The young running back was traded away, the third-stringer was picked to start at quarterback, and Cleveland’s jaded fan base was already pushing for the first pick in next year’s draft.
The Browns haven’t given up on the season, though.
Minnesota’s might be slipping away.
Jordan Cameron caught three touchdown passes, including the go-ahead grab in the back of the end zone with 51 seconds left, and the Browns kept the Vikings winless with a 31-27 victory Sunday in Minneapolis.
‘‘If you let the distractions that are outside of the locker room affect the way you play, then you are tanking the season and you will have no chance,’’ said Joe Thomas, the three-time All-Pro left tackle.
Former Patriots backup Brian Hoyer threw for three scores in his second career start, and the Browns (1-2) became the latest team to torch Minnesota’s struggling secondary. Hoyer overcame three interceptions to throw for 321 yards, going 30 for 54.
Josh Gordon had 10 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in his season debut, and Cameron had six receptions for 66 yards.
‘‘It’s just a matter of believing in Brian and believing in ourselves, and we did a good job of that,’’ Cameron said.
Having traded top back Trent Richardson to Indianapolis last week, the Browns ran for a season-high 103 yards, averaging 6.1 yards on 17 carries.
Christian Ponder ran for two touchdowns for the Vikings (0-3), but he threw an interception, lost a fumble, and took his sixth sack, from the Browns 34, on the final play of the game.
Lions 27, Redskins 20
Detroit ended 74 years of failure in the nation’s capital as a pair of fourth-quarter misplays by the Redskins helped the Lions earn their first victory in Washington after 21 losses. Detroit’s last win away from home in the series came in 1935 against the Boston Redskins.
Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 42 passes for 385 yards with two TDs and one interception for the Lions (2-1). The Redskins fell to 0-3 when Robert Griffin III’s desperation pass on the final play fell incomplete. Washington had pulled within 27-20 with a field goal with 1:40 to play.
The score was tied at 17 when Griffin scrambled for 21 yards deep in Detroit territory. But the ball jarred loose as he stumbled forward to give himself up at the 30-yard line. The Lions recovered the fumble, and David Akers kicked a 28-yard field goal with 11:08 to play for the lead.
The Redskins thought they had gone back in front when Griffin hit Aldrick Robinson for an apparent 57-yard score with 9:05 to play, but replays showed the ball coming loose as the receiver went to the ground. Incomplete pass. The Lions got their insurance TD with 3:56 left on Stafford’s 11-yard pass to Calvin Johnson.
Jets 27, Bills 20
Geno Smith threw two TD passes, including a go-ahead 69-yarder to Santonio Holmes in the fourth quarter, and host New York (2-1) overcame a team-record 20 penalties (for 168 yards) to hang on and beat Buffalo (1-2).
Smith slightly outplayed EJ Manuel in a matchup of the first two quarterbacks drafted in April. Capping a drive kept alive by four straight penalties on the Jets, Manuel connected with Scott Chandler for a 33-yard TD, then hit Stevie Johnson for a 2-point conversion to tie it at 20 with 10:39 left in the game.
Panthers 38, Giants 0
Host Carolina set a franchise record for largest margin of victory while handing Tom Coughlin his worst defeat as Giants coach. Cam Newton threw three TD passes and ran for another, and the Panthers sacked Eli Manning seven times.
Carolina (1-2) limited the Giants (0-3) to 18 total yards — 1 passing — in the first half and led, 17-0, at halftime. Carolina put the game away with TDs on its first two possessions of the third quarter.
Saints 31, Cardinals 7
Drew Brees passed for three scores and scrambled for another TD, and New Orleans’ defense produced four sacks and two interceptions of Carson Palmer in a home rout of Arizona.
Brees threw for 342 yards, with two TD strikes to tight end Jimmy Graham, who caught nine passes for 134 yards. The Saints are off to their first 3-0 start since 2009. The Cardinals (1-2) had a 7-0 lead.
Ravens 30, Texans 9
Daryl Smith had a 37-yard interception return for a TD, Tandon Doss took a punt 82 yards for another score, and the Ravens (2-1) smothered Houston’s high-powered offense in a one-sided affair in Baltimore.
Houston (2-1) led, 6-3, before Smith picked off Matt Schaub’s pass and took it to the end zone with 2:39 left in the first half. Less than two minutes later, Doss eluded several tacklers during his first career punt return for a touchdown.
Titans 20, Chargers 17
Jake Locker threw a 34-yard TD pass to rookie Justin Hunter with 15 seconds left and Tennessee (2-1) rallied to win in Nashville for the franchise’s first victory over San Diego (1-2) since 1992 when the team was in Houston.
Cowboys 31, Rams 7
DeMarco Murray rushed for 175 yards and a TD, Tony Romo threw for three scores, and Dallas (2-1) demolished St. Louis (1-2) in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys sacked Sam Bradford four times in the first half and six in total.
Seahawks 45, Jaguars 17
Playing just 2½ quarters, Russell Wilson matched his career high with four TD passes — two each to Sidney Rice and Zach Miller — and host Seattle overwhelmed winless Jacksonville to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2006.
0 comments:
Post a Comment