Bengals Beat Rams, Patriots Drop First Loss

As the touchdown passes and interceptions piled up, it felt like a throwback game for the Bengals.

Andy Dalton threw three touchdown passes -- two of them to A.J. Green -- and Cincinnati emerged from its brief skid with an effort reminiscent of its perfect first half of the season, beating the St. Louis Rams 31-7 on Sunday.

After dropping a pair of close prime-time games, the Bengals (9-2) were back in sync against a team that struggles to score and keep up. The 31 points equaled the second-most against St. Louis this season.

In addition to Dalton's three touchdowns, the Bengals had three interceptions, including one that Leon Hall returned for a touchdown.

"I felt like we played well in all phases of the game," Dalton said. "It's good to get a win, and it's good to get a win the way we did."

The Rams (4-7) have dropped four in a row, in large part because their offense ranks last in the league in passing. They switched quarterbacks last week, but Case Keenum got a head injury during a 16-13 loss in Baltimore and was limited in practice.

Nick Foles, who started the first nine games, returned. The most costly of his three interceptions came when he avoided the rush and floated a pass that Hall picked off and returned 19 yards for a touchdown.

Broncos 30, Patriots 24 (OT)

Filling in for Peyton Manning. Facing Tom Brady -- and a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter. None of it bothered Brock Osweiler.

The 25-year-old quarterback making his first career start in Denver felt right at home in the snow globe that was Sports Authority Field on Sunday night, where the Broncos handed the New England Patriots their first loss, 30-24 in overtime.

It all reminded him of his youth in Kalispell, Montana, where misfires in the backyard ended up in snowbanks "and you'd have to dust off all the snow," Osweiler said. "Fortunately, when you play in the NFL, there are guys on the sideline that dust off all the snow.

"But, yeah, it was fun."

Not for Brady, who lost yet another one of his trusted targets when star tight end Rob Gronkowski injured his right knee with 2:49 left in the fourth quarter on a clean hit by safety Darian Stewart and was carted off the field.

Brady's receiving corps already was depleted with injuries to Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson and running back Dion Lewis. If Gronkowski's injury is serious, it could be the biggest loss of all.

"He's been through a lot, he's a tough guy," Brady said. "Hopefully, it's not too serious. All of our fingers are crossed."

Stewart swept in low, trying to break up the pass that fell incomplete.

"I hate to see it but it's really the only way for defenders to hit now," Brady said. "I bet if you ask a bunch of players they'd rather you go high than low. When you go low that's what happens. I don't think it's dirty. I just think it's the way football's being played now."

Gronkowski, who caught his ninth touchdown pass and led New England with six receptions for 88 yards before getting hurt, didn't speak with reporters afterward. He walked to the team bus with a slight limp but no brace and coach Bill Belichick said he had no update.

The Broncos (9-2) won it when C.J. Anderson bounced a run outside and raced 48 yards down Denver's jubilant sideline with 12:32 left in overtime after its top-ranked defense forced a three-and-out thanks to a big sack by Von Miller and a huge hit by Shane Ray.

Sunday, November 29 Scoreboard

Oakland 24, Tennessee 21

Kansas City 30, Buffalo 22

Indianapolis 25, Tampa Bay 12
    
Washington 20, New York Giants 14

Houston 24, New Orleans 6

Minnesota 20, Atlanta 10

Cincinnati 31, St. Louis

San Diego 31, Jacksonville 25

New York Jets 38, Miami 20

Arizona 19, San Francisco 13
    
Seattle 39, Pittsburgh 30

Denver 30, New England 24 (OT)

Monday, November 30 Schedule (Time Central)

Baltimore at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 3 Schedule (Time Central)

Green Bay at Detroit, 7:25 p.m.

Sunday, December Schedule (All Times Central)

New York Jets at New York Giants, noon

Arizona at St. Louis, noon

Atlanta at Tampa Bay, noon

Seattle at Minnesota, noon

Houston at Buffalo, noon

Baltimore at Miami, noon

Cincinnati at Cleveland, noon

Jacksonville at Tennessee, noon

San Francisco at Chicago, noon

Denver at San Diego, 3:05 p.m.

Kansas City at Oakland, 3:05 p.m.

Carolina at New Orleans, 3:25 p.m.

Philadelphia at New England, 3:25 p.m.

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.