STEELERS 24, COWBOYS 20
Story line: The Cowboys spent a week comparing Steelers rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a young Dan Marino. How about some Terry Bradshaw to go with it? Roethlisberger completed 21 of 25 passes with two touchdowns, completing nine straight on the Steelers’ last two scoring drives, leading Pittsburgh (5-1) over Dallas (2-3).
Stars: Jerome Bettis’ 2-yard plunge was the go-ahead touchdown. He’s averaging just 1.7 yards per carry but already has seven TDs. . . . James Farrior, who had two sacks, forced his third fumble of the game to set up the Steelers’ final score.
Extra point: Roethlisberger is the first rookie quarterback to go 4-0 since Phil Simms on the 1979 Giants. He’s also the first Pittsburgh QB to win in Dallas since Bradshaw in 1982.
Quote: “He’s got great poise. I think he’s going to be outstanding. I haven’t changed my mind about that.”
–Dallas coach Bill Parcells on Roethlisberger.
JAGUARS 22, CHIEFS 16
Story line: Byron Leftwich hit Cortez Hankton with 45 seconds to go as the Jaguars (4-2) won in the final minute for the fourth time. Kansas City (1-4) took a 16-14 lead on an amazing TD pass from Trent Green to Priest Holmes with about 5 minutes left, but Lawrence Tynes missed the extra point. He also missed a 41-yard field goal with 2:16 to play.
Star: Green finished 23 of 33 for 315 yards and two TDs, but was also sacked six times.
Extra point: Leftwich has thrown a TD in 11 straight games. . . . Jacksonville scored the team’s first touchdown on the opening drive since December 2002.
Quote: “I let 60 other guys down today. I didn’t get the job done. It’s unacceptable in this league.”–Tynes.
BRONCOS 31, RAIDERS 3
Story line: Jake Plummer and Reuben Droughns did little wrong while turning Denver’s biggest rivalry game into a rout. Kerry Collins and Oakland’s offense did almost nothing right–and the Raider Nation booed whenever they took the field. It was the third straight loss for the Raiders (2-4).
Stars: Plummer hit Jeb Putzier, Dwayne Carswell and Ashley Lelie with first-half touchdown passes. It was Putzier’s first career TD. . . . Droughns ran for 176 yards and a TD. His 38 carries were a franchise record for a non-overtime game.
Extra point: The Broncos (5-1) scored the biggest win against their archrival since another 28-point victory in 1997.
Quote: “To the victor go the spoils.”–Raiders defensive lineman Warren Sapp on Droughns’ halftime trash talk.
JETS 22, 49ERS 14
Story line: Chad Pennington could feel the pressure of trying to make franchise history weighing down his teammates. Trailing 14-3 at halftime, Pennington spoke up in the locker room. It worked. Pennington led a second-half comeback lifting the Jets to 5-0 for the first time in their 45-year history.
Stars: Pennington finished 20 of 30 for 222 yards, but went 11 of 14 for 117 yards in the second half. . . . The Jets’ Curtis Martin ran for two TDs and 111 yards , passing Marcus Allen for eighth place on the NFL career list with 12,282 yards.
Extra point: Tim Rattay had 193 yards passing in the first half, but just 93 in the second for the Niners (1-5).
Quote: “That’s the maddest I’ve ever seen Chad.”–Martin on his QB’s animated halftime speech.
EAGLES 30, PANTHERS 8
Story line: The Panthers’ 14-3 victory nine months ago denied Philadelphia its first trip to the Super Bowl since 1980. But the Eagles are starting 5-0 for the first time since 1981.
Star: Lito Sheppard, who predicted that he would get two INTs, did just that. He returned one 64 yards for a score.
Extra points: Donovan McNabb didn’t have a touchdown pass for the first time this season. . . . Carolina fell to 1-4. Only eight teams have overcome a 1-4 start to make the playoffs. . . . Philadelphia, which has won each game by double digits, hasn’t started 6-0 since 1961.
Quote: “As much as we’re a different team, they’re a different team. They’re banged up.”–Eagles coach Andy Reid.
TEXANS 20, TITANS 10
Story line: The Texans improved to 3-3 for the first time in the franchise’s three-season history with their first victory over the Titans. The loss dropped Tennessee (2-4) into sole possession of the AFC South cellar. Worse yet, the Titans have lost three straight at home for the first time since 1996.
Stars: Texans quarterback David Carr threw for 266 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney, and Kris Brown kicked field goals of 21 and 50 yards.
Extra point: Tennessee QB Steve McNair was picked four times. . . . Houston running back Domanick Davis didn’t play the second half after bruising his thigh.
Quote: “We’ve got to reach back and find the old Titans, because right now we’re not a great football team.”–McNair.
BILLS 20, DOLPHINS 13
Story line: On Wednesday, linebacker Takeo Spikes vowed that the Bills would provide their fans something to cheer about. He delivered. Spikes stepped in front of a Miami screen pass and ran it back 11 yards for a touchdown as Buffalo (1-4) gave rookie coach Mike Mularkey his first victory.
Star: For what it’s worth, Sammy Morris had 91 yards rushing, the best performance by a Dolphins back this season.
Extra point: Miami (0-6) has yet to score more than 13 points in a game. . . . The Dolphins (0-6) were held to 212 yards of offense, a mere 36 in the second half.
Quote: “The feeling in that locker room is big. We have to claw our way out of a hole we’ve created.”–Mularkey.
BROWNS 34, BENGALS 17
Story line: The Browns (3-3) overcame their own sloppiness–three quick turnovers squandered a 14-point, first-half lead–and moved to 3-0 at home for the first time since 1973. “Since when?” Browns defensive end Kenard Lang asked. “That’s a big step for us.”
Stars: Jeff Garcia, called “skittish” by Browns coach Butch Davis last week, finished 16 of 23 for 310 yards in his eighth career four-TD game. . . . Phil Dawson kicked two field goals, extending the NFL’s longest current streak to 23.
Extra point: Lee Suggs had 100 yards receiving, the first Cleveland back to have 100 since Eric Metcalf (101) in 1993.
Quote: “I am shocked. Not to take anything away from the Browns, but I think that’s a team we can beat. I’m shocked to be 1-4.”–Bengals QB Carson Palmer.
VIKINGS 38, SAINTS 31
Story line: Daunte Culpepper lost Randy Moss just before halftime, but that didn’t keep him from a record-setting game. Culpepper threw TD passes for the third time this season, an NFL record. He threw for 425 yards–a career high.
Stars: Mewelde Moore had another big game for Minnesota (4-1), with 109 yards rushing and 78 yards receiving. . . . Deuce McAllister ran for two TDs for the Saints (2-4).
Extra points: Moss injured his hamstring in the second quarter. He had two catches, one for a TD. It was the 10th straight game in which Moss caught a touchdown. . . . The Vikings had 605 yards of offense and converted 8 of 11 third downs.
Quote: “In all my time in the NFL, I’ve never seen a quarterback this hot.”–Saints’ 13-year veteran Ashley Ambrose.
Monday night matchup
BUCS (1-4) AT RAMS (3-2)
TV/radio: 8 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7, WSCR-AM 670
Line: Rams by 6.
Last meeting: Bucs won 26-14 at Tampa on Sept. 23, 2002.
Terry Bannon’s pick: Rams 24, Bucs 16.
