NFL Week 3 roundup: Chargers rally to beat turnover-prone Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chargers capitalized on four Kansas City turnovers, including Patrick Mahomes’ second interception in the closing minutes, and Justin Herbert’s touchdown toss to Mike Williams with 32 seconds to go lifted Los Angeles to a 30-24 victory over the Chiefs on Sunday.

Herbert finished with 281 yards passing and four touchdowns without an interception, outdueling Mahomes in a matchup not only of two of the game’s best young quarterbacks but two teams expected to compete for the AFC West title.

Instead, the Chargers (2-1) won for the third time in four trips to Kansas City to send the two-time defending conference champion Chiefs (1-2) to the division cellar.

Williams finished with seven catches for 122 yards and two TDs. Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen also had TD grabs.

Justin Herbert to Mike Williams. CHARGERS LEAD. ????
@NFL | #BoltUppic.twitter.com/VY19NND1KO

— FanSided (@FanSided) September 26, 2021

The Chiefs trailed 14-0 early but had climbed back into the game in the second half, taking a 24-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. But the Chargers tied it on Tristan Vizcaino’s short field goal, and after Mahomes was picked by Alohi Gilman with 1:42 to go, Herbert began the march for the go-ahead touchdown.

He converted a third-and-2 near midfield with a pass to Allen, then the Chargers were bailed out on a fourth-down incompletion by DeAndre Baker’s pass interference. Herbert hit Williams for a 16-yard gain before finding his big wide receiver in the end zone for the second time in the game.

The Chiefs got to midfield in the closing seconds, but Mahomes’ throw to the end zone was incomplete.

He finished with 260 yards passing and three touchdowns to go with his two interceptions, while Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 100 yards with a touchdown catch but was responsible for one of two Kansas City fumbles.

The Chargers’ defensive game plan seemed simple: They refused to let Mahomes throw deep, forcing him into short check-downs, and made the Chiefs put together long drives while waiting for them to self-destruct.

Kansas City certainly abided.

together. pic.twitter.com/ht7fIompbV

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 26, 2021

On the Chiefs’ opening possession, Mahomes bounced a pass off Marcus Kemp that landed in the hands of rookie Asante Samuel Jr. for his second interception in as many weeks. On their next drive, Demarcus Robinson coughed it up at nearly the same spot on the field. And on the Chiefs’ offensive third try, Edwards-Helaire fumbled one week after his fumble in the closing minutes cost Kansas City a shot at a winning field goal in Baltimore.

That was the fifth turnover in six possessions dating to last Sunday night’s loss.

Herbert found Allen for a short TD pass early in the second quarter, then hit Ekeler from 16 yards on their way to a 14-3 halftime lead.

The Chiefs must have pushed reset in the locker room.

They used a 12-play, 75-yard drive to start the second half that ended with a short TD throw to Jody Fortson. A 10-play, 70-yard drive then ended with Edwards-Helaire catching a TD pass.

LA answered with a 75-yard drive, converting on fourth down along the way and ending with a TD pass to Williams. But Mahomes conjured some more magic in marching his team 72 yards and finding Mecole Hardman for another go-ahead touchdown.

The Chargers had a chance to regain the lead from the Kansas City 1, but an illegal shift penalty took away a TD pass. Los Angeles had to kick a tying field goal — the first time in 13 red-zone trips this season the Chiefs had not allowed a touchdown.

Titans 25, Colts 16

NASHVILLE — Ryan Tannehill threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns and the Tennessee Titans held off the Indianapolis Colts 25-16 Sunday to grab an early tiebreaker in the AFC South.

The road team had won the previous five games in this division rivalry, but the Titans (2-1) are the defending AFC South champs with a healthy Derrick Henry. The reigning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year ran for 113 yards, topping the 100-yard mark for a sixth straight division game.

The Colts (0-3) are off to their worst start since 2011. Carson Wentz started after being questionable for Indianapolis with a pair of sprained ankles. He never ran even once, choosing to throw the ball away repeatedly when pressured. He finished with 194 yards passing.

The Titans outgained the Colts 368-265 and won despite three turnovers that Indianapolis turned into 10 points.

The Colts twice had first-and-goal inside the Titans 9 in the second half. Tennessee’s defense, much-maligned in 2020, held the Colts to a pair of field goals by Rodrigo Blankenship. The last came with 10:20 left when Blankenship’s 24-yarder pulled the Colts within 22-16.

Tennessee then put the game away, going on a 14-play drive chewing up 7:22 of the clock. Randy Bullock put Tennessee up 25-16 with a 32-yard field goal.

The Colts tried for a final score, but Blankenship’s 51-yard attempt was wide right with 57 seconds left. The Titans knelt down for the win.

The Titans had plenty of opportunity to blow this game open, but only led 14-10 at halftime because of two interceptions. Darius Leonard picked off Tannehill to set up a 9-yard TD run by Nyheim Hines. Kenny Moore II picked off the second, and the Colts got a 43-yard field goal by Blankenship as the first half expired.

Tannehill threw a 6-yard TD pass to Chester Rogers against his old team and found Westbrook-Ikhine on an 18-yard TD — the first of the receiver’s career.

Henry also caught a pass from Tannehill under pressure and finished off a 14-yard play with Leonard bouncing off him in the second quarter.

Bills 43, Washington 21

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen quieted his early season critics and own self-doubts by throwing four touchdown passes and scoring another rushing in the Buffalo Bills’ 43-21 rout of the Washington Football Team on Sunday.

Allen, who had been unhappy with his inconsistencies and 56% completion percentage through two games, finished 32 of 43 for 358 yards, while also surpassing the 100-touchdown plateau (including TDs rushing and one receiving) in his 47th career start.

It marked Allen’s fifth career game with four TDs passing and 300 yards passing, one more than the team record held by Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. And Allen’s 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter was his 26th, breaking the franchise record for quarterbacks held by Jack Kemp.

Sunday stroll. ????

????: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/xW4Hm6R7Kq

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 26, 2021

Allen’s 101 touchdowns rank fourth among Bills quarterbacks, and one behind Kemp.

Emmanuel Sanders scored twice, starting with a 28-yard catch to cap Buffalo’s first drive. Zack Moss and tight end Dawson Knox also scored for the Bills (2-1) on catches of 7 and 14 yards.

Buffalo opened a 21-0 lead before defensive and special teams miscues allowed Washington to score twice in a span of 2:12.

The Bills then blew the game open by going ahead 33-14 early in the third quarter, when Allen oversaw a 17-play, 93-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Sanders.

Allen was his own worst critic on Wednesday when assessing his slow start to the year after he set numerous single-season scoring and passing records and was rewarded with a six-year, $258 million contract extension last month.

“It’s no secret that I didn’t play great last game and I didn’t play great the week before,” Allen had said. “I want to be great, I want to be the best that I can be.”

If Washington coach Ron Rivera referred to the game against Buffalo as a measuring stick, the Football Team is well behind the chains in dropping to 1-2, and failing to carry over any momentum from a 30-29 win over the New York Giants on Sept. 16.

Taylor Heinicke, filling in for injured starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, struggled in his first career road start by going 14 of 24 for 212 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Washington’s defense continued springing leaks a year after finishing No. 2 in the league.

Washington had already allowed a combined 815 yards offense in two games, and gave up 481 yards offense and 29 first downs to Buffalo.

The game would have been over early if not for Washington gaining a spark on Antonio Gibson catching a short pass and winding his way through the Bills defense for a 73-yard touchdown 5:09 into the second quarter.

On the next play, Dustin Hopkins recovered his own kickoff to set up Heinicke’s 4-yard touchdown run.

The short kickoff bounced backward in front of returner Isaiah McKenzie, off the hands of Washington’s Khaleke Hudson and then off McKenzie’s helmet. The ball bounced back to Hopkins, who made a sliding catch at Buffalo’s 24.

The Bills responded by taking a 27-14 lead into the half off of two Tyler Bass field goals, including a 48-yarder as time expired.

Washington tight end Logan Thomas caught a 2-yard TD pass and also lost a fumble.

Saints 28, Patriots 13

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jameis Winston threw two touchdown passes, Malcolm Jenkins returned an interception for a score, and the New Orleans Saints beat the New England Patriots 28-13 on Sunday.

A week after a career-low passer rating Winston showed better command of the offense, completing 13 of 21 passes for 128 yards. Taysom Hill ran for a touchdown and Alvin Kamara rushed 24 times for 89 yards.

Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones entered the day hoping to stretch the field after two games in which the passing attack was mostly underneath. Instead, he found himself under pressure for most of the day and threw three interceptions, two leading to Saints touchdowns. New Orleans sacked Jones three times and hit him 11 times. He finished 30 of 51 for 270 yards and a touchdown.

Saints safety P.J. Williams returned Jones’ first pick of the day 46 yards to set up a 7-yard TD pass by Winston in the second quarter.

Jenkins was the beneficiary of the second INT, snaring a pass bobbled by tight end Jonnu Smith. He returned it 34 yards and put the Saints in front 21-3.

The Patriots cut it to 21-13 following Jones’ 22-yard TD pass to Kendrick Bourne with 9:22 left in the fourth period. The Saints responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 6:45 and ended with at 4-yard run by Hill that put them in front 28-13.

New Orleans overcame an early injury to take a 14-3 lead into halftime.

The Saints’ offensive line was already down one starter with center Erik McCoy (calf) ruled out. They lost another early in the first quarter after left tackle Terron Armstead exited with a left elbow injury.

But after going three-and-out on their opening drive, the Saints got efficient, sweeping down the field mixing runs and passes, and a long third-down conversion to get inside the red zone. Winston then put a bow on the 11-play, 69-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kamara.

The Saints turned defense into offense for their second score.

The Patriots had third down near midfield when linebacker Kaden Ellis pressured Jones, forcing a pass that was tipped and intercepted by Williams. He returned it 46 yards to the Patriots 9.

Three plays later Winston connected with Marquez Callaway for a 7-yard touchdown.

New England drove to the Saints 22 before a false start penalty forced it to settle for a 45-yard Nick Folk field goal.

Cardinals 31, Jaguars 19

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Byron Murphy intercepted two passes, including one he returned for a touchdown following a botched trick play, and the Arizona Cardinals rallied to beat the skidding Jacksonville Jaguars 31-19 on Sunday.

The Cardinals improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2015. The Jaguars (0-3) lost their 18th straight game, leaving them eight shy of the NFL record for futility.

This one unraveled late.

Jacksonville led 19-10 after James Robinson’s 4-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Coach Urban Meyer got the spark he had been looking for when Jamal Agnew returned a missed field goal a record-tying 109 yards for a score on the final play of the first half.

JAGS PULL OFF THE KICK SIX AND GUS JOHNSON HAS LOST IT ????

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/7KriTdqXmn

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 26, 2021

The Jags had all the momentum and looked like they might end a skid that dates to last season’s opener. But it was all Arizona after Robinson’s first score of the season.

James Conner capped two long drives with short TD runs, and Murphy delivered the game-changing play when he stepped in front of Jacob Hollister near the sideline and took it the other way for 29 yards. The play was an epic failure for Jacksonville.

First, it was an unnecessary flea-flicker from Jacksonville’s side of the field and with the lead. Second, left guard Andrew Norwell seemed to miss the play call and was caught spinning to try to get to J.J. Watt. He whiffed on Watt, who pressured Lawrence into throwing early and off-balance.

It made for easy pickings for Murphy, who also intercepted another pass from Lawrence in the first half. Hollister bobbled that one, which landed in Murphy’s arms.

Kyler Murray completed 28 of 34 passes for 316 yards, with an interception. He also ran for a touchdown in the first quarter and turned in another meditation pose afterward.

A.J. Green led the Cards with 112 yards receiving, and Christian Kirk added 104.

Robinson finished with a season-high 88 yards on the ground for Jacksonville. Lawrence was 20 of 30 for 185 yards, with a touchdown and the two INTs. He had a perfect TD throw to DJ Chark in the back corner of the end zone, his best play of the day.

Lawrence also fumbled twice late, once when Robinson knocked the ball out of his hands while trying to block, and again on the final play of the game.

Falcons 17, Giants 14

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Younghoe Koo kicked a 40-yard field goal on the final play and the Atlanta Falcons beat the New York Giants 17-14 to give coach Arthur Smith his first NFL win Sunday.

It marked the second straight week the Giants (0-3) lost on the final play of the game.

Matt Ryan hit passes of 28 yards to Cordarrelle Patterson and 25 to rookie tight end Kyle Pitts on the game-winning drive.

Ryan engineered two late drives and threw two touchdowns to rally the Falcons (1-2). It spoiled a day when the Giants retired the jersey of two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and added his name to the Ring of Honor at MetLife Stadium.

Ryan threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus late in the first half and added a 1-yarder to Lee Smith to tie the game with 4:13 to play.

New York took a 14-7 lead on a Saquon Barkley’s 1-yard dive and Jones’ 2-point conversion run with 12:53 left in the game. It was Barkley’s first TD since the final game of the 2019 season. He tore his ACL last year.

Ryan then drove the Falcons 72-yards in 16 plays to tie the game. He capped the march with a pass to Smith.

The Giants had two 73-yard drives that faltered late because of sack and a mishandled snap. Gano kicked field goals of 25 and 31 yards for a 6-0 lead.

A defensive stop deep in New York territory gave the Falcons the ball at the Giants. Atlanta covered the distance in six plays. Ryan found Zaccheaus for the TD on third down.

Rams 34, Buccaneers 24

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Matthew Stafford passed for 343 yards and four touchdowns as he outdueled Tom Brady and led the Los Angeles Rams to a 34-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The loss snapped the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers’ 10-game regular season and playoff winning streak going back to last season.

Stafford was off target on five of his first six attempts before getting in a groove as the Rams (3-0) scored on their next six drives. His best pass of the game came early in the third quarter, when he connected with a wide-open DeSean Jackson for a 75-yard score to extend Los Angeles’ lead to 21-7.

Jackson got by Tampa Bay cornerback Carlton Davis III on a go-route, caught it at the Buccaneers 30 and then zig-zagged his way for the final 10 yards and into the tunnel, where he was eventually greeted by Rams coach Sean McVay. It is Jackson’s ninth touchdown of at least 75 yards, tying him with Hall of Famer Lance Alworth for the most in the NFL history according to Elias.

Stafford — who completed 27 of 38 — has three touchdown passes of at least 56 yards this season. Cooper Kupp had nine catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns while Jackson finished with three receptions for 120 yards.

Brady — who completed 41 of 55 passes for 432 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) — joins Drew Brees as the only quarterbacks to throw for more than 80,000 yards.

Mike Evans finished with eight receptions for 106 yards for the Bucs (2-1).

Stafford went 8 of 8 for 74 yards on a 14-play, 95-yard drive that was capped off with Tyler Higbee’s 6-yard TD reception on a quick pass to give the Rams a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Tampa Bay tied it on the ensuing drive when Chris Godwin took a jet sweep 2 yards around the right end, but the game wouldn’t stay even for long.

The Rams took a 14-7 lead into halftime when Kupp caught a 2-yard TD with 54 seconds remaining.

After Jackson’s score, Brady got the Buccaneers within 21-14 on a 1-yard keeper, but the Rams put it out of reach with 10 straight points. Stafford threw his fourth TD of the game, 10 yards to Kupp, and Matt Gay added a 48-yard field goal with 3:14 remaining in the third to give the Rams a 17-point advantage.

After the teams traded field goals, Tampa Bay added a touchdown with 1:10 remaining when Giovani Bernard scored on a Brady reception from 7 yards.

Vikings 30, Seahawks 17

MINNEAPOLIS — Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes before halftime for Minnesota and guided three clock-draining field goal drives after that, as the Vikings accelerated past Seattle 30-17 on Sunday for their first win over the Seahawks in 12 years.

Alexander Mattison stepped in for the injured Dalvin Cook and racked up 171 total yards, rushing 18 times for 76 yards in the second half as the Vikings (1-2) seized control with 23 straight points. They beat Seattle for the first time with Pete Carroll as coach and Russell Wilson as the quarterback.

Cousins delivered the type of signature performance to defeat a more-decorated peer the Vikings have been lacking in his four seasons. He went 30 for 38 for 323 yards in his third consecutive turnover-free game. The Vikings lost at Seattle in each of the last three years to stretch their losing streak to seven straight against the Seahawks.

The touchdown passes to Tyler Conklin, Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson in the first half filled up the highlight reels. But the methodical marches after halftime were just as impressive and important. Even better for the Vikings, Greg Joseph bounced back from his 37-yard miss on the game’s final play last week in the 34-33 loss at Arizona and made all three of his field goals and all three extra points.

Wilson went 23 for 32 for 298 yards and a touchdown pass to D.K. Metcalf on the first drive, and Chris Carson carried 12 times for 80 yards and a second-quarter score.

Then a 44-yard kick by Jason Myers went wide left, ending his team-record streak of 37 straight field goals made, the fourth-longest in NFL history. The Seahawks never made it past the Minnesota 43-yard line after that.

The Seahawks are 1-2 in the NFC West, putting them in quite a bind if they’re going to make a resurgence to contention.

Broncos 26, Jets 0

DENVER — Von Miller led a Denver defense that sacked Zach Wilson five times, intercepted him twice and limited the rookie to 160 yards passing in the Broncos’ 26-0 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.

Denver is off to its first 3-0 start in five seasons thanks in part to a soft September schedule. But the victory could prove costly: the Broncos lost three more players to injuries, giving them seven so far.

The Jets (0-3) became the third NFL team to lose a dozen consecutive games in September, joining the 1994-97 Saints and the 2007-10 Rams, who hold the record with 13 consecutive losses in the month.

Alexander Johnson had two of Denver’s sacks of Wilson, the second pick in the NFL draft last April. Last week, the Broncos held the top overall selection, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, to 118 yards on 14-of-33 passing.

Wilson was 19 of 34 and was picked off by Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns in the fourth quarter. The Jets also turned it over on downs twice.

Teddy Bridgewater completed 76% of his passes — 19 of 25 — for 235 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Offensively, the Broncos got 1-yard TD runs from Melvin Gordon III and rookie Javonte Williams but Williams also fumbled at the 1 and had a mix-up on a handoff from Teddy Bridgewater on another play from the Jets 1.

Broncos guards Dalton Risner (foot) and Graham Glasgow (left knee) and speedy wide receiver K.J. Hamler (left knee) were all injured on a sun-splashed Sunday in front of the first capacity crowd (75,882) since 2019 at Empower Field at Mile High.

A week after throwing four interceptions against the Patriots, Wilson was picked off by Simmons in the waning minutes and also turned it over on downs at the Denver 25-yard line and at his own 41. With 30 seconds left, Sterns picked him off to seal the shutout.

Four of the sacks came in the first half when the Broncos built a 17-0 lead and limited the Jets to just 55 yards, 13 of which came on a run by Ty Johnson just before he and his teammates trudged through the tunnel.

On New York’s previous drive, Wilson was sacked by Shelby Harris on first down, pressured into a throwaway pass by a hard-charging Malik Reed on second down and smothered by Miller, who has four sacks so far, on third down.

The Broncos got off to their typical slow start, punting from midfield on their first drive. They’ve now gone an NFL-long 22 straight games without an opening-drive TD since Drew Lock threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Noah Fant against Houston on Dec. 8, 2019.

Williams scored from a yard on Denver’s next drive and Brandon McManus made it 10-0 on the first play of the second quarter. Gordon’s 1-yard TD run came with 56 seconds left before halftime.

The Broncos had trouble with their guards on that drive. Glasgow, who missed last week with an irregular heartbeat, had a holding call that wiped out a big run by Gordon and Risner was whistled for taunting the Jets after Gordon bulled his way into the end zone.

Jets cornerback Justin Hardee was flagged for taunting when he jawed at returner Diontae Spencer. The NFL has emphasized taunting this season and had thrown 11 such flags coming into Sunday.

Raiders 31, Dolphins 28

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders have won their second overtime game in three weeks to improve to 3-0, the first time the franchise has begun a season that well since 2002.

Daniel Carlson, who had missed what turned out to be a significant extra point in regulation, kicked two field goals in overtime to help secure the 31-28 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Las Vegas.

Carlson’s first field goal came from 38 yards to give the Raiders a 28-25 lead over Miami to cap the first possession of the extra period.

Miami had one possession to try to tie or win the game, and the Dolphins survived a fourth-and-20 situation when QB Jacoby Brissett found tight end Mike Gesicki for 27 yards. That set up a tying 50-yard field goal by Miami’s Jason Sanders with 2:49 left.

But QB Derek Carr needed less than a minute to drive the Raiders back to field goal range with a series highlighted by a 34-yard pass to Bryan Edwards. Carlson then kicked the game-winner from 22 yards.

In 2002, the then-Oakland Raiders parlayed a 3-0 start into a trip to the Super Bowl before losing to a Tamp Bay team coached by Jon Gruden, who is now coaching Las Vegas.