The Latest on Week 9 in the NFL (all times EST):
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5:25 p.m.
Garrett Gilbert’s first touchdown pass in his first career start has the Cowboys up early on the undefeated Steelers.
Gilbert’s 20-yard scoring pass to rookie CeeDee Lamb gave Dallas a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter, and the Cowboys pushed that lead to 13-0 thanks to some special teams trickery late in the fist half.
Gilbert is the fourth starting quarterback in the past five games for the Cowboys after injuries to Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton, followed by Dalton going to the COVID-19 list.
Rookie Ben DiNucci made his first career start in last week’s loss to Philadelphia. The coaching staff decided to choose between Gilbert and Cooper Rush against Pittsburgh. Neither had started an NFL game, but both have been in the league much longer than DiNucci.
Drafted in 2014, Gilbert had thrown just six passes in his career before his first start. Gilbert was 6 for 9 for 85 yards after the TD to Lamb.
– Schuyler Dixon reporting from Arlington, Texas
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5:15 p.m.
Carolina kicker Joey Slye missed a 67-yard field-goal attempt wide right on the final play, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to escape with a 33-31 victory over the Panthers.
Slye’s field goal would have broken the NFL record set by Matt Prater in 2013 when he kicked a 64-yarder in Denver.
When Slye’s kick with the wind at his back sailed wide right, Chiefs coach Andy Reid had his 230th career win, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame coach Curly Lambeau for fifth most in NFL history.
The Chiefs also extended their NFL record with their 23rd consecutive game with at least 23 points and Patrick Mahomes bested Hall of Famer Dan Marino’s mark for fewest games to 100 career touchdown passes.
Mahomes did it in 40 games, Marino needed 44.
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4:50 p.m.
The Los Angeles Chargers suffered a couple key injuries to offensive players on their first series against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Right tackle Bryan Bulaga aggravated a back injury that caused him to miss three games earlier this season and running back Justin Jackson has a knee injury. Both players are questionable to return.
The Chargers are already low at running back. Troymaine Pope is inactive after sustaining a concussion last week at Denver. Rookie Joshua Kelley and Kalen Ballage are the remaining running backs.
–Joe Reedy reporting from Inglewood, California
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4:45 p.m.
The Dolphins are off to a 7-0 early lead over the Cardinals thanks to another great defensive play.
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray was scrambling on third down when Miami’s Emmanuel Ogbah smacked the ball out of his hands. Shaq Lawson scooped up the fumble and ran 36 yards for the touchdown.
Miami (4-3) came into Sunday leading the NFL in scoring defense. Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is making his second start for the Dolphins.
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4:30 p.m.
The Bills handed the Seahawks their second loss with a 44-34 win in Buffalo and the Atlanta Falcons have improved to 3-1 under interim head coach Raheem Morris with a 34-27 win over the Denver Broncos.
In other games today, the Ravens won at Indianapolis 24-10, the Titans beat the Bears 24-17 and the Chiefs held on to beat the Panthers 33-31.
Also, it was Minnesota over Detroit 34-20, the Giants beat Washington 23-20 and the Texans won at Jacksonville 27-25.
The Packers kicked off Week 9 with a 34-17 win at San Francisco on Thursday night.
In late afternoon kickoffs today, the Raiders visit the Chargers; the Dolphins are at the Cardinals and the Steelers play at Dallas.
Tonight’s game features Drew Brees and the Saints (5-2) against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers (6-2) in Tampa. And tomorrow night the Patriots visit the winless Jets.
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3:45 p.m.
Lamar Jackson’s 9-yard touchdown run with 11:08 left in the game at Indianapolis gave Baltimore a 21-10 lead — and the NFL record for consecutive games with 20 or more points.
The Ravens have now done it 31 times after starting the day tied with Denver for the record. The Broncos did it 30 times with Peyton Manning from 2012-14.
Baltimore also needs four yards rushing to reach 100 as a team in a 31st consecutive game.
The Ravens are tied with Carolina for the third-longest streak since the 1970 merger and have won a league-high nine straight road games including all three this season.
–Michael Marot reporting from Indianapolis.
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3:35 p.m.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has left the game at Minnesota for concussion evaluation after a sack early in the fourth quarter.
Officials sent Stafford to the sideline when he was slow to get up after being taken down by Eric Wilson and Armon Watts.
Chase Daniel took over for the Lions, and Stafford was eventually walked to the locker room by two team doctors.
Stafford has had a rough week. He wasn’t allowed to practice with the team and came off the COVID-19/reserve list the day before the game. After a sharp first half, Stafford was intercepted on consecutive possessions in the third quarter — at the Minnesota 12 and again in the end zone.
The Vikings lead 34-13.
–Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis.
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3:33 p.m.
The Tennessee Titans have gotten some immediate payback for sending a sixth-round draft pick to the Chargers for Desmond King II.
The cornerback who had worn out his time in Los Angeles picked up a fumble by David Montgomery in the third quarter and ran 63 yards for a touchdown. That put the Titans up 17-0 with 4:41 left in the third quarter.
The Titans released veteran Johnathan Joseph on Tuesday after trading for King. The cornerback couldn’t practice with the Titans all week while he went through the COVID-19 testing protocol.
He joined the Titans on Saturday and started Sunday making an immediate impact when defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons stripped Montgomery of the ball after catching a screen from Nick Foles.
-Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee
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3:29 p.m.
Denver Broncos rookie tight end Albert Okwuegbunam has been ruled out with a right knee injury suffered in the second half against Atlanta. Okwuegbunam left the game late in the third quarter and was ruled out in the fourth.
Starting tight end Noah Fant limped off the field with an ankle injury following a 32-yard catch on Denver’s first possession. After being listed as questionable, Fant returned in the second quarter. Right tackle Demar Dotson also returned in the first half after leaving with a hip injury.
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3:09 p.m.
The Miami Dolphins have five assistant coaches who are not available today because of COVID-19 protocols.
They are defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander, quarterbacks coach Robby Brown, outside linebackers coach Austin Clark, defensive line coach Marion Hobby and quality control coach Kolby Smith.
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3 p.m.
The Tennessee Titans already lost left tackle Taylor Lewan for the season, and now they are without left guard Rodger Saffold.
Saffold left with a shoulder injury with 7:08 left in the second quarter on a 3-yard run by D’Onta Foreman.
Saffold was able to walk to the sideline on his own straight to the medical tent. He walked into the locker room as the Titans scored a touchdown with 4:39 left. He was replaced by Jamil Douglas.
The Titans led Chicago 10-0 at halftime. But the Bears sacked Ryan Tannehill three times by halftime. Tennessee came in tied for third fewest sacks allowed in the NFL with only nine.
–Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee.
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2:40 p.m.
Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo tied a franchise record by making a 59-yard field goal at the end of the first half against Houston.
Lambo drilled the kick between the uprights and celebrated wildly with teammates at midfield. Houston leads 20-16 at the break.
Josh Scobee held the team record since 2010, when he hit a 59-yarder to beat Indianapolis in Jacksonville.
-Mark Long reporting from Jacksonville.
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2:07 p.m.
Already down three linebackers to start the game, the Houston Texans lost another one in the first quarter against Jacksonville.
Brennan Scarlett left with an arm injury. He walked into the tunnel on Jacksonville’s side of the field, an indication he was getting an X-ray because the room is on that side of the stadium.
Houston traveled without linebackers Whitney Mercilus, Jacob Martin and Dylan Cole because of COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.
Two other Houston players left the game in the first half: running back David Johnson and guard Senio Kelemete were being evaluated for concussions. Johnson was hit hard by Myles Jack while trying to make a catch in the flat.
Jaguars rookie receiver Laviska Shenault left with a hamstring injury.
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1:55 p.m.
Washington is turning to Alex Smith at quarterback again after Kyle Allen left the game against the New York Giants with a left leg injury.
Allen was sacked late in the first quarterback by New York’s Jabrill Peppers, who was penalized for the late hit. Allen’s left leg bent the wrong way, he was carted off and waved to the crowd of just over 3,000 in attendance.
Smith entered the game with Washington driving, down 10-0.
Smith last month saw his first game action since November 2018 when Allen was injured against the Los Angeles Rams. Smith hadn’t played since breaking his right tibia and fibula two years ago, an injury that necessitated 17 surgeries to repair. Smith was 9 of 17 for 37 yards in that game.
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1:50 p.m.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule is up to his old tricks in Kansas City.
One week after converting on fourth down with a faked punt, the Panthers pulled off the same trick against the Chiefs on Sunday. It was a direct snap to safety Jeremy Chinn that worked so well against the Falcons, but it was a 28-yard pass from punter Joseph Charlton to wide receiver Brandon Zylstra that caught Kansas City napping.
The Panthers scored three plays later to take a 14-3 lead at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs probably should have been prepared. Not only did the Panthers fake a punt a week ago, so did Kansas City – punter Tommy Townsend threw a pass to Byron Pringle to convert on fourth down against the Jets.
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1:40 p.m.
Carolina coach Matt Rhule sure isn’t worried about overworking Christian McCaffrey in his return from an ankle injury.
The All-Pro running back, who had missed the past six games, carried four times for 18 yards and caught a pair of passes on the Panthers’ opening drive in Kansas City. That included the nine-yard touchdown reception on fourth down that capped a 15-play drive that gobbled up nearly nine minutes.
Teddy Bridgewater was 8 of 10 for 45 yards on the drive. Carolina twice converted on third down and got a pair of first downs thanks to penalties on the Chiefs’ Chris Jones and Charvarius Ward.
–Dave Skretta reporting from Kansas City.
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1:35 p.m.
Baltimore’s defense started the game without two key players, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and linebacker L.J. Fort, and it took another big hit when five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell was injured on the third play of the game at Indianapolis.
Campbell walked slowly and awkwardly to the sideline with what the Ravens called a left calf injury. His return was questionable but Campbell did not come out for Indy’s second offensive series.
In Atlanta, Broncos tight end Noah Fant has returned to action after leaving with a right ankle injury. Fant suffered a high right ankle sprain last month.
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1:20 p.m.
The second pass of Jake Luton’s NFL career went for a touchdown.
The Jacksonville Jaguars rookie from Oregon State, making his pro debut in place of Gardner Minshew (thumb), dropped a 73-yard dime to DJ Chark on third down and 8.
It was exactly what the Jaguars were hoping for when they inserted Luton into the lineup following a bye week. They raved about his arm strength and deep-ball accuracy, believing he would be an instant boost for a receiving corps that features Chark, Chris Conley and rookie Laviska Shenault.
-Mark Long reporting from Jacksonville.
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1:05 p.m.
Eleven NFL teams entered Week 9 with two or fewer losses. That’s the most since 1996 when a dozen teams had two or fewer losses through eight weeks.
Three of today’s games feature two teams with one or two losses.
They are:
Seattle (6-1) at Buffalo (6-2)
Baltimore (5-2) at Indianapolis (5-2)
and New Orleans (5-2) at Tampa Bay (6-2)
This marks just the fifth week since the 1970 merger that there are at least three games between teams with two or fewer losses in Week 9 or later.
That last time that happened was in 1999.
–Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.
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