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Colts right themselves in 31-3 blowout of Ravens
By Michael Marot, AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts have a message for the rest of the NFL.
They're back.
Peyton Manning threw two touchdown passes to Marvin Harrison, a third to Reggie Wayne, and the Colts sputtering offense finally got itself righted Sunday, routing the Baltimore Ravens' top-ranked defense 31-3.
It was never even close.
The Colts (3-2) played with the precision, efficiency and passion coach Tony Dungy had been seeking, and they delivered their best overall performance in months.
Harrison caught two TD passes in a game for the first time since Dec. 24, 2006, and the threat of a running game that had been grounded for the first four weeks helped open up the downfield routes for Manning. Indy did that even after losing Pro Bowl running back Joseph Addai (hamstring) in the first quarter and third-string running back Mike Hart (knee) in the second quarter.
But the biggest difference was Manning.
The two-time league MVP was in sync, hitting receivers in stride, beating double coverage and masterfully keeping the Ravens' vaunted defense off balance. Manning finished 19-for-27 for 271 yards with three touchdowns, easily his best game of the season. The numbers could have been even better had the Colts not shut things down late.
Baltimore (2-3) was simply overwhelmed.
The offense went nowhere, producing just 49 yards in nearly 2½ quarters, while the defense watched Manning beat them every possible way.
He burned Chris McAlister for a 67-yard TD pass to Harrison on the Colts' second series.
Manning then threw a perfect strike to Wayne for a 22-yard TD in the back of the end zone on the next series to make it 14-0. And after rookie quarterback Joe Flacco lost a fumble late in the first quarter, Adam Vinatieri made a 37-yard field goal to give the Colts a 17-0 lead.
That ended a 20-minute span, dating to their incredible comeback last week in Houston, in which the Colts outscored their opponents 38-0 and forced five turnovers.
Manning, however, was only warming up.
He led the Colts on a 52-yard drive just before halftime, finding Harrison on a 5-yard TD pass that the Pro Bowl receiver caught on his left shoulder. Manning also took Indy 80 yards to open the second half, capping the drive with a 1-yard TD run from Dominic Rhodes to make it 31-0 with 9:25 left in the third quarter. Rhodes carried 25 times for 73 yards.
Plus, Manning had a 67-yard TD pass to Wayne come back because of a holding call in the fourth quarter.
It was that kind of day for Baltimore, which has lost three straight since opening the season with back-to-back victories.
The Colts' maligned defense also looked good, frustrating Flacco and the Ravens all day.
Flacco finished 28-for-38 with 241 yards, most coming after the game was already out of reach. He also had three interceptions, lost a fumble, was sacked four times and botched a handoff that Ray Rice fell on. Baltimore's trademark ground game was never a factor after falling into the deep, early hole.
The Ravens' only score came on a 37-yard field goal with 1:15 left in the third quarter to trim the lead to 31-3, not nearly enough to earn the first victory in Indy in franchise history.
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Garcia leads Bucs past Panthers
By Fred Goodall, AP Sports Writer
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Garcia longed for another chance to show he's the right quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection got it Sunday and delivered exactly what the Bucs were looking for in a 27-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He completed a high percentage of passes, managed the offense and — most of all — protected the football.
Garcia, starting for the first time since the season opener because Brian Griese is injured, threw for 173 yards and a touchdown. Warrick Dunn had his most productive day running the ball since rejoining the Bucs with 115 yards on 22 carries.
The victory, Tampa Bay's first at home against the division rival Panthers since 2002, gave the Bucs (4-2) a share of first place in the NFC South with Carolina (4-2), which sputtered a week after routing Kansas City 34-0.
Garcia, benched after a poor performance at New Orleans in the opener, threw a 2-yard TD pass to Alex Smith in the first quarter. With Griese out with a sore elbow and shoulder, Garcia completed 15 of 20 passes with no interceptions to make a case for regaining the starting job.
Earnest Graham's 1-yard scoring run made it 27-3 early in the fourth. Rookie Geno Hayes blocked a punt and returned it 22 yards for Tampa Bay's first touchdown, and Matt Bryant added field goals 37 and 49 yards.
The defense did its job, too, intercepting Bucs nemesis Jake Delhomme three times, setting up a touchdown and stopping two other promising drives.
The Carolina quarterback entered the game 7-1 vs. Tampa Bay, including 4-0 at Raymond James Stadium, where the Panthers had not lost in five trips since 2002 — the year the NFC South was formed.
All three of Tampa Bay's interceptions came on passes that glanced off Delhomme's intended targets.
Tanard Jackson picked off a first-quarter pass that deflected off tight end Dante Rosario; Jermaine Phillips intercepted a deep throw that receiver Muhsin Muhammad and cornerback Aqib Talib were battling for in the end zone, and Talib got the last one on a ball that went through Steve Smith's hands.
Turnovers weren't the only obstacles for the Panthers. Delhomme underthrew a wide open Smith on a 48-yard completion that easily could have been a 72-yard scoring pass.
As it was, Smith made a nice adjustment and caught the ball as he was falling to the ground, where Jackson touched him down at the Tampa Bay 24. The Panthers eventually settled for John Kasay's 20-yard field goal after Jonathan Stewart lost a yard on second-and-goal from the 1 and Delhomme's third-down pass was broken up in the end zone.
Smith, who also dropped what would have been a TD pass in the final minute, finished with six catches for 112 yards. However, the Bucs limited DeAngelo Williams to 27 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Delhomme was 20 of 39 for 242 yards.
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Elam makes up for miss to give Falcons win
By Paul Newberry, AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Jason Elam made the most of his second chance, kicking a 48-yard field goal on the final play to give the Atlanta Falcons a stunning 22-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Elam appeared to be the goat after hooking a 33-yard attempt wide left with less than 3 minutes left, squandering a chance to give the Falcons an insurmountable nine-point lead.
The Bears took advantage of Elam's first miss in 31 attempts, quickly driving down the field and going ahead for the first time in the game when Kyle Orton hit Rashied Davis on a 17-yard touchdown with 11 seconds remaining. Robbie Gould booted through the extra point that gave Chicago a 20-19 lead.
But the surprising Falcons, coming off an upset of the Packers in Green Bay, weren't done. With many fans heading for the exits, Gould pooched the ensuing kickoff, and Harry Douglas managed a 10-yard return to the Atlanta 44.
Rookie Matt Ryan, playing with the poise of a 10-year veteran, calmly threw a 26-yard pass to Michael Jenkins along the left sideline. The receiver made the catch in front of safety Mike Brown, got both feet down and tumbled out of bounds with 1 second left.
After a short delay to allow the officials to confirm on the replay that Jenkins' catch was good, Elam lined up for the winning kick. This one was right down the middle, clearing the crossbar with plenty to spare as the final second ticked off.
The Falcons erupted in a playoff-like celebration near the middle of the field. Rookie coach Mike Smith lifted Ryan in the air. Elam was swarmed over by his teammates, having atoned for his miss with his fifth field goal of the game.
Six games into what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, Atlanta already has matched its win total from a forgettable 2007 season.
Suddenly, the playoffs don't appear out of the question.
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Jones' 3 TDs lead Jets past Bengals 26-14
By Dennis Waszak Jr., AP Sports Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Brett Favre and the New York Jets were far from flashy on offense, and they didn't need to be against the winless Cincinnati Bengals.
Thomas Jones ran for two touchdowns, including a 1-yarder late in the game, and caught a pass from Favre for a score to lead the Jets to a 26-14 win Sunday.
"It wasn't our best performance on offense, but it was a win," Favre said. "We did some good things. ... Thomas Jones, he had one of those days."
The Jets (3-2) improved to 3-0 in games immediately following a bye under coach Eric Mangini, but this one was far from easy. With New York holding a tentative 20-14 lead, the Jets needed a 10-play, 41-yard drive by Favre that ate up the clock to seal the victory over the Bengals (0-6).
"I don't believe in ugly wins," Favre said. "I believe a win's win. That one felt as good as any win I've been a part of in recent memory."
Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn't get much going for the Bengals in place of an ailing Carson Palmer. He was 20-of-33 for 152 yards as Cincinnati dropped to 0-6 for the third time since 2000.
"O-and-anything stings," linebacker Dhani Jones said. "We just want to get the bad taste out of our mouths. O-and-6 is not a position anybody wants to be in."
The Bengals gained just 43 yards rushing on 21 carries, with Fitzpatrick's 23 leading the way.
"Everyone will say that with a backup in there, we need to run the ball better. We will," said Fitzpatrick, making his second start in three games with Palmer resting a sore right elbow. "It was a struggle out there today. We have to go back to the drawing board and figure it out."
Despite their struggles, the Bengals were still in it late. The Jets had a third-and-4 from the Bengals 7 when Favre hit Chris Baker for 6 yards. Jones followed with a 1-yard rumble into the end zone with 2:22 left and the 2-point try fell incomplete to make it a 12-point game.
Favre, coming off a six-touchdown performance in a 56-35 victory over Arizona, wasn't nearly as explosive in this one. He finished 25-for-33 for 189 yards - throwing mostly short passes - a touchdown and two interceptions.
"I'm not here for stats," Favre said. "I'm here for wins."
Jones finished with 17 carries for 65 yards and had his first career three-TD game for the Jets, wearing their navy and gold throwback New York Titans uniforms for the second straight game.
"Last (game), we threw the ball really well and scored a lot of points and today wasn't that exact same situation," Jones said. "We had to kind of grind it out a little more. The good thing is we're able to do both."
Cincinnati took a 7-0 lead on the third play from scrimmage, when Antwan Odom sacked Favre and forced a fumble. Chinedum Ndukwe picked it up and ran 15 yards into the end zone to give the Bengals the lead 1:24 into the game.
It didn't last long as New York tied it with a 2-yard touchdown reception by Jones.
"The whole point is to be out there with the ball in your hands," said Jones, who had two TDs all last season. "It always feel good to get touchdowns, get into the end zone and contribute to the team winning."
The score capped a strange drive during which Favre had thrown two other touchdown passes that were called back by penalties.
Favre tossed a pass to Dustin Keller in the end zone on third-and-goal from the 4, but right guard Brandon Moore was called for being an ineligible man downfield. On the next play from the 9, Favre hit Jerricho Cotchery in the end zone, but the play was called back because of offensive pass interference by Chansi Stuckey.
"We're not going to throw six touchdown passes every week," Favre said with a smile. "We might throw three on one drive, which was different, but we've got to be able to win games like that."
After Jay Feely gave the Jets a 10-7 lead with a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter, New York took advantage of a costly mistake by Fitzpatrick. The Bengals quarterback fumbled when he was sacked by Hank Poteat, and Calvin Pace recovered the ball. Two plays later, Jones ran it into the end zone from 7 yards.
Fitzpatrick's 1-yard run made it 17-14 with 8 seconds left before halftime. Feely added a 43-yarder in the third quarter to put the Jets ahead 20-14.
"We've got to do better," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "It's not good enough."
Notes: The Jets won the battle of field position, too, with their average start at their own 46, while the Bengals' average start was their 20. ... Cotchery and Laveranues Coles each had eight catches for the Jets, while T.J. Houshmandzadeh had seven and Chad Ocho Cinco five for the Bengals. ... Cincinnati cornerback Jamar Fletcher and safety Herana-Daze Jones injured hamstrings in the first half and didn't return.
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Blocked punt gives Arizona 30-24 overtime victory
By Bob Baum, AP Sports Writer
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Two little-known players brought an abrupt end to a day of confusion, comebacks and clutch performances in the desert.
Sean Morey blocked Mat McBriar's punt and Monty Beisel scooped up the ball and scored from 3 yards to give the Arizona Cardinals a crazy 30-24 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
It was the first time in NFL history that a blocked punt for a touchdown ended a game in overtime.
Morey rushed untouched off the left side of the Dallas line to block the kick. Beisel, a backup linebacker, picked up the ball at about the 3 and bowled over the goal line.
McBriar was hurt on the play and had to be carted off the field in the din of a crowd that included the usual large portion of Dallas fans.
The stunning play by two of Arizona's most unheralded players brought a conclusion to a game that began with a 93-yard kickoff return by the Cardinals' J.J. Arrington followed by many moments of confusion, controversy and clutch performances.
Dallas (4-2) scored 10 points in the final 2 minutes of regulation, sending the game into overtime when Nick Folk's 52-yard field goal barely cleared the crossbar as the fourth quarter ended.
Folk was in field-goal range only because a 5-yard offside penalty was called against injured Arizona linebacker Travis LaBoy as he tried to limp downfield. The penalty moved the ball from the 40 to the 35.
That was just one of the weird moments in Arizona's sixth consecutive home victory.
Arizona (4-2) scored 17 consecutive points, including a pair of touchdown passes by Kurt Warner, to go up 24-14 on Neil Rackers' 41-yard field goal with 3:17 left in regulation.
Tony Romo, who threw three touchdown passes but fumbled twice, connected with Marion Barber on a 70-yard scoring play that cut it to 24-21 with 2 minutes left.
Dallas' defense held, and the Cowboys got the ball at their 32. Romo connected with Patrick Crayton on a 30-yard play to the Arizona 39, where the Dallas quarterback spiked the ball with 4 seconds to play to stop the clock.
LaBoy was far downfield, and was called offside.
Officials, who had a difficult day all around, huddled for several minutes and even reviewed the play before Folk's game-tying kick.
The Cowboys scored the last time they had the ball in the first half and on their first possession of the second to take a 14-7 lead.
Before the blocked punt, Arizona's biggest play of the game came the next time the Cardinals had the ball and it was third-and-17 on their 33.
Warner's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage, but the intended receiver, rookie Tim Hightower, still caught it. Hightower powered to the first down, and the Cardinals went on for the tying score.
Larry Fitzgerald's leaping catch between defenders on a 30-yard play led to Warner's 11-yard touchdown pass to Steve Breaston that put Arizona ahead 21-14 with 10:44 left in regulation.
A disputed call resulted in a 14-point swing late in the first half.
Arizona appeared to go up 14-0 late in the first half when Darnell Dockett slammed into Romo in the Dallas end zone and the ball came loose. Antonio Smith recovered for the Cardinals, but the Cowboys challenged the ruling.
After the review, officials said Romo had tucked the ball away when he fumbled and, by rule, it was an incomplete pass.
The Cowboys went on to score the tying touchdown. Romo threw over the middle to a wide-open Crayton on a 55-yard scoring play and it was 7-7 only 59 seconds before the break.
Arizona rookie Calais Campbell, a backup defensive tackle, signaled for a fair catch on Folk's subsequent "pooch" kickoff. Campbell muffed the kick and Tashard Choice recovered for Dallas on the 27.
Folk's 37-yard field-goal attempt with 13 seconds to go careened off the left upright to ruin Dallas' shot at a late grab for the halftime lead.
The Cowboys also blew an earlier chance to score after Warner fumbled and Anthony Henry recovered for Dallas at the Arizona 25. But on the next play, Bertrand Berry knocked the ball loose from Romo as the quarterback's arm went back to pass. Smith recovered for the Cardinals.
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Call bails out Vikings in 12-10 win over Lions
By Jon Krawczynski, AP Sports Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A questionable pass interference penalty on Leigh Bodden put Minnesota's woeful offense in position for a 26-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell with 9 seconds to go that lifted the Vikings to a 12-10 victory Sunday, keeping the Lions winless on the season.
Detroit (0-5) seemed to outplay the Vikings for the entire game in a spirited effort, but the Vikings (3-3) got a boost from a call by field judge Mike Weir.
Trailing 10-9 in the final 3 minutes, the Vikings had a second-and-20 from their 32. Gus Frerotte threw deep down the sideline for Aundrae Allison, and the ball fell incomplete. But Weir whistled cornerback Leigh Bodden for pass interference despite what appeared to be minimal contact.
Bodden was livid over the call, but the 42-yard penalty gave the Vikings the ball at the Detroit 26. Longwell converted the kick five plays later to avoid what would have been a damaging loss for a team that has designs on making the playoffs.
Frerotte finished with 296 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but the Vikings were so bad offensively against one of the worst teams in the league that thousands chanted "Fire Childress!" throughout the second half.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 111 yards, but lost two fumbles. Bernard Berrian had five catches for 131 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown that cut Detroit's lead to 10-9 in the third quarter.
Making the first start of his career, Dan Orlovsky threw for 150 yards and a touchdown for Detroit, which lost for the 11th time in a row in the Metrodome. His blunder in the first quarter when he ran out of bounds in the end zone for a safety ultimately cost the Lions what would have been a well-deserved victory.
Calvin Johnson had four catches for 85 yards, and he leaped into the end zone for a 12-yard TD that put the Lions up 10-2 in the third quarter.
Frerotte came back with the big play to Berrian, and the Vikings defense took advantage of another debatable officiating decision to keep the Lions off the board the rest of the way.
Orlovsky threw a pretty pass down the seam to Johnson for a 32-yard gain, but Darren Sharper and Ben Leber crunched the receiver at the end of it and the ball came loose. Leber scooped up the ball and Detroit coach Rod Marinelli challenged the play.
Replays appeared to show Johnson hitting the ground before the ball came out, but referee Tony Corrente upheld the ruling. So instead of the Lions having the ball deep in Vikings territory with a chance to pad their lead, the Vikings were awarded possession.
It's been that kind of season — that kind of existence, really — for one of the most hapless franchises in professional sports.
The Lions haven't won a game since last December, and up until Sunday, hadn't been competitive in four previous losses that finally led to team president Matt Millen's dismissal in September.
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Packers storm past Seahawks 27-17
By Gregg Bell, AP Sports Writer
SEATTLE (AP) — Aaron Rodgers turned his sprained shoulder into a lesson for any Packers who may still be missing his predecessor. The first-year starter is showing grit and leadership that would make Brett Favre proud.
Rodgers again ignored the shoulder injury and a crunching early hit on Sunday to run for a tying touchdown, then threw two scoring passes in the second half to perhaps save Green Bay's season in a 27-17 victory over the sinking Seattle Seahawks.
"Everybody plays with injuries in this league. But to not practice for two weeks, to not throw the ball at all, I'm proud the way I was able to play today," Rodgers said with a shy smile after he was 21-for-30 with 208 yards.
The Packers (3-3) stopped a three-game losing streak and are suddenly tied for the NFC North lead.
"Hopefully it shows my teammates that I will put my body on the line for them and I care about them a lot, that come Sunday I'm going to give it all I can," Rodgers said, recalling he's played with a broken foot, a torn ACL and a broken index finger on his passing hand since junior college.
"And I've been pretty effective the last two weeks."
"Effective" is the last word anyone would apply to Seattle right now.
The stunned Seahawks paid for having to start No. 3 quarterback Charlie Frye, because Matt Hasselbeck was inactive — he will be getting his bruised knee reevaluated on Monday — and backup Seneca Wallace was out with a calf injury. Seattle looked inept while gaining just 177 yards on offense and skidding to 1-4, the equal of the St. Louis Rams at the bottom of the NFC West that Seattle has ruled the last four seasons.
"It's been a while since it's been like this. It's just a shock," Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard said.
Frye, starting for the first time since the 2007 opener when he was with Cleveland, gave Seattle a 10-3 lead midway through the second quarter with his first touchdown pass since Dec. 3, 2006. It was set up by Julian Peterson sacking Rodgers and forcing a fumble Bernard recovered at the Packers 32. After T.J. Duckett ran 9 yards on fourth-and-1, Frye pulled up on a bootleg with linebacker Brady Poppinga in his face and threw 6 yards to John Carlson for the rookie's first career TD reception.
Rodgers and the Packers seemed to awaken on the first play of the ensuing drive. Seattle's Pro Bowl defensive end Patrick Kerney leveled the ailing quarterback with a crashing shoulder hit to the chest after he threw an incomplete pass.
"It definitely jarred me a little bit," Rodgers said.
In a great way: He went 3-for-3 converting third-down passes on the drive that ended with his tying, 1-yard sneak for a touchdown.
In the third quarter, with safety Brian Russell in his face, Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 45-yard touchdown. That gave the Packers their first lead, 17-10. Jennings beat Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Trufant for his fourth touchdown of the season.
While the Seahawks sputtered trying to throw with Frye, the Packers took command with a 15-play, 84-yard march. Rodgers was also 3-for-3 converting third-down passes on the drive, which ended with a 1-yard touchdown throw to John Kuhn.
Seattle had just 85 yards of offense at that point and many of the usually rabid home fans were leaving a stadium that was no louder than a high-school field.
The exits became clogged when Charles Woodson intercepted a pass by Frye in Seahawks territory, setting up Mason Crosby's clinching 51-yard field goal with 8:41 left.
Frye became the latest reason Mike Holmgren's 10th and final season as Seattle's coach is becoming a nightmare.
He completed 12 of 23 passes for just 83 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Seahawks, who were last 1-4 in 2002, their most recent losing season. They lost for the second time in three home games. They entered the season an NFC-best 42-14 at home since 2001.
"We don't have the ability right now like we have had in the past to overcome (things)," Holmgren said. "It's tough right now ... It is a test of sorts, you know, we are not used to this. But here were are ... And we still have a lot of games to play. So we have to start dealing with that."
Notes: Holmgren, a maestro of the passing game, called 18 runs on the first 24 plays. The last one was a 51-yard gain by Julius Jones to begin the second half that was nullified by Mike Wahle's holding penalty. ... Ryan Grant, who ran for a Packers playoff record 201 yards and three TDs while beating Seattle last January, gained 90 yards on a career-high 33 carries. ... Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he had no further information on S Aaron Rouse, who left the game in the third quarter with a head injury, or on DT Ryan Pickett, who left with an elbow injury.
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Jaguars use 3 takeaways to put away Broncos
By Arnie Stapleton, AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't need to play keep-away from Denver this time, just takeaway.
Playing their best all-around game of the season, the Jaguars got superb performances from David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew, plus three takeaways in a 24-17 win over the bumbling Broncos on a cold, misty Sunday.
They also got a little help from the officials with two judgment calls that left the Broncos irate. One of them kept a touchdown drive alive and the other allowed the Jaguars (3-3) to run out the clock.
"This game today looked exactly like Jaguar football and it was good to get back to it," said Garrard, who completed 25 of 34 passes for 276 yards. "To come into somebody's house, and to have done it last year, too, to come back knowing they want our blood, the way this team fought today was awesome."
Jones-Drew rumbled for 125 yards and two TDs on 22 carries after Fred Taylor got hurt.
The Jaguars won at Invesco Field last year thanks to a franchise-record 18-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up nearly 12 minutes and set the tone for a thumping in which they maintained possession for nearly 40 minutes.
This time, they wasted no time in sending the Broncos (4-2) to their first home loss since last Oct. 29 against Green Bay — the Jaguars took the second-half kickoff and covered 80 yards in just three plays and 73 seconds with Jones-Drew bolting up the middle untouched for a 46-yard touchdown that put Denver in a 17-7 hole.
After Jay Cutler and a wide-open tight end Nate Jackson failed to connect on a 26-yard touchdown pass and the Broncos settled for Matt Prater's 39-yard field goal, Jacksonville scored again, on Marcedes Lewis' 30-yard TD catch that made it 24-10.
On the drive, cornerback Dre' Bly was whistled for illegal contact even though he was tossed to the grass by wide receiver Reggie Williams, turning a potential fourth-and-13 into an automatic first down. Five plays later, Lewis hauled in Garrard's pass at the 6 and spun into the end zone when safeties Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel collided.
The Broncos realize they have caught their share of breaks from the officials, notably on Ed Hochuli's blown call in the San Diego slugfest that allowed Denver to eke out a 39-38 win, and Bly suggested things were evening out now - on purpose.
"I guess they've been evaluating us and say we won games we shouldn't have won. So, I guess they're going to get a call against us," Bly said of referee Bill Carollo's officiating crew.
Denver pulled to 24-17 on Daniel Graham's 11-yard TD catch with 9 minutes remaining, but they went three-and-out on their next possession and the Jaguars chewed up the final 5:46 — with a little help from field judge Scott Edwards.
He flagged McCree for pass interference on tight end Greg Estandia that gave Jacksonville a first down at the Denver 32 in the waning minutes. Replays appeared to show no inference on the play.
"No, I didn't think it was interference, and I was right there, right on the spot," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "... In fact, being right there looking at it, I would have bet a dollar to the doughnut it wasn't. But it doesn't really matter. That didn't lose us the game."
Yet, it sure prevented them from having a chance to come back.
"Just watching the replays, it's kind of hard not to say anything without getting fined," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "So, I'm not going to say too much about it, but we didn't feel like they were good calls."
Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio also dodged questions about the questionable calls.
"I can't recall anything," Del Rio cracked. "I have a bad case of amnesia."
The Broncos were without three of their offensive playmakers in rookie receiver Eddie Royal (ankle), tight end Tony Scheffler (groin) and tailback Selvin Young (groin) and they lost slot receiver Brandon Stokley to a concussion shortly after his 11-yard touchdown catch that capped Denver's opening drive.
The Broncos turned the ball over on their next four possessions, twice on fumbles, once on an interception and once on downs.
In the first quarter, Taylor left the game with a head injury after fumbling on Nate Webster's wicked hit, and D.J. Williams recovered for Denver. But Cutler didn't tuck the ball on a scramble on the next play and former Broncos defensive end Reggie Hayward slapped it away to cornerback Rashean Mathis.
Brandon Marshall fumbled away another scoring chance when he tried to fight his way into the end zone but lost the football inside the Jaguars 5. The Jaguars capitalized on that turnover with Jones-Drew's 1-yard TD run put Jacksonville up 10-7.
Notes: The Jaguars are just the third team since 1999 to post wins in Denver in consecutive seasons. ... Broncos RB Michael Pittman's 109 yards on 20 carries marked his biggest workload since 2004.
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Texans rally for first win, beat Miami 29-28
By Kristie Rieken, AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) — Andre Johnson hung his head, furious at himself for fumbling near the goal line.
Coaches urged him to snap out of it. If Houston was going to win, they told him, he'd have to make a play.
They were right.
Johnson had an acrobatic 23-yard reception on fourth-and-10 that kept the last drive alive and Matt Schaub ran for a 3-yard touchdown with 3 seconds left to lead the Texans to their first win, a 29-28 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The Dolphins (2-3) had knocked down consecutive passes in the end zone before Schaub ran for the score on fourth down. The 2-point conversion failed, but Houston had enough points.
Houston (1-4) won in dramatic fashion a week after blowing a 17-point fourth-quarter lead in a 31-27 loss to the Colts.
Johnson led the way with a franchise-record 178 yards receiving with one touchdown.
"That fourth-down play happened, so I was able to redeem myself," Johnson said. "I think this win shows what we can do and hopefully it can be the start of something special."
Said safety Yeremiah Bell, who covered Johnson on the play: "I felt like I should have knocked it down. ... I didn't make the play and as a result it ended up helping them win the game."
The game was still in question after that catch, but the Texans believe it turned the momentum in their favor.
"He was covered pretty good, but he made an unbelievable catch," Kevin Walter said. "After that I said, 'We're gonna win this game.' We were all confident after that."
Ronnie Brown's 6-yard run with less than 2 minutes remaining gave Miami the lead. Chad Pennington was intercepted by Eugene Wilson moments earlier, but Wilson fumbled on the return and Miami recovered, giving the Dolphins a new set of downs to set up Brown's score.
"It hurts," Pennington said. "I mean, it hurts. It's one of those games ... where you just don't have any answers."
Schaub finished 22-of-42 for 379 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Houston's 485 yards is a franchise best and it was Schaub's second straight 300-yard game.
Schaub found some redemption in this game, too, after throwing interceptions on Houston's first two possessions.
"I just had to find a way to get in there," Schaub said of his touchdown run.
Kris Brown's 42-yard field goal gave Houston a 23-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Houston settled for a field goal after Walter tipped a pass and it was nearly intercepted by Will Allen.
Houston had taken its first lead at 20-14 when Johnson scored on a 12-yard pass early in the third quarter. Johnson set up that score when he caught a short pass and ran 61 yards.
The Dolphins answered when Ricky Williams scored his first touchdown since 2005 on a 5-yard run.
Houston's sloppy play in last week's late collapse against the Colts bled over into the early part of this game. The Texans' last three possessions a week ago ended in turnovers and their first two in this game ended the same way.
That wasn't the last of the mistakes for the Texans. They trailed by one point and were driving late in the third quarter when Allen forced a fumble by Johnson that Bell recovered in the Miami end zone.
On Houston's first possession, Joey Porter hit Schaub as he threw and it was intercepted by Akin Ayodele. Andre Goodman picked off Schaub on Houston's next drive, and this time the Dolphins made sure Houston paid.
Ronnie Brown took the snap and handed off to Williams, who shoveled it to Pennington in the backfield. Pennington hit a wide-open Patrick Cobbs for the 53-yard touchdown.
Texans fans booed heartily after the first interception and some chanted "We want Sage" for backup Sage Rosenfels after the second. The few fans that were left for the winning score replaced those chants with roars of approval for Schaub.
"That's part of being a quarterback," coach Gary Kubiak said. "You get your butt booed in the first quarter and you come back and win the game in the fourth."
Cobbs pushed the lead to 14-3 when he took a screen pass and rumbled 80 yards early in the second quarter. The third-string running back had gained just 19 yards entering the game, but starred in the state where he led the nation in rushing in 2003 at North Texas.
Kris Brown had field goals of 27 and 33 yards and Jacoby Jones cut Miami's lead to 14-13 with a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter, his first career TD.
He ended the return by leaping into the first row of the stands where his mother sat wearing her son's jersey.
"I was pointing to mama," Jones said. "I saw her at about the 25-yard line. She was smiling."
Notes: Dolphins LB Porter had a sack on Sunday to bring his total to 6½ this season, surpassing last season's 5½ sacks. ... Texans DE Mario Williams had two sacks and forced a fumble. It was his second consecutive two-sack game.
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Bolts beat Pats 30-10 behind Rivers' 3 TD passes
By Bernie Wilson, AP Sports Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Finally solving their Patriots problem may very well have saved the season for Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers.
Rivers threw three touchdown passes and San Diego's defense stuffed quarterback Matt Cassel on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line to highlight a 30-10 win over New England on Sunday night.
Rivers and the rest of the Chargers (3-3) know that beating the Patriots doesn't make up for the loss that kept them out of the Super Bowl or that mind-numbing home playoff defeat two seasons ago.
What it did, though, was put to rest the questions about the Chargers' maddening inconsistency, especially since they head out on a long and winding road trip that takes them to Buffalo and then London for a game against the New Orleans Saints.
"This was obviously a big game for us," Rivers said. "We didn't intentionally downplay it. It wasn't necessarily a payback game at all. But it was big because of the situation we are in, because it gets us back to .500 before we go on this world tour here the next couple of weeks."
Rivers drew raves for his toughness by playing the AFC championship game with a shredded ligament in his right knee, but he couldn't get the Chargers into the end zone that day and they lost 21-12 to the Patriots at Foxborough.
He had no trouble Sunday night, when he threw touchdown passes of 49 yards to Malcom Floyd, 4 yards to Vincent Jackson and 1 yard to Antonio Gates. It was the fourth time this season that Rivers threw three TD passes. Rivers completed 18 of 27 passes for 306 yards.
Of course, the Chargers didn't have to face Tom Brady, out for the season with a knee injury. Cassel, making his fifth career start, was sacked four times and intercepted once. He was 22-of-38 for 203 yards.
"We knew that there was going to be a lot of energy in the stadium tonight. We knew that they were gonna come out and try to shut us out early," Cassel said. "They did a good job. They got ahead, and we weren't able to really catch up and score points."
New England (3-2) had its regular-season road winning streak snapped at 12, which is the second-longest in NFL history. The Patriots scored their fewest points since their last road loss, 21-0 at Miami on Dec. 10, 2006.
New England's Sammy Morris scored on 1-yard run with 5:18 left and Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Trailing 17-3, the Patriots tried to make a game of it when Cassel led them to a first-and-goal at the 1 on the opening drive of the second half. After Cassel threw two incompletions and running back Sammy Morris was stuffed, Cassel dropped back on fourth down. With all his receivers covered, he attempted to run up the middle but was buried at the 2.
"When you can go out there and have that type of a stand at that crucial point in a game, it bring an attitude, it brings a feeling and an energy that stays with you for the rest of the time," defensive end Luis Castillo said. "We hope it starts the season for us."
Cassel said the last play was a progression read. "We went through it, and I didn't see anybody open. I was hoping to maybe make a play with my legs, and it just didn't happen. Goal line is goal line. You go down there, and it's the grit and the grind of the game. They did a good job. They have good guys up front."
Rivers then led the Chargers 98 yards on four plays, with Gates slipping into the end zone to catch a 1-yard pass for a 24-3 lead.
Rivers had a 59-yard completion to Jackson on the second play of the drive, and the Chargers got the ball at the 1 after Jackson was dragged down by Ellis Hobbs, who was flagged for pass interference.
Rivers threw a touchdown pass of 49 yards to Malcom Floyd and another of 4 yards to Jackson in the first half.
Floyd's first catch in almost a year was a big one. With wide receiver Chris Chambers inactive due to a sprained ankle, Floyd benefited from extra playing time. He ran a post pattern and outjumped cornerback Deltha O'Neal for the ball before tumbling into the end zone with 3:58 to go in the first quarter.
It was Floyd's first catch since Oct. 14, 2007, and his first touchdown since the 2006 season. He was inactive the final 10 regular-season games and all three playoff games.
Rivers threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Jackson just before halftime. Jackson was wide open after Hobbs ran into safety James Sanders.
LaDainian Tomlinson became the 17th player to rush for more than 11,000 career yards.
San Diego's Nate Kaeding kicked field goals of 25, 35 and 23 yards.
Notes: New England's 299 yards were the fewest the Chargers have allowed this season. ... Tomlinson gained 74 yards on 20 carries. His 405 yards (3.7 average) are his lowest total through six games in his eight-season career. ... Chargers RB-PR Darren Sproles left with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. ... Jackson caught five passes for 134 yards.
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Browns stun Giants 35-14
By Tom Withers, AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) — Through weeks of frustration, injuries and a near-quarterback change, the Cleveland Browns never lost hope in this season.
On Monday night, they may have saved it.
With quarterback Derek Anderson outplaying Eli Manning, Braylon Edwards making big catches and Eric Wright returning an interception 94 yards for a touchdown, the Browns won on Monday night for the first time since 1993, ending New York's 11-game road winning streak with a 35-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champions.
Anderson, whose job was in serious jeopardy just a few weeks ago and may have been down to one more loss, threw one of his two touchdown passes to Edwards, who announced his team's return to the NFL's prime-time weekday slot by performing a cartwheel and back flip during pregame introductions and then making the Giants look foolish.
In their first four games, the Browns (2-3) had shown no signs of living up to high expectations following a 10-6 season. They had dropped their first two games at home, lost three in a row overall and only a win over winless Cincinnati to show so far in 2008.
Now, they've got something to brag about.
"This is us," Anderson said. "These were the guys who made plays all last season."
Anderson finished 18-for-29 for 310 yards, Edwards caught five passes for a career-high 154 yards and Jamal Lewis scored on a 4-yard run for the Browns, who handed the Giants (4-1) their first loss, leaving the Tennessee Titans as the NFL's only unbeaten team.
Manning was picked off three times and the Giants, so dominant through their first four games, were roughed up by the Browns.
In the closing minutes, Browns fans chanted "Over-rated" at the high-profile New Yorkers.
Aside from some more silly penalties, the Browns were superior to the Giants, who had reeled off 11 straight wins — 12 counting the Super Bowl — outside of New Jersey since Week 1 last season. But Manning was not himself and New York, which embarrassed Cleveland during the exhibition season, missed an opportunity to open a two-game lead in the brutal NFC East.
"I threw three interceptions," Manning said. "That's unacceptable. That's not the way we win games. You're going to lose a game every once in a while, but we don't like the way we played. That's what's disappointing."
Edwards' 11-yard TD reception on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Browns a 27-14 lead, and he punctuated it with a reverse dunk over the goal post. The score capped an 87-yard drive which was bogged down by five Cleveland penalties. In all, the Browns went 117 yards on the drive.
"Forward, backward, forward, backward," said tight end Steve Heiden, who had five catches while starting for injured Pro Bowler Kellen Winslow. "At least we got in there."
The Giants then drove to the Cleveland 9, but on second-and-4, Manning locked onto wide receiver Amani Toomer, allowing Wright time to dart in front, make the interception and tiptoe down the sideline to the end zone. It was a satisfying turn for Wright, who was burned twice by the Giants during the Aug. 18 matchup.
"He held the ball a little longer and that allowed me to make a play," Wright said. "I tried to give myself some room so I could stay in bounds and I lucked out."
While Browns fans danced in the aisles, Anderson hit Edwards for the 2-point conversion to put the Browns ahead by 21.
"This springboards us into our second season," Edwards said. "The first three losses are over. We have 11 games left to play like we did tonight."
Manning went 18-of-28 for 196 yards and threw a 22-yard TD pass to Plaxico Burress, who was back after serving a one-game suspension for violating team rules.
Moments after New York went up 7-3 on Brandon Jacobs' 7-yard run, Edwards turned cornerback Aaron Ross around with a nice outside fake and hauled in a 70-yard pass from Anderson to set up Cleveland's first TD, a 4-yard run by Lewis.
On the Browns' next possession, Anderson put together his best-looking drive of the season. Given time to throw, he made all the correct reads and went 5-for-5 for 74 yards, threading a 22-yard TD pass over the middle to backup tight end Darnell Dinkins to give Cleveland a 17-7 halftime lead.
Manning countered with an 80-yard scoring drive — helped by a critical Cleveland penalty — to pull the Giants within 17-14. From the 3, he lofted a perfect TD pass to Burress, who easily ran past defensive back Terry Cousin. Three plays earlier, Manning had been sacked and fumbled on third down, but Browns safety Mike Adams was called for illegal contact, giving New York a first down.
Browns defensive end Corey Williams had provided the Giants with some bulletin-board material leading into the game. Williams, who was with Green Bay last season and lost to New York in the NFC title game, had said Cleveland's defense planned to "hit him (Jacobs) in the mouth" and that "their ain't nothing physical" about the Giants' offensive line.
Williams also said he was going to try to knock Jacobs' head off, remarks that were prominently displayed on the back pages of New York's tabloid newspapers.
After Jacobs barreled through several Cleveland defenders for his TD early in the second quarter, he jawed with Williams.
It was the Browns, though, who got the last word.
Notes: Cleveland did not punt for the first time since 1995. ... Lewis (9,428) had 88 yards and passed Hall of Famer Earl Campbell for 25th on the career rushing list. ... Giants LB Antonio Pierce injured his quadriceps in the first quarter but returned. ... The Browns improved to 13-13 on Monday night.
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Brees lead Saints to easy win over Raiders
By Brett Martel, AP Sports Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Even more accurate than usual, Drew Brees conducted a clinic that JaMarcus Russell would be wise to study.
Brees connected on 87 percent of his passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints routed the Oakland Raiders 34-3 Sunday.
"You have to use him as a model if you are the Oakland Raiders," said new Oakland coach Tom Cable, who took over last week for the fired Lane Kiffin. "That's where we want (Russell) to get."
Cable spent his NFL head coaching debut watching in frustration as Russell — drafted first overall in 2007 — completed only 13 of 35 passes for 159 yards, while throwing an interception and fumbling.
Brees needed only 14 attempts to surpass Russell's completion total. Coming in with a completion rate of nearly 69 percent, Brees connected on his first 16 throws — one short of his franchise record — and finished 26-of-30. Of his four incompletions, two were throwaways.
So what did Brees do after the game? He apologized to his offensive line for holding the ball too long on the lone sack he took.
"I wasn't feeling pressure all day," Brees said. "We knew the type of pass rush this defense could bring. I felt like we held most of those guys at bay."
Reggie Bush scored two TDs on a 3-yard run and 15-yard reception. His 21-yard reception in the first quarter gave him 200 catches through his first 34 games, tying him with Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin as the quickest NFL players to reach 200 catches.
Bush did most of the work on his receiving score, spinning away from Gibril Wilson after a short catch over the middle and racing to the pylon. Still, Bush credited Brees with spotting him.
"Fortunately for me, Drew likes to check the ball down to the running backs," Bush said. "It helps when you have a guy like that who can see the field and see the open guy."
Russell, who grew up in Mobile, Ala., starred at LSU and had about 40 friends and family in attendance, could not have had much worse of a homecoming.
"It's disappointing losing in front of family," Russell said. "The bottom line is today was a loss and losses are always disappointing."
In addition to an interception by cornerback Jason David, Russell had four other incompletions nearly picked off. Two were dropped by safety Roman Harper and the others by David and safety Josh Bullocks.
Oakland (1-4), which finished with 226 total yards, also had a tough time running. After holding Minnesota's Adrian Peterson to 1.5 yards per carry a week ago, the Saints (3-3) were able to contain the Raiders' trio of Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas and Michael Bush, who combined for 74 yards.
By contrast, Oakland's defense had no chance against Brees, whose completions included hard throws over the middle, touch passes in the flat and deep balls. His first scoring pass was an 8-yard screen to reserve running back Aaron Stecker on third-and-7. His final TD toss was a 2-yarder to tight end Mark Campbell, which was Campbell's first touchdown since he joined New Orleans in 2006.
On a third-and-short, Brees completed a 51-yard pass to Devery Henderson, setting up one of Taylor Mehlhaff's two field goals in what was the kicker's NFL debut.
Brees, who now has 1,993 yards passing through six games, had completions to three wide receivers, three tight ends and three running backs.
"He doesn't have a favorite," Oakland cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. "A lot of quarterbacks will try to force throws because they have to get the ball to a certain guy, but this is one of the most unselfish teams I've ever seen."
Lance Moore, normally a reserve when Marques Colston and David Patten are healthy, had seven catches for 97 yards.
"It's easy to play when a guy's on fire like that," Moore said.
The Saints also gained 122 yards rushing. Deuce McAllister led the way with 65 yards on 13 carries.
Johnnie Lee Higgins' 35-yard punt return to the Saints 39 helped the Raiders take an early 3-0 lead on Sebastian Janikowski's 24-yard field goal.
The Saints went ahead for good with an 18-play drive that ate up 10:59 of the second quarter and ended with Bush's short touchdown run.
Late in the second quarter, Brees' completions for 17 yards to Henderson and 18 yards to Moore set up Mehlhaff's first field goal from 44 yards, giving the Saints a 10-3 lead at halftime.
Notes: Janikowski's missed field goal from 57 yards was the shortest of his three misses in 13 attempts this season. He missed another from 59 yards against New Orleans and one from 76 yards against San Diego in Week 4. ... Mehlhaff missed his first NFL field goal try and his first kickoff went out of bounds for a penalty. Two subsequent kickoffs reached the end zone, however. ... The Saints are 3-1 in the Superdome, where they won't play again until meeting Green Bay for a Monday night game on Nov. 24.
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McNabb sets marks; Eagles D dominates Niners
By Greg Beacham, AP Sports Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — When Donovan McNabb trudged off the field after throwing an interception with the Eagles down by nine and just 15½ minutes to play, coach Andy Reid knew his quarterback would do the right thing.
They've been together in Philadelphia for 10 seasons and 76 victories, through postseason heights and losing lows. McNabb and Reid have survived far bigger calamities than one interception, or even the touchdown return on a blocked field goal that briefly enlivened the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
"He stayed upbeat. That's when leaders lead," Reid said. "When something negative happens, don't hang your head. Just let everybody know that it's not going to happen again, and we're going to score. That's how you approach it."
McNabb's approach worked for the 76th time — although it definitely helped to have a dominant defense to cover for an injury-riddled offense in Philadelphia's 40-26 victory.
McNabb passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns without his top two receivers and his best running back, and the Eagles' aggressive defenders forced three turnovers during a 23-point fourth quarter. A few days after McNabb called a team meeting, the Eagles (3-3) avoided falling further out of the NFC East race with an overwhelming comeback to snap a two-game skid.
The defense did most of the second-half work, holding San Francisco to minus-2 yards in the fourth quarter, but McNabb ran the show while moving past Ron Jaworski on the Eagles' career list for yards passing and pass attempts.
"Anything I receive individually is a tribute not only to this team, (but) to the big guy that drafted me in '99," McNabb said. "(He) has that confidence in me to have me here for 10 years, and knowing that when the ball is in my hands, he feels good about things happening."
McNabb and Reid have won more games together than Bill Walsh and Joe Montana, but the Eagles' duo was in trouble at Candlestick Park after San Francisco's Donald Strickland returned a blocked field goal 41 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half.
Reid, whose curious ideas about game management have long bedeviled Eagles fans, decided to attempt a 54-yard field goal 1 second before halftime. Ray McDonald went unblocked through the line and swatted down the attempt by David Akers, who hasn't made a kick longer than 44 yards in his past 10 tries since Sept. 30, 2007.
Strickland easily returned it for a score to send San Francisco (2-4) into the locker room trailing just 17-16, and the 49ers then quickly drove 78 yards for Frank Gore's 6-yard TD run.
"It definitely carried through halftime with our momentum," Strickland said. "We came out and scored, but then they made plays and we didn't get off the field on third downs. We know we have the talent, we have the schemes. Everything is right on the cusp."
The 49ers nursed a 26-17 lead in the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia's defense added three sacks to its league-leading total while holding the Niners to just one offensive touchdown.
After Akers' 38-yard field goal put Philadelphia ahead with 7:46 to play, Quintin Mikell's interception return to the San Francisco 7 set up another short field goal. Trent Cole then swatted the ball out of quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan's hands, and Chris Clemons recovered to set up another field goal with 1:10 left.
San Francisco got past midfield with one last drive, but O'Sullivan threw a pass directly to Juqua Parker, who returned it 55 yards for a score with 38 seconds left in the Niners' third straight loss.
O'Sullivan passed for 199 yards for the 49ers, who fell to 1-3 at home in another mistake-filled performance that included 10 penalties. Joe Nedney kicked four field goals when the offense repeatedly stalled - until the fourth quarter, when it completely fell apart.
"We've just got to finish," said Gore, who rushed for 101 yards - but just 3 in the final quarter. "We got ahead, we kind of got comfortable, and the Eagles played great. They made great plays and turned their season around."Correll Buckhalter rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown while filling in for injured All-Pro Brian Westbrook. The Eagles also played without injured receivers Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown. DeSean Jackson, the electric Eagles rookie who starred at Cal across the Bay last fall, had six catches for 98 yards, while Hank Baskett and L.J. Smith caught TD passes.
Notes: Coach Mike Nolan attempted to challenge Akers' go-ahead field goal, thinking it missed. ... San Francisco LB Takeo Spikes, cut by the Eagles in March, made seven tackles and a key interception, his third in three games. ... The 49ers hadn't returned a blocked field goal for a score since 1989.
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Winless Rams upset Redskins 19-17 on 49-yard FG
By Joseph White, AP Sports Writer
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The St. Louis Rams seemed almost determined to sink to 0-5.
They fumbled at their own 4-yard line on their second play from scrimmage. They were going nowhere until a fluke turnover flipped the momentum. They blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter. They set themselves up for a gimme field goal to win the game, then committed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
But this is the start of the Jim Haslett era, so maybe the ball is finally going to bounce the Rams' way. The defense forced the Washington Redskins offense into its first three turnovers of the season, and Josh Brown kicked a 49-yard field goal on the last play Sunday to give the two-touchdown underdogs a 19-17 victory.
"I'm kind of, like, blank. I don't know if I want to cry or laugh," Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said. "A lot of emotions hit me at once. It's different, but a good different."
A lot of emotions? Darn right. There was plenty of the bizarre in a game that ended the franchise's eight-game losing streak over two seasons and helped put Scott Linehan, fired two weeks ago before the bye, firmly in the rearview mirror.
The Redskins, guilty of playing down to the opposition after two big NFC East road wins, appeared set to win their fifth straight game when Clinton Portis' 2-yard run with 3:47 left gave Washington a 17-16 lead. St. Louis, however, had enough time to mount a comeback. Reinstalled starter Marc Bulger hit Donnie Avery down the right sideline for a 43-yard gain on third-and-13 to move into field-goal territory.
But the Rams (1-4), being the Rams, nearly botched it from there. With his team trying to kill the clock to set up for the easy kick, lineman Richie Incognito said something to an official that prompted a yellow flag. Brown, who was already 3-for-3 in the game, no longer had a chip shot to win it.
"I was just kind of angry," Brown said.
Incognito claimed he doesn't know what he said to provoke the official, and Haslett also tried to plead his player's case.
"If you're going to call a penalty on a guy who swears — if he did swear — then there's going to be a lot of flags flying out there," Haslett said.
Washington (4-2) was playing as a huge favorite for the first time under coach Jim Zorn, and it showed. Portis said the Redskins overlooked the Rams, who were supposed to be the first of three easy wins in the soft part of the schedule.
"The headlines got good. The guys started high-fiving," Portis said. "We hadn't thought ahead all season long until this week. ... The previous four games, the focus was there."
The Redskins entered the game as the only team in NFL history to open a season with no offensive turnovers through its first five games, but that bit of good fortune ended with three lost fumbles in four possessions.
The Rams were able to convert only one into a score, but it was the type of weird play that can give a struggling team the lift it needs.
With the Redskins in scoring position near the end of the first half, a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage ended up in the hands of offensive lineman Pete Kendall. Tinoisamoa knocked the ball away from Kendall, and Oshiomogho Atogwe picked it up and ran 75 yards for the touchdown that gave the Rams a 10-7 lead - and momentum that carried into the second half.
"I'm sitting there waiting for someone to blow a whistle or challenge the play or something like that to happen because that's how our year's been," Tinoisamoa said. "But I think this kind of signifies the tides are changing."
Kendall, meanwhile, took the blame for the loss, saying he should have just knocked the ball down.
"If I do that, all things being equal, we win the game today," he said.
Steven Jackson had 111 total yards, but his fumble on the first possession gave the Redskins an early touchdown. Bulger went 15-for-26 for 136 yards and had two potential interceptions dropped. The Rams, whose offense is run by former Redskins assistant Al Saunders, were outgained 368-200.
Portis ran 21 times for 129 yards, his third straight 100-yard game.
"We just lost to a team that's 0-4," defensive end Jason Taylor said. "We're probably better than them, but they were better than us today."
Notes: Rams CB Ricky Manning Jr. broke a bone in his ankle, leaving the team with three cornerbacks for the second half. RB Brian Leonard (shoulder) and LT Orlando Pace (pulled quad) were also hurt. ... Redskins injuries: RB Ladell Betts (sprained knee), LT Chris Samuels (sprained knee), S Chris Horton (sprained ankle) and WR James Thrash (sprained knee). ... Redskins P Durant Brooks struggled again. His 26-yard punt in the third quarter set up Brown's third field goal. "We have to improve our punting or we're going to be in trouble every game," Zorn said.
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