Around the N.F.L.
Giants 24, Texans 16: Saquon Barkley carried the ball 35 times for 152 yards and a touchdown, giving the Giants both consistency and explosiveness. Daniel Jones delivered the ball well on just 17 attempts and found Darius Slayton for multiple plays of at least 30 yards, including a short throw under pressure that Slayton took 54 yards for a score. Houston’s Davis Mills tried his best to keep up but saw constant pressure, taking four sacks.
Vikings 33, Bills 30 (overtime): Justin Jefferson’s one-handed snag in the fourth quarter to keep the game alive may be the catch of the season. Josh Allen fumbled for a Vikings touchdown but then led a field goal drive that sent the game to overtime, where Minnesota responded with a 33-yard field goal. Allen marched downfield but threw an interception to Patrick Peterson in the end zone, Peterson’s second of the game and Allen’s third red zone pick in two weeks, to seal the Vikings’ win.
Titans 17, Broncos 10: Despite receiver Jerry Jeudy going down early, the Broncos hit on a number of shot plays in the first half, including a 66-yard Russell Wilson touchdown pass to a wide-open Jalen Virgil. The Broncos dropped a 10-0 lead as Nick Westbrook-Ikhine’s 119 yards and two touchdowns led the way for Tennessee. Wilson’s goal-line interception ended Denver’s comeback attempt.
Steelers 20, Saints 10: New Orleans committed 10 penalties and gave away the ball twice, and Najee Harris’s 99 rushing yards on 20 carries helped Pittsburgh hold the ball for 38:56, completely suffocating the Saints.
Dolphins 39, Browns 17: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for 110 yards and a touchdown, but no Dolphin caught more than five passes as Tua Tagovailoa distributed the ball effectively. Tagovailoa finished 25 of 32 with three passing touchdowns and 285 yards in a game that was decided by the third quarter.
Kansas City 27, Jaguars 17: Kansas City found a role for the former Giants receiver Kadarius Toney, who had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown, as a horizontal stretch. Kansas City sent him on multiple jet sweeps, motions, and quick throws on the perimeter. But the team saw receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster leave the game in the second quarter after what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet hit left him motionless on the turf with his hands frozen in the air. There was no penalty on the tackle.
Lions 31, Bears 30: Justin Fields scored four touchdowns for the Bears but threw a pick-6 to Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah in the fourth quarter. Detroit’s Jared Goff operated well as a point-and-shoot passer, working to the tune of 9.1 yards per attempt without any of the turnovers that so often plague him.
Buccaneers 21, Seahawks 16: Tom Brady finally looked comfortable enough to dice up the Seahawks’ secondary for his highest quarterback rating of the season (85.9). Geno Smith strung together two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, but the Buccaneers killed the final four minutes to ensure Smith couldn’t get one last shot at the lead.
Derrik Klassen
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