49ers' Purdy shreds Cowboys defense
Brock Purdy threw three of his four touchdown passes to George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers extended their dominance over the Dallas Cowboys with a 42-10 victory Sunday night in Santa Clara.
The 49ers (5-0) knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs in tight games the past two seasons, adding intrigue to this early season matchup between perceived contenders.
The rematch wasn't even close. The Niners led 14-0 before the Cowboys got their initial first down of the night and were never really threatened on the way to matching a franchise record with their 15th straight regular-season win and earning their fifth 5-0 start.
Purdy calmly picked apart the league's stingiest defense to improve to 10-0 as a starter in the NFL and San Francisco's defense made life difficult on Dak Prescott all night.
Prescott was sacked three times and heaved an interception into double coverage after Dallas fell behind 28-10 in the third quarter. He threw two more interceptions in the fourth quarter. FALCONS 21, TEXANS 19❯❯ Desmond Ridder passed and ran for touchdowns, providing an answer to those who had called for him to be benched, Younghoe Koo kicked a go-ahead 37yard field goal as time expired, and host Atlanta (3-2) beat Houston (2-3). Ridder's 6-yard TD pass to rookie running back Bijan Robinson and 2-point pass to Tyler Allgeier gave the Falcons a 15-12 lead early in the fourth. Houston rookie QB C.J. Stroud answered with an 18-yard scoring pass to tight end Dalton Schultz, giving the Texans a 19-18 lead with 1:49 left.
SAINTS 34, PATRIOTS 0❯❯ Alvin Kamara rushed for a touchdown and Derek Carr had two scoring passes for visiting New Orleans (3-2). Tyrann Mathieu added a 27-yard interception return for a score to help New Orleans chase Patriots QB Mac Jones — the second straight week coach Bill Belichick benched Jones in the second half. New England fell to 1-4 for the first time since 2000, Belichick's first year as its coach.
DOLPHINS 31, GIANTS 16 ❯❯ Rookie De'Von Achane ran for a 76-yard touchdown, Tyreek Hill surpassed 150 yards receiving for the third time this season, and Miami won at home. Miami (4-1) regained first place in the AFC East after Buffalo (3-2) lost to Jacksonville in London. Giants QB Daniel Jones left in the fourth quarter with a neck injury after a sack. Tyrod Taylor replaced him.
LIONS 42, PANTHERS 24❯❯ Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes in the first half and ran for a score in the fourth quarter, and host Detroit (4-1) kept Carolina (0-5) winless.
CHIEFS 27, VIKINGS 20 ❯❯ Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter, one to Travis Kelce after the All-Pro tight end briefly left the game with an ankle injury, and the Kansas City (4-1) won in Minneapolis. Mahomes went 31 for 41 for 281 yards and no turnovers in his most efficient performance of the season.
COLTS 23, TITANS 16 ❯❯ Zack Moss upstaged the return of Jonathan Taylor by running for a career-high 165 yards and two scores, and Gardner Minshew was sharp in relief of the injured Anthony Richardson for host Indianapolis (3-2). The Titans are 2-3.
BENGALS 34, CARDINALS 20❯❯ Joe Burrow threw for 317 yards and three TDs to Ja'Marr Chase, who had 192 yards receiving, for Cincinnati.
JETS 31, BRONCOS 21❯❯ The New York Jets celebrated Nathaniel Hackett's return to Denver by rallying past the host Broncos behind Breece Hall's 72-yard TD run and Bryce Hall's 39-yard gamesealing scoop-and-score.