Mahomes guides Chiefs to comeback win at Detroit
Published 9:00 pm Sunday, September 29, 2019
By The Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Darrel Williams ran for a go-ahead, 1-yard touchdown with 23 seconds left after Patrick Mahomes’ run converted a fourth down, lifting the Kansas City Chiefs to a 34-30 win over the Detroit Lions.
Kansas City started the winning drive on its 21. Mahomes converted a fourth-and-8 from his 34 with a 15-yard run to help him finish with a career-high 56 yards rushing. He completed enough passes to set up Williams for a short run to take the lead for good.
Detroit drove to the Kanas City 44 on the final drive and Matthew Stafford heaved two passes toward the end zone that were incomplete.
The Chiefs (4-0) went ahead for the first time Sunday early in the third quarter when Bashaud Breeland recovered Kerryon Johnson’s fumble and returned it 100 yards, taking advantage of everyone on the field appearing to stop momentarily and the officials not blowing a whistle. The pivotal play stood after review.
The Lions (2-1-1) scored the first 10 points and, after Kansas City pulled into two ties, went back ahead late in the second, third and fourth quarters.
Stafford threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Golladay with 2:26 left to give Detroit a 30-27 lead. The call on the field stood after a review, which showed Golladay got both feet in the end zone. Golladay had a touchdown overturned by review early in the third because he appeared to lose control of the football as he hit the turf.
Mahomes was 24 of 42 for 315 yards. The reigning MVP had thrown at least two touchdown passes in 14 straight games, one short of the NFL record set by Peyton Manning.
JAGUARS 26, BRONCOS 24
DENVER (AP) — Leonard Fournette ran for a career-high 225 yards and Josh Lambo kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired, sending Jacksonville past winless Denver.
The Broncos (0-4) not only were victimized by a last-second field goal for the second time this season, but they blew a 14-point lead at home in a loss for the first time since 2006.
Gardner Minshew II drove the Jaguars, one of four AFC South teams who are 2-2, into field goal range after Joe Flacco’s 8-yard TD throw to Courtland Sutton with 1:38 left gave Denver a 24-23 lead.
Eerily reminiscent of their 16-14 loss to the Bears in Denver two weeks ago, the Broncos helped ignite the winning drive by getting whistled for roughing the passer.
Against Chicago, it was Bradley Chubb’s questionable penalty, which the league admitted was a bad call. Against the Jaguars, it was a flag by Von Miller, who reached up and struck Minshew in his neck just as he released his pass in a chaotic pocket.
Miller’s foul spoiled his big day in which he collected his 99th and 100th career sacks and drew several holding penalties, one of which wiped a Jaguars touchdown off the board.
BUCCANEERS 55, RAMS 40
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jameis Winston passed for 385 yards and threw two of his four touchdown passes to Chris Godwin, and Ndamukong Suh returned Jared Goff’s fumble 37 yards for a touchdown with 1:06 to play in Tampa Bay’s victory over previously unbeaten Los Angeles.
Godwin had career highs of 12 catches for 172 yards as the Buccaneers (2-2) jumped to an early 21-0 lead and then scored 24 points in a wild fourth quarter to complete the highest-scoring game in the franchise’s 44-year history.
The Bucs still barely held off the defending NFC champions, but Suh’s TD return against his old teammates capped an impressive win for first-year coach Bruce Arians.
Goff passed for a career-high 517 yards and two touchdowns, but the Rams’ $134 million quarterback also threw three interceptions for the second time in his career. Goff then fumbled while being sacked by Shaquil Barrett as the Rams (3-1) attempted a tying drive, and Suh scooped and scored against the team with which he reached the Super Bowl last season.
PATRIOTS 16, BILLS 10
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins forced Buffalo’s fourth turnover by intercepting backup Matt Barkley’s pass with 1:27 remaining to seal the win.
J.C. Jackson had two interceptions and blocked a punt, which was returned 11 yards by Matthew Slater for a touchdown. Brandon Bolden scored on a 4-yard run in a defensive slugfest between previously unbeaten AFC East rivals.
New England is off to its first 4-0 start since 2015, and fifth time during Bill Belichick’s 20 seasons as coach.
The Bills (3-1) not only blew an opportunity to open a season with four straight wins for the first time since 2008, but now face questions at quarterback. Barkley took over after starter Josh Allen sustained a head injury when he was brought down by a helmet-to-helmet hit by Jonathan Jones in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Allen was briefly evaluated under a tent on the sideline before being escorted up the tunnel.
The game wasn’t decided until Buffalo’s final drive with Barkley facing third-and-9 at the New England 39. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy applied the pressure by driving in from Barkley’s right, and got a hand on the quarterback’s chest. Barkley’s follow-through was affected, causing the ball to pop into the air, which Collins easily secured.
Though Tom Brady didn’t play much of a factor, he upped his career record to 31-3 against Buffalo — extending the NFL career mark for most victories by a quarterback against one opponent. New England won its sixth straight against the Bills, and improved to 34-5 against Buffalo since the start of the 2000 season.
GIANTS 24, REDSKINS 3
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Daniel Jones worked his magic again, Saquon Barkley’s replacement Wayne Gallman scored two touchdowns, and Jabrill Peppers scored on a 32-yard interception return.
The Redskins’ 0-4 start is their worst since losing their first five in 2001. The start also has seriously put coach Jay Gruden’s job in jeopardy after five-plus season, a 35-49-1 record and one playoff berth (2015).
Jones (23 of 31 for 225 yards) has sparked the Giants (2-2) since replacing two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning as the starting quarterback. He rallied New York from an 18-point deficit in his first start against the Buccaneers last week and was solid early, leading New York to touchdown runs on its first two series.
Gallman, who is going to start for the foreseeable future with Barkley battling a high ankle sprain, caught a 6-yard TD pass and scored on a 1-yard run to stake New York to a 14-0 lead.
Gruden tried to spark the mistake-prone Redskins, who had 12 penalties for 58 yards, by benching Case Keenum (6 of 11 for 37 yards) for first-round draft pick Dwayne Haskins Jr., midway through the second quarter. That move came after Quinton Dunbar picked off Jones on consecutive passes, but the Ohio State product went just 9 of 17 for 107 yards and could produce only a 21-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins on his initial series. He was picked off three times, the last two by Janoris Jenkins.
Washington finished with 176 yards on offense and was 2 of 11 on third downs.
SEAHAWKS 27, CARDINALS 10
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Russell Wilson threw for 240 yards a touchdown, Jadeveon Clowney returned an interception for a touchdown and Seattle beat Arizona.
The Seahawks (3-1) scored two touchdowns by early in the second quarter, one on Clowney’s spectacular 27-yard interception return and another on a 9-yard pass from Wilson to tight end Will Dissly.
After that, Seattle controlled the game’s pace with Chris Carson, who ran for 104 yards on 22 carries. The Seahawks also leaned on their defense, which forced Cardinals rookie quarterback Kyler Murray into another up-and-down day.
Arizona’s problems were a familiar story. The Cardinals (0-3-1) moved the ball fairly well in the first half, but couldn’t convert that success into touchdowns. To make matters worse, Zane Gonzalez missed two field goal attempts from 43 and 48 yards and the Seahawks led 20-3 at halftime.
BEARS 16, VIKINGS 6
CHICAGO (AP) — Chase Daniel threw for 195 yards and a touchdown after Mitchell Trubisky got knocked out of the game with a left shoulder injury on the opening possession, and Chicago swarmed NFL rushing leader Dalvin Cook in a victory over Minnesota.
The defending NFC North champions avoided an 0-2 start at Soldier Field and another home loss to a division rival to go with the one they suffered against Green Bay in the NFL’s 100th season opener. But they lost their quarterback soon after the opening kickoff.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Trubisky was scrambling when Danielle Hunter dragged him down. The quarterback’s non-throwing arm got pinned awkwardly under his body as the ball popped out. Minnesota made the recovery, but a holding penalty against Anthony Harris negated the play.
Trubisky headed to the sideline and walked to the locker room a few minutes later.
Daniel came on and connected with Tarik Cohen on a 10-yard touchdown to complete a 14-play drive. The 10th-year pro completed 22 of 30 passes.
Allen Robinson had seven catches for 77 yards. Nick Williams had two sacks. Khalil Mack and Roy Robertson-Harris each had 1 1/2.
The Bears (3-1) held Cook to 35 yards on 14 attempts after he ran for at least 110 in the first three games, even though Akiem Hicks (knee) and linebacker Roquan Smith (personal reasons) missed the game.
Kirk Cousins was 27 of 36 for 233 yards and got sacked six times as the Vikings (2-2) lost to Chicago on the road for the 16th time in 19 games.
RAIDERS 31, COLTS 24
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Derek Carr led the Oakland Raiders to touchdowns on three of their first four possessions, and Erik Harris returned a late interception 30 yards for a score to seal the victory.
Oakland (2-2) snapped a two-game losing streak and won in Indy for the first time since 2001.
With starting receivers T.Y. Hilton and Devin Funchess out with injuries, the Colts (2-2) gained 346 yards — most coming in the final quarter when they were scrambling to get back in the game. The inability to sustain drives took a toll on Indy’s defense.
Carr cashed in quickly.
He threw an 18-yard TD pass to Foster Moreau on the game’s opening drive. On the Raiders’ next offensive play, Trevor Davis took the pitch on a jet sweep around the left side and sprinted 60 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 less than seven minutes into the game.
Justin Houston’s fumble recovery on the Raiders’ next possession set up a 5-yard TD pass from Jacoby Brissett to Jack Doyle.
Carr answered with a 19-yard TD pass to Tyrell Williams in a stark contrast to the team that stated the game with only two scores on the last 18 possessions.
The Raiders’ defense made sure it held up, though Brissett’s 4-yard pass to Chester Rogers with 5:27 left cut the deficit to 24-17. After Oakland forced a punt, Harris jumped Zach Pascal’s route, came up with the interception and jogged into the end zone.
BROWNS 40, RAVENS 25
BALTIMORE (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw for 342 yards and a touchdown, Nick Chubb ran for a pivotal 88-yard score and the Browns earned a share of first place in the AFC North.
Chubb finished with 165 yards and three scores against the league’s third-ranked rushing defense. Jarvis Landry had eight catches for 167 yards before leaving with a suspected concussion.
Cleveland kept Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson in check and used a mixture of Mayfield’s passing and Chubb’s physical running to rip the Ravens for 530 yards — the second straight week Baltimore (2-2) yielded more than 500 yards.
As a result, Cleveland (2-2) finds itself in the top spot of the division with the Ravens, who won it last year. It’s the first time Cleveland has been in first place after four games since 2013.
An improved defense, the addition of receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the expected maturation of Mayfield in his second year created a whirlwind of preseason hype around the Browns, who went 1-15 in 2016 and 0-16 just two years ago.
Mayfield had five interceptions compared to three touchdown passes in Cleveland’s first three games, but it all came together for the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner against the Ravens, who owned a 30-10 lead in a series that began in 1999 — three years after Art Modell moved the original Browns to Baltimore.
TITANS 24, FALCONS 10
ATLANTA (AP) — Marcus Mariota threw three first-half touchdown passes, two to A.J. Brown, and the Tennessee defense had three fourth-down stops.
Tennessee (2-2) used Mariota’s big first half and the strong defense to snap a two-game losing streak. Derrick Henry, who ran for 100 yards, helped the Titans dominate the clock and hold the Falcons to only a field goal in the second half.
Ito Smith’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter pulled the Falcons (1-3) even 7-7. Tennessee outscored Atlanta 17-0 the remainder of the half, and the Falcons heard boos as they left the field.
Matt Ryan passed for 397 yards, but the Falcons were stopped on those three fourth-down plays. Julio Jones had only four catches for 52 yards.
Devonta Freeman, held to 28 yards on 12 carries, was stopped by Jurrell Casey on a fourth-and-1 run in the second quarter. Ryan was sacked on two fourth-down plays in the second half.
CHARGERS 30, DOLPHINS 10
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Philip Rivers threw for 310 yards and two scores to help the Chargers win in Miami for the first time in 38 years.
Rivers completed 24 of 30 attempts with no interceptions and directed a 10½-minute drive in the third quarter that helped Los Angeles take control.
The Dolphins (0-4) held a lead for the first time this season, but it lasted only 3 minutes, 49 seconds. They’ve been outscored 163-26 this season, the NFL’s worst four-game point differential since at least 1940.
The Chargers (2-2) had lost eight games in a row in Miami. Their last victory came in an overtime playoff thriller in January 1982 that’s regarded as one of the greatest games in NFL history.
Their latest win was less dramatic, and came in a stadium that was more than half empty. The Chargers led 17-10 and scored on their first three possessions of the second half to take command against the outmanned Dolphins, who have been outscored 81-0 in the second half this season.
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