Darnold sets two new career highs with 347 yards thrown and five TDs as Vikings beat Falcons 42-21 – WTOP News

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — 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 (AP) — 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 (AP) — 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. (AP) — 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.

Kancey was not penalized for a late hit.

DOLPHINS 32, JETS 26, OT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — 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.

Smith didn’t have a catch before catching three for 44 yards on the winning drive.

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. (AP) — 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. (AP) — Brian 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.

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