ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and rushed for three more, the last on a rugged nine-yard run with 2:35 left that secured the Buffalo Bills’ 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
The eighth-year starter and reigning MVP became the first player with two games of three TDs passing and rushing. He did it last year in a 44-42 loss at the Los Angeles Rams.
This time, Allen outdueled fellow 2018 first-round draft pick Baker Mayfield in a shootout that featured nine lead changes.
The Bills benched struggling receiver Keon Coleman in a bid to spark their passing game, and each of Allen’s three touchdown passes went for 25 yards or more. Running back Ty Johnson scored on a 52-yard catch-and-run, Allen found Tyrell Shavers open deep for a 43-yard touchdown, and James Cook scored on a 25-yard reception.
Allen provided the go-ahead score, a five-yard TD run with 9:06 left. He finished 19 of 30 for 317 yards, and the Bills overcame his two first-half interceptions.
BEARS 19, VIKINGS 17
MINNEAPOLIS — Devin Duvernay’s 56-yard kickoff return in the final minute for Chicago set up Cairo Santos for his fourth field goal of the game, a 48-yarder as time expired, to push the Bears past Minnesota 19-17 after the Vikings scored the go-ahead touchdown with 50 seconds left.
After J.J. McCarthy ended another erratic performance with five straight completions that culminated with a 15-yard scoring strike to Jordan Addison, Duvernay delivered the clutch response for the Bears (7-3) after nearly blowing a 13-point lead they took into the fourth quarter.
Santos made up for his 45-yard miss with 8:08 remaining by drilling the winner after a critical seven-yard rush by D’Andre Swift, who had 21 carries for 90 yards, pushed the ball into a safer range.
McCarthy, who played with a wrap on his throwing hand after hurting it on a helmet after a follow-through in the previous game, ended consecutive second-quarter possessions with interceptions and had an alarming amount of off-target passes. He finished 16-for-32 for 150 yards and a 47.7 passer rating in his fifth career start.
JAGUARS 35, CHARGERS 6
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars bounced back from the worst collapse in franchise history by thumping the Los Angeles Chargers 35-6 on Sunday behind rushing touchdowns from Travis Etienne, Trevor Lawrence and rookie Bhaysul Tuten.
Coming off a 36-29 debacle at Houston during which they blew a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars (6-4) showed no lingering effects from the crushing setback against a division rival.
It might have helped that they faced the Chargers (7-4), who traveled across the country for an early start while potentially looking ahead to their bye.
Coach Jim Harbaugh’s team was a complete no-show, finishing with 135 yards and just eight first downs.
PACKERS 27, GIANTS 20
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jordan Love returned from a shoulder injury to throw two touchdown passes, backup Malik Willis had one of his own while filling in and the Green Bay Packers ended their losing streak at two by defeating the New York Giants 27-20 on Sunday.
Love provided some heroics on the go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter, connecting with rookie Savion Williams on a 32-yard gain under pressure on third-and-10 and finding Christian Watson in the end zone with 4:02 left to take the lead.
Many of the green-and-gold clad fans in attendance at the Meadowlands chanted, “Go, Pack, Go!” following Love’s successful two-point conversion toss to Emanuel Wilson.
The victory came at a cost, though, with starting running back Josh Jacobs exiting early in the second quarter with a knee injury. Jacobs was ruled out just after halftime.
PANTHERS 30, FALCONS 27 (OT)
ATLANTA — Bryce Young passed for a career-high and franchise-record 448 yards, and Ryan Fitzgerald kicked a 28-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Carolina Panthers to a 30-27 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Young’s 54-yard pass to Tommy Tremble set up the winning kick for Carolina (6-5), which completed its sweep of NFC South rival Atlanta.
The Falcons (3-7) suffered their fifth straight loss, including back-to-back overtime defeats.
Young completed 31 of 45 passes with three touchdowns. He threw a go-ahead 12-yard touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan with 1:08 remaining to give Carolina a 27-24 lead. But Zane Gonzalez kicked a 45-yard field goal for Atlanta with 16 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Bijan Robinson ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns, but the Falcons couldn’t overcome the loss of Michael Penix Jr. to a knee injury in the third quarter. Backup Kirk Cousins couldn’t move the offence in overtime.
TEXANS 16, TITANS 13
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Davis Mills threw for 274 yards and a touchdown, Matthew Wright kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired, and the Houston Texans beat the Tennessee Titans 16-13 on Sunday to sweep the season series with their AFC South rivals.
Led by their backup quarterback, the Texans (5-5) reached .500 for the first time this season with their third win in four games. They also won their fifth straight over the Titans in Nashville despite playing without quarterback CJ Stroud, safety Jalen Pitre and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.
Houston had plenty of time to set Wright up for the winning field goal, his third of the day.
In a game pitting the NFL’s worst offence in Tennessee against the league’s stingiest defence in both yards and points, rookie Cam Ward drove the Titans 95 yards and threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson with 1:35 left. Interim coach Mike McCoy went for the tie as Joey Slye kicked the extra point.
STEELERS 34, BENGALS 12
PITTSBURGH — Mason Rudolph guided a pair of long second-half scoring drives after taking over for the injured Aaron Rodgers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers surged past the Cincinnati Bengals 34-12 on Sunday.
Rodgers, the NFL’s oldest active player at 41, injured his left hand during a Pittsburgh drive late in the first half. It was unclear exactly when the four-time MVP was hurt. Rodgers was hit illegally twice during the drive, both of which resulted in roughing-the-passer penalties against Cincinnati.
While the Steelers (6-4) initially listed Rodgers’ status as “questionable,” he did not return to the sideline for the second half.
Enter Rudolph, the longtime backup who led the Steelers on a late run to the playoffs in 2023. He returned to Pittsburgh last spring, though he quickly ceded the starting job after Rodgers signed in early June.
Rudolph picked up right where he left off, completing 12 of 16 throws for 127 yards, including a five-yard touchdown pass to running back Kenny Gainwell with 3:40 left that sealed it.
DOLPHINS 16, COMMANDERS 13 (OT)
MADRID — Jack Jones had a fitting celebration after his overtime interception in the first NFL regular-season game in Spain.
The Miami Dolphins cornerback ran toward the sideline and stretched his arms wide after a twisting jump in front of his teammates. Jones was imitating Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer great who used to celebrate like that at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium when he played for Real Madrid.
“I had to bring that out,” he said. “I was talking to my friend and I’m like, ‘When I make a play, be ready for that celebration.’”
Jones intercepted Marcus Mariota on the first offensive play of overtime and Riley Patterson kicked a 29-yard field goal to give the Dolphins a 16-13 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Jones cut in front of Commanders tight end Zach Ertz and came away with the ball.
