MIAMI — After Miami quarterbacks Chad Pennington (shoulder) and Chad Henne (knee) departed with injuries, third-stringer Tyler Thigpen led an 85-yard drive in the fourth quarter Sunday to seal the win.
With Pennington and Henne sidelined, that left things to the wildcat and Thigpen. Miami’s wildcat, dormant most of the season, assumed an important role in a drive for a field goal for a 23-17 lead immediately after Henne was hurt.
Thigpen, playing for the first time this year, went 4-for-6 for 64 yards and one score — a 9-yard pass to Anthony Fasano.
“They beat us with basically no quarterbacks,” Titans defensive tackle Jovan Hayes said.
Colts 23, Bengals 17
INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning didn’t throw a TD pass for the second game this season, but Kelvin Hayden returned an interception for a touchdown and Javarris James ran for a TD to lead Indianapolis.
The banged-up Colts didn’t need Manning’s arm to win this one. Instead, they scored 17 points off five turnovers and stopped the Bengals twice in the final 2:40.
The Bengals have lost six straight games and dropped to 0-7 against Manning.
Bills 14, Lions 12
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Fred Jackson scored two touchdowns in leading Buffalo to its first victory of the season and sending Detroit to an NFL record-setting 25th consecutive road loss.
Jackson scored on a 1-yard plunge and a 16-yard catch in a sloppy game played in rain-soaked conditions between two perennial losers.
Buffalo (1-8) ended what had been its worst start to a season since going 0-11 in 1984. The Lions (2-7) broke the road losing streak they set in dropping 24 in a row from 2001-03.
Buccaneers 31, Panthers 16
TAMPA, Fla. — Josh Freeman threw two touchdown passes and rookie LeGarrette Blount ran for a score to lead surprising Tampa Bay.
Freeman threw TD passes of 8 yards to Arrelious Benn and 20 yards to Kellen Winslow for the NFL’s youngest team.
Blount scored on a 17-yard run that finished a long second-quarter drive as the Bucs rebounded from a six-point loss to Atlanta that knocked them out of first place in the NFC South. Cadillac Williams put the game out of reach with a 45-yard TD burst on third-and-10 late in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks 36, Cardinals 18
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Matt Hasselbeck, back after a one-game absence, threw for 333 yards, and Mike Williams had the biggest game of his rejuvenated NFL career in Seattle’s dominant victory.
Williams, who spent the past two seasons out of the NFL after flopping in Detroit, caught 11 passes for 145 yards, both career highs.
49ers 23, Rams 20 (OT)
SAN FRANCISCO — Joe Nedney kicked a 29-yard field goal with 9:38 left in overtime, and Troy Smith passed for 356 yards while leading San Francisco’s late rally.
Smith earned his second straight victory as a starter for the 49ers, throwing a go-ahead 16-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree with 2:10 left in regulation.
The Associated Press
