NFL roundup
Chargers knock off Patriots in battle of unbeatens SAN DIEGO (AP) – LaDainian Tomlinson tied San Diego’s single-game rushing record with 217 yards and scored on runs of 58 and 37 yards as the Chargers knocked off defending Super Bowl champion New England 21-14 in a battle of unbeaten teams.
Tomlinson got the go-ahead score on a 58-yard run, the longest of his career, on the second play of the third quarter, helping the Chargers improved to 4-0 for the first time their Super Bowl season of 1994.
The Patriots (1-3) lost for the first time in 13 games, and it was their first loss in 11 games against the Chargers, dating to 1973.
With both Seau and safety Rodney Harrison in the lineup for the first time since opening day, the Chargers shut down the Patriots’ powerful offense. Tom Brady was 36-for-53 for 353 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Adam Vinatieri was wide right on a 41-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, snapping a streak of 11 straight that included his 48-yarder that beat St. Louis in the Super Bowl.
Bills 33, Bears 27, OT
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – After having a potential game-winning field goal blocked with 25 seconds left in regulation, Bledsoe found Travis Henry for a 26-yard touchdown on the second play of overtime.
The Bills (2-2) have played in three OT games this season, tying for their most ever in a season. They’ve won their last two OT games after losing the opener to the Jets. No NFL team has ever gone to an extra period three times in its first four games.
Bledsoe set an NFL record with his fourth touchdown pass in overtime. He finished with 328 yards and four TDs.
Meanwhile, the Bears (2-2) are losing their reputation for pulling out close victories. Before last weekend’s 29-23 loss to New Orleans, Chicago had won 12 straight games that were decided by 7 points or fewer.
Cowboys 13, Rams 10
ST. LOUIS – Kurt Warner left with a broken little finger on his throwing hand, then the Cowboys made the Rams’ season even worse when rookie Billy Cundiff kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
Warner will be evaluated on Monday to determine whether he needs surgery, but by the time he comes back it might be too late. No team except the 1992 Chargers has made the playoffs after an 0-4 start.
The Rams are 0-4 for the first time since 1963, when the L.A. Rams lost their first five and finished 5-9.
Dallas quarterback Quincy Carter was 26-of-36 for 204 yards and a touchdown, and he took the Cowboys 41 yards in 1:27 to set up the field goal.
Lions 26, Saints 21
DETROIT – Rookie quarterback Joey Harrington won his first game, throwing for 267 yards and a touchdown as the Lions won for just the third time in 20 games under coach Marty Mornhinweg.
The Lions held on after building a 20-0 lead on Harrington’s 38-yard TD pass to Bill Schroeder.
The Saints (3-1) couldn’t mount the same kind of comeback they had against Chicago. Deuce McAllister was held to 61 yards rushing but caught eight passes for 67 yards.
Chiefs 48, Dolphins 30
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Trent Green threw five touchdown passes – including three to tight end Tony Gonzalez – ran for 48 yards, and even threw a block on a TD run by Priest Holmes as the Chiefs handed Miami its first loss of the season.
Safety Greg Wesley intercepted three of Jay Fiedler’s passes in the final eight minutes to set up the final 10 points for the Chiefs (2-2), who had lost five in a row to the Dolphins.
Green was 24-of-34 for 328 yards, and Gonzalez caught seven passes for 140 yards.
Ricky Williams was held to 66 yards rushing for Miami (3-1).
Raiders 52, Titans 25
OAKLAND, Calif. – Rookie Phillip Buchanon scored on a punt return, handed off on another punt brought back for a TD and had an interception that let to yet another score in Oakland’s rout of Tennessee.
Oakland (3-0) also got three interceptions from Rod Woodson, including one he returned 82 yards for a touchdown, making him the NFL’s career leader in interception return yardage with 1,339.
Rich Gannon was 29-of-39 for 381 yards and four touchdowns, and Jerry Rice had seven catches for 144 yards and a TD.
Steve McNair led the Titans (1-3) with a career-high 398 yards and two TDs, but he threw four interceptions.
Packers 17, Panthers 14
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – Ten years and two days after becoming Green Bay’s starting quarterback, Brett Favre found Donald Driver for a 22-yard touchdown with 4:10 left to win it for Green Bay.
Newly signed Shayne Graham missed a 24-yard field goal with 13 seconds left that would have tied the game.
Favre was 18-of-32 for 200 yards with one interception to lead the Packers (3-1).
Steve Smith filled in nicely for injured receiver Muhsin Muhammad, catching five passes for 116 yards. But it wasn’t enough for the Panthers (3-1), who lost their first game of the season.
Cardinals 21, Giants 7
TEMPE, Ariz. – Marcel Shipp, an undrafted second-year pro who didn’t have an NFL carry before this season, ran 10 yards for one fourth-quarter touchdown and caught a 7-yard pass from Jake Plummer for another as Arizona (2-2) beat the bumbling Giants.
Shipp, who was in the game because Thomas Jones had a sore left ankle, ran for 92 yards and caught five passes for 39 yards.
New York (2-2) had a 7-0 lead, but in the final seconds of the second quarter, Arizona tied it when Kerry Collins threw a sideline pass that Justin Lucas intercepted and ran 38 yards for a TD. Giants coach Jim Fassel had asked for the ball to be thrown downfield.
Eagles 35, Texans 17
PHILADELPHIA – Brian Dawkins caught a touchdown pass, had an interception, a sack and a fumble recovery for the Eagles.
Donovan McNabb completed 24 of 42 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown, and Duce Staley added two 1-yard TD runs as Philadelphia (3-1) cruised to its third consecutive double-digit victory.
David Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, was 16-of-29 for 188 yards and two touchdowns to Corey Bradford. The Texans (1-3) have lost three in a row since beating the Cowboys in their opener.
Buccaneers 35, Bengals 7
CINCINNATI – Brad Johnson threw three touchdown passes, and just teammate Keyshawn Johnson had predicted, the Buccaneers (3-1) had a walk in the park against the Bengals.
Brad Johnson was 19-of-30 for 277 yards, but his franchise-record streak of 187 straight throws without an interception ended when linebacker Brian Simmons returned a pick 51 yards in the first quarter.
It was the first lead of the season for the Bengals (0-4), who found little success with Akili Smith at quarterback. He was 12-of-33 for 117 yards and had an interception returned for a TD.
Jaguars 28, Jets 3
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Led by 237 yards from Fred Taylor – 142 rushing and 95 receiving – the Jacksonville Jaguars made the Jets look hapless again.
Stacey Mack scored three touchdowns for Jacksonville (2-1), which is three more than New York has scored in the last two weeks. The Jets (1-3) have been outscored 102-13 in three straight losses, their worst three-game stretch since 1962, when they were known as the Titans.
Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde left with a bruised right shoulder. The injury wasn’t major, but Testaverde had thrown four straight incompletions to start the game, and backup Chad Pennington went 21-for-34 with 281 yards.
Seahawks 48, Vikings 23
SEATTLE – Shaun Alexander set an NFL record with five first-half touchdowns, scoring three times within a span of 1:05 as the Seattle Seahawks beat the Minnesota Vikings.
Alexander scored on runs of 2, 20, 3 and 14 yards and took a screen pass from Trent Dilfer for an 80-yard TD, igniting the offense after the Seahawks (1-3) averaged 54.7 yards rushing in three losses.
Alexander missed a chance at the NFL record of six TDs in one game, set by Ernie Nevers in 1929 and matched by Dub Jones in 1951 and Gale Sayers in 1965. He was stopped for a 1-yard gain inside the 5-yard line with three minutes to play.
Seattle led 17-10 after Minnesota’s Gary Anderson kicked a 35-yard field goal with 3:13 to play before halftime, But then Alexander took over. He caught a short pass from Dilfer, eluded a pair of defenders and weaved downfield for the longest receiving play of his three-year career.