NFL roundup: Five-star Darnold shines as Cousins slumps in Minnesota return

By James On Dec 8, 2024

Atlanta Falcons 21-42 Minnesota Vikings

Sam Darnold completed 22 of 28 passes for 347 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away for a comfortable victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three touchdowns for Minnesota (11-2), which won its sixth straight game. Justin Jefferson had seven catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Kirk Cousins completed 23 of 37 passes for 344 yards and two interceptions in his return to Minnesota, where he spent the previous six seasons before leaving as a free agent. Tyler Allgeier (nine carries for 63 yards) and Bijan Robinson (22 for 92) rushed for one touchdown apiece for Atlanta (6-7)

Carolina Panthers 16-22 Philadelphia Eagles

Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards to break the Eagles’ single-season record, Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Philadelphia won their ninth straight game. The Eagles (11-2) maintained their position as the No. 2 team in the NFC behind Detroit after a mostly lethargic effort against the Panthers (3-10). Barkley added another milestone in his MVP push when he used a nine-yard run in the fourth quarter to surpass LeSean McCoy’s 2013 Eagles single-season record of 1,607 yards. Barkley has 1,623 yards with four games remaining. Hurts’ passing numbers were a pedestrian 14 of 21 for 108 yards.

Cleveland Browns 14-27 Pittsburgh Steelers

Russell Wilson threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns and the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled away from the error-prone Cleveland Browns. The Steelers (10-3) defeated Cleveland at home during the regular season for the 21st straight time, even with leading receiver George Pickens missing due to a groin injury. Wilson connected with Van Jefferson and Pat Freiermuth for scores as the Steelers took a two-game lead over Baltimore in the AFC North. Jameis Winston threw for 211 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Browns, who fell to 3-10.

Las Vegas Raiders 13-28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Las Vegas Raiders and take sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Mayfield threw scoring passes of 15 yards and 29 yards to Jalen McMillan. Rachaad White scored TDs on a five-yard reception and a three-yard run as the Bucs (7-6) won for the third straight week against a last-place opponent to revive their hopes for a fourth straight division title blow. The Raiders (2-11) lost quarterback Aidan O’Connell to a knee injury, extending the NFL’s longest current losing streak to nine games.

New York Jets 26–32 Miami Dolphins (OT)

Tua Tagovailoa threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith on the first possession of overtime as the Miami Dolphins defeated the reeling New York Jets.

Tagovailoa passed for 331 yards and two touchdowns as Miami (6-7) kept their playoff hopes alive. Tyreek Hill caught 10 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown. Jaylen Waddle caught nine passes for 99 yards and a two-point conversion. The game featured six lead changes and marked the ninth straight year the Dolphins defeated the Jets at home.

The Dolphins didn’t force a punt until they got two consecutive stops in the fourth quarter, allowing Miami to rally from an eight-point deficit. Anders Carlson made a 42-yard field goal with 52 seconds left to give the Jets a 26–23 lead, but Jason Sanders scored a 52-yarder with seven seconds left, sending the game to overtime. Aaron Rodgers passed for 339 yards and one touchdown, but New York (3-10) still lost their fourth straight game.

New Orleans Saints 14-11 New York Giants

Brian Bresee jumped the Giants’ line to block a potential game-tying field goal with 11 seconds left, and the New Orleans Saints (5-8) held on for the win over New York after quarterback Derek Carr late in the fourth quarter was lost due to injury. . The Giants lost their eighth straight, one shy of the team record. Carr was injured with just under four minutes to play when he dove down for the first time near the Saints 40 and landed hard. The Saints gave the ball back to Giants (2-11) and Drew Lock drove them into position to force overtime, but Breese denied New York kicker Graham Gano.

Jacksonville Jaguars 10-6 Tennessee Titans

Tank Bigsby ran for an eight-yard touchdown with 6:46 left and the Jacksonville Jaguars snapped a five-game skid and ended the Tennessee Titans’ slim playoff hopes by scoring the game’s final 10 points to to secure victory. Jacksonville came in already eliminated and Trevor Lawrence was out for the remainder of this season. The Jaguars leave with just their second win in the past 11 trips to Music City and second in the past three. The Titans needed to win to even have a playoff dream. Their last, best chance ended with 1:11 left when Will Levis missed Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the end zone and turned the ball over on downs. Both teams are 3-10.