Vikings 34, Lions 24
MINNEAPOLIS – Adrian Peterson raced 61 yards for the game-sealing touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, padding his NFL rushing lead with 171 yards on 27 carries for Minnesota (6-4) in a victory over Detroit (4-5).
Peterson had 120 yards in the final 15 minutes, 10½ months after reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Christian Ponder bounced back from a rough game with 221 yards and two touchdowns on 24-for-32 passing for the Vikings.
Calvin Johnson had 207 yards on 12 catches, including a touchdown that brought the Lions a little closer with 1:53 left. But Johnson’s lost fumble near midfield on the previous possession put Vikings rookie Blair Walsh in position for his fourth field goal.
Saints 31, Falcons 27
NEW ORLEANS – Jimmy Graham caught seven passes for a career-best 146 yards and two touchdowns, cornerback Jabari Greer made a diving, touchdown-saving pass breakup on a late fourth-down play, and New Orleans held on to hand Atlanta its first loss.
Graham and his Atlanta counterpart, veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez, both were superb in a game that showcased all the intensity and drama of one of the NFL’s most passionate and long-standing rivalries
Gonzalez finished with 11 catches for 122 yards and two scores for Atlanta (8-1), and in the process became the first tight end to catch 100 touchdown passes.
Brees threw for 298 yards and three TDs as the Saints (4-5) won for the fourth time in five games, keeping alive hope of getting back into the wild card race after an 0-4 start.
49ers 24, Rams 24 (OT)
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco and St. Louis played the NFL’s first tie game in four years as kickers from both teams missed overtime field goals.
Greg Zuerlein kicked a 53-yarder, but the Rams (3-5-1) were penalized 5 yards for delay of game. He tried again from 58 as coach Jeff Fisher played for the win, and missed wide right with 2:42 left in OT.
San Francisco’s David Akers missed wide left on a 41-yard attempt that could have sealed it for the 49ers (6-2-1), who lost quarterback Alex Smith to a first-half concussion.
Cowboys 38, Eagles 23
PHILADELPHIA – Tony Romo threw a pair of touchdowns, Dwayne Harris had a 78-yard punt return for a score and Brandon Carr returned an interception 47 yards for a TD to help Dallas (4-5) beat Philadelphia (3-6).
The Cowboys are second in the NFC East, 1½ games behind the New York Giants.
The Eagles lost Michael Vick to a concussion after consecutive bruising hits in the second quarter and have lost five straight games under coach Andy Reid for the first time in his 14 seasons.
Broncos 36, Panthers 14
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Peyton Manning made sure coach Broncos John Fox’s return to Carolina was a successful one, throwing for 301 yards and a touchdown for Denver (6-3) in a victory against the Panthers (2-7).
Manning threw his 420th touchdown pass to move into a tie for second place on the NFL’s all-time list with Dan Marino. He trails only Brett Favre (508).
Patriots 37, Bills 31
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Tom Brady threw for two touchdowns, Devin McCourty ended Buffalo’s hopes with an interception in the end zone, and New England (6-3) kept Buffalo (3-6) winless at Gillette Stadium.
New England is 11-0 against the Bills at Gillette since it opened in 2002 and 20-2 overall in its past 22 games against Buffalo.
Buccaneers 34, Chargers 24
TAMPA, Fla. – Josh Freeman threw two touchdown passes, and surging Tampa Bay (5-4) scored on a blocked punt and Leonard Johnson’s 83-yard interception to beat San Diego (4-5).
Freeman has thrown for 13 TDs with one interception in his past five games, helping the Bucs win four times to climb back over .500 after a 1-3 start.
Bengals 31, Giants 13
CINCINNATI – Andy Dalton threw a career-high four touchdown passes – each to a different receiver – and Cincinnati (4-5) ended a four-game losing streak by beating New York (6-4).
The Bengals took advantage of a fumble and Eli Manning’s two interceptions, which set up third-quarter touchdowns.
Ravens 55, Raiders 20
BALTIMORE – Joe Flacco threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, and Baltimore (7-2) set a club record for points in a victory against Oakland (3-6).
The Ravens scored on six of their first seven possessions against the struggling Raiders, who have yielded at least 40 points in two straight games for the first time since 1962. The 55 points tied an Oakland record for points allowed, a mark set in 1961 and matched in 1981.
Titans 37, Dolphins 3
MIAMI – Colin McCarthy returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown, and four takeaways helped Tennessee (4-6) rout Miami (4-5).
Seahawks 28, Jets 7
SEATTLE – Russell Wilson threw touchdowns of 38 yards to Golden Tate and 31 yards to Sidney Rice, and Seattle (6-4) sent New York (3-6) to its worst start since 2007.
