Around the NFL
Giants 24, Texans 16: Saquon Barkley carried the ball 35 times for 152 yards and a touchdown, giving the Giants both consistency and explosiveness. Daniel Jones passed the ball well on just 17 attempts and found Darius Slaton’s multiple plays for at least 30 yards, including a 54-yard short by Slaton Scored from pitching. Houston’s Davis Mills did his best to keep up, but saw the sustained pressure, eating four sacks.
Vikings 33, Bills 30 (overtime): Justin Jefferson’s one-handed catch in the fourth quarter to keep the game alive might be the catch of the season. Josh Allen fumbled for a Vikings touchdown but then led the field goal to send the game to overtime, with Minnesota responding with a 33-yard field goal. Allen pushed forward but made an interception on Patrick Peterson in the end zone, Peterson’s second of the game and Allen’s third red zone pick in two weeks, locking up the Vikings team victory.
Titans 17, Mustangs 10: Despite receiver Jerry Jeudy going down early, the Broncos managed a number of field goals in the first half, including a 66-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to wide open Jalen Virgil. The Broncos took a 10-0 lead as Nick Westbrook-Ikhine’s 119 yards and two touchdowns gave Tennessee the lead. Wilson’s goal-line interception ended Denver’s counterattack attempt.
Steelers 20, Saints 10: New Orleans made 10 free throws and lost 2 times. Najib Harris rushed for 99 yards on 20 times to help Pittsburgh control the ball at 38:56, completely suffocating the Saints.
Dolphins 39, Browns 17: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for 110 yards and a touchdown, but no Dolphins caught more than five passes when Tua Tagovailoa made effective passes. In the game-winning third quarter, Tagovailoa completed 25 of 32 for 3 touchdowns and 285 yards.
Kansas City 27, Jaguars 17: Kansas City found a role for former Giants receiver Kadarius Toney, who had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown as a lateral stretch. Kansas City has him on the perimeter with multiple jet sweeps, moves and quick throws. But the team saw receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster leave the game in the second quarter after a helmet-to-helmet impact left him motionless on the turf with his hands frozen in the air. The tackle was not penalized.
Lions 31, Bears 30: Justin Fields scored four touchdowns for the Bears but threw a No. 6 pick to Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah in the fourth quarter. Detroit’s Jared Goff was excellent as a goofy passer, racking up 9.1 yards per carry without any of the turnovers that often plagued him.
Buccaneers 21, Seahawks 16: Tom Brady finally looks comfortable enough to chip away at the Seahawks’ secondary for the season’s highest quarterback rating (85.9). Geno Smith scored two back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the Buccaneers killed him in the final four minutes to ensure Smith couldn’t get a final field goal while leading.