Mitch outduels Brady
Trubisky returns to lead Steelers to upset of Bucs
PITTSBURGH — Mitch Trubisky came on for an injured Kenny Pickett to throw a 6-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and the Steelers’ maligned defense made it stand up in a stunning 2018 victory over Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on Sunday.
The Steelers (2-4) snapped a four-game losing streak by relying on a largely anonymous defense missing almost its entire starting secondary.
Brady struggled to take advantage behind an offensive line that had issues protecting him. The 45-year-old — who at one point excoriated the line for underperforming against a team that had just three sacks in the last four games coming in — completed 25 of 40 passes for 243 yards and an 11-yard touchdown to Leonard Fournette with
4:38 remaining to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to two.
Steelers linebacker Devin Bush broke up the two-point conversion attempt and Pittsburgh ran out the clock behind Trubisky to avoid its first 1-5 start since 1988.
BILLS 24, CHIEFS 20
Josh Allen threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead toss to Dawson Knox with 1:04 remaining, and the Bills beat the Chiefs in Kansas City to exact a small measure of revenge for their epic overtime loss in last year’s playoffs.
Stefon Diggs caught 10 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, and Gabe Davis also caught at TD pass after torching Kansas City for four of them in January, as the Bills (5-1) finally walked out of Arrowhead Stadium a winner.
SEAHAWKS 19, CARDINALS 9
Rookie Kenneth Walker III rushed for an 11-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and the host Seahawks beat the Cardinals.
The Seahawks (3-3) jumped into a share of the lead in the NFC West with San Francisco, which lost earlier Sunday at Atlanta.
RAMS 24, PANTHERS 10
Matthew Stafford passed for 253 yards, Darrell Henderson and receiver Ben Skowronek rushed for touchdowns in the second half, and the Rams snapped their two-game skid with a home victory over the Panthers.
Allen Robinson caught a TD pass for the defending Super Bowl champion Rams (3-3), who bounced back from two straight ugly defeats and the latest injury setback for their offensive line to spoil Steve Wilks’ debut as the Panthers’ interim head coach.
PATRIOTS 38, BROWNS 15
Rookie backup Bailey Zappe threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns in his third NFL game, Bill Belichick tied George Halas for second on the all-time list with his 324th victory, and the Patriots buried the Browns in Cleveland. Zappe, starting his second game in place of the injured Mac Jones, threw second-half TD passes to Tyquan Thornton and Hunter Henry as the Patriots (3-3) pulled away from the anemic Browns. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for two touchdowns for New England.
Zappe finished 24 of 34 passing a week after he threw for 188 yards and a touchdown in his first start last week in a 29-0 victory over Detroit.
Belichick, who is 324-159 including the playoffs, has a chance to pass Halas next Monday night at home against Chicago — the franchise with which Halas won all his games.
COLTS 34, JAGUARS 27
Matt Ryan threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce with 17 seconds to play, leading the host Colts to the victory over Jacksonville.
The win ends Indy’s two-game skid against their AFC South rival and marks the third time this season Ryan has led the Colts (3-2-1) to a come-from-behind victory.
It’s the fifth straight loss in Indy for the Jaguars (2-4). The home team has won 11 straight in this series.
BENGALS 30, SAINTS 26
In New Orleans, Joe Burrow passed for three touchdowns and scrambled 19 yards for a score, and the Bengals rallied to beat the Saints.
Two of Burrow’s touchdown tosses went to Ja’Marr Chase — just like the previous time the pair
played in college in the Superdome in a national championship game triumph with LSU.
The second came on a quick pass to the left sideline that Chase turned into a 60-yard, go-ahead score with 1:57 left — a play in which the star receiver spun away from cornerback Bradley Roby before outrunning safety Tyrann Mathieu.
VIKINGS 24, DOLPHINS 16
Dalvin Cook rushed for a 53yard insurance touchdown in the fourth quarter and the visiting Vikings held on to beat the injury-riddled Dolphins.
Cook was quiet most of the afternoon until his score with 3:25 left restored Minnesota’s
two-touchdown lead.
Miami had rallied behind Teddy Bridgewater, a former Viking who returned Sunday from concussion protocol but was only put into game action after third-stringer Skylar Thompson injured his thumb in the second quarter.
Cook’s burst followed a fumble by Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle on a drive when Miami was swiftly moving the ball down the field, trailing, 16-10.
FALCONS 28, NINERS 14
Marcus Mariota threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another score against the NFL’s top-ranked defense, leading the host Falcons to victory over the 49ers.
Mariota completed his first 13 passes for the Falcons (3-3), finally throwing his lone incompletion on his final attempt of the day with less than 11 minutes remaining. He finished with 129 yards through the air in Atlanta’s conservative passing game, also rushing for 50 yards on six carries.
The Niners (3-3) couldn’t overcome two interceptions by Jimmy Garoppolo and a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by the Falcons.
Kyle Pitts caught his first TD pass of the season and just the second of his 22-game career, hauling in a 7-yard throw from Mariota that prompted the young tight end to break out the vintage “Dirty Bird” dance.