Sam Darnold threw for 304 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and the Carolina Panthers eased past the Houston Texans 24-9 despite losing Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury early in the second quarter.

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.

Chicago Bears strong safety Tashaun Gipson (38) celebrates his interception of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Atlanta. The Chicago Bears won 30-26. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

The Falcons surrendered a 16-point advantage in the final 6 1/2 minutes to the Chicago Bears, who got three touchdown passes from backup quarterback Nick Foles and pulled out a 30-26 win on Sunday. It would have seemed downright improbable — if it hadn't happened for the second week in a row. The former Super Bowl MVP won it with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with 1:53 remaining. He tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Graham to make it 26-16 with 6:20 to go. But Foles got his chance after Trubisky threw an interception in the third quarter that led to a Falcons field goal, pushing the lead to 26-10.

DETROIT – If the Detroit Lions' first game was any indication, their “Dagger Time” mantra could use some sharpening. For a second consecutive season, the Lions blew a big fourth-quarter lead in their opening game. On Sunday against Chicago, the Lions allowed the last 21 points in a 27-23 loss to the Bears. Rookie D'Andre Swift, who had scored the game's first touchdown in the second quarter, dropped what could have been the winning TD with 6 seconds left. Don't let this get you down,'” said Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 93 yards in his first game with the Lions.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford throws against the Chicago Bears in the first half of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)DETROIT – Mitchell Trubisky perfectly lofted a 27-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with 1:54 remaining and the Chicago Bears held on to beat the Detroit Lions 27-23 Sunday. Trubisky threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to help Chicago come back from a 17-point deficit. It looked familiar to Lions fans: Detroit opened last season by blowing an 18-point lead at Arizona and settling for a tie. Late in the game, Lions fans likely would've filled the facility with a chorus of boos.