JONES RUNS FOUR TDS IN WIN OVER COWBOYS
Running back’s single-game achievement ties Green Bay record
Aaron Jones tied a franchise record with four touchdown runs, and the Green Bay Packers held off a furious comeback to beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-24 on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had starred as the Packers won three previous visits to AT&T Stadium, but it was the team’s other Aaron that carried the load.
Jones had 19 carries for 107 yards and added team-leading figures of seven receptions for 75 yards as the Packers won (4-1) without star receiver Davante Adams.
Jones became the fourth Packer to rush for four touchdowns in a game, joining Dorsey Levens, Terdell Middleton and Hall of Famer Jim Taylor, who accomplished the feat three times.
Jones’ fourth gave Green Bay a 31-3 lead with 3:30 left in the third quarter, but Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took over the game.
Despite facing a strong pass rush, he threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Michael Gallup and a 53-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper, with the latter cutting the margin to 34-24 with 7:46 remaining in the game.
Dallas pushed into the red zone on its next possession, but the drive bogged down, and kicker Brett Maher missed a 33-yard field goal wide right to seal Dallas’ second consecutive loss following a 3-0 start.
Prescott threw for 463 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, including 11 completions for 226 yards and touchdown to Cooper. Running back Ezekiel Elliott added 62 rushing yards and a touchdown, but the big deficit took him out of the game.
Rodgers threw for 238 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions for the Packers, who won the turnover battle 3-0. With Adams out with turf toe, Green Bay’s receivers contributed just four receptions for 55 yards.
Green Bay led 24-0 in the third quarter on touchdown runs of 18 and three yards by Jones, a 20-yard field goal by Mason Crosby and a five-yard touchdown run by Jones.
While Dallas moved the ball with relative ease in the first half, Green Bay’s defence made key plays en route to a 17-0 halftime lead.
With the Cowboys moving into scoring position on the opening drive, Prescott’s pass was dropped by Cooper and intercepted by Jaire Alexander to set up the Packers’ first touchdown.
Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith had third-down sacks, and reserve defensive back Chandon Sullivan added an interception as Green Bay seized control.
Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey caused and recovered a JuJu Smith-Schuster fumble, setting up Justin Tucker’s 46-yard field goal in overtime Sunday that gave the visiting Ravens a 26-23 win in Pittsburgh.
The game was marred by a concussion to Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, who has been playing after Ben Roethlisberger had elbow surgery.
He was knocked unconscious at 7:26 of the third quarter.
Rudolph scrambled to his left to complete a pass to James Washington, and he was sandwiched by Baltimore’s Brandon Carr from behind and Earl Thomas — who hit Rudolph high and got a penalty for roughing the passer.
Rudolph walked off the field with assistance and eventually was transported to hospital.
Rudolph completed 13 of 20 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, to Smith-Schuster. He was replaced by Devlin Hodges, who was seven of nine for 68 yards in his NFL debut. James Conner rushed for a touchdown.
Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson was 19 of 28 for 161 yards with one touchdown. He was intercepted three times and sacked five times.
Mark Ingram II ran for a touchdown.
Baltimore safety Tony Jefferson was taken off the field on a cart in the fourth quarter; the team announced he suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
Deshaun Watson put on a passing clinic and Will Fuller benefited with a career-best performance as the Houston Texans beat the visiting Atlanta Falcons 53-32 at NRG Stadium.
Watson completed 28 of 33 attempts for a career-high 426 yards and a career-high-tying five touchdowns. Fuller matched the franchise record of 14 receptions while producing 217 yards and three touchdowns, including a 44-yarder with 1:51 left to play that sealed the victory.
The Texans (3-2) amassed a season-high 592 yards and did not allow a sack of Watson, who entered Sunday having been sacked 18 times, the third-highest total in the league.
Teddy Bridgewater passed for 314 yards and four touchdowns as the New Orleans Saints defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-24.
Bridgewater completed 26 of 34 passes and had his highest yardage total of the season as the Saints (4-1) improved to 3-0 since Bridgewater replaced injured Drew Brees in the starting lineup.
Michael Thomas caught two of the touchdown passes and finished with 11 catches for 182 yards. Jared Cook and Ted Ginn Jr. caught one touchdown each.