Late Texans’ score finishes off Cowboys

HOUSTON — Houston rookie running back Terry Swanson rushed for a 37yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to lift the Houston Texans over the Dallas Cowboys 14-6 on Thursday night.

The undrafted rookie running back out of Toledo, who served as an understudy to the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt in college, found a hole with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Texans up two scores. Swanson finished with 69 yards on 17 carries.

Both teams rested their starters.

Houston took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter after thirdround pick safety Justin Reid intercepted Cooper Rush’s pass to set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Alfred Blue. Blue, competing for the backup job behind Lamar Miller, rushed for 18 yards on four carries, while Troymaine Pope rushed for 21 yards on five carries.

The Cowboys scored on

two field goals from backup kicker Brett Maher, one on their opening drive from 57 yards and one late in the fourth quarter from 41.

SAINTS 28, RAMS 0

NEW ORLEANS — Cameron Meredith caught two passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. The former Bears wide receiver was one of the top free agents signed by the Saints, who brought him in even though he had major knee surgery last fall.

Taysom Hill targeted Meredith throughout the first half, overthrowing him on a 2-point conversion attempt and a third-down pass into the end zone before Wil Lutz’s 34-yard field goal. That made it 15-0 for the Saints (3-1) and they coasted.

CHIEFS 33, PACKERS 21

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rookie safety Armani Watts intercepted two passes, while Makinton Dorleant returned another pick for a touchdown for Kansas City.

Chad Henne, Matt McGloin and Chase Litton were all solid under center for Kansas City while Patrick Mahomes watched from the sideline. Harrison Butker was perfect on four field-goal attempts.

In other NFL preseason games Thursday night, AJ McCarron made a shaky case for a roster spot, leading a surge in the fourth quarter after struggling for most of the game as the Buffalo Bills defeated the Chicago Bears

28-27. With both teams holding out their starters and few key reserves playing, the focus was on McCarron. He ran for a touchdown and threw for three more in the fourth — including a 6-yarder to Keith Towbridge in the closing minute. … Rookie Daniel Carlson kicked field goals of 39 and 22 yards, and Kyle Sloter added a 24-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as the

Minnesota Vikings beat the Tennessee Titans 13-3. … Fourth-stringer Tim Cook ran for two of second-half touchdowns, and Carroll Phillips returned a fumble for another TD to help the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-10. Cook scored on runs of 1 and 3 yards, while Phillips picked up a fumble by rookie quarterback Austin Allen (Arkansas Razorbacks) and ran it back 28 yards during a 19-point third quarter that turned a 10-3 halftime deficit into a 12-point lead. … Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for a touchdown while backup Robert Griffin III spent the entire game on the sideline as the

Baltimore Ravens completed their third consecutive unbeaten preseason with a 30-20 win over the Washington

Redskins. … Josh Dobbs threw for one touchdown and ran for another leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 39-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers. … Baker Mayfield threw for 138 yards in a dominant first half for the

Cleveland Browns who wrapped up the preseason with a 35-17 victory over the Detroit Lions. … Christian Hackenberg had a rough audition for an NFL roster spot, tossing two interceptions but the Philadelphia Eagles rallied to beat the New York Jets 10-9 to avoid a winless preseason. … Brock Osweiler made a strong final bid for Miami’s backup quarterback job, leading three first-quarter touchdown drives in the Miami Dolphins’ 34-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. … Third-stringer Danny Etling tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Ralph Webb early in the second half and iced the game with an 86-yard run late as the New England

Patriots beat the New York Giants

17-12. … Matt Barkley’s left knee was injured by a low hit after he threw a pass during the Cincinnati Bengals’

27-26 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, giving Jeff Driskel the inside track for the Bengals’ backup quarterback role.