NFL Today, Week 9
November 5, 2017
SCOREBOARD
Monday, Nov. 6
Detroit at Green Bay, 8:30 p.m. EST. The NFC North rival Lions (3-4) and Packers (4-3) meet on Monday night looking to improve their offenses. While Detroit has moved the ball through the air behind Matthew Stafford, the Lions have struggled in the run game and inside the red zone. Green Bay is trying to get its passing attack back on track with backup Brett Hundley making his second start in place of injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
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STARS
Passing
- Jared Goff, Rams, set career highs with four touchdown throws and 311 yards passing in Los Angeles' 51-17 rout of the New York Giants.
- Carson Wentz, Eagles, tossed four touchdown passes to give him an NFL-leading 23, and the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Denver Broncos 51-23.
- Kirk Cousins, Redskins, drove Washington 70 yards in 35 seconds, capped by Rob Kelley's 1-yard touchdown run with less than a minute remaining to stun the Seattle Seahawks 17-14.
- Jacoby Brissett, Colts, threw for 308 yards and two TDs in Indianapolis' 20-14 win at Houston.
- Drew Brees, Saints, completed 81.2 percent of his passes (22 of 27) for 263 yards and two touchdowns in New Orleans' 30-10 victory over Tampa Bay.
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Rushing
- Adrian Peterson, Cardinals, carried a career-high 37 times for 159 yards in Arizona's 20-10 victory over winless San Francisco.
- Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys, ran for 93 yards and a TD on 27 carries in Dallas' 28-17 win over Kansas City. Elliott's six-game suspension was placed on hold by a federal court, allowing him to play.
- Jay Ajayi, Eagles, had 77 yards rushing and one score - a 46-yarder - in his Philadelphia debut, a 51-23 rout of Denver.
- Todd Gurley, Rams, ran for two touchdowns to help Los Angeles roll past the New York Giants 51-17.
- Corey Clement, Eagles, rushed for two scores and also caught a TD pass in Philadelphia's 51-23 win over Denver.
- Rob Kelley, Redskins, had two TD runs, including a go-ahead 1-yard score in Washington's 17-14 comeback victory at Seattle.
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Receiving
- T.Y. Hilton, Colts, had 175 yards receiving with two touchdowns to help Indianapolis halt a three-game skid with a 20-14 win at Houston.
- Alshon Jeffery, Eagles, had touchdown catches of 32 and 4 yards in Philadelphia's 51-23 victory over Denver.
- Marqise Lee, Jaguars, had eight receptions for 75 yards and a TD in Jacksonville's 23-7 victory over Cincinnati.
- Robert Woods, Rams, caught two of Jared Goff's four touchdown tosses in Los Angeles' 51-17 win over the New York Giants.
- Alvin Kamara, Saints, had six catches for 84 yards, including a 36-yard TD, and also scored on a 6-yard run in New Orleans' 30-10 win over Tampa Bay.
- Terrence Williams, Cowboys, caught a career-best nine passes for 141 yards in Dallas' 29-17 victory over Kansas City.
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Special Teams
- Justin Hardee, Saints, blocked Bryan Anger's punt and returned it 7 yards for a touchdown in New Orleans' 30-10 win over Tampa Bay.
- Jaydon Mickens, Jaguars, returned a punt 63 yards for a score in the fourth quarter that sealed Jacksonville's 23-7 in over Cincinnati.
- Greg Zuerlein, Rams, booted three field goals and made all six of his extra points in Los Angeles' 51-17 rout of the New York Giants.
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Defense
- Jabaal Sheard, Colts, sealed Indianapolis' 20-14 win at Houston with a sack - his second of the game - and forced fumble as time ran out.
- Kevin Byard, Titans, intercepted two passes in Tennessee's 23-20 win over Baltimore, giving him five over his past two games.
- Keanu Neal, Falcons, forced two fumbles by Jonathan Stewart and recovered one in Atlanta's 20-17 loss to Jacksonville.
- Brandon Marshall, Broncos, scooped up the fumble after Von Miller stripped Nick Foles of the football, and ran it back 19 yards for a TD in Denver's 51-23 loss at Philadelphia.
- Dwight Freeney, Seahawks, had two sacks in Seattle's 17-14 loss to Washington, giving him three in the two games since joining the team.
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STREAKS & STATS
Alex Smith threw his first interception of the season in Kansas City's 28-17 loss at Dallas. It ended a streak of 293 passes without a pick for Smith, who was 25 of 34 for 263 yards and two TDs. ... The Rams' 51-17 rout of the New York Giants was Los Angeles' fifth win in six games to improve to 6-2, the franchise's best start since 2001, when the club, then in St. Louis, went 14-2 in the regular season and eventually lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. ... The Giants allowed the biggest offensive performance against them in a home game since Cleveland beat them 52-21 in the regular-season finale in 1964. ... Cincinnati finished with a season-low 148 yards in a 23-7 loss to Jacksonville, the Bengals' worst output since a 27-0 drubbing at Indianapolis in 2014 in which they managed just 135 yards. ... Denver's Demaryius Thomas caught his first TD pass this season, a 1-yard grab in the fourth quarter of the Broncos' 51-23 loss at Philadelphia. He hadn't scored since Nov. 13, 2016.
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MILESTONES
Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Chargers and Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles became the first quarterbacks selected Nos. 1 and 2 in the same draft to each throw four or more touchdown passes on the same day. Goff, the top pick in 2016, had four touchdown throws in Los Angeles' 51-17 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday. Wentz, No. 2 that year, also threw four TD passes in Philadelphia's 51-23 victory over Denver. ... Eli Manning of the Giants became the seventh NFL quarterback to reach the 50,000-mark with his completion to Sterling Shepard in the fourth quarter against the Rams. ... Adam Vinatieri, who moved past Gary Anderson for second on the NFL's career scoring list on Sunday with 2,442 points, added a 22-yard field goal for the Colts to make it 10-0 in the second. ... Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald moved past Tim Brown into sixth place on the career list for yards receiving with 14,953. ... Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby had an interception at San Francisco, becoming the fifth player with at least 40 sacks and 20 INTs in a career, joining Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis, Wilber Marshall and Seth Joyner.
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ALL DAY
Arizona's Adrian Peterson carried a career-high 37 times for 159 yards to take pressure off backup quarterback Drew Stanton and lead the Cardinals to a 20-10 victory over the winless San Francisco 49ers. The 32-year-old Peterson had 10 more carries in his third game with the Cardinals (4-4) than he had his first four weeks combined with the Saints. He posted the most carries ever for a player in his 30s and topped the 100-yard mark for the second time since being acquired in a trade last month. Peterson got the milestone in his 130th career game, fourth fastest in NFL history. Only Hall of Famers Jim Brown (115), Eric Dickerson (118) and Barry Sanders (125) got there faster. Peterson also moved into 15th place on the career rushing list with 12,142 yards, jumping ahead of Thurman Thomas.
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SOARING EAGLES
Philadelphia improved to 8-1 with a 51-23 win over Denver, marking the fifth time in franchise history the Eagles have started a season 8-1 or better - joining the 1949, 1960, 1980 and 2004 squads. The Eagles advanced to the NFL championship game or Super Bowl in each of the previous four instances.
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NEW ORLEANS SWING
New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay 30-10 to improve to 6-2 with its sixth straight victory. The Saints are the third team since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to win their next six games after an 0-2 start. The other teams to accomplish the feat - the 1993 Dallas Cowboys and 2007 New York Giants - both won the Super Bowl in that season.
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DAK ATTACK
Dallas' Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes and added a rushing touchdown in the Cowboys' 28-17 win over Kansas City. Prescott has 39 TD throws and 10 rushing scores in his career, joining Carolina's Cam Newton as the only players in NFL history to have at least 35 TD passes and 10 TD runs in their first two seasons.
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WOW FACTOR
Kansas City's Tyreek Hill had a weaving 56-yard touchdown reception against Dallas just before halftime of the Cowboys' 28-17 win. Trailing 14-3, the Chiefs were at their 44 with 2 seconds left when the Cowboys used three linemen and a linebacker near the line of scrimmage and dropped everyone else back. Hill caught an easy toss from Alex Smith at the Cowboys 42 and started toward the goal line with three blockers in front. The speedy Hill motored around Orlando Scandrick at the 25, cut behind two blocks from Demarcus Robinson inside the 10, and sidestepped over-pursuing linebacker Anthony Hitchens to finish the stunning TD. It was Hill's ninth career touchdown of at least 50 yards in his 25th game. He trails only Gale Sayers (10) for the most 50-yard TDs in a player's first 25 games to begin a career.
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STICKY FINGERS
Tennessee safety Kevin Byard had two interceptions in the Titans' 23-20 win over Baltimore, giving him five in his last two games. That ties him with Mike Haynes (1976), Willie Buchanon (1978), Albert Lewis (1985) and DeAngelo Hall (2010) for the most by an NFL player in consecutive games since the 1970 merger.
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DING! DING!
Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green and Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey got into it after Ramsey pushed Green to the ground at the end of a running play. Green grabbed Ramsey around the neck and slammed him to the ground. Green then delivered numerous punches to Ramsey's helmet and put another MMA-style choke hold on Ramsey. It was the kind of aggressive attack that could lead to league discipline, maybe even a suspension. Green and Ramsey were ejected. ... In New Orleans, a scuffle started in the third quarter when Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston vigorously pressed his finger into the back of Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore's helmet during a dead-ball period between a failed third-down pass and a punt. Lattimore turned and shoved Winston, after which Bucs receiver Mike Evans leveled Lattimore from behind. Saints defensive back De'Vante Harris then came charging into the melee to defend Lattimore. As the scuffle was broken up, Saints coach Sean Payton marched halfway across the field, gesturing angrily at the Tampa Bay bench before officials chased him back to the Saints' sideline. Evans was called for unnecessary roughness.
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RUNNING PANTHERS
Cam Newton ran for 86 yards and a scored on a head-first diving 9-yard touchdown run as the Carolina Panthers erased an early 10-point deficit to beat the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons 20-17. With wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin traded to Buffalo, the Panthers turned to back to their running game, racking up a season-high 201 yards on the ground. Newton led the Panthers' rushing attack for the fourth straight week, while rookie Christian McCaffrey added a career-high 66 yards rushing and a touchdown.
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SIDELINED
Jaguars rookie running back Leonard Fournette was inactive for violating a team rule. Jacksonville made the surprise announcement 90 minutes before kickoff. It's unclear what Fournette did to draw coach Doug Marrone's punishment. ... Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston left Sunday's game at New Orleans with shoulder soreness after the first half. Winston was 7 of 13 for 67 yards and the Bucs' extended their losing streak to five games in a 30-10 rout. Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced him. Winston sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder on Oct. 15 at Arizona, and he landed hard on the shoulder when he was sacked in the final minute of the first half against the Saints. ... Bucs starting defensive end William Gholston was carted off the field with a neck injury. Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said Gholston, who moved his arms and legs while the Bucs medical staff treated him on the field, was getting neurological tests at a hospital. ... Cowboys star receiver Dez Bryant left his team's 28-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a sprained ankle in the third quarter. ... Seatttle lost running back Eddie Lacy in the first quarter to a groin injury in their 17-14 loss to the Redskins.
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SPEAKING
''I should have walked off in that situation,'' Green said. ''It's never going to happen again. I regret my actions. Whatever my punishments are I accept them because I put myself in that situation. ... I've got to control my emotions better. I've got to handle my stuff better. I can't put myself in a situation like that, hurt my team and not be able to play.'' - Cincinnati's A.J. Green on his brawl with Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey.
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''NBA2K when guys are hot, you get that red ring around you. I'm in the zone right now.'' - Tennessee cornerback Kevin Byard, who had two interceptions against Baltimore and has five in his last two games.
November 5, 2017
SCOREBOARD
Monday, Nov. 6
Detroit at Green Bay, 8:30 p.m. EST. The NFC North rival Lions (3-4) and Packers (4-3) meet on Monday night looking to improve their offenses. While Detroit has moved the ball through the air behind Matthew Stafford, the Lions have struggled in the run game and inside the red zone. Green Bay is trying to get its passing attack back on track with backup Brett Hundley making his second start in place of injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
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STARS
Passing
- Jared Goff, Rams, set career highs with four touchdown throws and 311 yards passing in Los Angeles' 51-17 rout of the New York Giants.
- Carson Wentz, Eagles, tossed four touchdown passes to give him an NFL-leading 23, and the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Denver Broncos 51-23.
- Kirk Cousins, Redskins, drove Washington 70 yards in 35 seconds, capped by Rob Kelley's 1-yard touchdown run with less than a minute remaining to stun the Seattle Seahawks 17-14.
- Jacoby Brissett, Colts, threw for 308 yards and two TDs in Indianapolis' 20-14 win at Houston.
- Drew Brees, Saints, completed 81.2 percent of his passes (22 of 27) for 263 yards and two touchdowns in New Orleans' 30-10 victory over Tampa Bay.
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Rushing
- Adrian Peterson, Cardinals, carried a career-high 37 times for 159 yards in Arizona's 20-10 victory over winless San Francisco.
- Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys, ran for 93 yards and a TD on 27 carries in Dallas' 28-17 win over Kansas City. Elliott's six-game suspension was placed on hold by a federal court, allowing him to play.
- Jay Ajayi, Eagles, had 77 yards rushing and one score - a 46-yarder - in his Philadelphia debut, a 51-23 rout of Denver.
- Todd Gurley, Rams, ran for two touchdowns to help Los Angeles roll past the New York Giants 51-17.
- Corey Clement, Eagles, rushed for two scores and also caught a TD pass in Philadelphia's 51-23 win over Denver.
- Rob Kelley, Redskins, had two TD runs, including a go-ahead 1-yard score in Washington's 17-14 comeback victory at Seattle.
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Receiving
- T.Y. Hilton, Colts, had 175 yards receiving with two touchdowns to help Indianapolis halt a three-game skid with a 20-14 win at Houston.
- Alshon Jeffery, Eagles, had touchdown catches of 32 and 4 yards in Philadelphia's 51-23 victory over Denver.
- Marqise Lee, Jaguars, had eight receptions for 75 yards and a TD in Jacksonville's 23-7 victory over Cincinnati.
- Robert Woods, Rams, caught two of Jared Goff's four touchdown tosses in Los Angeles' 51-17 win over the New York Giants.
- Alvin Kamara, Saints, had six catches for 84 yards, including a 36-yard TD, and also scored on a 6-yard run in New Orleans' 30-10 win over Tampa Bay.
- Terrence Williams, Cowboys, caught a career-best nine passes for 141 yards in Dallas' 29-17 victory over Kansas City.
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Special Teams
- Justin Hardee, Saints, blocked Bryan Anger's punt and returned it 7 yards for a touchdown in New Orleans' 30-10 win over Tampa Bay.
- Jaydon Mickens, Jaguars, returned a punt 63 yards for a score in the fourth quarter that sealed Jacksonville's 23-7 in over Cincinnati.
- Greg Zuerlein, Rams, booted three field goals and made all six of his extra points in Los Angeles' 51-17 rout of the New York Giants.
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Defense
- Jabaal Sheard, Colts, sealed Indianapolis' 20-14 win at Houston with a sack - his second of the game - and forced fumble as time ran out.
- Kevin Byard, Titans, intercepted two passes in Tennessee's 23-20 win over Baltimore, giving him five over his past two games.
- Keanu Neal, Falcons, forced two fumbles by Jonathan Stewart and recovered one in Atlanta's 20-17 loss to Jacksonville.
- Brandon Marshall, Broncos, scooped up the fumble after Von Miller stripped Nick Foles of the football, and ran it back 19 yards for a TD in Denver's 51-23 loss at Philadelphia.
- Dwight Freeney, Seahawks, had two sacks in Seattle's 17-14 loss to Washington, giving him three in the two games since joining the team.
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STREAKS & STATS
Alex Smith threw his first interception of the season in Kansas City's 28-17 loss at Dallas. It ended a streak of 293 passes without a pick for Smith, who was 25 of 34 for 263 yards and two TDs. ... The Rams' 51-17 rout of the New York Giants was Los Angeles' fifth win in six games to improve to 6-2, the franchise's best start since 2001, when the club, then in St. Louis, went 14-2 in the regular season and eventually lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. ... The Giants allowed the biggest offensive performance against them in a home game since Cleveland beat them 52-21 in the regular-season finale in 1964. ... Cincinnati finished with a season-low 148 yards in a 23-7 loss to Jacksonville, the Bengals' worst output since a 27-0 drubbing at Indianapolis in 2014 in which they managed just 135 yards. ... Denver's Demaryius Thomas caught his first TD pass this season, a 1-yard grab in the fourth quarter of the Broncos' 51-23 loss at Philadelphia. He hadn't scored since Nov. 13, 2016.
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MILESTONES
Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Chargers and Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles became the first quarterbacks selected Nos. 1 and 2 in the same draft to each throw four or more touchdown passes on the same day. Goff, the top pick in 2016, had four touchdown throws in Los Angeles' 51-17 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday. Wentz, No. 2 that year, also threw four TD passes in Philadelphia's 51-23 victory over Denver. ... Eli Manning of the Giants became the seventh NFL quarterback to reach the 50,000-mark with his completion to Sterling Shepard in the fourth quarter against the Rams. ... Adam Vinatieri, who moved past Gary Anderson for second on the NFL's career scoring list on Sunday with 2,442 points, added a 22-yard field goal for the Colts to make it 10-0 in the second. ... Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald moved past Tim Brown into sixth place on the career list for yards receiving with 14,953. ... Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby had an interception at San Francisco, becoming the fifth player with at least 40 sacks and 20 INTs in a career, joining Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis, Wilber Marshall and Seth Joyner.
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ALL DAY
Arizona's Adrian Peterson carried a career-high 37 times for 159 yards to take pressure off backup quarterback Drew Stanton and lead the Cardinals to a 20-10 victory over the winless San Francisco 49ers. The 32-year-old Peterson had 10 more carries in his third game with the Cardinals (4-4) than he had his first four weeks combined with the Saints. He posted the most carries ever for a player in his 30s and topped the 100-yard mark for the second time since being acquired in a trade last month. Peterson got the milestone in his 130th career game, fourth fastest in NFL history. Only Hall of Famers Jim Brown (115), Eric Dickerson (118) and Barry Sanders (125) got there faster. Peterson also moved into 15th place on the career rushing list with 12,142 yards, jumping ahead of Thurman Thomas.
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SOARING EAGLES
Philadelphia improved to 8-1 with a 51-23 win over Denver, marking the fifth time in franchise history the Eagles have started a season 8-1 or better - joining the 1949, 1960, 1980 and 2004 squads. The Eagles advanced to the NFL championship game or Super Bowl in each of the previous four instances.
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NEW ORLEANS SWING
New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay 30-10 to improve to 6-2 with its sixth straight victory. The Saints are the third team since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to win their next six games after an 0-2 start. The other teams to accomplish the feat - the 1993 Dallas Cowboys and 2007 New York Giants - both won the Super Bowl in that season.
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DAK ATTACK
Dallas' Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes and added a rushing touchdown in the Cowboys' 28-17 win over Kansas City. Prescott has 39 TD throws and 10 rushing scores in his career, joining Carolina's Cam Newton as the only players in NFL history to have at least 35 TD passes and 10 TD runs in their first two seasons.
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WOW FACTOR
Kansas City's Tyreek Hill had a weaving 56-yard touchdown reception against Dallas just before halftime of the Cowboys' 28-17 win. Trailing 14-3, the Chiefs were at their 44 with 2 seconds left when the Cowboys used three linemen and a linebacker near the line of scrimmage and dropped everyone else back. Hill caught an easy toss from Alex Smith at the Cowboys 42 and started toward the goal line with three blockers in front. The speedy Hill motored around Orlando Scandrick at the 25, cut behind two blocks from Demarcus Robinson inside the 10, and sidestepped over-pursuing linebacker Anthony Hitchens to finish the stunning TD. It was Hill's ninth career touchdown of at least 50 yards in his 25th game. He trails only Gale Sayers (10) for the most 50-yard TDs in a player's first 25 games to begin a career.
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STICKY FINGERS
Tennessee safety Kevin Byard had two interceptions in the Titans' 23-20 win over Baltimore, giving him five in his last two games. That ties him with Mike Haynes (1976), Willie Buchanon (1978), Albert Lewis (1985) and DeAngelo Hall (2010) for the most by an NFL player in consecutive games since the 1970 merger.
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DING! DING!
Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green and Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey got into it after Ramsey pushed Green to the ground at the end of a running play. Green grabbed Ramsey around the neck and slammed him to the ground. Green then delivered numerous punches to Ramsey's helmet and put another MMA-style choke hold on Ramsey. It was the kind of aggressive attack that could lead to league discipline, maybe even a suspension. Green and Ramsey were ejected. ... In New Orleans, a scuffle started in the third quarter when Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston vigorously pressed his finger into the back of Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore's helmet during a dead-ball period between a failed third-down pass and a punt. Lattimore turned and shoved Winston, after which Bucs receiver Mike Evans leveled Lattimore from behind. Saints defensive back De'Vante Harris then came charging into the melee to defend Lattimore. As the scuffle was broken up, Saints coach Sean Payton marched halfway across the field, gesturing angrily at the Tampa Bay bench before officials chased him back to the Saints' sideline. Evans was called for unnecessary roughness.
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RUNNING PANTHERS
Cam Newton ran for 86 yards and a scored on a head-first diving 9-yard touchdown run as the Carolina Panthers erased an early 10-point deficit to beat the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons 20-17. With wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin traded to Buffalo, the Panthers turned to back to their running game, racking up a season-high 201 yards on the ground. Newton led the Panthers' rushing attack for the fourth straight week, while rookie Christian McCaffrey added a career-high 66 yards rushing and a touchdown.
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SIDELINED
Jaguars rookie running back Leonard Fournette was inactive for violating a team rule. Jacksonville made the surprise announcement 90 minutes before kickoff. It's unclear what Fournette did to draw coach Doug Marrone's punishment. ... Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston left Sunday's game at New Orleans with shoulder soreness after the first half. Winston was 7 of 13 for 67 yards and the Bucs' extended their losing streak to five games in a 30-10 rout. Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced him. Winston sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder on Oct. 15 at Arizona, and he landed hard on the shoulder when he was sacked in the final minute of the first half against the Saints. ... Bucs starting defensive end William Gholston was carted off the field with a neck injury. Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said Gholston, who moved his arms and legs while the Bucs medical staff treated him on the field, was getting neurological tests at a hospital. ... Cowboys star receiver Dez Bryant left his team's 28-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a sprained ankle in the third quarter. ... Seatttle lost running back Eddie Lacy in the first quarter to a groin injury in their 17-14 loss to the Redskins.
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SPEAKING
''I should have walked off in that situation,'' Green said. ''It's never going to happen again. I regret my actions. Whatever my punishments are I accept them because I put myself in that situation. ... I've got to control my emotions better. I've got to handle my stuff better. I can't put myself in a situation like that, hurt my team and not be able to play.'' - Cincinnati's A.J. Green on his brawl with Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey.
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''NBA2K when guys are hot, you get that red ring around you. I'm in the zone right now.'' - Tennessee cornerback Kevin Byard, who had two interceptions against Baltimore and has five in his last two games.
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