Michael Penix Jr. won his debut as Atlanta’s starting quarterback, thanks largely to a defense that returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns, and the Falcons bolstered their playoff hopes by handing the hapless New York Giants their franchise-record 10th straight loss, 34-7 on Sunday.

Jessie Bates and Matthew Judon each had a pick-6 to carry Atlanta to its second straight win after a four-game losing streak put its postseason hopes in jeopardy. The Falcons came into the week a game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South and holding the tiebreaker edge over the Buccaneers, who were playing Sunday night at Dallas.

Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, got his first NFL start against the Giants after the Falcons decided to bench turnover-prone Kirk Cousins. The left-handed rookie was not overwhelmed by the moment, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards — numbers that would’ve been better if not for at least three dropped passes, one of which Kyle Pitts bobbled right into the hands of a New York defender for Penix’s lone interception.

BILLS 24, PATRIOTS 21: James Cook scored two touchdowns, Buffalo’s defense forced three second-half turnovers and the Bills overcame a 14-0 deficit to pull out a win. With trainers examining Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s right throwing elbow on the sideline, cornerback Taron Johnson secured the victory by recovering a fumble in the end zone to put Buffalo up 24-14 with 10:10 left. Allen returned on the Bills next possession and finished 16 of 29 for 154 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

RAMS 19, JETS 9: Matthew Stafford threw a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee early in the fourth quarter after a turnover by Aaron Rodgers and Los Angeles beat New York for its fourth consecutive victory. The Rams, who have won five of six, maintained their spot atop the NFC West standings with the victory after a slow start against the Jets on a day when it was a frosty 23 degrees at kickoff.

LIONS 34, BEARS 17: Jared Goff threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, and Detroit remained on top of the NFC with its franchise-record 13th win. Detroit broke a tie with the 1991 and 2023 teams for the most wins in franchise history. The Lions also set a single-season record for scoring with 493 points.

COLTS 38, TITANS 30: Jonathan Taylor rushed for 218 yards and scored three times including runs of 65 and 70 yards, leading Indianapolis past Tennessee. Indy rushed for a franchise-record 335 yards as Taylor posted the second-highest single-game rushing total in the league this season and also of his five-year career.

PANTHERS 36, CARDINALS 30, OT: Chuba Hubbard ran for a 21-yard touchdown in overtime, and Carolina eliminated Arizona from playoff contention with the victory. Hubbard finished with 152 yards and two TDs on 25 carries. He rushed for 49 yards on the decisive drive in OT.

DOLPHINS 29, 49ERS 17: Tua Tagovailoa threw for 215 yards and a touchdown, Jason Sanders nailed five field goals, and Miami kept its playoff chances alive by beating San Francisco. The 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs before the game.

BENGALS 24, BROWNS 6: Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes, including one as he was falling to the turf, and Cincinnati kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a victory over Cleveland. The Bengals need to win their last two games and get some help to reach the postseason.

RAIDERS 19, JAGUARS 14: Aidan O’Connell returned from an injury and passed for 257 yards, and Las Vegas ended a 10-game losing streak with a victory over Jacksonville. The Raiders won for the first time since beating the Cleveland Browns 20-16 on Sept. 29.