NFL roundup
Panthers take down Patriots in first meeting since Super Bowl CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – The first regular-season meeting between the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots since their thrilling Super Bowl was no reprise.
Neither team played that well, and Carolina did just enough to hand the New England Patriots a 27-17 loss Sunday.
Stephen Davis scored three touchdowns for the Panthers (1-1), who won in spite of Jake Delhomme. The quarterback was off all day and had an interception by Mike Vrable returned 24 yards for a touchdown. Delhomme finished 11-of-26 for 154 yards and no touchdowns.
Davis ran for 77 yards and scored on three 1-yard plunges in his second game back from microfracture surgery on his right knee. Davis became the first running back to score three TDs against the Patriots since Curtis Martin did it in 2000.
Tom Brady finished 23-of-44 for 270 yards, one interception and one fumble for the Patriots (1-1). He did throw a 1-yard TD pass to Deion Branch early in the first quarter, the 100th passing touchdown of his career.
Colts 10, Jaguars 3
INDIANAPOLIS – Edgerrin James ran for 128 yards, Ran Carthon scored on a 6-yard run midway through the fourth quarter and Indianapolis turned in a second straight solid defensive performance.
The victory gave Indianapolis (2-0) an early edge in the AFC South title chase. Jacksonville (1-1) was the only team to beat Indianapolis at home last year, and nearly came back in the game’s final two minutes.
Eagles 42, 49ers 3
PHILADELPHIA – Donovan McNabb threw four of his five touchdown passes in the first 19 minutes, including a pair to Terrell Owens.
McNabb played three quarters, finishing 23-of-29 for 342 yards and tying his career-best for TD passes. Owens had five catches for 143 yards – all in the opening 19 minutes – in his first game against his former team. L.J. Smith caught a career-best nine passes for 119 yards and one TD for Philadelphia (1-1).
Alex Smith, the top pick in the NFL draft, made his debut for San Francisco (1-1), playing the last series.
Bengals 37, Vikings 8
CINCINNATI – Chad Johnson caught a 70-yard touchdown pass on the game’s second play, and the Bengals (2-0) had an easy time against the Vikings (0-2), rolling up 337 yards and a 27-0 lead in the first half.
Daunte Culpepper had a miserable time, throwing a career-high five interceptions, three to Deltha O’Neal. The Vikings turned the ball over seven times in all.
Buccaneers 19, Bills 3
TAMPA, Fla. – Carnell “Cadillac” Williams topped 100 yards rushing for the second straight week, returning from a foot sprain to finish a 128-yard performance that helped Tampa Bay (2-0) dominate Buffalo (1-1).
Willis McGahee was held to 34 yards on 13 carries after gaining 117 in the Bills’ season-opening victory over Houston. Star receiver Eric Moulds had one catch for 8 yards as Tampa Bay’s defense held the opposition without an offensive touchdown for the second straight game.
Titans 25, Ravens 10
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Steve McNair threw a touchdown pass and Rob Bironas kicked field goals of 39, 29 and 47 yards as the NFL’s youngest team beat Baltimore.
The rebuilding Titans (1-1) had replaced five starters on defense this offseason, but they easily outplayed Baltimore’s Pro Bowl-stocked unit with six sacks and two turnovers, including linebacker Brad Kassell’s 21-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.
Anthony Wright started over Kyle Boller for Baltimore (0-2) and was 25-of-40 for 212 yards.
Bears 38, Lions 6
CHICAGO – Chicago (1-1) scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams.
After struggling to move the ball a week earlier, the Bears’ Thomas Jones led Chicago with 139 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Kyle Orton completed 14 of 21 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, and did not throw an interception.
Joey Harrington of Detroit (1-1) threw a career-high five INTs.
Seahawks 21, Falcons 18
SEATTLE – The Seahawks (1-1) took a 21-0 halftime lead and barely held on.
Shaun Alexander ran for 144 yards and a touchdown and Matt Hasselbeck threw for 281 yards and two more TDs. Still, it was the defense that won it for the Seahawks, shutting down the Falcons after Atlanta (1-1) got the ball back with 2:39 left at its 27 needing just a field goal to send the game to overtime.
Jets 17, Dolphins 7
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Chad Pennington threw two touchdown passes, including a 1-yarder to Jerald Sowell in the fourth quarter, to help atone for six fumbles last week in an embarrassing loss to Kansas City.
Gus Frerotte threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Randy McMichael at the start of the quarter, closing the Dolphins (1-1) to 10-7.
On the ensuing drive, Pennington went 7-of-7 for 74 yards to give the Jets (1-1) the clinching TD.
Rams 17, Cardinals 12
TEMPE, Ariz. – Kurt Warner fell a few yards shy of a memorable comeback against his former team.
Warner, 29-for-42 for 327 yards in his first game against St. Louis (1-1), drove Arizona (0-2) to the 5-yard line in the final seconds. But a sack by Adam Archuleta and a false start by offensive tackle Leonard Davis preserved the Rams’ victory.
Marc Bulger directed touchdown drives on St. Louis’ first possession of each half.
Broncos 20, Chargers 17
DENVER – Jason Elam kicked a 41-yard field goal with 5 seconds left after Ron Dayne came off the bench and ran six times for 39 yards on the winning drive, including an 11-yard gain on fourth-and-1 from the Chargers 33.
It saved the Broncos (1-1) from going 0-2 for the first time since 1999.
Browns 26, Packers 24
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – Trent Dilfer won for the first time in nine trips to Lambeau Field, giving new coach Romeo Crennel his first win for Cleveland (1-1). Dilfer threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards and a game-icing 62-yarder to Steve Heiden with 1:50 remaining.
Brett Favre of Green Bay (0-2) broke John Elway’s single-stadium NFL touchdown record of 180 on a 4-yard toss to Tony Fisher with 4 seconds left.
The Packers retired Reggie White’s No. 92 – the fifth number in club history – at halftime.
Chiefs 23, Raiders 17
OAKLAND, Calif. – Trent Green engineered two second-half field goal drives and the Chiefs stopped Oakland at the 10-yard line in the final minutes to spoil Randy Moss’ home debut.
After Samie Parker’s fumble set up a final drive for Oakland, Kerry Collins led the Raiders (0-2) to the 10 with 1:58 to go. He threw an incomplete pass to LaMont Jordan on third down and then lofted a last-ditch pass to Jerry Porter.