Herbert throws 2 TD passes despite hand injury, Chargers send Raiders to 6th straight loss, 31-14 By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer The Associated Press INGLEWOOD, Calif.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert broke a bone in his non-throwing hand during the Los Angeles Chargers' first offensive series Sunday. After covering it with a hard cast and a white glove, he spent the rest of the afternoon exclusively taking shotgun snaps and handing off to his running backs whenever possible.
By the time Maxx Crosby knocked Herbert to the ground in pure frustration over yet another third-down conversion in the fourth quarter, the quarterback and his Chargers firmly had the upper hand in this long-simmering rivalry.
Herbert threw touchdown passes to Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, and Kimani Vidal made a 59-yard scoring run during a 31-14 victory over the spiraling Las Vegas Raiders.
Vidal rushed for a career-high 126 yards for the Chargers (8-4), who snapped back from an embarrassing loss at Jacksonville and won for their fourth win in five games to keep pressure on the Denver Broncos atop the AFC West. Los Angeles improved to 4-0 in the division.
Herbert will have surgery Monday on the unspecified broken bone on the back of his left hand, but he is optimistic he won't miss any playing time down the stretch.
“I did my best to go out there and take care of business, and I thought we ran the ball really well, so it was really cool to see,” Herbert said. “I'm treating it as if I'm playing (next) Monday.”
Jaret Patterson rushed for his first NFL touchdown since 2021 with 1:55 to play, helping Los Angeles beat its longtime West Coast rivals for the fourth straight time. The Chargers' comfortable victory underlined the current gulf between the Bolts and the Raiders (2-10), who had less support in the SoFi Stadium crowd than in past seasons.
Herbert didn't put up big numbers after he injured his left hand, apparently when he was thrown to the ground by Jeremy Chinn. Johnston fought through contact to score a 10-yard TD one play later, but Herbert went to the locker room and missed part of the next series.
“He's as tough as they come,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said.
Herbert finished 15 of 20 for 151 yards, improving on his career-low 81 yards passing against the Jaguars despite throwing a goal-line interception to Kyu Blu Kelly shortly after his return to the game. He threw only eight passes after halftime, but led a determined offense that converted 12 of its 17 third downs.
Geno Smith passed for 165 yards and threw two touchdown passes to Brock Bowers in the sixth consecutive loss by the Raiders, who have just one victory since Week 1.
At least the Raiders’ long-struggling offense showed mild improvement in its first game under interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson after high-priced Chip Kelly was fired a week ago.
Las Vegas’ 82-yard TD drive in the second quarter was the offense’s longest in four weeks, and the Raiders topped 10 points for the fourth time in eight games when Bowers made a ridiculous one-handed TD grab with 7:49 to play.
“No one knows how hard it is to step into that role when you haven’t been all season," Smith said of Olson's first game as play-caller. "To speak new terminology, to try to get players involved in the game ... but I thought he did a great job, and I’m really appreciative.”
But four-time Pro Bowl selection Crosby exemplified the Raiders' mood when he inexplicably floored Herbert at midfield several seconds after Herbert hit Johnston for a first down with 3:55 to play. The penalty handed 15 yards to the Bolts on a drive that ended in Patterson's TD.
“I was hot about that,” Chargers safety Derwin James said. “I've got a good relationship with Maxx. I know he ain't that type of player. Hopefully he didn't try to do it on purpose.”
Herbert acknowledged he might have been celebrating his completion with a bit more zeal than necessary before he was knocked down by Crosby, who didn't speak to reporters.
“He had been getting after us all day, so I think it was just one of those plays where emotions got the best of him,” Herbert said. “I've got a ton of respect for him as a player.”
Tuli Tuipulotu had two of the Chargers’ five sacks while they limited the Raiders to 156 total yards, including just 31 on the ground.
Raiders coach Pete Carroll was proud of his defense's resilience in the first half, but felt the Bolts took control with Vidal's long TD run 57 seconds after halftime.
“I think we had three guys there that could make the play," Carroll said. “It winds up being a (59)-yard touchdown play. That was a backbreaking play in the game. And then we needed to respond, and we didn’t have it to respond, and so they get up by a couple scores, and that plays into their hands.”
The Chargers went up 21-7 on McConkey's 7-yard TD catch late in the third quarter.
Injuries
Raiders: WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. was ruled out with a concussion in the second half.
Chargers: Herbert has missed only four games in his career, all coming after he broke a finger on his left hand late in the 2023 season.
Up next
Raiders: Host Denver on Sunday.
Chargers: Host Philadelphia on Monday, Dec. 8.
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Josh Allen sets career mark for rushing TDs by a QB as the Bills mash the reeling Steelers 26-7 By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills came to Pittsburgh looking for something — anything, really — to snap themselves out of a midseason lull that had robbed them of their swagger, not to mention their usual grip on first place in the AFC East.
The Bills found it during three hours of remarkably simple and remarkably effective football in a 26-7 victory on Sunday that made up for in sheer force what it lacked in style.
Allen threw for a touchdown and ran for another, Joey Bosa sacked Aaron Rodgers to spring Christian Benford for a game-tilting, 17-yard scoop-and-score, and the Bills (8-4) set an Acrisure Stadium record by piling up 249 yards rushing while whipping the reeling Steelers.
“Found a way to win, that's all that matters,” said Allen, last season's MVP.
Maybe, but the Bills may also have found something that could be effective down the stretch.
Playing without their starting offensive tackles and coming off a loss at Houston in which Allen was sacked eight times, Buffalo responded by opting to gash the Steelers. James Cook ran for 144 yards, Ray Davis added 62 and Allen chipped in 38, including the 76th rushing touchdown of his career, the most by a quarterback.
Allen demurred when asked about breaking the mark of 75 previously held by Cam Newton, saying that's not why he plays. Still, his bulldozing 8-yard score early in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach was symbolic of a day when Buffalo absorbed a couple of blows from the Steelers and kept on chugging.
Allen juked past one defender, then fought off three more while his teammates dragged him across the goal line.
“The line coming to throw me in there was pretty cool,” Allen said.
And pretty alarming for Pittsburgh (6-6). On a blustery day that made passing treacherous, the Steelers knew they were going to be tested by one of the NFL's best rushing teams. They failed repeatedly. Buffalo held the ball for nearly 42 minutes and probably could have taken control earlier if not for a pair of first-half turnovers.
“That's an awful performance by us," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said.
The Steelers have dropped five of seven since a 4-1 start. While they remain tied with Baltimore atop the AFC North, they have not looked competitive at times against quality opponents during a funk that shows little sign of abating.
Rodgers, playing with a brace protecting his broken left wrist, was largely ineffective and missed the chunk of one drive early in the second half after getting drilled by Bosa on the first play of the third quarter.
The four-time MVP fumbled on the play, and Benford picked up the loose ball and sprinted to the end zone to turn a 7-3 halftime deficit into a 10-7 lead. The 41-year-old quarterback left the field with a bloody nose.
Mason Rudolph filled in for Rodgers for a series and threw an interception that ended up in Benford’s hands. Buffalo marched 56 yards in eight plays, and Allen’s fourth-down flip to Coleman gave the Bills firm control.
Rodgers returned but finished 10 of 21 for 117 yards as the Steelers lost for the fifth time in seven games while being booed frequently.
“We’ve got to flush this one,” Rodgers said.
The swirling winds at one of the league's trickiest venues made passing nearly impossible for both teams. Allen completed 15 of 23 for 123 yards with an interception and a 3-yard scoring toss to Keon Coleman, who returned to the active roster after being a healthy scratch the last two weeks due to disciplinary issues.
Coleman said he knows he needs to “be professional” going forward. The Bills hope he can help a passing game that's been unable to generate much down the field.
“We’re going to need him,” Allen said. “We’re going to need his ability.”
True, but what Coleman and the rest of Buffalo's receivers mostly did on Sunday was block for Cook, whose 32 carries were a career high. Pittsburgh knew he was coming and still couldn't stop him.
Asked what that feels like, Cook laughed.
“It's kind of scary, because I know they're coming,” he said.
Cook hardly looked scared while repeatedly running through holes opened up by backup tackles Alec Anderson and Ryan Van Demark.
“I've never seen a team run the same play as much as they ran it tonight and have as much success as they have,” Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt said. “I'm out of words for it.”
Injuries
Bills: Bosa sustained a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter and did not return with Buffalo leading comfortably.
Steelers: LB Patrick Queen exited late in the first half with a right hip injury and did not return. ... CB James Pierre left in the second half after entering the concussion protocol.
Up next
Bills: Host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.
Steelers: Visit Baltimore next Sunday, hoping to bounce back and take control of the division.
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Seahawks blank Vikings 26-0 for their 1st shutout victory in 10 years By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press SEATTLE
SEATTLE (AP) — Ahead of the season, Ernest Jones IV set a goal of finishing the year with six interceptions.
With six games left, the Seahawks linebacker already has a career-high four picks, including the one he returned 85 yards on Sunday for the first touchdown of his career. That was the first of five takeaways by Seattle's dominant defense as the Seahawks blanked the Minnesota Vikings 26-0 for their first shutout victory in more than a decade.
“I was so tired,” Jones said of his TD run. “Luckily the next drive, I think, was a short one. But it was worth it.”
The Vikings were shut out for the first time since Green Bay beat them 34-0 on Nov. 11, 2007. Seattle's most recent shutout win was 26-0 over Chicago on Sept. 27, 2015.
This one was a mismatch, with the Seahawks (9-3) going against an undrafted rookie quarterback in Max Brosmer, who was making his first NFL start for the free-falling Vikings (4-8). Brosmer, who went 19 of 30 for 126 yards, became the first player to throw four interceptions in his first career start since Buffalo's Nathan Peterman had five against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 19, 2017.
Seattle moved into a first-place tie with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.
The Vikings lost their fourth straight and had their second-fewest total yards (162) in a game this season. Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence — who pressured Brosmer into throwing the ball that Jones turned into a pick-6 — said this is the best defense he's played for in his 12 NFL seasons.
“Yes, and I mean that wholeheartedly,” Lawrence said. “But I feel like there’s another level we’re going to reach. Y’all haven’t seen the best of us, and we’re going to capitalize on our opportunities.”
The Vikings had the first takeaway of the game, when Sam Darnold — the quarterback who led Minnesota to a 14-3 season a year ago — fumbled deep in Seattle territory early in the second quarter.
Brosmer couldn't take advantage. Trailing 3-0, the Vikings went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Seattle 4, and Lawrence got a free run at the rookie, who scrambled to his right and made a desperation sidearm heave . The pass landed in Jones’ arms, and the linebacker took it the distance to give the Seahawks a 10-0 lead.
“Fourth down, he’s trying to make a play,” coach Kevin O’Connell said, “and it ends up being obviously catastrophically bad.”
“It’s unbelievable to have a defense like this, just consistently,” Darnold said. “For us as an offense, especially, for me personally. Like, I hate putting them in positions to where I’m getting a sack, fumble, and the defense is recovering it and now they’re all the sudden, they’re down in the red zone.”
While Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s leading receiver, did not catch a pass until the third quarter, the Seahawks limited Justin Jefferson, the NFL’s second highest-paid receiver, to two catches for a career-low 4 yards.
“We’re super happy to have the best defense in the world,” Smith-Njigba said. “It’s awesome.”
Darnold was sacked a season-high four times in the first half alone, and Seattle had its fewest total yards in a game this season. The offense settled for three field goals by Jason Myers — the first two from 56 and 54 yards — and a 17-yard touchdown run by Zach Charbonnet.
Jammed-up Jefferson
Jefferson left the Vikings' locker room without speaking to the media. The four-time Pro Bowler was targeted six times, just like in last week’s 23-6 loss to the Packers, but corralled only two passes from Brosmer.
“Tough day today. It was tough,” Brosmer said. “Give credit to Seattle’s defense. Got some great playmakers over there, great scheme. Thought they had a great plan for us.”
With five games remaining, Jefferson still needs 201 yards receiving to make it six straight seasons of 1,000 or more.
Down goes Darnold
Seattle’s offensive line was challenged by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who called several effective blitzes in the first half. Darnold finished the half 7 of 15 passing for 77 yards.
“Coach Flores does a great job mixing up looks, and we were just taking what they give us and made the best decision for the team,” Smith-Njigba said. “It was just one of those days.”
Moment of silence for Easley
Prior to the game, the Seahawks held a moment of silence in honor of Kenny Easley, who died Nov. 15 at age 66 . Easley is one of four players in franchise history — alongside Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy and Walter Jones — to spend his entire career with the Seahawks and get make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The safety's No. 45 was retired by the Seahawks in 2017, the year of his induction.
Injuries
Vikings: C Ryan Kelly (hip flexor) and RB Aaron Jones (shoulder) both sustained injuries and did not return.
Seahawks: RG Anthony Bradford (elbow) and CB Josh Jobe (concussion) were injured in the second half and did not return.
Up next
Vikings: Host Washington next Sunday.
Seahawks: Visit Atlanta next Sunday.
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Shedeur Sanders' solid first half not enough as Browns fall to 49ers in his first home start By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shedeur Sanders had a solid first half in his first home start for the Cleveland Browns. The rookie quarterback wasn't able to build on that momentum after halftime.
Sanders completed 16 of 25 passes for 149 yards with a touchdown in the Browns' 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that Sanders would start next week against Tennessee.
“It doesn’t feel good at all to be here in front of y’all and not on top. But it comes with it," Sanders said.
Sanders was 8 of 11 for 96 yards in the first half, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr. that helped the Browns take an 8-7 lead late in the second quarter.
He was 8 of 14 for 53 yards in the second half. The Browns (3-9) gained 76 of their 253 yards after halftime.
Sanders didn't commit any turnovers, but a fumbled snap by Fannin on a fourth-and-1 play and a muffed punt by Gage Larvadain led to short fields and 14 San Francisco points.
Besides learning how to deal with the windy conditions of playing at Cleveland's stadium on the shores of Lake Erie, Sanders is still trying to get consistent timing with his receivers.
On the first series, he overshot Jerry Jeudy on a third-and-3 pass that would have put the Browns in San Francisco territory.
“As players and teammates, we need to jell," Sanders said. “That takes time, that takes a lot of things. So, this team is not going to be a microwave thing — we’re going to have sparks here and there, but it’s going to take time to be able to develop that chemistry with everybody.”
Sanders said the touchdown to Fannin is a play that they have been practicing for at least three weeks.
After nine straight run plays, Cleveland had second-and-9 at the San Francisco 34. Sanders lofted a pass from the pocket that Fannin caught at the 9 near the left sideline after 49ers linebacker Luke Gifford lost coverage. Fannin then outmuscled Renardo Green and Ji’Ayir Brown to get into the end zone.
After San Francisco was called for too many players in the huddle, the Browns elected to attempt a 2-point conversion. They were successful when Quinshon Judkins ran it up the middle on a direct snap out of shotgun.
“I thought that was really well executed. Thought it was a good call by Tommy (Rees) in that situation,” Stefanski said. "Felt really strongly about that call, that play. We’ve kind of have been waiting to get to it for a couple weeks. Had the right time for it.”
One area where the Browns need to improve is converting on third and fourth down. They were a combined 5 of 15 on Sunday, including 0 of 4 on fourth down.
Two of the plays were particularly painful.
Judkins was stopped for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the 49ers 20 late in the first quarter.
Then in the third quarter, Fannin fumbled a snap on fourth-and-1, which was recovered by Gifford at the Browns 32. San Francisco converted that into points when Brock Purdy scored on a 2-yard run.
“There’s always the obvious risk when you go for it in those situations, but if you feel good about the plays you have and your players, you feel good about converting on those distances,” Stefanski said.
Sanders completed passes to seven players, including three apiece to Fannin, Judkins, Jeudy and Jerome Ford.
Jeudy, Cleveland's top receiver, had only 26 yards as his struggles continued.
“Of course you want to be able to get him the ball, but you got to understand it takes time. I’m more of a trust person, and that’s just what it boils down to. So, we have to spend time on task with all those guys, and be able to trust and be able to see things at the same lens,” Sanders said of Jeudy.
Sanders is hoping another week of practice will get them closer to being on the same page.
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Colts' high-scoring offense is struggling as stronger defenses pose new obstacles By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — For eight weeks, the Indianapolis Colts overwhelmed opponents with an incredibly proficient offense.
They were scoring at a historic rate, rarely punting and seemingly could do no wrong.
Then Indy began its toughest stretch of the season and hit a speed bump. Pittsburgh pressured the Colts into six turnovers and five sacks. Although Kansas City and Houston didn't force a turnover and only managed two sacks, the Chiefs and Texans harassed Daniel Jones into two of his worst performances of the season.
The Colts dropped their second straight game for the first time this season, falling 20-16 on Sunday to the Texans . They have lost three of four to fall into a first-place tie with Jacksonville in the AFC South, and they play the Jaguars next Sunday.
“We've got to get back on track here,” coach Shane Steichen said. “We'll look at that from a schematic standpoint and where we're putting guys and how we're doing things to help guys out.”
Jones deserves at least some of the blame.
Although he threw two touchdown passes and didn't have a turnover Sunday, Jones was just 14 of 27 for 201 yards. He's produced his two lowest yardage totals of the season over the last two games, and his three worst completion percentages came during the three most recent losses.
Has Jones simply regressed to the inconsistent form he showed during six seasons with the New York Giants? Or are his recent struggles related to the lower leg injury that first appeared on the injury report last week?
Steichen and Jones have downplayed the injury and the impact, if any, it has caused.
“It felt good today, I think it will continue to improve week to week, and felt pretty good today,” Jones said. “It felt better than last week.”
Clearly, though, something has changed for “Indiana Jones” and the Colts.
Indy began this season with amazingly high third- and fourth-down conversion percentage rates, thanks largely to its success on first and second down. The Colts were scoring on nearly every possession.
Over the past two weeks, against playoff-tested teams, they've only scored on three of 10 red-zone trips. They punted on each of their final four series against Kansas City and their first three possessions Sunday, their longest stretch all season.
Jonathan Taylor, the NFL's leading rusher, has seen a dip in productivity. He has 51 carries for 198 yards rushing and no scoring runs in those three losses.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of this sudden decline is that a team that continually came up with big plays in critical moments over the first half of the season can't seem to find a solution when things go awry.
On Sunday, Josh Downs dropped a third-down pass that would have extended Indy's final drive, and on fourth down, Jones' pass fluttered away from veteran Michael Pittman.
“We’ve got to get back on track this week against Jacksonville, get it cleaned up tomorrow and take ownership and everything — myself, everybody included,” Steichen said. “It’s not about one person. We’ve got to get it right, we've got to get back on track this week.”
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Panthers defense defeats 'Superman' Stafford by forcing 3 turnovers, scoring in upset of Rams By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Cornerback Mike Jackson said he struggled to keep his composure all week after hearing repeatedly about just how good Matthew Stafford was — and how the Carolina Panthers had no chance to beat the Los Angeles Rams with two starters out in the defensive backfield.
He and the Panthers took the challenge to heart.
Jackson returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown and the Panthers forced three Stafford turnovers to a get crucial 31-28 win on Sunday over the Rams.
“All week (the talk) was about how great he is and how he was like Superman with no cape,” Jackson said. “At the end of the day it’s about who’s better today — and we were. We got the ball out three times so we got the result that we wanted.”
Things seemed to line up well this week for the Rams.
Stafford entered the game with a league-high 30 touchdown passes, including 18 in the past five games. And he was facing a Carolina defense without starting cornerback Jaycee Horn (concussion) and safety Tre'Von Moehrig (suspension) and playing on a short week after a Monday night game on the West Coast.
Early on it looked as if the Rams might roll over the Panthers, just as they did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the week before.
Stafford stretched his NFL record of consecutive TD passes in a season without an interception to 28 with a 4-yard scoring toss to Davante Adams on the game's first possession.
Then things changed.
Panthers 2023 Pro Bowl defensive end and co-captain Derrick Brown tipped Stafford's red zone pass on the Rams next series and Nick Scott intercepted it in the end zone, snapping the streak and igniting the home crowd.
Stafford hadn't thrown an interception since Week 3 against the Eagles.
Jackson's pick-6 on Los Angeles' next series gave Carolina its first lead at 14-7. Brown helped seal the victory with a strip-sack on Stafford with 2:25 remaining as the Panthers, a 10-point underdog, walked away with a surprising 31-28 win as Neil Diamond's “Sweet Caroline" blasted out the sound system at Bank of America Stadium.
“Don't get me wrong, he's a Hall of Famer,” Jackson said of Stafford. “When he's having his Hall of Fame speech, I'm going to be thinking about this pick.”
The Rams had come into the day a plus-12 in the turnover category.
The Panthers didn't commit any turnovers on Sunday.
“Obviously, we’re not going to win a whole lot of games when I turn it over three times," Stafford said. “It hasn’t been an issue and I don’t expect it to be moving forward.”
Stafford said he isn’t worried about the Rams (9-3) losing momentum after seeing their six-game winning streak end.
“We have all of the right guys in the locker room,” Stafford said. “You earn momentum in this league. You have to earn it throughout the week and play good on Sunday. I thought we had a great week of practice. It didn’t translate into us playing well enough to get the win."
Rams coach Sean McVay doesn't seem too concerned with the loss either, adding that he's eager to see how his team responds on Sunday at NFC West foe Arizona.
“It’s never a good story without a little bit of adversity," McVay said. “We’re all in this together. We’re tighter than we’ve ever been. And it’s going to be a great opportunity to be able to respond."
As for the Panthers, this might be just what they need to end a seven-year playoff drought under owner David Tepper.
At 7-6, the Panthers haven't been above .500 this late in the season since they last went to the playoffs in 2017. They can draw some confidence knowing they've beat two of the NFC's top teams, having also defeated the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field 16-13 on Nov. 2.
The bye week should help the Panthers get healthy at a number of positions heading into the stretch run which includes two games against the NFC South-leading Buccaneers (7-5).
“If we’re being honest, nobody gave us a chance to beat these guys after Monday night,” Brown said referring to Carolina's 20-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. “We lost a lot of pieces of this defense. It just shows the resilience of this team and being able to come in this week and say, ‘screw everything, we have an opportunity to go out here and play a really good team led by a good quarterback.’ They have a lot of explosive pieces on their offense and for us to go out there and win today, it was big.”
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Tennessee player says Jaguars punter threatened to 'kill me' during Titans loss By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut said Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke said he was going to kill him during Sunday's game.
Chestnut blocked Cooke as the punter got a leg up to trip Titans returner Chimere Dike at the end of a 47-yard return with 14:06 left. Cooke was hurt and evaluated for a concussion before returning to punt at the end of the Jaguars’ next series.
The Jaguars and Titans then had another scuffle at the end of Dike’s 13-yard return with 11:49 remaining, with Chestnut and Cooke squaring off.
Officials huddled and handed out a pair of unnecessary roughness penalties to each team, and Cooke and long snapper Ross Matiscik were flagged for the Jags. Titans safety Mike Brown was ejected.
The Jaguars went on to a 25-3 win . The AFC South teams combined for 23 accepted penalties for a total of 184 yards.
“I was just trying to play hard, and he came up to me and said he was going to kill me,” Chestnut said . “So I don't know what made him do that.”
Chestnut said he never got an explanation for why Cooke was so mad that he “came at me.”
“That was surprising to me. I ain't never seen nothing like that before,” Chestnut said.
Cooke was not asked specifically after the game about what Chestnut said the punter told him. A message was left Sunday night seeking comment from the Jaguars.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Cooke said right after the loss that he likes hitting people. He said Chestnut got the best of him in an “eventful” game.
Cooke talked with the referee at halftime after punting from his own end zone late in the second quarter with a backup long snapper.
“I might have said some things that sounded rude, so I wanted to go clear the air,” Cooke said of his talk with the referee. “I don’t like people having grudges against me. So kind of telling him the situation and also find out his take on what happened on that play in the end zone.”
Jaguars coach Liam Coen said he'd like Cooke to be smarter when it comes to his flag for unnecessary roughness, but he was proud of his players for competing.
“There were some frustrations that were being built up with them rushing us the way they were with the long snapper issue, and we thought we maybe were roughed or potentially roughed at one point," Coen said. "I don’t know if it got called or not.”
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AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville contributed to this report.
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Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer overwhelmed by Seahawks as Vikings' offensive struggles continue By DAIMON EKLUND Associated Press The Associated Press SEATTLE
SEATTLE (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings were having enough problems on offense with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback.
With McCarthy in the concussion protocol, the Vikings turned to Max Brosmer for his first NFL start, and against the Seattle Seahawks' fearsome defense, the undrafted rookie was in a tough spot.
Brosmer threw four interceptions in Sunday's 26-0 loss . It was the fourth straight defeat for Minnesota (4-8), which was shut out for the first time in 18 years.
“In no way, shape or form can we play offensive football like that and try to win at a place like this,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We just did not have a type of offensive performance that is ever going to be acceptable.”
The last time Minnesota failed to score was in a 34-0 loss against Green Bay on Nov. 11, 2007, but the Vikings' offensive issues this season are nothing new. Minnesota failed to score while managing just 4 yards of offense in the second half of a 23-6 loss to Green Bay last weekend, and McCarthy had thrown six interceptions over the past three games.
The Vikings signed Brosmer after a strong 2024 season at the University of Minnesota. He played the first five years of his college career at New Hampshire, leading the FCS in passing yards in 2023.
Against Seattle, he looked very much like a rookie thrust into an uncomfortable situation. Brosmer was 19 of 30 for 126 yards and was sacked four times. O’Connell said Brosmer was often rushing his throws or checking down too quickly, and the QB agreed.
“It’s the NFL man, it’s tough,” Brosmer said. “I feel like I was maybe a half a click fast in the reads. I feel like that’s feeling the flow of the game, feeling the flow of the pocket, feeling the flow of conceptually what’s happening down the field.”
The low point came late in the second quarter. Trailing 3-0, the Vikings forced a fumble, giving Minnesota the ball at the Seattle 13.
A few plays later, the Vikings faced fourth-and-1 from the 4 and decided to go for it. Brosmer rolled out on a bootleg and Seattle’s DeMarcus Lawrence almost immediately got his hands on the rookie, who flung the ball in desperation. It went straight to linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who returned the interception 85 yards for a touchdown.
“That’s about as bad a result as you can have in that sequence,” O’Connell said. “Getting the turnover we were so desperately waiting for — our defense does that and the sequence ends with them getting seven points, (that) is losing football.”
It got worse after halftime. Minnesota’s first five second-half possessions ended on turnovers, starting with a fumble by Aaron Jones. Brosmer threw interceptions on three consecutive series, and on the next possession, the Vikings turned it over on downs while allowing Seattle's fourth sack of the game.
Vikings fans only needed to look at the opposing sideline to wonder what might have been. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold led Minnesota to 14 wins last season before the Vikings let depart in free agency.
This year, Darnold and the Seahawks (9-3) are a top playoff contender, while Minnesota is buried in last place in the NFC North.
“There’s no question we’re pressing,” O’Connell said. “That’s maybe guys trying to do too much. Maybe we’ve got to try and limit what we’re asking of the group as a whole, especially with some different guys stepping into the lineup.”
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Bijan Robinson shines again, but Falcons' special teams falter in loss to Jets By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Bijan Robinson made plays almost every time he touched the ball for the Atlanta Falcons.
And it still wasn't enough. Again.
The Falcons blew a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter and fell to the New York Jets 27-24 on Nick Folk's 56-yard field goal as time expired Sunday for Atlanta's sixth loss in seven games. It came on a day when Robinson had 193 yards from scrimmage.
“Bijan was awesome and amazing, as usual,” coach Raheem Morris said.
Robinson ran for 142 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and caught five passes for 51 yards. He also became the fifth player in NFL history with at least 50 receptions and 1,400 yards from scrimmage in each of his first three seasons, joining Matt Forte, Justin Jefferson, Herschel Walker and LaDainian Tomlinson.
Robinson also joined Tomlinson as the only players with at least 3,000 yards rushing, 1,500 yards receiving and 30 scrimmage touchdowns in their first three seasons.
But the latest standout performance by the Falcons' do-it-all running back came in another loss.
“It’s always tough to lose in this league and it’s a lot tougher when you don’t have production,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said. "I’m proud of the way Bijan played and the guys around him who helped him have a day like he had. Love any time a player can show what they’re capable of and I felt Bijan did that today.
“I just wish it had been in a win, and he does, too.”
It appeared it might be headed that way in the fourth quarter when the Falcons took a 24-17 lead on Cousins' 9-yard touchdown pass to David Sills. But Robinson touched the ball just once more — a 1-yard run — on Atlanta's last two possessions and had what was initially ruled a 5-yard catch changed to an incomplete pass after a video review.
The Jets, meanwhile, tied it with a 15-play, 65-yard drive and then won it two possessions later.
“It stings,” linebacker Kaden Elliss said of the Jets' tying score. “It was a drive that lagged on and shouldn’t have. We had many opportunities to close it out. Give them props. It is what is.”
As it has been at points this season, the Falcons' special teams were also a culprit in the latest loss.
Neither team was able to get anything going early, but New York broke through in the second quarter when Jamal Agnew fumbled a fair catch of a punt deep in Falcons territory and Breece Hall ran it in from 2 yards one play later to give the Jets the lead.
Atlanta also gave up an 83-yard kickoff return by Isaiah Williams that set up a field goal that tied it at 17 for the Jets early in the fourth quarter.
Zane Gonzalez, coming off being selected the NFC special teams player of the week in his second game with the Falcons, also missed a 50-yard attempt in the third quarter.
“We just haven’t played well,” Morris said of his special teams unit. “Today was a muffed punt, kickoff return. We haven’t covered like we are capable of covering. We have moments, we have times. We have not had the consistency you need to go out there and dominate field position. There’s a lot of different factors. We’ve got to do better.”
Morris, whose own seat is warming with each loss, bristled a bit when he was asked if there are thoughts of moving on from special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.
“You’d love to get rid of people today, but we don’t make emotional decisions, we know that,” Morris said. “We won’t talk about those things. We never do that. It’s not our code. It’s not our ethics. It’s not who we are. It’s not what we are. It’s not a decision, that’s not what we do today.”
When Morris was asked what his approach will be in the Falcons' final five games, the coach simply said: “To win them.”
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QB Justin Herbert breaks bone in left hand, but he's optimistic about playing for Chargers next week By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer The Associated Press INGLEWOOD, Calif.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will have surgery Monday to repair a broken bone in his non-throwing hand.
Herbert is optimistic about his chances to play next week for the Chargers (8-4), who beat the Raiders 31-14 on Sunday for their fourth victory in five games. Herbert played the final three quarters against Las Vegas with a hard cast on his left hand while exclusively taking shotgun snaps.
“I think it's one of those things where you just stabilize it (and play),” Herbert said. “I'm not the doctor, unfortunately, but they were hopeful, so I think that's a good thing."
Herbert wasn't sure when his hand was broken, but it appeared to happen late in the Chargers’ opening drive when he was thrown to the ground by Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn after a short scramble. Herbert threw a touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston on the next snap, but trainers took him off the field a few minutes later.
Trey Lance took Herbert’s place to begin the Chargers’ second drive against Las Vegas. After Lance moved the Chargers past midfield and completed his only throw, Herbert returned to the sideline and took some practice snaps before joining the drive with a protective glove over his cast.
“What I know is that he’s as tough as they come,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “He taped it up, (put on a) glove and played a great game.”
Herbert quickly completed passes to Keenan Allen and Oronde Gadsden before throwing an interception to Kyu Blu Kelly, who stepped in front of Ladd McConkey at the goal line. That difficult pick was Herbert's only turnover despite his limited ability to hold onto the ball.
“Ball security is at a paramount, and I think I did a good enough job of that today in the pocket,” Herbert said. “Just get the ball to the running backs.”
The Chargers and Raiders were tied at halftime, but Herbert led two long scoring drives in the second half. His offense converted 12 of its 17 third downs while outgaining Las Vegas 341-156.
Herbert has 2,842 yards passing with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, his sixth for the Chargers.
Herbert had to play with a splint on a broken finger on his left hand after it got caught in a Raiders defender's helmet in 2023, but he also missed the final four games of that season after breaking a finger on his right hand while playing against Denver. Those four games were the only injury absence of Herbert's career.
“In terms of experience, I've gone through so many things,” Herbert said. “I think it will be helpful, but at the end of the day, just got to go out there and make sure everything is good, you're comfortable, and as long as the trainers and doctors are feeling it's safe to return to play, I trust those guys completely.”
The Chargers got nowhere near the playoffs in 2023, but Herbert's current team is in playoff position with five games to play, and he doesn't want to miss a chance to chase his first postseason victory.
Los Angeles' remaining games are a gauntlet against five opponents currently over .500 — starting with a visit from defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia next Monday night.
“I'm treating it as if I'm playing Monday,” Herbert said. “I think they were very hopeful for that, so I think that's just something we'll see tomorrow and get a feel for.”
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