FOOTBALL

Photo Credit: AP

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — It’s been said defenses win championships, and nobody in the NFL might be playing better D right now than the Dallas Cowboys.

DeMarcus Lawrence forced a fumble and made two other big plays that led to 15 points and the Dallas defense forced four turnovers for the third straight game Sunday. The Cowboys inched closer to their first playoff berth since 2018 with a 21-6 win over the New York Giants.

“We’re the best defense,” a blunt Trevon Diggs said after picking up his league-high 10th interception of the season, one shy of the team record set by Everson Walls in 1981.

Lawrence said the defense is the best he has played on in his eight seasons.

“It’s amazing just to be on a team with a strong defense,” he said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger ran for his first touchdown in three years, Chris Boswell kicked four field goals and the Pittsburgh Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 19-13 win over Tennessee on Sunday.

The Steelers (7-6-1) forced the Titans (9-5) into four turnovers and needed every one of them to win for the second time in three games.

Despite the miscues, Tennessee drove deep into Pittsburgh territory in the final moments, but wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was tackled inches short of the first down at the Steelers 11 with 27 seconds to go.

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This Thursday night the Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) visit the Los Angeles Chargers (8-5) at 8:20 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium in the NFL's Week 15 opener.

The first two meetings between Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert have come down to the final minute.

FINAL SCORE: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 34-28 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

OVERTIME - 8:54 - TOUCHDOWN KANSAS CITY (Chiefs 34-28 Chargers)

Travis Kelce decided the game in the first offensive series of overtime after receiving a pass from Patrick Mahomes and carrying it 34 yards to the end zone.

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The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals 30-23 to close out Week 14 of the NFL's traditional Monday Night Football but the mood on the flight back to Hollywood is anything but festive and concern is running high on the California team.

Star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, who they signed last month after being cut by the Cleveland Browns, was one of nine players who tested positive for COVID-19 and were therefore placed on the NFL's health protocol list.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. -- Former NFL player Josh Bellamy has been sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

Bellamy, 32, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was sentenced Friday in Tampa federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Besides serving prison time, Bellamy must also pay restitution.