Rout in Denver
Broncos easily handle Eagles in much-touted warp-speed matchup.
DENVER (AP) — Peyton Manning made quick work of the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that was billed as fast-break football at its finest.
The Denver Broncos scored more points than they ever had in their 54-year history on Sunday, blowing out the Eagles 52-20 behind Manning’s four touchdown throws and two special teams scores.
With two TD passes each to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker, Manning completed all but a-half dozen of his 34 throws for 327 yards. He didn’t even step on the field in the fourth quarter and cooled his cleats on the sideline for a 12-minute stretch in the first half, too. Ho hum. Just another day in the life of Manning, whose 16 TD passes are the most in the first month of a season, besting the previous mark of 14 set by Don Meredith in 1966 and tied by Kurt Warner in 1999. Manning also joined Milt Plum in 1960 as the only quarterbacks to throw that many touchdown passes without an interception.
In a game billed as a warpspeed matchup between teams that like to snap the ball quickly, Manning got off to a rather slow start but drove the Broncos (4-0) on a trio of long touchdown drives in the third quarter to make this one another laugher.
The Eagles also (1-3) surrendered two TDs on special teams in losing for the third straight time, all to AFC West opponents: Trindon Holliday’s 105-yard kickoff return and Steven Johnson’s blocked punt, which he scooped up himself and returned for a 17yard score.
Matt Prater’s 53-yard field goal capped Denver’s 15th straight regular season win, which bested the franchise mark of 14 set in 1997-98 and also broke the previous franchise scoring record of 50 points set against San Diego on Oct. 6, 1963.
Only the 1966 Dallas Cowboys, with 183 points, scored more than the Broncos’ 179 in their first four games.
Bills 23 Ravens 20 ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
(AP) — Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.
Dareus had two sacks, rookie linebacker Kiko Alonso and converted safety Aaron Williams had two interceptions as part of a 2320 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Dareus was pleased with the new-look defence that finally began playing up to its attacking style under new co-ordinator Mike Pettine.
Seahawks 23 Texans 20 HOUSTON
(AP) — Steven Hauschka kicked a 45-yard field goal in overtime to give the Seattle Seahawks a 23-20 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday and the first 4-0 start in franchise history.
Houston (2-2) failed to score on two possessions in overtime. The Seahawks got the win on their second drive in overtime after rallying from a 20-3 deficit.
LIONS 40, BEARS 32 DETROIT
(AP) — Reggie Bush’s 37yard touchdown run helped Detroit score 27 points in the second quarter and he accounted for 173 yards of offence to help the Lions beat Chicago.
Detroit (3-1) moved into a first-place tie with Chicago (3-1) in the NFC North. The Lions scored 24 straight points, including three TDs in a span of 3 minutes, 26 second, after Matt Forte’s 53-yard TD run gave the Bears 106 lead early in the second quarter.
VIKINGS 34, STEELERS 27 LONDON
(AP) — Greg Jennings made two touchdown catches, Adrian Peterson ran for two scores and the Vikings’ defence made a big stop with time running out to preserve a win over the Steelers.
Playing at Wembley Stadium, Everson Griffen stripped Ben Roethlisberger on the six-yard line with 19 seconds left. Kevin Williams recovered to seal the victory.
Jennings made a 70-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown and Peterson had a 60-yard score to help offset two scores by Pittsburgh rookie running back Le’Veon Bell and give Minnesota (1-3) some hope of turning its season around.
The Steelers fell to 0-4 for the first time since 1968.
CHARGERS 31, COWBOYS 20 SAN DIEGO
(AP) — Philip Rivers threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns, including a 56yarder to Antonio Gates.
The Chargers (2-2) had blown late leads in their two losses this season. On Sunday, they scored the final 20 points to beat Dallas (2-2).
TITANS 38, JETS 13 NASHVILLE, Tenn.
(AP) — Jake Locker threw a career-high three touchdowns before being taken to the hospital with an injured right hip. Locker was hurt early in the third quarter when hit first by Muhammad Wilkerson after throwing an incomplete pass, then popped by Quinton Coples. He grabbed at his hip as he went to the ground and was carted off the field before being loaded into an ambulance. The Titans had no immediate word on the severity of his injury.
Alterraun Verner intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble, Karl Klug sacked Geno Smith and stripped him of the ball for a TD as the Titans turned Smith’s four turnovers into 28 points. Ropati Pitoitua had two of Tennessee’s five sacks as the Titans (3-1) continued their surprising start. The Jets (2-2) couldn’t overcome Smith’s rookie mistakes.
REDSKINS 24, RAIDERS 14 OAKLAND, Calif.
(AP) — Robert Griffin III threw a go-ahead touchdown pass late in the third quarter to help Washington overcome an early 14-point deficit for its first win of the season.
David Amerson returned an interception for another score for the Redskins (1-3).
Washington looked ready to extend the worst start for the franchise since 2001 when they fell behind 14-0 after the first quarter thanks to a blocked punt touchdown and a scoring pass from Matt Flynn.
But the much-maligned Washington defence allowed the Raiders (1-3) no more points, taking advantage of an offence that was without starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor the entire game and starting running backs Dar- ren McFadden and Marcel Reece for most of it.
CARDINALS 13, BUCCANEERS 10 TAMPA, Fla.
(AP) — Carson Palmer threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald, then Jay Feely kicked a 27-yard field goal with 1:29 remaining and Arizona rallied to beat Tampa Bay.
Patrick Peterson had two interceptions, one setting up Arizona’s first TD in six quarters, the other to ruin any chance of rookie Mike Glennon pulling off a comeback in his first NFL start for the winless Bucs (0-4). Feely also kicked a 42yard field goal for the Cardinals (22), who trailed 10-0 at halftime.
BROWNS 17, BENGALS 6 CLEVELAND
(AP) — Brian Hoyer, the local kid who always dreamed of being Cleveland’s quarterback, threw two touchdown passes in his first start at home to lead the Browns to a win over Cincinnati (2-2).
Hoyer’s 1-yard TD pass to Chris Ogbonnaya with 4:54 left gave the Browns (2-2) an 11-point lead and Cleveland turned it over to its vastly improved defence.
CHIEFS 31, GIANTS 7 KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Alex Smith threw three touchdown passes, Dexter McCluster returned a punt 89 yards for another score and unbeaten Kansas City kept New York winless at 0-4.
Smith hit touchdown passes of 4, 2 and 35 yards for the Chiefs (40), who under Andy Reid have already doubled their victory total of 2012. They are the second team to go from a two-win season to 4-0 the next year.
The Giants, who trailed only 17-7 after three quarters, are 0-4 for the first time since 1987.
COLTS 37, JAGUARS 3 JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
(AP) — Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes, Trent Richardson ran for a score and Indianapolis became the latest team to beat Jacksonville by double digits.
The Colts (3-1) weren’t all that good, especially early in the first half, but they were plenty good against one of the worst teams in the league.
Indianapolis led 20-3 at halftime — Jacksonville (0-4) has been outscored 75-8 in the first half this season — and made it a laugher with consecutive touchdown drives in the third quarter.