NFL Week 8 roundup: Bills beat Patriots 24-21 on Cam Newton's late fumble

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Backup defensive lineman Justin Zimmer punched the ball out of Cam Newton’s arms and the fumble was recovered by safety Dean Marlowe at the Buffalo 13 with 31 seconds remaining to secure the Bills’ 24-21 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Zack Moss scored two touchdowns rushing and the AFC East-leading Bills are off to consecutive 6-2 starts for the first time since a six-year run from 1988 to 1993.

Buffalo snapped a seven-game skid against the division-rival Patriots, and beat a New England-coached Bill Belichick team for just the sixth time in 41 meetings, going back to 2000.

New England dropped to 2-5 and has lost four in a row, matching its worst skid since 2002.

The game was decided just as the Patriots were threatening to at least force overtime. Facing second-and-10 at the Buffalo 19, Newton took the snap and followed a line of blockers to his left.

Zimmer came diving in from behind and punched out the ball, which rolled directly into Marlowe’s arms.

It was Newton’s only turnover of the game and came after he threw three interceptions and was benched in a 33-6 loss to San Francisco last week.

Newton finished 15 of 25 for 174 yards passing, and added 54 yards rushing plus a touchdown. Damien Harris had 102 yards rushing and scored on a 22-yard run.

Josh Allen went 11 of 18 for 154 yards passing and also scored on a 2-yard run in a game the Bills never trailed. He had one interception, which led to the Patriots cutting Buffalo’s lead to 7-6 on Nick Folk’s 33-yard field goal with 8 seconds left in the first half.

Tyler Bass’ 28-yard field goal with 4:06 remaining broke the 21-21 tie, after Allen’s pass to Gabriel Davis sailed through the receiver’s arms in the end zone.

The game was played in an empty stadium, and amid wet, blustery conditions with the temperature dropping to the low 40s by the fourth quarter. Wind off nearby Lake Erie was persistent at between 17 and 25 MPH.

The Patriots were without several key starters. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore was sidelined by a knee injury. New England was also down its top two receivers this season with Julian Edelman placed on injured reserve after having knee surgery this week, and N’Keal Harry sidelined by a concussion.

Chiefs 35, Jets 9

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes did just about everything for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

He even toted Tyreek Hill back to the sideline after a touchdown catch.

In near-flawless execution of coach Andy Reid’s run-pass option attack, the reigning Super Bowl MVP threw for 416 yards and five touchdowns, leading the AFC West-leading Chiefs to a 35-9 romp over the winless New York Jets.

“I mean, it’s always fun to go out and score touchdowns and do all that type of stuff,” Mahomes said, “but we’ve been saying it all year long, we have a lot of ways to beat teams. Today, they did a good job of stuffing up the run. We took it to the air and threw the ball and did it that way. It’s about taking what’s there and finding ways to win.”

Hill wound up with two of the touchdown catches. On the first, he celebrated by jumping into the stands and tossing the football to a fan, and Mahomes was there to help him back onto the field. On the second, Mahomes claimed to see Hill “a little banged up” and decided to carry him — horse-and-jockey style — back to the Kansas City sideline.

“Just having a little bit of fun,” Mahomes said with a wry smile.

Travis Kelce added 109 yards receiving and a touchdown, Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson also scored, helping the Chiefs (7-1) give Andy Reid his 229th win to move into a tie with Curly Lambeau for the fifth most in NFL history.

Le’Veon Bell, getting a crack at the Jets just a few weeks after they released him, was held to just 7 yards rushing with three catches for another 31 yards — though it wasn’t as if Kansas City needed him.

Darnold, who was without top receivers Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman because of injuries, was just 18 of 30 for 133 yards as the Jets fell to 0-8 for the first time since the 1996 team of Rich Kotite.

“It’s obviously not where we wanted to be,” said Jets coach Adam Gase, whose team went three-and-out on five of its first six second-half possessions and finished with 221 yards total offense. “I’m just like everybody else from the aspect of, I’m doing this job to win, not to go out there and get my face stomped in.”

The Chiefs were astounding 19-point favorites coming into the game, and the opening series made it clear that wouldn’t be nearly enough. Mahomes was 5 of 5 for 85 yards, and he finished off the 90-yard drive with a 30-yard pass to Hardman.

While the Jets answered with the first of three first-half field goals, the Chiefs kept scoring touchdowns.

Mahomes threw a dart over the middle to Hill for a 36-yard touchdown on their next drive, then he flipped a nifty pass underneath the Jets coverage to Kelce for his third TD pass of the half and a 21-9 lead at the break.

Any hope the Jets could keep building some momentum with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains calling plays for the second straight week evaporated in the second half. They went three-and-out on four of their first three series and, when they finally picked up a first down, they promptly fumbled the ball away on their next play.

Dolphins 28, Rams 17

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa threw his first career touchdown pass and then let his teammates take over with a succession of big plays, and the Miami Dolphins stamped themselves as playoff contenders Sunday by earning their third consecutive win, 28-17 against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Dolphins struck for scores 75 seconds apart on Andrew Van Ginkel’s 78-yard fumble return and Jakeem Grant’s team-record 88-yard punt return. They came up with four takeaways in the first half and at halftime led 28-10 despite being outgained 224-54.

The big plays helped Tagovailoa overcome a costly early turnover in his first NFL start. The No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft finished 12 of 22 for 93 yards.

Los Angeles’ Jared Goff went 35 for 61 for 355 yards and one score with two interceptions and two lost fumbles.

The Rams ran 92 plays to the Dolphins’ 48, and Miami won while totaling eight first downs and 145 yards.

The Dolphins (4-3) have outscored opponents by a combined 95-34 in the past three games, and they’re above .500 for the first time in their 23 games under second-year coach Brian Flores.

The Rams (5-3) did manage to give Tagovailoa a jarring NFL welcome. The first time the rookie tried to throw, the ball came loose when his arm was hit by Aaron Donald, and Tagovailoa was then driven to the turf by Michael Brockers as Leonard Floyd recovered the fumble.

Los Angeles scored a touchdown three plays later for a 7-0 lead.

Then came 28 consecutive points by the Dolphins. Tagovailoa capitalized on their first takeaway by throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker. Tagovailoa retrieved the ball as a souvenir and carried it to the sideline, where the former Alabama star entertained teammates with a celebratory dance.

The Rams were threatening when Emmanuel Ogbah forced a fumble by sacking Goff. Van Ginkel scooped the ball up with nothing but open field in front of him and sprinted the distance to give Miami a 14-7 lead.

Vikings 28, Packers 22

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Dalvin Cook gained 226 yards from scrimmage and became the first Viking in over four decades to score four touchdowns in a single game as Minnesota defeated the Green Bay Packers 28-22 on Sunday.

The Vikings withstood a three-touchdown performance from receiver Davante Adams, who had seven catches for 53 yards.

Green Bay had the ball at Minnesota’s 41-yard line with 12 seconds and no timeouts left, but D.J. Wonnum sacked Aaron Rodgers and knocked the ball loose. Eric Wilson recovered at the 24 as time expired.

Cook missed Minnesota’s last game with a groin injury that had him listed as questionable, but he looked just fine while dicing up Green Bay’s defense all day.

Each of the Vikings’ first four possessions ended with Cook touchdowns. He ran for 163 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Cook also had two catches for 63 yards, including a 50-yard score.

The only other Vikings to score four touchdowns in a game are Ahmad Rashad in 1979 and Chuck Foreman in 1975.

Adams’ 7-yard touchdown cut Minnesota’s lead to 28-20 with 2:42 left. Green Bay went a 2-point conversion got within 28-22 when replays determined the ball crossed the goal line on Jamaal Williams’ inside run.

Green Bay got the ball back and reached Minnesota’s 41-yard line with 12 seconds and no timeouts left, but D.J. Wonnum sacked Aaron Rodgers and knocked the ball loose. Eric Wilson recovered at the 24 as time expired.

The Vikings (2-5) snapped Green Bay’s eight-game divisional winning streak as the Packers (5-2) lost an NFC North game for the first time since coach Matt LaFleur arrived last season. The Packers also lost at home for the first time since falling 34-27 to the Eagles on Sept. 26, 2019.

The Packers had won eight straight at home, including a playoff victory over the Seattle Seahawks last season.

Colts 41, Lions 21

DETROIT — Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter to give the Indianapolis Colts a double-digit lead and they beat the Detroit Lions 41-21 on Sunday.

Rivers picked apart Detroit’s defense while completing 23 of 33 attempts, mostly short passes to the outside or over the middle. The 38-year-old quarterback also showed he still has some arm strength to go along with his savvy touch, perfectly throwing a 29-yard pass to Nyheim Hines late in the first half.

The Colts (5-2) were healthy and looked rested and ready to roll after being idle last week and improved to 3-0 after a bye under coach Frank Reich.

Hines had so much energy he celebrated each of his two touchdowns in the second quarter with moves that would make a gymnast proud, pulling off roundoffs into full twists in the end zone. The first acrobatic feat was particularly impressive because Hines went in motion to the left, reversed field to make a short catch, sprinted up the sideline and spun to break a tackle to score.

The Lions (3-4) lost a seventh straight home game, dating to last season, and missed an opportunity to win three in a row for the first time with coach Matt Patricia.

Matthew Stafford was 24 of 42 for 336 yards with three touchdowns, two to Marvin Jones, and two costly turnovers.

Detroit scored first, as it has in every game this season, after blocking a punt that set up Stafford’s 25-yard pass to Jones late in the first quarter. Stafford’s second touchdown pass helped the Lions pull within six points early in the third quarter, but he turned the ball over to let Indy pull away.

Colts linebacker Darius Leonard, returning from a two-game absence because of a groin injury, forced Stafford to fumble. Jordan Wilkins took advantage with a 1-yard run and 2-point conversion to restore Indy’s double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter.

On Stafford’s next snap, he threw the ball directly to cornerback Kenny Moore and he returned the interception 29 yards. Suddenly, the Colts were ahead 35-14.

Broncos 31, Chargers 30

DENVER — Drew Lock hit rookie KJ Hamler from a yard out and no time on the clock and Brandon McManus nailed the extra point to give the Denver Broncos a shocking 31-30 win over the hard-luck Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

The Broncos (3-4) overcame a 24-3 deficit and rallied after being held to just 60 first-half yards, including 2 on the ground.

The Chargers (2-5) appeared primed to end their seven-game AFC West losing streak behind another great performance by rookie Justin Herbert, who joined Deshaun Watson as the only QBs in NFL history with four straight games with three TD passes.

But the Chargers became the first team to lose three games they led by 17 or more points in the same season since the Atlanta Falcons did it in 2003.

The Broncos got the ball at their 19 with 2:24 remaining and Lock drove them 81 yards in 14 plays, helped by two defensive flags.

On fourth-and-4 from the 18 with 7 seconds left, Lock’s pass to rookie tight end Albert Okwuegbunam was incomplete but defensive back Brandon Facyson was whistled for pass interference, giving the Broncos the ball at the 1 with 1 second remaining.

Lock took the snap, rolled right and found Hamler in the back of the end zone. He got both feet down before going out of bounds with no time left.

After a review, the touchdown stood and McManus nailed the PAT. The Broncos’ celebration was muted for a few seconds because there was both a flag and a scuffle on the field.

Finally, the officials announced the penalty was on Los Angeles for lining up seven men on one side, an illegal formation that was declined, sealing Denver’s comeback from a 24-3 second-half deficit.

After a slow start that included an interception, two punts and a turnover on downs, the Chargers got two quick 80-yard touchdown drives in the final 1:48 of the first half to take a 14-3 halftime lead.

Herbert hit Kennan Allen for a 9-yard score to make it 7-3 and Denver went three-and-out. Sam Martin’s punt traveled 69 yards — 9 yards more than Denver’s offense managed in the first half — but bounced over the right pylon for a touchback.

Herbert then directed another 80-yard drive, this one taking less than a minute and including a 36-yard throw to Mike Williams to the Denver 2 on rookie cornerback Michael Ojemudia with 22 seconds left.

Chris Harris Jr., who didn’t face his former team because of a lingering foot injury, tweeted, “Yessir, pick on that rookie lol.”

One play later, Herbert rolled right, stopped and fired a 2-yard touchdown strike to fullback Gabe Nabers.

Seahawks 37, 49ers 27

SEATTLE — Russell Wilson threw four more touchdown passes, two to DK Metcalf, and the Seattle Seahawks rebounded from their first loss of the season with a resounding 37-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Wilson and Metcalf tormented San Francisco and its banged up secondary as the top-scoring offense in the league continued to pile up points. The Seahawks (6-1) have scored at least 30 points in six of seven games.

Wilson hit Metcalf on a pair of first-half touchdown passes, but it was a 2½-minute sequence midway through the third quarter when Seattle blew the game open.

Wilson found rookie DeeJay Dallas on a 2-yard TD pass after San Francisco went three-and-out to open the second half for a 20-7 lead. Dante Pettis fumbled the ensuing kickoff on a big hit from Cody Barton. Six plays later, Wilson evaded pressure in the pocket and zipped a 6-yard TD pas to David Moore for a 27-7 lead.

Seattle added one more score on a 1-yard TD run by Dallas with 3:33 left after the 49ers pulled within 10.

Wilson finished 27 of 37 for 261 yards and has 26 TD passes on the season, one behind Tom Brady for the most in the first seven games of a season.

Metcalf had another career day in his breakout second season. Metcalf had 102 yards receiving in the first half and finished with a career-high 12 catches and 161 yards receiving.

The momentum from two straight wins for San Francisco (4-4) evaporated in a hurry as more injuries continued to pile up. Jimmy Garoppolo was just 11 of 16 for 84 yards and an ugly interception in the first quarter. Garoppolo went to the locker room with an ankle injury early in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Nick Mullens.

Running back Tevin Coleman returned for the first time since early in the season, only to leave at halftime with a knee injury. George Kittle made a terrific 25-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, but limped to the locker room with a foot injury.

Saints 26, Bears 23

CHICAGO — Drew Brees threw two touchdowns to regain the NFL’s all-time lead from Tom Brady, Wil Lutz nailed a 35-yard field goal in overtime and the New Orleans Saints beat Chicago 26-23 on Sunday.

The Bears’ Cairo Santos booted a 51-yard field goal at the end of regulation to force the extra period.

The Saints (5-2) led 23-13 early in the fourth quarter after scoring 20 consecutive points, only to have Chicago rally in the closing minutes of regulation. But the three-time defending NFC South champions pulled out their fourth straight win when Lutz connected on their second possession of OT.

The Saints had a first down at the 16 when coach Sean Payton called on him. And Lutz delivered, sending the Bears (5-3) to their second straight loss. New Orleans tied Tampa Bay for the division lead, with Brady and the Buccaneers meeting the struggling New York Giants on Monday night.

Chicago receiver Javon Wims got ejected for punching New Orleans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the third quarter. Marshon Lattimore then intercepted Nick Foles, leading to a tiebreaking field goal by Lutz.

Brees added a 20-yard touchdown to Taysom Hill to make it 23-13 early in the fourth period. The Bears (5-3) pulled within three with 3:32 remaining on Foles’ 3-yard pass to Darnell Mooney.

After the Saints went three-and-out, Chicago tied it with 13 seconds left on Santos’ field goal into the wind.

Brees picked apart the Monsters of the Midway, completing 31 of 41 passes for 280 yards. Along with the TD to Hill in the fourth, he threw a 16-yarder to Jared Cook in the closing seconds of the first half to cut Chicago’s lead to 13-10. Brees now has 560 TDs in his career, with Brady at 559.

Alvin Kamara joined Matt Forte and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only running backs in NFL history with 50 or more receptions in each of his first four seasons. The three-time Pro Bowl pick had nine catches — giving him 55 on the year — for 96 yards. He also ran for 67 yards, and the Saints won their sixth in a row against the Bears.

Foles was 28 of 41 for 272 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Allen Robinson, who spent most of the week in the NFL’s concussion protocol, had a sprawling 24-yard TD reception in the back of the end zone in the second quarter. Rookie Darnell Mooney added a career-high 69 yards receiving and a touchdown.

David Montgomery ran for a season-high 89 yards, but the Bears came up short after getting dominated by the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.