Home Sports Football Rams Fall To Falcons, Bears Clip Vikings, NFL Roundup

Rams Fall To Falcons, Bears Clip Vikings, NFL Roundup

Published on September 16 2013 6:28 am
Last Updated on September 16 2013 6:28 am
Written by Millie Lange

Falcons Hold Off Rams

(Atlanta, GA) -- Matt Ryan finished 33-of-43 for 374 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons jumped out to a big lead and held on for a 31-24 win over the Rams at the Georgia Dome. Atlanta led 24-3 at halftime. Julio Jones had 11 catches for 182 yards and a TD, while Steven Jackson had a receiving score against his former team. Jackson left, however, in the first quarter with a thigh injury. Osi Umenyiora had a 68-yard interception return for a score for the Falcons, who improved to 1-1 after losing at New Orleans last week. Sam Bradford was 32-of-55 for 352 yards with three TDs and the pick for St. Louis, which was coming off a season-opening 27-24 home win over Arizona. Rookie Tavon Austin had six catches for 47 yards and two scores in defeat.

Bears Clip Vikings In Final Seconds

(Chicago, IL) -- Jay Cutler connected with Martellus Bennett on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left as the Bears clipped the Vikings 31-30 at Soldier Field. Blair Walsh nailed three consecutive field goals to give Minnesota a 30-24 lead with 3:15 to go, but Chicago answered with a 10-play, 66-yard drive to pull out the win. Cutler ended 28-of-39 for 290 yards with three TD's and two interceptions for the Bears, who are 2-0 after beating Cincinnati to open the season. Bennett had two TD catches, while Brandon Marshall had seven grabs for 113 yards and a score in the victory. Christian Ponder finished 16-of-30 for 227 yards with a touchdown and a pick for Minnesota, which fell to 0-2. Adrian Peterson had 26 carries for 100 yards, while rookie Cordarrelle Patterson returned the opening kickoff 105 yards for a TD for the Vikings.

Bills Edge Panthers In Final Seconds

(Orchard Park, NY) -- EJ Manuel found Stevie Johnson for a two-yard touchdown with two seconds left, as the Bills edged the Panthers 24-23 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Manuel finished 27-of-39 for 296 yards with the TD, an interception and a fumble, while Johnson ended with eight catches for 111 yards. C.J. Spiller rushed for 103 yards and Fred Jackson added 30 yards and a TD on the ground for the Bills, who suffered a tough 23-21 home loss to New England to open the season. Cam Newton was 21-of-38 for 229 yards with two TD's and a pick for Carolina, which fell to 1-1. Greg Olsen and Tedd Ginn both had TD catches in the setback.

Packers Send Redskins To 0-And-2 Start

(Green Bay, WI) -- Aaron Rodgers tied the franchise record with 480 passing yards and threw four touchdowns to lead the Packers to a 38-20 rout of the Redskins in their home opener at Lambeau Field. Rodgers finished 34-of-42 for a passer rating of 146. James Starks rushed for 132 yards and a TD in place of rookie Eddie Lacy, who left with a concussion. James Jones had 11 catches for 178 yards, while Jordy Nelson had three grabs for 66 yards and two scores for the 1-and-1 Packers, who jumped out to a 31-0 lead. Randall Cobb and Jermichael Finley also had TD catches in the victory. Robert Griffin the Third was 26-of-40 for 320 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for the 'Skins, who are 0-2 for the first time since 2006. Pierre Garcon had eight grabs for 143 yards and a score in the setback.

Dolphins Hold Off Colts For 2-And-0 Start

(Indianapolis, IN) -- Charles Clay's one-yard touchdown run with 4:40 to go held up as the Dolphins beat the Colts 24-20 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Ryan Tannehill finished 23-of-34 for 319 yards with a TD and a fumble lost for Miami, which is off to its first 2-and-0 start since 2010. Clay also had five catches for 109 yards, while Mike Wallace had nine grabs for 115 yards and a score in the victory. Lamar Miller rushed for 69 yards and a TD for the Dolphins. Andrew Luck was 25-of-43 for 321 yards with a TD and an interception for the Colts, who fell to 1-and-1. T.Y. Hilton tallied six catches for a game-high 124 yards and Coby Fleener had the lone TD catch in defeat.

Chiefs Clip Cowboys For 2-And-0 Start

(Kansas City, MO -- Alex Smith threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns as the Chiefs clipped the Cowboys 17-16 at Arrowhead Stadium. Smith also ran for a game-high 57 yards on eight carries for the Chiefs, who are off to their first 2-and-0 start since 2005 and have already matched their entire win total from last season. Jamaal Charles had 55 yards on 16 carries while adding eight catches for 48 yards and a score. Dwayne Bowe had four grabs for 56 yards and a TD in the victory. Tony Romo finished 30-of-42 for 298 yards and a touchdown but did have a fumble for Dallas, which was coming off a 36-31 season-opening win over the New York Giants. Dez Bryant had nine catches for 141 yards and the lone TD, while DeMarco Murray was held to just 25 yards on 12 carries in defeat.

Ravens Cut Down Browns

(Baltimore, MD) -- Joe Flacco tossed for 211 yards and a touchdown to help the Ravens escape with a 14-6 win over the Browns in Baltimore's home opener. Bernard Pierce ran for 57 yards and a touchdown for Baltimore, which improved to 1-1. Ray Rice was held to 13 carries and 36 yards before leaving with a hip sprain. Marlon Brown hauled in the TD from Flacco. Former Raven Billy Cundiff made a 21 and 51 yard field goal for Cleveland, which dropped to 0-2. Brandon Weeden threw for 227 yards on 21-of-33 passing prior to exiting late in the game with a thumb injury. Trent Richardson rushed for 58 yards on 18 carries in defeat.

Texans Topple Titans In Overtime

(Houston, TX) -- Rookie DeAndre Hopkins caught a three-yard touchdown pass in overtime, giving the Texans a 30-24 win over the Titans at Reliant Stadium. Matt Schaub threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns, though one of his two interceptions was returned for a score. Arian Foster had 19 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown. Hopkins totaled seven catches for 117 yards and his TD was the first in his career. Tight ends Garrett Graham and Owen Daniels caught touchdowns for Houston, which is 2-0. Jake Locker threw for only 148 yards but tossed two scores, one to Kendall Wright and the other to Delanie Walker. Chris Johnson rushed for 96 yards on 25 carries as the Titans fell to 1-1.

Chargers Clip Eagles

(Philadelphia, PA) -- Nick Novak nailed a game-winning 46-yard field goal with seven seconds left, as the Chargers spoiled the Eagles home opener with a 33-30 win at Lincoln Financial Field. Philip Rivers finished 36-of-47 for 419 yards and three touchdowns, all to Eddie Royal. Royal posted seven catches for 90 yards, while Antonio Gates had eight grabs for 124 yards for the 1-and-1 Bolts. Malcolm Floyd had five catches for 102 yards before leaving on a stretcher in the third quarter with an apparent neck injury. Michael Vick was 24-of-37 for a career-high 428 yards and two TD's and also ran in for a score for the Eagles, who fell to 1-1. DeSean Jackson had nine catches for 193 yards and a score, while LeSean McCoy had 11 carries for 53 yards and five catches for 114 yards in defeat.

Cards Hold Off Lions

(Glendale, AZ) -- Rashard Mendenhall scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:59 to go as the Cardinals held on to beat the Lions 25-21 in their home opener at University of Phoenix Stadium. Carson Palmer finished 22-of-39 for 248 yards with a TD and an interception for the Cards, who were coming off a season-opening loss at St. Louis. Larry Fitzgerald had just two catches for 33 yards but left the game after tweaking his hamstring injury. Jay Feely was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts for Arizona. Matthew Stafford was 24-of-36 for 278 yards and two touchdowns to Calvin Johnson as Detroit fell to 1-1. Johnson ended with six catches for 116 yards in the setback. DeAndre Levy had a 66-yard interception return for a score for the Lions.

Saints Sneak Past Bucs

(Tampa, FL -- Garrett Hartley's 27-yard field goal as time expired gave the Saints a 16-14 win over the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. The game started on time but was stopped in the first quarter for what turned out to be a weather delay of more than an hour. Drew Brees threw for 322 yards and a touchdown but was sacked four times and threw two interceptions. Jimmy Graham caught 10 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. Josh Freeman completed only 9-of-22 passes for 125 yards with a touchdown and interception. Doug Martin rushed for 144 yards on 29 carries. The Saints improved to 2-0 and the Bucs fell to 0-2.

Raiders Run By Jags

(Oakland, CA -- Terrelle Pryor threw for 126 yards and ran for another 50 as the Raiders ran past the Jaguars 19-9 in their home opener at The Coliseum. Darren McFadden rushed for 129 yards and Marcel Reece scored the lone touchdown for the Raiders, who improved to 1-1 after last week's loss at Indianapolis. Sebastian Janikowski nailed all four of his field goal attempts. Chad Henne finished 25-of-38 for 241 yards and a TD for Jacksonville, which is 0-2 for the second straight year. Maurice Jones-Drew was held to just 27 yards on 10 carries in defeat. He left the contest with a sprained ankle.

Broncos Blast Giants As Peyton Beats Brother Eli

(East Rutherford, NJ) -- Peyton Manning outplayed brother Eli, throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns, as the Broncos blasted the Giants 41-23 at MetLife Stadium. Peyton, who is now 3-and-0 against his younger brother, has nine TD's through two games which ties the NFL record. Knowshon Moreno rushed for 93 yards and two scores, while Wes Welker and Julius Thomas both had TD catches for Denver, which is 2-0 for the first time since 2009. Eli Manning was 28-of-49 for 362 yards and a TD, but was picked off four times in the loss. Victor Cruz had eight grabs for 118 yards for the Giants, who are off to their first 0-2 start since 2007.

Seahawks Blow Away 49ers

(Seattle, WA) -- The Seahawks put on a defensive clinic on their way to a 29-3 victory over the 49ers at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. After lightning delayed action for nearly an hour late in the first quarter, Seattle forced five turnovers including three interceptions from San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Marshawn Lynch rumbled for 98 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while catching another from quarterback Russell Wilson. The 'Hawks QB is now 9-and-0 in his career at home and helped his team move to 2-0 this season. Kaepernick threw for 127 yards while rushing for 87 more in defeat. The Niners pulled as close as nine points late in the third before Seattle ran away in the fourth quarter. San Francisco fell to 1-1.

Flacco's Wife Gives Birth Just Before Kickoff

(Baltimore, MD) -- The Super Bowl MVP had something extra on his mind as the Ravens played the Browns Sunday. Quarterback Joe Flacco was informed during warmups that his wife Dana had just delivered the couple's second child. The pregnancy was revealed right after Flacco led Baltimore to the Super Bowl in February. The Ravens won yesterday, 14-6.

Top Three Remain Unchanged In "USA Today" Poll

Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State are the top-three teams in the newest "USA Today" top-25 college football poll. All three teams won Saturday, with Bama grabbing the biggest of all in a 49-42 victory over now number-nine Texas A&M. Arizona State, Michigan State and Fresno State all joined the poll while Nebraska, Wisconsin and TCU fell out.

Sunday, September 15 Scoreboard

NFL

Atlanta Falcons 31, St. Louis Rams 24

Buffalo Bills 24, Carolina Panthers 23

Chicago Bears 31, Minnesota Vikings 30

Green Bay Packers 38, Washington Redskins 20

Miami Dolphins 24, Indianapolis Colts 20

Kansas City Chiefs 17, Dallas Cowboys 16

Baltimore Ravens 14, Cleveland Browns 6

Houston Texans 30, Tennessee Titans 24 (OT)

San Diego Chargers 33, Philadelphia Eagles 30

Arizona Cardinals 25, Detroit Lions 21