Mayfield, Garrett, Beckham lead surging Browns past Cowboys
ARLINGTON, Texas — Baker Mayfield threw for two touchdowns, one of which was set up when Myles Garrett had a strip sack for the third straight game, and Cleveland held on for a 49-38 victory over Dallas to improve to 3-1 for the first time since 2001.
Jarvis Landry had his first career touchdown pass in the receiver’s 100th career game, a 37-yard toss to Odell Beckham Jr. in Beckham’s first multi-TD game with the Browns.
Beckham finished with his first three-score game in nearly five years, capped by a 50-yard run on a reverse after the Cowboys had cut a 41-14 deficit to three points with less than four minutes remaining. He had five catches for 81 yards and two scores.
The Browns ran for 307 yards and three touchdowns despite losing lead back Nick Chubb to a knee injury in the first quarter.
Kareem Hunt, who has been battling a groin injury, had 71 yards and two touchdowns, and D’Ernest Johnson doubled his career yardage of 26 yards in the first half alone, finishing with a team-high 95 yards. Beckham had 73 on two carries.
Dak Prescott had his first 500-yard game, finishing with 502 yards passing, and became the first NFL player to throw for at least 450 yards in three consecutive games.
Prescott set that record because the Cowboys (1-3) have played from way behind three straight weeks and now have lost the first of three straight home games.
Saints 35, Lions 29
DETROIT — Drew Brees threw two touchdown passes to Tre’Quan Smith 2:19 apart in the second quarter, helping short-handed New Orleans overcome a 14-point deficit and beat Detroit.
New Orleans (2-2) started the game without six injured starters after a short night of rest. The Saints had a player test falsely positive for the coronavirus Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation, leading to another round of tests for
players and staff overnight in the Motor City.
Early in the game at fan-free Ford Field, the Lions (1-3) looked as though they might take advantage of facing a tired team without three starters on both sides of the ball as they led
14-0 4:37 after kickoff.
New Orleans, though, responded by scoring 35 straight points from late in the first period to midway through the third.
Matthew Stafford ended the Saints’ run with a 1-yard TD pass to T.J. Hockenson late in the third quarter. The Lions pulled within six points with 3:36 left in the fourth on Adrian Peterson’s 5-yard run and Hockenson’s 2-point conversion catch.
The Saints sealed the win with Brees converting a third
and-5 from his 27 with a 19-yard pass to Smith and Alvin Kamara running for 5 yards on third-and-3 from midfield.
Detroit has gotten off to a strong start in every game this season, but only has one victory to show for it.
Vikings 31, Texans 23
HOUSTON — Dalvin Cook ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns and Minnesota withstood a late rally from winless Houston.
The Texans cut the lead to 8 when Deshaun Watson connected with Kenny Stills on a 24-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-10 with about six minutes remaining.
Houston’s defense got a stop and Will Fuller made an acrobatic one-handed catch on fourth down for what was initially ruled a touchdown with about a minute left. But after a review it was determined that the ball hit the ground before Fuller gained control, and Minnesota (1-3) ran out the clock from there.
Alexander Mattison added a rushing touchdown and Kirk Cousins threw for 260 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings.
Houston’s NFL-worst run defense continued to struggle, giving up 162 yards as the Texans dropped to 0-4 for the first time since 2008.
Watson threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns and Fuller had 108 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Minnesota’s Harrison Smith was ejected from the game for a leaping helmet-to-helmet hit on Houston’s Jordan Akins late in the first half.