a 28-27 win over the Washington Commanders.
Williams, acquired in a trade with the New York Jets on Tuesday, caught the last of three touchdown passes from Wilson that helped the Steelers rally from a 24-14 third-quarter deficit. The veteran quarterback also had first-half scoring strikes to Pat Freiermuth and George Pickens, who finished with 91 yards on five receptions.
Pittsburgh (7-2), now a half-game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North, also got another big effort from its defence to extend its winning streak to four games - including all three Wilson has started since he returned from a calf injury that sidelined him six games.
The Steelers held Washington (7-3) to a season-low 242 total yards and came up with a crucial late stop when Damontae Kazae tackled tight end Zach Ertz just short of the first-down marker on a 4th-and-9 catch with 1:18 left to play.
Washington had a three-game win streak halted despite two first-half rushing touchdowns from Austin Ekeler and another from Jeremy McNichols that put the Commanders up 24-14 early in the third quarter. The Steelers countered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by Najee Harris' 1-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to three points midway through the period.
Jayden Daniels had a fifth straight game without an interception, but the Commanders' star rookie quarterback went without a touchdown pass while completing just half of his 34 attempts for 202 yards. Most of that total went to Terry McLaurin, who registered 113 yards on five catches.
Eagles dominate decimated Cowboys to take NFC East lead
The surging Philadelphia Eagles passed the Commanders for first place in the NFC East with a lopsided 34-6 victory over the injury-plagued Dallas Cowboys, a win sparked by Jalen Hurts' four total touchdowns.
Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more in a game Philadelphia (7-2) controlled from start to finish en route to a fifth consecutive win. The star quarterback ended with 202 yards and an interception on 14-of-20 passing while accounting for 56 of the Eagles' 187 rushing yards.
Playing its first game since quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a hamstring injury expected to end his season, Dallas (3-6) managed a mere 146 total yards while committing five giveaways to lose its fourth straight overall and drop to 0-4 at home this season.
Cooper Rush started in Prescott's place but produced a measly 45 yards while completing 13 of 23 attempts before being replaced in the fourth quarter. Trey Lance took over for Rush and was 4 of 6 for 21 yards with an interception.
Hurts had a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, a score set up by Rush's fumble deep in Dallas territory, and a 14-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert late in the second to send the Eagles into half-time with a 14-6 lead.
Philadelphia then dominated the final two quarters, outscoring the Cowboys 20-0 in the second half. The Eagles' final two touchdowns - a 5-yard pass from Hurts to Johnny Wilson and an 8-yard touchdown run by the quarterback - both came in the third quarter.
Saints end seven-game skid in Rizzi's debut
After losing their final seven games under Dennis Allen, the New Orleans Saints are now 1-0 under interim head coach Darren Rizzi after coming through with a surprising 20-17 victory over the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons.
Derek Carr threw two second-quarter touchdown passes to Marques Valdes-Scantling and New Orleans (3-7) got a couple of key late stops on defence to prevail in its first game since firing Allen on Monday and promoting Rizzi from special teams coach to take over.
Valdes-Scantling, signed by the Saints on Oct. 22 after being released by the Buffalo Bills, had a 40-yard touchdown catch to give the Saints a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter and finished with 109 yards on three receptions. Carr went 16 of 25 for 269 yards with no interceptions and New Orleans also received 109 yards from scrimmage from Alvin Kamara.
Atlanta (6-4) lost for just the second time in its last seven games by failing to capitalise on several scoring chances. Kicker Younghoe Koo missed three field goals and quarterback Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu with 1:59 left to end another drive in New Orleans territory.
The loss overshadowed an impressive day for Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. The 2023 first-round pick ripped off a 37-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that brought Atlanta within 20-17.
Drake London had 97 yards on eight catches for Atlanta, while Darnell Mooney added 96 yards on five receptions. Cousins finished with 306 yards on 23-of-38 passing.
Murray dazzles as Cardinals crush Jets to stay hot
Kyler Murray accounted for three touchdowns in a near-perfect performance that propelled the Arizona Cardinals to a fourth straight win, a 31-6 rout of the disappointing New York Jets.
Murray set a franchise record with 17 consecutive completions while going 22 of 24 for 266 yards with a touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. The playmaking quarterback added two more touchdowns on the ground to keep Arizona (6-4) ahead of second-place San Francisco in the NFC West race. The 49ers kept pace with a 23-20 win at Tampa Bay on Jake Moody's 44-yard field goal as time expired.
The Cardinals' defence did its part as well by limiting the Jets to 207 total yards and sacking Aaron Rodgers three times. Rodgers managed just 151 passing yards despite completing 22 of 35 throws.
Murray and James Conner each had 1-yard touchdown runs to stake Arizona to a 14-3 lead through one quarter. Murray's 9-yard touchdown pass to Harrison extended the margin to 21-6 in the second, and the Cardinals closed out the first half with Chad Ryland's 37-yard field goal for an 18-point advantage.
New York (3-7) also couldn't get anything going in the second half while being dealt another unwanted result in a season that began with high expectations. The Jets have now lost six of seven and are 1-4 since firing head coach Robert Saleh last month and replacing him with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Murray closed out the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Conner led the Cardinals with 80 receiving yards on five catches, while Trey Benson recorded 62 rushing yards on 10 carries in the win.
NFL: NFL-best Lions beat Packers on field goal as time expires
Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes, Jake Bates made a 35-yard field goal as time expired and the Detroit Lions clinched a playoff spot with a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
The NFC-best Lions (12-1) broke a franchise record with their 11th straight win - including two over the Packers (9-4) - to stay ahead of Minnesota (10-2) in the highly competitive NFC North.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell went for it on fourth down five times, including with 1 yard to go at the Green Bay 21 with 43 seconds left, and his gambles backfired only once.
David Montgomery ran for 7 yards, barely getting a handoff from Goff after the quarterback tripped and was falling toward the turf. That ensured the Lions could try a field goal without giving the Packers the ball back, and Bates hit his third-game winning kick this season.
The Lions' final drive began with Goff’s 19-yard pass to Jameson Williams. He also connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for 16 yards on the decisive possession. Goff finished 32 of 41 for 283 yards, and six Lions players had at least five receptions.
NFL suspends Houston Texans linebacker Al-Shaair three games
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been suspended three games without pay for his latest violations of NFL rules following his illegal hit to the head of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Jon Runyan, the NFL vice president of football operations, issued the suspension on Tuesday, notifying Al-Shaair of the punishment in a letter, noting "repeated violations of rules intended to protect the health and safety of players and promote sportsmanship."
Al-Shaair is reportedly appealing the suspension.
Al-Shaair's latest offence occurred with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter of Sunday's 23-20 win at Jacksonville, when Lawrence scrambled on a second-and-7 play. Lawrence began to slide, but Al-Shaair delivered a forearm shot to Lawrence's head, which led to a concussion.
"Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars' quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide," Runyan wrote. "You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of your opponent when you had time and space to avoid such contact."
Following the egregious hit, Lawrence's team-mates came to his defence, which escalated into a brawl.
Al-Shaair's actions during the ensuing fight also factored into the suspension.
"After the illegal hit, you proceeded to engage in a brawl, which you escalated when you pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask," Runyan wrote. "After the referee announced that you were disqualified for the hit and your unsportsmanlike acts, you removed your helmet and reengaged with your opponent while walking down and across the field, which started another physical confrontation near the end zone."
This is the third time this season Al-Shaair has been punished by the NFL.
Last week, he was flagged and fined for a late hit on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard, and back in Week 2, he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson during a scuffle that was began after Al-Shaair's hard hit on quarterback Caleb Williams.
"Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL," Runyan wrote. "Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated."
If Al-Shaair's suspension is upheld, he will miss games against the Miami Dolphins (5-7), Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) and Baltimore Ravens (8-5), and won't be eligible to return until the season finale at Tennessee.
At 8-5, the Texans are atop the AFC South, two games ahead of the second-place Indianapolis Colts.
NFL: Broncos stay hot with win over Browns
Ja'Quan McMillian's 44-yard interception return touchdown, the second of two pick-sixes against Jameis Winston, locked up a wild 41-32 victory for the red-hot Denver Broncos over the Cleveland Browns on Monday.
Denver (8-5) was able to earn a third consecutive win despite Winston throwing for a Browns franchise-record 497 yards and four touchdowns and a huge night as well for former Bronco Jerry Jeudy, who racked up 235 yards and a touchdown on nine catches in his first meeting with his ex-team since being traded to Cleveland in the off-season.
Winston also threw three interceptions, however, with two coming back for touchdowns. McMillian's score came with 1:48 remaining and the Browns (3-9) threatening while trailing by just two points, 34-32.
Bo Nix was picked off twice for Denver while completing just 18 of 35 passes for 294 yards, though the rookie did connect with Marvin Mims for a 93-yard touchdown that gave the Broncos a 28-17 lead early in the third quarter.
Cleveland answered with a long touchdown pass of its own a mere 11 seconds later, as Winston hit a wide-open Jeudy in stride on a deep ball for a 70-yard score. The duo then teamed up for a successful 2-point conversion that brought the Browns within 28-25.
After Wil Lutz gave Denver some breathing room with a 36-yard field goal, Winston led the Browns on a nine-play, 72-yard drive culminating with his 5-yard touchdown pass to Nick Chubb that put Cleveland up 32-31 with 8:57 left.
The Broncos responded with an 11-play series that Lutz finished with a go-ahead 27-yard field goal with 2:54 remaining. McMillian then sealed the outcome by taking Winston's ill-advised pass the other way on the following possession.
WInston's first interception of the night was returned 71 yards for a touchdown by Nik Bonitto to stake Denver to a 21-10 advantage late in the second quarter. The veteran quarterback quickly rebounded, though, by engineering an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with his 4-yard touchdown pass to David Njoku with 13 seconds left until half-time.
Njoku also had a touchdown catch in the first quarter and finished with nine receptions for 52 yards. Elijah Moore added 111 yards on eight catches for Cleveland.
Mims and Courtland Sutton both eclipsed 100 receiving yards for Denver, with Mims totalling 105 on three catches and Sutton accumulating 102 on six receptions.
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