SEATTLE — For the first time this season at home, the final seconds were relatively calm for the Seattle Seahawks. No stress. No anxiety. Just a few kneel downs.
Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf and Bobby Wagner did enough earlier for the Seahawks to finally avoid a crazy finish at CenturyLink Field.
Wilson threw four more touchdown passes, two to Metcalf, and the Seahawks rebounded from their first loss of the season with a resounding 37-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Wilson and Metcalf tormented San Francisco and its banged up secondary as the top-scoring offense in the league continued to pile up points. The Seahawks (6-1) have scored at least 30 points in six of seven games.
And for the first time this season at home, the outcome was decided long before the final moments. Seattle opened the year with three home wins over New England, Dallas and Minnesota all of which decided in the final moments.
Thumping their division rivals must have felt downright relaxing, even with the Seahawks having five starters inactive for the game.
“I think it says a tremendous amount that it didn’t matter who was playing,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll. “The guys just stepped up and did their job and busted your tails to get it done.”
Wilson hit Metcalf on a pair of first-half touchdown passes, but it was a 2½-minute sequence midway through the third quarter when Seattle blew the game open.
Wilson found rookie DeeJay Dallas on a 2-yard TD pass after San Francisco went three-and-out to open the second half for a 20-7 lead. Dante Pettis fumbled the ensuing kickoff on a big hit from Cody Barton. Six plays later, Wilson evaded pressure in the pocket and zipped a 6-yard TD pas to David Moore for a 27-7 lead.
Wilson finished 27 of 37 for 261 yards and has 26 TD passes on the season, one behind Tom Brady for the most in the first seven games of a season.
Metcalf had another career day in his breakout second season. Metcalf had 102 yards receiving in the first half and finished with a career-high 12 catches and 161 yards receiving.
The momentum from two straight wins for San Francisco (4-4) evaporated in a hurry as more injuries continued to pile. Jimmy Garoppolo was just 11 of 16 for 84 yards and an ugly interception in the first quarter. Garoppolo went to the locker room early in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and was replaced by Nick Mullens.
Running back Tevin Coleman returned for the first time since early in the season, only to leave at halftime with a knee injury. George Kittle made a terrific 25-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, but limped to the locker room with a foot injury.
“It still hurts each time,” 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “Even though it seems to happen over and over again, guys dropping every game, it still hurts every time.”
Steelers go to 7-0 by edging Ravens
BALTIMORE — The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied behind Ben Roethlisberger to remain the lone unbeaten team in the NFL, beating error-prone Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 28-24 in a duel for first place in the AFC North.
Roethlisberger threw a pair of second-half touchdown passes to bring Pittsburgh (7-0) back from a 10-point halftime deficit. After completing only four passes for 24 yards in the first half, the 38-year-old finished 21 for 32 for 182 yards.
Jackson threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles, turnovers that helped Pittsburgh stay within striking distance until its offense finally got on track.
The Steelers led 28-24 when the Ravens (5-2) faced a fourth-and-3 at the Pittsburgh 8 with 2 minutes left. Jackson ran a quarterback draw and lost the ball while being stopped short.
Baltimore got the ball back and moved to the Pittsburgh 23 before Jackson’s pass in the end zone was broken up on the final play.
BILLS 24, PATRIOTS 21
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Backup defensive lineman Justin Zimmer punched the ball out of Cam Newton’s arms and the fumble was recovered by safety Dean Marlowe at the Buffalo 13 with 31 seconds remaining.
Zack Moss scored two touchdowns rushing and the AFC East-leading Bills are off to consecutive 6-2 starts for the first time since a six-year run from 1988 to 1993. Buffalo snapped a seven-game skid against the division-rival Patriots, and beat a Bill Belichick-coaches New England team for just the sixth time in 41 meetings, going back to 2000.
New England dropped to 2-5 and has lost four in a row, matching its worst skid since 2002.
SAINTS 26, BEARS 23, OT
CHICAGO — Drew Brees threw for two touchdowns to regain the NFL’s all-time lead from Tom Brady, and Wil Lutz nailed a 35-yard field goal in overtime.
The Bears’ Cairo Santos booted a 51-yard field goal at the end of regulation to force the extra period.
The Saints (5-2) led 23-13 early in the fourth quarter after scoring 20 consecutive points, only to have Chicago rally in the closing minutes of regulation. But the three-time defending NFC South champions pulled out their fourth straight win when Lutz connected on their second possession of OT.
The Saints had a first down at the 16 when coach Sean Payton called on him. And Lutz delivered, sending the Bears (5-3) to their second straight loss. New Orleans tied Tampa Bay for the division lead, with Brady and the Buccaneers meeting the struggling New York Giants on Monday night.
Chicago receiver Javon Wims got ejected for punching New Orleans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the third quarter. Marshon Lattimore then intercepted Nick Foles, leading to a tiebreaking field goal by Lutz.
EAGLES 23 COWBOYS 9
PHILADELPHIA — Carson Wentz threw a pair of touchdown passes to overcome four turnovers, Rodney McLeod returned a fumble 53 yards for a score.
A pair of two-win teams fighting for first place in the weak NFC East in Week 8 put on a sloppy performance fit for the preseason instead of prime time.
The Eagles (3-4-1) took control of the division with their second straight victory. Dallas (2-6) has lost three in a row.
Dallas rookie Ben DiNucci, a seventh-round pick from James Madison making his first start, was sacked four times and lost two fumbles. He completed 21 of 40 passes for 180 yards.
Wentz threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles but his 9-yard TD pass to Travis Fulgham in the third quarter gave Philadelphia the lead for good.
BRONCOS 31, CHARGERS 30
DENVER — Drew Lock hit rookie KJ Hamler from 1 yard with no time on the clock and Brandon McManus nailed the extra point to win it. The Broncos (3-4) overcame a 24-3 deficit.
The Chargers (2-5) appeared primed to end their seven-game AFC West losing streak behind another great performance by rookie Justin Herbert, who joined Deshaun Watson as the only QBs in NFL history with four straight games with three TD passes. But the Chargers became the first team to lose three games they led by 17 or more points in the same season since the Atlanta Falcons did it in 2003.
The Broncos got the ball at their 19 with 2:24 remaining and Lock drove them 81 yards in 14 plays, helped by two defensive flags.
On fourth-and-4 from the 18 with 7 seconds left, Lock’s pass to rookie tight end Albert Okwuegbunam was incomplete, but defensive back Brandon Facyson was whistled for pass interference, giving the Broncos the ball at the 1 with 1 second remaining.
Lock took the snap, rolled right and found Hamler in the back of the end zone. He got down before going out of bounds with no time left.
VIKINGS 28, PACKERS 22
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Dalvin Cook gained 226 yards from scrimmage and became the first Viking in over four decades to score four touchdowns in a single game.
The Vikings withstood a three-touchdown performance from receiver Davante Adams, who had seven catches for 53 yards.
Green Bay had the ball at Minnesota’s 41-yard line with 12 seconds and no timeouts left, but D.J. Wonnum sacked Aaron Rodgers and knocked the ball loose. Eric Wilson recovered at the 24 as time expired.
RAIDERS 16, BROWNS 6
CLEVELAND — Derek Carr threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow early in the fourth quarter and Daniel Carlson kicked three field goals in windy, wintry conditions along Lake Erie.
Carr’s strike to Renfrow with 14:53 to go was the game’s only TD and helped the Raiders (4-3) bounce back after they fell apart late in last week’s 45-20 loss to Tampa Bay.
Using running back Josh Jacobs and a short passing game, Carr controlled the clock in the second half and kept the ball away from the Browns (5-3).
On the Raiders’ first two drives after halftime, the first leading to their go-ahead TD and the other to Carlson’s 24-yard field goal with 4:24 left, they ate up 17:41.
BENGALS 31, TITANS 20
CINCINNATI — After watching Giovani Bernard and Samaje Perine run for early scores, Joe Burrow threw two fourth-quarter TD passes and closed it out with a time-consuming drive.
The Bengals (2-5-1) blew leads each of the previous two weeks, but Burrow would not allow it to happen again. Instead, he threw for 249 yards and the crucial late scores to snap a three-game losing streak. Cincinnati has matched its victory total from last season. And it was the first time second-year head coach Zac Taylor has defeated a team with a winning record.
Tennessee (5-2) has lost two straight and had a five-game road winning streak end.
CHIEFS 35, JETS 9
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes threw for 416 yards and five touchdowns, the Kansas City defense shut down Sam Darnold and the inept Jets offense.
Tyreek Hill had 98 yards receiving and two touchdowns, Travis Kelce finished with 109 yards and another score, and Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson also reached the end zone. The Chiefs (7-1) gave Andy Reid his 229th win to move into a tie with Hall of Fame coach Curly Lambeau for fifth most in NFL history.
COLTS 41, LIONS 21
DETROIT — Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter to give Indianapolis a double-digit lead.
Rivers picked apart Detroit’s defense while completing 23 of 33 attempts, mostly short passes to the outside or over the middle. The 38-year-old quarterback also showed he still has some arm strength to go along with his savvy touch, perfectly throwing a 29-yard pass to Nyheim Hines late in the first half.