DETROIT (AP) — Todd Gurley ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns to help the Los Angeles Rams overcome a sputtering start to beat the Detroit Lions 30-16 Sunday and clinch the NFC West title for a second straight season.
The Rams (11-1) also moved a step closer to earning home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, taking a one-game lead over New Orleans after it lost to Dallas on Thursday night. It is a cushion Los Angeles needs because its only loss was against the Saints last month.
The Lions (4-8) have lost five of six since a surge of success gave them a winning record in late October.
CARDINALS 20, PACKERS 17
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Packers fired coach Mike McCarthy after the loss to one of the NFL’s worst teams.
Zane Gonzalez kicked a 44-yard field goal with 1:41 left, then Green Bay’s Mason Crosby missed a 49-yard attempt as time expired.
Crosby pushed his kick wide right, with the flags atop Lambeau Field blowing in toward the field at the time of the kick.
The stunned Packers suffered a major blow to their fading playoff hopes. Sputtering Green Bay (4-7-1) has lost three straight and five of six.
CHARGERS 33, STEELERS 30
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Michael Badgley kicked a 29-yard field goal on the final play to lift Los Angeles past Pittsburgh.
Badgley initially missed a 39-yard kick but Pittsburgh was called for offsides. Badgley’s ensuing 34-yard attempt was blocked, but the Steelers were again flagged jumping across the line of scrimmage before the snap. He drilled his third attempt, and the Chargers declined another Pittsburgh penalty.
Philip Rivers completed 26 of 36 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns for Los Angeles (9-3). Keenan Allen caught 14 passes for 148 yards and a score and Justin Jackson ran for 63 yards and a touchdown in place of injured starter Melvin Gordon. Desmond King added a 73-yard punt return for a score as the Chargers erased a 16-point halftime deficit.
GIANTS 30, BEARS 27, OT
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Aldrick Rosas kicked a 44-yard field goal in overtime and the Giants beat NFC North-leading Chicago, snapping the Bears’ five-game winning streak.
The Giants (4-8) blew a 10-point lead in the final 1:13 of regulation. They didn’t nail down the win until Janoris Jenkins knocked away a deep fourth-down pass to Taylor Gabriel after quarterback Chase Daniel fumbled on consecutive plays on the rainy afternoon to set up a fourth-and-8.
PATRIOTS 24, VIKINGS 10
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady passed for 311 yards and a touchdown, while Bill Belichick earned his 250th victory, including playoffs, as Patriots coach.
Minnesota (6-5-1) has lost two of its past three.
The Vikings entered the game allowing the third-fewest rushing yards in the league (93.6 per game). But New England was able to spread them out, rushing for 160 yards.
TITANS 26, JETS 22
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Marcus Mariota threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Corey Davis with 36 seconds left, and the Titans rallied from a 16-point deficit.
The Titans (6-6) snapped a two-game skid to keep themselves on the fringes of the AFC playoff chase.
The Jets (3-9) had one last chance to snap their own losing streak, but Malcolm Butler intercepted Josh McCown’s pass with 21 seconds left to seal Tennessee’s victory and the Jets’ collapse. New York now has lost six straight.
JAGUARS 6, COLTS 0
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Ramsey and the Jaguars delivered one of the most dominant defensive performances in franchise history. The Jaguars (4-8) needed that kind of effort to make up for a lackluster offense and end a seven-game losing streak. They also snapped Indy’s five-game winning streak.
Ramsey was the best of the bunch, helping hold T.Y. Hilton to six catches for 56 yards. Ramsey also made a game-ending tackle on Erik Swoope with 8 seconds remaining.
RAVENS 16, FALCONS 16
ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie Lamar Jackson ran for a touchdown and Baltimore’s defense turned in a dominating performance.
Justin Tucker kicked four field goals, Tavon Young scored after scooping up a fumble by Matt Ryan , and Baltimore held the Falcons to 131 total yards in its third straight win. The Ravens (7-5) have bolstered their AFC wild-card position since Jackson took over at quarterback for the injured Joe Flacco.
TEXANS 29, BROWNS 13
HOUSTON (AP) — Deshaun Watson threw a touchdown pass and the Houston Texans intercepted rookie Baker Mayfield three times, returning one for a score, to extend their franchise-record winning streak to nine games.
The Texans (9-3), who opened the season 0-3, haven’t lost since Sept. 23 to take a commanding lead atop the AFC South.
Houston raced to a 23-0 halftime lead and added two second-half field goals by Ka’imi Fairbairn to give him five for the day.
BUCCANEERS 24,
PANTHERS 17
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jameis Winston threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns as the Bucs (5-7) won for the second straight time since Winston regained his starting job with the team mired in a four-game losing streak.
The fourth-year pro completed 20 of 30 passes. And, for the second week in a row, the 24-year-old quarterback did not turn over the ball.
Meanwhile, Andrew Adams had three of Tampa Bay’s four interceptions off Cam Newton, who came into the game saying he was playing the best football of his career. The Panthers (6-6) have lost four straight following a 6-2 start.
BRONCOS 24,
BENGALS 10
CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Phillip Lindsay ran for a career-high 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Broncos adapted to a windy afternoon and got their third straight victory. The Broncos (6-6) have emerged from their bye week and knocked off the Chargers, Steelers and Bengals to stay in contention in December.
Denver handled an unseasonably warm day: 66 degrees at kickoff with wind gusts up to 40 mph that redirected kicks and throws. Case Keenum completed 12 of 21 passes for 151 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton.
DOLPHINS 21, BILLS 17
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jordan Phillips drew a costly penalty for taunting his former team, setting up a touchdown with nine minutes left that helped the Dolphins rally.
Miami turned away two Bills drives down the stretch, and Charles Clay almost caught Josh Allen’s desperation fourth-down pass with a diving attempt at the goal line in the final minute.
Allen threw for 231 yards and ran for 135 to set a franchise record for rushing yards by a quarterback for the second week in a row. Buffalo lost despite outgaining Miami 415-175.
