TAYSOM Hill rushed for two touchdowns and the host New Orleans Saints won their seventh consecutive game by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 24-9 on Sunday afternoon.
Hill made his first National Football League (NFL) start at quarterback as Drew Brees began at least a three-game absence due to rib and lung injuries. Hill completed 18 of 23 passes for 233 yards and had scoring runs of 2 and 10 yards among his team-high 51 rushing yards as the NFC South-leading Saints improved to 8-2.
New Orleans plays its next three games on the road, including a rematch with the Falcons in two weeks.
Alvin Kamara added a rushing touchdown and All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas caught nine of Hill’s passes for 104 yards.
The Saints sacked Matt Ryan eight times, including three by Cameron Jordan and two each by fellow end Trey Hendrickson and tackle David Onyemata, as the Falcons fell to 3-7 overall and 3-2 under interim head coach Raheem Morris.
WASHINGTON 20, BENGALS 9
The Washington Football Team broke a two-game slide and dispatched visiting Cincinnati at Landover, Md., in a game marred by a left knee injury to Bengals’ rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.
Burrow was carted off the field after the injury early in the third quarter. He went down after getting hit below the waist while another defender hit him high from the opposite side on a throw. Players from both teams offered words to Burrow as he was treated and taken off, including Washington quarterback Alex Smith. With the game still in progress, Burrow tweeted: “Thanks for all the love. Can’t get rid of me that easy. See ya next year.”
Smith, just two years removed from his own gruesome leg injury, completed 17 of 25 passes for 166 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first home start this year for Washington (3-7). The Bengals (2-7-1) went with Ryan Finley (3 of 10, 30 yards, interception) after Burrow’s injury.
COLTS 34, PACKERS 31 (OT)
Rodrigo Blankenship kicked four field goals — including a game-ending 39-yarder with 7:10 to go in overtime — as host Indianapolis rallied to defeat Green Bay.
Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling fumbled a screen pass from Aaron Rodgers on the opening possession of OT to give the Colts the ball deep inside Packers territory.
Philip Rivers was 24 of 36 for 288 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for the Colts (7-3), who outscored the Packers 20-3 in the second half and overtime. Rodgers was 27 of 38 for 311 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, one of four turnovers for Green Bay (7-3).
BROWNS 22, EAGLES 17
Sione Takitaki returned an interception for a touchdown and Olivier Vernon had three sacks and a safety to lift Cleveland past visiting Philadelphia at rainy FirstEnergy Stadium.
Nick Chubb rushed for 114 yards and Kareem Hunt scored from 5 yards out for the Browns (7-3), who are off to their best 10-game start since going 8-2 in 1994. Cleveland’s victory over Philadelphia snapped a five-game losing streak in the series.
Carson Wentz threw for 235 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions for the Eagles (3-6-1), who had 315 total yards and three turnovers en route to losing their second consecutive contest.
PANTHERS 20, LIONS 0
Carolina posted its first shutout in five years and second-string quarterback P.J. Walker orchestrated enough offense to down visiting Detroit in Charlotte, NC.
Walker, a former XFL player making his first start in the NFL, completed 24 of 34 passes for 258 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted twice, both times in the end zone after the Panthers had the ball inside the Detroit 10-yard line. The Panthers played without starting QB Teddy Bridgewater and standout running back Christian McCaffrey, who both missed due to injury.
Carolina (4-7) snapped a five-game losing streak by winning for the second time this season at home. Lions quarterback Matt Stafford, who wore a protective wrap on his right thumb, completed 18 of 33 passes for 178 yards. He was sacked five times. Detroit (4-6) finished with just 185 yards of total offense.
STEELERS 27, JAGUARS 3
Ben Roethlisberger passed for 267 yards and two touchdowns as visiting Pittsburgh overcame a slow start to remain unbeaten with a win over Jacksonville.
Pittsburgh (10-0) remains the lone unbeaten team in the NFL.
Roethlisberger was 32 of 46 with touchdown passes to Chase Claypool and Eric Ebron. Diontae Johnson had 12 catches for 111 yards. Benny Snell added a touchdown run.
TITANS 30, RAVENS 24 (OT)
Derrick Henry’s 29-yard touchdown run with 5:21 left in overtime Sunday capped a Tennessee rally from a 21-10 third-quarter deficit as it stopped host Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium.
Henry, who finished with 133 yards on 28 carries, jump-cut from left to right around a tackler and sped into the end zone for his second walk-off score of the year. It finished a 73-yard drive that started after the Ravens (6-4) went three-and-out with their overtime possession.
Ryan Tannehill completed 22 of 31 passes for 259 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Tennessee (7-3). Lamar Jackson connected on 17 of 29 throws for 186 yards with a touchdown and a pick for the Ravens. Baltimore forced overtime when Justin Tucker converted his third field goal of the day, a 29-yarder with 15 seconds left in regulation.
CHARGERS 34, JETS 28
Justin Herbert threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns to lead Los Angeles to a 34-28 victory over winless New York on Sunday at Inglewood, Calif.
Keenan Allen caught a franchise-record 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers (3-7) as Herbert became the first NFL rookie to throw at least three touchdowns in five or more games. He was 37 of 49 without an interception.
Joe Flacco completed 15 of 30 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns for the Jets (0-10), who extended their longest single-season losing streak in franchise history. Los Angeles built a 31-13 lead on Herbert’s third touchdown pass of the game, a 13-yarder to Allen, with 5:33 left in the third quarter.
TEXANS 27, PATRIOTS 20
Deshaun Watson passed for 344 yards and totaled three touchdowns while Houston’s beleaguered run defense held firm in the victory over visiting New England at NRG Stadium.
The Texans (3-7) amassed 399 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per play. Ka’imi Fairbairn booted field goals of 36 and 46 yards in the second half to help keep the Patriots (4-6) at bay.
New England twice rallied to within four points in the second half but could not secure the lead. Cam Newton passed for 365 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown to Damiere Byrd in the third quarter, his first touchdown toss to a Patriots wide receiver this season.
BRONCOS 20, DOLPHINS 13
Melvin Gordon III rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns, Phillip Lindsay ran for 82 yards, and host Denver snapped Miami’s five-game winning streak.
Drew Lock overcame an early interception to throw for 270 yards on 18-for-30 passing. Tim Patrick had five receptions for 119 yards for Denver (4-6), which ended a two-game losing streak.
Tua Tagovailoa was 11-for-20 passing for 83 yards and a touchdown for the Dolphins (6-4) before being replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter. Fitzpatrick was 12-for-18 for 117 yards and an interception, which came in the Broncos’ end zone with 1:03 left to end a comeback bid.
COWBOYS 31, VIKINGS 28
Andy Dalton threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz with 1:37 to go, and Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak by beating host Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Dalton completed 22 of 32 passes for 203 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for the Cowboys (3-7). Ezekiel Elliott had 21 carries for 103 yards to go along with a receiving touchdown.
The loss spoiled a standout performance by Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who completed 22 of 30 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. Adam Thielen had eight catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (4-6), which had a three-game winning streak snapped. — Reuters