Bears Outgun Steelers, Cowboys Crush Rams, NFL Roundup

Bears Outgun Steelers In Pittsburgh

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- The Bears forced five turnovers and scored twice on defense in a 40-23 win over the Steelers at Heinz Field. Bears head coach Marc Trestman says they were lucky to get this victory.

Major Wright took an interception back 38 yards for a score while Julius Peppers sealed the victory with a 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Chicago led 24-3 in the second quarter before Pittsburgh stormed back to cut the lead to four early in the fourth. Matt Forte ran for 87 yards and a touchdown while Jay Cutler threw for 159 yards and a score as the Bears remained perfect at 3-0. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 406 yards with two interceptions and two TD passes to Antonio Brown, who finished with nine catches for 196 yards. Pittsburgh fell to 0-3 for the first time since 2000.

Cowboys Crush Rams

(Arlington, TX) -- Tony Romo tossed for 210 yards and three touchdowns to pace the Cowboys to a 31-7 victory over the Rams at AT&T Stadium. DeMarco Murray rushed for 175 yards and a TD for Dallas, which improved to 2-1 on the season. Dez Bryant had four receptions for 38 yards and a score in the win.  Sam Bradford threw for 240 yards and a touchdown for St. Louis, which slipped to 1-2 overall.  The Rams were held to 34 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Bengals Rally To Beat Green Bay

(Cincinnati, OH) -- Terence Newman returned a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown with just under four minutes to play as the Bengals won a game of runs 34-30 over the Packers at Paul Brown Stadium.   The Bengals went up 14-0 then allowed 30 unanswered points, but rebounded to score the final 20 for the victory. Andy Dalton threw for 235 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for Cincinnati, which improved to 2-1. Geovani Bernard and BenJarvus Green-Ellis each had a rushing TD. Cincinnati won despite fumbling five times and losing three of them. Aaron Rodgers tossed for 244 yards, a score and two picks for Green Bay, which dropped to 1-2. Johnathan Franklin ran for 103 yards and a TD in defeat.

Locker, Titans Top Chargers

(Nashville, TN) -- Jake Locker found Justin Hunter from 34 yards out with 15 seconds to play as the Titans topped the Chargers 20-17 in Nashville. Locker ended 23-of-37 for 299 yards. He also had 68 yards and a TD on the ground. Chris Johnson rushed for 90 yards for Tennessee, which improved to 2-1. Nate Washington had a game-high 131 yards on eight receptions. Philip Rivers threw for 184 yards and a score for San Diego, which slipped to 1-2. Ronnie Brown had the only rushing score for the Chargers while Antonio Gates had the TD grab.

Browns Best Vikings Late

(Minneapolis, MN) -- Brian Hoyer found Jordan Cameron from seven yards out with 51 seconds to play as the Browns beat the Vikings 31-27 in Minnesota. Hoyer threw for 321 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions for Cleveland, which improved to 1-2. Cameron had six catches for 66 yards and three TDs in the win. Josh Gordon made 10 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown in his return from suspension. Cleveland was without starting QB Brandon Weeden, who was out with a thumb injury, and running back Trent Richardson, who was traded to the Colts.  Christian Ponder tossed for 228 yards and a pick for Minnesota, which dropped to 0-3. He added 46 yards and two scores on the ground.  Adrian Peterson rushed for 88 yards and a TD on 25 carries.

Patriots Pummel Buccaneers

(Foxboro, MA) -- Tom Brady threw for 225 yards to go with two touchdowns and an interception as the Patriots pounded the Buccaneers 23-3 in Foxboro. LeGarrette Blount ran for a team-high 65 yards for New England, which improved to 3-0. Kenbrell Thompkins had both TDs from Brady in the win. Josh Freeman was 19-of-41 for 236 yards and a pick for Tampa Bay, which dipped to 0-3. Doug Martin rushed for 88 yards in defeat.

Saints Slam Cardinals

(New Orleans, LA) -- Drew Brees threw for 342 yards, three touchdowns and an interception as the Saints slammed the Cardinals 31-7 in the Big Easy. Brees added 21 yards and a TD on the ground for New Orleans, which improved to 3-0. Jimmy Graham had nine receptions for 134 yards and a pair of TDs in the win. Carson Palmer tossed for 187 yards and two picks for Arizona, which slipped to 1-2. Alfonso Smith rushed for 27 yards and a score in defeat.

Lions Level Redskins

(Landover, MD) -- Matthew Stafford threw for 385 yards to go along with two touchdowns and an interception as the Lions dropped the Redskins, 27-20. This was the first Lions road win against the Redskins since 1935 when they were located in Boston. Calvin Johnson made seven catches for 115 yards and a TD while Nate Burleson had six grabs for 116 yards. Detroit improved to 2-1. Robert Griffin the Third threw for 326 yards and an interception for Washington, which slipped to 0-3. Alfred Morris rushed for 73 yards and a TD. DeAngelo Hall returned an interception 17 yards for a score in the loss.

Panthers Maul Giants

(Charlotte, NC) -- Cam Newton threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers pounded the Giants 38-0 in Charlotte. Newton ended 15-of-27 with an interception to go with 45 yards and a TD on the ground. DeAngelo Williams rushed for a game-high 120 yards for Carolina, which improved to 1-2. Brandon LaFell hauled in two TDs while Ted Ginn Junior had three catches for 71 yards and a score in the win.  Eli Manning threw for 119 yards and an interception for New York, which dropped to 0-3. David Wilson ran for 39 yards on 11 touches in the loss.

Ravens Roll Texans

(Baltimore, MD) -- Daryl Smith had a game-high 10 tackles to go with a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown as the Ravens rolled the Texans 30-9 at M&T Bank Stadium. Tandon Doss returned a punt 82 yards for a score just before the half. Joe Flacco threw for 171 yards for Baltimore, which moved to 2-1. Bernard Pierce rushed for 65 yards and a TD in place of Ray Rice, who was out with a hip strain.  Matt Schaub threw for 194 yards and an interception for Houston, which slipped to 2-1. Arian Foster rushed for 54 yards on 12 carries in defeat. The game marked the return of safety Ed Reed, who was playing in his first game of the season after leaving the Super Bowl champion Ravens for Houston this offseason.

Fins Sink Falcons With Late Touchdown

(Miami, FL) -- Ryan Tannehill connected with Dion Sims on a one-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter to lift the Dolphins past the Falcons 27-23 at Sun Life Stadium.  Miami trailed by 10 points in the first half and second half, but was able to pull out the comeback win to move to 3-and-0 and stay with the Patriots atop the AFC East. Tannehill completed 24-of-35 passes for 236 yards with touchdowns and a pick. Atlanta took the loss despite outgaining the Fins 377 yards to 285. Jason Snelling and Levine Toilolo were on the receiving end of Matt Ryan TD tosses, while Julio Jones hauled in nine passes for 115 yards. Ryan also threw a pick and was 23-of-38 for 231 yards.  The Falcons fell to 1-2.

Jets Hold Off Bills Behind Smith And Holmes

(East Rutherford, NJ) -- A Geno Smith to Santonio Holmes 69-yard touchdown with less than 10 minutes left helped the Jets overcome a calamity of errors and beat the Bills 27-20 at MetLife Stadium.  New York accumulated 20 penalties for 168 yards and head coach Rex Ryan used two challenges that didn't work out as they blew a 20-6 third quarter lead. Smith had the first 300-yard passing game of his career and threw two touchdowns with two interceptions. Holmes was on the receiving end of 154 of the rookie's 331 yards, while Bilal Power ran for 149 on 27 carries. The Jets are 2-1. Buffalo tied the game at 20 on a 33-yard strike from EJ Manuel to tight end Scott Chandler, plus completed the two-point conversion attempt. Manuel was 19-of-42 for 243 yards with no turnovers and the TD. C.J. Spiller was held to nine yards on 10 carries. The Bills dropped to 1-2

Colts Pound Niners

(San Francisco, CA) -- The Colts pulled out a surprising 27-7 road win over the 49ers behind a dominating defensive performance. Indianapolis held San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick to 170 total yards, zero scores and two turnovers as the Niners fell to 1-2. San Francisco was just 3-of-12 on third down. Despite the addition of Trent Richardson, it was Ahmad Bradshaw who led the Colts rushing attack with 95 yards on 19 carries and a TD. The newly acquired Richardson did hit paydirt on a one-yard run. Andrew Luck also scored on the ground as Indy improved to 2-1. The 49ers' pass game struggled without tight end Vernon Davis, who missed the game with a hamstring injury. Frank Gore had 11 carries for 82 yards in defeat.

Seahawks Stomp Jaguars

(Seattle, WA) -- Russell Wilson tossed three first-half touchdown passes to help the Seahawks make quick work of the Jaguars in a 45-17 victory at CenturyLink Field. Wilson finished with 202 yards passing, four touchdowns and an interception. Sidney Rice and Zach Miller each hauled in two TD catches. Seattle jumped out to a 31-0 lead on its way to a 3-0 record. Chad Henne threw two picks and Maurice Jones-Drew was held to 43 yards on 19 carries with a TD. Cecil Shorts had eight catches for 143 yards. Jacksonville has struggled to an 0-and-3 start.

Raiders, Broncos Battle On "MNF"

(Denver, CO) -- The Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos renew their AFC West rivalry on "Monday Night Football" in the Mile High City. The Silver and Black beat the Jaguars 19-9 at home in Week Two to even their record at 1-1. Darren McFadden rushed for 129 yards on 19 carries and Sebastian Janikowski kicked four field goals for Oakland.  The Raiders lost 21-17 at Indianapolis in Week One. The Broncos are off to a 2-0 start. Peyton Manning beat Eli Manning for the third time in his career last weekend as the Broncos blasted the Giants 41-23 in East Rutherford. Peyton has thrown nine TD passes without an interception in two games thus far, including seven in Denver's Week One win over Baltimore.  The Broncos have put up 90 points in two games. Denver has beaten Oakland the last three meetings.

49ers' Smith To Miss Thursday's Game

(San Francisco, CA)  --  San Francisco 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith is going to take care of his personal issues.  Smith played in Sunday's 27-7 loss to the Colts, but Niners CEO Jed York said he will not play in Thursday's game against the Rams.  He is taking an indefinite leave of absence after his Friday arrest for suspicion of DUI.

Sunday, September 22 Scoreboard

NFL

Cincinnati Bengals 34, Green Bay Packers 30

Dallas Cowboys 31, St. Louis Rams 7

Tennessee Titans 20, San Diego Chargers 17

Cleveland Browns 31, Minnesota Vikings 27

New England Patriots 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3

New Orleans Saints 31, Arizona Cardinals 7

Detroit Lions 27, Washington Redskins 20

Carolina Panthers 38, New York Giants 0

Baltimore Ravens 30, Houston Texans 9

Miami Dolphins 27, Atlanta Falcons 23

New York Jets 27, Buffalo Bills 20

Indianapolis Colts 27, San Francisco 49ers 7

Seattle Seahawks 45, Jacksonville Jaguars 17

Chicago Bears 40, Pittsburgh Steelers 23

Monday, September 23 Schedule (Time Central)

NFL

7:30 p.m. - Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos