NFL: Rams beat Bengals in thriller to win Super Bowl on home field

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The hometown Los Angeles Rams came from behind to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a thrilling Super Bowl on Sunday, claiming the franchise's first championship since returning to Los Angeles, and its second overall.

With the victory, the Rams, whose last NFL title came 22 years ago when they were based in St. Louis, joined last year's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only teams to win a Super Bowl on their home field.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford kept his poise to put together a 15-play drive that ended with a short touchdown pass to Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp with 1:25 left to play, and Aaron Donald wrapped up Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, sealing the win.

"I dreamed this, man," an emotional Donald said after the game. "I feel amazing."

The Rams lost star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a knee injury in the second quarter and gave up a 13-10 halftime lead, but rallied to deliver Los Angeles its Hollywood ending under the lights of SoFi Stadium.

"I'm so proud of this team, so many guys on our team deserve this, guys that have given their heart and soul to this team," said Stafford, who joined the team from Detroit last offseason.

"That game today is the story of this season, it's up and down, it's tough but we got it done," he said. 

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Writing by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Tom Hogue)

-reuters-

NFL: Niners stop Rams to stay unbeaten, Texans rally to beat Chiefs

LOS ANGELES -- The San Francisco 49ers remained unbeaten behind a stifling defensive display on Sunday, shutting down the rival Los Angeles Rams with a convincing 20-7 victory in Los Angeles. 

Running back Tevin Coleman and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo scored touchdowns, and Robbie Gould booted a pair of field goals as the 49ers scored the game's final 20 points to improve to 5-0 on the NFL season. It is their first time they have won five straight to start the season since 1990. 

Robert Woods ran for the lone Los Angeles touchdown in the first quarter as the Rams lost their third straight game and dropped to 3-3 overall.

The Rams offence mustered just 165 total yards in front of a crowd of 76,700 at Memorial Coliseum. 

After the Rams had scored on their opening possession, the 49ers answered with a two-yard score by Coleman late in the first quarter.

Garoppolo scored on a one yard plunge early in the third for a 14-7 lead. Garopplolo also passed for 243 yards.

Gould's field goals were from 25 yards and 34 yards in the fourth for the margin of victory.

Elsewhere, the Houston Texans spoiled Tyreek Hill's return for Kansas City, rallying with 20 unanswered points to hand the Chiefs their second straight NFL defeat, 31-24 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 280 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more TDs, getting the better of opposite number Patrick Mahomes in a clash of the league's top young quarterbacks.

Star receiver Hill returned for the Chiefs after being sidelined with a shoulder injury since the season-opener and made a quick impact with a spectacular touchdown catch in the first quarter.

He finished with five catches for 80 yards and two TDs, but it wasn't enough to keep the Texans at bay.

Houston's Carlos Hyde rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown against his former team and DeAndre Hopkins' nine catches for 55 yards included one within the last two minutes that let the Texans hang onto the ball and run out the clock.

Mahomes finished with 273 passing yards and three touchdowns, but also threw his first interception of the season.

In Baltimore, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson finished with almost 400 yards of total offense in a 23-17 victory over the winless Cincinnati Bengals.

Jackson connected on 21 of 33 passes for 236 yards and rushed for a career-high 152 yards -- fourth-most by a quarterback in NFL history -- as the Ravens improved to 4-2.

"It's cool, I guess," Jackson said when he learned that he was the first player in the Super Bowl era to produce more than 200 yards passing and 150 yards rushing in a regular-season game.

- Panthers pounce -

The Carolina Panthers pounced for a 37-26 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get the day started in London.

Christian McCaffrey scored two touchdowns and the Panthers parlayed five interceptions from Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston into 17 points on the way to a fourth straight victory.

The Panthers have bounced back from back-to-back defeats to open the season.

Kyle Allen has since stepped in for injured quarterback Cam Newton, but McCaffrey said it was the support of the "unbelievable" Panthers defense that made the difference at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"I felt like every single time they were on offense our defense had a chance to get a turnover or a sack," he said.

It was an emotional day for Panthers defensive end Efe Obada, who was born in Nigeria but arrived as a 10-year-old in England where he ended up fending for himself on the streets of London.

He was made an honorary captain for the game.

"I had family in the stands which I loved," Obada said. "Most of them don't even understand what I'm doing, but they believe in me and have supported me for years.

"For me to be in London and just showing them, it was really special."

Elsewhere, the Seattle Seahawks rallied for a 32-28 victory over the Browns in Cleveland to improve to 5-1 for the first time since 2013.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score as the Seahawks roared back after surrendering touchdowns on Cleveland's first three possessions.

In Minneapolis, Kirk Cousins connected on four touchdown passes -- three to Stefon Diggs -- as the Vikings soared past the Eagles 38-20.

In New Jersey, Sam Darnold threw two touchdown passes in his return from mononucleosis, and New York held on to beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-22 for the Jets' first win of the season.

In a battle of bottom-dwellers, Washington edged Miami 17-16.

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NFL: Super Bowl champion Patriots return home to hero's welcome

The New England Patriots returned home to a hero's welcome on Monday, a day after beating the Los Angeles Rams in a defensive slugfest to win their sixth Super Bowl title.

The Patriots' plane, with a now-out-of-date tail that has five Vince Lombardi Trophy images on it, landed in Warwick, Rhode Island, before the team drove 40 minutes to their stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Julian Edelman were not present as both were at Disney World in Florida.

Yet that did not dampen the mood among the more than 1,000 fans on hand to celebrate the latest chapter of a Patriots dynasty that began 17 years ago.

Chants of "We're still here!" -- a rallying cry the team adopted during its postseason run -- filled the air outside the stadium as members of the team exited buses that sported "Go Patriots" in bold red letters on the sides.

The sight of the players, head coach Bill Belichick, the architect behind each of the Patriots' Super Bowl wins, and the sterling silver Vince Lombardi Trophy delighted those who had waited hours for their arrival.

The celebration extended one that began late on Sunday in Atlanta where the Patriots collected a record-tying sixth Super Bowl championship in their 11th appearance in the National Football League's championship game.

Despite early season struggles that once again raised doubts about whether their dynasty was coming to an end, the Patriots silenced their critics with a 13-3 win over the Rams that was the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever played.

The celebration is far from over as the Patriots Super Bowl victory parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET (1600 GMT) on Tuesday. More than 1 million people attended the team's last Super Bowl victory parade in 2017. 

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Toby Davis)

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NFL: Patriots receiver Edelman named Super Bowl MVP

ATLANTA - Patriots' wide receiver Julian Edelman won the Super Bowl MVP trophy on Sunday in Atlanta after his key plays helped lift New England to a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL's championship game.

In a game where both offenses struggled to find the end zone, Edelman made the most of his opportunities, catching 10 of the 12 passes thrown his way for 141 yards while rushing once for eight yards.

The speedy and undersized 32-year-old, nicknamed 'The Squirrel', was quarterback Tom Brady's most reliable target, providing an offensive spark en route to his third Super Bowl championship with the team.

Edelman, who was selected 232nd in the seventh round of the 2009 draft when few saw the value he could bring to a team, put the credit for his success on his team mates.

"It just matters that we won, man," he said after the win.

"It was a crazy year. We’ve got a resilient bunch of guys. It was unreal man."

He said the heavily Patriots-leaning crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium also boosted the team as well.

"It was like a home game here. We love you guys. It was awesome," he said. 

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Frank Pingue/Amlan Chakraborty)

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NFL expected to 'refine' rules after Saints blunder

ATLANTA -- NFL team owner Arthur Blank said Monday he believes the league will introduce rule changes following the officiating furor that saw the New Orleans Saints controversially denied a place in the Super Bowl.

Blank, the billionaire boss of the Atlanta Falcons, told reporters that the NFL's competition committee would address the blunder that overshadowed the Saints' NFC Championship loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The non-call, which denied the Saints a chance to kill off the game before the Rams went on to win in overtime, is widely regarded as one of the worst officiating gaffes in NFL history.

Blank believes "refinements" are inevitable following the controversy, but would not speculate on what those changes might look like.

"The NFL takes the integrity of the game very seriously," Blank said. 

"That's the backbone of what we do. Every year, the competition committee looks at everything that took place in the previous year, and obviously this year will include the call that was missed in the conference championship game.

"They will look at making refinements to the rules, and I'm sure they will do something, although what that will be I'm not sure."

Anger over the blunder has continued to simmer in New Orleans, with one fan last week renting billboard space in Atlanta to vent his fury at the NFL.

One of the billboards read simply: "Saints got robbed."

"I understand how the Saints fans feel, and the city and the organisation feels," Blank said. 

"They should express themselves any way they can and I'm sure the commissioner will address that on Wednesday."

Blank, however, emphasized broad satisfaction with the standard of officiating in the league and suggested that given the increased pace of the game, human error was inevitable from time to time.

"The officials do a great job throughout the year," Blank told AFP.

"It's a tough game. You have 22 guys. Each one is bigger than a mountain and each one is faster than Superman. And they fly around, and sometimes it's not possible to catch everything.

"But by and large the officials do a great job of supporting the integrity of the game."

The Rams will face the New England Patriots in this Sunday's Super Bowl.

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NFL: Rams ace taunts Brady over age ahead of Super Bowl

ATLANTA -- Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman has risked the wrath of Tom Brady after claiming age had finally caught up with the New England Patriots quarterback.

Brady, 41, will overtake Peyton Manning as the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl on Sunday if he guides the Patriots to victory over the Rams in Atlanta.

Brady has looked in superb form during the playoffs, leading the Patriots to a lopsided win over the Los Angeles Chargers before a thrilling overtime victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game.

Robey-Coleman, whose unpunished pass interference in the Rams win over New Orleans sparked uproar, is adamant that Brady is on the wane.

"Age has definitely taken a toll," Robey-Coleman told Bleacher Report. "For him to still be doing it, that's a great compliment for him. But I think that he's definitely not the same quarterback he was." 

Robey-Coleman said he had pinpointed Brady's throwing as a possible area of decline.

"He still can sling it, but he's not slinging it as much," he said. 

"Whatever he was doing -- because of his age and all that -- he's not doing as much of that anymore."

Robey-Coleman's words are likely to be motivational manna from heaven for Brady and the Patriots, who have been eager to cast themselves as underdogs despite another successful season, which has ended with a ninth Super Bowl appearance since the 2001-2002 campaign.

At a send-off rally for the Patriots at their Gillette Stadium home on Sunday, Brady pumped up nearly 35,000 fans with chants of "We're still here!".

Brady, who in the past has spoken of his desire to play until 45, meanwhile told ESPN that he had no plans to retire after Sunday's showpiece.

"I feel like I'm asked that a lot and I feel like I repeat the same answer, but no one wants to believe me," said the five-time Super Bowl champion, stating there was "zero" chance he would quit.

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NFL: Rams rally past Saints in overtime to reach Super Bowl

WASHINGTON -- Greg Zuerlein kicked a 57-yard field goal in overtime Sunday to send the Los Angeles Rams into Super Bowl 53 with a 26-23 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

The Rams, who fell behind 13-0, made their greatest NFL playoff comeback and never led until Zuerlein kicked the longest playoff field goal in team history to win the National Conference final.

"Unbelievable. Can't find the words," said Rams quarterback Jared Goff. "To be down 13-0, the defense to play the way they did. And our kicker made a 57-yard field goal. Unbelievable."

The Rams advanced to the February 3 NFL championship spectacle in Atlanta against the winner of the American Conference final later Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots.

Rams coach Sean McVay, who turns 33 on Thursday, became the youngest coach to reach the Super Bowl.

"It's a credit to the people you have around you," McVay said. "Our team demonstrated great mental toughness. It was a tough start. We had confidence and we got it done. It was a great win."

The Rams seek their fourth NFL crown but their first for Los Angeles in the Super Bowl era. The team won NFL titles in 1945 based in Cleveland, 1951 based in Los Angeles and by winning the 2000 Super Bowl while based in St. Louis. The franchise lost two other Super Bowl trips in 1980 (Los Angeles) and 2002 (St. Louis).

"I'm so happy and proud for the players and coaches and so happy for the city of Los Angeles," Rams owner Stan Kroenke said.

The Saints received the ball to open the extra period but Rams linebacker Dante Fowler hit quarterback Drew Brees as he threw and safety John Johnson picked off the awkward lob while falling onto his back.

That lone New Orleans turnover set up Zuerlein's winner after he made earlier field goals from 36, 24 and 48 yards.

"I'm proud of our defense," said Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. "We've got one more to take care of. I was crying on the bench. I've never been this excited."

- 'It's a tough call' -

The Saints, who beat the Rams 45-35 in the regular season at New Orleans, were deadlocked late at 20-20 when Brees lofted a long pass that Ted Ginn Jr. grabbed for a 43-yard gain to the Rams 13-yard line.

A controversial no-penalty call on third down when Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman ran into Saints intended receiver Tommylee Lewis led to a 31-yard Wil Lutz field goal to give the Saints a 23-20 lead, but it also gave Los Angeles 1:41 to respond.

The Rams drove to set up Zuerlein's 48-yard equalizer with 15 seconds remaining to force overtime, leaving Saints coach Sean Payton upset at officials well after the last whistle.

"They felt like the player arrived at the same time the ball did," Payton said. "It was an interference call. It was a tough call when you're in a position to go the Super Bowl.

"Credit the Rams. They made the plays when they had to. I'm proud of our team. They accomplished a lot. It's just disappointing to get to this stage and not get any farther."


- Rams rally from 13 down -

The Rams, who like New Orleans went an NFL-best 13-3 this season, pulled within 13-10 at half-time on Todd Gurley's 6-yard touchdown run with 24 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Gurley's 58th touchdown in 61 career NFL games came one play after Goff connected with Brandin Cooks on a 36-yard pass.

New Orleans responded early in the second half with a 12-play, 71-yard march capped by a 2-yard Brees touchdown pass to Taysom Hill as the Saints seized a 20-10 advantage.

Los Angeles answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive resulting in Goff's 1-yard touchdown toss to tight end Tyler Higbee. Zuerlein equalized from 24 yards with 5:03 to play.

The Rams, who had never won a playoff game when trailing by seven or more points, managed only 15 yards in the opening quarter as the crowd noise from Saints' supporters in the Superdome made it difficult for LA players to hear signals.

Lutz kicked field goals of 37 and 29 yards and Brees flipped a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Garrett Griffin for a 13-0 Saints lead.


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NFL: Patriots beat Chiefs to join Rams in Super Bowl

New England and 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady will be going to their third consecutive Super Bowl after they beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 37-31, in overtime on Sunday, with the Los Angeles Rams standing between the Patriots and a sixth NFL title.

The Rams secured their berth in the Super Bowl after a controversial 26-23 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints in the National Football Conference title game.

The teams will meet in the Super Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on February 3.

American Football Conference champions New England beat the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28, in overtime in the 2017 Super Bowl and lost, 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles a year ago.

Their 11 Super Bowl appearances are the most ever.

The Rams have played in three previous Super Bowls, beating the Tennessee Titans, 23-16, in Atlanta in 2000 when they were based in St Louis. They last appeared in the title game in 2002 when they lost to the Patriots, 20-17.

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Saints hand Rams first defeat of NFL season

LOS ANGELES -- The New Orleans Saints handed the Los Angeles Rams their first defeat of the NFL season on Sunday, thwarting the Rams' second-half rally in a 45-35 triumph in the Superdome.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw four touchdowns, connecting with Michael Thomas for a 72-yard TD with less than four minutes remaining that put New Orleans up 45-35.

It was the Saints' first touchdown of the second half, and came after the Rams had roared back from 21 points down to knot the score at 35-35 early in the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing Los Angeles drive, Rams quarterback Jared Goff threw three straight incompletions and the Saints got the ball back, eventually converting a fourth-and-one play that sealed the win.

Overall Goff connected on 28-of-40 passing attempts for 391 yards and three touchdowns. But his first-half interception helped set up one of five Saints touchdowns before halftime.

It was 35-17 at the break. After the Rams tied things up on Goff's 41-yard scoring pass to Cooper Kupp and a two-point conversion, the Saints took a 38-35 lead on Wil Lutz's 45-yard field goal with 6:23 to play.

"We knew what we were up against," Thomas, who caught 12 passes for 211 yards, said of the powerful young Rams team. "They were playing excellent. They're playing great team football. We knew we had to execute at a high level, do our jobs and the team that made the fewest mistakes would win the game."

Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs' star second-year quarterback, enjoyed another big day, tying Andrew Luck's NFL record by throwing for 300 yards for the eighth straight game in a single season as the Chiefs beat the Browns in Cleveland 37-21.

Mahomes completed 23-of-32 passes for 375 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and the Kansas City offense was right there with him.

Kareem Hunt ran for two touchdowns and caught a TD pass as the Chiefs improved to 8-1.

The Browns, playing their first game since head coach Hue Jackson was sacked, were down 37-21 in the final five minutes when quarterback Baker Mayfield threw an interception -- quashing any hopes they harbored of a comeback.

Stout defense lifted the Chicago Bears to a 41-9 victory over the Bills in Buffalo.

Chicago's defense forced four bills turnovers and scored two touchdowns, intercepting third-string quarterback Nathan Peterman three times. That included a pick-six by outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.

Adrian Amos and Kyle Fuller also intercepted Peterman, who was forced into action because Josh Allen (sprained elbow) and Derek Anderson (concussion) were unable to play.

The Pittsburgh Steelers notched their fourth straight win, downing the Ravens 23-16 in Baltimore.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes to Antonio Brown and James Corner, who had 56 receive yards and rushed for 107 yards against the top-ranked defense in the NFL.

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Eagles clinch Division but lose Wentz

LOS ANGELES -- The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East divisional crown with a roller coaster victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday but saw star quarterback Carson Wentz exit early with a serious knee injury.

Wentz threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns before limping off in the third quarter as the Eagles held on to claim a pulsating 43-35 victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

But the gloss was taken off the win after Wentz's injury.

ESPN reported Sunday that the Eagles star had suffered a season-ending torn knee ligament, dealing a massive blow to a team who had been many pundits' favorites for the Super Bowl.

The win saw the Eagles improve to 11-2 at the top of the NFC East, guaranteeing them their first divisional title since 2013.

The Rams meanwhile remain on top of the NFC West at 9-5, one game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks (8-5) who fell 30-24 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The Eagles victory came after a gutsy fourth quarter fightback when they clawed back the momentum as the Rams appeared to be closing in on victory.

Wentz had earlier steered the Eagles to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter to leave the hosts in trouble.

However the Rams hit back with touchdowns from Cooper Kupp and Sammy Watkins before a blocked Eagles punt allowed Blake Countess to score a touchdown to put them 28-24 up.

Wentz bravely regained his composure after suffering a heavy hit to find Alshon Jeffery with a two-yard touchdown pass to make it 31-28.

But the Eagles signal-caller then left the game with a left knee injury and was receiving treatment when Rams running back Todd Gurley rushed for his second touchdown of the day to make it 35-31.

The Eagles cut the Rams lead to one-point with a Jake Elliott field goal.

Crucially, Rams quarterback Jared Goff then fumbled to hand back possession to the Eagles, and Elliott subsequently kicked the go-ahead field goal.

With the final play of the game, Brandon Graham recovered a Rams fumble to complete the Eagles win.

   
- Dallas spoil Manning return -

Elsewhere Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys stayed alive in their quest for a wildcard berth with a 30-10 win over the New York Giants.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott finished with a career-high 332 yards as Dallas improved to 7-6 in the NFC East to stay in the postseason chase.

But it was a miserable return to the starting line-up for Prescott's Giants counterpart Eli Manning, who was cheered by fans but ultimately disappointed in his first start since he was benched last week.

Manning and the Giants were blown away by three fourth quarter Dallas touchdowns from Jason Witten and Rod Smith (2).

Dallas will realistically need to win their three remaining games against Oakland, Seattle and Philadelphia to have any chance of snatching a wildcard spot.

In other games Sunday, the Carolina Panthers jolted the Minnesota Vikings 34-21 after a three-touchdown rushing display from Jonathan Stewart.

Stewart grabbed the first of his three scores with a 60-yard gallop to the end zone in the first quarter as the Panthers boosted their playoff hopes to improve to 9-4. The Vikings slipped to 10-3 but remain atop the NFC North.

In Cleveland, the Browns looked poised to score their first victory of the season after leading 21-7 against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter.

But two Packers touchdowns from Jamaal Williams and Davante Adams sent the game into overtime where Adams scored again to seal a 27-21 win.

In Buffalo, the Bills overcame blizzard-like conditions to beat the Indianapolis Colts 13-17 in overtime in a game played with thick snow blanketing the pitch.

"It was crazy," Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett said of the conditions.

"I never played in this in my life or played in the snow. Every time it snowed, I was in the house. It was definitely a different experience."

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Resurgent Rams roll on, Cowboys stall

LOS ANGELES -- Jared Goff threw for three touchdowns as the resurgent Los Angeles Rams overpowered the Houston Texans to maintain their push towards the postseason on Sunday.

Rams quarterback Goff amassed a career-high 355 passing yards as the league's most potent offense took their time before pulling away for a 33-7 win at the Memorial Coliseum.

The victory was the latest stop on a season of renaissance for the Rams, who are now 7-2 at the top of the NFC West after finishing last year at 4-12.

A tight first half saw the Rams held to a 9-7 lead with Bruce Ellington scoring a touchdown for the Texans.

However the Rams cut loose in a dazzling third quarter, with Goff hurling a 94-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods from inside the Los Angeles end zone to launch a 21-point scoring blitz.

Goff then picked out Sammy Watkins for a 17-yard touchdown before hitting Woods once more for a 12-yard score.


The victory keeps Los Angeles on course to reach the postseason for the first time since 2004.

Elsewhere on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys lost further ground on NFC East pace-setters the Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) after slipping to a 27-7 loss against the Atlanta Falcons in Georgia.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott rushed for a first quarter touchdown to give Dallas the lead but ultimately suffered a miserable day, being sacked eight times.

Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn was responsible for six sacks as the Cowboys offense, missing the suspended Ezekiel Elliott, failed to fire.

Dallas are now 5-4 in the NFC East, making it increasingly likely their best hope of reaching the playoffs is going to be via a wildcard slot.

In early games Sunday, Chris Boswell drilled a last-second field goal to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a comeback 20-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The victory saw the Steelers move to 7-2 at the top of the AFC North.

It was the final act of a second-half revival by the Steelers, who had trailed 17-3 in the third quarter before rallying to overturn the deficit.

"We were tested, and tested in a lot of ways," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "Game circumstances kind of do that to you, but the guys didn't blink with it. They are to be given credit for that.

"Guys delivered in critical moments."

Elsewhere Sunday, Minnesota improved to 7-2 at the top of the NFC North with a 38-30 victory in Washington.

Vikings quarterback Case Keenum threw a career-high four touchdown passes while Adam Thielen amassed 166 receiving yards to help set up the win.

New Orleans meanwhile cemented their status as one of the form teams of the NFC after clinching a seventh consecutive victory in a 47-10 rout of the Buffalo Bills.

Running back Mark Ingram II rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints, unbeaten since losing their opening two games of the season, improved to 7-2 to lead the NFC South at New Era Field.

Rookie Alvin Kamara also rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown while another rookie Trey Edmunds had a 41-yard gallop to score in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Drew Brees also rushed for a touchdown as Buffalo slumped to their heaviest home defeat since 2007.

In San Francisco, the 49ers finally got off the mark, winning their first game of the season with a 31-21 defeat of the hapless New York Giants (1-8).

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NFL round-up: Brady seizes all-time win mark, Cowboys clinch playoffs berth

LOS ANGELES -- Tom Brady piloted the New England Patriots to a 26-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, his 201st NFL triumph breaking the all-time record for wins by a quarterback.

"We're in the locker room with a walking legend," Patriots cornerback Malcom Butler said after Brady threw for one touchdown pass in the victory that took the Patriots to 10-2 for the season.

He broke out of a tie with now-retired Peyton Manning for number one on the all-time wins list, including regular-season and post-season contests.

"He has the most wins in quarterback history in the NFL, but he still comes to work like he hasn't accomplished anything," Butler added of Brady -- who might have passed the milestone sooner but for his four-game Deflategate suspension to start this season.

The record put Brady in the spotlight, but the Pats defense also came up big, holding the Rams to 25 yards of offense in the first half -- the fewest yards ever allowed by New England in a half.

It was the kind of performance New England needed as they adjust to life without star tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will miss the rest of the season after back surgery this week.

LeGarrette Blount, who turns 30 on Monday, romped 43 yards for a touchdown on a fourth-and-1 on New England's first possession.

Brady hit Chris Hogan with a 14-yard TD pass in the second quarter and Stephen Gostkowski kicked four field goals.

Three of Gostkowski's field goals were from 45 yards or more -- a welcome sign that he has broken out of the slump that has seen him miss four field goals and three extra-points this season.

"It's a start, it's one game," Gostkowski said. "Every week is a different challenge."

   

- Sweet homecoming for Chiefs' Berry -

Kansas City safety Eric Berry, riding on the emotion of his return to his hometown of Atlanta, produced a spectacular display that included a game-winning interception return in the Chiefs' 29-28 victory over the Falcons.

Berry, who beat Hodgkin's lymphoma, had a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first half, then picked off an attempted conversion pass in the fourth quarter and raced 99 yards for what proved the deciding two points.

"The last time I came home during the season it was to get chemotherapy," said Berry, who handed his touchdown ball to his mother in the stands.

"This time it was to play a game, so I was thankful for the opportunity. I take pride in a lot of things people take for granted. I cherish everything that comes my way."

- Redskins loss puts Cowboys through -

The Dallas Cowboys -- who notched their 11th straight win on Thursday -- officially became the first team to clinch a playoff berth when NFC East rivals Washington dropped a 31-23 decision to Arizona.

In Oakland, Derek Carr threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns as the Raiders roared back with 29 unanswered points to beat the Buffalo Bills 38-24.

The Raiders won their sixth straight and improved to 10-2 -- their best start since 2000.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco had a big day, throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-6 blowout win over Miami that snapped the Dolphins' six-game winning streak.

The Chicago Bears blew out the San Francisco 49ers 26-6 at snowy Soldier Field. Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick was sacked five times and completed just one pass for four yards was benched in the fourth quarter in favor of Blaine Gabbert, but that didn't stop San Francisco from falling to an 11th straight defeat.

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San Francisco routs LA Rams in NFL season opener

SAN FRANCISCO -- Carlos Hyde scored two touchdowns as the San Francisco 49ers routed Los Angeles 28-0 in the Rams' season opener and first game since returning to southern California following a 21-year absence.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw a touchdown pass as the 49ers were in control throughout, giving new San Francisco coach Chip Kelly a victory in his debut Monday night at Levi's Stadium.

"The credit goes to our defense and our defensive staff," said Kelly. "They did a very nice job. It is something for us to build on."

It was a tough night for the Rams whose return to Los Angeles after a 21-year stay in St. Louis had created a buzz around the National Football League (NFL) only to be shutout in their season opener.

This was among the league's top rivalries back in the 1970s and 1980s when the Los Angeles Rams or the 49ers won all but two NFC West Division crowns.

San Francisco backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick continued his American anthem protest Monday by kneeling during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner.

He was joined on the ground by teammate Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea and Eli Harold, who both raised their right fists in a similar fashion to US Olympian Tommie Smith's black power salute at the 1968 Mexico City Games. Two members of the Rams also joined in as Robert Quinn and Kenny Britt also held up fists.

But Kaepernick's protest didn't sit well with a few of the fans located behind the 49ers' bench who yelled at Kaepernick to stand up during the playing of the song.

Hyde gained 88 yards on 23 carries and Gabbert completed 22-of-35 passes for 170 yards and an eight-yard touchdown to tight end Vance McDonald.

Running back Shaun Draughn scored on a three-yard run in the second quarter, and wide receiver Jeremy Kerley grabbed seven passes for 61 yards.

The 49ers' defense held the Rams to 185 total yards.

Los Angeles running back Todd Gurley ran for just 47 yards on 17 carries. Gurley was the league's offensive rookie of the year last year.

Keenum struggles

Quarterback Case Keenum struggled mightily in the first season-opening start of his career. He completed 17-of-35 passes for 130 yards with two interceptions.

Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, wasn't able to crack the starting lineup and was in street clothes for the final game of NFL's first week of action.

In the earlier Monday contest, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns and the Pittsburgh Steelers stomped the host Washington Redskins, 38-16.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown grabbed eight passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns for the Steelers. Roethlisberger completed 27-of-37 passes with one interception at FedEx Field stadium.

Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins had his streak of 16 straight regular-season games with a touchdown pass snapped. He completed 30-of-43 passes for 329 yards and threw two interceptions.

DeSean Jackson had six catches for 102 yards for Washington.

The Steelers went two-for-two on fourth down conversions.

Conversely the Redskins were zero-for-two on fourth down and just three-for-10 on third downs.

"We didn't convert (fourth downs) and we weren't very good on third downs," Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. "The money downs are a big difference in the game, but overall they just out-coached us and out-played us."

Said Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, "They took us out behind the woodshed. It was good old fashioned whipping."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com