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Rahm Shoots (62), Shares Lead at CJ

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RIDGEWOOD (SC) – Jon Rahm of Spain set the course-record (62) at Congaree Golf Club and holds 36-hole lead/co-lead for seventh time in his career. Making first start of 2022-23 season, Rahm shot a 9-under and holed 10 birdies before making bogey at No. 18.

Kurt Kitayama earned his first career 36-hole lead/co-lead on Tour and now seeks his maiden PGA Tour victory.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy is two shots back in search of the second successful title defense of his career. Following a 1-over (37) on the front nine, McIlroy (5th/-9) closed with a 5-under 30 for 67. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (3.614) after 36 holes. The other title defense in his career was at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.

Australian Cam Davis (T3/-10) recorded six birdies in R-2, including four in his last seven holes, for his second consecutive (66). He owns 10 Top-10 finishes in 104 career Tour starts including one victory coming at the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Leaderboard After 36 Holes

Kurt Kitayama 66-65–131 (-11)

Jon Rahm 69-62–131 (-11)

Cam Davis 66-66–132 (-10)

Aaron Wise 66-66–132 (-10)

Rory McIlroy 66-67–133 (-9)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Mullinex, Woodland Lead at CJ Cup

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RIDGEWOOD (SC) – In first-round action at The CJ Cup, Trey Mullinax earned his third career 18-hole lead/co-lead on Tour with an opening 6-under (65) while Gary Woodland birdied his final two holes to share the lead in search of his first Top-10 since the 2022 U.S. Open.

Rory McIlroy opened his 2022-23 season with a bogey-free (66) and is seeking the second successful title defense of his career. Playing together for the first time on Tour, McIlroy and Tom Kim combined to shoot 10-under and sit T-3.

Of the 13 Korean players in the field, Tom Kim sits highest on the leaderboard after 18 holes.

Congaree Golf club has hosted one other PGA TOUR event, the 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree, won by Garrick Higgo (not in the field this weekend). Of the 19 players in this week’s field who competed at Congaree in 2021, Tyrrell Hatton, Sungjae Im and Seamus Power all shot (67) and sit T-9. Hatton, Im and Power finished T-2, T-35 and T-19, respectively, at the 2021 Palmetto Championship.

Leaderboard After 18 Holes

Trey Mullinax 65 (-6)

Gary Woodland – 65 (-6)

Aaron Wise – 66 (-5)

Wyndham Clark – 66 (-5)

Tom Kim – 66 (-5)

Rory McIlroy – 66 (-5)

Cam Davis – 66 (-5)

Kurt Kitayama – 66 (-5)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour Sports Desk: CJ Cup

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RIDGELAND, South Carolina – At 8:15am (ET) this morning, 21 of the top 30 golfers in the Official World Golf Rankings will tee-it-up at The CJ Cup in South Carolina. The venue, the Congaree Golf Club, will be the fourth golf course to host the event, the third in the United States. From 2017-to-2019, the event was played at Nine Bridges in South Korea. In the USA, the location was at Shadow Creek (2020) and Summit Club (2021) in Las Vegas.

There are 13 players (second most of tournament) from Korea playing this week, including Sungjae Im and Tom Kim, two frequent residents of the PGA Tour’s leaderboards. The USA has 45 players competing and England – third most this week – has four golfers.

Reigning FedEx Cup and 2021 CJ Cup champion Rory McIlroy is making his debut since winning at the TOUR Championship in August. Jon Rahm of Spain is making his season debut as well. Rahm finished T-5th in the 2021-22 FedEx Cup standings.

Rickie Fowler, who finished as runner-up last weekend at the ZOZO Championship in Japan, now has two Top 10s in three starts this Fall. Fowler finished T-3 in the 2021 CJ Cup as he makes his 300th start on Tour today. Keegan Bradley won the ZOZO last weekend.

The CJ Cup in South Carolina | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Congaree Golf Club, Ridgewood, South Carolina

YARDS/PAR: 7,655 yards/Par 71

ARCHITECT: Tom Fazio (2018)

PRIZE Money – Purse: $10,500,000/$1,890,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Rory McIlroy

PAST HISTORY: (link)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup

NFL Sports Desk: Saints, Cards on TNF

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GLENDALE – (Staff and Wire Service Preview from Field Level Media) – The New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals both had high expectations entering the season. But both are off to 2-4 starts as they try to get their campaigns headed in the right direction when they meet tonight in Arizona.

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The Cardinals lost two offensive starters to major injuries during a 19-9 loss at Seattle last Sunday. Left guard Justin Pugh suffered a torn ACL that will end his season and wide receiver Marquise Brown will miss at least several weeks because of a foot injury.

“It’s tough anytime you lose starters that you’re depending on in your offense,” Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “But it’s the NFL and everybody is dealing with the same thing. We’ve got to be able to continue to play and improve, so we’ll make adjustments and go from there.”

The Cardinals got a boost when wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins came off the suspended list Monday and the team bolstered the position further by trading two draft choices to the Carolina Panthers for Robbie Anderson.

Hopkins is expected to make his season debut against the Saints and Kingsbury said he’s hopeful Anderson will be able to play, though the short week provides limited practice opportunities.

“I’m really excited to see what he brings,” Kingsbury said of Hopkins. “He’s a guy you can throw out and expect to make plays, there’s no doubt. We’ll see how he fits in, but he’s the centerpiece of it.”

Three Arizona starters — center Rodney Hudson (knee), running back James Conner (ribs) and kicker Matt Prater (hip) — missed practice Tuesday, as did backup running back Darrel Williams (knee).

[Read more…] about NFL Sports Desk: Saints, Cards on TNF

NFL Sports Desk: Black Friday Football

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – A Black Friday NFL game will make its debut in 2023. Amazon and the NFL announced Tuesday that Prime Video will stream the first-ever traditional shopping-day game on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, at 3:00pm (ET).

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“Thanksgiving is synonymous with football and we’re excited to give our fans another day of NFL action during this holiday weekend,” said Hans Schroeder, chief operating officer for NFL Media. “Amazon is uniquely positioned to partner with us for this game as Black Friday is one of the most important days of the year for their business.”

Three NFL games are played on Thanksgiving day, including one in prime time.

Amazon is in its first season of streaming Thursday night games as part of a deal that runs through the 2033 season.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Earn No. 324 Win for Belichick

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Reserve quarterback Bailey Zappe threw for a career-high 309 yards and his visiting New England Patriots posted a late lead to defeat the Cleveland Browns 38-15 on Sunday afternoon.

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TIED for SECOND: Bill Belichick won No. 324

Zappe completed 24 of 34 passes and tossed two touchdowns to lead New England (3-3) to its second consecutive win. Rhamondre Stevenson finished with 76 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and four receivers eclipsed the 60-yard mark.

It was the 324th victory (including postseason) for Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who is now tied with George Halas for the second-most wins in NFL history.

Down 24-6 heading into the fourth, Cleveland (2-4) pulled within 24-15 thanks to a 51-yard field goal from Cade York and Amari Cooper’s 15-yard touchdown reception from Jacoby Brissett. The Browns then attempted an onside kick and recovered, but the call was overturned upon review.

Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton then rushed for a 19-yard touchdown and Stevenson later added a 6-yard score on the ground to put the game out of reach.

Brissett threw for 266 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions on 21-of-45 passing for Cleveland, while Nick Chubb was held to 56 yards on 12 rushes.

The Patriots put together an impressive seven-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half. Zappe connected with Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry for gains of 53 and 13 yards, respectively, before hooking up with Thornton in the end zone from 2 yards out.

It was Thornton’s first career touchdown.

[Read more…] about Patriots Earn No. 324 Win for Belichick

NFL Sports Desk: SNF Marquee Matchup

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Field Level Media Report) – Dallas oft-injured quarterback Dak Prescott participated in individual drills and was more involved in Thursday’s practice than the Dallas Cowboys anticipated, making enough improvement that he’s officially questionable for tonight’s game at Philadelphia.

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Lead receiver CeeDee Lamb missed Friday’s practice with a hip injury, but Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones signaled the absence was more precaution than panic.

“He’s just working through a couple things there. Just felt like it was best for him not to practice today. We feel like he’ll get all that sorted out for the game,” Jones said Friday to 105.3 FM in Dallas.

Prescott was upgraded to limited participation Thursday, his first practice in more than four weeks, from being listed as DNP on Wednesday.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said the result of the uptick in throwing is a sore surgically repaired right thumb. That prompted the Cowboys to rest Prescott and keep him out of Friday’s team work. McCarthy said the Cowboys consider Prescott in “regeneration” mode.

Prescott is nearly five weeks removed from fracturing the thumb on his throwing hand in the Sept. 11 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McCarthy said the big picture remains entirely positive with Prescott, who will resume throwing Saturday and before Sunday’s game at Philadelphia.

“The last two days he hit the target. (Friday) will be a recovery day for him,” McCarthy said. “We’re on schedule. He’s getting better.”

Dallas’ Reserve QB Cooper Rush is in line to start his fifth consecutive game since Prescott went down.

The Cowboys (4-1) do expect linebacker Micah Parsons (groin) and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (chest) to be on the field for the NFC East showdown with the Eagles (5-0).

Rush said it’s important to note Prescott hasn’t been on the field, but he has impacted the end result.

“I’ve said before he’s helped tremendously with our room, myself, and everyone else on the sidelines,” Rush said. “He’s bringing energy, that’s just who he is as a person or a leader.”

–Field Level Media

Bills, Chiefs Reunite in Playoff Rematch

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) The Buffalo Bills return to the scene of a painful playoff loss when they visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.

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The Bills seemingly were en route to an AFC Divisional round victory when they went ahead with 13 seconds left in regulation this past January, but the Chiefs tied the contest with a field goal and eventually won 42-36 in overtime on Patrick Mahomes’ 8-yard scoring pass to Travis Kelce.

Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said the heartbreaking loss serves as an educational experience.

“I think just overall, you learn a lot through your experience, whether it’s positive or negative, and you can use it as you move forward as a person individually, as a team in this case,” McDermott told reporters on Wednesday. “I think when you’re in those games, just being in those games to begin with is a great educator for us as coaches, players and our football team.”

The Chiefs (4-1) and Bills (4-1) are tied for best record in the AFC. This will be the fifth meeting in the past two-plus seasons, with the teams splitting two regular-season contests and Kansas City winning a pair of playoff games.

The contest also arguably pits the top two quarterbacks in the NFL in Mahomes and Buffalo’s Josh Allen.

Mahomes leads the NFL with 15 touchdown passes while throwing for 1,398 yards and two interceptions. He threw four touchdown passes to Kelce in Monday night’s 30-29 home win over the Las Vegas Raiders. It marks the 15th time he has thrown four or more scoring passes in a regular-season game.

Kelce’s scoring receptions were topped by just one tight end in NFL history. Kellen Winslow of the famed “Air Coryell” San Diego Chargers caught five against the then-Oakland Raiders in 1981.

“Being down by 17, nobody cracked, and you didn’t see doubt in anybody’s eyes. All it did was build the beast, make us rally together and fight for each other,” Kelce said of the comeback victory. “We know we can play some good football when we have that kind of mentality.”

Allen leads the NFL with 1,651 passing yards, including a career-high 424 yards in last Sunday’s 38-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He threw four touchdowns, all in the first half, to raise his season count to 14 against four interceptions.

He is no longer interested in hearing anything about the game that got away nine months ago.

“We moved on. We’re ready to focus on this week,” Allen said. “I know everybody in the media will make a big deal out of it but as players, it really is just our next game on the schedule. Nothing we did last year carries over to this year.”

The two stars have a friendly relationship despite all the recent clashes.

“When you go up against the other great quarterback in the league, you always want to win, you always want to compete,” Mahomes said on Wednesday. “Josh is a great guy. He’s a great quarterback, physically talented. He can throw, he can run, he can do it all.

“When we’re on the football field, we’re competing against each other and we want to beat each other’s teams. I have a ton of respect for him and the player and person that he is.”

Both teams have won two straight games since dropping games in Week 3 — Kansas City lost 20-17 to the host Indianapolis Colts while the Bills fell 21-19 to the host Miami Dolphins.

Buffalo listed defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle) as a full practice participant on Wednesday for the initial time since he was injured in Week 1. Receiver Isaiah McKenzie (concussion) also was a full-go after missing the Pittsburgh game. Missing the workout for injury reasons were running back Taiwan Jones (knee) and receiver Jake Kumerow (ankle).

Kansas City safety Bryan Cook (concussion), defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (knee) and cornerbacks Rashad Fenton (hamstring) and Chris Lammons (hip) missed practice Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

LA Rams Face Panthers, New Coach

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Field Level Media Report) – The coaching change with the Carolina Panthers has been a much-scrutinized topic this week. Perhaps to some degree that has overshadowed the struggles of the defending Super Bowl champions. The Los Angeles Rams are 2-3 and looking shaky, particularly on offense.

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They’ll try to get that turned around against the visiting Panthers (1-4) today in Inglewood.

Matt Rhule is out as Carolina’s coach, unable to make it through his third season. Steve Wilks, with a background as a defensive coach, takes over as interim head coach.

“I want to be a part of trying to turn this thing around,” Wilks said. “My history with this organization before is when we won three straight NFC South championships, so I know what it takes.”

This is the second time in four seasons that the Panthers have an interim coach. Ron Rivera was fired before completing the 2019 season, with Perry Fewell taking over for the rest of that season, though that move came in early December.

There’s more time to salvage this season, though it looks like the Panthers will have to do it with a backup quarterback. Nearly lost in all the news coming out of Charlotte is that quarterback Baker Mayfield is likely to be out with an ankle injury. He didn’t take any practice reps Wednesday.

So, this means P.J. Walker will be ready to make his first start of the season for the Panthers. He ended up in a fill-in role last year.

“This situation coming up now, we’ll see what happens on Sunday,” Walker said. “Every day I prepare as if I’m playing, so I never really got away from being prepared for games.”

The Panthers have won just one of four home games this season, most recently tumbling 37-15 to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rams have scored one touchdown in each of their past two games in falling to the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. Despite those shortcomings, receiver Cooper Kupp has maintained strong production with a league-leading 49 receptions to go with 105.4 receiving yards per game. He has scored four touchdowns.

But in general, finding the right formula remains a quest for the Rams.

“We’ve got a decision to be able to make about how we respond and I do trust that this response is in alignment up to this point with exactly what we’re hunting up to have a good performance against the Panthers,” coach Sean McVay said.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is conducting the offense, so the Rams should be well-equipped to turn it around. The problem has been an injury-riddled offensive line that has stripped the unit of much continuity. Matt Skura was signed this week and could be the fourth center used this season.

That has shown up with Stafford being sacked 21 times. Those turned into a pair of fumbles in the Dallas game, pushing the Rams’ turnover total to 12 for second-most in the NFL.

“It’s really hard to beat the other team if you don’t stop beating yourself,” McVay said.

Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner said: “We’ve got to understand that we’re close. We just have to eliminate some of the plays that have hurt us.”

Meanwhile, LA running back Cam Akers will not play for the Rams because of personal reasons, signaling his future with the team suddenly is clouded. The third-year back out of Florida State did not practice Thursday and on Friday.

Panthers starting cornerback Jaycee Horn (ribs) did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.

Carolina is 12-9 all-time against the Rams’ franchise.

–Field Level Media

NFL

NFL Sports Desk: Round-Up

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Buffalo QB Josh Allen threw the decisive 14-yard touchdown pass to TE Dawson Knox with 1:04 remaining and Taron Johnson sealed the contest with an interception 13 seconds later as the Bills notched a 24-20 victory over host Kansas City Chiefs Sunday.

Allen passed for 329 yards and three touchdowns for the Bills, who have the best record in the AFC. Stefon Diggs had 10 receptions for 148 yards and one touchdown, Gabe Davis had a scoring catch and Kaiir Elam also had an interception for Buffalo.

Patrick Mahomes passed for 338 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Chiefs (4-2). JuJu Smith-Schuster caught five passes for 113 yards and one touchdown, and Travis Kelce had eight catches for 108 yards. Kelce caught a pass for the 132nd consecutive regular-season game, breaking a tie with Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for the longest streak in Chiefs’ history. Harrison Butker kicked a franchise-record 62-yard field goal for the Chiefs.

Butker booted a 44-yard goal to give the Chiefs a 20-17 lead with 9:49 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Allen later guided the Bills on a 12-play, 76-yard drive and hit Knox for the go-ahead points. An 18-yard completion to Diggs and a 16-yard keeper by Allen were among the key plays on the excursion.

Eagles 26, Cowboys 17

Unbeaten host Philadelphia capped an electric sports weekend by ending NFC East rival Dallas’ four-game winning streak.

The Eagles (6-0) soared to a 20-0 lead late in the first half and held on. Dallas (4-2) slipped to third place in the division behind the New York Giants (5-1). Across the street, the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves on Friday and Saturday to advance to the National League Championship Series.

Jalen Hurts passed for 155 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles matched the 1981 team for the second-best start in franchise history. Hurts’ 7-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith with 7:02 remaining capped the scoring and helped to thwart a Cowboys comeback bid. Momentum shifted in the third quarter, as the Cowboys got within 20-10 on Ezekiel Elliott’s 14-yard run. Cooper Rush’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Jake Ferguson trimmed the Dallas deficit to 20-17 with 14:39 left in the game.

Falcons 28, 49ers 14

Marcus Mariota led a time-consuming offense with near-perfect accuracy, throwing two passing touchdowns and adding a rushing score to lead Atlanta over visiting San Francisco.

After a 13-for-13 start, Mariota finished 13-for-14 for 129 yards and the two scores. He also contributed 50 yards and a touchdown on six carries, helping the Falcons outrush the visitors 168-50 en route to a third win in their last four outings.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw two first-half touchdown passes to Brandon Aiyuk, but also mixed in a pair of interceptions on a 29-for-41, 296-yard day. George Kittle and Aiyuk each finished with eight catches for 83 yards for the 49ers.

Patriots 38, Browns 15

Bailey Zappe completed 24 of 34 passes for a career-high 309 yards and two touchdowns and visiting New England held on to a late lead to defeat Cleveland.

Rhamondre Stevenson finished with 76 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and four receivers eclipsed the 60-yard mark for the Patriots. Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton had a receiving touchdown and a 19-yard rushing score.

The Browns pulled within 24-15 thanks to a 51-yard field goal from Cade York and Amari Cooper’s 15-yard touchdown reception from Jacoby Brissett. The Browns then attempted an onside kick and recovered, but the call was overturned upon review. Brissett threw for 266 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions on 21-of-45 passing.

Jets 27, Packers 10

Rookie running back Breece Hall ran for 116 yards and a touchdown as New York toppled host Green Bay.

The Jets moved ahead with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter on a sweep to wide receiver Braxton Berrios for a 20-yard touchdown. Less than three minutes later, Jets defensive lineman Micheal Clemons blocked Pat O’Donnell’s punt. It was recovered by safety Will Parks, who ran 20 yards for a touchdown and a 17-3 lead.

Aaron Rodgers found Allen Lazard for a 25-yard touchdown for the Packers, but Hall broke off a 34-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter as the Jets won their third straight game.

Colts 34, Jaguars 27

Matt Ryan set a franchise record for completions with 42, including a game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass to rookie Alec Pierce with 17 seconds left as host Indianapolis rallied for a win over Jacksonville.

Ryan, who attempted 58 passes and threw for 389 yards with three scores, hit Pierce for his first NFL touchdown and prevented the Colts from needing to attempt a long field goal for the win.

Jacksonville took a 27-26 lead with 2:44 remaining when Trevor Lawrence found Christian Kirk for a 4-yard scoring strike. Lawrence enjoyed an efficient if not huge statistical day, hitting 20 of 22 attempts for 163 yards and adding a pair of short touchdown runs.

Vikings 24, Dolphins 16

Kirk Cousins completed 20 of 30 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns, Dalvin Cook capped his homecoming with a late 53-yard touchdown run and Minnesota extended its winning streak to four games by winning at Miami.

The Vikings dominated on defense most of the game, recording six sacks, led by two each for Za’Darius Smith and Pat Jones.

For the third consecutive game, the Dolphins were forced to switch quarterbacks. Teddy Bridgewater, just out of concussion protocol, followed Skylar Thompson (thumb) and completed 23 of 34 passes for 329 yards and two TDs, but was intercepted twice and sacked five times.

Bengals 30, Saints 26

Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes as visiting Cincinnati came from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat New Orleans.

Burrow completed 28 of 37 passes for 300 yards and connected with Ja’Marr Chase for two touchdowns in the second half as the Bengals took the lead for the first time with 1:57 remaining.

Former Bengal Andy Dalton, making his third consecutive start in place of the injured Jameis Winston, passed for 162 yards and a touchdown for the Saints.

Giants 24, Ravens 20

Julian Love’s interception set up Saquon Barkley’s go-ahead, 1-yard touchdown with 1:43 remaining to lift New York over Baltimore at East Rutherford, N.J.

The Giants rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 12:54 after Lamar Jackson’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews gave the Ravens a 20-10 lead. Daniel Jones went 19-for-27 passing for 173 yards with two touchdowns, while Barkley rushed for 83 yards and a score on 22 carries.

Jackson went 17-for-32 passing for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception, in addition to rushing for 77 yards on seven carries. He also fumbled on the Ravens’ final possession, sealing the loss. Kenyan Drake rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

Steelers 20, Buccaneers 18

Mitchell Trubisky tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chase Claypool early in the fourth quarter to lift host Pittsburgh to a victory over Tampa Bay.

In for an injured Kenny Pickett, Trubisky completed 9 of 12 passes for 144 yards and Claypool had seven receptions for 96 yards. The two connected on a scoring strike with 9:55 left in the fourth quarter to help the Steelers snap a four-game losing skid.

Tom Brady hooked up with Leonard Fournette on an 11-yard touchdown to bring Tampa Bay within two with 4:38 to play. Brady, however, was unable to connect with Chris Godwin on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.

Rams 24, Panthers 10

Wide receiver Ben Skowronek scored on a 17-yard run in the final seconds of the third quarter to help lift Los Angeles past visiting Carolina.

Darrell Henderson Jr. scored on a 2-yard run midway through the fourth quarter as the Rams picked up 232 of their 360 total yards after halftime. The Panthers were brutal on offense in their first game under interim coach Steve Wilks after Monday’s firing of Matt Rhule. Their only touchdown came on an interception return.

Matthew Stafford threw for 253 yards on 26-for-33 passing with a touchdown and an interception for the Rams. Donte Jackson returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown that provided the Panthers with a 10-7 lead with 1:58 to play in the first half.

Seahawks 19, Cardinals 9

Rookie Kenneth Walker III, making his first career start, rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and Seattle kept Arizona’s offense out of the end zone to coast to victory.

Jason Myers kicked four field goals — from 39, 27, 34 and 32 yards — for the Seahawks, who pulled into a first-place tie with the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West while leaving the Cardinals alone in last.

With Seattle leading 12-3, the game’s first touchdown came via Arizona’s special teams with 54 seconds left in the third quarter. Michael Dickson stood just inside his own goal line ready to punt when the Cardinals’ Ezekiel Turner rushed untouched up the middle. Dickson, realizing he had no chance to get a kick away, tried to run but Turner forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Chris Banjo in the end zone. Matt Ammendola missed the extra point, leaving Seattle with a 12-9 lead.

–Field Level Media