The Latest on Week 10 of the NFL season (all times eastern):
5 p.m.
It took a while for the San Diego Chargers to get their offense going against the Dolphins, and when they did, it was a familiar result. Philip Rivers threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates for a 10-0 lead. It was the 82nd time those two connected, extending their NFL record. Gates needs two TD catches to tie Tony Gonzalez’s NFL record for touchdown grabs by a tight end (111). It was Rivers’ 299th career touchdown pass, leaving him one shy of tying John Elway for eighth all-time.
– Bernie Wilson reporting from San Diego.
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4:40 p.m.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has tied Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas for 11th on the touchdown pass list. Roethlisberger’s 2-yard strike to Le’Veon Bell in the first quarter against Dallas on Sunday gave Roethlisberger 290 touchdown passes in his career. Roethlisberger’s next scoring throw will tie him with Hall of Famer Warren Moon for 10th on the all-time list.
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3:45 p.m.
Referee Jeff Triplette’s crew is having a busy day in the Green Bay-Tennessee game.
The Packers already have seven penalties for 62 yards, and Triplette has ejected Tennessee’s left tackle.
But the most confusing sequence took place after Aaron Rodgers ran for a 20-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. Titans cornerback Perrish Cox hit Rodgers just after the quarterback crossed the goal line, sparking a scrum between both teams at the back of the end zone.
Officials huddled then announced Cox had been penalized for unnecessary roughness for the hit on Rodgers. With the Packers ready to attempt a 2-point conversion, Triplette first announced the Packers would take the 15-yard penalty on the 2-point try, only to quickly reverse himself and note that’s not something Green Bay can do.
Triplette then said the Packers were going to attempt the 2-point conversion. The Titans stopped James Starks short.
Then it got better.
Mason Crosby pushed an onside kick attempt out of bounds, and Triplette essentially repeated himself explaining the penalty and the ball being spotted at the Titans 45.
Tennessee leads 34-22.
– Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tenn.
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2:55 p.m.
Marcus Mariota is getting the best of his first matchup against two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers – at least through the first half.
The No. 2 pick overall in the 2015 draft completed his first 10 passes Sunday and reached halftime 12 of 18 for 216 yards with three touchdowns. Mariota threw a TD pass to Anthony Fasano to cap a 21-point first quarter, and he threw a 32-yard TD pass to Rishard Matthews and a 6-yarder to Kendall Wright.
His third TD pass gave the Titans a 35-10 lead with 1:55 left in the first half.
Rodgers answered with a 13-yard TD pass to James Starks, but Tennessee took a 35-16 lead into halftime.
– Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tenn.
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2:45 p.m.
On consecutive plays to end the first half, wide receivers Julio Jones and Dorial Green-Beckham played deep safety for the Falcons and Eagles, respectively.
Jones came in to play defense when Philadelphia went for fourth-and-1 from the Falcons 48 with :08 seconds left in the first half. Carson Wentz threw the ball away instead of running out the clock and the Falcons took over for a chance at a desperation play. So, the 6-foot-5 Green-Beckham entered on defense for the Eagles. But Matt Ryan didn’t get a chance to heave a deep pass and threw it away to end the half. The Eagles lead the Falcons 7-6.
– Rob Maaddi reporting from Philadelphia.
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2:40 p.m.
Blair Walsh missed again.
The Minnesota Vikings kicker, who managed to keep his job despite all sorts of accuracy issues, shanked an extra point wide right at the end of the first half against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. That left Minnesota’s lead at 20-14 heading into halftime.
Walsh is only 15 of 19 on PATS this season, 79 percent.
The Vikings brought in six free-agent kickers during the week for a tryout to replace Walsh, but the team wound up sticking with him. In last week’s loss to Detroit, Walsh missed an extra point, had a field goal blocked and put a kickoff into the end zone when it was supposed to land inside the 10-yard line.
– Howard Fendrich reporting from Landover, Md.
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2:35 p.m.
Denver controlled the first 29 minutes against the Saints, intercepting Drew Brees twice and taking a 10-0 lead. But as the second half kicks off, New Orleans is just one score down thanks to a late-first-half interception by Sterling Moore. Brees then marched New Orleans 50 yards in 27 seconds to set up a short Wil Lutz field goal, and the score is now 10-3.
– Brett Martel reporting from New Orleans.
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2:00 p.m.
Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles can’t even throw the ball away properly.
Under pressure and trying to ground it near covered running back T.J. Yeldon, Bortles hit Yeldon’s foot and the ball bounced into the air. Houston linebacker Whitney Mercilus picked it off, giving the Texans the ball at midfield. They missed a 49-yard field goal, but still led 14-7 in the second quarter.
It was Bortles’ second interception of the game and his sixth in the last five games. His first one was returned for a touchdown.
– Mark Long reporting from Jacksonville.
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1:55 p.m.
So far, Denver’s No. 1 pass defense is owning New Orleans’ top-rated pass offense.
The Broncos made interceptions on two straight Drew Brees passes, both by Darian Stewart. The first ended a promising Saints drive at the Denver 7-yard line. When New Orleans regained possession, Brees’ next pass over the middle for rookie Mochael Thomas deflected by Bradley Roby and caught, once again, by Stewart. He returned it to the New Orleans 39, setting up a 50-yard field goal by Brandon McManus that put the Broncos up 10-0 in the second quarter.
– Brett Martel reporting from New Orleans.
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1:50 p.m.
A difficult catch that was initially ruled incomplete has given Denver a 7-0 lead over the New Orleans Saints.
Receiver Jordan Taylor made a leaping 14-yard catch near the sideline, but was immediately hit by Saints safety Jairus Byrd, who tried to rip the ball out. Taylor momentarily lost his handle on the ball, but was able regather control as he landed on his side with one foot out of bounds.
However, video replay showed Taylor’s knee came down in bounds before the foot touched on the white line. That was enough evidence to overturn the call and give Denver an early lead in the Superdome.
-Brett Martel reporting from New Orleans.
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1:40 p.m.
The Panthers have lost punter Andy Lee to a hamstring injury. Kicker Graham Gano was forced into punting duties in the first quarter and launched a 42-yard punt, his first attempt since 2010.
Lee’s return is listed as questionable.
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1:35 p.m.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has become the first player in NFL history with 20,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing in the first six NFL seasons.
Newton also passed Jake Delhomme for the most completions in franchise history with 1,581. Newton completed a 9-yard pass to tight end Greg Olsen in the first quarter to break the record.
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1:30 p.m.
Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan has been ejected in the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers after making contact with an official.
The Titans were lining up for just their second official play with a 7-0 lead when officials threw a handful of flags with Letroy Guion going unabated to quarterback Marcus Mariota. Lewan was arguing with Guion when back judge Steve Freeman was trying to break up the Titans and Packers.
Lewan appeared on replays to push away Freeman’s hand.
Officials talked over the penalties, and an angry Lewan headed to the locker room. He was replaced by Dennis Kelly.
The Titans capped the drive with running back DeMarco Murray throwing a 10-yard pass to Delanie Walker for the touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
– Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee.
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1:25 p.m.
Tennessee running back DeMarco Murray needed only one carry Sunday to match a franchise record originally set by Earl Campbell.
Murray took his first handoff 75 yards for a touchdown Sunday against Green Bay, giving him his fifth straight game with at least one rushing touchdown. Campbell, now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, did that in 1979 for the then-Houston Oilers.
The Titans running back came into Sunday as the NFL’s second-leading rusher in his first season in Tennessee. Murray had been tied with LenDale White (2008), Eddie George (2000), Gary Brown (1993), Alonzo Highsmith (1989) and Campbell (1981) with four straight games with a rushing TD.
– Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tenn.
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1:15 p.m.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have failed once again to score a touchdown on their opening possession, extending the NFL’s longest current TD drought to open games.
Jacksonville’s streak is now at 23 games after Blake Bortles threw an interception against Houston on Sunday. Kareem Jackson stepped in front of Allen Hurns and returned it 42 yards for a score.
The Jaguars haven’t found the end zone on their opening drive since Week 2 of the 2015 season against Miami. Since then, they have 17 punts, three field goals and now three turnovers – all interceptions this season – in their initial possessions. Bortles also threw opening-drive picks against Green Bay and Chicago.
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1:05 p.m.
The Tennessee Titans’ attempt to catch the Green Bay Packers by surprise on the opening kickoff with an onside kick failed.
The Titans won the toss, deferred and the Packers went back to receive the kickoff.
Kicker Ryan Succop dribbled the ball off the tee with teammates moving quickly to recover the ball. But the ball went right at Packers linebacker Joe Thomas, and he recovered at the Tennessee 49.
But the Titans forced the Packers to go three-and-out on the opening drive for a nice start against a Green Bay offense that came in having scored seven touchdowns in the first quarter of its first eight games.
– Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tenn.
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