John Elway, at 38, is a grand old man poised to hang up his helmet and football boots, but the Denver Broncos quarterback can still skewer defences with his passing.
Before pulling his right hamstring in the fourth quarter against Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, he showed all the zest and accuracy he displayed when he led Denver to the Super Bowl in January.
Elway threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns as well as running for another as the Cowboys were crushed 42-23. When Elway was not picking apart the once formidable defence, Terrell Davis wreaked havoc. He ran for 191 yards and three TDs, including dashes of 63 and 59 yards.
The afternoon at Mile High stadium was nothing short of disastrous for the Cowboys. Apart from the score Troy Aikman, the Dallas quarterback, broke his collar-bone and will be out for four to eight weeks. He was hit as he dived trying to get a first down in the first half. "I thought I could get a few more yards but then I landed on my shoulder," Aikman said. "This is one of those freak injuries."
Reggie White, who retired briefly in the close season, got three sacks and increased his NFL sacking record to 179 as the Green Bay Packers won their 29th straight home game. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer was sacked six times as the Packers beat the Bucs 23-15 to go to the top of the NFC Central.
The Miami Dolphins sacked Rob Johnson eight times, one short of the team record, as the Buffalo Bills fell 13-7, their second defeat running.
Peyton Manning's less than auspicious start to the season continued as he threw three interceptions to give him seven turnovers for the season as the Indianapolis Colts remained without a win in their first two games.
The quarterback was also forced into a fumble as the New England Patriots cruised to a 29-6 win.
The Kansas City Chiefs lost 21-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars as James Stewart gained 103 yards on 26 carries to become the first back to record consecutive 100-yard rushing games for the Jaguars. The match was built up as a potential preview of the AFC Championship game, but both teams were forced to field weakened sides due to injuries, with Elvis Grbac and Andre Rison the Chiefs' most notable absentees.
