Rams thrash Bucs, Chiefs keep alive play-off hopes – best of Sunday’s gamespublished at 01:25 GMT
Sunday’s late game saw Matthew Stafford throw three touchdown passes as the Los Angeles Rams thrashed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move top of the National Football Conference (NFC).
Stafford completed 25 of 35 passes for 273 yards as the Rams won 34-7 for their sixth successive victory. The hosts led 31-7 at half-time with Davante Adams, who leads the league for touchdown receptions, claimed another two to take his tally for the season to 12.
The Rams now have a 9-2 record while a third straight defeat for the Bucs saw them slip to 6-5, while they also lost quarterback Baker Mayfield to a shoulder injury late in the first half.
Chiefs avoid third straight loss to in-form Indy
The Kansas City Chiefs have reached five of the six past Super Bowls, winning three, but defeat to this season’s surprise package Indianapolis would have left them in danger of missing out on this season’s play-offs altogether.
The Chiefs went into the game with a 5-5 record and have not had a losing record after 12 weeks since 2012. They trailed 20-9 in the final quarter but Patrick Mahomes led them to a fightback, with Harrison Butker’s last-gasp field goal sending the game into overtime.
After the Colts went three-and-out, Butker then kicked his fifth field goal of the game to clinch a 23-20 win and avoid a third straight defeat, leaving the Chiefs third in the AFC West behind the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.
Cowboys match biggest fightback in franchise history
Defending champions Philadelphia became the new Super Bowl favourites last week and showed why as they romped into a 21-0 lead in the second quarter at Dallas.
But the Cowboys fought back to level the game in the fourth quarter before the Eagles fumbled on back-to-back possessions. Dallas turned down the chance to kick a field goal and failed to score a touchdown, giving the Eagles a chance to win it, but the hosts’ defence earned a stop, allowing Brandon Aubrey to seal a 24-21 win with a field goal as time expired.
Sanders leads Browns to victory on first NFL start
Shedeur Sanders made a much-anticipated first start in the NFL and led the Cleveland Browns to a 24-10 win at the Las Vegas Raiders.
The rookie quarterback, who made a dramatic draft slide to the fifth round, had a difficult debut last week after coming on for the injured Dillon Gabriel.
But his first start was far more positive as he finished with 209 passing yards and one touchdown, along with an interception. There were a couple of big-play highlights, such as a brilliant 52-yard bomb to Isaiah Bond on the run to set up the Browns’ first touchdown, before Cleveland claimed just their third win of the season.
