NFL GAME RECAPS

NFL Recaps: Dolphins stop Big Ben, Steelers

The Sports Xchange

October 16, 2016 at 4:50 pm.

Oct 16, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jarvis Jones (95) for a touchdown during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins won 30-15. Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Oct 16, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jarvis Jones (95) for a touchdown during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins won 30-15. Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jay Ajayi rushed for a career-high 204 yards on 25 carries as the Miami Dolphins upset the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-15 on Sunday.

Ajayi, who scored twice, became the first Dolphins 200-yard rusher since Reggie Bush did it on Dec. 18, 2011, at the Buffalo Bills.

It was easily the most impressive game of the season for the Dolphins (2-4), whose only other win came in overtime over the Cleveland Browns.

The Steelers (4-2) survived an injury scare when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sat out one series in the second quarter after hurting his left knee. Roethlisberger returned in the third quarter but did not have one of his better games. He completed 19 of 34 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill outplayed Roethlisberger. Tannehill had fans calling for his benching a week ago, but he completed 24 of 32 passes for 252 yards and no interceptions against the Steelers.

Patriots 35, Bengals 17

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes in his 2016 home debut and the defense came up big as New England downed Cincinnati.

Brady, suspended for the first four games of the season because of his role in Deflategate and a winner in Cleveland in his return last week, threw two TD passes to running back James White and one to Rob Gronkowski while also going over the 5,000-completion mark for his career.

In improving to 49-1 at home against AFC opponents with Brady at the helm since 2006, the Patriots (5-1) scored 15 points in 4:07 in the third quarter to take control of the game. Brady finished 29 of 35 for 376 yards.

Cincinnati drops to 2-4 for the first time since 2010.

Redskins 27, Eagles 20

LANDOVER, Md. — Kirk Cousins threw a pair of touchdown passes as Washington defeated Philadelphia for its fourth straight win.

Matt Jones rushed 16 times for 135 yards, including a 57-yarder with 1:27 left that iced the win for the Redskins (4-2). The Eagles (3-2) lost their second straight.

Washington, playing without leading receiver Jordan Reed, got six catches for 77 yards from Pierre Garcon and the defense recorded five sacks of Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, who faced a barrage of blitzes and completed 11 of 22 passes for 179 yards. Cousins completed 18 of 34 passes and was intercepted once.

Philadelphia’s touchdowns came on Wendell Smallwood’s 86-yard kickoff return and a 64-yard interception return by Malcolm Jenkins.

Bills 45, 49ers 16

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — LeSean McCoy rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns for Buffalo in an easy victory over San Francisco.

Tyrod Taylor passed for 179 yards and two touchdowns and added 68 rushing yards as the Bills (4-2) won their fourth straight game for the first time since the start of the 2008 season.

Buffalo’s 312 rushing yards were its most since gaining 315 in a Nov. 11, 1992 win over the New Orleans Saints. It is the most rushing yards San Francisco has allowed since giving up 324 yards to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 9, 1958.

Colin Kaepernick completed 13 of 29 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown in his first start for the 49ers (1-5) since Nov. 1, 2015. Kaepernick also rushed for 66 yards.

Lions 31, Rams 28

DETROIT — Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes and Matt Prater kicked a tie-breaking 34-yard field goal with 1:29 remaining to lift Detroit over Los Angeles.

Stafford completed 23 of 31 passes for 270 yards. Golden Tate caught eight passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, while Anquan Boldin contributed eight receptions for 60 yards and a score for the Lions (3-3).

Case Keenum completed 27 of 32 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns for the Rams (3-3) but also threw a late interception. Keenum connected on 19 consecutive passes at one point. Kenny Britt had seven receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns but Todd Gurley was held to 58 rushing yards on 14 carries.

Giants 27, Ravens 23

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes, two of which were deep passes to Odell Beckham Jr., as New York snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Baltimore.

The victory was Manning’s 100th as a starter, putting him in elite company with Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady, John Elway, Joe Montana and Ben Roethlisberger as the only other starting NFL quarterbacks to record 100 career victories and two Super Bowls with one team.

Manning, who was 32 of 46 for 403 yards and two interceptions, connected with Beckham with 1:24 to play for the game-winning, 66-yard touchdown. Beckham, who earlier in the game had suffered a left hip pointer, finished with eight catches for 222 yards.

The final pass to Beckham put the Giants (3-3) in the lead for good as Manning recorded multiple touchdowns for the first time this season. The Ravens (3-3) lost their third straight.

Saints 41, Panthers 38

NEW ORLEANS — Wil Lutz kicked a 52-yard field goal with 11 seconds left and Drew Brees riddled a young Carolina secondary for 465 yards and four touchdowns to power New Orleans to a victory.

The Saints bolted to a 21-0 lead and hung on as the Panthers came back to tie the game 38-38 with 21 fourth-quarter points.

But Brees, who completed 34 of 49 passes for his NFL-record 15th 400-yard passing game, drove New Orleans 41 yards in 11 plays to set up the game-winning kick.

The Saints won their second consecutive game to improve to 2-3, while the Panthers dropped to 1-5 after posting a 15-1 mark a year ago.

Carolina lost its fourth straight despite the return of quarterback Cam Newton, who missed last week’s loss to Tampa Bay because of a concussion. Newton was 27-of-47 passing for 322 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception. He also ran for a 2-yard score that tied the game at 38 with 2:58 left

Titans 28, Browns 26

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Marcus Mariota threw three touchdowns as Tennessee held on to beat winless Cleveland.

Mariota completed 17 of 24 passes for 284 yards with an interception, capping his second straight three-TD pass week with a 15-yard scoring strike to Anthony Fasano with 6:43 left in the game for a 28-13 advantage. It polished off a 12-play, 80-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes.

While Mariota handled the offense, the defense clamped down on Cleveland (0-6) in the second half, not allowing a first down until the 5:32 mark of the fourth quarter and forcing four straight three-and-outs. The Titans (3-3) sacked Cody Kessler six times, their second straight game with a half-dozen sacks.

Kessler, who got the call despite suffering chest and rib injuries in last week’s 33-13 loss to New England, hit on 26 of 41 attempts for 336 yards and two scores. But the Browns managed just 40 yards on 15 carries.

Jaguars 17, Bears 16

CHICAGO — Arrelious Benn caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Blake Bortles with 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter as Jacksonville mounted a come-from-behind win over Chicago.

Benn’s only catch of the day provided the Jaguars (2-3) with their first lead after the Bears jumped out to a 13-0 advantage. Benn slipped as he caught the pass, but was untouched by cornerback Tracy Porter, allowing Benn to get up and finish off the long scoring play. Jason Myers added the extra point to give the Jaguars a one-point lead.

Bortles, who entered the game 1-14 on the road as a starter, finished 20 of 33 for 271 yards with a touchdown and interception. Brian Hoyer, starting again in place of injured Jay Cutler, was 30 of 49 for 302 yards for the Bears (1-5).

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