Dec 3, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) drops back to pass during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Photo Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Tom Brady went 21-of-30 passing for 258 yards en route to his 27th career victory over the Buffalo Bills as the New England Patriots won 23-3 on Sunday for their eighth straight victory.
Brady, whose lone blip on the day was an interception, broke Brett Favre’s NFL record for most wins against a single opponent. Brady has won 14 of those games in Buffalo, tying former teammate Drew Bledsoe for the most by a quarterback at New Era Field (formerly Ralph Wilson Stadium) since 2001.
The Patriots (10-2) didn’t need Brady to be at his best to reach double-digit victories for the 15th straight season. They gained 191 of their 435 yards on the ground against the Bills (6-6).
Rex Burkhead rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns and Dion Lewis rushed for 92 yards. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, whose late hit on Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White with the game well in hand in the fourth quarter may net him a fine or suspension, caught nine passes for 147 yards.
Vikings 14, Falcons 9
ATLANTA — Case Keenum threw two short touchdown passes and Minnesota extended its winning streak to eight games by holding Atlanta to three field goals.
Keenum, the NFC Player of the Month for November, completed 25-of-30 passes for 227 yards as the Vikings improved to 10-2 and all but locked up first place in the NFC North.
Julio Jones, blanked by cornerback Xavier Rhodes, had just two catches for 24 yards a week after torching Tampa Bay for 253 yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches. The Falcons fell to 7-5.
49ers 15, Bears 14
CHICAGO — Robbie Gould made all five of his field-goal attempts, including a go-ahead kick with 4 seconds to go, and San Francisco rallied for a win over Chicago.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed 26 of 37 passes for 293 yards in his first start with the 49ers. He engineered a 14-play, 86-yard scoring drive in the final six minutes to set up Gould’s final field goal.
San Francisco (2-10) won for the second time in the past three games and earned its first road victory of the season. Chicago (3-9) lost its fifth straight game and dropped to 2-5 at home.
Jaguars 30, Colts 10
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Quarterback Blake Bortles threw for 309 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions as Jacksonville defeated Indianapolis.
The Jaguars (8-4) remain tied for first place in the AFC South with Tennessee and rebounded well from a disappointing 27-24 loss at Arizona last week. Jacksonville has also locked in its first non-losing season since 2010 and will have four chances to achieve its first winning season in a decade.
Bortles led the Jaguars to a sweep over the Colts (3-9), completing 26-of-35 passes and elevating his play on third down. The Jaguars converted nine times in 15 situations.
Ravens 44, Lions 20
BALTIMORE — Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes and Alex Collins ran for a pair of scores to lead Baltimore past Detroit.
Baltimore improved to 7-5 and boosted its chances for a spot in the postseason. The Lions, meanwhile, fell to 6-6 and will need some help to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Detroit trailed 20-0 at the half, but Matthew Stafford completed 20 consecutive passes to help the Lions get back in the game.
Packers 26, Buccaneers 20 (OT)
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Jones rushed for a 20-yard touchdown with 5:59 remaining in overtime as Green Bay defeated Tampa Bay.
Green Bay (6-6) won the overtime coin toss and won the game on the first carry of the contest for Jones, who missed the last two games with a knee injury. He was stacked up at the line of scrimmage, bounced left, got a block from receiver Jordy Nelson and dived into the end zone.
Tampa Bay fell to 4-8 as quarterback Jameis Winston returned after missing the past three games with a shoulder injury. He passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns and running back Peyton Barber ran for 102 yards.
Dolphins 35, Broncos 9
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.– Miami’s swarming defense held Denver out of the end zone and scored twice to lift the Dolphins to a win over Denver.
The win by Miami (5-7) snapped a five-game losing streak that dated back to Halloween weekend in a 31-28 home win over the New York Jets.
Denver (3-9) dropped its eighth straight contest and hasn’t been victorious since a 16-10 home win over Oakland on Oct. 1.
Jets 38, Chiefs 31
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Quarterback Josh McCown plunged in from a yard out for the go-ahead touchdown as New York outlasted Kansas City.
Kansas City (6-6) has now lost six of seven, including four straight, and its hold atop the AFC West is now tenuous, at best. The Jets (5-7) ended a stretch of five losses in six games with one of the weirder finishes you’ll ever see in an NFL game.
Bennie Logan had a personal foul penalty on a field-goal attempt with 3:58 to play to give the Jets a first down, and Steven Nelson had a holding penalty on third down with 2:39 left to give the Jets another first down. Finally, after 10 goal-to-goal plays, McCown found the end zone to give New York a 36-31 lead.
Titans 24, Texans 13
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Rallying from an early 10-0 deficit Sunday, Tennessee dumped Houston to keep pace with Jacksonville atop the AFC South.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota accounted for both Tennessee touchdowns, snapping a tie with three seconds left in the third quarter when he found tight end Delanie Walker for a 24-yard scoring strike over the middle.
That completed an 80-yard drive that saw the Titans (8-4) convert a fourth-and-1 at the Houston 27 on a 3-yard run by Derrick Henry right before Mariota’s touchdown pass. The Texans fell to 4-8.
