Brady bests Rodgers as Bucs rout Packers
TAMPA, Fla. — 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 43-year-old Brady’s first signature victory since signing with the Bucs (4-2) after a historic 20-year run with the New England Patriots, which included nine NFL title game appearances and six championships.
He got his favorite target from his days with the Patriots into the mix, throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski for a 28-10 halftime lead.
Brady also threw a 7-yard TD pass to rookie Tyler Johnson and Ronald Jones had a pair of rushing TDs for Tampa Bay.
Rodgers threw two interceptions — Green Bay’s first turnovers of the season — within a three-pass span of the second quarter to turn a 10-0 Packers lead into a 14-10 deficit.
STEELERS 38, BROWNS 7
James Conner ran for 101 yards and a touchdown, Ben Roethlisberger passed for 169 yards and a score and host Pittsburgh’s defense chased aching Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield in the third quarter as the Steelers improved to 5-0 for just the second time in the franchise’s 87year history.
Pittsburgh sacked Mayfield four times and picked him off twice — including Minkah Fitzpatrick’s 33-yard sprint to the end zone on Cleveland’s first possession. The Browns (4-2) managed just 75 yards rushing.
FALCONS 40, VIKINGS 23
Julio Jones returned from injury to catch two of Matt Ryan’s four touchdown passes and Atlanta won at Minnesota for their first victory of the season — one week after the firing of head coach Dan Quinn.
The Falcons (1-5) turned three interceptions into 17 points and built a 20-0 lead at the break.
BRONCOS18, PATRIOTS12
Denver kicker Brandon McManus had six field goals and linebacker Malik Reed came up with a big sack late to help the Broncos hold on for a win at New
England in a game twice delayed following positive coronavirus tests for both teams.
49ERS 24, RAMS16
Jimmy Garoppolo threw three TD passes in the first half and Jason Verrett’s first interception in more than four years helped preserve the lead, giving host San Francisco a victory.
Garoppolo bounced back after a rough performance last week in a loss to Miami to help the defending NFC champion 49ers (3-3) snap a two-game skid.
COLTS 31, BENGALS17
Philip Rivers threw three
touchdown passes, including the 14-yard go-ahead score to Jack Doyle on the first play of the fourth quarter, leading host Indianapolis over Cincinnati to match the greatest regular-season comeback in team history.
Rivers has done it twice against the Bengals (1-4-1), who have only blown leads of 21 or more five times, including a team record 24-point lead in 1979 against the Houston Oilers.
RAVENS 30, EAGLES 28
Baltimore’s L. J. Fort and Matthew Judon tackled Carson Wentz on a 2-point conversion attempt with 1:55 remaining and the Ravens held on for a win at Philadelphia.
Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass, ran for 108 yards and one score and sent the Ravens (5-1) to their third straight win.
BEARS 23, PANTHERS16
Nick Foles threw for one touchdown and ran for another, Chicago’s defense forced three turnovers and sacked Teddy Bridgewater four times and the Bears held on to beat host Carolina.
Foles finished with 198 yards passing and a touchdown and David Montgomery added 58 yards on the ground as the Bears (5-1) opened the season 3-0 on the road for the first time since 2006, when they reached the Super Bowl.
LIONS 34, JAGUARS16
Rookie D’Andre Swift ran for a career-high 116 yards and two touchdowns, Matthew Stafford got a TD pass against the only team he hadn’t thrown one against in 12 NFL seasons and Detroit hammered host Jacksonville.
DOLPHINS 24, JETS 0
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three touchdown passes and host Miami held winless New York without a third-down conversion until the fourth quarter to get their first shutout in six years.
GIANTS 20, WASHINGTON19
Rookie Tae Crowder, the last player taken in the NFL draft, scooped up a fumble and ran 43 yards for a touchdown with 3:28 to play to give New York a victory overWashington.