Big defense leads Saints past Lions
NEW ORLEANS — Running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara combined for 237 yards from scrimmage, the Saints’ resurgent defense forced five turnovers and scored a franchise-record three times, and New Orleans took a 52-38 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday in a game full of crazy bounces and unusual plays.
New Orleans (3-2), which has a winning record for the first time since its last playoff season in 2013, built a five-touchdown lead, only to wind up gutting out a remarkable bid by Detroit to pull off the greatest comeback in NFL history.
Detroit (3-3) scored four straight TDs, including one on a punt return by Jamal Agnew and another on A’Shawn Robinson’s close-range interception near the Saints goal line, in less than 15 minutes off the game clock to pull as close as 45-38 with 6:41 to go. But after Agnew muffed a punt and barely got it out of the end zone, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan scored on virtually the same type of play as Robinson when he got his hand on Matt Stafford’s pass from the end zone.
The Saints’ defense pro-
duced its first points on Detroit’s first possession, when Alex Okafor sacked and stripped Stafford in the end zone and safety Kenny Vaccaro recovered. In the third quarter, rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans’ top draft choice last spring, made his first interception and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.
Playing on a sore right ankle that visibly limited his mobility, Stafford was hit often, sacked five times and turned the ball over five times — twice on fumbles and three times on interceptions, two of which were tipped. New Orleans also batted down many of Stafford’s throws.
Stafford completed 25 of 52 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns, but much of his production came after Detroit had fallen behind 45-10.
Drew Brees completed 21 for 31 passes for 186 yards and touchdowns of 20 yards to Ted Ginn and 2 yards to Michael Hoomanawanui. However, he was also intercepted for the first and second time this season. The first interception — also the Saints’ first turnover this season — came when cornerback Darius Slay wrestled the ball away from Michael Thomas before the receiver could secure it.
Ingram scored two TDs on short runs and rushed for 114 yards on 25 carries in the first game since the Saints traded Adrian Peterson to Arizona. He also fumbled after a short reception.
Vikings 23, Green Bay 10
MINNEAPOLIS — Harrison Smith led Minnesota’s defense in a thorough dismantling of Green Bay, as the Vikings knocked Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers out of the game on Sunday with a broken collarbone during a 23-10 victory that drastically altered the course of the NFC North.
Smith had 1½ sacks on safety blitzes, a diving interception and two pass breakups, helping the Vikings (4-2) limit the injury-depleted Packers to a season-low 227 yards.
Anthony Barr, who later left with a concussion, delivered the game-changing hit on Green Bay’s second drive when he took Rodgers hard to the turf as the two-time NFL MVP followed through on a pass.
Rodgers fell on his throwing shoulder, and the Packers (4-2) announced he could miss the remainder of the season.
Brett Hundley threw his first career touchdown pass in relief, connecting with Davante Adams in the second quarter after a 63-yard return by Clay Matthews of Jerick McKinnon’s fumble gave the Packers the ball at the 18.
Hundley was picked off three times and sacked four times. He finished 18 for 33 for 157 yards. The Packers had five first downs and 102 yards over the first three quarters.
Case Keenum, making his fourth start in place of the injured Sam Bradford, went 24 for 38 for 239 yards without top wide receiver Stefon Diggs. He threw 13 times to Adam Thielen, completing nine for 97 yards.
Patriots 24, Jets 17
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Tom Brady set the NFL record for regular-season victories by a quarterback, getting his 187th.
The Patriots (4-2) were playing their first game in 10 days after beating Tampa Bay 19-14 on Oct. 5, and appeared a bit rusty early as they fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter against the surprising Jets (3-3).
New York had a chance to tie the game after getting the ball back with 1:53 remaining, but the Patriots’ 32ndranked overall defense held on — forcing Josh McCown to throw incomplete on a desperation heave on fourthand-17 from the 50, and ending the Jets’ three-game winning streak.
Brady broke a tie with Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for the record.
New York appeared to make it a one-score game again on its next possession as Austin Seferian-Jenkins took a short pass from McCown and reached over the goal line for a 4-yard touchdown.
But officials reviewed the score and said the video replay showed that Seferian-Jenkins slightly lost control of the ball as he went out of bounds on the side of the end zone, resulting in a touchback — despite the ball never hitting the ground. That gave the Patriots back the ball, with the Jets’ sideline irate.