NFL Week 8 roundup: Bills wake up in second half to beat Dolphins

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen shook off the rust from a bye week off and a shaky first half to throw touchdown passes on consecutive second-half drives in leading the Buffalo Bills to a 26-11 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

After managing just 100 yards net offense through Buffalo’s first possession of the third quarter, Allen found his rhythm in overseeing a pair of scoring drives which combined for 22 plays and covered 151 yards.

The Bills went ahead 10-3 in the third quarter when Allen shrugged off Jaelan Phillips’ bid to sack him and found a wide-open Gabriel Davis for an 8-yard touchdown reception. He followed that by capping a nine-play, 69-yard drive by hitting Stefon Diggs on a post route for a 19-yard TD.

The Dolphins cut the lead to 17-11 on Tua Tagovailoa’s 1-yard plunge and 2-point conversion pass to Mike Gesicki early in the fourth quarter.

Allen responded by marching the Bills on a 14-play drive which ended with Tyler Bass hitting a 39-yard field goal. Jordan Poyer sealed the victory by intercepting a pass Tagovailoa sailed over the middle while facing third-and-26 from his 19 with 2:21 remaining.

Allen, who waved good-bye to the Dolphins after scoring on a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left, finished 29 of 42 for 249 yards passing, and had a team-best 55 yards rushing.

Josh to the HOUSE!

????: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/5rxWrp1gF6

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 31, 2021

The Bills (5-2) rebounded from a heart-breaking 34-31 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 18 by continuing their dominance over their AFC East rival. Buffalo beat Miami for a series-record seventh consecutive time.

The Dolphins (1-7) have lost seven straight overall to match their longest skid since losing their first seven games of the 2019 season. After losing three times on walk-off field goals this season, including their past two outings, the Dolphins’ latest defeat was determined in the first half when Miami squandered a pair of scoring attempts.

Though Jason Sanders hit a 51-yard field goal with the wind behind him in the second quarter, he missed a 36-yard attempt wide left into the wind in the first quarter.

Then came a dreadful close to Miami’s final drive of the first half. Facing third-and-5 at Buffalo’s 12, tight end Gesicki was running across behind the line and had Austin Reiter’s snap bounce off his chest, with the ball recovered by Buffalo’s Micah Hyde.

.@TheRealOJ32 visits with fans prior to attending the #Bills vs #Dolphins game. pic.twitter.com/7LU6QeQhP4

— Harry Scull Jr (@hsjrphoto) October 31, 2021

Tagovailoa finished 21 of 39 for 205 yards and an interception amid speculation on the Dolphins interest in acquiring Deshaun Watson from Houston before the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday. Tagovailoa’s career record dropped to 7-7.

The Bills improved to 12-0 against quarterbacks with 16 or fewer starts, which included a 35-0 win over the Dolphins in Week 2, in which Tagovailoa lasted two series before being sidelined by rib injuries.

"We have true professionals on this team...guys that care about each other. Our defense, when they play like that, we're going to have success."

Josh Allen credits the defense after the @BuffaloBills win.

???? @SherreeBurruss pic.twitter.com/NJwfGs3GCr

— NFL on CBS ???? (@NFLonCBS) October 31, 2021

Panthers 19, Falcons 13

ATLANTA — Zane Gonzalez kicked four field goals and Chuba Hubbard scored on a 6-yard run with 6 1/2 minutes remaining to seal Carolina’s 19-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, snapping a four-game skid for the Panthers.

Carolina’s defense totally stuffed Matt Ryan and the Falcons, who managed just 213 yards total offense.

Ryan had one of the worst games of his career, throwing for just 146 yards with two interceptions. He was sacked three times and sustained a bloody cut on his non-throwing hand when a Panthers defender stepped on it, though Ryan didn’t miss any plays.

Atlanta (3-4) had won two straight games, but the Falcons squandered a chance to climb above .500 for the first time since 2017.

With his job on the line, Sam Darnold bounced back from a benching in last week’s miserable 25-3 loss to the New York Giants with a performance that was just good enough to win for Carolina (4-4).

He threw for a mere 129 yards yards but made none of the glaring miscues that prompted speculation about how long he would remain the starter.

THE T-MO SPIKE IS BACK! @budlight | #BudLightCelly pic.twitter.com/3lepzr7ly3

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 31, 2021

Darnold also rushed for 66 yards — the second-highest total of his career — but the last of those runs knocked him out of the game with a concussion in the fourth quarter.

On an 8-yard bootleg deep in Atlanta territory, Darnold took a brutal shot from Falcons linebacker Foye Okuokun that nearly knocked his helmet off. The quarterback was immediately sent off by the officials, leaving P.J. Walker to finish the game.

Walker nearly threw an interception on an ill-advised pass into the end zone, but it was ruled incomplete. Hubbard finished off the drive with his burst up the middle for Carolina’s only TD.

To that point, Gonzales had provided the rest of the points on field goals of 29, 51, 57 and 23 yards.

Younghoe Koo had a chance to put Atlanta ahead in the fourth quarter, but his 45-yard field-goal attempt was wide right.

It was his first missed kick of any kind this season. Koo had been 11 of 11 on field goals, hitting from 46 yards for Atlanta’s first points, and 14 of 14 on extra points.

Cordarrelle Patterson scored Atlanta’s lone touchdown, turning a short pass into a 15-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.

Koo booted a 53 -yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining, but the Panthers easily recovered an onside kick to seal with victory.

Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley was a surprise scratch just before kickoff.

It was the second game he has missed his season to deal with a personal matter, having also stayed home when the Falcons defeated the New York Jets in London on Oct. 10.

Rams 38, Texans 22

HOUSTON — Matthew Stafford threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters, and the Los Angeles Rams dominated the inept Houston Texans in every way in a 38-22 win Sunday.

It’s the fourth straight victory for the Rams (7-1) and the seventh loss in a row for the Texans (1-7), their longest skid since dropping the final 14 games of the 2013 season.

Stafford threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with about 9½ minutes left in the third, lifting Los Angeles to a 31-0 lead. That score was set up when Van Jefferson got free for a 68-yard reception two plays earlier.

Rookie Davis Mills was sacked by Aaron Donald on first down on Houston’s next possession and Mills fumbled on third down. He recovered the ball and got a pass off to David Johnson, but it was for a loss.

The Rams added another touchdown when Stafford pitched the ball to Robert Woods in the backfield and he dashed 16 yards to make it 38-0 late in the third.

Stafford watched the rest of the game from the sideline, with John Wolford stepping in at quarterback.

Kupp caught seven balls for 115 yards and Darrell Henderson had 90 yards rushing and two TDs, one on the ground and one on a 3-yard reception in the first quarter. Woods also had two touchdowns, scoring on a 2-yard reception in the second quarter.

The Rams have won 43 straight games, including the playoffs, when leading at halftime, which is the second-longest streak in NFL history behind a 49-game streak by the Packers beginning in 1926.

Houston scored each of its points after Stafford left the game. Rex Burkhead had a 1-yard scoring run with about eight minutes left, and Mills threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks with five minutes to go.

Houston recovered an onside kick, and Mills threw a 9-yard touchdown reception to Brevin Jordan with about 2½ minutes left. The 2-point conversion trimmed the Rams’ lead to 38-22.

Mills fell to 0-6 as a starter since Tyrod Taylor was injured. He threw for 310 yards, but many of those yards came with the game long decided, and had an interception.

The Rams got going when Henderson scored on their first possession. Matt Gay kicked a 27-yard field goal to make it 10-0 with about nine minutes left in the second quarter.

The Rams got the ball back again only a few plays later when Ernest Jones stepped in front of a pass intended for Danny Amendola for his first career interception.

They cashed in on the mistake when Stafford connected with Woods on a 2-yard TD pass with about six minutes left in the first half.

A sack of Mills by Donald and Greg Gaines on third down forced another punt by Houston to give Los Angeles a chance to pad the lead before halftime.

Henderson collected his second score of the half when he ran untouched for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 24-0 less than a minute before halftime.

Houston had a shot to put points on the board before halftime, but Kaʻimi Fairbairn’s 45-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.

Eagles 44, Lions 6

DETROIT — Boston Scott and Jordan Howard each had two touchdowns on the ground, helping the Philadelphia Eagles run over the Detroit Lions in a 44-6 win Sunday.

The Eagles (3-5) ended a two-game losing streak against a team that was very accommodating.

The Lions (0-8) go into their bye week as the NFL’s only winless team. The break gives first-year coach Dan Campbell extra time to figure out how to avoid leading the league’s first 0-17 team after being a tight end on the first 0-16 team in Detroit 13 years ago.

Scott and Howard made the most of his opportunity to fill in for running back Miles Sanders, who went on injured reserve with an ankle injury after he was hurt last week.

Scott broke a scoreless tie late in the first period with a 1-yard run and and Howard’s 4-yard run late in the second quarter put Philadelphia up 17-0. They each had a short touchdown run in the third quarter and finished with 117 yards rushing combined.

Just to make the setback sting a little more for the Lions and their fans, former Detroit cornerback Darius Slay scooped up D’Andre Swift’s fumble and returned it 33 yards make it 38-0 late in the third.

The offensively challenged Lions avoided a shutout midway through the fourth quarter when rookie Jermar Jefferson scored on an 8-yard run for his first NFL touchdown.

Alas, the Lions failed to convert the 2-point conversion as Jared Goff was hit, as he often was by the Eagles from every direction even when they rushed just four against five offensive linemen.

Goff was sacked a season-high five times and finished 23 of 34 for 222 yards. The sixth-year quarterback and many of his teammates made mental mistakes, including when he threw a ball away in the third quarter on fourth down instead of throwing toward a receiver with nothing to lose.

The Eagles didn’t need to pass much to beat Detroit, so they didn’t as Jalen Hurts was 9 of 14 for 103 yards. He ran seven times for 71 of his team’s 236 yards rushing.

49ers 33, Bears 22

CHICAGO — Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 322 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the short-handed Chicago Bears 33-22 Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak.

Garoppolo led three touchdown drives in the second half and another possession that ended with a field goal. He scored from the 2 in the third quarter and ran it in from the 5 in the fourth to make it 30-22.

Deebo Samuel had six catches for 171 yards. That gave him 819 through seven games, breaking Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s club record of 781 set in 1986.

Elijah Mitchell carried 18 times for 137 yards and a touchdown, helping San Francisco (3-4) win for the first time since beating both Detroit and Philadelphia on the road to start the season.

Chicago (3-5) was looking for a reprieve coming off back-to-back losses to Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay and Tom Brady and Tampa Bay. But the Bears faltered in the second half against Garoppolo, who is from nearby Arlington Heights and played college ball at Eastern Illinois.

It didn’t help that top pass rusher Khalil Mack missed his first game since 2018 because of a foot injury. Coach Matt Nagy was away from the team after testing positive for covid-19, and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor filled in for him.

Justin Fields threw for 175 yards and a touchdown. The rookie also ran for 103 yards and a score, becoming the first Bears QB to rush for 100 yards in a game since Bobby Douglass in 1973.

Cairo Santos made three field field goals to run his club regular-season record to 38 consecutive conversions. But he missed an extra point after Fields’ electric 22-yard touchdown run in the fourth.

Chicago settled for a field goal by Santos after driving to the 5 on the opening possession of the second half, extending its lead to 16-9.

Samuel then went mostly untouched when he turned a screen into an 83-yard gain up the left side to the 1, leading to a 2-yard touchdown run by Garoppolo. But instead of tying it, Joey Slye missed the extra point wide right.

The 49ers took the lead on their next possession when Mitchell plowed in from the 5. Brandon Aiyuk caught the 2-point conversion, making it 23-16 less then a minute into the third.

Fields then spun away from three defenders and got a huge block by Jason Peters against Fred Warner on a 22-yard touchdown scramble. But Santos was wide right on the extra point, keeping San Francisco on top 23-22 with 9:32 left.

Titans 34, Colts 31

INDIANAPOLIS — Randy Bullock made a 44-yard field goal with 4:03 left in overtime Sunday to cap a wild game, giving the Tennessee Titans a wild 34-31 victory and control of the AFC South.

The teams combined for two touchdowns in the final 86 seconds of regulation to set up overtime and Colts quarterback Carson Wentz threw two interceptions in the final 7 1/2 minutes after throwing only one all season.

Tennessee (6-2) has won four straight overall to take a three-game lead in the division and also has the third season sweep of the Colts in franchise history.

Indianapolis (3-5) has lost three straight in the series — this one coming in improbable fashion.

After the Colts forced a punt with less than two minutes left in regulation and taking over on their 8-yard line, Wentz was in danger of being sacked for a safety. He made an ill-advised, left-handed forward flick that rookie Elijah Molden snatched out of the air and scored on a 2-yard return to break a 24-24 tie. It was Tennessee’s first interception return for a score in 38 games.

Wentz shook it off quickly. On the ensuing series, he hooked up with Michael Pittman Jr. for 37 yards to get the ball across midfield on third down. Then Ashton Dulin drew a 42-yard pass interference penalty against Kevin Byard. Jonathan Taylor walked in for a 1-yard TD run with 22 seconds to go.

Then Byard turned the game by picking off Wentz with 5:48 left in overtime — already in field goal range. Bullock closed it out four plays later.

Seahawks 31, Jaguars 7

SEATTLE — Geno Smith ran for one score and threw a pair of touchdown passes to DK Metcalf, and the Seattle Seahawks snapped their three-game losing skid by thumping the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-7 on Sunday.

In what may be his final start while Russell Wilson recovers from finger surgery, Smith was terrific picking apart the Jaguars defense for one of the best performances of his career. Smith completed his first 14 passes the longest streak to start a game in the NFL this season. He finished 20 of 24 for 195 yards, and his 83.3% completion percentage was a career best with at least 20 pass attempts.

While Tyler Lockett was Smith’s favorite target, Metcalf found the end zone. Metcalf made a terrific leaping grab over former teammate Shaquill Griffin in the second quarter to give Seattle (3-5) a 14-0 lead. Metcalf added a 5-yard TD reception early in the third quarter.

Lockett finished with 12 catches for 142 yards, the fourth time in his career with at least 12 receptions.

Jacksonville (1-6) avoided being shut out for only the fourth time in franchise history in the regular season on a short touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to Jamal Agnew with 1:49 remaining. Lawrence finished 32 of 53 for 238 yards, and his ninth interception this season came when he clearly expected Tavon Austin to run a different route.

It didn’t help that Jacksonville played most of the final three quarters without star running back James Robinson because of an ankle injury.

Robinson appeared to injure his ankle after catching a 17-yard screen pass in the final seconds of the first quarter. He was listed as questionable and seemed to be testing out the ankle on the sideline during the second quarter. He never returned.

Jacksonville snapped its 20-game losing streak two weeks ago beating Miami in London. The Jaguars have yet to put together consecutive wins since midway through the 2019 season.

It’s unclear when Wilson will return following his finger surgery. With a bye next week, there is a chance Seattle’s franchise quarterback could be ready Nov. 14 when the Seahawks travel to Green Bay.

If that’s the case, Smith’s time as the starter went out on a high.

Smith’s previous two starts were punctuated by late mistakes. Against Pittsburgh, it was a fumble in overtime that set up the Steelers’ winning score. Last Monday against New Orleans, it was a series of costly sacks.

But Smith was decisive with his decisions Sunday and made a point of getting Lockett involved early. Lockett had just four receptions in the previous two games combined. He had three catches in the first quarter and eight by halftime against Jacksonville’s pass defense that entered the week ranked 31st in the league.

Saints 36, Buccaneers 27

NEW ORLEANS — P.J. Williams intercepted Tom Brady and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with 1:24 left, helping New Orleans seal a dramatic but potentially costly 36-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday during which Saints quarterback Jameis Winston injured his left knee.

Winston was injured during a scramble early in the second quarter when he was pulled down from behind by former LSU star Devin White, who was flagged for a horse collar tackle.

“I think it’s significant,” coach Sean Payton said. “He felt something and is on crutches right now. … When he got up and then had to go back down, you were a little concerned.”

Backup Trevor Siemian took over for Winston and completed 16 of 29 throws for 159 yards and a touchdown without a turnover, leading the Saints on five scoring drives that produced two touchdowns and three field goals.

Brady passed for four TDs, but also turned the ball over three times on a pair of interceptions and a fumble, which the Saints converted into 16 points.

The Bucs nearly overcame their mistakes, wiping out a 16-point second-half deficit, taking a lead with 5:44 to go when receiver and former LSU track athlete Cyril Grayson was left uncovered behind the defense and scored a 50-yard touchdown.

New Orleans responded by driving for a field goal for a 29-27 lead with 1:41 left, leaving Brady, who is no stranger to late comebacks, that much time plus a timeout to win the game. Instead, the Saints’ defense came up big.

New Orleans’ defense came up with two turnovers in the second quarter after Winston was carted to the locker room, and the Saints’ offense converted those into nine points.

Brady fumbled on a double-pump caused by pressure from defensive end Cameron Jordan, and defensive tackle David Onyemata, newly activated after a six-game suspension, recovered near midfield.

The Saints got a field goal, but only after a roughing-the-passer call against William Gholston wiped out what would have been an interception by Antoine Winfield Jr. in the end zone.

Later, Brady was intercepted by C.J. Gardner Johnson, who had left his man to undercut a pass intended for Godwin. Gardner-Johnson returned the ball 26 yards to the Tampa Bay 35.

New Orleans converted that on a short pass from Siemian to fullback Alex Armah shortly before the end of the first half, giving the Saints a 16-7 lead after rookie kicker Brian Johnson missed the extra point.

New Orleans widened its lead to 23-7 on the opening possession of the second half, which began with Siemian hitting Kevin White for a 38-yard gain. Alvin Kamara finished it with a scoring run on a pitch play on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

But Brady responded by leading the Bucs to the end zone on their next two possessions on a 7-yard pass to running back Giovani Bernard and a 41-yard strike to Mike Evans. He beat Saints top cornerback Marshon Lattimore in single coverage and made it a 23-21 game before the third quarter ended.

Broncos 17, Washington 10

DENVER — Justin Simmons and Denver’s defense held firm after a fumble gave Washington the ball back, and the Broncos blocked two field goals on their way to a 17-10 win Sunday that stopped a four-game slide.

Melvin Gordon III caught a touchdown pass and ran for the go-ahead score from 7 yards out with 4:27 remaining. He also fumbled with 21 seconds to go, giving Washington the ball at the Denver 24-yard line.

The defense forced Taylor Heinicke to throw the ball out of the back of the end zone on the last play of the game.

It looked as if the game was over when Simmons picked off a desperation Heinicke pass in the end zone with around 37 seconds left. It was Simmons’ second interception of the game.

But Gordon’s fumble gave Washington one more chance.

“They stepped it up and got it done,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said.

The last defensive stand prevented the first winless October for the Broncos (4-4) since 1967.

Dre’Mont Jones and Shelby Harris each blocked a field-goal attempt from Chris Blewitt. Jones got his hand on a 47-yard try in the fourth, and Harris batted down a 45-yarder from Blewitt in the second.

For large chunks of time, it was almost a game of who didn’t want to win — with plenty of missed opportunities, field goals and mistakes. Washington (2-6) failed to convert on a fourth down early in the game, had Bobby McCain drop an interception in his hands and allowed five sacks to a defense missing Von Miller.

Brandon McManus missed a 53-yard field goal for Denver with 10:57 remaining. He was 13 of 13 before pushing his attempt just right.

Gordon energized a sparse crowd on a 15-yard TD catch from Teddy Bridgewater just before halftime. There were an announced 11,755 no-shows on a cool day in the Mile High City. That despite tickets being available for as low as $25.

Washington tied it at 10 late in the third on Heinicke’s 20-yard touchdown throw to DeAndre Carter. It was Washington’s fourth straight loss.

The biggest cheer of the afternoon was for Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning, who was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame at halftime. Manning even removed his orange jacket and put on his No. 18 jersey one last time. He lofted a perfect 30-yard-ish strike to receiver Brandon Stokley in the end zone.

Miller was sidelined by an ankle injury. The team’s career sacks leader walked the sideline in a jacket.

Bridgewater was helped by the return of receiver Jerry Jeudy (ankle) and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam (hamstring). Jeudy had four catches for 39 yards, including a big grab on the go-ahead drive.

Patriots 27, Chargers 24

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Adrian Phillips intercepted two passes, returning one for the go-ahead touchdown against his former team, Nick Folk kicked four field goals, and the New England Patriots rallied for a 27-24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday.

It was the first multi-interception game for Phillips, who played six seasons for the Chargers (2014-19) before signing with the Patriots last year. With 10:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, he picked off a pass intended for Jared Cook, who was not on the same page as Justin Herbert, and returned it 26 yards to put the Patriots back in front. Rookie Mac Jones then connected with Jakobi Meyers on the 2-point conversion to give New England a seven-point advantage.

Folk, who has three games this season with four field goals, split the uprights from 30 yards with 2:21 remaining to put the Patriots up by double digits.

Joshua Palmer brought the Chargers within a field goal with 40 seconds remaining when he hauled in a 24-yard strike from Herbert for his first NFL touchdown. Former Chargers tight end Hunter Henry recovered the ensuing onside kick for the Patriots.

New England (4-4) started the season 1-3 but has won two straight and three of its last four. Los Angeles (4-3) has dropped two straight.

Damien Harris, looking for his third straight 100-yard rushing game, had 19 carries for 76 yards.

Jones, who had completed 70.4% of his passes in his first seven games, had one of his worst performances, completing 18 of 35 passes for 217 yards.

It was an equally bad game for Herbert, who was 18 of 35 for 223 yards with two touchdown and two interceptions.

Austin Ekeler had 124 scrimmage yards (64 rushing, 60 receiving).

The Chargers scored touchdowns on two of their first three possessions to take a 14-7 lead. Los Angeles scored on its opening drive for the third time this season as Ekeler went 5 yards up the middle.

New England responded with its fourth TD on an opening possession when Harris scored on a 1-yard carry off left guard.

Los Angeles grabbed a 14-7 advantage early in the second quarter when Herbert connected with Keenan Allen for a 5-yard TD. New England would cut the margin to one at halftime on a pair of field goals by Folk.

Cowboys 20, Vikings 16

MINNEAPOLIS — Cooper Rush subbed for the injured Dak Prescott and passed for 325 yards and two second-half touchdowns, the last a 5-yarder to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds left in the Dallas Cowboys’ 20-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night.

Rush overcame two turnovers, both delivered by former Dallas safety Xavier Woods, to slice up the Minnesota secondary in his first NFL start. The fifth-year backup, handed the offense when Prescott was shelved in a game-time decision due to a strained right calf muscle, directed an eight-play, 75-yard drive he finished with a perfect toss to Cooper on a fade in the corner of the end zone.

Amari Cooper gives the Cowboys a late lead ???? @brgridiron

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/GoTubx1xSL

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 1, 2021

Cooper had eight catches for 122 yards, and CeeDee Lamb had six receptions for 112 yards for the Cowboys (6-1), whose only lead came in that final minute.

Kirk Cousins and the Vikings (3-4) were frequently in disarray on offense after opening with 75-yard march for a touchdown pass to Adam Thielen.