The Latest on Week 14 in the NFL (all times EST):
3:45 p.m.
A fake punt by New Orleans backfired late in the third quarter when Taysom Hill’s long pass intended for Tre’Quan Smith fell incomplete. Smith was being pushed along the sideline, and the Superdome crowd was howling for a pass interference call. Referee John Hussey explained over his microphone that by rule, pass interference doesn’t apply when a team is in apparent punt formation. The rule exists to allow the receiving team to block a ”gunner” trying to race down the sideline to make a tackle in kick coverage. The crowd still booed heartily while Sean Payton continued contesting officials’ decision, apparently questioning whether San Francisco still could have been called for holding. The result was a turnover on downs to the Niners, who were holding a 35-33 lead, on the San Francisco 45.
The Niners went ahead 42-33 on a Jimmy Garopplo TD pass with about nine minutes left.
-Brett Martel reporting from New Orleans.
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3:15 p.m. Miami is without two of its top wide receivers for the rest of the Dolphins’ game against the New York Jets as DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson were both ruled out with concussions. Parker was injured after a 21-yard catch in the second quarter. Wilson was hurt early in the third quarter. The Jets were also without top tight end Ryan Griffin, who was ruled out after injuring an ankle on New York’s opening possession of the game. Jets rookie defensive lineman Quinnen Williams was questionable to return with what the team said was a burner.
– Dennis Waszak Jr. reporting from East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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2:50 p.m.
While the 49ers and Saints statistically have two of the better defenses in the NFL, offenses have dominated the first half of their matchup today in New Orleans. And there’s been some razzle-dazzle, too.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees had touchdown passes on New Orleans’ first three possessions and dove across the goal line for another score on the Saints’ fourth possession.
Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo had TD passes – including a 75-yarder to Emmanuel Sanders – on San Francisco’s first two series before Sanders capped San Francisco’s third possession by taking a handoff on a reverse and passing to a wide open running back Raheem Mostert for a 35-yard TD.
Mostert’s TD cut New Orleans’ lead to 27-21 in the second quarter.
-Brett Martel reporting from New Orleans.
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2:47 p.m.
The New Orleans Saints say tight end Jared Cook has a concussion and will not return to Sunday’s game against San Francisco.
The development removes from the game the player who caught Drew Brees’ first two touchdown passes Sunday. The first was a 38-yarder and the second went for 26 yards.
It was on that second touchdown that Cook took a hard hit to the head by Niners defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon, who was called for unnecessary roughness.
Rather than take the penalty on the kickoff, the Saints took the penalty on the extra point to move the ball to the 1-yard line for a two-point conversion, but that play failed.
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12:40 p.m.
What was supposed to be a showdown of two of the NFL’s up-and-coming second-year quarterbacks has instead turned into a defensive slugfest between Buffalo and Baltimore.
With Baltimore up 10-6 at the half, Ravens starter Lamar Jackson has been limited to 5 of 10 passing for 30 yards, with a touchdown and interception. He has 28 yards rushing while being sacked once.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen is 8 of 17 for 39 yards passing and has lost a fumble, while being sacked four times.
The Ravens entered averaging 390 yards offense in winning their past eight. They’ve been held to 95 yards by Buffalo.
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has sustained a knee injury in the first half of Baltimore’s game at Buffalo, and his return his questionable.
It’s unclear when and how Andrew was hurt. He was spotted being escorted up the tunnel shortly after Ravens Nick Boyle caught a 3-yard touchdown pass to put Baltimore ahead 10-0 early in the second quarter.
Andrews entered the game with seven touchdowns receiving, which are tied for the NFL lead among tight ends.
-John Wawrow reporting from Orchard Park, N.Y.
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2:30 p.m.
Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans is done for the day after injuring his right hamstring on a 61-yard TD reception that has Tampa Bay up 14-10 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Evans clutched his hamstring as he reached the end zone and hobbled off the field and into the locker room.
Evans began the day ranked third in the league in receiving yardage and tied for the lead with nine TD catches.
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2:05 p.m.
Drew Lock is having a sensational second career start.
The second-round pick from Missouri who won his first start last week against the Chargers led the Broncos to a stunning 21-0 lead at Houston before the Texas got on the scoreboard with a field goal.
Early in the second quarter, Lock had completed 9 of 11 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, giving a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
The Broncos also got a defensive touchdown from safety Kareem Jackson in his Houston homecoming. Jackson played his first nine season in Houston before joining the Brons in free agency.
-Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.
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2 p.m. Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker has left the game against the New York Jets to be evaluated for a concussion.
Parker, the Dolphins’ leading receiver, was hurt on a 21-yard catch in the second quarter. He took a big hit from Jets cornerback Bless Austin and was slow to get up. After being looked at in Miami’s medical tent, Parker walked gingerly with a trainer to the locker room.
The team announced Parker was questionable to return. He had two catches for 28 yards before leaving.
– Dennis Waszak Jr. reporting from East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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1:45 p.m.
Matt Ryan has become the 10th NFL quarterback to pass for 50,000 yards in his career.
Ryan, in his 12th season with the Atlanta Falcons, surpassed the threshold by completing a 14-yard pass to Russell Gage midway through the first quarter.
The other active QBs with 50,000 yards are Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning.
Ryan began Sunday’s game against Carolina with 3,246 yards passing as he tries to reach 4,000 for the ninth straight season.
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1:45 p.m.
The Lions are having a lot of trouble blocking Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter.
Hunter already has two sacks in the first quarter, including a 14-yard takedown of quarterback David Blough that forced a punt.
His first one forced a three-and-out by the Lions on the first possession, making him the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 career sacks.
Hunter is 25 years and 40 days old. Hunter has 10 sacks in nine games against the Lions, the most against any opponent. The Vikings lead 7-0. – Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis
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1:30 p.m.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has reached 1,000 yards rushing with his second carry in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills.
Jackson entered the game leading NFL quarterbacks with 977 yards rushing. He picked up 23 yards on two runs.
The second-year quarterback is now 40 yards rushing short of breaking the single-season record for quarterback set by Michael Vick in 2006.
— John Wawrow reporting from Orchard Park, N.Y.
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1 p.m.
Star linebacker Von Miller is back in the Denver Broncos lineup a week after he missed a game for the first time since Super Bowl 48 on Feb. 2, 2014.
Miller has a sprained left MCL and tested it out before the Broncos’game at Houston. He and the medical staff determined he was ready to play again.
Miller said he cried last week when his 95-game starting streak came to a halt because of the injury. He was hurt two weeks ago in Buffalo when a teammate crashed into his left knee while he was about to sack Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Miller is in his ninth season and has 104 career sacks. Miller is missing his longtime teammate Derek Wolfe, who went on IR after dislocating his left elbow last week.
– Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.
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10 a.m.
Four AFC teams can secure playoff berths – or even division titles – in Week 14.
If Baltimore wins at Buffalo, the Ravens own the AFC North. They also take the division if Pittsburgh loses as Arizona. A win gives Baltimore a playoff berth at the least.
Should the Bills win that game with Baltimore, they can get a postseason spot if Oakland loses to Tennessee, Houston falls to Denver, and Indianapolis is beaten by Tampa Bay.
The AFC West goes to Kansas City if it wins at New England and the Raiders lose. The Patriots get a playoff berth with a win, or, if they lose to the Chiefs, with defeats for the Texans and Colts, plus a tie between the Titans and Raiders.
The Saints already have won the NFC South. If San Francisco wins at New Orleans, it’s in the playoffs as long as the Rams lose to Seattle in a Sunday night game. A victory for the Seahawks puts them in the postseason.
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