NFL: Eagles dispatch Giants to clinch playoff spot

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants 48-22 to clinch their place in the play-offs. The NFC East leaders took their season record to 12-1 with a convincing win at the MetLife Stadium. The Eagles landed touchdowns on their first three drives, moving 21-0 ahead in the second quarter when AJ Brown collected a 33-yard pass in the endzone and went into half-time with a healthy 24-7 lead.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 217 yards, with two touchdowns as well as running in another, with running back Miles Sanders also completing two touchdowns. The Giants narrowly avoided what would have been their biggest margin of defeat since 2017 with a touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute. The Eagles are scheduled to head to Chicago and Dallas in the next two weeks as they look to lock up the number one seed for the NFC.

The Dallas Cowboys produced a late rally to edge out the Houston Texans 27-23 in Arlington and keep their own play-off push alive. The Texans had forced three turnovers, including two interceptions from Dak Prescott, but could not close out the game from leading 20-17 at half-time as quarterback Jeff Driskel found his range. After holding off a goal-line stand, Prescott ended up the Cowboys' saviour.

A dramatic late 98-yard drive through 11 plays ended with Ezekiel Elliott running in the decisive score with just 41 seconds left as the Texans' winless run continued. In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills made it four straight wins as they defeated the New York Jets 20-12 at Highmark Stadium. After a scoreless opening quarter, Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw a touchdown and later ran in another to give the hosts a defendable advantage in tough conditions.