STEELERS USE MAGIC TOP BEAT THE BENGALS
STEELERS
28, BENGALS 21
CINCINNATI (AP) —
James Conner ran for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the eve of Le'Veon
Bell's possible return, and Antonio Brown turned a short pass into a 31-yard touchdown
with 10 seconds left as the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off another improbable
comeback in Cincinnati, beating the Bengals 28-21 on Sunday.
The Steelers
(3-2-1) have won eight in a row against their AFC North rival, three times
rallying in the final minute at Paul Brown Stadium to keep it going. After Joe
Mixon's 4-yard touchdown run with 1:18 left got the Bengals (4-2) thinking this
might finally be the time they end the streak, Ben Roethlisberger and the
Steelers stunned them again.
Brown caught a
short pass and outran the secondary for the winning score, leaving thousands of
Steelers fans twirling their towels in the stands. The Steelers are 16-2 at
Paul Brown Stadium during Marvin Lewis' 16 seasons as Bengals coach, including
a pair of playoff wins.
Same outcome as
usual. This one ended with a brief scuffle after Andy Dalton's final pass fell
incomplete, leaving him 3-12 all-time against Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have
found their stride behind Conner , who became the featured back when Bell decided
to hold out. He has run for more than 100 yards in each of the last two games,
and his two 1-yard touchdown runs Sunday put him in the company of a pair of
Steelers Hall of Famers.
Conner has seven
rushing touchdowns in six games, joining Franco Harris (1976) and Jerome Bettis
(2004) as the only Steelers with that accomplishment.
PACKERS
33, 49ERS 30
he San Francisco 49ers turned the ball over three times but still had a chance to hold
off the Green Bay Packers.
Then an illegal
contact penalty on cornerback Richard Sherman with 43 seconds left wiped out a sack of Aaron Rodgers on third-and-15.
No way were the
Green Bay Packers going to give away a second chance at victory.
Seven plays
later, Mason Crosby kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to hand the young
49ers a 33-30 defeat.
It wasn't just
Sherman's penalty that contributed to San Francisco's downfall.
The Packers went
58 yards on a four-play drive that took just 1:05 to tie the game at 30 with
1:55 left on Davante Adams' 16-yard touchdown catch.
The 49ers were in
good shape with their next drive starting at midfield, but C.J. Beathard's deep pass over the middle for Marquise Goodwin was intercepted by Kevin King at
the 10. Under pressure, Beathard looked as if he might have underthrown the
ball.
San Francisco
coach Kyle Shanahan said Beathard had four options on the play. He didn't pick
the right one.
PATRIOTS
43, CHIEFS 40
FOXBOROUGH, Mass.
(AP) — Stephen Gostkowski hit a 28-yard field goal as time expired, and the New
England Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs 43-40 on Sunday night after
blowing a big halftime lead.
Tom Brady passed
for 340 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in his 200th victory as
a starting quarterback, tops in NFL history. Brady also passed former teammate
Adam Vinatieri for most career wins in the regular season and playoffs combined
with 227.
It was the first
loss of the season for the Chiefs (5-1).
New England (4-2)
led 24-9 at intermission, but Patrick Mahomes directed an impressive rally by
Kansas City in the second half. He finished 23 of 36 for 352 yards in his first
loss as a starting quarterback, with three of his four TD passes going to
Tyreek Hill.
Mahomes threw two
interceptions in the first half, but was unflappable down the stretch. He found
Hill for a 75-yard touchdown pass that tied it with just over three minutes
remaining.
RAVENS
21, TITANS 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
(AP) — The Ravens piled up a franchise-record 11 sacks in the rain. Za'Darious
Smith had three sacks and Patrick Onwuasor had two for the Ravens (4-2), who
had six sacks by halftime. They finished a sack off the NFL record for a game,
shared by five teams.
Dean Pees and the
Titans simply couldn't stop his old team as the Ravens outgained Tennessee
361-106 and punted only once against a defense led by their former defensive
coordinator. Pees came out of a short retirement to join first-year head coach
Mike Vrabel.
Joe Flacco threw
for 238 yards and a touchdown for Baltimore. Alex Collins scored on TD runs of
13 and 2 yards.
The Titans (3-3)
lost their second straight and were shut out at home for the first time since
moving into Nissan Stadium in 1999. Tennessee has not scored a touchdown in
eight straight quarters. The Ravens couldn't have looked much better handing
Tennessee its first shutout since Nov. 28, 2010.
Marcus Mariota
tried playing both with and without the partial glove covering his ring and
pinkie fingers on his throwing hand. It didn't' help as Mariota was sacked the
most in his four-year NFL career and most allowed by the Titans since giving up
seven in a loss at Houston on Nov. 1, 2015. Coach Ken Whisenhunt was fired two
days later.
RAMS
23, BRONCOS 20
DENVER (AP) —
Todd Gurley rushed for a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries
and the Rams celebrated Wade Phillips' homecoming.
The Rams, who had
surrendered 31 points in back-to-back games, improved to 6-0 in sending the
Broncos (2-4) to their fourth straight loss.
The Broncos
pulled to 23-20 on Case Keenum's 1-yard dart to Demaryius Thomas with 1:22
remaining, capping a 77-yard drive that included three defensive penalties.
Rams receiver Robert Woods, however, knocked Brandon McManus' onside kick out
of bounds, and the Rams ran out the clock with Jared Goff (14 of 28 for 201
yards) twice taking a knee.
Phillips was the
Broncos' beloved bandmaster when they were celebrating their Super Bowl 50
triumph, but his contract wasn't renewed after the 2016 season and he joined
Sean McVay in sunny Southern California.
After an
overnight snowstorm, the game-time temperature of 25 degrees marked the
second-coldest in Denver prior to November in franchise history. The cold did
nothing to slow down Gurley, who scored his 10th and 11th touchdowns of the
season.
COWBOYS
40, JAGUARS 7
ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes to Cole Beasley to spark the
previously punchless Dallas passing game and rushed for a career-high 82 yards.
Perhaps pumped up
by some pregame mingling with UFC fighter Conor McGregor , the Cowboys rolled
to a 24-0 halftime lead. Beasley got his first two touchdowns of the season for
the NFL's 30th-ranked passing offense that was facing the league's No. 1 pass
defense.
Prescott had 151
of his 183 yards passing in the first half because Dallas didn't need to throw
while coasting during a second-half blowout that dropped Jacksonville to 3-3.
The 2016 NFL
Offensive Rookie of the Year had already set his personal best in rushing for a
game when he spun out of a sack for the longest run of his career, a 28-yarder.
He scored Dallas' first touchdown on a 17-yard run.
The Cowboys (3-3)
won their first three games of the season at 9-year-old AT&T Stadium for
the first time. Most of their offensive struggles have been in the three road
losses.
Blake Bortles,
who established a career high in yards passing in consecutive weeks and had a
chance to become the fifth NFL quarterback with three straight games of at
least 375 yards, was 15 of 26 for 149 yards with a touchdown and an
interception.
DOLPHINS
31, BEARS 28, OT
MIAMI GARDENS,
Fla. (AP) — Jason Sanders kicked a 47-yard field goal on the final play of
overtime after Cody Parkey missed a 53-yard try for the Chicago Bears, who blew
an 11-point lead in the final 16 minutes of regulation.
Miami's Brock
Osweiler threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns subbing for Ryan Tannehill,
who sat out because of an injured throwing shoulder. Albert Wilson turned two
short passes into long touchdowns in the fourth quarter and finished with 155
yards on six receptions.
The Dolphins took
the kickoff to start overtime, marched 74 yards and were on the verge of
victory when Kenyan Drake fumbled just before crossing the goal line. Eddie
Goldman recovered for the Bears, who then drove to the Miami 35.
But former
Dolphin Parkey was wide right on his attempt with 2 minutes left.
Miami (4-2)
snapped a two-game losing streak and ended a three-game winning streak for
Chicago (3-2).
The Bears'
offense came alive after they trailed 7-0 at halftime. Miami then rallied from
a 21-10 deficit in the final 16 minutes of regulation to tie the game twice and
force overtime.
Mitchell Trubisky
threw for 316 yards and three second-half touchdowns, but the Bears were hurt
by two turnovers in the red zone. Jordan Howard lost a fumble at the 1, and
Trubisky was intercepted in the end zone by T.J. McDonald.
FALCONS
34, BUCCANEERS 29
ATLANTA (AP) —
Matt Ryan threw for 354 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons snapped a
three-game losing streak, holding off Tampa Bay in Jameis Winston's return as
Buccaneers starting quarterback.
The Falcons (2-4)
scored on their first three possessions and held off a wild comeback by Tampa
Bay (2-3), avoiding their first 1-5 start since 2007.
Winston and the
Bucs almost pulled off a miracle on the final play of the game after driving to
the Atlanta 21. With no timeouts, the quarterback took the snap and tried to
surprise the Falcons by taking off up the middle of the field. When he was
about to be tackled at the 10, he pitched toward receiver Adam Humphries, who
couldn't hang on.
The ball skipped
to Mike Evans, who blindly flung it in the direction of DeSean Jackson at the
5. Jackson might've had a chance to dive for the end zone, but he couldn't come
up with another bouncing ball. It hopped out of bounds to end the game.
Jackson ripped
off his helmet, kicked the pylon in disgust and headed straight for the locker
room.
Winston threw for
395 yards and four TDs but also had a pair of interceptions.
Ryan's three TD
passes gave him 274 in his career, passing Joe Montana for 16th on the career
list.
JETS
42, COLTS 34
EAST RUTHERFORD,
N.J. (AP) — Jason Myers kicked a franchise-record seven field goals, Sam
Darnold threw two touchdown passes, and the Jets held on to win consecutive
games for the first time in more than a year.
Morris Claiborne
returned the first of three interceptions thrown by Andrew Luck for a touchdown
as the Jets (3-3) moved to .500 by taking advantage of mistakes by the
short-handed Colts (1-5), who lost their fourth straight.
With Joe Namath
and the 1968 Super Bowl-winning team celebrating its 50th anniversary, Darnold
was 24 of 30 for 280 yards, with TD throws to Terrelle Pryor and Chris Herndon
and an interception to give New York its first back-to-back victories since
taking three in a row in Weeks 3-5 last season.
Myers hit field
goals from 30, 48, 32, 37, 45, 37 and 45 yards to break the Jets record
previously held by Jim Turner (1968) — the kicker for the Super Bowl champions
— and Bobby Howfield (1972).
Luck was 23 of 43
for 301 yards with touchdowns to Marcus Johnson, Eric Ebron, Erik Swoope and
Chester Rogers, the last coming with 1:51 left to make the score close. Neal
Sterling recovered the Colts' onside kick to seal the win for the Jets.
TEXANS
19, BILLS 14
HOUSTON (AP) —
Johnathan Joseph's 28-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:23
remaining lifted the Texans.
Houston trailed
by three when Phillip Gaines was called pass interference on Will Fuller in the
end zone with 2 minutes remaining, moving the Texans 41 yards to the 1-yard
line. But the Texans (3-3) lost 7 yards on three plays, capped by an incomplete
pass intended for Ryan Griffin that Matt Milano knocked down to force Houston
to kick.
A 27-yard field
goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn tied it with 1:34 remaining.
Two plays later,
Joseph stepped in front of a pass from backup Nathan Peterman intended for
Kelvin Benjamin and dashed untouched into the end zone to put the Texans on top
and help them avoid their third straight overtime game.
Kareem Jackson
intercepted Peterman with 35 seconds left to secure the victory, dropping
Buffalo to 2-4.
Joseph's
late-game heroics helped Houston to its third straight win on a day that
quarterback Deshaun Watson committed three turnovers.
VIKINGS
27, CARDINALS 17
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)
— Latavius Murray helped the Minnesota Vikings revive their running attack with
155 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, wearing down the Cardinals.
Even Kirk Cousins
joined the fun for the Vikings (3-2-1) with an option-style run across the goal
line in the third quarter, before throwing to Adam Thielen for a score on the
following possession.
Thielen had 11 receptions
for 123 yards, his sixth straight 100-yard game to become the first player in
the NFL since 1961 to start a season with a streak that long. Thielen's 58
catches are the most in league history through six games.
Budda Baker
returned a fumble off a sack by Chandler Jones for a 36-yard touchdown and Tre
Boston had a diving interception later in the second quarter, and the Cardinals
(1-5) constantly pressured Cousins with four sacks, seven hits and seven
deflected passes.
Cousins managed
to complete 24 of 34 attempts for 233 yards, thanks mostly to Thielen and his
exceptional ability to get open anywhere on the field and turn off-target
throws into clutch catches.
SEAHAWKS
27, RAIDERS 3
LONDON (AP) —
Russell Wilson threw for three touchdowns, including one off a botched snap in
the second quarter.
Chris Carson
rushed for 59 yards and rookie Rashaad Penny gained an additional 43 for the
Seahawks (3-3), who played to a vociferously supportive crowd — a London-record
84,922 were in attendance — despite the Raiders (1-5) being the designated home
team.
Oakland
quarterback Derek Carr left with an apparent left arm injury with 8:52
remaining in the fourth quarter after the last of his six sacks and did not
have the chance to return before the Seahawks ran out the clock.
Carr went 23 for
31 for 142 yards. He was hit by Jarran Reed on third down and immediately
grabbed his upper left arm as he sat up before being helped to the sideline for
evaluation.
Wilson, who
completed 17 of 23 attempts for 222 yards with an interception, connected with
Jaron Brown for a 5-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter; a 19-yard
touchdown pass to David Moore in the second; and a 10-yard touchdown pass to
Tyler Lockett in the fourth.
After picking up
a low snap, Wilson faked a throw and stepped forward, then made a throw to
Moore over Daryl Worley. Moore punctuated his touchdown, his third in the
Seahawks' past two games, by accidentally crashing into and tumbling over the
temporary video advertising boards set up around the field.
Sebastian
Janikowski, who joined the Seahawks in the offseason after 17 seasons with the
Raiders, made two field goals.
REDSKINS
23, PANTHERS 17
LANDOVER, Md.
(AP) — Josh Norman bounced back from his prime-time benching by intercepting
former teammate Cam Newton and forcing a fumble.
Norman ended his
19-game interception drought by catching a jump ball thrown by Newton on a
third-and-long play early in the second quarter, his first pick since Dec. 24,
2016. Norman also popped the ball out of Panthers rookie receiver D.J. Moore's
hands in a showcase performance against the team that abruptly cut ties with
him after his All-Pro 2015 season.
Newton threw for
275 yards and two touchdowns on 27 of 40 passing and rushed for 43 yards in a
turnover-marred loss. He engineered a late drive that got the Panthers to the
Washington 16-yard line, but threw incomplete on second, third and fourth downs
to seal the loss.
Carolina (3-2)
was long before that doomed by turnovers, including Moore's on a punt return
that set up Smith's 22-yard TD pass to Davis.
In his second
game with the Panthers, safety Eric Reid continued his tradition of kneeling
during the national anthem. Reid took a knee just at the corner of the American
flag on the field by the Carolina sideline, the only Panthers player to do so.
Reid last week
became the first Carolina player to kneel during "The Star-Spangled
Banner."
CHARGERS
38, BROWNS 14
CLEVELAND (AP) —
Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Tyrell Williams — the veteran quarterback
threw a block — and Melvin Gordon had three TD runs as the Chargers banged
around rookie Baker Mayfield and the Browns.
The 36-year-old
Rivers continued one of the best starts of his 15-year career, leading the
Chargers (4-2) to their third straight win. Rivers finished 11 of 20 for 207
yards and had only one mistake, an interception midway through the fourth
quarter.
San Diego did
most of its damage on the ground, with Gordon running for 132 yards and scoring
on runs of 4, 10 and 11 yards.
Rivers and
Williams connected on scoring plays of 45 and 29 yards in the first half, and
Gordon's 11-yard run put the Chargers up 35-6.
Mayfield's third
start as a pro was a rough one. The No. 1 overall pick was sacked five times,
tweaked his ankle when he slid on a sideline marker and threw two
interceptions.
The Browns
(2-3-1) were blown out after playing five tight games — three going to overtime
— and showed there's still a long road ahead.
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