Several exciting games decided late or in overtime
Bailey’s OT kick lifts Cowboys over Texans
Dan Bailey kicked a 49-yard field goal in overtime after a miss at the end of regulation ended his franchise record streak of made kicks, and the Dallas Cowboys beat the Houston Texans 20-17 on Sunday.
Bailey’s kick was set up when quarterback Tony Romo threw off his back foot with pressure coming and Dez Bryant made a spectacular leaping catch for 37 yards.
The Cowboys (4-1) won their fourth straight for the first time since 2011 despite blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The Texans (3-2) rallied behind Arian Foster, who had 157 yards rushing and a tying 1-yard score with 41 seconds left in regulation.
Fake punt helps tricky 49ers defeat Chiefs
A timely trick play and a big turnover helped the San Francisco 49ers to a second straight win.
Colin Kaepernick threw for 201 yards and a touchdown, Frank Gore ran for 107 yards and the 49ers converted a fake punt to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 22-17 on Sunday.
The 49ers (3-2) turned to a trick play on fourth-and-1 from their own 29 early in the fourth quarter, giving a direct snap to Craig Dahl for a 3-yard run up the middle. Phil Dawson kicked a 27-yard field goal with 8:42 to play for the go-ahead score.
The 49ers held former franchise quarterback Alex Smith of the Chiefs (2-3) to 175 yards and two touchdowns.
Rookie’s wild run pushes Saints over Bucs in OT
Khiry Robinson’s tacklebreaking, 18-yard touchdown run in overtime lifted the New Orleans Saints to a 37-31 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Pierre Thomas caught eight passes out of the backfield for 77 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 35 yards and a score to help New Orleans (2-3) overcome Drew Brees’ three interceptions — and an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Brees completed 35 of 57 passes for 371 yards and two touchdowns, but two of his interceptions led directly to Buccaneers touchdowns. His third ended a potential winning drive in the final minute of regulation.
Making his second straight start for Tampa Bay (1-4), Mike Glennon was 19 for 32 for 249 yards and two touchdowns.
Carpenter FG wins it in Orton’s Bills debut
Dan Carpenter hit a 58-yard field goal with four seconds remaining to cap the Buffalo Bills come-from-behind 17-14 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Kyle Orton, making his debut as the Bills starter, set up the decisive kick by completing a 20-yard pass over the middle to Sammy Watkins as Buffalo (3-2) overcame a 14-0 deficit. It was the eighth game that Orton has won in overtime or when trailing in the fourth quarter.
Orton went 30 of 43 for 308 yards with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Chris Gragg.
The Lions (3-2) were undone by kicker Alex Henery missing all three field-goal attempts, including a 50-yarder wide left with 21 seconds left.
Brady bounces back to lay beating on Bengals
Tom Brady rebounded from the second-worst loss of his career by throwing for two touchdowns and becoming the sixth quarterback to pass for 50,000 yards as the New England Patriots routed the NFL’s last unbeaten team with a 43-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night.
Six days after a 41-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Patriots’ offence broke out of its season-long slump. Brady threw for 292 yards and Stevan Ridley gained 117 of the team’s 221 yards rushing against a team that had allowed an NFL-low 11 points per game.
The Patriots (3-2) surpassed that by scoring on their first two possessions on Ridley’s oneyard run and Brady’s 17-yard pass to Tim Wright. Stephen Gostkowski added three field goals for the Patriots.