LDN - Sports

NFL roundup: Allen, Bills stun Vikings in blowout

[September 24, 2018] Rookie quarterback Josh Allen ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead the Buffalo Bills in a stunning 27-6 victory over the host Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Minneapolis.

Allen was 15 of 22 passing for 196 yards, with a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Croom and no interceptions. He also rushed for 39 yards and two scores for Buffalo (1-2), which had been outscored 78-23 in its first two games.

After two missed kicks cost Minnesota (1-1-1) a win in Green Bay last week, the Vikings didn't even get close enough to attempt a field goal until the fourth quarter against the Bills.

Buffalo's defense, which had allowed 75 points through the first six quarters of the season, pressured Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins into three turnovers.

Chiefs 38, 49ers 27

Patrick Mahomes continued to dazzle as a first-year starter, passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas City cruised in its home opener.

The Chiefs (3-0) treated the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium to five touchdowns on their first five possessions, all in the first half. Mahomes passed Peyton Manning for the most touchdown passes thrown through the first three games of a season with his 13th.

The loss could prove especially costly for San Francisco (1-2) after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a left knee injury. Garoppolo finished 20 of 30 for 251 yards and two touchdowns.

Saints 43, Falcons 37 (OT)

Drew Brees broke the NFL record for career completions and accounted for five touchdowns, including the winner on an overtime quarterback sneak, as New Orleans won a shootout at Atlanta.

The Saints (2-1) won the coin toss for overtime and never let the Falcons (1-2) get the ball, driving 80 yards in 15 plays and taking more than seven minutes off the clock.

Matt Ryan had a career-best five touchdown passes for the Falcons, completing 26 of 35 for 374 yards, and also threw a pair of two-point conversions. Rookie wide receiver Calvin Ridley had three of the touchdowns, including a 75-yarder, en route to a 146-yard day.

Rams 35, Chargers 23

Jared Goff passed for 354 yards and three touchdowns, and Todd Gurley rushed for 105 yards and a score as the host Rams remained undefeated with a win over the Chargers in the first meeting between the teams since both returned to Los Angeles.

The Rams (3-0) moved to L.A. in 2016, while the Chargers (1-2) moved from San Diego before the start of the 2017 season after playing in Los Angeles in their inaugural 1960 season.

Goff became the fourth Rams quarterback since 1958 to pass for at least 350 yards in consecutive games, along with Billy Wade, Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger. He also threw for 354 yards in a Week 2 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Eagles 20, Colts 16

Carson Wentz started his first game at quarterback in more than nine months and led host Philadelphia (2-1) past Indianapolis (1-2).

Wentz, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 14 on the road against the Rams last December, was 25 of 37 for 255 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was effective, going 25 of 40 for 164 yards and one touchdown. Indianapolis turned to quarterback Jacoby Brissett for a Hail Mary on the game's last play, but the ball was knocked down in the end zone as time expired.

Lions 26, Patriots 10

Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes while leading a ball-control attack as Detroit gave former New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia his first head coaching victory by defeating the visiting Patriots.

Stafford hit on 27 of 36 passes for 262 yards with one interception. Rookie Kerryon Johnson became the first Lions back to rush for at least 100 yards since Reggie Bush on Thanksgiving 2013. Johnson gained 101 yards on 16 carries as the Lions (1-2) possessed the ball for more than 39 minutes. Matt Prater supplied four field goals.

Tom Brady completed 14 of 26 passes for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Patriots (1-2).

Titans 9, Jaguars 6

Marcus Mariota came off the bench to complete 12 of 18 passes for 100 yards as visiting Tennessee held on for a touchdown-less win at Jacksonville.

Ryan Succop put Tennessee (2-1) on top for good when he drilled a go-ahead, 28-yard field goal with 4:06 remaining in the fourth quarter. Succop connected on three field goals for all of the Titans' scoring.

Josh Lambo made two field goals for Jacksonville (2-1), which was trying to open the season with three straight wins for the first time since 2004. Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles finished 21 of 34 for 155 yards and was sacked three times.

Panthers 31, Bengals 21

Cam Newton threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as Carolina toppled Cincinnati in Charlotte, N.C.

Christian McCaffrey gained 184 rushing yards on 28 carries for the Panthers (2-1). Newton completed 15 of 24 passes for 150 yards as the Panthers won their seventh straight home game.

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) carries the ball during the second quarter against Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Andy Dalton was 29 for 46 for 352 yards with two touchdowns but four interceptions for Cincinnati (2-1), including one on the game's final play.

Dolphins 28, Raiders 20

Jakeem Grant caught two touchdown passes -- including the go-ahead score on a trick play -- to lead unbeaten Miami past visiting Oakland (0-3).

The Dolphins (3-0) also were led by quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who completed 17 of 23 passes for 289 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

However, the winning touchdown pass was thrown by wide receiver Albert Wilson, who got the ball on an end around and tossed it to Grant for a 52-yard score with 7:18 to play. Wilson then iced the game by running 74 yards with a shovel pass from Tannehill with two minutes left.

Redskins 31, Packers 17

Washington shredded Green Bay's defense in the first half, then the Packers dropped the ball in their comeback bid as the Redskins won in Landover, Md.

The Redskins (2-1) had 323 yards in the first half, with four plays of 34-plus yards en route to a 28-10 lead. Adrian Peterson rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns while Washington quarterback Alex Smith finished with a modest 220 passing yards with two scores and an interception.

The Packers (1-1-1) scored on their opening possession of the second half to pull within 28-17, but they kept getting in their own way after that, including a dropped pass on fourth-and-2 that would have given the Packers a first down inside the Washington 40.

Ravens 27, Broncos 14

Javorius Allen scored two touchdowns, Joe Flacco passed for 277 yards and a score, and Baltimore handled visiting Denver. Alex Collins rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown for the Ravens (2-1).

Case Keenum threw for 192 yards and an interception. He also fumbled in Denver's poorest offensive showing of the young season. The Broncos (2-1) scored on their first two possessions but finished the game with seven straight punts, an interception and a failed fourth-down conversion.

Emmanuel Sanders and Royce Freeman scored touchdowns for the Broncos, who lost two players during the game. Cornerback Tramaine Brock sustained a groin injury in the first half, and running back Phillip Lindsay was ejected for throwing punches in a pileup for a loose ball after Keenum fumbled.

Giants 27, Texans 22

Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes and rookie Saquon Barkley ran for another as New York won in Houston in a battle of previously winless teams.

Manning completed 25 of 29 passes for 297 yards and threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Rhett Ellison and a 7-yarder to Sterling Shepard for the Giants (1-2). Odell Beckham Jr. caught nine of Manning's passes for 109 yards.

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson overcame a slow start to complete 24 of 40 passes for 385 yards, but Houston (0-3) took its third loss by seven or fewer points.

Bears 16, Cardinals 14

Cody Parkey kicked three field goals, including the decisive 43-yarder with 4:31 remaining, as Chicago rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to win in Glendale, Ariz.

Parkey's final field goal was set up by Khalil Mack's forced fumble as the Bears (2-1) picked up their second straight win. Mack recorded two sacks, and Jordan Howard rushed for Chicago's lone touchdown.

Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen made his NFL debut with 4:31 remaining but couldn't prevent the Cardinals from dropping to 0-3. Rosen's initial drive ended when his fourth-and-5 pass from the Chicago 45-yard-line was intercepted by Bryce Callahan with 1:10 remaining. He was then sacked on a Hail Mary attempt to end the game.

Seahawks 24, Cowboys 13

Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and Earl Thomas tallied two interceptions as Seattle won its home opener. The Seahawks (1-2) improved their record in Seattle in the month of September to 14-0 under ninth-year head coach Pete Carroll.

After giving up 12 sacks in the first two games, Seattle surrendered only two to the Cowboys (1-2) as Wilson completed 16 of 26 passes for 192 yards with no interceptions. Chris Carson carried 32 times for a career-high 102 yards and a touchdown.

Seattle sacked a struggling Dak Prescott five times. He was 19 of 34 for 168 yards with one touchdown and the two picks by Thomas. Prescott has now thrown for fewer than 200 yards in five straight games and nine of his past 11.

--Field Level Media

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