San Diego Chargers 21
New England Patriots 16
FOXBORO - With starting QB Hendon Hooker ruled out, fellow rookie Jake Haener did just enough to keep the San Diego Chargers (11-1) in prime playoff position with a 21-16 victory over the New England Patriots.
Haener passed for 146 yards with a pair of TDs to go along with two bad INTs.
"I have to fix the turnovers," Haener said. "But for my first start, we have a lot to build toward."
The Chargers defense stepped up again with 5.0 sacks and rookie Joey Porter Jr's first TD of his career with a pick six late in the first half.
San Diego will now take on the Denver Broncos in Week 14.
San Francisco 49ers 24
Philadelphia Eagles 23
PHILADELPHIA - In what may be the game of the year so far, the San Francisco 49ers used a last minute touchdown on fourth and goal to escape Philadelphia with a 24-23 victory. Dalvin Cook was once again electric for the Niners, while their defense stifled what had been a sold Eagles run game.
For the Eagles, Will Levis gave his team as much as he could and looked like a rising star. New addition Zach Ertz looked like the player who went to three pro-bowls while in Philadelphia years ago.
The fallout from this result starts to paint a picture for the top NFC playoff seeds. The race for the one seed is now a two-horse race between the Niners and Green Bay. The Eagles now fall into a tie for first place with the Giants in the NFC East with both Washington and Dallas lurking.
Next up for San Francisco is another date with the dismal Seattle Seahawks, while the Eagles have to face a surging Dallas team that has won four in a row.
Kansas City Chiefs 14
Green Bay Packers 45
GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers dominated the undefeated Chiefs in heavy snow, winning 45-14. The Pack looked every bit the part of a Super Bowl contender, embarrassing a Kansas City team that previously looked unbeatable.
Tua Tagovailoa was electric all game and one opposing scout labeled his play in the game as "perfect." The QB threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per attempt.
The game also marked the return of Justin Jefferson, who immediately made his presence know with a 63 yard touchdown in the first quarter.
"Happy to be back out with the boys," Jefferson said.
Green Bay will look to keep it rolling next week on the road for a Monday night matchup with the New York Giants.
Denver Broncos 7
Houston Texans 28
HOUSTON - The Houston Texans defense harassed Russell Wilson all game en route to a 28-7 victory. The Texans defense sacked Wilson seven times on the afternoon and made it almost impossible for Denver to convert on third down.
Offensively, the game saw the first start this year from Malik Willis at quarterback and it looked like the decision to change from Trey Lance was the right one. Willis brought a running element that had been lacking the Houston offense. The Liberty product totaled 117 yards on the ground and found the end zone twice with his legs.
Houston has a comfortable three game lead in the division and will now take on a 4-8 New York Jets team.
