Jalen Hurts gave his lagging offense a jolt by throwing for 326 yards and three touchdowns, Jalyx Hunt returned an interception for a score, and the Philadelphia Eagles rebounded from back-to-back losses by hanging on to beat the Minnesota Vikings 28-22 on Sunday.
Hurts went 19 for 23 in the highlight-reel revival of the passing attack that helped the Eagles (5-2) win the Super Bowl last season, hitting AJ Brown for two touchdowns and DeVonta Smith for a career-high 183 receiving yards that included a 79-yard score.
Facing third-and-9 from their 44 with 1:45 left and the Vikings (3-3) still holding two timeouts, Hurts dropped back and dropped a 45-yard rainbow into Brown’s arms to seal it after he beat former teammate Isaiah Rodgers with a slick double move up the sideline. Rodgers, in his first season with the Vikings, also got beat on Smith’s touchdown.
Carson Wentz went 26 for 42 for 313 yards on an erratic afternoon, getting picked off twice in his own territory and struggling on the other end while the Vikings had to settle for Will Reichard’s field goals on five of six possessions inside the 20.
Wentz said during the week he’s too far removed from his time with Philadelphia to carry a grudge into this game, having made Minnesota his sixth stop in six seasons, but he didn’t give his original team his best performance – particularly in the red zone.
Backup center Blake Brandel struggled badly there, too. He had an errant third-down shotgun snap that sailed over Wentz’s head and cost the Vikings 22 yards in the first quarter and was run over by Moro Ojomo for a third-down sack in the fourth quarter from the 10.
Carolina Panthers 13-6 New York Jets
Bryce Young threw a touchdown pass before leaving with an ankle injury, Jaycee Horn had two interceptions of Tyrod Taylor after New York benched Justin Fields and the Panthers beat the winless Jets 13-6 in a snoozefest Sunday for their third straight victory.
It marked the first time since Young was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 that the Panthers (4-3) have a three-game winning streak with him as their starting quarterback — but he was unable to finish this one.
And now the concern is if Young will be out for any extended time.
Young went to the locker room late in the third quarter, appearing to walk with a slight limp. The Panthers announced his return was questionable before ruling him out.
Andy Dalton took over with 34 seconds left in the quarter when Carolina got the ball back leading 13-3 following an interception by Horn in the end zone. Young was sacked by Jowon Briggs for a 12-yard loss on his last snap before the Panthers punted.
Young was 15 of 25 for 138 yards and a touchdown before leaving. Dalton was 4 of 7 for 60 yards as the Panthers moved above .500 for the first time this late in a season since they started 5-3 in 2019. It was also Carolina’s first road win this season after dropping their first three.
Las Vegas Raiders 0-31 Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns in less than three quarters of work, Rashee Rice caught two of the TD passes in his return from a six-game suspension, and the Chiefs beat the Raiders 31-0 on Sunday.
Rice finished with seven catches for 42 yards in his first game since Week 4 last season, when he tore his ACL in a collision with Mahomes. He made it back from the injury in time to participate in the offseason and training camp, then was suspended before the start of the season for his role in a high-speed car crash on a Dallas highway in March 2024.
Rice’s return sparked an offense that scored on its first five possessions and finished with 434 yards in all.
It didn’t help Las Vegas to play most of the game without star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, who left with a knee injury.
The Chiefs (4-3) were nearly as good on defense, though, holding the Raiders to three first downs and 96 yards while beating them for the 10th time in the last 11 matchups. Geno Smith finished 10 of 16 for 67 yards, while Ashton Jeanty, one of the NFL’s top rookies, carried just six times for 21 yards.
It was the fourth and most lopsided shutout by Kansas City in their 133-game history against the Raiders.
New England Patriots 31-13 Tennessee Titans
Drake Maye threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns and the New England Patriots beat the Tennessee Titans 31-13 Sunday in coach Mike Vrabel’s first game against the franchise that fired him in January 2024.
The Patriots (5-2) won their fourth straight to keep them atop the AFC East and spoil Mike McCoy’s debut as Tennessee’s interim head coach.
Fans chanted “Vrabel, Vrabel” as the clock ticked down.
With a 135.9 passer rating, Maye became only the third player under the age of 24 with at least 200 yards passing and a passer rating of 100 or higher in six straight games in NFL history. He joined Patrick Mahomes (seven consecutive in 2018) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (six in 1984).
Linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson had two of the Patriots’ five sacks and returned a fumble four yards for a touchdown. Harold Landry III had the final sack against the team that released him in March, and Marcus Jones had an interception in the final minutes.
The Titans (1-6) turned in their best start to a game this season with Cam Ward looking like the No 1 pick overall.
They scored their fourth TD this season and were up 10-3 after the first quarter. That was more points than they had through six games combined as they were outscored 47-9.
New Orleans Saints 14-26 Chicago Bears
Dennis Allen’s defense dominated his former team, and the Bears beat the Saints 26-14 on Sunday for their fourth straight win.
Allen, the Bears’ defensive coordinator, had to like what he saw in his first game against the Saints since they fired him as head coach midway through last season after two and a half years. The Bears forced four turnovers and sacked Spencer Rattler four times.
Montez Sweat set the tone with an early strip-sack that led to a field goal. Nahshon Wright set up the game’s first touchdown with a long interception return, and the Bears (4-2) overcame a spotty performance by Caleb Williams to match their best streak since the 2018 NFC North championship team closed the regular season with four straight wins. They also had a much easier time after winning 25-24 at both Las Vegas and Washington.
New Orleans (1-6) continued its worst start since opening 1-7 in 1999 under then-coach Mike Ditka, the Hall of Famer and Super Bowl-winning coach with the Bears.
Williams completed 15 of 26 passes for 172 yards and an interception. But Chicago got huge contributions from the running backs.
D’Andre Swift, coming off a 108-yard game against Washington, ran for a season-high 124 yards and a touchdown.
Miami Dolphins 6-31 Cleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins scored three touchdowns and the Browns snapped a three-game losing streak with a 31-6 victory over the Dolphins on Sunday.
Judkins, the 36th overall pick in April’s draft, had 84 yards rushing on 25 carries. He is the first Browns running back with three rushing scores in a game since Nick Chubb in 2022.
Cormerback Tyson Campbell, acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars on 9 October, returned an interception for a touchdown on the first play of the second half as the Browns (2-5) got over the 17-point hump for the first time in 12 games.
Rayshawn Jenkins added an interception and fumble recovery as the Browns had four takeaways in a game for the first time in nearly two seasons.
Dillon Gabriel completed 13 of 18 for 116 yards in a game in which passing was at a premium due to heavy rain and wind during the first half. It was the first home start for the rookie third-round pick, who got his first NFL win.
Miami (1-6) managed just a pair of field goals from Riley Patterson. Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions for the second straight week and had a career-low passer rating of 24.1 as he completed 12 of 23 for 100 yards.
Los Angeles Rams 35-7 Jacksonville Jaguars
Matthew Stafford threw three of his five touchdown passes to Davante Adams and the Rams beat the Jaguars 35-7 on a rainy Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
Stafford, who has thrown 12 touchdowns with no interceptions in his past four games, also connected with rookie receiver Konata Mumpfield and rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson in the London rout.
The Rams (5-2) are off to their best start since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2021. Star receiver Puka Nacua missed the game with an ankle injury.
The only highlight for the Jaguars (4-3) was rookie two-way star Travis Hunter getting his first NFL touchdown. It made the score 28-7 in the fourth quarter.
Adams, who caught two touchdown passes in the first half, then added a third on a one-yard jump ball that sent Jags fans to the exits.
Hunter had his best day as a pro, catching eight passes for 101 yards and the score.
Stafford completed 21 of 33 passes for 182 yards. Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished 23 of 48 for 296 yards and the touchdown pass to Hunter.
The Jaguars allowed seven sacks and committed 13 penalties for 119 yards.
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