DENVER (AP) — It was a wipe-out all right, just not the one expected by just about everyone outside the New York Giants.
“I don’t think anyone picked us to win this game,” Eli Manning said after the Giants’ first victory Sunday night, a 23-10 romp of the Denver Broncos in a prime-time stunner.
Manning called it “a special win” for a reeling team that was without six starters a week after losing three wide receivers to season-ending injuries, including star Odell Beckham Jr.
Capping a stormy week of injuries and infighting, the Giants (1-5) pulled off one of the season’s biggest upsets by dominating Denver in every phase from start to finish.
VIKINGS 23, PACKERS 10: MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Harrison Smith led Minnesota’s defense in a thorough dismantling of Green Bay, as the Vikings knocked Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers out of the game with a broken collarbone during a victory that drastically altered the course of the NFC North.
Smith had 1½ sacks on safety blitzes, a diving interception and two pass breakups, helping the Vikings (4-2) limit the injury-depleted Packers to a season-low 227 yards.
Anthony Barr, who later left with a concussion, delivered the game-changing hit on Green Bay’s second drive when he took Rodgers hard to the turf as the two-time NFL MVP followed through on a pass.
Rodgers fell on his throwing shoulder, and the Packers (4-2) announced he could miss the remainder of the season.
PATRIOTS 24, JETS 17: EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tom Brady set the NFL record for regular-season victories by a quarterback, getting his 187th.
The Patriots (4-2) were playing their first game in 10 days after beating Tampa Bay 19-14 on Oct. 5, and appeared a bit rusty early as they fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter against the surprising Jets (3-3).
New York had a chance to tie the game after getting the ball back with 1:53 remaining, but the Patriots’ 32nd-ranked overall defense held on — forcing Josh McCown to throw incomplete on a desperation heave on fourth-and-17 from the 50, and ending the Jets’ three-game winning streak.
Brady broke a tie with Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for the record.
STEELERS 19, CHIEFS 13: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Le’Veon Bell ran for 179 yards and a touchdown, Antonio Brown made an acrobatic touchdown catch in the fourth quarter and the Steelers handed the NFL’s only unbeaten team its first loss.
The Chiefs (5-1) still had a chance after Brown’s 51-yard reception made it 19-10, moving quickly downfield and getting a 33-yard field goal from Harrison Butker.
And when their defense forced a quick three-and-out, Tyreek Hill’s 32-yard punt return gave them the ball with 1:48 to go.
But after the Steelers (4-2) gave up a first down, James Harrison sacked Alex Smith on third-and-10, and the quarterback’s incomplete pass on fourth down left the NFL with no perfect teams.
Ben Roethlisberger was 17 of 25 for 252 yards for Pittsburgh, bouncing back from his abysmal five-interception performance against Jacksonville last week. His favorite target was Brown, who a few weeks ago was flipping over water coolers on the sideline but spent Sunday slinging high-fives. He finished with eight catches for 155 yards, often beating All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters.
CARDINALS 38, BUCCANEERS 33: GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Adrian Peterson rushed for two touchdowns and 134 yards in an impressive Arizona debut and the Cardinals held off a furious second-half Tampa Bay rally.
The Buccaneers (2-3) lost quarterback Jameis Winston to a right shoulder injury in the second quarter, with the Cardinals (3-3) leading 21-0. But backup Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns to bring Tampa Bay back from a 31-0, early third-quarter deficit.
Fitzpatrick’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans cut the Arizona lead to 38-32 with 2:02 to play.
Larry Fitzgerald recovered the onside kick and, with no Tampa Bay timeouts remaining, the Cardinals ran out the clock.
Carson Palmer completed his first 14 passes and finished 18 of 22 for 283 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Fitzgerald caught 10 passes for 138 yards and a score.
Peterson, acquired in a trade with New Orleans on Tuesday, carried 26 times and scored on a 27-yard run to cap Arizona’s first possession. He added a 1-yard TD run after Tramon Williams’ interception near the goal line in the fourth quarter. The 32-year-old running back gained 47 more yards on Sunday than the 87 he had in four games with the Saints.
BEARS 27, RAVENS 24, OT: BALTIMORE (AP) — Connor Barth kicked a 40-yard field goal with 2:08 left in overtime, and the Bears used a 167-yard rushing effort by Jordan Howard to beat the Ravens.
The Bears (2-4) blew a 14-point lead in the second half before coming through in overtime behind Howard, whose 53-yard run put Chicago at the Baltimore 40. After rookie Mitchell Trubisky completed an 18-yard pass to Kendall Wright, Barth delivered the winner.
Making his first career start on the road, Trubisky directed a conservative game plan that leaned heavily on the run. The first-round draft pick completed 8 of 16 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.
DOLPHINS 20, FALCONS 17: ATLANTA (AP) — Jay Cutler threw a pair of touchdown passes, Cody Parkey kicked a pair of field goals and the Dolphins rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit.
Matt Ryan had another crucial interception with the Falcons in position to at least attempt a tying field goal. Cordrea Tankersley got a hand on a pass intended for Austin Hooper and Reshad Jones swooped in to make the clinching interception with 39 seconds remaining.
Parkey put the Dolphins (3-2) ahead for the first time with 2:30 remaining, booting a 38-yard field goal after a gutsy play by receiver Jarvis Landry, who was hit by six players but still managed to power ahead for a key first down.
RAMS 27, JAGUARS 17: JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Pharoh Cooper returned the opening kickoff 103 yards, one of two special teams touchdowns that helped the Rams.
The Rams (4-2) also blocked a punt for a score and a 10-point lead in the first half. Malcolm Brown returned the loose ball 8 yards for the franchise’s first such touchdown since 2005.
The Jaguars (3-3) botched a decent chance to tie the game early in the fourth period when Blake Bortles fumbled on one play and then threw an interception on the next. It cost Jacksonville a shot at ending its up-and-down start to the season.
Los Angeles essentially sealed its third road victory on Greg Zuerlein’s 29-yard field goal with 2:32 remaining. The Rams hadn’t started 3-0 away from home since 2001.
SAINTS 52, LIONS 38: NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara combined for 237 yards from scrimmage, the Saints’ resurgent defense forced five turnovers and scored a franchise-record three times.
New Orleans (3-2), which has a winning record for the first time since its last playoff season in 2013, built a five-touchdown lead, only to gut out a remarkable bid by Detroit to pull off the greatest comeback in NFL history.
Detroit (3-3) scored four straight TDs, including one on a punt return by Jamal Agnew and another on A’Shawn Robinson’s close-range interception near the Saints goal line, in less than 15 minutes off the game clock to pull as close as 45-38 with 6:41 to go. But after Agnew muffed a punt and barely got it out of the end zone, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan scored on virtually the same type of play as Robinson when he got his hand on Matt Stafford’s pass from the end zone.
TEXANS 33, BROWNS 17: HOUSTON (AP) — Deshaun Watson threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the first rookie in NFL history with at least three TD passes in three straight games. Watson has thrown 15 touchdown passes this season, the most in NFL history by a rookie in a team’s first six games. It equals the number of TD throws Brock Osweiler had in 15 games last season.
The Browns lost their 16th in a row on the road.
Cleveland made yet another change at quarterback this week, benching rookie DeShone Kizer, who had thrown a league-high nine interceptions, for Kevin Hogan to make his first NFL start. The results were much the same as Hogan threw three interceptions to keep the Browns (0-6) winless and drop coach Hue Jackson’s record in Cleveland to 1-21.
Johnathan Joseph had two interceptions, including one he returned for 82 yards to boost the Texans’ defense in their first game since J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus sustained season-ending injuries last week.
