NFL roundup: Tom Brady leads Bucs' rally past Panthers for NFC South title
Tom Brady threw for 432 yards and three long touchdowns to Mike Evans, helping the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinch their second straight NFC South championship with a 30-24 come-from-behind win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Evans finished with 10 catches for 207 yards, scoring on receptions of 63, 57, and 30 yards and becoming the first player in NFL history to begin a career with nine consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus yards receiving.
The Panthers (6-10) led 14-0 early and 21-10 after Sam Darnold’s third TD pass of the day, 10 seconds into the fourth quarter.
It was all Bucs from there, with Evans beating cornerback C.J. Henderson for touchdowns twice and Darnold losing a fumble on a sack inside his own 10. That turnover set up Brady’s 1-yard TD sneak, which put the game out of reach with 1:58 left.
The Bucs (8-8) can finish the regular season with a winning record by beating Atlanta on the road next weekend. As division champs, they are assured of beginning the playoffs with a home game in two weeks.
Darnold threw for 341 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also lost two fumbles while falling to 3-2 since becoming Carolina’s starter on Thanksgiving weekend.
Steelers 16, Ravens 13
Kenny Pickett threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Najee Harris with 56 seconds remaining to give Pittsburgh the win over Baltimore.
It was the first touchdown allowed by Baltimore at home in four games, and the visiting Steelers (8-8) needed it to avoid elimination from the playoffs. Pittsburgh can now make the postseason by beating Cleveland next weekend — if Miami and New England both lose. And Steelers coach Mike Tomlin can still avoid his first losing record in 16 seasons.
Down 13-9, Pickett drove the Steelers 80 yards in 3:20 against their rivals with the season on the line. On third-and-8 from the 10, the rookie scrambled away from pressure and threw a perfect pass to Harris, who had slipped behind linebacker Roquan Smith along the left sideline.
The playoff-bound Ravens (10-6) now need Buffalo to beat Cincinnati on Monday to keep their hopes of winning the AFC North alive.
Tyler Huntley threw a touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely late in the first half for the game’s only other touchdown.
Seahawks 23, Jets 6
Geno Smith threw two first-half touchdown passes, Kenneth Walker III rushed for 133 yards and host Seattle remained in playoff contention while ending New York's postseason chances.
Seattle (8-8) snapped a three-game losing streak and ensured its Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams will be meaningful. The Seahawks must win and hope for a loss or tie by Green Bay against Detroit to reach the postseason.
New York’s playoff hopes ended with a thud after its fifth straight loss and extended the longest active playoff drought in the NFL to a franchise-record 12 seasons. The Jets (7-9) last reached the postseason in 2011 and will finish with a losing record for the seventh straight year.
Smith finished 18 of 29 for 183 yards and added the Jets to the list of victories against former employers that already included wins over the Chargers and Giants.
Smith was especially good in the first half, throwing touchdowns of 12 yards to Colby Parkinson on the first possession of the game and 7 yards to Tyler Mabry early in the second quarter. Mabry’s touchdown was the first catch of his career.
Mike White returned at quarterback for the Jets after missing two games with fractured ribs, but offensive success was fleeting for the Jets. White was 23 of 46 for 240 yards and threw two interceptions.
Giants 38, Colts 10
Daniel Jones threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more, and host New York routed Indianapolis to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Landon Collins, one of two players from the ’16 team, broke the game open late in the second quarter with a 52-yard pick-6 as the Giants (9-6-1) put a final stamp on a surprising playoff run under first-year coach Brian Daboll.
The Colts (4-11-1) lost their sixth straight and ninth in 10 games.
New York's point total was a season high and its first time scoring 30 or more since a 37-34 loss to Dallas on Oct. 11, 2020.
Jones threw touchdown passes of 6 yards to Richie James and 6 yards to Isaiah Hodgins in the first half and scored on runs of 18 and 10 yards in the second half. He finished 19 of 24 for 177 yards and had 11 rushes for 91 yards.
Colts quarterback Nick Foles was injured late in the second quarter when he was sacked by Giants rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux. He was taken to the locker room on a cart. Sam Ehlinger played the second half and threw his first NFL TD pass, a 6-yarder to Michael Pittman.
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