Steelers roll to best start at 10-0; Saints win seventh straight
Pittsburgh’s latest victory was picture perfect.
The Steelers defense gathered in the end zone after each turnover — four times in all — and posed for the cameras. Some of the celebrations were planned, some candid, most cheesy.
All of them well-deserved.
Ben Roethlisberger and Co. gladly shared the spotlight during a 27-3 drubbing of skidding Jacksonville on Sunday. After all, it was the defense’s latest and greatest performance of the season.
Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted two passes each and the Steelers steamrolled the lowly Jaguars (1-9) to get to 10-0 for the first time in franchise history.
“They’re fun to watch,” Roethlisberger said. “They’re turning the ball, getting turnovers for us.”
Rookie quarterback Jake Luton looked lost most of the day against the blitzing Steelers, who allowed 206 yards and finished with just two sacks even though Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt dominated Jacksonville’s offensive tackles. Luton completed 16 of 37 passes for 151 yards, with four interceptions and a couple more close calls.
“No matter what happens on the last play, you’ve got to play the next one,” Luton said. “Whatever happened last time, you can’t let it affect you. That’s the mindset I try to have. Unfortunately, it kept pouring into another bad play into another bad play and I can’t let that happen. I’ve got to clear it and move it onto the next snap.”
Saints 24, Falcons 9: ●
Taysom Hill rushed for two touchdowns and passed for 233 yards in his first NFL start at quarterback, and host New Orleans beat Atlanta for its seventh straight victory.
With 41-year-old quarterback Drew Brees sidelined at least three games with multiple rib fractures, Saints coach Sean Payton gave Hill the nod over offseason free-agent acquisition Jameis Winston.
Hill, who started his career as a utility player with the Saints in 2017, looked comfortable running the scheme Payton designed for him this week. He completed 18 of 23 passes (78.3%) without an interception and used his all-around athleticism to run intermittently on scrambles or designed read-option plays, finishing with a team-high 51 yards rushing.
Chargers 34, Jets 28:
Keenan Allen set a Chargers franchise record with 16 receptions, Justin Herbert threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns and host Los Angeles held snapped a three-game losing streak. The prolificcatch day helped Allen tie Antonio Brown as the fastest to reach 600 receptions. Both reached the mark in their 96th career game. It is also Allen’s sixth game with 13 or more receptions, the most by a player in NFL history.
Allen had 145 yards receiving and a 13-yard TD in the third quarter to extend the lead for the Chargers (3-7) to 31-13.
Redskins 20, Ben
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gals 9: Top pick Joe Burrow was carted off with a left knee injury before
Alex Smith rallied host Washington past Cincinnati to keep his team in the thick of the NFC East race. Burrow, Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback, was injured early in the third quarter when he was hit high and low by two Washington linemen after throwing a pass. His left leg bent awkwardly, and he couldn’t put any weight on it, ending his day at 22-of-34 passing for 203 yards and a touchdown.
Texans 27, Patriots
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20: Deshaun Watson threw for 344 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, and J.J. Watt defended a career-high four passes to lead host Houston over New England. Watson’s two touchdown passes and scoring run all came in the first half as the Texans (3-7) built a 21-10 halftime lead.
●Browns 22, Eagles
17: Kareem Hunt hurdled Philadelphia’s Jalen Mills on a touchdown run, Olivier Vernon stepped up with star Myles Garrett out with COVID-19 by getting three sacks and a safety, and host Cleveland stayed firmly in the playoff picture with a victory over the Eagles. Hunt’s leaping 5-yard score came shortly after a dazzling 54-yard run by Nick Chubb as the Browns finally found traction in their running game in a constant downpour.
Lions 20, Panthers 0: P.J. Walker threw for 258 yards and a TD in his first NFL start, the muchmaligned Carolina defense earned its first shutout since 2015 and the Panthers defeated visiting Detroit to snap a fivegame losing streak. Walker, a former XFL player, was made the starter less than two hours before kickoff when Teddy Bridgewater was officially ruled out with a knee injury.
●Cowboys 31, Vikings 28: Andy Dalton returned from a two-game absence to throw three touchdown passes, hitting Dalton Schultz for a 2-yard score with 1:37 left to lift Dallas over host Minnesota to stop the Cowboys’ fourgame losing streak.