Atlanta Falcons 29-20 San Francisco 49ers
Michael Penix Jr threw three touchdown passes, Atlanta scored 13 points off four turnovers and the Falcons handed the San Francisco 49ers their first loss, 29-20. San Francisco was already thin at wide receiver before its offense faced additional limitations when running back Christian McCaffrey missed much of the first half with a hamstring injury. Brock Purdy threw two interceptions, including one by rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels. Daniels also recovered a George Kittle fumble. Penix threw scoring passes to Nick Muse, Kyle Pitts and Drake London as the Falcons ended a two-game skid.
Minnesota Vikings 16-10 Indianapolis Colts
Harrison Smith capped another dominant performance from Minnesota’s defense with the game-sealing interception, and the Vikings overcame another slow start to remain undefeated with a 16-10 victory over the spiraling Indianapolis Colts. Linebacker Blake Cashman led the pressure on Daniel Jones all afternoon with 12 tackles, two sacks, four passes defended and three quarterback hits as the Vikings improved to 6-0 despite minimal production from the offense. The Colts fell to 2-5. Jones went 13 for 122 for 108 yards and lost 44 yards on four sacks, and Spencer Shrader missed two field goals in the second half.
Green Bay Packers 17-20 Detroit Lions
Jake Bates kicked a 22-yard field goal as time expired to give the Detroit Lions (4-2) a 20-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers (4-3). The Lions have won back-to-back for the first time this season, putting them in third place in the NFC North behind Minnesota and Chicago. The Packers saw a three-game winning streak snapped and fell to last place in the NFC North, lamenting numerous penalties that went against them. Packers kicker Trey Smack also missed two field goals.
Denver Broncos 30-16 Arizona Cardinals
The Denver Broncos (5-2) defeated the Arizona Cardinals (2-5), using big plays to secure the victory. Bo Nix ran for a 62-yard touchdown and RJ Harvey turned a short screen pass into a 52-yard score. The Cardinals have now lost 10 straight home games. Denver’s defense was dominant with 12 quarterback hits and three sacks. Nix’s long touchdown run came late in the second quarter, giving the Broncos a 13-6 lead. The Cardinals cut the lead to 20-13 in the third quarter, but the Broncos responded with a 76-yard touchdown run to control the game.
Los Angeles Rams 35-21 Las Vegas Raiders
Matthew Stafford threw three touchdowns and the visiting Los Angeles Rams took a 28-3 second-quarter lead in their win over the slumping Las Vegas Raiders. Stafford completed 23 of 29 passes for 195 yards and an interception as Los Angeles (3-4) ended a two-game losing streak. Blake Corum added 93 yards and a score on 17 carries as the Rams finished with 386 total yards. Kirk Cousins completed 26 of 44 throws for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as Las Vegas (3-4) lost its fourth straight game. The Raiders only managed 48 yards on 17 carries and abandoned the “run” for most of the second half.
Miami Dolphins 28-25 New York Jets
Malik Willis led the Miami Dolphins to their first win of the season with a 28-25 win over the New York Jets. It was Jeff Hafley’s first win as coach of the Dolphins, who avoided an 0-6 start for the first time since 2019. They scored on their first two drives and controlled most of the game. The Jets are 2-5 and made a late effort, but Willis sealed the victory with a first down on fourth-and-1. Willis threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score. Geno Smith threw three touchdown passes and an interception for the Jets.
Pittsburgh Steelers 16-10 New Orleans Saints
Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass and Chris Boswell scored three field goals in Pittsburgh’s 16-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints in the NFL’s regular-season opener in France. Jaylen Warren rushed for 101 yards and Rodgers completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards and rushed for a key first down late in the fourth quarter as the Steelers (5-2) won their third straight game. Linebacker Payton Wilson had an interception of Tyler Shough in the red zone in the third quarter and the Saints (2-5) couldn’t recover. New Orleans rushed for just 18 yards.
New York Giants 27-21 Houston Texans
Devin Singletary’s 30-yard touchdown run in overtime gave the New York Giants a 27-21 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Cam Skattebo had a 16-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and his 42-yard run set up Singletary’s game-winning run. He had 17 carries for 124 yards after not having a carry last Sunday following a costly fumble two weeks ago. JJ McCarthy moved the ball efficiently for the Giants (4-2-1) in his first start of the season after coach John Harbaugh benched Jameis Winston. He was 20 of 28 for 252 yards in the stadium in which he won the national title with Michigan in January 2024. The Texans (2-5) got the ball back first in overtime, but New York’s defense forced a three-and-out with Kayvon Thibodeaux dropping a potential interception on second down.
Cincinnati Bengals 35-13 Baltimore Ravens
Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes in the second half, and the Cincinnati Bengals rebounded after two disjointed first quarters to beat Baltimore 35-13, handing the Ravens a second straight divisional loss with Lamar Jackson sidelined. Baltimore dominated the first half but only led 13-0 after settling for a few field goals. Then the Ravens blew a double-digit lead in the second half for the second straight week and the 10th time since the start of the 2022 season. Baltimore has outscored its opponents by 65 points in the first half this season, while being outscored by 70 in the second half.
Cleveland Browns 27-24 Tennessee Titans
Deshaun Watson led his fifth game-winning drive in the fourth quarter this season. He connected with Harold Fannin Jr. on a 36-yard catch-and-run that set up Andre Szmyt for a 32-yard field goal as time expired, and the Cleveland Browns beat the Tennessee Titans 27-24 on Sunday for their fifth victory in six games. Watson ran for a touchdown and threw for 308 yards. Quinshon Judkins ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie KC Concepcion caught eight passes for 129 yards in his best game to date. The Titans were trying to string together consecutive victories for the first time in nearly four years.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 43-13 Carolina Panthers
Bucky Irving ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns, and Tampa Bay forced four turnovers as the Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers 43-13 on Sunday during the return of Baker Mayfield. Mayfield had missed the previous three games with a dislocated right thumb. He attempted just 11 passes and threw for 64 yards while wearing a protective glove on his right hand. That was more than enough for him to improve to 7-1 against the Panthers, including 6-1 since joining the Bucs. Mayfield didn’t need to do much because Tampa Bay’s ground game, defense and special teams dominated. The Bucs had 258 rushing yards.
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