HOUSTON — The Houston Texans look like the new bullies in the AFC, while the Baltimore Ravens look like a mess without Ray Lewis.
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans look like the new bullies in the AFC, while the Baltimore Ravens look like a mess without Ray Lewis.
Matt Schaub threw two touchdown passes, Arian Foster ran for two scores, and the Texans dominated a showdown of the conference’s top two teams, routing the Ravens 43-13 on Sunday.
Johnathan Joseph returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown, and the Texans (6-1) finally beat Baltimore, who’d won all six previous meetings and eliminated them from last year’s playoffs.
About the only positive sign for the Ravens (5-2) was the return of 2011 defensive player of the year Terrell Suggs, who saw his first action since undergoing surgery on his right Achilles tendon last May. Suggs sacked Schaub in the first quarter and finished with three tackles.
Otherwise, Baltimore’s defense seemed overmatched without Lewis and cornerback Lardarius Webb, who were placed on injured reserve this week. Safety Ed Reed, who acknowledged this week that he’s been playing with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, left in the fourth quarter with a chest injury.
The Ravens gave up their highest points total since a 44-20 loss to Indianapolis in 2007, and their offense didn’t look any better.
Flacco was off-target and under pressure most of the game, Ray Rice was held to 42 yards rushing, and no Baltimore receiver had a reception longer than 15 yards.
Houston, meanwhile, returned to form a week after getting embarrassed by Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay. Schaub completed 23 of 37 passes for 256 yards, and the Texans set a franchise record for points in a game and finished with 420 yards.
GIANTS 27,
REDSKINS 23
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Eli Manning threw a 77-yard scoring pass to Victor Cruz with 1:13 to play, and New York overcame a late touchdown by rookie sensation Robert Griffin III.
Manning’s pass to Cruz came two plays and 19 seconds after Griffin capped what was a potential game-winning, 77-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss. The rookie had kept the drive alive with a 19-yard pass off a desperate scramble on a fourth-and-10 play deep in his own territory and a 24-yard run on the next play.
Cruz, however, blew by Josh Wilson and Madieu Williams, and the more than 80,000 fans in MetLife Stadium celebrated as Manning triumphantly pumped his fist.
Griffin had Washington moving for another score when Moss was stripped by Chase Blackburn after an 11-yard reception, and rookie Jayron Hosley recovered at the Washington 43.
PACKERS 30,
RAMS 20
ST. LOUIS — Aaron Rodgers threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns, and Green Bay’s depleted defense flourished on the road.
Randall Cobb caught two touchdown passes, and Jordy Nelson had eight receptions for a season-best 122 yards for the Packers (4-3), who brought a huge contingent of cheeseheads that was just as loud as the home fans and chanted “Go, Pack, Go!” during the Rams’ final possession. Rookie Casey Hayward made his first start in place of injured Sam Shields and intercepted his fourth pass in three games.
Green Bay ended the Texans’ unbeaten start at Houston last week but had alternated losses and wins the first six weeks. Rodgers was 30-for-37 for his fourth 300-yard game this season.
SAINTS 35,
BUCCANEERS 28
TAMPA, Fla. — Jonathan Vilma played for the first time while appealing a season-long suspension for his role in the Saints bounty program, and Drew Brees threw for 377 yards and four touchdowns in the come-from-behind win.
While it’s debatable how much Vilma’s return impacted the Saints defense, the unit turned back two drives near the end zone in the second half, including the final three plays of the game to preserve New Orleans’ second straight win.
Brees extended his NFL record for consecutive games with at least one TD pass to 49, while leading long scoring drives on four straight possessions to turn a 14-point deficit into a 28-21 halftime lead.
Josh Freeman threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns for the Bucs. His bid to force overtime ended with three straight incompletions from inside the Saints’ 10.
PATRIOTS 29,
JETS 26 (OT)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rob Ninkovich recovered a fumble by Mark Sanchez after Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 48-yard field goal in overtime for New England.
The Patriots (4-3) moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC East. The day started with all four teams tied at 3-3, but the Jets (3-4) and the Buffalo Bills lost, while the Miami Dolphins were idle.
Gostkowski tied the game with a 43-yard field goal on the last play of regulation.
In overtime, each team gets the ball unless the first team with it scores a touchdown. So the Jets had a chance after the Patriots kicked a field goal. New York moved from its 15 to its 40 before Sanchez lost the ball as he was being sacked, and Ninkovich recovered to end the game.
RAIDERS 26,
JAGUARS 23 (OT)
OAKLAND, Calif. — Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 40-yard field goal after Cecil Shorts III fumbled on the opening possession of overtime, and Oakland rallied from 14 points down in the second half.
Carson Palmer threw one TD pass and ran for another to force overtime for the Raiders (2-4) before they won it after Lamarr Houston forced a fumble that Joselio Hanson recovered at the Jacksonville 21.
After one play to center the ball, Janikowski came on to kick the winning field goal to end a rough day for the Jaguars (1-5).
The Jaguars lost star running back Maurice Jones-Drew to a left foot injury on the opening drive and quarterback Blaine Gabbert to an injured left shoulder in the second quarter and managed only two first downs after halftime behind backup quarterback Chad Henne.
COLTS 17,
BROWNS 13
INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck became the first Colts quarterback to run for two touchdowns in a game since 1988.
Indy (3-3) has already won one more game than it did in 2011.
Brandon Weeden threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but Trent Richardson, who tried to play through a rib cartilage injury, sat out the second half after running eight times for 8 yards in the first half. The Browns (1-6) have lost 11 straight road games.
Luck scored on runs of 3 and 5 yards in the first half.
Weeden threw a 14-yard TD pass to Greg Little in the second quarter and a 33-yard TD pass to Josh Gordon in the third quarter.
COWBOYS 19,
PANTHERS 14
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dan Bailey made a go-ahead 28-yard field goal with 3:25 remaining to help Dallas end a two-game losing streak.
With Dallas trailing 14-13, Tony Romo led the Cowboys (3-3) into field goal range with a 10-play, 44-yard drive to send Dallas to its ninth consecutive regular-season victory over the Panthers (1-5).
Romo had 227 yards and a touchdown.
On a fourth-and-1 at their 39, the Panthers caught Dallas’ defense changing personnel, and Cam Newton quickly completed a pass for an apparent first down. But officials ruled the Cowboys called timeout before the snap. On the ensuing play, Morris Claiborne collided with receiver Louis Murphy before the ball arrived, but no flag was thrown.
Bailey added his fourth field goal of the game with 53 seconds left.
TITANS 35,
BILLS 34
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Matt Hasselbeck hit Nate Washington for a 15-yard touchdown with 1:03 left in leading Tennessee.
It was Hasselbeck’s 22nd career fourth-quarter comeback and second in consecutive weeks. It happened in a game in which running back Chris Johnson enjoyed a long awaited breakout performance with 195 yards rushing and two scores.
Jamie Harper also scored twice for Tennessee (3-4). Jason McCourty’s interception of a Ryan Fitzpatrick pass set up the decisive drive.
VIKINGS 21,
CARDINALS 14
MINNEAPOLIS — Adrian Peterson ran for 153 yards and a first-quarter touchdown, and Minnesota survived an ugly second half to hang on for the win.
Percy Harvin caught Christian Ponder’s only touchdown pass, but Ponder threw an interception that led to a second-quarter touchdown run by LaRod Stephens-Howling. Ponder has seven turnovers in the last three games; two of them were turned into touchdowns last week at Washington.