NFL roundup: Bengals complete another magnificent meltdown; Steelers beat Colts | NFL
Chicago Bears 47-42 Cincinnati Bengals
Caleb Williams connected with Colston Loveland for a 58-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left, and the Chicago Bears beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a wild game that included three touchdowns in the final two minutes and two lead changes in the final minute.
After Joe Flacco put the Bengals ahead 42-41 with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Andrei Iosivas, Chicago took over on its own 28 with 54 seconds left. Four plays later, on first down from the 42, Williams found Loveland over the middle. The rookie tight end caught it at the Bengals 36, bounced off Cincinnati defensive backs Jordan Battle and Geno Stone and raced to the end zone to give Chicago its fifth win in six games.
Williams passed for 280 yards and three touchdowns, and he also caught a TD pass from DJ Moore on a tricky play for the Bears’ first score. He then hauled in a 20-yard pass from Tyson Bagent, becoming the first starting QB in nearly 82 years with multiple receptions in a game.
Flacco, 40, who did not practice Wednesday and Friday after injuring his throwing shoulder, finished 30 of 44 for a career-high 470 yards and four touchdowns. But the Bengals scored at least 30 points and lost for the second straight week and sixth time since last season.
Minnesota Vikings 27-24 Detroit Lions
JJ McCarthy threw two touchdown passes and scored in his return from an ankle injury, leading the Minnesota Vikings (4-4) to victory over the Detroit Lions (5-3). McCarthy sealed the victory by throwing a 16-yard pass to Jalen Nailor on third-and-5 from the Minnesota 28, a play that allowed them to run out the clock. McCarthy threw both of his scoring passes in the first quarter and his nine-yard run midway through the third gave the Vikings a 24-14 lead. Jared Goff threw a touchdown pass to Jameson Williams as the Lions tried to rally, but they kicked off and didn’t get the ball back.
Indianapolis Colts 20-27 Pittsburgh Steelers
Jaylen Warren threw for two touchdowns and the Pittsburgh Steelers forced six turnovers in their win over Indianapolis. The Steelers improved to 5-3 after snapping a two-game losing streak. Pittsburgh’s struggling defense sacked the Colts’ Daniel Jones five times and forced him into five giveaways. The Steelers converted three of the Colts’ turnovers into touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers threw for 203 yards and a touchdown for Pittsburgh. Indianapolis fell to 7-2 but still leads the AFC South. The Steelers will visit the Los Angeles Chargers next week. The Colts face Atlanta in Germany.
San Francisco 49ers 34-24 New York Giants
Christian McCaffrey caught a touchdown pass from Mac Jones, rushed for another score and the San Francisco 49ers (6-3) got back on track, running all over the New York Giants along the way. McCaffrey totaled 173 yards from scrimmage – 106 rushing on his 28 carries and 67 receiving on five catches. Many 49ers fans in attendance chanted “CMC! CMC!” after entering the end zone after midway in the fourth quarter. The Giants lost their third straight game to fall to 2-7.
Carolina Panthers 16-13 Green Bay Packers
Rico Dowdle had 130 yards and two touchdowns, and his big run in the final minute set up Ryan Fitzgerald for a last-second 49-yard field goal as the Carolina Panthers (5-4) beat Green Bay (5-2-1). The Packers’ three-game winning streak ended and they lost star tight end Tucker Kraft to a knee injury in the third quarter. Dowdle was splitting time with Chuba Hubbard, but Panthers coach Dave Canales said Dowdle would get the bulk of the carries, and the move paid off. He made a big mistake by being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after a touchdown. But his 19-yard run put the Panthers within range of the game-winning kick.
Denver Broncos 18-15 Houston Texans
Bo Nix threw two touchdown passes and Wil Lutz kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired and the Denver Broncos (7-2) rallied to beat the Houston Texans (3-5) to extend their winning streak to six games. They improved to 4-0 this season in games where they trailed early in the fourth quarter. The Broncos had punted three straight times before a 25-yard run by Nix took them to their own 39 with less than a minute remaining. JK Dobbins followed with a nine-yard run and a nine-yard run by Nix two plays after that set up the game-winning field goal.
Atlanta Falcons 23-24 New England Patriots
Drake Maye threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns as the New England Patriots held on for the victory against the visiting Atlanta Falcons. Maye also threw an interception, while Demario Douglas had 100 receiving yards and a score for the Patriots (7-2), who won their sixth straight game. Atlanta (3-5) had a chance to tie the game with 4:40 left, but kicker Parker Romo missed an extra point right. Michael Penix Jr threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns and Drake London had 118 receiving yards and three scores, as the Falcons lost their third straight.
Los Angeles Chargers 27-20 Tennessee Titans
Justin Herbert threw for 250 yards and accounted for all three touchdowns for the Los Angeles Chargers as they stopped the Tennessee Titans (1-8) in Nashville. Herbert, who completed 19 of 29 passes with two scores and an interception, capped a 15-play, nine-minute, 99-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 12:58 remaining. This occurred after Tony Pollard was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-goal at the Los Angeles one-yard line to end Tennessee’s attempt to take the lead. Joey Slye converted a 37-yard field goal with 4:19 left to bring the Titans (1-8) within a score, but they never saw the ball again. The Chargers (6-3) made up for the remaining time, picking up three first downs to seal their third victory in their last four games.
New Orleans Saints 10-34 Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford threw for 281 yards and hit Davante Adams with two of his four touchdown passes in the Los Angeles Rams’ win over the struggling New Orleans Saints. Puka Nacua had seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in his return from an ankle injury. The Rams (6-2) came back from their bye with 438 yards and another solid defensive effort, allowing just 224 yards in their third straight victory. Tyler Shough passed for 176 yards in his first NFL start for the Saints (1-8), who are in their second four-game skid of the season. He threw his first career TD pass to Juwan Johnson seven seconds before halftime.
