Turnover propels Bucs past Falcons
Derrick Brooks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally stopped Michael Vick when it counted.
Brooks knocked the ball away from Vick with just over a minute remaining, Tampa Bay recovered the fumble and Matt Bryant kicked a 45-yard field goal that gave the Buccaneers a 30-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Atlanta.
The Bucs moved into a tie for first in the NFC South with Carolina. The Falcons remained one game back in the hotly contested division after their second straight loss at home.
Atlanta fell behind 13-0, then moved the ball at will against Tampa Bay’s highly ranked defense. Vick threw for 306 yards – only the second 300-yard passing game of his career – and led five straight scoring possessions, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins that gave the Falcons a 27-20 lead with 7:36 remaining.
Tampa Bay drove 71 yards in 11 plays to tie it. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams scored on a 9-yard run with 1:55 left.
Chargers 48, Bills 10
Drew Brees threw for 339 yards and a season-high four touchdowns, including one to tight end Antonio Gates, as the Chargers routed Buffalo for their third straight win.
It wasn’t all good news for the Chargers, though. Gates was hurt when he was tackled after catching a 21-yard pass from Brees midway through the third quarter. He remained on the ground for a few minutes, walked off the field and then was taken by a cart into the locker room.
Chiefs 45, Texans 17
Larry Johnson, filling in for the injured Priest Holmes, broke Kansas City’s rushing record with 211 yards and scored two TDs to lead the visiting Chiefs to a victory over Houston. The record was 200 yards, which Barry Word set in 1990.
Giants 27, Eagles 17
Eli Manning threw three TD passes, including a 61-yarder to Plaxico Burress late in the fourth quarter, to help New York hold off Philadelphia in East Rutherford, N.J.
Ravens 16, Steelers 13 (OT)
Matt Stover kicked a 44-yard field goal with 4:09 left in overtime to lift Baltimore to a victory over visiting Pittsburgh, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Raiders 16, Redskins 13
Sebastian Janikowski’s 19-yard field goal with 1:08 remaining gave Oakland and former Redskins coach Norv Turner a victory over Washington in Landover, Md.
Cardinals 38, Rams 28
Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, St. Louis’ former hero, won his first game in the town where he produced a pair of Super Bowl teams and a pair of MVP awards, throwing three TD passes in a win against the Rams.
Broncos 27, Jets 0
Jake Plummer threw for 225 yards and no interceptions, Mike Anderson ran for three scores and Denver blanked visiting New York, recording its first shutout in eight years and staying on track to host their first playoff game since the 1998 Super Bowl season.
Cowboys 20, Lions 7
Taking advantage of 17 penalties for 129 yards against Detroit, the Cowboys got two short touchdown runs from Marion Barber III and Billy Cundiff kicked a team-record 56-yard field goal a day after rejoining the club as Dallas won in Irving, Texas.
Patriots 24, Saints 17
Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes, including two scoring drives of more than 90 yards, to lead New England over New Orleans in Foxborough, Mass., despite Aaron Brooks’ 116th TD pass that broke Archie Manning’s career record for the Saints.
Jaguars 31, Titans 28
Byron Leftwich threw for three touchdowns for the first time in his NFL career and also ran for a fourth score as Jacksonville held off Tennessee in Nashville, Tenn., for its third straight victory.
Browns 22, Dolphins 0
Reuben Droughns scored on a 75-yard run on Cleveland’s first play and finished with 166 yards as the Browns put together their most complete game this season, roughing up Miami in Cleveland.