Read the reports of the games played on Sunday in the NFL.
Kenny Pickett had 278 air yards and the Pittsburgh Steelers showed signs of life on offense with a 16-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
The Steelers (7-4), who fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada earlier this week, rushed for 421 total yards to end a 58-game streak without reaching 400 yards.
“I’m not going to paint it with a big brush and shout “Eureka!” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. We did what we had to do to win today and we’re going to keep pushing. This is our job and we did it. I’m happy we won. »
Pat Freiermuth set a career high with 120 receiving yards and the Steelers gained more yards than their opponents for the first time this season, now under the tutelage of interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner.
“We did what we needed to do,” Tomlin said. We distributed the ball. Changed some details in the schematics. We attacked when there were two marauders. »
Chris Boswell made two field goals in the fourth quarter to leave the Bengals (5-6) at bay. The Cincinnati team, which is without star quarterback Joe Burrow, saw Evan McPherson make a precision kick before the two-minute break, but the Steelers recovered the ball and they ran out the last seconds.
Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning threw a touchdown pass in his first start, but had difficulty moving the chains. He completed 19 of his 26 passes for aerial gains of 227 yards, in addition to being the victim of an interception in the pay zone.
Browning got the start replacing Burrow, who saw his season end Nov. 16 due to a torn ligament in his right wrist.
The Steelers are trying to keep pace with the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns in the North section of the American Association. They won nine straight games decided by a touchdown or less before losing 13-10 to the Browns last week.
In that loss, Pickett was limited to 106 passing yards. The Steelers offensive unit had advanced the ball a total of 249 yards.
Canada was fired two days later, replaced by Faulkner. Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan is responsible for calling the plays.
“To bounce back from a loss, it just shows the resiliency of this group,” linebacker TJ Watt said. We could have made a lot of excuses this week. I’m really proud of our cohesion and getting back on track. It feels good. »
The Steelers moved the ball better on Sunday, reaching the penalty area in the first quarter before Jaylen Warren lost the ball.
Later, the Steelers had a nearly eight-minute, 14-play, 79-yard drive that Najee Harris capped with a five-yard rushing touchdown. This major put the Steelers ahead 10-7 at the end of the third quarter.
The Bengals will struggle to get back into playoff contention without Burrow at the helm of the offensive unit.
The Ohio club took advantage of good positioning in the second quarter thanks to a 46-yard kickoff return from Trayveon Williams. That sequence led to the team’s only touchdown, when Drew Sample reached the end zone with an 11-yard pass play.
“I think we have a very good football team, you know,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. We must find ways to achieve victories. »
Mitch Stacy, Associated Press
Jaguars snatch 24-21 victory over Texans
PHOTO ERIC GAY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Travis Etienne Jr. (1)
Trevor Lawrence rushed for 364 yards for a touchdown and the Jacksonville Jaguars snatched a 24-21 victory over their section rivals, the Houston Texans, on Sunday.
“If we want to continue to control our destiny, it depends on us and how we play,” Lawrence said. If we continue to win, we don’t have to worry about anything. We’re going to find ourselves in a good position. In that sense, it’s a huge victory. »
A 58-yard field goal attempt by Matt Ammendola would have allowed the Texans (6-5) to tie the game with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but the ball hit the crossbar.
The Jaguars (8-3), leaders of the South section of the American Association, avenged a 37-17 defeat against Texas, in Jacksonville, during the third week of NFL activities.
“Our players are learning how to finish games well,” said Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. I’m really proud of how our players held up today. »
CJ Stroud, selected second overall in the last draft, had 306 passing yards for two touchdowns as the Texans’ three-game winning streak ended.
With 3,268 yards since the start of the campaign, Stroud overtook Justin Herbert (3,224) for the most gains by a rookie in his first 11 games.
Stroud also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 yards in four straight games in his first season.
The Texans led by one point following a Stroud rushing touchdown midway through the third quarter. Lawrence responded with a one-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley. The latter caught a second pass a few moments later for the two-point conversion.
Brandon McManus made a field goal early in the fourth quarter to increase the lead, then the Jaguars’ defensive unit held back the Texans on a fourth down.
But McManus missed a 55-yard field goal with seven minutes left. Stroud then orchestrated a 55-yard scoring drive. A 17-yard aerial play completed by Nico Collins cut the lead to 24-21 with just over five minutes remaining.
The Texans quickly got the ball back, but they weren’t able to get into the end zone. Ammendola’s missed field goal attempt went on fourth down and 12 yards.
Derek Stingley Jr. made an interception against Lawrence in the second half. The third selection in the 2022 draft made a steal in a second game in a row.
The Texans found themselves in a third down situation and the goals at the one yard line during the ensuing offensive sequence. Stroud faked a handoff to Andrew Beck before weaving his way into the end zone to make it 14-13 in favor of the home favorites.
The Jaguars regained the lead on their next possession, notably taking advantage of two obstruction penalties awarded to cornerback Tavierre Thomas.
McManus added a 53-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-14.
Lawrence scored a 1-yard touchdown run with 10 minutes left in the second quarter to give the Jaguars a 10-0 lead. D’Ernest Johnson completed a 42-yard aerial play during this offensive sequence.
Kristie Rieken, Associated Press