Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes as Brock Purdy’s replacement and the visiting San Francisco 49ers held off the New Orleans Saints 26-21 on Sunday afternoon.

Jones made his debut for the 49ers (2-0) in place of Purdy, who is sidelined by a toe injury, and completed 26 of 39 passes for 279 yards.

Spencer Rattler matched Jones’ three touchdown passes while completing 25 of 34 for 206 yards, and Alvin Kamara rushed for 99 yards on 21 carries for the Saints (0-2).

On the first possession of the third quarter, Jones fumbled when hit by Chris Rumph II and Demario Davis recovered for New Orleans at the San Francisco 47. Ten plays later, Rattler threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed to trim the 49ers’ lead to 16-14.

San Francisco responded with a drive that ended with Eddy Pineiro’s 46-yard field goal for a 19-14 lead at the end of the third. After a Saints fumble, Jones connected with Jauan Jennings for a 42-yard score that made it 26-14.

Rattler threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele to get New Orleans within 26-21 with 6:18 remaining. The Saints got the ball back twice more, but didn’t threaten to score.

The Saints drove into scoring range on the game’s first possession, but Blake Grupe missed a 40-yard field-goal attempts — one week after he missed a 37-yarder in a loss to Arizona.

The 49ers drove 80 yards and Jones threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Luke Farrell, who started in place of injured George Kittle. Pineiro, signed to replace Jake Moody after Moody missed two kicks last week in a win over Seattle, missed the extra point, leaving San Francisco with a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Pineiro bounced back to kick a 44-yard field goal that increased the lead to 9-0 early in the second quarter.

Rattler drove the Saints 84 yards and threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson to trim the lead to 9-7 with 1:14 left in the half. Jones responded with a 77-yard drive and a 7-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffery, which sent San Francisco into halftime with a 16-7 lead.

–Field Level Media

Antonio Gibson’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped the New England Patriots post a 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins in a Sunday afternoon shootout in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Gibson’s first career touchdown return was the difference in the game, coming on the ensuing kickoff 12 seconds after a 74-yard punt-return touchdown by Miami’s Malik Washington gave the Dolphins the lead with 7:18 left.

The Dolphins drove into New England territory in the final 90 seconds, but the drive ended on Milton Williams’ second sack of the game on fourth-and-12 at the 28-yard line, clinching the Patriots’ first win in Miami since 2019. The Dolphins fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2020.

New England quarterback Drake Maye sparked the offense by completing 19 of 23 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns with a rushing touchdown. He was supplemented by Rhamondre Stevenson, who led the Patriots with 88 receiving yards and 54 rushing yards.

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was 26 of 32 for 315 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Tyreek Hill sparked the offense with 109 yards on six catches while De’Von Achane led the Dolphins with 30 rushing yards and added 92 receiving yards and a touchdown.

On paper, the Patriots (1-1) should have had a larger halftime lead than their 15-14 advantage. They outgained Miami 143-18 in the first quarter and scored on all three first-half possessions before kneeling out the final 31 seconds.

And yet, a pair of missed extra points by Andy Borregales and a drive stalling inside the 5-yard line opened the door for the Dolphins, who scored touchdowns on their final two first-half drives.

Both quarterbacks were exceptional throughout the opening 30 minutes, each throwing a pair of touchdown passes.

Maye threw a pair of first-quarter TDs, an 8-yarder to Mack Hollins with 9:29 left and a 16-yarder to Kayshon Boutte with 49 seconds left.

Tagovailoa responded with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, an 18-yarder to Jaylen Waddle with 11:19 left and a 29-yarder to Achane with 33 seconds remaining.

After Riley Patterson gave the Dolphins the lead with a 40-yard field goal to begin the third quarter, the Miami defense delivered a stop.

Patterson extended the lead with another field goal from 44 yards to make it 20-15 Dolphins before the Patriots took the lead back on a 6-yard Maye scramble in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

The Patriots finished with five sacks of Tagavailoa, keeping Miami without a second-half offensive touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Jared Goff threw five touchdown passes — three to Amon-Ra St. Brown — and the host Detroit Lions rolled past the Chicago Bears 52-21 on Sunday.

Goff hit 23 of 28 passes and racked up 334 passing yards for a nearly perfect 156.0 quarterback rating as the Lions (1-1) spoiled the return of Bears head coach Ben Johnson, their former offensive coordinator. St. Brown caught nine passes for 115 yards while Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown. Jameson Williams caught two passes for 108 yards and a score.

Caleb Williams passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (0-2). Rome Odunze caught both of Williams’ scoring passes and finished with seven catches and 128 yards. Former Lion D’Andre Swift rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Detroit led 28-14 at halftime.

The Lions scored five plays into the contest on Gibbs’ 6-yard run. Chicago responded on its first drive with Williams’ 28-yard scoring pass to Odunze on third-and-9.

Detroit took a 14-7 lead later in the quarter on David Montgomery’s 1-yard plunge. Goff’s 32-yard pass to St. Brown set up that score.

The Lions defense stopped Williams on a fourth-and-1 from the Bears’ 37-yard line early in the second. Detroit failed to pick up a first down, and Jake Bates missed a 55-yard field goal attempt.

Following a Kerby Joseph interception, the Lions increased their lead to double digits. Goff found Brock Wright on an 8-yard scoring pass.

Williams connected with Odunze three times on Chicago’s ensuing drive, including a 6-yard touchdown.

Isaac TeSlaa’s one-handed catch — a 29-yard reception — set up Goff’s 4-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown with two seconds remaining in the half.

Goff’s 64-yard completion to Williams led to a 34-yard Bates field goal and a 31-14 Lions lead. The Goff-Williams combination struck again on Detroit’s next possession, this time a 44-yard touchdown hookup with 6:22 left in the quarter.

The Lions opened the fourth quarter with Goff’s 8-yard scoring pass to St. Brown to make it 45-14.

Swift scored on a 3-yard run with 11:45 remaining. Facing a fourth-and-goal, the Lions opted to go for it and Goff connected with St. Brown once more on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 7:58 left to make it 52-21.

Not long later, Lions coach Dan Campbell and Johnson met in the middle of the field for a postgame handshake noteworthy for its brevity.

–Field Level Media

Brandon Aubrey hit the game-winning field goal as time expired in overtime to give the Dallas Cowboys a dramatic 40-37 win over the New York Giants on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

Aubrey also sent the game into overtime by converting a 64-yard field goal as the clock hit zeroes, extending a wild game that saw two touchdowns in the final minute of regulation and seven total lead changes.

Dak Prescott went 38-of-52 passing for 361 yards and two touchdowns, and CeeDee Lamb caught nine passes for 112 yards for Dallas (1-1). Prescott’s 6-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens gave the Cowboys a 34-30 lead with 52 seconds remaining.

Russell Wilson went 30-of-41 passing for 450 yards and three touchdowns for New York (0-2). Malik Nabers caught nine passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including a go-ahead score after Pickens’ TD grab.

Following an interception by Donovan Wilson that gave Dallas the ball at its own 30-yard line with two minutes left in overtime, the Cowboys drove to the New York 28 after a 14-yard scramble by Prescott.

The Cowboys wound down the clock, and Aubrey gave Dallas the win by nailing his 46-yarder from the right hash.

Trailing 34-30 in the final minute, New York took the lead with 25 seconds to go on a 48-yard touchdown bomb from Wilson to Nabers, who got behind two Dallas defenders and hauled in the pass in the end zone.

Dallas took over at its own 33-yard line and drove to the Giants’ 46, where Aubrey connected from 64 yards to force overtime. It matched the third-longest field goal in NFL history, two yards shy of the league record; Aubrey also made a 65-yarder last season.

Trailing late in the fourth quarter, the Giants moved ahead 30-27 on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Wan’Dale Robinson with 2:44 remaining.

New York held a 13-3 advantage in the second quarter after Nabers’ first TD, a 29-yard play, but Dallas responded with a pair of touchdown drives.

First came a 10-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to KaVontae Turpin. Then, Dallas took a 17-13 lead with 7:30 to go in the third quarter on a 30-yard touchdown run by Javonte Williams.

–Field Level Media

CINCINNATI — Jake Browning scored on a quarterback sneak with 18 seconds left to lead an improbable comeback as the Cincinnati Bengals rallied following the loss of quarterback Joe Burrow to a toe injury to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-27 on Sunday.

Browning’s score capped a 15-play, 92-yard drive to lead Cincinnati (2-0) to an unbeaten mark after two weeks for the first time since 2018. Browning finished 21 of 32 for 241 yards and two touchdowns, with three interceptions.

Ja’Marr Chase finished with 14 catches on 16 targets for 165 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals.

Trevor Lawrence completed 24 of 42 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions for the Jaguars (1-1). Cam Little converted a go-ahead 25-yard field goal with 11:43 to play after the Bengals had tied the score before Browning’s late heroics.

Burrow left with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter and did not return after suffering a toe injury on his left foot on an Arik Armstead sack. Burrow’s left cleat appeared to catch in the turf on the play.

Burrow sat at his locker with a walking boot on his left leg and left the locker room using crutches, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The team gave no official update on his status after the game, but early signs indicate Burrow could miss several weeks, the newspaper reported.

The Bengals later lost their first-round draft pick, Shemar Stewart, to a right leg injury when he limped off the field flexing his right knee midway through the fourth quarter.

The Bengals managed to rally behind Browning and erase a 17-10 halftime deficit and tie the game twice, 17-17 and 24-24.

Burrow was 7-of-13 for 76 yards and a touchdown pass to Chase before being forced from the game.

Jacksonville took the game’s opening drive and marched 69 yards in nine plays, capped by a Lawrence to Dyami Brown 9-yard touchdown pass. The Bengals went three-and-out on the next series, and the Jaguars were on the verge of taking a commanding two-touchdown lead before Lawrence was intercepted in the end zone.

The Bengals answered with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Burrow finding Chase on an in-slant for 4 yards and a touchdown.

The game was tied only briefly as the Jaguars drove 75 yards in eight plays, capped off by an 8-yard touchdown pass in the flat for Bhayshul Tuten.
The teams traded field goals late in the first half.

Browning tied the game with 11:05 left in the third, hitting Mitchell Tinsley from 13 yards out. After Lawrence regained the lead with an 11-yarder to Travis Etienne, Tee Higgins got loose for a 42-yard scoring catch, making it 24-all going into the fourth.

— Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media

Lamar Jackson passed for 225 yards and four touchdowns to help spoil Joe Flacco’s homecoming as the Baltimore Ravens notched a 41-17 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns in an AFC North battle on Sunday afternoon.

Devontez Walker caught two touchdown passes and DeAndre Hopkins and Tylan Wallace each added one as Baltimore (1-1) rebounded from a disappointing collapse against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Jackson completed 19 of 29 passes on Sunday.

Roquan Smith returned a fumble 63 yards for a touchdown and had 15 tackles, including three for losses, for the Ravens. Nate Wiggins returned an interception 60 yards to set up a Ravens touchdown, and Jake Hummel blocked a punt to set up a field goal.

Flacco, 40, completed 25 of 45 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his first visit to Baltimore since his stint with the Ravens ended with the 2018 season. Flacco played 11 seasons with Baltimore and was Super Bowl MVP when the Ravens won the 2012 season championship.

Cedric Tillman and Dylan Sampson caught touchdown passes, and Myles Garrett had 1.5 sacks for the Browns (0-2).

Baltimore led by seven at the break but quickly pushed their lead to 20-3. Tyler Loop’s 32-yard field goal gave the Ravens a 10-point lead with 10:09 left in the third quarter.

On Cleveland’s ensuing possession, Flacco was picked off by Wiggins at the Ravens’ 35. Browns offensive tackle Joel Bitonio made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Cleveland 5.

Baltimore cashed in on Jackson’s 2-yard scoring pass to Walker to make it 20-3 with 10:09 left in the third quarter.

The Browns then received a break on fourth-and-2 from the Ravens’ 18. Marlon Humphrey was in position to intercept Flacco’s pass, but the ball went through his hands and into those of Tillman for a Cleveland touchdown that left the Browns down 10 with 5:02 left in the third quarter.

The Ravens pushed the lead back to 17 on Jackson’s 24-yard scoring pass to Walker with 13:26 left in the contest.

Things got worse for Flacco when he was sacked by Tavius Robinson and lost the ball. Smith picked it up and ran it back for his second career score to make it 34-10 with 8:19 remaining.

Jackson’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins pushed the lead to 31 with 4:43 left.

Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel threw his first career touchdown pass, an 8-yarder to Sampson, with 1:50 to go.

The Ravens led 3-0 early in the second quarter when Hummel broke in and blocked the punt of Cleveland’s Corey Bojorquez. Sanoussi Kane recovered to give Baltimore the ball at the Browns’ 24-yard line.

Two plays later, Jackson tossed a 15-yard scoring pass to Wallace to make it 10-0 with 11:13 left in the half.

Cleveland later received Andre Szmyt’s 38-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining in the half.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow left Sunday’s 31-27 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first half with a left toe injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025 season.

Multiple reports on Sunday night indicated Burrow sustained Grade 3 turf toe that will likely require surgery. That procedure would sideline him for approximately three months.

Burrow was seen exiting the locker room by reporters sporting crutches and a boot on his left foot.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor had nothing to share after the contest.

“Nothing right now to be truthfully honest with you,” Taylor said. “We had such a tight game I don’t have all of the information right now.”

The Bengals (2-0) visit the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday.

Burrow was injured with 8:36 left in the second quarter, while pointing toward his left foot. On a pass play on second down, the pocket collapsed and Burrow was trapped underneath.

Burrow sat on the turf for a minute before getting up and receiving treatment in the medical tent. After five minutes in the tent, he began to make his way to the locker room under his own power before putting an arm on each shoulder of a medical staffer.

Burrow was 7-of-13 passing for 76 yards and a first-quarter touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase before departing.

Through Sunday’s game, Burrow has completed an NFL-record 68.5 percent of his passes for 19,190 yards and 142 touchdowns to 46 interceptions in 71 contests. He was named Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 when he guided the Bengals to the Super Bowl. He received the award again last season, though the Bengals did not make the playoffs.

Jake Browning replaced Burrow and was 21 of 32 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 18 seconds left to cap a 15-play, 92-yard drive.

Browning, 29, started the final seven games of the 2023 season when Burrow sustained a season-ending wrist injury. He completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine appearances that season.

In college, Browning passed for 12,296 yards, 94 touchdowns and 34 interceptions as a four-year starter for Washington.

–Field Level Media

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander was listed as inactive for Sunday’s game against the visiting Cleveland Browns.

Alexander, who was dealing with a knee injury during training camp, struggled in the Ravens’ 41-40 season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. He was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice due to a knee injury, however he did not carry an injury designation into this game.

“Practice is important, especially at that position, for just being exactly right,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. “The main thing right now is just to get him right. He’s healthy enough, but we have to get him right so (he) can go out there and play like Jaire Alexander, which I fully expect him to do. We’ll just give him an opportunity to do that.”

Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, signed a one-year, $4 million contract, plus incentives, with Baltimore this summer after being released by the Green Bay Packers.

In addition to Alexander, the Ravens listed the following players as inactive: running back Keaton Mitchell, fullback Patrick Ricard, tight end Isaiah Likely, offensive tackle Carson Vinson and linebacker David Ojabo.

As for the Browns (0-1), rookie running back Quinshon Judkins is available to make his NFL debut.

An early second-round pick in this year’s draft, Judkins signed his four-year, $11.4 million rookie contract on Sept. 6 after an investigation into an alleged domestic violence incident in July in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Judkins was accused of punching a woman in the face, arm and thigh, but prosecutors announced in August that they would not be moving forward with the case.

He was listed as questionable to play against the Ravens after participating in practice on both Thursday and Friday.

Judkins, 21, rushed for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 161 yards and two TDs in 16 games last season as Ohio State won the College Football Playoff national championship.

Cleveland listed rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, offensive tackle Jack Conklin, running back Raheim Sanders, defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. and guard Zak Zinter as inactive against the Ravens.

–Field Level Media

The San Francisco 49ers listed Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Jauan Jennings as active for Sunday’s game against the host New Orleans Saints.

Williams, who is nursing a knee injury, was given the green light to play after the 49ers put him through a workout at the Superdome.

The 11-time Pro Bowl selection joined Jennings (shoulder) in being listed as questionable on Friday to play for San Francisco (1-0).

The 49ers will turn to Mac Jones with fellow quarterback Brock Purdy inactive due an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder.

Purdy, who signed a five-year, $265 million extension with San Francisco in May, completed 26 of 35 passes for 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the 49ers’ 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday.

Jennings injured his shoulder Sunday and left in the fourth quarter after two catches for 16 yards.

San Francisco also listed wide receiver Jordan Watkins, running back Jordan James, linebacker Nick Martin, offensive linemen Drew Moss and Austen Pleasants, and defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson as inactive for the game.

As for the Saints (0-1), they listed the following players as inactive: defensive ends Chase Young and Jonathan Bullard, offensive lineman Trevor Penning, defensive tackle Khristian Boyd, cornerback Rejzohn Wright, wide receiver Trey Palmer and offensive guard Xavier Truss.

–Field Level Media