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Mayfield sharp as Browns roll over Lions
NFL

DETROIT (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw for 138 yards in a dominant first half for Cleveland, and the Browns wrapped up the preseason with a 35-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.

Mayfield completed a 41-yard pass to Devon Cajuste on the first play from scrimmage, and the top overall pick in this year’s draft looked sharp throughout his two quarters directing Cleveland’s offense.

With Tyrod Taylor atop the depth chart at quarterback, the Browns are likely to bring Mayfield along slowly. But if the rookie doesn’t play again for a while, this was a nice note to finish on before the start of the regular season.

COLTS 27, BENGALS 26

CINCINNATI (AP) — Matt Barkley’s left knee was injured by a low hit after he threw a pass, giving Jeff Driskel the inside track for the Bengals’ backup quarterback role.

For the second year in a row, the Bengals (3-1) lost a quarterback to injury in the final preseason game. Last year, Driskel broke the thumb on his passing hand in Indianapolis, ending his season. Cincinnati also has seventh-round pick Logan Woodside.

It was the most high-profile job up for grabs in a game that featured few starters. The Colts’ Andrew Luck and the Bengals’ Andy Dalton watched as reserves competed for roster spots.

DOLPHINS 34, FALCONS 7

ATLANTA (AP) — Brock Osweiler made a strong final bid for Miami’s backup quarterback job, leading three first-quarter touchdown drives. Osweiler is competing with David Fales to be Ryan Tannehill’s backup. Osweiler completed each of his first six passes for 65 yards, including a 1-yard scoring pass to Buddy Howell on Miami’s opening drive. He added a 14-yard scoring pass to Francis Owusu on the final play of the third quarter.

Osweiler completed 16 of 25 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns for the Dolphins (1-3). Fales completed 13 of 20 passes for 94 yards and one interception.

EAGLES 10, JETS 9

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Christian Hackenberg had a rough audition for an NFL roster spot, tossing two interceptions, but the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles rallied.

Joe Callahan threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Matt Jones with 18 seconds left to lift Philadelphia (1-3).

Jason Myers kicked field goals of 58 and 43 yards for the Jets (1-3). New York’s defense didn’t allow a touchdown in August until the final drive.

JAGUARS 25, BUCCANEERES 10

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Fourth-stringer Tim Cook ran for a pair of second-half touchdowns, and Carroll Phillips returned a fumble for another TD to help Jacksonville.

Cook scored on runs of 1 and 3 yards, while Phillips picked up a fumble by rookie quarterback Austin Allen and ran it back 28 yards during a 19-point third quarter that turned a 10-3 halftime deficit into a 12-point lead.

PATRIOTS 17, GIANTS 12

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Third-stringer Danny Etling tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Ralph Webb early in the second half and iced the game with an 86-yard run late.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning chatted with receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the first half, while Tom Brady sat next to the New England water coolers and relaxed.

VIKINGS 13, TITANS 3

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Rookie Daniel Carlson kicked field goals of 39 and 22 yards, and Kyle Sloter added a 24-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Carlson rebounded from missing a pair of 42-yarders wide left a week ago after beating out Kai Forbath for the job. Carlson connected from 39 yards late in the first half, tying it 3-3. He added a 22-yarder midway through the third quarter, giving the Vikings (3-1) a 6-3 lead.

RAVENS 30, REDSKINS 20

BALTIMORE (AP) — Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for a touchdown while backup Robert Griffin III spent the entire game on the sideline as Baltimore completed its third consecutive unbeaten preseason.

Jackson played the first half and led Baltimore (5-0) on three scoring drives. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and first-round draft pick is sure to make the team, but coach John Harbaugh has not yet revealed whether he will keep Griffin, who’s currently No. 2 on the depth chart behind starter Joe Flacco. Griffin, a five-year veteran, went 27 for 41 during the preseason and showed no rust after sitting out last year.

STEELERS 39, PANTHERS 24

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Dobbs put together a compelling case to be on someone’s NFL roster next week, throwing for a touchdown and running for another.

Dobbs, fighting for one of the backup quarterback jobs behind Ben Roethlisberger, vaulted into the end zone for a 3-yard scoring run to cap Pittsburgh’s first drive. He added a 27-yard strike to Tevin Jones later in the opening quarter and finished 8 of 12 for 151 yards to cap an impressive training camp.

TEXANS 14, COWBOYS 6

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston rookie running back Terry Swanson rushed for a 37-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to lift the Texans. The undrafted rookie running back out of Toledo, who served as an understudy to the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt in college, found a hole with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Texans up two scores. Swanson finished with 69 yards on 17 carries.

Both teams rested their starters.

Houston took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter after third-round pick safety Justin Reid intercepted Cooper Rush’s pass to set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Alfred Blue. Blue, competing for the backup job behind Lamar Miller, rushed for 18 yards on four carries, while Troymaine Pope rushed for 21 yards on five carries.

BILLS 28, BEARS 27

CHICAGO (AP) — AJ McCarron made a shaky case for a roster spot, leading a surge in the fourth quarter after struggling for most of the game.

With both teams holding out their starters and few key reserves playing, the focus was on McCarron. He ran for a touchdown and threw for three more in the fourth — including a 6-yarder to Keith Towbridge in the closing minute. That capped an 84-yard drive aided by two roughing-the-passer calls, including one against Isaiah Irving on a fourth down at the Buffalo 3.

SAINTS 28, RAMS 0

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cameron Meredith caught two passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. The former Bears wide receiver was one of the top free agents signed by the Saints, who brought him in even though he had major knee surgery last fall. Meredith’s rehab from the injury has gone well, but he was limited in training camp and didn’t catch a pass in the first three preseason games.

Meredith caught a 56-yard pass from Taysom Hill to set up rookie Boston Scott’s 4-yard touchdown run for the game’s first score. Hill threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Meredith for a 12-0 halftime lead.

CHIEFS 33, PACKERS 21

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rookie safety Armani Watts intercepted two passes, while Makinton Dorleant returned another pick for a touchdown for Kansas City.

Chad Henne, Matt McGloin and Chase Litton were all solid under center for Kansas City while Patrick Mahomes watched from the sideline. Harrison Butker was perfect on four field-goal attempts.

The Chiefs’ Byron Pringle, an undrafted free agent who’s had a strong preseason, caught four passes for 122 yards before leaving early in the second half with a hamstring injury.

DeShone Kizer started for Green Bay and was 5 of 7 for 57 yards with a touchdown and a pick. A 2017 second-round draft choice of the Browns, Kizer is expected to back up Aaron Rodgers after this week’s trade of erstwhile backup Brett Hundley to the Seahawks.

BRONCOS 21, CARDINALS 10

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Paxton Lynch made his case for backup quarterback — or at least staying on Denver’s roster — with a near-perfect second half. Lynch completed 14 of 15 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns and was not intercepted.

Chad Kelly, who seemed to have a tenuous hold on the backup job behind Denver starter Case Keenum entering the game, played the first half and went 12 of 19 for 126 yards and no touchdowns with one interception.

Lynch had TD passes of 16 yards to Jordan Leslie in the third quarter and 10 yards to Matt LaCosse on the first play of the fourth.

Mike Glennon, the subject of some trade speculation as Arizona’s No. 3 quarterback behind Sam Bradford and rookie Josh Rosen, played the entire first half, going 8 of 10 for 69 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.

Arizona finished the preseason 3-1 and Denver 2-2.