ARLINGTON, Texas — Alvin Kamara scored four touchdowns, including a 57-yarder on a screen pass, and the New Orleans Saints ended Dallas’ 16-game home winning streak in the regular season with a 44-19 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday.
Derek Carr threw for 243 yards and two TDs to go along with a 1-yard sneak for a score, and the Saints (2-0) got touchdowns on their first six drives a week after setting a franchise record by starting the season with points on nine consecutive possessions in a 47-10 rout of Carolina.
It was actually the second straight loss at AT&T Stadium for the Cowboys (1-1) after their 48-32 wild-card shocker against Green Bay last January.
A week after holding Cleveland to 54 yards and one first down before halftime in a 33-17 victory, Dallas gave up two TD passes longer than that before the break — Rashid Shaheed’s 70-yarder, a career-long, on a perfect deep throw and Kamara’s catch-and-run that started behind the line of scrimmage.
The Saints kicked four field goals in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s sparkling debut as their play-caller. There was no settling for three while taking control against Dallas.
Score one for the 37-year-old son of former NFL coach Gary Kubiak in his second game over 68-year-old defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in his second game since returning to the Cowboys.
New Orleans finished with 432 yards and scored at least 40 points in consecutive games for the first time since 2018 when coach Sean Payton was calling the plays for quarterback Drew Brees.
Carr was 11 of 16 but lost his perfect passer rating early in the fourth quarter when he was intercepted by Donovan Wilson with the Saints leading 41-19.
Kamara, who had 180 scrimmage yards (115 rushing), capped an opening 80-yard drive with a 5-yard run, and Carr hit Shaheed in stride between safeties Wilson and Malik Hooker on the first play after the first of Brandon Aubrey’s four field goals for Dallas. Shaheed had 96 yards receiving.
The long TD from Kamara, who had his career high with six TDs against Minnesota in 2020 when Zimmer was head coach of the Vikings, came after the Cowboys settled for three again.
Dallas tried to keep up when CeeDee Lamb ducked out of a tackle and ran the rest of the way on a 65-yard score, but Prescott had the first of his two interceptions on the next series.
Jalen Brooks slipped coming out of a route and Paulson Adebo weaved his way for 47 yards on the return, setting up Carr’s sneak for a 35-13 lead.
Prescott was 27 of 39 for 293 yards in his first game since signing the $240 million, four-year contract with a record $231 million guaranteed. He agreed to the deal hours before beating the Browns last weekend.
CHARGERS 26, PANTHERS 3
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes to Quentin Johnston, J.K Dobbins ran for 131 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown, and the Los Angeles Chargers drubbed the Carolina Panthers 26-3 on Sunday.
The Chargers (2-0) methodically wore down the Panthers, piling up 219 yards on the ground while holding Carolina to just 159 total yards and seven first downs.
Second-year quarterback Bryce Young had another miserable game, finishing 18 of 26 passing for 84 yards with one interception and was booed repeatedly by the home crowd while falling to 2-16 as a starter.
The Panthers have been outscored 73-13 this season.
The Panthers, who fell behind 30-0 in the second quarter last week against New Orleans, trailed 20-0 at halftime after being outgained 204-54 before the break. The crowd let out a sarcastic cheer when Chuba Hubbard ran for the Panthers’ initial first down more than 25 minutes into the game.
By that time the Chargers were well in command.
PACKERS 16, COLTS 10
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Malik Willis threw his first career touchdown pass, Josh Jacobs had 151 of Green Bay’s 261 yards rushing and the Packers withstood the absence of injured quarterback Jordan Love to beat the Indianapolis Colts 16-10 on Sunday.
Indianapolis (0-2) cut the Packers’ lead to 16-10 on Anthony Richardson’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Pierce with 1:47 left, but Green Bay’s Evan Williams recovered the ensuing onside kick. The Colts got the ball back at their own 5-yard line with 43 seconds left, but Williams intercepted a Hail Mary attempt from the Indianapolis 41 to end the game.
Richardson was 17 of 33 for 204 yards but threw three interceptions. He ran for 37 yards on four carries.
Love didn’t play after injuring his left medial collateral ligament during the final series of a 34-29 season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6 in Brazil. It was the first game Love missed since taking over as Green Bay’s starting quarterback last year.
His injury pressed Willis into duty less than three weeks after the Packers acquired him from the Tennessee Titans. Willis had made three previous career starts – all in 2022 – and hadn’t thrown for as many as 100 yards in any of them.
With help from a ground attack that dominated the first half, Willis played an efficient game and went 12 of 14 for 122 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks. Brayden Narveson went 3 of 4 on field-goal attempts to account for Green Bay’s other points, and Jacobs had 32 of the Packers’ 53 carries.
BUCCANEERS 20, LIONS 16
DETROIT — Baker Mayfield had an 11-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Detroit Lions 20-16 on Sunday in a playoff rematch.
Tampa Bay (2-0) fell behind only once in the closely contested game, and it stopped Detroit (1-1) when it had two chances to drive for a go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes.
The Lions turned it over on downs at the Bucs 6 with 53 seconds left and again at their 26 with 2 seconds left.
Jared Goff hurt the Lions’ chances of winning the divisional round rematch, throwing two interceptions. He also was fortunate when defenders dropped two other passes that could have been picked off. He finished 34 of 55 for 307 yards.
Mayfield, meanwhile, was efficient through the air by completing 12 of 19 passes for 185 yards, including a tiebreaking 41-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin in the second quarter. He also ran four times for 35 yards. Godwin had seven catches for 117 yards.
JETS 24, TITANS 17
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Braelon Allen, the NFL’s youngest player, ran for a 20-yard touchdown with 4:31 left to put Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets ahead to stay as they beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17 on Sunday.
Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two TDs and got to kneel down for his first victory as the Jets’ starting quarterback. One of those TD passes by the 40-year-old Rodgers was to the 20-year-old Allen, marking a score by the NFL’s oldest and youngest players.
The Jets (1-1) ruined the home opener for Titans first-year coach Brian Callahan, whose offence was rolling until a pair of back-to-back turnovers by second-year quarterback Will Levis.
The Titans (0-2) had a chance at the end.
Will McDonald IV, who had three of the Jets’ four sacks, got his third with 23 seconds left on third down. Levis threw to Tyler Boyd on fourth-and-goal from the 14 with Jets safety Tony Adams helping break up the pass to turn it over on downs.
The Jets got 17 points off Titans’ mistakes. First came an interception by Brandin Echols. There was a roughing penalty by two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons on third down that kept a New York drive ahead for the Jets’ first lead at 14-10 to start the third quarter.
Then, Irvin Charles blocked Ryan Stonehouse’s punt that resulted in a 33-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein and a 17-10 lead.
VIKINGS 23, 49ERS 17
MINNEAPOLIS — Sam Darnold passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns against his former team, including a 97-yard strike in the second quarter to Justin Jefferson, and an attacking defence again fueled the Minnesota Vikings in a 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Darnold went 17 for 26 with one interception to win his second straight start for the Vikings (2-0), who used the last of three field goals by rookie Will Reichard to give themselves a bigger cushion midway through the fourth quarter.
Blake Cashman had 13 tackles, six passes defensed and a sack and Patrick Jones II had two of the six sacks of Brock Purdy, who threw two interceptions and found himself playing from behind all game. Purdy went 28 for 36 for 319 yards.
Overcoming two red zone turnovers that the 49ers (1-1) turned into touchdowns and a quadriceps injury that forced Jefferson out of the game in the third quarter, Darnold and the Vikings put on a show in his home debut after backing up Purdy last season for the NFC champions.
San Francisco lost for the eighth straight time in Minnesota, including for the second straight year. The most recent win here was in 1992.
BROWNS 18, JAGUARS 13
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Deshaun Watson ran for a touchdown, Dustin Hopkins kicked three field goals and the stingy Cleveland Browns did just enough to hold off the Jacksonville Jaguars 18-13 on Sunday.
The Browns (1-1) dominated much of the rainy day, sacking Trevor Lawrence four times and holding Jacksonville in check for nearly three quarters.
The Jaguars (0-2) woke up late, with Lawrence finding rookie Brian Thomas Jr. for 66 yards to set up a touchdown and then adding a field goal to make it a one-score game.
Cleveland had a chance to put it away, but three penalties left the Browns facing a third-and-36 from midfield. Corey Bojorquez dropped a punt inside the 2-yard line, and Alex Wright sacked Lawrence in the end zone on the ensuing play.
The Jags got a chance in the final minute and mustered a threat with 8 seconds left. But Lawrence’s pass to the end zone fell to the ground.
Lawrence was a non-factor most of the afternoon, and “TrEverBank Stadium” was a bust.
COMMANDERS 21, GIANTS 18
LANDOVER, Md. — Jayden Daniels picked up his first win as an NFL quarterback, leading the Washington Commanders past the New York Giants 21-18 on Sunday thanks to a franchise-record seven field goals from new kicker Austin Seibert.
Daniels engineered the go-ahead, 65-yard drive in the final minutes to get the ball into the red zone, setting up Seibert’s 30-yard field goal that won it as the clock expired. Seibert’s 7-for-7 performance came days after he replaced Cade York, who missed each of his two attempts in the season opener.
The Commanders (1-1) came back to win an ugly game after the Giants lost kicker Graham Gano to injury on the opening kickoff. Not having Gano forced New York (0-2) to go for it on several fourth-down situations after punter Jamie Gillan missed an extra point attempt early.
Daniels was 23 of 29 for 226 yards and rushed for 44 in his second professional start, beating former LSU teammate and fellow top-10 pick Malik Nabers in their first matchup in the league. Nabers was the Giants’ best player with 10 catches for 127 yards and his first career TD reception.
Nabers was targeted 18 times by Daniel Jones, who after a rough Week 1 was a respectable 16 of 28 for 178 yards and two touchdown passes.
The Commanders overcame going 0 for 6 in the red zone and several penalties inside the New York 20.
RAIDERS 26, RAVENS 23
BALTIMORE — Gardner Minshew led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter, Daniel Carlson kicked a go-ahead 38-yard field goal with 27 seconds left and the Las Vegas Raiders rallied to beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-23 on Sunday.
Baltimore appeared headed toward its first win of the season after Derrick Henry plowed into the end zone for a 23-13 lead with 12 minutes left. But the Raiders (1-1) stormed back behind Minshew.
After Carlson kicked a 25-yarder to cut Las Vegas’ deficit, Minshew connected with Davante Adams on a 1-yard TD pass to tie it with 3:54 to go.
The Raiders quickly got the ball back and Minshew moved Las Vegas downfield before Carlson kicked his fourth field goal of the game.
Seeking to bounce back from a harrowing 27-20 loss to the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens instead dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 2015.
Minshew went 30 for 38 for 276 yards. He was sacked five times and intercepted once, but none of that mattered as he led the Raiders to a stunning comeback on the road.
Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson completed 21 of 34 passes for 247 yards. He was limited to 20 yards rushing after amassing 122 on the ground against the Chiefs.
SEAHAWKS 23, PATRIOTS 20
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jason Myers hit a 31-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Seattle Seahawks to a 23-20 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The game-winner capped a three-for-three day for Myers, who ensured the game went into OT with a 38-yard field goal with less than a minute left in regulation. Myers also hit from 44 yards in the second quarter.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith led Seattle on an eight-play, 71-yard drive to the New England 13 to set up the winning score. Smith was 33 of 44 for 327 yards on the day, with a 56-yard touchdown to DK Metcalf in the first half.
Metcalf finished with 10 catches for 129 yards.
The Seahawks (2-0) also got a 100-yard receiving game from Jaxon Smith-Njigba (12 catches for 117 yards).
New England (1-1) won the coin toss heading into overtime but went three-and-out, with Rhamondre Stevenson getting stopped on third and 1.
CARDINALS 41, RAMS 10
Kyler Murray threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns, rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. caught his first two NFL touchdown passes and the Arizona Cardinals rolled past the Los Angeles Rams 41-10 on Sunday.
The Cardinals’ offence — highlighted by the Murray-to-Harrison combo — dazzled on the way to a 24-3 halftime lead.
Murray found Harrison for a 23-yard touchdown on the first drive, a 60-yard touchdown on the second drive and then somehow evaded three Rams defenders before hitting tight end Elijah Higgins on an 18-yard touchdown on the third drive for a 21-0 advantage.
Arizona (1-1) snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Rams (0-2) at State Farm Stadium, and won for just the third time in 16 tries in the NFC West rivalry.
STEELERS 13, BRONCOS 6
DENVER — T.J. Watt and Pittsburgh’s stingy defence throttled rookie Bo Nix on Sunday, and Justin Fields, subbing again for an injured Russell Wilson, led the Steelers to a 13-6 win over the sputtering Denver Broncos.
Fields threw a touchdown pass and finished 13 for 20 for 117 yards with no interceptions to help Pittsburgh (2-0) beat the Broncos (0-2) for the third consecutive time, something that never happened in the teams’ 35-game all-time series.
Although Nix threw for 246 yards on 20-of-35 passing, he never found the end zone and was intercepted twice. And like Fields, he was sacked twice.
Nix, who had a pair of turnovers in Seattle’s territory in the opener, was intercepted by Cory Trice Jr. in the back of the end zone in the third quarter, squelching Denver’s best drive. Just before that, Nix had completed passes of 26 yards to Courtland Sutton and 50 yards to Josh Reynolds to put the Broncos on the Steelers 6.
