NFL week seven: Steelers back in winner’s circle, Peyton throws most ever TDs, Rams shock Seahawks, Cowboys go 6-1
THE Steelers turned to wide receiver Antonio Brown to throw touchdown passes in their win against Houston. Check out the rest of the action in week seven.
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THE Steelers turned to wide receiver Antonio Brown to throw touchdown passes, Manning added another NFL record to his impressive résumé in Denver’s win over San Francisco and St Louis got just their second victory of the season against the Super Bowl champs.
Check out the rest of the action from week seven of the NFL.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS 30 - HOUSTON TEXANS 23
The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied in quick-fire fashion, scoring 24 points in less than three minutes en route to an NFL victory over Houston.
The Texans had silenced the crowd at Heinz Field by taking a 13-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
But Steelers running back LeVeon Bell sparked a string of 24 straight points in a 2:54 span near the end of the first half as the Steelers turned things around against the stunned Texans.
Pittsburgh romped for three touchdowns in 73 seconds after Shaun Suisham scored their first points on a 44-yard field goal with 3:08 to go in the first half.
Two of them came after the Steelers defense forced turnovers. Bell amassed 145 yards from scrimmage and caught a touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger, who shook off a slow start and finished with 265 yards and two TD passes. Arian Foster gained 102 yards and caught a late touchdown pass for Houston, who endured a third straight defeat.
Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for two touchdowns and an interception.
DENVER BRONCOS 42 - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 17
Peyton Manning became the NFL’s new leader in career touchdown passes as the Denver Broncos toyed with the San Francisco 49ers in an emphatic victory.
Manning went into the showdown two TDs short of Brett Favre’s record of 508 and threw four touchdown passes, giving him 510.
He surpassed Favre’s mark with an 8-yard strike to Demaryius Thomas late in the second quarter. As he went to retrieve the football, his teammates decided to have some fun.
Thomas tossed the historic ball over Manning and to Emmanuel Sanders, who then lobbed it to Wes Welker. From there, Welker dished it back to Sanders, who then flipped it to Julius Thomas - all of Manning’s favorite targets getting into the act.
Finally, Manning got the ball along with congratulations from his teammates and coaches.
ST LOUIS RAMS 28 — SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 26
Punter Johnny Hekker’s pass from the St. Louis 18 caught the Seattle Seahawks by surprise for the last of three big plays by Rams special teams.
Stedman Bailey had a 90-yard touchdown on a trick return that fooled the Seahawks into thinking another player was going to catch the punt. Benny Cunningham’s 75-yard kick-off return set up an early touchdown for the Rams (2-4).
Russell Wilson rushed for 106 yards on seven carries and also passed for two touchdowns while going 23 for 36 for 313 yards.
The Seahawks (3-3) dominated statistically, outgaining the Rams 463-272. Doug Baldwin’s’ 9-yard reception cut the deficit to two with 3:18 to go, but the Rams were able to run out the clock after Hekker’s completion to Cunningham.
DALLAS COWBOYS 31 — NEW YORK GIANTS 21
DeMarco Murray became the first player in NFL history to start a season with seven consecutive 100-yard games and Tony Romo threw three touchdowns as the streaky Dallas Cowboys turned away the New York Giants at AT & T Stadium. Murray finished with 28 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown. Gavin had three catches for 65 yards. Dez Bryant had nine receptions for 151 yards.
Eli Manning completed 21 of 33 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns. He had touchdown throws of 9 and 5 yards to Odell Beckham and a 27-yarder to Daniel Fells. Beckham had four catches for 34 yards. Rueben Randle added six catches for 74 yards.
The Cowboys (6-1) have won six in a row and host Washington in an Oct. 27, Monday night game.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 27 — CINCINNATI BENGALS 0
Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and the Colts’ defence dominated Cincinnati. Luck was 27 of 42 for 344 yards as Indianapolis (5-2) won its fifth straight. It was Indy’s first shutout since December 2008.
Cincinnati (3-2-1), which hasn’t won since starting 3-0, endured its first shutout since December 2009 and had a franchise record tying 11 punts Sunday. Andy Dalton was 18 of 38 for 126 yards.
Indy churned out 506 yards, struck early and pulled away late.
Bradshaw’s 1-yard TD run made it 10-0 in the second quarter and Luck threw two second-half TD passes to make it 24-0.
Colts linebacker Erik Walden was ejected in the first half for making contact with umpire Bruce Stritesky.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 24 — CLEVELAND BROWNS 6
The Jacksonville Jaguars are winless no more.
Denard Robinson ran for a career-high 127 yards and a touchdown, Jacksonville’s defence came up big in the red zone, and the Jaguars snapped a nine-game losing streak with victory against the Cleveland Browns.
Jacksonville (1-6) won for the first time since beating Houston on Dec. 15, 2013.
Blake Bortles connected with fellow rookie Allen Robinson for a 31-yard score and the game’s first touchdown. It was really all the Jaguars needed on a day in which coach Gus Bradley’s defence delivered time and time again.
The Browns (3-3) settled for field goals in two trips inside the 20-yard line and failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at the 24.
Cleveland, which entered the game with the league’s third-best rushing attack, was held in check most of the day. The Browns ran 30 times for 69 yards, including 36 by Ben Tate.
DETROIT LIONS 24 — NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 23
Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:38, including the winner to Corey Fuller with 1:48 remaining.
The Saints (2-4) were in control late in the fourth quarter when Stafford found Golden Tate for a 73-yard catch-and-run that made it 23-17. Then Drew Brees was intercepted on third down by Glover Quin, whose 23-yard return gave the Lions (5-2) the ball at the New Orleans 14.
Detroit caught a break when Rafael Bush was called for pass interference on fourth down. Stafford eventually connected with Fuller in the back of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown and the win.
The Saints committed 12 penalties for 134 yards.
GREEN BAY PACKERS 38 — CAROLINA PANTHERS 17
Aaron Rodgers threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, and Randall Cobb torched the Carolina secondary for 121 yards on receptions.
Sure-tackling Green Bay (5-2) limited quarterback Cam Newton in the first half. The Packers scored touchdowns on their first three series and led 28-3 at half-time, eliminating the threat of the Panthers’ running game.
Newton, who had a career-high 17 carries last week, had 41 yards rushing on seven attempts. He passed for 205 yards for Carolina (3-3-1).
The Packers never looked back after Rodgers connected with Jordy Nelson for a 59-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive in winning their fourth straight. Eddie Lacy and James Starks each added TDs rushing in the first half.
BALTIMORE RAVENS 29 — ATLANTA FALCONS 7
Elvis Dumervil and Pernell McPhee each had two sacks, part of a dominant defensive performance that carried the Ravens.
Baltimore (5-2) led 17-0 at half-time and coasted to its second straight blowout win. The Ravens beat Tampa Bay 48-17 last week.
The Falcons (2-5) averted their first shutout loss since December 2004 when Matt Ryan connected with Roddy White for a 4-yard touchdown with 7:12 remaining. It was Atlanta’s first fourth-quarter score in five games.
Terrell Suggs sacked Ryan for a safety and Joe Flacco threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith on a fourth-and-9 to seal Baltimore’s fourth win in five games.
The Ravens allowed only four first downs in the pivotal first half and finished with five sacks in dealing the Falcons their fourth straight defeat.
MIAMI DOLPHINS 27 — CHICAGO BEARS 14
Ryan Tannehill threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns in an efficient performance. Tannehill connected on his first 14 passes and was 25 of 32 overall, helping Miami bounce back from a brutal 27-24 loss to Green Bay.
Lamar Miller also had a 2-yard touchdown run for the Dolphins (3-3), who had lost three of four since an opening victory over New England.
The Bears (3-4) remained winless in three home games this season and have dropped five of their last seven at Soldier Field. Matt Forte scored two touchdowns and Jeremiah Ratliff finished with a career-best 3 1/2 sacks.
WASHINGTON 19 — TENNESSEE TITANS 17
Kai Forbath kicked a 22-yard field goal on the last play of the game, and Colt McCoy stepped in after Kirk Cousins was benched at half-time to lead Washington.
McCoy completed 11 of 12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown in his first meaningful role in a win since Nov. 20, 2011. Back then, he led the Browns to a 14-10 victory over the Jaguars.
Washington (2-5) snapped a four-game losing streak. The Titans fell to 2-5.
McCoy’s first pass was a career-long 70-yard touchdown to Pierre Garcon after Washington trailed 10-6 at half-time.
Charlie Whitehurst was 17 for 26 for 160 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for the Titans.
BUFFALO BILLS 17 — MINNESOTA VIKINGS 16
Kyle Orton hit Sammy Watkins on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1 second remaining. The touchdown capped a 15-play, 80-yard drive which Orton extended by converting a fourth-and-20 and a third-and-12. Orton set up the decisive score with a 28-yard pass to Chris Hogan at the Vikings 2.
Orton overcame an interception, a lost fumble and six sacks to finish 31 of 43 for 283 yards and two touchdowns — both to Watkins.
It was Orton’s second last-second victory in three starts for Buffalo (4-3), which overcame injuries to running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller.
The Vikings’ defence forced four turnovers. Teddy Bridgewater went 15 of 26 for 157 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions as Minnesota (2-5) lost its third in a row.
ARIZONA CARDINALS 24 — OAKLAND RAIDERS 13
The Raiders stand alone as the only winless team in the NFL after a 24-13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday at O.co Coliseum.
Arizona, 5-1 and leaders of the NFC West, got 2- and 4-yard runs from former Stanford star Stepfan Taylor and a 33-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Michael Floyd.
Chandler Catanzaro put the game away with a 41-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining.
The Raiders, with their first 0-6 start since 1962, scored on a 1-yard run by Darren McFadden and had field goals of 29 and 53 yards by Sebastian Janikowski.
Palmer completed 22 of 31 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, leading a balanced offense which saw Andre Ellington gain 88 yards on 24 carries with Taylor adding 40 yards on 12 attempts.
Originally published as NFL week seven: Steelers back in winner’s circle, Peyton throws most ever TDs, Rams shock Seahawks, Cowboys go 6-1
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