NFL roundup: Chargers upend shaky Manning, Colts

The San Diego Chargers finally lived up to their pre-season hype and took over sole possession of first place in the AFC West Sunday with a huge win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie picked off Colts quarterback Peyton Manning three times in his first National Football League start, leading the hometown Chargers to a 23-21 win.

Chargers' Antonio Cromartie leaps in front of Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne to make his third interception of the first half.
(Chris Park/Associated Press)

Darren Sproles, San Diego's speedy return man, brought back the opening kickoff 89 yards for his first NFL touchdown. Then he ran back a punt 45 yards for his second score later in the first quarter to help the Chargers to their fifth win in nine starts.

But the Colts (7-2) scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in 23 seconds early in the fourth to pull to within two points.

Manning was poised to turn one of his worst games into one of his most memorable.

Then Adam Vinatieri missed a 29-yard field goal attempt with 91 seconds remaining on the clock and San Diego held on.

Manning, who set a Colts franchise record with six interceptions, had driven them to the Chargers' 12-yard-line.

Vinatieri, who had won two Super Bowls for New England with last-second kicks, pushed his kick just wide right.

Rams 37, Saints 29

Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce found the old magic, teaming with Marc Bulger on Sunday to give previously winless St. Louis a surprising 37-29 victory over a New Orleans Saints squad that hadn't lost in a month.

Bulger finished with 302 yards and short touchdown passes to Bruce and Drew Bennett. Steven Jackson, recovering from a back injury, rushed for a short touchdown in New Orleans and even threw a two-yard halfback pass to Randy McMichael for a score.

It was a demoralizing loss for the Saints (4-5), who could have climbed into a first-place tie in the NFC South with a win.

Bills 13 Dolphins 10

Buffalo's Rian Lindell kicked a 34-yard field goal with 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter in Miami as the Bills earned their fourth consecutive victory.

Buffalo scored 11 points in the final 9:46 to improve to 5-4. The Bills' winning streak is their longest since 2004.

The Dolphins, who controlled the ball for nearly 37 minutes and led most of the game, fell to 0-9, extending the worst start in franchise history. Five defeats have been by three points, none more wrenching than the latest.

Packers 34 Vikings 0

Brett Favre passed another milestone, joining Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 60,000 career yards, as the Packers (8-1) went back to their short passing game after winning their last two games on a pair of deep passes from Favre.

Favre was 33-of-46 for 351 yards and three touchdowns before he was relieved by backup Aaron Rodgers.

It was another tough blow for the Vikings (3-6), who hoped to carry over some momentum from Adrian Peterson's NFL-record 296-yard rushing performance in a victory over San Diego last Sunday.

Cowboys 31 Giants 20

Tony Romo hit Terrell Owens on two of his four touchdown passes and visiting Dallas opened a two-game lead in the NFC East by ending the Giants' six-game winning streak.

Romo and Owens broke it open in the second half by combining on scoring passes of 25 and 50 yards to help Dallas (8-1) match its best start since 1995, the last time it won the Super Bowl.

Romo, who was 20-of-28 for 247 yards, also threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tony Curtis and a 20-yarder to Patrick Crayton in helping the Cowboys sweep the season-series with the Giants (6-3). Nick Folk added a 44-yard field goal.

Steelers 31 Browns 28

Ben Roethlisberger scrambled 30 yards for a key touchdown during the Steelers' second-half comeback, then set up his own go-ahead two-yard TD pass to Heath Miller with an important third-down run as Pittsburgh rallied at home.

In a game that meant a two-game swing in the AFC North — the Browns (5-4) would have tied the Steelers (7-2) by winning — Roethlisberger's big second half overcame Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson's huge first half.

After Roethlisberger's long scramble put the Steelers in the lead for the first time early in the fourth quarter, Browns' Joshua Cribbs fumbled a kickoff inside his own five. He picked it up mostly out of desperation and somehow wedged his way down Pittsburgh's sideline for a 100-yard scoring return and an improbable 28-24 lead.

But Roethlisberger, who had run for only 86 yards all season before gaining 49 yards on three runs, led a decisive 78-yard scoring drive.

Jaguars 28 Titans 13

At Nashville, Tenn., Quinn Gray threw for a touchdown and Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor ran for one each.

Jones-Drew ran for 101 yards on 19 carries and Taylor added 45 more as the Jaguars rolled up 166 yards against the NFL's stingiest run defence, which had been giving up 66 yards a game.

The Jaguars (6-3) came in having lost two of three. They also wanted to amend for a season-opening loss to Tennessee in which they gave up 282 yards rushing.

Jacksonville snapped the Titans' three-game winning streak; the Titans (6-3) struggled with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and defensive end Travis LaBoy sitting out with injuries.

Eagles 33 Redskins 25

With the Eagles trailing by five and three rushers closing in, Donovan McNabb threw a screen pass to Brian Westbrook over the middle. Sprung by four solid downfield blocks, Westbrook scampered for a 57-yard touchdown with 3:16 remaining in Landover, Md.

McNabb completed 20 of 28 passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns. Westbrook caught two touchdown passes and ran for another score, finishing with 20 carries for 100 yards and five receptions for 83 yards.

The Eagles (4-5), who have been alternating wins and losses since Week 2, remained in last place in the NFC East, but moved within striking distance of the Redskins (5-4), who let a struggling Philadelphia team reel off 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Broncos 27 Chiefs 11

Backup Selvin Young rushed for 109 yards and visiting Denver (4-5) scored two touchdowns in a nine-second span of the third quarter.

Kansas City (4-5) replaced shaken-up, turnover-prone Damon Huard with second-year quarterback Brodie Croyle.

In the decisive series in the third quarter, Dre' Bly intercepted Huard and returned it 18 yards to the 31. Three plays later, Young, subbing for the injured Travis Henry, broke Bernard Pollard's tackle and went 20 yards for a touchdown and a 13-8 lead for the Broncos, who hadn't won in Kansas City since 2002.

Falcons 20 Panthers 13

At Charlotte, N.C., just before he was drilled to the turf, Joey Harrington found Alge Crumpler over the middle for a 30-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left.

Harrington watched from his back after being hit by Thomas Davis, then limped off the field as the Falcons (3-6) won their second straight game.

The late score ruined the return of 43-year-old Vinny Testaverde, who limped around despite a sore right Achilles' tendon, but couldn't lead the Panthers (4-5) to the end zone. Their lone touchdown came on Ken Lucas' 27-yard fumble return as they lost their third straight and their sixth straight at home.

Bears 17 Raiders 6

At Oakland, Calif., with one perfect deep pass, Rex Grossman might have won back his starting quarterback job and saved the Bears' season.

Grossman replaced an injured Brian Griese and threw a 59-yard pass to Bernard Berrian for the go-ahead score with 3:11 remaining.

Sebastian Janikowski's 52-yard field goal with 4:04 remaining gave hometown Oakland (2-7) a 6-3 lead that looked as if it could be enough on a day when neither offence could move the ball.

Cardinals 31 Lions 21

Karlos Dansby intercepted two passes and forced a fumble to help the Cardinals' defence make mistake-prone Detroit look like the lowly Lions of old in Glendale, Ariz.

Kurt Warner, playing with a torn ligament in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, shook off an early interception to complete 26-of-36 for 259 yards and three touchdowns, two to Larry Fitzgerald. Backup Tim Rattay also had a TD pass as Arizona (4-5) snapped a three-game skid and improved to 3-1 at home.

The loss dropped the Lions (6-3) two games behind first-place Green Bay in the NFC North. The Cardinals are just a half-game behind first-place Seattle in the weak NFC West.

Bengals 21 Ravens 7

Shayne Graham kicked a team-record seven field goals and the visiting Bengals completed a season sweep of the Ravens.

Cincinnati (3-6) owned the league's 31st-ranked defence, was tied with winless Miami for most points allowed and had not yielded fewer than 20 points in any game this season. All that changed against the Ravens (4-5), who committed six turnovers.

Graham connected from 34, 19, 22, 35, 35, 21 and 33 yards. He has made 19 straight field goal tries, a team record. The seven field goals were one short of the NFL record set earlier this season by Tennessee's Rob Bironas.

With files from the Associated Press