Dolphins defeat Browns to keep playoff hopes alive

Tyler Huntley completed 22 of 26 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, and ran for another score to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 20-3 victory over the host Cleveland Browns on Sunday in Cleveland, Ohio.

Huntley made his fourth start of the season, and did so in place of Dolphins’ injured starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who sat out with a hip injury.

With the win, the Dolphins (8-8) kept their playoff hopes alive heading into week 18. Miami must beat the New York Jets next week and needs the Denver Broncos to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in order to secure the AFC’s final wild-card playoff berth.

Cleveland (3-13) lost its fifth in a row and seventh in its past eight games.

The Dolphins were also missing wide receiver Jaylen Waddle due to a wrist injury. But Tyreek Hill gave Huntley a reliable target in Miami’s passing game as he caught all nine passes thrown his way for 105 yards as the Dolphins won for the sixth time in eight games.

Leading 13-3 in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins sealed the outcome when Huntley connected with Jonnu Smith on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 3:38 to go. Smith tied the Dolphins’ franchise record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end with his seventh of the year.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson started for the Browns, but struggled and completed only 24 of 47 passes for 170 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Jerry Jeudy led the Browns with a career-high 12 catches for 94 yards.

Emanuel Ogbah’s strip sack of Thompson-Robinson and fumble recovery by Da’Shawn Hand ended an advance into Dolphins’ territory with 5:29 left in the third quarter.

Trailing 13-3, Cleveland had a chance to make it a one score game early in the fourth quarter. But instead of attempting a field goal at the Dolphins’ 3-yard line, the Browns went for it on fourth and goal and failed when Jalen Ramsey deflected a pass intended for Jeudy in the end zone. The Browns went 0 for 4 on fourth downs.

Saquon Barkley hits 2K yards, Eagles crush Cowboys to win division

Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards to join the 2,000-yard club and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title with a lopsided 41-7 victory against the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

The Eagles (13-3) swept the rival Cowboys (7-9) for the first time since 2011 and locked up at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

With his 11th 100-yard game of the year, Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Sitting on 2,005 yards, he needs 101 to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season record of 2,105 set in 16 games in 1984.

Starting for Philadelphia with Jalen Hurts in the concussion protocol, Kenny Pickett tallied a touchdown pass and a touchdown run before exiting early in the third quarter with a rib injury.

Tanner McKee, making his NFL debut, replaced Pickett and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown to put the Eagles up 34-7 with 2:44 left in the third quarter.

McKee added a 25-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to DeVonta Smith, who finished with six catches for 120 yards and two scores.

The Cowboys turned the ball over four times. Cooper Rush threw two interceptions and one touchdown pass and Rico Dowdle rushed for 104 yards to notch his first 1,000-yard season (1,007).

Philadelphia built a 24-7 halftime lead by scoring 17 points off three Dallas turnovers.

The Cowboys’ opening drive ended in a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown by C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Rush shook off the pick-6 and fired a game-tying 4-yard TD pass to Jalen Tolbert with 5:38 left in the first quarter.

Pickett’s 22-yard strike to Smith put Philadelphia ahead for good at 14-7 midway through the second quarter.

Jake Elliott’s 31-yard field goal made it 17-7 after Jordan Davis recovered a fumble by the Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson.

Gardner-Johnson’s second interception gave Philadelphia the ball back with 36 seconds left in the half. Smith’s 49-yard catch got the Eagles to the doorstep and Pickett punched it in.

Late interceptions help Rams defeat Cardinals, extend win streak

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a pass in the end zone with 37 seconds left to preserve the Los Angeles Rams’ 13-9 win Saturday over the Arizona Cardinals in Inglewood, Calif.

Witherspoon made a diving catch after the ball bounced high off the helmet of Arizona tight end Trey McBride on the pass attempt by Kyler Murray.

The Rams (10-6), who lead the NFC West by one game, have won five straight games, while the Cardinals (7-9) have lost five of their last six games. Los Angeles could clinch a playoff berth on Sunday depending on the outcome of other games, and will have a chance to clinch the division next weekend against second-place Seattle (9-7).

Matthew Stafford threw for 189 yards while completing 17 of 32 pass attempts without a touchdown or interception. Puka Nacua finished with 10 receptions for 129 yards.

Murray was 33 of 48 for 321 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

McBride made 12 catches for 123 yards to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his three NFL seasons. Despite leading the Cardinals in catches and yards, his touchdown catch on Saturday was his first of the season.

Arizona running back James Conner, who gained 4 yards on four carries, did not play in the second half because of a knee injury.

Los Angeles took a 13-9 lead with 6:33 left on a 25-yard field goal by Joshua Karty, and Arizona had two chances to take the lead.

First, Murray engineered a drive that went to the Los Angeles 40. On fourth-and-10, his throw to the end zone was intercepted by Kamren Kinchens, who returned the ball to the Arizona 11 with 3:02 left.

The Rams punted after a three-and-out, and the Cardinals took possession at their 36 with 2:01 remaining.

Giants’ offense explodes in 45-33 win, knocking Colts out of playoff race

Drew Lock matched his career high of four touchdown passes and also rushed for a score and the New York Giants snapped their franchise-record 10-game losing streak with an entertaining 45-33 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

Malik Nabers had seven receptions for a career-best 171 yards and two touchdowns to exceed 100 receptions and 1,000 yards during his strong rookie campaign. New York (3-13) registered a season best for points scored by more than tripling its league-worst season average of 14.3 per game.

The setback eliminated the Colts (7-9) from the AFC playoff race.

Lock completed 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards and Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Stayton also had receiving scores for the Giants, who won at home for the first time this season. Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

Joe Flacco started for Indianapolis with Anthony Richardson (back/foot) sidelined and completed 26 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. But he also was intercepted twice and lost a fumble.

Jonathan Taylor rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries, Michael Pittman Jr. had nine receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown and Alec Pierce caught six passes for 122 yards and a score.

Indianapolis pulled within 35-33 on Flacco’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Pittman with 6:38 remaining.

The Giants answered with Lock’s 5-yard scramble with 2:57 left to push the lead to nine. After Flacco was picked off by Dru Phillips, Graham Gano tacked on a 30-yard field goal 37 seconds later to put it away.

New York held an eight-point halftime lead before Smith-Marsette fielded the opening kickoff of the second half and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to give the Giants a 28-13 advantage.