In a season full of grim injury news, the San Francisco 49ers received an encouraging update for a change.

A day after Deebo Samuel was carted off the field, the 49ers announced that the versatile wide receiver is expected to return before the end of the regular season.

The 2021 First Team All-Pro selection suffered a sprained left ankle and MCL Sunday when he was taken down awkwardly during San Francisco’s 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Samuel has accounted for 840 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns this season.

When Samuel was carted off the field, many had feared the 49ers had lost another key contributor to a devastating injury after running back Elijah Mitchell, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw and defensive backs Jason Verrett and Jimmie Ward all ended up on injured reserve.

Most notably, quarterback Trey Lance was lost for the season to a broken right ankle in Week 2, while his replacement, Jimmy Garoppolo, will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a foot injury.

The injuries to Lance and Garoppolo have forced the 49ers to turn to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who made his first career start in Sunday’s victory.

Purdy responded by playing brilliantly, accounting for three total touchdowns, but did not get through unscathed, suffering an oblique injury on the second series of the game.

"I think it was a challenge for [Purdy]," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Just talking to him and seeing him after the game. I think he really toughed it out, did some real good things with it and I know he is sore today."

Purdy and the 49ers (9-4) face a quick turnaround before they play the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray appeared to suffer a serious knee injury on the first drive of Monday's game against the New England Patriots, leaving the field on a medical cart after a non-contact incident.

On just the third play of the game, Murray attempted to scramble for positive yardage, but went down in a heap after gaining three yards, clutching his knee.

The 25-year-old former top overall draft pick stayed down, and a medical cart was brought on the field to carry him back to the locker room.

Murray, who has thrown 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his 10 starts this season – going 3-7 in those games – was replaced by Colt McCoy as the Cardinals' starter. 

There are four weeks remaining of the 2022 NFL season, meaning we are in the home stretch not only in the race for the playoffs, but also in the battle for the MVP.

Week 14 was one in which the race appeared to settle into one between four quarterbacks. Other positions are worthy of recognition, but since Adrian Peterson's win in 2012 the MVP has been solely a quarterback award, and there is a quartet who have separated themselves from the rest.

Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins had received some hype as a potential MVP, but his successive disappointing displays against the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers have likely removed him from the equation.

This has become a fight between the quarterback piloting the best team in the NFC and a trio of signal-callers each hoping to lead their respective rosters to the top seed in the AFC.

Right now, it is the former who stands as the favourite because of a near-perfect resume.

THE FRONTRUNNER: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

The competition with more established NFL stars has been fierce but, after recent devastating performances against the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, it is difficult to dispute Hurts as the MVP frontrunner.

A week on from brushing past the Titans, the Eagles swatted the Giants aside at The Meadowlands with another display of effortless dominance powered by Hurts’ ability to hit the deep ball and his influence on an ultra-diverse run game.

Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown for touchdowns of 41 and 33 yards, and also rushed for 77 yards and a score on seven carries. His 13 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards are the most in the NFL while his 10 rushing scores are the sixth-most, and two more than any other quarterback (Justin Fields, eight).

He now has 3,157 passing yards with 22 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns this season, becoming the the fourth quarterback ever with at least 3,000 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes & 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season, joining Kyler Murray (2020), Cam Newton (2011 and 2015) and Kordell Stewart (1997).

Newton won the MVP in 2015 by posting such numbers for a 15-1 Carolina Panthers team that went on to reach the Super Bowl. The Eagles are on course to go 16-1 thanks to Hurts’ growth as a thrower – his well-thrown rate of 82.7 percent is a substantial improvement on his mark of 77.1 per cent from 2021. If they do so, there are unlikely to be many convincing counterarguments against Hurts as the MVP.

DON'T COUNT HIM OUT: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

A three-interception performance by Mahomes against the Denver Broncos may have helped tilt the MVP race in favour of Hurts, but the 2018 MVP is still performing at a level to be worthy of regaining the award.

Mahomes has 60 completions of at least 20 yards this season. No other quarterback has even reached 50, with Joe Burrow his nearest challenger on 46.

He ranks eighth among quarterbacks with a minimum of 200 attempts with a well-thrown rate of 83.5 percent, and has been extremely accurate when going deep.

Indeed, Mahomes' completion percentage of 50 on pass attempts of at least 21 air yards is fourth among quarterbacks with at least 10 such throws. On top of his downfield explosiveness, Mahomes has done an excellent job of creating yardage for himself on the ground, his yards per carry average on scrambles of 7.44 bettered by only Justin Fields (7.98) and P.J. Walker (8.67).

Recent issues with turnovers and the fact the Chiefs lost to Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals may have dented his case but, with four games to go, Mahomes has built the foundations of an MVP resume and still has the chance to earn the prize for a second time if he can lift Kansas City to the one seed.

FADING FAST?: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

The resume in terms of achievements for Allen is pretty sparkling. If the season ended today, the Bills would be the number one seed in the AFC and he delivered the tiebreaking win over the Chiefs with a tremendous fourth-quarter performance at Arrowhead.

Allen's deep ball has been extremely impressive this season. No quarterback in the NFL has accounted for more yards on throws of at least 21 air yards than his 833. 

The Bills star is also on the right side of the ledger in terms of accuracy, delivering a well-thrown ball on 82 percent of his passes. The league average – minimum 50 attempts – is 81.4.

However, like Mahomes, Allen has 11 interceptions this season, and has a pickable pass rate of 4.89 percent that is nearly a full point above the average of 4.09%.

His carelessness with the ball has contributed to key defeats to the likes of the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, costing the Bills wins that would have given them clear separation atop the AFC.

Allen is clearly one of the league's premier quarterbacks and will be for many years to come, but the consistency has not been there for him to be considered the MVP at this point.

THE SLEEPER: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

After a slow start, the man who spearheaded the Bengals' improbable charge to an AFC Championship is once again performing at a level that saw him elevate Cincinnati to the ranks of the elite.

Even in hard-fought Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns with a Bengals' offense that has been one of the most productive in the NFL since Week 6 did not fire on all cylinders, Burrow's deadly precision was a difference-maker, most notably on a pinpoint 15-yard touchdown throw to Ja’Marr Chase on a post route to open the scoring.

Burrow delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 87.5 percent of his passes against the Browns. For the season, his well-thrown rate of 85.9 percent is fifth among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts. His pickable pass rate of just 1.52 percent is the NFL's best.

Burrow is outperforming Hurts, Mahomes and Allen when it comes to delivering accurately and taking care of the ball, and has a signature win over Mahomes to his name from Week 13.

If the Bengals go on to wrest the AFC North from the Baltimore Ravens, Burrow will have an excellent case for the MVP, one that will be even stronger if 9-4 Cincinnati manage to catch Kansas City and Buffalo in the race for the one seed.

The Dallas Cowboys have signed wide receiver T.Y. Hilton despite ongoing links to fellow veteran Odell Beckham Jr.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones suggested last week he will not be rushed into a move for Beckham and has subsequently added experience at wide receiver in four-time Pro Bowler Hilton.

The 33-year-old, who spent 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, has been a free agent since the start of the season but joins a Cowboys receiving group including CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.

"Great addition," said Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who added Hilton has a chance to play on Sunday versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

"We'll get him out there Wednesday and get him acclimated. ... He had a workout. Everything passed with flying colours. The timing is right. He's ready to go."

Hilton boasts five 1,000-yard seasons, including an NFL-best 1,448 yards in 2016 for the Colts, but has not played since 2021 for Indianapolis.

He caught just 23 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns last season, though is only one of 15 players in the Super Bowl era to have at least three touchdown catches in the first 10 seasons of his career.

That experience may prove vital for the Cowboys, who have long been on the hunt for another receiver to join a roster that also includes Noah Brown, Jalen Tolbert, James Washington and KaVontae Turpin.

It remains unclear what Hilton's arrival means for three-time Pro Bowler Beckham, who is not expected to be fit for the regular season after not playing since tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl earlier this year.

The Cowboys are 10-3 and on a four-game winning streak heading into Week 15 as Dallas mounts a charge for what could be a deep playoff run.

The Atlanta Falcons are returning from their bye with a new starting quarterback.

Head coach Arthur Smith announced Monday that rookie Desmond Ridder will take over the starting duties from Marcus Mariota for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

"I did make a switch at quarterback. Desmond Ridder will be the starter. It’s a performance-based decision," he said in a press conference.

The move had been expected after it was reported last week that Ridder would be named the starter.

A third-round pick in April’s draft, Ridder has yet to take an offensive snap in the regular season after throwing for 10,239 yards with 87 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his four-year collegiate career at Cincinnati.

He takes over an offense that is in need of a jolt, with Atlanta having lost four of five, averaging 15.3 points in those defeats.

Despite their recent slide to drop to 5-8, the Falcons are only a game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the lowly NFC South, so a path to the playoffs with Ridder at QB is not out of the question.

Ridder will foreseeably be the Falcons' starter for the remainder of the season, as Smith said Mariota will likely be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Mariota was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the Falcons' 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, but he's struggled to generate much offense over the last month.

In Atlanta’s last five games, Mariota was averaging just 157.4 passing yards with five touchdown passes and three interceptions for an 81.6 rating.

Aidan Hutchinson hailed the Detroit Lions' "unmatched" chemistry as they furthered hope of what once looked an unlikely playoff push with victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Eyebrows were raised in the build-up to the Week 14 encounter when the Lions were installed by bookmakers as the favourites against a 10-win Vikings team that would have clinched the NFC North title with a win.

But the Lions backed up that status with a hugely impressive display in a 34-23 win that improved their record to 6-7.

The Lions are 1.5 games back on the New York Giants in the final Wild Card spot and hold the tiebreaker over New York having beaten the Giants in a run that has seen them win five of their last six after a 1-6 start.

Hutchinson was the second overall pick of the Lions in this year's draft and produced another strong showing, registering a sack to take him to seven for his rookie year.

"The chemistry we've got right now, it's kind of unmatched," Hutchinson told Peter King for Football Morning in America.

"We're so complementary right now offensively and defensively and we never flinch at the end."

The Lions have long since been something of an NFL punchline, having failed to win a playoff game since the 1991 season.

But Hutchinson, who was born in nearby Plymouth, Michigan and played his college football at the University of Michigan, believes this Lions team is shedding that tag.

"It's no longer the same old Lions," Hutchinson added. "We've overcome that. Now we're on our way to becoming a really good football team.

"I got the chance to come somewhere and be part of coming alive and building a great team.

"I just wanted to come into the season and learn something every single game and make strides every game. I'm happy with my development so far."

Patrick Mahomes is often the hero for the Kansas City Chiefs, but he heaped praise on their defense after a Week 14 win over the Denver Broncos, in which he threw three interceptions.

Mahomes and the Chiefs improved to 10-3 for the season with a 34-28 win in Denver, which eliminated the 3-10 Broncos from postseason contention.

The Kansas City quarterback recorded his 24th career game with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes, surpassing Dan Marino (23) for the most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history.

His 352-yard effort took Mahomes to 4,160 passing yards on the season. In doing so, he joined Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards in five of their first six seasons.

But Mahomes, who threw three touchdowns, also produced a trio of turnovers, two of which took place in the second quarter and culminated in Broncos touchdowns that allowed the hosts back into a game they had trailed 27-0.

His third in the fourth quarter gave the Broncos, quarterbacked by Brett Rypien late on after Russell Wilson left the game with a concussion, the chance to take the lead.

But Rypien was intercepted by L'Jarius Sneed on the subsequent drive, allowing Mahomes and the offense to kill the clock and clinch a 14th successive win over Denver.

Asked about his interceptions, Mahomes said: "Just three bad decisions. When you look at them, the first one, I probably just could've taken the easy throw to the outside, and I forced it to [Travis] Kelce.

"The second one, I was just trying to burn it, and he [Patrick Surtain II] made a hell of a play. And the third one was bad-bad just because the situation. We're in field-goal range - especially here in altitude and no one else is open - so [I] just throw the ball away and let [kicker] Harrison [Butker] end the game.

"Luckily for me, the rest of the team stepped up. The defense made a lot of stops in critical moments when we were putting them in some bad situations."

Head coach Andy Reid, though, expressed support for his former MVP quarterback and the aggressive nature of his play that has so often paid dividends for the Chiefs.

"Every quarterback that's played in this league a while has a game like that," said Reid. "The one great thing about him is he kept firing and had a lot of big plays.

"You can't take away the three interceptions, but there sure were some good ones in between those, and it's a great learning experience."

Brock Purdy and his family enjoyed a special moment after his stunning performance in his first start for the San Francisco 49ers, which saw him beat Tom Brady in a blowout 35-7 victory.

Purdy impressed when pressed into action in relief of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo last week, helping the Niners to a 33-17 defeat of the Miami Dolphins.

His second act was even more impressive, Purdy completing 16 of his 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for another score.

The seventh-round rookie, the final pick in this year's draft, had the Levi's Stadium crowd in the palm of his hand as the Niners brushed aside the Bucs to move to 9-4.

They chanted his name as the 49ers took complete command in a remarkable first half. His family had prime seats for the occasion, having originally bought tickets before the Garoppolo injury to see Brady play, and the moment was too much for his father, who was pictured in tears as he watched his son make history.

Purdy became the first quarterback to beat seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady in his first start, and was quick to embrace his family as he left the field.

He told his post-game press conference: "I saw them right after the game and, you know, the emotions on their face and just the way they look down at me from up on the railing, it just means a lot because just throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general, high school and college, they're the people at home that just believe in you and they always see the best in you.

"And so, they've believed in me even though I was the last draft pick and all that kind of stuff.

"They've always been telling me you're good enough and we know that you can do it. And so, to see them after that performance meant a lot to me and so very blessed to have them as my family."

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will have no shortage of belief in Purdy, who had an interception negated by a penalty prior to his second touchdown pass, after their destruction of the Bucs.

"I think he did an awesome job. I think all you guys saw that, but he made a ton of plays," said Shanahan. "Made the plays that were there, made some plays that weren't there.

"He did a great job in the pocket. Had one mistake there, he was fortunate that we got that one back.

"He didn't hesitate. I think he threw a touchdown the next play, which was really cool, but it's really impressive how he played and I thought it was similar to the week before.

"They [the Bucs] mix in a lot of pressures, but they do that in every game. Some are to stop the run, some are to come after the quarterback. They mixed up a lot of zone coverages too, so there was no real theme of the day.

"They mixed up a bunch of stuff and he had to go against everything, so he did a good job with the variety of things he saw."

Purdy did suffer an oblique injury, but that was not the reason he was eventually withdrawn from a lopsided game. The 49ers visit the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday with a chance to clinch the NFC West title.

"We'll see how it goes this week," Purdy said of the injury. "Just felt a little tight at the end, just from taking some hits.

"But honestly man, like if I needed to play throughout the rest of the game, I definitely would have. So, I'm going to get some treatment on it and be ready to roll."

Shaq Thompson feels the Carolina Panthers' backing of interim head coach Steve Wilks is proving key following Sunday's 30-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Wilks took charge of the team following the axing of Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start to the season and has had a dramatic stint in charge of the team.

After trading away star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers before the deadline and then releasing Baker Mayfield last week, the Panthers have had a turbulent spell of change.

But, sitting 4-4 under Wills, they are making an unlikely push for the playoffs after their win in Seattle.

Wilks is receiving a lot of support in his bid to land the head coach job on a permanent basis and linebacker Thompson has made it clear the players are in his corner.

"We ride behind Wilks," he told the team's website after the Panthers forced Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith into two interceptions.

"He came in here, he's a true alpha, he's a true leader, and guys follow behind him. He's done amazing. Look what we've been going through."

Victory in Seattle put the Panthers just one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South, with Thompson believing the team's bye week provided a push to secure the win.

"Once we had that first day of practice, we knew what type of team we were going to be [in this game]," he added.

"We talk about playoff mentality, and I told them boys last night, I talked to the team, I said, 'If you want to be a playoff team, these are the games you got to win — in these environments'.

"And these guys showed up, they played, we created turnovers and got the offense the ball back in great field position."

Meanwhile, the Seahawks endured their third defeat in four games, having won four in a row prior to that streak, with head coach Pete Carroll disappointed in the performances against sides who sit under .500 this season.

"It's the manner [of the loss]," he said after the game. "This really happened on the ground.

"I'm really disappointed in that because I pride myself in thinking we can scheme our way into all kinds of good things to offset that, and I've got to do better."

The Seahawks face a tough end to the regular season, facing division rivals the 49ers in Week 15 before tackling AFC top-seed contenders the Kansas City Chiefs, then bringing the season to a close against the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams.

Carolina, meanwhile, will next host the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also hold a 5-8 record.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles says his side must decide for themselves if they want to be involved in the postseason conversation after a humiliating loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Tom Brady-led Florida outfit were handed a 35-7 drubbing out west at Levi's Stadium, to take them to a 6-7 record for the season.

Though they remain on top of NFC South with a handful of games to go, the prospect of the Buccaneers launching another dynamic run through the playoffs looks slim at best on their current form.

Bowles, who guided the team to glory at Super Bowl LV almost two years ago, says his side need to take a look in the mirror and decide how they will show up for the rest of the campaign.

"We've got to decide what team we want to be," he stated. "We can't be one set of Bucs and another set of Bucs. It's got to mean something.

"Either we want it or we don't. We can't care more than everybody else. As a coach, you don't go out on the field, but we got out-coached, so we're not excused from this at all.

"We got outplayed as well. As a team, as a group, we've got to buckle down and decide what our fate is in the next few weeks."

A superior record over the Carolina Panthers (5-8) means there is still some wiggle room for the Buccaneers, whose fate remains within their own hands.

Wide receiver Mike Evans accepted the team are struggling to make their familiar tactics stick this season, and that it could yet cost them dearly.

"We're just not making plays," he added. "The plays that we're used to making in previous years, we're just not making them as consistent. I don't know what it is. We're just not connecting like we usually do."

 Zion Johnson feels "things are starting to click" for the Los Angeles Chargers after they boosted their playoff hopes with a 23-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Quarterback Justin Herbert was outstanding at SoFi Stadium as the Chargers bounced back from their Week 13 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders in style.

While Herbert claimed the record for the most pass yards in a player's first three seasons in NFL history on Sunday, Mike Williams also stood out with 116 yards from six receptions on his return from an ankle sprain.

Speaking after the Chargers improved to 7-6 for the season, guard Johnson focused on the impact of players returning to full availability. 

"I feel like this is probably our first game since Week 1 where we had most of our guys active," Johnson said. 

"I think you can really tell with how explosive some of the passes were down the field and some of the things we were doing. 

"I'm just really glad that guys are getting healthy, and things are starting to click."

Wide receiver Williams set the Chargers on their way with a second-quarter touchdown, and head coach Brandon Staley was in no mood to play down the importance of his return.

"When you get Mike back in this movie, it just looks different, it feels different," Staley said. "There's just more available to you. Those guys were able to connect tonight.

"Nine guys caught passes tonight. That's the offense that we like to play, where people touch the ball."

Deebo Samuel likely sustained a high ankle sprain rather than a fracture during the San Francisco 49ers' 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Samuel's season appeared to be in jeopardy when he was carted off in the first quarter of the 49ers' victory on Sunday, after his knee was trapped and twisted under a mass of bodies.

The All-Pro wide receiver was unable to get to his feet following the concerning incident, but encouraging reports subsequently suggested he had avoided a major injury.

49ers coach Shanahan offered a positive update on Samuel's condition after the win, telling reporters the wide receiver did not suffer a fracture.

Shanahan added Samuel's injury was "most likely" a sprain, though reports said the 26-year-old would undergo tests on Monday.

The 49ers had already established a commanding 21-0 lead before Samuel's injury, and they entered half-time 28-0 up in what represented a dream first start for stand-in quarterback Brock Purdy.

"Everyone knows how much Deebo means to us, but half-time is so hectic and it was awesome to finish that half with the score," Shanahan said of losing Samuel.

"We didn't really do anything differently after half-time."

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, meanwhile, praised the team's reaction to Samuel's exit.

"We hate to see guys go down, especially one of our leaders like Deebo," he said. "You've just got to go with the punches and just keep fighting and that's what everybody on this team did.

"That's just the type of team that we've got. You get hit in the mouth and you've got to just keep fighting."

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh has reassured Mike White is his first-choice quarterback after copping multiple hits in Sunday's 20-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

White has stepped in as the Jets' starting quarterback for the past three games from Zach Wilson, completing 27-of-44 passing for 268 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions on Sunday.

The 27-year-old QB, who threw three touchdowns against the Chicago Bears before going without a TD in his past two games, copped a physical pounding from the Bills' defense, and was sent for a hospital visit after the game to check his ribs.

White had also undergone evaluation in an ambulance in the stadium tunnel in the third quarter where Saleh said he "checked out good" allowing him to play out the game.

Saleh along with several Jets players were full of praise for White for his toughness after the loss to the AFC East-leading Bills.

"I thought he showed resolve, toughness, everything we've been seeing," Saleh told reporters. "He's a good player."

Saleh responded with "for sure" when asked if White would start against the Detroit Lions next Sunday if healthy, in a sign that he is now their preferred QB from Wilson or veteran Joe Flacco.

Offensive tackle Duane Brown added about White: "He took some shots and I know he was hurting. He didn't want to be out of the game — he wanted to finish.

"Major heart, toughness. He's a dog, that's the bottom line, but we have to do a better job of protecting him."

Jets center Connor McGovern also hailed White, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

"He's willing to do whatever it takes to win," he said. "That's what every guy in this locker room, if they aren't that way, they need to be that way. I believe everybody is that way.

"Today, Mike was unfortunately an example of that. Guys are willing to do whatever it takes to get the Jets to the playoffs and beyond."

Justin Herbert led the short-handed Los Angeles Chargers past the Miami Dolphins 27-13 after throwing for 367 yards with one touchdown pass in a thrilling Sunday clash at SoFi Stadium.

Herbert was exceptional, in a game where he claimed the record for the most pass yards in a player's first three seasons in NFL history ahead of Andrew Lock, Peyton Manning.

The Chargers QB threw a second-quarter TD pass for Mike Williams, who had 116 yards from six receptions on his return from an ankle sprain, while running back Austin Ekeler ran in another score right on half-time. Ekeler had 45 rushing yards and 59 receiving yards, while Keenan Allen made 92 yards on 12 catches.

Herbert also made an important recovery after a failed fourth-quarter snap on second-and-goal, allowing Cameron Dicker to score a field goal to stretch the margin beyond one score.

The home side held on with Nic Niemann making a crucial recovery after DeAndre Carter could not handle Jason Sanders' kick, after the Miami kicker reduced the margin within one score with a 55-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining.

The victory improved the Chargers to 7-6 to boost their playoffs' hopes, while the Dolphins suffered their second straight loss ahead of a trip to AFC East rivals Buffalo (10-3), leaving them 8-5.

Tyreek Hill did his best for the Dolphins with two touchdowns, recovering Jeff Wilson's fumble to race away for a 57-yard touchdown, before making it 17-14 in the third quarter on a 60-yard Tua Tagovailoa TD pass down the right sideline.

Hill finished with 81 yards on four receptions, while Tagovailoa completed 10-of-28 passing for 145 yards, running for 28 yards on three carries. The Dolphins QB only completed three first-half passes, with Miami managing only 55 total yards before half-time.

The Philadelphia Eagles are on cloud nine after booking their spot in the playoffs with Sunday's 48-22 trouncing of the New York Giants, but head coach Nick Sirianni insists they have "way bigger goals".

Playing away in New York, the Eagles were dominant from the first whistle until the last, winning all four quarters after jumping out to a 21-0 lead early in the second frame.

Adding to his potential MVP case, Jalen Hurts was unstoppable with 217 passing yards, 77 rushing yards and three total touchdowns to go with no turnovers, while running back Miles Sanders added another two touchdowns and a career-high 144 yards on the ground.

It was a terrific game by the Eagles' defense as well, collecting seven sacks and one fumble recovery, led by Brandon Graham's three hits on the Giants' quarterbacks.

Graham said the camaraderie inside the Eagles' locker room is at an all-time high, and they have their sights set on a deep playoff run.

"We want the playoffs to come through Lincoln Financial Field," he told reporter. "We want that bye week and we want that home-field advantage, because we know our fans are going to bring it.

"We know there are a lot of areas where we can improve, but it feels great to be 12-1 because this is a special team with that kind of chemistry. 

"Everybody wants everybody to do well. We're all rooting for each other and helping each other. We know we can be special, but there is a lot of work to do.

"It's been so much fun, though. Coming here and beating the Giants like this? Man, it's something else. 

"Just keep it going. That's all we want to do – keep it going and let's see where we end up."

The offensive side of the ball agreed, with Sanders discussing how their bevy of options make them so difficult to defend.

"I don't think they had much of an idea of what we were going to do," he said. "We're having so much fun out there – that's really what it is – this is just fun. 

"We're executing at a high level and having fun and complementing each other. That's what it's all about."

After receiving one of Hurts' two touchdown passes, with the other going to Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith echoed those thoughts.

"We're clicking – if it's not me, it's going to be someone else," he said. "That's how this offense is working, the way we've been all season."

Boasting the best record in the league is not a place most of these players have been, including four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the struggling Detroit Lions.

"I've never been 12-1 in the NFL, leading the division, clinching this early," he said. "Sky's the limit for this team."

While edge-rusher Haason Reddick added: "This is the first year in my NFL career where I'm going to the playoffs – I can't wait to see what that atmosphere is like. Hopefully I'll do my part and the team do their job so we can go play for the big trophy."

Some key members on the team are enjoying what they have accomplished so far, but Sirianni said he was unfazed when he was alerted that his side had officially clinched their postseason berth.

"They said that to me in there and I'm like, 'Oh, that's nice'," he said. "We've got way bigger goals, and it's on to the next one."

The Eagles will look to improve to 13-1 when they travel to take on the Chicago Bears this coming Sunday.