NFL Week 4 roundup: Chiefs score late touchdown to rally past Lions
DETROIT — Darrel Williams ran for a go-ahead, 1-yard touchdown with 23 seconds left for his second score in the fourth quarter, lifting the Kansas City Chiefs to a 34-30 win over the Detroit Lions.
Detroit drove to the Kansas City 44 on the final drive and Matthew Stafford heaved two passes toward the end zone that were incomplete, ending the game.
The Chiefs (4-0) went ahead for the first time Sunday early in the third quarter when Bashaud Breeland recovered Kerryon Johnson’s fumble and returned it 100 yards, taking advantage of everyone on the field appearing to stop momentarily and the officials not blowing a whistle. The pivotal play stood after review.
The Lions (2-1-1) scored the first 10 points and, after Kansas City pulled into two ties, went back ahead late in the second, third and fourth quarters.
Stafford threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Golladay with 2:26 left to give Detroit a 30-27 lead. The call on the field stood after a review, which showed Golladay got both feet in the end zone. Golladay had a touchdown overturned by review early in the third because he appeared to lose control of the football as he hit the turf.
Austin Ekeler and Ty Long help the wounded Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 30-10, taking advantage of an opponent in worse shape at the moment.
Kansas City started the winning drive on its 21. Mahomes converted a fourth-and-8 from his 34 with a 15-yard run to help him finish with a career-high 56 yards rushing and he completed just enough passes to set up Williams for a short run to take the lead for good.
Mahomes was 24 of 42 for 315 yards. The reigning MVP had thrown at least two touchdown passes in 14 straight games, one short of the NFL record set by Peyton Manning.
Stafford was 21 of 34 for 291 yards with three touchdowns, including two to Golladay and one to T.J. Hockenson. Stafford’s second touchdown pass of the game — and first to Golladay — put Detroit up 23-20 and followed a fifth fumble in the third quarter. Johnson had 125 yards rushing on 26 carries.
at New Orleans 12, Dallas 10: Vonn Bell’s forced fumble and two recoveries helped the Saints stifle a Dallas offense that had rolled through its first three games, and Wil Lutz kicked four field goals to lift New Orleans over the Cowboys.
Dallas came in with the NFL’s third-ranked running game, averaging 179 yards. Dallas (3-1) finished with 45 yards on the ground.
Dak Prescott gave Dallas one last shot when he found Randall Cobb over the middle for 32 yards to the Dallas 48 and spiked the ball with 2 seconds left. But his desperation heave was rushed by a Saints blitz and safety Marcus Williams came down with an interception and New Orleans’ third forced turnover of the game.
Teddy Bridgewater made his second start in place of Drew Brees, who attended the game with a cast on his surgically repaired right thumb. Bridgewater was 23 of 30 for 193 yards and was intercepted once, albeit on an accurate pass that bounced off of Ted Ginn Jr.’s hands near midfield in the first quarter
New England 16, at Buffalo 10: Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins forced Buffalo’s fourth turnover by intercepting backup Matt Barkley’s pass with 1:27 remaining to seal New England’s win.
J.C. Jackson had two interceptions and blocked a punt, which was returned 11 yards by Matthew Slater for a touchdown. Brandon Bolden scored on a 4-yard run in a defensive slugfest between previously unbeaten AFC East rivals.
New England is off to its first 4-0 start since 2015, and fifth time during Bill Belichick’s 20 seasons as coach.
The Bills (3-1) not only blew an opportunity to open a season with four straight wins for the first time since 2008, but now face questions at quarterback.
Barkley took over after starter Josh Allen sustained a head injury after being brought down by a helmet-to-helmet hit by Jonathan Jones in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Allen was briefly evaluated under a tent on the sideline before being escorted up the tunnel.
The game wasn’t decided until Buffalo’s final drive with Barkley facing third-and-9 at the New England 39.
Cleveland 40, at Baltimore 25: Baker Mayfield threw for 342 yards and a touchdown, Nick Chubb ran for a pivotal 88-yard score and the Browns earned a share of first place in the AFC North with the win.
Chubb finished with 165 yards and three scores against the league’s third-ranked rushing defense. Jarvis Landry had eight catches for 167 yards before leaving with a suspected concussion, and Odell Beckham Jr. had two catches for 20 yards in a supporting role.
Cleveland kept Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson in check and used a mixture of Mayfield’s passing and Chubb’s physical running to rip the Ravens for 530 yards — the second straight week Baltimore (2-2) yielded more than 500 yards.
As a result, Cleveland (2-2) finds itself in the top spot of the division with the Ravens, who won it last year. It’s the first time Cleveland has been in first place after four games since 2013.
at N.Y. Giants 24, Washington 3: Daniel Jones worked his magic again, Saquon Barkley’s replacement Wayne Gallman scored two touchdowns, and Jabrill Peppers scored on a 32-yard interception return to lead the suddenly revived Giants to the victory over the winless Washington Redskins on Sunday.
The Redskins’ 0-4 start is their worst since losing their first five in 2001. The start also has seriously put coach Jay Gruden’s job in jeopardy after five-plus season, a 35-49-1 record and one playoff berth (2015).
Jones (23 of 31 for 225 yards) has sparked the Giants (2-2) since replacing two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning as the starting quarterback. He rallied New York from an 18-point deficit in his first start against the Buccaneers last week and was solid early, leading New York to touchdown runs on its first two series.
Carolina 16, at Houston 10: Kyle Allen threw for 232 yards and the Carolina Panthers overcame his three fumbles with help from a big defensive play late to get a win.
The Panthers (2-2) took a 13-10 lead with a 55-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. The Texans (2-2) were driving with about four minutes left when Deshaun Watson was sacked by Vernon Butler, who caused a fumble that was recovered by Eric Reid at the Houston 33.
Ndamukong Suh scores off a late fumble by Jared Goff as the Rams fall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 55-40 in their first loss of the season.
Carolina pushed the lead to 16-10 when Joey Slye added a 26-yard field goal with 31 seconds left. Houston had a chance for the win, but Deshaun Watson’s desperation throw as time expired was knocked down in the end zone by Reid.
Allen was making his third career start and second this season in place of Cam Newton, who is out with a foot injury. Allen lost the ball three times on sacks, but the Texans were only able to get points out of the last one to allow the Panthers to keep it close until their defense came through with the big play late.
Titans 24, at Falcons 10: Marcus Mariota threw three first-half touchdown passes, two to A.J. Brown, and the Tennessee defense had three fourth-down stops.
Tennessee (2-2) used Mariota’s big first half and the strong defense to snap a two-game losing streak. Derrick Henry, who ran for 100 yards, helped the Titans dominate the clock and hold the Falcons to only a field goal in the second half.
Ito Smith’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter pulled the Falcons (1-3) even 7-7. Tennessee outscored Atlanta 17-0 the remainder of the half, and the Falcons heard boos as they left the field.
Matt Ryan passed for 397 yards, but the Falcons were stopped on those three fourth-down plays. Julio Jones had only four catches for 52 yards.
Devonta Freeman, held to 28 yards on 12 carries, was stopped by Jurrell Casey on a fourth-and-1 run in the second quarter. Ryan was sacked on two fourth-down plays in the second half.
Jacksonville 26, at Denver 24: Leonard Fournette ran for a career-high 225 yards and Josh Lambo kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired, sending the Jaguars past the Broncos.
The Broncos (0-4) not only were victimized by a last-second field goal for the second time this season, but they blew a 14-point lead at home in a loss for the first time since 2006.
Gardner Minshew II drove the Jaguars, one of four AFC South teams who are 2-2, into field goal range after Joe Flacco’s 8-yard TD throw to Courtland Sutton with 1:38 left gave Denver a 24-23 lead.
Eerily reminiscent of their 16-14 loss to the Bears in Denver two weeks ago, the Broncos helped ignite the winning drive by getting whistled for roughing the passer.
Against Chicago, it was Bradley Chubb’s questionable penalty, which the league admitted was a bad call. Against the Jaguars, it was a flag by Von Miller, who reached up and struck Minshew in his neck just as he released his pass in a chaotic pocket.
Seattle 27, at Arizona 10: Russell Wilson threw for 240 yards a touchdown, Jadeveon Clowney returned an interception for a touchdown and Seattle beat Arizona.
The Seahawks (3-1) scored two touchdowns by early in the second quarter, one on Clowney’s spectacular 27-yard interception return and another on a 9-yard pass from Wilson to tight end Will Dissly.
After that, Seattle controlled the game’s pace with Chris Carson, who ran for 104 yards on 22 carries. The Seahawks also leaned on their defense, which forced Cardinals rookie quarterback Kyler Murray into another up-and-down day.
Arizona’s problems were a familiar story. The Cardinals (0-3-1) moved the ball fairly well in the first half, but couldn’t convert that success into touchdowns. To make matters worse, Zane Gonzalez missed two field goal attempts from 43 and 48 yards and the Seahawks led 20-3 at halftime.
at Chicago 16, Minnesota 6: Chase Daniel threw for 195 yards and a touchdown after Mitchell Trubisky got knocked out of the game with a left shoulder injury on the opening possession, and Chicago swarmed NFL rushing leader Dalvin Cook in a victory over Minnesota.
Derek Carr led the Oakland Raiders to touchdowns on three of their first four possessions Sunday in a 31-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
The defending NFC North champions avoided an 0-2 start at Soldier Field and another home loss to a division rival to go with the one they suffered against Green Bay in the NFL’s 100th season opener. But they lost their quarterback soon after the opening kickoff.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Trubisky was scrambling when Danielle Hunter dragged him down. The quarterback’s non-throwing arm got pinned awkwardly under his body as the ball popped out. Minnesota made the recovery, but a holding penalty against Anthony Harris negated the play.
Trubisky headed to the sideline and walked to the locker room a few minutes later.
Daniel came on and connected with Tarik Cohen on a 10-yard touchdown to complete a 14-play drive. The 10th-year pro completed 22 of 30 passes.
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