NFL Week 12: Trevor Lawrence throws for 364 yards, Texans miss late field goal as Jags hold on for win
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HOUSTON — Trevor Lawrence threw for 364 yards and a touchdown, and the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars escaped with a 24-21 victory over the division rival Houston Texans on Sunday when Matt Ammendola’s 58-yard field goal attempt bounced off the crossbar with 34 seconds left.
The Jaguars (8-3) avenged their 37-17 home loss to Houston (6-5) in Week 3 and created some separation at the top of the division.
C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick in the draft, thew for 306 yards and two touchdowns as Houston’s three-game winning streak was snapped. He has 3,268 yards passing this season to move past Justin Herbert (3,224) for most in NFL history by a rookie in his first 11 games.
The Texans' game-tying 58-yard field goal try is… a doink.
The Jaguars hang on to win a wild AFC South battle, 24-21.
Andrew Catalon on the call for CBS. ????????????️ pic.twitter.com/gUsSJH1ejq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 26, 2023
The Texans led by one after a touchdown run by Stroud midway through the third quarter. Lawrence responded with by throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley and hitting Ridley for the 2-point conversion to make it 21-14.
Brandon McManus tacked on a field goal early in the fourth quarter to pad the lead, and Jacksonville’s defense stopped Houston on fourth down.
But McManus missed from 55 yards with seven minutes left. Stroud then orchestrated a 55-yard drive, capped by a 17-yard touchdown reception by Nico Collins, to cut the lead to 24-21 with just over five minutes to go.
The Texans got a stop but couldn’t move the ball and settled for the long field goal attempt on fourth-and-12 instead of giving Stroud and the offense one more shot.
Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted Lawrence near midfield early in the second half. It was the second straight game with an interception for the third overall pick in the 2022 draft.
The Texans had third-and-goal at the 1 on the ensuing drive. Stroud faked a handoff to fullback Andrew Beck and dashed to the right before high-stepping his way into the end zone to put Houston on top 14-13.
Jacksonville retook the lead on its next drive, aided by two pass-interference penalties on cornerback Tavierre Thomas. The first one gave the Jaguars a first down at the 8 and the second gave them a new set of downs at the 1.
McManus added a 53-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-14.
Lawrence scored on a 1-yard touchdown with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter to put the Jags ahead 10-0. D’Ernest Johnson took a screen pass 42 yards earlier in the drive.
Stroud connected with Devin Singletary on a 33-yard catch on the next drive to get the Texans to the Jacksonville 8. Two plays later, he found Tank Dell for a 7-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 10-7.
Jacksonville pushed the lead to 13-7 on McManus’ 48-yard field goal about 2 1/2 minutes before halftime.
The Texans had a chance to cut the lead with 25 seconds left in the first half, but Ammendola’s 49-yard attempt was wide right.
There were 10 seconds left in the second when Lawrence found Christian Kirk for a 57-yard reception, but he was pushed out of bounds at the 1-yard line with 1 second left. The Jaguars went for it instead of attempting a field goal, but Travis Etienne Jr. was swarmed by multiple Texans and stopped for no gain.
Colts 27, Buccaneers 23
INDIANAPOLIS — Jonathan Taylor ran for two scores, Gardner Minshew added another and the Indianapolis Colts defense came up with a late turnover Sunday to preserve a 27-20 victory over Tampa Bay.
Indy (6-5) won its third straight and climbed above .500 for the first time since the end of September with its second home victory of the season.
The two-time defending NFC South champion Bucs (4-7) have lost four straight road games, this one in uncharacteristic fashion.
Indy gashed the usually stingy Tampa Bay run defense for 155 yards and 5.7 yards per carry — numbers that would have been even higher if Taylor had not slid down inbounds to keep the clock running late before the Colts started kneeling down.
Taylor had 15 carries for 91 yards and his first multiple score game of the season. Zack Moss ran eight times for 55 yards.
The Colts took control early and never allowed the Bucs to completely recover after Baker Mayfield injured his right ankle on the game’s opening series, an injury that forced Tampa Bay to settle for a field goal after having first-and-goal from the Indy 1-yard line.
Matt Gay tied the score with his first field goal and the Colts converted Ronnie Harrison Jr.’s interception into Taylor’s powerful 4-yard run to make it 10-3.
Minshew extended the margin to 17-3 with a nifty sidestep of Bucs linebacker Devin White en route to a 2-yard TD run early in the second quarter.
Tampa Bay finally answered after Carlton Davis III’s interception led to an easy 1-yard TD lob from Mayfield to a wide-open Mike Evans late in the first half.
The Bucs pulled within 20-17 on Evans’ second score, a 23-yard TD pass early in the fourth, but the Colts converted a fourth-and-1 with a 30-yard completion and Taylor scored from 1 yard three plays later.
That made 27-17 with 7:30 to play and the Bucs didn’t get in the end zone again.
Mayfield was 20 of 30 with 199 yards, two TDs, one interception and a game-sealing fumble that he lost.
Evans had six catches for 70 yards and Rachaad White ran 15 times for 100 yards.
Titans 17, Panthers 10
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Derrick Henry ran for two touchdowns and 76 yards helping the Tennessee Titans snap a three-game skid beating the Carolina Panthers 17-10 on Sunday.
This was just the fourth game in Music City this season for the Titans (4-7), who played at home only once over the past seven weeks. Tennessee improved to 4-0 when playing at Nissan Stadium this season.
Arden Key had a sack and forced fumble recovered by two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, who also had one of four sacks by Tennessee. Denico Autry had two, the second just two plays before the Titans forced the Panthers to turn the ball over on downs with 1:55 left to seal the victory.
Rookie quarterback Will Levis threw for 185 yards and was sacked only once despite an offensive line featuring a pair of rookies in left tackle Jaelyn Duncan in his first NFL start and left guard Peter Skoronski.
Carolina (1-10) started a three-game road swing by losing its fourth straight. The Panthers now are 0-6 on the road.
Bryce Young threw for 194 yards. The No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft helped Carolina hold the ball much of the second half, but the Panthers managed to cap only one possession with Chuba Hubbard’s 5-yard TD run to open the third quarter pulling within 17-10.
Tennessee never trailed as Henry capped a 15-play, 91-yard drive that used up 9 minutes, 36 seconds of the first quarter with a 1-yard TD run.
The Panthers managed a 50-yard field goal from Eddy Pineiro. Key sacked Young and stripped him of the ball, which was recovered by Simmons. Henry converted the turnover into his second TD of the game, a 10-yard run.
Nick Folk put Tennessee up 17-3 at halftime with a 53-yard field goal.
Giants 10, Patriots 7
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Xavier McKinney set up Randy Bullock’s go-ahead 42-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter with New York’s third interception of New England’s woeful pair of quarterbacks, and the Giants won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating the Patriots 10-7 on Sunday.
New England had a chance to win in the final minute, but coach Bill Belichick played for a tie and Chad Ryland was wide left on a 35-yard field goal attempt with 3 seconds left. The Patriots got a first down at the Giants 22 with about a minute to play in regulation but didn’t take a shot at the end zone.
Tommy DeVito threw a touchdown pass for New York (4-8), which did more than enough against quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe — despite playing without Pro Bowl tackle Dexter Lawrence — to send the Patriots (2-9) to their fourth straight loss.
Rhamondre Stevenson, who rushed for 98 yards on 21 carries, scored on a 7-yard run for New England at the start of the second half after Zappe took over for Jones, as he has several times this season.
DeVito, the undrafted rookie free agent who has created excitement with Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor injured, finished 17 of 25 for 191 yards and didn’t turn the ball over for the second straight week. Rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt had five catches for a career-high 109 yards.
Zappe finished 9 of 14 for 54 yards and an interception. Jones, who has started every game for New England this season, was 12 of 21 for 89 yards and two picks. Belichick had delayed announcing his starter until game time.
Zappe got a break when Bullock’s kickoff to start the second half went out of bounds. The Patriots took over at their 40 and Zappe made two big third-down plays to set up a game-tying 7-yard touchdown run by Stevenson.
The Giants took a 7-0 lead late in the first half when a 55-yard interception and return by linebacker Bobby Okereke set up a 12-yard, third-down touchdown pass from DeVito to Isaiah Hodgins.
In the defensive struggle, the Giants squandered a scoring chance on the opening drive of the game. A 14-yard run by Saquon Barkley and a 29-yard pass from DeVito to Hyatt helped get New York to the Patriots 26. On second down, DeVito and receiver Wan’Dale Robinson botched a handoff and Jabill Peppers recovered.
Jones and the Patriots did not generate much offense and his passes down the field lacked zip. Rookie cornerback Deonte Banks got his second interception of the season late in the first quarter.
Falcons 24, Saints 15
ATLANTA — Desmond Ridder overcame two interceptions by throwing a touchdown pass to Bijan Robinson in the fourth quarter and the Atlanta Falcons moved into a first-place tie in the woeful NFC South by beating the New Orleans Saints 24-15 on Sunday.
The Saints (5-6) were limited by injury problems at wide receiver after losing Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (thigh). New Orleans still outgained the Falcons 444-397 as Derek Carr passed for 304 yards but had to settle for five field goals by Blake Grupe.
The Falcons (5-6) snapped a three-game losing streak as Robinson ran for 91 yards with a touchdown.
Atlanta led 14-12 before Ridder lofted the 26-yard scoring pass to Robinson. The rookie ran out of the end zone and into the tunnel.
Grupe’s first field goal gave New Orleans a 3-0 lead before Jessie Bates stepped in front of a pass intended for Shaheed and returned the interception 92 yards for a touchdown. It was Atlanta’s first pick-6 of the season.
Bates produced another big play late in the third quarter when his hit on Taysom Hill forced a fumble that was recovered by Atlanta defensive lineman Albert Huggins at the Atlanta 5.
The turnover came after Saints cornerback Tyrann Mathieu’s second interception of the game.
The Falcons were trying to increase their 14-9 lead late in the first half when Ridder’s high pass for Robinson was picked off by Mathieu at the New Orleans 1.
Ridder’s interceptions were disappointing in his return as a starter after playing behind Taylor Heinicke the past two games. Ridder completed 13 of 21 passes for 168 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Saints’ offensive frustrations continued in the third quarter when they moved 65 yards on 14 plays before Falcons linebacker Arnold Ebiketie sacked Carr on a third down play. The sack set up Grupe’s fourth field goal, a 45-yarder, to cut Atlanta’s lead to 14-12.
Grupe’s fifth field goal, a 39-yarder, trimmed Atlanta’s lead to 21-15. The Falcons answered by holding the ball for almost five minutes before Younhoe Koo’s 39-yard field goal extended the lead to nine points.
Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews started his 155th consecutive game, setting a team record with the NFL’s longest active streak. Quarterback Matt Ryan started 154 consecutive games from 2009-19.
Chiefs 31, Raiders 17
LAS VEGAS — Patrick Mahomes passed for 298 yards and two touchdowns, and the Kansas City Chiefs ended their three-game second-half scoring drought to rally past the Las Vegas Raiders 31-17 on Sunday.
Kansas City (8-3) fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter but tied it by halftime and pulled away after that. Isiah Pacheco rushed for two touchdowns, and Rashee Rice caught eight passes for 107 yards and a TD.
Josh Jacobs rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown for the Raiders (5-7), ending a 12-game streak in which the Chiefs did not allow a 100-yard rusher.
The NFL’s reigning rushing champion also broke 1,000 yards from scrimmage this season to become the only player to reach that mark each year since 2019. He joined Hall of Famer Marcus Allen as the only Raiders backs to accomplish that in their first five seasons.
Las Vegas’ Aidan O’Connell passed for 248 yards and a touchdown.
The Chiefs have held 11 consecutive opponents to 24 or fewer points, just three off the team record. They shut down the Raiders in the second half, holding them to 113 yards after Las Vegas picked up 245 in the first two quarters.
Kansas City extended its winning streak to six games over the Raiders, and the Chiefs have beaten their AFC West rival in 16 of the past 18 meetings.
More importantly for the Chiefs, they bounced back from a 21-17 loss Monday night to Philadelphia, a Super Bowl rematch in which several receivers dropped passes.
Those receivers did a much better job against Las Vegas, especially after the Chiefs fell into an early 14-point hole.
The Raiders took the lead on an 18-yard pass from O’Connell to Jakobi Meyers and a 63-yard run by Jacobs in which he stiff-armed safety Mike Edwards. But Las Vegas also left points on the board when interim coach Antonio Pierce eschewed going for it on fourth-and-1 and Daniel Carlson missed a 30-yard field goal to the right.
Kansas City answered with short two touchdowns in the second quarter to tie the game and end a three-period scoreless stretch. Pacheco rushed for a 1-yard score and Mahomes connected with Justin Watson on a 3-yard TD 25 seconds before the break.
The Chiefs took a 21-14 lead to open the second half on another 1-yard Pacheco touchdown run. They took full control early in the fourth when Mahomes converted a third-and-6 with a short pass to Rice, who maneuvered down the left sideline for a 39-yard touchdown and a 28-17 lead.
Rams 37, Cardinals 14
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Matthew Stafford threw for 229 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes, two each to Tyler Higbee and Kyren Williams, and the Los Angeles Rams rolled to a 37-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Williams had a huge game in his return from an ankle injury, running for 143 yards and catching six passes for 61 yards, including touchdown receptions of 15 and 3 yards. Los Angeles scored 30 unanswered points after falling behind 8-7 in the first quarter.
The Rams (5-6) won their second straight game overall and continued their recent dominance in the NFC West rivalry, winning nine straight games in Arizona going back to 2014.
Los Angeles took a 21-8 lead at halftime. Arizona thought it had cut the margin to 10 points on Matt Prater’s 56-yard field goal just before the break, but it was negated by a holding call.
The Rams stretched their lead to 37-8 by midway through the fourth quarter.
L.A. moved the ball with ease during most of the first half and had 287 yards. The Rams scored a touchdown on the opening drive, covering 75 yards on nine plays, capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Higbee. Stafford kept the drive alive on third-and-8 when he threw a perfectly placed ball to Tutu Atwell, who caught it over his shoulder for a 42-yard gain.
The Cardinals (2-10) responded with a long touchdown drive that ended on the 12th play when quarterback Kyler Murray ran 2 yards to the end zone. Arizona jumped ahead 8-7 after backup quarterback Clayton Tune pushed the pile for a 2-point conversion.
It was one of the few highlights for Arizona, which has lost eight of its past nine. Murray completed 27 of 45 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown in his third game since returning from an ACL tear in his right knee.
Arizona is 1-2 in those games, beating the Falcons but losing to the Texans and Rams. This setback was one of the most embarrassing of the season — the Cardinals showed little fight after the first quarter.
L.A. jumped back ahead 14-8 in the second when Stafford hit Higbee for another touchdown, this time on a 5-yard score. Stafford’s 15-yard pass to Williams made it 21-8 with 59 seconds left in the first half.
It was Williams’ second standout game this season against the Cardinals. He ran for 158 yards and a touchdown in a 26-9 win in Week 6, but hurt his ankle late in that game, which caused him to miss the next four games while on injured reserve.
Williams was one of the team’s most productive players during the season’s early weeks, running for 456 yards over his first six games. His return gives the Rams — who won the Super Bowl two seasons ago — hope that they can make a late-season playoff push.
Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz made his Rams’ debut late in the game after being signed two weeks ago.
Eagles 37, Bills 34
PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts scored the winning touchdown on a quarterback draw with 2:37 left in overtime, and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Buffalo Bills 37-34 on a cold, rainy Sunday.
Philadelphia’s Jake Elliott tied the game with a 59-yard field goal with 20 seconds remaining. After the Bills went ahead with a field goal on the first possession of OT, Hurts ran virtually untouched for the 12-yard score that made the Eagles the only 10-1 team in the NFL.
Hurts threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more, and he outdueled Buffalo’s Josh Allen while rallying the Eagles from a 17-7 halftime deficit for the second straight game.
Hurts walked off the field with his arms extended in celebration as fans roared. He hit DeVonta Smith for 17- and 11-yard receptions in OT, and D’Andre Swift had a 16-yard run to help set up Hurts’ walk-off TD.
Allen threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores for the Bills (6-5), who are in danger of missing the playoffs after winning the AFC East the past three years. But he was intercepted in the fourth quarter by James Bradbury, setting up Hurts’ 29-yard TD pass to Olamide Zaccheaus for a 28-24 Philly lead.
Allen used a 15-yard scramble and a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on the first drive of OT to put the Bills in position for the win. Tyler Bass — who had missed two field goals — nailed the go-ahead kick from 40 yards with 5:52 left in OT.
Hurts finished 18 of 31 for 200 yards with an interception in a matchup of two of the NFL’s most dynamic QBs.
Hurts played a miserable first half, throwing for 33 yards while the Eagles had 99 yards overall. But for the second straight game, the MVP candidate rallied the Eagles from a 10-point halftime deficit. He connected with A.J. Brown from 3 yards and Smith from 10 yards to get Philly back into the game.
Taking advantage of the short field after Allen’s pick, the Eagles faced third-and-15. Hurts rolled left and almost seemed out of options when he connected with Zacchaeus, who used two hands and hugged the ball against his chest as he fell toward the back of the end zone.