NFL Week 8: Lions win 5th straight after dismantling Titans
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DETROIT — 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 on Sunday.
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.
I feel the need, the need for speed. @jahmyr_gibbs1 #TENvsDET ???? FOX pic.twitter.com/3uBlQJaDL6
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 27, 2024
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 signaled this is a rebuilding year by trading veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins and starting linebacker Ernest Jones Jr.
The first player in @NFL history to throw 2+ TD passes and complete at least 72.0% of his passes while posting a passer rating of 110.0+ in five consecutive games:
– @Lions QB @JaredGoff16 (2024)#OnePride pic.twitter.com/cfnJ4jltNl
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) October 27, 2024
Detroit has 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.
Cardinals 28, Dolphins 27
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Kyler Murray drove the Cardinals into position for a game-winning field goal by Chad Ryland as time expired for the second straight week, and Arizona spoiled Tua Tagovailoa’s return from a concussion, beating Miami.
Murray led two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to rally the Cardinals from a nine-point deficit. The first concluded with a 2-yard touchdown run by James Conner that got Arizona (4-4) within 27-25. The second was a methodical 13-play, 71-yard march that ended with Ryland’s 34-yard kick. A week earlier, Ryland was good from 32 yards on the final play to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 17-15.
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 Sept. 12. He was designated to return on Monday after doctors deemed it safe for him to play. He cleared the concussion protocol Friday following an examination by an independent neurological consultant.
Tagovailoa was mostly sharp, completing 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.
Packers 30, Jaguars 27
JACKSONVILLE — 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 Green Bay to a 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 4 of 5 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 dialed up a gut-punch to Jacksonville on second down.
Patriots 25, Jets 22
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rhamondre Stevenson plunged into the end zone with 22 seconds left and New England recovered after first-round draft pick Drake Maye left with a concussion early to beat Aaron Rodgers and New York.
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 2-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.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Patriots defense leapt for joy on the field. It was their first win at home in more than a year — since week 7 of last season. Instead of being alone in the AFC East cellar, they are now tied with New York for last.
Texans 23, Colts 20
HOUSTON — C.J. Stroud threw for 285 yards and a touchdown and Joe Mixon ran for 102 yards with a score to help Houston to a win over Indianapolis.
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.
FALCONS 31, BUCCANEERS 26
Falcons 31, Buccaneers 26
TAMPA, Fla. — Kirk Cousins threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns to help Atlanta take sole possession of first place of the NFC South with a victory over Tampa Bay.
Kyle Pitts scored on receptions of 36 and 49 yards and Cousins also tossed TD passes of 30 yards to Darnell Mooney and 7 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 TDs, 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 Oct. 3, when Cousins threw for a career-high 509 yards with four TDs.
Chargers 26, Saints 8
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — 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 New Orleans.
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, $24.5 million 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.
Bills 31, Seahawks 10
SEATTLE — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and surging Buffalo turned his first interception of the season into an afterthought, pummeling Seattle.
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 1. 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.
Allen concluded that possession with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid. Buffalo also went 90 yards on 14 plays after the opening kickoff, and Allen found Keon Coleman for a 2-yard TD to finish a drive that lasted 9:07.
Broncos 28, Panthers 14
DENVER — Bo Nix threw three touchdown passes and ran for another and Denver’s defense throttled Bryce Young in the Broncos’ win over injury-riddled Carolina.
In the best game yet of his rookie season, the Broncos quarterback threw for 284 yards. He found Nate Adkins from 3 yards and Adam Trautman from 19 yards in the second quarter as the Broncos (5-3) built a 21-7 halftime 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 TDs and two interceptions.
He wasn’t the only Carolina player off target — the Broncos made it 28-7 after a failed fake punt by the Panthers from their 24 in the third quarter. Safety Sam Franklin Jr. was wide open but punter Johnny Hekker airmailed the attempt on fourth-and-6 and the Broncos took over.
Chiefs 27, Raiders 20
LAS VEGAS — Patrick Mahomes passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns and two-time defending champion Kansas City remained undefeated with a victory over reeling Las Vegas.
The Chiefs (7-0) extended their winning streak to 13 games, including the playoffs. 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) has 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 Sept. 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 Oct. 22, 2023, and this was the highest-yardage output since Nov. 26.
49ers 30, Cowboys 24
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score to send the San Francisco 49ers into their bye week on a high note with a 30-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
The Niners (4-4) bounced back from a loss last week in a Super Bowl rematch against Kansas City with a strong performance against the Cowboys (3-4) that they hope will set them up for another big push in the second half of the season.
San Francisco went 16-2 following its Week 9 bye week the past two seasons to make it to the NFC title game in 2022 and the Super Bowl last season.
Purdy led three straight touchdown drives to turn a 10-6 halftime deficit into a 27-10 lead, but San Francisco had to hold on late after Dak Prescott threw two TD passes to CeeDee Lamb to cut the deficit to six.
Prescott had a chance to complete the comeback but threw four straight incomplete passes after getting the ball back with 3:05 left in the fourth quarter.
San Francisco took control in the third quarter, driving 60 yards after the opening kick of the half to score on rookie Isaac Guerendo’s 4-yard run.
Deommodore Lenoir’s interception that set up San Francisco in Dallas territory, leading to Purdy’s 2-yard touchdown pass to George Kittle, who finished with six catches for 128 yards.
The Niners then drove 75 yards for another TD when Purdy scored on a sneak from 2 yards out.
Purdy bounced back from a three-interception performance last week against the Chiefs to go 18 for 26 for 260 yards against Dallas.
The Cowboys returned from their bye and didn’t look a whole lot better for most of the game than they did in a 47-9 loss at home to Detroit two weeks ago.
Prescott threw two interceptions for a third straight game — the first Cowboys quarterback to do that in 32 years — and struggled to generate any consistent offense until the fourth quarter.
The defense struggled to slow San Francisco down at all outside of when the Niners committed penalties or Purdy was off-target on a few passes. It added up to another loss that will increase the outside pressure on coach Mike McCarthy, who is in the final year of his contract.
Prescott finished 25 for 38 for 243 yards. Lamb caught 13 passes for 146 yards.