Branch, Pats reunited
Deion Branch had a happy return to New England, sparking a comeback from a 10-point deficit to a 23-20 overtime win over the Ravens. He capped that with two key catches that set up Stephen Gostkowski's 35-yard field goal with 1:56 left in overtime.
When Randy Moss was traded to Minnesota on Oct. 6, fans worried that the Patriots would struggle without their only deep threat. But Branch gave them plenty of reasons to forget those concerns and the team's embarrassing 33-14 playoff loss to the Ravens in the first round last season.
"We've known each other for a long time, so I think the chemistry's there," Tom Brady said. "It will be there."
Branch was MVP of the 2005 Super Bowl when he caught 11 passes for 133 yards. His nine catches in this one matched Moss' total in his four games with New England (4-1) this season.
"Not perfect, but he did a lot of good, like he always did," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "He got open and caught some balls. Let's not make it too complicated."
Eagles 31, Falcons 17At Philadelphia, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson each scored two touchdowns and Philadelphia snapped Atlanta's four-game winning streak.A head-on collision in the second quarter cost Philadelphia star receiver Jackson, and Atlanta lost cornerback Dunta Robinson, both with head injuries.
Jets 24, Broncos 20At Denver, LaDainian Tomlinson scored his second touchdown from 2 yards out with 73 seconds left after a pass interference flag helped New York rally and earn the NFL's best record at 5-1.
Vikings 24, Cowboys 21At Minneapolis, Percy Harvin's 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown gave Minnesota a spark to start the second half, and the Vikings overcame another uneven game by Brett Favre in a victory over Dallas.Playing with a bad elbow and the specter of a scandal hovering over him, Favre — who is to meet with NFL security Tuesday about the alleged racy messages he sent to a former New York Jets employee — took a bunch of big hits and finished 14 for 19 for 118 yards, one TD and one turnover.
Colts 27, Redskins 24At Landover, Md., Peyton Manning threw for 307 yards, including scoring throws of 57 yards to Pierre Garcon and 5 yards to Austin Collie in Indianapolis' victory over Washington.Joseph Addai ran for 128 yards and a touchdown for the Colts before leaving with a shoulder injury.
Giants 28, Lions 20At East Rutherford, N.J., Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes and the New York Giants sent error-prone Detroit to an NFL record-tying 24th straight road loss.
Rams 20, Chargers 17At St. Louis, James Hall, Chris Long and Larry Grant had two sacks apiece and the Rams stuffed the NFL's top offense for its third straight win at home.Sam Bradford threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Danario Alexander, making his NFL debut, to help build a 14-point cushion in the first half. Steven Jackson, who finished with 109 yards, also scored and had several key late carries for the Rams (3-3).
Texans 35, Chiefs 31At Houston, Matt Schaub threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson with 28 seconds left to give the Texans a stunning fourth-quarter comeback victory.The Texans (4-2) trailed 31-21 with just over 7 minutes left after Thomas Jones' 11-yard TD run.
Saints 31, Bucs 6At Tampa, Fla., Drew Brees threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns for New Orleans.
Dolphins 23, Packers 20 At Green Bay, Wis., Dan Carpenter kicked a 44-yard field goal with 9:01 left in overtime to lift Miami.It was the second straight overtime loss for the injury-riddled Packers (3-3),
Seahawks 23, Bears 20At Chicago, Matt Hasselbeck threw for a season-best 242 yards and a touchdown and Seattle's defense sacked Jay Cutler six times.Cutler was in trouble much of the game, and completed just 17 of 39 for 290 yards against the Seahawks (3-2).
49ers 17, Raiders 9At San Francisco, Alex Smith threw second-half touchdown passes to Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis and the 49ers finally won their first game.
