Washington (AFP) – Josh Allen ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to spark the Buffalo Bills over Kansas City 28-21 on Sunday while the NFL-best Indianapolis Colts were upset at Pittsburgh. Reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Allen delivered Buffalo’s fifth consecutive regular-season victory in as many seasons over the Chiefs, who are 4-0 in the past five years over the Bills in the playoffs.
“It was a team effort. A lot of hard work went into this,” Allen said. “Great week of practice, really good game plan, guys getting out and making plays and we made one more than they did.” Allen completed 23-of-26 passes for 273 yards and ran six times for 19 yards while James Cook ran 27 times for 114 yards as the Bills improved to 6-2.
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Three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes was 15-of-34 for 250 yards and an interception for the Chiefs (5-4). “We can only learn from so many losses,” Mahomes said of the Chiefs, who have a bye next week. “We’ve got to learn from it fast. It’s going to be an uphill battle when we get back but I think our guys are up to it.”
Allen’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid gave Buffalo the lead but a three-yard touchdown run by Rashee Rice and Harrison Butker’s 46-yard field goal put the Chiefs ahead 10-7. Ty Johnson’s three-yard touchdown run and Allen’s one-yard TD dive lifted the Bills ahead, and Buffalo led 21-13 at halftime. “I had a good feeling early on,” Allen said.
Allen added a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, but Kareem Hunt’s two-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion pass from Mahomes to Travis Kelce lifted the Chiefs within the final margin with 11:32 remaining. Mahomes was incomplete on two desperation throws at the finish as Buffalo held off a late rally.
At Pittsburgh, the Steelers dominated defensively in a 27-20 stunner over Indianapolis, forcing six turnovers, two more than the Colts had surrendered all season, to set up three touchdowns. “I can’t say enough about the defense’s effort,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We stayed in the fight, the defense provided us some short fields, we caught some momentum because of it.”
The Steelers improved to 5-3, pulling two games ahead in the AFC North. The AFC South-leading Colts fell to 7-2. A one-yard touchdown run by Daniel Jones put Indianapolis ahead, but T.J. Watt forced and recovered a Jones fumble to set up Jaylen Warren’s one-yard touchdown run for Pittsburgh. A Jones pass was intercepted by Payton Wilson to set up a 12-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Pat Freiermuth, and Jack Sawyer’s pickoff set up Warren’s two-yard touchdown run.
The NFL’s only other one-loss team also fell when Carolina’s Ryan Fitzgerald kicked a 49-yard field goal on the final play to give the Panthers a 16-13 victory at Green Bay, dropping the NFC North-leading Packers to 5-2-1. Detroit could have overtaken the Packers for the division lead, but the host Lions (5-3) lost 27-24 to Minnesota as J.J. McCarthy threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.
– Little’s big record –
Jacksonville’s Cam Little kicked an NFL record-long 68-yard field goal, breaking Justin Tucker’s old mark of 66 yards from 2021, and the Jaguars edged host Las Vegas 30-29 in overtime. Caleb Williams threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland with 17 seconds remaining as the Chicago Bears won 47-42 at Cincinnati.
Matthew Stafford threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Los Angeles Rams over New Orleans 34-10. The Denver Broncos (7-2) won their sixth in a row as Wil Lutz’s 34-yard field goal on the final play defeated host Houston 18-15. Sam Darnold completed his first 17 passes to match a team record and threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns to lead Seattle’s 38-14 victory at Washington, which lost quarterback Jayden Daniels to a left arm injury in the fourth quarter. Daniels, just back from an injured hamstring, walked off with the arm in an air cast, coaches and teammates wearing concerned looks as he departed.
Drake Maye threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns and New England (7-2) edged Atlanta 24-23.
© 2024 AFP
