NFL
NFL results and highlights: Dallas Cowboys win thriller, Kansas City Chiefs survive late drama and Minnesota Vikings edge Chicago Bears in overtime
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders delivered a remarkable finale, the Kansas City Chiefs won once again at the buzzer and the Tennessee Titans stunned the Houston Texans on a thrilling NFL Sunday…
Dallas Cowboys 34-26 Washington Commanders
Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game with 21 seconds left after Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected on an 86-yard touchdown as the Dallas Cowboys held on for a dramatic 34-26 victory.
Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas iced the game when he returned the ensuing onside kick attempt for a touchdown, with Daniels’ subsequent Hail Mary attempt coming up short.
Seibert was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion.
Part of that was the play of back-up Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth.
KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kick-off return touchdown seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas’ touchdown.
The score had been 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued.
Rush’s six-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert was Dallas’ first third-quarter touchdown of the season, and his 22-yarder to Luke Schoonmaker came after Wilson’s forced fumble.
Daniels finished 25 of 38 for 274 yards, including his second interception of the game on a failed Hail Mary as the clock expired.
Kansas City Chiefs 30-27 Carolina Panthers
Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns and Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers 30-27 to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season.
Noah Gray caught two touchdown passes as the Chiefs (10-1) bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes.
DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who scored on their first five possessions.
Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (3-8), who had their two-game winning streak snapped. David Moore had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Trailing 27-19, Young completed a fourth-down pass to Adam Thielen to move the chains, then went deep for the veteran receiver, who drew a pass-interference penalty on Chamarri Conner. That set up a one-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard.
Young’s initial two-point conversion toss to Moore drew a flag on Trent McDuffie, and Hubbard ran for two on the next play to tie the game with 1:46 left. Mahomes ran for 33 yards on the ensuing drive and was sprung by a downfield block from Justin Watson to reach field-goal range. Then he connected with Kareem Hunt for 10 yards to make it a chip shot for Shrader.
Minnesota Vikings 30-27 Chicago Bears (OT)
Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal as the Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Chicago Bears 30-27 after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation.
Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and TJ Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remain one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North.
Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (4-7), who lost their fifth straight and fell to 5-18 in one-possession games under coach Matt Eberflus, who is 14-31 in two-and-a-half seasons.
Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears were not finished.
Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kick-off return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A two-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining.
The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball, with Cairo Santos making a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
Williams was sacked for a 12-yard loss on second down, leading to a three-and-out in overtime. The Vikings took over at the 21, and Darnold led a 10-play drive, overcoming a sack and two penalties as he connected with Hockenson for 29 yards to set up the winner.
San Francisco 49ers 10-38 Green Bay Packers
Josh Jacobs rushed for 106 yards and matched a career high with three touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers trounced the short-handed San Francisco 49ers 38-10.
This marked the first time in the past 55 regular-season games that any individual had rushed for 100 yards against the 49ers. That represented the longest a team had gone without allowing a 100-yard rusher since at least 1955. All three of Jacobs’ touchdowns came from one yard.
Injuries left the 49ers (5-6) without quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder), three-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa (hip/oblique) among others.
Brandon Allen made his 10th career start in the absence of Purdy, finishing 17 of 29 for 199 yards and one touchdown, one interception and one lost fumble.
Green Bay’s Jordan Love was 13 of 23 for 163 yards with touchdowns to Tucker Kraft and Malik Heath as the Packers (8-3) had their highest point total since beating the Chicago Bears 38-20 in their 2023 opener.
The Packers took command of the game by scoring on each of their first three series. With six minutes left in the second quarter, the 49ers trailed 17-0 and had run just six offensive plays.
Tennessee Titans 32-27 Houston Texans
Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter as the Titans held on for a 32-27 win over the Houston Texans.
Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with nine minutes remaining.
The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field.
The Texans forced a three-and-out, but could not move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked CJ Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid.
Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions as the AFC South-leading Texans lost for the third time in four games.
Jimmie Ward had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks. But the offense sputtered for most of the game as Joe Mixon was held to 22 yards on 14 carries.
Arizona Cardinals 6-16 Seattle Seahawks
Coby Bryant returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown and Leonard Williams had 2.5 sacks as the Seattle Seahawks tormented Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in a 16-6 victory to move into a tie for the NFC West lead.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had six catches for 77 yards and the first offensive touchdown against the Cardinals (6-5) in three weeks. But it was the defense that made the difference for the Seahawks (6-5) against their division rivals, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Seattle have won six straight and seven of eight over Arizona, with the teams scheduled to meet again in two weeks.
The Cardinals averaged more than 29 points per game in their previous three, but the Seahawks held them to 298 total yards and 49 yards rushing while sacking Murray five times. Williams also had four hurries and a pass deflection.
Geno Smith threw for 254 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception for Seattle. Murray threw for 285 yards, and tight end Trey McBride had 12 catches for 133 yards.
Denver Broncos 29-19 Las Vegas Raiders
Bo Nix passed for 273 yards and had two touchdown passes to break the team’s rookie record as the Denver Broncos finally won in Las Vegas with a 29-19 victory over the Raiders.
The Broncos (7-5) took another step toward an unexpected playoff spot with their second victory in a row, while Las Vegas (2-9) have now lost seven consecutive games in their longest skid since the 2017-18 seasons.
Nix finished 25 of 42, with his 18-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton in the third quarter breaking the club rookie record of 14 set by Marlin Briscoe in 1968. Nix and Sutton later hooked up for a two-yard TD with 5:30 left to give the Broncos a two-possession lead.
Denver wide receiver Sutton caught eight passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns to extend his streak of 70-yard games to five. That’s the longest streak by a Broncos player since Demaryius Thomas’ eight straight in 2014.
Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew landed hard on his left shoulder late in the game and was replaced by Desmond Ridder.
Minshew completed 25 of 42 passes for 230 yards, with a touchdown and interception. The best passing play, however, came on a fake punt when AJ Cole completed a 34-yard pass to linebacker Divine Deablo to set up a second-quarter field goal, one of four field goals made by Daniel Carlson to keep Las Vegas in the game.
Detroit Lions 24-6 Indianapolis Colts
Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores and David Montgomery added a third touchdown run to lead the Detroit Lions to a 24-6 victory at the Indianapolis Colts.
Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards as the Lions (10-1) extended their league-high winning streak to nine straight.
Jared Goff continued his sensational season, too, completing 26 of 36 throws for 269 yards, while Anthony Richardson was 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards.
Detroit answered Indy’s opening field goal on its second series, finding the end zone through a one-yard touchdown run from Gibbs to take a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter. Montgomery then span his way across the goal line for a six-yard scoring run and a 14-6 lead after a second Colts field goal.
The Lions extended the margin with Gibbs’ five-yard house call late in the third quarter and sealed it with a 56-yard field goal midway through the fourth.
Detroit improved to 6-0 on the road as Amon-Ra St Brown caught six passes for 62 yards. Michael Pittman Jr had six catches for 96 yards for the Colts.
New England Patriots 15-34 Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to running back De’Von Achane, as the Miami Dolphins routed the New England Patriots 34-15.
Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4 per cent completion rate and went 29 for 40.
Back-up Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad hand-off on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England’s deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive.
Miami’s defense held the rest of the way. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson intercepted rookie quarterback Drake Maye on New England’s penultimate drive, then Miami stopped the Patriots on fourth down on the next.
Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for a season-high 144 yards and a 23-yard touchdown that stretched Miami’s lead to 31-0 entering the fourth. Achane scored on a nine-yard screen pass and then walked into the end zone for an 11-yard TD in the first half.
Jonnu Smith finished with 87 yards on nine catches, including a seven-yard touchdown, to continue his strong first season as a Dolphin.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-7 New York Giants
Baker Mayfield catapulted into the end zone on a spectacular 10-yard scramble for one of Tampa Bay’s four rushing touchdowns as the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback Tommy DeVito 30-7 to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Giants’ decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones did nothing to help the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. DeVito threw for just 189 yards,
The Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect perfect performance that featured touchdown runs of one yard by Sean Tucker, six yards by Bucky Irving and one yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of Atlanta in the NFC South.
Tampa Bay scored on five of their first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield’s touchdown run with 12 seconds left in the first half.
On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor’Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the two-yard line, going airborne as he crossed the goal line before mocking DeVito’s go-to celebration.
Mayfield, who sustained a stinger in the fourth quarter, finished 24 of 30 for 294 yards. Favourite target Mike Evans returned to the line-up after missing three games with a hamstring injury and had five catches for 68 yards, while Irving had 87 yards rushing and six catches for 64 yards.
Philadelphia Eagles 37-20 Los Angeles Rams
The Philadelphia Eagles racked up their seventh straight victory when they beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-20.
Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley, who finished with a team record of 255 yards rushing, had two huge touchdown runs in the second half of 70 and 72 yards.
Barkley had the ninth-most yards rushing in a game in NFL history, mainly due to those touchdowns. He had 302 total yards while becoming the first NFL player with two 70-yard touchdown runs in a game since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2009. Barkley leads the league with 1,392 yards rushing, including a league-best seven 100-yard rushing games.
While averaging 9.8 yards per carry, Barkley obliterated the Eagles franchise record of 217 yards rushing by LeSean McCoy in 2013. He also had the biggest rushing performance ever against the Rams, exceeding DeMarco Murray’s 253 yards for Dallas in 2011.
A.J. Brown caught six passes for 109 yards and a touchdown from Jalen Hurts, who threw for 179 yards.
Philadelphia surged away in a 24-point second half, after leading just 13-7 at halftime.
It was Los Angeles’ second loss in six games. Matthew Stafford passed for 243 yards while getting sacked five times by Philadelphia’s top-ranked defence. Puka Nacua had nine catches for 117 yards, and Cooper Kupp caught a 27-yard touchdown pass with just over a minute left on the clock.
Watch a bumper slate of Thanksgiving football live on Sky Sports NFL as the Detroit Lions face the Chicago Bears at 5.30pm on Thursday, followed by the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins against the Green Bay Packers