Bailey Zappe threw three first-half touchdown passes, and the New England Patriots snapped a five-game skid while damaging the playoff hopes of the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 21-18 victory.

Quarterback Mac Jones was adamant his expletive-laced tirade on the sideline during the Patriots' 24-10 loss to Buffalo was about motivating himself and not an emotional plea about the play-calling or directed at his coaches.

Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and the Buffalo Bills beat the New England Patriots 24-10 for their first AFC East victory of the season.

Kirk Cousins threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, the last a go-ahead score to Adam Thielen in the fourth quarter to push the Minnesota Vikings past the New England Patriots 33-26.

Marcus Jones returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown with 5 seconds remaining and the New England Patriots outlasted the New York Jets 10-3.

Mac Jones says he wants to start this week against the Jets and believes he deserves to remain in the lineup despite struggling in his return to the field following three-game absence because of an ankle injury.

Justin Fields threw for 179 yards and a touchdown and ran for 82 yards and another score, and the Bears defense forced returning Patriots starter Mac Jones back to the bench to give Chicago a 33-14 victory over New England.

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly held nothing back when he returned to the team facility this week.

– Josh Allen passed for four touchdowns and the Buffalo Bills became the first AFC East foe to sweep the season series with the New England Patriots in two decades with a 38-9 victory on Monday night. The last division opponents to sweep the Patriots were the Jets and Dolphins in 2000. Stefon Diggs had nine catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns, setting a Bills single-season record for receiving yards. 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.

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.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick works along the sideline in the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots have won the last six meetings with the Raiders and improved to 47-9 in regular-season games following a loss. We can’t stop the run in the second half. “We played the best 30 minutes of football in the second half, which is what we needed,” Belichick said. Following the kickoff, the Raiders got help from a pass interference call on Stephon Gilmore to get into Patriots territory.

Jeudy is active for the Bucs game as Denver quarterback Jeff Driskel makes his first start while Drew Lock recovers from a shoulder injury. Cardinals: QB Brett Hundley, WR Christian Kirk, RB Eno Benjamin, OL Mason Cole, OL Josh Miles, DL Leki Fotu. ___CHICAGO AT ATLANTABears: CB Duke Shelley, OG Arlington Hambright, NT Daniel McCullers, WR RIley Ridley, OLB Trevis GipsonFalcons: WR Julio Jones, CB A.J. Browns: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, CB Greedy Williams, LB Jacob Phillips, Olivier Vernon, Evan Brown and WR Rashard Higgins. Brown, CB Chris Jackson OLB Derick Roberson, C Aaron Brewer, TE Geoff Swaim, DT Matt DickersonVikings: WR Tajaé Sharpe, WR K.J.

“For one, he was clamping me the whole time,” Green complained afterward, saying the officials should call it both ways. “Honestly, it reminded me of the times I was back at the College of San Mateo, my junior college,” Edelman said. It brought me back at least to high school, junior college, college. In some ways, it brings the game back to why you started playing, just to love playing the game. ___With contributions from AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell and AP Sports Writers Tim Booth, Larry Lage and Kyle Hightower.

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton walks to the field for an NFL football training camp practice, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. Cam Newton is officially the new starting quarterback of the New England Patriots. A person familiar with the situation said Thursday that Newton was announced as the starter during a team meeting. The move was expected after the 2015 league MVP outperformed second-year Jarrett Stidham and veteran Brian Hoyer during training camp. Theres been some things that a lot of people may have not known about me prior to (joining the Patriots), Newton said.