The Latest from NFL Week 6: Colts' trick play backfires
The latest from NFL games around the league on the sixth Sunday of the season (all times EDT):
10:59 p.m.
As innovations go, this one went backward.
Facing a fourth-and-3 from their own 37, the Indianapolis Colts lined up in punt formation, then shifted all but two players to the right side of the field. Next, wide receiver Griff Whelan, who lined up as the center, snapped the ball to safety Colt Anderson, who was playing quarterback.
The Patriots weren't fooled. Anderson got tackled immediately, but making matters worse, the Colts were ruled for an illegal formation because not enough players on the right side were at the line of scrimmage.
New England declined the penalty and Tom Brady took the Patriots in for a touchdown on the ensuing short drive for a 34-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.
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9:25 p.m.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's first interception of the season turned out to be worth the wait.
For the Colts.
Facing a second-and-10 from his own 10, the New England quarterback fired a sideline pass to Julian Edelman, who couldn't get a handle on the ball. When Edelman tipped it into the air with his left hand, Mike Adams raced in, grabbed it out of the air and returned it 14 yards for the score to give the Colts a 14-10 lead some 12 minutes before halftime
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9:15 p.m.
New England lost starting left tackle Nate Solder earlier this week when he was put on injured reserve. Now, the Patriots may be without starting right tackle Marcus Cannon because of an injury to the big toe on his right foot. His return is questionable.
Cannon was replaced by Cameron Fleming, who was signed Saturday from the practice squad.
Indy also has been using running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who was signed as a free agent.
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9:35 p.m.
Colts fans thought Tom Brady would be making his season debut Sunday night.
Instead, they were more eager to see Andrew Luck back on the field.
The crowd roared when Luck showed up in his customary blue and white uniform before kickoff - the first time he's worn that attire since injuring his right arm Sept. 27 at Tennessee. And they didn't have to wait long to see what he could do. The Colts got the ball to start the game.
Brady, whose four-game suspension for his role in ''Deflategate'' was vacated, was serenaded with boos as he ran onto the field.
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8 p.m.
Put Green Bay and Carolina in the ''Barely Still Unbeaten'' column, too.
Just like the Broncos' OT escape earlier Sunday, the Packers got to 6-0 by the skin of their teeth, holding off the San Diego Chargers for a 27-20 victory that wasn't decided until the final seconds.
San Diego had a first-and-goal at the 3 with less than a minute to go but couldn't punch it in. Packers cornerback Damarious Randall jumped to knock away San Diego QB Philip Rivers' pass toward the end zone on fourth down to seal the outcome.
The Panthers are 5-0 after beating the Seahawks 27-23 on Cam Newton's 26-yard TD pass to Greg Olsen with 32 seconds left.
More surprising than Carolina's record is Seattle's: The two-time reigning NFC champion is only 2-4, including defensive letdowns the past two weeks.
In the other 4 p.m. ET game, San Francisco topped Baltimore 25-20, dropping the Ravens to 1-5.
Just one matchup left Sunday, and the night game is one everyone has been waiting for: Tom Brady's Patriots at the Colts, a rematch of last season's AFC title game, which led to the scandal over deflated footballs.
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6:10 p.m. ET
It has not been a happy homecoming so far for San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon.
The rookie has fumbled twice in the first half of Sunday' game at the Packers. Gordon also went the locker room briefly with a foot injury.
Gordon was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season playing for Wisconsin and is from Kenosha.
- Genaro C. Armas reporting from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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5:15 p.m.
James Starks just accomplished something no Packer had done in nearly 20 years.
Starks caught a 5-yard touchdown pass and added a 65-yard TD run in the first quarter, to help Green Bay take a 14-3 lead against visiting San Diego. On the scoring run, Starks went left behind a pile at the line of scrimmage before spinning right to find open field.
Starks is the first Green Bay player with a touchdown run of at least 50 yards and touchdown catch in the first quarter since Dorsey Levens did that in a 1997 game, according to the NFL.
- Genaro C. Armas reporting from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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5 p.m.
The Lions win! The Lions win!
The only NFL franchise to go 0-16 will not repeat that embarrassment. Detroit got its first victory this season by barely getting past the Chicago Bears 37-34 in overtime on Sunday. Matthew Stafford connected with Calvin Johnson for a 57-yard pass that set up Matt Prater's 27-yard field goal, allowing Detroit to get to 1-5.
Detroit was the last team without a win this season.
At the other end of the standings, two teams got to 6-0 - but only one, Cincinnati, looked good doing so.
Andy Dalton threw three TD passes to lead the Bengals past the Buffalo Bills 34-21. Peyton Manning threw three interceptions before going 4 for 4 on the drive leading to Brandon McManus' 34-yard field goal that ended the Broncos' 26-23 overtime win over the Cleveland Browns.
Results of the other 1 p.m. games:
- New York Jets 34, Washington 20
- Pittsburgh 25, Arizona 13
- Miami 38, Tennessee 10
- Minnesota 16, Kansas City 10
- Houston 31, Jacksonville 20
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4:25 p.m.
The Bears and the so-far-winless Lions are headed to overtime after Jay Cutler led Chicago on a last-ditch drive for a field goal in the final seconds.
Detroit led 34-31 after Calvin Johnson's touchdown catch with 21 seconds left, but Cutler completed passes of 25 and 24 yards to Alshon Jeffery.
Then a pass interference call put the Bears in position for an easy 29-yard field goal by Robbie Gould on the last play of regulation.
- Noah Trister reporting from Detroit
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4:05 p.m.
With Michael Vick back out of the game, this time because of what the Steelers say is an injured right hamstring, Landry Jones has thrown his first two NFL touchdown passes.
Jones had never even taken a snap in a regular-season game before facing Arizona on Sunday.
He connected with Martavis Bryant for an 8-yard score in the third quarter, then an 88-yard TD in the fourth.
- Will Graves reporting in Pittsburgh.
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3:25 p.m.
The Miami Dolphins' pass rush is looking a lot better.
After only one sack through its first four games, Miami had five by halftime against the Titans. Cameron Wake was up to four all by himself, along with two forced fumbles.
The Miami pass rush got to Titans rookie Marcus Mariota early, and Olivier Vernon rolled into the quarterback's left leg. Mariota stayed in the game, but got a brace put on between series.
Then Titans center Brian Schwenke hurt his left leg and had to be carted off the field - replaced by a rookie.
- Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee.
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3:05 p.m.
Bills receiver Sammy Watkins was shown on TV using crutches after hurting his left leg while making a 22-yard touchdown catch against the Bengals.
Watkins made a sudden stop in the end zone to collect a pass from improvising quarterback E.J. Manuel.
After the play, Watkins walked off very slowly, not putting much weight on his left foot.
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2:50 p.m.
Another crucial call in the end zone involving the Lions.
This time, officials ruled in Detroit's favor.
Golden Tate caught a short pass over the middle from Matthew Stafford as he crossed the goal line in the final minute of the first half Sunday, but Chicago defensive back Kyle Fuller reached in and pried the ball loose, and the Bears intercepted it. The play was initially ruled an interception, but it was changed to a touchdown after a replay review.
The winless Lions lead 21-13.
Detroit was on the other end of a bad break earlier this month when Calvin Johnson fumbled into the end zone toward the end of a game at Seattle. Officials ruled that play a touchback, awarding the ball to Seattle, instead of flagging the Seahawks for illegally batting the ball out of the end zone.
- Noah Trister reporting from Detroit
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2:35 p.m.
Michael Vick is back in for the Steelers.
He left after his helmet collided with a Cardinals defender's knee. But Vick returned on Pittsburgh's next series - and the Steelers offered this explanation for the QB's absence: He had dirt in his eye.
- Will Graves reporting from Pittsburgh.
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2:15 p.m.
Steelers backup quarterback Michael Vick went to the sideline after his helmet collided with the right knee of Arizona's Kevin Minter at the end of a play.
Vick was diving forward when he took the shot to the head. Referee Ed Hochuli checked on Vick as the quarterback stood up after the play.
When Vick left, third-string QB Landry Jones came in and took his first regular-season NFL snap.
Vick started in place of Ben Roethlisberger, who missed a third consecutive game with an injured knee.
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1:50 p.m.
Aqib Talib and the Denver Broncos' defense keep stealing the football and scoring points.
Talib ran back an interception of Josh McCown 63 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the second quarter against Cleveland - his eighth career return for a TD, the most in the NFL since 2009.
It was Denver's 15th takeaway and fourth defensive TD this season.
- Tom Withers reporting from Cleveland.
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1:40 p.m.
The Minnesota Vikings would have taken a 2-0 lead in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs had Jerome Boger's officiating crew not missed a safety.
On third-and-12 from the Kansas City 2, Chiefs left guard Ben Grubbs was called for holding Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd - and a holding call in the end zone is an automatic safety.
Boger announced the penalty occurred in the field of play.
But replays indicated Floyd was held in the end zone - and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was livid on the sideline.
Mike Pereira, former NFL VP of officiating and now a TV analyst for Fox, agreed with Zimmer, tweeting: ''After looking at it again, it's clearly a safety.''
- Jon Krawczynski reporting from Minneapolis.
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1:15 p.m.
Clock problems seem to be following the Pittsburgh Steelers around.
One game after 18 seconds were incorrectly run off late in the fourth quarter of the Steelers' victory at San Diego, Pittsburgh experienced another timing issue on the first play of scrimmage against visiting Arizona on Sunday.
Flags flew before the Cardinals' opening snap for what would have been a delay-of-game penalty. But referee Ed Hochuli waived off the penalty, pointing out the play clock had started too early.
- Will Graves reporting from Pittsburgh.
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1:05 p.m.
Shady's back.
After missing time with a left hamstring injury, Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy's first carry Sunday - his first carry since Week 3 - went for 33 yards, his longest rush of the season.
A great block by tight end Charles Clay sent McCoy free up the right side on the opening play from scrimmage in the Bills' game against Cincinnati.
- John Wawrow reporting from Orchard Park, New York.
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