NFL Week 14: Derek Carr overcomes recent injuries and rough start, leads Saints past Panthers
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NEW ORLEANS — Derek Carr returned from a recent concussion and upper body injuries to throw touchdown passes to Chris Olave and Jimmy Graham, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the hapless Carolina Panthers 28-6 on Sunday.
Alvin Kamara ran 9 yards for a touchdown as New Orleans (6-7) snapped a three-game skid and pulled into a tie with Atlanta and Tampa Bay for first place in the feeble NFC South.
Carolina (1-12) helped New Orleans with a couple of poorly executed plays on special teams. The Panthers have lost six straight for the second time this season.
Johnny Hekker’s punt attempt in the second quarter was smothered by Saints linebacker Nephi Sewell. D’Marco Jackson scooped what was officially ruled a fumble and returned it 8 yards for a touchdown that gave New Orleans a 14-3 lead.
While the Saints won for the first time since Nov. 5, frustrated fans in the Superdome didn’t hesitate to boo New Orleans’ offense when it stalled inside the 10 and Blake Gruppe missed a 29-yard field goal try.
They did so again when Carr was intercepted late in the first half by defensive end Derrick Brown, who batted a pass over the middle off of guard Cesar Ruiz’s helmet and caught it on the rebound near midfield.
Playing one week after leaving a game with a concussion, as well as rib and shoulder injuries, Carr had just 37 yards passing through three-plus quarters. He finished 18 for 26 for 119 yards.
Carr’s first pass of 10 yards or more came in the fourth quarter when he opened a decisive series with a 43-yard pass to rookie A.T. Perry, who made a diving catch at the Carolina 20. Carr then found Jimmy Graham for 12 yards on third-and-9 to set up his 7-yard scoring pass to Olave, who hadn’t practiced all week because of an illness.
Carr added a 4-yard pass to Graham — the veteran tight end’s third TD this season — late in the game after the Panthers had turned the ball over on downs in their own territory.
The Panthers didn’t help their own cause much, stalling twice inside the Saints 20 in the second half and making just one of two field goals on those possessions. They also went 1 of 7 on fourth down.
Rookie Bryce Young’s season-long struggles continued. The first overall draft choice finished 13 of 36 for 137 yards and lost a fumble in the first half. He was sacked four times.
Jets 30, Texans 6
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Zach Wilson threw a pair of second-half touchdown passes in his return from a two-game benching as New York beat Houston to stop a five-game skid.
The Jets shut down the Texans’ C.J. Stroud before the star rookie quarterback left late with a concussion.
Wilson was 27 of 36 for 301 yards — his third career game of 300 or more yards — in easily his best performance of the season.
Breece Hall and Randall Cobb caught touchdown passes and Xavier Gipson ran for a score for the Jets (5-8), who reached 30 points for just the second time this season.
Stroud left with 6:30 remaining after a hit by Quinnen Williams. Davis Mills replaced him.
Stroud, who came in leading the NFL in yards passing, was 10 of 23 for a season-low 91 yards. The Texans (7-6) finished with 135 total yards and went 1 for 12 on third down.
Bears 28, Lions 13
CHICAGO — Justin Fields threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Chicago beat NFC North-leading Detroit.
Receiver DJ Moore had his first career rushing touchdown and caught a scoring pass to help the Bears (5-8) win for the third time in four games.
The Bears scored 15 points in a span of about seven minutes to break open a game that was tied at 13-all late in the third quarter. They got the payback they were seeking after giving up 17 points over the final 2:59 in a loss at Detroit three weeks earlier.
Detroit’s Jared Goff threw two interceptions, lost a fumbled snap and was sacked four times. The Lions (9-4) have lost two of three.
Fields completed 19 of 33 passes for 223 yards. He also ran for 58 yards, giving him 2,021 in his career.
Buccaneers 29, Falcons 25
ATLANTA — Baker Mayfield threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cade Otton with 31 seconds remaining, and Tampa Bay beat Atlanta to move into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South.
The Buccaneers (6-7) sit atop the division alongside the Falcons and the New Orleans Saints.
Atlanta (6-7) rallied for a 25-22 lead with a pair of TDs in the final period, including quarterback Desmond Ridder’s 6-yard scoring run with 3:23 remaining.
But Mayfield, who passed for just 144 yards, guided a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive. The biggest play was a 32-yard completion to Chris Godwin.
Atlanta had one last chance at winning it. Ridder completed a pass down the middle from the Tampa Bay 31 to Drake London, who was smothered 3 yards shy of the end zone.
49ers 28, Seahawks 16
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Deebo Samuel scored on a catch and a run and the San Francisco 49ers won their 11th straight division game, beating the Seattle Seahawks 28-16 on Sunday.
Samuel had his second straight game with multiple touchdowns to lead San Francisco (10-3) to the brink of winning back-to-back NFC West titles for the first time since 2011-12. The Niners lead the Seahawks (6-7) and Rams by four games with four to play and hold the tiebreaker over Seattle.
Seattle has lost four straight games for the first time in 14 seasons under Pete Carroll and has lost five in a row to the 49ers for the first time.
Drew Lock threw two TD passes in his first start since the end of the 2021 season in place of an injured Geno Smith, but couldn’t keep up with the high-powered 49ers.
Christian McCaffrey had a 72-yard run on the first play from scrimmage for San Francisco to set up a short TD run by Jordan Mason. Brock Purdy and Samuel took over from there after Purdy threw an early interception.
He responded by hitting Samuel on a 54-yard deep shot in the second quarter and broke the game open with a 44-yard TD pass to George Kittle in the fourth quarter to make it 28-16. Samuel also scored on a short run after getting tackled at the 1 on a 13-yard reception.
Purdy finished 19 for 27 for a career-high 368 yards with two TDs and one interception, becoming the fourth player to complete at least 70% of his passes in seven straight games. Joe Montana holds the record with eight in 1989 for San Francisco.
Purdy led a balanced offensive attack. McCaffrey finished with 153 yards from scrimmage, Samuel had 150 and Brandon Aiyuk 126 — marking just the third time in Niners history that three players had at least 125 yards in a game.
Lock got the starting nod after Smith tested his injured groin a few hours prior to the game before being ruled out.
Lock started fast with a 31-yard TD pass on the opening drive to DK Metcalf with Metcalf appearing to celebrate by sending a message in sign language.
Lock added a 25-yarder to Colby Parkinson late in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 21-16, but couldn’t get Seattle over the hump.
Lock finished 22 for 31 for 269 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.
Vikings 3, Raiders 0
LAS VEGAS — Minnesota and Las Vegas played the lowest-scoring NFL game in 16 years, with Greg Joseph’s 36-yard field goal with 1:57 left giving the Vikings a 3-0 victory over the Raiders on Sunday.
It was the first 3-0 game since Pittsburgh beat Miami on Nov. 26, 2007, the third in the past 40 years and the seventh in the Super Bowl era.
Joseph’s kick ensured the game wouldn’t end regulation scoreless for the first time since the New York Giants played the host Detroit Lions to a 0-0 tie on Nov. 7, 1943.
The Vikings (7-6) had just 230 total yards, and the Raiders (5-8) — losers of three in a row — were limited to 201 yards and nine first downs. Minnesota beat an AFC West opponent for the first time this season after going 0-3.
It was Minnesota’s first shutout since defeating the Packers 16-0 on Dec. 23, 2017 and the first blanking of Las Vegas since its 24-0 loss to New Orleans on Oct. 30, 2022.
Nick Mullens relieved a struggling Joshua Dobbs at quarterback and led the Vikings on their lone scoring drive. His 22-yard completion to Jordan Addison to the Raiders 20 set up Joseph’s kick.
Ivan Pace intercepted Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell on the next drive. The Raiders managed to get the ball back with 7 seconds remaining, but couldn’t pull off a desperation final play.
The Vikings lost wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the 2022 AP Offensive Player of the Year, in the second quarter to a chest injury. He was taken to a hospital, Fox Sports reported on its telecast. This was Jefferson’s first game back after missing the previous seven because of a hamstring injury.
Las Vegas lost running back Josh Jacobs to a knee injury in the fourth quarter. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing last season with 1,653 yards. He had rushed for more than 100 yards in two of the prior three games.
Neither team scored in the first half, the second time that happened Sunday. The Texans-Jets game also was 0-0 at intermission. According to Fox, it was the first time since October of 1998 that two games were scoreless at halftime on the same day.
Minnesota came closest to scoring, but Joseph missed a 49-yard field goal with 5:32 remaining in the half. That was the Vikings’ only first-half drive into Las Vegas territory, matching the number by the Raiders.
Las Vegas looked as if would finally break the deadlock early in the second half when Hunter Renfrow picked up 38 yards on a catch-and-run to the Vikings 11. However, Renfrow fumbled three players later, and Mekhi Blackmon recovered for Minnesota. The Vikings entered the game with a league-high 18 forced fumbles.
The game remained scoreless entering the fourth quarter, the first time that has happened since Week 17 of the 2017 season when the Cowboys and Eagles faced each other. It’s the first time the Raiders have ever been involved in such a game and the second for the Vikings — Nov. 14, 1971 against the Packers was the other.
Bills 20, Chiefs 17
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Josh Allen threw for 233 yards with touchdowns running and throwing, the Bills kicked a go-ahead field goal with 1:54 to go and, thanks to a crucial penalty on Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney, Buffalo held on to beat Kansas City 20-17 on Sunday.
The game was tied 17-all when the Bills (7-6) took over with about seven minutes left. They converted on three third downs, one courtesy of a penalty on Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson, before Tyler Bass kicked his 39-yarder for the lead.
But two pass plays that Buffalo called just before the two-minute warning — both incomplete — left time for the Chiefs (8-5) to work.
And moments later, they thought they’d taken the lead when Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce over the middle, and the high school QB threw far across the field to Toney, who ran the rest of the 49 yards for a touchdown.
Only one problem: Toney had lined up offside. The penalty wiped out the play.
The Chiefs still had 1:12 left to get within range of big-legged kicker Harrison Butker, but Mahomes threw incomplete on his next two passes, and his fourth-and-15 throw across the middle of the field found nothing but grass.
James Cook had 58 yards rushing and caught five passes for 83 yards and a score for Buffalo, which finally proved it could win a close game. The Bills had been 2-6 in games decided by six points or fewer, including a pair of overtime losses, and they had lost a lead in the final two minutes in three of their losses.
Mahomes finished with 271 yards passing and a touchdown with an interception, though he was pressured all day by a healthy Buffalo pass rush. Rashee Rice had seven catches for 72 yards and the score.
It was the fourth loss in six games for the Chiefs, whose chances of the No. 1 seed in the AFC are quickly slipping away.
The Chiefs continued a recent track record of lousy starts. Mahomes was intercepted by A.J. Epenesa on their first series, they punted on each of their next three, and it wasn’t until the closing minutes of the first half that Kansas City was able to sustain a drive that ended with Jerick McKinnon’s touchdown run.
By that point, the Bills had already reached the end zone twice.
The first touchdown came when Cook was unchecked coming out of the backfield, caught a flick from Allen and breezed 25 yards for the score. The second came at the end of a 73-yard drive, when Allen kept the ball over the right side and was stood up at the Kansas City 4, only for the entire Bills offense to gather behind him and shove into the end zone.
If the Eagles have the “tush push,” the Bills offered their “team trample.”
Buffalo added a field goal out of halftime, but momentum quickly tilted Kansas City’s way. Mahomes led a nine-play, 75-yard march that ended with Rice’s touchdown catch, then their defense forced back-to-back punts, before another drive ended with Butker’s tying field goal with 11 1/2 minutes to go.
Broncos 24, Chargers 7
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and the Denver Broncos beat the Chargers 24-7 Sunday after Los Angeles lost quarterback Justin Herbert due to broken finger in the first half.
Wilson completed 21 of 33 for 224 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown to Courtland Sutton in the third quarter for Denver (7-6), which has won six of its last seven.
It was the Broncos’ first road victory against an AFC West foe since beating the Chargers on Oct. 6, 2019.
Herbert has a fracture in his right index finger, coach Brandon Staley said. The Chargers will do more tests before determining how long Herbert will be out. It is a short week for the Bolts, who are at Las Vegas on Thursday night.
He had a fracture on the middle finger of his left non-throwing hand earlier this season.
Herbert was 9 of 17 for 96 yards with an interception before being injured, apparently while he was taken down awkwardly by Denver’s Zach Allen after throwing a pass. Herbert had been sacked four times and hit six times during the Chargers’ first six possessions, with his teammates repeatedly missing their blocks against Denver’s pass rushers.
Easton Stick completed 13 of 24 passes for 179 yards in Herbert’s place. He had played two NFL snaps in five seasons with Los Angeles before replacing the Bolts’ franchise quarterback with 1:52 remaining in the second quarter. His best throw was a 57-yard strike to Quentin Johnston during the fourth quarter. Four plays later, Austin Ekeler put Los Angeles on the board with a 4-yard TD.
Javonte Williams and Adam Trautman also scored for the Broncos. Denver’s defense forced six sacks and a pair of turnovers.
The Chargers (5-8) have dropped four of five.
Denver had a 10-0 halftime lead and extended it with less than six minutes remaining in the third quarter on Wilson’s connection to Sutton. On first-and-10 from the Chargers 46, Wilson had plenty of time before stepping up in the pocket and throwing a deep pass. Sutton made a one-handed catch near the back of the end zone while being covered by Michael Davis.
Denver took a 7-0 lead with five minutes remaining in the first quarter on Javonte Williams’ 3-yard run up the middle. The touchdown was set up when linebacker Jonathon Cooper picked off Herbert at the LA 7 after Herbert’s passes was batted at the line of scrimmage by Baron Browning.
The Chargers also had a red zone interception earlier in the first quarter but could not convert it into points. Davis made a diving pick on a pass intended for Marvin Mims Jr. at the Denver 13.
Los Angeles had fourth-and-3 at the Denver 6, but Gerald Everett couldn’t catch Herbert’s pass in the end zone.