PHILADELPHIA — Jordan Davis blocked a field-goal attempt by the Rams' Joshua Karty on the final play of the game and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown — the Eagles' second blocked kick of the fourth quarter — to give Philadelphia an exhilarating 33-26 win over Los Angeles on Sunday.
The Rams (2-1) led 26-21 midway through the fourth when Jalen Carter blocked Karty's 36-yard try, and Jalen Hurts then led the Super Bowl champion Eagles (3-0) on a 17-play, 91-yard drive for the go-ahead score. That left 1:48 on the clock for Matthew Stafford, who led the Rams into position for Karty's 44-yard attempt with three seconds left.
Davis instead wedged his way through, knocked the ball down, scooped it and rumbled to the end zone, where he was mobbed by his teammates as fans at the Linc erupted in celebration of the Eagles' 12th straight home victory.
Philadelphia slogged through a listless first half and trailed 26-7 in the third quarter after Stafford's second TD pass of the game. Karty had already kicked four field goals for the Rams, who lost a tight NFC divisional-round playoff game to the Eagles last season.
Enter Super Bowl MVP Hurts and one heck of a special teams effort.
The Eagles found their mojo and a bit of clutch playmaking when Carter — recently fined by the NFL for an opening-night spitting incident — came up with the first block. However, he was flagged for taunting, pushing the Eagles back to their own 9.
On the go-ahead drive, Hurts shook off his malaise and found receivers largely ignored over the first 2.5 games of the season. He hit A.J. Brown for 25 yards, DeVonta Smith for 10 and then the big one -- Brown shook off a defender for a 23-yard gain.
Hurts found Smith for the go-ahead, four-yard TD on fourth-and-goal to complete Philly's rally from a 19-point deficit
PANTHERS 30, FALCONS 0
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bryce Young ran for a touchdown, Chau Smith-Wade returned an interception 11 yards for a score and rookie Ryan Fitzgerald made three field goals and the Carolina Panthers routed the Atlanta Falcons 30-0 on Sunday for their first win of the season.
Young was 16 of 24 for 121 yards, but played mistake-free after turning the ball over five times in the previous two games.
Smith-Wade's third-quarter pick-6 highlighted a dominant performance for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's unit as the Panthers (1-2) intercepted Michael Penix Jr. twice, forced three turnovers and limited the Falcons to 5-for-16 conversions on third and fourth downs for their first shutout since Nov. 22, 2020.
Outside of Bijan Robinson, who combined for 111 yards from scrimmage — 72 on the ground and 39 through the air — the Falcons (1-2) got little production from their offence.
Penix looked tentative and was ineffective from the start, finishing 18 of 36 for 172 yards before getting benched in the fourth quarter for Kirk Cousins with the Falcons trailing 27-0.
It was a promising performance for Carolina, which has started the past three seasons 0-2 under Young.
BROWNS 13, PACKERS 10
CLEVELAND — Andre Szmyt kicked a 55-yard field goal as time expired and the Cleveland Browns rallied from a 10-0 deficit with under four minutes left to beat the Green Bay Packers 13-10 on Sunday.
The Browns (1-2) snapped an eight-game losing streak dating to last season when it appeared for much of the game they might be shut out. But the defence kept them in it with four sacks and came up with the key turnover which resulted in it being tied.
Green Bay (2-1) appeared as if it might win with a last-minute field goal when it drove to the Browns 25, but Shelby Harris blocked a 43-yard field goal attempt by Brandon McManus and Greg Newsome II recovered at the 47.
Cleveland took over and went 16 yards in five plays. Joe Flacco had an eight-yard completion on third-and-2 to get the ball to the Packers 35. Flacco then spiked the ball, bringing Szmyt on with two seconds remaining.
It was redemption for the rookie kicker, who missed an extra point and field goal in a 17-16 loss to Cincinnati in Week 1.
Flacco was 21 of 36 for 142 yards and rookie Quinshon Judkins had 94 yards on 18 carries, including his first NFL touchdown to tie it at 10 with 3:02 remaining in the fourth quarter.
STEELERS 21, PATRIOTS 14
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Aaron Rodgers threw a go-ahead 17-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III with 2:16 left, and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New England Patriots 21-14 on Sunday.
Rodgers passed for 139 yards and two touchdowns, Kenneth Gainwell ran for a one-yard TD and the Steelers' defence forced five turnovers to help Pittsburgh (2-1) win at New England for the first time since 2008. The Steelers had lost four since then in Foxborough, including the AFC championship game in the 2016 season.
The Patriots (1-2) were driving with a chance to tie it and had fourth-and-one at the Pittsburgh 28, but DeMario Douglas caught a pass from Drake Maye and was stopped for a one-yard loss.
It was New England’s first five-turnover game since losing 33-10 at home to Pittsburgh on Nov. 30, 2008, when Tom Brady was out for the season with a knee injury.
Maye finished 28-of-37 for 268 yards with two touchdowns, an interception and fumble. Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled twice and Antonio Gibson also lost one.
JAGUARS 17, TEXANS 10
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence found Brian Thomas Jr. for a 46-yard gain, Travis Etienne scored on the next play and the Jacksonville Jaguars held on to beat the Houston Texans 17-10 on Sunday.
It was Jacksonville's first win over the Texans at home since 2017. Houston had won 12 of the previous 14 in the AFC South series.
This one was decided on the final two drives.
The Jaguars (2-1) got a huge play from Lawrence to Thomas, a connection that has been mostly missing all season, and then the Texans (0-3) seemingly let Etienne score from 10 yards out with 1:48 remaining.
C.J. Stroud drove Houston into striking distance in the waning seconds, but Josh Hines-Allen tipped his pass and Antonio Johnson intercepted the wobbler to seal the victory.
The Texans can point to Nico Collins' fumble as the turning point. Tyson Campbell knocked the ball out and it bounced into Devin Lloyd's hands. It got Jacksonville headed in the right direction after a sluggish performance.
COLTS 41, TITANS 20
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jonathan Taylor ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns and the Indianapolis Colts continued their best start since 2009 by beating the hapless Tennessee Titans 41-20 Sunday.
The Colts are now 3-0 and off to their best start since 2009 when Peyton Manning led them to the AFC championship.
Kenny Moore put the Colts ahead to stay on the third offensive play of the game. He picked off rookie Cam Ward and went 32 yards for the pick-six.
Tyquan Lewis had two of the Colts’ four sacks in a game they outgained Tennessee 145-34 and led 17-3 after the first quarter in a game Indy controlled throughout.
Daniel Jones now has as many victories this season as he had in his last 16 starts over two seasons with the New York Giants. Jones also has yet to have a pass intercepted as he threw for 228 yards and a touchdown to Michael Pittman.
The Titans (0-3) have lost nine straight going back to last season. They played without three starters, including right tackle JC Latham and right guard Kevin Zeitler.
Cam Ward bounced back from his first interception of the season by throwing for 219 yards and a TD.
COMMANDERS 41, RAIDERS 24
LANDOVER, Md. — A reconfigured Commanders offence — nearly half the starters were different from a game ago, including quarterback Marcus Mariota filling in for an injured Jayden Daniels — produced 201 yards on the ground, 174 in the first half alone, and Washington beat the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24 on Sunday.
In his first NFL start since 2022 with Atlanta, Mariota went 15-for-21 for 206 yards with a late touchdown through the air, and ran six times for 40 yards, including a two-yard TD on the game's opening possession. Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft after winning the Heisman Trophy at Oregon, also lost a fumble on a run.
In addition to Mariota's 43-yard scoring pass to Luke McCaffrey with a little more than two minutes left, Washington (2-1) got touchdowns via a 60-yard run by Jeremy McNichols, a one-yard plunge by rookie seventh-round draft pick Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt that was set up by Mariota's 56-yard throw to Terry McLaurin and a 90-yard punt return by rookie fourth-round selection Jaylin Lane.
McNichols never had a run or reception that gained more than 28 yards in his eight NFL seasons before Sunday; his play was the longest rushing TD for Washington since Adrian Peterson scored from 90 yards out against Philadelphia in 2018.
Lane's return, meanwhile, tied for the longest punt score in franchise history and was the first for Washington since Jamison Crowder brought one back in 2016.
Daniels sat out with an injured left knee, the first game he’s missed since entering the NFL; he got hurt in Washington’s 27-18 loss at Green Bay on Sept. 11.
VIKINGS 48, BENGALS 10
MINNEAPOLIS — Isaiah Rodgers helped make Carson Wentz's debut at quarterback for Minnesota a rousing success, setting a Vikings record with two defensive touchdowns and forcing three of Cincinnati's five turnovers in a 48-10 romp on Sunday for the worst loss in Bengals history.
Jordan Mason rushed for 116 yards and two scores on just 16 attempts, Will Reichard made a 62-yard field goal — the longest in Vikings history — as the first half ended and Wentz threw for two touchdowns over three quarters before yielding the mop-up work to rookie Max Brosmer.
Jake Browning was picked off twice in a rough start for the Bengals (2-1), who lost three of their five fumbles and missed Joe Burrow more than ever in their first game since their franchise quarterback had toe surgery that will sideline him for at least three months.
Wentz hit Josh Oliver and T.J. Hockenson for scores and went 14-for-20 for 173 yards without a turnover for the Vikings (2-1), who posted their most lopsided victory since 1998 and their highest score since 2015.
All the breaks in the action gave the stadium operations crew plenty of opportunities to spotlight Rodgers on the videoboard as he smiled for the camera and his teammates waved their arms around him to jokingly try to cool him off.
Rodgers sure took the pressure off Wentz, who had some early trouble avoiding the pass rush but never forced a throw or fumbled the ball in a performance befitting his 10th-year veteran status. Signed as a free agent just three weeks ago, Wentz found himself taking over the offence for the team he grew up in North Dakota rooting for after J.J. McCarthy was sidelined by a sprained ankle.
BUCCANEERS 29, JETS 27
TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield led Tampa Bay to another thrilling finish, Chase McLaughlin kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired and the Buccaneers rallied for a 29-27 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday for their best start in 20 years.
The Buccaneers (3-0) overcame a late surge by the Jets (0-3), who erased a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead before Mayfield orchestrated a scoring drive in the closing minutes for the third straight week.
Mayfield, who was 19 of 29 for 233 yards and one touchdown, set up McLaughlin's fifth field goal of the game with a 33-yard scramble and completions of 28 yards to Emeka Egbuka and 20 to Sterling Shepard.
McLaughlin's winning kick came less than two minutes after Will McDonald blocked his 43-yard attempt and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown to put the Jets ahead 27-26 with 1:49 remaining.
McLaughlin also made field goals of 54, 33, 28 and 55 yards, and Mike Evans had a 5-yard TD catch before leaving with a hamstring injury. The defence did its part, too, with Jamel Dean returning an interception of Tyrod Taylor in the first half 55 yards for a TD. Antoine Winfield Jr. forced a fumble with one of the team's four sacks.
Taylor started in place of the injured Justin Fields, who sat out with a concussion, and rallied New York with TD passes of 11 yards to Garrett Wilson and four to Allen Lazard.
With the Bucs clinging to a 26-20 lead and looking to put the game out of reach, McDonald leaped over the middle of Tampa Bay's line to block McLaughlin's potential clinching kick and chased down the loose ball and continued to the end zone.
BEARS 31, COWBOYS 14
CHICAGO — Caleb Williams tied a career high with four touchdown passes and the Chicago Bears gave Ben Johnson his first win as an NFL head coach by beating the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 on Sunday.
The Bears (1-2) got a win they sorely needed coming off a 52-21 blowout loss at Detroit. Johnson called out his team’s practice habits during the week, saying they weren’t “championship-calibre." But he had to like what he saw against the Cowboys (1-2).
Johnson’s offence broke off several big plays while racking up 385 yards. It added up to a rough day for Dallas defensive co-ordinator Matt Eberflus in his first appearance at Soldier Field since the Bears fired him as head coach last November.
Williams looked more like the quarterback the Bears need him to become than the one who faded after strong starts the first two weeks. The No. 1 overall draft pick last year, he completed 19 of 28 passes for 298 yards and a 142.6 rating.
Rookie Luther Burden caught his first career touchdown when he hauled in a 65-yarder in the first quarter. The second-round pick from Missouri finished with 101 yards on three receptions.
Rome Odunze had 62 yards and a touchdown catch, giving him four this season.
CHARGERS 23, BRONCOS 20
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Justin Herbert found Keenan Allen for a tying touchdown with 2:44 remaining and then led Los Angeles into position for Cameron Dicker’s game-ending 43-yard field goal as the Chargers beat the Denver Broncos 23-20 on Sunday for their first 3-0 start since 2002.
After Herbert eluded the Broncos’ pass rush and connected with Allen — who fought off Riley Morris in the end zone for the 20-yard score — Bo Nix and the Broncos (1-2) went three-and-out. That set up Herbert and the Chargers on their 32, and he went 4 of 4 on the final drive.
Herbert was 28 of 47 for 300 yards with a TD and one interception. At 27 years, 195 days, he became the youngest NFL player to reach 2,000 career completions, surpassing Drew Bledsoe. Herbert did so in his 82nd career game, making him the second-fastest player to reach the mark.
Coach Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers beat their third straight division rival after opening with wins over AFC West opponents Kansas City and Las Vegas. Their stretch of not allowing a touchdown in the second half ended against Denver.
Trailing 10-3, the Broncos engineered three scoring plays in 3 minutes, 40 seconds over the end of the second quarter and start of the third to take a 17-10 lead.
49ERS 16, CARDINALS 15
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Recently signed kicker Eddy Pineiro made a 35-yard field goal on the final play to give the San Francisco 49ers a 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals for their third straight win to open the season.
San Francisco (3-0) overcame an injury to Nick Bosa, the absence of starting quarterback Brock Purdy and a tiebreaking safety allowed with 3:15 to play to eke out the win.
Rookie Upton Stout broke up a pass to Zay Jones on third down after the safety to force a punt by Arizona (2-1) and Mac Jones then calmly led a game-winning drive.
He took over at his 20 with 1:46 to play and completed five passes for 59 yards to get the Niners in position for the game-winning kick. Pineiro, who was signed after Jake Moody missed two field goals in the opener, calmly delivered to set off a celebration.
The Cardinals had taken the lead when Calais Campbell forced a holding penalty in the end zone by Dominick Puni for the first tiebreaking safety in the fourth quarter in nearly 11 years but couldn't close it out.
SEAHAWKS 44, SAINTS 13
SEATTLE — Rookie Tory Horton returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown — the longest punt return in Seahawks franchise history — and caught one of Sam Darnold's two TD passes in Seattle's 44-13 rout of the winless New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Kenneth Walker III ran for two TDs for the Seahawks (2-1), with the first set up by another big play on special teams. D’Anthony Bell blocked a punt by Kai Kroeger deep in New Orleans territory, and Walker's 3-yard run gave Seattle a 21-0 first-quarter lead.
Horton, who had his first career TD catch a week earlier in a 31-17 win at Pittsburgh, gave the Seahawks a 14-0 lead with his punt return midway through the first quarter. Early the second, Horton hauled in a 14-yard fade from Darnold to put Seattle ahead 28-3.
The Seahawks didn't let up. Walker's second short TD run capped a four-play, 76-yard drive that made it 35-3, and Jason Myers added a 56-yard field goal before halftime. Seattle led 38-6 at the break for the second-highest-scoring half in franchise history. For the Saints, it was the most points allowed in a half since they also gave up 38 in the second half of a 62-7 loss to Atlanta on Sept. 16, 1973.
After opening the season with two straight one-score losses, first-year coach Kellen Moore's Saints (0-3) were overwhelmed at Lumen Field. New Orleans did not reach the end zone until the beginning of the fourth quarter, when Spencer Rattler found backup tight end Jack Stoll for a 13-yard touchdown.
The second-year quarterback fell to 0-9 as a starter, and the Saints lost their seventh straight dating to last season. He threw for 218 yards with one interception.
CHIEFS 22, GIANTS 9
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Patrick Mahomes connected with Tyquan Thornton for a touchdown as part of a vintage performance of slinging the ball around like the version of himself that made Kansas City perennial championship contenders, and the Chiefs picked up their first win of the season by beating the New York Giants 22-9 on Sunday night.
Mahomes completed 22 of 37 passes for 224 yards. His on-the-run 33-yard throw to Thornton midway through the fourth quarter set up Kareem Hunt's 1-yard TD run that put the game away and sent many fans to the exits.
The Chiefs (1-2) avoided what would have been their first 0-3 start since 2011, two years before Andy Reid took over as coach and started an era that has included a trio of Super Bowl titles and two additional appearances — including trips the past three seasons.
The Giants fell to 0-3, with Russell Wilson throwing two interceptions and finishing 18 of 32 for 160 yards. Chants of “We want Dart!” followed Wilson's second pick, and while Jaxson Dart got in for a handful of snaps, all were handoffs. The first-round pick and prospective quarterback of the future has yet to attempt a pass in his rookie season.
