Quiet Vikings, noisy Jets
Confetti from an NFL weekend.
Minnesota 20, Washington 17
— The highlight-free Vikings are 7-1 and undefeated since a Week 2 loss to Philadelphia, and only one of those six wins has been by more than eight points. They trailed the Commanders 17-7 in the fourth quarter, but an interception by Harrison Smith and a sack by Danielle Hunter gave Kirk Cousins a chance to tie it in his return to Washington. Smith has an interception in each of the past three games.
— In the end, Minnesota went ahead on a field goal with 1:55 left, giving Washington a chance to retaliate. But a roughness penalty by John Ridgeway allowed the Vikings to get a first down and wait until the 0:16 mark to kick the game-winner.
— The Lions inexplicably traded tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings, and he caught nine of Cousins’ passes. This was one of four 20-17 games in the NFL on Sunday. The Vikings take their glossy record to Buffalo this week.
New York Jets 20, Buffalo 17
— Cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner got lost on his way from the Green Room to the NFL Draft stage last year, when he was the fourth-overall pick. He has his bearings now. The U of Cincinnati star intercepted Josh Allen, then knocked away his final pass in the Jets’ comeback win.
— The Jets sacked Allen five times and became the first team to deny him a touchdown pass this year, as Buffalo dropped to 6-2.
— The Jets (6-3) have 11 sacks in their past two games and have not given up a 300-yard passing game all season. They have not lost back-to-back games.
Jacksonville 27, Las Vegas 20
— The Raiders might be the NFL’s most disappointing team at the halfway mark, sagging to 2-6 after leading this game 17-0. They haven’t yet held a team under 20 points this season.
— Jacksonville (3-6) had scoring drives of nine and 12 plays to open the second half and take a 24-20 lead. There have been mutterings about Trevor Lawrence’s play, but the former first-overall pick rushed for 53 yards and connected on 25 of 31 passes. The Jaguars were 0-6 in one-score games before this.
— The Raiders have nine sacks, a league low, and Derek Carr has a 100-plus quarterback rating in only two of eight games.
Miami 35, Chicago 32
— Not the two most likely sources for a shootout, but they were the lead entertainers on a dreary NFL day. The Dolphins (6-3) are 6-0 in games Tua Tagovailoa (pictured) has started and finished, and a 25-yard return of a blocked punt by Andy Van Ginkel was the tipping point.
— Tagovailoa is the highest-rated quarterback in the NFL and was 21 for 30 with three touchdowns. Tyreek Hill leads all receivers in yardage and had 143 Sunday, and Jaylen Waddle ranks fourth and had 85. Both scored a touchdown.
— Chicago’s Justin Fields had a 61-yard run and his 178 yards rushing in 15 carries brokeMichael Vick’s record for most rushing yards by a QB. But the Bears sacrificed their defense when they dealt Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn. On Sunday they had no sacks, takeaways, or tackles for loss.
Tampa Bay 16, L.A. Rams 13
— In a game unsullied by blocking, the past two Super Bowl champions showed why they’ll have February off. There were 15 punts and only 27 first downs, 18 of which belonged to Tampa Bay.
— Tom Brady threw 58 passes, and the first 57 did not find the end zone. The 58th did, a one-yard flare to Cade Otton with :35 left, capping a 60-yard drive against soft L.A. defense. It was Brady’s 55th game-winning drive, a record. Earlier Brady became the first to pass the 100,000 mark in passing yards.
— At 4-5, Tampa Bay is in the NFC South lead. At 3-5, the Rams have scored 120 fewer points than they did at the 8-game mark last season. They are the eighth defending champ with a losing record at this point. None of the others made the playoffs, most recently the 2006 Steelers. Cam Akers’ return to the huddle was not a significant development. He had five carries and gained three yards.
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