STEELERS 24, BROWNS 10
Story line: After handing New England and Philadelphia their first losses the last two weeks, Pittsburgh (8-1) figured to be due for a letdown. That will have to wait at least a week. The third straight loss by the Browns (3-6) was more of the same: too many turnovers, penalties and mistakes.
Star: Jerome Bettis, starting for injured Duce Staley a second straight week, gained 103 yards with two TDs. “That’s my job,” he said. “What I’m here for is to be a relief pitcher.”
Extra points: Browns kicker Phil Dawson made his 27th straight field goal, the NFL’s longest current streak. . . . Bettis has 10 TDs, one shy of his career high set in 1996.
Quote: “You name it, we do it the wrong way.”
–Browns QB Jeff Garcia.
RAVENS 20, JETS 17
Story line: Matt Stover’s 42-yard field goal in overtime won the game for the Ravens (6-3), who pulled within 14-7 after Kyle Boller converted a fourth-and-8 play and threw a 6-yard TD pass to Clarence Moore with 53 seconds left before halftime. The Jets (6-3) have lost two straight and three of four.
Star: Boller was 19 of 33 for 213 yards and two TDs.
Extra point: Facing third-and-goal from the 3, the Jets wasted their final timeout with eight seconds left after Quincy Carter, starting for injured Chad Pennington, broke the huddle too late so they couldn’t get the play off in time. The Jets settled for Doug Brien’s 20-yard field goal to force overtime.
Quote: “It comes down to being able to calm down . . . and just trust your holder and snapper.”–Stover.
RAMS 23, SEAHAWKS 12
Story line: The Rams (5-4) swept the season series against their top rival in the NFC West. They came out firing with 13 straight passes to open the game, and 10 were completions, including a 15-yard score from Marc Bulger to Kevin Curtis.
Stars: Rams receiver Isaac Bruce had seven catches for 104 yards, his fifth 100-yard game of the season. He last had five 100-yard games in 1996. . . . Shaun Alexander ran for 176 yards for Seattle (5-4), giving him 531 yards in three games.
Extra point: The Rams played much of the game minus two stars. Tackle Orlando Pace was ejected in the third quarter for making contact with the side judge during a scrum after a lost fumble by Marshall Faulk. Receiver Torry Holt took a blow to the head in the first quarter and didn’t return.
Quote: “There was never a question he had a concussion. The only thing missing was the little birds flying around his head.”–Rams coach Mike Martz on Holt’s injury.
SAINTS 27, CHIEFS 20
Story line: New Orleans (4-5), which has been outscored 54-0 in the first quarter in the last seven games, trailed 10-0 after one quarter against the Chiefs (3-6). But, for a change, the Saints were able to rally. With the score tied 20-20 late in the fourth, Aaron Brooks hit Joe Horn with a 42-yard TD pass.
Stars: Deuce McAllister rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown, while Horn had five catches for 167 yards. . . . Chiefs running back Derrick Blaylock, playing for the injured Priest Holmes, had 33 carries for 186 yards and a touchdown.
Extra point: Guard Will Shields extended his Chiefs record to 183 starts in a row, the NFL’s second-longest active streak.
Quote: “I’ve just got one thing to say: Everybody that said goodbye to us, we ain’t gone yet.”–Horn.
CARDINALS 17, GIANTS 14
Story line: Just like the old days in Dallas, Emmitt Smith made life miserable for the Giants. Smith rushed for 67 yards on 19 carries–30 of those yards came on Arizona’s go-ahead touchdown drive. Arizona (4-5) is just a game back in the weak NFC West. The Giants (5-4) have lost three of four.
Star: Bertrand Berry had four of the Cardinals’ six sacks.
Extra point: Smith, who passed 18,000 career rushing yards, ran for two TDs in a game for the first time in two seasons.
Quote: “You don’t win very many games when you only score 17 points. So we had to do it the hard way. We had to slug it out.”–Cardinals coach Dennis Green.
FALCONS 24, BUCCANEERS 14
Story line: Tampa Bay (3-6) lost for only the second time in five games, but this one could be a crushing blow as Atlanta took a three-game cushion in the NFC South. The Falcons (7-2) scored on their first three possessions for a 17-0 lead.
Star: Tight end Alge Crumpler’s 49-yard TD catch sealed the Falcons’ win. He had four catches for a career-best 118 yards.
Extra point: Bolstered by the return of defensive tackle Rod Coleman, the Falcons had a season-high seven sacks.
Quote: “There’s not a lot of rah-rahs and cheering going on just because we beat the Bucs. We’re trying to get to the Super Bowl.”–Falcons defensive lineman Ed Jasper.
PANTHERS 37, 49ERS 27
Story line: The Panthers (2-7) had no running game and no kicker, thanks to John Kasay’s calf injury, but still snapped a six-game losing streak. They overwhelmed the 49ers (1-8), who lost their fourth straight, with 34 points after halftime.
Stars: Carolina’s Muhsin Muhammad caught three TD passes from Jake Delhomme in the second half.
Fading fast: Niners quarterback Tim Rattay passed for 284 yards but made a key fumble and threw four interceptions.
Extra point: Pro Bowl punter Todd Sauerbrun stepped in for Kasay in the third quarter and was perfect on four extra points and hit a go-ahead 34-yard field goal in the fourth.
Quote: “They thought about going for two, and I said, `Come on, man, you know that I can kick extra points. Give me a break.”‘–Sauerbrun.
BENGALS 17, REDSKINS 10
Story line: Injuries forced Bengals coach Marvin Lewis to give extensive playing time to five rookies on defense, who combined for 17 tackles, two sacks and three deflected passes and helped shut out the Redskins (3-6) for three quarters. The Bengals (4-5) broke a six-game road losing streak against the league’s top-ranked defense and have won three of four.
Star: Rudi Johnson ran for 102 yards and a TD on 31 carries.
Extra point: The Bengals, who entered the game with the NFL’s worst run defense, held Clinton Portis to 81 yards. The Redskins are 3-0 when Portis gets 100, 0-6 when he doesn’t.
Quote: “When we drafted them, we knew they could play football. We didn’t know it was going to have to be all right now.”–Bengals coach Marvin Lewis on his defensive rookies.
PATRIOTS 29, BILLS 6
Story line: The Patriots (8-1) led 20-0 at half, scoring on four of five possessions. The Bills (3-6) scored on a punt return.
Stars: Tom Brady threw 2 TD passes, Adam Vinatieri kicked five field goals and the Patriots picked off four passes.
Extra point: Bills QB Drew Bledsoe tossed one interception to a player he had thrown 12 touchdown passes to while both were with the Patriots, Troy Brown, who played some cornerback. . . . Bledsoe fell to 1-5 against his former team.
Quote: “Hey, we could use him. We could definitely use him.” –Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour on Johnny Damon, who joined some Red Sox teammates in a pregame ceremony honoring them for their World Series victory.
Monday night matchup
Eagles (7-1) at Cowboys (3-5)
TV/radio: 8 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7, WSCR-AM 670.
Line: Eagles by 7.
Key stat: Eagles have won 7 of last 8 meetings.
Terry Bannon’s pick: Eagles 27, Cowboys 20.
