Sunday's NFL roundup: Vikings keep Rodgers off field late, nip Packers
Minneapolis — Greg Joseph made a 29-yard field goal as time expired to give the Minnesota Vikings a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, finishing a classic back-and-forth with Aaron Rodgers by making sure the three-time NFL MVP didn’t get to touch the ball last.
Kirk Cousins passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns for the Vikings (5-5), who watched yet another game come down to the final play after Rodgers threw three of his four touchdown passes in the second half.
Unable to practice much at all this week because of a toe injury, after missing much of the first half of the month with COVID-19, Rodgers finished 23 for 33 for a season-high 385 yards for Green Bay (8-3).
Justin Jefferson had eight receptions for 169 yards and two scores, including a third-down catch against rookie Eric Stokes that Cousins delivered for a 23-yard touchdown while being decked on a blitz by Darnell Savage.
On the next play from scrimmage, Rodgers threw a rainbow to Marquez Valdes-Scantling streaking past safety Xavier Woods for a 75-yard score to tie the game just before the two-minute warning.
Cousins then led the Vikings into position for the winning kick.
Green Bay had given up just 34 points over its previous three games.
More games
►(At) L.A. Chargers 41, Pittsburgh 37: Justin Herbert threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams with 2:17 remaining and the Chargers held off the Steelers. Los Angeles had a 27-10 lead going into the fourth quarter before the Steelers rallied to take a 37-34 lead on Chris Boswell’s 45-yard field goal with 3:24 left. Los Angeles took over at the 25 and scored four plays later when Williams was wide open and went untouched up the left sideline. Herbert was 30 of 41 for 382 yards and three touchdowns.
►Houston 22, (at) Tennessee 13: Tyrod Taylor ran for two touchdowns and threw for 107 yards and Houston snapped the NFL’s longest active skid, beating Tennessee to end the league’s longest winning streak. The Texans came in having lost eight straight since winning their season opener and hadn’t scored a TD on the road since Sept. 19.
►(At) Kansas City 19, Dallas 9: Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 63 yards and a touchdown in his return from injured reserve, Chris Jones and the Kansas City defense made life miserable for Dak Prescott, and the Chiefs beat Dallas. Patrick Mahomes was 23 of 37 for 260 yards with an interception and a fumble for Kansas City, but he was bailed out by a defense that played its best game of the year. Charvarius Ward picked off Prescott in the end zone near the end of the first half, and Chris Jones had 31/2 sacks while forcing and recovering a fumble.
►Indianapolis 41, (at) Buffalo 15: Jonathan Taylor set a franchise record by scoring five times and took over the NFL lead in both yards rushing and touchdowns as Indianapolis routed Buffalo. Taylor scored three times in the first half, including a 23-yard catch, en route to the first five-touchdown game in the league this season.
►Baltimore 16, (at) Chicago 13: Subbing for star quarterback Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley led a winning drive capped by Devonta Freeman’s 3-yard run with 22 seconds remaining, and Baltimore beat Chicago. Jackson was sidelined by illness for the AFC North-leading Ravens, who ruled him out 90 minutes before kickoff. The 2019 MVP was a full participant in practice Friday after being held out the previous two days. Coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday the illness was not COVID-19.
►Arizona 23, (at) Seattle 13: Colt McCoy was outstanding filling in for Kyler Murray, throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns, Arizona beat Seattle. For the second straight season, McCoy was a backup thrust into a starting role at Seattle and walked away with a victory. Last year, McCoy was with the New York Giants. This season, it was with Murray missing a third straight game due to an ankle injury.
►Washington 27, (at) Carolina 21: Taylor Heinicke threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns against the league’s top-ranked pass defense, and Washington beat Carolina in Cam Newton’s return to Bank of America Stadium. Terry McLaurin had five catches for 103 yards and a touchdown for Washington and former Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who won in his return to Carolina.
►(At) Philadelphia 40, New Orleans 29: Jalen Hurts ran for three touchdowns, Darius Slay returned an interception for a score and Philadelphia beat New Orleans. The Eagles (have won two in a row for the first time this season and rookie coach Nick Sirianni earned his first victory at home in five tries. The Saints dropped their third straight since losing quarterback Jameis Winston to a season-ending ACL injury. Trevor Siemian threw three touchdown passes and two picks and ran for a score without several missing starters around him.
►Cincinnati 32, (at) Las Vegas 13: Joe Mixon rushed for 123 yards and scored two touchdowns and Cincinnati beat Las Vegas. The well-rested Bengals came out of their bye week and snapped a two-game skid to climb back into the AFC North race, while the Raiders lost their third straight since their bye. Joe Burrow was 20 of 29 for 148 yards and a touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase for Cincinnati. Chase leads all rookies with eight touchdowns.
►San Francisco 30, (at) Jacksonville 3: Jimmy Garoppolo threw two touchdown passes for the third consecutive week and San Francisco dominated Jacksonville for its third win in four games. Coming off their best game of the season, a 31-10 stunner against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, the 49ers traveled cross-country on a short week and looked every bit like a playoff contender for the second time in six days.
►Miami 24, (at) N.Y. Jets 17: Tua Tagovailoa threw a go-ahead 5-yard touchdown pass to Myles Gaskin early in the fourth quarter and Miami hung on to beat New York for its third straight victory. A week after an impressive win over Baltimore, the Dolphins overcame some penalties, and the Jets had some sloppy plays of their own, to get their first three-game winning streak since winning five in a row in the middle of last season.