The 49ers, Cowboys and Cardinals are out of the playoff race.

Sam Darnold connected with a well-covered Justin Jefferson with 3:51 left for his third TD pass of the game, and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 to keep pace with Detroit for the top spot in the NFC.

The setup for two Christmas Day games means two games on Saturday in Week 16.

Justin Jefferson raced across the back of the end zone, leaped to catch the pass from Sam Darnold and launched into his latest touchdown celebration after an early score for the Minnesota Vikings.

Aaron Jones and Cam Akers had touchdown runs in the second half to complement a smothering performance by the Minnesota defense, and the Vikings moved into a tie for first place in the NFC North by beating the Chicago Bears 30-12 for their seventh consecutive victory.

The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays.

A thunderous doink helped the Kansas City Chiefs gain some breathing room in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the Buffalo Bills fell short despite Josh Allen’s spectacular performance.

Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 for their sixth straight victory.

Six division matchups and Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota highlight a lighter Week 14 schedule.

Sam Darnold’s second touchdown pass of the second half went to Aaron Jones for Minnesota’s first lead with 1:13 left, and the Vikings rallied from 13 points down to beat the Arizona Cardinals 23-22 for their fifth straight victory.

The quarterback revitalization program the Minnesota Vikings have unofficially launched under coach Kevin O’Connell has a new participant in Daniel Jones.

A person familiar with the decision says former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is signing with the Minnesota Vikings.

Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal, and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Chicago Bears 30-27 after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation.

Sam Darnold overcame four sacks and three turnovers by throwing three second-half touchdown passes, and the Minnesota defense made Indianapolis quarterback Joe Flacco’s return to the starting role a rough one as the Vikings beat the Colts 21-13.

Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold didn’t blame the officials for a missed face mask call when he was sacked for a safety late in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Demarcus Robinson caught two of Matthew Stafford’s four touchdown throws in the Los Angeles Rams’ 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Jake Bates kicked a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left to lift the Detroit Lions to a 31-29 victory that handed the Minnesota Vikings their first loss in a back-and-forth game befitting of the NFL’s strongest division.

The Detroit Lions won a thrilling battle over the Minnesota Vikings to vault themselves back into first place in the NFC North.

Jared Goff and Jayden Daniels have put up record-breaking performances in recent weeks when it comes to completing passes at a high rate.

Sam Darnold threw three touchdown passes and Jordan Addison scored twice as the Minnesota Vikings built an early 28-point lead and hung on down the stretch to beat the Green Bay Packers 31-29.

Six winless teams earned their first wins of the season.

Sam Darnold passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns against his former team, including a 97-yard strike in the second quarter to Justin Jefferson, and an attacking defense again fueled the Minnesota Vikings in a 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones will square off in the season opener when the Vikings visit the Giants.

The days of NFL rookie quarterbacks waiting their turns before taking over teams is long gone.

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.

The Minnesota Vikings stayed aggressive in free agency by adding former Green Bay running back Aaron Jones and 2018 third overall draft pick Sam Darnold as a temporary replacement at quarterback.

Quarterback Brock Purdy will sit out the regular-season finale after the San Francisco 49ers have already wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is in concussion protocol, putting his status for this week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals in doubt.

Trey Lance says he's starting over at “square zero” with the Dallas Cowboys after getting traded out of San Francisco.

Few teams have ever invested as much capital into acquiring as the San Francisco 49ers did when they traded three first-round picks to draft Trey Lance.

Brock Purdy ran for a 5-yard touchdown during a brief tune-up for the season opener for San Francisco before the Los Angeles Chargers backups beat the 49ers 23-12 in the exhibition finale.

The San Francisco 49ers have traded quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick less than three years after trading three first-round picks to draft him.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said he expects Trey Lance still to be on the roster when the season starts in just over two weeks despite losing out on the backup job to Sam Darnold.

Sam Darnold has won the backup quarterback job in San Francisco, putting Trey Lance’s status with the 49ers in doubt less than three years after the team traded three first-round picks to draft him.

Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell completed 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown and Las Vegas beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-7 on Sunday in the preseason opener for both teams.

Even though the San Francisco 49ers have proclaimed Brock Purdy the leader to start at quarterback if he recovers in time from his elbow injury, they aren’t yet ready to move on from the player they drafted two years ago to be their franchise quarterback.

Jimmy Garoppolo is headed to Las Vegas for a new start with the Raiders.

A person familiar with the situation says the Carolina Panthers will meet with free agent quarterback Derek Carr this week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Tom Brady threw for 432 yards and three long touchdowns to Mike Evans, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinch their second straight NFC South championship with a 30-24 come-from-behind win over the Carolina Panthers.

D’Onta Foreman ran for a career-high 165 yards and a touchdown, and the Carolina Panthers racked up a franchise record 320 yards on the ground to beat the Detroit Lions 37-23.

The Carolina Panthers have waived struggling quarterback Baker Mayfield after the 2018 No. 1 draft pick asked for his release.

Mike White has already made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Thanksgiving will be filled with food and winning football teams.

Baker Mayfield will start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens after P.

A vast majority of the quarterback changes made in the offseason have not worked out for NFL contenders looking to stabilize the position and win right away.

Some might say it’s a rebuild.

Joe Flacco will start at quarterback for the New York Jets in the season opener Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens in place of the injured Zach Wilson.

The Las Vegas Raiders have waived offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood.

Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule says backup quarterback Sam Darnold and kicker Zane Gonzalez both suffered “significant” injuries in the 21-0 win over the Buffalo Bills on Friday night.

Panthers backup quarterback Sam Darnold and kicker Zane Gonzalez were both carted off the field in the third quarter of Carolina’s preseason game Friday night against the Buffalo Bills.

Baker Mayfield will start the Carolina Panthers’ Sept. 11 regular-season opener against his former team, the Cleveland Browns.

Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass during the Carolina Panthers' 23-21 preseason-opening victory at the Washington Commanders to give him a highlight in the quarterback competition against Baker Mayfield.

Training camps opened across the NFL and the biggest offseason question remains unanswered.

Baker Mayfield said he was “shocked” to learn that he was not in the Cleveland Browns’ future plans earlier this offseason.

The Carolina Panthers now have two of the top three overall picks from the 2018 draft class on their roster, and both happen to be quarterbacks.

This year's quarterback class isn't as heralded as last year's or even next year's.

An underwhelming free agent class for quarterbacks is overshadowed by the possibility of multiple big names changing teams.

Tom Brady topped 5,000 yards passing for the second time in his career and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set a franchise record for regular-season victories with a 41-17 win over the Carolina Panthers.

The Indianapolis Cots have placed five players on the COVID-19 list as the virus continues to work its way through NFL locker rooms, even with the vast majority of players in the league vaccinated.

Tom Brady threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, Antonio Brown made a grand return to the lineup after missing the last eight games and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers 32-6 on Sunday to clinch their first NFC South title since 2007.

Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow are the top contenders for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year honors after bouncing back from injuries that ended their 2020 seasons early.

The Carolina Panthers agreed to a one-year contract to bring quarterback Cam Newton back to the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011.

Jameis Winston and Sam Darnold got hurt running the ball and kicker Chris Boswell was injured throwing it.

The Dallas Cowboys have decided to hold quarterback Dak Prescott out of their game at Minnesota because of a strained right calf muscle.

Joe Flacco is back with the New York Jets and he envisions himself back under center as their starting quarterback soon even if just for a few games.

The Los Angeles Rams are the unanimous top team in the latest AP Pro32 poll.

According to a person familiar with the situation Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss multiple weeks with a hamstring injury.

Sam Darnold threw for 304 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and the Carolina Panthers eased past the Houston Texans 24-9 despite losing Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury early in the second quarter.

Sam Darnold threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, and the Carolina defense turned in another strong performance in a 26-7 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Mac Jones was smart and efficient, Damien Harris and James White had touchdown runs and the New England Patriots took advantage of a nightmarish outing by Zach Wilson in a 25-6 victory over the New York Jets.

Tailgating, face-painted fans returned in full force at stadiums around the country as the NFL opened its doors to capacity for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.

Cam Newton followed Mac Jones along the sideline, holding his right hand up, waiting for the rookie quarterback to slap it after the No. 15 overall pick threw a touchdown in a preseason game Sunday night.

The Denver Broncos are going with Teddy Bridgewater over Drew Lock as their starting quarterback.

Jacob Eason was efficient in place of the injured Carson Wentz, and rookie Sam Ehlinger delivered in the final quarter for the Indianapolis Colts.

Robert Saleh and the New York Jets were focused on football again after spending the last several days mourning the loss of their friend, colleague and mentor.

From players getting COVID-19 vaccinations to relaxed coronavirus protocols to lineup issues, particularly at quarterback, the NFL faces a multitude of questions as training camps open.

The New York Jets have been on a mostly fruitless search for the next Joe Namath since he last played for the team in 1976.

Woody Johnson is happy to be back.

Jamison Crowder was a bit surprised when the New York Jets approached him during the offseason about taking a pay cut.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson couldn’t help but notice a difference in Sam Darnold’s persona when he walked into Bank of America Stadium for the team’s mandatory three-day minicamp.

History dictates that it’s likely at least a couple of the five first-round quarterbacks won’t fulfill the hopes of the teams that drafted them.

The New York Jets’ offense was downright offensive on most Sundays the past few seasons.

Quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Zac Wilson of BYU were the first two players off the board, as expected, in the NFL Draft.

The New York Jets have traded quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers.

(AP Photo/Brett Carlsen, File)NEW YORK – Intrigue and uncertainty have surrounded the New York Jets' quarterback situation all offseason. “I’m coming in with my understanding that Sam is the guy,” Davis said during a video conference call. 3 overall pick in 2018, has struggled with inconsistency and injuries during his three seasons with the Jets. “He's the right guy to come in here and turn things around,” Davis said. ... New York signed LB Del'Shawn Phillips, who played in two games last season for Buffalo.

(AP Photo/Gary McCullough, File)For people wondering where is all the free-agent quarterback movement as the NFL's “legal tampering” period enters its second day, well, calm down. He started seven and played in nine games last season for Miami, throwing for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He will be replaced as Tua Tagovailoa's backup by Brissett, who will get a one-year, $5 million deal in Miami. The Bengals also reached agreement with Pittsburgh safety Mike Hilton on a four-year, $24 million contract, also according to a person with knowledge of the deal. Kelly signed a three-year, $21 million deal exactly a year ago and started all 16 games at right tackle.

Regardless, on Monday, two days before the NFL's 2021 business year begins, the 32 teams and agents for the players will be making deals. “Legal tampering, and tampering is illegal? AdOf course, free agency always is a buyer-beware situation. AdVoila: Lavonte David, a key linebacker, was re-signed, and several other key guys in the title run could be back. “We do have some money from a cap standpoint that we can spend; but again, it’s an interesting year.

FILE - New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold rolls out to pass against the New England Patriots in the first half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., in this Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, file photo. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)NEW YORK – Sam Darnold's time as the face of the New York Jets franchise might be nearing a disappointing end. General manager Joe Douglas has backed off that stance, though, and it could signal a major change at the position as free agency and the NFL draft approach. “I will answer the call if it's made,” Douglas said Wednesday when asked if he'd listen to offers for Darnold. AdThe Jets could also opt to stick with Darnold, for at least this year, and trade down from No.

New York Jets head coach Adam Gase watches from the sideline in the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Foxborough, Mass. The Jets fired Gase on Sunday night, ending a disappointing tenure after just two loss-filled seasons. Douglas, hired six months after Gase in June 2019, will now have the chance to help hire the next coach. If they keep Darnold, will the new coach be able to tap into his potential in a way Gase simply could not? Gase wasn’t a popular pick among fans after the Jets fired Todd Bowles following the 2018 season.

The 37-year-old New York Jets running back has a bruised lung that coach Adam Gase said Monday will keep Gore out of the season finale at New England on Sunday. It was originally called a chest injury by the team after Gore left, but tests revealed the lung contusion. Gore has played in 240 games, a record for NFL running backs, over 16 seasons. Gore signed a one-year deal worth $1.05 million with the Jets last May and will be a free agent in the offseason. With Gore sidelined for the finale, the Jets will use La'Mical Perine, Ty Johnson and Josh Adams against the Patriots.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield leaves the field after an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Baker Mayfield coughed up the ball — and the Cleveland Browns' chances to wrap up a playoff spot. After a 23-16 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, the Browns will need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday if they're going to end the NFL's longest playoff drought. The call was upheld by video review, and the Jets (2-13) sealed their second straight victory after an 0-13 start. Mayfield then marched the Browns downfield, and Nick Chubb's 1-yard run made it 20-10 with 2:56 left in the third quarter.

Coach Adam Gase got his first win of the year only after New York blew most of a 17-point lead in the second half. New York had a 13-3 lead at halftime after holding the Rams to 97 yards, and the Jets led 20-3 midway through the third quarter. Nsimba Webster’s huge punt return put the Rams in Jets territory moments later, but the New York defense held with help from penalties. INJURIESJets: DL Quinnen Williams left in the second half to be evaluated for a head injury. ... WR Jeff Smith injured his shoulder in the second half.

The Chargers and Falcons are tied at 17 midway through the fourth quarter. Kenny Moore also starred for the Colts with a spectacular one-handed, diving end-zone interception in the second quarter. Adams didn’t do much other than run the scrambling Darnold to the sideline midway through the second quarter. Seattle took its opening possession and got 19-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Freddie Swain. Mack also recovered a Duke Johnson fumble in the first quarter and deflected a Watson pass in the second quarter.

From the season-altering (Dak Prescott, Barkley) to the bizarre (Tyrod Taylor, Trent Brown), injuries are playing their traditionally significant role in the NFL. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)ARLINGTON, Texas – From the season-altering to the bizarre, injuries are playing their traditionally significant role in the NFL. Brown also recently went back on the COVID-19 list, a newcomer among potential ailments with the NFL playing during a pandemic. Few teams have had the volume of injuries that have hit defending NFC champion San Francisco. New Orleans' star receiver, Michael Thomas, has had a tumultuous season in part because of ankle and hamstring injuries.

– Patrick Mahomes did just about everything for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. On the second, Mahomes claimed to see Hill “a little banged up” and decided to carry him — horse-and-jockey style — back to the Kansas City sideline. While the Jets answered with the first of three first-half field goals, the Chiefs kept scoring touchdowns. Mahomes hit Robinson from 26 yards out for his fourth TD pass, giving Kansas City a 28-9 lead late in the third quarter. Mahomes capped his big day with his second touchdown throw to Hill early in the fourth.

___10:09 p.mArizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Irving has been carted off the field after a collision on a kickoff just before halftime against the Seattle Seahawks. Jacksonville rallied from a 16-0 deficit and took the lead, but the Jaguars have been blanked in the fourth quarter. ___7:10 p.m.Tom Brady moved one touchdown pass ahead of Drew Brees for the career lead. Mayfield threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Harrison Bryant to even the score in the second quarter. New York leads 3-0.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)The Green Bay Packers are without their leading rusher for Sunday's game at Houston after Aaron Jones was ruled out with a calf injury. Cam Erving is back at left tackle with Connor Williams at left guard. Washington will be without left tackle Geron Christian because of a knee injury, so journeyman Cornelius Lucas starts in that spot. ___GREEN BAY AT HOUSTONPackers: QB Jordan Love, CB Kevin King, S Darnell Savage, RB Tyler Ervin, RB Aaron Jones, T David Bakhtiari, DL Tyler Lancaster. Texans: WR Keke Coutee, CB John Reid, LB Peter Kalambayi, T Charlie Heck, TE Jordan Akins.

The Jets (0-6) became the NFL's only winless team and continued their worst start since 1996, increasing the heat on embattled coach Adam Gase. The Dolphins blanked the Jets for the first time since the January 1983 AFC championship game, which they won 14-0. The two teams were a combined 0 for 19 on third downs before the Jets finally converted with 11 minutes left. The Dolphins' only third-down conversion came on a completion by Tagovailoa, who went 2 for 2 for 9 yards. ANTHEMRunning back Ty Jackson was the only player kneeling for the Jets during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”The Dolphins stayed in the locker room.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK – Joe Flacco will get his second straight start at quarterback for the New York Jets in place of the injured Sam Darnold. Coach Adam Gase confirmed Wednesday that the 35-year-old Flacco would be under center Sunday at Miami against the Dolphins. “I think he's better than what he was last week,” Gase said of Darnold. “I do think he's a quick healer and there's no doubt any of us would ever say he's anything but tough. We just want to make sure that he's good before we put him out there.”Darnold said he's “progressing” and is “slowly but surely” beginning to throw passes.