Tony Romo made his first NFL start a successful one, going 24-for-36 for 270 yards passing and rushing for 18 yards on four carries to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 35-14 road victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.
Romo, who got the nod after incumbent starter Drew Bledsoe struggled in the Cowboys' loss to the New York Giants last Monday night, threw for a touchdown and was intercepted once.
Tony Romo (9) threw for 270 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first NFL start to lead the Cowboys over the Panthers on Sunday night.
(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
In contrast to the statuesque Bledsoe, the nimble Romo showed an ability to avoid the Panthers' fierce pass rush, which managed only two sacks.
Dallas trailed 14-10 after three quarters before exploding for 25 points in the fourth, thanks to three Carolina turnovers.
A fumbled kickoff by Carolina's Brad Hoover and an interception and fumble by quarterback Jake Delhomme all led to Cowboys touchdowns.
Vick passes Falcons over Bengals
Michael Vick used his arm for the second straight week to lead the visiting Atlanta Falcons to a 29-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday.
Vick, who threw a career-best four TD passes last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, dissected the Bengals' defence for 291 yards and three scores.
The win moves the Falcons (5-2) into a first-place tie with the New Orleans Saints (5-2) in the NFL South Division, while the Bengals (4-3) drop one game out of first in the AFC North.
Trailing 29-20 with less than four minutes remaining in the game, quarterback Carson Palmer connected with receiver Chris Henry for a 55-yard touchdown pass.
However, the Falcons wasted enough time on their next possession to help foil a Bengals comeback.
Cincinnati began the drive with only 19 seconds left on its 17-yard line, but Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney forced a fumble after sacking Palmer to effectively end the game.
Vinatieri kicks Colts past Broncos
Adam Vinatieri booted a 37-yard field goal, his fourth of the day, with two seconds left to lift the Indianapolis Colts to a 34-31 road win over the Denver Broncos.
Reggie Wayne caught 10 passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns and Peyton Manning went 32-for-39 for 345 yards through the air as the Colts shredded a Broncos defence that came into the game with only two touchdowns allowed.
Raiders stun Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger threw four interceptions, two of which went for touchdowns, as the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers fell to 2-5 on the season with a 20-13 road loss to the Oakland Raiders.
Chris Carr brought an interception back 100 yards for a touchdown for the Raiders, and Nnamdi Asomugha also returned a pick for a score.
Tomlinson runs over Rams
LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for a season-high 183 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the San Diego Chargers to a 38-24 home win over the St. Louis Rams.
Shawne Merriman, who is appealing a four-game suspension for a positive drug test, sacked Rams quarterback Marc Bulger three times.
Jets fall short against Browns
A last-minute catch in the end zone by the Jets' Chris Baker was ruled out of bounds as New York dropped a 20-13 road decision against the Cleveland Browns.
Baker made a one-handed grab of Chad Pennington's fourth-down pass and was pushed out of bounds by Brodney Pool before he could get his feet down. Though it appeared Baker would have landed in bounds, he was ruled out by the officials.
The Jets protested, but the play was not reviewable under the NFL's instant replay system.
Bears throttle 49ers
The Chicago Bears remained undefeated after completely dominating the young and inexperienced San Francisco 49ers.
The Bears (7-0) scored all their points in the first half en route to a 41-10 thumping of the 49ers.
Chicago forced two fumbles and linebacker Brian Urlacher added an interception, as the Bears roared to a 24-0 lead in the first, setting a franchise record for most points in the first quarter.
Giants too much for Buccaneers
The New York Giants continued their dominance on defence to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-3.
The Giants (5-2) held the Bucs to only 174 total yards and forced a turnover, giving New York its fourth straight win.
Ravens handle Saints
The Baltimore Ravens took sole possession of first in the AFC North with a convincing 35-22 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The Ravens (5-2) converted two interceptions for touchdowns while sacking Saints pivot Drew Brees twice.
Ravens quarterback Steve McNair, recovering from a recent concussion, finished the game with 159 yards in the air and a pair of touchdown passes.
Chiefs upend Seahawks
Larry Johnson scored four touchdowns, including the game-winning score, lifting the Kansas City Chiefs to a 35-28 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Johnson scored his fourth touchdown on a three-yard run with 2:15 remaining, completing a 155-yard performance.
Packers hammer lowly Cardinals
Running back Ahman Green rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers crushed the struggling Arizona Cardinals 31-14.
Green scored from runs of two and four yards and quarterback Brett Favre added another touchdown run.
The Packers (3-4) have now won two straight games after dropping four of their opening five games.
Jaguars upset reeling Eagles
The Jacksonville Jaguars used a strong running game and a stellar defence to manhandle the Philadelphia Eagle 13-6.
Led by Fred Taylor, the Jaguars racked up 216 yards on the ground, with the running back gaining 103 yards himself.
The Jaguars' (4-3) defence kept the Eagles out of the end zone throughout the game, allowing only 85 yards on the ground. Philadelphia (4-4) has now lost three consecutive games, including a disheartening 23-21 defeat to the Buccaneers last week.
Titans hold off Texans
Quarterback Vince Young earned his second straight victory as the Tennessee Titans defeated the Houston Texans 28-22.
While the rookie only threw for 87 yards, he scampered for a 20-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to open the scoring.
The win gives the Titans consecutive wins for the first time since the end of 2003 season.
With files from the Associated PressRelated
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