USA TODAY International Edition
Garoppolo leads 5- 0 49ers past Rams
LOS ANGELES – Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 243 yards and ran for a touchdown, and the 49ers remained unbeaten with a dominant defensive performance in a 20- 7 victory over the struggling Rams on Sunday at the Coliseum.
George Kittle had eight catches for 103 yards for San Francisco ( 5- 0), which held Los Angeles’ once- unstoppable offense to 165 yards in coach Kyle Shanahan’s first victory over Rams coach Sean McVay in a game in which both of these NFC West rivals were playing their starters.
San Francisco used its possession offense and a sturdy defense to stay alongside New England as the NFL’s only unbeaten teams, while the defending NFC champion Rams ( 3- 3) are on their first threegame losing streak of McVay’s 2 ½ - year tenure.
Tevin Coleman rushed for an early TD for San Francisco, while Garoppolo was mostly effective despite two turnovers. The Niners didn’t score a TD in the final 27 minutes, but they’re off to their fourth 5- 0 start in franchise history and their first since 1990.
With Todd Gurley sitting out to rest his bruised thigh, Los Angeles couldn’t move the ball in its least productive performance of McVay’s tenure. Robert Woods rushed for a TD on the opening drive for the Rams, who then managed 48 net yards on their next eight drives combined. Jared Goff went 13 of 24 for a career- low 78 yards, and the Rams didn’t manage a completion longer than 12 yards while going 0- for- 9 on third down.
Jets 26, Cowboys 24
Sam Darnold gave New York’s struggling offense a huge boost by throwing two TD passes in his return from mononucleosis, and the Jets held on to beat Dallas for their first win.
The Jets led 21- 9 in the fourth quarter, but Dak Prescott and the top- ranked Cowboys’ offense stormed back and had a chance to tie in the closing moments.
Prescott ran for a 4- yard TD with 43 seconds left, making it a two- point game. Going for the tie, Prescott dropped back and was quickly met by a blitzing Jamal Adams and his pass on the conversion try fell short of Jason Witten in the end zone.
The Cowboys ( 3- 3) tried an onside kick, but Demaryius Thomas recovered for the Jets ( 1- 4), who won for the first time under coach Adam Gase. It was Dallas’ third loss in a row.
Darnold, who missed three games, finished 23 of 32 for 338 yards, including a 92- yard TD toss to Robby Anderson and a 5- yarder to Ryan Griffin. Le’Veon Bell also ran for a score, his first on the ground with the Jets.
Cowboys star wide receiver Amari Cooper was sidelined for most of the game with a quadriceps injury.
Vikings 38, Eagles 20
Kirk Cousins threw to Stefon Diggs for three of his four TDs, racking up a season- high 333 passing yards as Minnesota ravaged Philadelphia’s secondary.
Diggs scored on plays in the first half that covered 51 and 62 yards, becoming the first player since Randy Moss in 2000 to post two TD receptions of 50plus yards in one game for the Vikings ( 4- 2).
His most important catch came late in the third quarter, a double toe tap in the back of the end zone from 11 yards out that pushed the lead to 11 points after Carson Wentz and the Eagles ( 3- 3) had pulled within 2420 with 17 straight points.
Cousins went 22- for- 29 with one sack and one interception on a deflected ball.
Saints 13, Jaguars 6
Teddy Bridgewater found Jared Cook for a 4- yard TD early in the fourth quarter, and New Orleans held on to beat Jacksonville and improve to 4- 0 without injured starter Drew Brees.
Coming off a 300- yard, fourTD performance against Tampa Bay, Bridgewater was less effective against the Jaguars ( 2- 4). But he did enough for New Orleans’ defense.
Gardner Minshew was sacked twice, hurried often and threw his first interception as a starter. The rookie sensation completed 14 of 29 passes for 163 yards and was held without a TD for the first time this season.
Bridgewater was 24 of 36 passing for 240 yards for the Saints ( 5- 1). Michael Thomas had eight receptions for 89 yards and Alvin Kamara finished with 31 yards rushing while playing through an ankle injury.
Ravens 23, Bengals 17
Lamar Jackson ran for a career- high 152 yards and a TD, threw for 236 yards and guided Baltimore ( 4- 2) past hapless Cincinnati ( 0- 6).
Jackson carried 19 times, including three kneel- downs, and finished tantalizingly short of Michael Vick’s single- game record of 173 yards rushing by a quarterback. Jackson now has three career 100- yard rushing games, tied with Billy Kilmer for most by a quarterback in his first two seasons since 1950. Jackson was also adept when throwing, going 21- for- 33 without an interception.
Cincinnati jumped on top when Brandon Wilson took the opening kickoff 92 yards for a score, but Jackson responded quickly.
Panthers 37, Bucs 26
Christian McCaffrey scored two TDs and Carolina turned five interceptions by Jameis Winston into 17 points as the Panthers beat Tampa Bay.
After starting the season with two straight losses with hobbled Cam Newton at quarterback, the Panthers ( 4- 2) have been on a roll with Kyle Allen at quarterback thanks to McCaffrey’s big plays and an opportunistic defense that had a franchise record- tying seven takeaways on the day.
Both of those factors came up big on Carolina’s first trip to London in front of a large contingent of Panthers fans for what was designated as a home game for the Buccaneers ( 2- 4).
Redskins 17, Dolphins 16
Rookie Terry McLaurin caught two TD passes and Washington stopped Miami’s two- point conversion attempt with 6 seconds left in a matchup between winless teams.
Adrian Peterson more than doubled his season rushing total with 118 yards for Bill Callahan in his first game as interim coach since Jay Gruden was fired. Washington ( 1- 5) intercepted Josh Rosen twice and sacked him five times before he was benched at the start of the fourth quarter with the Dolphins ( 0- 5) trailing 17- 3.
Rosen’s replacement, Ryan Fitzpatrick, sparked a rally and led two TD drives, including a 75- yard march that began with 2: 02 left. But after Fitzpatrick hit DeVante Parker for an 11yard score to cut the deficit to one point, rookie coach Brian Flores decided to go for two.
Running back Kenyan Drake dropped Fitzpatrick’s quick pass with several defenders between him and the goal line.
Cardinals 34, Falcons 33
Kyler Murray threw for 340 yards and three TDs and the Cardinals built a big lead, lost it, and then rallied again.
Atlanta ( 1- 5) looked like it would tie the score with 1: 53 left after Matt Ryan hit Devonta Freeman on a 12- yard TD pass, but 44- year- old Matt Bryant missed left on the extra point, and the Cardinals ran out the clock from there. Bryant had missed just three extra points over the past 11 seasons before Sunday.
The Cardinals ( 2- 3- 1) took a 34- 27 lead with 5: 12 remaining on David Johnson’s 14- yard TD catch from Murray.
Broncos 16, Titans 0
Denver’s swarming defense sent Marcus Mariota to the bench and visiting Tennessee ( 2- 4) to its fourth loss in five games.
The Broncos ( 2- 4) had seven sacks in a game for the first time since their 2015 Super Bowl season and they picked off three passes.
Mariota came into the game as the NFL’s only quarterback who had started every game and hadn’t lost a fumble or been intercepted, though he had been sacked 22 times.