New on SI: Derrick Henry, Titans stun Patriots 20-13 in wild-card upset

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) When the eerie Foxborough fog lifted, it became clear that New England's reign atop the NFL was ending.

Derrick Henry ensured that with the kind of dominating playoff performance usually reserved for Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Henry rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown while Tennessee's defense stymied Brady and perhaps ended his championship-filled New England career with a 20-13 wild-card victory Saturday night.

Brady vows to be back on an NFL field next season, but his contract with the Patriots is done.

“I love the Patriots,'' the 42-year Brady said, adding about leaving the game after 20 seasons: “I would say it's pretty unlikely, hopefully unlikely. I love playing football. I don't know what it looks like moving forward.”

Doing the most moving forward Saturday night was Henry, who had a total of 184 yards rushing in two playoff games two years ago. He nearly got that against the league's top-ranked defense in boosting the Titans (10-7) into the divisional round at No. 1 seed Baltimore.

“It’s a great win against a great team in a hostile environment," Henry said on his 26th birthday. “Credit to my team. I’m just happy we were able to advance.

“We were just locked in. That was our mindset, just coming in here doing what we needed to do in all three phases, stay locked in no matter what happens in the game, and I feel like we did that.”

For sure.

As that dense fog that shrouded Gillette Stadium for the first half dissipated, the Patriots, who made the last three Super Bowls and won two, stalled repeatedly with the ball. They no longer were the bullies on the block - Henry was.

As for this defeat, the Patriots' fourth as a wild card, Brady noted: “They kind of stopped us in the first half and the second half and we couldn't get the job done.''

There had been no scoring in the second half when All-Pro Brett Kern's 58-yard punt that took up 10 of the final 25 seconds rolled down at the New England 1. Brady then was picked by former Patriot Logan Ryan for a 9-yard touchdown t o finish off the Patriots (12-5), who at one point were 8-0.

The game's first three possessions wound up as three long scoring drives. A 29-yard screen pass to James White set up Nick Folk's 36-yard field goal, but Tennessee answered with a 75-yard march built around Henry. He had no role on the touchdown, Tannehill's pass to a Harvard man, tight end Anthony Firkser that made it 7-3.

Firkser is the first player from Harvard to score a playoff TD.

New England counterpunched with its own 75-yard drive, taking temporary control of the game by victimizing Tennessee's defense on the outside. The Titans looked slow trying to protect the flanks as Sony Michel broke off a 25-yard run and White had a 14-yarder.

Julian Edelman finished it with the first rushing touchdown of his 11 pro seasons, a 5-yard dash to the unprotected left side of the Tennessee D.

New England appeared primed for another touchdown after Mohamed Sanu's 14-yard punt return set up the Patriots at the Titans 47, and they steadily drove to first-and-goal at the 1.

All they got was Folk's 21-yard field goal as three runs failed. It was the 13th time the Patriots had first-and-goal at the 1 in a playoff game in the Brady era and the first time they failed to get a TD on the drive.

Tannehill led the NFL with a career-best 117.5 passer rating and by averaging 9.6 yards per pass attempt. But he didn't do a whole lot Saturday night in his first postseason game: 8 of 15 for 72 yards. His awful decision to put the ball up for grabs on the first play of the fourth quarter resulted in Duron Harmon's interception.

But New England's spotty attack flopped and never revived. That has not been unusual during the second half of the schedule.

Tannehill's passing yards were the fewest for a starter since the Ravens' Joe Flacco had 34 in a wild-card win against the Patriots 10 years ago.

Tannehill now has five victories over Brady, second only to Peyton Manning's six for the most by an opposing QB since 2001, including playoffs.

BIRTHDAY BOY

Henry celebrated his birthday by getting the most rushing yards against a Bill Belichick-coached Patriots team in the playoffs. He set an early tone by rushing for 49 of the Titans' 75 yards on their opening touchdown drive. On the Titans' second 75-yard TD march, all Henry did was gain every yard: 22 on a screen pass and 53 rushing, including a 1-yard dive into the end zone for a 14-13 halftime lead. Those were Tennessee's first points in the final two minutes of the opening half since Week 8.

“When you can run it when the other team knows you're gonna run it, that says a lot about your running game,'' Titans coach Mike Vrabel said.

Henry led the NFL in rushing this season with 1,540 yards in 15 games, the fourth-most rushing yards in franchise history. He also ran for 16 TDs, second most in team history.

BELICHICK DISCIPLE

Vrabel, a star linebacker for New England who won three Super Bowl rings, is a rare member of the Belichick coaching tree to defeat the Patriots' long-time coach head to head in the playoffs. Another of those, Houston's Bill O'Brien, also did it this season - and the Texans advanced to the divisional round earlier Saturday by beating Buffalo in overtime.

“I told 'em that to win the game, you're going to have to be mentally and physically exhausted,'' Vrabel said. “You're going to get rubbed defensively. There's gonna be gadgets. They going to force you to think. ...

“We didn't hand them anything. They feast on bad football.

“I don't think our guys spend a lot of time looking at those banners.''

New England's loss in the season finale at home to Miami, which cost the Patriots a wild-card round bye, was engineered by another former Belichick assistant, Brian Flores.

NEW ENGLAND SLUMP

After winning their first eight games, the Patriots struggled mightily in the second half of the schedule. They lost four games, and with the defeat by the Titans, they fell three times at home.

INJURIES

Titans: Linebacker Jayon Brown hurt his shoulder in the first half.

Patriots: Safety Patrick Chung left in the first quarter with an ankle issue.

NEXT UP

Titans: Head to Baltimore in the divisional round.

Patriots: Head home early, failing to become the second team to make four straight Super Bowls. And wondering where Brady is headed.

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New on SI: No title

New on SI: Mostert lifts 49ers to Super Bowl with 37-20 win vs Packers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Coach Kyle Shanahan received the NFC championship trophy from his Super Bowl-winning father Mike and raised it to the sky.

The San Francisco 49ers have gone on a surprising journey from No. 2 pick in the draft to one of the last two teams standing. They have one of the most unlikely playoff heroes to thank for it.

Journeyman Raheem Mostert rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns to make quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo mostly a spectator, Nick Bosa harassed Aaron Rodgers from the start and the 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers 37-20 for the NFC championship on Sunday.

''I did have a lot of doubters and naysayers,'' said Mostert, who has been cut seven times in his career. ''Now I get to actually tell them, 'Look where I'm at now.'

''I never gave up on my dreams.''

The Niners (15-3) also had their skeptics after winning just 10 games in the first two seasons under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

But they put pieces and systems in place during those rough two seasons and now have advanced to the franchise's first Super Bowl in seven years. The Niners will play the Kansas City Chiefs in two weeks in Miami when Shanahan tries to join his father as coaching champions.

''It was pretty special,'' Shanahan said of getting handed the trophy from his father at the postgame ceremony. ''To get a trophy handed to you by anyone is really cool. ... It was pretty cool it happened there at the end.''

After giving a second thorough beating of the season to Rodgers and the Packers (14-4), the 49ers are the third team to make it to the Super Bowl a year after winning four or fewer games.

Cincinnati did it in 1988 and the Rams 1999, with the Rams the only team to go from four wins to a championship in one year.

''It's still kind of surreal,'' linebacker Fred Warner said. ''With the stuff this team has gone through, this organization, it's special. Its the pinnacle of football right here.''

Bosa, the prize for last year's rough season as the No. 2 overall pick, helped set the tone when he ended Green Bay's second drive of the game with a 13-yard sack of Rodgers.

Mostert, a former special teams standout, did much of the rest in a remarkable redemption story for a former surfer who carried the ball only eight times in his first three seasons in the NFL while bouncing between teams.

But he has become a key part of the NFC's top team this year, leading the Niners with 772 yards rushing in the regular season and delivering a performance for the ages in the NFC title game.

He had the second-most yards rushing in a playoff game to Eric Dickerson's 248 for the Rams on Jan. 4, 1986, and was the first player to rush for at least four TDs and 200 yards in a playoff game.

He got started when he burst 36 yards on a third-and-8 trap play to open the scoring on San Francisco's second drive and kept ripping off long runs behind impressive blocking.

''He's so fast,'' tackle Joe Staley said. ''He's incredibly fast. He's fearless going through the hole. He has trust in the linemen to block it up. He's a great running back.''

He added TD runs of 9 and 18 yards in the second quarter and had 160 yards rushing at the half, becoming the only player in NFL history to rush for at least 150 yards and three TDs in the first half of a playoff game.

Mostert added a 22-yard TD run in the third quarter.

''The lanes that we saw and the way he was running we just wanted to keep feeding him,'' Shanahan said. ''I know he was feeling it. That wasn't too hard to see.''

Rodgers and the Packers were unable to match that performance as they got overwhelmed by San Francisco's dominant front for a second time this season.

Rodgers had a career-low 3.15 yards per attempt in a 37-8 loss here back in November and wasn't much better in the first half of the rematch.

He lost a snap from center to end Green Bay's only promising drive of the half, threw an interception to Emmanuel Moseley late in the half and didn't convert his first third down of the season - in 18 attempts - against the Niners until connecting on a 6-yard pass to Aaron Jones on the opening drive of the second quarter.

''We just weren't very consistent the first half,'' Rodgers said. ''Made a couple of mistakes personally that hurt us and kind of let it get away from us.''

Rodgers capped that drive with a 9-yard TD pass to Jones, but the game was too far out of hand by that point.

He led Green Bay to two more TDs and finished with 326 yards passing, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Packers lost the NFC title game for the third time since their last Super Bowl trip following the 2010 season.

''Right now, they are the gold standard in the NFC,'' Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of the 49ers.

QUIET DAY

The Niners asked very little of Garoppolo, who threw only eight passes thanks to the big-play running game and lopsided score. He went 24 minutes of game time between his sixth and seventh passes and finished with six completions for 77 yards. It was tied for the second fewest passes thrown in a playoff game. Miami threw six and seven passes on the Super Bowl following the 1973 season.

PASSING FAVRE

Rodgers' two TD passes gave him 40 in his playoff career, breaking Brett Favre's franchise record of 39. Rodgers also has seven straight playoff games with at least two TD throws, one shy of Joe Flacco's record.

INJURIES

Packers: S Adrian Amos left after injuring his pectoral muscle in the first half. ... CB Jaire Alexander left in the second half with a thumb injury.

49ers: RB Tevin Coleman left in the first half with a shoulder injury.

UP NEXT

49ers: The team's seventh appearance in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs on Feb. 2.

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New on SI: Wilson leads Seahawks past Eagles 17-9

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jadeveon Clowney knocked out Carson Wentz. Then, Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wilson threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf, Marshawn Lynch had a rushing score and the Seahawks beat the Eagles 17-9 in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs on Sunday night.

''To come back here, back East, it's a long ways, we were able to do it, pull through,'' Wilson said. ''We've been road warriors and it's exciting. We've got a great defense, too.''

Making his first career playoff start, Wentz lasted two series before exiting with a head injury following a helmet-to-helmet hit from Clowney.

Nick Foles wasn't around to rescue Philadelphia this time.

''I didn't intend to hurt him. I hope he's OK,'' Clowney said.

Referee Shawn Smith told a pool reporter: ''He was a runner and he did not give himself up. We saw incidental helmet contact, and in our judgment, we didn't rule it a foul.''

Forty-year-old Josh McCown stepped in, becoming the oldest quarterback to make his playoff debut. But he couldn't lead the Eagles (9-8) into the end zone.

''I didn't get the job done,'' said McCown, who was quite emotional on the field afterward.

The Seahawks (12-5) lost three of their final four games, including a 26-21 defeat at home against San Francisco in Week 17 that cost them the NFC West title.

But they traveled to Philadelphia for the second time in six weeks and became the third team to win on the road this weekend, improving to 8-1 away from home this season.

Wilson threw for 325 yards and led the team with 45 yards rushing. Metcalf had seven catches for 160 yards.

The Seahawks had a season-high seven sacks from six players.

''We made up our mind to not let them score,'' All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner said. ''It was a mental thing more than execution.''

Wilson drove Seattle 82 yards late in the second quarter and Lynch powered in from the 5 for a 10-0 lead.

Wilson connected with Metcalf for 26 yards and David Moore for 38 on third-down, catch-and-run passes to keep that drive going.

McCown finally got the offense going on the opening drive of the third quarter. He connected with Zach Ertz for 32 yards and Boston Scott ran 15 yards to the 5. But a false start, fumbled snap and sack followed. Jake Elliott's 26-yard field goal cut the deficit to 10-6.

The Seahawks answered quickly. Metcalf stretched to catch Wilson's deep pass, got up and tumbled into the end zone for a 17-6 lead.

''I caught the ball, I didn't feel anybody touch me,'' Metcalf said. ''I got back up and I wanted a touchdown. I wanted a touchdown, real bad.''

Down 17-9, Eagles coach Doug Pederson passed up a 42-yard field goal attempt with 6:24 left and went for fourth-and-4 from the Seahawks 24. Miles Sanders couldn't catch McCown's pass.

Philadelphia had another chance after Shelton Gibson, just signed earlier in the week, drew a 39-yard pass interference penalty to the Seahawks 13.

On fourth-and-7 from the 10 with two minutes left, Clowney sacked McCown.

Wentz was forced to watch from the sideline following knee surgery when Foles led the Eagles to the franchise's first Super Bowl title two years ago. He was out with a back injury last year when Foles led Philadelphia to a wild-card win in Chicago.

The Eagles were decimated by injuries throughout the season and had to rely on five offensive players off the practice squad during a four-game winning streak that sealed the NFC East title.

Wentz started all 16 games for the second time in his four seasons and played his best down the stretch with backups surrounding him. But he finished the season injured the same as the previous two.

''I'm disappointed for him,'' Pederson said. ''I wanted this for him. I think a lot of his teammates did, too. The team and the organization did. He's battled through a lot.''

Seattle had plenty of injuries, too. The Seahawks lost running backs Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and C.J. Prosise, forcing them to sign Lynch.

But Seattle has Wilson - and he has the Seahawks heading to Green Bay to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the divisional round.

''We're anticipating some snow,'' Wilson said with a smile. ''They obviously have Aaron, they have a lot of great players, they have a great defensive line.''

RECORD BREAKER

Metcalf set a franchise record for yards receiving in a playoff game.

''It's exciting to see a young dude come in and dominate the league like that,'' Seattle's Quinton Jefferson said. ''A lot of people said he can't run routes. He silenced a lot of people. Glad to have him on my team.''

DEJA VU

The Seahawks also beat the Eagles 17-9 on Nov. 24.

INJURIES

Seahawks: Defensive tackle Ziggy Ansah left with a neck injury.

Eagles: Wentz stayed in the game after the shot from Clowney, threw two passes and left for the locker room late in the first quarter. ... Defensive end Brandon Graham left with a knee injury.

NEXT UP

Seahawks: will go to Green Bay to face the Packers (13-3) next Sunday.

Eagles: start the offseason.

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New on SI: Texans roar past Bills for 22-19 win in OT

HOUSTON (AP) Deshaun Watson’s teammates talked all week about how they never feel as if they’re out of any game when No. 4 is on the field.

On Saturday Watson showed why the Houston Texans have so much trust in him, when the quarterback’s dazzling performance late after a tough start led them to a playoff victory.

Watson spun out of a would-be sack and coolly completed a pass that set up the winning field goal in overtime as the Texans rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit for a 22-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the playoffs.

DeAndre Hopkins was asked to describe Watson’s play on Saturday to somebody who might have missed the game.

“I hope everyone watched this today, but he's amazing,” Hopkins said. “You can't put too many words on it.”

Both teams punted on their first possessions of overtime - the first extra period in an AFC wild-card game since January 2012. On Houston’s next drive, Watson evaded a sack by wriggling away from one defender and bouncing off another before rolling out to find Taiwan Jones for a 34-yard reception to set up first-and-goal.

Watson flexed both arms as the crowd at NRG Stadium went wild - knowing their team was in position to pull off another comeback win to Houston's playoff history.

“I told myself to stay up. I mean, it's do-or-die now. I just had to make the play,” Watson said.

Ka'imi Fairbairn then kicked a 28-yard field goal to lift Houston to the victory.

The Texans (11-6) advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs next weekend where they’ll face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The Texans got a boost from the return of J.J. Watt, who had a sack that helped spark his team. Houston scored 19 straight points to take the lead before Stephen Hauschka’s 47-yard field goal tied it with 5 seconds left to force overtime.

“We never quit, regardless,” Watson said. “Whatever it takes to get the win. I mean, we're going to keep fighting.”

Watt was wowed by the play of Watson.

“The play he made at the end of the game - nobody makes that play,” he said. “The guy’s unbelievable. I’m very thankful and lucky to have him as my quarterback. That’s why you play the whole game.”

It was Watt's first game after sitting out since October with a torn pectoral muscle.

“This is why you come back,” Watt said. “I don't know if I meant to come back for these many plays or this much extra time, but these feelings, these emotions, these fans, these players, Deshaun Watson and all the guys on this team, this is why you come back.”

The win gives the Texans their first playoff victory since the 2016 season and extends Buffalo’s postseason losing streak to six games, with their most recent playoff win coming in 1995. It’s the first wild-card overtime game since the Broncos beat the Steelers 29-23 in the 2011 season.

The game conjured memories of another huge comeback in a wild-card game. The last time teams from Houston and Buffalo met in the playoffs it was in a game that is known as “The Comeback.” The Bills set an NFL record for the largest comeback in NFL history by rallying from a 32-point deficit for a 41-38 overtime win against the Houston Oilers in a wild-card game in 1993.

This time Josh Allen and the Bills (10-7) used a dominant first half to build a 13-point lead and were up 16-0 in the third quarter, before Allen began to struggle.

“He was just trying to do too much and getting a little bit extreme with what he felt like we needed at the time,” coach Sean McDermott said. “But overall, we just didn’t make enough plays.”

Watson had 247 yards passing and ran for 55 yards and Hopkins had 90 yards receiving. Watson led the Texans to the victory despite being sacked seven times, led by three from Jerry Hughes, and hit 12 other times.

Allen threw for 264 yards, ran for 92 and caught a touchdown pass on a trick play in the first quarter, but often looked rattled late in his playoff debut.

Houston couldn’t get anything going on offense before halftime and had 81 yards in a first half where Hopkins didn’t catch a pass for the first time since Week 16 of the 2017 season.

They were finally able to sustain a drive on their second possession of the third quarter when Hopkins had receptions of 14 and 10 yards to help move the ball. The Texans cut the lead to 10 when Watson dragged two defenders into the end zone on a 20-yard touchdown run.

Watson then dived into the end zone for a 2-point conversion that got Houston within 16-8 with about two minutes left in the third.

The Bills were driving early in the fourth quarter when Allen was sacked by Whitney Mercilus and fumbled, and it was recovered by Jacob Martin at the Buffalo 47. Houston cashed in on the miscue with a 41-yard field goal that cut the lead to 16-11 with about 11 minutes to go.

Watson connected with Carlos Hyde on a 5-yard touchdown pass and Hopkins on a 2-point conversion with about five minutes left to put the Texans on top 19-16. Hopkins had a 41-yard reception earlier in that drive.

The Bills were in field-goal range on their next drive when Allen got a 14-yard penalty for intentional grounding and Buffalo lost a down to bring up fourth down. They went for it and Allen was sacked by Jacob Martin for a 19-yard loss to give Houston the ball back with 1:41 left.

“We didn’t execute how we should have, and we didn’t make as many plays as we should have,” Allen said. “That’s what it really comes down to. They made one more play than us.”

The Texans trailed 13-0 at halftime and Hopkins fumbled on their opening drive of the third quarter to give Buffalo the ball at the Houston 32. Watt sacked Allen for a loss of 8 yards on third down and the Bills settled for a 38-yard field goal to extend the lead to 16-0.

Allen scrambled 42 yards for a first down on Buffalo’s first possession for its longest rush of the season. Two plays later, the Bills used some trickery to take the lead when John Brown threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Allen to make it 7-0. Brown’s pass was wobbly, but Allen was wide open despite having to slow down to grab it.

It was early in the second quarter when Allen appeared to fumble, and it was recovered by Houston. But the play was reviewed and overturned, giving Buffalo the ball at the Houston 32. The Bills were unable to move the ball after that and made a 40-yard field goal to make it 10-0.

The Bills added another 40-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter to push the lead to 13-0 at halftime.

NOT SO FAST

Houston’s DeAndre Carter looked to have made a major mistake when caught the opening kickoff of the second half in the end zone and tossed the ball toward a referee without taking a knee. The Bills scooped it up and thought they had scored a touchdown on the play. But the play was reviewed, and it was determined that Carter “gave himself up” so it was called a touchback and Houston kept the ball.

WATT’S HEALTH

Watt was pleasantly surprised with how good he felt on Saturday in his return from injury. But there was one moment where he was a bit worried that his surgically repaired pectoral muscle wouldn’t hold up.

As he was about to dive to try and grab Allen, he wondered if that could be the moment where he was re-injured.

“But I dove and landed right on it, popped up, checked it out and looked over at the doctor who was standing like 10 feet away,” he said. “And I was like: ‘It’s all right.’”

UP NEXT:

Bills: Season over.

Texans: Advance to divisional round.

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New on SI: Mitchell Trubisky helps Bears beat Cowboys 31-24

CHICAGO (AP) Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears appear to be hitting their stride, even if it might be too late to salvage their season.

Trubisky threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score in Chicago's 31-24 victory over Dak Prescott and the slumping Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

In a matchup between disappointing teams that made the playoffs last season, the Bears (7-6) came away with their fourth win in five games after dropping four in a row. The Cowboys (6-7) have lost seven of 10 since a 3-0 start.

''I think it shows we're resilient,'' Trubisky said. ''We stick together. We believe in each other even when nobody else believes in us. It's a special group in that locker room. We just want to keep this feeling going.''

Trubisky shook off an early interception near the goal line to complete 23 of 31 passes for 244 yards. He matched a season high for touchdown throws and set one with 63 yards rushing. That included a 23-yard scoring dash early in the fourth quarter to make it 31-14.

Allen Robinson caught two TD passes and Anthony Miller had one as Chicago tied a season scoring high.

On defense, Khalil Mack had a sack but l inebacker Roquan Smith left the game with a pectoral injury on the opening drive, with coach Matt Nagy saying it ''doesn't look real good for him.'' Still, the Bears took out the NFC East leaders after beating the struggling Detroit Lions twice and New York Giants in recent weeks.

''Most teams at some point in time will hit some type of adversity,'' Nagy said. ''We went through that four-game stretch. It was difficult in a lot of different ways. ... Everybody's seeing what type of people we have on this football team. No one's flinched. We've pulled together. We've become even tighter.''

SLUMP CONTINUES

Facing a top-10 defense for the third week in a row, the Cowboys once again couldn't get their high-powered offense going.

''I can't put a finger on it,'' said Prescott, the NFL's passing leader. ''I wish I could right now. If I could we wouldn't be in this situation, we would be getting over this and out of this slump, but that's the most frustrating part, we have the skill level, we have the players, we have the chemistry at times, But we're not playing together as a team, complementary enough when we need to, and we need to figure it out.''

Prescott was 27 of 49 for 334 yards and a touchdown. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 81 yards - his fifth straight game under 100 - and two scores.

Michael Gallup had 109 yards receiving. Amari Cooper caught six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown, but the Cowboys lost their third straight. They lead Philadelphia by a half-game in the division.

''I know we have the right pieces in place, right players, right talent. Just about doing it instead of talking about it,'' Cooper said.

TAKING CONTROL

Kept out of the end zone in a 13-9 loss at New England two weeks ago and then held to two touchdowns in falling 26-15 to Buffalo on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys went 75 yards for a score on the game's opening possession. Elliott lunged in from the 2 to cap a 17-play drive.

Jourdan Lewis then intercepted Trubisky's pass with a neat play near the left pylon, dragging his left foot. He was initially ruled out of bounds, but the call was overturned by a replay review.

But it was all Bears after that.

Chicago tied it early in the second quarter when Trubisky hit Robinson with a 5-yard pass and took a 10-7 lead on a 36-yard field goal by Eddy Pineiro. Dallas' Brett Maher then missed a 42-yarder wide right. Chicago added to the lead in the closing seconds of the half with Trubisky's 8-yard pass to Robinson, and Miller's 14-yarder in the third made it 24-7.

''I think we stayed ahead of the chains, we scored early, we were able to get the run game going,'' Robinson said. ''All aspects of our offense were working today. We were able to keep them off balance.''

FOR KICKS

Maher is 20 for 30 on field goals this season after going 1 of 2. The 10 misses are more than any other NFL kicker has had in a season the past four years.

INJURIES

Cowboys: WR Cedric Wilson jammed his left leg trying to catch a long pass in the closing minute. ... LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck), NT Antwaun Woods (knee) and S Jeff Heath (shoulder) were inactive.

Bears: WR Javon Wims (knee) walked off gingerly in the closing seconds of the first half after an awkward landing as he tried to make a leaping catch in the end zone. ... CB Prince Amukamara (hamstring) was inactive after being listed as doubtful. ... WR Taylor Gabriel (concussion), TE Ben Braunecker (concussion) and RT Bobby Massie (ankle) all missed their second straight game.

UP NEXT

Cowboys: Host the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 15.

Bears: At the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 15.

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New on SI: Raiders keep playoff hopes alive with victory over Chargers

CARSON, Calif. (AP) Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders will go into the final week of the season still having a chance for the playoffs after Sunday's 24-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers snapped a four-game losing streak.

Oakland (7-8) still has a chance after losses by Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Cleveland. It needs a win over Denver next week and some help for only their second postseason trip since 2003.

Raiders coach Jon Gruden said he didn't know about the results from earlier games when his kicked off.

''Let's not sugarcoat it, we've been through a lot. To say we are still playing in Week 17 for something, that's unbelievable,'' said Carr, who completed 26 of 30 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown. ''No one thought we would be playing for the playoffs. Let's just keep it real.''

Carr gave the Raiders a 14-7 lead with 8 seconds remaining with a 3-yard bootleg off right end. But Carr - whose 86.7% completion rate is his second highest in a game - also got plenty of help from players who have had to step up because of injuries.

Hunter Renfrow had seven receptions for 107 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown on the opening drive. DeAndre Washington started in place of Josh Jacobs, who was inactive because of a shoulder injury, and ran 85 yards rushing on 23 carries. His 5-yard score midway through the third quarter extended Oakland's lead to 21-7.

''That's what great pro football teams and the Raiders are supposed to do. They find a way,'' Gruden said. ''I'm really happy for these guys tonight.''

Melvin Gordon scored a pair of 1-yard touchdowns for the Chargers (5-10), who have dropped five of their past six. Philip Rivers was 27 of 39 for 279 yards in what could be his final home game with the Chargers. The 16-year veteran quarterback's contract expires at the end of the season. Keenan Allen had five receptions for 71 yards.

''They dictated the pace of the game. They outplayed us,'' coach Anthony Lynn said. ''We lost too many one-on-ones and critical situations.''

The game was tied at 7 late in the first half, but Oakland took control with touchdowns on two straight drives. Carr's run put the Raiders up for good and Washington's score completed a 13-play possession to start the second half which lasted 8:49.

''We were able to give our defense a cushion by getting points on both drives,'' Carr said.

Michael Badgley's 27-yard field goal with 1:29 remaining brought the Chargers within a touchdown, but Oakland recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

RENFROW'S MILESTONE

Renfrow had to wait until he got in the NFL for his first 100-yard receiving game. The rookie said he didn't have one in high school and the closest he got at Clemson was 93 yards as a freshman.

He got more than half his yards in the first quarter on the 56-yard touchdown from Carr. Renfrow caught it at the LA 47 on a slant route, eluded an arm tackle from Desmond King and outraced Rayshawn Jenkins to the end zone.

''Usually I had like 96, but I'd never get over the hump,'' Renfrow said. ''It was good because we needed it to win.''

RAIDERS' PATH TO THE PLAYOFFS

Oakland needs to beat Denver next Sunday, needs losses by the Titans at Houston and Steelers at Baltimore along with Indianapolis beating Jacksonville.

That would create a four-way tie. Oakland would win the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh based on strength of victory and Indianapolis by virtue of its win in Week 4. The Colts would eliminate Tennessee by having a better division record.

GOODBYE, CARSON

It was the Chargers' final game in Carson before they move into the new stadium at Hollywood Park next season with the Rams. They were 11-11 over three seasons in the 27,000-seat facility built for soccer and 2-5 this year.

Even though the schedule listed it as a Chargers home game, the crowd was predominately silver and black.

''Everyone kept saying last week was our last home game, it wasn't,'' Carr said. ''Every time we come here it is a home game. We didn't use the silent count, they did. We wanted to make sure we came out of this week and took care of business for our fans.''

Rivers said some of the Chargers have gotten used to being a visitor on their own field and hopes that changes when they move into their palatial new home.

''Being someone that remembers what it used to be like in home games, it's pretty bad. It's disheartening to say the least,'' he said. ''I don't think all our guys understand that, but the guys that have been here a long time certainly know what it used to be like.'

INURIES

Raiders: Cornerback Trayvon Mullen (neck) collided with safety Curtis Riley on a reception by Andre Patton during the fourth quarter. He was taken off on a stretcher but was moving his arms.

UP NEXT

Raiders conclude the regular season next Sunday at Denver. Oakland won the first meeting 24-16 in Week 1.

Chargers: wrap up the year at Kansas City next Sunday. Los Angeles has dropped 10 of its last 11 against the Chiefs, which included a 24-17 loss in Mexico City in Week 11.

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Follow Joe Reedy at www.twitter.com/joereedy

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New on SI: Wentz, Eagles keep NFC East hopes alive by beating Redskins

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) Carson Wentz fumbled the ball away, but recovered in time to keep alive the Philadelphia Eagles’ hopes of winning the NFC East.

Wentz bounced back from a potentially costly mistake by leading a 75-yard, go-ahead scoring drive and throwing his third touchdown pass of the day to keep Philadelphia's NFC East hopes on track with a 37-27 victory at the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

The Eagles and Cowboys both are 7-7 and face off in Philadelphia next week.

For the second consecutive week, Wentz engineered a late-game scoring drive, this time with the motivation of atoning for his miscue.

“Guys just kept believing,” said Wentz, who fumbled twice and lost one of those in the middle of the fourth quarter. “I didn't lose faith or confidence at all. I just wanted one more chance. I wanted another chance to go down and the defense gave that to us, and we got it done.”

Wentz threw TD passes to running back Miles Sanders, tight end Zach Ertz and receiver Greg Ward and was 30 of 43 for 266 yards. The 4-yard pass from Wentz to Ward with 26 seconds left put Philadelphia up for good and electrified a stadium full of green-clad Eagles fans. His ability to bounce back from some accuracy issues and a turnover kept the Eagles on pace with the Cowboys.

"We knew what was in front of us," coach Doug Pederson said. “We dealt ourselves this situation. I don't think it's going to take much motivation this week.”

Sanders rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 50 yards. The Eagles' defense that struggled to stop Washington's Dwayne Haskins most of the afternoon got him to fumble for a touchdown by Nigel Bradham on the game's final play, leading fans in the corner to chant, “We want Dallas!”

Coming off an overtime victory against Eli Manning and the New York Giants, a loss to Washington (3-11) could've had the Eagles facing elimination next week. Allowing an early 75-yard TD pass from Haskins to Terry McLaurin and falling behind 7-3, 14-10, 21-17 and 27-24 made that a distinct possibility.

“We've got to do better,” Pederson said. "We've got to look at the tape, make the corrections and we've got to tighten some areas up.”

The Redskins made things interesting with late field goals of 43 and 53 yards by Dustin Hopkins, but fell into last place with this loss and the Giants' victory against Miami. Haskins was 19 of 28 for 261 yards and two touchdowns.

“We wanted to battle (the Eagles') aggressiveness with quick throws into zone, blitzes and stuff like that,” Haskins said. “They're definitely something we worked on this week that looked good.”

PETERSON TIES PAYTON

Adrian Peterson's 10-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter gave him 110 for his career and tied him with Walter Payton for fourth on the all-time list. Peterson had 16 carries for 66 yards.

SANDERS MAKES HISTORY

Pederson referred to Sanders as “technically a rookie” because so much experience this year has turned the running back into a seasoned pro. But he is a rookie, and as such, set franchise records for the most yards rushing and total yards from scrimmage by a player in his first NFL season.

“This stuff don’t feel real,” Sanders said.

MEYER SIGHTING

Free agent coach Urban Meyer took in the game from Redskins owner Dan Snyder's box and watched parts of it with a familiar face from his college past. Meyer at one point could be seen talking and laughing with injured Redskins quarterback Alex Smith, who he coached at Utah.

Meyer has connections to several Redskins players, including Florida products Jordan Reed and Jon Bostic and, of course, Haskins and McLaurin.

“It was good to see him, good to talk to him,” McLaurin said. “That passes football. It had nothing to do with his coaching status at all.”

INJURIES

Eagles: Played without WR Nelson Agholor (knee), RB Jordan Howard (shoulder), RT Lane Johnson (ankle) and DE Derek Barnett (ankle), and put WR Alshon Jeffrey (foot) on injured reserve.

Redskins: Rookie CB Jimmy Moreland left in the third quarter with a foot injury. ... CB Aaron Colvin was injured early in the fourth and CB Fabian Moreau left with a hamstring injury in the final minutes.

UP NEXT

Eagles host the Cowboys in what could be the deciding game for who wins the division.

Redskins host the New York Giants in either another Eli Manning swan song game or a showdown between Haskins and Daniel Jones.

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Follow AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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New on SI: Titans clinch playoff spot with 35-14 win over Texans

HOUSTON (AP) Mike Vrabel's playoff debut as a head coach will come against the team he helped to three Super Bowl titles as player.

But don't expect the gruff second-year coach of the Tennessee Titans to reminisce about his time with the New England Patriots as next weekend's game approaches.

“I’m not emotional,” Vrabel said. “I just know what's ahead and ... it’s about being focused on the Patriots and how I get these guys prepared to go on the road. You’re basically walking into the viper’s den.”

The Titans secured their playoff spot with a 35-14 victory on Sunday over the Houston Texans, who had already bested Tennessee for the AFC South crown and had nothing to play for. Derrick Henry rushed for a season-high 211 yards and three touchdowns for the Titans (9-7), who will now prepare for their intriguing first-round matchup with New England.

“I haven’t had a paycheck with a Patriots logo on it since 2008,” Vrabel said. “It’s no different than coaching against them with the Texans or coaching against them last year. It's a huge challenge to go up there and try to win.”

The Texans (10-6), who rested quarterback Deshaun Watson and other key players, were locked into the AFC's fourth seed when Kansas City won earlier Sunday. Houston will host the Buffalo Bills next weekend.

Tennessee got its first win at Houston since Jan. 1, 2012.

Ryan Tannehill threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns for Tennessee and will make his playoff debut in his eighth NFL season. Rookie A.J. Brown had 124 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Watson was active on Sunday, but coach Bill O'Brien started AJ McCarron instead. Watson was listed as questionable with a back injury this week but said he was OK. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins was also active but did not play, and several starters, including receiver Kenny Stills, left tackle Laremy Tunsil and nose tackle D.J. Reader, were inactive.

“Once we were getting closer to the beginning of the game, it was pretty obvious that our seeding wasn't going to change,” coach Bill O'Brien said. “So we decided to do those things in the best interest of the team.”

McCarron threw for 225 yards with an interception and ran for a touchdown.

Tennessee was up by seven at halftime and extended the lead when Henry scored on a 3-yard run with 10:06 left in the third quarter. Henry returned after sitting out last week with a hamstring injury.

Houston then used almost nine minutes on a 16-play drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by McCarron. He evaded the rush and dived into the end zone for the score that cut the lead to 21-14.

Tennessee made it 28-14 when Henry scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter. That touchdown was set up when Brown grabbed a nifty 47-yard reception between two defenders just before falling out of bounds.

The Titans padded the lead when Henry rumbled 53 yards for a touchdown with 2:54 left. He finished the season with a career-high 1,540 yards rushing, which leads the NFL, and 16 touchdowns - tied with Green Bay's Aaron Jones for the league lead.

Henry became the third player in franchise history to run for 15 or more touchdowns in a season, joining Earl Campbell (19 in 1979) and LenDale White (15 in 2008).

“Coach gave us a great statistic before this game about how teams that won in the playoffs ran the ball effectively, and the teams that didn’t, didn’t win,” Henry said.

The Texans scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time all season when Duke Johnson's 1-yard run made it 7-0. The Titans tied it when Tannehill threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Brown on their next drive.

Tennessee took a 14-7 lead when MyCole Pruitt capped a 16-play, 90-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

INJURIES

Texans CB Johnathan Joseph injured a hamstring in the first half and didn't return, but said after the game that he is OK and expects to play next week.

HENRY'S SEASON

Henry is the first Titan to lead the NFL in rushing since Chris Johnson had 2,006 yards in 2009. Henry, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2015, is the first Heisman winner to win the NFL's rushing title since Ricky Williams did it in 2002.

The Titans were aware that Henry was inching closer to passing Cleveland's Nick Chubb for the title during Sunday's game, and Vrabel told him he was giving him two more carries to try and get it.

“And he ended up just needing the one," Vrabel said.

Added Henry: “When he said that, I knew I had to make something happen.”

THEY SAID IT

Tannehill on the Titans turning around the season after starting 2-4: “We've got a bunch of fighters, a bunch of guys that believe in each other ... through the ups and the downs we just kept trying to get better each and every week.”

UP NEXT

Both teams prepare for the opening round of the playoffs, with Tennessee visiting New England and Houston hosting Buffalo.

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New on SI: Winston throws for 456 yards, 4 TDs as Bucs rally over Colts

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Tampa Bay isn't giving up on Jameis Winston or its season.

The suddenly red-hot Buccaneers (6-7) will miss the playoffs for the 12th straight year despite rallying Sunday to beat the Indianapolis Colts 38-35 for their third consecutive victory and fourth in five games.

Winston continued to state his case for keeping the starting quarterback job beyond 2019, overcoming another turnover-marred performance by throwing for 456 yards and four touchdowns including the-winner with 3:51 remaining.

And, he did it despite playing the second half with what coach Bruce Arians described as a ''little bitty fracture'' in his right thumb.

''He was fine at halftime. Then when he went to grip the ball, he couldn't grip it. So they X-rayed his thumb,'' Arians said, adding the injury was not serious. ''He was able to get his strength back and come back in.''

Arians has declined to commit to Winston as Tampa Bay's quarterback of the future, saying last week that he will wait until the end of the season to make a decision.

In the meantime, the Bucs want to finish as strong as possible.

''The resiliency of this team is growing on me,'' Arians said. ''Three in a row. (Indianapolis) is a good team missing some guys. But we made a couple of receivers look like Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison. It wasn't our best, but we won. That's nice.''

Winston overcame throwing three more interceptions and having one returned for a TD for the fifth time this season to wipe out a 14-point , second-half deficit. He completed 33 of 45 passes and the Bucs scored TDs all four times they drove inside the Colts 20.

''They got hot,'' Indianapolis coach Frank Reich said. ''We knew they were an explosive team and can make plays.''

The Colts (6-7) have dropped five of six following a 5-2 start, falling from first place to third in the AFC South.

''Obviously we think we're a better team than that, but the reality is that's our record,'' Indianapolis quarterback Jacoby Brissett said. ''We've got to do things to change that. Do the things necessary to make plays in those critical times of the game. I think we've got the right guys in the locker room to do it.''

Winston threw for TDs of 61 yards to Mike Evans, 3 yards to Cameron Brate and 17 yards to Justin Watson before putting the Bucs ahead for good with a 12-yarder to Breshad Perriman with just under four minutes left.

Brissett completed 19 of 36 passes for 251 yards, two TDs and no interceptions. He led a drive to midfield, where the Colts were stopped on downs, ending any hopes of a comeback win.

''A tough loss. ... It hurts,'' Reich said. ''We said in the locker room, we've been in a little bit of a rut not making the plays to finish games. This is a few games in a row now that we've had a lead in the second half and not able to sustain that.''

Darius Leonard returned one of his two interceptions 80 yards for a second-quarter TD, and Marcus Johnson had a 46-yard scoring reception and finished with 105 yards on three catches for the Colts.

Chase McLaughlin, signed last week to fill in for injured kicker Adam Vinatieri, made field goals of 50 and 19 yards. But a 47-yarder that would have given the Colts a 38-31 lead hit the right upright and bounced away midway through the fourth quarter.

Winston began the day ranked second in the NFL in passing yardage, but has thrown a league-leading 23 interceptions and turned over the ball 28 times overall.

Leonard picked off the Tampa Bay quarterback's first pass of the day, setting up Brissett's long TD pass to Johnson. Dare Ogunbowale fumbled on the next Bucs possession, leading to McLaughlin's 50-yard field for an early 10-0 Colts lead.

But if there's one quality Winston has that even the most vocal of his critics appreciate is the quarterback's resilience.

In addition to scoring on a 1-yard run, he hit the 6-foot-5, 231-pound Evans in stride on the receiver's long TD reception to help the Bucs stay in the game despite the turnovers that aided the Colts to build a 27-21 halftime lead.

Winston threw for 277 yards in the first half alone. His third TD pass of the day, the 17-yarder to Justin Watson, trimmed a 14-point deficit to 35-28. Tampa Bay pulled within 35-31 on Matt Gay's 44-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

''I can snap and clear. I don't focus on the last play,'' Winston said. ''The key is I have to not be in those situations. That's what I have to continue to work at.''

INJURIES

Colts: RB Marlon Mack returned to the lineup after missing two games with a broken hand. He rushed for 38 yards on 13 carries and scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter. ... Vinatieri was inactive with a left knee injury.

Buccaneers: PR T.J. Logan broke his hand in practice on Friday. ... G Alex Cappa was inactive with an elbow injury. ... Evans left the game after injuring his right hamstring on the 61-yard TD play and did not return. ... Winston sat out the first series of the second half because of his thumb injury. Backup Ryan Griffin took a snap in a regular-season game for the first time in his six-year career.

UP NEXT

Colts: at New Orleans next Monday night.

Buccaneers: at Detroit on Sunday.

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New on SI: Winston throws 4 TDs, helps Buccaneers beat Lions 38-17

DETROIT (AP) Jameis Winston is making quite a case to stay in Tampa Bay.

Winston became the first player in NFL history to throw for 450 yards in consecutive games, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 38-17 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

He threw three touchdowns in the first half - four overall - and a career-high 458 yards passing one week after throwing for 456 yards.

Even though both Tampa Bay and Detroit won't reach their goals this season, Winston made the most of his opportunity to show the Buccaneers they should give him a new contract when his deal expires following the season.

''I hope I helped myself because I definitely want to be here in Tampa,'' he said.

Winston, playing with a small fracture in his right thumb, completed 28 of 42 passes and set career highs with 221 yards passing in the first quarter and 308 yards by halftime.

The No. 1 pick overall from the 2015 draft did throw a league-high 24th interception on the opening possession, but he more than made up for the miscue.

The Buccaneers (7-7) have won four straight and five of six, but their surge started too late for them to get in the playoffs race.

''We're trying to finish off on a very, very positive note,'' first-year coach Bruce Arians said. ''It means a ton.''

Detroit (3-10-1) has dropped seven games in a row and 10 of 11, increasing the scrutiny on embattled coach Matt Patricia.

The Lions looked like they were still competing for their coach, and themselves, after falling behind 21-0 in the first half. Rookie running back Wes Hills, who was signed Saturday, ran for a second TD early in the fourth quarter in his NFL debut to cut Tampa Bay's lead to 24-17.

''I think the one thing that is consistent is the team fights,'' Patricia said. ''They work hard, really regardless of who's out there.''

The comeback hopes ended with a thud.

Sean Murphy-Bunting returned an interception 70 yards for a score and a 14-point lead with 5:12 remaining.

''Ultimately, was kind of the dagger in the game,'' Detroit quarterback David Blough said after making his third straight start in place of injured quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Tampa Bay's offensive line gave its quarterback plenty of space to make plays.

Winston took advantage of time to throw to connect with Breshad Perriman for a 34-yard TD and Scotty Miller for a 33-yard score in the first quarter.

''He was dropping dimes as soon as we got out of the tunnel,'' said Perriman, who set career highs with three TD receptions and 113 yards receiving.

Winston threw a 25-yard TD to Perriman in the second quarter, keeping the team's passing game clicking even with standout receiver Mike Evans out with a hamstring injury.

Winston's pace slowed in the second half in part because receiver Chris Godwin left the game with a hamstring injury in the third quarter. Godwin had five catches for 121 yards.

The Lions did not have a first down on offense without the benefit of a penalty until midway through the second quarter. Matt Prater had a 44-yard field goal late in the first half.

Blough finished 24 of 43 with two interceptions. Lions receiver Danny Amendola had eight receptions for 102 yards, briefly giving the Lions and their fans hope in the second half.

''When you don't start fast, you're going to be behind it from the start,'' Patricia said. ''It's going to be a play here or there, where if it doesn't go your way, and you don't make a play happen, then you're right back into that tough situation.''

SACK MAN

Tampa Bay's Shaquil Barrett had a sack, giving him 16 1/2 this season to match the franchise record set by Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp in 2000.

''That's a huge record,'' Arians said. ''I don't think we can overlook that one at all.''

SON OF A LION

Perriman had the best game of his four-year, three-team career against the franchise his father, Brett, caught 25 TDs for from 1991-96.

''My dad got dementia, but he's doing good,'' he said.

INJURIES

Buccaneers: Miller went out with a hamstring injury after he scored in the first quarter. TE Tanner Hudson was evaluated for a concussion in the second half.

Lions: DT Mike Daniels (arm), RB J.D. McKissic (stringer), LB Devon Kennard (hamstring) and OG Kenny Wiggins (arm) left the game with injuries.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: host Houston on Dec. 21.

Lions: play at Denver on Dec. 22.

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New on SI: Dalton returns and leads Bengals to 1st win, 22-6 over Jets

CINCINNATI (AP) Back from a three-week exile, Andy Dalton had more of a swagger in practice, as though he was out to prove something.

''He had a chip on his shoulder all week,'' running back Joe Mixon said.

Dalton returned from one of the lowest points of his nine-year career and got a long-awaited victory Sunday for the coach who benched him, throwing a touchdown pass during a 22-6 victory over the New York Jets.

The Bengals (1-11) ended the longest losing streak in their history and finally shed their distinction as the NFL's lone winless team. He got coach Zac Taylor his first win and set two franchise career passing records along the way.

The only thing he wouldn't do is gloat.

''This one's very satisfying, with everything I've gone through this year,'' Dalton said. ''To be the record-breaker today, being the first one after not playing the last three weeks, this one means a lot.''

Taylor benched Dalton after the eighth loss, deciding it was time to look toward next year and see if Ryan Finley fit in their plans. With the rookie struggling and the season careening toward 0-16, Taylor reversed course and went back to Dalton, who made the difference in front of the smallest crowd in Paul Brown Stadium's 20-year history.

''He did a great job pumping everybody up,'' said Tyler Boyd, who caught the touchdown pass. ''He won the game for us.''

Carlos Dunlap and Sam Hubbard dunked Taylor with ice water in the final seconds on a cold, gray, December day when he got the inaugural win, courtesy of the quarterback he'd benched. Dalton got a game ball as a thank you.

''For him to come back and lead us and get this win, it says a lot about his character,'' Taylor said.

Dalton also set a couple of franchise passing marks in front of 39,804 fans, the smallest home crowd since the final game of the 1995 season at Cinergy Field.

Dalton put Cincinnati ahead to stay with a 17-yard pass to Boyd that made him the Bengals' career leader in touchdown passes, moving ahead of Ken Anderson with 198. He also passed Anderson for the franchise's career completion mark. Dalton finished 22 of 37 for 243 yards with no interceptions and one sack.

Joe Mixon had a 5-yard touchdown run against the league's stingiest run defense as the Bengals put up their second-most points this season, trailing a 26-23 loss to Arizona.

Nothing good happened for the Jets (4-8), who had their three-game winning streak snapped and became the first team to lose to two teams that were 0-7 or worse in the same season. Miami was 0-7 when it beat the Jets on Nov. 3.

The Jets couldn't extend their high-scoring momentum behind Sam Darnold. An improving Bengals defense limited the Jets to their fewest points since a 33-0 loss to New England on Oct. 21.

New York had scored 34 points in each of its last three games, but was self-destructive Sunday. Left tackle Kelvin Beachum was called for holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety. The Jets were flagged 10 times for 106 yards overall.

Darnold was 28 of 48 for 239 yards with four sacks. New York also had a couple of long gains nullified by penalties.

''We couldn't really get a rhythm,'' Darnold said. ''Whenever you have penalties, especially on big plays, it's hard.''

This time, the defense added to the lead instead of giving it up, getting its first safety in three years. Dunlap had three of Cincinnati's four sacks.

''We just couldn't stay consistent on anything,'' coach Adam Gase said. ''Every time we had something going, we'd shoot ourselves in the foot. I mean, we had eight penalties on offense alone.''

INJURIES

Jets: S Jamal Adams was wearing a walking boot on his left foot after the game. He said he was injured on the first series, but played through it. He wasn't sure how long he might be sidelined. ... CB Brian Poole was evaluated for a concussion in the first quarter and returned. ... CB Arthur Maulet left in the third quarter with what Gase said was a calf injury.

Bengals: WR A.J. Green missed his 12th game recovering from ankle surgery. ... S Brandon Wilson hurt his right hand in the second half.

IN THE EXTREMES

After scoring 34 points in three straight games, the Jets were held to six or fewer for the fourth time this season. They've lost 23-3 to Cleveland, 31-6 to Philadelphia and 33-0 to the Patriots.

DARNOLD'S STRUGGLES

Darnold had a foot stepped on late in the game but said it wasn't an issue. Darnold's 48 passes were a season high. His 58 percent completion rate and 71.4 passer rating were his second-lowest, trailing the loss to New England.

UP NEXT

Jets: host the Dolphins. They lost at Miami 26-18 last month.

Bengals: play at Cleveland. The Browns swept the season series last year.

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New on SI: Bears edge Vikings 21-19 on Piñeiro FG with 10 seconds left

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Already sunk by midseason, the Chicago Bears were happy to wrap up a frustrating year with a late-game push for the win.

As far as feeling good for the Minnesota Vikings, body was the easy pick over mind.

Eddy Pineiro's fourth field goal of the game came from 22 yards with 10 seconds left, giving the Bears a 21-19 victory on Sunday with the Vikings resting their regulars for the playoffs.

''We're going to learn from this,'' coach Matt Nagy said. ''It could have been easy for them to do just that and not be fighters, but they did. That's the positive.''

Pineiro, the latest attempt by the Bears (8-8) to solve their persistent kicking trouble, finished the season with 11 straight made field goals. Mitch Trubisky highlighted another unremarkable, conservative performance by hitting Riley Ridley for 34 yards on fourth-and-9 with 2:36 left from midfield to set up the winning kick.

''We just stuck together, believed and put one last drive together,'' said Trubisky, who went 26 for 37 for 207 yards. ''I think it was important to just go out on the right note.''

David Montgomery had 23 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown to cap a strong rookie season and help the Bears beat the Vikings (10-6) for the fourth consecutive time. Chicago dodged what would have been a fifth losing record in six years, after winning the NFC North in 2018 in Nagy's debut.

''I'm just happy I ended on a good note, and hopefully get ready to compete next year and win my job back,'' Pineiro said.

Minnesota missed a third 11-win season in six years under coach Mike Zimmer, but he was far more concerned about taking a healthy team to the playoffs.

''It was really hard,'' Zimmer said of his decision to sideline the starters. ''I actually didn't tell some of the guys until last night. I wanted them to prepare like they were getting ready to play.''

Ifeadi Odenigbo strip-sacked Trubisky in the fourth quarter to pick up the ball and set up Dan Bailey's fourth field goal for a brief lead for the Vikings, but a replay review negated what would have been Odenigbo's second fumble return for a touchdown in three games after it was ruled that his knee was down after the recovery.

''I like to win. Like I told everybody, any time that scoreboard's up there my name's attached to it,'' Zimmer said. ''But I just figured in the long run it's better if we just play these young guys.''

THE BOONE SHOW

Mike Boone rushed 17 times for 148 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings, atoning for three costly miscues in the first half. After a 59-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, Boone fumbled a pitch from Sean Mannion that Bilal Nichols recovered. He bobbled a short pass over the middle on the next possession that Kevin Pierre-Louis intercepted. The Bears turned both of those takeaways into field goals.

Then after a punt by Pat O'Donnell was downed at the 1, Boone stutter-stepped in the end zone to try to elude an unblocked Nick Kwiatkoski but was engulfed for a safety that put the Bears up 8-3, ultimately the difference in the game.

Boone, who was held to 28 yards on 11 carries on Monday night in the 23-10 defeat by Green Bay, was again the lead runner with Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook and primary backup Alexander Mattison recovering from injuries.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph (81 games) and defensive end Danielle Hunter (48 games) took the first snap for their side of the ball to extend consecutive regular-season start streaks for the Vikings, but the interior offensive linemen were the only starters who broke a sweat and they were out after three series.

''If something were to happen later in the playoffs, guys will have got a little experience under their belt, and it just gives us more depth,'' Boone said.

SLOW START

Montgomery got his second 100-yard rushing game of the season, but otherwise the Bears offense gave the Vikings' second-stringers little to worry about. For the 11th time this year, they failed to score a first-half touchdown. The Bears finished with an average of 4.66 yards per play this season, ahead of only the New York Jets.

IS THIS AUGUST?

For the fourth straight year, all since U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016, the NFL scheduled Chicago's visit to Minnesota for the final week of the season. The Bears also finished on the road against the Vikings in 2014 (outside at TCF Bank Stadium) and 2011 (inside at the Metrodome), and most of these matchups have come with a exhibition-game vibe.

Both teams were eliminated from contention for the playoffs in 2011, 2014 and 2016. This time, the Vikings were safely in with the No. 6 seed cemented. Only in 2017, when the Vikings won to clinch a first-round bye, and in 2018, when the Vikings lost to miss the playoffs, were there any postseason positions to determine.

INJURY REPORT

Bears: Pro Bowl kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson entered the concussion protocol after taking a pair of end-around runs as a wide receiver in the first quarter. Then Anthony Miller hurt his shoulder on his first kickoff return.

Vikings: DT Armon Watts and OT Rashod Hill each left in the fourth quarter with an unspecified left leg injury.

UP NEXT

Bears: Regroup for 2020, with the offense the top priority for upgrades. They don't have a first-round draft pick, sent previously to the Raiders for OLB Khalil Mack, but they have an extra second-rounder that came in that trade last year.

Vikings: Play a wild-card round game next weekend at either New Orleans, San Francisco or Seattle, depending on the result of the 49ers-Seahawks game later on Sunday night. The road team won three of the four wild-card games in the playoffs last season and two of four the previous year.

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New on SI: Steelers playoff hopes damaged with 16-10 loss to Bell, Jets

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers' path to the postseason just got a lot more difficult.

They entered their game Sunday against former teammate Le'Veon Bell and the New York Jets with their playoff destiny in their hands. They fumbled that away with an ugly 16-10 loss.

''Not a lot to say, and appropriately so,'' coach Mike Tomlin said. ''This time of year is put up or shut up time and we didn't get the job done today. We accept responsibility for that and the ramifications of it.''

The Steelers (8-7) now need to win next Sunday at Baltimore, the AFC's top seed, just to stay alive. They also need Tennessee, which is also 8-7 and currently holds the final wild-card spot, to lose at Houston.

''We're done worrying about what other people are doing,'' linebacker T.J. Watt said. ''I think it's time, and it's been that way the whole season, to focus on us. Figure stuff out and find ways to win football games.''

The Steelers also have more injury concerns as running back James Conner, center Maurkice Pouncey and quarterback Mason Rudolph all left with injuries. All three will be evaluated and their availability for the game against the Ravens is uncertain.

Conner, who left in the second quarter with a thigh injury, had 32 yards on six carries before leaving. Pouncey hurt his left knee at the end of the third quarter.

''That's what we're paid to do,'' Tomlin said of dealing with three key injuries. ''We embrace that. We're professionals. We've got quality depth. The standard of expectation doesn't change. We didn't do enough today.''

Pittsburgh also has a big-time quarterback quandary. Devlin Hodges was benched in this one after throwing two interceptions, but came back early in the fourth quarter Rudolph hurt his left shoulder.

Hodges was 11 of 17 for 84 yards and the two interceptions, while Rudolph was 14 of 20 for 129 yards and a touchdown to Diontae Johnson that helped the Steelers erase a 10-0 deficit to tie it at halftime.

Hodges had a chance to lead the Steelers to a comeback win, but fell short.

His deep pass for James Washington on third-and-7 from the Jets 44 was knocked away by Marcus Maye in the end zone. On fourth down, Hodges' pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster fell incomplete in front of a MetLife Stadium crowd that appeared to be at least half-filled by Steelers fans.

''I'm still going to be confident,'' Hodges insisted. ''I can't let these things get to me. You've got to learn from them. I've got the job done before and I just have to do it again.''

Smith-Schuster, who returned after missing four games with a knee injury, had two catches for 22 yards.

Former Steelers star wide receiver Hines Ward, now an offensive assistant on Adam Gase's staff with the Jets, said he hoped to celebrate a win with a Gatorade shower - and he got one moments after New York's final defensive stop sealed the win.

Meanwhile, Bell helped deal his former team's playoff hopes a big blow, running for 72 yards, including 7 on a big third-down play in the fourth quarter, on 25 carries. Bell spent his first six NFL seasons in Pittsburgh, but after sitting out all last season in a contract dispute, signed with the Jets (6-9) in the offseason. Bell also had four catches for 21 yards.

''You know, every win feels great,'' Bell said. ''But this one had a little extra topping on it.''

Sam Darnold went 16 of 26 for 183 yards and a touchdown to Robby Anderson.

The Jets, who blew a 10-0 second-quarter advantage, retook the lead on Sam Ficken's 37-yard field goal with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The drive was helped by rookie tight end Trevon Wesco's 32-yard catch-and-run that put New York at the Steelers 19.

Ficken's 42-yarder with 3:11 left made it 16-10. The drive was kept alive by Bell's 7-yard run on third-and-5 from the Steelers 39.

''It was a dogfight,'' Darnold said. ''We knew that coming in and we did our job.''

QUICK START

With thousands of Steelers fans twirling their Terrible Towels, the Jets struck first on their opening drive on Darnold's 23-yard touchdown pass to Anderson, who reached up over two defenders on the run in the back of the end zone and came down with the ball for the score.

The 11-play, 75-yard drive prominently featured Bell, who ran for 26 yards on four carries and had two catches for 6 yards.

New York got the ball back a few minutes later when Tarell Basham made a leaping interception on a pass from Hodges, but the Jets couldn't do anything with it and went three-and-out.

They came away with points on their next possession, though, with Ficken booting a career-best 54-yard field goal.

QUICK COMEBACK

Chris Boswell's 49-yard field goal with 1:18 left in the first half got the Steelers on the scoreboard and cut the deficit to 10-3.

Four plays later, Watt punched the ball out of Darnold's hands for a strip-sack and recovered to give Pittsburgh the ball in New York territory and a chance to at least edge closer.

Instead, the Steelers were able to tie it with 4 seconds before halftime on Rudolph's 29-yard pass to Johnson, who zipped past Bless Austin in coverage for the touchdown - sending the fans decked out in black and gold into a tizzy.

UP NEXT

Steelers: Finish the regular season at NFC North champion Baltimore next Sunday.

Jets: End the season at AFC East rival Buffalo next Sunday.

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New on SI: Brees sets NFL all-time TD mark as Saints crush Colts 34-7

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Drew Brees trotted along the sideline holding his helmet and a Hall of Fame-bound ball in his left hand while using his right hand to wave and blow kisses to an adoring Superdome crowd.

Another milestone, another memory, for an undersized and once underestimated player who has broken just about every significant record a quarterback can break - and doesn't look anywhere near done at age 40.

Brees became the NFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes, throwing for four scores to lead the New Orleans Saints to a 34-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night.

''It was special, everything about the night,'' Brees said. ''It just kind of makes your whole life and career flash before your eyes, because I never thought I'd have a chance to be part of something like this.''

The scoring strike that broke Peyton Manning's record of 539 career touchdown passes came in the third quarter, when Brees hit tight end Josh Hill for a 5-yard score. Brees' next pass in the game was the 541st scoring toss of his career, a 28-yarder to reserve QB and utility player Taysom Hill that put the Saints up 34-0.

''He's done that to a lot of defenses,'' Colts coach Frank Reich said. ''When he gets like that. I don't know that anybody can stop him.''

Now in his 19th season, the 6-foot Brees - a 2001 second-round draft choice - came into the game already holding NFL records for completions with 6,792 and yards passing with 72,577. He built on those numbers while also setting a record for completion percentage in a game. He completed 29 of 30 passes - 96.7% - for 307 yards before being relieved by Teddy Bridgewater in the fourth quarter. That broke the mark Philip Rivers had held since completing 28 of 29 (96.6%) against Arizona last season.

''He had a hot hand, obviously,'' Saints coach Sean Payton said. ''Guys were making plays, but that's awfully difficult to do.''

The victory kept the Saints (11-3), who'd already won the NFC South, in the running with Seattle (11-3), San Francisco (11-3) and Green Bay (11-3) for one of the top two seeds in the NFC playoffs.

''There's a lot at stake right now relative to these games when you look at the top of the NFC,'' Payton said. ''It's about winning and winning and winning and trying to give yourself the best chance in the postseason.''

The Colts (6-8) were eliminated from playoff contention after losing their fourth straight and sixth out of seven.

They were also left struggled to explain their lack of competitiveness in a game they needed to win.

''I wish I knew all the answers,'' Colts linebacker Darius Leonard said. ''I hate losing more than I love winning.''

Jacoby Brissett struggled at times with accuracy and finished 18 of 34 for 165 yards against a Saints defense looking for redemption after allowing 48 points in a loss to the 49ers a week earlier.

Meanwhile, Colts defenders had no answer for Michael Thomas, who caught 12 passes for 128 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown. Thomas' eighth game this season with at least 10 catches give him 133 for the season, which is also the fourth-highest single-season total in NFL history.

With four more catches, Thomas will pass Antonio Brown and Julio Jones for second most in a season. He needs 11 to eclipse Marvin Harrison's record of 143 from 2002.

Tre'Quan Smith caught a 21-yard touchdown pass for New Orleans.

Jordan Wilkins scored the Colts' lone TD on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.

FLUID RECORD

While Brees holds the career touchdown pass record for now, the Patriots' Tom Brady is only three behind at 538.

''It's a fluid record,'' Payton said. ''There's still another quarterback in New England, so that will go back and forth as long as those two are playing.''

The next-closest active player is Rivers with 395.

Brees wasn't about to underestimate Brady's ability to keep pace.

''He's such a stud. He's got a lot of rings and records,'' Brees said of Brady. ''He's awesome.''

HAILING HILL

Brees said the ball with which he threw his record-breaking TD would go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also sounded particularly pleased by who caught it.

''I love the fact it was Josh Hill,'' Brees said, noting that Hill made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2013 and has been reliable both on offense and special teams ever since.

''The epitome of a great teammate, kind of an unsung hero,'' Brees said. ''He's done an unbelievable job. I have so much trust and confidence in him.''

INJURIES

Colts: Reserve safety Rolan Milligan left the game with a foot injury in the first half. Cornerback Quincy Wilson left with a shoulder injury.

Saints: Right guard Larry Warford needed help to the sideline with a left knee injury early in the third quarter. Defensive back C.J. Gardner Johnson left the game with a concussion in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Colts: Host Carolina on Sunday.

Saints: Visit Tennessee on Sunday.

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New on SI: Packers barely beat Lions 23-20 to earn first-round bye

DETROIT (AP) Aaron Rodgers was on the money when Green Bay needed him most, overcoming one of his worst games this season.

Rodgers threw a short and accurate pass to Aaron Jones, whose 31-yard reception set up Mason Crosby's 33-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Packers to a 23-20 win over the Detroit Lions that earned them a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

''We're going to be a tough team to deal with in the playoffs,'' Rodgers said.

The Packers (13-3) fell behind the last-place Lions by two touchdowns in the second quarter and didn't lead until Crosby made his second game-winning kick against Detroit this season.

Green Bay won a fifth straight game despite Rodgers struggling for much of the afternoon. Rodgers was 27 of 55 for 323 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He connected on less than half of his attempts for the second time this season and finished with his second-lowest rating of the year.

''Too many missed throws,'' Rodgers acknowledged after throwing the most passes he has in 2019, tying the third-highest total of his career. ''I felt good about the throws. That's the crazy thing. We were just a little bit off at times.

''When we had to make a play, we made the play.''

Detroit did not, following a season-long trend.

The Lions (3-12-1) closed with nine straight losses for their longest losing streak in a season since going 0-16 in 2008.

''This game was in some ways a microcosm of our season,'' guard Graham Glasgow said. ''We started out well and we were running the ball, but when it came to the second half and finishing the game, we didn't pull it out.''

David Blough was 12 of 29 for 122 yards with an interception - and a 19-yard touchdown reception - filling in for Matthew Stafford, who had a season-ending back injury.

Despite playing only for pride, the Lions looked as if they were more motivated to win early in the game against a team with a lot at stake.

''We definitely started flat in every phase,'' Packers coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged.

And with nothing to lose, Detroit scored on a trick play midway through the first quarter. Blough handed off to receiver Danny Amendola, who threw back across the field to the rookie quarterback for a TD.

Kerryon Johnson converted a fourth down with a 1-yard TD run late in the first half, giving Detroit a 14-0 that stunned everyone not on their sideline.

''I know to a lot of people there wasn't much on the line, but to us there is every single week,'' coach Matt Patrica said. ''We're going to go out and we're going to compete.''

Crosby and Matt Prater made field goals over the last 20 seconds of the first half, leaving the Lions with a 17-3 lead.

Rodgers started to make more accurate passes in the second half, such as 20-yard TD pass to Davante Adams and a 28-yard pass to Allen Lazard with 5:19 left for another score.

The Packers pulled into a 20-all tie after linebacker Blake Martinez had a sack and interception on consecutive snaps.

Jones, who overcame having his hand stepped on, finished with 100 yards rushing on 25 carries and had 43 yards receiving. Adams had seven receptions for 93 yards and a score.

''We haven't always made it easy and we haven't always made it pretty, but for the most part, we've found a way to win,'' Adams said.

MOMENT FOR MARVIN

There was a long moment of silence before the game for receiver Marvin Jones' 6-month old son, who recently died. Jones, who was on the sideline with his family during the national anthem, went on injured reserve earlier this month.

INJURIES

Packers: RB Jamaal Williams (shoulder) and FB Dan Vitale (knee) were inactive. C Corey Linsley (back), RT Bryan Bulaga (concussion) and LB B.J. Goodson (neck) were hurt during the game.

Lions: WR Kenny Golladay didn't return after being evaluated for a concussion following a 42-yard catch in the second quarter. LB Devon Kennard and TE Isaac Nauta each left the game with hamstring injuries. LT Rick Wagner (knee) was inactive.

UP NEXT

Packers: Playing in the postseason for the first time since 2016, Green Bay will be the No 2 NFC seed and have a bye before hosting a game. ''It gives us a great chance to do a lot of self-scout,'' LaFleur said. ''It gives our guys a chance to heal up. That was an exhausting game and we lost a couple guys.''

Lions: The franchise decided earlier this month general manager Bob Quinn and Patricia will get another season to lead the team, answering what was the biggest question for the offseason.

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New on SI: Jets close season with 13-6 win over playoff-bound Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills can finally look ahead to making their playoff preparations knowing they're headed to Houston next weekend.

For Sam Darnold and the New York Jets (7-9), they have a long but hopeful offseason ahead in believing their 6-2 second-half record has them poised for a better future.

“I promise you, we'll grow from here and we'll get this thing going in the right direction,” Jets center Jonotthan Harrison said after New York closed with a 13-6 win at Buffalo on Sunday. “It was a slow start (to the season). But at the end of the day, finishing the last half of the season 6-2 is huge. ... And that shows a lot about the character of the guys in the locker room.”

Harrison was particularly referring to Darnold, the second-year quarterback who shook off a 1-4 start and a bout of mononucleosis to help the Jets avoid finishing with double-digit losses for what would have been a franchise-worst fourth consecutive year.

In a game with very little on the line for both teams, Darnold hit Jamison Crowder for a 1-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to beat Buffalo's backups.

Even Jets running back Le'Veon Bell saw promise despite finishing a season in which he failed to top 100 yards rushing.

“We're starting to get the ship sailing in the right direction. I think we started finding our groove and finding out exactly what our image is going to be,” said Bell, who had 41 yards rushing and added 36 receiving against Buffalo. “I look forward to the offseason and obviously getting better and getting in crazy shape and building on what we got.”

Buffalo dropped to 10-6 - still the team's best record since an 11-5 finish in 1999 - after resting a majority of their starters following the first quarter. The Bills were already locked in as the AFC's fifth-seeded team. The only unknown was learning they'd be traveling to face the AFC South champion and fourth-seeded Texans in the wild-card playoff after Kansas City defeated the Los Angeles Chargers.

“It's anything can happen. We are in the dance. We know that. We understand that,” said Allen, who played just two series before being replaced by backup Matt Barkley. “At the end of the day, it's playoff football. It's win or go home.���

Allen didn't need reminding his last trip to Houston ended with him spraining his throwing elbow after being sacked in a 20-13 loss in October 2018.

“Yeah, thanks for bringing that up,” said Allen, who wound up missing four games due to the injury.

Much like Darnold, a fellow member of the 2018 first-round draft class of quarterbacks, Allen has shown signs of improvement from last year. Allen finished this season with 20 touchdowns passing, matching the most by a Buffalo player since Tyrod Taylor in 2015. And Allen's 3,089 yards passing were the most in Buffalo since Ryan Fitzpatrick had 3,400 in 2012.

Otherwise, the game was a defensive struggle that befitted the sloppy conditions, with a persistent drizzle falling for most of the afternoon.

With the score tied at 3, and following Jets kicker Sam Ficken missing two of his first three field-goal attempts, Darnold oversaw a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, which he capped by hitting Crowder cutting across the middle on second-and-goal with 13:31 left.

The touchdown was Darnold's 19th of the season, and 36th of his career. He fell one touchdown passing short of matching Joe Namath's record for most by a Jets player in his first two seasons.

The Bills, meanwhile, settled for field goals with Barkley overseeing an offense that began the day minus starters John Brown and Cole Beasley, and with just three receivers active.

Barkley was 18 of 35 for 232 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble. The lack of chemistry showed on Barkley's second interception with 5:17 remaining. After gaining 45 yards on three plays, Barkley lobbed a pass directed toward T.J. Yeldon only to have the running back turn the wrong way, with the ball easily intercepted by Arthur Maulet.

The turnover led to Ficken hitting a 47-yard field goal to put the Jets up 13-3 with 2:05 left.

INJURIES

The Bills have question marks heading into Houston. Starting cornerback Levi Wallace was carted off the sideline with a right ankle injury. He was hurt when his cleat got caught in the turf in intercepting Darnold's pass that caromed off the back of teammate Taron Johnson's helmet.

Bills right tackle Ty Nsekhe was also carted off the sideline after hurting his ankle on the opening drive of the third quarter. Nsekhe had just returned to the lineup after missing five games with an ankle injury.

Buffalo was so depleted at cornerback, receiver Isaiah McKenzie saw a few snaps on defense in the fourth quarter.

ALEXANDER'S FAREWELL

Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander confirmed this will be his last season, but the 36-year-old is more focused on the playoffs.

“Yeah, obviously, that's a decision I made before the season,” the 13-year veteran said when asked if this could have been his final home game. “We still have to play at Houston next week, so my mind hasn't even processed that transition yet.”

Alexander received a memorable send off.

Unbeknownst to him, the Bills had his 11-year-old daughter Zoie sing the national anthem.

“To be able to sing in front of 50,000 people like that, with the confidence, it was cool,” said Alexander, who was joined by his family on the sideline during the anthem. “As a dad, I'm like, ‘Don't forget the words. Don't forget the words.' But she did an excellent job. I know she brought some of the guys to tears."

Dad, included.

The Bills also paid tribute to Alexander by calling time out in the first quarter to allow him to leave the field for one last time in Orchard Park.

GORE MILESTONE

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore played his 226th career regular-season game, tying Emmitt Smith for most by a running back in NFL history.

Gore was coming off his first career game in which he had no yards from scrimmage. Starting in place of rookie Devin Singletary, the 36-year-old Gore was limited to playing the first half in which he finished with six carries for 26 yards and three catches for 16.

UP NEXT

Jets: Season over.

Bills: AFC wild-card playoff at Houston.

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New on SI: Dalton leads Bengals over Browns 33-23, Kitchens later fired

CINCINNATI (AP) Andy Dalton took the snap and went to his knee, finishing a double-digit victory that might suffice as his farewell to Cincinnati.

On the Browns sideline, Freddie Kitchens hugged Baker Mayfield at the end of a disappointing season that would culminate a few hours later with the first-year coach's firing.

From the top of Ohio to the bottom, it was misery all-around on a gray, rainy afternoon. And now, it's time to figure out who's going to be around for the next try to get it right.

Dalton threw for a touchdown and ran for another Sunday in his farewell as Cincinnati's franchise quarterback. A Joe Burrow banner in the upper deck reminded him what comes next as the Bengals wrapped up one of their most miserable seasons with a 33-23 victory that didn't end the day's developments.

The Browns (6-10) returned to Cleveland on Sunday night and announced that Kitchens had been fired. Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslem said in a statement that they didn't see the necessary improvement this season.

Players had sensed there might be a change.

''We'll see what ownership does,'' receiver Jarvis Landry said after the game. ''Six-and-10 is definitely not acceptable.''

And so the Browns set off in search of their eighth head coach in 11 years.

The Bengals (2-14) will be looking for their next franchise quarterback with the first pick in the draft. Dalton wants to start somewhere next year, so this might have been his finale in tiger stripes.

''If that's the case, it was good to end it taking a knee,'' the ninth-year veteran said.

The two-win Bengals matched the worst record in their 52-year history. The last time they had the top pick in the draft was 2003, when they also were coming off a 2-14 finish and chose quarterback Carson Palmer.

For now, they ended a streak of 10 straight losses to AFC North opponents with Dalton leading the way.

''A true leader,'' said first-year coach Zac Taylor, who benched Dalton for three games at midseason. ''He's kept us afloat. You need your quarterback to lead by example.''

Cleveland was a chic Super Bowl pick with Mayfield coming off a sensational rookie season and Odell Beckham Jr. adding star quality to the offense. Instead, the Browns significantly regressed under Kitchens, who said after the game that he'd gotten no hint from management that his job was in jeopardy.

The intrastate rivals moved on with an uneven game that epitomized their seasons.

Dalton knew it was likely his final start for the Bengals after nine seasons without a playoff victory. A day earlier, Burrow threw seven touchdown passes in LSU's rout of Oklahoma, and the Bengals can take the Heisman Trophy winner if they wish.

A fan banner in the upper deck proclaimed: ''CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY! WELCOME JOE!''

Dalton threw a 15-yard touchdown pass and scrambled 5 yards for another score in the Bengals' highest-scoring first half of the season for a 20-16 lead. He finished 16 of 28 for 190 yards.

''There's been a lot of support for me and my family from this city, not just for what we did on the field but off it,'' Dalton said. ''This city has meant a lot to my family.''

The Browns hitched their hopes to Mayfield, who was inconsistent behind an offensive line that struggled to protect him. He threw three interceptions and was sacked a season-high six times Sunday.

Mayfield threw touchdown passes of 46 yards to Damion Ratley, 56 yards to Jarvis Landry, and 20 yards to Beckham. He also threw a pair of interceptions to Darius Phillips, one of which set up a Bengals touchdown, and finished with 21 for the season.

''It's quite frustrating and embarrassing to me,'' said Mayfield, who went 12 of 27 for 279 yards.

BROWNS UNCERTAINTY

Cleveland will be looking for someone with more experience than Kitchens, who had never been a head coach before this season. He was elevated from running backs coach to offensive coordinator last season after Hue Jackson was fired.

Kitchens acknowledged Sunday that the first season involved a learning curve.

''Of course it's a big challenge,'' Kitchens said. ''There's a lot of firsts. I'm not making any excuses at all, but I think I learned during the course of the year so I can be a better version of myself moving forward. That's the only thing you can do.''

Mayfield took steps back, throwing five fewer touchdowns and seven more interceptions than in his rookie season. Mayfield said after the game that the Browns need more consistency and leadership, and he's going to work on providing both.

''Going to come back a different animal come springtime,'' Mayfield said.

STATS & STUFF

Cleveland's Nick Chubb came in leading the NFL in rushing but managed only 41 yards and slipped behind Tennessee's Derrick Henry for the title. Henry ran for a season-high 211 yards to finish with 1,540, finishing 31 ahead of Chubb. Chubb's 1,509 yards were the most for Cleveland since Jim Brown had 1,544 in 1965. ... For the first time, the Browns had two receivers (Beckham, Landry) and a running back each top 1,000 yards in a season. ... Cincinnati's Joe Mixon ran for a career-high 162 yards and topped 1,000 for the second straight season. Tyler Boyd topped 1,000 yards receiving for the second year in a row. ... The Bengals ended a streak of three straight Browns victories in the intrastate series. Cincinnati leads the series overall 51-42.

LOW ATTENDANCE

The Bengals averaged 47,178 fans at Paul Brown Stadium this season, their lowest since it opened in 2000.

UP NEXT

Browns: In 2020, Cleveland will try to end the NFL's longest active streak of failing to reach the playoffs - 17 straight years.

Bengals: In 2020, Cincinnati will try to end its 29-year streak without a playoff win, the fifth-longest in NFL history.

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New on SI: Chargers end skid, hand Jaguars 5th straight lopsided loss

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone sat slumped in a chair in his office, his head down and his face planted in both hands.

Marrone looked about like his team played: uninspired and ready for the season to be over.

Philip Rivers threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns on his 38th birthday, including an 84-yarder to Austin Ekeler that was the longest completion of the quarterback's 16-year NFL career, and the Los Angeles Chargers routed the Jaguars 45-10 Sunday to end a three-game skid.

It was Jacksonville's fifth consecutive lopsided loss, all by at least 17 points. The 1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the last NFL team to drop five straight by at least 17.

Jacksonville's last two have been embarrassments at home - both essentially over by halftime.

The latest one could be the end of Marrone's tenure in Jacksonville. It's hard to imagine owner Shad Khan keeping Doug Marrone any longer, not following another lackluster effort against another sub-.500 team. The Jaguars have now dropped 19 of their last 25 games - 11 of those by double digits.

''Eventually, if you don't win enough games and they think it's better to go with someone else, then obviously that's out of my hands,'' Marrone said. ''I just keep doing the best job I can and keep fighting.''

The Chargers (5-8) scored on four of five possessions in the first half, picking apart Jacksonville's beleaguered defense and taking a 24-3 into the locker room. It was a welcome cushion for a team whose eight losses each came by seven points or fewer.

''A little too little, too late in terms of our postseason hopes and the expectations coming into this season,'' said Rivers, whose team was officially eliminated from the postseason. ''But we still talk about finishing strong. Every game matters. ... All around a good day. It was a fun day.''

It was another miserable afternoon for the Jaguars (4-9), who trailed by as many as 25, 32, 24 and 23 in their previous four blowouts.

Marrone benched veteran quarterback Nick Foles in favor of rookie Gardner Minshew, hoping for a spark. But Minshew looked mostly ordinary, completing 24 of 37 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. He missed DJ Chark running wide open down the left side in the second quarter.

Jacksonville managed 252 yards.

The Chargers posted season-highs in points and yards (525).

Rivers completed 16 of 22 passes in three quarters and posted the highest QB rating of his career (154.4). He had a 30-yard TD pass to wide-open Hunter Henry, a screen pass to Ekeler that beat an all-out blitz and was the longest of his career, and a 44-yarder to Mike Williams.

Rivers now has 2,668 yards passing and 24 touchdowns in nine career starts against the Jaguars. He has 17 TD passes and an interception in his last five against Jacksonville.

Williams extended his streak to six games with at least one catch gaining more than 40 yards and found the end zone for the first time this season. It was an odd drought considering Williams had 11 touchdowns (10 receiving, one rushing) last year.

Ekeler finished with a career-high 101 yards rushing and 112 yards receiving. His 213 yards came on 12 touches. He's the second Chargers player to top the century mark rushing and receiving in the same game. The other was Lionel James in 1985.

''I thought we could have done this all year, but we were just so inconsistent it put us in a hole too many times,'' Ekeler said.

SENT HOME

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn sent linebacker Denzel Perryman and rookie safety Roderic Teamer home Saturday for violating team rules. The Chargers flew to Jacksonville on Friday.

KEY INJURIES

Jaguars receiver DJ Chark left the locker room with a walking boot on his left foot and using a scooter. He injured his ankle in the fourth quarter. ... Backup Jaguars linebacker Jake Ryan, who spent the first 12 weeks of the season on the non-football injury list, left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury.

UP NEXT

Chargers: Host Minnesota next Sunday. LA is 2-1 against the NFC North this season, allowing a combined 40 points against Detroit, Chicago and Green Bay.

Jaguars: Play at Oakland next Sunday, the final football game at the Oakland Coliseum. Should be a raucous crowd.

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