(Photo Source: SI.com)

Covering everything you may have missed over the weekend

The New Orleans Saints assembled a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but it took Wil Lutz’s 33-yard field goal on the final play Sunday for them to defeat the Carolina Panthers 34-31. Carolina kicker Joey Slye missed a pair of extra points and a late 28-yard field goal attempt.

In Philadelphia, the Seattle Seahawks topped the Eagles 17-9 behind Rashaad Penny’s 129 rushing yards, which included a 58-yard touchdown dash. … The Washington Redskins ended a streak of nine consecutive home losses by beating the Detroit Lions 19-16 on Dustin Hopkins’ late field goal. Rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins missed the kneel-down snap as he was taking selfies with fans. … The New England Patriots won by dint of defense in the rains of Foxborough, Mass., stopping the Dallas Cowboys 13-9.

The much-anticipated Sunday night matchup was a rout. The San Francisco 49ers stifled the Green Bay offense in a 37-8 triumph over the Packers.

NASCAR:
Kyle Busch’s fifth victory of the season earned him his second NASCAR championship. Busch won at Homestead-Miami to wrap the NASCAR season. He’s the 16th driver to win at least two championships. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson announced that he will retire after the 2020 season.

NBA:
The Boston Celtics will be without Kemba Walker (sprained neck) for Monday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings. … San Antonio’s loss Friday night was its eighth straight, the longest such string in coach Gregg Popovich’s lengthy tenure, but that slide ended with a victory over the New York Knicks.

College Football:
The top five in the Associated Press poll are LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia and Alabama, and that is unchanged since last week. The College Football Playoff rankings come out on Tuesday.

Elsewhere:
Deontay Wilder successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title, knocking out Luis Ortiz with one punch on Saturday night. … St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was suspended for four games by the NHL for a cross-checking incident Saturday night. … The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won the CFL’s Grey Cup for the first time since 1990, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 in Calgary.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman