The Daniel Jones era in New York has officially ended.

The Giants agreed to Jones’ request to be released Friday morning, ending a rocky partnership that lasted nearly six seasons.

Giants president John Mara said in a statement that Jones’ release “would be best for him and for the team.”

“Daniel has been a great representative of our organisation, first class in every way,” Mara said in the statement. “His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out.”

The Giants benched Jones in favour of Tommy DeVito during their bye week. On Thursday, Jones told reporters he takes “full responsibility” for not winning more as the captain of one of the NFL’s signature franchises.

After learning of his new role, however, Jones asked the team to be released.

Jones signed a four-year, $160million contract extension before the 2023 season. Jones will go through the waivers process, but teams are likely unwilling to pay the rest of that contract. If he clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent.

The Giants will absorb a salary cap hit of around $20million by releasing Jones.

Jones was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft and has started 69 games over the last six seasons.

The former Duke quarterback had his best season in a contract year in 2022, throwing 15 touchdowns to just five interceptions and adding 708 yards and seven scores on the ground.

Jones has thrown eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions this season for the 2-8 Giants and ranks 32nd among qualified quarterbacks with a 79.4 passer rating.

Nick Chubb ran for a 2-yard touchdown in heavy snow with 57 seconds left, and the Cleveland Browns stunned division rival Pittsburgh 24-19 on Thursday night, ending the Steelers' five-game winning streak.

Chubb's score came in his first game against the AFC North-leading Steelers (8-3) since the running back sustained a season-ending left knee injury on a carry last year at Pittsburgh.

The Browns (3-8) had blown a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter and were down 19-18 before getting the ball back with 3:22 remaining after Pittsburgh punter Corliss Waitman shanked a 16-yarder.

With snow piling up and covering the yard lines on the field, Cleveland's Jameis Winston completed a third-down pass to Jerry Jeudy to the Pittsburgh 9. Two plays later, Chubb barrelled into the end zone.

The Steelers had one last chance, but quarterback Russell Wilson's Hail Mary on the final play was knocked down by Browns safety Grant Delpit in the end zone, touching off a wild celebration at Huntington Bank Field.

Joe Mixon's 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns helped get the Houston Texans back on track with Monday's 34-10 win over the floundering Dallas Cowboys.

Houston (7-4) snapped a two-game losing streak behind Mixon's powerful running and a defence that sacked Cowboys' fill-in quarterback Cooper Rush five times and forced two turnovers, including a fumble Derek Barnett returned 28 yards for a touchdown that gave the Texans a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter.

Dallas (3-7) has now lost five straight, its longest skid since dropping seven in a row in 2015, and fell to 0-5 at home. The Cowboys have been outscored by 118 points (187-69) at AT&T Stadium, the third-largest negative differential through five home games in a season in NFL history.

Rush did throw a 64-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin in his second straight start subbing for an injured Dak Prescott, and finished with a career-high 354 passing yards with one interception while completing 32 of 55 attempts.

C.J. Stroud threw for 257 yards with an interception for Houston, which extended its lead over the second-place Indianapolis Colts to two games in the AFC South.

The Texans never trailed after Mixon ripped off a 45-yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive, and the veteran running back added a 1-yard scoring plunge late in the first quarter to give Houston a 14-0 lead.

Turpin got Dallas on the board by taking a short pass from Rush and breaking free from the Houston defence nine seconds into the second quarter, but the Cowboys were shut out in the second half after pulling to within 17-10 on Brandon Aubrey's 53-yard field goal with just under six minutes left before half-time.

Burnett's strip sack of Rush and return of the resulting fumble helped put the game away with 12:31 left, and Mixon tacked on his final touchdown of the night with 3:16 remaining to cap a 35-yard drive that began after the Texans stopped the Cowboys on downs.

Patrick Mahomes said the Kansas City Chiefs will use their first loss since Christmas Day 2023 as fuel after the Buffalo Bills halted their unbeaten start to the season. 

Josh Allen scrambled for a stunning 26-yard touchdown with just over two minutes to play as the Bills improved to 9-2 with a 30-21 win over the reigning Super Bowl champions.

The result ended the Chiefs' 15-game winning streak, a run that began after they lost to the Los Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day last year and included their dramatic triumph over the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII.

The Chiefs had started this season 9-0 to take control of the race for the AFC's top seed, but they could have few complaints about Sunday's result.

The Bills outgained the Chiefs by 366 yards to 259, also recording 24 first downs to Kansas City's 19 and enjoying almost nine more minutes in possession.

Mahomes, however, was relaxed about the end of his team's winning streak, saying: "The undefeated thing was cool, but that's not our ultimate goal.

"It's a good football team, so there's nothing to hang your head about. We feel like we can play better, so we will get back to work and try to use this as a spark so that we can be a better football team in the end."

The Chiefs rank just 16th in the NFL for yards per game (337.9) and 11th for points per game (24) in 2024, with many of their victories – including against the Denver Broncos in Week 10 and the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 – coming via last-gasp defensive or special teams plays.

Mahomes actually feels the team could benefit from a reality check, adding: "I'm hoping that [losing] is a benefit.

"I'm not going to say I or we are relaxed, but at the same time I feel like we were just coming away with these wins at the end of the games. 

"I think it's going to spark us to have more urgency, especially at the start of football games, especially with the offense, and that comes from me and turning the ball over on the first drive. It's something you can't do in big games like this."

No quarterback has thrown more interceptions than Mahomes' 11 (level with Geno Smith and Jordan Love) this season, while a passer rating of 90.3 ranks him a lowly 20th among all players at the position.

Josh Allen threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass and ran for a game-sealing touchdown late as the Buffalo Bills ended the Kansas City Chiefs' quest for a perfect season with Sunday's 30-21 win.

James Cook added two rushing touchdowns and the Bills' defence intercepted Patrick Mahomes twice as the AFC East leaders handed the Chiefs their first defeat since Christmas Day of last season. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions had won 15 consecutive games, including a 27-24 victory over the Bills in Buffalo during the 2023 AFC Playoffs, and started this season 9-0.

Allen completed 27 of 40 passes for 262 yards with one interception in the sixth straight win for Buffalo (9-2). His 12-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel extended the Bills' lead to 23-14 with 12:51 left to play.

The Chiefs answered with a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped by Mahomes' second touchdown pass of the day to Noah Gray, a 1-yard strike that got the Chiefs within two points with 7:53 remaining.

Buffalo responded, however, by marching 70 yards in 12 plays on the ensuing possession, which Allen finished by scrambling out of the pocket on a 4th-and-2 play and eluding several defenders for a pivotal 26-yard touchdown with 2:17 to go.

Mahomes threw for three touchdowns but was held to 196 yards on 23-of-33 passing. Xavier Worthy had a 10-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter for Kansas City's first points and finished with 61 yards on four receptions.

Steelers hold off Ravens to strengthen lead atop AFC North

The Pittsburgh Steelers stymied Lamar Jackson and pulled out an 18-16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the latest slugfest between these AFC North rivals.

The win was the fifth straight for the first-place Steelers (8-2), giving them some breathing room atop the division as they moved 1 1/2 games in front of the second-place Ravens (7-4).

Led by Jackson, Baltimore entered the game with the NFL’s top-ranked offence, but was held to season lows in points, total yards (329) and first downs (16).

Pittsburgh kept the Ravens out of the end zone until 1:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, when Jackson hooked up with Zay Flowers for a 16-yard touchdown to bring Baltimore within 18-16. The Steelers then stopped the potential game-tying 2-point attempt as Jackson’s desperation pass fell incomplete.

The two-time NFL MVP finished with 207 yards and an interception after entering Week 11 leading the league with a sensational 123.2 passer rating.

Russell Wilson also struggled, throwing for just 205 yards with an interception. All of Pittsburgh’s points came via kicker Chris Boswell, who converted all six of his field goal attempts to match a franchise single-game record he already co-owned. 

Lions demolish Jaguars to improve to 9-1

The Detroit Lions obliterated the over-matched Jacksonville Jaguars, rolling to a 52-6 blowout win for the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

The NFC-leading Lions, who won their eighth straight to improve to 9-1 for the first time since 1934, also set a franchise record in total yards with 645. The defence held the Jaguars to a mere 170 total yards for a difference of 475 yards – the third-largest gap in total offence in a single game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. 

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff bounced back after throwing five interceptions in last Sunday’s 26-23 comeback win over the Houston Texans, as he completed 24 of 29 passes for 412 passing yards – his most since 2019 – and four touchdowns for a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

Amon-Ra St. Brown was on the receiving end of two of Goff’s touchdown throws and finished with a season-best 161 yards on 11 catches.

Jameson Williams had a career high in receiving yards with 124 – with 64 coming on a touchdown grab in the third quarter – and Detroit’s dangerous running tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

For the Jaguars, the 46-point drubbing marked the largest defeat in franchise history and further spread speculation about the job security of head coach Doug Pederson. Jacksonville will head into its Week 12 bye with a 2-9 record and four straight losses. 

Blocked field goal secures Packers' comeback win over Bears

Karl Brooks blocked Cairo Santos' 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired as the Green Bay Packers escaped with a 20-19 come-from-behind win over the Chicago Bears to further enhance their play-off hopes.

Brooks' game-saving play came moments after the Packers took a 20-19 lead on quarterback Jordan Love's 1-yard touchdown run with 2:59 remaining, a score set up by Love's 60-yard completion to Christian Watson.

The Bears stuffed running back Josh Jacobs on the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt, however, before three completions by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams put them in range for Santos' foiled field goal try.

Love threw a touchdown pass to Jayden Reed earlier in the game and finished with 261 yards and an interception while completing 13 of 17 attempts. Jacobs rushed for 76 yards and had a 7-yard touchdown run that put Green Bay (7-3) up 14-13 with 6:34 left in the third quarter.

The Bears went back ahead on D'Andre Swift's 39-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter, though Williams' pass on the 2-point try fell incomplete to keep the score 19-14.

Chicago (4-6) was dealt a fourth straight loss - and 11th in a row to long-time rival Green Bay - despite Williams recording 231 passing yards and 70 rushing yards in a turnover-free performance for the 2024 No. 1 overall pick.

Watson racked up a career-high 150 yards on just four catches in the Packers' first game since a Week 9 home defeat to NFC North-leading Detroit.

Seahawks stun 49ers on Smith's late touchdown run

Geno Smith's go-ahead 13-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds remaining further tightened the race in the NFC West as the Seattle Seahawks came away with an important 20-17 road win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Smith's late heroics lifted Seattle (5-5) to just its second victory in its last seven games and created a three-way tie for second place in the division between the Seahawks, 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, who posted a 28-22 win at New England on Sunday. All three teams trail the first-place Arizona Cardinals by one game.

Seattle also received 110 yards on 10 catches from Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a strong effort from a previously struggling defence that held the defending NFC champion 49ers to a season-low 277 total yards. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy managed just 159 yards on 21-of-28 passing with one touchdown and one interception.

The 49ers still appeared on their way to a third straight win after taking a 17-13 lead on Purdy's 3-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings with 9:33 left and then stopping the Seahawks on 4th-and-1 at the San Francisco 37-yard line on the following series.

Seattle was able to get the ball back again with 2:38 left, however, and Smith engineered an 11-play, 80-yard drive the veteran quarterback capped with his go-ahead scramble.

Smith finished 25 of 32 for 221 yards with one interception, while Kenneth Walker III had 54 rushing yards and gave the Seahawks a 13-10 edge with a 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.

Jennings led San Francisco, which played without star tight end George Kittle due to a hamstring injury, with 10 catches totalling 91 yards.

Dobbins' touchdown run lifts Chargers to fourth straight win

In another Week 11 game that went down to the wire, the Los Angeles Chargers outlasted the Cincinnati Bengals by a 34-27 score as J.K. Dobbins ripped off a tie-breaking 29-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left.

Dobbins' second touchdown of the night sparked Los Angeles (7-3) to a fourth consecutive win despite the Chargers blowing a 21-point third-quarter lead. Cincinnati (4-7) rallied behind three Joe Burrow touchdown passes, including a pair to Ja'Marr Chase, to erase a 21-6 deficit.

Burrow finished with 356 yards on 28-of-50 passing as the Bengals' offence got a lift from the return of wide receiver Tee Higgins, who recorded 148 yards and a touchdown on nine catches after missing three games with an injured quadriceps.

Chase added 75 yards on seven catches, and his 17-yard touchdown grab with 12:21 remaining knotted the score at 27-27. However, the Bengals' next two drives ended in missed field goals by Evan McPherson that contributed to their second straight loss. 

The Chargers' defence also forced a late three-and-out before Justin Herbert brought Los Angeles into Cincinnati territory with 28 and 27-yard completions to Ladd McConkey. Dobbins then broke free up the middle before shaking off a defender and diving into the end zone for the go-ahead points.

Herbert threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Will Dissly and a 26-yard scoring strike to Quentin Johnson to help the Chargers build a 24-6 half-time lead. The standout quarterback recorded 297 yards despite completing just 17 of 36 attempts while adding a team-high 65 rushing yards.

McConkey delivered his best game as a pro as the rookie accumulated 123 yards on six receptions.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks he will still be playing in 2025, despite suffering one of the worst starts to a season in his career.

The Jets are currently 3-7 and sit just above the New England Patriots in the AFC East, having lost 31-6 to the Arizona Cardinals in their last game.

Rodgers, who is still coming back from Achilles surgery after missing last season through injury, has thrown just 15 touchdown passes, seven interceptions, and a career-low 6.4 yards per attempt so far.

Rodgers is under contract with New York for 2025, but there are parts of his deal yet to be finalised if he does stay on.

Despite the less-than-stellar start to the season, the 40-year-old says it has not changed his feelings "negatively" as he has not reached his standard yet.

"I think so, yeah," he said when asked if he could see himself playing next year.

"I'm not playing as well as I would've liked to play, for sure. The beauty in this game is it's a team game.

"The frustrating part is that if you're a great competitor, you hold yourself to a standard that's not unrealistic, and I haven't reached that standard this year."

Since firing Robert Saleh last month, the Jets are 1-4 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who also doubles as their defensive coordinator.

They face another team with a losing record in the Indianapolis Colts (4-6) on Sunday, and Rodgers only had positive things to say about Ulbrich.

"The verdict is still not out on this season yet," Rodgers added. "I feel like he's [Ulbrich] done some really good things.

"I think Brick is an NFL head coach, whether it's here moving forward or down the line. I mean, he's a leader of men, and I'll stand by him. I'd love to play for him until the end. So have a lot of love and respect for him."

The Indianapolis Colts are reversing course once again in their search for stability at the quarterback position, as head coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday that Anthony Richardson has regained the starting job for the remainder of the season.

Steichen said Richardson will be under center for Sunday's key game against the New York Jets. The 2023 No. 4 overall pick was benched in favour of veteran Joe Flacco for the team's two previous contests, losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.

"He will start this week," Steichen said of Richardson. "He will start the rest of the season, and we're going to go from there."

Richardson was removed from the starting role after noticeably struggling in Indianapolis' 23-20 loss to the AFC South-rival Houston Texans in Week 8, a game in which he completed just 31.3 per cent of his pass attempts and had two turnovers.

The offence has failed to receive a spark from Flacco, however, as the 39-year-old managed just 179 passing yards in the loss to Minnesota and was intercepted three times in last week's 30-20 defeat to the Bills.

Steichen told reporters on Monday that Flacco would remain the starter, but said he changed his mind after witnessing improvement in Richardson's work habits and focus.

"I've said the process, the process for a long time, and what I mean by that is the attention to detail in everything [Richardson] does," Steichen said Wednesday. "From the classrooms, to the walk-throughs to practice, the weight room, all those little things just got to be at a higher standard. That was discussed with him two weeks ago. Those were the conversations that took place. And over the last two weeks he's made strides in those areas, big-time strides, becoming a pro's pro.

"Is he a finished product? No, he's not, and it's my job to help him get there along with the rest of the coaching staff. But he's a hell of a talent. We never lost faith and belief in him and his abilities, and he's shown strides, he really has."

Richardson's second NFL season has been plagued by inconsistent play. Among all quarterbacks with at least 125 pass attempts in 2024, the 22-year-old ranks last in completion percentage (44.4), interception percentage (5.3) and passer rating (57.2).

Staying healthy has also been an issue for the former University of Florida standout. He missed two games in October with an oblique injury and had his rookie campaign cut short after four starts due to a sprained right shoulder that required surgery.

The Colts enter Sunday's matchup having lost three straight games and are a game back of the Denver Broncos in the race for the AFC's final play-off spot. 

Dak Prescott won't play again for the Dallas Cowboys this season.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Prescott will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair his torn hamstring and is out for the remainder of the season.

"His prognosis is wonderful," Jones said Tuesday on his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "It just means we're not going to have him for the rest of the year."

Prescott sustained the injury in the Cowboys' 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on November 3, and he sat out this past Sunday's 34-6 home drubbing by the Philadelphia Eagles - Dallas' fourth consecutive defeat.

There was some hope that he wouldn't need surgery and return this season, but he has decided to have the procedure to repair a partial avulsion of the hamstring tendon.

The recovery time for his surgery is at least three months, and the Super Bowl is just under three months away.

With a 3-6 record, Dallas' chances of making the Super Bowl are slim, and it looks like the franchise will miss the play-offs for the first time since 2020 after going 12-5 each of the past three seasons.

The Cowboys' offence also looked completely inept in its first game without Prescott.

Cooper Rush started against the Eagles, but threw for just 45 yards - the fewest by a Cowboys starting quarterback in a game since Matt Cassel had 37 in a 19-16 loss to the New York Jets in 2015.

Trey Lance ended up replacing Rush, and passed for 21 yards, giving Dallas 66 total passing yards - the fewest by the team in a game since having 34 in a 10-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001.

Prescott, who signed a record-breaking, $240million contract hours before this season's opener after finishing as runner-up in NFL MVP voting in 2023, was off to a slow start to the 2024 season with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions through eight games.

Tyreek Hill scored his first touchdown since the season opener and the Miami Dolphins put forth a stout defensive effort to get back in the win column with Monday's 23-15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Miami (3-6) held the Rams to five Joshua Karty field goals and sacked Matthew Stafford four times to end a three-game losing streak and halt a run of six losses in seven outings. The win was also the first in three starts for Tua Tagovailoa since the star quarterback returned from a concussion that sidelined him four games.

Tagovailoa completed 20 of 28 passes for 207 yards with one interception and had a 1-yard touchdown strike to Hill that gave the Dolphins a 17-6 lead in the third quarter. Hill, who tied for the NFL lead with 13 touchdown catches last season, ended a stretch of seven consecutive games without reaching the end zone.

The Dolphins also got an 18-yard touchdown run from rookie receiver Malik Washington in the first quarter and three field goals from Jason Sanders to end a three-game winning streak for Los Angeles (4-5).

Stafford threw for 293 yards on 32-of-46 passing, but was intercepted once while directing an offence that settled for Karty field goals on three trips inside the red zone.

The Rams also struggled on third downs, converting just three of 12 opportunities while Miami went 6 of 13 in such situations.

Puka Nacua had nine catches for 98 yards for Los Angeles, which dropped to 1 1/2 games back of the first-place Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. Team-mate Cooper Kupp finished with seven receptions totalling 80 yards.

Patrick Mahomes says "any way you win is good" in the NFL after the Kansas City Chiefs blocked a last-minute field goal to beat the Denver Broncos.

The Chiefs held out for a 16-14 win on Sunday, with their defense proving the difference as Denver's only points were all scored in the second quarter.

Leo Chenal then pulled off the big play in the final seconds to secure the win, blocking Will Lutz's 35-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds.

Kansas City trailed 14-3 late in the second half before Travis Kelce's touchdown and Harrison Butker's two field goals turned the game in their favour.

And even though the Chiefs' offense was not at its best, Mahomes, who completed 28 of 42 passes for 266 yards, says they are still happy with the result.

"Yeah, they all feel like wins," the quarterback told reporters. "I've learned that any way you win is good in this league.

"Obviously, there's stuff to learn from. I thought we did good things in good spots. I missed – I mean, if I made the touchdown throw to Trav [Kelce] and I made the touchdown throw to [Xavier] Worthy, we're probably in a different situation.

"I think more than anything [during the last play], I was just sick that last drive because I missed that touchdown throw that would've given us the chance to make it where they [the Broncos] had to score a touchdown.

"I thought our defense stepped up in that second half and did a great job. I was just happy. I was happy that we ended with that block and Leo [Chenal] got through there. It was just joy after that."

The two-time reigning Super Bowl champions are aiming for an unprecedented 'three-peat' and are on a 15-game winning streak, including the playoffs, dating back to Week 17 of last season.

Kansas City (9-0) are the only team in the NFL with a perfect record so far, and though Mahomes was delighted to keep that run going, he acknowledged it would be tough to maintain it.

"You live for these moments [at the end of the game]," he added. "When you grow up playing football, you live for the walk-off, whatever it is.

"It's special when you build [with] these guys for so long, and you've built this chemistry with them and guys get to make that play.

"It's week-to-week in this league. We know it’s going to be a great challenge this next week – Buffalo's playing great football.

"We know they'll be fiery, and they're going to be trying to beat us, so we're going to [have to] play better and execute at a higher level in order to win."

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.

Lamar Jackson threw for three fourth-quarter touchdowns, and the Baltimore Ravens denied Cincinnati on a 2-point conversion with 38 seconds remaining to hold off the Bengals 35-34 on Thursday night.

The Ravens (7-3) rallied from a 21-7 third-quarter deficit, overcoming a huge game from Cincinnati receiver Ja'Marr Chase. He finished with 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns, including a 5-yarder in the final minute to bring the Bengals (4-6) within one. Cincinnati - which lost to Baltimore in overtime last month - decided to go for 2 and the lead, and Joe Burrow's pass for Tanner Hudson sailed high.

Cincinnati had a chance to take control when it was up 14 with the ball in the third, but a fumble by Chase Brown gave the Ravens a short field, and a nifty scramble along the sideline by Jackson set up Derrick Henry’s 1-yard touchdown run.

In the fourth, Tylan Wallace turned a short pass into an 84-yard TD, barely staying inbounds as a couple of Cincinnati defenders failed to stop him. Justin Tucker missed the extra point, but the Ravens were within one.

Cincinnati drove into Baltimore territory, but on both third-and-2 and fourth-and-2, Burrow threw incomplete deep. Jackson gave the Ravens the lead with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews, and then the two-time MVP-winning quarterback ran himself for a 2-point conversion.

Baltimore had 231 of its 389 total yards in the fourth quarter. Jackson threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns and Burrow passed for 428 yards and four TDs.

San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey will finally make his season debut.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Thursday that McCaffrey is expected to play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after missing the first eight games of the season.

Last season’s Offensive Player of the Year has been on injured reserve since the start of the season with what was initially called a calf injury. The injury was later revealed to be Achilles tendonitis in both legs, and McCaffrey met with specialists in Germany in late September.

McCaffrey returned to football activities while the 49ers were on a Week 9 bye and has resumed normal practice this week.

“He's been awesome these last two days,” Shanahan said on a San Francisco radio station on Thursday. “You never know [about] a setback or anything, but these two days have been great, and I expect to see him out there.”

McCaffrey’s return, barring a setback, comes at a key time for 4-4 San Francisco and has apparently boosted team morale. 

“It's been awesome,” quarterback Brock Purdy told reporters. “Just what he brings to the table and really just firing everybody else up around. All of us coming off the bye week and feeling good and fresh and then you get 2-3 next to you in the backfield, it's been awesome.

“Looks great moving around and he's trending in the right direction. So, we're excited to see what happens.”

Jordan Mason was off to a tremendous start this season while filling in for McCaffrey and is third in the NFL in rushing yards.

Mason, however, has been limited in recent weeks due to an ongoing shoulder injury, leaving rookie Isaac Guerendo to take on a larger role.

Shanahan also indicated that wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings also benefited from the bye week and are on track to return against the Buccaneers.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry has refused to confirm whether Deshaun Watson will remain the franchise's starting quarterback when he returns from his Achilles injury.

Watson endured a dismal start to the 2024 season as the Browns went 1-5 before he suffered the season-ending injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7.

They failed to score 20 points in any of their seven games with Watson starting but did so at the first time of asking without him, beating the Baltimore Ravens 29-24 with Jameis Winston standing in at quarterback two weeks ago.

Watson's relationship with the Browns' fanbase had already become strained after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour in massage sessions. 

He served an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season – his first campaign with the team after being handed a five-year, $230million contract following his trade from the Houston Texans.

"Really our focus with Deshaun, I would say for any player with a season-ending injury and a major injury, is first and foremost and to make sure that he gets healthy," Berry said on Wednesday.

"Everything else, we'll deal with at a later moment."

Berry added, however, that the team's issues were not all of Watson's making.

"We haven't played well as a team and we haven't played well as a unit on offense," Berry said. 

"I think oftentimes when you don't play well on offense, obviously your starting quarterback and your play caller will get the most criticism. 

"But the reality of it is, offenses, it comes down to organization and synchronization. There's a lot of shared ownership across the different groups in terms of why we didn't perform."

A handful of teams made moves ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline in an attempt to bolster their play-offs hopes.

Three first-place teams - the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers - all swung deals, and we'll find out in just over three months if any of these trades help those franchises capture a Super Bowl championship.

The Commanders acquired perhaps the biggest name on the trade market, picking up cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the scuffling New Orleans Saints.

The Commanders shipped a third-, fourth- and sixth-round pick to the Saints for the four-time Pro Bowler, as well as a fifth-round draft pick.

The 28-year-old Lattimore was named 2017 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and though he has been slowed by injuries to his hamstring and abdomen the past few seasons, he is still considered one of the best shutdown defensive backs in the league, having not allowed a touchdown to be scored on him in coverage since 2021.

He has 15 interceptions in his eight pro seasons, but doesn't have one in seven games this year.

Lattimore goes from a New Orleans team that is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak and had just fired coach Dennis Allen on Monday to a Washington team that is 7-2 and is surprisingly atop the NFC East.

Lions add pass rusher Smith in trade with Browns

The Lions opened the final day of trading by acquiring pass rusher Za'Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-rounder in 2026. The Lions are also receiving a seventh-round pick in 2026 from the Browns.

Detroit (7-1) had been looking to upgrade its pass rush after star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson fractured his left tibia and fibula back in Week 6, and Smith should help in that department.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, the 32-year-old Smith has five sacks this year and 65 sacks in 132 games over 10 pro seasons.

The Lions are in first place in the NFC North with a 7-1 record, but have struggled to generate pressure without Hutchinson, recording just five sacks in the three games without him after registering 15 in its first five games.

Jets send wide receiver Williams to Steelers

The New York Jets found a suitor for Mike Williams, shipping the wide receiver to the Steelers for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft.

Williams, a two-time 1,000-yard receiver, was in his first season with the Jets (3-6) after spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.

He was never able to build any chemistry with Aaron Rodgers, however, and the 40-year-old quarterback called out Williams for running the wrong route on a play that Rodgers threw an interception late in a 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

At that point, it was clear New York was going to try to find a trade partner for the embattled wide out, especially after the Jets acquired Rodgers' old friend Davante Adams in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) last month.

Williams, who has 321 career receptions for 4,972 yards and 31 touchdowns, now joins a Steelers team that has won three straight games and is atop the AFC North with a 6-2 record.

Pittsburgh also acquired veteran pass rusher Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round draft pick.

Rams trade cornerback White to Ravens

The Los Angeles Rams dealt cornerback TreDavious White to the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick and a seventh-rounder the following year.

The Rams (4-4)  had given White permission to seek a trade in late October, and has been inactive in their last four games.

The disgruntled cornerback was in his first season in Los Angeles after spending his first seven seasons with the Buffalo Bills.

The 29-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowl selection, but has been limited to 14 games in the last three seasons due to various injuries.

He should still be able to help a Baltimore defense that is last in the NFL against the pass, allowing an average of 280.9 passing yards per game.

In moves on a smaller scale, the Cowboys (3-5) acquired wide receiver Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers (2-7), and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) picked up Khalil Herbert from the Chicago Bears (4-4) for depth at running back.

One player who didn't change teams and was rumoured to be on the move was the Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

The Seattle Seahawks (4-5) also decided to keep wide receiver DK Metcalf , while the Panthers are sticking with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Indianapolis Colts (4-5) are keeping quarterback Anthony Richardson.