Josh Allen, Bills rally past Dolphins 21-14, win 4th straight AFC East title

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Josh Allen threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Dawson Knox midway through the fourth quarter, and the Buffalo Bills won their fourth straight AFC East title, rallying past the Miami Dolphins 21-14 on Sunday night.

Allen made things difficult for the Bills with three turnovers in Miami territory, but he came through at the end to help Buffalo earn the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Bills, who didn’t clinch a playoff berth until Tennessee beat Jacksonville earlier Sunday, will host seventh-seeded Pittsburgh in the wild-card round on Sunday.

Buffalo closed the season by winning five straight and six of seven.

Miami fell to the sixth seed and will play at AFC West champion Kansas City on Saturday night.

The Bills trailed 14-7 before Deonte Harty returned a punt 96 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. After Allen’s 5-yard TD toss to Knox, Miami had one last chance, but Taylor Rapp intercepted Tua Tagovailoa with 1:13 left.

Allen finished 30 of 38 for 359 yards and two TDs. He was intercepted twice and lost a fumble.

TITANS 28, JAGUARS 20

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence was stopped on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal with 7:13 left, then threw incomplete on another fourth down with 1:47 remaining, and Jacksonville was eliminated from the playoffs by losing to Tennessee.

A win would have given the Jaguars (9-8) the AFC South title. Instead, Houston took the division crown and will host Cleveland in the playoffs next Saturday.

The Jaguars started the season 8-3 but lost five of their final six. Lawrence, who sat out last week with a sprained shoulder, was intercepted twice. The Jaguars also turned the ball over on downs three times — twice in the final 7:10.

Derrick Henry ran for a season-high 153 yards and a touchdown for the Titans (6-11), who had been eliminated from playoff contention earlier than at any prior point in coach Mike Vrabel’s six-season tenure. Tennessee’s three-game skid ended.

Lawrence was 29 of 43 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Tannehill threw two TD passes for Tennessee, which built a 28-13 lead early in the third quarter.

COWBOYS 38, COMMANDERS 10

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Dak Prescott threw two of his four touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb, and Dallas beat Washington to win the NFC East title and secure the No. 2 seed in the conference.

The Cowboys finished 12-5 and reached the playoffs for the third straight time under coach Mike McCarthy. They will host Green Bay next Sunday in the wild-card round. Dallas went 8-0 at home this season.

Last-place Washington (4-13) tied a franchise record for most losses in a season in what’s expected to be the final game for coach Ron Rivera. The Commanders will have the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft and might seek a replacement for quarterback Sam Howell, who was intercepted twice and led the NFL with 21 picks this season.

PACKERS 17, BEARS 9

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love threw for 316 yards and connected with Dontayvion Wicks for a pair of touchdowns, and Green Bay beat Chicago to secure the NFC’s final playoff spot.

The Packers (9-8) won their third straight overall and beat the Bears (7-10) for a 10th consecutive time. Green Bay will play at NFC East champion Dallas in the wild-card round.

Love went 27 of 32 and Green Bay never punted. His 10-yard touchdown pass to Wicks put Green Bay ahead for good midway through the second quarter.

Justin Fields went 11 of 16 for 148 yards, but couldn’t get the Bears into the end zone. He was sacked five times and had eight carries for 27 yards.

BUCCANEERS 9, PANTHERS 0

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals and Tampa Bay beat Carolina to win its third consecutive NFC South title.

The Buccaneers (9-8) were facing an all-or-nothing scenario, with a win clinching their fourth straight playoff berth and a loss resulting in elimination. They will host Philadelphia on Monday night in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

Tampa Bay wasn’t impressive on offense with Baker Mayfield held to 137 yards passing in his return to Carolina, but the defense did just enough.

The Bucs held the Panthers to 199 yards and 11 first downs, forced two turnovers and sacked rookie Bryce Young three times.

Young finished 11 of 18 for 94 yards and the Panthers had potential touchdowns overturned by a replay review and a penalty. Carolina (2-15) became the first team to be shut out in back-to-back games since the Cleveland Browns in 2008.

JETS 17, PATRIOTS 3

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Breece Hall rushed for 178 yards and a late touchdown, and New York snapped a 15-game losing streak against Bill Belichick and New England.

With snow covering the field, Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals to help the Jets (7-10) beat the Patriots for the first time since Dec. 27, 2015. It was the Jets’ first win at New England since the 2010 AFC divisional playoff round.

The Patriots’ 4-13 record is the worst in Belichick’s 29-year NFL coaching career. Sunday’s loss was the 178th of Belichick’s career, including the playoffs, tying him with Tom Landry for the most ever. It also ties the record of 165 regular-season losses held by Jeff Fisher and Dan Reeves.

Belichick was set to meet with team owner Robert Kraft on Monday to discuss the coach’s future.

New England struggled to sustain drives and managed a season-low 120 yards. Bailey Zappe completed 12 of 30 passes for 88 yards and two interceptions. Trevor Siemian was 8 of 20 for 70 yards for the Jets.

LIONS 30, VIKINGS 20

DETROIT (AP) — Sam LaPorta had a 2-yard touchdown catch midway through the first quarter but later limped off the field with a knee injury, an ominous development for NFC North champion Detroit in its win over Minnesota.

Detroit (12-5) matched a franchise record for wins and will host a playoff game for the first time since the 1993 season when it played at the Pontiac Silverdome. LaPorta set an NFL record for receptions by a tight end with 86, but his availability for the playoffs is in question.

Detroit coach Dan Campbell opted to play all his starters even though the best the Lions could hope for was to improve their playoff seeding from No. 3 to No. 2 in the NFC. But Dallas’ victory at Washington kept the Lions in the third spot. Detroit will host the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round next Sunday night.

Jared Goff threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions.

Minnesota (7-10) was eliminated from playoff contention, losing four straight games and six of seven.

Nick Mullens threw for 396 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Vikings. Justin Jefferson had a career-high-matching 12 catches for a season-high 192 yards and a score.

GIANTS 27, EAGLES 10

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — A.J. Brown suffered a knee injury and Jalen Hurts was ineffective for playoff-bound Philadelphia, which fell to New York and finished the season by losing five of six.

The Eagles (11-6) will play at Tampa Bay in the wild-card round.

Brown crumpled to the MetLife Stadium turf in the first quarter and grabbed his right knee. Hurts took a hard hit to the right middle finger on his throwing hand and went 7 of 16 for 55 yards and an interception before being replaced by Marcus Mariota.

Tyrod Taylor threw for 297 yards and a touchdown and Saquon Barkley ran for two scores for the Giants (6-11).

SAINTS 48, FALCONS 17

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Derek Carr passed for four touchdowns to lift New Orleans past Atlanta.

The Saints (9-8) fell short of the NFC South title because Tampa Bay won at Carolina, and they were later eliminated from the playoffs when Green Bay beat Chicago.

Jamaal Williams had a 1-yard TD run in the final two minutes after New Orleans lined up as if planning to take a knee and run out the clock. The play appeared to upset both the Falcons and Saints coach Dennis Allen.

Atlanta finished 7-10 for the third straight season under coach Arthur Smith.

Carr passed for 264 yards and rookie receiver A.T. Perry caught two scoring passes to double his season total for New Orleans.

Desmond Ridder threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted and lost a fumble, with both turnovers leading to Saints touchdowns in the second half.

SEAHAWKS 21, CARDINALS 20

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes and Seattle rallied past Arizona but missed the playoffs because Green Bay beat Chicago.

The Seahawks (9-8) fell short of the postseason for the second time in three seasons.

Arizona’s Matt Prater missed a 51-yard field attempt wide right on the game’s final play. It was his second missed kick of the fourth quarter.

Kyler Murray threw for 262 yards for the Cardinals (4-13), and his 8-yard touchdown pass to Trey McBride on a trick play put Arizona ahead 20-13 midway through the fourth quarter. The Cardinals lined up in field goal formation before Murray sprinted back under center.

Smith hit Tyler Lockett for a 34-yard touchdown pass with 1:54 left, and then connected with Lockett again for the decisive 2-point conversion.

RAMS 21, 49ERS 20

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Carson Wentz threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Los Angeles beat San Francisco in a game filled with backups.

Wentz scored on a 12-yard run with 4:56 to play and then converted a 2-point conversion pass to Tutu Atwell to give the Rams (10-7) a 21-20 lead.

Los Angeles held on from there and clinched the sixth seed in the NFC and a trip to Detroit in the wild-card round.

The 49ers (12-5) had already clinched the top seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, and the Rams secured a playoff spot last week.

San Francisco’s Sam Darnold went 16 for 26 for 189 yards with a TD run and a TD pass to Ronnie Bell while starting in place of Brock Purdy.

The Rams’ Puka Nacua broke the rookie records for catches and yards receiving before leaving the game.

BENGALS 31, BROWNS 14

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jake Browning threw three touchdown passes, Joe Mixon rushed for a season-high 111 yards and a score, and Cincinnati beat a Cleveland team resting most of its starters for the playoffs.

The Browns (11-6) were locked in as the No. 5 seed in the AFC and will play at AFC South champion Houston on Saturday. Quarterback Joe Flacco, star defensive end Myles Garrett, receiver Amari Cooper and cornerback Denzel Ward were among the Browns’ starters who didn’t play.

Cincinnati (9-8) finished above .500 for the third straight season, and the AFC North became the first division since the 1970 merger to have all its teams finish above .500. The Bengals finished 1-5 against divisional foes.

The Bengals led 24-0 at halftime. Browns quarterback Jeff Driskel — signed Dec. 29 from Arizona’s practice squad — didn’t fare well against Cincinnati’s defensive regulars until the fourth quarter, when he threw two touchdown passes to David Bell.

CHIEFS 13, CHARGERS 12

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Mike Edwards returned a fumble 97 yards for a touchdown, Harrison Butker made a 41-yard field goal with 49 seconds remaining, and AFC West champion Kansas City beat Los Angeles while resting most of its starters.

With the Chiefs (11-6) locked into the AFC’s No. 3 seed for the playoffs, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were inactive. Kelce finished with 984 receiving yards, ending the All-Pro tight end’s bid for an eighth straight 1,000-yard season.

Kansas City will host Miami in the wild-card round on Saturday night.

The Chargers (5-12) closed the season with five straight losses, the last three after coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco were fired on Dec. 15.

Easton Stick started at quarterback for the Chargers and Blaine Gabbert for the Chiefs. Neither led his offense to a touchdown. Cameron Dicker kicked four field goals for Los Angeles.

RAIDERS 27, BRONCOS 14

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Aidan O’Connell passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns, Zamir White rushed for 112 yards, and Las Vegas beat Denver.

It was the Raiders’ eighth consecutive victory over their AFC West rivals and 10th in 11 games.

Both teams finished 8-9. Las Vegas went 5-4 under interim coach Antonio Pierce, and owner Mark Davis will now have to decide whether to keep him full-time.

Jarrett Stidham went 1-1 as the Broncos’ starting QB after Russell Wilson was benched.

The Raiders’ Davante Adams reached 100 catches for the fourth straight season.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl