GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) β The Arizona Cardinals still own the NFL’s best record after they improved to 8-1 with a 31-14 win over the St. Louis Rams. Drew Stanton threw a go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter before the Cardinals’ defense scored twice on Patrick Peterson’s 30-yard interception return and Antonio Cromartie’s 14-yard fumble return. Stanton entered the game after Carson Palmer suffered a knee injury in the fourth quarter.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) β Peyton Manning threw five touchdown passes in less than 17 minutes during the second and third quarters of the Denver Broncos’ 41-17 romp at Oakland. Julius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders each had two TD catches after C.J. Anderson’s spectacular 51-yard catch-and-run. Manning went 31 for 44 for 340 yards in just three quarters to help the Broncos improve to 7-2 and send the Raiders to their 15th consecutive loss.
LONDON (AP) β Tony Romo looked good after missing one game due to a back injury, completing 20 of 27 passes for 246 yards and three first-half touchdowns in the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-17 win against Jacksonville in London. He completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten in the first quarter, and then hit Dez Bryant for a pair of TDs in the second. Joseph Randle had a 40-yard touchdown run for the 7-3 Cowboys, and DeMarco Murray carried 19 times for 100 yards to go over the century mark for the ninth time in 10 games this season.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) β Aaron Rodgers was the star in the Green Bay Packers’ 55-14 dismantling of the Chicago Bears, throwing all six of his touchdowns passes by halftime. Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for TDs of 73 and 40 yards before Reggie Cobb’s scoring grab put the Packers ahead 42-0 just before halftime. Green Bay’s other touchdown came on Casey Hayward’s 82-yard interception return in the fourth quarter as the 6-3 Packers stayed a game behind the first-place Lions in the NFC North and dropped the Bears to 3-6.
DETROIT (AP) β Detroit has a 7-2 record and a four-game winning streak after Matthew Stafford threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick with 29 seconds remaining to lift the Lions past Miami 20-16. Stafford also threw a 47-yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson, who had seven catches for 113 yards in his first game since suffering an ankle injury Oct. 5. The 5-4 Dolphins only managed one touchdown, which came after they blocked a Detroit field goal attempt and returned it deep into Lions territory.
