ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — A dominant defense made life difficult on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as the Buffalo Bills forced three turnovers, kicked four field goals and added a punt return touchdown to stay alive in the AFC wild-card race with a 21-13 win on Sunday.
The Bills (8-6) held Rodgers to a career-worst 34.4 passer rating and snapped the Packers (10-4) five-game winning streak. Rodgers completed 17 of 42 passes for 185 yards, threw two interceptions and failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time all season.
Buffalo sealed the game with a late safety after Green Bay took over at its own 10-yard-line with 1:58 remaining and no timeouts. Defensive end Mario Williams stripped Rodgers at the goal line, forcing a fumble and safety on the first play and effectively ending the game.
Mason Crosby kicked a 34-yard field goal to cut Buffalo’s lead to 19-13 with 4:53 remaining.
Bills safety Bacarri Rambo made his second interception of the game — and second of his career — after the Packers had driven from their own 2-yard-line to the Buffalo 34. Rambo’s 28-yard return gave the Bills a drive start near midfield and Dan Carpenter converted a 43-yard field goal to put the Bills in front 19-10 with 9:23 left in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers was intercepted for the first time in six games when Rambo made his first pick late in the third quarter. It was also the Packers’ first turnover in five games.
Giants 24, Redskins 13
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes to rookie Odell Beckham Jr. and the New York Giants rallied to beat Washington.
Beckham did not enter the lineup until Week 5 because of a hamstring injury, but the Giants’ first-round pick has the look of a superstar. He finished the game with 12 receptions for 143 yards, his NFL-record seventh straight game with at least 90 receiving yards. The Giants (5-9) won their second straight after seven straight losses.
The Redskins (3-11) had a golden opportunity on the final play of the first half to take control of the game. Quarterback Robert Griffin III, in when starter Colt McCoy left the game after the first series with a neck injury, took off for the end zone and initially appeared to have crossed the goal line for the touchdown. Replays showed that Griffin didn’t have control of the ball. Officials ruled the play was a 7-yard gain and a fumble out of the back of the end zone for a touchback.
Colts 17, Texans 10
INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and Indianapolis beat Houston to win its second straight AFC South title.
The Colts (10-4) have a three-game lead on Houston (7-7) with two regular-season games remaining. Luck finished 18 of 34 for 187 yards and two touchdown passes.
Any hope of victory for Houston was essentially wiped out with 13:17 remaining in the second quarter when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered what was reported to be a fractured left leg while attempting to scramble for a first down. Fitzpatrick was transported from the field to the locker room on a cart.
Broncos 22, Chargers 10
SAN DIEGO — Denver clinched its fourth consecutive AFC West title by beating San Diego.
Connor Barth kicked five field goals as the Broncos earned their fourth win in a row.
Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, who was battling flu-like symptoms, finished 14 of 20 for 233 yards. Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas made six catches for 123 yards, and he grabbed Manning’s lone touchdown pass.
San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers completed 24 of 41 passes for 232 yards with one touchdown pass and two interceptions.
Denver (11-3) completed a season sweep of San Diego (8-6).
Seahawks 17, 49ers 7
SEATTLE — San Francisco’s disappointing season took another hit as Seattle prolonged its misery with a win.
The Seahawks (10-4) rallied from a 7-3 halftime deficit to set up a huge game with NFC West-leading Arizona (11-3) next Sunday night. The winner of that game will have the inside track to a division title and could be in position for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
San Francisco (7-7) lost three in a row and is all but eliminated from playoff contention in what is widely believed to be the 49ers’ final season under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Marshawn Lynch rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown, and Russell Wilson completed 12 of 24 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown for the Seahawks.
San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick completed 11 of 19 passes for 141 yards and added 46 rushing yards. He was also sacked six times.
Lions 16, Vikings 14
DETROIT — Matt Prater kicked three field goals, including a go-ahead 33-yarder with 3:38 remaining, and Detroit moved into a first-place tie in the NFC North with a victory over Minnesota.
Golden Tate caught seven passes and scored Detroit’s only touchdown, and quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for a season-low 153 yards. Joique Bell added a combined 103 yards rushing and receiving.
The Lions (10-4), who have won three straight, held the Vikings (6-8) scoreless in the second half and pulled even in the division with Green Bay. The Lions can clinch a playoff berth with a win at Chicago or Green Bay in their remaining games.
Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 31 of 41 passes for 315 yards and a touchdown but also threw two first-half interceptions that led to 10 Detroit points.
Bengals 30, Browns 0
CLEVELAND — Cincinnati spoiled the debut of Cleveland rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel with a smothering defense and a strong running game to cruise over its Ohio rival.
Cincinnati piled up 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Bengals rookie Jeremy Hill scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half and Rex Burkhead scored on a 10-yard run with 23 seconds to play.
The Bengals (9-4-1) remain in front of the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North. The Browns (7-7) have lost three straight and four of their last five games to fall off the pace in the conference playoff race.
While the Browns managed 107 total yards, the Bengals played like a first-place team from start to finish. Manziel had a 27.3 passer rating, completing 10 of 18 passes for 80 yards. Manziel was picked off twice in the first half.
Ravens 20, Jaguars 12
BALTIMORE — Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles was sacked eight times and Baltimore overcame a lackluster performance by the offense and sloppy penalties to escape with a victory.
The win keeps Baltimore (9-5) in the hunt for one of the AFC’s six playoff spots. Jacksonville (2-12) has lost six of its past seven games.
The Ravens’ leading rusher, Justin Forsett, limped to the sideline after taking a hard hit in the second quarter and was limited to 48 yards on 16 carries.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco responded with an 82-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Owen Daniels that gave the Ravens a 17-12 lead with 8:34 left in the third quarter. Flacco completed 20 of 30 passes for 221 yards.
Steelers 27, Falcons 20
ATLANTA — Running back Le’Veon Bell scored two touchdowns and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Antonio Brown set franchise records to help Pittsburgh keep control of its playoff destiny with a win over Atlanta.
The Steelers (9-5) remained a half-game behind Cincinnati in the AFC North with their second straight win. The Falcons (5-9) dropped out of first place in the NFC South.
Roethlisberger didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but finished with 360 passing yards to set a Pittsburgh single-season passing-yards mark, topping the record of 4,328 yards he set in 2009. Roethlisberger now has 4,415 passing yards this season.
Brown caught 10 passes for 123 yards and broke Hines Ward’s franchise record for receptions in a season. Brown has 115 catches this season, two more than Ward had 12 years ago.
Panthers 19, Buccaneers 17
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Derek Anderson threw for 277 yards and a touchdown as Carolina defeated Tampa Bay to remain alive in the NFC South playoff race.
Graham Gano kicked four field goals, including one from 45 yards out with 8:31 remaining for a 19-10 lead, and the Panthers needed to go only 4 yards for their lone touchdown.
Anderson, filling in because Cam Newton was injured in an automobile wreck five days earlier, completed 25 of 40 passes.
The Panthers (5-8-1) won for the second week in a row and they will be in first place in the NFC South if the New Orleans Saints lose Monday night at Chicago. The Bucs are 2-12.
Chiefs 31, Raiders 13
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A close game at halftime disintegrated into a Kansas City rout of Oakland.
The Chiefs (8-6) held a 10-6 lead early in the third quarter, but then scored three touchdowns with quarterback Alex Smith throwing a pair, including a 70-yarder to running back Knile Davis. Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ defense stepped up, keeping the Raiders bottled up in their own end of the field for most of the game. Smith threw for 297 yards, completing passes to 10 different receivers.
The victory ended Kansas City’s three-game losing streak and kept alive its hopes of making the field for the AFC playoffs. The Raiders (2-12) are in contention for the first selection in the 2015 draft.
Jets 16, Titans 11
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The New York Jets won their third game and Tennessee improved its draft position.
Running back Chris Ivory’s 1-yard run with 3:09 left gave the Jets a come-from-behind win in a game of 2-11 teams.
The Jets won for just the second time since Week 1, while Tennessee kept pace with Oakland, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay in the battle for the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.