Falcons remain perfect with win at Philly
The Associated Press
| Monday, October 29, 2012, 10:05 a.m.
PHILADELPHIA — Matt Ryan threw touchdown passes on Atlanta’s first three possessions against Philadelphia and new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and the Falcons remained the NFL’s only unbeaten team with a 30-17 victory over the Eagles on Sunday.
The Falcons improved to 7-0 for the first time in franchise history while the Eagles (3-4) lost after a bye for the first time in 14 games under coach Andy Reid since 1999.
Ryan finished 22-of-29 for 262 yards and three TDs for his first win against his hometown team in three tries.
Michael Vick didn’t turn the ball over for once, but he played so-so and failed to beat his former team in his second start against the Falcons since returning to the NFL in 2009.
The Falcons scored on their first six possessions before punting for the first time with 5:35 left.
GIANTS 29,
COWBOYS 24
ARLINGTON, Texas — Lawrence Tynes kicked two of his five field goals in the fourth quarter, and Eli Manning and New York remained undefeated at Cowboys Stadium with a win after blowing a 23-point lead.
The Giants overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to win for the 20th time in Manning’s career. None were quite like this one.
New York (6-2) led 23-0 just 2 minutes into the second quarter when defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown. That was the third interception thrown by Tony Romo, among six turnovers by Dallas (3-4).
The NFC East-leading Giants didn’t score again until Tynes kicked a 43-yard field goal with 10:20 left for a 26-24 lead. He added a 37-yarder after Stevie Brown recovered a fumble.
Dallas celebrated what seemed to be a 37-yard touchdown catch by Dez Bryant with 10 seconds left. But the play was reviewed, showing that Bryant’s hand touched out of bounds first.
BRONCOS 34,
SAINTS 14
DENVER — Peyton Manning shook off a bleeding right thumb after banging it on an opponent’s helmet to throw for 305 yards and three scores and lead Denver past New Orleans.
It was Manning’s fifth straight 300-yard game, setting a franchise record for Denver (4-3) and matching his personal best.
The Broncos won two in a row for the first time this season. They gained 530 yards against the Saints (2-5), who came in with the NFL’s worst defense.
Denver held Drew Brees and the league’s top-ranked passing offense to 213 yards passing in Joe Vitt’s debut as interim coach after serving a six-game suspension for the team’s bounty scandal.
LIONS 28,
SEAHAWKS 24
DETROIT — Matthew Stafford threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Titus Young with 20 seconds left.
Zach Miller made a spectacular, 16-yard catch on a toss from Russell Wilson with 5:27 left to put the Seahawks ahead.
Seattle (4-4) couldn’t stop the Lions (3-4) on their last possession.
Stafford led a 16-play drive that started at the Detroit 20 with 5:27 remaining. The possession began with a 15-yard pass to Calvin Johnson and was kept alive with third-down conversion passes to Johnson in Lions territory and to Joique Bell to set up the winning score from just outside the goal line.
STEELERS 27,
REDSKINS 12
PITTSBURGH — The Steelers turned Robert Griffin III into just another rookie quarterback, swarming Washington’s precocious star in a dominant win.
Griffin completed just 16 of 34 passes for 177 yards and a score while managing 8 yards rushing.
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had no such issues, throwing for 222 yards and three touchdowns as the Steelers (4-3) won consecutive games for the first time this season.
Jonathan Dwyer added 107 yards rushing in his second NFL start. Pittsburgh jumped on Washington (3-5) early, scoring on its first four possessions and never letting Griffin get loose.
Heath Miller caught four passes for 46 yards and his sixth touchdown of the season for the Steelers.
BROWNS 7,
CHARGERS 6
CLEVELAND — Rookie Trent Richardson rushed for 122 yards and scored a touchdown in the Browns’ soggy, wind-whipped win.
Richardson, pulled last week at Indianapolis when he was ineffective because of a rib injury, carried 24 times as the Browns (2-6) won their second straight game at home — and first for new owner Jimmy Haslam. Richardson scored on a 26-yard run in the first quarter, and the Browns were able to hang on despite not generating much offense in blustery, rainy conditions.
The Chargers (3-4) dropped their third straight. San Diego had a final chance, but quarterback Philip Rivers’ pass was batted away by Browns cornerback Buster Skrine with 1:24 left.
Rivers finished 18-of-34 for 154 yards
PATRIOTS 45,
RAMS 7
LONDON — Tom Brady led touchdown drives on the first five possessions, and New England cruised at Wembley Stadium.
The Rams looked ready to put up a fight when Sam Bradford hit Chris Givens with a 50-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive. But Brady cut through the St. Louis defense at will to give New England a 28-7 lead by halftime, then hit Brandon Lloyd for a 9-yard score to start the third quarter.
New England surpassed 350 yards of total offense for the 17th straight game, breaking an NFL record set by the Rams in 1999-2000.
COLTS 19,
TITANS 13 (OT)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Andrew Luck threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Vick Ballard at 4:49 of overtime.
The Colts (4-3) have beaten Tennessee in seven of eight overall and seven of the past 10 in Nashville.
The Colts did it with Luck leading a pair of 80-yard touchdown drives. The top pick overall in April’s draft set up Delone Carter’s 1-yard TD run that tied it up at 13 with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter.
In overtime, Ballard capped the drive, taking a screen pass and going up the left side where he jumped toward the goal line for the TD.
The Titans fell to 3-5.
BEARS 23,
PANTHERS 22
CHICAGO — Robbie Gould kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to rally the Bears.
The Bears trailed 19-7 in the fourth quarter when the game turned in a big way.
Chicago (6-1) took over on the Carolina 38 after Brad Nortman shanked a 6-yard punt, and Jay Cutler connected with Kellen Davis on a 12-yard scoring pass with just under 7 minutes left.
Then, on Carolina’s next play, Steve Smith slipped on a pass pattern, and Tim Jennings returned his second interception of the game 25 yards for the go-ahead score.
Cam Newton drove the Panthers to the Chicago 27, and Justin Medlock’s 45-yard field goal hit the right upright and went through to put Carolina (1-6) ahead 22-20 with 2:27 remaining. Medlock had five field goals.
On the winning drive, Cutler moved the Bears 55 yards to the 23 to set up Gould’s kick. The Panthers lost their fifth straight game.
PACKERS 24,
JAGUARS 15
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers went back to an old favorite, connecting with Donald Driver on a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers threw two touchdowns, passing Bart Starr for second place on Green Bay’s all-time list, and Dezman Moses gave the Packers their first touchdown on a blocked punt in almost 22 years. But Green Bay (5-3) had a surprisingly tough time with the NFL’s worst team, which lost its fourth straight.
DOLPHINS 30,
JETS 9
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Matt Moore stepped in for an injured Ryan Tannehill, and Miami rolled to its third straight victory.
Moore threw a touchdown pass to Anthony Fasano, Olivier Vernon recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown and blocked a field goal, and the Dolphins smothered Mark Sanchez and the Jets’ offense Sunday.
After a week of trash talking between both sides, the argument was won on the field by the Dolphins (4-3) — and it was no contest. They were helped by some hideous play by the Jets (3-5), who have lost two straight.
RAIDERS 26,
CHIEFS 16
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carson Palmer threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and Oakland stuffed struggling Kansas City for its sixth straight win at Arrowhead Stadium.
Sebastian Janikowski was perfect on four field-goal attempts, and the Raiders (3-4) nearly became the third straight team to keep the Kansas City offense out of the end zone.
The Chiefs (1-6) scored their only touchdown with 2:27 left in the game.
Darren McFadden ran for 114 yards, and Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey had touchdown catches for Oakland, which has won two straight after losing four of its first five.