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NFL Desk: NFL Sunday Round-Up

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Rookie Ahmad Gardner broke up Josh Allen’s final pass with 33 seconds remaining as the New York Jets rallied for a dramatic 20-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon in New Jersey.

The Jets (6-3) took their three-point lead after Greg Zuerlein kicked a 28-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining, capping a 13-play drive where New York ran nine times and forced Buffalo (6-2) to use its three remaining timeouts.

On the Bills’ final possession, New York defensive end Bryce Huff hit Josh Allen’s right arm resulting in a 19-yard loss and a fumble recovered by Buffalo’s Ryan Bates at the 14-yard line. After the fumble, Allen made a low throw to Stefon Diggs and was seen holding his arm. The game then ended when Gardner kept pace with Gabe Davis along the left sideline and broke up Allen’s pass.

New York quarterback Zach Wilson completed 18 of 25 passes for 154 yards and a 7-yard touchdown pass to James Robinson in the third quarter. His final completion was a 12-yard slant to Denzel Mims that set up the game-winning field goal. Allen rushed for two TDs in the first half as Buffalo built a 14-3 lead. He completed 18 of 34 passes for 205 yards while gaining 86 yards on nine rushes.

Chiefs 20, Titans 17 (OT)

Harrison Butker kicked a 28-yard field goal with 4:04 left in overtime and Patrick Mahomes passed for 446 yards as Kansas City recorded an overtime victory over visiting Tennessee.

Mahomes established career highs of 43 completions and 68 attempts to help the Chiefs (6-2) end their four-game losing streak versus the Titans. He passed for one touchdown and one interception and also rushed for a career-best 63 yards while scoring once on the ground.

Derrick Henry rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns for Tennessee, which had a five-game winning streak halted. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill missed his second straight game due to an ankle injury. Rookie Malik Willis completed just 5 of 16 passes for 80 yards in his second career start.

Chargers 20, Falcons 17

Fill-in kicker Cameron Dicker booted a 37-yard field goal as time expired in his debut with Los Angeles, which earned the victory at Atlanta.

Austin Ekeler rushed for one touchdown and caught another. Justin Herbert passed for 245 yards, one score and one interception as the Chargers (5-3) won for the fourth time in the past five games.

Cordarrelle Patterson rushed for two touchdowns and Marcus Mariota passed for 129 yards for Atlanta (4-5). Tyler Allgeier had 123 yards from scrimmage, including 99 on the ground.

Dolphins 35, Bears 32

Tua Tagovailoa passed for 302 yards and three touchdowns and Tyreek Hill had 143 receiving yards and a score as Miami won in Chicago. Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes while connecting with Hill, Jaylen Waddle and recent acquisition Jeff Wilson for touchdowns.

Miami (6-3) notched its third straight victory, despite a strong effort from Chicago (3-6) quarterback Justin Fields, who passed for three touchdowns, ran for another and accounted for 301 yards of total offense. Fields’ 178 rushing yards broke Michael Vick’s record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a regular-season game.

Chicago finished with 252 yards on the ground, as the Bears joined the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers as the only franchises in the Super Bowl era to run for 225-plus yards in four straight games.

Bengals 42, Panthers 21

Joe Mixon tallied a career-best five touchdowns, four of which came in the first half, as Cincinnati dominated Carolina in a home rout.

Mixon recorded 171 of his 211 total yards in the first half. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 206 yards and also recorded a rushing touchdown for the Bengals (5-4).

Panthers quarterback PJ Walker threw for nine yards in the first half until previous starter Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes in relief. The Panthers (2-7) recorded a meager 228 yards of total offense.

Lions 15, Packers 9

Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and host Detroit snapped a five-game losing streak while handing Green Bay its fifth straight loss.

Goff threw for 137 yards, while Jamaal Williams gained 81 yards on 24 carries. Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell scored the first touchdowns of their careers for the Lions (2-6).

Aaron Rodgers threw for 291 yards and a touchdown for the Packers (3-6), but was intercepted three times. Allen Lazard caught four passes for 87 yards and a score.

Jaguars 27, Raiders 20

Travis Etienne Jr. rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns as Jacksonville rallied to beat Las Vegas after trailing 17-0 at home.

Trevor Lawrence, who threw for 235 yards, found Christian Kirk for a 7-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Etienne scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to give Jacksonville (3-6) its first lead of the game.

Las Vegas (2-6) star receiver Davante Adams recorded 146 yards on 10 catches. Derek Carr threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns as Las Vegas fell to 0-5 on the road.

Patriots 26, Colts 3

Matthew Judon and Josh Uche recorded three sacks apiece to headline a stellar defensive effort in New England’s home rout of Indianapolis.

New England (5-4) totaled nine sacks as a team and Jonathan Jones recorded a punt block. New England quarterback Mac Jones threw for 147 yards and a touchdown pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson that put the game out of reach.

Indianapolis quarterback Sam Ehlinger finished with 103 passing yards and an interception in his second-career start replacing veteran Matt Ryan. Indianapolis (3-5-1) recorded eight first downs and 121 yards of total offense.

Vikings 20, Commanders 17

Greg Joseph converted a 28-yard field goal with 12 seconds left as Minnesota rallied from a 17-7 fourth-quarter deficit to top Washington in Landover, Md.

Joseph’s game-winning kick came four plays after he made a 22-yarder with 1:52 remaining to break the tie. But Washington was flagged for unnecessary roughness for contact with the long snapper. That enabled Minnesota (7-1) to burn most of the remaining time and tee up the deciding kick.

Kirk Cousins completed 22 of 40 passes for 265 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his first game in Washington since leaving the franchise five years ago. His 12-yard scoring strike to Dalvin Cook with 7:46 on the clock evened the score at 17. Taylor Heinicke hit 15 of 28 passes for 149 yards with two scores and a pick for the Commanders (4-5). He put them ahead 17-7 on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dax Milne just 46 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Seahawks 31, Cardinals 21

Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes while overcoming a pick-6 to lead Seattle past Arizona in Glendale, Ariz.

Rookie Kenneth Walker III rushed for a game-high 109 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the NFC West-leading Seahawks (6-3), who won their fourth consecutive game. Smith completed 26 of 34 passes for 275 yards and added 38 rushing yards on six carries.

The last-place Cardinals (3-6) lost their second in a row and for the fourth time in their past five games. Arizona’s Kyler Murray was 25-of-35 passing for 175 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 60 yards on eight attempts.

Buccaneers 16, Rams 13

Tom Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 100,000 yards — counting playoff games — and led a last-minute drive to push host Tampa Bay to a win over Los Angeles.

Brady drove Tampa Bay (4-5) 60 yards in 35 seconds with no timeouts, finding rookie tight end Cade Otton for a 1-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining. Brady completed 36 of 58 passes for 280 yards as the Buccaneers moved into a tie with Atlanta for first place in the NFC South. Ryan Succop kicked three field goals for Tampa Bay.

Matthew Stafford connected on just 13 of 27 attempts for 165 yards and a touchdown for the Rams (3-5).

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Brady Surpasses 100,000 Career Yards

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TAMPA/St. PETERSBURG – (Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) –  Tom Brady became the first player in NFL history to rack up 100,000 career passing yards across the regular season and playoffs Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback entered Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Rams standing at 99,836 total yards. He surpassed 100,000 on a fourth-quarter pass to running back Leonard Fournette, who went 15 yards on a third-down play.

“I think for me it’s a credit to all the guys that I’ve played with, and who have blocked for me, who have caught passes,” Brady said after the game. “I think I can’t do (expletive) in this league without guys doing what they are amazing at, too.”

Brady made sure the milestone happened in a winning effort. He engineered a 60-yard drive in 35 seconds with no timeouts and connected with rookie tight end Cade Otton on 1-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining to lift Tampa Bay over the Rams, 16-13. That play gave Brady 280 passing yards for the game and 100,116 for his career.

It marked another NFL record — Brady’s 55th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, breaking a tie with Peyton Manning.

Brady already owns the career regular-season passing yards record, which he took from Drew Brees last season. Brees is a distant second on the list for regular-season plus postseason yardage, at 85,724.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Brady Mounts Comeback Win

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TAMPA/St. PETERSBURG – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Tom Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 100,000 yards — counting playoff games — and led a last-minute drive Sunday to pace the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 16-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Brady drove Tampa Bay (4-5) 60 yards in 35 seconds with no timeouts, finding rookie tight end Cade Otton for a 1-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining. Otton’s 28-yard catch over the middle on the drive’s first play pushed the Bucs into Los Angeles territory and a pass interference call in the end zone set up a first-and-goal.

Brady completed 36 of 58 passes for 280 yards as the Buccaneers won for just the second time in seven games and moved into a tie with Atlanta for first place in the NFC South.

Matthew Stafford connected on just 13 of 27 attempts for 165 yards and a touchdown for the Rams (3-5), who now trail Seattle by 2 1/2 games in the NFC West. Los Angeles has been outscored 71-10 in the fourth quarter this year.

Ryan Succop kicked three field goals for Tampa Bay, its only points until Brady assured his record-setting effort would come as part of a much-needed win.

In a rematch of January’s NFC Divisional Round classic — won by Los Angeles on a last-play field goal by Matt Gay — the teams spent the first half demonstrating why neither is anywhere near that level in 2022.

Tampa Bay initiated scoring on its first possession, controlling the ball for more than 6 1/2 minutes before settling for Succop’s 20-yard field goal at the 7:16 mark of the first quarter.

The Rams didn’t run a single play from the Buccaneers’ half of the field in the first half of play, but still made one big play to take a lead into halftime. That was Stafford’s 69-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp just over two minutes into the second quarter. Kupp broke open down the numbers on the right side and Stafford hit him in stride for his sixth score in eight games.

Gay made a 35-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the third quarter to give the Rams a 13-6 lead before Tampa Bay’s comeback.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Thursday Round-Up

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MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins threw for three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Adam Thielen, as the Vikings earned a 33-26 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday night.

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Cousins, who capped the scoring with a 15-yard TD pass to Thielen with 9:34 left to play, completed 30 of 37 passes for 299 yards and an interception for the Vikings (9-2). Justin Jefferson hauled in nine catches for 139 yards and a touchdown, and Dalvin Cook rushed 22 times for 42 yards.

Jefferson finished the night with 4,248 receiving yards, the most ever for a receiver in his first three NFL seasons. The old mark was set by another Viking, Randy Moss, who amassed 4,163 receiving yards from 1998-2000.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was also impressive, finishing with a career-high 382 yards and two touchdowns on 28-for-39 passing, as New England (6-5) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.

Cowboys 28, Giants 20

Dak Prescott tossed two touchdown passes to Dalton Schultz and Ezekiel Elliott added 96 rushing yards and a score to help Dallas notch a victory over visiting New York at Arlington, Texas.

Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 261 yards and overcame two interceptions for Dallas (8-3), which moved into sole possession of second place in the NFC East. Peyton Hendershot added a rushing score, CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 106 yards and Micah Parsons registered two sacks to raise his season total to 12.

Daniel Jones completed 21 of 35 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown for the Giants (7-4), who lost for the third time in four games. Saquon Barkley rushed for a touchdown but had just 52 scrimmage yards (39 rushing, 13 receiving).

Bills 28, Lions 25

Tyler Bass kicked a 45-yard field goal with two seconds left, giving Buffalo a victory at Detroit. The Lions’ Michael Badgley kicked a tying 51-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to tie it, but Josh Allen’s 36-yard pass to Stefon Diggs set up the game-winner.

Allen passed for 253 yards and two scores and was intercepted once and also rushed 10 times for 78 yards and another touchdown. Isaiah McKenzie caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown for the Bills (8-3). Buffalo linebacker Von Miller was carted off late in the first half with a knee injury.

Jared Goff passed for 240 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions (4-7), who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Jamaal Williams rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Await Struggling Colts

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – It’s pretty safe to assume that the Indianapolis Colts will still be navigating through a number of personnel changes when they travel to New England for a meeting with the Patriots. Over the past two weeks, the Colts (3-4-1) have benched quarterback Matt Ryan, parted ways with offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and traded running Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills.

“I’m not naming an interim coordinator. I’ll handle those duties, I’m the play caller,” Indianapolis coach Frank Reich said. “Ultimately the offense falls on my shoulders. It’s a collaborative effort for sure, but myself and the coordinator always are central to that game planning process and play calling is obviously my deal.”

To say things are hectic in Indianapolis right now would be an understatement.

All that change comes at a time when QB Sam Ehlinger, who took over for Ryan under center, is trying to find his footing in the NFL.

Ehlinger made his first career start last Sunday against the Washington Commanders and completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards. Hines provided the Colts’ only touchdown in what ended up being a 17-16 loss.

Indianapolis’ offense continues to struggle, and the Colts have only scored more than 20 points in one game this season. A lot of those hardships stem from the Colts’ failure to effectively run the ball behind running back Jonathan Taylor.

Taylor put up gaudy numbers in 2021, rushing for 1,811 yards (106.5 per game) and 18 touchdowns. But this season, he’s been limited to 77.0 yards per game (462 total) and has found the end zone just once.

Zack Moss will be joining Taylor in the backfield after coming over from Buffalo in the Hines trade, but Taylor is going to have to shoulder the load if the Colts’ offense is to enjoy a resurgence.

However, Taylor is working through the ankle injury that held him out of Wednesday’s practice and two games earlier this season. He re-aggravated the ankle against Washington last Sunday.

Despite usually being equipped with a formidable defense that is anything but kind to the run, the Patriots (4-4) have allowed the 11th-most rushing yards per game (126.0).

That average was even higher before they suffocated the New York Jets’ ground attack during last Sunday’s 22-17 victory. Four ball carriers combined for just 51 yards on 15 carries in what ended up being Bill Belichick’s 325th win (regular and postseason), making him the second-winningest coach of all-time behind former Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts great Don Shula (347).

While that’s quite the accomplishment, the time for celebration is over, and New England’s attention has shifted to Sunday’s contest with Indianapolis.

“It’s a well-balanced team,” Belichick said of the Colts. “I think they’ve put together a solid roster that has good players in pretty much every position. … It obviously starts with Taylor, and (Michael) Pittman, the offensive line, coach Reich, play calling, scheme — they do a good job.”

The Patriots could be without center David Andrews (concussion) and running back Damien Harris (illness), as both missed Wednesday’s practice. Wide receiver DeVante Parker was also a non-participant with a knee injury.

Safeties Kyle Dugger (ankle) and Adrian Phillips (shoulder) were limited.

Former New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore (rib) was one of eight Colts who didn’t practice Wednesday. Linebacker Grant Stuard (pectoral) was also out.

–Field Level Media

 

Belichick Earns Win No. 325

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff an Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – New England head coach Bill Belichick earned his 325th win (regular season and postseason) on Sunday, becoming the second-winningest coach in NFL history as the Patriots (4-4) defeated the New York Jets (5-3). The Pats’ victory gave Belichick sole possession of second place on the NFL’s all-time list. He passed the legendary George Halas (324 wins), who coached the Chicago Bears for 40 years.

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It was also the Patriots’ 13th straight win against New York.

Belichick, 70, is in his 23rd season as New England’s coach after spending five seasons (1991-95) with the Cleveland Browns. Under Belichick, the Patriots have won six Super Bowls and have finished first in the AFC East 17 times.

The all-time leader in wins is Don Shula (347), who spent 26 seasons coaching the Miami Dolphins after seven seasons with the Baltimore Colts.

–Field Level Media

Belichick, Jones & Zappe Create QB Controversy

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FOXBORO – If the New England Patriots didn’t have a quarterback controversy before Monday night’s game, they certainly do now — and coach Bill Belichick, predictably, made no attempt to douse it the morning after.

Rookie Bailey Zappe replaced Mac Jones after three series in the Patriots’ loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Jones guided New England to just 51 yards of net offense, but Belichick said after the game that Jones wasn’t removed for performance. However, he also said it wasn’t a medical decision.

Further, Belichick said Jones knew going in that he wasn’t going to play the whole game.

Belichick was asked Tuesday morning if Jones would be the starter moving forward, if healthy.

“That’s a hypothetical question,” Belichick said. “So let’s see where that is and what that is.”

Belichick was then asked if Jones was healthy enough to keep playing after 18 snaps against the Bears.

“Well, that didn’t happen,” Belichick said. “So that’s another hypothetical question.”

Zappe threw for 185 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions in relief of Jones, playing the rest of the game.

While Jones said postgame he knew the plan was for both QBs to play, Zappe wasn’t as succinct.

“If that decision was made for me to go in, then I was gonna go out there and do the best for my team,” Zappe said Monday night.

Leading to the scrutiny of a pre-plan for a two-QB night was that Jones was pulled after throwing an interception. Jones threw for just 13 yards and rushed for another 24 in his three series.

“Part of the plan, I think coach Belichick did a really really good job explaining it to me, I knew what the plan was,” Jones said. “The timing’s the timing, but we’re on the same page and there’s no hard feelings. I wish I had played better while I was in there.”

The Patriots (3-4) visit the New York Jets (5-2) in Week 8.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Fields Leads Bears, 33-14

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FOXBORO – Justin Fields ran for one touchdown and threw for another, David Montgomery added another rushing score and the Chicago Bears ended a three-game losing streak with a 33-14 victory over the New England Patriots on Monday night. Fields threw for 179 yards and ran for another 82 as he delivered the victory mere hours after general manager Ryan Poles said the team’s quarterback was showing signs of growth. The effort was helped by Chicago’s defense, which forced four turnovers.

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Cairo Santos made four field goals for the Bears, who reeled off the game’s final 23 points starting late in the second quarter. Chicago entered with five consecutive defeats against New England.

Bailey Zappe threw for 185 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions in relief of Mac Jones, who struggled in his return from a high ankle sprain. Jones guided New England to just 51 yards of net offense over the first three series before he was removed.

As the Bears built a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 42-yard field goal from Santos and a 3-yard TD run from Fields, Jones struggled after missing the previous three games. Zappe made an immediate impact, hitting Jakobi Myers with a 30-yard touchdown pass on his fourth play.

On his next play, after Patriots cornerback Myles Bryant intercepted Fields, Zappe hit DeVante Parker on a 43-yard pass. Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a 4-yard run two plays later as New England took a 14-10 lead with 6:04 remaining in the first half.

The Bears regrouped quickly, taking a 17-14 lead on Fields’ 25-yard TD pass to Khalil Herbert with 1:54 remaining in the first half. Santos’ 23-yard field goal on the final play before halftime gave Chicago a 20-14 advantage.

Santos made a pair of field goals in the third quarter, from 38 and 50 yards, to give the Bears a 26-14 edge. Montgomery put the game away when he scored from 1 yard out with 12:13 remaining as the Bears grabbed a 33-14 lead.

Chicago gained 243 yards rushing, its second consecutive game over 200 and the third time it reached the mark this season.

Bears linebacker Roquan Smith finished with an interception, a sack and 12 tackles.

New England’s Matthew Judon had 2.5 sacks to take over the NFL lead with 8.5.

Fields started in a game against Jones for the first time since Jan. 11, 2021, when Jones led Alabama to a 52-24 victory over Fields and Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Patriots Await Monday Night

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – New England Patriots rookie Bailey Zappe may start again at quarterback Monday night. Or he might not. As incumbent Mac Jones recovers from a high-ankle sprain that has sidelined him since Week 3, perhaps putting him in line for a return, Zappe is only worried about what he can control: his knowledge of New England’s opponent, the visiting Chicago Bears.

“I will study the game plan the same way I would whether I was third string or a starter,” Zappe said. “That’s kind of the mentality I take into it every week. That’s the mentality I’m going to take into this week, so I think that’s going to carry on into the rest of the year.”

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New England coach Bill Belichick said Jones could be medically cleared “at any time”; he was a limited participant in practice Thursday. Whether that spells the end of the line for Zappe as starter remains to be seen. Whatever the case, the Patriots (3-3) are grateful for the energy — and success — the fourth-rounder from Western Kentucky has infused.

Since relieving Brian Hoyer in an eventual overtime loss at Green Bay in Week 4, Zappe is 51-for-70 passing for 596 yards with four touchdowns and an interception, leading successive victories over Detroit and Cleveland following the Green Bay game.

“Of course I had a little confidence that I’d be able to make it, but for me it’s still surreal to be in this position and be in the NFL, to be a quarterback in the NFL,” Zappe said.

New England boasts a five-game winning streak against Chicago (2-4) and a 10-3 mark in the series overall.

Belichick enters Monday with 324 career coaching victories (including playoffs), tied with Bears legend George Halas for second place all-time. Don Shula is next with 347.

Chicago has lost three straight since winning two of its first three, with each defeat coming by one possession. The Bears have been idle since opening Week 6 with a 12-7 Thursday night home loss to Washington.

“Like any other team, there are some things to improve,” Chicago cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “I feel like if we won our close games, I feel like the conversations around this team would be different. But we’ve shot ourselves in the foot these last few games.”

The Bears will aim to correct two notable deficiencies. The defense allows 163 rushing yards per game and 4.8 yards per attempt, ranked 29th and 24th in the NFL, respectively. Meanwhile, second-year quarterback Justin Fields has been sacked 23 times on 115 pass attempts, or one in every five.

“Pass protection is everybody,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “It’s not only the offensive line. It’s the tight ends, it’s the running backs, it’s the quarterback. So, it’s everybody. Pass protection is always going to be all 11 of them, so we will improve on that.”

Running the ball remains a strength. Fields (5.2 yards per carry) augments a rushing attack led by Khalil Herbert (402 yards) and David Montgomery (246) to give the Bears a ground game that averages 170.8 yards, second in the league.

Chicago faces a New England team coming off a stout defensive effort against Cleveland, limiting the Browns to 70 rushing yards — more than 100 below the team’s season average.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Cowboys Win With Prescott

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Dallas veteran RB Ezekiel Elliott scored on two 1-yard plunges and the Dallas defense forced five second-half turnovers as the Cowboys defeated the visiting Detroit Lions 24-6.

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Dak Prescott, playing in his first game since suffering a broken right thumb in the season opener, passed for 207 yards while completing 19 of 25 attempts. He threw his first touchdown pass of the season with less than two minutes remaining.

Elliott gained 57 yards on 15 carries, while Tony Pollard rushed for 83 yards on 12 carries. CeeDee Lamb caught four passes for 70 yards for Dallas (5-2).

The Lions’ Jared Goff passed for 228 yards but fumbled twice and was picked off two times. Jamaal Williams gained 79 yards on 15 carries but committed a pivotal turnover.

The Lions (1-5) led 6-3 at halftime. Michael Badgley put Detroit on the scoreboard with a 40-yard field goal with 3:58 left in the first quarter.

Brett Maher’s 22-yard field goal, which capped a 72-yard Dallas drive, tied it up early in the second. Badgley’s 53-yard field goal put Detroit back on top.

Dallas had a good chance to at least tie the game late in the half, but wide receiver Noah Brown fumbled and the Lions recovered at their own 3-yard line.

Trevon Diggs intercepted Goff to end Detroit’s first possession of the second half. The Cowboys then embarked on a seven-play, 82-yard drive, which included a 28-yard run by Pollard. Elliott capped it off with a 1-yard run.

Detroit saw a 79-yard drive flame out early in the fourth quarter. After his team reached the Dallas 1, Williams fumbled on a hit by Demarcus Lawrence and linebacker Anthony Barr recovered.

Goff was intercepted by cornerback Jourdan Lewis with 8:29 left, leading to Dallas’ clinching touchdown. Prescott hit Brown with two passes on the 54-yard drive, which was capped by Elliott’s second touchdown of the game.

Dallas regained possession two plays after the next kickoff when Goff fumbled on a strip sack by Sam Williams. Prescott found Peyton Hendershot from 2 yards out to complete the scoring.

–Field Level Media