UNDATED (AP) — Among the early games in the NFL there were two contests featuring two division leaders. In each case the home team won quite easily.
In Green Bay the Packers got another good game out of quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a 38-17 win over Carolina. Rodgers threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns as the NFC North leading Packers upped their record to 5-2. The loss dropped the Panthers, who came into the game leading the NFC South, to 3-3-1. Randall Cobb was Rodgers’ favorite target as he caught the ball for 121 yards. The game was virtually over at the half with Green Bay leading 28-3. The Packers defense bottled up Carolina quarterback Cam Newton holding him to just 41 yards rushing in seven attempts. Last week he carried the ball a career-high 17 times.
The Colts had no trouble manhandling the Cincinnati Bengals in Indianapolis. The Colts, who lead the AFC South, blanked the Bengals, who began the day in first place in the AFC North, 27-0. Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes in the win as the Colts improved to 5-2 while the Bengals fell to 3-2-1. Luck was 27 of 42 for 344 yards as Indianapolis won its fifth straight. It was Indy’s first shutout since December 2008. The Bengals, who haven’t won since starting 3-0, endured their first shutout since December 2009. The offense was so futile that the Bengals had a franchise record tying 11 punts. Conversely the Colts’ offense tore things up with 506 yards.
Baltimore is now 5-2 in the AFC North after a 29-7 pasting of the Falcons. The Ravens looked pretty secure at the half with a 17-0 lead. The Falcons averted their first shutout loss in ten years when Matt Ryan connected on a four yard touchdown pass to Roddy White with 7:12 remaining. The Ravens have won four of their last five games. The lopsided win is Baltimore’s second straight after a 48-17 win last week over Tampa Bay.
Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:38, including the winner to Corey Fuller with 1:48 remaining, as the Detroit Lions rallied for a 24-23 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The Saints seemed to be in control late in the fourth quarter before Stafford found Golden Tate for a 73-yard catch-and-run that made it 23-17. Then Drew Brees (breez) was intercepted on third down, setting up the winning score. The Lions are now 5-2 while the Saints fell to 2-4. The Saints committed 12 penalties for 134 yards.
Defending NFL champion Seattle was defeated by the Rams in St. Louis, 28-26. Punter Johnny Hekker’s pass from the St. Louis 18 caught the Seattle Seahawks by surprise for the last of three big plays by Rams special teams in the win. Stedman Bailey had a 90-yard touchdown on a trick return that fooled the Seahawks into thinking another player was going to catch the punt, and Benny Cunningham’s 75-yard kickoff return set up an early touchdown for the 2-4 Rams. The Seahawks dominated statistically, outgaining the Rams 463-272, but they dropped their third game of the season against three wins.
Ryan Tannehill threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns as the Dolphins beat the Bears in Chicago 27-14. Tannehill connected on his first 14 passes and was 25 of 32 overall, helping Miami bounce back from a 27-24 loss to Green Bay. Lamar Miller also had a 2-yard touchdown run for the 3-3 Dolphins, who had lost three of four since an opening victory over New England. The 3-4 Bears remained winless in three home games this season and have dropped five of their last seven at Soldier Field.
Kai Forbath kicked a 22-yard field goal on the last play of the game, and Colt McCoy stepped in after Kirk Cousins was benched at halftime to lead the Washington Redskins to a 19-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. McCoy completed 11 of 12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown in his first meaningful role in a win since Nov. 20, 2011, when he led the Cleveland Browns to a 14-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Redskins snapped a four-game losing streak to improve to 2-5. The Titans fell to 2-5.
Denard (duh-NARD’) Robinson ran for a career-high 127 yards and a touchdown as Jacksonville snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 24-6 home win over Cleveland. The win was the Jags first since beating Houston on Dec. 15, 2013. The 3-3 Browns settled for field goals on two trips inside the 20 yard line and failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at the 24. Cleveland, which entered the game with the league’s third-best rushing attack, was held in check. The Browns ran 30 times for 69 yards.
Kyle Orton hit Sammy Watkins on a 2-yard touchdown for the winning score with 1 second remaining as the Buffalo Bills beat the Minnesota Vikings 17-16. The touchdown capped a 15-play, 80-yard drive which Orton extended by converting a fourth-and-20 and a third-and-12. Orton set up the decisive score with a 28-yard pass to Chris Hogan at the Vikings 2. It was Orton’s second last-second victory in three starts for Buffalo, which is now 4-3. Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went 15 of 26 for 157 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the 2-5 Vikings, who have lost three straight.
The NFL game this evening features a good matchup with a top AFC team squaring off with a top NFC club. In Denver, the 4-1 Broncos are facing the 4-2 San Francisco 49ers. The spotlight, as usual, will fall on Denver quarterback Peyton Manning who needs three touchdown passes to become the all-time NFL leader for career TD passes.
He currently trails former Green Bay star Brett Favre (farv) who retired with 508. A win by Denver would even the series between the two teams at seven wins apiece.
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