Broncos find another way to win
Denver pulled out every trick to deal with a rash of injuries, and the gritty Broncos managed to put a hurtin’ on the Falcons’ surprising season at Atlanta.
Jay Cutler threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham with 5 1/2 minutes remaining, the defense held off Matt Ryan’s last-gasp drive and Denver rallied for a 24-20 victory Sunday, handing the Falcons their first loss of the season at home.
Michael Turner scored on a 28-yard run to put Atlanta ahead 20-17 with under 11 minutes left, but the Broncos (6-4) managed to pull out their second straight victory on the road.
Dolphins 17, Raiders 15: Dan Carpenter nailed a 38-yard field goal with 38 seconds left to cap a 61-yard drive, and the Dolphins beat woeful Oakland at Miami. Johnnie Lee Higgins scored on a 93-yard punt return with 4:30 left to give the Raiders their first lead, but Chad Pennington moved the Dolphins downfield in 10 plays.
Packers 37, Bears 3: Ryan Grant rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown for the Packers in a dominant victory over Chicago at Green Bay, Wis. The win boosts the playoff hopes of the Packers (5-5), who came in on a two-game losing streak and trailing the Bears and Minnesota Vikings by one game in the NFC North standings.
Giants 30, Ravens 10: Brandon Jacobs pounded his way into the end zone on a pair of 1-yard runs and New York’s league-leading runing attack ran for 207 yards — its third straight 200-yard game — in a victory over the Ravens at East Rutherford, N.J. Aaron Ross iced the game by returning one of his two interceptions 50 yards for a third-quarter touchdown.
Colts 33, Texans 27: Peyton Manning led Indianapolis on four straight scoring drives in the second half, wiping out two Houston leads and getting a badly needed victory at Indianapolis. Indy (6-4) won its third straight, a season-best, as it stayed near the top of the muddled mass battling for the AFC’s two wild-card spots. Manning finished 30-of-46 for 320 yards with two touchdowns.
Panthers 31, Lions 22: DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart had a record-setting day on the ground for Carolina as the Panthers squeaked by Detroit, the league’s only winless team, in Charlotte, N.C. Stewart rushed for a career-high 130 yards and a touchdown, Williams added 120 yards and two more scores. The Panthers (8-2) set a team record with 264 yards rushing and had two 100-yard rushers for the first time in team history.
Saints 30, Chiefs 20: Drew Brees threw for 266 yards and one touchdown, and the Saints beat the injury-wracked Chiefs at Kansas City, Mo. Lance Moore had eight catches for 102 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown strike.
Eagles 13, Bengals 13 (OT): Donovan McNabb fumbled and threw three interceptions in regulation, and nearly had another pass picked off in overtime as Philadelphia and the Bengals played to a tie, the NFL’s first in six years, at Cincinnati. The Bengals’ Shayne Graham missed a 47-yard field goal with seven seconds left in overtime, sealing it.
Bucs 19, Vikings 13: Jeff Garcia threw for 255 yards without an interception, helping the Bucs defeat Minnesota at Tampa, Fla. Adrian Peterson ran for 85 yards on 19 carries through three quarters, but his bid for a fifth consecutive 100-yard game fell short.
49ers 35, Rams 16: Shaun Hill threw two touchdown passes and Frank Gore rushed for another during San Francisco’s 28-point second quarter, and the 49ers snapped their six-game losing streak with interim coach Mike Singletary’s first victory over the Rams at San Francisco.
Titans 24, Jaguars 14: Kerry Collins threw three touchdown passes, and Tennessee improved to 10-0 with a victory over the Jaguars at Jacksonville, Fla. Tennessee overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit, got solid play from third-string cornerback Chris Carr and extended its franchise-record winning streak in the regular season to 13 games.