NFL roundup: Colts shed OT deficit, sink Titans

 

[December 04, 2023]  Gardner Minshew hit Michael Pittman with a 4-yard touchdown pass with 2:31 left in overtime as the Indianapolis Colts outlasted the Tennessee Titans 31-28 on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

Minshew, who was 26 of 42 for 312 yards with two scores, found Alec Pierce for a 55-yard gain to the Titans 4 on Indianapolis' only possession of the extra period. Two plays later, Pittman caught his 11th pass of the day to keep the Colts (7-5) in playoff position in the AFC.

Tennessee rookie quarterback Will Levis completed 16 of 33 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown, while Derrick Henry rushed 21 times for 102 yards and two scores before leaving with a possible concussion in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee forced overtime when Levis found DeAndre Hopkins for a 3-yard touchdown with 5:26 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 25. But Nick Folk missed the extra point wide left, preventing the Titans (4-8) from winning in regulation.

Folk gave Tennessee a 28-25 edge with 4:19 remaining in overtime when he drilled a 46-yard field goal, capping a drive that lasted nearly six minutes.

49ers 42, Eagles 19

Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns and San Francisco overcame a shaky first quarter to pound host Philadelphia in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game.

Deebo Samuel caught four passes for 116 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) for the 49ers (9-3), who put together consecutive touchdown drives of 85, 90, 75, 77, 75 and 48 yards in a dominating performance.

Jalen Hurts completed 26 of 45 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for a score for the Eagles (10-2). DeVonta Smith (nine receptions, 96 yards) caught a touchdown pass and A.J. Brown had eight catches for 114 yards for Philadelphia, which had its five-game winning streak halted.

Texans, 22, Broncos 17

Jimmie Ward picked off Russell Wilson in the end zone with nine seconds remaining and host Houston escaped with a victory over Denver, though the Texans did lose a key part of their offense.

Nico Collins posted nine receptions for a career-high 191 yards and a touchdown for Houston (7-5). But receiver Tank Dell suffered what is reported to be a season-ending broken leg while blocking on a Dameon Pierce touchdown run.

Wilson was intercepted three times as Denver (6-6) had its five-game winning streak snapped.

Chargers 6, Patriots 0

Khalil Mack had a pair of sacks to headline a sparkling defensive performance by Los Angeles, which blanked New England in Foxborough, Mass.

The Chargers (5-7) totaled five sacks, two of which extinguished a potential fourth-quarter rally by New England. With the Patriots facing third-and-3 late in the fourth, Eric Kendricks got to quarterback Bailey Zappe for a 2-yard loss. New England opted to go for it on the ensuing fourth-and-5, but its offensive line faltered once again, letting Derwin James Jr. sack Zappe for a loss of 8.

Neither quarterback could find their footing due to rainy, cold conditions. Los Angeles' Justin Herbert completed 22 of 37 passes for 212 yards, while Zappe finished with 141 yards on 13-for-25 passing. Cameron Dicker kicked a pair of 38-yard field goals in the second quarter to provide the Chargers with all the offense they would need to snap a three-game skid.

Lions 33, Saints 28

Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and visiting Detroit held off New Orleans.

Goff completed 16 of 25 passes for 213 yards and Sam LaPorta caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown for the Lions (9-3), who jumped out to a 21-0 lead midway through the first quarter and led the rest of the way.

Derek Carr passed for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Saints (5-7), who lost their third straight game. Carr left the game early in the fourth quarter with shoulder and back injuries in addition to entering concussion protocol. Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston shared the remaining quarterback snaps.

Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) celebrates a touchdown with teammates against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons 13, Jets 8

Desmond Ridder completed 12 of 27 passes for 121 yards and the game's only touchdown to lead Atlanta past hapless New York in rainy East Rutherford, N.J.

The Falcons (6-6) moved to .500 with their second straight victory and continued to hold onto first place in the NFC South.

The Jets (4-8), meanwhile, benched a quarterback for the second time in three weeks as they lost their fifth game in a row. Tim Boyle went 14-of-25 passing for 148 yards and one interception before being replaced early in the fourth quarter by journeyman backup Trevor Siemian.

Cardinals 24, Steelers 10

James Conner rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries to lead Arizona to a win over host Pittsburgh.

Kyler Murray went 13-of-23 passing for 145 yards and a touchdown to flank Conner for the Cardinals (3-10). Steelers starting quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered an ankle injury during the second quarter and did not return. Mitch Trubisky replaced him and went 11-of-17 passing for 117 yards and a touchdown in defeat for Pittsburgh (7-5).

The contest was marred by two severe weather delays, which caused the game to end at about 5:20 p.m. ET.

Dolphins 45, Commanders 14

Tyreek Hill caught five passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns and Miami pulled away for an easy win over Washington in Landover, Md.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 18 of 24 passes for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Miami (9-3), which won its third straight game. De'Von Achane scored two rushing touchdowns and Raheem Mostert added one.

Sam Howell completed 12 of 23 passes for 127 yards and an interception for Washington (4-9). Howell rushed for two touchdowns as the Commanders lost their fourth game in a row.

Buccaneers 21, Panthers 18

Mike Evans racked up 162 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches to help quarterback Baker Mayfield earn a victory against one of his former teams as Tampa Bay beat visiting Carolina.

The Panthers (1-11), playing their first game under interim coach Chris Tabor after the firing of Frank Reich, held the lead for all of 10 seconds in the third quarter. That's when Evans struck for a long touchdown, and the Buccaneers (5-7) led the rest of the way.

Mayfield was 14-for-29 for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Running back Rachaad White gained 84 rushing yards on 20 carries for Tampa Bay. Evans has now gone over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 10 NFL seasons.

Rams 36, Browns 19

Matthew Stafford passed for 279 yards and three touchdowns and Lucas Havrisik kicked two field goals as Los Angeles defeated Cleveland in Inglewood, Calif., to extend its winning streak to three games.

Puka Nacua had 139 yards of total offense and a receiving touchdown for the Rams (6-6). Kyren Williams rushed for 88 yards and a score for Los Angeles, which remained in the thick of the NFC wild-card hunt.

AFC playoff hopeful Cleveland (7-5) lost for the second straight week, but Joe Flacco played effectively in his first start at quarterback for the team with 254 yards passing and two scores.

--Field Level Media

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