The Latest on Week 10 in the NFL (all times EST):
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8 p.m.
From Kyler Murray magic to Alex Smith’s latest milestone, it was quite the day for quarterbacks selected first in the NFL draft.
Cam Newton will be the eighth No. 1 pick QB to play Sunday when he starts for the New England Patriots. Seven played in the afternoon, including the past three: Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Murray and Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield.
With Newton’s performance still outstanding, here’s a look at how they fared:
JOE BURROW (2020)
Burrow was 21 of 40 for 213 yards passing and a touchdown in the Bengals’ 36-10 loss to the NFL’s last unbeaten team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was overshadowed by 2004 No. 11 pick Ben Roethlisberger, who threw for 333 yards and four TDs despite missing practice during the week because of COVID-19 protocols.
KYLER MURRAY (2019)
Murray gave the Arizona Cardinals a win to remember against the Buffalo Bills with an unforgettable highlight play. With Arizona down four and time running out, Murray scrambled and heaved a 43-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins, who came down with the ball when 2 seconds remained on the clock. Murray also rushed for two TDs in the 32-30 victory.
BAKER MAYFIELD (2018)
With weather a factor in Cleveland, Mayfield was 12 of 20 for 132 yards as the Browns beat the Houston Texans 10-7 in a game that was delayed 35 minutes by a severe thunderstorm. Cleveland improved to 6-3.
JARED GOFF (2016)
Goff outdueled Seattle’s Russell Wilson and took advantage of the NFL’s worst passing defense, throwing for 302 yards to help the Los Angeles Rams beat the Seahawks 23-16. Goff was 27 of 37 passing.
JAMEIS WINSTON (2015)
Winston replaced injured New Orleans starter Drew Brees at the start of the second half and was 6 of 10 for 63 yards passing in the Saints’ 27-13 victory over San Francisco that got them to 7-2. Tampa Bay, which drafted Winston first overall five years ago, beat Carolina to improve to 6-3 with Tom Brady under center.
MATTHEW STAFFORD (2009)
Stafford was 24 of 33 for 276 yards and three touchdowns in the Detroit Lions’ 30-27 win against Washington. Stafford’s three TD passes came in the first three quarters, and he led Detroit on two fourth-quarter drives that ended in field goals, including Matt Prater’s 59-yarder as time expired.
ALEX SMITH (2005)
Making his first start in almost two years, Smith set career highs with 38 completions and 390 passing yards. It was the 36-year-old’s third game action since breaking his right tibia and fibula in November 2018.
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7:45 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 36-10 to become the NFL’s first team to get to 9-0 since the 2015 Carolina Panthers. Pittsburgh has won the first nine games of a season for the first time in franchise history.
With the 8-1 Kansas City Chiefs on their bye, the Steelers also got some help from Arizona in their bid for home-field advantage in the AFC. The Cardinals beat Buffalo 32-30 on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins with 2 seconds left, dropping the Bills record to 7-3.
The Las Vegas Raiders beat the Denver Broncos 37-12 to improve to 6-3. The Miami Dolphins surpassed their 2019 win total with their sixth victory, 29-21 over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The New Orleans Saints improved to 7-2 by coming back to beat the San Francisco 49ers 27-13 despite Drew Brees leaving with injured ribs. The Los Angeles Rams beat the Seahawks 23-16.
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7:30 p.m.
Kyler Murray’s last-minute heave and DeAndre Hopkins’ catch in traffic gave the Arizona Cardinals a memorable 32-30 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
With 11 seconds left and his team down four, Murray scrambled and skied a pass to the end zone. Hopkins hauled it in with three Buffalo defenders around him for the 43-yard touchdown as 2 seconds remained on the clock.
Murray rushed for two touchdowns in the third quarter to help Arizona come back from a 16-9 halftime deficit. The Cardinals improved to 6-3, while the Bills fell to 7-3.
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7:10 P.M.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are well on their way to being 9-0.
Pittsburgh leads Cincinnati 29-7 through three quarters. Ben Roethlisberger has three touchdown passes despite missing practice during the week because of COVID-19 protocols.
Roethlisberger is 25 of 44 for 320 yards passing and TD throws to Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool. He has carried the offense with the Steelers running game totaling just 30 yards.
The last team to get to 9-0 was the 2015 Carolina Panthers that went on to reach the Super Bowl. That team’s quarterback, Cam Newton, starts for New England Sunday night against Baltimore, and coach Ron Rivera is now with Washington, which lost to Detroit and dropped to 2-7.
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7 p.m.
The Miami Dolphins already have more victories this season than in all of 2019 after beating the Los Angeles Chargers 29-21 to improve to 6-3. They finished 5-11 last year.
Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was 15 of 25 passing with 169 yards and two touchdowns. The fifth overall pick in this year’s draft beat No. 6 pick Justin Herbert, who was 20 of 32 for 187 yards, two TDs and an interception.
Miami got 85 yards and a score on the ground from undrafted free agent Salvon Ahmed, who got carries in place of healthy scratch Jordan Howard.
The Chargers lost their third in a row to fall to 2-7.
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6:40 p.m.
Kyler Murray magic is alive and well in Arizona.
After the Cardinals settled for three field goals in the first half against Buffalo, Murray ran for two touchdowns in the third quarter to put his team up 26-23. Murray scored from 1 yard and 15 yards out and is 18 of 25 passing with 170 yards.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen caught a TD pass earlier in the game. Tyler Bass has connected on three 50-plus yard field goals.
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Denver receiver Tim Patrick and Las Vegas defensive back Isaiah Johnson have been ejected following a scuffle in the fourth quarter.
Patrick hit Raiders safety Johnathan Abram in the helmet after getting pushed following a play. Johnson then retaliated with a swing at Patrick.
The officials then sent both players to the locker room with the Raiders leading 23-6.
- Josh Dubow reporting from Las Vegas
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6:25 p.m.
The Saints say quarterback Drew Brees is questionable to return against the 49ers because of injured ribs.
Brees was shaken up on a sack in the second quarter when Kentavius Street landed on him. Street was flagged for a personal foul under the NFL’s 2018 “bodyweight rule,” which bans a player who is hitting a passer in a defenseless posture from completing the takedown by landing on the tackled player with all or most of his weight.
Jameis Winston started the second half at QB for New Orleans, which leads San Francisco 17-10.
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6:10 p.m.
Drew Brees is on the sideline and Jameis Winston in at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints at the start of the second half against San Francisco. Brees stood waiting with his helmet on while Winston and Taysom Hill took QB snaps.
Brees was caught by TV cameras speaking with Sean Payton before the third quarter started and Winston took the field. Brees was shaken up earlier on a sack by Kentavius Street, who was flagged for a personal foul for landing most of his body weight on the 41-year-old.
Brees, who returned late in the second quarter, has been limited with a shoulder ailment the past two weeks at practice but played his best game of the season last week against Tampa Bay.
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6 p.m.
Long-range, buzzer-beating field goals are all the rage in the NFL today.
Three kickers connected on a field goal of 58-plus yards at either the end of the first half or the game. None was bigger than Matt Prater’s 59-yarder for the Detroit Lions to beat Washington 30-27 after blowing a 21-point lead.
Seattle’s Jason Myers connected on a 61-yarder as time expired in the second quarter against the Rams that set a Seahawks franchise record and was the longest field goal in the league this season.
Minutes earlier, Buffalo’s Tyler Bass was good from 58 yards out to put the Bills up 16-9 on Arizona at halftime. Bass hit three field goals 50 yards or longer in the first half.
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The Los Angeles Rams lost veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth to a knee injury late in the first half against Seattle.
Whitworth, a 15-year NFL veteran and the cornerstone of the Rams’ offense under Sean McVay, got hurt when K.J. Wright accidentally hit the side of Whitworth’s leg. Whitworth was taken from the field on a cart, although he appeared upbeat as he slapped high-fives with his teammates. Whitworth was subsequently ruled out for the game.
Whitworth had played every snap this season and 99% of last season’s snaps for the Rams, who led Seattle 17-10 at the break. Whitworth, who began his career with 11 seasons in Cincinnati, hasn’t missed a game due to injury since 2013.
Joe Noteboom, who returned from injured reserve this week, took over for Whitworth. Noteboom usually has played guard for the Rams when healthy.
- Greg Beacham reporting from Ingelwood, California
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Saints receiver Tre’Quan Smith appeared to be knocked unconscious when he took a shoulder pad to the head from 49ers safety Jimmy Ward while attempting to make a catch over the middle.
Smith was initially motionless and face down as fellow Saints receiver Emmanuel Sanders waved frantically for medical staff to attend to his fallen teammate.
Smith eventually was able to walk off the field. After video review, officials ruled the pass incomplete instead of a catch and fumble as it was initially called on the field. But no penalty was called, a decision that elicited boos from the crowd of about 6,000 in the Superdome.
Shortly afterward, Saints QB Drew Brees picked up his mishandled snap, quickly turned to the weak side of the field and found running back Alvin Kamara uncovered for a 3-yard touchdown pass.
The score shortly before halftime gave the Saints 17 unanswered points and a 17-10 lead.
- Brett Martel reporting from New Orleans
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5:40 p.m.
Tyler Bass is booming in the desert.
The Buffalo kicker connected on three field goals over 50 yards, including a 58-yarder on the first play of the first half, helping the Bills build a 16-9 halftime lead over the Arizona Cardinals.
Bass hit a 55-yard field goal early in the second quarter and had plenty of room to spare on his kick to end the half.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen scored on a 12-yard pass from Isaiah McKenzie on a trick play in the first quarter for the only TD in the first half.
Arizona had a 206-161 advantage in total yards in the first half but had to settle for three Zane Gonzalez field goals after bogging down in Buffalo’s end of the field.
- John Marshall reporting from Glendale, Arizona
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After falling behind 10-0, the Saints have rallied to tie the score against the 49ers, thanks to a long kickoff return by Deonte Harris that set up a field goal and a subsequent combination of errors by San Francisco to set up a New Orleans touchdown.
Niners defensive back Ken Webster allowed a bouncing punt to glance off of his shoulder while attempting to block for a return, and the Saints’ Marquez Callaway recovered at the San Francisco 21.
Two plays later, Kentavius Street got a clean shot on Saints QB Drew Brees for a sack, but he was flagged for a personal foul under the NFL’s 2018 “bodyweight rule,” which bans a player who is hitting a passer in a defenseless posture from completing the takedown by landing on the tackled player with all or most of his weight.
The penalty gave New Orleans a first down at the San Francisco 11, and Alvin Kamara scored three plays later.
Brees appeared shaken up on the hit by Street and went to the sideline to throw for a couple plays before returning to pitch the ball back to Kamara on the tying touchdown.
- Brett Martel reporting from New Orleans
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5:30 p.m.
The Dolphins have built a lead with another strong first half, as special teams mistakes by the Los Angeles Chargers helped Miami go up 17-7 at halftime.
Chargers punter Ty Long bobbled a snap and had his kicked blocked to set up the game’s first score. Quenton Meeks was offside on a field goal attempt by the Dolphins, giving them a first down that led to a touchdown for a 14-0 lead.
Miami’s first-half point differential of plus-74 is the NFL’s best.
- Steve Wine reporting from Miami
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5:10 p.m.
Ben Roethlisberger is warming up following his unexpected week off.
The Pittsburgh quarterback connected with Diontae Johnson for a 12-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to give the Steelers a 12-0 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Roethlisberger was forced to practice virtually this week because of COVID-19 protocols after teammate Vance McDonald tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Roethlisberger was taken off the league’s COVID-19 list Saturday and, after a sluggish start against the Bengals, has the NFL’s last unbeaten team in early position to improve to 9-0.
- Will Graves reporting from Pittsburgh
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5 p.m.
Jared Goff is off to the start you might expect against the worst pass defense in the NFL.
Goff went 7 of 8 for 124 yards in the first quarter as the Los Angeles Rams took a 10-7 lead over Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks in the first NFC West game at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams’ opening drive stalled in the red zone, but Goff moved the Rams 77 yards for Darrell Henderson’s short TD run on the second drive. Los Angeles is averaging 9.2 yards per play.
Yet Wilson is keeping pace, leading a 78-yard TD drive against the Rams’ statistically superior defense.
- Greg Beacham reporting from Inglewood, California
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4:40 p.m.
Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphis have a 14-0 lead on Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers in a matchup of the fifth and sixth overall picks in the 2020 draft.
Tagovailoa, the second quarterback selected after No. 1 pick Joe Burrow, threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jakeem Grant with 58 seconds left in the first quarter. Undrafted rookie Salvon Ahmed ran for a 1-yard score earlier, making the most of an elevated role with Jordan Howard inactive.
Herbert completed four of his first six passes in the first quarter.
Burrow was also in action Sunday afternoon with his Cincinnati Bengals down 3-0 to the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers before he got his hands on the ball. Cincinnati punt returner Alex Erickson fumbled on a punt return, setting up Pittsburgh for a 41-yard field goal by Chris Boswell.
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4:15 p.m.
The Detroit Lions beat Washington on a buzzer-beating field goal, while the NFC North-rival Green Bay Packers avoided what would have been a major upset loss to Jacksonville.
Detroit blew a 21-point lead to Washington on a career by Alex Smith, who was making his first NFL start in almost two years, and was then saved by Matt Prater’s kicking leg.
Prater gave the Lions the lead back with 2:27 left, and after Washington tied it again on a Dustin Hopkins field goal, Prater was good from 59 yards as time expired. The final was 30-27 Detroit.
Green Bay got receiver Davante Adams back from an ankle injury in time for him to catch the go-ahead touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. The Packers improved to 7-2 and handed the Jaguars their eighth consecutive loss.
In the other early games, Cleveland beat Houston 10-7, Tampa Bay bounced back from a bad loss to win 46-23 at Carolina and the New York Giants moved into second place in the NFC East by defeating Philadelphia 27-17.
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4 p.m.
The New York Giants have won consecutive games to move into second place in the lowly NFC East with a record of 3-7. The Giants beat Philadelphia 27-17 on Sunday, though the Eagles remain atop the division at 3-5-1.
Wayne Gallman rushed for two touchdowns, and quarterback Daniel Jones ran for one.
Washington erased a 21-point deficit to tie Detroit at 24 midway through the fourth quarter before the Lions reclaimed the lead on a field goal by Matt Prater. Alex Smith is attempting to lead Washington on a game-tying or winning drive in the final minutes.
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3:40 p.m.
Alex Smith has led Washington back from a 21-point deficit to tie Detroit at 24 with 6:09 left in the fourth quarter. Smith engineered touchdown drives of 82, 84 and 66 yards in his first start in almost two years.
The 36-year-old hadn’t started an NFL game since Nov. 18, 2018 when he broke his right tibia and fibula. Smith is 32 of 39 for 321 yards.
Antonio Gibson has two of Washington’s three rushing TDs, while J.D. McKissic has the other.
The Lions built the big lead on three TD passes by Matthew Stafford.
- Noah Trister reporting from Detroit
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3:10 p.m.
The Philadelphia Eagles trail the New York Giants 21-17 after failing on a 2-point conversion attempt late in the third quarter. Eagles coach Doug Pederson chose to go for 2 despite an extra point making it a three-point game.
Philadelphia made a 2-point conversion earlier in the game.
The Eagles will remain in first place in the NFC East regardless of results Sunday. Washington trails Detroit 24-10 in the second half
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3:05 p.m.
Keelan Cole’s second touchdown of the day has enabled the Jacksonville Jaguars to tie the Green Bay Packers at 17 early in the third quarter.
Green Bay lost a fumble for just the second time all season when CJ Henderson knocked the ball loose from Davante Adams at the end of a pass completion. Myles Jack returned the fumble 16 yards to give the Jaguars the ball at Green Bay’s 16.
Although a holding penalty on James O’Shaughnessy nullified a 16-yard touchdown run by James Robinson, Jacksonville regrouped and reached the end zone on Jake Luton’s 12-yard pass to Cole.
Cole had scored on a franchise-record 91-yard punt return in the second quarter.
- Steve Megargee reporting from Green Bay, Wisconsin
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2:55 p.m.
Mother Nature is beating the Texans and Browns.
Playing in windy conditions after a severe thunderstorm delayed the opening kickoff, Cleveland leads Houston just 3-0 - the lowest scoring first half in the NFL this season.
The start was delayed 35 minutes after the hail-producing storm barreled into FirstEnergy Stadium. Each team struggled to move the ball, with Cleveland’s Cody Parkey accounting for the only scoring with a 41-yard field goal in the first quarter.
Houston was stopped on a fourth-and-goal play when Myles Garrett wrapped up Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson for a 2-yard loss.
The Texans lined up for a 48-yard field goal try but faked it and pooch punted inside the 5 as coach Romeo Crennel played field position in the challenging conditions.
Tampa Bay leads Carolina 20-17 in the third quarter in the highest-scoring game of the day so far.
- Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland.
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2:35 p.m.
Tampa Bay-Carolina is the only one of the five early NFL games to be tied at halftime.
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers put up 17 points in the first half against the Carolina Panthers. They were held to three in last week’s blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints, the worst defeat of Brady’s career.
Brady threw touchdown passes to Cameron Brate and Mike Evans. Carolina’s Teddy Bridgewater connected with Colin Thompson and D.J. Moore for touchdowns.
The New York Giants lead the Philadelphia Eagles 14-3 on rushing TDs by Daniel Jones and Wayne Gallman. Green Bay leads Jacksonville 17-10, and Detroit is up 17-3 on Washington.
Cleveland leads Houston 3-0 in a game that started 35 minutes late because of a severe thunderstorm.
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2:25 p.m.
Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers has moved into 11th place in the NFL’s career passing list.
Rodgers’ 22-yard pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the second quarter improved his career total to 49,341 yards. He passed Warren Moon, who threw for 49,325 yards from 1984-2000.
Rodgers capped that series with a 5-yard touchdown run that gave the Packers a 14-10 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars with 2:15 left in the first half. Rodgers is 13 of 16 for 175 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown to Valdes-Scantling.
- Steve Megargee reporting from Green Bay, Wisconsin
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2:05 p.m.
Keelan Cole has given the Jacksonville Jaguars a 10-7 lead over the Green Bay Packers by scoring on a franchise-record 91-yard punt return. Cole blew by would-be tacklers and made a step-back move on punter J.K. Scott to go untouched into the end zone.
The Jaguars’ longest punt return before Cole’s touchdown had been an 85-yarder by Reggie Barlow in 1998.
After an opening field goal by Jacksonville’s sixth kicker of the season, Chase McLaughlin, Green Bay pulled ahead when Aaron Rodgers threw a 78-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the first play of the second quarter.
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1:50 p.m.
Alex Smith’s first NFL start in almost two years is off to a rough start in large part because of Washington’s defense.
Smith started for the first time since Nov. 18, 2018, when he broke his right tibia and fibula. He underwent 17 surgeries and survived a life-threatening infection before rehabbing to get back on the field.
The 36-year-old made two relief appearances earlier this season. But his latest milestone was quickly overshadowed by two touchdown passes from Detroit’s Matthew Stafford that put the Lions up 14-3 on Washington early in the second quarter.
Smith started the game 5 of 9 for 60 yards.
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1:40 p.m.
The Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans are underway after a 35-minute delay because of a severe thunderstorm. Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked off at 1:37 p.m. to get the game going.
The teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms when a storm blew through FirstEnergy Stadium. Fans were already seeking shelter under the stadium’s decks and on concourses when the storm hit, right at the start of the national anthem.
There are only four other early games today with most of the schedule shifted to the late window because of the Masters.
- Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland
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The Cincinnati Bengals say three more coaches have been added to the COVID-19 list and are unavailable for Sunday’s game at unbeaten Pittsburgh.
Linebackers coach Al Golden, secondary/cornerbacks coach Steve Jackson and senior defensive assistant Mark Duffner joined wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell, who on Friday learned he would be ruled out because of virus protocols.
Defensive quality control coach Jordan Kovacs will stand in for Golden; secondary/safeties coach Robert Livingston for Jackson; and defensive assistant Gerald Chatman for Duffner. Assistant wide receivers coach Troy Walters is assuming Bicknell’s responsibilities for the game.
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1:10 p.m.
A severe thunderstorm has delayed the start of the Houston Texans’ game at the Cleveland Browns.
Shortly before kickoff, a nasty storm blew into FirstEnergy Stadium and both teams, who had come out for the national anthem, were forced to return to their respective locker rooms. The Browns said the start will be delayed for at least 15 minutes with more updates coming.
High winds are in the forecast for the remainder of Sunday’s game.
- Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland
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For the first time all season, the Green Bay Packers didn’t score on their opening drive.
Green Bay instead took the opening kickoff and went three and out, as Aaron Rodgers couldn’t connect with tight end Robert Tonyan on a deep pass on third and 3.
The Packers had scored four field goals and four touchdowns on their opening drives through their first eight games of the season. The 2007 New England Patriots were the only other team since 2000 to score on their opening drive in each of their first eight games of a season.
- Steve Megargee reporting from Green Bay, Wisconsin
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12:55 p.m.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a long travel adventure before their game at the Carolina Panthers.
Their flight to Charlotte, North Carolina, was delayed about 6 1/2 hours Saturday because of mechanical issues, and the team didn’t arrive at its hotel until just before midnight, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the team does not release details of its travel itinerary.
The flight was scheduled to leave at an executive airport connected to Tampa International Airport at 2:30 p.m., but players remained on the tarmac for more than five hours waiting for the plane to depart. They eventually deplaned and boarded a different plane and left immediately for Charlotte, arriving at 11:15 p.m., where they were taken to a downtown hotel.
It was a rough start to the weekend for the Buccaneers, who are looking to bounce back from a 38-3 shellacking last week at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers are looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
- Steve Reed reporting from Charlotte, North Carolina
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12:40 p.m.
Weather could have an impact on today’s Jaguars-Packers game.
The forecast in Green Bay today calls for a 90% chance of rain with winds at 20-30 mph. There could be occasional gusts of over 40 mph.
The Packers also had to deal with strong winds at their last home game, a 28-22 upset loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 1. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after that game that the Packers didn’t handle the elements as well as they had in previous seasons.
Jacksonville also has a new kicker in Chase McLaughlin, signed off Minnesota’s practice squad after starter Josh Lambo was placed on injured reserve with a hip problem. McLaughlin s the team’s sixth kicker this season, following Lambo, Brandon Wright, Aldrick Rosas, Stephen Hauschka and Jon Brown.
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12 p.m.
The NFL backloaded the Week 10 schedule in light of a conflict it doesn’t usually have to deal with: The Masters in November instead of April.
Only three teams with a winning record (Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Green Bay) play in the early window today. The showcase games also happen to be in the West: Buffalo (7-2) at Arizona (5-3), Seattle (6-2) at the Los Angeles Rams (5-3) and Pittsburgh (8-0) looking to stay unbeaten against AFC North rival Cincinnati (2-5-1).
Baltimore (6-2) visits New England (3-5) in the nightcap.
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