Rookie Joshua Karty hit a 37-yard field goal with two seconds to play, and the Los Angeles Rams staged a spectacular late rally for a 27-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Kyren Williams rushed four yards for his third touchdown of the day with 1:50 left for the Rams (1-2), who came back from a 14-point deficit in the second half for their second straight win over San Francisco (1-2) after losing 10 of the NFC West archrivals’ previous 12 meetings.
Jauan Jennings set career highs with 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns for the 49ers, who blew a lead of at least 14 points for the first time since 2018.
Los Angeles trailed 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter, but Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal attempt for San Francisco with 2:43 to play. Matthew Stafford quickly hit Tutu Atwell for a 50-yard completion to the San Francisco five, and Williams took it in two plays later.
Ronnie Bell then dropped a long pass with 1:02 to play that would have put San Francisco in field goal range, and Xavier Smith – elevated from the Rams’ practice squad for this game – took his first career punt return 38 yards to midfield moments later.
A 25-yard pass interference penalty against linebacker De’Vondre Campbell put the Rams in field goal range, and their rookie kicker buried the kick. San Francisco threw several laterals on the final snap after time expired, but the play died on the Rams’ sideline.
Baltimore Ravens 28–25 Dallas Cowboys
Derrick Henry ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns, Lamar Jackson accounted for two scores and the Baltimore Ravens held on for a victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The Ravens scored touchdowns on their first two drives. Baltimore responded to the first 0-2 start since 2015 for a franchise coming off a trip to the AFC championship game. The Cowboys have allowed 120 points in their past three home games. That includes a 48-32 wild-card loss to Green Bay in January that ended Dallas’ 16-game winning streak at AT&T Stadium. Dallas cut a 28-6 deficit to three in the fourth quarter before Baltimore ran out the final 2:53.
Green Bay Packers 30-14 Tennessee Titans
Malik Willis ran for a touchdown and threw for a score in his best performance in the NFL, leading the Green Bay Packers (2-1) to a rout of the Tennessee Titans. Willis won his second straight start subbing for Jordan Love. He also got a sweet measure of revenge against the team that traded him to Green Bay in August. Willis accounted for 134 of the Packers’ 137 yards in the first quarter. He finished with 202 yards passing and 73 rushing. The Titans fell to 0-3 under first-year coach Brian Callahan, their worst start since losing the first six of 2009.
Miami Dolphins 3–24 Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith threw for 289 yards and a 71-yard touchdown to DK Metcalf, Zach Charbonnet rushed for two TDs, and the Seattle Seahawks beat Miami as the attention turned to another injury suffered by a Dolphins quarterback. A week after losing Tua Tagovailoa to the third concussion in the past two years, the Dolphins watched Skylar Thompson suffer a chest injury in the second half, leaving Tim Boyle to try and lead the charge back from a 17-3 deficit. Boyle was unable to direct a comeback and the Dolphins were back in a place of uncertainty about their QB situation. Seattle improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2020.
Houston Texans 7-34 Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold matched his career high with four touchdown passes, and the undefeated Minnesota Vikings used another dominant performance on defense by trouncing CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans. Jonathan Greenard had three of the four sacks of Stroud as the Vikings intercepted the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year twice. Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for scores in the first quarter and in the second half delivered a touchdown to Jalen Nailor for the third straight game. He got tight end Johnny Mundt one, too. The Vikings are 3-0. The Texans are 2-1.
New York Giants 21–15 Cleveland Browns
Daniel Jones threw two touchdown passes to rookie Malik Nabers, New York’s defensive players took turns sacking Deshaun Watson, and the Giants held off the Cleveland Browns. Jones completed 24 of 34 passes for 236 yards as the Giants (1-2) shook off a loss at Washington that prompted a week of criticism toward coach Brian Daboll. The Browns (1-2) rallied in the fourth after being dominated for three quarters and losing three offensive linemen to injury. But Cleveland couldn’t take the lead in three opportunities. Running back Jerome Ford fumbled, and the Giants twice stopped the Browns on fourth down in the final four minutes.
Carolina Panthers 36–22 Las Vegas Raiders
Andy Dalton gave the Panthers the quarterback play they’ve been sorely lacking, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns to lead Carolina past the Las Vegas Raiders. Promoted to the starting job in place of the ineffective Bryce Young, Dalton guided the Panthers to their first win and moved to 4-0 lifetime against the Raiders. Carolina are 3-17 going back to last season. The Panthers were blown out the first two weeks this year, prompting coach Dave Canales to bench Young. Dalton completed 26 of 37 passes and becoming the first NFL quarterback this season to post a 300-yard, three-TD performance.
Chicago Bears 16–21 Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, Trey Sermon added a rushing TD and Jaylon Jones snagged two interceptions to boost the Indianapolis Colts to victory over the Chicago Bears
Indianapolis (1-2) overcame a pair of Anthony Richardson interceptions, succeeding with their ground game while shoring up what had been a suspect run defense. The Colts had 151 rushing yards compared to 63 for the Bears (1-2).
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams, the No.1 overall pick in the April draft, was 33-of-52 passing for a career-high 363 yards and his first two career TD passes to go with two interceptions. Williams also lost a fumble on a strip-sack that set up Taylor’s one-yard scoring run with 5:22 left that put the Colts ahead 21-9.
Philadelphia Eagles 15–12 New Orleans Saints
Saquon Barkley rushed for fourth-quarter touchdowns of 65 and four yards, and the Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) rebounded from a maddening late-game collapse in their last game to beat the New Orleans Saints (2-1). Barkley’s shorter run came with 1:01 left, one play after Dallas Goedert’s 61-yard catch that gave him a career-high 170 yards on 10 catches. Eagles safety Reed Blankenship sealed the victory when he intercepted Derek Carr with 48 seconds left. That capped a banner performance by Philadelphia’s defense against an offense that had scored an NFL-high 91 points during the regular season’s first two weeks under new coordinator Klint Kubiak. The Saints’ lone TD came on Chris Olave’s 12-yard catch.
Los Angeles Chargers 10–20 Pittsburgh Steelers
Justin Fields threw for a touchdown and ran for another and the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled away late to beat the Los Angeles Chargers. Pittsburgh improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2020 behind another efficient performance from Fields. The quarterback completed 25 of 32 passes for 245 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III midway through the fourth quarter that broke it open. Fields also added a five-yard touchdown run and is quietly making a compelling case that he should be the starter even after Russell Wilson’s injured calf heals. The Chargers (2-1) lost starting quarterback Justin Herbert in the third quarter with an ankle injury.
Detroit Lions 20–13 Arizona Cardinals
Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes, David Montgomery ran for 106 yards and a touchdown and the Detroit Lions (2-1) held on late to beat the Arizona Cardinals (1-2). The Lions continued their recent dominance in the series with a 5-0-1 record since 2017. Detroit’s defense kept Arizona out of the end zone in the second half, giving up just one field goal. Goff completed his first 14 passes before an incompletion in the third quarter. It was his longest streak without an incompletion to start a game in his nine-year career. He finished 18 of 23 for 196 yards passing.
Denver Broncos 26–7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In his first NFL win, Bo Nix completed 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards and rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown, leading the visiting Denver Broncos to victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tyler Badie ran for 70 yards and Courtland Sutton caught seven passes for 68 yards, as the Broncos (1-2) held Tampa Bay scoreless in the second half. Wil Lutz made all four of his field goal attempts for Denver. Baker Mayfield completed 25 of 33 passes for 163 yards and threw for a touchdown and an interception. Bucky Irving led Tampa Bay (2-1) with 70 rushing yards, while Chris Godwin hauled in six balls for 53 yards and a score.
