Brady outduels Rodgers, hands Packers first loss
Tom Brady outplayed Aaron Rodgers in a rare meeting between the Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers erased an early double- digit deficit to rout the previously unbeaten Green Bay Packers 38-10 on Sunday.
It was the Brady’s first signature victory since signing with the Bucs after a historic 20-year run with New England.
Brady was 17 of 27 for 166 yards and two TDs without an interception, while Rodgers finished 16 of 35 for 160 yards and no touchdowns after completing 70.5% of his passes and throwing for 13 TDs and no interceptions in Green Bay’s first four games. BRONCOS 18, PATRIOTS 12 >> Brandon McManus kicked six field goals as Denver held off New England.
The game was originally scheduled for last week but was postponed twice after multiple Patriots players tested positive for COVID-19, including QB Cam Newton and reigning Defensive Player of the Year cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
With Newton back, the Patriots came back from 18- 3 deficit and nearly pulled off the comeback, but had three turnovers. He finished 17 of 25 for 157 yards and also rushed 10 times for 76 yards and TD.
RAVENS 30, EAGLES 28 >> Lamar Jackson threw for a TD and ran for a score as Baltimore held on to edge injury-plagued Philadelphia.
The Eagles came in missing seven offensive starters, and then lost two more when running back Miles Sanders left in the third quarter and tight end Zach Ertz exited in the fourth.
Still, the Ravens needed to prevent a 2-point conversion with 1:55 remaining to secure the win.
BEARS 23, PANTHERS 16 >> Nick Foles threw for one TD and ran for another, and Chicago’s defense forced three turnovers and sacked Teddy Bridgewater four times to snap Carolina’s three-game win streak.
The Bears (5-1) improved to 2-1 with Foles as the starter and opened the season 3- 0 on the road for the first time since 2006.
GIANTS 20, WASHINGTON 19 >>
Coach Joe Judge and the Giants finally won, thanks in part to gamble by Washington coach Ron Rivera.
The game wasn’t decided until Rivera rolled the dice after a 22-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Allen to Cam Sims with :36 left in regulation to cap a 10-play, 75-yard march. Instead of playing for overtime, Rivera went for the win with a 2-point conversion, which came up empty as Allen’s pass fell incomplete. FALCONS 40, VIKINGS 21 >> Julio Jones returned from injury to catch two of Matt Ryan’s four TD passes, as Atlanta got its first win of the season — a week after replacing coach Dan Quinn with Raheem Morris.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw three interceptions in the first half for the first time in his career, and the Falcons turned those into 17 points to build a 20- 0 lead at the break.
COLTS 31, BENGALS 27 >> After trailing 21- 0, Philip Rivers (29 of 44 with 371 yards) rallied the Colts with three touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score to Jack Doyle on the first play of the fourth quarter. It equaled the largest comeback in the franchise’s regular-season history.
LIONS 34, JAGUARS 16 >> Rookie D’Andre Swift ran for a career-high 116 yards and two TDs, and Matthew Stafford got an elusive TD pass against the only team he hadn’t thrown one against in 12 NFL seasons. Detroit made this one look easy, somewhat surprising considering the Lions had lost six straight in which they led by double digits.
DOLPHINS 24, JETS 0 >> Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three touchdown passes and Miami held New York without a third- down conversion until the fourth quarter en route to its first shutout in six years. The Jets are the NFL’s only winless team and continued their worst start since 1996.