Ryan keeps Falcons unbeaten; Dolphins defeat Jets
PHILADELPHIA — (AP) — Matt Ryan threw touchdown passes on Atlanta’s first three possessions against Philadelphia and new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and the Falcons remained the NFL’s only unbeaten team with a 30-17 victory over the Eagles on Sunday.
The Falcons improved to 7-0 for the first time in franchise history while the Eagles (3-4) lost after a bye for the first time in 14 games under coach Andy Reid since 1999.
Ryan finished 22 of 29 for 262 yards and three TDs for his first win against his hometown team in three tries.
Michael Vick didn’t turn the ball over for once, but he played so-so and failed to beat his former team in his second start against the Falcons since returning to the NFL in 2009.
The Falcons scored on their first six possessions before punting for the first time with 5:35 left.
DOLPHINS 30, JETS 9: Matt Moore stepped in for an injured Ryan Tannehill and Miami rolled to its third straight victory.
Moore threw a touchdown pass to Anthony Fasano, Olivier Vernon recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown and blocked a field goal, and the Dolphins smothered Mark Sanchez and the Jets’ offense Sunday.
After a week of trash talking between both sides, the argument was won on the field by the Dolphins (4-3) — and it was no contest. They were helped by some hideous play by the Jets (3-5), who have lost two straight.
Tannehill injured his left knee and quadriceps muscle on a sack on third down by Calvin Pace on the Dolphins’ second possession of the game. Moore finished 11 of 19 for 131 yards.
Sanchez was 28 of 54 for 283 yards with a touchdown and interception.
LIONS 28, SEAHAWKS 24: Matthew Stafford threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Titus Young with 20 seconds left.
Zach Miller made a spectacular, 16-yard catch on a toss from Russell Wilson with 5:27 left to put the Seahawks ahead.
Seattle (4-4) couldn’t stop the Lions (3-4) on their last possession.
Stafford led a 16-play drive that started at Detroit 20 with 5:27 remaining. The possession began with a 15-yard pass to Calvin
Johnson and was kept alive with third-down conversion passes to Johnson in Lions territory and to Joique Bell to set up the winning score from just outside the goal line.
STEELERS 27, REDSKINS 12: The Steelers turned Robert Griffin III into just another rookie quarterback, swarming Washington’s precocious star in a dominant win.
Griffin completed just 16 of 34 passes for 177 yards and a score while managing 10 yards rushing.
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had no such issues, throwing for 222 yards and three touchdowns as the Steelers (4-3) won consecutive games for the first time this season.
Jonathan Dwyer added 107 yards rushing in his second NFL start. Pittsburgh jumped on Washington (3-5) early, scoring on its first four possessions and never letting Griffin get loose.
Heath Miller caught four 7: Tom Brady led touchdown drives on the first five passes for 46 yards and his sixth touchdown of the season for the Steelers.
BROWNS 7, CHARGERS 6: Rookie Trent Richardson rushed for 122 yards and scored a touchdown in the Browns’ soggy, wind-whipped win.
Richardson, pulled last week at Indianapolis when he was ineffective because of a rib injury, carried 24 times as the Browns (2-6) won their second straight game at home — and first for new owner Jimmy Haslam. Richardson scored on a 26yard run in the first quarter and the Browns were able to hang on despite not generating much offense in blustery, rainy conditions.
The Chargers (3-4) dropped their third straight. San Diego had a final chance, but quarterback Philip Rivers’ pass was batted away by Browns cornerback Buster Skrine with 1:24 left.
Rivers finished 18 of 34 for 154 yards
PATRIOTS 45, RAMS
possessions and New England cruised at Wembley Stadium.
The Rams looked ready to put up a fight when Sam Bradford hit Chris Givens with a 50-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive. But Brady cut through the St. Louis defense at will to give New England a 28-7 lead by halftime, then hit Brandon Lloyd for a 9-yard score to start the third quarter.
New England surpassed 350 yards of total offense for the 17th straight game, breaking an NFL record set by the Rams in 1999-2000.
COLTS 13 OT: Andrew Luck threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Vick Ballard at 4:49 of overtime.
The Colts (4-3) have beaten Tennessee in seven of eight overall and seven of the past 10 in Nashville.
The Colts did it with Luck leading a pair of 80-yard touchdown drives. The top pick overall in April’s draft set up Delone Carter’s 1-yard TD run that tied it up at 13
19, TITANS
with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter.
In overtime, Ballard capped the drive, taking a screen pass and going up the left side where he jumped toward the goal line for the TD. The Titans fell to 3-5.
BEARS 23, PANTHERS 22: Robbie Gould kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to rally the Bears.
The Bears trailed 19-7 in the fourth quarter when the game turned in a big way.
Chicago (6-1) took over on the Carolina 38 after Brad Nortman shanked a 6-yard punt, and Jay Cutler connected with Kellen Davis on a 12yard scoring pass with just under seven minutes left.
Then, on Carolina’s next play, Steve Smith slipped on a pass pattern and Tim Jennings returned his second interception of the game 25 yards for the go-ahead score.
Cam Newton drove the Panthers to the Chicago 27, and Justin Medlock’s 45yard field goal hit the right upright and went through to put Carolina (1-6) ahead 22-20 with 2:27 remaining. Medlock had five field goals.
PACKERS 24, JAGUARS 15: Aaron Rodgers went back to an old favorite, connecting with Donald Driver on a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers threw two touchdowns, passing Bart Starr for second place on Green Bay’s all-time list, and Dezman Moses gave the Packers their first touchdown on a blocked punt in almost 22 years. But Green Bay (5-3) had a surprisingly tough time with the NFL’s worst team, which lost its fourth straight.
Playing without top receivers Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, Green Bay’s offense struggled to find its groove all afternoon. Jacksonville (1-6), meanwhile, looked unfazed by the absence of Maurice JonesDrew. Backup Rashad Jennings finished with 115 yards of offense, and Cecil Shorts had a career-best 116 yards on eight catches.