Cam Newton leads unbeaten Panthers to rout of Redskins
Monday 23 November 2015 08:50, UK
Quarterback Cam Newton starred as the Carolina Panthers extended their unbeaten streak with a rout of the Washington Redskins.
The powerful Panthers are now 10-0 this season after Newton's career-high five touchdown tosses helped them hammer the Redskins 44-16.
Newton completed 21 of 34 passes for 246 yards and threw TD passes to five different receivers in the form of Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert, Greg Olsen, Ted Ginn Jr. and Devin Funchess.
The 4-6 Redskins have lost their last nine games on the road and their quarterback Kirk Cousins had three turnovers.
There was a special teams highlight for the visitors, though, Andre Roberts scoring on a 99-yard kick-off return.
Elsewhere in the NFC, Jameis Winston and Doug Martin excelled as the Bucs thrashed the Philadelphia Eagles 45-17.
Winston tied a rookie record with five touchdown passes, completing 19 of his 29 passes for 246 yards.
Like Newton, he found five different receivers for scores, connecting with Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, Russell Shepard, Charles Sims and Cameron Brate.
Martin ran for 235 yards, 177 yards coming in the first half, including runs of 84 and 58 yards. He finished two yards short of tying Barry Sanders' record for most yards in a game without a TD.
The Buccaneers (5-5) have won two straight games for the first time in two years while the Eagles (4-6) have lost two in a row.
Philadelphia actually took a 7-0 lead on a 39-yard pass from Mark Sanchez to Josh Huff but were then left behind by Winston and the Bucs.
Tony Romo was victorious on his return to action as the Dallas Cowboys won for the first time since he was injured in Week 2.
Romo returned from a collarbone injury to help the Cowboys to a 24-14 road victory over the Miami Dolphins.
The Cowboys (3-7) snapped a seven-game losing streak, their longest in a single season since 1989, while the Dolphins (4-6) are in danger of missing out on the play-offs for the seventh season in a row.
Romo went 18 for 28 for 227 yards and overcame two interceptions by throwing touchdown passes of 31 yards to Terrance Williams and 16 yards to Dez Bryant.
Dallas linebacker Rolando McClain scored the game's first points and his first ever career touchdown on a 12-yard interception return.
The Baltimore Ravens beat the St Louis Rams 16-13 but it came at a huge cost as they lost Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco for the year.
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed twice from 51 yards but then hit a game-winning field goal from 47.
However, coach John Harbaugh revealed after the match: "Joe Flacco just had a season-ending knee injury.
"He tore at least his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), I think his MCL (medial cruciate ligament) as well."
Veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri converted a 43-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining as the Indianapolis Colts came back from a two-touchdown deficit to beat the slumping Atlanta Falcons 24-21.
With injured starter Andrew Luck watching from the sidelines, back-up quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Colts and D'Qwell Jackson tied the game with just over 10 minutes remaining on a 6-yard interception return for a touchdown.
The 42-year-old Vinatieri then won it for the Colts (5-5), the former Patriot landing his 26th game-winning kick in either the final minute of regulation or overtime.
In Detroit, quarterback Matthew Stafford ran for a go-ahead five-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter as the Detroit Lions beat the Oakland Raiders 18-13.
The Lions (3-7) have won consecutive games for the first time this year but the Raiders (4-6) are on a season-high three-game losing streak.
