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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, September 20, 2009

NFL: Today's highlights, notes


Associated Press

STARS

Passing

—Matt Schaub, Texans, threw for 357 yards and four touchdowns in Houston's 34-31 win over Tennessee.

—Philip Rivers, Chargers, threw for a career-high 436 yards and two touchdowns in San Diego's 31-26 loss to Baltimore.
—Eli Manning, Giants, threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants' 33-31 win over the Cowboys.
—Matt Ryan, Falcons, was 21 of 27 for 220 yards and three touchdowns in Atlanta's 28-20 win over Carolina.

—Kurt Warner, Cardinals, was 24 of 26 for 243 yards with two touchdowns in Arizona's 31-17 win over Jacksonville.

—Drew Brees, Saints, completed 25 of 34 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns in New Orleans' 48-22 win over Philadelphia.

—Jay Cutler, Bears, passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns in Chicago's 17-14 win over Pittsburgh.

Receiving

—Andre Johnson, Texans, had 10 catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns in Houston's 34-31 win over Tennessee.

—Steve Smith, Panthers, had eight catches for 131 yards in Carolina's 28-20 loss to Atlanta.
— Mario Manningham and Steve Smith, Giants, each had 10 catches and a touchdown in the Giants' 33-31 win over the Cowboys. Manningham had 150 yards and Smith had 134.
—Darren Sproles, Chargers, had seven catches for 124 yards, and teammate Vincent Jackson had six catches for 141 yards in San Diego's 31-26 loss to Baltimore.

Rushing

—Frank Gore, 49ers, had 207 yards and two touchdowns in San Francisco's 23-10 win over Seattle.

—Chris Johnson, Titans, scored three touchdowns and ran for 197 yards, and added 87 yards receiving.

—Cedric Benson, Bengals, rushed for 141 yards in Cincinnati's 31-24 win over Green Bay.

—Steven Jackson, Rams, ran for 104 yards on 17 carries in St. Louis' 9-7 loss to Washington.

Special Teams

—John Kasay, Panthers, kicked a 50-yard field goal in Carolina's 28-20 loss to Atlanta.

—Calais Campbell, Cardinals, blocked a field goal attempt and Antrel Rolle returned it 83 yards for a touchdown in Arizona's 31-17 win over Jacksonville.

—Robbie Gould, Bears, kicked a game-winning 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in Chicago's 17-14 win over Pittsburgh.

Defense

—Antwan Odom, Bengals, had five sacks in Cincinnati's 31-24 win over Green Bay.

—Charles Woodson, Packers, had two interceptions, returning one 37 yards for a touchdown, in Green Bay's 31-24 loss to Cincinnati.

—Michael Huff, Raiders, had two interceptions in Oakland's 13-10 win over Kansas City.

—Chad Greenway, Vikings, had two interceptions and recovered a fumble in Minnesota's 27-13 win over Detroit.

—Elvis Dumervil, Broncos, tied a franchise record with four sacks in Denver's 27-6 win over Cleveland.

—Donte Whitner, Bills, returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown in Buffalo's 33-20 win over Tampa Bay.
—Bruce Johnson, Giants, returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown in the Giants' 33-31 win over the Cowboys and teammate Kenny Phillips had two interceptions.
ANOTHER RECORD

Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre set an NFL record with his 271st straight start in a 27-13 win over the Detroit Lions. Defensive end Jim Marshall had the previous mark for consecutive starts, 270 games in a row for Minnesota from 1961-1979.

WAYS TO WIN

Oakland QB JaMarcus Russell became just the second quarterback since the start of the 1997 season to try 20 or more passes and complete less than 30 percent of them but still win in a 13-10 victory over the Chiefs. He was 7 of 24 for 109 yards. It was the first time in the Raiders' 50-year history they've won after giving up more than 400 yards and gaining fewer than 200. They wound up with just 166 yards of offense to the Chiefs' 409.
MILESTONES

San Francisco's Frank Gore became only the second player in NFL history to have two TD runs of 79 or more yards in the same game, joining Barry Sanders. Sanders had runs of 80 and 82 yards at Tampa Bay on Oct. 12, 1997. ... Arizona's Kurt Warner completed his first 15 passes and broke the NFL's single-game record for completion percentage in the Cardinals' 31-17 win over Jacksonville. By completing 92.3 percent of his passes, he broke the previous record set by Vinny Testaverde in 1993. Testaverde, playing for Cleveland, completed 21 of 23 passes against the Los Angeles Rams. ... The Falcons are 2-0 for only the second time in the last 11 years after beating Carolina 28-20.

STREAKS

Atlanta's Matt Ryan completed 13 straight passes during one stretch of the Falcons' 28-20 win over Carolina. ... The Texans won their first game in September since Sept. 16, 2007, by beating Tennessee 34-31. The Titans are 0-2 after starting 10-0 last season. ... The Lions fell 27-13 to the Viking to lose their 19th straight game and tie the second-longest skid in NFL history. The Chicago Cardinals, in the 1940s, and the Oakland Raiders, in the 1960s, also lost 19 straight. ... The Jets' 16-9 win against the Patriots was their first at home over Tom Brady.

STATS

Jacksonville trailed 24-3 after two quarters for the largest halftime deficit at home in team history before losing to Arizona 31-17. There were seven fumbles in the first half, including five by the Cardinals. But only two of Arizona's fumbles resulted in turnovers. ... Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez was 3 of 5 for 15 yards in the first half, then was 11 for 17 for 148 yards in the second of New York's 16-9 win over New England. ... The Redskins had four drives of more than 60 yards that faltered inside the 10 in their 9-7 win over St. Louis. ... Tampa Bay's once-stellar defense has allowed 332 yards or more in each of its past seven games.

SIDELINED

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was taken to a hospital for X-rays and a CT scan after injuring his ribs on a hard hit late in the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers. ... New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck left the game against the Dallas Cowboys in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and Giants receiver Domenik Hixon left the game with a sprained knee. ... Eagles running back Brian Westbrook sprained his right ankle against the Saints and hopes he'll be able to play next week. ... Bills right tackle Brad Butler and tight end Derek Schouman carted off the field with knee injuries against Tampa Bay. Buffalo also lost starting cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who did not return after hurting his ankle late in the first half. ... Falcons running back Jerious Norwood left the game against the Carolina Panthers with a head injury. ... Packers left tackle Chad Clifton was taken off on a cart for X-rays after injuring his right ankle on a running play in the third quarter against the Bengals.