Panthers rally with 21 fourth-quarter points to beat Eagles.
Cam Newton tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen with 1:22 left and the Carolina Panthers overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21-17 on Sunday.
Wes Horton sacked Carson Wentz, forcing a fumble on fourth down from the Panthers 14, to seal the victory.
The Panthers improved to 4-2 with the biggest comeback in franchise history. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles fell to 3-4.
After Carolina took the lead, the Eagles started at their 30. A 48-yard pass interference penalty on James Bradberry against Alshon Jeffery put the ball at the Carolina 22. Eric Reid appeared to intercept Wentz’s overthrown pass but the play was overturned on a video review. Wentz threw incomplete to Jeffery in the end zone on third-and-2 and was stripped on the next play.
Down 17-0, the Panthers started their rally when Curtis Samuel ran in from the 14 on a reverse but Graham Gano missed the extra point. Newton then quickly drove the Panthers 87 yards, tossing an 18-yard pass to Devin Funchess.
He connected with Jarius Wright on the 2-point conversion with 4:08 left.
The Panthers forced a three-and-out. Newton threw three straight incomplete passes, but took a hit on fourth down and still completed a 35-yard catch-and-run pass to Torrey Smith to reach the Philadelphia 34. A 22-yard pass to Christian McCaffrey gave Carolina first down at the 4. Newton ran it to the 1, setting up third down. He threw it to Olsen wide open in the back of the end zone.
PATRIOTS 38, BEARS 31
CHICAGO (AP) — Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns and the Patriots hung on when Kevin White got stopped at the 1 on a 54-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky.
About four or five defenders swarmed White after he leaped to haul in that long heave, preventing him from crossing the goal line while preserving the fourth straight win for New England.
The Patriots (5-2) also got two special teams touchdowns and came out on top even though they were missing Rob Gronkowski. The five-time Pro Bowl tight end missed the game because of ankle and back injuries.
Brady improved to 5-0 against Chicago (3-3), one of five teams yet to beat him. He was 25 of 36 for 277 yards and an interception.
Cordarrelle Patterson ran a kickoff back 95 yards for his sixth career return TD. Kyle Van Noy became the first New England player in 22 years to return a blocked punt for a touchdown. Dont’a Hightower blocked the kick.
Rookie running back Sony Michel left in the second quarter because of a knee injury. But the Patriots beat the Bears for the eighth time in nine games since the 1985 team got routed in the Super Bowl.
TEXANS 20, JAGUARS 7
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Blake Bortles fumbled on Jacksonville’s third play of each half, leading to 10 points and his benching.
The Texans (4-3) won their fourth consecutive game thanks to those two turnovers and took a one-game lead in the AFC South.
Deshaun Watson, who reportedly made the 800-mile road trip by bus instead of plane, had a touchdown pass despite playing with a bruised lung and injured ribs. Lamar Miller ran for a season-high 100 yards and a score.
Cody Kessler replaced Bortles in the third quarter and threw a short touchdown pass to T. J. Yeldon, creating speculation he might supplant Bortles in the starting lineup.
The Jaguars (3-4) signed Bortles to a three-year, $54 million contract in February with the belief he was good enough to lead the defensive-minded team back to the playoffs. Bortles has been downright awful in three straight losses, with two touchdown passes and eight turnovers.
LIONS 32, DOLPHINS 21
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Kerryon Johnson rushed for 158 yards and the Lions repeatedly mounted long scoring drives.
Matt Stafford was 18 for 22 for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit had 457 total yards and 248 on the ground, with scoring drives covering 64,85,75,65,75,63 and 44 yards.
The Lions (3-3) punted once and had no turnovers to win on the road for the first time. They’ve climbed back to.500 after being outscored 78-44 in their first two games.
Injury-ravaged Miami (4-3) lost at home for the first time this season — and lost another key player. Dynamic receiver Albert Wilson was sidelined in the first half with a leg injury.
Receiver Kenny Stills also limped to the locker room with a minute left.
Johnson carried 19 times and needed barely a quarter to reach 100 yards.
CHARGERS 20, TITANS 19
LONDON (AP) — Adrian Phillips broke up Marcus Mariota’s pass attempt, the Titans’ second try for a 2-point conversion after a defensive penalty on the first attempt, and the Chargers held on.
It was the fourth consecutive victory for the Chargers (5-2), who weathered the absence of running back Melvin Gordon (hamstring) and relied upon their defense to pull out the win.
The Titans (3-4) drove 89 yards over the final 4:55 before Mariota’s 1-yard pass to tight end Luke Stocker pulled them within one point. Mariota, who went 24 for 32 for 237 yards with an interception, thought he had scored the touchdown himself. With 40 seconds left, he ran 3 yards on a draw and stretched for the end zone, but replay showed he was down inches shy of the goal line.
After Stocker scored, Mariota’s first attempt was a pass intended for Tajae Sharp, an incompletion negated by a defensive holding call on Casey Hayward, and his second, toward Taywan Taylor, was tipped by Phillips.
Philip Rivers completed 19 of 26 passes for 306 yards and threw two touchdown passes — one that went 75 yards to Tyrell Williams on Los Angeles’ first play from scrimmage, and one that traveled 55 yards to Mike Williams to cap the first drive of the second half.
VIKINGS 37, JETS 17
EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw two touchdown passes, Latavius Murray ran for two scores, and the Vikings pulled away in the second half for their third straight victory.
Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen became the fifth player in NFL history to get at least 100 yards receiving in seven consecutive games, catching nine passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Murray, coming off career-high 155 yards rushing against Arizona, finished with 69 yards on 15 carries to help lift the Vikings (4-2-1) to their first win against the Jets on the road after losing the first five meetings away from home.
In his first game against the Jets (3-4) since spurning their massive offer in free agency, Cousins was far from spectacular but made some big plays late. With the game still hanging in the balance and the Vikings facing fourth-and-8 from the 34, Cousins connected with Aldrick Robinson for a TD to seal it.
