AMERICAN FOOTBALL:TOM BRADY led the host New England Patriots to a 31-21 victory against Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos in a battle of two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in week five of NFL action on Sunday.While Manning's numbers were good, throwing three touchdowns and 345 yards, the Broncos defence struggled with the Patriots putting up a franchise-record 35 first downs in the game.
Brady threw one touchdown and ran in another but, in a game billed as the renewal of one of the great quarterback rivalries following Manning’s lost season to injury last year, New England enjoyed plenty of success on the ground.
New England led 31-7 late in the third quarter but a pair of Denver touchdowns added some respectability to the scoreline for a Broncos team that dropped to 2-3.
The Indianapolis Colts pulled off an emotional 30-27 surprise win over the Green Bay Packers while the Atlanta Falcons moved to 5-0.
It had been a tough week for the Colts, who revealed on Monday that head coach Chuck Pagano was in hospital after being diagnosed with leukaemia, but rookie quarterback Andrew Luck showed his class in rallying his team to an inspiring win.
Luck, the first pick in April’s Draft, put his team ahead with 35 seconds remaining after finding Reggie Wayne with a four-yard pass to cap a 13-play, 80-yard drive that brought unavoidable comparisons with his predecessor Peyton Manning.
“This did mean a whole lot with how the week went,” said Wayne. “I talked to coach Pagano and he wanted us to win so bad. This was for Chuck.”
The Packers, who began the season among the favourites to win the Super Bowl but have stumbled to a 2-3 record, missed a potential game-tying 51-yard field goal with three seconds to play.
The Baltimore Ravens ground out a 9-6 win over the host Kansas City Chiefs while a late field goal gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a 16-14 win over the visiting Philadelphia Eagles.
The Washington Redskins lost quarterback Robert Griffin III to a mild concussion in their 24-17 home loss to a Falcons team that are off to their best start in franchise history.
The defending Super Bowl champions New York Giants rallied from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to beat the winless Cleveland Browns 41-27.
Receiver Victor Cruz scored three touchdowns while running back Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for a career-high 200 yards and one score in the home victory.
The San Francisco 49ers (4-1) dominated the Buffalo Bills 45-3 and put up 621 yards of total offence with quarterback Alex Smith throwing for three touchdowns and 303 yards.
Another team with just one loss is the Chicago Bears, who had little trouble registering a 41-3 road win against a poor Jacksonville Jaguars squad.
The NFL’s surprise team at 4-1 is the Minnesota Vikings whose impressive early season form continued with a 30-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Percy Harvin had 108 yards receiving for the Vikings scoring one rushing and one receiving touchdown.
In Sunday’s late game, Drew Brees set an NFL touchdown record on the way to helping the New Orleans Saints record a first victory of the season with a 31-24 triumph over the visiting San Diego Chargers.
Brees connected on a 40-yard effort in the first quarter to give him 48 straight games with a touchdown pass, taking him one clear of the mark set by Johnny Unitas in 1960, before he rallied his team for an overdue victory.
Brees dug New Orleans out of a 24-14 hole to help the Saints end a run of four consecutive defeats in front of a relieved home crowd that included banned head coach Sean Payton, who was allowed to attend the game.
Payton has been suspended for the entire season due to his alleged involvement in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal.
Brees finished with 370 yards passing and four touchdown throws, including three to Marques Colston, who added 131 yards receiving for the 1-4 Saints.
San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 354 yards and two scores, but his attempt to tie the game in the final seconds stalled in New Orleans territory when he was sacked by Martez Wilson, who forced a fumble and recovered possession.
Despite the defeat, the Chargers (3-2) remain top of the AFC West division.
