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 The Panthers (8-0) continued the best start in franchise history,
but only with a late goal-line stand after nearly squandering a
23-point fourth-quarter lead.
It was another game full of offensive snafus for the Packers (6-2),
who have lost consecutive games for the first time since November
2013 to fall into a first-place NFC North tie with the Minnesota
Vikings.
Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis intercepted Aaron Rodgers'
fourth-and-goal pass from the 4-yard line on the first play after
the two-minute warning to seal the outcome. Wide receiver Randall
Cobb was wide open on the play, but Rodgers missed him under heavy
duress. Rodgers had four touchdown passes and was sacked five times.
Newton's numbers were rather ordinary, as he completed 15 of 30
passes for 297 yards with one interception. Rodgers ended up 25 of
48 for 368 yards.
Vikings 21, Rams 18 (OT)
MINNEAPOLIS -- Blair Walsh connected on a 40-yard field goal with
9:20 left in overtime to lift Minnesota over St. Louis.
The win lifted the Vikings into a first-place tie atop the NFC North
with the Packers, each with 6-2 records. Minnesota, 4-0 at home,
hosts Green Bay in two weeks.
Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein connected on a 53-yard field goal to tie
the score with 12 seconds left in regulation. It came less than two
minutes after a try from 48 yards sailed wide right. But the St.
Louis defense forced Minnesota into a three-and-out, using all three
of its timeouts to get the ball back. Zuerlein made four field goals
in the game, including a 61-yard kick early in the second quarter.
Steelers 38, Raiders 35
PITTSBURGH -- Chris Boswell kicked an 18-yard field goal with two
seconds remaining to give Pittsburgh a victory over Oakland as the
Steelers overcame the loss of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Roethlisberger is expected to
miss "a few weeks." The Steelers play the Browns next Sunday and
have a bye the followeing weekend.
Roethlisberger threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns before leaving
in the fourth quarter with a left foot injury.
Antonio Brown's 57-yard catch and run on a pass from backup
quarterback Landry Jones got the Steelers (5-4) to the Raiders' 15
in the final minute and capped a day in which the wide receiver set
franchise records with 17 receptions and 285 receiving yards.
Two plays later, Boswell kicked his third field goal of the day to
end a seven-play, 79-yard drive engineered by Jones. That came after
the Raiders (4-4) tied the game 35-35 with 1:15 remaining on
quarterback Derek Carr's 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Michael Crabtree.
Patriots 27, Redskins 10
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Undefeated New England made it eight wins in a
row, cruising to an easy victory over mistaken-prone Washington.
Tom Brady threw two more touchdown passes and running back
LeGarrette Blount ran for 129 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots
scored 14 quick points before the Redskins ran their second play and
strolled to the win.
It could prove a costly victory for the Patriots. Left tackle
Sebastian Vollmer (head) and running back Dion Lewis (knee) left
with injuries. Vollmer's injury is the latest in a long line of
health issues for the Patriots' offensive line.
Titans 34, Saints 28 (OT)
NEW ORLEANS -- Quarterback Marcus Mariota returned from a knee
injury to throw four touchdown passes, including a 5-yard throwback
in overtime to tight end Anthony Fasano, to spark Tennessee to a
victory over New Orleans.
On the winning play from the Saints' 5, Mariota (28 of 39 for 371
yards) rolled to his right, pivoted and then threw back across the
field to his left for Fasano, who was wide open in the back of the
end zone. The victory snapped the Titans' six-game losing streak,
which cost head coach Ken Whisenhunt his job earlier in the week,
and he was replaced by interim coach Mike Mularkey.
The Saints were led by quarterback Drew Brees, who completed 28 of
39 passes for 389 yards and three TDs, but they fell to 4-5 after
having won three straight.
Bills 33, Dolphins 17
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Wide receiver Sammy Watkins and running back
LeSean McCoy had their best games with Buffalo in the victory over
Miami.
Watkins returned after missing Buffalo's previous game with an ankle
injury and caught eight passes for a career-high 163 yards and a
44-yard touchdown. McCoy rushed for 112 yards, his first 100-yard
rushing game since joining the Bills in an offseason trade, and
scored on a 48-yard run. But he left the game in the fourth quarter
with a shoulder injury.
Bills rookie running back Karlos Williams rushed for 110 yards and
two touchdowns. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor returned after missing two
games with an ankle injury and completed 11 of 12 passes for 181
yards and a touchdown.
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Jets 28, Jaguars 23
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Running back Chris Ivory scored a pair of
1-yard touchdowns and New York snapped a two-game losing streak by
hanging on to beat Jacksonville.
Ryan Fitzpatrick was 21 of 34 for 272 yards and two touchdowns --
one apiece to wide receivers Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall -- for
the Jets, who improved to 5-3.
Blake Bortles was 24 of 39 for 381 yards and two touchdowns for the
Jaguars (2-6).
Colts 27, Broncos 24
INDIANAPOLIS -- Andrew Luck and the Colts spoiled the Broncos'
perfect season and quarterback Peyton Manning's potential
record-setting day.
Adam Vinatieri's 55-yard field goal with 6:13 remaining gave
Indianapolis a 27-24 lead. Reserve cornerback Darius Butler
intercepted a Manning pass 13 seconds later, and Denver (7-1) never
got the ball back.
Luck, who replaced Manning under center in Indianapolis after he was
released by the team following the 2011 season, completed 21 of 36
passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Indianapolis is 4-5,
breaking a three-game losing streak, and alone in first place in the
AFC South.
Manning finished 21 of 36 for 281 yards, two touchdowns and two
costly interceptions. Manning needed 284 passing yards to pass Brett
Favre's NFL career record and needed one victory for his 187th,
which also would break the NFL record set by Favre.
Giants 32, Buccaneers 18
TAMPA, Fla. -- Quarterback Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes to
help the Giants improve to 5-4.
The Bucs (3-5) had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter,
but a two-point conversion failed. The Giants added a field goal
with 28 seconds remaining, then scored a defensive touchdown on the
game's final play when the Bucs attempted a lateral and New York
cornerback Trevin Wade picked up the loose ball and went 5 yards to
seal the outcome.
Three times in the first half, Tampa Bay reached the New York
10-yard line but couldn't get a touchdown. The Giants led 17-9 at
halftime.
49ers 17, Falcons 16
SAN FRANCISCO -- Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, making his first NFL
start since Oct. 6, 2013 with the Dolphins, threw for 185 yards and
two touchdowns to lead San Francisco 49ers to a 17-16 victory
against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
Gabbert replaced Colin Kaepernick in the starting lineup and
completed 15 of 25 passes with two interceptions.
Quarterback Matt Ryan completed 30 of 45 passes for 303 yards and
one touchdown for the Falcons (6-3), who lost their second straight
game and fell for the third time in their past four games. Wide
receiver Julio Jones caught 10 passes for 137 yards
The Falcons trailed 17-13 when they marched to San Francisco's 8,
where they had first-and-goal. But on fourth-and-goal from the one,
they opted for a field goal with 2:56 left.
Eagles 33, Cowboys 27 (OT)
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Sam Bradford and Jordan Matthews connected on a
41-yard touchdown on the first possession of overtime, lifting
Philadelphia past Dallas.
The Eagles not only avenged a Week 2 loss to Dallas, but they
climbed back into the thick of the NFC East race at 4-4.
Philadelphia trails the division-leading New York Giants (5-4) by a
half-game.
Bradford completed 25 of 36 passes for 295 yards with the one
touchdown and no interceptions. Matthews had nine catches for 133
yards. Eagles running back DeMarco Murray, in his first game back in
Arlington to face his former team, had 161 total yards and a
touchdown.
Fill-in Cowboys quarterback Matt Cassel threw for three touchdowns,
two to Cole Beasley. Cassel finished 25-for-38 for 299 yards with
one interceptions, while Beasley caught nine passes for 112 yards.
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