McCaffrey does it all, leads 49ers to another win over Rams | WGN Radio 720
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP)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 on Sunday.
McCaffrey threw a 34-yard TD pass to Brandon Aiyuk in the first half, caught a TD pass from Jimmy Garoppolo in the third quarter and then put the Niners (4-4) in control with a TD run early in the fourth.
Garoppolo passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns as San Francisco scored 24 unanswered points to finish its eighth consecutive regular-season victory over its NFC West rivals.
McCaffrey finished with 94 yards rushing and 55 yards receiving in his second game with the Niners. LaDainian Tomlinson was the last player with rushing, passing and receiving TDs in the same game, doing it for San Diego back in 2005.
The 49ers outbid the Rams (3-4) last week in a trade for McCaffrey’s services, and the versatile running back showed Los Angeles exactly what it missed.
Matthew Stafford passed for 187 yards and scored his first rushing touchdown since 2016 for the defending Super Bowl champion Rams, who are under .500 for the third time – all occurring this season – in coach Sean McVay’s career. Los Angeles managed 43 net yards in the second half while getting shut out after halftime for the third time already this season.
BILLS 27, PACKERS 17
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – Stefon Diggs ran his mouth before running past Green Bay’s secondary as Buffalo handed the Packers their worst start eight games into a season under Aaron Rodgers.
Diggs began by exchanging words before and after pregame warmups in the tunnel with Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander. He then burned Green Bay with six catches for 108 yards and a 26-yard touchdown.
The AFC-leading Bills (6-1) never trailed in winning their fourth straight and matching their best start to a season since 1993.
Josh Allen finished 13 of 25 for 218 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. He added 49 yards rushing.
Rodgers, the four-time MVP, was unable to will the Packers (3-5) to victory. The four-game skid is the second-longest under Rodgers and the team’s worst since 2016. Green Bay hasn’t been 3-5 since 2006.
Rodgers finished 19 of 30 for 203 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He was limited by an injury-depleted group of receivers.
SEAHAWKS 27, GIANTS 13
SEATTLE (AP) – Tyler Lockett caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Geno Smith with 9:18 left and Seattle won its third straight.
The only matchup of teams with winning records in the NFL this week was a slugfest until the fourth quarter, when Lockett made up for two big mistakes earlier in the game and Seattle rookie running back Kenneth Walker III finally broke free, helping the surprising Seahawks (5-3) stay atop the NFC West.
New York (6-2) saw its four-game win streak snapped entering its bye week and lost ground to undefeated Philadelphia in the NFC East – largely because the Seahawks corralled Saquon Barkley, who was held to a season-low 53 yards on 20 carries and had three catches for 9 yards.
Lockett lost a fumble in the first half and dropped what would have been a 33-yard touchdown in the third quarter. But he came through on the Seahawks’ go-ahead drive.
Walker finished with 51 yards on 18 carries, including a 16-yard TD after New York’s Richie James fumbled his second punt return of the game in the fourth quarter. Smith was 23 of 34 for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
FALCONS 37, PANTHERS 34, OT
ATLANTA (AP) – Younghoe Koo booted a 41-yard field goal in overtime after Carolina’s Eddy Pineiro missed a pair of kicks that could’ve won it, giving Atlanta an improbable victory.
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 and stay alone atop the NFC South.
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 remaining.
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 Pineiro pulled it left of the upright.
Carolina had another chance to win in OT after C.J. Henderson returned an interception 54 yards to the Falcons 20. But Pineiro botched another kick, yanking a wobbler left again from 32 yards out – shorter than a regular extra point.
The Panthers wouldn’t get another shot. 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.
Mariota was 20 of 28 for 253 yards with a pair of interceptions.
COWBOYS 49, BEARS 29
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, Micah Parsons returned a fumble for his first NFL score and Dallas beat Chicago.
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. Prescott opened the scoring with a 7-yard run. Prescott’s two TD passes, including one to CeeDee Lamb, came on either side of Pollard’s first score.
Pollard had a 54-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
Prescott was 21 of 27 for 250 yards with an interception in his second game back after missing five with a fractured right thumb. Pollard tied his career highs in yards and carries (14).
EAGLES 35, STEELERS 13
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes to A.J Brown in the first half and finished with 285 yards and four TDs overall as unbeaten Philadelphia raced past Pittsburgh.
Brown had six receptions for 156 yards. The Eagles are 7-0 for the second time in franchise history and first 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. Wide receiver Chase Claypool threw a 1-yard pass to fullback Derek Watt on a trick play in the first quarter for Pittsburgh’s only touchdown.
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, topping the 155 yards he had in the season opener against Detroit. He had only two touchdowns entering the game.
Hurts threw a 39-yard TD pass to Zach Pascal in the third for a 28-10 lead.
VIKINGS 34, CARDINALS 26
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Za’Darius Smith had three sacks to help Minnesota’s defense hang on and the Vikings beat Arizona for their fifth consecutive victory.
Dalvin Cook rushed for a season-high 111 yards and a touchdown and Kirk Cousins passed for two scores and ran for another for the Vikings (6-1), who stayed unbeaten at home in coach Kevin O’Connell’s rookie year.
Kyler Murray passed for 326 yards and a season-high three touchdowns, including a one-handed grab for a score by DeAndre Hopkins with 47 seconds left in the second quarter, but he threw two second-half interceptions for the Cardinals (3-5).
The Vikings went 31 yards in four plays for a touchdown after the first one, a dangerous heave by Murray under pressure from his own end zone.
Hopkins had 12 catches for 159 yards in his second game back from suspension, Rondale Moore had seven receptions for 92 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown, and Murray’s always-dangerous ability to leave the pocket kept an active Vikings defense honest all game.
But the Cardinals crossed midfield on each of their last three possessions while trailing by one score and never got closer than the 37.
PATRIOTS 22, JETS 17
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Bill Belichick passed George Halas for second place on the NFL’s career coaching victories list and New England beat New York for the 13th straight time.
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, and now trails only Don Shula (347).
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.
After a promising start, Wilson made too many mistakes in the first 300-yard passing game of his career – he was 20 of 41 for 355 yards and two TDs to Tyler Conklin.
New York made it closer on Wilson’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Conklin with 1:51 left, but New England recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.
COMMANDERS 17, COLTS 16
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Taylor Heinicke scored on a 1-yard plunge with 22 seconds left, capping an 89-yard drive in the final 2 1/2 minutes and sending Washington past Indianapolis.
Indy native Terry McLaurin set up the decisive score by wrestling the ball away from Stephon Gilmore for a 33-yard catch one play before Heinicke scored. Washington (4-4) has won three straight.
Indy (3-4-1) managed only one TD in Sam Ehlinger’s first career start. He took over at quarterback this week when coach Frank Reich benched veteran Matt Ryan.
The Commanders carried a 7-3 lead into the second half. But Chase McLaughlin’s third field goal of the day, a 20-yarder, gave Indy a 9-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Heinicke was picked off on the ensuing possession and the Colts needed two plays to convert the turnover into a 6-yard touchdown run by Nyheim Hines. But Reich decided to go for 2 and the attempt failed.
Heinicke eventually made the Colts pay for that decision. He finished 23 of 31 for 279 yards, one TD and one interception.
DOLPHINS 31, LIONS 27
DETROIT (AP) – Tua Tagovailoa threw a go-ahead, 11-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki late in the third quarter to cap Miami’s rally from a double-digit, second-half deficit to beat Detroit.
The Dolphins (5-3) have won two straight since Tagovailoa returned from a concussion. The Lions (1-6) have lost five in a row.
Detroit scored on all five of its possessions in the first half to lead 27-17 after scoring a total of six points in its previous two games.
The Dolphins took their first lead late in the third on Tagovailoa’s pass to Gesicki, who was wide open in the end zone, to score on a fifth straight possession.
Tagovailoa was 29 of 36 for 382 yards with three touchdowns, including two to Jaylen Waddle, who had eight catches for 106 yards. Tyreek Hill had 12 receptions for 188 yards for the Dolphins.
Hill and Waddle have 1,688 yards receiving combined, setting a Super Bowl era record for two teammates through the first eight games of a season.
Detroit’s Jared Goff was 27 of 37 for 321 yards with a touchdown. Jamaal Williams had two TDs for the Lions.
TITANS 17, TEXANS 10
HOUSTON (AP) – Derrick Henry dominated Houston again, running for 219 yards and two touchdowns to carry Tennessee.
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 defense.
Henry had a season-high 32 carries and touchdown runs of 29 yards and 1 yard to help the Titans build a 14-3 lead.
The last-place Texans (1-5-1) weren’t just terrible on defense. They also couldn’t get anything going on offense and didn’t crack 100 yards until late in the fourth quarter. They finished with 161 yards and were 2 of 14 on third down. Davis Mills was 17 of 29 for 152 yards with an interception and a touchdown.
BRONCOS 21, JAGUARS 17
LONDON (AP) – Latavius Murray scored on a 2-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, and Denver beat Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium to snap a four-game skid.
Russell Wilson led two go-ahead scoring drives in the second half. Wilson finished 18 for 30 for 252 yards with a touchdown and interception after missing the Broncos’ previous game with a hamstring injury.
The embattled quarterback looked rusty early, but connected on a 47-yard completion to KJ Hamler after the Broncos fell behind 17-14 on Travis Etienne’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:54 to play. Wilson then scrambled for 10 yards on a third-and-5 to get to the Jacksonville 28.
The late score gave Murray a touchdown for two different teams this month in London. He ran for a score for New Orleans earlier this month at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Broncos (3-5) erased a 10-point deficit on Jerry Jeudy’s 6-yard touchdown reception in the first half and Melvin Gordon’s 1-yard run to complete a 98-yard scoring drive early in the second half.
The Jaguars (2-6) lost their fifth consecutive game despite a career day from Etienne, who carried 24 times for 156 yards and a touchdown.
SAINTS 24, RAIDERS 0
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Alvin Kamara scored his first three touchdowns of the season and New Orleans shut out Las Vegas.
Kamara converted short receptions into touchdowns of 36 and 16 yards for the Saints (3-5). He also rushed for a 3-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.
It was an anemic performance by the Las Vegas offense under coach Josh McDaniels. The Raiders (2-5) didn’t get the ball across midfield until two minutes remained in the game.
Derek Carr, who was pulled late in the fourth quarter, finished 15 of 26 for 101 yards with one interception. He was sacked three times.
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