Darnold sets career highs as Vikings beat Falcons

MINNEAPOLIS — Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 on Sunday for their sixth straight victory.

Darnold added another highlight to his brilliant first season in Minnesota following the departure of Cousins in free agency to Atlanta with a 22-for-28 performance and no turnover-worthy plays despite heavy first-half pressure.

Darnold passed for 250 yards after halftime to help the Vikings (11-2) break a 21-all tie early in the fourth quarter and stay one game behind NFC North-leading Detroit with a final-week matchup looming with the Lions. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns after going the past six games without scoring.

Cousins threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in his return to Minnesota, where he was greeted by loud boos and left with Atlanta’s fourth consecutive loss to tumble out of first place in the NFC South and fall one game behind Tampa Bay.

EAGLES 22, PANTHERS 16

PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards to break the Eagles season record, Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Philadelphia won its ninth straight game over Carolina.

The Eagles (11-2) maintained their position as the No. 2 team in the NFC, behind Detroit (12-1), after a mostly lethargic effort against the Panthers (3-10).

Barkley added another milestone in his MVP push when he used a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter to surpass LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record of 1,607 yards, set in 2013. Barkley now has 1,623 yards with four games left.

A 12 1/2-point underdog according to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Panthers played more like a team with playoff seeding at stake.

STEELERS 27, BROWNS 14

PITTSBURGH — Russell Wilson threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns as Pittsburgh pulls away from mistake-prone Cleveland.

The Steelers (10-3) beat Cleveland at home during the regular season for the 21st straight time, even with leading receiver George Pickens watching from the sideline while missing the first game of his career due to a groin injury.

While it took Wilson a while to get going with the productive if volatile Pickens out of the mix, he found his footing in the second half by connecting on touchdown passes to Pat Freiermuth and Van Jefferson as the Steelers moved two games ahead of rival Baltimore for the AFC North lead with four weeks to go.

BUCCANEERS 28, RAIDERS 13

TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns, helping Tampa Bay beat Las Vegas and take over sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

Mayfield tossed scoring passes of 15 yards and 29 yards to rookie Jalen McMillan. Rachaad White scored on a 5-yard reception and a 3-yard run as the Bucs (7-6) won for the third straight week against a last-place opponent to revive their hopes for a fourth consecutive division title.

The Raiders (2-11) lost quarterback Aidan O’Connell to a knee injury in addition to extending the NFL’s longest losing streak to nine games.

O’Connell was carted off the field after being shoved to the ground by Bucs defensive lineman Calijah Kancey after throwing a pass late in the third quarter.

The quarterback, in his second game back after being sidelined nearly six weeks with a broken thumb, remained on the ground after an 8-yard, third-down completion to Jakobi Meyers. Kancey chased O’Connell out of the pocket toward the Bucs sideline and shoved him from behind after the ball was released.

DOLPHINS 32, JETS 26, OT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in overtime and Miami overcame Aaron Rodgers’ first 300-yard passing game in nearly three years to beat New York.

After Jason Sanders tied it with 7 seconds left in regulation with a 42-yard field goal, Tagovailoa quickly moved the Dolphins (6-7) down the field and they beat the Jets for the ninth straight time in Miami.

That came after Anders Carlson gave the struggling Jets (3-10) — who were eliminated from postseason contention for the 14th straight year — the lead with a 42-yarder with 52 seconds remaining. But Malik Washington put the Dolphins in great position to help set up Sanders’ field goal with a 45-yard kickoff return to Miami’s 46-yard line.

Tagovailoa was 33 of 47 for 331 yards and two TDs. He had just one incompletion on Miami’s eight-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was capped by Smith’s fourth touchdown of the season.

Rodgers was 27 of 39 for 339 yards, ending a drought of 34 regular-season games without a 300-yard passing game — dating to Dec. 12, 2021, while with Green Bay — and had a TD pass to Davante Adams.

JAGUARS 10, TITANS 6

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tank Bigsby ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 6:46 left as Jacksonville snaps a five-game skid and ends Tennessee’s slim playoff hopes.

Jacksonville (3-10) came in already eliminated with Trevor Lawrence out for the rest of this season. The Jaguars leave with only their second victory in the past 11 trips to Music City and second in the past three.

The Titans (3-10) came in needing to win out to even have a chance of their first playoff berth since the 2021 season ended with a divisional loss on their home field. Tennessee has fired both a general manager and coach since then.

SAINTS 14, GIANTS 11

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Bryan Bresee leaped over the Giants’ line to block a potential tying field goal with 11 seconds left, and New Orleans held on for a victory over New York after losing quarterback Derek Carr to an injury late in the fourth quarter.

The Giants lost their eighth straight, one shy of the team record.

Carr, who finished 20 of 31 for 219 yards, was hurt with just under four minutes to play when he dived for a first down near the Saints 40 and landed hard. He left the field shortly after the play and it almost cost the Saints (5-8).

New York got the ball back at its 27 with 1:21 to play and drove to the Saints 12, with Drew Lock scrambling for 25 yards on fourth down and then finding Malik Nabers for 23 yards. The Giants tried twice to throw to the end zone for a winning touchdown before sending out Graham Gano to try to force overtime. Gano’s kick was a little low and the Giants couldn’t defend the jumping Breese, who got a hand on the ball.

SEAHAWKS 30, CARDINALS 18

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Zach Charbonnet ran for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns, Geno Smith threw for 233 yards and a score, and Seattle beat Arizona to remain atop the NFC West.

The Seahawks (8-5) won their fourth straight and swept the season series from the Cardinals (6-7). They have won seven in a row against their division rival.

Seattle shook off an early deficit to take a 24-10 lead by halftime. Charbonnet broke a tackle at midfield and sprinted 51 yards for a touchdown with 2:36 left in the second quarter.

49ERS 38, CHICAGO 13

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns and San Francisco bounced back from two blowout losses to beat Chicago and spoil interim coach Thomas Brown’s debut for the Bears.

The 49ers (6-7) had been outscored by 53 points the past two weeks in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo that left their playoff hopes teetering with several stars such as Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa and Trent Williams sidelined by injuries.

But San Francisco delivered a performance more reminiscent of a year ago when the Niners went to the Super Bowl, handing the Bears (4-9) their seventh straight loss.

Purdy delivered his third 300-yard passing game of the season with two TDs to Jauan Jennings, fill-in back Isaac Guerendo gained 128 yards from scrimmage and scored on two TD runs and George Kittle had six catches for 151 yards. That helped deliver the highest-scoring game of the season for the 49ers.

RAMS 44, BILLS 42

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Matthew Stafford passed for 320 yards and hit Puka Nacua for a 19-yard touchdown with 1:54 to play, and Los Angeles overcame Josh Allen’s record six-touchdown performance to snap the Buffalo Bills’ seven-game winning streak with a victory.

Allen passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 82 yards and three more scores for the Bills (10-3), who hadn’t lost since Oct. 6 in Houston.