Los Angeles Rams 30, Minnesota Vikings 20
With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp finally back and healthy for the Rams, Matthew Stafford threw for four touchdowns as the Rams beat the Vikings 30-20 on Thursday Night Football. The loss for the Vikings was their second in a row after starting the season 5-0. Kupp caught a touchdown pass, Nacua had 106 yards receiving on seven catches in their returns to the lineup, and Stafford passed for 279 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. Demarcus Robinson also hauled in two touchdown passes in the win for LA. Kyren Williams rushed for 97 yards and had five catches for 19 yards and a touchdown to aid the Rams in winning their second straight and improving to 3-4 on the season. The game ended on a questionable call as with 1:41 left and the Vikings with the ball at their five-yard line down 28-20, Sam Darnold was sacked in the end zone for a safety by Byron Young who appeared to grab Darnold by his facemask but no flag was thrown on the play. Darnold finished the game with 240 yards and two touchdowns. The Rams were able to limit Aaron Jones as he only finished with 58 rushing yards on 19 attempts and hauled in only two catches for 35 yards. Justin Jefferson had eight catches for 115 yards but couldn’t find the end zone as the Vikings dropped to 5-2.
Philadelphia Eagles 37, Cincinnati Bengals 17
Jalen Hurts had four total touchdowns as the Eagles used a huge second half to blowout the Bengals 37-17 in Cincinnati. It was 10-10 going into halftime before the Eagles outscored the Bengals 27-7 in the second half. Hurts finished the game with 236 yards, a passing touchdown, 37 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns. Saquon Barkley chipped in with 108 rushing yards as the Eagles extended their win streak to three games and have won four of their last five contests. Devonta Smith hauled in six catches for 85 yards and a score while A.J. Brown had five receptions for 84 yards as the Eagles out did the Bengals 397-280. It was a return to old for the Bengals as their defense had no answers for Hurts and the Eagles and Joe Burrow and the offense couldn’t overcome two turnovers and a poor second half as their short two-game win streak was snapped. The loss also makes Cincinnati 0-4 at home this season and will look to turn things around and get healthy as starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr left during the game and wide receiver Tee Higgins didn’t play due to a quad injury he suffered in practice.
Cleveland Browns 29, Baltimore Ravens 24
In Jameis Winston’s first start for the Browns he threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns including a to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left to give the Browns a 29-24 win over their division rivals. That catch for Tillman capped off a game that saw him haul in seven passes for 99 yards and two scores. The surprising loss for Baltimore ended their five game win streak as they had a chance to sneak out of their with a win but safety Kyle Hamilton dropped a would be interception on the Browns game winning drive giving them new life and the eventual go ahead touchdown. Nick Chubb had 52 rushing yards in his second game back from injury moving him into third all time on Cleveland’s rushing list. Lamar Jackson finished with 289 yards and two touchdowns and gave the Ravens a chance to win as he led them down to the Browns 24-yard line but had his final two passes fall incomplete in the end zone sealing the victory for Cleveland. Derrick Henry had 73 rushing yards and a touchdown. That touchdown, with 2:36 left, put Baltimore ahead 24-23 putting the game in the hands of Baltimore’s defense but alas they couldn’t stop Jameis and the Browns.
Detroit Lions 52, Tennessee Titans 14
Jared Goff’s stats may not reflect it as he only threw for 85 yards, but he also threw for three touchdowns and the Lions put up 164 yards on the ground as they completely dismantled the Titans 52-14. The Lions found themselves tied 14-14 in the second quarter before they scored the last 38 points to make this game a blowout. Both of Detroit’s talented running backs each had a touchdown in the win with Jahmyr Gibbs having 127 yards and a score on the ground and David Montgomery had 33 yards and a score on the ground while also throwing a touchdown to Sam Laporta. Laporta finally had a breakout game leading the Lions in receiving with six catches for 48 yards and a score. The Lions converted on all five of their opportunities in the red zone while their defense stepped up and forced four turnovers. The Lions have now won five straight games and now hold the NFC’s best record at 6-1 and look like the heavy favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. The Lions will have a big showdown next week though with their division rival Green Bay Packers. In their first game without Deandre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley was the lone bright spot on the day for Tennessee finishing with 10 catches on 15 targets for 143 yards, though Ridley also did have a fumble that led to a Detroit score.
Arizona Cardinals 28, Miami Dolphins 27
For the second consecutive week, Chad Ryland drilled a game winning field goal as time expired to give the Cardinals an upset win over the Dolphins in Tua Tagovailoa’s return. The field goal capped a fourth quarter comeback from the Cardinals that saw down 27-18 but again saw Kyler Murray put the team on his back and lead them to victory. Murray led two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to rally the Cardinals from a nine-point deficit. The first ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by James Conner that got Arizona within 27-25. The second was a methodical 13-play, 71-yard march that took the final 5:01 and ended with Ryland’s 34-yard kick. A week earlier, Ryland was good from 32 yards on the last play to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 17-15. The Cardinals won consecutive games for the first time since Oct. 24, 2021, and they had a pair of 100-yard receivers for the first time since 2021. Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. had 111 yards and a touchdown on six catches, and tight end Trey McBride led the Cardinals with nine catches for 124 yards. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 234 yards for Miami in the loss.
New England Patriots 25, New York Jets 22
The Jets season continues to go from bad to worse as the Jets fell to the Drake Maye less Patriots 25-22. The loss is the 5th straight for New York dropping them to 2-6 and making it virtually impossible for them to make the playoffs at this point. Rhamondre Stevenson plunged through the line for his second touchdown with 22 seconds left on Sunday to give the Jacoby Brissett led Patriots to win over the Jets. Stevenson finished the day with 48 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Brissett who replaced the injured Drake Maye, led New England on two fourth quarter scoring drives snapping the Patriots six-game losing streak. The Jets became the first team in 12 years to have no turnovers and hold their opponent to under 250 yards and still lose. Aaron Rodgers has 233 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Garrett Wilson five times for 113 yards. Breece Hall ran for 80 yards on 16 carries, and Braelon Allen scored on a two-yard run to give the Jets the lead with three minutes remaining, but kicker Greg Zuerlin missed a field goal and an extra point as the Jets find themselves in “a moment of darkness.”
Atlanta Falcons 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26
Kirk Cousins threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns as the Falcons beat the Buccaneers for the second a take firm control of the NFC South. Kyle Pitts scored on receptions of 36 and 49 yards and Cousins also tossed TD passes of 30 yards to Darnell Mooney and 6 yards to Bijan Robinson in the win. Baker Mayfield threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns but also tossed a pair of costly interceptions for Tampa Bay in the loss. Cade Otton had himself on National Tight Ends Day, as the Bucs were without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Otton hauled in nine passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns. The Bucs are hoping a rejuvenated rushing attack and a mostly young group of playmakers that includes Otton, Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, Rachaad White, and Bucky Irving will help Mayfield keep the Bucs in contention for a fourth consecutive division title. The Bucs also hurt themselves after failing to convert on a fake punt in the third quarter that led to a Bijan Robinson score.
Green Bay Packers 30, Jacksonville Jaguars 27
With Jordan Love knocked out of the game with a groin injury, Malik Willis led the Packers on a game-winning drive capped off for the second consecutive week by a Brandon McManus field goal as time expired to give the Packers the win. Willis completed four of five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. However, his most important pass was a 51-yard pass to Jayden Reed that set up the game-winner from McManus. Josh Jacobs also ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns in the win for Green Bay. Trevor Lawrence rallied Jacksonville from a 10-point deficit in the fourth and tied the game at 27 with his pass to Evan Engram. But the Jags might not have needed a comeback had Lawrence and his teammates not made so many mistakes. Lawrence fumbled at the five-yard line and threw an interception. The Jaguars also kept two Green Bay drives alive with penalties. Lawrence finished with 308 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the loss.
Houston Texans 23, Indianapolis Colts 20
In an early matchup for the AFC South, C.J. Stroud and the Texans prevailed in a 23-20 win over the Colts. Stroud finished with 285 yards and a touchdown and Joe Mixon chipped in with 102 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Mixon became the first player in NFL history to have at least 100 yards rushing and a TD run in four of his first five games with a new team. Houston’s defense helped in the win as they intercepted Anthony Richardson once and harassed him all day. Richardson finished 10 of 32 for 175 yards, a touchdown, and a pick. He also had 45 yards on the ground. Jonathan Taylor, in his return from injury, had 105 yards and a score on the ground. The Colts appeared to have taken the lead with about three minutes left when Mixon fumbled and it was recovered by defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. He jumped up after grabbing the fumble and rumbled 84 yards for what was first called a touchdown that made it 27-23. But the play was reviewed and the score was wiped away when he was ruled down by contact. The Colts couldn’t move the ball after that and had to punt after Danielle Hunter sacked Richardson on third down. Indianapolis got the ball again late, but Richardson was sacked by Hunter again and fumbled on the last play to end the game before he could attempt a desperation pass.
Los Angeles Chargers 26, New Orleans Saints 8
Rookie Ladd McConkey had two touchdowns as the Chargers blasted the Saints 26-8 in LA. He finished the game with six catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the blowout. McConkey has emerged as one of Justin Herbert’s favorite targets with the departures of veterans Mike Williams and Keenan Allen in the offseason. Herbert finished with 279 yards through the air, 49 on the ground, and two passing touchdowns. The win helped the Chargers bounce back from a last second loss on Monday night last week to the Cardinals, and the loss for New Orleans was their 6th straight and drops them to 2-6.
Buffalo Bills 31, Seattle Seahawks 10
Josh Allen and James Cook each had superb games as the Bills rolled past the Seahawks 31-10. Allen finished with 283 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick while Cook had 111 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while also hauling in three passes for 22 yards. The win was the third straight for the Bills who continue to grow their division lead in the AFC East. The Bills became the first team to have two TD drives of 90 yards or more in a half and Buffalo outgained Seattle 445 yards to 233 and held the ball for more than 38 minutes. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had six catches for 69 yards in the loss for Seattle.
Denver Broncos 28, Carolina Panthers 14
In Bryce Young’s return to starting for Carolina, Bo Nix threw for three touchdowns as the Broncos beat Young and the Panthers 28-14. Nix finished with 284 yards, 3 touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Cortland Sutton hauled in eight passes for 100 yards and had 28 passing yards courtesy of a trick play run by Denver. Denver’s defense throttled Young all day as Young finished with 224 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Carolina did however benefit from two fumbles from Broncos wide receivers leading to both touchdowns. Pat Surtain II had another interception for Denver who will look ahead to the next two weeks with matchups against the Ravens and the Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs 27, Las Vegas Raiders 20
Patrick Mahomes became the fastest and youngest player to 30,000 career passing yards as the Chiefs remain undefeated after a 27-20 win over Las Vegas. Mahomes bounced back after a sub-par performance last week finishing with 262 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. Travis Kelce had a huge game on National Tight Ends Day as he finished with 10 catches for 90 yards and his first touchdown of the season. Deandre Hopkins, in his first game with Kansas City, had only two catches for 29 yards but showed flashes of what he can do to help this offense. It was by no means a pretty game for the Chiefs but it was another game where yet again their defense shined. After allowing an opening drive touchdown the Chiefs defense walled up and only allowed six points the rest of the game before allowing a touchdown in garbage time when the game was pretty much over. The Chiefs defense tallied five sacks, seven tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, and forced a fumble. However, the most impressive play in the game had to be following a Mahomes pick the Raiders had it 1st and goal from the KC four-yard line and the Chiefs defense stopped Las Vegas on four consecutive run plays to force the turnover on downs. The Chiefs, who have the best run defense in the NFL, only allowed 33 yards on 21 attempts from Raider running backs. Gardner Minshew did finish with 209 yards and two touchdowns, but a costly fumble that led to a Chiefs score. Jakobi Meyers had six catches for 52 and a score in his return from injury for Vegas.
Washington Commanders 18, Chicago Bears 15
In what was a matchup of the rookie quarterbacks taken number one and number two in the 2024 NFL draft, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders eventually won after Daniels connected on a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Noah Brown as time expired to give Washington the win. Daniels scrambled around for nearly 13 seconds before heaving the ball just short of the end zone but a Chicago player tipped it up and back into the air into the awaiting arms of Brown who was alone and not guarded by anyone. The Hail Mary capped off an insane game that saw Daniels throw for 326 yards and the one touchdown and out duel Caleb Williams and the Bears as Williams was only 10 of 24 for 131 yards, but also did have 41 yards on the ground. D’Andre Swift tallied 129 yards and a touchdown on the ground to lead the Chicago offense. Roschon Johnson’s one-yard touchdown run to put Chicago up 15-12 looked to be the deciding factor with 25 seconds left but ultimately it was too much time for Daniels and Washington. Terry McClaurin had yet another good game for Washington finishing with five catches for 125 yards, including a catch that set up the game winning hail mary. Chicago had their three-game winning streak snapped as Washington remains atop the NFC East.
San Francisco 49ers 30, Dallas Cowboys 24
A strong third quarter was all the 49ers needed as they defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football 30-24. Brock Purdy bounced back from a shaky first half to lead three touchdown drives in the third quarter. Purdy would finish with 260 yards, a touchdown, and 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground as the 49ers as a team rushed for 223 yards in the game. Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo took a bulk of the carries after starting running back, Jordan Mason, left with injury. Guerendo tallied 85 yards and a touchdown in the win. George Kittle had himself a day finishing with six catches for 128 yards and a score. San Francisco did however have to hold on late after Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb to cut the deficit to six. Prescott had a chance to complete the comeback but threw four straight incomplete passes after getting the ball back with 3:05 left in the fourth quarter. Prescott finished with 243 yards, and two touchdowns, but also two costly interceptions as the 49ers remain the Cowboys nemesis. Lamb, finished with 13 catches for 146 yards and two scores in his first 100 yard game of the season. The loss was the Cowboys first loss on the road this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers 26, New York Giants 18
Calvin Austin, Chris Boswell, and a stout Pittsburgh defense led them to a Monday Night Football win over Daniel Jones and the Giants. It was a field goal game for the first half seeing the score at 9-9 going into the break before in the third quarter, Calvin Austin III took a punt 73 to the house to give the Steelers a lead they would never surrender back. Austin would score again on the ensuing drive for Pittsburgh scoring on a 29-yard over-the-shoulder touchdown catch. The win was Pittsburgh’s 22nd consecutive win on Monday night as after Austin provided the scoring, T.J. Watt and the “Steel Curtain” defense took over. Watt sacked Daniel Jones and forced a fumble with three minutes to go with the Giants driving in Pittsburgh territory down 26-18, then once New York got the ball back yet again with 1:53 to go, rookie Beanie Bishop picked off Daniel Jones with 33 seconds left to seal the victory for the Steelers. Watt finished with two sacks, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. Tyrone Tracy Jr. had another superb game for New York finishing with 145 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown, he seemed to have taken the RB1 role from Devin Singletary but did leave in the fourth quarter with a head injury so his health will be something to monitor as the days go on.
Week 9 kicks off Thursday night as C.J. Stroud and the Texans head to the Meadowlands to face off against the lowly Jets and Aaron Rodgers before finishing up on Monday night as Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers travel to Kansas City to face Patrick Mahomes and the undefeated Chiefs.
