1	2	3	4	T
CHI (3-2)	0	7	0	7	14
ATL (4-1)	0	14	0	7	21

ATLANTA -- The Chicago Bears could've won in Atlanta last year. They could've won Sunday night.

Instead, they went 0-for-2.

Chicago made three huge mistakes in the red zone, and the Falcons held on for a 21-14 victory that will be remembered for one gritty defensive stand after another and all the chances the Bears let slip away.

Jay Cutler threw an interception at the Atlanta 9. Matt Forte fumbled on two straight runs from the 1, the second of which was recovered by the Falcons. And one last chance with less than a minute to go was botched when Orlando Pace moved before the snap on fourth-and-1 at the 5, leaving the Bears with a more daunting challenge they couldn't convert.

"We had a lot of opportunities to win this football game," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said. "You can't make those kind of mistakes. When you get the ball in the red zone, you need to get points."

Michael Turner scored the winning touchdown on an otherwise forgettable night, powering over from 5 yards with 3:06 remaining, but it was the bend-but-don't-break defense -- and Chicago's miscues -- that helped the Falcons (4-1) match the best five-game start in franchise history.

"Our defense, give them some credit," said Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who had two touchdown passes but also threw two interceptions. "Our guys stepped up and made some plays when we needed them to."

The teams played a thriller for the second year in a row. Last season, the Bears (3-2) thought they had pulled out an improbable victory on a touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining, only to blow it by going with a pooch kick and giving up a long completion that set up Jason Elam for a winning field goal on the final play.

This time, the Bears were denied in their comeback bid. Cutler guided Chicago down the field on a season-high 300 yard passing night, and a disputed pass-interference penalty on Curtis Lofton gave the Bears a first down at the Atlanta 14. Two penalties left Chicago with third-and-25 before Cutler went over the middle to Earl Bennett, who came down with the ball amid three defenders for a 24-yard reception.

That left the Bears needing 3 feet on fourth down, and they called time to set up a play. But Pace inexplicably took off ahead of the snap, leaving Chicago with fourth-and-6. Cutler's final pass, going for Desmond Clark over the middle, bounced off the receiver's arm with Erik Coleman defending to preserve the victory with 29 seconds left.

"I broke on it and kind of stumbled a little bit. Cutler threw it a little high and we were off the field," Coleman said. "During games like that, you've just got to stay positive and just trust your teammates."

Greg Olsen appeared to be open in the back of the end zone, but Cutler didn't see him.

Atlanta's winning touchdown was set up by Eric Weems' 62-yard kickoff return. Ryan and Tony Gonzalez took over from there, hooking up on two huge pass plays, before Turner finished off the drive from the 5. He found nothing but turf after cutting to his right, and a slight bump with teammate Verron Haynes was about the only chance he had to go down.

Turner, the second-leading rusher in the NFL last season, finished with just 30 yards on 13 carries. Shaking off that frustration, he flung the ball into the air with his left hand after scoring.

"Our offensive line did a great job just giving me just enough time to get the ball off, and then Michael Turner did what he does," Ryan said. "The offensive line provided a great push and just paved his way."

Chicago let too many chances get away, scoring only once in four possessions inside the Atlanta 20. Cutler was picked off early on by Thomas DeCoud on an ugly pass over the middle. Then in the third quarter, Forte really blew it after the Bears had first-and-goal from inside the 1.

He fumbled trying to leap over the pile, but fortunately managed to recover it himself after crumbling to the turf. On the very next play, Forte took off to the left, only to have Jonathan Babineaux deliver a shot with the helmet that sent the ball flying again. This time, Coy Wire recovered for the Falcons, denying Chicago a seemingly sure tying touchdown.

The Bears lost despite outgaining the Falcons 373-253 in total yards. Cutler was 27 of 43, going to Johnny Knox for a 23-yard touchdown pass that gave Chicago a 7-0 lead and a 2-yarder to Olsen that tied it up with 6:14 remaining. Cutler also led the Bears in rushing with 34 yards, but his performance was marred by two interceptions -- both of them by DeCoud, the first two of his career.

Ryan had two touchdown passes: a short throw that Roddy White turned into a 40-yard touchdown play and a 10-yarder to Gonzalez that gave the Falcons a 14-7 halftime lead. Ryan, too, threw two interceptions, the second on a tipped ball with about 10 minutes remaining that provided the Bears with new life.

Cutler directed an eight-play, 92-yard drive that tied it up. The quarterback got things started with a 30-yard scramble, went to Devin Hester on a 17-yard completion and took advantage of a pass-interference penalty on Chris Houston that moved the chains another 23 yards.

The Falcons are 4-1 for only the fifth time in the franchise's 44-year-history, the last time coming in 2004 when Michael Vick led them to the NFC South title. For now, they are just trying to keep pace with the torrid New Orleans Saints (5-0), who maintained the division lead with a 48-27 victory over the previously unbeaten New York Giants.

Game notes
Both teams were hurt by injuries. The Falcons lost RB Jerious Norwood (hip flexor) and CB Brian Williams (right knee), while LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee) went down for Chicago. ... Weems had a big night on special teams, averaging 39 yards on three kickoff returns and bringing back one punt for 20 yards. ... DeCoud, a second-year player, had only one interception in 45 college games at Cal. He's now surpassed that total in the NFL.

1 2 3 4 T CLE (1-4) 0 3 0 3 6 BUF (1-4) 0 0 3 0 3 ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In a game that could only be considered an instant classic on Comedy Central, leave it to punter Dave Zastudil to help secure the Cleveland Browns' first victory of the season.

 Just don't tell the Browns that their 6-3 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday was in any way ugly.

"The way it turned out, I thought it was beautiful," coach Eric Mangini said of his first win with Cleveland. "It's great. It's fantastic. I couldn't be happier."Zastudil landed seven of nine punts inside the Bills 20. That included his last one, a difficult-to-pick-up roller that Roscoe Parrish muffed, allowing the Browns to take over at the Buffalo 16. Seven plays later -- and after Jamal Lewis was stopped inches from the goal line on third-and-goal from the 3 -- backup kicker Billy Cundiff hit an 18-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining.

In a fitting conclusion to an error-filled game, Zastudil acknowledged he didn't strike the decisive punt cleanly.

"I mis-hit it just a little bit," Zastudil said. "But looking back, it was the best punt of the night because they fumbled it."Cleveland (1-4) snapped a 10-game losing streak, one short of matching the franchise worst, the same week the team traded star receiver Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets.It's impossible to know whether Edwards could have helped in a game that lived down to its billing as a Misery Loves Company Bowl.Buffalo (1-4) has now lost 12 of 15, including consecutive games to winless teams following a 38-10 defeat at Miami. Its offense continues to look anemic and coach Dick Jauron's back on the hot seat."I don't know -- that's not a question to ask me," Jauron said of his job status.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson was in attendance, but did not address reporters after the game. General manager Russ Brandon declined to comment on Jauron.

"Obviously, this is a low point for the organization and the fan base," Brandon said. "This is not where we expected to be right now."Receiver Lee Evans shook his head when asked if he believes Jauron will be fired."I hope not," Evans said. "That's not going to solve anything."Penalties cost the Bills. They were flagged 13 times for 75 yards -- including a whopping nine false-start violations.Linebacker Marcus Buggs was penalized for jumping the snap to sack Derek Anderson on a third-and-7. On the next play, Josh Cribbs had a 31-yard gain to set up Cundiff's 24-yard field goal that opened the scoring.Parrish had a tough day, too. Aside from his fumble, he made the wrong decision in fielding a punt at his own 42 on the final play of the third quarter. With his path blocked up the right sideline, Parrish instead reversed course and wound up losing 15 yards.Rian Lindell provided the Bills' only scoring, tying the game at 3 with a 36-yard field goal early in the third quarter.Trent Edwards finished 16 of 31 for 152 yards and an interception, his fifth in three games. For an offense that features Evans and Terrell Owens, Edwards has not thrown for more than 200 yards in each of his past three outings.The Browns' passing attack was even worse. Anderson went 2 of 17 for a mere 23 yards and an interception to register a 15.1 passer rating in his second straight start. The Browns managed nine first downs and 193 yards of offense. They were led by Lewis, who had 117 yards rushing on 31 carries in his first game back after missing two with a hamstring injury."A win's a win," said Anderson, noting that the swirling winds inside the stadium didn't help. "I knew it was going to be a grind. You could tell. It was hard to throw."The Browns couldn't take advantage of a Bills defense that was already without four starters due to injuries and lost two middle linebackers during the game. Starter Kawika Mitchell was carted off in the second quarter with a right knee injury. Buggs took over and was carted off after hurting his left leg in the third.Zastudil played a key role in bottling up the Bills offense. He had two punts downed at the Buffalo 1 and another at the 4."Special teams, we really came through for this football team," Cribbs said. "The defense held their side, and Jamal Lewis took care of the rest."

Game notes

The Browns' two completions are the fewest for a winning team since the Bengals did it in a 31-21 win over Denver on Oct. 22, 2000. Corey Dillon had 278 of the Bengals' 407 yards rushing. Akili Smith went 2 of 9 for 34 yards and Scott Mitchell missed all five attempts. ... The Browns offense failed to score a touchdown for the third time this season, and ninth time in their past 11 games.

1 2 3 4 T NYJ (3-2) 7 6 0 14 27 MIA (2-3) 10 0 0 21 31 MIAMI -- When the wildcat delivered a big play for the Miami Dolphins, coach Tony Sparano skipped along the sideline with glee, reached back and threw a roundhouse punch.

That was just in the first quarter. The knockout came much later, again with the wildcat.

Running back Ronnie Brown took the snap with 10 seconds left and scored on a 2-yard keeper for the fifth lead change of the final period, giving Miami a wild 31-27 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night.

Newcomer Braylon Edwards provided a big boost for the Jets, and two fake punts fooled the Dolphins. But Miami gained 110 yards with the wildcat, which was instrumental in three touchdown drives, including the last one.

"Like anything else, if you execute, good things will happen," Brown said.

Jets coach Rex Ryan was annoyed the wildcat kept working.

"I used to see all those gimmicks when I was coaching back in college," Ryan said. "I've been a part of some bad performances before on defense, just not this bad."

The Dolphins started from their own 30-yard line with 5:05 left, trailing 27-24, and mounted a 13-play drive for the winning score. The march included four wildcat plays for 25 yards, the last on third down at the 2.

"We were in the huddle and said, 'We've got to score a touchdown. No settling for field goals. We've got to finish the game,'" Brown said.

He ran up the middle, found a seam and crossed the goal line with 6 seconds to go. Even Brown's teammates on the sideline were surprised by the call.

"That's why we are players and not coaches," Miami defensive tackle Jason Ferguson said. "All of us were talking about, 'Why won't you pass it?' Because we got a touchdown, that's why."

The resilient Dolphins (2-3) came from behind three times in the fourth quarter, and they're back in the AFC East race after losing their first three games. The Jets (3-2) have lost two straight and fell into a tie with New England for first place.

The game became a shootout reminiscent of the Dolphins' Dan Marino days, and filling that role just fine was Chad Henne.

In only his second NFL start, Henne completed 20 of 26 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. He threw deep to Ted Ginn Jr. for a 53-yard score to give Miami a 24-20 lead with 10:10 left.

"We made him look like Dan Marino," Jets linebacker Calvin Pace said. "They did what they want, and they did it at will."

The Jets kept answering with Edwards, acquired in a trade with Cleveland a week ago. He caught one scoring pass and set up New York's other two touchdowns. The Jets' fake punts set up a TD and a field goal.

The Dolphins' trickery came via the wildcat, which they ran 16 times. On the game's opening drive, Miami threw out of the formation for the first time this season, and Brown connected with tight end Anthony Fasano for a 21-yard gain. Ricky Williams then ran for 18 yards from the wildcat, and Brown scored on a 1-yard plunge on third down to cap a 7½-minute drive.

The Dolphins used the wildcat five times in a TD drive that consumed nearly 9 minutes of the second half. But while they relied on ball control for much of the game, they also showed a newfound ability to strike quickly.

Ginn beat Darrelle Revis and two other Jets deep, catching Henne's long pass just before crossing the goal line. It was a rare long gain by the Dolphins, who came into the game with only two completions of 20 yards or more to wide receivers.

"Teddy ran a great route, and they gave us the coverage we wanted," Henne said.

Williams set up a field goal when he gained 59 yards on a reception, with all the yards coming after the catch. He finished with 68 yards rushing on 11 carries, and Brown ran for 74 yards in 21 attempts.

The Dolphins totaled 413 yards, converting nine of 14 third-down chances and controlling the ball for 33½ minutes.

"We were definitely in a dog fight for 60 minutes," Henne said. "It shows a lot of character in our team."

Jets rookie Mark Sanchez was 12 of 24 for 172 yards and benefited immediately from the addition of Edwards, who caught a 3-yard scoring pass to cap his first series with the Jets. Edwards made a leaping 34-yard catch on third-and-21 to set up another TD.

"Everyone saw it -- he's a big-time receiver," Ryan said. "That's one thing we did right last week was make that trade for him."

Game notes

Dolphins third-string RB Patrick Cobbs came out of the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. ... Jets WR David Clowney also hobbled out of the game in the fourth quarter. ... The Jets' Steve Weatherford ran 26 yards with a fake punt. It was only the second carry of his four-year career.

1 2 3 4 T IND (5-0) 7 14 7 3 31 TEN (0-5) 6 3 0 0 9 NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Peyton Manning isn't one to check off his latest achievements, especially not during the season.

 Good thing. They're piling up almost as quickly as victories for Manning and his Colts.

Manning's near-perfect start to the season continued Sunday night as he had 309 yards passing and three touchdown passes, and the Colts never trailed in beating the AFC South rival Tennessee Titans 31-9 for their NFL-best 14th straight regular-season win.

"It was a great win," Manning said. "This is a tough place to play."

With his performance, Manning joined Kurt Warner and Steve Young as the only NFL quarterbacks to open a season by throwing for at least 300 yards in the first five games. He will have to wait out a bye week to try and match them with a sixth such game.

The lone scare came post game. Manning said he would have to see a doctor for some treatment of the left knee after a hit from Titans end Kyle Vanden Bosch. That's the knee that kept him out of the 2008 preseason and led to a slow start.

Manning also reached another milestone when he threw a first-quarter TD pass, the 343rd of his career. He passed Fran Tarkenton and moved into third by himself, behind only Brett Favre and Dan Marino in that category.

He also became the third quarterback in NFL history to have 70 games with a passer rating of 100 or better, the fourth time he's done it this season. He had a rating of 109.2, and he trails Favre (96) and Tarkenton (74) in that category.

When asked about the latest milestones, Manning credited his teammates with helping make plays in the passing game.

"You try to do what you have to do to win. I've never been about that or try to do that in the middle of the season. At the end of the season, I'll admit that. I'll do that for other people. Like if Reggie Wayne needs five catches, I'll do that," he said.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher has another opinion.

"He's just playing as well now as I think he's ever played in his career," Fisher said.

Indianapolis (5-0) has not lost since its last visit to Nashville and leaves now with a firm grip on the AFC South that the Colts have controlled all but the two seasons Tennessee has won the division.

The Titans? Their winless misery isn't close to ending now that they have matched their 0-5 start in 2006. It got so bad that Fisher put in backup quarterback Vince Young in the fourth quarter.

"We've made our own mess," Fisher said. "We have to find our way out of it."

The Colts manhandled Tennessee, which started 10-0 last season, with Bob Sanders watching from the sideline along with starting cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson.

The Titans turned in their worst offensive performance this season with 245 yards. Kerry Collins was intercepted in a ball taken away from receiver Nate Washington. Young got a standing ovation from what fans were left when he came in. The change didn't help. Young's first pass was nearly intercepted by a Colts defender -- he was 0 for 3.

Fisher said Collins remains his starter and isn't the problem. Collins wasn't happy at being pulled.

"It was the circumstances," Collins said.

The game was a mismatch almost from the start with Manning, the three-time MVP, and the NFL's top passing offense against a defense tied for worst in the league against the pass.

The Titans scratched cornerback Cortland Finnegan for his tight right hamstring. When Nick Harper was sidelined in the third quarter with a broken arm. That left the Titans with rookies.

Not that it mattered with Manning going to work.

Manning needed only the first of Tennessee's two turnovers to put Indianapolis ahead to stay and notch a bit more history for himself. Antoine Bethea knocked the ball loose from Titans tight end Alge Crumpler, and Keyunta Dawson recovered in the first.

Five plays later, Manning found Reggie Wayne on a 3-yard TD toss that was the 343rd of his career. Manning could have had a fourth TD in the fourth quarter but Wayne dropped a ball in the end zone.

In the second quarter, he completed each of his seven passes for 81 yards. Joseph Addai capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run.

Tennessee got two turnovers in the first quarter off a muffed punt and Keith Bulluck's interception of Manning, which he celebrated in a sign of the Titans' desperation by heaving the ball up into the stands. But the offense managed 6 and 9 yards after each turnover and settled for field goals by Rob Bironas.

The Titans responded with their best drive of the night. But Jacob Lacey, starting in place of Hayden, broke up Collins' pass to Justin Gage in the end zone, and Tennessee had to settle for Bironas' third field goal. Chris Johnson, the NFL's leading rusher, had just 34 yards on nine carries.

"Our defense was able to keep him contained and didn't let him get loose," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said.

Manning needed just 47 seconds to give Indianapolis a 21-9 halftime lead. A 93-yard drive was helped by 30 yards of roughing the passer penalties. Vanden Bosch was flagged for grabbing Manning's legs after a throw, and Jacob Ford was called for a late hit on the quarterback.

Manning finished with a 39-yard TD toss to Austin Collie, and he found him in the third for a 6-yard TD.

Game notes
The Colts are 63-7 when Manning has a passer rating of 100 or better. ... Wayne had his third straight game with a TD catch. ... Titans tight end Craig Stevens was having tests for a concussion suffered on the opening kickoff of the game when he crashed helmets with teammate Michael Griffin.

1 2 3 4 T JAC (2-3) 0 0 0 0 0 SEA (2-3) 3 17 14 7 41 SEATTLE -- Any worries Matt Hasselbeck had about getting hit in his broken ribs ended quickly. Before kickoff.

"Guys were giving me chest bumps pregame," Seattle's three-time Pro Bowl quarterback said, marveling over teammates who were excited he was back after being sidelined two games.

"I should have worn a sign."

Late to the field before the game and after halftime while taking painkilling injections, Hasselbeck threw four touchdown passes, two of them to T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and the Seahawks rolled to their biggest home shutout in 25 years, 41-0 over the bewildered Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Seahawks (2-3) were still missing seven starters, including three-fifths of their offensive line. Didn't matter: Hasselbeck was back.

He last threw for four touchdowns against Arizona on Dec. 9, 2007. He has seven touchdown passes in the two games in which he's been completely healthy this season. Those are the only two games Seattle has won.

"He hit me dead in the numbers. Makes it easy for me," Nate Burleson said of his 44-yard catch and run that made it 20-0 late in the first half.

The first trip to Seattle since 2001 for Jacksonville (2-3) was a flop even before kickoff. Leading wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker was inactive for a violation of team rules. Sims-Walker, who caught two touchdown passes last week, shook his head and waved his hands to fend off questions about what he did while running off the field after the game.

Coach Jack Del Rio didn't specify the violation, but gruffly said he didn't regret benching his top receiver.

It left Jacksonville with Torry Holt and three rookies. Jacksonville didn't have a wide receiver besides Holt catch a pass until Jarett Dillard did in the third quarter. Seattle led 20-0 by then.

"He definitely didn't cost us a loss or anything. But whenever you have a dynamic player like that, you want him on the field," quarterback David Garrard said.

Hasselbeck was in what coach Jim Mora called excruciating pain Monday, after overdoing rehabilitation work in his urgency to return and end Seattle's three-game losing streak. He took pain medication just to work out Tuesday -- "Now, who in here would do that?" Mora said -- and finished three consecutive practices. Then he emphatically finished off the Jaguars and that skid.

"I watched him from Sunday to Monday transform," Mora said.

Hasselbeck completed 18 of 30 throws for 241 yards against the league's 31st-ranked pass defense. He exposed cornerback Rashean Mathis on three of his touchdown passes before resting in the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks scored two offensive touchdowns in the first two quarters. They scored three touchdowns with backup Seneca Wallace leading them over the 10 quarters Hasselbeck missed from Sept. 20 until Sunday.

Hasselbeck even had a 12-yard scramble in which he slid feet first in the open field about 5 yards away from any defender. The 34-year-old said to himself, "I thought I was faster than this."

It was a far safer dash than his headfirst dive for the goal line last month at San Francisco, when Patrick Willis crunched him and broke ribs near his shoulder blades.

Did Hasselbeck save Seattle's season Sunday?

"It depends if you follow it up," Mora said. "Our job is to validate this thing. Go out and back it up."

One week after tying his career high with three touchdown passes and completing 73 percent of his throws in a win over Tennessee, Garrard missed on 10 of his first 15 while constantly backed up to his goal line by poor field position. Jacksonville went three-and-out five times in the first half.

The Jaguars' deepest march was to the Seahawks 8 early in the fourth quarter. But Lawrence Jackson got Seattle's fourth sack, and rookie defensive end Nick Reed picked up Garrard's fumble and ran 79 yards for a touchdown.

It mercifully ended Garrard's day. He was 18 for 31 for 188 yards, as Jacksonville endured its worst road shutout loss since Dec. 17, 1995, in its inaugural season.

"Just a terrible day, terrible performance by all of us," he said.

Game notes
Seattle was down to its fourth LT when Brandon Frye sustained a neck and shoulder injury in the first half. Kyle Williams, signed off the practice squad Saturday, then played through a sprained left knee. ... The Jaguars had scored 30-plus points in consecutive games for the first time since 2006.

1 2 3 4 T HOU (2-3) 0 0 7 14 21 ARI (2-2) 7 14 0 7 28  GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals' passing game was nearly perfect in the first half. Houston's was just as good in the second.

 In the end, it was the Cardinals' defense -- torn apart by the Texans' Matt Schaub most of the final two quarters -- that made the game-saving plays Sunday as Arizona eked out a 28-21 victory.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, playing with a fractured right index finger, returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown, high-stepping the final 20, to put Arizona back in the lead with 2:20 to go after Schaub had rallied Houston from a 21-0 halftime deficit.

The Cardinals held three times at their 1-yard line in the final minute to preserve the victory.

"The defense bailed us out," said Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, who caught two touchdown passes late in the first half. "We're just glad those guys came to our rescue."

Schaub had completed 11 straight when Rodgers-Cromartie stepped in front of intended receiver Kevin Walter.

The young Cardinals cornerback intercepted, raced down the sideline, then high-stepped the final 20 yards for the score.

"It's a play that I'll run back in my head for the next week," Schaub said, "until I get a chance to go back and make it better."

A 60-yard kickoff return by Andre' Davis helped set up the final Houston threat. Schaub quickly moved the team to the 1, but Chris Brown was stopped on second down, there was an incomplete pass on third and Brown was stopped again on fourth down with 40 seconds left.

"When we got to the 1 we should have scored on the second play. We should have scored on the pass and on the last run," Houston coach Gary Kubiak. "We have to be good enough to make a yard in the National Football League when it counts and we didn't."

Kurt Warner topped 300 yards passing for the 50th time in his career but he and the Arizona offense struggled after a near-perfect first half.

Warner completed 26 of 38 passes for 302 yards, but almost all of them came in the first half. In the first two quarters, the 38-year-old quarterback was 20 of 23 for 262 yards, including a pair of touchdown passes to Fitzgerald in the final 1:44 to give Arizona a 21-0 lead at the break.

He went 9 of 9 on those final two scoring drives.

Arizona had 18 first downs in the first half and one in the second. Houston had five first downs in the first half and 18 in the second.

"Guys stepped up and made plays at the end. You leave with a good feeling in your mouth," Warner said. "But it shouldn't have been that close. We had too many opportunities that we left out there that kind of leaves me a little frustrated that that game ended the way it did, even though you're happy to walk out of here and have it go in your favor."

The Texans felt the same way, only in reverse order.

"We didn't do nothing in the first half of the game," Houston's Andre Johnson said. "We battled back but maybe if we scored some points in the first half we would have won the game."

Schaub set franchise records for completions and attempts, going 35 for 50 for 371 yards. In the second half, he was 25 of 32 for 279 yards. He threw two touchdowns to Johnson. The second, with the big receiver bowling over three defenders on a 17-yard scoring play, tied it at 21 with 6:59 still to play.

"He's a scary player," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

Fast Facts

• Larry Fitzgerald had 79 yards receiving and two TDs, the ninth time in his career he had multiple TD receptions in a game.

• Kurt Warner threw for 302 yards, his second straight game with at least 300 yards passing.

• Andre Johnson had 102 receiving yards and two TDs, his sixth career game with 100 yards and multiple touchdowns.

• Matt Schaub (35-for-50, two TDs and one INT) had a season-high 371 passing yards, his fourth career game with at least 350 passing yards.

-- ESPN Stats & Information

The Cardinals (2-2) couldn't move after that, but they pinned Houston (2-3) on its 11-yard line. The Texans methodically advanced to their 47, and on third-and-7, Schaub threw to the sideline toward Walter. Rodgers-Cromartie got there first and there was no one who could stop him, even though he high-stepped nearly the final half of the way.

"Once I got it in my hands, the first thing I was thinking about was which celebration I should do," Rodgers-Cromartie said.

Houston seemed destined to tie it again when Schaub's 5-yard shovel pass to Steve Slaton made it second-and-goal at the 1. Brown was stopped just inside the 1, then on a play action pass, Schaub threw too high to Joel Dressen, who was open in the back of the end zone.

That made it fourth down, and with the noisy home crowd at its loudest, Brown again failed to make it to the goal line.

"We just looked at each other and said 'Man, this is it,'" defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said. "We can either make this game hard and go to overtime or we can just put this thing away right now."

Schaub thought Brown got in on the final try.

"But they called it the other way and obviously on a replay like that, the call on the field is confirmed," Schaub said.

Game notes
Houston was 6-2 against the NFC the past two seasons. ... Warner passed 13,000 yards passing with the Cardinals, making him the second quarterback to do so with two different teams. The other was Fran Tarkenton. ... Arizona's 6-foot-8 Calais Campbell blocked a field goal try for the second time this season. ... The same officiating crew worked the game as did Arizona's game against San Francisco last season, which ended exactly the same way in the same end zone.

1 2 3 4 T PIT (3-2) 7 14 7 0 28 DET (1-4) 6 7 0 7 20 DETROIT -- The Pittsburgh Steelers avoided losing another game in the fourth quarter.

 Their fans helped out -- on the road.

Ben Roethlisberger had a season-high three touchdowns passes through three quarters and Pittsburgh's defense was just good enough in the fourth, holding off the Detroit Lions for a 28-20 win Sunday.

The lowly Lions had the ball at their 29 with 3:07 left and two timeouts and a chance to send the game into overtime against the defending champions.

Thousands of black-and-gold clad fans chanted "DE-FENSE!" and twirled Terrible Towels to help Pittsburgh keep Detroit out of the end zone.

"That worked in our favor," said linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who snapped his sackless season with 1 1/2 on Detroit's last drive. "Those offensive linemen couldn't hear the snap count, so they had to watch the ball just like we do."

Steelers linebacker James Harrison had three sacks, matching the total he had entering the game, and forced a fumble, much to the delight of many of the folks who filled Ford Field. The Steelers finished with seven sacks and the game drew 59,333 fans and at least half looked and sounded like they were rooting for the visitors.

"Man, they traveled awesome," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "It was spectacular to stand on the visiting sideline and see the fan support that we had today in this building."

Pittsburgh has sold out 283 straight home games, leading to throngs of its fans making the 4 1/2-hour drive to Detroit to take advantage of plenty of seats being available at the venue where the franchise won the Super Bowl in 2006.

"It brought back a lot of memories," said Hines Ward, who caught a TD pass. "We had just as many fans as we did that time."

For the first time this season, the Steelers (3-2) won on the road -- after blowing fourth-quarter leads at Cincinnati and Chicago -- and won consecutive games.

"We'll get rolling from here with Cleveland coming to town next week," Woodley said.

Rashard Mendenhall's TD run midway through the first quarter gave Pittsburgh the lead and Roethlisberger's third TD pass provided a 15-point cushion with 6:05 left in the third.

The Lions (1-4) rallied with Daunte Culpepper's 25-yard TD pass to Dennis Northcutt to pull within eight with 4:57 to go. They got to the Pittsburgh 21 before three sacks pushed them back to midfield, forcing Culpepper to heave a pass that was knocked down by cornerback Ike Taylor just outside the goal line.

"We didn't always play smart in that game and we didn't always play well, but I'm proud that we battled the whole way," Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said. "There were a couple places where it would have been easy for us to give in, and we didn't do that."

Roethlisberger was 23 of 30 for 277 yards with TD passes to Mike Wallace, Ward and Heath Miller. One poorly thrown deep out was intercepted by William James and returned 38 yards for a score in the second quarter.

The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback made up for it on the next drive, connecting with Ward on a 17-yard pass to give the Steelers a 21-13 lead.

"I don't feel like I'm playing well," Roethlisberger said. "I'm disappointed in my performance."

Culpepper played in place of No. 1 overall draft pick Matthew Stafford (right knee), and was 23 for 37 for 282 yards with a TD and an interception.

"I still think we have a good ballclub here, but a good ballclub will look at a situation like this and use it to find a way to start winning these games," Culpepper said. "That's what we have to find a way to do."

Game notes
Lions WR Calvin Johnson (right knee) left in the first quarter and was hobbled as he simply tried to walk after the game. ... Pittsburgh S Troy Polamalu (left knee) and RB Willie Parker (left toe) were inactive. ... Lions LB Larry Foote, who spent his first seven seasons with the Steelers, hugged and chatted with his former teammates in their locker room after the game. "We still love Foote," Ward said. "Regardless, he's still a part of this organization." ... Roethlisberger said he's excited to be scheduled to make an upcoming appearance -- via satellite from his home -- on "The Jay Leno Show."

1 2 3 4 OT T DAL (3-2) 0 3 7 10 6 26 KAN (0-5) 0 10 3 7 0 20 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Miles Austin looked nothing like a backup making his first career start.

 Stepping in for injured wide receiver Roy Williams, Austin caught 10 passes for a franchise-record 250 yards and scored the winning touchdown in overtime of the Cowboys' 26-20 victory Sunday over the winless Kansas City Chiefs.

In dooming the Chiefs to their 28th loss in 30 games, Austin erased the record of 246 yards that Hall of Famer "Bullet" Bob Hayes set against Washington almost 39 years ago.

"It's a feeling that's unbelievable," he said. "It's amazing. I never seen that coming today. I was ready today, but you never expect a huge game like that."

Austin's tackle-breaking 59-yard catch-and-run from Tony Romo gave the mistake-prone Cowboys a 20-13 lead over the Chiefs with 2:16 left. Then after Matt Cassel's 16-yard TD pass to Dwayne Bowe tied it 20-20 with 24 seconds to go in regulation, Austin got free on a 60-yard scoring play on Dallas' second possession in overtime.

Each time, he broke the tackle of cornerback Maurice Leggett.

"It's very frustrating," Leggett said. "But we also have to focus on the bigger stuff so we can get better each and every day. Don't take big jumps and focus on getting 2 percent better every day."

Kansas City (0-5) is winless for 315 days and has lost eight in a row at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs were nearly invincible during the 1990s.

"I thought the guys fought hard in all phases," said coach Todd Haley. "I know the guys are hurting."

Austin is the third Cowboys receiver when Williams is healthy. But he was unstoppable against the Chiefs, who led most of the game but couldn't take advantage of the many opportunities the Cowboys kept handing them.

"I just wanted to show people I'm ready to play. I wanted to show my teammates that I want to contribute as much as I can," he said. "I was able to do that."

Dallas (3-2) was penalized 13 times for 90 yards and Romo overthrew several open receivers. Other passes were dropped. Dallas also muffed a punt and missed a field goal attempt.

"Our guys fought the whole game but we didn't do all the right things," said coach Wade Phillips. "There are things we need to work on, but the bottom line is winning and guys coming through."

So has Austin cracked the starting lineup?

"We are going to try and keep him playing," Phillips said. "There is no doubt about that."

Late in the fourth quarter, Austin caught Romo's pass, broke loose from tackles by Leggett and safety Mike Brown, and sped 59 yards to give the Cowboys their first lead of the day.

Then Cassel swept the Chiefs down the field, hitting Bowe in the end zone on fourth-and-7. Ryan Succop, who had a 53-yard field goal attempt blocked by Jay Ratliff right before Dallas' last TD in regulation, kicked the extra point for the tie.

Romo was 20 for 34 for 351 yards and two TDs. Cassel, still winless since being traded from New England, was 23 for 41 for 263 yards.

Romo said he noticed on the last play that the defensive back was "really tight on Miles."

"He tried to jump it, so I had to keep it outside a little more than you'd normally want to, but Miles did a good job of continuing to come back," Romo said. "If you take that chance as a corner, the possibility is there. I was glad to see Miles take off. It was really exciting and rewarding."

After Brown recovered Romo's fumble on the Dallas 16 in the second quarter, Mike Vrabel, a 13-year veteran linebacker, caught a 1-yard TD pass, giving him 11 touchdowns in 11 career catches.

The Chiefs won the coin toss and received in the overtime but failed to get close enough for a field goal attempt.

"You fight so long for that victory and it comes down to the wire and you end up losing. It's like it kills everything," said Chiefs defensive lineman Tank Tyler.

Game notes
Neither quarterback threw an interception. ... Umpire Bill Schuster left the field for several plays in the first half. Schuster was standing in front of the pile when Kansas City LB Tamba Hali rolled up on him from behind, knocking him flat. ... Cassel has thrown a TD pass in four straight games and gone 100 consecutive throws without an interception.

1 2 3 4 T MIN (5-0) 14 3 7 14 38 STL (0-5) 0 3 0 7 10 ST. LOUIS -- A 40-year-old in pink cleats was good enough to beat the St. Louis Rams.

 OK, so maybe it wasn't any 40-year-old. It was Brett Favre, and it doesn't seem to matter what color his cleats are.

Favre threw for 232 yards and a touchdown a day after a milestone birthday, leading the undefeated Minnesota Vikings to a 38-10 rout over the hapless and helpless Rams on Sunday.

Showing no signs of a letdown just six days after an emotional win over Green Bay, his former team, Favre didn't put up big numbers and didn't have any last-second heroics. He was simply spry and efficient, dodging defenders and winging passes in every direction in his 274th straight regular-season start.

Now Favre is 5-0 for the first time in his career, 1-0 as a 40-year-old.

"I hope there's many more to come," Favre said. "I'd be lying if I said I thought I'd still be playing at 40 and not miss a game at this point. I just hope I can lead this team to bigger and better things."

It's a good start.

The Vikings are 5-0 for the first time in six years by winning last-second games, emotional games, games they were supposed to win.

Against the Rams, they simply overwhelmed an overmatched opponent.

Minnesota led 14-0 by the midpoint of the first quarter, let up a bit, then methodically wore down St. Louis. Jared Allen returned one of his two fumble recoveries 52 yards for a touchdown, Adrian Peterson rumbled in for a pair of touchdowns and the Vikings forced four turnovers for their 400th win (400-322-9).

"We think we're a good football team," Allen said. "The worst we can finish now is 5-11."

St. Louis (0-5) wore throwback uniforms from 1999, a nod to the team's only Super Bowl victory. The Rams looked nothing like the Greatest Show on Turf, bumbling their way to three turnovers inside the 10-yard line in an NFL-worst 15th straight loss.

St. Louis has scored four offensive touchdowns this season, none rushing; allowed at least 35 points in three straight games; and has seven turnovers the past two games while getting outscored 73-10.

No, it can't get much worse.

"This is extremely tough," Rams guard Richie Incognito said. "It wears on you, but to be a professional, you don't let it show. You just keep preparing hard to go out and get a win."

Favre, sporting pink-and-black cleats for Breast Cancer Awareness month -- his wife, Deanna, is a breast cancer survivor -- came out firing early. He threw for 66 yards on Minnesota's first drive to set up Peterson's 5-yard scamper around left end.

He also hit Sidney Rice on a 47-yard pass early in the third quarter, then connected with Visanthe Shiancoe on 13-yard pass that put the Vikings up 24-3. Favre finished 18 for 24 with one interception and seems to be getting more comfortable with his receivers.

"It's a work in progress," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "It's going to be still until we get done playing this year. I just see him getting incrementally better."

The Rams had plenty of good plays on offense. They just couldn't get out of their own way.

Quarterback Kyle Boller, starting for the second straight game in place of Marc Bulger (shoulder), fumbled without being hit on St. Louis' fifth play from scrimmage, the ball popping out like a half-melted ice cube to the turf. Allen, who had 4 1/2 sacks against Green Bay last week, scooped it up and ran 52 yards for a touchdown to put the Vikings up 14-0.

Another St. Louis drive in the second quarter ended inside the Vikings 5-yard line, where Steven Jackson couldn't handle the exchange with Boller and Allen recovered. The Rams got to Minnesota's 10-yard line after Favre's interception, settling for Josh Brown's 29-yard field goal after Boller was dropped for a loss and threw two errant passes.

They weren't finished.

Driving late in the first half, St. Louis lost another chance to score when tight end Daniel Fells was hit from behind by Chad Greenway and coughed it up on the 2.

The Rams started the fourth quarter with another turnover. On fourth-and-6 from the Vikings 9, Tyrell Johnson intercepted Boller's pass in the end zone. Peterson scored at the other end from 7 yards to make it 31-3.

"I've never seen anything like that," Fells said. "We've got to get better than that."

Boller finished 20 for 31 for 209 yards and missed the final 10 minutes after being shaken up late in the third quarter. He was replaced by Bulger, who hit Donnie Avery on a 27-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter.

By then, it was much too late: Minnesota led 31-10.

Game notes
Minnesota has gone 28 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher after holding Jackson to 84 yards on 21 carries. The Vikings haven't allowed a TD rushing. ... The Vikings have won six straight on the road, dating to last season.

1 2 3 4 T OAK (1-4) 0 7 0 0 7 NYG (5-0) 14 17 10 3 44 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- After taking the opening snap and making a play-action fake, Eli Manning dropped back, set up with a bounce on his right heel and fired a 9-yard pass to tight end Darcy Johnson.

 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- After taking the opening snap and making a play-action fake, Eli Manning dropped back, set up with a bounce on his right heel and fired a 9-yard pass to tight end Darcy Johnson.

Any concerns about Easy Eli's painful right heel were answered on the first play of his 83rd consecutive start Sunday.

Manning threw two scoring passes and led the Giants on touchdown drives on their first four possessions in a 44-7 win over the hapless Oakland Raiders that has New York (5-0) off to its best start since winning the Super Bowl in 1990.

"At the end, it was picture perfect," said Manning, who was 8 of 10 for 173 yards, needing to play less than a half in the rout. "Just get in there and score, score quickly, score a lot and then rest it and make sure you don't put more strain on it or make it more sore tomorrow. It turned out really well."

Manning led the Giants on scoring drives of 77, 79, 94 and 13 yards in what was easily his most effective performance this season.

His touchdown passes covered 30 yards to Mario Manningham and 9 yards to first-round draft pick Hakeem Nicks. He played one extra series before donning a baseball cap late in the second quarter for a well-deserved rest on a day the Giants gained 483 yards in total offense.

"We didn't expect anything less out of him," said defensive end Justin Tuck. "People were talking he might not play but we figured he was. It was good to see your starting quarterback be a tough guy like that and go out there and help his team win. That's the leader he's become."

Backup halfback Ahmad Bradshaw also played a big role, rushing for 110 yards and scoring on runs of 1 and 9 yards.

Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell struggled again leading the league's worst offense. He lost three fumbles and was 8 of 13 for 100 yards -- not that he had any time. He was sacked six times as the Raiders (1-4) were limited to 124 yards of total offense.

Their lone score -- Michael Bush's 5-yard touchdown run -- came after the Giants' Sinorice Moss fumbled on a punt return at his 15.

"We thought it was an opportunity if we came out and got after him early, there would be a lot of chances," defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said of Russell. "He has flashes of greatness but we wanted to make sure he didn't flash against us."

Manning's availability was the Giants' biggest concern. He sustained a painful injury to his right heel in the win over Kanas City last weekend. The 2008 Super Bowl MVP missed two days of practice and then took half the snaps Friday, giving the indication he would go on Sunday.

Two hours before the game, Manning was on the field warming up, and he showed no ill effects of his injury.

"He wanted to play; he wanted to play all week," coach Tom Coughlin said. "He has done a great job with the power of the will over these things a couple of times."

Manning was 4 of 5 for 36 yards on the opening drive that Bradshaw capped by slamming in from a yard out on fourth down.

The next three Giants possessions were lightning fast. The second drive was three plays and 79 yards, featuring a 43-yard pass to Steve Smith and runs of 17 and 19 yards by Bradshaw.

The third score came on a five-play, 94-yard jaunt that featured a 55-yard screen pass to Bradshaw on third-and-24. Manning found Manningham in the right corner on the next play and the rout was on.

A sack by cornerback Terrell Thomas and a recovery by Tuck set up the three-play drive that Manning capped with his pass to Nicks.

"We couldn't stop anything," Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour said. "That's a bad feeling when you are out there and they are running whatever plays they want to. The third or fourth quarter I think they had their backups in the game and they were still doing whatever they wanted to offensively. There is no excuse for that and everybody has to look themselves in the mirror and say, 'I have to do a better job.'"

Game notes
Manningham missed most of the fourth quarter with a bruised chest. ... Raiders LB Ricky Brown sprained his right ankle. X-rays were negative. ... The Giants had the ball for more than 36 minutes, picking up 27 first downs to seven for Oakland.

1 2 3 4 T TAM (0-5) 0 7 0 7 14 PHI (3-1) 7 14 7 5 33  PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb needed just two plays to show his rib was fine and he wasn't rusty.

 McNabb threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns, rookie Jeremy Maclin had two TD catches and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-14 on Sunday.

"I felt pretty good," McNabb said. "I thought it was a slow process. I didn't think the first touchdown would happen that fast."

The lopsided score allowed Michael Vick to take extra snaps in the fourth quarter. He completed his first pass in 33 months and had an 11-yard run.

The Eagles (3-1) improved to 11-0 after a bye week under coach Andy Reid.

The Buccaneers (0-5) remained winless under new coach Raheem Morris and extended their losing to streak to nine games, dating to an 0-4 December that cost them a playoff spot last year.

"Obviously we were outplayed today by a better football team," Morris said. "They outplayed us across the board, they made bigger plays than us. I tried to be more aggressive because we were playing a better team today. We've got strides to make. We have to go back and evaluate what we've done."

McNabb was injured running for a score in the season opener at Carolina. He sat out the next two games while Kevin Kolb became the first quarterback to throw for 300 yards in his first two career starts.

But McNabb didn't hesitate to run, scrambling for 13 yards on his first play from scrimmage. On the next one, he fired a perfect 51-yard TD pass to Maclin to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

The Buccaneers were never in it after the first score.

"I was able to move around and be very effective doing different things, pick up a couple first downs with my legs," McNabb said. "I was able to let defenses know that can happen."

Josh Johnson threw for 240 yards, including two TD passes to Kellen Winslow for Tampa. He also was intercepted three times.

"I'm blaming myself right now. Three turnovers, two of them in the red zone," Johnson said. "They were bringing everybody. They were bringing more than we had protection. They had an extra guy every time. The coaches in the locker room said they had never seen anything like that before."

After losing a defensive touchdown on a reversal -- Johnson was ruled down following a fumble on fourth-and-1 before Akeem Jordan stripped him and ran it back 76 yards -- the Eagles' offense made up for it.

McNabb tossed passes of 38 yards to Brent Celek and 17 yards to Maclin, setting up a 20-yard TD pass to Leonard Weaver that made it 14-0.

But the Buccaneers answered with a five-play, 80-yard drive. Johnson connected with Antonio Bryant for 31 yards on the first play and fired a 9-yard TD pass to Winslow over the middle.

The Eagles quickly went up 21-7. McNabb scrambled for 17 yards before throwing a 40-yard TD pass to Maclin in traffic.

Maclin, starting for the injured Kevin Curtis, finished with six catches for 142 yards, third most by an Eagles rookie.

"With the talented group of guys we have, big games are going to rotate between different guys," Maclin said. "I expect to make plays."

Asante Samuel set up the next score with his second interception and a zigzagging 15-yard return to the Buccaneers 27. Brian Westbrook caught a 20-yard pass and ran in from the 7.

McNabb finished 16 of 21 and his QB rating of 157.2 was the second highest in his career. He also had a team-high 30 yards rushing.

"I saw him run the ball. I didn't know that would be as much a part of his game. He did a good job with it," Reid said.

The game marked the return of middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to Philadelphia. Trotter, a four-time Pro Bowl pick in his first two stints with the Eagles, hadn't played in the NFL since 2007 with Tampa Bay. Trotter wasn't announced as a starter, but ran out of the tunnel to a loud ovation and did his signature ax chop. Then he was on the field for the first play and played on many running downs.

Vick was on the field at QB and wide receiver for six plays that totaled 7 yards before coming in at the end. He finished 1 of 3 for 1 yard and ran twice before kneeling two times.

"We had a lead so it was good to get out there and play some quarterback, throw the ball around a little bit," Vick said. "That's just part of me getting myself back into football playing shape, whether it's doing the wildcat or playing the quarterback."

Game notes
Reid became the 34th coach to win 100 regular-season games. He's one of four actives coaches to reach that mark. ... Westbrook passed Hall of Famer Tommy McDonald for third place on the club's all-time TD list with 68. ... Maclin is the third different player in three games to have 100 yards receiving for Philadelphia. ... Bucs LT Donald Penn caught a deflected pass and rumbled 15 yards.

1 2 3 4 T WAS (2-3) 7 3 7 0 17 CAR (1-3) 0 2 7 11 20  CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jake Delhomme got up, his shoulder pads sticking out and his chin strap bunched around his mouth. He pumped both fists and yelled, letting out a month of frustration.

 His eighth interception of the season earlier in the day? Forgotten. Carolina's winless start was over, too.

Delhomme's bold bootleg run for a first down on third-and-8 and an earlier disputed call helped the Panthers rally past the Redskins 20-17 on Sunday, a day of vindication for Delhomme and more trouble for embattled Washington coach Jim Zorn.

"Anything that could have gone wrong the first month or so has gone wrong," Delhomme said. "We'll take it any way we can get it."

The Panthers (1-3) scored the game's final 18 points, with Jonathan Stewart's 8-yard run with 9:21 left the go-ahead touchdown after a bizarre fumbled punt gave the Panthers the ball at the Washington 12.

"You talk about a monkey on your back, this was a gorilla," coach John Fox said.

Delhomme, who entered with 15 turnovers in his last 15 quarters, suggested it was more like a colony of gorillas, perhaps the weight Zorn is feeling after the Redskins' latest meltdown.

Leading 17-12, Washington (2-3) forced a punt with just over 10 minutes left. Carolina's Quinton Teal blocked Washington's Byron Westbrook into returner Antwaan Randle El, which was ruled a legal play because Randle El had moved forward due to the short punt. The ball bounced off Westbrook's foot and Carolina's Dante Wesley pounced on the ball.

The officials initially awarded the ball to Washington. They then determined the ball hit Westbrook first and gave it to Carolina, a call upheld after Washington challenged.

"The Washington guy got blocked into his own man, so there was no interference," referee Walt Coleman said.

Stewart's TD two plays later gave Carolina its first lead. Delhomme then connected with Steve Smith on a 2-point conversion.

The Panthers' improved defense, led by Thomas Davis and Julius Peppers, then forced a punt. Facing third-and-8 from his 25 with 2 minutes left, Delhomme faked a handoff to Stewart and rolled right.

He lumbered to the corner and was met by DeAngelo Hall. Delhomme stiff-armed him, dragging him for the extra yard and the first down.

"I figured he might have the ball so I sprinted out a yard too short," Hall said.

It allowed Delhomme to pump his fist again before taking a knee and running out the clock. He completed 16 of 25 passes for 181 yards.

Delhomme still has only three TDs to go with eight INTs, but the Panthers feel the victory could jump-start a turnaround with games against struggling Tampa Bay and Buffalo the next two weeks.

The Redskins haven't taken advantage of their weak schedule, falling to 10-11 under Zorn. Newly hired offensive consultant Sherman Lewis watched Washington build and then cough up a 17-2 lead thanks to two drives totaling 14 yards.

DeAngelo Williams fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and Albert Haynesworth recovered. Two plays later, Jason Campbell's 10-yard pass to Clinton Portis made it 7-0.

Hall later intercepted Delhomme and raced 45 yards to the Carolina 1, and Portis' 1-yard run was his first TD rushing this season.

Kenny Moore then returned the kickoff 55 yards, leading to Delhomme's 17-yard pass to Jeff King to make it 17-9. This time King's TD counted.

In the first half, Brad Hoover fumbled near the goal line and King recovered in the end zone. An obscure rule -- enacted after Oakland intentionally fumbled the ball forward to win a game in 1978 -- doesn't allow an offensive player other than the fumbler to recover in the end zone on fourth down, giving the Redskins the ball.

Three plays later, Portis was dumped in the end zone by Peppers and Davis for a safety, Carolina's only first-half points.

It was the kind of sloppiness befitting two struggling teams.

The Redskins shook up their offensive line, giving Mike Williams the start at right guard in his first game since the 2005 season, and leaving Chad Rinehart inactive. Then left tackle Chris Samuels went down with a stinger in the first quarter and was replaced by D'Anthony Batiste.

Campbell was sacked five times, including once by Peppers, three days after linebacker Jon Beason said in a radio interview that he was going to talk to Peppers about his lack of production.

"We lost to Detroit on the road. We come here and lose to Carolina," said Campbell, who threw for 145 yards. "This one stings more."

Game notes
Portis was held to 57 yards rushing and Williams to 40. ... Panthers WR Muhsin Muhammad went over 11,000 yards receiving with a 9-yard grab in the first quarter. He ranks fifth among active NFL receivers. ... Haynesworth was shaken up in the first half but later returned.

1 2 3 4 T CIN (4-1) 0 3 7 7 17 BAL (3-2) 0 7 0 7 14  BALTIMORE -- In a duel for first place in the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals found a way to win another close game.

 For the Baltimore Ravens, it was a familiar loss.

Carson Palmer threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell with 22 seconds left to cap an 80-yard drive fueled by Baltimore penalties, and the Bengals escaped with a 17-14 victory Sunday.

All five of Cincinnati's games this season have been decided by seven points or fewer. The Bengals have won three straight games by three points apiece, and at this point they seem like they wouldn't want it any other way.

"They believe they can win, no matter what the circumstances are," coach Marvin Lewis said. "We keep talking about that. Don't worry about it, don't flinch, keep playing."

The Bengals (4-1) appeared destined to come out on the short end of this one until Palmer masterfully directed the final drive -- with the help of three yellow flags.

An illegal contact penalty against Chris Carr and an unnecessary roughness call against Ray Lewis preceded the topper, a pass interference penalty against Frank Walker on a third-and-16 from the Baltimore 30 (although the infraction was called by the officials against Ed Reed).

On the next play, Palmer found Caldwell over the middle for the game-winning score.

After the following kickoff, thousands of fans among the 71,161 directed a derisive chant toward the referee crew.

Cincinnati's Cedric Benson ran for 120 yards, becoming the first player in 40 games to eclipse 100 yards against the Ravens. Palmer was 18 for 31 for 271 yards, and Chad Ochocinco had seven catches for 94 yards.

"We weren't as sound as we should have been. Offensively, and as a whole, we had a couple of turnovers," Ochocinco said. "But we were able to find some breaks and make our way. We were able to capitalize on the last drive."

Baltimore (3-2) has lost two straight after starting 3-0 for the second time in franchise history. Last week, two roughing the passer calls played a key part in a 27-21 defeat at New England.

Against Cincinnati, the Ravens were penalized 10 times for 76 yards, with several of the infractions seemingly coming at the worst possible time.

"Some tough calls. But you can't leave it in their hands," Baltimore defensive tackle Kelly Gregg said.

It was a mantra repeated by several of his teammates.

"I'm not going there with you. I don't do the referee thing," defensive end Trevor Pryce said. "If you dominate, the calls don't matter."

The Ravens, quite simply, did not come close to dominating. They were limited to one offensive touchdown after averaging 32.5 points in their first four games, and the defense yielded 403 yards -- including 142 on the ground.

Which is one reason why the Ravens weren't overly critical of the officials.

"The officials, they're just calling the game," Walker said. "These games are close because we let them be close."

Baltimore trailed 10-7 when Ray Rice took a screen pass from Joe Flacco, then turned upfield with several tacklers in his way. After ducking linebacker Brandon Johnson, the 5-foot-8 running back dipped his left arm and stayed upright by planting his fingers on the artificial turf before completing the 48-yard play.

Then it was Palmer's turn.

"That was Carson in the huddle, being very confident, being very sound, keeping everybody calm," Ochocinco said. "When he talks the way he does in that huddle, with that confidence and that swagger like that, there's no doubt that we're going to go down and score."

Palmer did it despite a sprained thumb on his non-throwing hand. He was injured bracing himself for a fall, a source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

It was the second time the Bengals had to rally. A 52-yard interception return for a touchdown by Reed gave the Ravens a 7-0 lead in the second quarter, and later in the half, Reed knocked the ball loose from Ochocinco that Baltimore recovered at its own 16.

The Bengals took a 10-7 lead in the third quarter with an 84-yard drive kept alive by a penalty against Baltimore cornerback Domonique Foxworth, who was called for illegal contact during a third-down play in which Palmer was sacked. Four plays later, Benson broke loose for a 28-yard touchdown run, which put him over 100.

Cincinnati botched the extra point, but the Ravens were called for illegal formation and Shayne Graham converted the extra chance.

Game notes
Larry Johnson of KC, in 2006, was the last RB to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens. ... Cincinnati is 4-2 in Baltimore over the last six years. ... The Bengals are 8 for 9 on fourth down this season.

1 2 3 4 T ATL (3-1) 14 21 3 7 45 SFO (3-2) 7 3 0 0 10 SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco 49ers' leader knows he lost his cool.

Mike Singletary became so frustrated with his team's poor play he couldn't help himself but to verbally respond to former 49er Harvey Dahl when the offensive lineman engaged the coach near the San Francisco sideline with Atlanta driving downfield again.

Roddy White had a 90-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown and a 31-yard TD reception, Michael Turner ran for three scores and the Falcons flattened the 49ers 45-10 on Sunday to end San Francisco's five-game home winning streak.

"I'll put it this way: I wish I had more coaching etiquette," Singletary said afterward. "I don't. I love my players and when someone responds about my players in a particular way, I may do some things I shouldn't do. I have to get better at those things as time goes on. ...

"Even though the player was talking to me, I should not have said what I said. It wasn't anything bad, it was just something that shouldn't have happened."

Of their third-quarter spat, Dahl would only say, "He's a fiery guy."

White finished with eight catches for a career-high and franchise-record 210 yards against the 49ers' typically stingy defense. Six of those receptions were in the first half for 185 yards as Atlanta (3-1) came out of its bye week sharp and finished the day with a 477-279 advantage in total yards. Matt Ryan completed 22 of 32 passes for 329 yards and two TDs and also ran for a late score.

San Francisco (3-2) flopped in its biggest test yet, falling to its worst defeat since a 41-0 loss at Kansas City on Oct. 1, 2006, under former coach Mike Nolan. Singletary said his players weren't prepared.

"We lost our composure," linebacker Manny Lawson said.

It got quiet in a hurry at Candlestick Park on a gray October afternoon -- and the Niners were booed off the field at halftime trailing 35-10. Fans left in droves in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers failed to respond even after Singletary called timeout midway through the first quarter and brought his team together for a spirited pep talk. White scored his first touchdown on the very next play, and his big day helped Atlanta to its first road win of 2009.

On his 90-yard TD, White somersaulted into the end zone, a flip that landed him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

"He didn't hit the landing because if he hits the landing it's not a 15-yard penalty," coach Mike Smith joked. "I told him if he's going to do it, it needs to be Olga Korbut. And he looked at me like he doesn't know who Olga Korbut is. Then I told him, 'Well, maybe Mary Lou Retton.' And then I figure that's '86, he doesn't know who Mary Lou Retton is. It went right over his head and my head."

White broke the previous franchise mark of 198 yards receiving set by Terance Mathis against New Orleans on Dec. 13, 1998.

"I felt like I haven't been playing well up to this point in the season," White said. "Me and coach Smith had a talk. He was like, 'You gotta get back to being yourself again. You gotta go out there and be the old Roddy. No pressure. Just go out there and play.'"

San Francisco's three turnovers were one more than the team had in its first four games combined. After White's second touchdown in the first half, Delanie Walker fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Falcons recovered. It looked as if the ground might have caused the fumble, but San Francisco was out of timeouts and couldn't challenge the play.

Even when things went right for the 49ers, they ended up wrong.

Dre' Bly intercepted a pass by Ryan at the San Francisco 10 midway through the third quarter but was caught from behind when it appeared Bly began celebrating during his return. Ryan swiped at the loose ball on the ground before center Todd McClure fell on it for the Falcons.

"Dre's going to be Dre'," Bly said. "When I make plays, and I've made a lot, I express myself."

Shaun Hill struggled mightily, and so did the entire San Francisco offense. Hill's perfect 7-0 record at home as a starter evaporated. The 49ers clearly miss star running back Frank Gore, out until after the bye with a sprained ankle.

Hill completed only four of his first 15 passes and finished the day 15 for 38 for 198 yards and three sacks.

San Francisco lost strong safety Michael Lewis to his third concussion of the season. He went down early in the third quarter after leading with his helmet trying to tackle Turner. Lewis sustained two concussions during an 11-day span in the preseason.

Game notes
49ers RT Adam Snyder bruised his left thigh, DT Ray McDonald sprained his left ankle, CB Tarrell Brown strained his right groin and Coffee bruised his left leg. ... Atlanta has won the last three meetings, including following its bye week in 2007.

1 2 3 4 OT T NWE (3-2) 10 7 0 0 0 17 DEN (5-0) 0 7 3 7 3 20 DENVER -- Kyle Orton is no John Elway, Josh McDaniels is no Bill Belichick and those mustard-yellow uniforms certainly don't have anyone thinking "Orange Crush."

 But on a day that had as much to do with Denver's colorful history as its promising present, anything seemed possible.

Orton led a drive that might ring a bell for Broncos fans -- 98 yards in the fourth quarter to tie the game -- then Matt Prater kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime Sunday to lift Denver to a 20-17 victory over New England.

McDaniels got a win over his old boss, Belichick, and the Broncos improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1998, their last Super Bowl season.

"I lied," McDaniels said, when asked about his game-week assertion that this was just another game. "It was a little bit more special to me because I knew how hard it was to beat him."

His postgame reaction said it all. After a quick wave to Belichick near midfield, McDaniels ran to the corner of the stadium near where his family sits and pumped his fist repeatedly before sharing bear hugs with his players.

"This doesn't mean a whole lot unless you can share it with somebody," McDaniels said. "Sometimes, you're allowed to have fun. That's what I was doing."

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the AFL, the Broncos came out in their 1960s yellow jerseys and vertically striped socks, then played better than they looked.

Orton threw for 330 yards and two scores. The defense held New England (3-2) scoreless in the second half.

Denver's game-tying, fourth-quarter drive certainly wasn't "The Drive" -- Elway's classic, 98-yard march that helped beat the Browns 23-20 back in the 1987 AFC title game -- but it will go down as one of the best in this franchise's history.

This start?

Easily the most surprising since the Broncos took the field half a century ago. Even the 1977 Super Bowl team -- the team that coined the term "Orange Crush" -- was viewed as an up-and-comer back then, something the turmoil-wracked Broncos certainly were not heading into 2009.

"The guys in this locker room believe, the coaches believe, guys believe in each other and are fighting," defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday said.

Trailing 17-10 with 9:59 left, Orton was at his patient best during the game-tying drive that started at the 2. A 14-yard completion to Jabar Gaffney, a screen to Knowshon Moreno that sprung for 27. A 7-yard completion to Eddie Royal, who finished with 10 catches for 90 yards.

Brandon Marshall, who scored the game-winner last week against Dallas, did the honors this time, too, catching a pass on the sideline, then spinning and breaking a tackle for an 11-yard score that tied it at 17. It was his second touchdown of the game.

The teams traded a pair of possessions around midfield to close regulation, then the Broncos won the toss and drove 58 yards to set up the winning field goal with 10:09 left in OT.

"The electricity in the stadium was so great that we had to have it," Orton said. "When we got to overtime, we just had to win."

The game was billed as a matchup between coaching mentor and pupil -- one of many Belichick has faced since he started winning Super Bowls and pushing young head coaches into the NFL world.

It started with some tactical games from McDaniels, who put the Broncos in the wildcat formation on their first drive and watched them rip off gains of 12, 13 and 14. Belichick called a timeout to adjust, the Broncos stalled and Prater missed a 48-yard field goal.

From there, it was exactly what both coaches promised it would be -- a well-played, hard-fought game decided more by the players than the Xs and Os.

The Broncos forced Tom Brady to be patient and pick underneath, the way he has for much of this season. He went 19 for 33 for 215 yards, but only 63 of those came in the second half.

The Denver defense has allowed a grand total of 43 points in five games -- one of the best starts in the league's history. And add this to the resume: Denver handed Brady his first overtime loss. He fell to 7-1.

McDaniels used to be his position coach.

"Josh is a great coach, so he's obviously learned a lot and he's got the team playing well," Brady said. "Pretty impressive for a first-year coach. He's a hard worker and he certainly deserves it. They're playing well."

Orton, meanwhile, improved to 18-2 at home as an NFL starter, and the widely derided decision to anoint him the quarterback and trade away Jay Cutler still looks like a good one.

Denver's decision to choose Moreno with its first draft pick when the defense needed an overhaul also looks good. The rookie made his first start -- in place of injured Correll Buckhalter -- and finished with 88 yards rushing, along with the key, 27-yard catch during the tying drive.

The Broncos lost a fumble and Orton threw his first interception of the season -- to wide receiver Randy Moss, of all people, on a desperation heave to close the first half -- to lose the turnover battle 2-1.

No big deal, unless you consider this: It was the first time in 54 games -- a streak dating to 2003 -- that the Patriots had forced more turnovers and lost. Another in a long list of surprises the Broncos are pulling off in a season hardly anyone saw coming.

Game notes
Orton's interception was his first in 173 attempts, dating back to when he played for the Bears. ... Patriots OT Matt Light went out in the fourth quarter with an injured right knee and the team offered no update after the game. ... Pats K Stephen Gostkowski made a career-long 53-yard field goal, then missed a 40-yarder to snap a string of 12 straight successful FGs.