COWBOYS 10, BILLS 6
Story line: The Cowboys won despite moving only 51 yards on their two scoring drives and going more than 15 minutes between first downs in the second half. The Cowboys got a 2-yard touchdown catch by Dan Campbell, a 51-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff and a stifling performance by the NFL’s stingiest defense that allowed just 185 yards, 69 on a two-minute drill at the end the first half that led to a Bills field goal.
Star: Dallas backup RB Adrian Murrell had 76 rushing yards, nearly one-third of the Cowboys’ 236 total yards.
Extra points: The Bills failed to score a touchdown for the third straight road game. . . . Dallas quarterback Quincy Carter had a season-low 116 yards passing.
Quote: “This is a young team that doesn’t understand everything about what this league is. The more you win, the more that people get ready for you. You’re going to run into some tough games.” –Dallas coach Bill Parcells.
CHIEFS 41, BROWNS 20
Story line: Trent Green threw three touchdown passes and Priest Holmes scored two touchdowns as the host Chiefs (9-0) took a four-game lead over Denver in the AFC West.
Stars: Green hit 29-of-42 passes for 368 yards and Holmes added 93 yards rushing and 66 receiving.
Extra points: Chiefs converted 12-of-16 third-down plays, their highest percentage since the NFL began tracking the stat in 1972. . . . Dick Vermeil has won four straight games against the Browns, a streak that goes back more than three decades to when he coached the Eagles. . . . Cleveland has scored 20 or fewer points in eight of its nine games.
Quote: “It doesn’t surprise you that Dante Hall does that. I promise you he will do it again.” –Vermeil on Hall’s 159 return yards, including a 77-yarder on a kickoff.
BENGALS 34, TEXANS 27
Story line: Rudi Johnson set a team record with 43 rushes, picking up 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 1-yarder that put the host Bengals ahead to stay 31-27.
Stars: Johnson, whose rushing yards equaled Jon Kitna’s passing. Texans’ J.J. Moses had seven kickoff returns for 186 yards and had a 47-yard punt return wiped out by penalty.
Extra points: Houston’s Domanick Davis had 104 yards on 15 carries, his third 100-yard game in his last four. The total included a team-record 51-yard run. . . . The 27 points were the most ever scored by the Texans. The previous high was 24.
Quote: “We will win — that’s a guarantee. It’s no offense to their organization. It’s just the way I feel.” –Bengals WR Chad Johnson on next week’s matchup with the 9-0 Chiefs.
TITANS 31, DOLPHINS 7
Story line: Titans won their fourth straight and sixth in seven games, beating a Dolphins team that was allowing an NFL-best 13.8 points and was undefeated on the road. The defense had four sacks, forced five Brian Griese turnovers (two fumbles, three interceptions) that turned into 17 points.
Star: Steve McNair completed 17-of-23 for 201 yards and two touchdowns, beating Miami for the first time in four tries.
Extra points: The Titans set a franchise record with 30 or more points for the sixth straight game. . . . The Titans lost their first shutout since Christmas 2000 when Sage Rosenfels found Donald Lee for a 21-yard TD pass in the final seconds. . . . Tennessee extended its NFL-best streak to 25 home games without allowing a 100-yard rusher.
Qoute: “I guess the race is on, as far as the players are concerned.” –Titans coach Jeff Fisher on his team moving into an AFC South tie with the Colts, whom they play Dec. 7.
FALCONS 27, GIANTS 7
Story line: The visiting Falcons snapped a seven-game skid and got Dan Reeves his 200th win, while the 4-5 Giants had four turnovers and may have put Jim Fassel’s job in jeopardy.
Stars: Warrick Dunn ran for 178 yards, including a 45-yard score, and T.J. Duckett scored on runs of 1 and 12 yards.
Extra points: Reeves (200-171-2) is the sixth NFL coach to reach 200 wins. . . . Kurt Kittner was just 9-of-23 for 65 yards.
Quote: “If you’re not embarrassed by what we did today, you shouldn’t be here. I am embarrassed for us and embarrassed for the fans and for anybody sitting at home watching. I am embarrassed for people who aren’t even Giants fans who had to watch because they couldn’t get anyone else on the TV. It was horrible.” –Giants DE Michael Strahan.
REDSKINS 27, SEAHAWKS 20
Story line: WR Rod Gardner took a lateral from Patrick Ramsey and threw a 10-yard pass to a wide open Trung Canidate with 1:57 left in Washington to cap the winning drive, which included a first down on fourth-and-inches at their own 25.
Stars: Fred Smoot intercepted a bobbled pass to Darrell Jackson inside Washington’s 30 with 39 seconds remaining. . . . Laveranues Coles had 125 receiving yards and a TD.
Extra points: For the first time, Ramsey was not sacked. The Redskins had allowed an NFL-high 29 sacks coming in. . . . Washington DE Bruce Smith got one sack to move within one-half sack of tying Reggie White’s all-time record.
Quote: “He asked to do it this week and I said OK. … If I have to bench the play-caller, then I can do that.” –Washington coach Steve Spurrier on his decision to allow offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to handle the play-calling.
JETS 27, RAIDERS 24
Story line: Lamont Jordan had a 2-yard TD run with 14:20 left in the game, Chad Pennington threw a 3-yard scoring pass to Jerald Sowell with 1:09 left and completed the 2-point conversion to Anthony Becht to force OT. Doug Brien’s 38-yard field goal capped a 12-play, 54-yard drive for the win.
Stars: Pennington went 18-for-27 for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Jets rushed for 143 yards after halftime. Phillip Buchanon scored on a 78-yard punt return, the Raiders’ first score off a kickoff or punt return this season.
Extra points: Brien had a 51-yard attempt blocked in an OT loss to the Giants last week. . . . The Raiders opened the game with 21 straight running plays and took a 14-7 lead.
Quote: “One team’s season is going to end today and it’s not going to be ours.” –Jordan addressing his team at halftime.
STEELERS 28, CARDINALS 15
Story line: Tommy Maddox threw three touchdown passes, two to Hines Ward barely a minute apart in a 21-point third quarter, and the host Steelers ended their five-game skid.
Star: Antwaan Randle El scored on a 52-yard punt return for a 28-3 lead. It was his second punt return TD in three games.
Extra points: Cardinals QB Jeff Blake, who had passed for 1,242 yards in his last four starts against Pittsburgh, threw for only 48 in the first half. . . . Marcel Shipp, who had 306 rushing yards the last two weeks, was held to 63 on 22 carries.
Quote: “It wasn’t one of our better games, but it was a win and, right now, every game is a must win for us.” –Ward.
Monday matchup
EAGLES (5-3) AT PACKERS (4-4)
Time: 8 p.m., Monday, WLS-Ch. 7, WSCR-AM 670 (joined in progress after Blackhawks game).
Line: Packers by 4 1/2.
Players to watch: Middle linebacker Nick Barnett (2 sacks, 2 interceptions) is a key Packers defender; fellow rookie, tight end L.J. Smith, a 2nd-round pick, has 17 catches for Eagles.
Terry Bannon’s pick: Packers 27, Eagles 24.
