NFL roundup
Eagles soar over Lions in battle of unbeatens DETROIT (AP) – Donovan McNabb threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 30-13 win over the Detroit Lions in the lone game between unbeatens Sunday.
Terrell Owens caught six passes for 107 yards and a TD for the Eagles, 3-0 for the first time since they won their first four in 1993.
Rookie receiver Roy Williams had nine receptions for 135 yards and two TDs – for the second straight week – for the Lions, who had a chance to go 3-0 for the first time since 1980.
Other than games to avoid or end futility records, the Lions played in their biggest matchup since the 2000 finale, when they lost to Chicago and fell to 9-7 and out of the playoffs. That setback led to the hiring of president and general manager Matt Millen and the hiring of Marty Mornhinweg, now Philadelphia’s assistant head coach.
For the Eagles, it was just another opportunity to show they’re among the NFL’s elite.
McNabb fell just 34 yards short of his career high, a 390-yard game in 2000 against Cleveland, and surpassed his 330-yard performance in this year’s opening win over the Giants. He has thrown eight TDs and run for two without throwing an interception through four games.
Detroit quarterback Joey Harrington was 21-of-38 for 199 yards with two TDs.
Texans 24, Chiefs 21
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kris Brown kicked a 50-yard field goal with 2 seconds left to give the Houston Texans a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, keeping the defending AFC West champions winless.
The Chiefs are the fourth team since 1990 to start 0-3 after making the playoffs the previous season.
Priest Holmes played despite a sprained ankle, running for 134 yards and becoming the Chiefs’ leading career rusher. Holmes broke Christian Okoye’s record of 4,897 yards midway through the third quarter, on a 7-yard run up the middle.
But his failure to score from the 1 in the third quarter kept Kansas City from taking a two-touchdown lead – and resulted in a defensive score one play later for the Texans (1-2), when Marcus Coleman returned an interception 102 yards to tie it at 14.
Trent Green threw three touchdown passes for Kansas City, which is off to its first 0-3 start since 1981, when they opened 0-4. Last year’s team went 13-3 in the regular season.
Green’s third TD pass, to tight end Jason Dunn, put the Chiefs up 21-14 with just over 11 minutes left in the game. Green, scrambling to the right on third and goal, found Dunn all alone in the front of the end zone.
But Houston responded on its ensuing possession with David Carr’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney, tying the game at 21. Andre Johnson’s leaping, juggling 37-yard grab over cornerback Eric Warfield set up the score.
Jaguars 15, Titans 12
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Fred Taylor ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 9 seconds left, and the Jaguars beat Tennessee for their first victory ever at The Coliseum.
Jacksonville is 3-0 despite scoring just 35 points this season. Of course, the Jaguars have allowed only 28.
The Jaguars sacked Steve McNair three times and knocked him out in the fourth quarter with a bruised sternum. He watched the final minutes from the sideline as the Titans (1-2) lost their second straight.
Byron Leftwich also threw for a touchdown as the Jaguars won their first three games for the first time since 1998 and stayed alone atop the AFC South.
Leftwich was 14-of-20 for 124 yards, and Taylor ran 17 times for 81 yards.
Saints 28, Rams 25, OT
ST. LOUIS – Fill-in running back Aaron Stecker had his first career 100-yard day for the New Orleans Saints, Aaron Brooks calmly directed the winning drive and John Carney kicked five field goals in a victory that ended the Rams’ 15-game regular-season winning streak at home.
The Saints beat the Rams in St. Louis in 2000 and ’01, when both teams were in the NFC West.
In this game, New Orleans (2-1) somehow forced overtime after the Rams (1-2) took the lead on Marc Bulger’s 19-yard scramble with 28 seconds to go. Then they stuffed the Rams’ once high-powered offense in overtime and drove deep into St. Louis territory to set up Carney’s clinching 31-yarder with 7:59 left in overtime.
Stecker is getting regular duty because of Deuce McAllister’s high ankle sprain and he had 106 yards on 18 carries, including a 42-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Ravens 23, Bengals 9
CINCINNATI – After two subpar efforts, Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis rushed for 186 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown sprint that clinched a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kyle Boller ran for a touchdown and threw for another, but had two costly fumbles that prevented the Ravens (2-1) from pulling away until Lewis’ fourth-quarter run.
He took a handoff, changed direction twice, left two tacklers empty-handed and sped off, pulling so far ahead of the defense that everyone slowed once he reached the 20-yard line.
Lewis repeatedly plowed through the Bengals (1-2), who always have trouble bringing him down. Lewis has topped 100 yards in all seven of his career games against Cincinnati, and had a 180-yard effort against the Bengals last December.
Boller was 11-of-18 for 126 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown run and a 38-yard TD pass to Randy Hymes that put the Ravens up 17-0.
For the second consecutive game, the Bengals’ offense failed to score a touchdown behind second-year quarterback Carson Palmer, who was hit often by a blitzing defense.
Palmer was 25-of-52 for 316 yards, but got sacked four times and threw three interceptions, two of them to safety Ed Reed near the end zone.
Vikings 27, Bears 22
MINNEAPOLIS – Daunte Culpepper threw two touchdown passes to Randy Moss and ran for another score, helping the Minnesota Vikings hold off the Chicago Bears.
Onterrio Smith had 94 yards rushing and 104 yards receiving for Minnesota (2-1), which has a week off to heal. Chicago (1-2) came within five points when quarterback Rex Grossman scored on a 6-yard scramble at the 2-minute warning, but he hurt his right leg and had to leave on a cart.
Chicago got the ball back and backup QB Jonathan Quinn was sacked by Kevin Williams on fourth down. Grossman was 21-for-31 for 248 yards.
Culpepper completed 19 of 30 passes for 360 yards, 119 of them to Moss. Thomas Jones rushed for 110 yards and added 71 yards receiving for Chicago.
Morten Andersen, who made field goals of 42 and 24 yards, broke George Blanda’s NFL record for career games played when he missed a 46-yard kick in the first quarter. This was the 44-year-old Andersen’s 341st appearance, spanning 23 seasons.
There were enough long gains, mostly by Minnesota, to fill a highlight tape, but the game was otherwise bogged down by injuries, penalties, turnovers, more injuries and more penalties.
Falcons 6, Cardinals 3
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1986 by forcing Arizona quarterback Josh McCown into three fumbles and getting a pair of field goals by Jay Feely, beating the winless Cardinals in a downright ugly game.
There were nine fumbles (seven resulting in turnovers), five calls that had to be reviewed by the referee (two were overturned) and not one touchdown despite countless opportunities by both teams. The Cardinals (0-3) lost three fumbles inside the Falcons 20.
Atlanta did its best to give the game away in the fourth quarter. Michael Vick threw a pass that was intercepted by Adrian Wilson and returned to the Falcons 18, but the Cardinals had to settle for Neil Rackers’ 30-yard field goal with 9:24 remaining.
Giants 27, Browns 10
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Kurt Warner set up a touchdown run by Tiki Barber with a long pass, and the veteran quarterback capped another drive with his second career regular-season TD run in a win over the Cleveland Browns.
Michael Strahan had two sacks and two fumble recoveries and the defense made life miserable for Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia to help New York (2-1) win its second straight under Tom Coughlin and hand Cleveland (1-2) its second straight loss.
The two-game winning streak matched the Giants’ high for last season, when they went 4-12 under Jim Fassel.
Steve Christie added field goals of 43 and 25 yards and Mike Cloud iced the game with a late 5-yard touchdown run for New York.
Jeff Garcia, who had a 0.0 quarterback rating against Dallas last weekend, hit Quincy Morgan on a 3-yard touchdown pass and Phil Dawson kicked a 49-yard field goal for the Browns, who got all their points after falling behind 17-0.
Colts 45, Packers 31
INDIANAPOLIS – Peyton Manning threw for 393 yards and five first-half touchdowns and the Indianapolis Colts beat the Green Bay Packers in a wild, high-scoring game.
Brett Favre threw for 358 yards and four TDs and the Packers rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to within a touchdown.
But the play of the game was made by two defensive backs, Jason David and Nick Harper. They ended what could have been a game-tying drive by the Packers with 6:21 left. David stripped Javon Walker after he caught Favre’s pass just across midfield and Harper returned it to the Green Bay 36.
That set up Edgerrin James’ 1-yard touchdown run with 1:49 left to seal the win.
The wild start saw five touchdown passes in the first 11 minutes, three by Manning and two by Favre, a pace that would have added up to 175 points between them. Indianapolis (2-1) did not have a running play in the first quarter as Manning and Favre aired it out. Manning was 23-of-31 for 320 yards and five TDs at the half.
The game inevitably slowed down. The Colts gained just 96 yards total in the second and third quarters and scored just 10 points in the second half after leading 35-17 at intermission.
Green Bay (1-2) cut it to 35-24 on its first possession of the second half on a 65-yard drive capped by Favre’s 12-yard TD pass to Walker, who had the game of his life – 11 catches for 198 yards and three TDs.
Broncos 23, Chargers 13
DENVER – Ashley Lelie caught a momentum-shifting touchdown on a fourth-down play in the third quarter and the Denver Broncos beat the San Diego Chargers.
Lelie’s 33-yard touchdown gave the Broncos (2-1) a 10-point lead late in the third quarter. Just as importantly, it stifled the momentum San Diego (1-2) gained moments earlier when the Chargers recovered Quentin Griffin’s third lost fumble of the season and converted it into a touchdown to cut Denver’s lead to 13-10.
The San Diego score turned an already slumbering Invesco Field into a library, and it got even quieter when the Broncos stalled at midfield on their next drive.
Seahawks 34, 49ers 0
SEATTLE – Matt Hasselbeck threw for 254 yards with two touchdowns, Shaun Alexander scored three TDs and Seattle’s defense was magnificent in a win over the San Francisco 49ers.
It was the first time San Francisco failed to score since a 7-0 loss to Atlanta at Candlestick Park on Oct. 9, 1977, breaking its league record spanning 420 regular-season and 36 playoff games.
Raiders 30, Buccaneers 20
OAKLAND, Calif. – Kerry Collins hardly had a connection to this overhyped reunion.
Collins, the amiable backup quarterback who has repeatedly promised to be ready when needed, replaced injured starter Rich Gannon and calmly directed the Oakland Raiders to an emotional victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Collins entered late in the first quarter and led four scoring drives, completing 16-of-27 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown. Oakland spoiled the return of former coach Jon Gruden, longtime Raiders receiver Tim Brown and running back Charlie Garner.
After Jerry Rice’s record receptions streak was snapped last week, Brown owns the longest active run, and he extended it to 176 games on a 7-yard reception with 14:28 left. Brown’s 16-yard TD reception with 10:45 left was his 100th career touchdown catch – and the Bucs’ first offensive TD of the season.
Brown passed Don Hutson for fourth in career touchdown catches. He received a warm ovation from the otherwise hostile Raider Nation.
Brown, who spent his first 16 NFL seasons with the Raiders (2-1), was released during training camp when he refused to accept a drastically reduced role.
There were more handshakes before this one than at a political fund-raiser.