Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, left, celebrates with teammates after his 1-yard touchdown run Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Mark Zaleski/Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ryan Tannehill ran and threw for touchdowns as the Tennessee Titans held off the New Orleans Saints 23-21 Sunday for their NFL-best sixth straight victory.
The Titans (8-2) became the second team in NFL history to win five straight over playoff teams from the season before, joining the 2003 Philadelphia Eagles. Tennessee improved to 7-0 this season against 2020 playoff teams.
The Saints (5-4) dropped their second straight since losing quarterback Jameis Winston to a season-ending ACL injury.
Trevor Siemian threw a 15-yard TD pass to Marquez Callaway with 1:16 left, pulling the Saints within 23-21. But Adam Trautman was flagged for a false start on the conversion attempt, pushing the Saints back to the Titans 7.
Siemian’s pass to Mark Ingram at the right edge of the end zone was incomplete, with Titans cornerback Jackrabbit Jenkins defending. That was the Saints’ eighth straight failed 2-point conversion over several seasons.
The Titans recovered the onside kick to seal their tightest victory yet.
WASHINGTON 29, BUCCANEERS 19: Tom Brady threw two interceptions in the first quarter as part of an implosion by the reigning Super Bowl champions, contributing to Washington (3-6) upsetting visiting Tampa Bay (6-3) despite losing Chase Young to injury.
Tampa Bay lost a second consecutive game on either side of its bye week and was dealt an extra blow in the last minute when nose tackle Vita Vea was carted off with an injury on the final play of a 19-play, 80-yard drive over 10:26 that sealed the victory for Washington.
Brady finished 23 of 34 for 220 yards and two touchdown passes, to Cameron Brate and Mike Evans in the second half.
PACKERS 17, SEAHAWKS 0: Aaron Rodgers was uneven in his return from COVID-19 but did more than enough to support a standout defense as Green Bay (8-2) won at Seattle (3-6).
A.J. Dillon rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the Packers, who handed the Seahawks their first shutout loss in a decade.
A week after he was forced to sit out a loss at Kansas City because of a positive COVID-19 test and the subsequent revelation that he was not vaccinated, Rodgers was 23 of 37 for 292 yards and threw an interception in the end zone in the third quarter.
Seattle’s Russell Wilson also struggled in his return after missing three games because of an injury to the middle finger on his throwing hand. He was 20 of 40 for 161 yards with two interceptions. The Seahawks wasted two scoring opportunities when Kevin King and Adrian Amos picked off Wilson passes in the end zone.
PANTHERS 34, CARDINALS 10: Cam Newton provided a flashback to his Superman days in his second debut with the Panthers, throwing for one touchdown, running for another and sparking Carolina (5-5) to a win at Arizona (8-2).
Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP who was signed by the Panthers earlier in the week, made his presence felt on his first play of the game, entering on third down and screaming “I’m back!” after barreling into the right corner of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown.
On Carolina’s next drive, Newton threw a 2-yard TD pass to Robby Anderson as the Panthers built a stunning 17-0 lead in the first quarter and a 23-0 advantage by halftime.
BILLS 45, JETS 17: Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes, Buffalo (6-3) ran for four scores and the Bills’ top-ranked defense intercepted Mike White four times in a win over New York (2-7) at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
It was an impressive showing for the Bills, who rebounded from an embarrassing 9-6 loss at Jacksonville last week by thoroughly dominating the lowly Jets.
Allen was 21 of 28 for 366 yards, with TD passes to Matt Breida and Stefon Diggs and one interception. Breida added a scoring run, as did Devin Singletary, Zack Moss and wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie.
COWBOYS 43, FALCONS 3: Ezekiel Elliott ran for two touchdowns, Nahshon Wright recovered a blocked punt for a score, and Dallas (7-2) routed Atlanta (4-5) in Arlington, Texas.
Dak Prescott threw two TD passes to CeeDee Lamb, and Elliott finished two drives kept alive by fourth-down conversions, all before halftime.
COLTS 23, JAGUARS 17: Jonathan Taylor rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, Indianapolis (5-5) returned a blocked punt for a score and the Colts held off visiting Jacksonville (2-7).
The Jaguars have lost 12 consecutive road games and nine straight against AFC South foes.
STEELERS 16, LIONS 16: Playing without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who entered the COVID-19 protocol on Saturday night, Pittsburgh (5-3-1) played to a tie at home against Detroit (0-8-1) in a nearly four-hour marathon that produced more comedy than highlights.
Mason Rudolph completed 30 of 50 passes for 242 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but struggled with consistency while making a spot start in place of Roethlisberger. Najee Harris ran for 105 yards and at times appeared to be Pittsburgh’s only legitimate offensive weapon as the Steelers saw their four-game winning streak halted.
De’Andre Swift ran for a career-high 130 yards for the Lions, who relied heavily on the run to avoid a ninth straight loss with quarterback Jared Goff rendered almost completely ineffective.
VIKINGS 27, CHARGERS 20: Kirk Cousins threw a pair of touchdown passes to Tyler Conklin, Dalvin Cook rushed for 94 yards and a score, and visiting Minnesota (4-5) beat Los Angeles (5-4).
EAGLES 30, BRONCOS 13: Cornerback Darius Slay returned a fumble 82 yards for a touchdown and rookie DeVonta Smith hauled in two TD passes from Jalen Hurts as Philadelphia (4-6) won at Denver (5-5).
The Eagles prevented the Broncos from sweeping NFC East teams, just one week after Denver dominated Dallas in one of the biggest upsets of the season.
CHIEFS 41, RAIDERS 14: Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdown passes and returned to his usual form after a surprisingly shaky stretch, and Kansas City (6-4) moved into first place in the AFC West with a victory at Las Vegas (5-4).
Mahomes and the Chiefs showed little resemblance to the team that overpowered the AFC the past three seasons over the first nine weeks, raising questions about whether they could make it back to a third straight Super Bowl.
But they turned in a dominant performance over the Raiders on a day when everyone else in the division lost.
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