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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Bucky Irving ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns, and Tampa Bay forced four turnovers as the Buccaneers hammered the Carolina Panthers 43-13 in Baker Mayfield’s return Sunday.
Mayfield, who missed the previous three games with a dislocated right thumb, attempted just 11 passes and threw for 64 yards while wearing a protective glove on his right hand. That was more than enough for him to improve to 7-1 against the Panthers, including 6-1 since joining the Bucs (2-5).
Mayfield didn’t need to do much because Tampa Bay’s run game, defense and special teams dominated. The Bucs had 258 yards on the ground, with Sean Tucker adding a 46-yard touchdown run to put Tampa Bay up by 37.
Carolina’s Bryce Young turned the ball over three times. Al-Quadin Muhammad had a strip-sack of Young that Calijah Kancey returned 32 yards for a touchdown.
BENGALS 35, RAVENS 13
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes in the second half, and Cincinnati rebounded from a desultory first two quarters to beat Baltimore, handing the Ravens a second straight divisional loss with Lamar Jackson sidelined.
Baltimore (4-3) dominated the first half but led only 13-0 after settling for a couple of short field goals. Then the Ravens blew a double-digit second-half lead for the second straight week and 10th time since the start of the 2022 season.
The Bengals (4-2) were shut out in their second meeting with Baltimore last season, and were scoreless through two quarters this time before going 66 yards on the first drive after halftime, capped by Burrow’s 6-yard TD pass to Mike Gesicki.
Baltimore, which held the ball for 22:20 in the first half, went three-and-out on its first possession of the second. Burrow’s 13-yard scoring pass to Tee Higgins put Cincinnati ahead to stay.
VIKINGS 16, COLTS 10
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Harrison Smith capped another dominant performance by Minnesota’s defense with the game-sealing interception, and the Vikings overcame another sluggish start to stay unbeaten with a victory over spiraling Indianapolis.
Linebacker Blake Cashman led the onslaught of pressure on Daniel Jones all afternoon with 12 tackles, two sacks, four passes defensed and three quarterback hits for the Vikings (6-0), who won yet again despite minimal production from Kyler Murray and the offense.
Smith picked off Jones around midfield with about a minute left to kill the last-ditch drive by the Colts (2-5) before it ever got going, the 40th career interception for the stalwart safety who decided right before the regular season to return for his 15th year.
Jones went 13 for 122 for 108 yards and lost 44 yards on four sacks, with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores continually sending blitzers into the backfield.
Will Reichard made three field goals for the Vikings, including a 52-yarder with 1:39 left after his 59-yard try was blocked by Grover Stewart earlier in the fourth quarter.
FALCONS 29, 49ERS 20
ATLANTA (AP) -- Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdown passes, Atlanta scored 13 points off four turnovers and the Falcons handed San Francisco its first loss.
San Francisco (6-1) was already thin at wide receiver before its offense faced additional limitations when running back Christian McCaffrey missed much of the first half with a thigh injury.
Rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels intercepted Brock Purdy’s pass intended for Jordan Watkins with 2:34 remaining. It was Purdy’s second interception. Daniels then recovered a fumble by George Kittle with less than a minute remaining.
The 49ers had only six turnovers in their first six games.
Penix threw scoring passes to tight ends Nick Muse and Kyle Pitts before giving Atlanta (3-4) a 26-14 lead with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Drake London in the fourth quarter. Penix completed 25 of 34 passes for 213 yards with no interceptions.
DOLPHINS 28, JETS 25
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Malik Willis threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, leading Miami to its first win of the season with a victory over New York Jets.
The Dolphins (1-5) came off their bye-week break and avoided their first 0-6 start since 2019 by scoring on their first two drives and controlling most of the game before holding on to give coach Jeff Hafley his first win.
Trailing 28-17 with 4:44 left, the Jets (2-5) made a late push. On fourth-and-4, Geno Smith completed a short pass to Isaiah Davis, who zipped downfield 41 yards to the Dolphins 18. Three plays later, Smith found Mason Taylor in the back left corner of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown, the tight end’s second of the game.
Penalties negated New York’s first two 2-point tries before Smith threw to Taylor to make it 28-25 with 3:24 left.
But Willis sealed the victory when he pushed forward for 2 yards on fourth-and-1 as the Dolphins celebrated and frustrated Jets fans filed out of MetLife Stadium.
GIANTS 27, TEXANS 21, OT
HOUSTON (AP) -- Devin Singletary’s 30-yard touchdown run in overtime lifted New York to a win over Houston.
Cam Skattebo had a 16-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and his 42-yard scamper to set up Singletary’s game-winning run. He had 17 carries for 124 yards after not having a carry last Sunday following a costly fumble two weeks ago.
J.J. McCarthy moved the ball effectively for the Giants (4-2-1) in his first start of the season after coach John Harbaugh benched Jameis Winston. He was 20 of 28 for 252 yards in the stadium in which he won the national title with Michigan in January 2024.
The Texans (2-5) got the ball first in overtime, but New York’s defense forced a three-and-out with Kayvon Thibodeaux dropping a potential interception on second down.
BRONCOS 30, CARDINALS 16
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Bo Nix ran for a 62-yard touchdown, RJ Harvey turned a short screen pass into a 52-yard touchdown and Denver used a handful of big offensive plays to beat Arizona.
The Cardinals have lost 10 straight home games in a streak that’s lasted 406 days.
The Broncos (5-2) have struggled on offense for most of this season and that trend continued for part of Sunday’s game, but Nix and Harvey took advantage of costly mistakes by the Cardinals’ defense to get things moving.
Denver has won three straight. Its defense was dominant once again with 12 quarterback hits, six tackles for a loss and three sacks.
Nix’s long touchdown run came late in the second quarter, giving the Broncos a 13-6 lead. He dropped back to pass and then stepped up in pocket, surging forward when a huge patch of grass appeared. No one on the Cardinals’ defense was near him until a few yards before the end zone, when he sidestepped a tackle and tumbled forward for the touchdown.
Denver extended its lead to 20-6 midway through the third quarter when Harvey caught a short screen pass, took advantage of plenty of blocking and ran untouched to the end zone.
Nix finished 15 of 29 passing for 222 yards. He also had 73 yards rushing.
LIONS 20, PACKERS 17
DETROIT (AP) -- Jake Bates made a 22-yard field goal as time expired to give Detroit a win over Green Bay.
The Lions (4-2) have won two straight for the first time this season, putting them in third place in the NFC North behind Minnesota (6-0) and Chicago (5-2).
The Packers (4-3) had a three-game winning streak stopped and dropped to last place in the NFC North, likely lamenting a lot of penalties that went against them. The AFC North also has all four teams with winning records.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell, who is known for being aggressive, seemed to make a reckless decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from his 24 with just under 5 minutes to play. Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped for no gain, but the curious choice didn’t backfire.
One play after Jordan Love put a pass on Josh Jacobs’ hands for an incompletion that landed in in the end zone, rookie Trey Smack missed a 35-yard field goal after D.J. Wonnum got a finger on the kick. Smack missed from 26 in the first half.
With a chance to drive for a winning score, Goff connected with Sam LaPorta on an 18 -yard pass and Karl Brooks was called for a late hit on the quarterback gave Detroit the ball at the Green Bay 45.
RAMS 35, RAIDERS 21
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Matthew Stafford threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns to become the Rams’ career leader in passing TDs, and Los Angeles resembled the team previously favored to win the Super Bowl, beating Las Vegas.
The Rams (3-4) still have a ways to go to overcome their slow start and numerous injuries, but this victory improves their chances to be a factor in the playoff race. Since the NFL playoffs expanded from 12 to 14 teams in 2020, 10 of 41 clubs have made the playoffs after opening 3-4, with just 4 of 33 making it after going 2-5.
Stafford has 155 touchdown passes in a Rams uniform, one more than previous team record holder Roman Gabriel.
Las Vegas native Puka Nacua, who had been listed as questionable with a calf injury, caught eight passes for 68 yards and a touchdown for the Rams, and tight end Davis Allen had two TD catches -- his first trips to the end zone this season.
Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined to rush for 192 yards and two touchdowns for Los Angeles.
The Raiders’ Kirk Cousins passed for 295 yards with touchdowns to Tre Tucker and running back Ashton Jeanty. Tucker finished with five receptions for 103 yards, and Jeanty hauled in eight catches for 61 yards. Cousins leads the NFL with 16 TD passes.