CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson connected with Jerry Jeudy for 33 yards to set up Andre Szmyt's 37-yard field goal on the final snap, and the Cleveland Browns rallied past the Baltimore Ravens 13-10 on Sunday.
The Browns (4-2) gave first-year coach Todd Monken — a former Ravens offensive coordinator — an improbable victory over his former employer by relying on their defense and getting just enough playmaking from Watson in the end.
Watson completed 16 of 26 passes for 164 yards. Szmyt's game-winner atoned for a miss from 48 yards a few minutes earlier.
The Ravens (4-2) blocked Szmyt's first attempt to win it but were called for offside. Szmyt's try from 5 yards closer was down the middle to pull the surprising Browns (4-2) into a tie with Baltimore atop the AFC North.
Despite missing quarterback Lamar Jackson — out for a second straight game with an ankle injury — the Ravens appeared in firm control against an inept Browns offense, but Cleveland defensive back Tyson Campbell provided the spark the Browns needed when he pounced on Derrick Henry's fumble midway through the fourth quarter at the Baltimore 35. Audric Estime's 2-yard touchdown run tied the game at 10-all with 8:33 remaining.
Cleveland took over at its 20 with 1:59 remaining, and Watson shook off a nightmarish first three quarters — the Browns had 107 yards of offense after 45 minutes — to guide his team 62 yards in nine plays.
STEELERS 26, BUCCANEERS 19
TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Rodgers threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns to rally the Pittsburgh Steelers from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to a 26-19 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Rodgers shrugged off a slow start to lead four fourth-quarter scoring drives, then finished off a 12-play, 70-yard march with a 7-yard TD throw to Germie Bernard to give the Steelers (4-2) the lead for good with 3:15 remaining in OT.
That overtime touchdown pass was Rodgers' 539th of his career, tying him with Payton Manning for third most all-time. Only Tom Brady (649) and Drew Brees (571) have more.
Rookie Jalon Daniels drove the Bucs (1-5) to midfield on the ensuing possession, but Tampa Bay could only get as close as the Steelers 48 before Jalen Ramsey sacked the undrafted free agent on fourth down for an 11-yard loss to end the game.
Rodgers finished 33 of 49 passing. He was sacked five times in the first three quarters and also tossed a first-quarter interception that led to the first of four field goals by Tampa Bay's Chase McLaughlin.
PATRIOTS 26, JETS 19
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes, New England overcame losing three offensive linemen and Charles Woods came up with Geno Smith's first interception of the season in the fourth quarter to help the Patriots hold on for a 26-19 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.
Maye completed 18 of 32 passes for 235 yards in his third consecutive game with at least three TD passes.
Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry had touchdown catches for the Patriots (4-2), who have won three in a row. Douglas had a team-high seven catches for 86 yards.
A.J. Brown had three catches for 27 yards for the Patriots in his return from injured reserve, but his timing was off and he had three drops on his 10 total targets.
New England won its fourth straight against the Jets and 19th in its last 21 meetings despite right tackle Morgan Moses (ankle), left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) and right guard Ben Brown (knee) leaving with injuries.
PANTHERS 25, EAGLES 14
PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Young threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns to Tommy Tremble, and Chuba Hubbard ran for 120 yards and a score to lead the Carolina Panthers past the injury-riddled Philadelphia Eagles 25-14 on Sunday.
The Panthers (3-2) had little trouble in the second half picking apart the Eagles (2-4), who were missing quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley.
Hurts is on injured reserve and will miss at least four games with a blood clot in his calf. Barkley missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury and Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby, his two backups, were also sidelined by injuries.
The quarterback showdown between Young and Eagles backup Tanner McKee seemed like a mismatch entering the day. McKee, in his fourth season, made his third career start and first one without the Eagles having already clinched a playoff berth.
SAINTS 34, GIANTS 27
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Tyler Shough threw touchdown passes to Bryce Lance, Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave and ran for a score, Isaiah Stalbird forced a fumble on a kick return and the New Orleans Saints scored 34 consecutive points, holding on to defeat the New York Giants 34-27 on Sunday and end their three-game losing streak.
The Saints (2-4) trailed 10-0 with 90 seconds left in the first half. After Daniel Carlson got them on the board with a 58-yard field goal, Stalbird's big hit that dislodged the ball and Oscar Delp's recovery of Charlie Jones' fumble on the ensuing kickoff changed the momentum.
Lance's first NFL TD catch came six games into his rookie season and Carlson's extra point tied it with 1 second remaining before halftime. Kamara evading a tackle by Jason Pinnock — who started in place of injured safety Tyler Nubin — and getting into the end zone put New Orleans ahead less than three minutes into the third quarter.
Fans streamed to the exits after Jameis Winston threw his second interception of the afternoon early in the fourth, and the stands were half-empty by the time J.J. McCarthy led multiple scoring drives and fell just short of an improbable comeback. McCarthy's throw to the end zone on fourth-and-1 in the final minute fell incomplete, sending the Saints to France on a winning note.
Shough, who has been playing through an injury to his left, nonthrowing hand, was 16 of 30 for 144 yards and rushed for 32, just slightly less than the 34 yards New York's running backs combined for.
TITANS 26, COLTS 20
INDIANAPOLIS — The Tennessee Titans used a 58-yard punt return to set up their first touchdown Sunday, returned a blocked punt for another score and got a 49-yard field goal from Joey Slye with 2:03 left to earn their first win of the season, 26-20 over the Indianapolis Colts.
Tennessee (1-5) ended a six-game losing streak in the series with a relentless defensive effort and two game-changing special teams plays that helped them overcome a 13-0 halftime deficit.
Cam Ward was 11 of 22 for 102 yards, with one TD and one interception as Tennessee scored its most points all season. Tony Pollard rushed 19 times for 76 yards and rookie Carnell Tate caught had six catches for 70 yards and his first TD reception. The defence finished with six sacks and three takeaways.
Indy (2-4) dominated the first half with a 232-64 edge in total yards, but only produced three scoring drives, settling twice for field goals. The Colts have lost two in a row.
Daniel Jones was 22 of 42 for 269 yards with one TD and two more interceptions — both costing the Colts scoring chances. Jonathan Taylor ran 21 times for 94 yards and one score while catching two passes for 57 yards. Keenan Allen had eight catches for 82 yards.
BEARS 31, FALCONS 23
ATLANTA — Caleb Williams completed his first 12 passes in his return from a hamstring injury, D'Andre Swift ran for two touchdowns and the Chicago Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23 on Sunday.
The Bears led 31-7 before holding off Atlanta's comeback attempt in the final quarter.
Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was activated from the physically unable to perform list before the game in his return from a calf injury, had three sacks and two forced fumbles. Gordon's big day was capped by a sack of Michael Penix Jr. and forced fumble with 2:54 remaining and the Bears protecting a 31-23 lead. The fumble was recovered by Devin Bush at the Atlanta 28.
The Bears ran out the clock inside the Atlanta 5.
After missing three games, Williams was both mobile and accurate in his impressive return for the Bears (4-2). He opened the game by completing 6 of 6 passes for 64 yards, including a 14-yard scoring pass to Colston Loveland, on Chicago's opening drive.
TEXANS 34, JAGUARS 31
LONDON — Trying to seal a desperately needed win, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw an interception in the end zone and gave the Jacksonville Jaguars another chance on Sunday.
Jacksonville tied the game at 31-31, but Stroud didn't stress about it.
With just under two minutes left, Stroud led a drive to set up Ka’imi Fairbairn's 49-yard field goal as time expired and the Texans won 34-31 on the slick grass of Wembley Stadium.
Stroud threw three touchdown passes and Marvin Harrison Jr. made his debut for the Texans (2-4) as Houston earned back-to-back wins to gain ground on the AFC South-leading Jaguars (4-2).
Cam Little’s 60-yard field goal had tied the game — a week after his 57-yarder won it for Jacksonville against the Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — after Travis Hunter intercepted Stroud’s pass in the end zone.
Hunter also hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass at the other end — becoming just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era, including the playoffs, to both score a touchdown and intercept a pass in the same game.
BRONCOS 17, SEAHAWKS 14 (OT)
DENVER — The Denver Broncos are atrocious on offence, depleted on defence and shaky on special teams. All they do is find ways to win.
Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted Sam Darnold’s pass in overtime Thursday night and Wil Lutz kicked a 53-yard field goal that gave the Broncos a 17-14 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Broncos emerged from a tough six-week season-opening stretch with a 4-2 record despite an injury-riddled roster and a shaky quarterback, and the Seahawks (3-3) lost for the second time in five days. They also matched their loss total from last season, when they won their second Super Bowl title.
The Broncos won despite Bo Nix throwing for just 107 yards, J.K. Dobbins leading the rushing attack with a mere 41 yards and managing a meagre three first downs and 168 yards of total offence — less than half the 353 yards piled up by the Seahawks.
“I don't know why we can't really push the ball vertically right now,” Nix said. “But defences are just sitting back and hanging out. ... Hopefully we find a way to get more out of it.”
CARDINALS 18, RAMS 16
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Chad Ryland kicked his sixth field goal a 43-yarder as time expired, and the Arizona Cardinals rallied for a stunning 18-16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Punter Ethan Evans kicked a go-ahead extra point after Colby Parkinson caught a touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford with 47 seconds to play for the vaunted Rams (2-4), who struggled all day before mounting a desperate final scoring drive.
But the Cardinals immediately moved 36 yards into field goal range on Jalen Brooks' long reception and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Josh Wallace. Three snaps later, Ryland buried his final kick to seal a shocking upset for Arizona (2-4), a double-digit underdog.
Jacoby Brissett passed for 218 yards to balance a superb defensive game by the Cardinals against the preseason Super Bowl favorites. New Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur won his first meeting with former boss Sean McVay and earned Arizona's second win this season at SoFi Stadium, where it also beat the Chargers in Week 1.
Matthew Stafford passed for 222 yards and two scores for the Rams (2-4), who are in complete disarray after three losses in their last four games, including this setback at home to a team McVay had beaten 16 times in 19 meetings. Los Angeles still rallied, and Evans even came through with his first career placekick after new Rams kicker Blake Grupe injured his knee making a tackle in the first quarter — but Ryland and the Cardinals cashed in their final chance.
CHIEFS 22, CHARGERS 6
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kenneth Walker ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns, Patrick Mahomes finished with 272 yards passing and the Kansas City Chiefs remained one of the NFL's final three unbeatens with a 22-6 victory over the injury-plagued Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Xavier Worthy had seven catches for 73 yards and Travis Kelce hauled in five passes for 53, helping the Chiefs (5-0) survive without injured wide receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton while keeping the struggling Chargers (0-6) winless.
Kansas City joined San Francisco and Minnesota — both 5-0 and on their bye — as the league’s only unbeaten teams.
The game was hardly pretty on either side: Kansas City had to overcome a slew of short-yardage shortcomings and Harrison Butker missed a PAT and a field-goal try, while Los Angeles turned the ball over twice in another dismal offensive performance.
Justin Herbert finished with 204 yards passing with an interception and the Chargers ended up with 259 yards of total offense.
BILLS 33, RAIDERS 30
LAS VEGAS — Josh Allen passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns, using his improvisational brilliance to tie the Bills' career TD passing record, and Buffalo held off the Las Vegas Raiders 33-30 on Sunday.
The Raiders (3-3), who have lost three in a row, had rallied to tie it at 23-all. James Cook rushed for a 3-yard touchdown with 4:43 left to put the Bills (5-1) ahead for good. Tyler Bass added a 38-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining for what turned out to be a crucial two-possession lead.
Allen equalled Hall of Famer Jim Kelly's franchise record of 258 TD passes in the third quarter, escaping almost a sure sack by shot-putting a 12-yard pass to Keon Coleman.
“Just doing what I got to do to help this team win a football game,” Allen said.
But Allen's five-game streak of games with a rushing touchdown ended, one short of the Super Bowl-era record set four years ago by Chicago's Justin Fields.
PACKERS 23, COWBOYS 13
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jordan Love threw a touchdown pass and also scored on a 1-yard keeper and the Green Bay Packers held Dallas’ high-powered offence in check and beat the Cowboys 23-13 in a penalty-filled game Sunday night.
Love went 23 of 41 for 276 yards to help the Packers improve to 11-1-1 in their last 13 meetings with the Cowboys, including a 40-all tie last season at Arlington, Texas. A 9-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden capped Green Bay’s first series and put the Packers ahead for good.
The Packers (4-2) have won three straight as they await the return of three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, who comes off the commissioner's exempt list Monday. Jacobs hasn't played all season and pleaded no contest last month to two misdemeanour charges stemming from an altercation with his then-girlfriend in May.
Green Bay intercepted Dak Prescott twice to thwart scoring opportunities. Prescott went 34 of 54 for 258 yards. He threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Flournoy with 44 seconds left, but couldn’t connect with CeeDee Lamb on a 2-point conversion attempt.
The game featured 22 penalties — 11 by each team. Dallas had 108 penalty yards, while Green Bay had 96.
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