The Philadelphia Eagles blew a two-possession halftime lead in front of their fans with a 35-31 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
However, the locals had the wind in their sails in the first quarter after Canadian player Sydney Brown scored a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray stood up afterward. He threw three touchdown passes before teammate James Conner completed the comeback with a three-yard middle-finger run with 36 seconds left in the game.
“I’m so proud of my boys,” Murray said in an interview with Fox after the win. It was a hostile environment against a very good team and we were still able to get the win.”
“In the second half I just tried to concentrate on the next play,” he added. I did it one game at a time. The offensive line got the job done, as did the receivers and running backs. It’s a collective effort.”
In Eagles camp, pivot Jalen Hurts finished the game with 167 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Philadelphia is now ahead of the Dallas Cowboys at the top of the NFC East. Both teams are 11-5 with one game remaining.
Easy win for the Texans
In Texas, a convincing 26-3 win over the Tennessee Titans kept the Texans in the thick of the race for a playoff spot.
“It’s a real team win,” head coach DeMeco Ryan told his players after the game. Everyone played and this is what it looks like. This is Texas football. It's our trademark that I like to see. We let the ball run, were dominant defensively and scored points. It’s just beginning and I love who we are.”
Ryan gave a similar speech to journalists. He admitted that he was happy that his team was finally bringing joy to the fans. The Texans also muzzled the Titans' ground attack. Running back Derrick Henry finished the game with just 42 yards on 12 carries.
“We didn’t come all the way here to stop,” DeMeco Ryan said. We have a lot of football to play. Credit goes to the players in the dressing room who put us in this position. Our players have improved their game even further.”
“It all started with the ground attack […]. The offensive line was dominant.”
In the American South, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Texans all have a 9-7 record.
On Sunday, the Colts won 23-20 against the Las Vegas Raiders, while the Jags won solidly 26-0 against the Carolina Panthers.
The Colts and Texans will face off next week.
The Rams will be in the playoffs
The year 2023 ended well for the Los Angeles Rams, who punched their ticket to the playoffs.
The Rams (9-7) won 26-25 against the Giants in New York, while the Seattle Seahawks lost 30-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Los Angeles is therefore assured of finishing second in the NFC West section.
Rookie Puka Nacua stood out again with 118 yards on five receptions. The Rams' fifth-round pick in last year's draft already has 1,445 yards, 101 receptions and five touchdowns this season.
In addition, the San Francisco 49ers (12:4), who are at the top of the Rams group, achieved a 27:10 home win against the Washington Commanders.
Bergeron and the Falcons are surprised by the bears
Offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron and the Atlanta Falcons lost 37-17 to the Bears in Chicago.
Receiver DJ Moore made the difference for the Bears with nine receptions for gains of 159 yards and a touchdown.
Atlanta will look to bounce back to end the season on a strong note next week against the New Orleans Saints.