Packers, Cowboys battle to 40-40 tie, NFL’s first since 2022

By Canadian Press on September 28, 2025.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brandon Aubrey and Brandon McManus traded short field goals in overtime, and Micah Parsons’ highly anticipated return to Dallas ended with the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in a 40-40 tie Sunday night.

Dak Prescott and Jordan Love had three touchdown passes apiece in regulation, which included seven consecutive lead-changing TDs before McManus’ tying 53-yard field goal as time expired.

McManus kicked a 34-yarder as the clock hit 0:00 in overtime, just after Love’s pass into the back of the end zone fell incomplete with just a second remaining.

What started as the hyped return of one of the game’s elite pass rushers exactly a month after the Cowboys (1-2-1) traded Parsons to the Packers (2-1-1) ended up as the second dramatic duel of quarterbacks in as many home games for Dallas.

The Cowboys beat the Giants 40-37 in overtime two weeks earlier when Russell Wilson was starting for New York.

The second-highest scoring tie in NFL history, behind the Raiders’ 43-43 draw with the Boston Patriots in the AFL in 1964, was the first for Dallas since 1969. The Packers last tied in 2018.

EAGLES 31, BUCCANEERS 25

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles used a fake punt, another special teams touchdown and a late defensive stop to stay undefeated.

Jalen Hurts tossed two touchdown passes, Sydney Brown returned a blocked punt for a score and the Eagles beat Tampa Bay for their 20th victory in 21 games.

The only loss in that span for the reigning Super Bowl champions was against Washington last December in a game Hurts left with a concussion in the first half.

Chase McLaughlin’s 65-yard field goal for Tampa Bay on the final play of the first half was the longest in NFL history in an outdoor stadium.

BILLS 31, SAINTS 19

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Buffalo shook off a sloppy first three quarters to stay undefeated while beating winless New Orleans.

James Cook had 117 yards rushing and a touchdown in a game that wasn’t decided until midway through the fourth quarter. The Bills never trailed, but were clinging to a 21-19 lead when Allen hit a wide-open Dalton Kincaid for a 28-yard touchdown with 7:07 left.

Allen asserted himself on the previous play by putting his head down, breaking two tackles and dragging three defenders before finally going down for a 27-yard gain to convert a third-and-5.

Allen finished 16 of 22 for 209 yards while throwing his first interception of the season. Khalil Shakir scored on a 43-yard catch to cap Buffalo’s opening drive.

The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills are 4-0 for the 10th time in team history and first since 2020. Buffalo also won its 14th straight regular-season outing at home, one short of matching the franchise record spanning the 1990-91 seasons.

The Saints opened a season 0-4 for the ninth time in team history and first since 2012. They’ve lost eight straight dating to last year, their worst streak since losing 14 straight in 1980.

The Saints showed some resolve, but still couldn’t finish, a week after a mistake-filled 44-13 loss at Seattle.

STEELERS 24, VIKINGS 21

DUBLIN (AP) — Kenneth Gainwell ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns and Pittsburgh held on to beat Minnesota in Ireland’s first regular-season NFL game.

DK Metcalf had five catches for 126 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown for the Steelers, who improved to 3-1 going into their bye week.

The Steelers victory gave quarterback Aaron Rodgers his first international win and capped a Rooney family homecoming in front of a decidedly pro-Steelers crowd of 74,512 at Croke Park. Rodgers was 18 for 22 for 200 yards and the touchdown to Metcalf.

Carson Wentz, making his second consecutive start for the injured J.J. McCarthy, was 30 for 46 for 350 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Vikings (2-2).

T.J. Watt’s interception of Wentz’s pass — tipped by Cam Heyward at the line of scrimmage — set up the Steelers on the Minnesota 35 in the third quarter, and Gainwell scored from 4 yards for a 21-6 lead. It was nearly identical to Gainwell’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

DeShon Elliott had the other interception and the Steelers sacked Wentz six times.

TEXANS 26, TITANS 0

HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie Woody Marks had a touchdown reception and ran for another score and Houston beat Tennessee for its first win this season.

It’s the third time the Texans have shut out a team and the first time since blanking the Titans 29-0 on Nov. 28, 2010. The Titans were shut out for the first time since a 16-0 loss at Denver on Oct. 13, 2019.

C.J. Stroud threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns as the Texans scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter Sunday to put the game away and match their TD total in the previous three games combined.

The Texans (1-3) led 6-0 after two first-half field goals, but neither team got into the red zone until a 17-yard grab by Nico Collins put Houston on the 12 on the last play of the third quarter. Stroud connected with Marks for a TD on the next play, but the 2-point try failed to leave the Texans up 12-0.

Derek Stingley picked off rookie first overall pick Cam Ward on the next drive and returned it 20 yards. The Texans cashed in on that mistake when Stroud threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jayden Higgins to push the lead to 19-0 with about 9 1/2 minutes to go.

An 18-yard touchdown run by Marks, a fourth-round pick from USC, made it 26-0 with less than five minutes remaining.

Marks had 69 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving.

FALCONS 34, COMMANDERS 27

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Penix Jr. bounced back from his worst NFL start, Bijan Robinson had a career-high 181 yards from scrimmage as Atlanta beat short-handed Washington.

The Falcons (2-2) were coming off a 30-0 loss to the Panthers in which Penix and the offense were totally ineffective. Against the Commanders (2-2), Penix completed 20 of 26 passes for a career-high 313 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Robinson had 75 rushing yards on 17 carries, including a nifty 14-yard touchdown run where he broke multiple tackles. He also had four catches for 106 yards, the highlight being a 69-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter that set up Penix’s TD toss to Kyle Pitts.

Falcons wide receiver Drake London had his best game of the season with eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown less than a week after the Falcons fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard.

Marcus Mariota, filling in for injured Commanders starter Jayden Daniels, was 16 for 27 for 156 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. With top receiver Terry McLaurin also sidelined, Deebo Samuel had six receptions for 72 yards and a TD for Washington. Luke McCaffrey also had a scoring catch and Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the Commanders in rushing with 59 yards on seven carries.

Tyler Allegeier gave the Falcons a 31-16 lead with a 15-yard run late in the third quarter. Mariota answered with a pretty 24-yard touchdown pass to Samuel on fourth down, plus a 2-point pass to Zach Ertz to cut the lead to 31-24.

The Falcons responded with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that featured two key third-down conversions by Penix and ended with Parker Romo’s 26-yard field goal with 1:57 left. Matt Gay kicked a 42-yard field goal with 1:33 remaining for the Commanders, but the Falcons recovered the ensuing onside kick.

PATRIOTS 42, PANTHERS 13

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Marcus Jones had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, Drake Maye added two touchdown passes and ran for another, and New England rolled to a win over Carolina.

TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson added touchdown runs and Jones had a 61-yard punt return that set up another TD to help the Patriots (2-2) avoid their fifth straight 1-3 start.

A week after turning the ball over five times in a loss to Pittsburgh, the Patriots were turnover-free while going 4 for 4 in the red zone.

Maye was steady throughout, completing 14 of 17 passes for 203 yards. Receiver Stefon Diggs had six catches for 101 yards.

Carolina struggled from the outset, missing an extra point after scoring on the game’s opening possession and then punting on four of its final five drives. The other possession ended with a missed field goal.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young finished 18 of 30 for 150 yards and a touchdown before being replaced by Andy Dalton with just over eight minutes remaining.

Maye put New England in front 14-6 in the opening seconds of the second quarter when he scored on a designed quarterback run.

Later, following a missed 55-yard field-goal attempt by Carolina’s Ryan Fitzgerald, Maye led the Patriots on an eight-play drive that was punctuated by a 5-yard TD run by Henderson.

A 61-yard punt return by Jones to the Carolina 14 got the Patriots back in business. Four plays later, a 1-yard touchdown run by Gibson pushed the lead to 28-6 just before halftime.

LIONS 34, BROWNS 10

DETROIT (AP) — Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond returned a punt 65 yards for another score and Detroit beat Cleveland.

The Lions (3-1) intercepted Joe Flacco twice in the first half and scored 20 straight points for a 13-point lead at halftime. Detroit forced Flacco to fumble in the fourth, setting up another touchdown.

The Browns (1-3) opened with an 88-yard, 13-play touchdown drive, then had 44 yards with three punts and two turnovers the rest of the half. They finished with 249 yards of offense, gaining an average of 3.8 yards per play.

Goff was 16 of 27 for 168 yards with a 2-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown late in the first half and an 8-yard toss to him in the fourth quarter, giving the All-Pro receiver six TD receptions in the last three games.

Flacco started strong before struggling and finishing 16 of 34 for 184 yards with three turnovers. Rookie Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick, replaced Flacco late in the lopsided game.

Quinshon Judkins had 21 carries for 82 yards and a 1-yard scoring run that gave the Browns a short-lived lead in the first quarter.

The Lions pulled into a tie on the ensuing possession after Jahmyr Gibbs scored on an 8-yard run. Jake Bates kicked 48- and 58-yard field goals in the first half to give Detroit a 20-7 lead.

Cleveland pulled within 10 points on Andre Szmyt’s 33-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, and its stingy defense kept the score close until Raymond’s punt return early in the fourth and St. Brown’s second scoring catch helped the Lions pull away.

GIANTS 21, CHARGERS 18

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jaxson Dart threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score in an impressive NFL starting debut, leading New York to its first victory over previously undefeated Los Angeles.

The excitement by the Giants (1-3) over the win was a bit tempered by the uncertain status of wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was carted off the field in the second quarter with a knee injury.

Dart launched a deep pass down the right sideline — a free play after the Chargers jumped offside — toward a streaking Nabers. The wide receiver’s right leg appeared to buckle as he went up to try to catch the pass, which fell incomplete.

Nabers, down at the Chargers 7 with 6:12 left before halftime, immediately grabbed at his right leg. He was checked for several minutes before being helped onto the cart.

Dart, starting in place of Russell Wilson, ran for a 15-yard score to cap his first drive as a starting quarterback. He also threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Theo Johnson. Dart finished 13 of 20 for 111 yards and ran 10 times for 54 yards.

He also brushed off a hamstring injury after halftime and a big hit from the Chargers that sent him to the medical tent for two plays to be evaluated for a head injury.

The Giants’ defense also made big plays when it counted most, including Brian Burns’ sack of Justin Herbert that forced the Chargers (3-1) to punt late in the game. Then, Dart and the offense took over and milked the clock before giving Herbert and Los Angeles one final try — but with just 18 seconds left.

Herbert threw incomplete to Quentin Johnston and then completed a 22-yard pass to Johnston, who was tackled by Cor’Dale Flott and couldn’t get out of bounds — ending the game

RAMS 27, COLTS 20

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Tutu Atwell caught an 88-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford with 1:33 to play, and Los Angeles rallied to end Indianapolis’ unbeaten start to the season with a victory.

Daniel Jones passed for 262 yards for the Colts (3-1), but Indy couldn’t overcome receiver Adonai Mitchell’s mind-boggling fumble right before he crossed the goal line with what was about to be a 76-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

The Colts also had a 53-yard rushing TD by Jonathan Taylor taken off the board by a holding call on Mitchell with 2:15 to play.

Stafford passed for 375 yards and three touchdowns for the Rams (3-1), and he hit Puka Nacua for a 9-yard score with 3:20 left. Nacua finished with 13 catches for 170 yards.

After the Rams’ defense quickly got the ball back, Stafford made a brilliant throw on the next snap for the decisive score by Atwell, the speedy receiver who frequently goes underutilized in Sean McVay’s offense. Atwell’s TD catch was only his second reception of the season.

Kam Curl then made his second interception of the day with 53 seconds left, and the Rams ran out the clock on a thrilling win.

JAGUARS 26, 49ERS 21

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Parker Washington had Jacksonville’s first punt return touchdown in eight seasons and the Jaguars opportunistic defense delivered four more takeaways in a victory over San Francisco.

Former Niners star Arik Armstead’s strip-sack of Brock Purdy with less than three minutes to play sealed the win for the Jaguars (3-1).

The Jaguars have generated at least three takeaways in all four games this season, and have four more takeaways than they had in the entire 2024 season. They turned those into 17 points against the 49ers (3-1) highlighted by Travis Etienne’s 48-yard run one play after Dennis Gardeck forced a fumble by Luke Farrell in the second quarter.

Trevor Lawrence then threw a 4-yard TD pass to Hunter Long following the first of Purdy’s two interceptions for the 49ers to give the Jaguars their second 3-1 start in the past 18 seasons.

Jacksonville built the lead to 26-14 when Washington returned a punt 87 yards for the Jaguars first punt return TD since Jaydon Mickens had one in 2017

Purdy threw a 21-yard TD pass to Jake Tonges with 7:41 to play to cut the deficit to 26-21 and San Francisco had a chance for a comeback after Cam Little missed a 47-yard field goal.

But Armstead broke through on the second play of the ensuing drive and knocked the ball loose from Purdy. Foyesade Oluokun recovered to give the Jaguars their fifth road win ever in 20 trips to the West Coast.

CHIEFS 37, RAVENS 20

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns while outdueling Lamar Jackson, who left in the second half with a right hamstring injury, and Kansas City routed beat-up Baltimore.

Xavier Worthy returned from a shoulder injury to catch five passes for 83 yards, igniting a Chiefs offense that had been struggling to find its footing without the speedster and his suspended teammate, Rashee Rice, early in the season.

The Chiefs (2-2) built a 20-10 halftime lead against Baltimore before cruising to their seventh win in the past eight meetings. The most recent time the Ravens (1-3) beat them was September 2021, and their previous win in Kansas City was on Oct. 7, 2021.

Jackson threw for 147 yards with a touchdown and his first interception of the season before hurting his hamstring midway through the third quarter, though by that point the game was mostly decided. Cooper Rush played the rest of the way for the Ravens, who suddenly find themselves in a dire situation just four weeks into the season.

BEARS 25, RAIDERS 24

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Josh Blackwell blocked a 54-yard field-goal attempt by Daniel Carlson in the final minute to preserve a fourth-quarter rally led by Caleb Williams, and Chicago stunned Las Vegas.

After D’Andre Swift’s 2-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left put the Bears (2-2) in front, Geno Smith led the Raiders (1-3) into position for Carlson’s kick with 38 seconds left. Blackwell came in nearly untouched from the left side, dived and deflected the ball. He raced down the field in celebration as teammates chased him.

The Bears became the second team to win 800 regular-season games, joining the Green Bay Packers, who had 812 going into Sunday night’s game at Dallas. The Raiders have lost three straight.

Chicago had four takeaways for the second game in a row, allowing the Bears to survive a middling performance by Williams and coach Ben Johnson’s offense. They gained 271 yards, just 69 on the ground.

The Bears rushed for 2 yards in the first half. That’s their lowest output in a half since totaling minus-1 against Minnesota in Week 17 in 2017. It also was the fewest allowed by the Raiders in a first half since Kansas City had minus-2 in Week 15 in 2012.

Rome Odunze, playing in his hometown, became the first Bears receiver to catch at least one touchdown pass in the first four games of a season since Alshon Jeffery’s six-game streak in 2014.

The Associated Press