NFC champions San Francisco let a 14 point lead slip as they were upset by the Los Angeles Rams 27-24 on Sunday while the Dallas Cowboys fell to a second straight NFL home loss.
The Rams produced a stirring fourth quarter rally to hand the 49ers their first loss of the season with a 37-yard field goal from Joshua Karty with two seconds left clinching the victory.
The Cowboys’ woes continued as they fell 28-25 to the Baltimore Ravens, falling to 1-2 despite a late comeback attempt of their own.
The ‘Niners, cheered and by large travelling support at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, raced out of the blocks with two touchdowns in the opening quarter – both coming from Brock Purdy connecting with Jauan Jennings.
The Rams kept in touch thanks to a 15-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Kyren Williams, but Purdy found Jennings again, with a 31-yard pass mid-way through the third quarter to make it 21-7.
But then the Rams started their comeback with a 3-yard rushing score from Williams.
Still trailing by 10 points with 6:15 left in the game, a Karty field goal reduced the deficit before Stafford hurled a 50-yard pass to Tutu Atwell and Williams ran in from four yards to tie the game.
Ronnie Bell failed to catch a long Purdy pass with just over a minute left that would have put San Francisco in field goal range and the errors mounted up as the Rams were helped by a 25-yard pass interference penalty against De’Vondre Campbell that left Karty with a 37-yard field goal which he converted for the victory.
In Dallas, Derrick Henry ran in two touchdowns and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson had a passing and rushing score as the Ravens took a 28-6 lead into the fourth quarter.
Dallas’s Dak Prescott scored with a quarterback sneak at the start of the fourth and then threw two more touchdowns, but the Cowboys’ late revival fell short.
– Vikings win again –
Comeback quarterback Sam Darnold threw four touchdown passes as the Minnesota Vikings extended their winning start to the season with an emphatic 34-7 victory over the Houston Texans.
The 27-year-old Darnold, with his third team in as many seasons, had struggled for playing time with the San Francisco 49ers last year and the Carolina Panthers in 2022 but has made a hugely impressive start for his new team.
After leading the Vikings to wins at the New York Giants and then at home to the San Francisco 49ers, the former first round draft pick for the New York Jets equalled his career-best touchdown haul as his team improved to 3-0.
Darnold found Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for first quarter touchdowns and then in the third quarter connected with Jalen Nailor for the third straight game before completing the rout with two yard pass to tight-end Johnny Mundt in the fourth quarter.
It was a tough day for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw two interceptions and was sacked four times, three of those coming from former Houston linebacker Jonathan Greenard.
The Pittsburgh Steelers also moved to 3-0 with a 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Steelers quarterback Justin Fields threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin in the fourth quarter and then ran in a 5-yard touchdown to hand the Chargers their first defeat this season.
Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley rushed in two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Eagles edged the Saints in New Orleans 15-12.
After bursting free for a 65-yard score early in the fourth, Barkley grabbed the game winning touchdown with a 4-yard run with 1:01 left in the game.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts had set up the score, finding Dallas Goedert with a 61-yard pass on third and 16.
Rookie receiver Malik Nabers scored two touchdowns as the New York Giants beat the Cleveland Browns 21-15.
Later on Sunday, the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs look to continue their winning start at the Atlanta Falcons.
sev/bb
