ARLINGTON, Texas — Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes and the Dallas Cowboys’ first-team offense finally got into the end zone, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 24-18 on Saturday night. ARLINGTON, Texas — Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes and the
ARLINGTON, Texas — Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes and the Dallas Cowboys’ first-team offense finally got into the end zone, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 24-18 on Saturday night.
After completing 13 of 18 passes for 137 yards, with TD passes to Dez Bryant and Miles Austin for a 14-7 halftime lead, Romo was done for the Cowboys (2-2).
Cincinnati (2-1) got its first touchdown on Brandon Tate’s 75-yard punt return. That came when Cowboys punter Chris Jones had to re-kick after hitting the large video boards hanging over the field.
Romo played five series, matching what the first-teamers had in the Cowboys’ last two preseason games, when they managed only a field goal and had two fumbles.
Andy Dalton was 12 of 16 for 113 yards. Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green had three catches for 42 yards after missing the first two preseason games with a bruised left knee.
JETS 24, GIANTS 21, OT
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Billy Cundiff kicked a 32-yard field goal with 8:04 left in overtime to lift the Jets past the Giants.
It’s the only time the rivals will play this year unless they qualify for the cold-weather Super Bowl here in February. The way the Jets (2-1) and Giants (1-2) played, it’s highly unlikely.
The Jets quarterback picture got even murkier, too, despite winning the annual bragging rights game.
Rookie Geno Smith struggled. Mark Sanchez seemingly hurt his right shoulder, and his status is suddenly in question two weeks before the season opener. The only guy who looked good was Matt Simms.
The Jets’ quarterback situation has been the No. 1 question mark for Rex Ryan’s team since training camp opened. The seriousness of Sanchez’s injury was not immediately known, and Smith didn’t look ready for prime time.
BRONCOS 27, RAMS 26
DENVER — Rookie linebacker Alec Ogletree ruined Ronnie Hillman’s night with a strip-and-score takeaway and kept Peyton Manning from turning all those passes into points with a big interception. Yet St. Louis lost.
Ogletree ripped the ball from Hillman’s arms, scooped it up and trotted 13 yards for the score one week after Hillman’s fumble at the goal line was returned 106 yards for a touchdown in Seattle.
Manning completed 25 of 34 passes for 234 yards in one half for Denver (2-1), but Ogletree’s pickoff just before halftime set up Greg Zuerlein’s 58-yarder field goal that gave the Rams (0-3) a 20-10 lead at the break.
Ogletree also had a half-dozen tackles and two pass breakups in his breakout preseason performance.
REDSKINS 30, BILLS 7
LANDOVER, Md. — Washington’s Rex Grossman threw for 171 yards, and Buffalo’s Kevin Kolb left with concussion-like symptoms in the Redskins’ victory.
Grossman got the start for the Redskins (3-0) because Robert Griffin III hasn’t been cleared for games following reconstructive knee surgery, and second-stringer Kirk Cousins has a sprained right foot.
Grossman completed 11 of 21 passes with one touchdown.
Kolb started for Buffalo (2-1) after first-round pick EJ Manuel hurt his left knee in the Bills’ previous game. But Kolb was kneed in the back of the helmet after a scramble in the first quarter, leaving undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel as Buffalo’s only healthy quarterback. Tuel completed 10 of 17 passes for 63 yards.
COLTS 27, BROWNS 6
INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck threw two scoring passs, and Indianapolis’ defense did not allow a touchdown for the second straight week as the Colts beat Cleveland.
The Colts (2-1) scored on the opening series of both halves before Luck and most of the starters exited early in the third quarter. Luck finished 16 of 25 for 164 yards with one interception.
Cleveland (2-1) managed only four first downs and lined up for only three plays in Indianapolis territory against Colts starters. Four days after being named the starter, quarterback Brandon Weeden went 12 of 25 for 105 yards. Trent Richardson ran seven times for 31 yards.
CHIEFS 26, STEELERS 20, OT
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and Kansas City’s Alex Smith fought to a first-half draw and the Chiefs beat the Steelers in overtime.
Roethlisberger was 13 of 19 for 166 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Dwyer as the Steelers (0-3) shook off two lethargic performances with easily their best 30 minutes of the preseason.
Smith struggled early but led Kansas City to a pair of scoring drives late in the first half and finished 17 of 24 for 158 yards and a touchdown. Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles ran seven times for 10 yards in his first game after spraining his right foot earlier this month.
Kansas City (1-2) won it on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Chase Daniel to Rico Richardson on the first possession of overtime.
EAGLES 31, JAGUARS 24
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bryce Brown and Chris Polk ran for fourth-quarter touchdowns, and Philadelphia rallied to beat Jacksonville.
Nick Foles, who lost the starting job to Michael Vick earlier in the week, completed 10 of 11 passes for 112 yards in the second half for the Eagles (2-1). Vick completed 15 of 23 passes for 184 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He found Riley Cooper for a 9-yard score in the second quarter. Vick’s best work came under pressure, when he kept several plays alive and scrambled for 53 yards.
Jacksonville’s Chad Henne, who lost the starting job to Blaine Gabbert earlier in the week but got the start because Gabbert has a broken thumb, completed 11 of 18 passes for 106 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. The Jaguars are 0-3.
BUCCANEERS 17, DOLPHINS 16
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami’s first-team offense scored its only TD just before halftime on its 17th play inside the Tampa Bay 20, but the Buccaneers scored with 1:03 left in the game to win.
Miami’s starters netted 180 yards playing the entire first half, their most extensive outing in four exhibition games. Ryan Tannehill went 17 for 27 for 150 yards and a 4-yard score to Brandon Gibson with 10 seconds left in the half for a 13-10 lead.
The score could have been lopsided in the Dolphins’ favor, but Gibson and Brian Hartline dropped potential touchdown passes, and twice they settled for short field goals.
TITANS 27, FALCONS 16
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jake Locker threw for 133 yards and a touchdown, and Tennessee sacked Matt Ryan five times.
Locker got both his first TD and the first turnover this preseason for the Titans (1-2). The third-year quarterback also posted his best game yet as he completed 11 of 13 passes and finished with a 134.9 passer rating before leaving after a series in the third quarter.
Ryan had Tony Gonzalez back after the veteran tight end reported to the Falcons this week. But a Tennessee defense without four starters got to Ryan repeatedly, including three times on third downs. Julio Jones was thrown at eight times with Roddy White resting an injured ankle, and dropped a couple while also drawing an offensive pass interference penalty.
From Wire Sources
