=MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Greg Joseph made a 29-yard field goal as time expired to give the Minnesota Vikings a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, finishing a classic back-and-forth with Aaron Rodgers by making sure the three-time NFL MVP didn’t get to touch the ball last.
Kirk Cousins passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns for the Vikings (5-5), who watched yet another game come down to the final play after Rodgers threw three of his four touchdown passes in the second half.
Unable to practice much at all this week because of a toe injury, after missing much of the first half of the month with COVID-19, Rodgers finished 23 for 33 for a season-high 385 yards for Green Bay (8-3).
Justin Jefferson had eight receptions for 169 yards and two scores, including a third-down catch against rookie Eric Stokes that Cousins delivered for a 23-yard touchdown while being decked on a blitz by Darnell Savage.
TEXANS 22, TITANS 13
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tyrod Taylor ran for two touchdowns and threw for 107 yards and Houston snapped the NFL’s longest active skid, beating Tennessee to end the league’s longest winning streak.
The Texans (2-8) came in having lost eight straight since winning their season opener and hadn’t scored a TD on the road since Sept. 19.
The Titans (8-3) snapped their six-game winning streak with their first loss since Oct. 3. That came to the then-winless New York Jets.
CHIEFS 19, COWBOYS 9
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 63 yards and a touchdown in his return from injured reserve, Chris Jones and the Kansas City defense made life miserable for Dak Prescott, and the Chiefs beat Dallas.
The result: The Chiefs (7-4) improved to 4-0 against the NFC East with their fourth straight win overall.
Prescott was held to 216 yards passing and two interceptions for the Cowboys (7-3), though he was missing a whole lot of help. Left tackle Tyron Smith missed his third straight game with an ankle injury, Amari Cooper tested positive for COVID-19 and fellow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb sustained a concussion just before halftime.
COLTS 41, BILLS 15
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Jonathan Taylor set a franchise record by scoring five times and took over the NFL lead in both yards rushing and touchdowns as Indianapolis routed Buffalo.
Taylor scored three times in the first half, including a 23-yard catch, en route to the first five-touchdown game in the league this season.
The Colts (6-5) continued their roll by improving to 5-1 in their past six games. Indianapolis had gone 0-5 against opponents who made the playoffs last year, including two losses to AFC South rival Tennessee.
The Bills (6-4) fell a half-game behind New England in the AFC East.
RAVENS 16, BEARS 13
CHICAGO (AP) — Subbing for star quarterback Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley led a winning drive capped by Devonta Freeman’s 3-yard run with 22 seconds remaining, and Baltimore beat Chicago.
Jackson was sidelined by illness for the AFC North-leading Ravens (7-3), who ruled him out 90 minutes before kickoff. The 2019 MVP was a full participant in practice Friday after being held out the previous two days. Coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday the illness was not COVID-19.
Justin Tucker kicked three field goals for the Ravens, who rebounded from a loss to Miami. The Bears (3-7) lost their fifth straight.
CARDINALS 23, SEAHAWKS 13
SEATTLE (AP) — Colt McCoy was outstanding filling in for Kyler Murray, throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns, Arizona beat Seattle.
McCoy went 35 of 44 and outplayed Seattle’s Russell Wilson, who made his first home start since undergoing finger surgery. McCoy threw touchdown passes of 1 and 2 yards to Zach Ertz in the first half, got a bit of luck in the third quarter when a potential interception was overturned on replay, and had his first 300-yard passing game since 2014.
Arizona (9-2) had scoring drives of 92 and 82 yards in the first half that ate up 16 minutes.
After 20 straight offensive drives without a touchdown, DeeJay Dallas scored on a 2-yard run with 7:08 left to pull Seattle (3-7) within 16-13.
WASHINGTON 27, PANTHERS 21
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Taylor Heinicke threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns against the league’s top-ranked pass defense, and Washington beat Carolina in Cam Newton’s return to Bank of America Stadium.
Terry McLaurin had five catches for 103 yards and a touchdown for Washington (4-6) and former Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who won in his return to Carolina.
Newton, making his first start since signing a one-year contract to return to the Panthers, threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a 24-yard score. But Newton’s final two potential game-winning drives ended when the Panthers turned the ball over on downs. Daron Payne and James Smith-Williams sacked Newton with 1:11 left to seal the game.
Christian McCaffrey combined for 119 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown for the Panthers (5-6).
EAGLES 40, SAINTS 29
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts ran for three touchdowns, Darius Slay returned an interception for a score and Philadelphia beat New Orleans.
The Eagles (5-6) have won two in a row for the first time this season and rookie coach Nick Sirianni earned his first victory at home in five tries.
The Saints (5-5) dropped their third straight since losing quarterback Jameis Winston to a season-ending ACL injury. Trevor Siemian threw three touchdown passes and two picks and ran for a score without several missing starters around him.
49ERS 30, JAGUARS 3
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jimmy Garoppolo threw two touchdown passes for the third consecutive week and San Francisco dominated Jacksonville for its third win in four games.
Coming off their best game of the season — a 31-10 stunner against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night — the 49ers (5-5) traveled cross-country on a short week and looked every bit like a playoff contender for the second time in six days.
They scored on their first five possessions, including opening the game with a 20-play field-goal drive that took more than 13 minutes, and set the tone for what would be another long day for the Jaguars (2-8).
DOLPHINS 24, JETS 17
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw a go-ahead 5-yard touchdown pass to Myles Gaskin early in the fourth quarter and Miami hung on to beat New York for its third straight victory.
A week after an impressive win over Baltimore, the Dolphins (4-7) overcame some penalties — and the Jets had some sloppy plays of their own — to get their first three-game winning streak since winning five in a row in the middle of last season. went 24 of 39 for 291 yards and two touchdowns.
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