Za'Darius Smith has agreed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, according to reports.

The 29-year-old became a free agent after being released by the Green Bay Packers, and has now signed on with their NFC North rivals.

Reports suggest Smith's contract in Minnesota will have a base value of $42million, and potentially be worth up to $47m with incentives.

He had been expected to return to the Baltimore Ravens last week – whom he left for Green Bay in 2019 – supposedly agreeing to a four-year, $35m deal, but later pulled out.

In the days following Smith's apparent signing, both Von Miller and Chandler Jones – who are several years older than Smith – signed contracts with the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders respectively, worth nearly double the annual salary of the deal offered by the Ravens.

The versatile edge rusher recorded 18.5 sacks in four seasons in Baltimore after he was drafted in the fourth round in 2015.

He then racked up 26 sacks across his first two years in Green Bay, helping them to back-to-back NFC Championship Game appearances.

However, a back injury limited him to just one regular-season appearance in 2021. Smith returned for the Packers' Divisional Round matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, but could not prevent a 13-10 defeat.

After reportedly agreeing to a four-year, $35million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, edge rusher Za'Darius Smith is back on the market.

Smith is the third player since this season's free agency discussions began to pull out of a deal that was widely-reported.

Randy Gregory was believed to have extended with the Dallas Cowboys before backing out and signing with the Denver Broncos, as J.D. McKissic cooled on his decision to join the Buffalo Bills, instead re-signing with the Washington Commanders. 

Questions started to arise after the Ravens had not announced the signing through official team channels, with general manager Eric DeCosta saying, "I think over the coming days we'll have more to say on other moves that we make."

Smith missed the last 16 games of this past regular season after two dominant years in 2019 and 2020, and at 29 years old, the offer from the Ravens appeared to be strong.

However, in the days following Smith's apparent signing, both Von Miller and Chandler Jones – who are multiple years older than Smith – signed contracts worth nearly double the annual salary of the deal offered by the Ravens.

Playing at one of the league's premier positions, Smith should have a strong market as a reliable source of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Za'Darius Smith is returning to the Baltimore Ravens after three seasons away from the team that drafted him.

Released by the Green Bay Packers in a move to create salary cap space, Smith is re-joining the Ravens on a four-year, $35million deal, according to multiple reports.

The versatile edge rusher recorded 18.5 sacks in four seasons for the Ravens after he was drafted by Baltimore in the fourth round in 2015.

He joined the Packers in 2019 and racked up 26 sacks across his first two years, helping Green Bay to back-to-back NFC Championship Game appearances.

However, a back injury limited him to just one regular-season appearance in 2021. Smith returned for the Packers' Divisional Round matchup with the San Francisco 49ers but could not prevent Green Bay from suffering a 13-10 defeat.

Smith's return to Baltimore sees the Ravens make another high-profile addition to their defense, having also signed safety Marcus Williams to a five-year, $70m contract.

The signings come after a 2021 campaign in which the Ravens missed the playoffs while giving up a league-worst 5.98 yards per play.

Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have both decided to pass on participating in the upcoming 2022 NFL Pro Bowl.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Allen was voted as an alternate in the AFC roster, having initially missed out to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was absent for the latter stages of the season with an ankle injury.

Jackson's ankle injury will force him out of the Pro Bowl game, while Allen has opted to let his body "rest and recover" after a hectic season.

Allen's season had prematurely ended last weekend at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs 42-36 in overtime in a Divisional playoffs classic.

"Unfortunately, I will be declining the invitation to play in the Pro Bowl this year - in order to allow my body to rest and recover from the harshness of the season," Allen told ESPN.

"The type of quarterback [that] I am, I obtain a lot of bumps and bruises along the road of a season, so I will use this time to let my body heal."

The AFC roster may be short on quarterbacks with Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert as started and Patrick Mahomes the only back-up.

Mahomes will be aiming to clinch a spot in the Super Bowl with the Chiefs this weekend, meaning he may become unavailable for the Pro Bowl, scheduled for February 6 in Las Vegas, too.

Dual threat Bills QB Allen had a career-high 4,407 passing yards for 36 passing touchdowns, along with a career-best 763 rushing yards with six touchdowns.

Jackson only managed 12 games due to injury prematurely ending his season, with a 64.4 percent completion rate for 2,882 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The Jacksonville Jaguars helped the Pittsburgh Steelers virtually secure a playoff place as they stunned the Indianapolis Colts in their regular-season finale.

Indianapolis needed only to beat a two-win Jaguars team to secure their place in the postseason.

History, however, was against Frank Reich's team, the Colts having not won in Jacksonville since the 2014 season.

And the Jags' home hoodoo over the Colts continued as Indianapolis quarterback Carson Wentz imploded in a 26-11 defeat.

Wentz was sacked six times in a game the Jaguars led the entire way, rookie first overall pick Trevor Lawrence throwing multiple touchdowns for the first time since Week 1.

The dagger effectively came when Lawrence capitalised on Wentz's lone interception, the former Philadelphia Eagle picked by Jags linebacker Damien Wilson in the third quarter.

Lawrence then successfully handled a high snap from center, rolled to his right and lofted a three-yard pass to Marvin Jones Jr, who made a leaping grab in the back of the endzone.

The Colts were eliminated from the playoffs after the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens in overtime. The Steelers will qualify unless the Los Angeles Chargers' game with the Las Vegas Raiders ends in a tie.

Despite the win, the Jaguars claim the number one pick in the 2022 draft by virtue of the Detroit Lions' win over the Green Bay Packers, who rested players for much of the game.

Titans take one seed

The Kansas City Chiefs kept the pressure on the Titans with their win in Denver on Saturday, but Tennessee did not waste the opportunity to clinch the one seed, though they received a scare from the lowly Houston Texans.

Tennessee surged to a 21-0 lead, only for the Texans to respond with 18 unanswered points of their own. Ryan Tannehill's fourth touchdown pass, on which he hit Julio Jones for the receiver's first touchdown as a Titan, gave them breathing room that proved enough as they hung on for a 28-25 win after Danny Amendola's second touchdown reception frayed the nerves.

Watt ties sack record as Steelers stay alive

Ben Roethlisberger bid a tearful farewell to Heinz Field in the Steelers' home finale on Monday, but his likely final season in the NFL looks like being extended into the Wild Card round.

The Steelers fought back from 10-3 down to lead 13-10 on a Roethlisberger pass to Chase Claypool and, though Justin Tucker's field goal forced overtime, the leg of Chris Boswell had the final say, giving the Steelers a 16-13 victory in a game that saw T.J. Watt tie Michael Strahan's single-season sack record as he took his tally to 22.5.

With Chargers head coach Brandon Staley saying they would not play for a tie that would punch the postseason ticket for them and the Raiders, the Steelers' spot seems virtually assured.

The 18th and final round of the NFL regular season is upon us and there remains plenty of intrigue in a frantic scramble to make it to the playoffs.

Five teams from the AFC are competing for two postseason berths, while one spot is up for grabs in the NFC. 

Away from the Super Bowl picture, there are a number of other intriguing subplots ahead of an action-packed weekend.

Stats Perform previews some of the standout games and the best of the rest.


Los Angeles Chargers (9-7) @ Las Vegas Raiders (9-7)

The winner of this contest is guaranteed a playoff spot, while there is also a scenario whereby a tie could see both advance. Interestingly, six of the previous seven games in Oakland/Las Vegas have been decided by three points or fewer.

The Raiders beat the Colts on a last-second field goal last week to prevail 23-20 – their fifth win of the season by four points or fewer, tied with the Packers and the Titans for the most in the NFL.

Justin Herbert set the single-season passing touchdowns record for the Chargers last week with his 35th of the campaign. He now requires 172 yards this week to also take the passing-yards record.

The Chargers' 34-13 win against the Broncos was their fourth victory in a win while scoring 30 points or more. They have averaged 33.9 points per game in wins this season, second most in the NFL behind the Bills (35.1).

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7-1) @ Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

The Steelers have won three in a row against the Ravens, with all three of those victories being decided by less than a touchdown, the most recent coming by a 20-19 scoreline last month.

Last week's 12-point win over the Browns was the Steelers' largest of the season, though not since 1969 have they gone a full campaign without winning by at least 13 points.

The Ravens are coming off the back of a 20-19 loss to the Rams, their league-leading eighth game decided by three or fewer points this season – no team in NFL history has had more than nine games decided by three or fewer points.

Najee Harris rushed for 188 of the Steelers' 190 rushing yards against the Browns and accounts for 77.9 per cent of his side's rush yards this season, the highest share of any player in the NFL.

 

Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) @ Denver Broncos (7-9)

The Chiefs will be looking to respond to their defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 17 when they take on the Broncos, whom they have defeated in 12 successive meetings – the league's joint-longest active winning streak along with the New England Patriots against the New York Jets.

Despite last week's defeat, the Chiefs have scored at least 30 points in four successive games, which is the longest-running streak in the NFL and one short of their all-time record of five set in 2004 and 2018.

Kansas lead the way in the NFL with 391 first downs this season and, with nine more this weekend, will become the fifth team in the last 70 years with 400 or more first downs in a season.

The Broncos were defeated by the Chargers last time out to ensure a losing season for the fifth straight year, an unwanted run they last went on from 1963 to 1972 with 10 straight losing seasons.

Elsewhere...

The Jaguars require a victory against the Colts to avoid becoming the fourth team in the last 30 years to have consecutive seasons with two or fewer wins. The Colts have lost three games this season by exactly three points – the Seahawks are the only team this season that has failed to win a single game by three or fewer points with more losses in such games (0-5).

The Rams can clinch their third NFC West title in six seasons season since moving back to Los Angeles with victory over the 49ers. However, the Niners have won each of their last five meetings with the Rams.

The Falcons have three successive wins against the Saints in Atlanta and are seeking a fourth in a row for the first time since between 1991 and 1994. Following defeat to the Bills last week, the Falcons have alternated between wins and losses over their last seven games.

The Bills can clinch their second consecutive division title with victory against the Jets, following on from a previous run of 24 straight seasons without finishing top. All 10 of Buffalo's wins this season have come by 12 points or more.

Matthew Stafford inspired the Los Angeles Rams to move one step closer to securing their second straight NFC West title with a 20-19 win over the slumping Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The defeat for the Ravens, who were without quarterback Lamar Jackson for the third straight game, leaves them perilously close to slipping out of the Wild Card hunt after their fifth consecutive loss.

Justin Tucker's field goal had put the Ravens up 19-14 with 4:33 left but Stafford launched a game-winning 75-yard drive to overhaul the deficit.

Stafford completed a 15-yard pass to Tyler Higbee and a 24-yarder to Cooper Kupp, before finding Odell Beckham Jr twice in a row, with the latter being the decisive TD.

The Rams QB finished with 26 of 35 passes for two touchdowns but also two interceptions, including a Chuck Clark first-quarter pick six, as well as a sack.

Clark's TD was the Ravens' only for the game, as QB Tyler Huntley completed 20 of 32 passes for 197 yards.

Rams running back Sony Michel had 19 carries for 74 yards including a TD along with wide receiver Kupp with six receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown.

Over a month ago the Ravens had been 8-3 and looking good for the AFC top seed but now they are scrapping for a playoffs spot after a series of narrow defeats and desperate for Jackson's return.

Carlson field goal gives Raiders edge in Wild Card race

The Las Vegas Raiders claimed a crucial last-gasp win from Daniel Carlson's 33-yard field goal in the AFC Wild Card race with a 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Colts quarterback Carson Wentz cleared protocols for the game but completed 16 of 27 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown, while running back Jonathan Taylor had one TD from 20 carries for 108 yards, with the defeat marking the first this season when he has rushed more than 100 yards.

The Raiders pipped the Colts in the final quarter, trailing 17-13 at the final break with QB Derek Carr hitting Hunter Renfrow on a fourth-down play for a TD, before Michael Badgley squared the game with a 41-yard field goal, only for Carlson to win it with one from 33 yards as time expired. The Raiders improve to 9-7, pulling ahead of the 9-7 Colts in the AFC Wild Card race.

 

Bengals clinch maiden AFC North title

The Cincinnati Bengals clinched their first-ever AFC North title as Evan McPherson kicked a late 20-yard field goal to secure a 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase set an NFL rookie record and franchise record with 266 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches, while QB Joe Burrow threw 30 of 39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns.

Burrow got the better of opposing QB Patrick Mahomes who completed 26 of 35 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns as the Chiefs, who have already won the AFC West title, moved to 11-5.

 

Brady cool after Brown meltdown

Tom Brady was cool in a crisis after Antonio Brown stormed off the field as the NFC South-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers rallied to win 28-24 over the New York Jets.

Brady completed 34 of 50 attempts for 410 yards and three touchdowns, including leading them on a 93-yard drive in the final minutes to clinch the victory.

The game was marred after Brown's meltdown, storming off the field in the third quarter with the Bucs 24-10 down, with head coach Bruce Arians confirming "he is no longer a Buc" after the game.

Matthew Stafford inspired the Los Angeles Rams to move one step closer to securing their second straight NFC West title with a 20-19 win over the slumping Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The defeat for the Ravens, who were without quarterback Lamar Jackson for the third straight game, leaves them perilously close to slipping out of the Wild Card hunt after their fifth consecutive loss.

Justin Tucker's field goal had put the Ravens up 19-14 with 4:33 left but Stafford launched a game-winning 75-yard drive to overhaul the deficit.

Stafford completed a 15-yard pass to Tyler Higbee and a 24-yarder to Cooper Kupp, before finding Odell Beckham Jr twice in a row, with the latter being the decisive TD.

The Rams QB finished with 26 of 35 passes for two touchdowns but also two interceptions, including a Chuck Clark first-quarter pick six, as well as a sack.

Clark's TD was the Ravens' only for the game, as QB Tyler Huntley completed 20 of 32 passes for 197 yards.

Rams running back Sony Michel had 19 carries for 74 yards including a TD along with wide receiver Kupp with six receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown.

Over a month ago the Ravens had been 8-3 and looking good for the AFC top seed but now they are scrapping for a playoffs spot after a series of narrow defeats and desperate for Jackson's return.

Carlson field goal gives Raiders edge in Wild Card race

The Las Vegas Raiders claimed a crucial last-gasp win from Daniel Carlson's 33-yard field goal in the AFC Wild Card race with a 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Colts quarterback Carson Wentz cleared protocols for the game but completed 16 of 27 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown, while running back Jonathan Taylor had one TD from 20 carries for 108 yards, with the defeat marking the first this season when he has rushed more than 100 yards.

The Raiders pipped the Colts in the final quarter, trailing 17-13 at the final break with QB Derek Carr hitting Hunter Renfrow on a fourth-down play for a TD, before Michael Badgley squared the game with a 41-yard field goal, only for Carlson to win it with one from 33 yards as time expired. The Raiders improve to 9-7, pulling ahead of the 9-7 Colts in the AFC Wild Card race.

 

Bengals clinch maiden AFC North title

The Cincinnati Bengals clinched their first-ever AFC North title as Evan McPherson kicked a late 20-yard field goal to secure a 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase set an NFL rookie record and franchise record with 266 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches, while QB Joe Burrow threw 30 of 39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns.

Burrow got the better of opposing QB Patrick Mahomes who completed 26 of 35 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns as the Chiefs, who have already won the AFC West title, moved to 11-5.

 

Brady cool after Brown meltdown

Tom Brady was cool in a crisis after Antonio Brown stormed off the field as the NFC South-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers rallied to win 28-24 over the New York Jets.

Brady completed 34 of 50 attempts for 410 yards and three touchdowns, including leading them on a 93-yard drive in the final minutes to clinch the victory.

The game was marred after Brown's meltdown, storming off the field in the third quarter with the Bucs 24-10 down, with head coach Bruce Arians confirming "he is no longer a Buc" after the game.

The Baltimore Ravens are in danger of letting their season get away from them after a four-game losing run and things do not appear to get any easier with the Los Angeles Rams visiting on Sunday.

John Harbaugh's men have a positive recent record against the Rams though, and will need to properly utilise the impressive form of Mark Andrews.

The Indianapolis Colts can clinch their playoff spot with a win against the Las Vegas Raiders, while a potentially fascinating encounter in the race for the playoffs between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos will take place at SoFi Stadium.

Stats Perform takes a look at the standout statistics ahead of the penultimate week of the NFL's regular season.

Los Angeles Rams (11-4) @ Baltimore Ravens (8-7)

The Rams have lost four straight games against the Ravens (outscored 120-29 in those games) and are 2-5 all-time against them - Baltimore the only franchise in the league the Rams have never won a road game against (0-3).

Rams running back Sony Michel ran for 131 yards and a touchdown in last week's win against the Minnesota Vikings, two yards from tying a career-high set in 2018 with the New England Patriots. He has 423 yards in his last four games after a combined 305 in his first 11 games.

The Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 41-21 last week, allowing 525 passing yards, the most in franchise history. They also finished with just 39 rushing yards of their own, their fewest since a franchise-low 11 in 2016.

Andrews had eight catches for 125 yards and a touchdown last week. He now has three straight games with at least 100 receiving yards and at least one touchdown. He is the only Raven to ever have three such games in a row, and just the second tight end in NFL history (Jimmy Graham in 2013).

Las Vegas Raiders (8-7) @ Indianapolis Colts (9-6)

The Raiders were 7-2 in their first nine games against the Colts but have gone just 2-6 since then (dating back to 2004). They won 31-24 in their last trip to Indianapolis in 2019 but lost at home the following season.

After beating the Broncos last week, the Raiders have won back-to-back games despite scoring 17 points or fewer in each. It is the first time they have done so since 1991 – those victories came against the Broncos and the Colts.

The Colts beat the Arizona Cardinals 22-16 last week, improving to 8-2 in their last 10 games after starting the season 1-4. Their 31.2 points per game since Week 6 leads the NFL.

Jonathan Taylor had 108 rushing yards in his last outing, his ninth display this season with at least 100 yards – the Colts have won all nine of those games. Indianapolis has not won a game in which he has been held under the century mark this season.

Denver Broncos (7-8) @ Los Angeles Chargers (8-7)

The Broncos beat the Chargers 28-13 in Week 12, their largest win over them since a 23-7 triumph in the 2005 season. Fourteen of the last 21 games between these teams have been decided by one possession (eight points or fewer).

Drew Lock is expected to start at quarterback again after starting his first game of the season last time out. Since the start of 2020, Lock has the lowest completion percentage among the 29 quarterbacks with 500 or more pass attempts (57.6 per cent).

The Chargers allowed 189 rushing yards in a 41-29 loss to the Houston Texans, who entered the game ranked last in the NFL in rushing yards per game. The Chargers are allowing 140.3 rushing yards per game, on pace for their worst mark since the 1987 strike season (144.7).

Justin Jackson had a career-high 162 scrimmage yards against the Texans while filling in for Austin Ekeler. He has 261 scrimmage yards in his last two games, which Ekeler has done just once in a two-game span this season (264 yards from Weeks 4-5).

Elsewhere...

Atlanta Falcons (7-8) QB Matt Ryan will look to add to his 3,555 yards thrown overall this season when he faces the Buffalo Bills (9-6). It is his 12th consecutive season with at least 3,500 passing yards. He joins Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Tom Brady in an exclusive club to achieve the passing milestone in that many straight campaigns.

The Patriots (9-6) have lost at least two December games in each of the last four seasons (3-2 in 2018, 2-3 in 2019, 1-3 in 2020, 1-2 in 2021). New England, who host the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13), have more December losses over the last four seasons (7-10) than in the previous 15 seasons combined (56-9, 2003-2017).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-4) star Brady is 30-7 as a starter against the New York Jets (4-11) in his career (including postseason). That is the second-most wins by any QB against a single opponent behind only his own record against the Bills (33). Brady is 7-0 in his last seven against the Jets, winning by an average of 23.3 points. 

The Kansas City Chiefs - who can clinch the AFC's top seed if they avoid defeat against the Bengals and the Tennessee Titans lose in Miami - have lost their last five games in Cincinnati, with their last win there coming in September 1984.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to practice on Wednesday but remains in doubt for Sunday's must-win game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Jackson has been battling a right ankle injury over the past fortnight having missed their past two games and practiced with a visible limp on Wednesday.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh indicated it is expected the 24-year-old QB will have limited preparation ahead of Sunday's game.

"I'm really hopeful," Harbaugh told reporters. "I'm hopeful for all our quarterbacks, starting with Lamar.

"I really want to see him out there on Sunday. I know the fans do, and I know most of all, Lamar does.

"He's going to do everything he can to be out there. You can't make a promise because we don't know what tomorrow is going to bring."

Jackson has not played since sustained the injury in the 24-22 loss to the Cleveland Browns on December 12.

The Ravens have lost their past two games without Jackson, stretching their losing run to four games and leaving them with an 8-7 record and in danger of missing the playoffs.

Tyler Huntley will stand in for Jackson if he is not deemed fit, given he is expected to be activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday.

Jackson has thrown for 2,882 yards and 16 touchdowns this season along with a career-high 13 interceptions. The 24-year-old has also rushed for two scores – the lowest of his career – on 133 carries in 2021.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made franchise history after completing 37 of 46 passes for 525 yards in the 41-21 victory against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

It was a new Bengals record for passing yards in a single game and included four touchdowns with no interceptions as the Bengals claimed a big AFC North win to improve to 9-6 ahead of the 8-7 Ravens on a four-game skid.

The second year QB's effort was the fourth most passing yards in a game in NFL history, and he also became the fourth player in NFL history to have 500 pass yards, four pass touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game, joining Derek Carr, Ben Roethlisberger and Y.A. Tittle.

Burrow broke the record previously held by Boomer Esiason, who threw for 490 yards in an overtime game against the Los Angeles Rams in October 1990.

After the game, the 25-year-old claimed that he was not thinking about the finer details of his own statistics and was just focused on doing what it took to win the game.

"You know, I really don't think about the yards too much," said Burrow after his history-making performance. "Whatever it takes to win the game. Today, it took throwing for 525 yards."

He also admitted that the record-breaking throw to Joe Mixom for 52-yards went against the wishes of coach Zac Taylor, who had told Burrow not to scramble. He fled the pocket and threw deep to running back Mixon, who caught it for a significant gain inside the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

"I knew I wasn't supposed to do it, but we went out there and did it anyway," Burrow added.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins also excelled against the Ravens (12 receptions for 194 yards and two touchdowns), and credited Burrow for his own showing, saying post-game: "When he's on fire like that, all your job is to do is get open and he's going to find you."

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made franchise history after completing 37 of 46 passes for 525 yards in the 41-21 victory against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

It was a new Bengals record for passing yards in a single game and included four touchdowns with no interceptions as the Bengals claimed a big AFC North win to improve to 9-6 ahead of the 8-7 Ravens on a four-game skid.

The second year QB's effort was the fourth most passing yards in a game in NFL history, and he also became the fourth player in NFL history to have 500 pass yards, four pass touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game, joining Derek Carr, Ben Roethlisberger and Y.A. Tittle.

Burrow broke the record previously held by Boomer Esiason, who threw for 490 yards in an overtime game against the Los Angeles Rams in October 1990.

After the game, the 25-year-old claimed that he was not thinking about the finer details of his own statistics and was just focused on doing what it took to win the game.

"You know, I really don't think about the yards too much," said Burrow after his history-making performance. "Whatever it takes to win the game. Today, it took throwing for 525 yards."

He also admitted that the record-breaking throw to Joe Mixom for 52-yards went against the wishes of coach Zac Taylor, who had told Burrow not to scramble. He fled the pocket and threw deep to running back Mixon, who caught it for a significant gain inside the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

"I knew I wasn't supposed to do it, but we went out there and did it anyway," Burrow added.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins also excelled against the Ravens (12 receptions for 194 yards and two touchdowns), and credited Burrow for his own showing, saying post-game: "When he's on fire like that, all your job is to do is get open and he's going to find you."

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys blew away the Washington Football Team with six first-half touchdowns as they recorded a comprehensive 56-14 win on Sunday.

Prescott completed 28 of 39 passes for 330 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, as the Cowboys reached 50 points for the first time since Super Bowl XXVII in 1993.

The Dallas QB recorded his fourth career game with 300 yards, four passing touchdowns and no interceptions, which is the most by any player in franchise history, going past Tony Romo (three). Prescott remarkably passed for 320 yards by half-time.

The Cowboys also became the first team this season to score in all three facets of the game as they dismantled Washington.

Ezekiel Elliott scored two touchdowns in the first half as the Cowboys opened up a 42-7 half-time lead. Elliott had nine carries for 37 yards and one rushing TD, along with one receiving touchdown.

Dallas had good contributions from receivers Amari Cooper (seven receptions for 85 yards and one TD), Dalton Schultz (eight receptions for 82 yards and one TD) and Malik Turner (three receptions for 82 yards and one TD).

Demarcus Lawrence also scored a TD after intercepting Washington QB's Taylor Heinicke's first-quarter pass with Chauncey Golston cleaning up in the end zone for a touchdown after Corey Clement blocked a punt.

The Cowboys, who have clinched the NFC East division earlier in the day after the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Denver Broncos 17-13, improve to 11-4 while Washington are 6-9.

 

Burrow blows against Lamar-less Ravens

Joe Burrow was in record-breaking form with the fourth most passing yards in a game in NFL history to lead the Cincinnati Bengals won 41-21 over the Baltimore Ravens, who were without Lamar Jackson.

Burrow completed 37 of 46 passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, which was a new franchise record for passing yards as the Bengals claimed a major AFC North win to improve to 9-6 ahead of the 8-7 Ravens on a four-game skid.

The Bengals quarterback also becomes the fourth player in NFL history to have 500 pass yards, four pass touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game, joining Derek Carr, Ben Roethlisberger and Y.A. Tittle.

Wide receivers Tee Higgins (12 receptions for 194 yards and two touchdowns) and Ja'Marr Chase (seven receptions for 125 yards) were excellent against the Ravens whose stand-in QB Josh Johnson had two TD passes.

 

Chiefs clinch AFC West yet again

The Kansas City Chiefs became the first team to ever clinch the AFC West title for six straight seasons after a 36-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw 23 of 30 passes for 258 yards with three TD passes, while Steelers veteran QB Ben Roethlisberger struggled with 23 of 35 passes for 159 yards with one TD and one interception.

Wide receiver Byron Pringle had six receptions for 75 yards with two touchdowns as the Chiefs improved to an unassailable 11-4 record in the AFC West, ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) who lost 41-29 to the Houston Texans earlier on Sunday.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson saw his chances of playing in Sunday's key divisional game against the Cincinnati Bengals decrease when he missed practice again on Thursday.

Former NFL MVP Jackson missed the Ravens' 31-30 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 15 due to an ankle injury that he sustained in the December 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Jackson did not practice at all last week before missing the Packers' game, having been carted off against the Browns.

And it is backup Tyler Huntley who is taking first-team reps again this week, with offensive coordinator Greg Roman acknowledging the missed practice time for Jackson was becoming a concern.

Baltimore, who have lost three games in a row, are second in the AFC North behind the Bengals as both teams hold 8-6 records with three regular-season games remaining.

"We're taking it day-to-day," Roman told reporters about Jackson.

"I'm not sure of the availability at this moment but I think it does become a concern for any player when they miss time. 

"You really want them out there working on their craft, but these things happen. It is a fact of life in the NFL and you have to work through them. 

"Before the Denver game, he missed Wednesday and Thursday, and I thought he played a great game. So, he has the capability to do that. We have all the confidence in him and Tyler."

Roman added he was preparing a flexible gameplan in case Jackson is able to play in a more limited capacity than usual.

"If he can't move very well, then we'll certainly lean on other things than trying to have him move too much," the OC said.

Jackson has thrown for 2,882 yards and 16 touchdowns this season along with a career-high 13 interceptions. The 24-year-old has also rushed for two scores – the lowest of his career – on 133 carries in 2021.

The Ravens have won five of their seven meetings with the Bengals since 2018, although they were crushed 41-17 by their rivals in Week 7 this year.

Each of the Ravens' three consecutive losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Browns and Packers have come by either one or two points. 

Per Stats Perform data, only two other teams in NFL history have lost three consecutive games by two points or less - the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1932.

The Indianapolis Colts have dominated selection for the Pro Bowl with seven players named for the game due to be played on 6 February in Las Vegas for the first time.

Colts' MVP contender running back Jonathan Taylor was among five players confirmed earlier this week but he was joined by six other team-mates as the full NFC and AFC rosters were revealed on Wednesday.

Indianapolis also had center Ryan Kelly, guard Quenton Nelson, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, linebacker Darius Leonard, cornerback Kenny Moore II and special teams long snapper Luke Rhodes all selected, with the Colts enjoying a run of five wins in six games to sit second in the AFC South.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady had already been named earlier this week for a record 15th Pro Bowl, with Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray and Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers joining him as NFC QBs.

The selected AFC quarterbacks were Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert, Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson and Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs and Chargers had six players selected in total, while the Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Bucs all had five representatives.

Four rookies were selected in Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.

The NFC and AFC rosters are determined by a vote of the fans, players and coaches.

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