Leonard Fournette revealed he has been playing through a Lisfranc injury as he sent a message – which he later deleted – to his critics.

Fournette is one of a number of players whose performances have been scrutinised in a season in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a disappointing 7-8.

But that record crucially has the Bucs top of the NFC South after the running back led his team to a vital overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Day.

Fournette contributed 162 yards from scrimmage, leading Tampa Bay in both carries (20 for 72 yards) and receptions (nine for 90 yards).

And the 27-year-old revealed his commitment to the Bucs in a Twitter post on Monday, although he soon deleted the message.

"I hate when people be on here just talking, saying I'm out of shape etc," he wrote.

"Do y'all understand I'm playing with a Lisfranc in my foot every week? Can barely push off my foot but through the Grace of God I'm going to keep proving y'all wrong."

Fournette has the backing of quarterback Tom Brady, who said after the 19-16 win: "He ran really hard and was on a mission.

"He ran through arm tackles, ran hard, caught the ball well, pass protected well.

"This team has a lot of resiliency. We fight hard. 7-8 is not where we want to be, but got a chance at a championship game next week."

Russell Wilson conceded his inaugural season with the Denver Broncos has not been what he hoped for, though he made it clear that the necessary team improvements start with himself.

The quarterback threw three interceptions as the Los Angeles Rams ran out 51-14 victors on Christmas Day, leaving the Broncos 4-11 this year – the joint-third worst record across the NFL.

Wilson has struggled to perform following his mega trade from the Seattle Seahawks, with a pass completion of 60.1 per cent standing as the lowest-ever mark of his career.

Meanwhile, he has thrown a touchdown in just 2.9 per cent of his throws – again the worst record of his career.

Though the 34-year-old is not the only player to have disappointed this season, Wilson has vowed to "keep fighting" and remains confident of better displays in future campaigns.

"A lot needs to happen. I have to play to the standards that I know how to play to," he said, via Mike Klis of KUSA. "And I've been playing to my whole career. I'll never let a moment like tonight define me.

"We're at a low moment right now. I don't fear low moments because I know every time, I've always come out the other side. All I know how to do is keep fighting, keep battling.

"The reality is, it's been a storm. It's been a storm all year. It's not what we hoped for, not what we dreamed for. But it doesn't mean it's going to end that way for years to come. We got to change it, and it starts with me."

The Broncos travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, before concluding their season at home to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Tua Tagovailoa's performance in the Miami Dolphins' defeat to the Green Bay Packers is "something every quarterback goes through", according to coach Mike McDaniel.

The 2020 first-round pick threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter as the Dolphins blew a 10-point lead on Christmas Day against the Packers, eventually going down 26-20 at Hard Rock Stadium.

With just a handful of games left until the end of the regular season, the loss moves the Dolphins to an 8-7 record, having suffered four straight defeats.

Tagovailoa's performance was widely criticised afterwards, but McDaniel offered his full backing to his quarterback, suggesting they will work as a team to figure out how to bounce back from a poor performance.

"It's a challenge, but it's also something every quarterback goes through," he said. "It's one of those necessary things you have to really figure out.

"You can't let the past influence the present. I think there could be some portions that have to do with him snowballing in his own mind.

"But he's such a strong individual that I've very confidence he'll be able to get through that. This team needs him.

"This team needs myself to make sure all those situations are not putting him behind the eight-ball, and then the quarterback needs the rest of his team to execute so he doesn't have to do too much on his own."

The Dolphins travel to the New England Patriots on New Year's Day, before wrapping up their regular campaign against the New York Jets, likely needing to win both to reach the postseason.

Tom Brady feels the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are "comfortable" in down-to-the-wire situations after orchestrating an overtime comeback win against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bucs rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 19-16 and keep a one-game lead atop the NFC South.

Brady completed 26 of 42 passes in regular time, with one touchdown pass to Rachaad White with eight minutes remaining, before throwing six from six to complete all of his passes in overtime.

It helped set up Ryan Succop's game-winning 40-yard field goal on the back of a nine-play 66-yard drive, and Brady acknowledged he and his team-mates believe they can thrive in pressure scenarios.

"If we keep it close in the fourth quarter, we know we've got a shot,” he said. "I think we’re all comfortable in those situations."

Leonard Fournette – who had nine receptions for 90 yards – was quick to pay tribute to Brady afterwards, suggesting their comeback was simply a by-product of what the seven-time Super Bowl champion brings to the field.

"That's just who he is," Fournette said. "He's been doing it for years. We're just playing a part in his greatness.

"[We] give him what he wants. He wants certain routes run certain ways. We're just here to try and make his job easier."

The Bucs have endured a tough year, with a 7-8 losing record, but they remain in with a postseason shot as they sit at the summit of NFC South ahead of the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to claim a 19-16 overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.

Ryan Succop kicked a 40-yard field goal with 3:41 remaining in overtime as the Bucs scored the final 13 points to put themselves in a position to win the NFC South with a victory next week against the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay are now 7-8 ahead of the 6-9 Panthers in that division.

The Cardinals had led 16-6 with 10:47 remaining after running back James Conner ran into the endzone for a 22-yard touchdown.

But the Bucs responded when it mattered after an uninspired first half, with Leonard Fournette's 44-yard run leading to Brady finding Rachaad White to cut the margin to 16-13.

Tampa Bay won the ball back when Cardinals third-string QB Trace McSorley tried a quick pitch on a third-and-one to rookie Keaontay Ingram whose fumble fell kindly to Bucs defensive end William Gholston.

That allowed Succop to kick a 42-yard attempt to square the game up, eventually going to overtime with McSorley attempting a hail Mary pass as the clock expired.

In the first half, both sides had scored field goals in each quarter, while Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt's three tackles were a feature. Brady threw a third-quarter interception for Marco Wilson, his second of the game.

Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for 281 yards with one TD and two interceptions, while Fournette had 72 rushing yards from 20 carries along with 90 yards on nine receptions.

McSorley threw 24 of 45 passes for 217 yards, including a 47-yard gain for Marquise Brown, setting up Matt Prater's third field goal to give them the lead for the first time in the third quarter.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to claim a 19-16 overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.

Ryan Succop kicked a 40-yard field goal with 3:41 remaining in overtime as the Bucs scored the final 13 points to put themselves in a position to win the NFC South with a victory next week against the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay are now 7-8 ahead of the 6-9 Panthers in that division.

The Cardinals had led 16-6 with 10:47 remaining after running back James Conner ran into the endzone for a 22-yard touchdown.

But the Bucs responded when it mattered after an uninspired first half, with Leonard Fournette's 44-yard run leading to Brady finding Rachaad White to cut the margin to 16-13.

Tampa Bay won the ball back when Cardinals third-string QB Trace McSorley tried a quick pitch on a third-and-one to rookie Keaontay Ingram whose fumble fell kindly to Bucs defensive end William Gholston.

That allowed Succop to kick a 42-yard attempt to square the game up, eventually going to overtime with McSorley attempting a hail Mary pass as the clock expired.

In the first half, both sides had scored field goals in each quarter, while Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt's three tackles were a feature. Brady threw a third-quarter interception for Marco Wilson, his second of the game.

Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for 281 yards with one TD and two interceptions, while Fournette had 72 rushing yards from 20 carries along with 90 yards on nine receptions.

McSorley threw 24 of 45 passes for 217 yards, including a 47-yard gain for Marquise Brown, setting up Matt Prater's third field goal to give them the lead for the first time in the third quarter.

The Los Angeles Rams enjoyed their most dominant win of the season on Sunday as they pummelled the Denver Broncos 51-14.

It was a miserable game from beginning to end for the Broncos, conceding a field goal on the opening drive before quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception from their third play, gifting the Rams the field position to score again and take a 10-0 lead.

Things went from bad to worse when the Broncos' second drive also ended in a Wilson interception, with Rams running back Cam Akers delivering a second touchdown in the first quarter to jump ahead by three scores.

The Rams went on to score touchdowns on both of their next two drives, with Akers and Tyler Higbee both collecting two by half-time to blow out the margin.

Akers put the exclamation point on the drubbing with his third touchdown run of the game to open the fourth quarter, before Wilson finally found a consolation score, firing a touchdown pass to Greg Dulcich.

Mayfield, in his third start since being picked up off the waiver wire, completed a superb 24 of his 28 passes for 230 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. Higbee was his top receiver, catching nine passes for 94 yards and both of Mayfield's touchdowns.

Wilson was 15-of-27 for 214 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, although Jerry Jeudy was excellent, bringing in six catches for 117 yards. For Wilson, it was his first game with three interceptions since October 2020.

The Green Bay Packers' defense played a spectacular fourth quarter to deliver a 26-20 win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

It was the third consecutive win for the surging Packers, who were 4-8 before the streak, but now have a chance to make the playoffs if they can defeat the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions in a pair of January games at Lambeau Field to close the season.

Against the Dolphins, the Packers fell behind in the first quarter after Jaylen Waddle took a pass 84 yards for the longest offensive touchdown to ever occur in a Christmas Day game.

They tied things up with a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Marcedes Lewis, before a Jeff Wilson Jr goal-line touchdown run put the Dolphins up 20-13 at halftime.

The Green Bay defense was a completely different beast after the break, holding the Dolphins scoreless as they made quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's life miserable down the stretch.

Entering the fourth quarter tied at 20-20, all three of the Dolphins' possessions in the last period ended in interceptions, gifting the Packers the field position needed for a pair of field goals to take the lead and the win.

Rodgers completed 24 of his 38 passes for 238 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Tagovailoa was 16-of-25 for 310 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

The Dolphins have now lost four in a row, dropping to a murky 8-7 after appearing destined for the playoffs at 8-3.

Starting right tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals La'el Collins suffered a torn ACL and MCL during Saturday's win against the New England Patriots.

Collins, 29, was enjoying a strong first season with the Bengals after spending his first six years with the Dallas Cowboys.

He started all 15 games up to this point after being brought in to stabilise Joe Burrow's protection, and it has been the first of Burrow's three seasons where he has averaged fewer than three sacks per game.

The Bengals are currently one of the hottest teams in the NFL, riding a seven-game winning streak with nine victories from their past 10 outings, but the loss of Collins will undoubtedly be a massive blow.

According to Enquirer's Kelsey Conway, the team's initial on-field ACL exam appeared to indicate he had not suffered a tear, but an ensuing MRI produced much more dire results.

They finish their season with home games against the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens, but with a playoff berth already secured, the priority will now be to reach the postseason as healthy as possible.

The Pittsburgh Steelers remain in the playoff hunt for at least one more week after some rookie heroics led to a 13-10 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.

With both teams entering the contest at 6-8, it meant anything but a win would spell an early end to the season, and it was the Raiders controlling the contest throughout.

Playing on the road, Hunter Renfrow gave the Raiders the lead in the first quarter after an impressive contested catch near the sideline, before staying inbounds and juking the safety on his way to the endzone

The two sides would kick a field goal each in the second quarter, and besides another Chris Boswell field goal early in the fourth period to cut the Raiders' lead to 10-6, there were no other points scored in the second half until the final minute.

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett got the ball back for his game-winning drive with 2:55 remaining, proceeding to march 76 yards down the field in 10 plays in the freezing temperature and driving snow. 

It culminated in a quarterback sneak to convert a fourth-and-one, before Pickett found fellow rookie George Pickens in the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown with 46 seconds on the clock.

The Raiders had one late chance to work their way into field goal range and potentially force overtime to keep their season alive, but it all came crashing down when Derek Carr threw his third interception of the game. It tied Carr's career-high for interceptions in a season with 14, with two games remaining.

Pickett, on the other hand, played a strong game considering the conditions, completing 26 of his 39 passes for 244 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Steelers will need to beat the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns in the final two weeks to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs.

Despite playing without their starting quarterback, the Philadelphia Eagles put up a strong fight on the road against the Dallas Cowboys before ultimately going down 40-34.

Entering the contest at 13-1, the Eagles were missing Jalen Hurts for the first time this season, meaning backup Gardner Minshew would run the show.

One of the more capable backups in the league, Minshew played well, rushing for a touchdown in the first half before throwing one to begin the third quarter to put his side ahead 27-17. The Cowboys fought back to tie things up, but Minshew was not done, tossing his second touchdown of the game to pull ahead 34-27 early in the fourth.

However, Dallas had too much firepower down the stretch, highlighted by receiver CeeDee Lamb's big outing.

Lamb scored the Cowboys' only touchdown in the first half, and he struck again with his side trailing in the last quarter, tying the game at 34-34 to cap a 12-catch, 120-yard performance.

Dallas finally stuck their noses back in front when Brett Maher converted a 26-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining on the clock, leaving the Eagles with plenty of time to mount a game-winning drive, but it ended abruptly after Miles Sanders' fumble on the very first play.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed 27 of his 35 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while his counterpart Minshew was 24-of-40 for two scores and two picks.

With the win, Dallas improved their record to 11-4 and secured their place in the playoffs, although they will need the Eagles (13-2) to lose their last two for any chance at stealing the division.

Bosa, Kittle lead eighth consecutive 49ers victory

The San Francisco 49ers (11-4) remain the hottest team in the NFL after rattling off their eighth straight win, defeating the Washington Commanders 37-20.

It continues rookie quarterback Brock Purdy's dream start to his career, with four wins from his first four starts since Jimmy Garoppolo's injury. He completed 15 of his 22 passes for 234 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, but the stars of the game were tight end George Kittle and pass-rusher Nick Bosa.

Kittle – who had only four touchdowns for the season prior to last week's game – now has four touchdowns in the past two weeks, following up a 93-yard, two touchdown performance with Saturday's 120-yard, two-touchdown showing.

Meanwhile, Defensive Player of the Year favourite Nick Bosa sacked Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke twice, taking his league-leading sack total to 17.5 in 14 games.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson broke his team's franchise record for most receiving yards in a season on Saturday as he starred once again in a win over the New York Giants.

Jefferson caught 12 of his 16 targets for 133 yards and a touchdown in the 27-24 win, which was decided by a 61-yard field goal in the final seconds after Jefferson's final catch brought them into range.

Four games ago Jefferson broke Randy Moss' record for most receiving yards in a player's first three seasons, and he took Moss' name out of the record books once again as he eclipsed his single-season Vikings record.

Moss set the record back in 2003, catching 111 passes for 1632 yards in 16 games, but Jefferson blew past it to reach 1756 yards in just 15 games. With the NFL season now extended to 17 games, he may have a chance to shatter the mark and potentially approach 2000 yards if he plays in Week 18.

Saturday was the 11th time this season Jefferson has registered at least 98 receiving yards in a game, although his total of 133 was only his seventh-best of the campaign, highlighted by a 223-yard performance against the Detroit Lions.

A former first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson burst onto the scene to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honours with 1400 yards and seven touchdowns in his debut season, before going even bigger in 2021 with 1616 yards and 10 scores.

The Buffalo Bills overturned a half-time deficit to defeat the Chicago Bills 35-13 on Saturday and clinch the AFC East title.

The freezing conditions in Chicago gave this the feel of a home game for the Bills, but they were far from comfortable early on and threatened to blow their lead in the race for home-field advantage in the AFC.

Josh Allen responded to Justin Fields' opening touchdown drive by leading Buffalo down the field and completing a 19-yard TD pass to Gabe Davis.

But the Bills missed the PAT, and the only score for the remainder of the half was a successful Bears field goal, giving Chicago a 10-6 lead through two quarters.

The hopes of the Bears – and the Bills' AFC rivals – were quickly dashed in the second half, however, as Devin Singletary dashed in from 33 yards and then James Cook followed him from 27 yards for a second score in double-quick time either side of a Chicago fumble.

An unconvincing Allen display, which included two interceptions and a recovered fumble, kept the Bears in contention, yet they could not capitalise.

And the Bills QB finished in more familiar fashion with a rushing score and a TD pass to Dawson Knox in the closing stages as Buffalo took another step towards the first seed.

Bills feel the heat in AFC

The pressure had been on the Bills because there never appeared any possibility of the Kansas City Chiefs not defeating the stumbling Seattle Seahawks. A 24-10 victory was Patrick Mahomes' first against the Seahawks, meaning the Indianapolis Colts are the only team he has now played but not beaten.

The Cincinnati Bengals also remain in contention at the top of the AFC after a dominant first half against the New England Patriots. Joe Burrow completed 28 passes – a season high for any QB in any half – for 284 yards and three touchdowns before half-time, meaning the Bengals could just about withstand a second-half pick six in a 22-18 win.

The Patriots' defeat meant the Baltimore Ravens clinched their playoff berth with a 17-9 defeat of the Atlanta Falcons.

Another manic Minnesota finish

Having claimed a record-breaking comeback win last week, the Minnesota Vikings had to hold off a rally from the New York Giants, who tied the game late on. However, a 40-yard field goal from Greg Joseph had defeated the Colts, and he topped that effort with a 61-yard conversion as time expired for a 27-24 Vikings victory.

The Detroit Lions, Minnesota's NFC North rivals, saw their three-game winning run ended by the Carolina Panthers. Both the Panthers and the New Orleans Saints improved to 6-9, firmly in contention in the miserable NFC South.

The New York Jets are reportedly ready to move on from Zach Wilson after losing "all confidence" in the second-year quarterback.

Selected as the second-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson's rookie year showcased growing pains as he threw nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but the hope was he would kick on in 2022.

That has not been the case, however, with Wilson dropped in November following his disappointing showings in two defeats to the New England Patriots – throwing three interceptions in a 22-17 defeat in Week 8, then having a pass completion of just 40.9 per cent in a 20-17 loss in Week 11.

Mike White was elevated to starter, but his rib injury led to Wilson's return in Week 14, and 317 passing yards in the 20-17 loss against the Detroit Lions provided some encouragement.

However, in Thursday's 19-3 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was benched again with just nine completions and 92 yards, with Chris Streveler replacing him.

While the injury to White means Wilson could feature in the final two games of the season, NFL insider Jay Glazer has reported he will not be the team's starting quarterback for 2023.

"They [the Jets] have lost all confidence in Zach Wilson. Zach lost confidence in himself going into that last game and came out with even less confidence. Expect the Jets to move on from him after this season," he said on the NFL on Fox pre-game show.

Sat last in the AFC East on 7-8, a four-game losing streak has seen New York's playoff hopes plummet, with road games against the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins to end the season.

New York Giants players were believed to have been inside the Mall of America on Friday during a deadly shooting in Minnesota.

A 19-year-old man was killed in the shooting, police in Bloomington said, which sent the mall into lockdown.

Giants executive vice president of communications Pat Hanlon told The Associated Press the team were staying in a hotel adjacent to the mall and some players were believed to have been inside at the time of the incident.

"Everyone is back in the hotel and accounted for now," Hanlon said after the incident on Friday.

The Giants are in Minnesota for Saturday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, in which New York can clinch a spot in the playoffs if they win and two of the Washington Commanders, the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions suffer defeat.