Sport

NFL round-up: Patriots hold off Dolphins while Steelers beat Bengals

Kelvin Benjamin scored twice in the third quarter as the Panthers beat the 49ers

The United States flag covering the field before the game between the Tennessee Titans and the Minnesota Vikings at the brand new Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Vikings defeated the Titans 25-16. Photo: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Mon Sept 19 2016 - 07:42

The New England Patriots held off a Miami Dolphins fightback for a 31-24 win which takes them to 2-0 despite the absence of Tom Brady and now Jimmy Garoppolo.

With the four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback suspended, his back-up threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns — two of them to Danny Amendola — but left the game with an injury to his throwing shoulder before half-time.

LeGarrette Blount’s touchdown run extended the Pats’ advantage to a commanding 31-3 in the third quarter as rookie Jacoby Brissett held the fort under centre. Touchdowns from Kenny Stills, Jordan Cameron and Kenyan Drake set up a tense finish but Duron Harmon intercepted Ryan Tannehill’s ‘Hail Mary’ in the closing seconds to ice the win.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-16 in a repeat of last season’s AFC wild card game, and again it finished in controversial circumstances.

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After January’s Bengals meltdown left Steelers star Antonio Brown concussed by an illegal hit and out of the remainder of the play-offs, this time the dispute was over refereeing decisions.

Trailing by eight with two minutes remaining, the Bengals lost their chance of a comeback when rookie Tyler Boyd was adjudged to have fumbled despite replays showing his knee was down before James Harrison’s hit. Cincinnati were also aggrieved CJ Uzomah’s touchdown was not awarded in the third quarter.

Elsewhere in the AFC North, the luckless Cleveland Browns led 20-0 in the first quarter but a blocked extra point, returned by Tavon Young for a rare defensive two-point conversion, sparked a 25-20 comeback win for the Baltimore Ravens featuring two Mike Wallace touchdowns.

Kelvin Benjamin scored twice in the third quarter as last season’s Super Bowl runners-up the Carolina Panthers won 46-27 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Carolina’s NFC South rivals the New Orleans Saints were beaten 16-13 by the New York Giants after Josh Brown’s late field goal.

The Dallas Cowboys edged a tight match against the Washington Redskins in the Giants’ NFC East. With Washington leading 23-20 late in the game, Kirk Cousins was intercepted in the end zone by Barry Church and Dallas drove downfield to win it 27-23 with Alfred Morris’ touchdown run.

Marcus Mariota led a fourth-quarter comeback, with touchdown passes to Delanie Walker and Andre Johnson, as the Tennessee Titans beat the Detroit Lions 16-15, while the Houston Texans won 19-12 against the Kansas City Chiefs.