BRADY, BUCS ROUT RODGERS' PACKERS
Ronald Jones II rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sent the Green Bay Packers crashing from the unbeaten's ranks with a 38-10 pounding.
Tom Brady contributed an efficient 17 of 27 performance for 166 yards and two scores, including the 91st touchdown pass of his career to tight end Rob Gronkowski. The 12-yard connection with 1:02 left in the first half capped a 28-point second quarter outburst that shaped the game's remainder.
Brady and Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers were standing on the sidelines in baseball caps before the NFC battle ended. Rodgers was battered after a sharp first two possessions, finishing 16 of 35 for 160 yards with two interceptions.
The first quarter hinted at another dominant performance for the Packers' offence. They drove 10 plays and 54 yards to start the game, getting a 39-yard field goal from Mason Crosby. Aaron Jones capped a march of 7:32 with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 10-0 lead.
The Buccaneers (4-2) turned momentum with their defence. Jamel Dean picked off Rodgers — the first Green Bay turnover in five games — and cruised 32 yards to cut the deficit to 10-7 just 2:18 into the second quarter.
A tipped-ball interception by Mike Edwards resulted in a 37-yard return to the 2-yard line. Ronald Jones scored his first touchdown on the next play and Tampa Bay led for good.
Brady polished off a drive of 6:05 with a 7-yard scoring strike to Tyler Johnson with 4:35 left for a 2110 advantage.
Then Brady led a classic two-minute drill of 62 yards to finish the second quarter explosion, hitting his old New England teammate Gronkowski to put the Packers (4-1) away.
Ryan Succop added a 50-yard field goal less than three minutes into the third quarter for a 31-10 lead, and Ronald Jones capped
an 85-yard march with a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:40 left in the period.
Jones became the first Buccaneers' running back since Doug Martin in 2015 to rush for 100 yards in three straight games.
Tampa Bay wasn't called for any penalties, while the Packers were flagged six times for 76 yards.
TITANS RALLY FOR OT VICTORY VS. TEXANS
Derrick Henry rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns and the Tennessee Titans blew a two-touchdown lead only to rally for a 42-36 overtime win over the
Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville
The Titans (5-0) amassed 601 yards, with quarterback Ryan Tannehill passing for 364 yards and four touchdowns to complement Henry. Tannehill engineered a 9-play, 76-yard drive in the waning moments, and his 7-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown with four seconds left forced overtime. In the extra period, Henry had a 53yard reception before his 5-yard run ended it.
Deshaun Watson passed for 335 yards and four touchdowns to lead the comeback for Houston (1-5). But Texans interim coach Romeo
Crennel made a late dubious decision that proved fatal.
The wild second half commenced when Texans safety Justin Reid blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt by Titans kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Houston converted that opportunity five plays later when David Johnson scored on a 1-yard run that cut the Titans lead to 21-17 with 6:15 left in the third.
On the ensuing possession, the Titans lost left tackle Taylor Lewan to injury and the Texans capitalized immediately when J.J. Watt recorded a strip sack on Tannehill. Jacob Martin recovered the fumble at the Tennessee 4-yard line. Watson hit Randall Cobb for a 4-yard touchdown on third down and the Texans had their first lead at 23-21 following the missed PAT.
Henry responded with a 94-yard touchdown run on the first snap of the Titans' next possession only for Watson to toss a 53-yard touchdown pass to Will Fuller V. When Watson threw a 1-yard touchdown to Brandin Cooks with 1:50 left, the Texans led 36-29. But a failed twopoint conversion opened the door for the Titans, and they kicked it in over their last two drives.
Tennessee dominated the first half behind Tannehill, who was 14-of-19 for 149 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers. The Titans had drives of 80, 71 and 85 yards and extended their streak of consecutive red-zone possessions ending in touchdowns to 10 when Tannehill hit Brown for a 6-yard score for a 14-0 lead with 12 seconds left in the first period.
The Texans sliced that deficit in half with a desperate 13-play, 82-yard march culminating in a Watson 1-yard touchdown pass to Darren Fells on fourth down at the 8:56 mark of the second quarter. But the Titans managed an immediate response with their 85-yard drive, converting a pair of third downs before Tannehill found Adam Humphries for a 22-yard strike and 21-7 lead.