Rob Bironas got a second chance at redemption in overtime on Sunday, kicking a 41-yard field goal with 9:36 to go that kept the Tennessee Titans the NFL’s last unbeaten team with a 19-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
Bironas had a chance to win in regulation but banged a 47-yarder off the upright, prompting the All-Pro to yank his facemask down in anger at himself.
But the Titans (8-0) won the toss and drove 55 yards in 10 plays to give Bironas another chance, helping Tennessee match a franchise record with its 11th straight regular-season victory.
PHOTO: AFP
The Packers (4-4) had tied it at 16 on Mason Crosby’s third field goal, a 38-yarder, with 5:30 left.
BENGALS 21, JAGUARS 19
At Cincinnati, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a pair of touchdown passes to Chad Ocho Cinco, who celebrated the second one by giving the head coach a kiss, and the Bengals stopped a late 2-point conversion try to preserve their first victory.
At 1-8, the Bengals are no longer on pace to be historically bad.
Now merely dreadful, they were too much for the stunned Jaguars (3-5), who fell behind 21-3 before making it close.
Montell Owens returned a fumble 18 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, and David Garrard led a late drive that culminated in Maurice Jones-Drew’s 1-yard run with 1:17 to go. Garrard failed to squeeze a pass into double-covered Jerry Porter on the conversion try.
JETS 26, BILLS 17
At Orchard Park, New York, Abram Elam, starting in place of injured safety Eric Smith, returned an interception thrown by Trent Edwards 92 yards for a touchdown, sparking New York’s victory over the bumbling Buffalo.
The Jets (5-3) have won four of five and have caught the Bills in the division standings. Buffalo (5-3) has lost three of four and lost all the momentum it had generated following a 4-0 start.
Brett Favre wasn’t exactly perfect a week after he threw three interceptions before securing a 28-24 win over Kansas City. Against Buffalo, he forced a throw to the left sideline and was intercepted by Jabari Greer, who returned it 42 yards for a touchdown that cut the Jets’ lead to 23-17 with under 11 minutes left.
Favre, 19-of-28 for 201 yards, responded by efficiently producing a 14-play, 65-yard drive that ate up nearly 9 minutes and ended with Jay Feely hitting a 31-yard field goal.
BEARS 27, LIONS 23
At Chicago, Rex Grossman came off the bench to replace injured quarterback Kyle Orton and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 5:36 left, helping Chicago rally from a 10-point deficit for a victory over the winless Detroit.
Matt Forte had 126 yards rushing for the Bears (5-3), who lost Orton to a right ankle injury and safety Mike Brown to a calf problem late in the first half. They didn’t lose the game, though.
They can thank Grossman and Forte, who ran for 40 of Chicago’s 55 yards on the go-ahead drive. His 19-yard dash put the ball on the 1 and Jason McKie got it back there with a 5-yarder after an illegal procedure penalty, setting up Grossman’s 1-yard plunge that put Chicago up 27-23.
With Daunte Culpepper reportedly about to sign with Detroit (0-8), Dan Orlovsky was 28-of-47 for 292 yards and two touchdowns but threw two interceptions.
VIKINGS 28, TEXANS 21
At Minneapolis, the Minnesota Vikings forced three turnovers, got three touchdown passes from Gus Frerotte and shut down Houston’s Andre Johnson.
Minnesota (4-4) returned from the bye week fully recharged.
Madieu Williams intercepted Sage Rosenfels in the end zone in the third quarter, and Antoine Winfield picked off Matt Schaub at the Vikings 5 before Houston’s starting quarterback was sidelined at halftime by an injury to his left knee.
Schaub also lost a fumble that led to a 49-yard scoring toss on third down from Frerotte to Bernard Berrian that stretched the lead to 21-7. The Texans (3-5) missed their chance to win four straight games for the first time in the franchise’s six-year history.
BUCCANEERS 30, CHIEFS 27, OT
At Kansas City, Missouri, Jeff Garcia’s 24-yard touchdown pass and 2-point conversion toss tied it with 19 seconds left, and Matt Bryant’s 33-yard field goal in overtime gave Tampa Bay a win after they trailed by 21.
The Chiefs (1-7) never touched the ball in overtime as Garcia hit Michael Clayton for 29 yards on the first play and smartly moved Tampa Bay (6-3) down the field.
Adding to the dismay of the Chiefs was the fact that Bryant was wide right on a 38-yard try on third down in the overtime drive. But a false start penalty on Jeremy Trueblood negated the play.
CARDINALS 34, RAMS 13
At St. Louis, Kurt Warner and the Cardinals used a 24-point second quarter to win another one in their former home city.
The Cardinals have won four in a row in St. Louis, their home from 1960-1987, and four straight over the Rams overall.
Arizona (5-3) was in total command after scoring 10 points on turnovers and adding a pair of long scoring plays on touchdowns by Tim Hightower and Jerheme Urban. Warner had his 45th 300-yard passing game, throwing for two touchdowns to beat the team he led to two Super Bowls from 1999-2001.
RAVENS 37, BROWNS 27
At Cleveland, Matt Stover booted three field goals — the last with 5:36 left — and linebacker Terrell Suggs returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown to end Cleveland’s last threat with 2:43 remaining as Baltimore rallied for a win.
Stover, who ranks fifth in league scoring history, made field goals of 41, 32 and 22 yards for the Ravens (5-3), who trailed 27-13 in the third quarter before storming back by scoring 24 unanswered points to beat the Browns (3-5) for the second time this season.
DOLPHINS 26, BRONCOS 17
At Denver, the Miami Dolphins bottled up Denver’s ground game and intercepted Jay Cutler three times in a win over the befuddled Broncos.
Cornerback Will Allen returned the second of Cutler’s mistakes 32 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
With Champ Bailey sidelined by a torn groin, Chad Pennington repeatedly picked on his replacement, Karl Paymah, who picked off one pass but otherwise was victimized all afternoon by Greg Camarillo, whose 11 receptions for 111 yards were season highs.
Ronnie Brown rushed 20 times for 59 yards, including a 2-yard scamper into the end zone with three minutes left to ice it for the Dolphins (4-4).
Denver (4-4) lost for the fourth time in five games.
GIANTS 35, COWBOYS 14
At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes, Brandon Jacobs rushed for 117 yards and a score and the New York Giants defense took advantage of injured quarterback Tony Room’s absence to intercept three passes and down Dallas.
The win was the fifth straight at home for the Giants (7-1) and it allowed the Super Bowl champions to open a three-game lead over the defending NFC East champion Cowboys (5-4) in the division.
The loss was the third in four games for Dallas, which fell into last place in the division.
In other games, it was:
• Falcons 24, Raiders 0
• Eagles 26, Seahawks 7
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