Week 18 NFL Roundup

Published 3:14 pm Sunday, December 29, 2024

RAIDERS 25, SAINTS 10: Aidan O’Connell threw two touchdown passes, Daniel Carlson kicked four field goals, Ameer Abdullah had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career and the visiting Las Vegas Raiders defeated the New Orleans Saints 25-10 on Sunday afternoon.

Abdullah, playing in the 141st game of his 10-year career, finished with 115 yards on 20 carries. O’Connell completed 20 of 35 passes for 242 yards as the Raiders (4-12) won their second straight after a 10-game losing streak. Brock Bowers added seven receptions for 77 yards, giving him 1,144 receiving yards, which broke the NFL single-season record for a rookie tight end, set by Mike Ditka with 1,076 yards in 14 games in 1961. Rookie Spencer Rattler passed for 218 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and fell to 0-5 as the starter for the Saints (5-11).

Las Vegas’s first possession of the third quarter resulted in Carlson’s 54-yard field goal, which increased its lead to 16-10 at the end of the period. Carlson’s 25-yard field goal pushed the lead to 19-10 on the third play of the fourth quarter. O’Connell added an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tre Tucker to complete the scoring. The Raiders received the opening kickoff and held the ball for 17 plays before stalling. Carlson kicked a 31-yard field goal and the 3-0 lead held up through the end of the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Rattler threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to former Raiders tight end Foster Moreau and the Saints took a 7-3 lead with their first points in the first half in three games.

The ensuing possession ended with Carlson kicking a 39-yard field goal that trimmed the lead to 7-6. O’Connell threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers to give Las Vegas a 13-7 lead with 57 seconds left in the second quarter. Rattler completed 5 of 7 for 54 yards in driving New Orleans to Blake Grupe’s 34-yard field goal as time expired that trimmed the lead to 13-10 at halftime.

GIANTS 45, COLTS 33: Drew Lock matched his career high of four touchdown passes and also rushed for a score and the New York Giants snapped their franchise-record 10-game losing streak with an entertaining 45-33 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

Malik Nabers had seven receptions for a career-best 171 yards and two touchdowns to exceed 100 receptions and 1,000 yards during his strong rookie campaign. New York (3-13) registered a season best for points scored by more than tripling its league-worst season average of 14.3 per game.

The setback eliminated the Colts (7-9) from the AFC playoff race.

Lock completed 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards and Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Stayton also had receiving scores for the Giants, who won at home for the first time this season. Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

Joe Flacco started for Indianapolis with Anthony Richardson (back/foot) sidelined and completed 26 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. But he also was intercepted twice and lost a fumble.

Jonathan Taylor rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries, Michael Pittman Jr. had nine receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown and Alec Pierce caught six passes for 122 yards and a score.

Indianapolis pulled within 35-33 on Flacco’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Pittman with 6:38 remaining.

The Giants answered with Lock’s 5-yard scramble with 2:57 left to push the lead to nine. After Flacco was picked off by Dru Phillips, Graham Gano tacked on a 30-yard field goal 37 seconds later to put it away.

New York held an eight-point halftime lead before Smith-Marsette fielded the opening kickoff of the second half and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to give the Giants a 28-13 advantage.

The Colts answered with Taylor’s 26-yard run to move within eight with 11:03 left in the third quarter.

Flacco threw a 13-yard touchdown catch to Pierce with 10:53 remaining in the game to move Indianapolis within two. A trick play on the two-point conversion failed.

New York increased its lead to nine just more than two minutes later when Nabers caught a short pass at midfield and easily shed two tacklers before sprinting down the right sideline for a 59-yard score.

Lock tossed three first-half touchdown passes as the Giants led 21-13 at the break.

Nabers caught a short pass in the right flat and raced 31 yards for a score to give New York a 7-3 lead with 1:05 left in the opening quarter. He finished the day with 104 receptions for 1,140 yards.

Lock tossed touchdown passes of 32 yards to Slayton and 5 yards to Robinson while increasing the lead to 21-6. Taylor scored on a 3-yard run with 20 seconds remaining.

VIKINGS 27, PACKERS 25: For the second time this year, a would-be Vikings blowout turned into a game they had to sweat out against their biggest rivals. But for the second time, they hung on for a two-point win. This one means they will play for the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs next Sunday.

After taking 17-point leads twice, the Vikings had to get two first downs to run out the clock and hang on for a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. But they finished their home schedule with their first sweep of the Packers since 2017 and won 14 games in a season for the first time since 1998.

Sam Darnold finished 33-for-43 for 377 yards and three touchdowns. The Vikings had held Jordan Love to 64 yards passing until the midway point of the fourth quarter. Green Bay’s two fourth-quarter touchdowns came after a Darnold interception and Will Reichard’s second missed field goal of the day, but the Vikings were able to run the clock out.

The Vikings will play the Lions for the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs next week in Detroit.

BUCCANEERS 48, PANTHERS 14: Baker Mayfield threw for five touchdowns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stayed in the race atop the NFC South by pounding the visiting Carolina Panthers 48-14 on Sunday afternoon.

Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan both caught two TD passes and Bucky Irving rushed for 113 yards as Tampa Bay’s second victory of the month against Carolina came much easier than the road version in overtime. Mayfield completed 27 of 32 passes for 359 yards and Evans caught eight balls for 97 yards. The Buccaneers (9-7) collected 551 yards of total offense.

The Panthers (4-12) have lost five of their last six despite Bryce Young throwing two touchdown passes to Adam Thielen (five catches, 110 receiving yards). Young finished 15-for-28 passing for 203 yards, but Carolina managed only 39 rushing yards as it played without injured top running back Chuba Hubbard.

Both of Mayfield’s TD tosses to Evans were short (2 yards, 1 yard). Mayfield’s scoring throws to McMillian covered 10 and 16 yards. He also had a 5-yard throw to Payne Durham to open the second-half scoring. The Buccaneers also scored off J. J. Russell’s blocked punt return during a 25-second span of the third quarter when they racked up 14 points.

DOLPHINS 20, BROWNS 3: Tyler Huntley completed 22 of 26 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, and ran for another score to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 20-3 victory over the host Cleveland Browns on Sunday in Cleveland, Ohio.

Huntley made his fourth start of the season, and did so in place of Dolphins’ injured starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who sat out with a hip injury. With the win, the Dolphins (8-8) kept their playoff hopes alive heading into week 18. Miami must beat the New York Jets next week and needs the Denver Broncos to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in order to secure the AFC’s final wild-card playoff berth.

Cleveland (3-13) lost its fifth in a row and seventh in its past eight games. The Dolphins were also missing wide receiver Jaylen Waddle due to a wrist injury. But Tyreek Hill gave Huntley a reliable target in Miami’s passing game as he caught all nine passes thrown his way for 105 yards as the Dolphins won for the sixth time in eight games.

JAGUARS 20, TITANS 13: Mac Jones threw two touchdown passes Sunday and the Jacksonville Jaguars earned a season sweep of the visiting Tennessee Titans with a 20-13 victory.

Jones connected on 15 of 22 passes for 174 yards, finding Parker Washington and rookie Bryan Thomas Jr. for scores, as Jacksonville (4-12) left Tennessee (3-13) behind in the AFC South cellar. Cam Little booted field goals of 48 and 44 yards.

Mason Rudolph hit 19 of 31 attempts for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Titans, which dropped their fifth consecutive game. Tyjae Spears rushed for 95 yards on 20 carries, playing in place of Tony Pollard (flu/ankle). Jones’ 11-yard scoring strike to Thomas with 7:05 left in the game gave the Jaguars a 20-10 lead but Tennessee responded with Matthew Wright’s 28-yard field goal at the 2:02 mark.

After getting a three-and-out, the Titans had a chance to force overtime and reached the Jacksonville 26. But Rudolph’s fourth-down pass intended for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was knocked down at the goal line with nine seconds left. The pregame storyline concerned which team could benefit most from a loss. Both entered a game behind the New York Giants for the potential No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. Jacksonville initiated scoring on the game’s opening drive, needing to drive only 38 yards on nine plays to set up Little for his first field goal at the 10:46 mark. The Jaguars got into the end zone for the first time with 8:59 left in the half on Jones’ 2-yard touchdown pass to Washington, coming five plays after Rudolph tossed a tipped-ball interception.

SATURDAY GAMES

CHARGERS 40, PATRIOTS 7: Justin Herbert passed for 281 yards and a season-high three touchdowns and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched an AFC playoff berth with a dominating 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots on Saturday in Foxborough, Mass.

Ladd McConkey caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns and Derwin James had two sacks and a fumble recovery for the Chargers (10-6), who are playoff-bound in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as coach.

Derius Davis also had a scoring catch, J.K. Dobbins rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Cameron Dicker booted four field goals. Herbert completed 26 of 38 passes as the Chargers improved to 3-12 all-time in Foxborough, including playoffs. Drake Maye completed 12 of 22 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown for New England (3-13), which lost its sixth consecutive game. DeMario Douglas caught a scoring pass for the Patriots. Los Angeles outgained New England 428-181 and had a 29-11 edge in first downs while controlling the ball for 40:34 en route to a season-high point total. The Chargers led by 13 at halftime and continued to control the game in the second half.

The first time Los Angeles had the ball, it moved 94 yards on 10 plays with Herbert connecting on a 40-yard scoring pass to McConkey to make it 27-7 with 7:37 left in the period. Dicker drilled a 41-yard field goal with 5:43 left in the third quarter to make it a 23-point margin. Dobbins’ 2-yard run made it 37-7 with 11:58 left in the contest. Dicker tacked on a 35-yard field goal with 3:47 left. Herbert passed for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Chargers held a 20-7 halftime lead. Los Angeles held edges of 249-91 in total offense, 18-5 in first downs and possessed the ball for 23:20 of the 30 minutes.

The Chargers took a 7-0 lead when Davis made a diving 23-yard touchdown catch from Herbert with 3:21 left in the first quarter. Dicker’s 27-yard field goal elevated the lead to 10 with 10:15 left in the first half. The Patriots botched a play in which Douglas couldn’t handle Maye’s errant pitch and James recovered for the Chargers at the New England 44-yard line with 8:35 left in the half. The Chargers cashed in when Herbert threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to McConkey to make it 17-0 with 2:55 left. The Patriots tallied with 1:24 left in the half when Douglas dove to make a grab of Maye’s 36-yard scoring pass with 1:24 remaining.

Dicker completed the first-half scoring with a 38-yard field goal that went high over the right upright and was ruled good by the officiating crew.

RAMS 13, CARDINALS 9: Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a pass in the end zone with 37 seconds left to preserve the Los Angeles Rams’ 13-9 win Saturday over the Arizona Cardinals in Inglewood, Calif.

Witherspoon made a diving catch after the ball bounced high off the helmet of Arizona tight end Trey McBride on the pass attempt by Kyler Murray. The Rams (10-6), who lead the NFC West by one game, have won five straight games, while the Cardinals (7-9) have lost five of their last six games. Los Angeles could clinch a playoff berth on Sunday depending on the outcome of other games, and will have a chance to clinch the division next weekend against second-place Seattle (9-7).

Matthew Stafford threw for 189 yards while completing 17 of 32 pass attempts without a touchdown or interception. Puka Nacua finished with 10 receptions for 129 yards. Murray was 33 of 48 for 321 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. McBride made 12 catches for 123 yards to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his three NFL seasons. Despite leading the Cardinals in catches and yards, his touchdown catch on Saturday was his first of the season.

Arizona running back James Conner, who gained 4 yards on four carries, did not play in the second half because of a knee injury. Los Angeles took a 13-9 lead with 6:33 left on a 25-yard field goal by Joshua Karty, and Arizona had two chances to take the lead.

First, Murray engineered a drive that went to the Los Angeles 40. On fourth-and-10, his throw to the end zone was intercepted by Kamren Kinchens, who returned the ball to the Arizona 11 with 3:02 left. The Rams punted after a three-and-out, and the Cardinals took possession at their 36 with 2:01 remaining. The Cardinals drove to the Los Angeles 5 before Murray’s pass went high to McBride, hit his helmet, and Witherspoon made the pick. Neither team scored until 3:23 remained in the second quarter. The Rams drove 60 yards on nine plays and cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown by Kyren Williams. Los Angeles got a 53-yard field goal from Karty to make it 10-0 with 27 seconds left before halftime.

BENGALS 30, BRONCOS 24: Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes to Tee Higgins, including a game-winning scoring strike with 1:07 left in overtime, to give the host Cincinnati Bengals an electrifying 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday. Cade York could have given Cincinnati (8-8) the win with 2:43 to go in the extra session, but his 33-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright.

The Bengals’ defense buckled down, though, forcing Denver to go three-and-out to get Burrow, Higgins and the rest of the offense back out on the field. Cincinnati proceeded to go 63 yards in five plays, with Higgins’ 3-yard TD catch giving the Bengals their fourth straight victory. Higgins finished with 11 catches for 131 yards. Marvin Mims Jr. forced overtime by hauling in a 25-yard score on fourth-and-1 to draw the Broncos (9-7) even at 24 with eight seconds left in regulation.

Burrow had put Cincinnati in front by plunging into the end zone from 1 yard out just 1:21 earlier. Burrow completed 39 of 49 passes for 412 yards and the three touchdowns while Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches for 102 yards and set a single-season franchise record for receptions. He now has 117. Tight end Mike Gesicki played a key role in the Cincinnati passing game, grabbing a season-high 10 catches for 86 yards. The Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive, but they must beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 while also getting losses from the Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts. Mims was rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s favorite target, recording 103 yards and a pair of scores on eight receptions.

Nix went 24-for-31 passing for 219 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Denver is still in search of a wild-card spot and can lock one down with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 5. Wil Lutz booted a 30-yard field goal to open the scoring and give the Broncos a 3-0 lead. The first Burrow-to-Higgins TD — a 2-yard connection — put the hosts up 7-3 with 1:49 to go in the first half, and that advantage held until the break. A 22-yard field goal from York made it 10-3 with 9:07 remaining in the third quarter. Nix found Courtland Sutton for a 6-yard touchdown to tie things at 10.

The teams then traded fourth-quarter TDs, with Higgins snatching a 12-yard scoring pass and Mims ending up on the receiving end of a 51-yard strike.