Kansas City Chiefs 34 (4-3), St. Louis Rams 7 (2-5)
After an 0-2 start, the Chiefs have re-emerged as a contender in the AFC, defeating the St. Louis Rams today 34-7 to win their fourth game out of their last five.
St. Louis struck first, though, as a 6 play, 65 yard drive ended in a one-yard touchdown pass from Austin Davis to Lance Kendricks just over three minutes into the game. Kansas City tied it in the second quarter, when Jamaal Charles concluded a 10 play, 53 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run, and took the lead with a 53 yard field goal by rookie kicker Cairo Santos at the end of the half made it 10-7.
On the opening kickoff of the second half, Knile Davis took the ball 99 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 17-7. The following Chiefs possession was an 11 play, 84 yard drive that ended in a 28 yard field goal by Kantos that started to put the game out of reach at 20-7 with 8:46 left in the third.
Charles and Davis struck again in the fourth quarter, with a 36 yard touchdown run by Charles and a 3 yard scoring run by Davis were the punctuation marks on a dominant win by the Chiefs. Alex Smith was efficient, going 24 of 28 for 226 yards, with Charles (13 carries for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Davis (16 for 49 yards and a TD) carrying the run game.
Davis was 15 of 25 for 160 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and was sacked seven times, including three times by Justin Houston.
Houston Texans 30 (4-4), Tennessee Titans (2-6)
The Houston Texans rebounded from three consecutive losses with a win in Tennessee versus the Titans, 30-16.
A Ryan Cuccop field goal in the first quarter gave the home team a 3-0 lead, but following a 20 yard field goal by Randy Bullock to tie it in the second quarter, Arian Foster ran from 34 yards out to give Houston a 10-3 with six minutes left in the half. Bullock extended the lead to 10 with a 29 yard field goal in the final minute before heading to the locker room.
On the third play of the second half, rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger, in his first career start, was strip-sacked by J.J. Watt, and Houston recovered at the Titans’ 20. Three plays later, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw to Arian Foster for a five-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 20-3, and an 11 play, 98 yard drive on the following possession ended in a one-yard rushing score for Foster to make it 27-3.
Mettenberger threw his first career touchdown on a six yard pass to Delanie Walker to conclude a 10 play, 83 yard drive with two minutes left in the third, but a missed two-pointer left it at 27-9. A Bullock field goal early in the fourth was enough to hold, though Mettenberger did throw his second career score to Justin Hunter in the final minute of the game.
Fitzpatrick was 19 of 35 for 227 yards and a touchdown, while Foster rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns, along with a receiving touchdown. Mettenberger finished his first start 27 of 41 for 299 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble.
Minnesota Vikings 19 (3-5), Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13 (1-6)
After three consecutive losses, the Vikings made enough plays to defeat the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, 19-13.
The only score in the first half was a 46 yard field goal by Blair Walsh at the second half buzzer to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead. Minnesota extended their advantage with a 6 play, 63 yard drive that ended with a 17 yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to Greg Jennings midway through the third quarter.
In the first minute of the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers cut the lead to one-score with a 54 yard field goal from Patrick Murray, then a 45 yard kick about seven minutes later to make it 10-6. On their following possession, Mike Glennon took Tampa Bay 71 yards in 9 plays, and found rookie tight end Austin-Seferian Jenkins for a seven-yard touchdown pass to take a three-point lead with two minutes left in the fourth.
But Bridgewater answered with a 9 play, 61 yard drive of his own that ended in a 38 yard field goal by Walsh as regulation ended to go into overtime. On the opening play of the overtime period, rookie linebacker Anthony Barr stripped Seferian-Jenkins off the ball, recovered it and ran 27 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
Bridgewater was 24 of 42 for 241 yards and a touchdown, while Glennon was 19 of 28 for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Seattle Seahawks 13 (4-3), Carolina Panthers 9 (3-4-1)
In a defensive battle, Seattle was able to make one more play offensively to win in Carolina, 13-9, ending a two-game losing streak.
The Panthers started off the scoring with a pair of Graham Gano (31, 26) field goals to go up 6-0 early in the second quarter. Seattle answered with a pair of their own from Steven Haushka (58,29) to tie it midway through the third quarter.
An exciting fourth quarter ensued, as Cam Newton found rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin for a leaping 51 yard catch between All-Pros Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, setting up a 46 yard Gano field goal with 4:37 remaining. But Russell Wilson and the Seahawks had a lot of time to answer, and went 80 yards in 9 plays, with Wilson finding tight end Luke Willson for a 23 yard touchdown with 47 seconds left to take a 13-9 lead, with Seattle’s defense holding to win.
Wilson finished 20 of 32 for 199 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Newton was 12 of 22 for 171 yards and an interception, going to Benjamin four times for 94 yards.
Cincinnati Bengals 27 (4-2-1), Baltimore Ravens 24 (5-3)
The Bengals swept the season series against the AFC North rival Ravens, 27-24, with both victories coming down to the end and combining for a margin of victory of only 4 points.
Cincinnati took the opening possession 80 yards in 9 plays, with Andy Dalton scoring on a one-yard run. Baltimore responded with a pair of field goals in the second quarter by Justin Tucker (45,50) to make it 7-6 at halftime.
The Bengals got back into the endzone with a one-yard touchdown run by Giovani Bernard with just under ten minutes left in the third quarter, and a Joe Flacco interception was turned into a Mike Nugent 32 yard field goal with 6:29 to go to extend the lead to 17-6. Baltimore answered with a 9 play, 79 yard drive, with rookie running back Lorenzo Taliaferro scoring on a 10 yard run with two minutes left in the third to keep the game within reach at 17-13.
After a Nugent field goal made it a seven-point game early in the fourth, a promising Bengals drive in Ravens territory ended when Haloti Ngata strip-sacked Andy Dalton, and linebacker Daryl Smith returned it to the Cincinnati 8 yard line, with Taliaferro running it in from 8 yards out on the following play to take the lead, 21-20, with 6:31 remaining. Dalton was then intercepted by rookie linebacker C.J. Mosley, and Tucker added a 53 yard field goal four plays later to extend the lead to 4 with four minutes to go.
Cincinnati converted a huge 3rd and 10 on the next possession, as Dalton went deep to Mohamed Sanu for 53 yards, and Dalton ran in again from a yard out to give the Bengals a 27-24 lead with 57 seconds left. On the third play of the Baltimore drive, Flacco went deep to Steve Smith for an 80 yard touchdown, but it was nullified by a controversial offensive pass interference penalty, and the Ravens turned the ball over on downs two plays later.
Dalton finished 21 of 28 for 266 yards and an interception, finding Sanu five times for 125 yards. Flacco struggled, going 17 of 34 for 194 yards and two interceptions.
Miami Dolphins 27 (4-3), Jacksonville Jaguars 13 (1-7)
Despite a lot of struggles offensively for much of the game, Miami’s defensive prowess and timely scores by the offense were enough to win their second consecutive game and go over .500 with a win in Jacksonville, 27-13.
On a drive in Miami territory on the first play in the second quarter, rookie Blake Bortles was intercepted by safety Louis Delmas, who took it 81 yards for a touchdown to give the Dolphins a 7-0 lead. The Jaguars answered with a 14 play, 66 yard drive, ending in a 30 yard Josh Scobee field goal with 6:28 to go in the half, but Miami’s Caleb Sturgis made a 43 yard field goal of his own in the final minute to go into the locker room up 10-3.
Less than three minutes into the second half, Bortles was pick-sixed again, this time by Brent Grimes for a 22 yard score to go behind 17-3. After another Scobee field goal cut the lead, Miami’s offense finally made plays, as a 50 yard pass from Ryan Tannehill to Mike Wallace and a 30 yard run by Lamar Miller helped set up a three yard touchdown from Tannehill to Rishard Matthews to go ahead 24-6, a lead that would be insurmountable for the Jaguars.
Tannehill was 16 of 29 for 196 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Bortles was 18 of 34 for 221 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions and a lost fumble.
New England Patriots 51 (6-2), Chicago Bears 23 (3-5)
Tom Brady was at his best today, and the Bears defense was no match for him or the Patriots, as they were blown out in New England __-____.
The Patriots offense moved the ball with ease in the first, beginning with a 5 play, 55 yard drive that ended in a Brady touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski from 5 yards out to take a 7-0 just over five minutes into the game. Then New England had a 17 play, 68 yard drive that ended in a 23 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal at the beginning of the secodn quarter, followed by a 10 play, 76 yard drive ending in a Brady touchdown to Tim Wright from a yard out to make it 17-0 with 8 minutes to go in the second quarter.
Chicago cut into the lead when Jay Culter ended a 5 play, 77 yard drive with a touchdown pass from 25 yards out to Matt Forte with 5:32 remaining in the half, but Brady found Gronkowski on a two-yard score on the ensuing possession to again make it a 17 point game in the final two minutes of the half. In the final 90 seconds, Brady found Brandon LaFell for a 9 yard score for his fourth touchdown of the day, followed by a Culter fumble being recovered and returned for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 38-7 lead into the locker room.
On the opening possession of the second half, New England continued its offensive onslaught, with Brady finding Gronkowski, who broke a pair of tackles and stiff armed safety Ryan Mundy, running into the endzone from 46 yards out to end any chance for the Bears to come back. Brady threw five touchdowns on 30 of 35 passes for 354 yards, finding Gronkowski nine times for 149 yards and three touchdowns, and LaFell on 11 occasions for 124 yards and a score.
Cutler was 20 of 30 for 227 yards, three touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble, with Matt Forte rushing for 114 yards and catching six passes for 54 yards and a score, breaking an NFL record for most catches in the first eight games of a season by a running back (58).
Buffalo Bills 43 (5-3), New York Jets 23 (1-7)
As if a nightmare season couldn’t get any worse, the Jets hit a new low on Sunday, as Geno Smith and Michael Vick had three turnovers each, and New York were blown out by AFC East rival Buffalo at Metlife Stadium, 43-23.
On the Bills’ first possession, Kyle Orton found Robert Woods two times for 47 yards, including a 22 yard touchdown to go ahead 7-0 with 9:37 left in the first quarter. In the opening ten and a half minutes, Smith was 2-8, 5 yards, and three interceptions to Stephon Gilmore, Preston Brown, and Aaron Williams, respectively, with the last resulting in a one yard touchdown pass from Orton to Lee Smith to make it 14-0.
Smith was replaced by Vick, who drove New York 76 yards in 13 plays, with Chris Ivory running the ball in from 2 yards out in the opening minute of the second quarter. But Buffalo answered, as Orton went deep to rookie Sammy Watkins, who seemed to have a sure touchdown, but an early celebration allowed Saalim Hakim to tackle Watkins short of the endzone on an 84 yard catch, though fullback Frank Summers ran for a two-yard touchdown two plays later to make it 21-7.
After a Vick fumble led to a Dan Carpenter 48 yard field goal, Vick led another long drive (11 plays, 74 yards), with Ivory getting into the endzone again from two yards out with 1:50 to go in the half, and a Nick Folk 55 yard field goal cut the lead to 24-17 into the locker room despite a -4 turnover ration. After another Vick fumble led to a Carpenter field goal, Vick was intercepted by Da’Norris Searcy late in the third quarter, and Orton went to tight end Scott Chandler three plays later to go ahead 37-17 in the first minute of the first quarter.
With just under ten minutes left, a quick slant by Watkins resulted in a 61 yard touchdown, ending the Jets’ hopes. Orton was 10 of 17 for 238 yards and four touchdowns, while Watkins caught three passes for 157 yards and a touchdown, while Vick was 18 of 36 for 153 yards, an interception and a lost fumble.
In his Jets debut, Percy Harvin had 28 yards rushing, three catches for 22 yards, and 144 kick return yards on six returns (24 yards per return).
Arizona Cardinals 24 (6-1), Philadelphia Eagles 20 (5-2)
In a matchup of two of the NFC’s elite, the Cardinals again took a huge step toward proving they are a legitimate contender in defeating the Eagles, 24-20.
Philadelphia struck first, as a 9 play, 80 yard drive ended in a Nick Foles touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin from 21 yards out with 4:39 left in the first quarter. On the ensuing Arizona possession, the Cardinals drove 80 yards in 13 plays, with Andre Ellington finishing the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to tie it with 13:45 left in the half, with a 7-7 deadlock remaining at halftime.
On the third play of the second half, Carson Palmer threw a quick slant to Larry Fitzgerald, who split a pair of defenders for an 80 yard touchdown to take the lead in the first minute of the third quarter. After Cody Parkey made a field goal for the Eagles midway through the third, Foles went deep to Maclin for a 54 yard touchdown to take a 17-14 with 2:22 left in the third quarter.
After an interception of Foles early in the fourth quarter, rookie Chandler Catanzaro hit a 28 yard field goal with nine minutes remaining to tie the game at 17. Philadelphia answered with a seven-minute drive that went 78 yards in 13 plays, with Parkey hitting a 20 yard kick to give the Eagles a three point lead with two minutes to go.
But it only took three plays for Arizona to take the lead back, as Palmer went deep to rookie John Brown, who scored from 75 yards out with 1:21 remaining to go up 24-20. The Eagles got to the Cardinals’ 16 in the final seconds, but three shots to the endzone did not result in any completions, helping Arizona hold on.
Palmer was 20 of 42 for 329 yards and two touchdowns, finding Fitzgerald seven times for 160 yards and a touchdown and Brown on five occasions for 119 yards and a touchdown. Foles finished 36 of 62 for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, going to Maclin 12 times for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
Cleveland Browns 24 (4-3), Oakland Raiders 13 (0-7)
In another matchup with a winless team, this time the Browns were able to finish strong and win, 24-13 over the now 0-7 Oakland Raiders.
Cleveland had a 6-0 lead after one quarter due to a pair of Billy Cundiff field goals (52, 33), and then drove 78 yards in 11 plays to set up Cundiff for a 26 yarder with just under six minutes left in the half. But Sebastian Janikowski made a pair of his own (46, 38) in the final two minutes to make it 9-6 at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Browns took advantage of a Darren McFadden fumble, as Brian Hoyer found Andrew Hawkins four plays later for a 4 yard touchdown pass to go up 10 with 14:17 to go. After a Derek Carr fumble recovered by Barkevious Mingo at the Oakland 9, Cleveland scored two plays later to seal the win, with Ben Tate rushing for a 5 yard touchdown.
Hoyer was 19 of 28 for 275 yards and a touchdown, while Carr was 34 of 54 for 328 yards, a touchdown and a lost fumble.
Pittsburgh Steelers 51 (5-3), Indianapolis Colts 34 (5-3)
In an offensive slugfest in Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger bested Andrew Luck, helping the Steelers win 51-34.
After the Colts scored first with a 31 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal, Pittsburgh responded with a 9 play, 80 yard drive, with Roethlisberger finding Markus Wheaton for an 18 yard touchdown. On the next Steelers possession, a 12 play, 76 yard drive, Roethlisberger went to rookie Martavis Bryant in the endzone from 5 yards out to increase their lead to 14-3 on the first play of the second quarter. On the ensuing Colts possession, Andrew Luck was intercepted by William Gay, who returned it 33 yards for a touchdown, though Luck responded with a 21 yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Allen just five plays later to get it to 21-10 with 11:26 left in the half.
But Indianapolis could not stop the Steelers’ offense, as Roethlisberger drove Pittsburgh 87 yards in 7 plays, and found Antonio Brown in the endzone, who caught the ball with one-hand with 8:33 to go in the half. Less than three and a half minutes later, Roethlisberger and Brown connected on a 47 yard pass to make it 35-10 with five minutes left in the half.
Before halftime, Luck led a pair of scoring drives, including one for a 21 yard touchdown to T.Y. Hilton, and another for a 23 yard field goal as time expired in the first half. But the Steelers opened the second half with a 10 play, 80 yard drive, with Bryant catching a two-yard touchdown from Roethlisberger for the quarterback’s fifth of the game to go ahead by 22.
The Colts continued to rally, as a 12 yard touchdown run by Ahmad Bradshaw was followed by a Darius Heyward Bey fumble, with Luck capitalizing with a 31 yard scoring throw to rookie Donte Moncrief for his first career NFL touchdown to cut it to 42-34 with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter. But after recovering a LeGarreute Blount fumble in the redzone, Luck was flagged for an intentional grounding in the endzone early in the fourth quarter to give Pittsburgh a safety.
The Steelers then drove 67 yards in 12 plays, with Roethlisberger finding Heath Miller for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 51-34 with 5:14 left, and throw a franchise record six touchdown passes, finishing with 522 yards passing on 4o of 49. Brown had 10 catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns, while Bryant compiled 83 yards on five grabs, and Miller had 112 yards on seven catches and a touchdown.
Luck was 26 0f 45 for 400 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, finding Hilton six times for 155 yards and a touchdown, and Moncrief compiling 113 yards on seven catches and a touchdown. Roethlisberger finished 32 yards short of the NFL record for passing yards in a game, and is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for 500 yards or more in multiple games in his career.
