NFL roundup: Titans edge Eagles 26-23 on TD pass late in OT
Published 12:44 am Monday, October 1, 2018
- Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis (84) catches the winning touchdown pass against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox (29) in overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. The Titans won 26-23. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Marcus Mariota hit Corey Davis with a 10-yard touchdown pass just before the end of overtime, and the Tennessee Titans beat the Philadelphia Eagles 26-23 on Sunday for their best start since 2013.
The Titans trailed by 14 in the third quarter before rallying for the lead. They also trailed 23-20 in overtime before coming back again behind Mariota, who in his first start since being knocked out of the season opener with an injured elbow threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns while also running for a score.
On the game-winning drive, the Titans converted three fourth downs, one by penalty. Mariota hit Taywan Taylor with a 19-yarder on fourth-and-15, and Mariota found a wide-open Dion Lewis on fourth-and-2 for a 17-yard gain. Facing third-and-goal and the clock running out, Mariota found Davis for the receiver’s first TD catch in the regular season.
The Titans (3-1) also came up with four sacks. Rookie Harold Landry got his first and also stripped Carson Wentz of the ball within the first minute of the fourth quarter, setting up the second of Ryan Succop’s two field goals.
The Eagles (2-2) had their chances to win both at the end of regulation and in overtime but were forced to settle for a pair of field goals by Jake Elliott.
RAIDERS 45, BROWNS 42, OT
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Derek Carr threw four TD passes and a game-tying 2-point conversion with 30 seconds left in regulation to set up Matt McCrane’s 29-yard field goal in overtime that gave Oakland its first win since Jon Gruden’s return as coach.
McCrane missed a 50-yard field goal on the opening possession of overtime before Carr drove the Raiders (1-3) back down the field again after a defensive stop for the game winner with 1:46 left in the period.
The field goal dealt the Browns (1-2-1) another tough loss as they blew a 14-point lead in the second half and then allowed to get the game-tying TD and 2-point conversion in the final seconds of regulation to spoil Baker Mayfield’s NFL starting debut.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick, threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns to put Cleveland on position to win but also committed four turnovers, losing two fumbles and throwing two interceptions. The Browns were seeking their first back-to-back wins since November 2014.
Carr threw for 437 yards, Marshawn Lynch ran for 130 yards for his most productive game in four years, and Amari Cooper (128 yards) and Jared Cook (110) each topped the 100-yard mark.
COWBOYS 26, LIONS 24
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brett Maher kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired, lifting Dallas over Detroit.
Maher’s fourth field goal was set up by Dak Prescott’s 34-yard completion to running back Ezekiel Elliott on a deep throw after Matthew Stafford had put the Lions in front with a 38-yard touchdown to Golden Tate, their second TD connection of the day.
Elliott had 240 all-purpose yards, with 152 yards rushing and 88 receiving.
The best offensive day of the season for a previously struggling Dallas offense spoiled Stafford’s homecoming again, with his third straight loss at the home of the Cowboys (2-2). The former Dallas-area high school star threw for 307 yards.
Trailing 20-10, Stafford led the Lions (1-3) 75 yards to rookie Kerryon Johnson’s first career touchdown, an 8-yard run that started a back-and-forth final quarter.
RAVENS 26, STEELERS 14
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joe Flacco threw a pair of early touchdown passes, Justin Tucker kicked four second-half field goals and Baltimore beat Pittsburgh.
Flacco completed 28 of 42 passes for 363 yards and TD passes to John Brown and Alex Collins as the Ravens (3-1) ended a three-game losing streak to their AFC North rivals. Tucker accounted for all the scoring after halftime as Baltimore ended Pittsburgh’s long run of success on Sunday nights.
The Steelers (1-2-1) came in having won nine straight Sunday night appearances, a streak that included a pair of victories over the Ravens. Baltimore brought Pittsburgh’s run to an abrupt end by shutting down Pittsburgh in the second half.
Ben Roethlisberger was 27 of 47 for 274 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Steelers. Antonio Brown caught five passes for 62 yards and a TD.
BENGALS 37, FALCONS 36
ATLANTA (AP) — Andy Dalton threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green with 7 seconds remaining, lifting Cincinnati over Atlanta.
Dalton moved the Bengals 75 yards in about four minutes. He completed two passes on fourth down to Tyler Boyd, who had 11 catches for 100 yards, to keep the drive alive.
Green, the former University of Georgia star making his first return to the state of Georgia, made a diving catch in the right side of the end zone to cap the drive. He had four catches for 78 yards.
Giovani Bernard ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns for Cincinnati (3-1).
Matt Ryan continued his resurgence by throwing three scoring passes, including two to rookie Calvin Ridley, for the Falcons. As was the case last week, when he had his first career game with five touchdown passes in a loss to New Orleans, Ryan had too little support from an injury-depleted defense.
The Falcons (1-3) topped 30 points for the third straight week
TEXANS 37, COLTS 34, OT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ka’imi Fairbairn took advantage of his second chance on a 37-yard field goal attempt, making it as time expired in overtime to give Houston a victory over Indianapolis.
He had missed the first kick wide left — just after Indy called timeout. Houston (1-3) ended the league’s losing streak at nine games with its first victory since Nov. 19.
The Colts threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-4 from their 43, giving the ball back to Houston with 24 seconds to go. Deshaun Watson then connected with DeAndre Hopkins on a 24-yard pass to set up the winning kick.
It’s the third time in four weeks Indy (1-3) has come up short in the closing minutes. The loss spoiled Adam Vinatieri’s record-breaking day.
The 45-year-old kicker became the league’s career leader in field goals when he made a 42-yarder with 2 seconds left in the first half and he extended the mark to 567 with a 44-yarder to give the Colts a 34-31 lead in overtime.
But Fairbairn tied the score with a 29-yard kick and won it with the 37-yarder.
SEAHAWKS 20, CARDINALS 17
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Sebastian Janikowski, who had missed twice earlier in the game, kicked a 52-yard field goal as time expired to give Seattle a victory over Arizona and spoil the debut of Cardinals rookie Josh Rosen as the starting quarterback.
The Seahawks (2-2) mounted their winning drive after Phil Dawson missed a 45-yard field goal that would have given the lead to Arizona (0-4) with 1:50 to play.
The Cardinals are 0-4 for the first time since 1986, two years before they moved from St. Louis.
Rosen completed 15 of 27 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
SAINTS 33, GIANTS 18
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Alvin Kamara ran for three second-half touchdowns and New Orleans’ defense stepped out of Drew Brees’ shadow in a victory over New York.
Wil Lutz matched his career high with four field goals as the Saints (3-1) built a 12-7 halftime lead. Kamara broke the game open with scoring runs of 9, 4 and 49 yards to ice New Orleans’ third straight win and send New York to its third loss in four games. Kamara had 134 on 19 carries.
If there was a surprise, it was the Saints’ defense, which came in ranked 30th in the league. After giving up a 2-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Sterling Shepard on the Giants’ opening drive, New Orleans limited New York to a 33-yard field goal by Aldrick Rosas in the third quarter and a late 1-yard TD run by Saquon Barkley, followed by a 2-point conversion pass from Manning to Shepard.
The anticipated slugfest between the 39-yard old Brees and the 37-year-old Manning never materialized.
Brees, who came in needing 418 yards passing to break Peyton Manning’s NFL career mark, finished 18 of 32 for 217 yards. Manning was 31 of 41 for 255 yards as the Giants (1-3) finished with just 299 total yards.
PATRIOTS 38, DOLPHINS 7
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns and New England handed Miami its first loss of the season.
It denied the Dolphins (3-1) their first 4-0 start since Hall of Fame coach Don Shula’s last season in 1995.
Brady improved to 15-1 as a starter against Miami.
But New England (2-2) lost one of its best players in the process. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, one of Brady’s favorite targets, left the game in the third quarter with a right ankle injury and did not return.
Running back James White finished with a rushing and receiving touchdown. Rookie running back Sony Michel rushed 25 times for 112 yards and his first career touchdown.
Miami struggled in every phase and looked very much like the team that has lost 10 straight road games to New England.
Ryan Tannehill finished 11 for 20 for 100 yards and an interception. He was pulled in the fourth quarter in favor of Brock Osweiler. Osweiler connected with Frank Gore for a 6-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for Miami’s lone score.
BEARS 48, BUCCANEERS 10
CHICAGO (AP) — Mitchell Trubisky threw a career-high six touchdown passes — one shy of the NFL record — and Chicago pounded Tampa Bay.
The Bears (3-1) won their third straight with Trubisky delivering the sort of breakout performance general manager Ryan Pace envisioned when he traded up a spot to draft the prized quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick last year.
He finished one TD pass short of the franchise mark set by Sid Luckman against the New York Giants in 1943. Luckman is tied with seven others in NFL history to throw seven TD passes in a game.
The Bears also racked up 483 yards in this one, nearly matching their record of 488 in that same game, on the way to their highest point total since 51-20 victory over Tennessee in 2012.
The defense did its part, harassing Ryan Fitzpatrick before Jameis Winston took over to start the second half. And the Bears won their third straight, matching their longest run since a 3-0 start in 2013.
JAGUARS 31, JETS 12
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Blake Bortles threw two touchdown passes, including a 67-yarder to Donte Moncrief, and Jacksonville used a dominant defensive performance to handle New York.
Bortles ended up with a career-high 388 yards passing, topping 375 yards for the second time in three games.
He found T.J. Yeldon wide open for a 31-yard score in the second quarter and then beat a blitz with the deep pass to Moncrief down the sideline.
The pass to Moncrief was Jacksonville’s lone offensive highlight in an ugly second half. The Jaguars (3-1) had three turnovers that led to nine points for the Jets (1-3), who have dropped three straight.
Jets rookie Sam Darnold was harassed early and often, getting sacked three times and nearly throwing three interceptions. Tashaun Gipson’s pick was overturned by a holding penalty on the other side of the field, and Pro Bowl cornerbacks A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey each dropped INTs that would have ended New York’s scoring drives.
PACKERS 22, BILLS 0
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Graham connected on their first touchdown pass of the year, and Green Bay put together its most complete defensive effort of the season in a win over the Buffalo.
Aaron Jones added 65 yards and a score on 11 carries for the Packers, who slowed in the second half after a fast start on offense.
The defense didn’t let up against the Bills. Green Bay (2-1-1) posted its first shutout since a 9-0 win over the Jets in 2010.
Rookie quarterback Josh Allen accounted for three turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble late in the fourth quarter that stood on review. He was 16 of 33 for 151 yards.
The Bills had a much tougher time on the road in the NFC North, a week after a stunning win at heavily favored Minnesota.
Buffalo did manage to force Rodgers to throw his first interception of the year. Rodgers also fumbled the ball away early in the fourth quarter after a sack by Taron Johnson.
But a 16-0 lead at the half was more than enough cushion against Buffalo’s feeble offense. Even the return of running back LeSean McCoy, who missed a game because of a rib injury, didn’t help the Bills (1-3).
CHARGERS 29, 49ERS 27
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Philip Rivers threw for three touchdowns, Melvin Gordon rushed for 104 yards and Los Angeles rallied for a victory over San Francisco.
Caleb Sturgis had three field goals, including one from 21 yards with 7:41 left that gave the Chargers (2-2) the lead, but he had an eventful day with two missed extra points.
Rivers was 25 of 39 for 250 yards. Gordon had his first 100-yard game since last Oct. 29 against New England.
Gordon and Austin Ekeler each caught touchdowns, the first time the Chargers have had two running backs catch touchdowns since Jessie Hester and Darren Sproles did it on Nov. 22, 2010, against Denver.
C.J. Beathard, who got the start for San Francisco (1-3) after Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending knee injury, was 23 of 37 for 298 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.