The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 19-9 on Sunday, tarnishing the league’s last unbeaten record, and the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints suffered their second defeat of the season.
The Colts improved to 3-2 and their victory leaves the NFL without a 4-0 team for the first time since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
In a defense dominated game, the Colts led by four field goals to three before an 11-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter from running back Mike Hart, on for the injured Joseph Addai, secured the victory.
Photo: REUTERS
The Saints, missing key players like injured back Reggie Bush, looked far from the team that triumphed in last season’s Super Bowl, paying the price for some careless turnovers.
Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns but also gave up three interceptions as undrafted rookie quarterback Max Hall enjoyed victory in his first game as a starting quarterback for the Cardinals.
FUMBLE
Photo: AFP
The game turned decisively in Arizona’s favor in the fourth quarter when Kerry Rhodes scooped up a fumble and ran home for a 27-yard touchdown to put the Cardinals up 23-13.
The Oakland Raiders ended a 13-game losing streak against the San Diego Chargers with a 35-27 victory thanks to a pair of touchdowns inside the last four minutes.
Michael Bush put Oakland a point ahead with a three-yard touchdown and a fumble from Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was recovered by Tyvon Branch and returned for a touchdown.
The much-fancied Green Bay Packers suffered a 16-13 overtime defeat at Washington with Redskins kicker Graham Gano’s 33-yard field goal securing the victory.
The Packers were inches away from winning in regulation but Mason Crosby’s last-second 53-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright.
“Unless you have a lot of character on your football team, you don’t win games like that. They were all pulling in the same direction,” Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said.
The Packers suffered a number of injuries during the game and quarterback Aaron Rodgers ended it suffering from a concussion.
SLOW START
The Houston Texans had been one of the early-season surprise teams but fell 34-10 to a New York Giants squad that looks to have recovered from their slow start to the season.
Eli Manning threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns for the Giants, whose defense restricted league rushing leader Arian Foster to 25 yards on 11 carries.
Hakeem Nicks caught two touchdown passes and finished the game with a career best 12 catches and 130 yards.
In another upset, the Tennessee Titans left Dallas with a 34-27 victory that dropped the Cowboys to 1-3 and dented their hopes of playing in the Super Bowl the year they host the game.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns but he also threw three interceptions including a vital one that set up the first of two Chris Johnson touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Ray Rice ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns for the Baltimore Ravens in a 31-17 victory that moves them to 4-1 and top spot in the AFC North.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who turned three Carson Palmer interceptions into 17 points, upset the Bengals 24-21 in Cincinnati to improve to 3-1 on the season.
The Bucs tied the game at 21-21 after a Palmer pass was picked off by Aqib Talib and Tampa marched 50 yards in five plays with Mike Williams scoring on a 20-yard touchdown pass.
Then a Palmer pass intended for Chad Ochocinco was picked off and on the resulting possession Tampa Bay’s Conner Barth coolly nailed a 31-yard field goal with five seconds left on the clock for the win.
Jacksonville’s Josh Scobee, who hit a last-second, 59-yard game-winning field goal last week against the Colts, struck all five of his attempts on Sunday as the Jaguars moved to 3-2 with a 36-26 victory over the winless Buffalo Bills.
Scobee has converted 10 of 10 attempts this season.
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