44-yard field goal lifts Saints past Browns
Lutz applies the boot with just 21 seconds left; Cleveland is winless in 19 straight contests
NEW ORLEANS — Wil Lutz kicked a 44-yard field goal for New Orleans with 21 seconds left, Cleveland kicker Zane Gonzalez pushed the second of his two missed field goals wide right in the final seconds, and the Saints held on for a 21-18 National Football League victory that extended the Browns’ winless streak to 19 games.
Gonzalez also missed two extra points, one week after his potential winning field goal was blocked in a season-opening tie with Pittsburgh.
Cleveland (0-1-1) carried a two-score lead into the final nine minutes before its latest collapse.
Receiver Michael Thomas had two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the Saints (1-1), who scored 40 points in a Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay, but didn’t find the end zone against Cleveland until
8:41 remained.
Thomas’ two-yard catch cut Cleveland’s lead to 12-10.
Vikings 29, Packers 29
GREEN BAY, WIS. — Daniel Carlson missed two field goals in overtime, including one from 35 yards as time expired, and the Vikings had to settle for a 29-29 tie after rallying from a late 13-point deficit.
The rookie pushed his final kick wide right, just like his attempt from 49 earlier in overtime.
Packers kicker Mason Crosby matched a career high with five field goals, but his potential game winner from 52 went wide left as time expired in regulation.
Both teams are 1-0-1.
Chiefs 42, Steelers 37
PITTSBURGH — Patrick Mahomes tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes. The 22-yearold Mahomes finished 23 of 28 for 326 yards in his third career start as the Chiefs (2-0) won in Pittsburgh for the first time since
1986. Mahomes has 10 touchdown passes through two weeks, the most ever by a quarterback through two games.
Trevor Kelce caught seven passes for 109 yards and two scores. Tyreek Hill, Chris Conley, Kareem Hunt and Demarcus Robinson also hauled in touchdown passes as the Chiefs recovered in the second half after blowing an early 21-pont lead.
Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger shook off an achy right elbow that limited him in practice during the week, completing 39 of 60 passes for 452 yards and three touchdowns. The 36-yearold also leapt into the end zone for a three-yard score with 1:59 to go that got the Steelers (0-1-1) within five.
Buccaneers 27, Eagles 21
TAMPA, FLA. — Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns for the second straight week.
Filling in for suspended quarterback Jameis Winston, the 35-year-old Fitzpatrick completed 27 of 32 passes for
402 yards and has the suddenly explosive Bucs off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2010.
DeSean Jackson scored on a 75-yard reception on the first play of the game. O.J. Howard also had a 75-yard TD catch in the first half for Tampa Bay, which stunned New Orleans 48-40 on the road in its season opener.
Falcons 31, Panthers 24
ATLANTA — Matt Ryan ran for a pair of scores for the first time in his career and threw a pair of TD passes.
After scoring on a one-yard sneak that pushed Atlanta (1-1) to a 24-10 lead early in the third quarter, Ryan delivered the biggest blow with a brilliant scamper midway through the fourth quarter. On third-and-five from the Carolina eight, he looked around futilely for an open receiver, spotted a running lane to the left and took off for the end zone.
There were three Carolina players waiting for him at the goal line — including 346-pound former teammate Dontari Poe — but Ryan leaped in the air and bowled them all over for the TD that gave Atlanta a two-touchdown lead over the Panthers (1-1).
Dolphins 20, Jets 12
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes, Kenyan Drake ran for a score and the Dolphins took advantage of several mistakes by Sam Darnold and the Jets.
T.J. McDonald and Xavien Howard each intercepted the Jets’ rookie quarterback, helping the Dolphins to their first 2-0 start to a season since 2013.
Chargers 31, Bills 20
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Melvin Gordon matched a career high by scoring three touchdowns, and the Chargers manhandled the anemic Bills during rookie quarterback Josh Allen’s debut as a starter. Gordon scored on a 20yard run and added two touchdowns receiving before limping off the field after appearing to hurt his left leg early in the fourth quarter.
Titans 20, Texans 17
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Ryan Succop kicked a 31-yard field goal with 1:00 left, and the battered Titans held off the Texans 20-17 to give Mike Vrabel his first victory as an NFL head coach.
Succop also kicked a tying 42-yarder in the fourth quarter as Tennessee (1-1) pulled out the win with quarterback Marcus Mariota watching from the sideline.
Colts 21, Redskins 9
LANDOVER, MD. — Andrew Luck threw for two touchdown passes, shook off two interceptions and engineered a game-sealing drive.
Luck was 21 of 31 for 179 yards and had a TD pass in a 25th consecutive game, the longest active streak in the NFL. He was 7 of 8 for 62 yards on a methodical 13play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a Luck-to-T. Y. Hilton score that put Indianapolis (1-1) up
21-9 early in the fourth quarter.
Executing first-year coach Frank Reich’s creative play-calling scheme, Luck also found Eric Ebron for a touchdown.