Defense carries Titans past Rams 28-16 for 5th straight win
INGLEWOOD — Kevin Byard returned Matthew Stafford’s second consecutive interception 24 yards for a touchdown, and Tennessee’s defense carried the Titans to a 28-16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in a showdown between conference co-leaders Sunday night.
Jeffery Simmons had three of Tennessee’s five sacks of Stafford during a stifling performance against the Rams’ prolific passing offense. Stafford crucially threw back-to-back interceptions that the Titans turned into 14 points in 11 seconds of the second quarter, sending them well on their way to their fifth consecutive victory.
CARDINALS 31, 49ERS 17
SANTA CLARA — James Conner ran for two touchdowns and caught a 45-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Colt McCoy for the short-handed Cardinals.
The Cardinals (8-1) were playing without quarterback Kyler Murray and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green but still had little trouble completing the season sweep against the 49ers (3-5).
CHARGERS 27, EAGLES 24
PHILADELPHIA — Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Dustin Hopkins kicked a 29-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining. Herbert threw for 356 yards, completing 32 of 38 passes. He got 1 yard on a sneak on fourth-and-1 from the Eagles 28 with 1:45 left, setting up Hopkins’ kick.
The teams traded touchdowns on four straight drives in the second half before the final series.
GIANTS 23, RAIDERS 16
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Xavier McKinney returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown early in the second half and picked off another errant throw by Derek Carr late.
Daniel Jones threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram and Graham Gano added three field goals — the last after McKinney’s second pick — for New York (3-6).
Carr, a Bakersfield Christian graduate, threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow for the Raiders (53), who are an NFL-worst 3-16 after a week off over the last 19 years.
CHIEFS 13, PACKERS 7
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes threw for 166 yards and a touchdown, Kansas City relentlessly blitzed the Packers’ Jordan Love, a Liberty High graduate, in his highly anticipated first start in place of Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, forcing the reigning MVP to miss his first game since the 2017 season. Love responded by going 19 of 34 for 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
JAGUARS 9, BILLS 6
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville had the better Josh Allen with the standout linebacker intercepting a pass, making a sack and recovering a fumble in a 9-6 upset of Buffalo.
Buffalo’s star quarterback with the same first and last names turned over the ball three times, including twice in the second half. He didn’t have a second-half turnover in any previous game this season.
BRONCOS 30, COWBOYS 16
ARLINGTON, Texas — Teddy Bridgewater threw for a touchdown and had a sneak for another, and the Broncos stymied the NFL’s No. 1 offense, ending the Cowboys’ six-game winning streak.
RAVENS 34, VIKINGS 31, OT
BALTIMORE — Justin Tucker kicked a 36-yard field goal with 16
seconds left in overtime. The AFC North-leading Ravens (6-2) rallied from a 14-point third-quarter deficit and survived an acrobatic interception by Minnesota’s Anthony Barr on the first possession of overtime.
FALCONS 27, SAINTS 25
NEW ORLEANS — Matt Ryan hit Cordarrelle Patterson for a 64-yard gain with a minute to go, setting up Younghoe Koo’s 29-yard field goal as time expired.
BROWNS 41, BENGALS 16
CINCINNATI — Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes, Nick Chubb ran for 137 yards and the Browns, sparked by cornerback Denzel Ward’s early 99-yard interception return for a TD, capped a chaotic week by smashing the Bengals.
PATRIOTS 24, PANTHERS 6
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mac Jones overcame two early turnovers and threw for 139 yards and a touchdown, J.C. Jackson returned one of three Sam Darnold interceptions for an 88-yard touchdown for New England.
DOLPHINS 17, TEXANS 9
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — In the NFL’s most turnover-filled game in more than five seasons, the Dolphins got 244 yards passing and a touchdown throw from surprise starter Jacoby Brissett.