Darren Sharper returned one of his two interceptions of Mark Sanchez 99 yards for a score and Will Smith forced a fumble in the end zone to produce a second defensive touchdown as New Orleans handed the New York Jets their first loss of the season.
New York went down 24-10 despite stopping the Saints twice on fourth-and-short and holding Drew Brees to 190 yards passing and no touchdowns. New Orleans’ normally high-powered offense, which entered the game ranked first in the NFL, did not score a touchdown until Pierre Thomas barreled in from a yard out with 6 minutes, 7 seconds left, but that was enough.
In his first loss as a pro, Sanchez completed 14 of 27 passes for 138 yards, which still might have been enough if not for his four turnovers.
BRONCOS 17, COWBOYS 10
In Denver, Colorado, Champ Bailey knocked away a potential tying touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Sam Hurd with a second left, giving the Broncos their first 4-0 start since 2003.
The Broncos took the lead on Brandon Marshall’s 51-yard touchdown catch with 1 minute, 46 seconds remaining.
STEELERS 38, CHARGERS 28
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ben Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes on fast-starting Pittsburgh’s first two drives, Rashard Mendenhall surpassed his previous career total with 165 yards rushing and two scores and the Steelers opened a 28-point lead, then held on.
Jeff Reed finished it off with a 46-yard field goal in the final minute.
49ERS 35, RAMS 0
In San Francisco, tight end Vernon Davis caught a 13-yard pass for his third touchdown in two weeks and Patrick Willis returned an interception 23 yards for a score as the 49ers overcame the absence of star running back Frank Gore.
The 49ers scored in every way to take command of the NFC West after already beating reigning division champions Arizona and Seattle, recording their first shutout in 119 games since Jan. 6, 2002, 38-0 at New Orleans.
The Rams lost their 14th straight, the longest skid in the NFL.
JAGUARS 37, TITANS 17
In Jacksonville, Florida, David Garrard threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns, two to Mike Sims-Walker, as the Jaguars dismantled Tennessee.
DOLPHINS 38, BILLS 10
In Miami, with quarterback Chad Henne making his first NFL start, the Dolphins controlled the ball for 37 minutes and earned their first victory after three straight losses to open the season.
Henne, a second-year pro, shook off six sacks and managed the game well in his first start replacing Chad Pennington, sidelined by a season-ending shoulder injury.
PATRIOTS 27, RAVENS 21
In Foxborough, Massachusetts, Tom Brady and Randy Moss hooked up for their first touchdown pass of the season and Baltimore failed on fourth-down plays on their last two series.
Moss’ touchdown made it 24-14 late in the third quarter, but Joe Flacco’s 13-yard pass to Willis McGahee cut that to 24-21. Stephen Gostkowski’s 33-yard field goal gave the Patriots (3-1) a six-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
BENGALS 23, BROWNS 20, OT
In Cleveland, Ohio, Shayne Graham won it with a 31-yard field goal, set up by Carson Palmer’s 15-yard run on fourth down, on the last play of overtime.
Not wanting to settle for a tie, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis gambled on fourth-and-11 from the Cleveland 41 with 1 minute, 4 seconds remaining.
Palmer dropped back to pass and then tucked it away and scampered up the middle for the first down. Cincinnati ran two plays to get Graham in position and the kicker, who had an extra point and field goal blocked, drilled it through the uprights.
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