NFL

Cousins throws for 509 yards, 4 touchdowns in Falcons' OT win over Buccaneers

By Sports Desk October 03, 2024

Kirk Cousins passed for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime that gave the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins and the Falcons (3-2) got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27.

Cousins completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then hustled to the line to spike the ball with a single second on the clock. In all the confusion, the Falcons were called for delay of game as they lined up for a tying field goal, but it didn't cost them.

Younghoe Koo knocked it through from 52 yards to force overtime, one week after he made a 58-yarder with 2 seconds left to beat the New Orleans Saints.

The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime and made sure Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (3-2) didn't get their hands on the ball again. Cousins connected with Drake London on a couple of passes before throwing one over the middle to Hodge, who split the secondary and raced untouched to the end zone to end the game.

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  • Chiefs place top wide receiver Rice on injured reserve Chiefs place top wide receiver Rice on injured reserve

    Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid told the media Thursday the team was waiting for swelling to go down on Rashee Rice's knee before performing additional tests.

    Three hours later, the Chiefs had enough information to know he'll be side-lined for at least one month.

    The Chiefs placed Rice on injured reserve later Thursday, meaning he will out for a minimum of four weeks.

    Rice was injured in last Sunday's 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and it was reported he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

    There has been no update on the extent of the injury, but a torn ACL would side-line him for the rest of the season.

    The second-year receiver was injured on a bizarre play when he collided with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who inadvertently dove into Rice's knee as the two team-mates were attempting to tackle Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton on an interception return.

    Rice was carted off to the locker room shortly after leaving the field and eventually ruled out of the game.

     

    His injury is the latest blow to a Kansas City team that is already without leading rusher Isiah Pacheco, who is recovering from a fractured fibula he sustained in Week 2.

    It also leaves Mahomes without his top target, as Rice led the NFL with 24 receptions through this season's first three weeks.

    No other Kansas City player had double-digit receptions entering Week 4, though Travis Kelce finally took on a larger role in the offence.

    The veteran tight end had seven receptions for 89 yards against the Chargers after catching eight passes for 69 yards in the first three games.

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  • 'It was a good day' - Goff proud of setting new NFL record 'It was a good day' - Goff proud of setting new NFL record

    Jared Goff was proud of making history, as he set an NFL single-game record by completing all 18 of his pass attempts to help the Detroit Lions to victory.

    The Lions beat the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks 42-29 on Monday, with Goff eclipsing Hall of Famer Kurt Warner's 10-for-10 performance in 2005, the previous standard for most passes in a game without an incompletion.

    The quarterback threw for 292 yards, including touchdown passes to Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown on his perfect evening, while also hauling in the latter's 7-yard toss for a touchdown in the third quarter.

    That made him the first quarterback with a receiving touchdown since Zach Wilson in 2022, while he also became the first QB in NFL history with 15 or more pass attempts with no incompletions in a game.

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    "I knew I did it in the first half last week, so I was aware of it then, and I was kind of aware of it today in the middle of the third quarter," he said.

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  • NFL: Goff perfect as Lions down Seahawks NFL: Goff perfect as Lions down Seahawks

    Jared Goff set an NFL single-game record by completing all 18 of his pass attempts, and caught a touchdown pass as well to lead the Detroit Lions to a 42-29 victory over the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks on Monday.

    Goff threw for 292 yards with touchdown passes to Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown on his perfect evening, which eclipsed a 10-for-10 performance from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner in 2005 that had been the NFL's standard for most passes in a game without an incompletion.

    The veteran quarterback was flawless as a receiver as well, as he hauled in St. Brown's 8-yard toss for a touchdown during a back-and-forth third quarter in which both teams scored touchdowns on their two possessions.

    Detroit (3-1) also got two rushing touchdowns from Jahmyr Gibbs, who finished with 78 rushing yards on 14 attempts in the Lions' second straight win.

    Seattle (3-1) was dealt its first loss after starting 3-0 under first-year coach Mike Macdonald despite piling up 516 total yards. Macdonald's defence had trouble coming up with stops, however, as Detroit produced touchdowns on all five of its red-zone trips.

    Kenneth Walker returned from a two-game absence to rush for 80 yards and three touchdowns for Seattle, while Geno Smith threw for 395 yards and a touchdown and DK Metcalf recorded 104 yards on seven receptions.

    The Lions never trailed after building a 14-0 lead with back-to-back touchdown drives, the first a 12-play, 93-yard series capped by David Montgomery's 1-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

    After recovering a fumble by Metcalf in Detroit territory which Carlton Davis returned 49 yards to the Seattle 14, Gibbs ended a 3-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

    The Seahawks answered with a 10-play, 70-yard sequence culminating in Walker's 1-yard touchdown run with 10:08 to go in the first half, but Goff marched Detroit 70 yards in nine plays on the ensuing possession as the Lions took a 21-7 lead on Gibbs' 1-yard touchdown run with 5:11 left before half-time.

    Seattle closed the gap on the opening drive of the third quarter, which Smith finished with a 9-yard touchdown pass to AJ Barner after the Seahawks converted three times on third or fourth down.

    Montgomery took Goff's short toss 40 yards on the following possession, however, to set up St. Brown's well-thrown touchdown pass to Goff on a trick play that fooled the Seattle defence.

    Smith promptly moved the Seahawks 80 yards in eight plays on their next drive as Seattle pulled to within 28-20 on Walker's second 1-yard TD run of the night. Smith's pass on the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, however.

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    The Seahawks continued to fight back, as Walker brooke lose for a 23-yard run on the following drive before concluding it with a 21-yard touchdown to bring Seattle within 35-27 with 12 seconds elapsed in the fourth quarter.

    Detroit forced a punt on Seattle's next series, however, before Goff fired a 29-yard completion to Tim Patrick and a 30-yard pass to Sam LaPorta before extending the lead to 42-27 with an 8-yard touchdown strike to St. Brown with 5:23 to play.

    Seattle was stopped on downs from the Detroit 3-yard line on its next possession, and Kerby Joseph later sealed the Lions' win by intercepting Smith with a minute left.  The pick came after the Seahawks got two points on a safety when Dre'Mont Jones sacked Goff in the end zone. 

     

    Titans get first win, extend Dolphins' struggles

    The Tennessee Titans rode strong performances from running back Tony Pollard and kicker Nick Folk, as well as a stout defensive effort, to their first win of the season with Monday's 31-12 victory over the punch-less Miami Dolphins.

    Pollard rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries as Tennessee (1-3) prevailed in what turned out to be a battle of backup quarterbacks after the Titans' Will Levis left the contest in the first quarter with a right shoulder injury.

    Mason Rudolph threw for just 85 yards in place of Levis but led seven scoring drives, five of which ended on field goals by Folk that helped give Tennessee's Brian Callahan his first win as an NFL head coach.

    Miami (1-3) generated little offence under Tyler Huntley, the Dolphins' third starting quarterback in three weeks and second since top signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills that landed him on injured reserve.

    The Dolphins were held to 184 total yards in their third consecutive loss, with Huntley managing just 96 on 14-of-22 passing. 

    After neither team moved the ball effectively during a scoreless first quarter, Rudolph got the Titans in range for Folk's 53-yard field goal 44 seconds into the second for the game's first points.

    The Dolphins were stopped on 4th-and-1 from the Tennessee 46 on the ensuing possession, with the favourable starting position leading to Folk's 52-yard kick with 8:20 left before half-time.

    Huntley then led Miami on a 10-play, 44-yard drive capped by Jason Sanders' 44-yard field goal to cut the lead to 6-3, but a 27-yard pass from Rudolph to Tyler Boyd late in the first half allowed Tennessee to extend its lead at the break on Folk's 47-yard field goal.

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