NFL Week 12 review: Sam Darnold leads Jets to third straight win, 34-3 over Raiders

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Sam Darnold threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, leading the New York Jets to an impressive 34-3 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday for their first three-game winning streak in over two years.

Brian Poole returned an interception 15 yards for a TD and the rest of the Jets defense made things miserable for Derek Carr, who was pulled by coach Jon Gruden with just under two minutes left in the third quarter.

The Raiders (6-5) came into a rain-soaked MetLife Stadium on a three-game winning streak with an eye on a possible AFC West first-place showdown at Kansas City next week. Instead, they got outplayed by a suddenly resurgent Jets (4-7) team that pulled away in the second half.

Darnold was 20 of 29 for 315 yards — the fourth 300-yard game of his career — with TDs to Robby Anderson and Ryan Griffin in another efficient outing that helped New York to its first three-game winning streak since Weeks 3-5 of the 2017 season. The Jets didn’t punt until the 2-minute mark of the third quarter.

With the game out of reach, coach Adam Gase took Darnold out in the closing minutes and had backup David Fales finish.

New York took a 13-3 lead into halftime and came out quickly in the second half. On the Jets’ third play of the third quarter, Braxton Berrios took a short pass from Darnold on a slant and zipped down the field for 69 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the 1. Darnold found a wide-open Ryan Griffin for a touchdown on the next play.

Griffin, signed to a three-year contract extension Saturday night, has a career-high five touchdown catches this season.

The Jets’ No. 1-ranked run defense then came up big on Oakland’s first possession of the second half, stuffing Alec Ingold for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Raiders 39.

New York took over and used some razzle-dazzle, Darnold handing off to Bilal Powell, who flipped it to Jamison Crowder — who then tossed it back to the Jets quarterback. Darnold then threw to Anderson, who reached up for a 30-yard gain. Three plays later, Darnold connected with Anderson again for a 1-yard touchdown.

On the Raiders’ next possession, Carr’s first-down pass was deflected by Neville Hewitt and landed in Poole’s hands. The Jets cornerback ran it in from 15 yards, giving New York a 34-3 lead.

Carr lasted one more series before being pulled for Mike Glennon. Carr finished 15 of 27 for 127 yards with the pick-6.

Rookie Josh Jacobs, fourth in the NFL in rushing, was held to 34 on 10 carries. The Jets came in allowing a league-low 79.1 yards rushing, and gave up 67 to Oakland.

Bills 20, Broncos 3

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen threw two touchdowns passing and Shaq Lawson had two of Buffalo’s four sacks in a 20-3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday that has the Bills off to their best start in 23 years.

John Brown made a diving 34-yard touchdown catch, and Cole Beasley scored on an 18-yard reception. Allen finished 15 of 25 for 185 yards and threw his first interception in 172 attempts.

Frank Gore had 65 yards rushing to up his total to 15,289 and move ahead of boyhood idol Barry Sanders into third on the NFL career list. The 15-year veteran also increased his total to 19,154 yards from scrimmage to pass Marshall Faulk for fourth on the list.

Rookie Ed Oliver and Star Lotulelei had a sack apiece, while cornerback Tre’Davious White snuffed out a potential scoring drive by intercepting Brandon Allen at the Buffalo 8 in the final minute of the first half.

Buffalo improved to 8-3, to match its best start since Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly’s final season in 1996, while keeping the Bills firmly in position to secure their second playoff berth in three years.

Buccaneers 35, Falcons 22

ATLANTA — Massive defensive lineman Vita Vea turned receiver to haul in his first career touchdown, one of three scoring throws by Jameis Winston as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers escaped last place in the NFC South with a 35-22 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Winston shook off two more interceptions to post his sixth straight 300-yard passing game, leading the Buccaneers (4-7) to just their second victory in the last seven games.

Atlanta (3-8) had pulled even with Tampa Bay at the bottom of the division standings with a modest two-game winning streak. But the Falcons couldn’t keep the momentum going, dropping to 1-4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in what has become a lost season for a team that reached the Super Bowl just three years ago.

Winston has been picked off an NFL-high 20 times but completed 18 of 28 for 313 yards, including a pair of touchdown passes to Chris Godwin. Yet the scoring play everyone will remember was a little 1-yard pass in the final minute of the first half to Vea, a 6-foot-4, 347-pound defensive lineman.

With the Bucs facing second-and-goal, Vea checked into the game — apparently to provide an extra blocker. After lining up at fullback, he slipped into the flat on play-action by Winston, going completely uncovered as he gobbled up the short pass for his first career reception.

Redskins 19, Lions 16

LANDOVER, Md. — Quinton Dunbar intercepted Jeff Driskel in the final minute, Dustin Hopkins hit the go-ahead field goal from 39 yards out with 16 seconds left and the Washington Redskins beat the Detroit Lions 19-16 Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak.

Rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins picked up his first NFL win after leading Washington (2-9) into field goal range following Dunbar’s interception. Haskins finished 13 of 29 for 156 yards and an interception but made a couple fewer mistakes than Driskel, who was picked off three times as the Lions (3-7-1) lost their fourth in a row and third since starter Matthew Stafford went out with injury.

For long stretches, the game was a comedy of errors with neither team looking like it wanted to win. Haskins fumbled on third down on Washington’s first possession, Detroit turned the ball over on consecutive offensive plays, Lions kicker Matt Prater missed a 39-yard field goal and his teammates were baffled on Steven Sims’ 91-yard kickoff return for a Redskins touchdown — after muffing the catch.

Driskel finished 20 of 32 for 207 yards, with a touchdown pass and the three interceptions.

Bears 19, Giants 14

CHICAGO — Khalil Mack set up a touchdown with a strip-sack, Allen Robinson had a season-high 131 yards receiving and the Chicago Bears beat the struggling New York Giants 19-14 on Sunday.

Trying to salvage something from a disappointing season, the Bears (5-6) bounced back from a loss to the Los Angeles Rams to win for the second time in three games. The Giants (2-9) dropped their seventh straight and clinched their third losing season in a row.

Mack broke through in the third quarter for just his second sack in seven games. Held without a tackle at Los Angeles, the three-time All-Pro nailed Jones deep in New York territory, and Chicago’s Nick Williams recovered at the 3. That led to a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to make it 19-7.

New York cut the lead to five with 4:10 left in the game when Golden Tate hauled in a 23-yard pass on fourth-and-18. The Bears then went three-and-out before Pat O’Donnell pinned the Giants at the 6 with a 61-yard punt, and Chicago hung on from there.

Trubisky threw for a season-high 278 yards, including a touchdown to Robinson, and two interceptions after missing the final drive the previous week because of a right hip pointer. Robinson had six catches, and the defending NFC North champions gave their frustrated fans something to cheer.

Seahawks 17, Eagles 9

PHILADELPHIA — Rashaad Penny ran for a career-best 129 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown, Russell Wilson threw one TD pass and the Seattle Seahawks beat the Philadelphia Eagles 17-9 Sunday.

Missing their top three wide receivers, leading rusher and two Pro Bowl offensive linemen, the Eagles (5-6) couldn’t do much on offense and hurt themselves with three turnovers inside Seattle territory and another near midfield.

The Seahawks (9-2) remain undefeated on the road in six games.

The Eagles didn’t have wideouts DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, running back Jordan Howard and right tackle Lane Johnson from the start. Right guard Brandon Brooks left the game in the first quarter. Rookie first-round pick Andre Dillard made his first career start at right tackle after playing the left side all season and was benched at halftime.

The Seahawks were without star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

Philadelphia’s defense did its best to keep it close, sacking Wilson six times.

Saints 34, Panthers 31

NEW ORLEANS — Wil Lutz kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired, and the New Orleans Saints beat the Carolina Panthers 34-31 on Sunday to take a four-game lead in the NFC South with five games left.

Drew Brees completed 30 of 39 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns, and led New Orleans from its own 14-yard line with 1:51 left to the Carolina 15 with 3 seconds remaining to set up the winning kick, capping a contest filled with late momentum shifts and critical errors — none bigger than Carolina kicker Joey Slye’s missed field goal from 28 yards with 2 minutes left.

New Orleans scored on the game’s opening possession and led until 9:23 remained in the fourth quarter, when D.J. Moore reached up with his right hand to corral a fourth-and-goal pass in the back of the end zone to tie it at 31.

Soon after, Panthers safety Eric Reid stuffed Alvin Kamara on a run to the right side on fourth-and-1 from the New Orleans 45. That set up a dramatic sequence in which Carolina coach Ron Rivera successfully challenged officials’ decision not to call pass interference on a third-down incomplete pass, setting up a first-and-goal at the 3 with 2:21 to go.

Carolina squandered its opportunity, however, after Christian McCaffrey’s run was stuffed and Kyle Allen threw incomplete on second down and was sacked on third down by Marcus Davenport, setting up the end of a difficult day for Slye, who’d also missed two extra-point kicks.