NFL roundup: Allen sets record in Bills’ wild win over Bucs; Rodgers injured in Steelers victory | NFL
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-44 Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen became the first NFL player to have two games with three touchdown passes and three rushing passes. He achieved the feat by leading the Buffalo Bills (7-3) to victory against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4). Allen’s final touchdown was a sturdy nine-yard run with 2:35 left that put the game away. The Bills benched struggling receiver Keon Coleman in an effort to spark their passing game, and each of Allen’s three touchdown passes went for 25 yards or more. He finished 19 of 30 for 317 yards and the Bills overcame his two first-half interceptions. The game featured nine lead changes.
Chicago Bears 19-17 Minnesota Vikings
Devin Duvernay’s 56-yard kickoff return in the final minute for Chicago set up Cairo Santos’s fourth field goal of the game, a 48-yarder as time expired, to push the Bears past Minnesota after the Vikings scored the go-ahead touchdown with 50 seconds remaining. After JJ McCarthy ended another erratic performance with five straight TD passes culminating in a 15-yard strike to Jordan Addison, Duvernay delivered. The Bears improved to 7-3 under new coach Ben Johnson after blowing a 13-point lead they took in the fourth quarter. The Vikings fell to 4-6 after two more McCarthy interceptions.
Green Bay Packers 27-20 New York Giants
Jordan Love returned from a shoulder injury to throw two touchdown passes, backup Malik Willis had one as a substitute and the Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) ended their two-game losing streak by beating the New York Giants. Love provided some go-ahead heroics in the fourth quarter, connecting with rookie Savion Williams on a 32-yard gain under pressure on third-and-10 and finding Christian Watson in the end zone with 4:02 left to take the lead. Josh Jacobs left with a knee injury. The Giants lost their fifth straight game to fall to 2-9.
Carolina Panthers 30-27 Atlanta Falcons (OT)
Bryce Young passed for a career-high and franchise record 448 yards and Ryan Fitzgerald scored a 28-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Carolina Panthers to victory against the Atlanta Falcons. Young’s 54-yard pass to Tommy Tremble set up the game-winning kick for Carolina (6-5), which completed a sweep of NFC South rival Atlanta. The Falcons suffered their fifth straight loss, including back-to-back overtime losses. Young completed 31 of 45 passes with three touchdowns. Zane Gonzalez scored a 45-yard field goal for Atlanta (3-7) with 16 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Cincinnati Bengals 12-34 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers used two defensive touchdowns to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, but lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a hand injury. The 41-year-old appeared to injure his left hand late in the first half and did not return. Backup Mason Rudolph had two long drives in Rodgers’ absence. Rudolph threw for 127 yards and a five-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Gainwell with less than four minutes left to seal it. Pittsburgh improved to 6-4 and remained in first place in the AFC North with the win. The Bengals fell to 3-7.
Los Angeles Chargers 6-35 Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars bounced back from the worst collapse in franchise history by beating the Los Angeles Chargers 35-6 thanks to rushing touchdowns from Travis Etienne, Trevor Lawrence and rookie Bhaysul Tuten. After a 36-29 debacle at Houston in which they blew a 19-point fourth-quarter lead, the Jaguars (6-4) showed no lingering effects from the crushing setback against a division rival. Perhaps it helped that they faced the Chargers (7-4), who traveled cross-country for an early start. Coach Jim Harbaugh’s team was completely absent, finishing with 135 yards and just eight first downs.
Washington Commanders 13-16 Miami Dolphins (OT)
Jack Jones intercepted Marcus Mariota on the first offensive play of overtime and Riley Patterson kicked a 29-yard field goal to give the Miami Dolphins (4-7) a 16-13 victory over the Washington Commanders (3-8) in the NFL’s regular-season opener in Spain. The Commanders had a chance to win at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with 15 seconds left in regulation, but Matt Gay’s 56-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. It was the seventh and final international game of the season, the most ever in a year for the NFL as it continues to expand globally.
Houston Texans 16-13 Tennessee Titans
The Houston Texans (5-5) swept the season series with the Tennessee Titans (1-9). Davis Mills threw for 274 yards and a touchdown and Matthew Wright kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired to secure the victory. Led by their backup quarterback, the Texans reached .500 for the first time this season with their third victory in four games. They also earned their fifth straight win against the Titans in Nashville despite missing quarterback CJ Stroud, safety Jalen Pitre and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn. The Titans tied the game with 1:35 left, leaving Mills and the Texans with plenty of time.
