CLEVELAND – Tom Brady, looking razor-sharp at times and relatively rust-free after serving his four-game “Deflategate” suspension, passed for 406 yards and three touchdowns to Martellus Bennett in his hyped return and the New England Patriots thumped the Cleveland Browns 33-13 on Sunday.
Brady was back – much to the relief of teammates and New England fans everywhere – following a ban for his role in the scandal in which an NFL investigation found the Patriots under-inflated footballs in the 2015 AFC championship game.
Brady fought Commissioner Roger Goodell’s ruling for more than a year before he begrudgingly accepted his punishment.
He took out some of that built-up frustration on the Browns (0-5), throwing for 271 yards in the first half, as the Patriots (4-1) rebounded after being shut out last week at home by Buffalo.
DETROIT – Matt Prater kicked a 29-yard field goal with 1:28 left and Darius Slay made an over-the-shoulder interception on the next snap, helping the Lions hand Carson Wentz his first loss with a victory over the Eagles.
The Lions (2-3) had lost three straight.
The Eagles (3-1) turned the ball over for the first time this season with 2:34 remaining when Ryan Mathews fumbled on a hit by Slay. The loose football was recovered by Tyrunn Walker at the Philadelphia 45.
BALTIMORE – The Redskins used an 85-yard punt return by Jamison Crowder and an uncharacteristically strong performance by their defense to beat the Ravens.
It was the third straight win for the Redskins (3-2), who came in with the league’s 29th-ranked defense. Washington allowed a touchdown on the game’s opening drive and smothered the Ravens (3-2) the rest of the way.
ARLINGTON, Texas – Ezekiel Elliott ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns, fellow rookie Dak Prescott threw for a score and ran for another TD, and the Cowboys beat the Bengals (2-3).
Prescott had his first turnover in five games starting in place of injured Tony Romo, a fumble when being sacked late in the third quarter. But Prescott extended his NFL rookie record to 155 passes without an interception to start his career. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 227 yards.
Elliott became the first Cowboys rookie with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games.
Dallas (4-1) has won four in a row.
PITTSBURGH – Ben Roethlisberger passed for 380 yards and four touchdowns and the surging Steelers pulled away in the second half for a win over the Jets.
Sammie Coates caught six passes for a career-high 139 yards and two scores, including a 72-yard catch-and-run for a score on Pittsburgh’s opening drive as the Steelers moved the ball at will against a secondary missing injured star Darrelle Revis. The Jets fell to 1-4.
Steelers (4-1) running back Le’Veon Bell racked up 154 yards of total offense, including a career-high nine receptions, while Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.
LOS ANGELES – Nickell Robey-Coleman returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, LeSean McCoy rushed for 150 yards, and the Bills won their third consecutive game by defeating the Rams (3-2).
Robey-Coleman stepped in front of rookie receiver Pharoh Cooper and strolled down the sideline to put the Bills (3-2) ahead 23-16 with 3:54 left in the third quarter.
OAKLAND, Calif. – Derek Carr threw a go-ahead 21-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree on a fourth-and-2 gamble and added another TD pass to Amari Cooper to lead the Raiders (4-1) to a victory over the mistake-prone Chargers.
San Diego (1-4) committed four turnovers and then botched the hold on a potential tying field goal. Rookie Drew Kaser couldn’t hold the snap on what would have been a 36-yard field goal attempt.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Marcus Mariota threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score, helping the Titans overcome a handful of big plays by the Dolphins.
Mariota bounced back with a strong game after totaling three interceptions and no TD passes in losses the past two weeks. He went 20 for 29 for 163 yards with no interceptions, and ran seven times for 60 yards.
DeMarco Murray added 121 yards rushing for the Titans, who totaled 235 on the ground. They improved to 2-3, and Miami fell to 1-4.
MINNEAPOLIS – Adam Thielen caught a touchdown pass to cap Minnesota’s opening drive and finished with a career-high 127 yards, and the Vikings defense flustered Brock Osweiler and the Texans (3-2).
Marcus Sherels returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown and Cordarelle Patterson scored on another sharp throw by Sam Bradford, who produced another turnover-free game and deftly guided the Vikings (5-0) into their bye week.
Brock Osweiler was overmatched by Minnesota’s relentless rush and coverage, finishing 19 for 42 for 184 yards, one interception and a late touchdown pass while taking four sacks.
INDIANAPOLIS – Andrew Luck threw a 35-yard TD pass to T.Y. Hilton with 3:43 left to lead the Colts past the Bears.
It’s the first time the Colts (2-3) defeated the Bears in Indianapolis.
Brian Hoyer was solid in his third straight start throwing for 397 yards and two touchdowns for Chicago (1-4).
GREEN BAY — Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdowns passes in an otherwise choppy night for the Green Bay offense, and the Packers’ defense rattled the New York Giants and limited Odell Beckham Jr. in a 23-16 victory Sunday night.
Rodgers was 23 of 45 for 259 yards and also threw two interceptions. Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams each had highlight-reel touchdown catches to help the Packers build an 11-point halftime lead.
But the offense was mired by uncharacteristic drops, and couple of big plays were called back by penalties. Mason Crosby kicked three field goals, including two in the fourth quarter.
New York’s Eli Manning was 18 of 35 for 199 yards, and the Packers pressured him much of the night.
The Giants looked out of sorts until a hurry-up drive that ended with Beckham’s 8-yard touchdown catch with 2:54 left.
