J.C. JACKSON

Even after the Los Angeles Chargers fell behind by 28 points late on a dismal Sunday afternoon, Justin Herbert insisted on staying in the game with his fractured rib cartilage.

Derwin James signed a four-year, $76.5 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Chargers Wednesday morning, making him the NFL’s highest-paid safety.

Let the dealing begin — if mostly unofficial.

Josh Allen set a franchise record by throwing five touchdown passes and the Buffalo Bills showed who's king of the AFC East with a 47-17 throttling of the New England Patriots in a wild-card playoff game.

The Tennessee Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Rookie quarterback Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes and Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for two scores apiece to put the New England Patriots in the playoffs with their 50-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mac Jones had two touchdown passes, New England’s defense forced four turnovers and the Patriots earned their sixth straight win, rolling past the Tennessee Titans 36-13.

Mac Jones threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Nelson Agholor for the game’s only offensive touchdown and the New England defense took care of the rest.

Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a career-high 100 yards and two scores, and the New England Patriots rolled to a 45-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Adrian Phillips intercepted two Justin Herbert passes and returned one for the go-ahead touchdown, Nick Folk kicked four field goals and the New England Patriots rallied for a 27-24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Dallas Cowboys have decided to hold quarterback Dak Prescott out of their game at Minnesota because of a strained right calf muscle.

Mac Jones threw two touchdown passes, Damien Harris and J.

The Carolina Panthers have acquired veteran cornerback and 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore from the New England Patriots for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick.

Mac Jones was smart and efficient, Damien Harris and James White had touchdown runs and the New England Patriots took advantage of a nightmarish outing by Zach Wilson in a 25-6 victory over the New York Jets.

The last division opponents to sweep the Patriots were the Jets and Dolphins in 2000. The Patriots’ 19 straight seasons without losing both games to a divisional opponent was an NFL record. The Patriots closed to 10-9 on Newton's 9-yard TD run in the second quarter, but Nick Folk missed the extra point and the Bills pulled away from there. INJURIESBills: S Jordan Poyer was helped off field late in second quarter to be evaluated for a head injury. … LB Josh Uche exited in second quarter with a foot injury.

The Dolphins (9-5) bolstered their wild-card chances and are assured of a winning record for only the second time since 2008. The Patriots (6-8) will finish at .500 or worse for the first time since 2000, the year they drafted Tom Brady. They mounted a 14-play, 90-yard touchdown drive midway through the second half to take the lead for good. They were shut out in the first half, but mounted a 72-yard touchdown drive to start the second half for a 7-6 lead. DE John Simon (hamstring) and C David Andrews (calf) were sidelined in the second half.

1 conference seed is tight, with the Packers one game ahead of the Saints, the Rams and Seahawks one game behind. Drew Brees will be active after missing four games with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, making for an intriguing matchup with Patrick Mahomes. The Bills (11-3) scored twice in a 17-second span in the third quarter to ice their fourth straight victory that officially ended the New England Patriots’ 11-year reign atop the division. The Ravens have run for at least 100 yards in 36 straight games, seven short of the NFL record set by Pittsburgh from 1974-77. Baltimore is averaging 173.8 yards on the ground and topped 200 yards in each of the past two games.

A league built on parity has 15 teams with at least six wins and 12 others with three or fewer, the most ever in both categories through 10 weeks. The previous high was eight AFC teams in 2004. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the NFC East, where no team has won more than three games through the first 10 weeks. In all, there have been 31 games in which a team won after trailing by double digits, the most through Week 10 in NFL history. LONG KICKS: Heading into Week 9 this season, there had been only three weeks in NFL history that featured at least 10 field goals of at least 50 yards.

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton, center, celebrates his rushing touchdown with teammates in the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton, center, celebrates his rushing touchdown with teammates in the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. Cam Newton threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score and the Patriots fought through rain and wind to hold off the Baltimore Ravens 23-17 on Sunday night. Damien Harris ran for a career-high 121 yards to help the Patriots (4-5) win consecutive games for the first time this season. As rain and wind pelted the field, the Ravens started the drive with a penalty, pushing them back to their own 9. Facing second-and-6 on the Ravens 24, Newton threw what appeared to be a wide receiver screen to Jakobi Meyers.

We’re not going to lay down.”Newton had two touchdown runs, with the second tying it at 27 with 1:57 remaining. A miscue by the Jets on special teams kept the Patriots’ next drive alive. But the Jets were called for 12 men on the field — resulting in a first down for the Patriots. Damien Harris ran for 21 yards to get New England into Jets territory. Jets: Rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton left in the first half with a chest injury, but coach Adam Gase was unsure if it was a torn pectoral.

Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles, left, congratulates kicker Brandon McManus in the second half of an NFL football game after his sixth field goal against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday’s game was originally scheduled for last week but got postponed twice, first by a day, then by seven. He was steady early, but had back-to-back interceptions in the fourth quarter to let the Patriots back into the game. It was the first game back for Newton, who returned after missing New England’s Week 4 loss at Kansas City. McManus, who connected on field goals of 52 and 54 yards, now has six games with multiple 50-yard field goals.

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton, right, celebrates his second rushing touchdown as he heads to the bench in the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. – Cam Newton looked just fine as Tom Brady's replacement, rushing for two touchdowns Sunday, and the New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 21-11 to open the season. The Patriots were threatening again late in the period, but Jerome Baker kept the Dolphins in the game. Newton carried on the second play of the game and capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run on the Patriots’ third possession to put them up 7-0. MOVING ON UPEdelman pulled in 6-yard pass early in the second quarter, his 600th career reception.