The latest from Week 9 of the NFL (all times EST):
___
7:52 p.m.
The best matchup of Week 9 comes with the Sunday night game pitting the Tennessee Titans and the Los Angeles Rams, who are a combined 13-3.
Both teams have won four games in a row.
The Titans and Baltimore Ravens own the best record in the AFC at 6-2. The Ravens beat the Vikings 34-31 in overtime Sunday and a win tonight pushes the Titans back ahead of the Ravens.
The Rams are 7-1 and a victory tonight would tie them with the Cardinals at 8-1 atop the NFC West. The Cardinals beat the 49ers 31-17 behind backup QB Colt McCoy earlier Sunday.
Von Miller won't make his Rams debut tonight, however. He's out with a sprained left ankle. The Broncos' all-time sacks leader missed his final game in Denver last week with the same injury one day before his trade to L.A. for a pair of high draft picks.
___
7:38 p.m.
The Kansas City Chiefs have ended the Green Bay Packers' seven-game winning streak. But it wasn't easy.
The Chiefs won 13-7 as they held Jordan Love in check until the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter when he threw a 20-yard touchdown pass.
The Packers were without reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers who was sidelined with a COVID-19 infection last week, and this was Jordan's first career start.
In another late game, backup QB Colt McCoy led the Cardinals to a 31-17 win at San Francisco. Starter Kyler Murray was out with an ankle injury.
And Von Miller (ankle) is sitting out his first game with the Rams as they host Tennessee tonight.
___
7:11 p.m.
The Los Angles Chargers have moved into a tie with Las Vegas atop the tightly-bunched AFC West with a 27-24 win over the Eagles.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a 29-yard field goal with 2 seconds left to give the Chargers a 5-3 record. That's the same as the Raiders who lost 23-16 to the Giants on Sunday.
Justin Herbert completed 32 of 38 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers’ victory. The winning scoring drive he engineered covered 64 yards in 15 plays and chewed up all but 2 seconds of the final six minutes, seven seconds of the fourth quarter with the game tied at 24.
The Broncos improved to 5-4 with a 30-16 upset at Dallas and the Kansas City Chiefs will also be 5-4 if they can hold on to their 13-0 lead over Green Bay midway through the fourth quarter.
___
6:55 p.m.
The Dallas Cowboys saw their six-game winning streak come to a halt Sunday with a 30-16 loss to the Denver Broncos. And the Green Bay Packers are in danger of seeing their seven-game winning streak stopped.
The Packers trail the Chiefs 13-0 after three quarters with Jordan Love at quarterback in place of reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers who is out after contracting COVID-19.
Love is 9 of 16 for 102 yards, not far off the numbers put up by Patrick Mahomes, who's completed 17 of 32 throws for 122 yards and a touchdown.
This marks the first time in third-year coach Matt LeFleur's tenure as Green Bay's coach that the Packers have been shut out through three quarters.
___
6:39 p.m.
The Denver Broncos dominated the Dallas Cowboys today following a nervous morning in which coach Vic Fangio worried it was going to be “Kendall Hinton, the Sequel.”
Backup QB Drew Lock tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday night and was isolated. As a close contact, Bridgewater had to get a negative test and at first there was concern he'd be sidelined, too.
But Bridgewater was cleared and completed 19 of 28 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown in Denver's 30-16 win in which they gave up two meaningless touchdowns in the final five minutes after dominating all afternoon.
Last year, Lock was sidelined for a game against the Saints along with the rest of Denver's quarterbacks because of coronavirus concerns. Hinton, a receiver, completed one pass with two interception in a loss to New Orleans that day.
___
6:04 p.m.
The Chiefs lead the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers 13-0 at halftime in a game dominated by defense.
Jordan Love is 7 of 13 for 92 yards in his first career start after Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Patrick Mahomes is just 13 of 24 for 79 yards with a short TD toss to Travis Kelce the only touchdown of the half.
More than either quarterback, the difference has been Packers special teams.
Mason Crosby yanked a 40-yard field-goal attempt left in the first quarter then hollered at his holder for not spinning the laces toward the goalposts. Crosby's 37-yarder was blocked in the second quarter. And when the Packers punted later in the half, one of their blockers accidentally touched the ball and the Chiefs recovered it at the Green Bay 10-yard line, eventually turning it into a chip-shot field-goal of their own.
___
6 p.m.
A play with unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on both teams ended up benefitting the Arizona Cardinals.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury came running on the field to argue a call after the Cardinals failed to convert on a third-and-long in San Francisco territory. The penalty could have knocked Arizona out of field goal range except Niners cornerback was called for taunting while the officials were discussing the first penalty.
The officials enforced the Norman penalty first and then the penalty on Kingsbury. That set them up with a first-and-25 from the 26. Arizona settled for a field goal to take a 17-0 lead.
___
5:40 p.m.
The Green Bay Packers have dug themselves a 10-0 hole at Kansas City and none of it's backup quarterback Jordan Love's fault.
Love is making his first start with reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers out after contracting COVID-19.
It's the Packers' special teams that have struggled.
Green Bay trails Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs 10-0 late in the first half thanks to a blocked field goal, a missed field goal and a muffed punt that gave the Chiefs possession at the Packers' 10-yard line.
___
4:25 p.m.
It's a topsy-turvy Week 9 in the NFL so far.
The Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Buffalo Bills 9-6, the Denver Broncos dominated the Cowboys on offense and defense in a 30-16 stunner that snapped Dallas' six-game winning streak. The Giants upset Las Vegas 23-16, handing Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia his first loss in three games.
The Falcons blew a 24-6 fourth-quarter lead at New Orleans but rallied for a 27-25 upset on Younghoe Koo's 29-yard field goal as time expired.
Also, the Dolphins snapped a seven-game skid with a 17-9 win over Houston, Cleveland crushed Cincinnati 41-16 and New England handled Carolina 24-6.
The Ravens ran a whopping 89 offensive plays before beating the Vikings 34-31 on Justin Tucker's 36-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in overtime. That marked Tucker's 18th game-winning field goal in his 10-year NFL career.
__
4:10 p.m.
The heavy underdog Denver Broncos have ended the Dallas Cowboys' six-game winning streak with a dominating 30-16 win in their first game since training away their all-time sacks leader Von Miller to the Rams.
The Cowboys did avoid their first shutout in 100 games at AT&T Stadium as Dak Prescott hit Malik Turner for two touchdowns after trailing 30-0.
The Cowboys haven't beaten the Broncos since 1995.
In other early games, New England crushed Carolina 24-6, the Falcons pulled out a 27-25 win at New Orleans, and the Giants beat the Raiders 23-16, handing Las Vegas' interim head coach Rich Bisaccia his first loss in three games since he succeed Jon Gruden.
The Falcons rallied for the win after blowing a 24-6 fourth-quarter lead.
___
3:44 p.m.
Lamar Jackson has tied Michael Vick’s NFL record for quarterbacks with his 10th 100-yard rushing game in the regular season.
Jackson is up to 105 yards on 19 carries in the fourth quarter. He also broke a tie with Vick by reaching 75 yards rushing for the 22nd time.
The Ravens and Minnesota Vikings are tied at 24. Baltimore trailed 24-10 after Kene Nwangwu of the Vikings ran the second-half kickoff back 98 yards for a touchdown, but the Ravens have rallied thanks to three big fourth-down conversions.
___
3:25 p.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Matt Wright missed three straight field-goal attempts – all left – in a matter of minutes in the third quarter.
Wright hit the left upright from 42 yards away, but a false start penalty on the Jaguars gave him another chance from 47 yards out. He yanked that one left, too. But Bills reserve running back Taiwan Jones flagged for running into the kicker – it probably should have been a roughing call – and Wright got one more chance.
He missed left again from 42 yards away.
Wright replaced Josh Lambo last month after Lambo struggled to deal with an injury and early season kicking woes.
Wright does have both of Jacksonville’s scores in the game, a 55-yarder and a 39-yarder. The game is tied at 6.
___
3:20 p.m.
Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins are out for the Arizona Cardinals against the San Francisco 49ers this afternoon.
Both players didn’t practice all week but were listed as questionable in hopes they could play. But Murray is listed as inactive with an ankle injury and Hopkins is out with a hamstring injury.
This is the first game Murray has missed since entering the league in 2019. Colt McCoy started in his place.
In Kansas City, Blake Bortles will be backing up Jordan Love with Aaron Rodgers on the COVID-19 list for Green Bay.
Bortles was added to the practice squad this week when Rodgers and third-string QB Kurt Benkert tested positive for the coronavirus. Bortles was elevated to the active roster as an emergency COVID-19 replacement.
___
3 p.m.
Pardon Dallas Cowboys fans if they’re having haunting flashbacks to Leon Lett.
The Denver Broncos kept possession despite a blocked punt by the Cowboys on their first drive of the second half. Malik Turner easily got to punter Sam Martin for the block, but Dallas rookie defensive back Nahshon Wright touched the ball after the block. Denver’s Jonas Griffith grabbed it and started running.
Even though Griffith was stopped short of the first down marker, the touch by Wright meant the Broncos retained possession at their 19-yard line.
For Dallas fans, it brought back memories of Lett’s infamous touching of a blocked field goal in a snowy Thanksgiving game in 1993 that appeared to secure a victory against Miami. Lett tried to recover the deflected ball as it spun in the snow instead of just letting it roll. The ball scooted away, and Miami's Jeff Dellenbach ended up with it. The Dolphins then kicked the field goal as time expired for a stunning 16-14 win.
The Broncos capitalized on their fortune Sunday to drive for a field goal that gave them a 19-0 lead midway through the third quarter.
___
2:48 p.m.
Josh Allen sacked Josh Allen late in the second quarter Sunday and made NFL history.
Jacksonville’s standout defensive end took down Buffalo’s star quarterback on a second-and-10 play, marking the first time a player has sacked a quarterback with the same name since the league started counting sacks in 1982.
Allen and Allen looked forward to their first meeting, although Buffalo’s Allen made it clear he didn’t want to get acquainted with Jacksonville’s Allen in the backfield.
The players with the same first and last name had never meet before Sunday even though they were both selected with the seventh pick in consecutive NFL drafts. They have exchanged messages via social media.
___
2:40 p.m.
The return of Christian McCaffrey hasn’t done much to ignite Carolina’s stagnant offense.
The Panthers have just 65 yards on offense and three first downs and trail the Patriots 14-6 at the half. The score might be more lopsided if Carolina’s defense hadn’t forced two Mac Jones turnovers in New England territory which led to two Zane Gonzalez field goals.
McCaffrey has just 26 yards on six carries and hasn’t caught pass while splitting time in the backfield with rookie Chuba Hubbard.
Carolina has just one touchdown in the last 10 quarters.
___
2:33 p.m.
Jacksonville rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has returned to the Jaguars' game against Buffalo after an injury scare.
Lawrence was helped to the locker room after injuring his right ankle in the second quarter in Jacksonville.
He returned and trotted on the sideline before going back in the game and handing off to Carlos Hyde, who fumbled.
___
2:25 p.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was helped to the locker room after injuring his right ankle in the second quarter against Buffalo.
Rookie left tackle Walker Little, making his first start in place of Cam Robinson (back), was pushed into Lawrence and stepped on him during a passing play.
Veteran defensive end Jerry Hughes was pushing Little into the backfield. Robinson injured his back in pre-game warmups.
Lawrence tried to put weight on his ankle and couldn’t. Trainers helped him straight to the locker room for X-rays.
Lawrence had played well in the game, completing 11 of 15 passes for 80 yards as the Jaguars were hanging tight with the Bills. It was 6-6 when Lawrence left the game.
___
2:04 p.m.
A week off doesn’t seem to have done much to help Baltimore’s defense.
The Ravens trail Minnesota 14-3 in the second quarter after the Vikings scored touchdowns on their first two possessions. Baltimore had an open date last week after losing 41-17 to Cincinnati.
Justin Jefferson ran right past defensive backs Marlon Humphrey and Chuck Clark before hauling in a 50-yard scoring pass from Kirk Cousins. On Minnesota’s second drive, Dalvin Cook broke free for a 66-yard run that helped set up a 1-yard TD run by Cousins.
—Noah Trister reporting from Baltimore
___
1:53 p.m.
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys will have to overcome a double-digit deficit to keep their six-game winning streak alive.
Teddy Bridgewater’s 41-yard touchdown pass to Tim Patrick has given the Denver Broncos a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter. Patrick beat NFL interceptions leader Trevon Diggs down the sideline and made the catch just as he crossed the goal line.
Prescott is back after missing a game with a strained right calf. The Cowboys have failed twice on fourth down, including once when the game was scoreless and a field goal of less than 40 yards was an option.
The Broncos opened the scoring on a 1-yard run from Melvin Gordon after Diggs was called for pass interference in the end zone. Brandon McManus missed the extra point, his first missed PAT of the season.
___
1:35 p.m.
The Browns got a dramatic score at the end of a dramatic week.
Cornerback Denzel Ward picked off Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow at the 1-yard line and returned it 99 yards to give Cleveland a 7-0 lead.
Ward, who missed last week’s game with a hamstring injury, stepped in front of rookie Ja’Marr Chase near the goal line to make the pick on Burrow. Ward then returned it down the sideline, picking up a couple blocks to score.
It’s been quite a week for the Browns, who dealt with a massive distraction as star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was excused from the team and is being released.
___
1:10 p.m.
The Denver Broncos are without new sacks leader Malik Reed because of injury in their first game since trading star pass rusher Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams.
Reed is inactive against the Dallas Cowboys because of a hip injury. Dak Prescott is back at quarterback for Dallas after missing a game with a strained right calf.
Miller had a team-leading 4½ sacks when he was traded. Reed is next with four after getting two in last week’s victory over Washington.
The Cowboys are on a six-game winning streak since losing their opener. But Denver has won six in a row in the series. The Broncos ended a four-game skid against Washington.
___
12:45 p.m.
Welcome to Super Bowl Sunday in November.
Week 9's slate of games features five Super Bowl rematches, two more than any other week in league history.
The first one actually came Thursday night with the Colts' 45-30 win over the Jets. That was a rematch of Super Bowl 3 which the Jets won 16-7 after Joe Namath guaranteed an upset.
The others are:
—The Broncos at Cowboys, a repeat of Super Bowl 12, which Dallas won 27-10.
—Patriots at Panthers, a repeat of Super Bowl 38, which the Pats won 32-29.
—Packers at Chiefs. This repeat of the first Super Bowl which Green Bay won 35-10 has lost some luster with Aaron Rodgers' COVID-19 infection that means Patrick Mahomes will match up against Green Bay backup Jordan Love instead.
—And the Titans at Rams tonight. That's a repeat of Super Bowl 34, which the Rams, then based in St. Louis, won 23-16. Von Miller might make his Rams debut if a sore left ankle allows. The Broncos traded him to L.A. for a pair of second-day draft picks earlier in the week.
___
12:25 p.m.
Mark Ingram can make franchise history for the New Orleans Saints when they host Atlanta in one of the early games on the NFL’s Sunday slate.
The 2009 Alabama Heisman Trophy winner, drafted 28th overall by New Orleans in 2011, rejoined the Saints on Oct. 29 of this season when he was acquired in a trade with Houston. Ingram now needs 63 yards rushing to eclipse Deuce McAllister’s all-time Saints rushing mark of 6,096 yards that has stood since 2008.
The Saints (5-2) are seeking their fourth straight victory, which would move them into a tie atop the NFC South with the Buccaneers.
New Orleans is starting Trevor Siemian at quarterback following his solid performance in a victory over Tampa Bay last week after Jameis Winston left in the second quarter with a season-ending knee injury. Siemian was named starter this week over Taysom Hill, who is active for the first time since his concussion at Washington on Oct. 10.
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.