The Titans and Rams are winless no more. The Broncos finally lost a game. And the Indianapolis Colts did just enough to win.
They always do, it seems.
At Indianapolis, the Colts (7-0) beat San Francisco 18-14 to win their 16th straight regular-season game and became the last undefeated team in the AFC when Denver was manhandled 30-7 by the Ravens in Baltimore.
Tennessee (1-6) hadn’t won since Dec. 21 in Pittsburgh. St. Louis hadn’t won in more than a year — dating to Oct. 19, 2008 against Dallas.
“I haven’t forgotten how it feels, it’s just been a long time,” Rams running back Stephen Jackson said after St. Louis beat Detroit 17-10.
As expected of two teams that combined for one win entering the day, the Rams and Lions played an awful football game.
At Detroit, Jackson’s 25-yard touchdown run with 1:38 left kept the Rams (1-7) from matching the worst start in franchise history. They also ended talk about joining Detroit (1-6) as the only teams in NFL history to have an 0-16 season.
In Nashville, Tenn., the Titans ended their streak of eight straight losses thanks in part to quarterback Vince Young.
Tennessee owner Bud Adams isn’t taking credit for the decision to start Young and bench Kerry Collins, even though Young threw for a touchdown and kept the Titans in the game.
Chris Johnson set a franchise record by rushing for 228 yards and two TDs in the 30-13 rout of the Jaguars (3-4).
Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 177 yards and TDs of 79 and 80 yards. Johnson had scoring runs of 52 and 89 yards, making the game the first in NFL history with four touchdown runs of 50 yards or longer, according to the NFL.
Denver started the day as one of three unbeaten teams in the NFL and was trying to improve to 7-0 for the first time since 1998. Instead, they went from unbeaten to overmatched during a 60-minute beatdown.
Rookie Lardarius Webb returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, and Baltimore (4-3) rolled to an easy win.
It was Denver’s first loss under rookie coach Josh McDaniels. The Broncos (6-1) came in with the NFL’s top-ranked defense, a plus-7 turnover differential and one of the league’s best kick returners in Eddie Royal. Denver had also outscored the opposition 76-10 after halftime.
All that is history, leaving the Colts alone among the conference unbeatens.
Again.
For the fourth time in five years, the Colts are the last perfect team in the AFC. It wasn’t easy, but Jim Caldwell became the first rookie coach since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to win his first seven NFL games, and Indy became the eighth team in league history with 16 straight regular-season wins.
With Peyton Manning out of sync and the offense struggling to score touchdowns Sunday, the Colts needed running back Joseph Addai to throw a 22-yard TD pass to get past the 49ers (3-4).
“We need these games if we’re going to push toward our goal, which is the Super Bowl,” receiver Reggie Wayne said. “We’re going to need these close games, we’re going to need to fight through a little adversity and push forward. We were able to do that today. It was a grinder. We figured out a way to win.”
Packers 38, Vikings 26
At Green Bay, Wis., Brett Favre sliced up his former team and stuck it to the franchise that cast him aside as the Vikings beat the Packers 38-26 at Lambeau Field.
If walking out to waves of loud jeers from his former fans threw Favre off his game, it didn’t last long. Despite being booed repeatedly by Packers fans who once cheered his every move, Favre completed 17 of 28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. The Vikings (7-1) took a firm hold on the NFC North standings.
Rookie receiver Percy Harvin caught five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown and had five returns for 175 yards.
The Vikings’ defense roughed up Favre’s successor, Aaron Rodgers, sacking him six times. But with the Packers (4-3) on the verge of getting routed, Rodgers rebounded with three second-half touchdowns.
Chargers 24, Raiders 16
At San Diego, LaDainian Tomlinson scored twice, the first in the wildcat, and the Chargers beat the Raiders for the 13th straight time, the NFL’s longest active streak by one team over another.
The Chargers (4-3) have swept the series for the sixth straight season. Many Chargers, including quarterback Philip Rivers, have never lost to the Raiders (2-6). It was San Diego’s seventh straight home win against Oakland.
Panthers 34, Cardinals 21
At Glendale, Ariz., Jake Delhomme, whose downward spiral began with a playoff loss at home against Arizona (4-3) last season, threw a 50-yard touchdown pass before leaving with a chest injury and Jonathan Stewart ran for two scores.
The Panthers (3-4), in a turnover-free performance, rolled up 270 yards on the ground against what had been the No. 1 rushing defense in the NFL.
Arizona’s Kurt Warner was intercepted five times and fumbled the ball away once. Julius Peppers returned one of the picks 13 yards for a touchdown.
Eagles 40, Giants 17
At Philadelphia, Donovan McNabb threw three touchdown passes and DeSean Jackson had another big TD catch for the Eagles.
The Eagles (5-2) remained undefeated in the division and host Dallas next week. Philly dominated without running back Brian Westbrook (concussion).
New York (5-3) has lost three straight games. Eli Manning continuously threw high over his receivers or was the victim of bad route running and threw two interceptions.
Cowboys 38, Seahawks 17
At Arlington, Texas, Miles Austin caught a touchdown pass for the third straight game and Patrick Crayton returned a punt for a score for the second consecutive week, sending Dallas into a share of first place in the NFC East.
Tony Romo had his third straight game without an interception. Since a herky-jerky first month, the Cowboys (5-2) have won three straight.
Romo threw for 256 yards, with touchdowns to Austin, Sam Hurd and Roy Williams. Marion Barber added a TD run. DeMarcus Ware had a sack for the third straight game.
Seattle’s injury-riddled offensive line allowed three more sacks of Matt Hasselbeck and the Seahawks fell to 2-5.
Dolphins 30, Jets 25
At East Rutherford, N.J., Ted Ginn Jr. had two long kickoff returns for touchdowns in the third quarter. Miami (3-4) swept the two regular-season games after the Dolphins and Jets (4-3) met for the second time in 20 days.
Ginn became the first player to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same quarter since Green Bay’s Travis Williams in 1967. Ginn had returns of 100 and 101 yards. Ginn had been replaced by wide receiver Brian Hartline in the starting lineup.
Texans 31, Bills 10
At Orchard Park, N.Y., Ryan Moats, taking over after starter Steve Slaton lost yet another fumble, scored touchdowns on three straight fourth-quarter drives to help the Texans (5-3) win their third straight for the best start in franchise history.
Matt Schaub bounced back from two first-half interceptions to lead six scoring drives on seven possessions. Slaton has fumbled seven times this season and lost five.
The Bills (3-5) were undone by an offense that managed just 204 yards and nine first downs.
Buffalo rookie safety Jairus Byrd became the first player since San Francisco’s Dave Baker in 1960 to have two or more interceptions in three straight games.
Bears 30, Browns 6
At Chicago, Jay Cutler threw for 225 yards, Matt Forte ran for two touchdowns and the Bears (4-3) easily beat the bumbling Browns (1-7).
Derek Anderson had another miserable day and was lifted for Brady Quinn, the man he replaced in Week 3, with about 3 minutes left in the game. Anderson completed just 6 of 17 passes for 76 yards and was intercepted twice.
That certainly didn’t help a rating that was already a league-low 40.6 entering this game. And now, the Browns appear to be back in a familiar spot: deciding on a starting quarterback.
© 2009 Associated Press. Displayed by permission. All rights reserved.
