Jayden Daniels produced the play of the season with a stunning last-second Hail Mary touchdown to lead the Washington Commanders to victory, while Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs extended their perfect record on an incredible day in the NFL…
Jayden Daniels connected with Noah Brown on a 52-yard Hail Mary as time expired to give the Washington Commanders an 18-15 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Daniels scrambled for several seconds before heaving the ball from the Commanders 35-yard line. It was deflected about three yards short of the goal line before falling into the arms of Brown, who was standing alone in the end zone.
Chicago had taken its first lead with 23 seconds left in the game, going ahead 15-12 on a one-yard TD run by Roschon Johnson after a pass-interference penalty on the Commanders (6-2).
The Bears (4-3) had their winning streak snapped at three after falling behind 12-0 and giving up the Daniels-to-Brown play that sent players and fans in the stands into a frenzy.
The unlikely touchdown was Daniels’ 21st completion on 38 attempts while playing through a rib injury that left his status uncertain until hours before kickoff. In the NFL’s sixth matchup of rookie quarterbacks taken with the top two picks in the draft, Daniels threw for 326 yards and ran for 52.
The unexpected ending ruined a turnaround for No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams, the Washington-area native who engineered a late 62-yard scoring drive after starting the game completing just four of his first 16 passes. Williams finished 10 of 24 for 131 yards, and D’Andre Swift ran for a touchdown as part of his 129-yard performance.
In this often ragged matchup of dynamic rookies, it was Daniels, taken one spot after Williams in the NFL draft, who came out on top.
Patrick Mahomes passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns as the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs remained undefeated with a 27-20 victory over the reeling Las Vegas Raiders.
The Chiefs (7-0) extended their winning streak to 13 games, including the playoffs dating back to last season. Their last loss was at home to Las Vegas, but the Chiefs are 5-0 against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium and 6-0 there including the Super Bowl in February.
Las Vegas (2-6) have lost four consecutive games, but this was the first time the Raiders had scored at least 20 points since a 20-16 victory over Cleveland on September 29.
Mahomes became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 30,000 yards, doing it in his 103rd game. Matthew Stafford had hit that mark at 109 games.
Mahomes’ top target was Travis Kelce, who had 10 catches for 90 yards, both season highs. He last caught double-digit passes on October 22, 2023, and this was the highest-yardage output since November 26.
Kelce also had a touchdown catch, his 75th to pass Jason Witten for fifth on the NFL tight end list. Kelce moved within two of breaking Tony Gonzalez’s team record.
Gardner Minshew completed 24 of 30 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns for Las Vegas, but was sacked five times. Jakobi Meyers, who missed the two previous games because of an ankle injury, caught six passes for 52 yards and the touchdown.
Backup Malik Willis completed a 51-yard pass to Jayden Reed that set up Brandon McManus’ second winning kick in as many weeks, a 24-yarder that lifted the Green Bay Packers to a 30-27 victory at Jacksonville.
Willis rallied the Packers (6-2) to their fourth consecutive win, this one with Jordan Love watching from the sideline. Willis completed four of five passes for 56 yards, with a touchdown and the biggest completion of the day.
Willis found Reed wide open down the left sideline after safety Andre Cisco fell down in coverage. It was all the Packers needed to rebound from Trevor Lawrence’s perfectly placed, 14-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram that helped tie the game.
Engram caught the ball between three defenders and gave the Jaguars (2-6) all the momentum. But Packers coach Matt LaFleur dialled up a gut-punch to Jacksonville on second down.
Josh Jacobs ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay, who lost Love to a left groin injury in the third quarter. Love dropped to the ground near the sideline following a second down throw to Jacobs. Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker bumped Love after the play, but the quarterback had been hobbled most of the game.
Love seemed to tweak his groin on the opening drive of the game. He started favouring his left leg after an incomplete pass and ended up in the medical tent before appearing with his upper leg wrapped when he came back out.
He was eventually ruled questionable, finishing 14 of 22 passes for 196 yards, with an interception – his league-leading ninth of the season.
Jalen Hurts rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another touchdown as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Cincinnati Bengals 37-17 for their third consecutive victory.
Hurts was 16-for-20 passing for 236 yards, while also having 10 carries for 37 yards.
Saquon Barkey rushed for 108 yards as Philadelphia (5-2) won for the fourth time in five games overall. The Eagles scored the last 20 points of the afternoon.
Hurts’ one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter capped an 85-yard drive that ate up 7:37 of the clock, giving Philadelphia a 34-17 lead with four-and-a-half minutes left.
Nakobe Dean then recovered a Mike Gesicki fumble, and Jake Elliott kicked a 47-yard field goal to help close it out.
Cincinnati (3-5) finished with just 58 yards rushing, continuing a season-long problem. Joe Burrow was 26 for 37 for 234 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase for a two-yard TD on the first possession of the game, before Hurts’ first rushing touchdown, a one-yarder late in the first half, tied it at 10.
Philadelphia went ahead to stay when Hurts threw a beautiful 45-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith with 2:43 left in the third.
Kirk Cousins threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns to help the Atlanta Falcons take sole possession of first place of the NFC South with a 31-26 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kyle Pitts scored on receptions of 36 and 49 yards and Cousins also tossed touchdown passes of 30 yards to Darnell Mooney and seven yards to Bijan Robinson to give the Falcons (5-3) a two-game sweep of the season series between the division rivals.
Baker Mayfield threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns, but also tossed a pair of costly interceptions. The Bucs had a chance to win it after driving to the Atlanta 33 in the closing seconds, however Mayfield’s Hail Mary throw from the 38 was caught by Rakim Jarrett behind the end zone as time expired.
The Falcons improved to 4-0 within the NFC South. The Bucs (4-4) also lost 36-30 in overtime at Atlanta on October 3, when Cousins threw for a career-high 509 yards with four touchdowns.
Mayfield, playing without injured receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Cade Otton, including a four-yarder that trimmed what was once a 14-point deficit to 31-26 with just under seven minutes remaining.
The Falcons took the ball, and with help from an 18-yard scramble by Cousins and a pair of fourth-down conversions held the ball until Younghoe Koo missed a 46-yield field goal with 1:01 left.
Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes as the surging Buffalo Bills turned his first interception of the season into an afterthought, pummelling the Seattle Seahawks 31-10.
James Cook rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns for the AFC East-leading Bills (6-2), who were in control throughout and won their third straight.
Allen finished 24 of 34 for 283 yards. He ran his streak of passes without an interception to 300 before Josh Jobe picked him off in the second quarter. But Seattle (4-4) turned the ball over on downs after that pick, with quarterback Geno Smith stumbling after he took the snap on fourth-and-goal from the one.
Allen responded by leading a 12-play, 93-yard drive – the Bills’ second drive of 90-plus yards in the first half – for a 14-3 lead. He concluded that possession with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid.
Buffalo also went 90 yards on 14 plays after the opening kickoff, Allen finding Keon Coleman for a two-yard touchdown to finish a drive that lasted 9:07.
Smith went 21 of 29 for 212 yards and an interception for the Seahawks, who were largely inept on offense. They rushed for only 32 yards and scored their only touchdown in garbage time.
Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and David Montgomery was the first of five players to score in the first half for the Detroit Lions, who romped past the Tennessee Titans 52-14.
The NFC North-leading Lions (6-1) have the conference’s best record after winning five straight games, averaging 40-plus points over the last four.
Detroit had its highest-scoring game since a 55-point performance against Chicago in 1997, and scored at least 50 for the fourth time in franchise history.
The Titans (1-6) were routed for a second straight week and have already signalled this is a rebuilding year by trading veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins and starting linebacker Ernest Jones Jr.
Detroit have been on a roll lately by leaning on Goff, but it had more points (42) than he had passing yards (28) early in the third quarter. He finished 12 of 15 for 85 yards.
The Lions didn’t need Goff to very productive because they made big plays in every phase and pulled off a trick play as they do in most games – this time, a touchdown pass by running back Montgomery, who took a pitch from Goff and found Sam LaPorta from three yards out to give the Lions a 35-14 lead and their highest-scoring half since 1970.
Jahmyr Gibbs had a 70-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, while Khalil Dorsey had a 72-yard kickoff return to set up Goff’s eight-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright early in the second.
Kalif Raymond’s 90-yard kickoff return early in the third put Detroit ahead 42-14.
Kyler Murray drove the Cardinals into position for a game-winning field goal by Chad Ryland as time expired for the second straight week as Arizona spoiled Tua Tagovailoa’s return from a concussion by beating the Miami Dolphins 28-27.
Murray led two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to rally the Cardinals from a nine-point deficit. The first concluded with a two-yard touchdown run by James Conner that pulled Arizona (4-4) within 27-25. The second was a methodical 13-play, 71-yard march that ended with Ryland’s 34-yard kick.
Tagovailoa threw for 234 yards and the Dolphins (2-5) had their best offensive performance of the season in his first start since he was diagnosed with the third known concussion of his career against the Buffalo Bills on September 12. He was designated to return on Monday after doctors deemed it safe for him to play, before clearing the concussion protocol Friday following an examination by an independent neurological consultant.
Tagovailoa completed 28 of 38 passes. He lost a fumble on the opening drive that Miami recovered, and a snap went over his head in the third quarter, resulting in a safety.
Rhamondre Stevenson plunged into the end zone with 22 seconds left as the New England Patriots recovered after first-round draft pick Drake Maye left with a concussion early to beat Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets 25-22.
Starter-turned-backup Jacoby Brissett replaced the quarterback who replaced him and led the Patriots (2-6) on two fourth-quarter scoring drives to snap a six-game losing streak and send the Jets (2-6) to their fifth loss in a row.
Stevenson scored two touchdowns and also caught the two-point conversion that made it 25-22. Rodgers took over at his own 30 with no timeouts and missed one deep pass before connecting with Davante Adams for 16 yards, but far from the sideline.
It was New England’s first win at home in more than a year, since Week Seven of last season.
Brissett, who started the Patriots’ first five games, completed 15 of 24 passes for 132 yards; Maye was three of six for 23 yards and also ran for 46 yards on three carries, including an 18-yard scramble that ended with an unpenalized helmet-to-helmet hit from Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood.
Rodgers completed 17 of 28 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Garrett Wilson five times for 113 yards. Breece Hall ran for 80 yards on 16 carries, and Braelon Allen scored on a two-yard run to give the Jets the lead with three minutes remaining.
Jameis Winston threw a 38-yard touchdown pass – his third of the game – to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left as the Cleveland Browns stunned Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 29-24 to snap a five-game losing streak.
Making his first start in two years and replacing injured starter Deshaun Watson, Winston helped the Browns (2-6) take down their AFC North rival.
But only after surviving a late comeback attempt by Jackson, who drove the Ravens (5-3) to Cleveland’s 24 in the final seconds. Jackson brought time to avoid sacks and threw two incompletions into the end zone, the second to Zay Flowers as time expired.
Following the play, Jackson threw his helmet in anger in front of Baltimore’s bench as the Ravens’ five-game winning streak ended with a surprising loss.
Winston finished 27 of 41 for 334 yards in his first start since September 25, 2022, for New Orleans. The 30-year-old took over Cleveland’s offense this week after Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture.
Winston did what Watson couldn’t as the Browns scored their most points this season and he eclipsed 300 yards passing, something his teammate hasn’t done in 19 starts over three seasons in Cleveland.
Jackson completed 23 of 38 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns, while Derrick Henry had a 2-yard touchdown run for Baltimore, the 99th of his career.
C.J. Stroud threw for 285 yards and a touchdown and Joe Mixon ran for 102 yards with a score to help the Houston Texans to a 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Stroud bounced back after he had a career-worst 86 yards passing in a loss to the Packers last week to allow the Texans (6-2) to extend their lead atop the AFC South.
Houston’s defense intercepted Anthony Richardson once and hurried and harassed him all game as the Texans swept their season series with Indianapolis (4-4) for just the second time in franchise history.
The Colts appeared to have taken the lead with about three minutes left when Mixon fumbled and it was recovered by defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo.
He jumped up after grabbing the fumble and rumbled 84 yards for what was first called a touchdown that made it 27-23, only for the play to be reviewed and the score wiped away when he was ruled down by contact.
The Colts couldn’t move the ball after that and had to punt after Danielle Hunter sacked Richardson on third down.
Indianapolis got the ball again late, but Richardson was sacked by Hunter once more and fumbled on the last play to end the game before he could attempt a desperation pass.
Richardson was 10 of 32 for 175 yards with a touchdown in his second game back after missing almost three full games with an injured right hip. He was sacked five times and hit another eight times.
Jonathan Taylor had 20 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown for the Colts in his return after missing the past three games with a sprained ankle.
Ladd McConkey had two touchdown catches, including a 60-yard score in the third quarter, and became the first Chargers rookie receiver in 11 years to have a 100-yard receiving game as Los Angeles defeated the New Orleans Saints 26-8.
Justin Herbert had 328 total yards (279 passing, 48 rushing) and two touchdown throws to help the Chargers (4-3) bounce back from a last-second loss last Monday night at Arizona.
The Saints (2-6) have lost six straight for the first time since 2005. Alvin Kamara, who signed a two-year, $24.5m contract extension earlier this week, had 122 total yards. Chris Olave had eight receptions for 107 yards.
Jake Haener replaced an ineffective Spencer Rattler in the third quarter and completed nine of 17 passes for 122 yards.
Rattler – making his third straight start with Derek Carr sidelined with an oblique injury – was 12 of 24 for 156 yards. The Saints didn’t reach the red zone and managed only a field goal in the nine drives he directed
New Orleans’ points on offense came on a pair of field goals by Blake Grupe. McConkey, selected in the second round of the draft, finished with six receptions for 111 yards to become the first Chargers rookie to reach the century mark since Keenan Allen had five such games in 2013.
Bo Nix threw three touchdown passes and ran for another and Denver’s defense throttled Bryce Young in the Broncos’ 28-14 win over the injury-riddled Carolina Panthers.
In the best game yet of his rookie season, the Broncos quarterback threw for 284 yards. He found Nate Adkins from three yards and Adam Trautman from 19 yards in the second quarter as the Broncos (5-3) built a 21-7 half-time lead.
The Panthers (1-7), who listed a whopping 22 players on their injury report and lost two more players Sunday, lost for the fifth consecutive time.
Young was 24 for 37 for 224 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions as he replaced the injured Andy Dalton having been benched earlier this season.
Courtland Sutton caught eight of Nix’s passes for 100 yards, his first 100-yard game since Week 2 of the 2022 season against Houston
Week Eight concludes with Monday Night Football as the New York Giants face the Pittsburgh Steelers live on Sky Sports NFL from 12.15am in the early hours of Tuesday; Also stream with NOW.
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