Cowboys clinch NFL playoff berth while Chiefs, Miami win / Photo: Megan Briggs - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Cowboys clinch NFL playoff berth while Chiefs, Miami win
Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Miami's Tua Tagovailoa sparked their clubs to NFL triumphs on Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys clinched a playoff berth before even taking the field.
Two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Mahomes completed 27-of-37 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the defending champion Chiefs' 27-17 victory at New England, although two intercepted Mahomes passes led to 10 Patriots points.
Miami, without injured NFL receiving yards leader Tyreek Hill, blanked the visiting New York Jets 30-0 with Raheem Mostert rushing for two touchdowns and Tagovailoa completing 21-of-24 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown.
The Dolphins reached 10-4 for the first time in 23 years to move a half-game behind Baltimore for the AFC top seed and a first-round playoff bye, with Kansas City next at 9-5.
Dallas secured a post-season trip for a third consecutive campaign with losses by the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers.
The Cowboys, chasing their first Super Bowl crown since the 1995 season, entered a later game at Buffalo at 10-3 and chasing San Francisco for the NFC top seed and a first-round playoff bye.
In other later games, the Baltimore Ravens (10-3) can clinch a playoff spot with a victory at Jacksonville (8-5) and playoff-bound San Francisco (10-3) can claim the NFC West division crown by winning at Arizona (3-10).
Baker Mayfield completed 22-of-28 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns to lead Tampa Bay's 34-20 victory at Green Bay, keeping the 7-7 Buccaneers atop the NFC South division on tiebreakers.
New Orleans stayed level with the Bucs at 7-7 by beating the New York Giants 24-6 as the Saints' Derek Carr hit 23-of-28 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns.
Carolina's Eddy Pineiro kicked his third field goal, a 23-yarder on the last play, to lift the host Panthers over Atlanta 9-7.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a 34-yard field goal with 32 seconds to play to give Cleveland a 20-17 home win over Chicago, keeping the Browns in the top AFC wildcard playoff spot at 9-5. Cleveland's Joe Flacco threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns but had three interceptions.
Houston's Ka'imi Fairbairn kicked his fourth field goal, a 54-yarder on the final play, to give the Texans a 19-16 overtime triumph at Tennessee, keeping pace with rivals in the AFC playoff chase.
P.Smid--EWJ
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