PHILADELPHIA — Carson Wentz tossed three touchdown passes and the NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles beat the Chicago Bears 31-3 Sunday for their ninth straight win.
The Eagles (10-1) reduced their magic number to clinch the NFC East to one with their fourth consecutive win by at least 23 points and third in a row by exactly 28. Philadelphia would secure its first division title since 2013 if the Cowboys (5-6) lose or tie Washington on Thursday night.
Wentz had 227 yards passing, LeGarrette Blount ran for 97 yards and Zach Ertz caught 10 passes for 103 yards and one TD.
The defense dominated rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the inept Bears (3-8), holding them to zero first downs in the first half and 140 total yards in the game.
The Bears won the turnover battle (3-2), but couldn’t do anything with excellent field position.
Sunday Roundup
BENGALS 30, BROWNS 16
CINCINNATI — Rookie Joe Mixon ran for a career-high 114 yards in the Bengals’ best offensive showing since the last time they faced Cleveland.
The result sent the Browns into December still winless for the second year in a row.
The Bengals (5-6) won back-to-back games for the second time this season. They hadn’t scored so many points since they won 31-7 at Cleveland on Oct. 1.
Mixon also had an 11-yard touchdown that put it away in the fourth quarter. The Bengals came into the game with the worst rushing offense in the NFL, making it to 100 yards only once before.
At 0-11, the Browns are starting to run out of chances for that breakthrough win. Last year, they waited until their 15th game to get their only victory and avoid the second 0-16 season in NFL history.
RAMS 26, SAINTS 20
LOS ANGELES — Jared Goff passed for 354 yards and hit Sammy Watkins and rookie Josh Reynolds for touchdowns, and the Rams snapped the Saints’ eight-game winning streak in a meeting of NFC division leaders.
NFL scoring leader Greg Zuerlein kicked four field goals for the Rams (8-3), who earned their fifth victory in six games. For the first time since 2006, this revitalized franchise is guaranteed not to finish the regular season with a losing record.
Los Angeles turned in a gritty defensive effort against the high-scoring Saints (8-3), holding Drew Brees to 246 yards passing — just 96 in the first three quarters — and sacking him three times.
Alvin Kamara made an early 74-yard touchdown run and a late TD reception for the Saints, who finally lost for the first time since Sept. 17.
One week after rallying from 15 points down late in the fourth quarter to beat Washington in overtime, the Saints fell behind on the opening drive and never caught up.
CARDIANLS 27, JAGUARS 24
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Phil Dawson kicked a career-long 57-yard field goal with 1 second to play, snapping the Jaguars’ four-game winning streak and dropping them into a tie with Tennessee for the AFC South lead.
The 42-year-old kicker, who had uncharacteristically missed six field goals this season, also was good from 34 and 42 yards as the Cardinals (5-6) beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season.
Jacksonville (7-4) trailed most of the game, but took a 17-16 lead when ex-Cardinal Calais Campbell returned Blaine Gabbert’s fumble 10 yards for a touchdown with 12:10 to play.
Gabbert, though, brought Arizona back, heaving a 52-yard TD pass to Jaron Brown. Gabbert’s 2-point conversion pass to Larry Fitzgerald had Arizona up 24-17.
Corey Grant’s 68-yard return of the ensuing kickoff led to Blake Bortles’ second rushing touchdown of the day, from 17 yards, and it was tied at 24 with 7:26 left.
Gabbert threw two sideline completions, the second one to D.J. Foster with 6 seconds to go — Foster made a lunging tippy-toe catch that had to be reviewed — to get close enough for the winning field goal. It was a bit of redemption for Gabbert, drafted in the first round by Jacksonville in 2011 but traded away for a sixth-round pick after a disappointing stay.
SEAHAWKS 24, 49ERS 13
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns to give him 150 career TDs passing and also ran for a short score.
Wilson connected on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nick Vannett in the third quarter, and a 1-yarder early in the fourth to Jimmy Graham, whose 16 TD receptions passed Jerramy Stevens for most by a Seattle tight end.
Jimmy Garoppolo made his 49ers debut with 1:07 remaining after starting quarterback C.J. Beathard went down on a hit by Michael Bennett as he threw a pass. Garoppolo — acquired from New England at the trade deadline last month and hoped by the 49eers (1-10) to stay on the shelf a little longer — immediately scrambled to gain 4 yards and found Louis Murphy for a 10-yard touchdown as time expired.
Wilson completed 20 of 34 passes for 228 yards and moved past Joe Flacco to become the winningest quarterback in his first six seasons with 63 victories.
The Seahawks (7-4) won their ninth straight in the series in a streak that began with the NFC title game in January 2014 at Seattle.
RAIDERS 21, BRONCOS 14
OAKLAND, Calif. — Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes after losing starting receiver Michael Crabtree to an ejection for his role in a brawl, and the Raiders spoiled Paxton Lynch’s first start of the season.
The story coming into the game was about the upheaval for the two teams after Denver (3-8) fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and made another quarterback change and Oakland (5-6) fired defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr .
But the fight between Crabtree and cornerback Aqib Talib that led to three ejections ended up overshadowing the recent disarray even as the Raiders recorded their long-awaited first interception of the season in their first game under defensive play-caller John Pagano. The Broncos lost seven games in a row for the first time in 50 years .
The fight was a continuation of a dispute that started last season when Talib ripped Crabtree’s chain off during the season finale. Crabtree missed the first game between the teams this year, but wasted little time seeking revenge.
Oakland guard Gabe Jackson pushed an official while trying to join in and got ejected for his actions, along with Crabtree and Talib.
The Raiders then dominated on the field after ending the longest season-opening interception drought in NFL history. With the Broncos at the 1, Lynch looked for tight end Virgil Green in the end zone. The ball bounced off Green and Raiders safety Reggie Nelson before landing in NaVorro Bowman’s arms as he was lying on the turf for Oakland’s first interception.
PATRIOTS 35, DOLPHINS 17
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady tossed four touchdown passes — including two to Rob Gronkowski — and the Patriots pushed through injuries and a mistake-filled game.
New England (9-2) posted its seventh consecutive victory and third straight win over Miami. The Dolphins (4-7) have lost five straight for their longest slide since 2011.
It was Brady’s 28th career game with four or more touchdown passes, ranking third all-time. His 26 touchdowns passes are the most in a season after turning 40 years old.
Rex Burkhead also scored two TDs and Dion Lewis had 15 carries for 112 yards for New England, marking his first career 100-yard game.
The Dolphins played without quarterback Jay Cutler, who practiced Friday, but remained in the concussion protocol. Matt Moore struggled to find a rhythm in his second start of the season.
Nate Ebner left with a knee injury after his fake punt run in the first quarter. Trevor Reilly left with a head injury after a collision. DL Trey Flowers (ribs) and LB Marquis Flowers left in the third quarter after a collision., and OL LaAdrian Waddle left in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. LB Kyle Van Noy (leg) was able to walk off the field on his own after being shaken up in the fourth.
FALCONS 34, BUCCANEERS 20
ATLANTA — Julio Jones hauled in 12 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns in one of the best games of his career.
Rekindling memories of the Super Bowl, the Falcons (7-4) nearly squandered a big lead to a team playing its third game without injured quarterback Jameis Winston. The Buccaneers (4-7) rebounded from a 27-6 deficit behind backup Ryan Fitzpatrick and drove deep into Atlanta territory after forcing a fumble at the other end of the field.
But Keanu Neal battled down Fitzpatrick’s pass on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 18 with just over seven minutes remaining, and the Falcons drove for a clinching touchdown on Tevin Coleman’s 14-yard run with just under two minutes to go.
Jones, who had only one touchdown catch through the first 10 games, doubled that total in the first half. He hauled in a 51-yard scoring pass from fellow receiver Mohamed Sanu and went 25 yards for a TD on a throw from Matt Ryan, finishing off the play with a spectacular dive for the pylon.
Jones now has three games in his brilliant career with at least 250 yards receiving. He had a career-high 300 yards vs. Carolina last season and 259 at Green Bay in 2014. No other player in NFL history has more than one game with 250 yards receiving.
BILLS 16, CHIEFS 10
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyrod Taylor threw for 183 yards and a touchdown in his return to the starting lineup, Tre’Davious White intercepted Alex Smith with just over a minute remaining to clinch it.
Zay Jones had the touchdown reception and Stephen Hauschka kicked three field goals for the Bills (6-5), but the story was their defense — or the Chiefs’ complete lack of offense.
Kansas City (6-5) managed only 236 yards while losing for the fifth time in six games.
It was an especially gratifying win for Bills coach Sean McDermott, who spent 10-plus seasons working for Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid in Philadelphia. And it was even more so considering the heat McDermott had been under after his questionable quarterback change last week.
Hauschka missed a 52-yard field-goal try late in the first half, ending his NFL-record streak of 13 straight from at least 50 yards. The streak dated to 2014 when he was with Seattle. He bounced back to hit from 56 yards, giving him a Bills-record seven 50-plus makes this season.
PANTHERS 35, JETS 27
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Luke Kuechly returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown and Kaelin Clay had a 60-yard punt return for a score, capping a stunning swing in the fourth quarter that lifted the Panthers.
It was the fourth straight victory for the Panthers (8-3), who were trying to keep pace with the first-place Saints in the NFC South. The teams meet next Sunday at New Orleans.
This one turned in a span of 2 minutes, 11 seconds on mistakes by the Jets (4-7) — and the Panthers taking advantage.
First, Kuechly scooped up a fumble by Josh McCown, who was sacked by Wes Horton and had the ball knocked out of his hand as he was about to throw, and rumbled to the end zone for a touchdown.
Cam Newton then hurdled over linebacker Jordan Jenkins for the 2-point conversion to give the Panthers a 26-20 lead with 12:05 left.
Then Clay fielded Lachlan Edwards’ kick and spun out of a tackle attempt and sped into the end zone.
TITANS 20, COLTS 16
INDIANAPOLIS — The Titans got their first win in 10 tries at Lucas Oil Stadium when DeMarco Murray scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:59 left.
The Titans (7-4) pulled off their first series sweep since 2002. And they did it by rallying from a 10-point third-quarter deficit again — just as they had six weeks earlier against the Colts.
Indy (3-8) has lost three straight home games and five of its last six overall. It is one loss away from having the first losing year in coach Chuck Pagano’s six seasons.
Tennessee won despite making only one first down during a 30-minute stretch and playing in chilly conditions after Colts officials opened the roof and the window in the north end zone.
STEELERS 31, PACKERS 28
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Boswell kicked a career-long 53-yard field goal as time expired to give Pittsburgh the victory over Green Bay.
The Steelers (9-2) won their sixth straight thanks in large part to wide receiver Antonio Brown. Brown caught 10 passes for 169 yards and two scores and also made a pair of catches on the deciding drive, including a 23-yard grab on the sideline that put the Steelers into Green Bay territory.
Brown added a 14-yard reception on the next play. Two snaps, later Boswell drilled the winner and his teammates mobbed him at midfield.
Ben Roethliberger threw for 351 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Le’Veon Bell ran for 95 yards and added another 88 yards receiving.
Brett Hundley completed 17 of 26 for 245 yards and three touchdowns for Green Bay (5-6) in his best start since taking over for injured Aaron Rodgers. Jamaal William ran for 66 yards, including a 4-yard leap into the end zone with 2:02 that tied it at 28.
The teams traded punts before Pittsburgh took over at its 30 with 17 seconds to go. It was just enough time for Roethlisberger and Brown to push the Steelers within the fringe of Boswell’s range as Pittsburgh kept pace with New England for the AFC’s best record.