NFL Week 6: C.J. Stroud throws 2 TD passes, defense makes late stops to lead Texans over Saints

HOUSTON — Rookie C.J. Stroud threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns and the Houston Texans got two defensive stops late to hold on for a 20-13 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The victory matches Houston’s win total from last season when the team finished 3-13-1.

The Saints (3-3) trailed by 7 when Derek Carr threw a 51-yard pass to Rashid Shaheed to get them to the Houston 35. Five consecutive runs by Alvin Kamara got them to the 14. But Carr’s pass to Kamara on fourth-and-4 was short to give Houston the ball back with 4½ minutes to go.

Shaquill Griffin and Blake Cashman combined to take Kamara down near the Texans sideline where coach DeMeco Ryans celebrated with his defense.

Houston (3-3) couldn’t move the ball after that and punted it back. New Orleans got to the Houston 24 on the next drive, but Carr’s throw on fourth-and-10 was intercepted by Steven Nelson with 21 seconds left to secure the win.

Carr threw for a season-high 353 yards and a touchdown but often couldn’t finish drives as the Saints, lost for the third time in four games after opening the season 2-0.

The Texans led 17-10 at halftime and made it 20-10 on a 22-yard field goal with about seven minutes left in the third quarter. Houston had a first down at the 1-yard line after a pass interference call against Marshon Lattimore in the end zone. But two incomplete passes and a 3-yard loss on a run by Dameon Pierce forced the Texans to settle for the short field goal.

Blake Grupe’s 45-yard field goal cut the lead to 20-13 with about two minutes remaining in the third. Carr was sacked by Sheldon Rankins for a loss of 11 yards on second down and threw an incomplete pass on third to bring up fourth down.

New Orleans had a shot to cut the deficit on its next drive, but Grupe’s 29-yard attempt sailed wide right.

Kamara had 19 carries for 68 yards and Chris Olave had seven receptions for 96 yards.

The Saints missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt on their first drive.

Stroud threw his first interception of the season in the first quarter after setting an NFL record for attempts without a pick to start a career. Stroud entered the game having thrown 186 passes without an interception to pass Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw 176 passes before being intercepted.

Stroud threw five passes Sunday to stretch the streak to 191 before a pass intended for Dalton Schultz was intercepted by Zack Baun with about six minutes left in the first quarter.

But receiver Nico Collins hit Baun after the interception and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Tytus Howard, to give the Texans the ball back.

Stroud put the Texans up 7-0 when he threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Schultz to give him a TD in three straight games.

New Orleans tied it when Carr connected with Shaheed on a 34-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter.

Houston added a 24-yard field goal with about 10½ minutes remaining in the second quarter to make it 10-7.

The Texans made it 17-7 when Robert Woods caught a 6-yard TD pass from Stroud about three minutes until halftime. Collins got that drive going with a 28-yard reception.

New Orleans cut the lead to 17-10 when Grupe made a 48-yard field goal just before halftime.

Vikings 19, Bears 13

CHICAGO — Kirk Cousins threw for a touchdown, Jordan Hicks returned a fumble 42 yards for a score and the Minnesota Vikings knocked Justin Fields out of the game in beating the Chicago Bears 19-13 on Sunday.

The Vikings (2-4) made enough plays without injured star receiver Justin Jefferson to shake off a loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and win for the second time in three games.

Fields was sacked four times and exited with a right hand injury early in the third quarter, and the Bears (1-5) lost again after stopping a 14-game slide at Washington last week.

Fields seemed to be favoring his hand following a third-down sack by Danielle Hunter on Chicago’s first possession of the second half. The Bears punted, and Fields headed to the locker room.

Rookie Tyson Bagent came in and got strip-sacked by safety Josh Metellus on Chicago’s next drive. Hicks scooped up the loose ball near the left sideline and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown, making it 19-6.

Bagent — undrafted out of Division II Shepherd University — cut it to 19-13 midway through the fourth when he scored from the 1 for his first touchdown, capping a 77-yard drive.

The Bears were at the Minnesota 35 with about two minutes left in the game when Bagent underthrew DJ Moore on a deep pass. Byron Murphy Jr. picked it off at the 8, returned the ball 30 yards and recovered his fumble at the Vikings 45.

Cousins completed 21 of 31 passes for 181 yards. The four-time Pro Bowler threw a 10-yard touchdown to Jordan Addison near the end of the first half.

T.J. Hockenson caught six passes for 50 yards.

Addison, who figures to have a bigger role with Jefferson sidelined by a hamstring injury, had three receptions for 28 yards. Hunter had two of Minnesota’s five sacks, and the Vikings won their fifth in a row against Chicago.

Fields, coming off his two best games as a passer, was 6 of 10 for 58 yards and an interception. Bagent was 10 of 14 with 83 yards in his debut, and the Bears came away with the loss on a day when they paid tribute to Dick Butkus with a video and No. 51 uniform patches. It was their first home game since the Hall of Famer died on Oct. 5.

Dolphins 42, Panthers 21

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers and sparked the Miami Dolphins to a 42-21 comeback victory over the winless Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Tagovailoa was 21 of 31 for 262 yards and has an NFL-leading 1,876 yards passing this season.

After Miami (5-1) fell into an early 14-point hole, Tyreek Hill flipped the lead back in the Dolphins’ favor with a 41-yard touchdown catch late in the second quarter. He celebrated by grabbing someone’s phone near the end zone and recording himself doing a backflip — he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for the second straight game.

Hill caught six passes for 163 yards to bring his NFL-leading season total to 814 yards receiving. Jaylen Waddle added 51 yards on seven catches.

Miami scored 35 straight points before Mike White replaced Tagovailoa with about four minutes left and threw an interception that was returned by cornerback Troy Hill for a touchdown.

The play brought Carolina within 14, but Salvon Ahmed scored on a 9-yard run to give Miami, the NFL’s leading rushing team, 169 yards rushing for the day.

The Panthers (0-6) took advantage of an uncharacteristicly slow Dolphins start with a 6-yard rushing touchdown by Chuba Hubbard in the opening quarter. Then, Adam Thielen caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young.

Young finished 23 of 38 with 217 yards and was sacked four times.

Thielen topped 100 yards receiving for the second straight game with 115 yards on 11 catches. Hubbard, starting for the injured Miles Sanders (shoulder) had 19 rushes for 88 yards.

After going three-and-out on their first two drives, the Dolphins scored touchdowns on their next three.

Raheem Mostert had a 3-yard touchdown catch that cut the early deficit in half — set up by catches of 27 and 14 yards by Hill and Waddle, respectively.

Mostert had 17 carries for 115 yards, including a 48-yard run in the second quarter that set up the tying TD catch by Waddle.

Mostert took over as Miami’s lead ball carrier after rookie De’Von Achane was placed on injured reserve last week with a knee injury. He also had rushing scores of 1 and 4 yards for his fourth multiple-touchdown game of the season.

Carolina’s Eddy Pineiro missed a 43 yard field goal in the second quarter.

Commanders 24, Falcons 16

ATLANTA — Sam Howell threw three short passes for touchdowns, Washington intercepted Desmond Ridder three times and the Commanders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 24-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Coming off a 40-20 home loss to the lowly Chicago Bears, the Commanders (3-3) redeemed themselves a bit against the Falcons (3-3).

Howell shook off five more sacks — he’s now been dumped 34 times this season — to complete 14 of 23 passes for 151 yards in a close-to-the-vest passing game. The Commanders also showed more balance, rushing for 72 yards after dropping back to pass on their final 55 snaps against the Bears.

But it was the defense that sealed this one for the Commanders.

Kendall Fuller grabbed the first interception against Ridder, returning it deep into Atlanta territory to set up a touchdown that pushed Washington to a 24-10 lead.

Benjamin St-Juste came up with the second pick in the end zone on a badly underthrown ball by Ridder with the Falcons facing third-and-goal from the 7. Falcons coach Arthur Smith reacted to the horrible throw by clutching his head with both hands.

Linebacker Jamin Davis sealed it for Washington in the final minute, picking off Ridder’s final pass on a slant after the Falcons drove into Commanders territory looking for a tying touchdown and two-point conversion.

Howell worked well with his running backs, connecting on touchdowns of 1 yard to Antonio Gibson and 24 yards to Brian Robinson, who plowed over Richie Grant at the goal line. Curtis Samuel hauled in Washington’s other TD on a 7-yard throw.

Jamison Crowder’s 61-yard punt return set up Gibson’s score.

Ridder, coming off a career day in a 21-19 win over Houston, threw for 307 yards and a pair of scores. But it was the second time in three weeks that he’s had three turnovers in a game, which is sure to rekindle questions about his long-term future as Atlanta’s quarterback.

In addition to the picks, Ridder twice missed open receivers for potentially big gains, including an overthrow of newcomer Van Jefferson that likely would’ve been a touchdown. Ridder also was called for intentional grounding.

The Falcons cut into Washington’s two-touchdown lead on Ridder’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith with 12:38 remaining. Curiously, Smith decided to go for a two-point conversion.

Atlanta actually had two cracks at the two points. The first was a pass in the corner that resulted in a pass interference penalty, moving the ball to the 1. The Falcons tried to power it in from there, but short-yardage back Tyler Allgeier was stuffed by Jonathan Allen and Khaleke Hudson.

Jaguars 37, Colts 20

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdown passes, Travis Etienne ran for a pair of scores and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat Indianapolis 37-20 on Sunday for their third consecutive victory. It was the Colts’ ninth straight road loss in the series.

Coming off back-to-back victories overseas, the Jaguars (4-2) spent all week hoping to avoid a “London hangover.” They responded with their most lopsided victory of the season.

This one was essentially over in the third quarter when Lawrence connected with rookie tight end Brenton Strange for a 10-yard strike and put Jacksonville ahead 31-6.

Lawrence also found Christian Kirk for a 29-yard score in the second. Etienne scored on runs of 2 and 22 yards early in the same quarter.

The Colts (3-3) had hoped to end a head-scratching road skid against Jacksonville that started in 2015. But Gardner Minshew, getting the start in place of injured rookie Anthony Richardson, turned the ball over four times in his return to Jacksonville.

A sixth-round draft pick by the Jags in 2019, Minshew fumbled once and threw three interceptions. Jacksonville now leads the NFL with 15 takeaways, with Josh Allen forcing the early fumble and Andre Cisco, Rayshawn Jenkins and Darious Williams getting picks.

Jacksonville’s defense has allowed 21 or fewer points in five of six games this season, one reason the team now sits alone atop the AFC South.

Lawrence and Co. have come around, too. With Lawrence and Etienne leading the way, the Jaguars have scored 85 points during their three-game winning streak.

Etienne gained 55 yards on 18 carries. Lawrence completed 20 of 30 passes for 181 yards, with the two TDs and an interception. He hobbled off the field late after getting sacked and had his left knee checked on the sideline.

Still, Lawrence was much more efficient than his counterpart.

Minshew completed 33 of 55 passes for 329 yards, with a touchdown to Josh Downs and the three picks. All of the INTs were thrown almost directly at defenders, surely reminding Jaguars fans of his limitations that showed up while losing his final seven starts in 2020.

Jets 20, Eagles 14

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Breece Hall ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:46 remaining, one play after Tony Adams intercepted Jalen Hurts, and New York held on to shock previously undefeated Philadelphia 20-14 on Sunday for the Jets first win against the Eagles.

The Jets (3-3) appeared on their way to falling to 0-13 in their history against the Eagles, but Hurts’ third interception of the game — and the fourth turnover by Philadelphia — was returned by Adams 45 yards to put New York into immediate scoring position.

Hall’s run shook MetLife Stadium as the Jets fans went wild, then Zach Wilson connected with Randall Cobb on a 2-point conversion.

The Eagles (5-1) got one more chance to win when they got the ball back, but the defense stiffened — as it had all game. Hurts’ deep throw to DeVonta Smith on fourth down was knocked away, and Wilson and the offense were able to kneel down twice to seal an unlikely victory.

Hurts finished 28 of 45 for 280 yards and one touchdown but had three picks against a Jets defense that was missing starting cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed.

Wilson was 19 of 33 for 186 yards and no touchdowns, but also had no turnovers — and the defense kept the Jets in it. Greg Zuerlein kicked four field goals, a week after booting five. Adams, Bryce Hall and Quinnen Williams each had interceptions, and Quincy Williams recovered a fumble by D’Andre Swift.

Rams 26, Cardinals 9

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Cooper Kupp made seven receptions for 148 yards and his first touchdown of the season, and Kyren Williams rushed for a career-high 158 yards and a TD as Los Angeles beat Arizona for its first home victory of the season.

Matthew Stafford passed for 226 yards for the Rams (3-3), who scored 23 unanswered points and shut out their NFC West rivals in the second half.

Record-setting rookie Puka Nacua had only four catches for 26 yards, but Los Angeles’ offense got rolling after halftime behind a vintage effort from Kupp and a breakout game for Williams, who produced the Rams’ best rushing performance in nearly three years.

Joshua Dobbs passed for 235 yards for the Cardinals (1-5), who lost their third straight while attempting to remain competitive without Kyler Murray. Arizona led 9-6 at halftime, but Dobbs threw a red-zone interception and fumbled on a sack during the second half as Los Angeles rolled away.

Lions 20, Buccaneers 6

TAMPA, Fla. — Jared Goff threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns and NFC North-leading Detroit Lions beat sputtering Tampa Bay.

The streaking Lions won their fourth straight game following an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks and are off to a 5-1 start for the first time since 2011.

Goff tossed TD passes of 27 yards to Amon-Ra St. Brown and 45 yards to Jameson William as Detroit won for the seventh time in eight road games dating to last season.

The Lions’ defense did its part by intercepting Baker Mayfield once, limiting the Bucs (3-2) to 251 yards of total offense and forcing Tampa Bay to settle for field goals of 33 and 36 yards on its only possessions that ended in Detroit’s red zone.

Goff completed 30 of 44 passes without an interception and was sacked three times. St. Brown finished with 12 receptions for 124 yards.

Mayfield was 19 of 37 for 206 yards and one interception. The Bucs were limited to 46 yards rushing on 16 attempts.

Raiders 21, Patriots 17

LAS VEGAS — Brian Hoyer relieved an injured Jimmy Garoppolo and threw for 102 yards in the second half, and Daniel Carlson made four field goals, helping Las Vegas send struggling New England to its third straight loss.

Garoppolo played the entire first half before being ruled out with a back injury. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Carlson made field goals of 25, 37, 30 and 24 yards as Las Vegas won back-to-back games to move to .500 at 3-3. This was their Raiders’ 500th regular-season victory as a franchise, 10th-best all time.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick remains at 299 career regular-season wins, losing to his former longtime offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

Josh Jacobs rushed for 77 yards for the Raiders, rookie tight end Michael Mayer caught five passes for 75 yards and former Patriot Jakobi Meyers had five receptions for 61 yards.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was 24 of 33 for 200 yards with an interception. New England (1-5) had just 259 total yards.