Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons takes the field to face the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys won 49-29 on Oct. 30. 2022.Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
In Atlanta, Younghoe Koo booted a 41-yard field goal in overtime after the Carolina Panthers missed a pair of kicks that could’ve won it, giving the Falcons an improbable 37-34 victory Sunday that maintained their hold on first place in the NFC South. The teams combined for three touchdowns in the final 3:06 of regulation before a silly penalty by the Panthers’ D.J. Moore opened the door for the Falcons (4-4) to pull it out. With the Falcons up 34-28, Carolina (2-6) appeared to have won the game in stunning fashion when Moore hauled in a 62-yard touchdown heave from P.J. Walker with 12 seconds left. But Moore ripped off his helmet during a raucous celebration in the end zone, resulting in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. That pushed back the extra point to a 48-yard attempt, and Eddy Pineiro pulled it left of the upright. Marcus Mariota, who threw three touchdown passes, ripped off a 30-yard run for the Falcons that set up Koo’s game winner with 1:55 left in the extra period.
In Arlington, Tex., Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, Micah Parsons returned a fumble for his first NFL score and the Dallas Cowboys beat the Chicago Bears 49-29. Tony Pollard ran for 131 yards and three TDs with Ezekiel Elliott sidelined by a right knee injury as the Cowboys (6-2) made it 2-for-2 in a four-game stretch against the NFC North. Justin Fields rallied the Bears (3-5) within five after trailing 28-7. But he made a big gaffe by jumping over Parsons after the star linebacker’s fumble recovery instead of touching him down. Parsons got up, stumbled and rolled over the goal line for a 36-yard touchdown that made it 42-23. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on their first four possessions for the first time since 2014.
In Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes to A.J Brown in the first half and finished with 285 yards and four TDs overall as the unbeaten Eagles raced past the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-13. Brown had six receptions for 156 yards. The Eagles are 7-0 for the first time since 2004, when Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens led them to the Super Bowl. Rookie Kenny Pickett showed more short-term growing pains for the Steelers (2-6) and was 25 of 38 for 191 yards and an interception. Brown became the first receiver since Tennessee’s Drew Bennett in 2004 with three receiving touchdowns of 25-plus yards in the first half. Hurts hit Brown from 39 yards, 27 and 29 yards for a 21-10 halftime lead. Brown had his best game in his short Eagles tenure.
In East Rutherford, N.J., Bill Belichick passed George Halas for second place on the NFL’s career coaching victories list and the New England Patriots beat the New York Jets for the 13th consecutive time, 22-17. Devin McCourty had two of the Patriots’ three interceptions of Zach Wilson, Nick Folk kicked five field goals against his former team and New England (4-4) slowed the surprising Jets (5-3), who had won four in a row. Belichick got his 325th win, including playoffs. Mac Jones, who was benched in Monday night’s loss to Chicago rookie Bailey Zappe, finished 24 of 35 for 194 yards with a touchdown to Jakobi Meyers and an interception.
In Detroit, Tua Tagovailoa threw a go-ahead, 11-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki late in the third quarter to cap the Miami Dolphins’ rally from a double-digit, second-half deficit to beat the Lions 31-27. The Dolphins (5-3) have won two straight since Tagovailoa returned from a concussion. The Lions (1-6) have lost five in a row. Tagovailoa was 29 of 36 for 382 yards with three touchdowns, including two to Jaylen Waddle, who had eight catches for 106 yards. Detroit’s Jared Goff was 27 of 37 for 321 yards.
In New Orleans, Alvin Kamara scored his first three touchdowns of the season and the Saints shut out the Las Vegas Raiders 24-0. Kamara converted short receptions into touchdowns of 36 and 16 yards for the Saints (3-5). He also rushed for a three-yard score. Andy Dalton justified the Saints’ decision to start him for a fifth straight game despite season-opening starter Jameis Winston having recovered enough from back and ankle injuries to be a full participant in practice this week. Dalton was 22 of 30 for 229 yards and two TDs. His top receiver was Kamara, who had nine receptions for 96 yards to go with his 62 yards rushing.
In Inglewood, Calif., Christian McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game, and the San Francisco 49ers extended their regular-season mastery over the Rams to four full years with a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles.
In Houston, Derrick Henry dominated the Texans again, running for 219 yards and two touchdowns to carry the Tennessee Titans to a 17-10 win. It was Henry’s fourth straight 200-yard game against the Texans, making him the first player in NFL history to have at least 150 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in four consecutive games against the same opponent. The 28-year-old has six 200-yard games in his career, tying O.J. Simpson and Adrian Peterson for the most in NFL history. With rookie quarterback Malik Willis making his first start for the injured Ryan Tannehill, the AFC South-leading Titans (5-2) went to Henry early and often. He ripped off a season-long 41-yard run on his second carry of the game and never looked back against Houston’s NFL-worst run defence. Henry had a season-high 32 carries and touchdown runs of 29 yards and one yard to help the Titans build a 14-3 lead.
In Indianapolis, Taylor Heinicke scored on a one-yard plunge with 22 seconds left, capping an 89-yard drive in the final 2 1/2 minutes and sending the Washington Commanders to a 17-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Indy native Terry McLaurin set up the decisive score by wrestling the ball away from cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 NFL defensive player of the year, for a 33-yard catch one play before Heinicke scored. Washington (4-4) has won three in a row.
In London, Latavius Murray scored on a two-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to help the Denver Broncos snap a four-game losing streak by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 21-17 at Wembley Stadium. Russell Wilson led two go-ahead scoring drives in the second half on his return from a hamstring injury. Wilson finished 18 for 30 for 252 yards with a touchdown and interception, although the embattled quarterback looked rusty early.
325: Number of career coaching wins, including playoffs, for New England head coach Bill Belichick, trailing only Don Shula’s 347 for the most career wins.
382: Passing yards for Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on 29 completions of 36 attempts and three touchdowns in the Dolphins’ win over the Lions.
219: Rushing yards for Tennessee running back Derrick Henry on 32 carries and two touchdowns in the Titans’ win over the Texans.
188: Reception yards for Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill on 12 catches in the Dolphins’ win. Hill, along with teammate Jaylen Waddle, have 1,688 yards receiving combined, setting a Super Bowl era record for two teammates through the first eight games of a season.
7-oh-wow: The Philadelphia Eagles are 7-0 for only the second time in franchise history. The World Series banner went up across the street outside Citizens Bank Park – the Phillies and Houston Astros are 1-1 headed into Game 3 Monday in Philly – and it’s suddenly the point in the NFL season where it’s time to stamp the Eagles as Super Bowl favourites.
86,215: Announced attendance at London’s Wembley Stadium to see the Broncos beat the Jaguars, the largest crowd in the history of NFL international games.