Chicago Bears 21 (4-6), Minnesota Vikings 13 (4-6)
After three straight embarrassing losses and defeats in their first three home games, the Bears rebounded with a 21-13 victory over their NFC North rival.
It was a tough start for Chicago, though, as Blair Walsh made a 50 yard field goal just over three and a half minutes into the game for the Vikings, and then a 48 yard fake punt run by Andrew Sendejo for Minnesota set up a 7 yard touchdown pass from Teddy Bridgewater to Rhett Ellison with 3:16 to go in the first quarter to make it 10-0. But Jay Cutler got the Bears offense going, leading a 10 play, 81 yard drive that ended in a 27 yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery with 13:06 left in the half.
With just under three minutes to go in the second quarter, Cutler went deep to Brandon Marshall, who grabbed a 44 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 at half. To end a 16 play, 72 yard drive with 8:51 left in the fourth quarter, the pair connected again on a four yard touchdown to make it 21-10, and though the Vikings added a 26 yard field goal from Walsh, an interception of Bridgewater by safety Ryan Mundy in the endzone in the final minute sealed the win.
Culter finished 31 of 43 for 330 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, going to Jeffery 11 times for 135 yards and a touchdown, and seven times to Marshall for 90 yards and two scores, while Matt Forte rushed for 117 yards. Bridgewater was 18 of 28 for 158 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Kansas City Chiefs 24 (7-3), Seattle Seahawks 20 (6-4)
With their fifth straight win and a loss by the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs were able to get a share of the AFC West Division lead after defeating the defending champion Seattle Seahawks, 24-20.
After stopping Seattle’s offense, Kansas City took their opening possession 86 yards in 15 plays in just over nine minutes, finishing off the drive with a one yard touchdown run by Jamaal Charles with 4:22 to go in the first. The Seahawks had a nine minute possession of their own that went 90 yards in 16 plays, with Russell Wilson scrambling and finding an open Doug Baldwin for a 7 yard touchdown with 10:22 remaining in the half.
Just over two minutes later, though, Charles scored on a 16 yard touchdown run to make it 14-7, but Steven Haushka kicked a 24 yard field goal with 1:39 left in the second quarter, and another from 27 yards out as time expired to cut the lead to 1 heading into the locker room. Following a 23 yard field goal by Cairo Santos midway through the third quarter, an Earl Thomas forced fumble that was recovered in Chiefs territory (44 yard line) by Seattle was capitalized five plays later with a one-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Tony Moeaki with just 23 seconds left in the third quarter to take a 20-17 lead.
But it took Kansas City less than two minutes and four plays to drive 71 yards, as a 47 yard run by Charles was followed soon after by a four yard scoring run by Knile Davis with 13:41 to go. The Chiefs defense was able to stop Seattle on a fourth and goal at the two, a fourth and 1 at the Kansas City 40, and a fourth and 19 in the fourth quarter to hold on for the win.
On a day where Alex Smith only threw 16 passes (completed 11 for 108 yards), Charles carried the Chiefs offense with 159 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson was 20 of 32 for 178 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 71 yards, with Marshawn Lynch running for 124 yards.
San Francisco 49ers 16 (6-4), New York Giants 10 (3-7)
In an ugly game that included six turnovers, five by the Giants, the 49ers defense stepped up big and helped San Francisco wins it second straight game on the road to tie the Seahawks for second in the NFC West with a 16-10 in.
The 49ers drove inside the redzone, but a Frank Gore fumble gave New York the ball, and they took advantage with a 19 yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Larry Donnell with seven minutes to go in the first quarter. San Francisco with a pair of Phil Dawson field goals (31, 37) through the first five minutes of the second quarter, and then an interception of Manning by rookie stud linebacker Chris Borland set up a 44 yarder for Dawson midway through the second to give the 49ers a 9-7 lead that stood at halftime.
Less than three and a half minutes into the second half, Colin Kaepernick went deep and found Michael Crabtree for a 48 yard touchdown, though a Josh Brown field goal from 43 yards just over three minutes later cut into the lead. The best chance for the Giants came when they got to the San Francisco four yard line with five minutes remaining, but three straight completions, followed by a pass that was tipped by Dontae Johnson and intercepted by Chris Borland ended New York’s hopes.
Kaepernick was 15 of 29 for 193 yards and a touchdown, with Gore rushing for 95 yards and Crabtree catching three passes for 85 yards and a score. Manning struggled, finishing 22 of 45 for 280 yards, a touchdown and five interceptions, finding Rueben Randle seven times for 112 yards and rookie Odell Beckham on six occasions for 93 yards.
Borland led the 49ers with 13 tackles and two interceptions.
Atlanta Falcons 19 (4-6), Carolina Panthers 17 (3-7-1)
After a loss by the New Orleans Saints, the Falcons were able to take full advantage, coming up with a victory over the NFC South rival panthers to take the division lead, 19-17.
On the first play of the second quarter, a 17 play, 83 yard drive ended in a 23 yard field goal by Graham Gano to give Carolina a 3-0 lead, though Atlanta answered with a 13 play, 64 yard drive that concluded with a Matt Bryant field goal from 34 yards with 9:26 left in the half. Bryant would hit a 42 yarder with two seconds left in the second quarter to give the Falcons a 6-3 lead heading into the locker room.
Following another Bryant field goal early in the third quarter, Matt Ryan found Roddy White for a two-yard touchdown pass with six and a half minutes to go in the third quarter to make it 16-3. However, Cam Newton would finally get going, as he threw a jump ball that was hauled in by rookie Kelvin Benjamin for a 22 yard touchdown with nine minutes to go, and then went deep to Philly Brown on a 47 yard score with just 6:29 left on the lock to take a one-point lead.
Atlanta would take the lead back with just over two minutes to go with a 12 play, 54 yard drive that ended with a 44 yard field goal from Bryant, and a pair of missed field goals by Gano (46 yards with 1:22 left and 64 yards on the last play) allowed the Falcons to escape with a victory. Ryan ended 31 of 45 for 268 yards and a touchdown, while Newton was 23 of 37 for 292 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, going to Benjamin nine times for 109 yards and a score.
St. Louis Rams 22 (4-6), Denver Broncos 7 (7-3)
In the biggest upset of the day, the Rams defense was able to limit Peyton Manning and a Broncos offense that averaged over 30 points a game entering the game to only 7 in a 22-7 victory.
Following an 11 play, 61 yard opening drive, Greg Zuerlein made a 39 yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead after their opening drive, and extended their lead to 10 when new starting quarterback Shaun Hill found Kenny Britt deep for a 63 yard touchdown with 1:10 left in the first quarter. After an 11 play, 69 yard drive, Zuerlein added a 29 yarder with just under four minutes left in the half, but Manning took advantage of a busted coverage, and found Emmanuel Sanders for a 42 yard touchdown with just over two minutes left in the half to cut it to 13-7 into the locker room.
Sanders was hurt in the third quarter, joining tight end Julius Thomas on the mend in this game, with St. Louis’ defense able to stop Denver on three fourth-down attempts in the second half, and Zuerlein added three field goals, including one from 55 and another from 53. Manning was also intercepted by Alec Ogletree and Trumaine Johnson, and was limited to 34 of 54 for 389 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, going to Demaryius Thomas seven times for 103 yards and Sanders five times for 102 yards and a score.
Hill was tremendously efficient and effective, going 20 of 29 for 220 yards and a touchdown, with rookie Tre Mason rushing for 113 yards and Britt catching four passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 (2-8), Washington Redskins 7 (3-7)
Despite the Redskins coming off a bye week, a Buccaneers team that had only one win on the season was able to physically dominate from the get go, dominating Washington 27-7.
On the Redskins’ first possession, Robert Griffin III was intercepted by linebacker Danny Lansanah, which led to a Patrick Murray 32 yard field goal with 11:10 left in the first quarter. With just under four minutes left in the first quarter, cornerback Johnthan Banks intercepted Griffin off a tipped ball and took it 19 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-0.
After another Murray field goal midway through the second quarter, Washington finally answered with a 5 play, 79 yard drive that ended with a Griffin 30 yard touchdown pass to running back Roy Helu to cut it to 13-7 with 11 seconds left in the half. But Buccaneers rookie receiver Mike Evans took over in the second half, catching a 36 yard touchdown pass from Josh McCown with just over four and a half minutes to go in the third quarter, followed by a 56 yard score in the first minute of the fourth quarter to make it 27-7.
Griffin struggled in his second game back from injury, completing 23 of 32 passes for 207 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions and rushed for 41 yards, with Alfred Morris running for 96 yards. McCown completed 15 of 23 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns, and Evans had 209 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches, recording seven touchdowns in his last six games.
Cincinnati Bengals 27 (6-3-1), New Orleans Saints 10 (4-6)
After being undefeated at home the last year and a half, the Saints have lost two games in a row at the Super Dome, this time being dominated by the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-10.
The two teams started with long drives, with New Olreans going 67 yards in 14 plays, with a Shayne Graham field goal ending the opening possession with just under nine minutes left in the first. For Cincinnati, the Bengals went 77 yards in 12 plays, with an Andy Dalton pass to tight end Jermaine Gresham getting to the one yard line before Gresham fumbled, but he recovered his own fumble in the scrum in the endzone for a touchdown with 3:26 to go in the first quarter.
Dalton led the Bengals on a 94 yard drive on 15 plays, ending in a 22 yard field goal by Nugent with 2:52 left in the half, and then a 62 yard run by rookie Jeremy Hill set up Nugent for a 42 yarder as time expired to give Cincinnati a ten point lead. The lead was increased when Dalton found Gresham for a one-yard score with just over six minutes left in the third quarter to make it 20-7.
New Orleans went on an extended drive on the ensuing possession, with a 12 play, 80 yard drive concluding with a Drew Brees 9 yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills on the first play of the fourth quarter. However, the Bengals would again get a 17 point advantage, going 80 yards in seven plays, with Dalton finding A.J. Green for a 24 yard touchdown, helping seal the win.
Dalton rebounded from an awful effort from last Thursday night against the Browns, going 16 of 22 for 220 yards and three touchdowns, finding Green six times for 127 yards and a touchdown, with Hill rushing for 162 yards. Brees was 33 of 41 for 255 yards and a touchdown, with Jimmy Graham limited to 3 catches for 29 yards.
Houston Texans 23 (5-5), Cleveland Browns 7 (6-4)
The first career start for quarterback Ryan Mallett and rookie running back Alfred Blue was a resounding success, as the Texans went into Cleveland and soundly beat the Browns, 23-7.
Houston got the offense moving early, as they drove 89 yards in 12 plays, with Mallett going to J.J. Watt, a collegiate tight end, on a fade route for a two yard touchdown with just over seven minutes left in the first quarter. The Browns tied it up just over six minutes into the second quarter, with Andrew Hawkins taking a Brian Hoyer pass 23 yards into the endzone, but Mallett found tight end Garrett Graham for a 20 yard touchdown with 23 seconds left in the half to give Houston a 14-7 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, three Randy Bullock field goals (46, 37, 50), along with a stiffling Texans defense led by Watt (3 tackles for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery), kept Cleveland away from making any sort of rally. Mallett finished 20 of 30 for 211 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Blue, who replaced the injured Arian Foster, ran for 156 yards.
Hoyer was inaccurate, ending up 20 of 50 for 330 yards, a touchdown and an interception, going to Hawkins six times for 97 yards and a score, and rookie Taylor Gabriel five times for 92 yards.
Green Bay Packers 53 (7-3), Philadelphia Eagles 20 (7-3)
For the second straight Sunday at Lambeau, the Packers blew out an NFC team, this time the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles, 53-20.
After Aaron Rodgers went deep to Jordy Nelson for 64 yards, Mason Crosby kicked a 27 yard field goal just two minutes into the game. Later in the first, Rodgers ended a 13 play, 88 yard drive with a 6 yard touchdown pass to rookie Davante Adams with 3:33 remaining in the quarter, and Micah Hyde return a punt for a touchdown from 75 yards out to make it 17-0.
After a 33 yard Cody Parkey field goal early in the second quarter, Rodgers found Nelson for a 27 yard touchdown with 10:39 in the half, and Eddie Lacy concluded a 10 play, 80 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run before another Parkey kick from 33 yards made it 30-6 at halftime. After a Crosby 33 yard field goal, Mark Sanchez was intercepted by Julius Peppers, who took it 52 yards for a touchdown with six minutes left in the third quarter, clinching the win for Green Bay.
Rodgers finished 22 of 36 for 341 yards and three touchdowns, with 10 catches for 129 yards by Randall Cobb, and four grabs for 109 yards and a touchdown by Nelson. Sanchez was 26 of 44 for 346 yards, two touchdowns and two itnerceptions, finding rookie Jordan Matthews five times for 107 yards and a touchdown, and Maclin on nine occasions for 93 yards.
Arizona Cardinals 14 (9-1), Detroit Lions 6 (7-3)
In a matchup against his former team, Drew Stanton was able to make enough plays to complement the stingy Arizona defense to win, 14-6 over the then-NFC North leading Detroit Lions.
Stanton started hot, leading the Cardinals on a 6 play, 80 yard opening drive, and throwing a 42 yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd, and then threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Floyd on the ensuing possession to give Arizona a 14-0 lead with six minutes left in the first quarter. Matt Prater kicked a 50 yard field goal with under three minutes left in the quarter, and then Detroit took advantage of a Stanton interception in the final two minutes of the half with a 28 yard field goal by Prater to cut it to 14-6 going into the locker room.
In the second half, Arizona’s defense shut out the Lions, and a clutch pass from Stanton to Larry Fitzgerald on third and 11 for a first down with two minutes to go gave the Cardinals the win. Stanton finished 21 of 32 for 306 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Matthew Stafford was limited to 183 yards on 18 of 30.
San Diego Chargers 13 (6-4), Oakland Raiders 6 (0-10)
Coming off their bye week, the Chargers survived a tougher than expected game against the currently winless Oakland Raiders, their AFC West division rival, with a 13-6 victory.
Following a Derek Carr fumble, San Diego took over from the Oakland 22, and scored two plays later on a 22 yard pass from Philip Rivers to Malcom Floyd less than a minute into the game. After a Sebastian Janikowski field goal midway through the first quarter, Nick Novak answered with a 23 yarder with 4:12 left in the half, and hit a 52 yarder midway through the third quarter to make it a 10 point game.
Janikowski made a 25 yarder with just over four minutes left, but the Chargers defense held the rest of the way to give San Diego the win. Rivers finished 22 of 34 for 193 yards and a touchdown, while Carr went 16 of 34 for 172 yards.
