Latest from the NFL: Hopkins breaks Johnson’s TD record

 

The latest from NFL games around the league on the 13th Sunday of the season (all times EST):
3:45 p.m.
Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins broke the franchise record for receiving touchdowns with his 10th of the season against the Buffalo Bills today.
Hopkins caught a 19-yard pass from Brian Hoyer with 9:12 left in the fourth quarter. Hopkins broke the franchise record that was set by Andre Johnson in 2009.
Hopkins has five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. He entered the game 130 receiving yards shy of setting a career high which he set last season.
—
3:35 p.m.
San Francisco will be without tight end Vance McDonald and linebacker Michael Wilhoite for the rest of its game at Chicago.
McDonald left with a head injury after a 12-yard reception in the second quarter. Wilhoite hurt an ankle in the first quarter.
Linebacker NaVorro Bowman missed part of the game with a head injury, but returned. Linebacker Aaron Lynch, who leads the team with 6 1/2 sacks, was questionable for the remainder of the game after his own head injury.
—
3:25 p.m. – Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins is being evaluated for a concussion for the second time, both times after getting hit by a teammate.
The team says his return is questionable.
Jenkins was sent for a second round of testing after David Johnson’s 10-yard TD catch put the Cardinals up 17-3 late in the third quarter. He missed just five plays earlier in the game.
Rams tight end Lance Kendricks also is being evaluated for a concussion.
The Rams announced that 51,115 tickets were distributed, the lowest attendance of the season. Capacity is 66,000 at the Edward Jones Dome and the stadium appears around half-full.
-R.B. Fallstrom reporting from St. Louis.
—
3:18 p.m.
Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy has been cleared and returned to the sideline after being taken to the locker room to undergo concussion protocol. McCoy was tackled by Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus after a gain of three yards up the left side and was taken out of the game.
McCoy had 14 carries for 83 yards and no catches.
McCoy was injured not long after Bills first-year starting QB Tyrod Taylor broke the team record for most consecutive passes without throwing an interception. Taylor broke the previous record of 175 straight passes without an interception set by Drew Bledsoe in 2002.
Taylor broke the record with an incomplete pass to wide receiver Chris Hogan along the left sideline.
—
2:51 p.m.
Two interceptions off deflected passes 20 seconds apart helped the Miami Dolphins build a 15-0 lead against the visiting Baltimore Ravens late in the first half.
Matt Schaub’s short pass was touched by DT Jordan Phillips and grabbed by Reshad Jones, who returned the ball to the Ravens’ 38. On the very next play, Dolphins WR DeVante Parker leaped in the end zone to catch Ryan Tannehill’s pass for the game’s first score.
On the ensuing drive, Schaub’s pass short was tipped and intercepted by by DE Derrick Shelby, who ran 22 yards for a touchdown. Miami’s Jay Ajayi ran for the 2-point conversion after two unsuccessful PAT attempts – one missed, one blocked – were negated by off-sides penalties against Baltimore.
-Steven Wine reporting from Miami.
—
2:38 p.m.
The Seattle Seahawks have their biggest halftime lead in 20 games – 21-0 over the Vikings in Minnesota.
The Vikings need a win to stay ahead of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. The Packers began Week 13 with that incredible victory at Detroit on Thursday night when Aaron Rodgers completed a 61-yard Hail Mary on an untimed down to cap a comeback from a 20-0 deficit.
If the Seahawks hang on to win today, the Vikings will fall into a tie with the Packers at 8-4. But the Packers would hold the tie-breaker thanks to their 30-13 win at Minneapolis on Nov. 22.
The Vikings visit Lambeau Field on Jan. 3.
The resurgent Seahawks (6-5) are seeking their third straight win.
—
2:24 p.m.
More bad news for the injury-plagued Baltimore Ravens.
Tight end Crockett Gillmore has left Baltimore’s game at Miami late in the first half with a back injury. The Ravens said won’t return.
Gillmore had a catch for 7 yards before leaving. For the season, the Colorado State product has 33 receptions for 412 yards and 4 TDs.
–Steven Wine reporting from Miami.
—
2:15 p.m.
The San Francisco 49ers finally scored their first touchdown in the first quarter this season.
Jimmie Ward had his first career interception and returned it 29 yards for his first touchdown to put the Niners on the board late in the first at Chicago.
—
1:55 p.m.
Andy Dalton has joined Peyton Manning on a unique list.
Cincinnati’s quarterback eclipsed 3,000 yards passing this season in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against Cleveland. It’s the fifth straight year Dalton has passed for over 3,000 yards, making him the only QB other than Manning to throw for at least that many yards in their his five NFL seasons.
Dalton ran for a TD in the first quarter and then hooked up with A.J. Green for a 23-yard TD pass in the second quarter to put the Bengals (9-2) ahead 14-0.
–Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland.
—
1:50 p.m.
Bills running back LeSean McCoy has reached 7,500 career yards in his 100th game.
Bills officials say he’s the sixth active running back to reach the mark.
McCoy passed the milestone on his third run of the day, a 32-yarder on the Bills’ second drive. He entered the game 28 yards short of 7,500.
– John Wawrow reporting from Orchard Park, New York.
—
1:25 p.m.
The Minnesota Vikings were already missing starting defensive tackle Linval Joseph because of injury. Two drives into the game against Seattle, and the defense has been weakened even further.
Starting safety Harrison Smith (hamstring) and linebacker Anthony Barr (groin) had to leave the game with injuries and are questionable to return.
Joseph, Smith and Barr are arguably the Vikings’ three best defensive players, and the Seahawks drove right down the field to take a 7-0 lead after Barr and Smith left.
-Jon Krawczynski reporting from Minneapolis.
—
1:20 p.m.
Browns left guard Joel Bitonio has been taken to the locker room with a left ankle injury. He missed the last two games with a severely sprained left ankle. He was blocking on a running play when rookie Duke Johnson rolled up on the back of his legs. Rookie Cam Erving replaced Bitonio.
– Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland.
—
12:05 p.m.
The New York Giants are starting two rookies at offensive tackle for their game against the New York Jets.
The Giants are giving Bobby Hart the start at right tackle with regular Marshall Newhouse inactive with a back injury. Top draft pick Ereck Flowers has started at left tackle all season.
The Jets are third overall on defense and first against the rush. Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson has eight sacks.
Mark Herzlich is getting the start at strong side linebacker with Devon Kennard out and Craig Dahl is starting for the injured Brandon Meriweather at safety.
Buster Skrine is starting at cornerback for the Jets with Darrelle Revis and Marcus Williams inactive with injuries.
– Tom Canavan reporting from East Rutherford, N.J.
12 p.m.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton will be missing one of his top targets as tight end Tyler Eifert, the NFL’s touchdown leader, will miss their game against the Browns with a neck injury.
Eifert has 12 TD catches this season, three of them coming in Cincinnati’s 31-10 win over the Browns on Nov. 5. Eifert has 46 catches for 522 yards.
Eifert had been listed as doubtful this week. He sustained a neck stinger in last Sunday’s win over St. Louis. Tyler Kroft will start in place of Eifert on Sunday. Kroft has just one catch for four yards.
The Bengals (9-2) are closing in on their fifth straight playoff appearance and an AFC North title.
The Browns (2-9) decided not to activate wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, the former NFL quarterback who was signed earlier this week.
Cleveland is also missing Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden, who missed his fourth straight game with a concussion. Haden has sustained two concussions this season.
– Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland.