C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON

Ryan Tannehill ran and threw for touchdowns as the Tennessee Titans held off the New Orleans Saints 23-21 on Sunday for their NFL-best sixth straight victory.

Matt Ryan hit Cordarrelle Patterson for a 64-yard gain with a minute to go, setting up Younghoe Koo’s 29-yard field goal as time expired, and the Atlanta Falcons defeated the mistake-prone New Orleans Saints 27-25.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared to have all of the advantages when Saints quarterback Jameis Winston went down with a second-quarter knee injury.

Sam Darnold threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, and the Carolina defense turned in another strong performance in a 26-7 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The Saints don’t want the NFL’s renewed emphasis on punishing unsportsmanlike behavior to squelch C.

Brees completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards, connecting with Michael Thomas and Latavius Murray for touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Chicago Bears 21-9 in an NFC wild-card game Sunday. Brees' first touchdown pass in the opening quarter was 11-yards over the middle to Thomas, back from a three-game absence to help heal a nagging ankle injury. The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year missed nine games this season and had not caught a touchdown pass since December 2019. That marked the second time this season a Bears player was thrown out for action taken against Gardner-Johnson after the whistle. The Bears have reached the playoffs twice since Pace took over in 2015, both times under Nagy, who was hired in 2018.

Hamler (13) celebrates his game-tying touchdown with teammates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Denver. “Division rival, close game,” Chargers running back Justin Jackson explained, adding, “We weren’t too happy with 22′s hit on Buster,” referencing safety Kareem Jackson’s unflagged blasting of running back Troymaine Pope in the second half. “I’ll never watch something weak like that happen to a defenseless teammate and not defend him,” Anderson added. Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins jumped on Wims and soon players from both teams rushed in to break up the ruckus. Wims emerged from the pileup clapping and smiling as he was ejected and escorted to his locker room.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims and New Orleans Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) fight in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO – The NFL suspended Chicago Bears receiver Javon Wims two games Monday for punching New Orleans Saints safety C.J. The penalty against Wims pushed the Bears back to a second-and-20. Bears coach Matt Nagy said Wims was “apologetic” when they spoke Monday and understands “you can’t do what he did.” But Nagy would not say what led to the altercation. Wims has three business days to appeal the suspension, under the collective bargaining agreement between the league and players' union.

The Bears’ Cairo Santos made a 51-yard field goal at the end of regulation to force the extra period. He came through with his fourth field goal on a windy day, sending the Bears (5-3) to their second straight loss. “My gut, we’re on the field and I feel like we can kick a field goal at that distance without risking any ball-security issues,” Payton said. Marshon Lattimore then intercepted Nick Foles, leading to a tiebreaking field goal by Lutz. After the Saints went three-and-out, Chicago tied it with 13 seconds left on Santos’ field goal into the wind.