NFL ROUNDUP: Kick, pick boost help Lions give Eagles first loss

Vikings blow out Texans to stay unbeaten

  • Sunday, October 9, 2016 6:01pm
  • Sports
The Associated Press Detroit’s Darius Slay (23) intercepts a pass intended for Philadelphia’s Nelson Agholor to seal the Lions’ 24-23 upset of the Eagles on Sunday.

The Associated Press Detroit’s Darius Slay (23) intercepts a pass intended for Philadelphia’s Nelson Agholor to seal the Lions’ 24-23 upset of the Eagles on Sunday.

The Associated Press

DETROIT — Matt Prater kicked a 29-yard field goal with 1:28 left and Darius Slay made an over-the-shoulder interception on the next snap, helping the Detroit Lions hand Carson Wentz his first loss with a 24-23 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

The Lions (2-3) had lost three straight.

The Eagles (3-1) turned the ball over for the first time this season with 2:34 remaining when Ryan Matthews fumbled on a hit by Slay. The loose football was recovered by Tyrunn Walker at the Philadelphia 45.

Matthew Stafford set up the game-winning kick by converting a third-and-4 from the Eagles 39 with a perfectly placed pass on a crossing route to Golden Tate, who drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on Malcom Jenkins.

Philadelphia had the ball at its 25 with 1:28 remaining and no timeouts left. Wentz, who did not turn the ball over in his first three games, heaved a pass to Nelson Agholor on first down and Slay made the game-sealing interception at the Detroit 23.

The Lions scored on all three of their drives in the first half, building a 21-7 lead late in the second quarter.

Colts 29, Bears 23

INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck threw a 35-yard TD pass to T.Y. Hilton with 3:43 left Sunday to lead the Indianapolis Colts past the Chicago Bears 29-23.

It’s the first time the Colts (2-3) defeated the Bears in Indianapolis.

After hearing a clamoring for changes all week, Indy went to the hurry-up offense and Luck made the alterations look good early and late.

When the Colts opened up the passing game and took shots down the field, they were efficient. When they didn’t, they bogged down.

The result: Indy had its first halftime lead of the season, 16-13, and when they fell behind midway through the third quarter, the Colts turned up the pace again. This time, Luck needed six plays to move 82 yards — the last 35 coming on the TD pass to Hilton that gave Indy a 26-23 lead.

Luck finished 28 of 39 with 322 yards and two touchdowns. Hilton had 10 catches for 171 yards.

Brian Hoyer was solid in his third straight start and gave Chicago (1-4) a 23-19 lead by capping a 94-yard drive with a 24-yard TD pass to Jordan Howard to make it 23-19 with 7:04 to go. It was the Bears’ longest drive in more than seven years.

Hoyer was 33 of 43 for 397 yards with two touchdowns.

But after a late Bears fumble led to Adam Vinatieri’s fifth field goal, Hoyer couldn’t convert on fourth-and-8 from Indy’s 28-yard line.

Steelers 31, Jets 13

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger passed for 380 yards and four touchdowns and the surging Pittsburgh Steelers pulled away in the second half for a 31-13 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.

Sammie Coates caught six passes for a career-high 139 yards and two scores, including a 72-yard catch-and-run for a score.

The Steelers moved the ball at will against a secondary missing injured star Darrelle Revis.

Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell racked up 154 yards of total offense, including a career-high nine receptions, while Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.

New York’s (1-4) Ryan Fitzpatrick avoided the interceptions that have plagued him this season, completing 25 of 38 for 265 yards and a touchdown to Brandon Marshall.

Pittsburgh (4-1) played without starting right tackle Marcus Gilbert, but had little trouble protecting Roethlisberger from one of the NFL’s top defensive lines. Roethlisberger was sacked just once and rarely pressured as he spread the ball around. Six Steelers had at least two receptions.

Redskins 16, Ravens 10

BALTIMORE — The Washington Redskins abandoned their usual formula for victory — the passing of Kirk Cousins — to extend their winning streak to three.

Washington used an 85-yard punt return by Jamison Crowder and an uncharacteristically strong performance by its defense to beat the Baltimore Ravens 16-10 on Sunday.

The Redskins (3-2) gave up a touchdown on the game’s opening drive and smothered the Ravens (3-2) the rest of the way.

Cousins went 29 for 41 for 260 yards. But it was the defense that won the game for the Redskins.

Washington repeatedly frustrated Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, who was 30 for 46 for 210 yards and sacked three times.

The game wasn’t decided until the final minute, when an apparent 23-yard touchdown catch by Baltimore’s Breshad Perriman was overturned by replay. Perriman got his right foot down in the end zone, but his left foot was out of bounds.

Vikings 31, Texans 13

MINNEAPOLIS — Adam Thielen caught a touchdown pass to cap Minnesota’s opening drive and finished with a career-high 127 yards, and the Vikings defense flustered Brock Osweiler and the Houston Texans on their way to a 31-13 victory on Sunday.

Marcus Sherels returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown and Cordarelle Patterson scored on another sharp throw by Sam Bradford, who produced another turnover-free game and deftly guided the Vikings (5-0) into their bye week.

Brock Osweiler was overmatched by Minnesota’s relentless rush and coverage, finishing 19 for 42 for 184 yards, one interception and a late touchdown pass while taking four sacks for the Texans (3-2).

Patriots 33, Browns 13

CLEVELAND — Tom Brady, looking razor-sharp at times and relatively rust-free after serving his four-game “Deflategate” suspension, passed for 406 yards and three touchdowns to Martellus Bennett in his hyped return and the New England Patriots thumped the Cleveland Browns 33-13 on Sunday.

He took out some of that built-up frustration on the Browns (0-5), throwing for 271 yards in the first half, as the Patriots (4-1) rebounded after being shut out last week at home by Buffalo.

Brady threw two short TD passes in the first half to Bennett before hooking up with his new teammate again on a 37-yarder to give the Patriots a 30-7 lead in the third quarter.

Titans 30, Dolphins 17

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Marcus Mariota threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score, helping the Tennessee Titans overcome a handful of big plays by the Miami Dolphins to win 30-17 Sunday.

Mariota went 20 for 29 for 163 yards with no interceptions, and ran seven times for 60 yards.

DeMarco Murray added 121 yards rushing for the Titans, who totaled 235 on the ground. They improved to 2-3, and Miami fell to 1-4.

Cowboys 28, Bengals 14

ARLINGTON, Texas — Ezekiel Elliott ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns, fellow rookie Dak Prescott threw for a score and ran for another TD, and the Dallas Cowboys beat the Cincinnati Bengals 28-14 on Sunday.

Prescott had his first turnover in five games starting in place of injured Tony Romo, a fumble when being sacked late in the third quarter. But Prescott extended his NFL rookie record to 155 passes without an interception to start his career. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 227 yards.

Elliott, on only 15 carries, became the first Cowboys rookie with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games.

Dallas (4-1) has won four in a row. The Bengals (2-3) already have a losing record a year after being 8-0 midway through the season.

Falcons 23, Broncos 16

DENVER — Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons didn’t need another 300-yard performance from Julio Jones to decipher Denver’s dazzling defense and wreck Paxton Lynch’s first NFL start with a 23-16 win over Broncos on Sunday.

Using a steady dose of I-formation runs and short passes that put Denver’s linebackers in coverage, the Falcons (4-1) handed the Super Bowl champs their first loss since Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh and left the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) as the NFL’s last unbeaten team.

The Broncos (4-1) were on their heels having to respect the play-action because Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman were so effective running the ball, combining for 119 yards and a 4.4-yard average.

Bills 30, Rams 19

LOS ANGELES — Nickell Robey-Coleman returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, LeSean McCoy rushed for 150 yards, and the Buffalo Bills won their third consecutive game by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 30-19 on Sunday.

Robey-Coleman stepped in front of rookie receiver Pharoh Cooper and strolled down the sideline to put the Bills ahead 23-16 with 3:54 left in the third quarter.

The big play allowed the Bills to finish off the Rams (3-2) and end their three-game winning streak. Robey-Coleman added another interception in the final minutes.

The Bills stopped Bradley Marquez on a fake punt at the Rams 25 with 3:41 remaining.

Raiders 34, Chargers 31

OAKLAND, Calif. — Derek Carr threw a go-ahead 21-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree on a fourth-and-2 gamble and added another TD pass to Amari Cooper to lead the Oakland Raiders (4-1) to a 34-31 victory San Diego Chargers.

San Diego (1-4) committed four turnovers and then botched the hold on a potential tying field goal. Rookie Drew Kaser couldn’t hold the snap on what would have been a 36-yard field goal attempt.

The Raiders (4-1) took over with 2 minutes left and ran out most of the clock to get a third straight win for the first time in five years and hand San Diego its 10th straight division loss.

Oakland took the lead on a bold call late in the third quarter. Facing a fourth-and-2 at the 21 late in the third quarter trailing by five, coach Jack Del Rio once again trusted his offense to make a big play and it paid off.

Carr found Crabtree deep down the left side for the touchdown that put the Raiders up 25-24. A 2-point conversion pass to Cooper gave Oakland a three-point lead and Jamize Olawale added a 1-yard run that made it 34-24 on a drive set up by Kaser’s 16-yard punt.

Carr threw for 317 yards, including a 64-yard pass earlier in the third quarter that gave Cooper his first touchdown of the season. Cooper had six catches for a career-high 138 yards.

Philip Rivers threw for 365 yards and four scores for the Chargers, who were once again done in by their own mistakes. San Diego has three losses already this season in games it led at the two-minute warning.

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