NFL: Panthers lose first game, Patriots fall and Cardinals rout Packers

ATLANTA -- Carolina’s bid for an undefeated season ended Sunday when Julio Jones’ dramatic 70-yard touchdown reception powered the Atlanta Falcons to a 20-13 victory over Cam Newton and the Panthers.

Carolina (14-1) got the ball with 90 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. Newton completed a 19-yard pass to Corey Brown on first down but fumbled when stripped by Vic Beasley Jr. on the following play. Adrian Clayborn recovered for the Falcons, wrapping up the win.

Matt Ryan threw for 306 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons (8-7), and Devonta Freeman ran for 73 yards with a touchdown.

Newton threw for 142 yards and ran for 46 yards, including an 8-yard scoring run to cap the Panthers’ opening drive.

Jets 26, Patriots 20 (OT)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Eric Decker’s 6-yard touchdown catch on the first drive of overtime -- after New England chose to kick off -- lifted the Jets to a win that put New York in position to make the playoffs.

A win next week at Buffalo gives the Jets a wild-card berth.

New England (12-3) won the OT coin toss and surprisingly elected to give the ball to the Jets (10-5). New York used a career-long 48-yard reception by Quincy Enunwa and a 20-yard pass to Brandon Marshall to move into scoring position. And then, Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Decker on a fade behind Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler for New York’s fifth straight victory.

Marshall had two touchdown catches and also became the first NFL player with 100 receptions in six seasons. Fitzpatrick tied a franchise record with 29 TD throws this season.

Tom Brady hit James White for a 9-yard score with 1:55 to go, forcing OT.

Cardinals 38, Packers 8

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Arizona sacked Aaron Rodgers eight times and returned two of his fumbles for touchdowns on Sunday in a dominant 38-8 victory that clinched a first-round playoff bye for the streaking Cardinals.

Carson Palmer threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns for Arizona (12-3).

In all, the Packers were sacked nine times in by far their most one-sided loss of the season. Dwight Freeney had three and Calais Campbell 2 1/2. Cory Redding rambled 36 yards with one of the fumbles for a score, Jerraud Powers took another five yards for a touchdown.

The Packers (10-5) have a half-game lead over Minnesota in the NFC North with the Vikings facing the New York Giants Sunday night.

Green Bay is home against Minnesota in its regular-season finale next Sunday.

Rams 23, Seahawks 17

SEATTLE -- Todd Gurley scored on a 2-yard TD run with 10:34 left, Akeem Ayers returned a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and St. Louis ended Seattle’s five-game winning streak.

St. Louis swept the season series from the Seahawks (9-6) having won 34-31 in overtime in Week 1. And the Rams (7-8) caused the same kinds of problems they did in the opener by flustering quarterback Russell Wilson and slowing down a Seattle offense that had not been stopped for the previous five weeks.

Gurley rushed for 85 yards on 19 carries. Case Keenum won his third straight start for the Rams, completing 14 of 23 passes for 103 yards and a 28-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Britt in the second quarter. St. Louis won in Seattle for the first time since the 2004 playoffs.

Seattle failed to lead for the first time with Wilson under center since he became the starter in Week 1 of the 2012 season. The Seahawks’ streak of having 100 yards rushing as a team ended at 25 games and Seattle lost at home for the third time this season.

Saints 38, Jaguars 27

NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees passed for 412 yards and three touchdowns despite his injured right foot to lead New Orleans to the victory.

Brees, who tore his plantar fascia ligament during a loss to Detroit last Monday, showed no ill effects of the normally painful injury while completing 25 of 36 passes.

Running back Tim Hightower, who missed the previous three seasons because of a knee injury and subsequent complications, consolidated his recent resurgence with 122 yards and two touchdowns rushing for New Orleans (6-9).

Brandin Cooks caught a 71-yard touchdown pass to highlight his 123 yards receiving. Newly reacquired running back Travaris Cadet had a 44-yard TD catch.

Blake Bortles passed for 368 yards and four TDs for Jacksonville (5-10), which was eliminated from playoff contention earlier Sunday by Houston’s victory.

Bortles’ TD strikes included a 90-yarder to Allen Robinson.

Chiefs 17, Browns 13

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes for Kansas City, and the game clock finally stopped Johnny Manziel as the Chiefs held on to beat Cleveland for their franchise record-tying ninth consecutive victory.

Smith threw for 125 yards while running for 54, helping Kansas City (10-5) clinch a playoff berth when Pittsburgh lost to Baltimore moments after his own game ended.

The Chiefs jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead Sunday, but their offense became listless over the final two quarters, just as Manziel was pumping some life into the Browns (3-12).

The former Heisman Trophy winner led Cleveland to 10 straight points, then took over at his 30 with 1:52 left and no timeouts. The Browns picked up three first downs, and Manziel hit Darius Jennings on fourth-and-10 from the Chiefs 32. But time expired before Manziel could get another snap off.

He spiked his helmet in frustration as the Chiefs poured onto the field.

Ravens 20, Steelers 17

BALTIMORE -- Ryan Mallet threw for a career-high 274 yards in his first start with Baltimore and led the Ravens to one of the biggest upsets over Pittsburgh in this contentious rivalry.

The Ravens (5-10) had lost three straight, the last two by a combined 69-20 score. In this one, however, they turned back a team riding a three-game winning streak and striving for a playoff berth.

Although it’s been a disappointing season for the injury-plagued Ravens, they managed to sweep Pittsburgh (9-6) for the first time since 2011. The Steelers remained in playoff contention.

Making his seventh career start, Mallett went 28 for 41 with a touchdown and no interceptions. Signed by the Ravens on Dec. 15, he was the fourth quarterback to start for Baltimore in a span of six weeks.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had two passes intercepted and was sacked three times.

Texans 34, Titans 6

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Brandon Weeden scored his first career rushing touchdown and threw for two scores as Houston took a big step toward clinching the AFC South title by routing hapless Tennessee.

Houston (8-7), which wraps up the regular season by hosting Jacksonville, couldn’t clinch outright with Indianapolis beating Miami 18-12.

The Texans have won seven of the last eight against the Titans. They forced four turnovers and turned them into 17 points. Quintin Demps returned a fumble 33 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes into the game, putting Houston ahead to stay.

The Texans scored a season high in points despite starting their fourth different quarterback this season.

The Titans (3-12) did nothing to hurt their chances at the No. 1 pick in the draft, turning the ball over twice in the first quarter.

Colts 18, Dolphins 12

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Third-string quarterback Charlie Whitehurst came off the bench again for Indianapolis, which made a last-minute defensive stand to keep alive its faint playoff hopes by beating Miami.

The Dolphins had a first-and-goal at the 5 with 40 seconds left, but after three consecutive incompletions, rookie center Jamil Douglas appeared to snap the ball prematurely, and Tannehill was sacked by three Colts.

Indy backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck departed with an injury for the fourth game in a row, and Whitehurst did just enough after entering in the second quarter, completing two scoring drives.

The Colts (7-8) would have been eliminated from the playoff race with a loss. The Dolphins (5-10) were eliminated two weeks ago.

Bears 26, Buccaneers 21

TAMPA, Fla. -- Ka’Deem Carey caught a touchdown pass from Jay Cutler and the third-string running back also scored on a 1-yard run to help Chicago end a three-game losing streak.

Carey’s 1-yard scoring reception put the Bears (6-9) ahead for good early in the fourth quarter. The second-year pro teamed with Matt Forte and Jeremy Langford to spearhead a rushing attack that produced 174 yards and kept Jameis Winston off the field for long stretches.

The victory was only the second in the past six games for the Bears. Tampa Bay (6-9) has lost four of five, including three straight after rebounding from a slow start.

Winston completed 15 of 29 passes for 295 yards with one interception for the Bucs. He threw for two TDs, including a 43-yard Hail Mary toss to Austin Seferian-Jenkins with 1 second remaining.

Lions 32, 49ers 17

DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford threw for two touchdowns, including one to Calvin Johnson early in the fourth quarter, to help Detroit defeat San Francisco.

The Lions (6-9) have won five of their last seven games, perhaps giving coach Jim Caldwell a chance to keep his job for a third season.

The 49ers (4-11) have lost three straight and five of six under first-year coach Jim Tomsula.

Detroit took advantage of several mistakes for San Francisco’s defense and special teams.

Stafford’s 1-yard TD pass to Johnson gave Detroit a 12-point lead one play after Tramaine Brock was called for pass interference in the end zone. During the drive, the 49ers were flagged for being offside or in the neutral zone for the seventh time to set a single-game high by an NFL team this year, according to STATS.

Bills 16, Cowboys 6

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo rookie Mike Gillislee ran 50 yards for a touchdown with 2:25 remaining to secure the win for Buffalo.

Gillislee finished with 93 yards rushing and led a ground attack that combined for 236 yards rushing. Karlos Williams scored on a 1-yard run as the Bills overcame an injury-depleted offense playing without running back LeSean McCoy.

Rookie linebacker A.J. Tarpley had an interception and sealed the win by forcing Lucky Whitehead to fumble on the kickoff return that followed Gillislee’s touchdown.

Buffalo (7-8) snapped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in six games.

The Cowboys (4-11) lost in quarterback Kellen Moore’s first career start. Moore went 13 of 31 for 186 yards and an interception. Dan Bailey had two field goals for Dallas.