falcons 34, giants 7

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.

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 their fourth consecutive victory.

The Rams (9-6), who have won five of six, maintained their spot atop the NFC West standings with the victory after a slow start against the Jets (4-11) on a day when it was a frosty 23 degrees (minus-5 Celsius) at kickoff.

BENGALS 24, BROWNS 6

Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes, including one as he was falling to the turf, and Cincinnati kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a victory over Cleveland.

The Bengals (7-8) need to win their last two games and get some help to reach the postseason.

LIONS 34, BEARS 17

Jared Goff threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, and Detroit remained on top of the NFC with their franchise-record 13th win, over Chicago.

Jameson Williams had a career-high 143 yards receiving on five catches, including an 82-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 109 yards and a score, and Detroit (13-2) 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.

COMMANDERS 36, EAGLES 33

After Jalen Hurts left with a concussion, Jayden Daniels threw five touchdown passes while running at will in the rookie quarterback’s latest masterful performance, and Washington ended Philadelphia’ winning streak at 10 by rallying to defeat the NFC East leaders.

COLTS 38, TITANS 30

Jonathan Taylor rebounded from perhaps the most embarrassing moment of his career by rushing for 218 yards and scoring 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. The three rushing scores were the most since he scored four TDs against Buffalo in 2021.

PANTHERS 36, CARDINALS 30, OT

Chuba Hubbard ran for a 21-yard touchdown in overtime, and Carolina eliminated Arizona from playoff contention with a 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 their playoff chances alive by beating San Francisco.

The 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs before the game because of wins by the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders earlier Sunday. The loss ensured that last year’s NFC champions will have a losing season for the first time since 2020.

BILLS 24, PATRIOTS 21

James Cook scored two touchdowns, Buffalo’s defense forced three second-half turnovers and the AFC East champion Bills overcame a 14-0 deficit to pull out a win over New England.

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 on which he completed two of three attempts and finished 16 of 29 for 154 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

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, whose skid was the longest active streak in the NFL, won for the first time since beating the Cleveland Browns 20-16 on Sept. 29. The victory, however, means the Raiders (3-12) moved ahead of the league-worst New York Giants (2-13). The team with the worst record is in line for the top pick in next year’s draft.

cowboys 26, buccaneers 24

Cooper Rush threw for a touchdown, Brandon Aubrey kicked two 58-yarders among four field goals and the Dallas Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24 on Sunday night, costing Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers control of their playoff fate.

The end of a four-game winning streak left the Bucs (8-7) even with Atlanta atop the NFC South with two games remaining, but the Falcons have the tiebreaker because they won both meetings with Tampa Bay.

A three-year playoff run for the Cowboys (7-8) ended when they were eliminated from postseason contention before the prime-time kickoff. Still, Dallas won for the fourth time in five games since a five-game losing streak that put those playoff hopes in peril.