CINCINNATI — James Conner ran for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the eve of Le’Veon Bell’s possible return, and Antonio Brown turned a short pass into a 31-yard touchdown with 10 seconds left as the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off another improbable comeback in Cincinnati, beating the Bengals 28-21 on Sunday.
The Steelers (3-2-1) have won eight in a row against their AFC North rival, three times rallying in the final minute at Paul Brown Stadium to keep it going. After Joe Mixon’s 4-yard touchdown run with 1:18 left got the Bengals (4-2) thinking this might finally be the time they end the streak, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers stunned them again.
Brown caught a short pass and outran the secondary for the winning score, leaving thousands of Steelers fans twirling their towels in the stands. The Steelers are 16-2 at Paul Brown Stadium during Marvin Lewis’ 16 seasons as Bengals coach, including a pair of playoff wins.
Same outcome as usual. This one ended with a brief scuffle after Andy Dalton’s final pass fell incomplete, leaving him 3-12 all-time against Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have found their stride behind Conner , who became the featured back when Bell decided to hold out. He has run for more than 100 yards in each of the last two games, and his two 1-yard touchdown runs Sunday put him in the company of a pair of Steelers Hall of Famers.
Conner has seven rushing touchdowns in six games, joining Franco Harris (1976) and Jerome Bettis (2004) as the only Steelers with that accomplishment.
RAVENS 21, TITANS 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Ravens piled up a franchise-record 11 sacks in the rain. Za’Darious Smith had three sacks and Patrick Onwuasor had two for the Ravens (4-2), who had six sacks by halftime. They finished a sack off the NFL record for a game, shared by five teams.
Dean Pees and the Titans simply couldn’t stop his old team as the Ravens outgained Tennessee 361-106 and punted only once against a defense led by their former defensive coordinator. Pees came out of a short retirement to join first-year head coach Mike Vrabel.
Joe Flacco threw for 238 yards and a touchdown for Baltimore. Alex Collins scored on TD runs of 13 and 2 yards.
The Titans (3-3) lost their second straight and were shut out at home for the first time since moving into Nissan Stadium in 1999. Tennessee has not scored a touchdown in eight straight quarters. The Ravens couldn’t have looked much better handing Tennessee its first shutout since Nov. 28, 2010.
Marcus Mariota tried playing both with and without the partial glove covering his ring and pinkie fingers on his throwing hand. It didn’t’ help as Mariota was sacked the most in his four-year NFL career and most allowed by the Titans since giving up seven in a loss at Houston on Nov. 1, 2015. Coach Ken Whisenhunt was fired two days later.
RAMS 23, BRONCOS 20
DENVER — Todd Gurley rushed for a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries and the Rams celebrated Wade Phillips’ homecoming.
The Rams, who had surrendered 31 points in back-to-back games, improved to 6-0 in sending the Broncos (2-4) to their fourth straight loss.
The Broncos pulled to 23-20 on Case Keenum’s 1-yard dart to Demaryius Thomas with 1:22 remaining, capping a 77-yard drive that included three defensive penalties. Rams receiver Robert Woods, however, knocked Brandon McManus’ onside kick out of bounds, and the Rams ran out the clock with Jared Goff (14 of 28 for 201 yards) twice taking a knee.
Phillips was the Broncos’ beloved bandmaster when they were celebrating their Super Bowl 50 triumph, but his contract wasn’t renewed after the 2016 season and he joined Sean McVay in sunny Southern California.
After an overnight snowstorm, the game-time temperature of 25 degrees marked the second-coldest in Denver prior to November in franchise history. The cold did nothing to slow down Gurley, who scored his 10th and 11th touchdowns of the season.
COWBOYS 40, JAGUARS 7
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes to Cole Beasley to spark the previously punchless Dallas passing game and rushed for a career-high 82 yards.
Perhaps pumped up by some pregame mingling with UFC fighter Conor McGregor , the Cowboys rolled to a 24-0 halftime lead. Beasley got his first two touchdowns of the season for the NFL’s 30th-ranked passing offense that was facing the league’s No. 1 pass defense.
Prescott had 151 of his 183 yards passing in the first half because Dallas didn’t need to throw while coasting during a second-half blowout that dropped Jacksonville to 3-3.
The 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year had already set his personal best in rushing for a game when he spun out of a sack for the longest run of his career, a 28-yarder. He scored Dallas’ first touchdown on a 17-yard run.
The Cowboys (3-3) won their first three games of the season at 9-year-old AT&T Stadium for the first time. Most of their offensive struggles have been in the three road losses.
Blake Bortles, who established a career high in yards passing in consecutive weeks and had a chance to become the fifth NFL quarterback with three straight games of at least 375 yards, was 15 of 26 for 149 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
DOLPHINS 31, BEARS 28, OT
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jason Sanders kicked a 47-yard field goal on the final play of overtime after Cody Parkey missed a 53-yard try for the Chicago Bears, who blew an 11-point lead in the final 16 minutes of regulation.
Miami’s Brock Osweiler threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns subbing for Ryan Tannehill, who sat out because of an injured throwing shoulder. Albert Wilson turned two short passes into long touchdowns in the fourth quarter and finished with 155 yards on six receptions.
The Dolphins took the kickoff to start overtime, marched 74 yards and were on the verge of victory when Kenyan Drake fumbled just before crossing the goal line. Eddie Goldman recovered for the Bears, who then drove to the Miami 35.
But former Dolphin Parkey was wide right on his attempt with 2 minutes left.
Miami (4-2) snapped a two-game losing streak and ended a three-game winning streak for Chicago (3-2).
The Bears’ offense came alive after they trailed 7-0 at halftime. Miami then rallied from a 21-10 deficit in the final 16 minutes of regulation to tie the game twice and force overtime.
Mitchell Trubisky threw for 316 yards and three second-half touchdowns, but the Bears were hurt by two turnovers in the red zone. Jordan Howard lost a fumble at the 1, and Trubisky was intercepted in the end zone by T.J. McDonald.
FALCONS 34, BUCCANEERS 29
ATLANTA — Matt Ryan threw for 354 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons snapped a three-game losing streak, holding off Tampa Bay in Jameis Winston’s return as Buccaneers starting quarterback.
The Falcons (2-4) scored on their first three possessions and held off a wild comeback by Tampa Bay (2-3), avoiding their first 1-5 start since 2007.
Winston and the Bucs almost pulled off a miracle on the final play of the game after driving to the Atlanta 21. With no timeouts, the quarterback took the snap and tried to surprise the Falcons by taking off up the middle of the field. When he was about to be tackled at the 10, he pitched toward receiver Adam Humphries, who couldn’t hang on.
The ball skipped to Mike Evans, who blindly flung it in the direction of DeSean Jackson at the 5. Jackson might’ve had a chance to dive for the end zone, but he couldn’t come up with another bouncing ball. It hopped out of bounds to end the game.
Jackson ripped off his helmet, kicked the pylon in disgust and headed straight for the locker room.
Winston threw for 395 yards and four TDs but also had a pair of interceptions.
Ryan’s three TD passes gave him 274 in his career, passing Joe Montana for 16th on the career list.
JETS 42, COLTS 34
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jason Myers kicked a franchise-record seven field goals, Sam Darnold threw two touchdown passes, and the Jets held on to win consecutive games for the first time in more than a year.
Morris Claiborne returned the first of three interceptions thrown by Andrew Luck for a touchdown as the Jets (3-3) moved to .500 by taking advantage of mistakes by the short-handed Colts (1-5), who lost their fourth straight.
With Joe Namath and the 1968 Super Bowl-winning team celebrating its 50th anniversary, Darnold was 24 of 30 for 280 yards, with TD throws to Terrelle Pryor and Chris Herndon and an interception to give New York its first back-to-back victories since taking three in a row in Weeks 3-5 last season.
Myers hit field goals from 30, 48, 32, 37, 45, 37 and 45 yards to break the Jets record previously held by Jim Turner (1968) — the kicker for the Super Bowl champions — and Bobby Howfield (1972).
Luck was 23 of 43 for 301 yards with touchdowns to Marcus Johnson, Eric Ebron, Erik Swoope and Chester Rogers, the last coming with 1:51 left to make the score close. Neal Sterling recovered the Colts’ onside kick to seal the win for the Jets.
TEXANS 19, BILLS 14
HOUSTON — Johnathan Joseph’s 28-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:23 remaining lifted the Texans.
Houston trailed by three when Phillip Gaines was called pass interference on Will Fuller in the end zone with 2 minutes remaining, moving the Texans 41 yards to the 1-yard line. But the Texans (3-3) lost 7 yards on three plays, capped by an incomplete pass intended for Ryan Griffin that Matt Milano knocked down to force Houston to kick.
A 27-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn tied it with 1:34 remaining.
Two plays later, Joseph stepped in front of a pass from backup Nathan Peterman intended for Kelvin Benjamin and dashed untouched into the end zone to put the Texans on top and help them avoid their third straight overtime game.
Kareem Jackson intercepted Peterman with 35 seconds left to secure the victory, dropping Buffalo to 2-4.
Joseph’s late-game heroics helped Houston to its third straight win on a day that quarterback Deshaun Watson committed three turnovers.
VIKINGS 27, CARDINALS 17
MINNEAPOLIS — Latavius Murray helped the Minnesota Vikings revive their running attack with 155 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, wearing down the Cardinals.
Even Kirk Cousins joined the fun for the Vikings (3-2-1) with an option-style run across the goal line in the third quarter, before throwing to Adam Thielen for a score on the following possession.
Thielen had 11 receptions for 123 yards, his sixth straight 100-yard game to become the first player in the NFL since 1961 to start a season with a streak that long. Thielen’s 58 catches are the most in league history through six games.
Budda Baker returned a fumble off a sack by Chandler Jones for a 36-yard touchdown and Tre Boston had a diving interception later in the second quarter, and the Cardinals (1-5) constantly pressured Cousins with four sacks, seven hits and seven deflected passes.
Cousins managed to complete 24 of 34 attempts for 233 yards, thanks mostly to Thielen and his exceptional ability to get open anywhere on the field and turn off-target throws into clutch catches.
SEAHAWKS 27, RAIDERS 3
LONDON — Russell Wilson threw for three touchdowns, including one off a botched snap in the second quarter.
Chris Carson rushed for 59 yards and rookie Rashaad Penny gained an additional 43 for the Seahawks (3-3), who played to a vociferously supportive crowd — a London-record 84,922 were in attendance — despite the Raiders (1-5) being the designated home team.
Oakland quarterback Derek Carr left with an apparent left arm injury with 8:52 remaining in the fourth quarter after the last of his six sacks and did not have the chance to return before the Seahawks ran out the clock.
Carr went 23 for 31 for 142 yards. He was hit by Jarran Reed on third down and immediately grabbed his upper left arm as he sat up before being helped to the sideline for evaluation.
Wilson, who completed 17 of 23 attempts for 222 yards with an interception, connected with Jaron Brown for a 5-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter; a 19-yard touchdown pass to David Moore in the second; and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett in the fourth.
After picking up a low snap, Wilson faked a throw and stepped forward, then made a throw to Moore over Daryl Worley. Moore punctuated his touchdown, his third in the Seahawks’ past two games, by accidentally crashing into and tumbling over the temporary video advertising boards set up around the field.
Sebastian Janikowski, who joined the Seahawks in the offseason after 17 seasons with the Raiders, made two field goals.
REDSKINS 23, PANTHERS 17
LANDOVER, Md. — Josh Norman bounced back from his prime-time benching by intercepting former teammate Cam Newton and forcing a fumble.
Norman ended his 19-game interception drought by catching a jump ball thrown by Newton on a third-and-long play early in the second quarter, his first pick since Dec. 24, 2016. Norman also popped the ball out of Panthers rookie receiver D.J. Moore’s hands in a showcase performance against the team that abruptly cut ties with him after his All-Pro 2015 season.
Newton threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns on 27 of 40 passing and rushed for 43 yards in a turnover-marred loss. He engineered a late drive that got the Panthers to the Washington 16-yard line, but threw incomplete on second, third and fourth downs to seal the loss.
Carolina (3-2) was long before that doomed by turnovers, including Moore’s on a punt return that set up Smith’s 22-yard TD pass to Davis.
In his second game with the Panthers, safety Eric Reid continued his tradition of kneeling during the national anthem. Reid took a knee just at the corner of the American flag on the field by the Carolina sideline, the only Panthers player to do so.
Reid last week became the first Carolina player to kneel during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
CHARGERS 38, BROWNS 14
CLEVELAND — Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Tyrell Williams — the veteran quarterback threw a block — and Melvin Gordon had three TD runs as the Chargers banged around rookie Baker Mayfield and the Browns.
The 36-year-old Rivers continued one of the best starts of his 15-year career, leading the Chargers (4-2) to their third straight win. Rivers finished 11 of 20 for 207 yards and had only one mistake, an interception midway through the fourth quarter.
San Diego did most of its damage on the ground, with Gordon running for 132 yards and scoring on runs of 4, 10 and 11 yards.
Rivers and Williams connected on scoring plays of 45 and 29 yards in the first half, and Gordon’s 11-yard run put the Chargers up 35-6.
The Browns (2-3-1) were blown out after playing five tight games — three going to overtime — and showed there’s still a long road ahead.
PATRIOTS 43, CHIEFS 40
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Stephen Gostkowski hit a 28-yard field goal as time expired, and the New England Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs 43-40 on Sunday night after blowing a big halftime lead.
Tom Brady passed for 340 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in his 200th victory as a starting quarterback, tops all-time. Brady also passed former teammate Adam Vinatieri for most career wins in the regular season and playoffs combined with 227.
It was the first loss of the season for the Chiefs (5-1).
New England (4-2) led 24-9 at intermission, but Patrick Mahomes directed an impressive rally by Kansas City in the second half. He finished 23 of 36 for 352 yards in his first loss as a starting quarterback, with three of his four TD passes going to Tyreek Hill.