NFL Roundup: Falcons slam Cardinals, Chargers rip Texans

A glance around the NFL in Week 12:

Miami 31 San Francisco 24

Ndamukong Suh tackled Colin Kaepernick (29-for-46, 296 yards, 3 TD, INT, 113 rushing yards) two yards short of the goal line as time expired to conclude a 60-yard drive that came up just short. A sideline reception on an overturned ball gave the 49ers (1-10) a first down at the Dolphins six-yard line with five seconds to go, but San Francisco couldn’t get into the end zone to capture their first win since week 1. It’s a different story in Miami, where the Dolphins (7-4) won their sixth straight game.

Atlanta 38 Arizona 19

The Falcons (7-4) and Cardinals (4-6-1) traded scores for a half before Atlanta pulled away in the second, outscoring Arizona 21-6 after the break. David Johnson had 103 receiving yards and 58 rushing on just 13 carries in the loss. Bruce Arians, hospitalized earlier in the week, was at the game to coach Arizona. The Cardinals remain in second place in the NFC West despite winning just one of their last five.

Tennessee 27 Chicago 21

The Titans (6-6) took a 27-7 lead early in the fourth quarter before the Bears (2-9) came storming back behind Matt Barkley, (28-for-54, 316 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) starting for an injured Jay Cutler. After the Bears had pulled it within six, Josh Bellamy dropped a touchdown on first and goal within the final minute, and Chicago never got in the endzone. With the win, the Titans are just a half-game behind Houston in the AFC South.

Baltimore 19 Cincinnati 14

The Ravens (6-5) took an intentional safety to end the game after Elvis Dumervil strip-sacked Andy Dalton (26-for-48, 283 yards, TD) with the Bengals (3-7-1) threatening. The only touchdowns of the game came courtesy of Breshad Perriman and Tyler Eifert. Eifert’s score got the Bengals back into the game after three 50-plus yard Justin Tucker field goals had given Baltimore a 16-3 lead. Getting back into the win column keeps the Ravens atop the AFC North, in a tie with Pittsburgh.

New York Giants 27 Cleveland 13

Jason Pierre-Paul returned a fumble 43 yards for a score as part of a monster day where he had three sacks and forced another fumble. Odell Beckham Jr. added two receiving touchdowns to help the Giants (8-3) win their sixth straight. Terrelle Pryor led the Browns (0-12) with 131 yards receiving. Cleveland came up short at the goal line twice, settling for 20 and 25-yard Cody Parkey field goals.

New Orleans 49 Los Angeles 21

What looked like a promising shootout early ended in disparity, as New Orleans (5-6) scored 42 of this game’s final 49 points. Making his second start for the Rams (4-7), Jared Goff (20-for-32, 214 yards, 3 TD, INT) threw his first two touchdown passes while building a 14-7 lead. The Rams have lost six-of-seven. Drew Brees (28-for-34, 310 yards, 4 TD) answered, and Mark Ingram, Tim Hightower and rookie Michael Thomas all topped 100 yards for the Saints. Willie Snead even got in on the fun with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Hightower for the game’s final score.

Buffalo 28 Jacksonville 21

LeSean McCoy put a slow start to bed with a 75-yard touchdown run that gave the Bills a 14-7 lead. Sammy Watkins had three catches for 80 yards in the receiver’s first game action since week 2. Altogether it was enough for the Bills (6-5) to overcome Blake Bortles’ (13-for-26, 126 yards, 2 TD) surprise 81 rushing yard day and win a game where neither team committed a turnover. The loss is the Jaguars’ (2-9) sixth straight.

San Diego 21 Houston 13

One game after turning the ball over four times in a loss to the Dolphins, it was the Chargers (5-6) who reaped the benefits of four takeaways. Philip Rivers’ (22-for-30, 242 yards, 3 TD, INT) three touchdowns paved the way to a 21-10 lead for the Chargers, and after recovering an onside kick with 14 seconds left, Houston still came up short. It’s the second straight home loss for the Texans (6-5) after beginning the season 5-0 in Houston.