SAINTS 51, BENGALS 14
CINCINNATI — Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes in the
first half, moving ahead of Brett Favre for second place on the career list and
the Saints rolled to their eighth straight victory.
Brees led the Saints to touchdowns on all five first-half
possessions with a nearly perfect performance — only two incompletions. His
17-yard TD to Michael Thomas with 2 seconds left in the half gave him 509
career touchdown passes, one more than Favre.
Up next: Peyton Manning's record 539.
Brees had his way with the Bengals' historically bad
defense, even diving over the pile to score a 1-yard touchdown. Cincinnati
(5-4) became the first team in the Super Bowl era to give up 500 yards in three
consecutive games; New Orleans finished with 509.
The Bengals matched the most lopsided defeat in franchise
history and gave up the second-most points in club history. In the first half
alone, the Saints piled up 311 yards and had 21 first downs on 40 plays. Brees
was 18 of 20 for 214 yards with three touchdowns.
Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara recognized Dez Bryant by
crossing their arms after scoring touchdowns. The former Cowboys receiver
signed with the Saints on Wednesday but tore an Achilles tendon in his second
practice.
CHIEFS 26, CARDINALS 14
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 249 yards
and two touchdowns, outplaying Arizona counterpart Josh Rosen in a matchup of
two of the NFL's bright young quarterbacks.
Mahomes threw both TD passes to Tyreek Hill, the second
giving the Chiefs' first-year starter 31 for the season. That broke the
franchise record set by Len Dawson in 1964 — with plenty of games to go.
Not to mention the playoffs, with the Chiefs (9-1) barreling
toward the No. 1 seed.
Rosen had 195 yards passing with a touchdown and two picks,
taking several brutal hits in the fourth quarter. David Johnson ran for 98
yards, with TDs on the ground and through the air, while Larry Fitzgerald
passed Terrell Owens for No. 2 on the NFL's career receiving yardage list late
in the game.
Fitzgerald finished with six catches for 50 yards to give
him 15,952 for his brilliant career.
Hill had seven catches for 117 yards, and Kareem Hunt
pounded his way for 71 yards rushing, as the Chiefs kept the Cardinals (2-7)
winless in six meetings at Arrowhead Stadium.
COWBOYS 27, EAGLES 20
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott had 151 yards rushing
and the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter in Dallas' victory
over Philadelphia.
The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles fell to 4-5 with
their third straight loss at home while the Cowboys improved to 4-5.
Dak Prescott had 270 yards passing with a touchdown and also
ran for a score. Elliott also had a scoring reception.
Carson Wentz threw a pair of TD passes to Zach Ertz, but his
pass to Ertz on fourth down fell a yard short of a first down at the Cowboys 29
with 1:09 left. The Eagles got the ball back at their 32 with 40 seconds left
and drove to the Cowboys 32 for the final play. Wentz completed a pass to Ertz
inside the Dallas 10. Ertz lateraled to Golden Tate, but he was tackled to end
it.
PACKERS 31, DOLPHINS 12
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Jones ran for career highs of
145 yards and two scores, Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams connected for two
touchdown passes.
The Packers (4-4-1) pulled away in the second half,
sandwiching scoring drives around cornerback Bashaud Breeland's interception
deep in Miami territory. Green Bay went ahead 28-12 on Adams' 25-yard touchdown
catch with 7:24 left in the third quarter.
Maybe this is the game that will get the Packers going in
the tight NFC North race following a choppy first half of the season.
Rookie Jason Sanders tied a Dolphins franchise record with
four field goals, but Miami (5-5) couldn't find the end zone. The Dolphins
squandered another opportunity on the game-opening drive after Brock Osweiler
fumbled away a shotgun snap.
CHARGERS 20, RAIDERS 6
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Philip Rivers threw two touchdown
passes, Melvin Gordon gained 165 yards and the Chargers won their sixth
straight game.
Rivers bounced back from a first quarter with no completions
to throw an 11-yard TD pass to Keenan Allen in the second quarter to give the
Chargers (7-2) the lead for good. He hit a 66-yarder to Gordon on the opening
drive of the second half.
Los Angeles coasted from there against the Raiders (1-8),
who have lost five straight games by at least 14 points under Coach Jon Gruden.
They and have been outscored 75-9 in the past nine quarters in what has quickly
become a lost season.
Oakland started quickly by controlling the ball for 23 of 29
plays in the first quarter and outgaining the Chargers by 129 yards. But Los
Angeles allowed little after Melvin Ingram forced a fumble on a sack of Derek
Carr early in the second quarter with the Raiders looking to add to a 3-0 lead.
Rivers found his stride after that.
RAMS 36, SEAHAWKS 31
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brandin Cooks rushed for a 9-yard
touchdown on the first snap after Dante Fowler forced and recovered a fumble by
Russell Wilson, and the Rams bounced back from their first loss of the season.
Jared Goff passed for 318 yards and two touchdowns, and Todd
Gurley rushed for 120 yards and a score as the Rams (9-1) swept the season
series with their division rivals.
Los Angeles moved into commanding position for its second consecutive
NFC West title, but only after plenty of late drama in a rivalry that's never
lacking in excitement.
Wilson threw three touchdown passes, rushed for 92 yards and
nearly rallied the Seahawks (4-5) all the way back after his fumble.
He hit Mike Davis for a short TD catch to cap a 90-yard
drive with 1:56 to play. After the Seattle defense held, he got the Seahawks to
the Los Angeles 35 before throwing four straight incompletions in the final
minute.
BROWNS 28, FALCONS 16
CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Baker Mayfield threw a season-high
three touchdown passes and rookie Nick Chubb streaked 92 yards for a TD as
Cleveland ended a four-game losing streak.
The Browns (3-6-1) played their most complete game this
season under interim coach Gregg Williams, their defensive coordinator who
improved to 1-1 since replacing the fired Hue Jackson.
Mayfield outplayed Falcons star quarterback Matt Ryan with a
performance that further justifies Cleveland's decision to take the QB with the
No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. Mayfield completed his first 13 passes
and finished 17 of 20 for 216 yards. He threw a 28-yard scoring pass to Rashard
Higgins, a 13-yarder to Chubb, and 11-yarder to Duke Johnson.
Ryan and the Falcons (4-5) had their three-game winning
streak — and any playoff momentum — stopped cold.
And while Mayfield did damage, Chubb's record run was the
backbreaker.
With the Browns backed up at their 8, Chubb, who had 176
yards on 20 carries, took a handoff and headed right. He cut toward Atlanta's
sideline, picked up a block and then showed his surprising breakaway speed
while finishing the longest run in team history. Chubb's run broke the previous
team mark held by Bobby Mitchell, who had a 90-yard TD run against Washington
on Nov. 15, 1959.
BEARS 34, LIONS 22
CHICAGO (AP) — Mitchell Trubisky threw for 355 yards and
three touchdowns, and the NFC North-leading Bears snapped a 10-game losing
streak against division opponents.
The Bears (6-3) had dropped nine of 10 against Detroit (3-6)
and were seeking their first victory over a division opponent since Oct. 31,
2016, against Minnesota.
Chicago jumped to a 26-7 halftime lead with Trubisky and
Allen Robinson leading the way. And the Bears surpassed their win total from
last year with their third straight victory.
Trubisky completed 23 of 30 passes against a short-handed
secondary, with standout cornerback Darius Slay sidelined by a knee injury.
Allen Robinson caught six passes for 133 yards and two TDs
after missing two games with a groin injury.
Rookie Anthony Miller added a career-high 122 yards on five
receptions, including a 45-yard TD and a 55-yard catch.
Khalil Mack had two of Chicago's six sacks against Matthew
Stafford — both in the second half after missing back-to-back games with an
injured right ankle.
REDSKINS 16, BUCCANEERS 3
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Smith threw for 178 yards and one
touchdown, and Dustin Hopkins kicked three field goals for the Redskins (6-3),
who forced four turnovers and rebounded from a lopsided loss to Atlanta despite
playing with a makeshift offensive line because of mounting injuries.
Smith, who was 19 of 27 with no interceptions, threw 6 yards
to Josh Doctson for the game's only touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Hopkins kicked field goals of 43, 43 and 26 yards, the last set up by Greg
Stroman's fourth-quarter interception and 24-yard return to the Bucs 14.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 403 yards for Tampa Bay (3-6),
but was intercepted twice and lost a fumble on a sack inside the Washington 10.
The Bucs, who've lost three in a row and six of seven
following a 2-0 start, failed to force a turnover on defense for the sixth
straight game.
The Redskins were outgained 279 yards to 136 in the first
two quarters, yet led 6-3 at halftime after getting two field goals from
Hopkins.
COLTS 29, JAGUARS 26
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Luck threw three touchdown passes
in the first half and the Colts' defense forced a late turnover. Indy (4-5) has
won three straight.
Tight end Eric Ebron had a career-high three touchdowns,
including one on a 2-yard run, all in the first half.
Blake Bortles threw for 319 yards and two TDs, but the
Jaguars (3-6) came up short when Kenny Moore III stripped the ball from Rashad
Greene Sr. and Malik Hooker recovered for the Colts with 1:24 to go. Initially,
Greene was ruled down by contact, but it was overturned on a replay review from
the booth.
Jacksonville, last year's AFC runner-up, has lost five
straight and six of seven since starting 2-0.
Luck took full advantage of mismatches in the first half as
the Jaguars struggled to cover Indy's tight ends.
Ebron, Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox teamed up to catch eight
passes for 133 yards and all three scores. Luck wound up 21 of 29 with 285
yards and one interception but avoided being sacked for the fourth consecutive
game — the longest stretch of his pro career.
BILLS 41, JETS 10
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Matt Barkley stunningly sparked
Buffalo's bumbling offense with two touchdown passes, including one to
offensive tackle Dion Dawkins. LeSean McCoy broke out of a season-long slump
with 113 yards rushing and a pair of TD runs.
Barkley made his first start in nearly two years, and looked
the best of any of the four quarterbacks the Bills (3-7) have trotted out this
season. The 28-year-old journeyman was 15 of 25 for 232 yards while helping
Buffalo snap a four-game losing streak as the Bills put up 451 yards of total
offense.
Barkley got the nod from Coach Sean McDermott ahead of the
ineffective Nathan Peterman despite having just two weeks of practice with the
Bills since signing on Oct. 30. Rookie Josh Allen has missed four straight
games with a sprained right elbow, and Derek Anderson is sidelined with a
concussion. Barkley's last start came in the 2016 season finale for Chicago.
Meanwhile, the hot seat under coach Todd Bowles has reached
a boiling point as the Jets (3-7) got completely manhandled by a team that
entered with a league-low 96 points and had two touchdowns in its previous four
games.
The Jets have a bye-week break and the future of Bowles, in
his fourth season, is in serious doubt.
New York started 39-year-old Josh McCown in place of injured
rookie Sam Darnold, but he couldn't prevent the Jets from their fourth straight
loss in front of a frustrated fan base that booed lustily throughout.
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