Jaguars 36, Titans 22: The Titans built a 14-7 lead in the first quarter, and Derrick Henry finished the first half with 119 rushing yards, complete with one monster 50-yard carry. Things flipped in the second half. Trevor Lawrence ran in a score on the Jaguars’ first possession of the third quarter and threw a 21-yarder to Evan Engram on the next drive, forcing the Titans to throw the ball to keep pace. Henry had just 2 rushing yards in the second half while Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill struggled to cobble together an effective drive until midway through the fourth quarter. Too little too late.
Lions 34, Vikings 23: Throughout the week, the discussion about this game centered around the Lions being 2.5-point betting favorites despite having five fewer wins than their opponent. Detroit turned out to be better by double digits on the scoreboard. Lions quarterback Jared Goff provided just enough of a downfield threat to open up the offense. The Vikings still got everything they wanted through the air, including 223 receiving yards from Justin Jefferson, a single-game franchise record. But Minnesota’s run game was held to 22 yards on 17 carries, and the team lost two fumbles.
Bills 20, Jets 12: Playing in cold, wet weather in Orchard Park, N.Y., this game nearly went to halftime without a score from either side. The Jets’ offense was slow and disjointed behind Mike White, while the Bills’ Josh Allen misfired some throws before reverting back to running the ball to get Buffalo into the game. The Bills scored on four straight possessions beginning with a touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox to end the second quarter. Jets defensive end Quinnen Williams left the game in the second quarter with a calf injury.
Bengals 23, Browns 10: Joe Burrow got his first career win over the Browns, though Cleveland’s defense made him work for it. Playing most of the game without the receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, Burrow registered a 54.5 completion percentage, his worst of the season. Higgins re-aggravated his hamstring during warm-ups and was held out, while Boyd left early with a hand injury. Ja’Marr Chase finished with 119 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets, 10 more than any other Bengal.
Cowboys 27, Texans 23: Dak Prescott threw his second interception of the day with 5:47 remaining but came back with a 98-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to sneak the Cowboys past the Texans. Houston entered the week with one of the worst run defenses in the league, and gave up rushing scores to Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard before coming up with big stops late, but they weren’t enough.
Eagles 48, Giants 22: This match was never close as the Eagles roared out with a 24-point first half in which Jalen Hurts found A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith at will. Miles Sanders added 144 yards and two scores on the ground as Philadelphia controlled the whole affair.
Ravens 16, Steelers 14: Kenny Pickett took a big hit from Roquan Smith in the first quarter, and was replaced by Mitch Trubisky, who threw three interceptions. The Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley left in the third quarter with a concussion, leaving the offense in the hands of Anthony Brown, an undrafted rookie who mostly relied on handoffs. J.K. Dobbins returned to the Ravens’ lineup and gashed the Steelers for 120 yards on just 15 carries, nearly ripping off a 50-plus-yard touchdown in the first quarter before being brought down inside the 5-yard line. He scored on the next play anyway.
Derrik Klassen
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