Phil Dawson rebounds from blocked field goal to make one from 52 yards. Brad Maynard has a 9-yard punt. It's one of those games.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerDefense ruled the first half Sunday, with Charlie Whitehurst falling under the pressure of the Browns' Chris Gocong (51) and Jayme Mitchell.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes, observations and some facts on the second quarter ...

• Colt McCoy runs for six to evade all-out Seattle blitz and set up long field goal. But Phil Dawson's 48-yard attempt is blocked by Red Bryant. Special teams breakdowns continue.

• T.J. Ward's blindside sack pops ball free from Charlie Whitehurst. D'Qwell Jackson recovers at Browns' 47. Pete Carroll challenges the call, saying Whitehurst's arm was moving forward. Play stands.

• Seattle assessed neutral-zone infraction on Browns' punt, giving Browns first down. Pete Carroll is pulling his hair out.

• McCoy makes completions -- one behind Greg Little and one high to Evan Moore, who plucks it with one hand. Dawson tries again from 52 yards. It's good. That might stand up. Browns scoring drive: seven plays, 18 yards.

• Browns defense smelling blood in the water now. Whitehurst under pressure every dropback.

• Mohamed Massaquoi makes good play on McCoy sideline out. Caught ball and reached for first down at Seahawks' 39.

• Seahawks cornerback hurts ankle defending McCoy deep pass for Little. Almost intercepted by Earl Thomas. Seahawks already are down in the secondary.

• Browns' drive foiled when Mohamed Massaquoi is clubbed to the head on McCoy pass. No call.

• Brad Maynard follows with a nine-yard shanked punt. Nine.

• Seahawks take over at their 29 with 1:01 left. Unbelievably, they are forced to punt with :42 left. Browns get to midfield, but don't seriously threaten.

As the defense dominates early, the offense finds little success.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerMontario Hardesty uses a block from Shawn Lauvao to gain some of his 43 first-half yards Sunday afternoon against the Seahawks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Halftime scribbles as the Browns and the Seahawks struggle to find any offense:

1. It was good to see defensive coordinator Dick Jauron calls several blitzes during Seattle's first possession because it's obvious Charlie Whitehurst can be rattled, especially with running back Marshawn Lynch out with a back injury. Chris Gocong had a sack. Jayme Mitchell would have also had a sack, but Seattle was flagged for delay of game.

2. Later in the first quarter, Jabaal Sheard and Ahtyba Rubin combined for a sack. That is Sheard's third sack of the season. Profootballfocus has Sheard rated in the top five of rookies so far this season.

3. The quick-paced, no-huddle offense by Seattle didn't bother the Browns much early, partly because they rarely substitute on defense. Also, D'Qwell Jackson does an excellent job of keeping his defense set up.

4. No Peyton Hillis (hamstring) may hurt the Browns as much in the passing game as on the ground. Hillis is an excellent receiver out of the backfield, and would be effective on screen passes. It will be interesting to see if the Browns throw the ball to Montario Hardesty, who has six drops in the last two weeks. The good news is Hardesty caught the first pass thrown in his direction for a first down.

5. I doubt any coach feels comfortable with Hardesty being his only experienced running back. Hardesty hasn't shown much because he has been hurt. This can be a big day for Hardesty to establish himself as a viable running back who can handle a heavy load. He had a productive first half with 43 yards in 15 carries and one catch for 11 yards.

6. Another special teams breakdown for the Browns as Phil Dawson's field goal was blocked. As far as I can tell from a quick computer search, it's his first blocked field goal since 2007. You gotta love Dawson, who came right back and kicked a 52-yarder. Dawson is 8-of-9 on field goals, the block is his only miss. He also has a 51-yarder this year.

7. Pat Shurmur has made a major effort to run the ball as he had nearly a 50/50 ratio of passing and runs. Hardesty has had a solid first half.

8. T.J. Ward had a major sack and forced a fumble. Another good call by Jauron on a blitz.

9. This is a hard game to watch with the penalties, lack of offense and passing game going nowhere.

Harrison complained of headaches to the Eagles doctor during Wednesday's physical after Philadelphia agreed to trade Ronnie Brown to Detroit for Harrison and a draft pick. The doctor ordered an MRI that revealed the tumor.

Associated PressJerome Harrison's surgery on Friday to remove a brain tumor reportedly went well.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jerome Harrison, the former Cleveland Browns running back, had successful surgery to remove a tumor on Friday, according to a report by ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen.

A source told Mortensen that doctors belive they were able to remove the entire tumor.

Fron ESPN.com:

A condition known as arteriovenous malformation, which is an abnormal connection between veins and arteries that often goes undetected, may have been a contributing factor to the tumor.

Harrison was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list after his trade to the Philadelphia Eagles was voided after the tumor was discovered.

Harrison complained of headaches to Eagles team physician Gary Dorshimer during Wednesday's physical after Philadelphia agreed to trade running back Ronnie Brown to the Lions for Harrison and a draft pick. The doctor ordered an MRI that revealed the tumor.

The test revealed a tumor known as ependymoma in the fourth ventricle of Harrison's brain.

ESPN reports that NFL Players Association medical director Dr. Thom Mayer hopes players learn from Harrison's situation that being truthful with team physicians can have positive results, maybe even life-saving.

Browns dodge a long punt return (brought back by penalty) and a long defensive breakdown and force a tying field goal.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerColt McCoy isn't getting much time to find his receivers as the Seahawks generally have shut down the running game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes, observations and some facts on the third quarter ...

• Mohamed Massaquoi is out with a concussion.

• Colt McCoy comes alive with third-down completions to Josh Cribbs and Evan Moore to cross the 50.

• Good effort by Greg Little to make first down at Seahawks' 36 after catch on quick slant. Browns are moving the chains, three downs at a time.

• Now Ben Watson is out with a concussion.

• McCoy play-fakes and fixes eyes on Evan Moore. Pass is intercepted by David Hawthorne, who juggles ball but secures possession before stepping out of bounds at Seahawks 12. Browns challenge, and lose.

• Seahawks can't make a first down. Punt after three plays.

• Next Browns' drive ends after three plays. McCoy is ambushed after an ill-fated screen pass to Chris Ogbonnaya. McCoy has a noticeable limp in his gait on the way off.

• Leon Washington's 72-yard punt return for a touchdown is brought back on a block in the back penalty. Still, Seattle takes over at its 45.

• On first down, Sheldon Brown intercepts Charlie Whitehurst's deep ball for Sidney Rice at the Browns' 19. Brown established position and effectively posted up Rice. Looked like he got away with a hold.

• Browns have to punt after three feeble plays.

• Charlie Whitehurst finally completes a pass of consequence. Browns lost coverage of Sidney Rice deep right sideline. Rice steps out of bounds at Browns' 9. Before next play, Browns burn timeout because they were short a man. Only one left.

• Ahtyba Rubin's facemask of Leon Washington gives Seahawks first down at the 2. But Browns defense forces chip shot field goal when T.J. Ward gets a hand up late to defend third-down pass in end zone for Cameron Morrah.

Unranked Buckeyes play at home on Saturday night against Wisconsin, which took its first loss of the season against Michigan State.

Associated PressMichigan State's Keith Nichol (right), about to catch a deflected pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins that turned into a last-play 44-yard touchdown, giving the Spartans a 37-31 win over Wisconsin.

NEW YORK, New York --  No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama have locked in their spots for the biggest regular-season game in Southeastern Conference history.

The Tigers and Crimson Tide held the first two spots in The Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday after huge victories a day earlier. With both heading into an off week, LSU and Alabama are virtually assured of meeting on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa as the top two teams in the country.

It'll be the second 1 vs. 2 matchup involving SEC teams, but the first time came in the conference championship game.

Ohio State (4-3), which is unranked and had a bye this weekend, plays Wisconsin on Saturday night at Ohio Stadium. Wisconsin (6-1) dropped from No. 4 to No. 12 following its 37-31 loss to Michigan State on the final play of Saturday's game. Michigan State moved up six spots to No. 9, the highest ranked Big Ten team.

(The AP, USA Today/Coaches, BCS and Harris rankings)

Oklahoma, the preseason No. 1, dropped eight spots to No. 11 in the AP poll after its first loss of the season. The Sooners fell 41-38 to Texas Tech on Saturday night, snapping a 39-game home winning streak. The Red Raiders moved into the ranking for the first time this season at No. 19.

LSU received 49 first-place votes from the media panel. Alabama got nine and No. 5 Boise State had one.

Oklahoma State is No. 3, followed by fellow unbeatens Stanford, Boise State and Clemson. The Cowboys have their best ranking since Nov. 19, 1984, when they were also No. 3.

No. 6 Clemson has its highest ranking since 2000, when the Tigers spent four weeks at No. 5.

No. 7 Oregon, Michigan State, Arkansas and undefeated Kansas State round out the top 10.

Moving into the rankings this week along with Texas Tech were No. 20 Southern California, No. 21 Penn State and No. 24 Cincinnati, which is ranked for the first time this season.

Falling out after losses were Washington, Georgia Tech, Illinois and defending national champion Auburn.

Nos. 13-18 were Nebraska, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Houston, which has its best ranking since 2009.

Joining the four teams moving into the rankings at the bottom were No. 22 Georgia, No. 23 Arizona State and No. 25 West Virginia.

For Alabama and LSU, the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup likely will decide which of the SEC West rivals plays in the conference championship and could ultimately determine which teams plays for the national title in New Orleans on Jan. 9.

LSU's only appearance in a 1-2 game was in the BCS title game in 2008. This will be Alabama's sixth No. 1 vs. No. 2 game, but first in the regular season.

The last time there was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in college football not played in a bowl or conference title game was 2006, when No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan on the final weekend of the Big Ten's regular season and went on to lose the BCS championship game to Florida. Earlier that season, top-ranked Ohio State also played No. 2 Texas.

Running game slowly grinds out the win in the fourth quarter as Phil Dawson's two long field goals stand up.

View full sizeTony Dejak, Associated PressUsama Young made sure Seattle tight end Anthony McCoy wasn't going anywhere with this sure tackle in the third quarter Sunday. The Browns held Seattle to under 200 yards in offense in the 6-3 victory at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes, observations and some facts on the fourth quarter ...

• Chris Ogbannaya takes a dump-off and leaps through a defender for the first down. Then Montario Hardesty receives a flare pass and rumbles 16 yards to the Seahawks' 36.

• On third-and-9, Brian Robiskie slips before Colt McCoy's pass arrives.

• Phil Dawson from 53 yards. It's up ... it's floating ... it's good. First time in his career Dawson has two field goal over 50 yards in same game.

• Browns defense forces punt in three plays. Josh Cribbs has made some tackles in kick coverage, but hasn't been able to impact the game on returns.

• McCoy just gets the ball to Evan Moore for a first down. Moore jumps up and flashes a demonstrative "first down" signal.

• McCoy's finest play of the day: escapes massive pressure, picks way through traffic and slides to a first down -- 12 yards.

• Browns get another first down on 6-yard carry on third down by Ogbannaya.

• Now Montario Hardesty runs for 15 to the Seahawks 13. Kam Chancellor wraps up Hardesty, lifts him up and plants him to the ground. But Hardesty holds on.

• Seahawks burn all three timeouts before Dawson 24-yard field goal try. Seahawks block another won. Still 6-3, Browns.

• Two ineffective plays set up third-and-10 for Seahawks, and Joe Haden is called for interference on Sidney Rice at the Seattle 31. Whitehurst may have to rely on penalties ... he has 92 yards passing at this moment.

• A overthrow on first down is followed by a screen to Washington for five yards. Three-man rush on third down and a first-down catch is dropped by Ben Obomanu. Fourth-down pass is caught by Doug Baldwin, but he's called for a push-off. Another call in favor of the Browns. Fourth again and 15 with 2:27 left. Pass for Mike Williams is deflected by Joe Haden -- Williams was triple-covered on the play.

• With 2:22 left, the Browns can't run the clock out without a first down. Hardesty for three more yards ... he has 95 yards on 32 carries -- a full day's work. Two-minute warning.

• A third-down personal foul by Red Bryant -- who blocked two field goals -- puts the game out of reach. Browns go to 3-3 before next Sunday's trip to San Francisco.

Join The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Joey Morona after the game as they break down what happened on the field live from the press box at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Post-game show starts about 15 minutes after the final play.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns QB Colt McCoy throws during the first half.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Join The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Joey Morona after the game as they break down what happened on the field live from the press box at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

They'll talk about the  big plays in the Browns' 6-3 win over Seattle, highlight the top performances, update all the scores from around the NFL and take your chat room comments. Miss the live show? Come back to this page to listen to the archive later on.

Click on play to listen. Post-game show will begin approximately at 4:35 p.m. and last about an hour. Post your questions in the chat room below.

Note: To turn off audio alerts, click on round button on bottom left of chat room and click on preferences.

Defense never yields in holding the inept Seahawks to 137 yards of offense.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerSeattle QB Charlie Whitehurst never managed any consistent success Sunday, including this first-half sack by the Browns' Chris Gocong (51) and Jayme Mitchell. The Cleveland defense held Seattle to 137 yards of offense in scratching out a 6-3 victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Down four starters by the end, struggling with their West Coast offense all game, the Cleveland Browns resorted Sunday to the tried-and-true constant that has been there for them for 13 years: kicker Phil Dawson.

Dawson's two field goals beyond 50 yards -- a first in his career -- made the difference in an uninspired offensive performance from both sides as the Browns squeaked past the Seattle Seahawks, 6-3, at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns improved to 3-3 while Seattle dropped to 2-4.

The Browns started the afternoon without running back Peyton Hillis, who sat his second game this season, this time for a hamstring injury he suffered last week at Oakland. Right guard Shawn Lauvao left in the second quarter with a knee injury. Receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and tight end Ben Watson both were on the sideline by the third quarter with head injuries.

Seattle might have had it worse, though, as starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson sat with injury while running back Marshawn Lynch suffered a back injury in pre-game warmups and watched from the sidelines.

The result was a predictably sloppy game from both offenses. The Browns were just better, logging 301 yards in offense to the Seahawks' 137. Quarterback Colt McCoy was just good enough, 20-for-35 for 178 yards, with one interception.

Dawson came to the rescue in the second quarter -- after his first field-goal attempt from 48 yards was blocked -- when he connected from 52 with 7:26 left. The Browns had managed four first downs by then.

After Seattle kicker Steven Hauschka knotted the score with 2:33 remaining in the third, the Browns turned to Dawson, again. He knocked in a 53-yard field goal on the first series of the final period, marking the first time in his career he has had two field goals of longer than 50 yards in a single game.

Of dubious distinction: Dawson also had two field goal attempts blocked in the game, including a 24-yard attempt with 3:05 remaining. Both were blocked by Seattle's Red Bryant.

Browns newcomer Chris Ogbonnaya led the receiving corps with five catches for 43 yards. But the game was largely decided by a grinding drive of 6:49 midway through the fourth quarter that featured Montario Hardesty and a 12-yard scramble by Colt McCoy on third down.

Hardesty gained 30 of his 95 yards on the drive, continually hammering the middle of the Seattle line. Although Dawson's field goal was blocked, the Browns put Seattle in poor field position that the Seahawks couldn't escape.

Adding his 27 receiving yards on two receptions, Hardesty accounted for 122 of the Browns' 301 yards of offense.

Somehow, the Browns did win. The real reason is Dick Jauron's defense.

View full sizeAmy Sancetta, Associated PressBrowns cornerback Joe Haden wears linebacker Kaluka Maiava as a celebratory decoration after breaking up a fourth-down pass from Charlie Whitehurst to Mike Williams in the final minutes of Sunday's 6-3 victory over Seattle at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns held Whitehurst to just 97 passing yards with an interception.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here's the confession: I really don't want to watch a game like this again.

But there were a few things to like about the Browns besides the final score of 6-3 over Seattle. Let's start with a 3-3 record for the first time since 2007. It's just the fourth time since they returned in 1999 that they don't have a losing record after the first six games. So 3-3 isn't just 3-3.

It's rare.

Oh, of course, how many times can you win an NFL game without scoring a touchdown? While having two field goals blocked? While having your quarterback sacked five times, his longest pass being for 19 yards.

But somehow, the Browns did win.

The real reason is Dick Jauron's defense, which held Seattle to 137 yards and nine first downs. Yes, backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was playing, and no one will confuse him with anyone but a career backup named Charlie Whitehurst. But he did complete 11 of 19 passes for 149 yards when he came off the bench to lead Seattle to a stunning 36-25 road victory over the New York Giants two weeks ago.

So this guy was coming off a big game. But the Browns defused him with an aggressive pass rush and stout defense against the run. It was simply a smart approach by Jauron that had Whitehurst rattled and confused all afternoon.

Chris Gocong had a sack and two quarterback hits. Jabaal Sheard had a tremendous game at defensive end, as did T.J. Ward from his safety spot. As always, D'Qwell Jackson was a true defensive captain at middle linebacker, and Joe Haden (playing on a cranky knee) was a shutdown cornerback.

"My goodness, they battled," said coach Pat Shurmur. "It's a credit to the players, to the coaches ... to hold an NFL team to three points, that's outstanding. That's the story line, how that defense played."

Other than the 31-13 breakdown against Tennessee, the defense has been solid to strong all season. Very impressive for a team starting two rookies on the line and switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme.

Then there's Phil Dawson, who produced the six points with field goals of 52 and 53 yards. But the special teams still had problems with "leakage" -- as Shurmur called it -- leading to those two blocked kicks.

Then there was the offense.

"For those of you who liked to watch us run the football, you got the chance," said Shurmur.

Give the coach credit for giving the ball 33 times to Montario Hardesty, who earned every one of his 95 yards against the NFL's top defense against the run. The Browns had 44 rushes compared to 35 passes. It was a return to the days of Eric Mangini, when the defense and ground game were at the heart of the strategy.

Hardesty (six drops this year) caught both passes thrown to him. He filled in with grit for the injured Peyton Hillis (hamstring).

John Greco took over at right guard for Shawn Lauvao (knee injury) and had some bone-rattling blocks. The Browns lost tight end Ben Watson and receiver Mohamed Massaquoi to concussions.

McCoy was 20-of-35 for only 178 yards. His top receiver was Chris Ogbonnaya, who was signed earlier in the week. The running back caught five passes, and had the Browns' longest reception for 19 yards. The injury to Watson led to more action for Evan Moore, who had four catches.

"Colt battled," said Shurmur. "That's what I'll say about how he played."

The same can be said for the Browns.

Tebow passed for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the last 5:23 and ran for the game-tying two-point conversion to force overtime in Denver's 18-15 win at Miami. Burress helped the Jets to a 27-21 comeback win over San Diego.

Associated PressBroncos quarterback Tim Tebow (right) celebrates with tight end Virgil Green (left) after Tebow's 2-point conversion run tied the game, 15-15, and forced overtime at Miami. The Broncos defeated the Dolphins, 18-15.

Denver Broncos 18, Miami Dolphins 15 (Overtime)

MIAMI, Florida -- For 54 minutes, Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos couldn't score.

Then they couldn't be stopped.

Tebow rallied the Broncos with two touchdown passes in the final 2:44 of the fourth quarter to force overtime, and Matt Prater's 52-yard field goal gave them an improbable 18-15 victory over the stunned Miami Dolphins.

The Broncos appeared beaten when they trailed 15-0 with 5:23 left and took over at their 20. At that point Tebow was 4 for 14 for 40 yards.

But Tebow led TD drives of 80 and 56 yards sandwiched around a successful onside kick, and he scored a 2-point conversion standing up with 17 seconds left to tie the game.

Tebow completed 9 of 13 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns during the two drives, and ran for 17 yards in two carries -- not counting the game-tying, two-point conversion run that forced overtime.

Tebow was 13 of 27 overall for 161 yards, the two touchdowns and no interceptions. He ran eight times for 65 yards.

In overtime, Denver's D.J. Williams sacked Matt Moore to force a fumble and recovered it at the Miami 36. Three plays later Prater hit the game-winner.

The Broncos (2-4) won for the first time in the eight games they've played on the Dolphins' field. Miami (0-6) extended the NFL's longest losing streak to nine games, leaving the status of embattled coach Tony Sparano even more tenuous.

The Dolphins lost for the 12th time in their past 13 home games.

Tebow made his first start of the year after Denver benched Kyle Orton, and for much of the game the Broncos sputtered. As Tebow walked to the sideline after one series stalled, spectators chanted his name in derision, and Dolphins players gestured to the crowd to keep the jeers coming.

But with the Broncos on the ropes, he led an eight-play touchdown drive that got them back in the game. Matthew Willis' 42-yard reception was the big gain, and Tebow threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Demaryius Thomas with 2:44 left to make the score 15-7.

Then came the onside kick. Miami receiver Marlon Moore leaped to catch the ball but bobbled it and the Broncos' Virgil Green recovered at their 44 with 2:31 left.

Tebow's strike to a diving Daniel Fells gained 28 yards to the 3. Two plays later, Tebow fooled the Dolphins by rolling left and throwing back to the right to Fells, who dived across the goal line for a 3-yard score with 17 seconds left.

Denver still needed a 2-point conversion to stay alive, and Tebow ran up the middle to send the game to overtime.

New York Jets 27, San Diego Chargers 21

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey -- Plaxico Burress caught three touchdown passes from Mark Sanchez, including the go-ahead score that was set up by an interception by Darrelle Revis, and the New York Jets stormed back in the second half and held on for a 27-21 win over the San Diego Chargers.

Leading 21-17, the Chargers (4-2) appeared to be driving for a possible game-sealing score when Philip Rivers threw toward Vincent Jackson. The ball tipped off the receiver's hands and right to Revis, who returned the interception 64 yards to the Chargers 19.

After a few runs by Shonn Greene and a defensive holding call -- the Chargers' 11th penalty in the game -- Sanchez found Burress on a slant for a 3-yard touchdown to give the Jets (4-3) their first lead midway through the fourth quarter. It was the second time in his career Burress caught three touchdowns, and first since 2007 while with the Giants.

Burress' touchdown catches were for 3, 4 and 3 yards, Overall, he caight four passes for 25 yards.

Atlanta Falcons 23, Detroit Lions 16

DETROIT, Michigan -- Matt Ryan ran and threw for touchdowns to give Atlanta a double-digit lead in the first half, and the Falcons held on for a 23-16 victory over the Detroit Lions.

On Detroit's final drive, a pass-interference penalty against Atlanta was overturned because instant replay showed defensive tackle Corey Peters had tipped the ball. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford appeared to injure his right ankle on the play.

He then throw incomplete on fourth down from the Atlanta 41 and limped off the field.

The Falcons (4-3) ran out the clock with a first down to win consecutive games for the first time this year.

The Lions (5-2) have lost two straight after their perfect start.

Ryan's 17-yard pass to Roddy White put Atlanta ahead 17-6 at halftime.

Calvin Johnson caught his 10th touchdown pass late in the third quarter to pull Detroit within four points.

Chicago Bears 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 18

WEMBLEY, England -- Matt Forte ran for 145 yards and a touchdown and the Chicago Bears held on for a 24-18 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth annual NFL regular-season game at Wembley Stadium in England.

Jay Cutler threw for 226 yards and a touchdown and the Bears (4-3) intercepted Josh Freeman four times to win their second game in a row.

The Buccaneers (4-3) lost for the second time in three years in London.

Tampa Bay scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull within three points. But after a 25-yard field goal by Chicago's Robbie Gould, Freeman was picked off with 37 seconds left by D.J. Moore.

Cutler completed 17 of 32 passes, including one touchdown and two interceptions. Freeman was 29 of 51 for 264 yards and two touchdowns.

Carolina Panthers 33, Washington Redskins 20

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Rookie Cam Newton ran for a touchdown and threw for another in the second half to help the Carolina Panthers to a 33-20 win over the Washington Redskins.

Jonathan Stewart also ran for a third-quarter touchdown for the Panthers (2-5), who for the first time all year found themselves playing with the lead almost the entire way.

Newton threw for 256 yards and ran for 59 more. He ran for his seventh touchdown on a 16-yard keeper in the third quarter, tying a record for most TDs rushing by a rookie quarterback since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

In the fourth, he had an easy touchdown toss to Brandon LaFell that blew the game open.

Washington's John Beck threw for 279 yards and scored on a short keeper in his first start in four years. But he didn't get the Redskins (3-3) back to the end zone again until they were down 30-13.

The past month had followed a familiar pattern for Newton and the Panthers: trail late in close games only and repeatedly fall short. Probably the worst moment came here two weeks ago, when the Panthers gave up the go-ahead touchdown to Drew Brees and the Saints with 50 seconds left in a loss that left Newton growing more frustrated by the day.

But this time, Newton got the chance to keep the pressure on the Redskins instead of trying to pull off his own desperate comeback. The No. 1 overall draft pick responded to that challenge, coolly leading Carolina to three straight touchdown drives after entering the second half with a 9-6 lead.

He completed 18 of 23 passes in an efficient performance, with Steve Smith hauling in seven for 143 yards. More importantly, Newton didn't commit a turnover after throwing three interceptions in last week's loss at Atlanta.

It was clear how much Newton enjoyed finally getting his second win. When it was over, he ran to the front row of fans and gave high-fives on his way to the locker-room tunnel.

After Beck answered Newton's TD run with one of his own, Newton twice found Smith downfield on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Stewart's 2-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 23-13.

Then, after the Panthers forced a three-and-out, Newton found Smith downfield again with a perfectly thrown deep ball that Smith hauled in at the 1 for a 36-yard gain. Three plays later, Newton connected with LaFell to make it 30-13 with 8:13 left.

As for Beck, he earned the starting job after Rex Grossman threw four interceptions in last week's ugly home loss to Philadelphia. It was his first start since December 2007 with the Miami Dolphins - and he remains winless in all five career starts.

He completed 22 of 37 passes and threw a late touchdown to Fred Davis after the game was out of reach.

It didn't help that Beck lost top receiver Santana Moss and tailback Tim Hightower to injuries, either.

Moss hurt his left hand in the first half and spent the rest of the half watching from the sideline while wearing a bulky wrap on the hand.

Hightower - who got the start and had run for 88 yards on 17 carries - hurt his left knee on a 4-yard carry in the third quarter. He was helped off the field and eventually carted to the locker room from the sideline. Neither player returned.

Houston Texans 41, Tennessee Titans 7

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Arian Foster ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns and added 119 more receiving with a 78-yard TD as the Houston Texans rolled to a 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans and took back the AFC South divisional lead from Tennessee.

The Texans (4-3) snapped a two-game skid even with Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson missing his third straight game and fullback James Casey his second due to injuries. Matt Schaub threw for 296 yards and two TDs, and the Texans won in Nashville for the second time in three years.

Tennessee (3-3) has lost two straight, wasting the half-game lead in the division picked up when the Texans lost during the Titans bye last week. Fans booed Chris Johnson as he was stopped early and often, and finished the game with 18 yards on 10 carries.

Houston outgained the Titans 518-148 and had the ball for more than 37 minutes. Ben Tate ran for 104 yards, marking the first time the Texans have had two backs top 100 yards in the same game in their short history.

The Texans picked off two passes with Brice McCain returning the second 38 yards for a TD, and had two sacks.

Houston started slowly, punting on the first two drives. Then the Texans scored on six of the next seven possessions in blowing out their rival.

Neil Rackers started it with the first of two field goals. Danieal Manning's interception pinned Houston at its own 13, but Schaub finished off an 87-yard drive with a 10-yard TD pass to Joel Dreessen midway through the second quarter.

Houston needed four plays on the next drive when Schaub rolled to his right, stopped and threw back across the field to Foster who caught the ball and easily outraced the Titans to finish off a 78-yard TD for a 17-0 lead. Schaub had been banged up in the past two games. Against Tennessee, he had plenty of time to throw and was rarely touched.

Foster capped an 92-yard drive by leaping over the top for a 1-yard TD, giving the Texans a 27-0 lead late in the third quarter that was so big they couldn't let it slip away as they did in the past two losses. He added a 5-yard run early in the fourth.

The Titans have yet to figure out how to get Johnson going after he missed the preseason before signing his $53 million extension. Going no-huddle with Javon Ringer in for Johnson helped the Titans avoid the shutout, and Hasselbeck capped the drive with a 5-yard TD pass to Jared Cook on a 5-yard TD on fourth-and-goal with 5:34 left in the third.

It wasn't nearly enough, and rookie Jake Locker replaced Hasselbeck with 9:32 left after his second interception. The eighth pick overall got his first NFL completion on a 12-yard toss to Lavelle Hawkins.

Bryant's penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct cost his team a chance to get the ball back.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seattle defensive end Red Bryant, who was ejected late in Sunday's game after a headbutt of Browns tight end Alex Smith, accused Smith of taking cheap shots during the game.

"He was talking the whole game," said Bryant. "He was taking cheap shots at me. That's what guys do when they can't block you. He did a great job of getting in my head. I should have been smarter than that."

Instead, Bryant's penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct cost his team a chance to get the ball back with about a minute left. Colt McCoy had been sacked for a two-yard loss on third down at the Seahawks 25, and Phil Dawson would've attempted a 42-yard field goal for a 9-3 lead -- assuming Bryant didn't record his third blocked kick of the game.

The Seahawks could've gotten the ball back with a chance to win, although they had no timeouts left.

"I feel like it was a huge play at the end of the game," said Bryant. "I'm supposed to be a leader. I know I'm better than that. I lost my composure and pushed the guy and got myself ejected from the game. You never know what could've happened if we got the ball back on offense. It was just a dumb move on my part. I take full responsibility for it."

Smith said "we were just going at it all game and I think he just lost his head at the end. It was just one of those things where we were battling all day and it got a little chippy from time to time. But you have to be smart at the end of the game. It was definitely a game-changer. It gave them the ball back if he doesn't do that."

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll wasn't happy.

"That's totally wrong on our part. We have a chance to get the ball back one more time with some seconds left and we just wanted to take a couple more swings at them. I don't know what happened, but it is a big mistake and Red knew it and couldn't have been more apologetic."

Shorthanded offense: Mohamed Massaquoi and Ben Watson both left the game with concussions suffered in the first half.

Massaquoi's came with a little more than a minute left in the first half on an incomplete pass over the middle. A defender clocked Massaquoi in the head, and his helmet popped off. Watson was on the field for an incomplete pass with four seconds left in the half, but didn't play after halftime.

Both will be evaluated Monday. The offense was already without Peyton Hillis and then also lost starting right guard Shawn Lauvao to a knee injury in the second quarter.

"It was tough," said McCoy. "But people stepped up. Evan Moore stepped up, [guard] John Greco stepped up, Josh Cribbs is asked to do a lot on special teams, but then he had to play the whole game at receiver."

Alex Smith said he's not sure when Watson got dinged, "but he said he was feeling a little dizzy. For him to come out, you know he had to be pretty banged up."

Linebacker Scott Fujita was ruled out on Friday with concussion symptoms.

Lauvao left the stadium on crutches and will undergo an MRI on his injured knee on Monday. "He's been playing really well," said McCoy.

Added tackle Tony Pashos: "For [Greco] to come in cold like that and help us get the win was great."

Battling on the corner: Joe Haden returned from his one-game absence with a sprained left knee.

"When I woke up [Sunday] morning, it was up to me if I was going to play," Haden said. "I ended up feeling pretty good."

He played pretty well, too. He had five tackles, one for a loss and one pass broken up. He also had a pass interference penalty.

"[The medical staff] said he might be sore tomorrow. Shoot, I'm sore," Pat Shurmur joked. "I can't imagine how he feels, and I think he battled. He did a terrific job."

Said Haden as he left the locker room: "I'm going to go get an ice pack and head to the house. The whole game, I felt really good. I forgot about it."

Weakened Seahawks: Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch was a pre-game scratch after suffering back spasms during warmups. "His back just locked up," said Carroll. The Seahawks were also without starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral injury) and starting center Max Unger (foot injury).

Welcome to the team: Running back Chris Ogbonnaya, signed Tuesday off Houston's practice squad, led the Browns with 43 yards receiving and tied Greg Little with five catches. Three receptions resulted in first downs, including a 19-yarder in the second quarter. He also lunged to convert a third down in the fourth quarter, which helped set up Phil Dawson's second field goal.

"Being comfortable in this offense gave me an advantage over most people in this situation," he said. "It's similar to what we did in St. Louis."

Familiarity with his college quarterback, McCoy, was also a tremendous help. The former Longhorn spent extra time with McCoy during the week.

"I take great pride in pass protecting and being able to run and catch the football," he said. "I studied the playook, and got with Colt. I wanted to show up and do my best."

"We love guys like that," said Josh Cribbs. "Coach saw something special in him, brought him in and he fit right in the system. He also helped out on special teams. We need high-motor guys like that."

Getting a kick out of coverage: Cribbs was back on kick coverage, and was credited with one tackle, although he says the film will show two.

"I loved it," he said. "I was able to contribute and make two tackles. It felt like the old days out there covering kicks. I got my nose in there, got dirty, made a couple of tackles. Now I'm going to try to see about the punt team. I'd like to do that too."

He lamented two dropped passes "but Colt was willing to come back to me and I caught one for him."

Quotable: T.J. Ward said he's never been in a 6-3 game. "I went to Oregon, so there's not many 6-3 games. ... Maybe Pop Warner." ... D'Qwell Jackson, on the Browns defense: "We haven't arrived until we're the No. 1 defense."

Plain Dealer Reporter Jodie Valade contributed to this report.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

"Every time we go out there we're looking for a shutout," says Browns safety T.J. Ward.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerT.J. Ward's deflection of a Charlie Whitehurst pass intended for tight end Cameron Morrah ended the Seahawks' best chance for a touchdown Sunday afternoon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dismal as the offense was all day, ineffective at moving the ball into the end zone or even advancing to within 20 yards of the goal line, the Browns' defense didn't notice.

Why worry about something you can't control? The philosophy of this young and rapidly improving unit is to single-mindedly focus on its own objective -- prevent the opposition from scoring.

So the fact that the Browns couldn't manage a touchdown in Sunday's 6-3 victory over Seattle meant little. So, too, did the fact that the Seahawks were down to their backup quarterback and lost their starting running back to a pregame injury.

Three points is still just three points. A goal-line stand, as the Browns had in the third quarter when Seattle failed to score from the Cleveland 2 on three consecutive plays, are still the kind of plays that win games.

"If the offense scores 100 points, we want it to be 100 to zero," safety T.J. Ward said. "Every time we go out there we're looking for a shutout. Defensively, we want people to fear us and know it's going to be tough against Cleveland. You're not going to get no easy points. We're one of a kind."

Rookie receiver Greg Little called his defense the "best in the league," after holding Seattle to 137 yards in total offense.

According to the raw numbers, the Browns were seventh in the NFL before Sunday, and they lowered their average for yards allowed to 308.3 after their stifling performance. It's a defense littered with youth -- rookies Jabaal Sheard and Phil Taylor are line mainstays, while second-year players Joe Haden and Ward anchor the secondary -- that improves each week.

Against Seattle, the key goal-line stand came at the end of the third quarter when the Seahawks had a first down at the Cleveland 2. First, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson stuffed running back Justin Forsett. Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst failed to connect with Michael Robinson on second down, and with Ward broke up a third down attempt to tight end Cameron Morrah.

"As a defense, we really thought they couldn't score on us," Haden said. "No matter what the score was, as long as they were out of field-goal range, we felt they weren't going to score on us."

The Seahawks did have their chances. Leon Washington returned a punt 81 yards to the end zone, only to have an illegal block bring the ball back to the Seattle 45.

Two series later, Whitehurst finally connected on a big play, a 38-yarder to Sidney Rice along the right sideline. Rice had a wide-open field ahead of him, but lost his balance and stepped out of bounds at the Cleveland 9.

"I didn't realize how close I was to the sideline," Rice said. "I was trying to get some extra yards and I went out of bounds."

Minus starting linebacker Scott Fujita (concussion) and with Haden playing for the first time in two weeks because of a knee injury, the Browns will take it.

"When you hold a team in the NFL to three points, that's outstanding," Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. "Outstanding."

Brewster, a center, and Stoneburner, a tight end, have helped the Buckeyes maintain some efficiency on offense after the problems created by the memorabilia for tattoos/cash scandal. And, more Buckeyes links.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State center Michael Brewster (50) could be picked in the early rounds of the NFL draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Once quarterback Terrelle Pryor left Ohio State a year early, and once tailback Dan Herron, tackle Mike Adams and wide receiver DeVier Posey were assessed lengthy suspensions, it was clear that the Buckeyes offense would struggle in 2011.

Pryor's departure and the suspensions were among the consequences of the infamous memorabilia for tattoos/cash scandal. That fiasco also led to the forced resignation of coach Jim Tressel and the assignment of Luke Fickell as the interim head coach. Fickell's impressive playing and coaching background at Ohio State had been strictly on the defensive side.

The Buckeyes are 4-3, thanks in part to the chaos on the offensive side of the football. Unranked Ohio State, which hosts No. 12 Wisconsin (6-1) next Saturday night, didn't play this weekend.

Thus, it was a good time for Bill Rabinowitz and Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch to produce a review of Ohio State's season to date.

For instance, Rabinowitz and May pick, respectively, their Buckeyes offensive MVPs over the first seven games:

Rabinowitz: Center Michael Brewster. While everything around him has changed practically every game, Brewster has been a rock. He makes the line calls that have enabled the run game to flourish despite the lack of a passing game. When centers do their job well, they’re usually unnoticed. It is hard to pick out a signature block that Brewster has made, but it is just as hard to point to a play he has blown. And his leadership has been invaluable on such an inexperienced offense.

May: (Receiver Jake) Stoneburner, and that’s even if he inexplicably was the forgotten man in the passing game in a couple of outings. If the ball had gotten to him on two plays in particular against Miami (the tipped pass from Miller that was intercepted; the low and inside missive to the end zone from Bauserman), it would have been a different game. Yet Stoneburner leads the team in catches (12) and touchdowns (six). That pretty much says it all, especially about the offense.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' story that if the Buckeyes want to finish the season strong, they need to run the football, a lot; Bill Livingston's column on things held in common by Jim Tressel and Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll; and, much more.

About the Buckeyes

On the-Ozone.net, reporters discuss the Buckeyes' season to this point.

Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch comments on some factors which might affect the hiring of Ohio State's next coach.

How Wisconsin's loss to Michigan State affects Ohio State, by Brandon Castel for the-Ozone.net.

Columbus Dispatch sports editor Ray Stein answers some readers' questions about Ohio State. 

The Big Ten hasn't had a national champion since Ohio State's 2002 team, and that drought will continue. Among the things learned about the Big Ten in Week 8, by Brian Bennett and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com.

A Big Ten Week 7 review, on CollegeFootballNews.com.

Reports on Ohio State rival Michigan, on mlive.com.

Reports on the Buckeyes' next opponent, Wisconsin, on madison.com.

"As soon as the question gets asked, I start thinking about something else," said Wilson of his 2012 plans.

View full sizeRon Jenkins, Fort Worth Star-TelegramC.J. Wilson is looking at a good start in Game 5 on Monday, not at his looming free agency.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Clubhouse confidential: Texas left-hander C.J. Wilson is eligible for free agency as soon as the World Series ends. Just don't ask him about it.

"As soon as the question gets asked, I start thinking about something else," said Wilson. "I just picture myself surfing or whatever. So as soon as I hear the words free agency, I just go 'hum' and I don't let it register. ... The only thing I'm certain about is that I'm going to be left-handed next year."

How do you stop Albert? Asked if his plans for pitching to Albert Pujols changed after Saturday night's record-setting performance, Texas manager Ron Washington said, "My plans are the same as always, try not to give him anything to hit. Saturday we made five mistakes in the middle of the plate. We've just got to execute better from the mound."

Pujols had five straight hits, the last three going the distance. Pujols is just the third man to hit three homers in a World Series game.

Stat of the day: St. Louis and Texas combined to score 23 runs in Game 3. It's the most since the Indians and Marlins combined for 25 in Game 3 of the 1997 World Series.

Colt McCoy hasn't looked great running Pat Shurmur's offense this season, but on Sunday he won a game running Eric Mangini's.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerPerhaps the highlight of Colt McCoy's day against the Seahawks was this 12-yard scramble which extended a lengthy fourth-quarter drive. The Browns didn't get any points when a Phil Dawson field goal was blocked, but they did take nearly seven minutes off the clock.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Colt McCoy swears he's progressing in Pat Shurmur's offense on a weekly basis, though Sunday he looked more like the quarterback as game manager favored by Eric Mangini.

McCoy even trotted out a corporate-speak slogan to capture what's happening on his side of the ball: "Stepping forward into growth" was how he put it. That unofficially gives the 2011 Browns a second title that many outside of Berea no doubt find difficult to decipher, the first being "West Coast Offense."

Eventually, the question needing to be answered is whether McCoy is a quarterback who needs every last piece in place to win consistently, let alone big, or whether he can lift the play of those surrounding him. The early exit polls suggest it's the former, but -- to be fair -- Sunday didn't sway the vote one way or the other. Not after tight end Ben Watson, wideout Mohamed Massaquoi and right guard Shawn Lauvao departed with injuries.

The Browns won a game in which McCoy handed off more than he threw, which was pretty much the favorite formula of the past regime. Montario Hardesty carried 33 times for 95 yards against a good run defense while McCoy started out scattershot, found some rhythm, threw a bad interception, converted 50 percent of his third downs and didn't get his team in the end zone.

"I thought he battled," Shurmur said. "He may be a little bit of a symbol of this victory. It wasn't pretty but he executed to get us where we needed to be to win this game."

That's the team-fan disconnect right there. As a first-year coach, Shurmur is reveling in the hard fight won by any means possible. You're tired of every inch gained on offense being so knockdown, dragout.

When does it get pretty? Pretty would be nice for a change.

The Browns' only scores Sunday came from 105 yards worth of Phil Dawson field goals. This was a throwback to the 2009 Buffalo game (Mangini's first win), only with less reason for frozen offense.

After the excitement died down, Shumur predicted bigger things to come. The safe presumption is he didn't mean someday soon winning a game in which the only scores come from 106 yards worth of Dawson field goals.

"I'd like to think at some point we're going to win some games by a bunch of points," Shurmur said.

What is he basing that on? Things he sees when breaking games down. A batted pass that could've been a big gainer. Details that change games in big ways and probably put you into full eye roll. He must realize he's not the first coach to tell you that. In fact, the only one who didn't was Chris Palmer, who couldn't. He recognized the light at the end of the tunnel as a "runaway train."

Shurmur has a more attentive audience in his locker room. He and McCoy had a chat during the week. Shurmur felt the need to remind McCoy the onus always falls on the coach and quarterback when the offense sags. The message?

"You gotta be able to take a punch," Shurmur said.

Unless he saw confidence sagging in his quarterback, that much we already know about McCoy. He can take a punch. Sunday proved he could clinch and counter, too. What we don't know is whether he's got any haymakers in him. There was one or two lonely throws downfield.

Not every game is going to pit him against Charlie Whitehurst and a Smurf running attack. The schedule gets tougher. McCoy's cadre of targets isn't talented enough or deep enough to withstand Watson and Massaquoi missing time.

There was a point early Sunday when Seneca Wallace would've been a reasonable option on any team other than one dedicating the season to finding out about McCoy, who needs every snap to not only tell the Browns if their quarterback search is over or ongoing but for -- shall we say – "stepping into growth."

In a way, Sunday's game called the bluff of those who want the Browns to run their way to glory. How'd you like them sour apples? Shurmur and McCoy will both tell you. Don't give up on the West Coast offense yet.

"We did a lot of nice things today," McCoy insisted.

"I don't know what fans should think," Shurmur said. "All I know is I see improvement for this team. ... I don't think we'll score 100 points in a game but..."

I know what you're thinking. No. He didn't mean for the season.

Cowboys rout St. Louis, 34-7. Steelers top Arizona, 32-20.

Associated PressDallas rookie DeMarco Murray on his 91-yard touchdown run during the Cowboys' 34-7 win over the St. Louis Rams.

Pittsburgh Steelers 32, Arizona Cardinals 20

GLENDALE, Arizona -- Ben Roethlisberger threw a 95-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace for the longest pass play in Steelers history and Pittsburgh went on to earn a 32-20 win over the Cardinals, Arizona's fifth consecutive straight loss.

Roethlisberger, 25 of 38 for 340 yards, also had TD passes of 12 yards to Heath Miller and 4 yards to Emmanuel Sanders in the first game between the teams since Pittsburgh's 27-23 thriller over the Cardinals in the 2009 Super Bowl.

Kevin Kolb threw a pair of touchdown passes for (1-5), his first in three games, but missed several open receivers and, with a blitzing LaMarr Woodley in his face, drew an intentional grounding call in the Cardinals' end zone for a safety.

Pittsburgh won its third straight and improved to 2-2 on the road.

All four AFC North teams have at least .500 records. The Steelers are 5-2. The Baltimore Ravens, who are 4-1, play at Jacksonville against the Jaguars on Monday night. The Cincinnati Bengals, on their bye week, are 4-2. The Cleveland Browns, after their 6-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks today at Browns Stadium, are 3-3.

Dallas Cowboys 34, St. Louis Rams 7

ARLINGTON, Texas -- In his first extended playing time, rookie DeMarco Murray ran for a franchise-record 253 yards, including an early 91-yard touchdown that got the Dallas Cowboys started toward a 34-7 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Murray — a third-round pick bumped up in the rotation because of an injury to starter Felix Jones — topped the best single-game performances by NFL rushing king Emmitt Smith and fellow Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett. It's also the ninth highest total in NFL history, and the most rushing yards by anyone in the NFL this season.

Murray's TD was the second-longest in team history, topped only by an NFL-record 99-yarder by Dorsett in January 1983.

As impressive as Murray's performance was, it came against the Rams, who fell to 0-6 and came in with the NFL's worst defense against the run, allowing 163 yards per game. There were so many holes that when Murray went out with an injury, fourth-stringer Phillip Tanner finished that drive with 35 yards on four carries, including a 6-yard TD run.

For the local fans, it was a terrific start to a baseball-football doubleheader between teams from Dallas-Fort Worth and St. Louis. Game 4 of the World Series began just down the street less than an hour after this game ended. Josh Hamilton of the Rangers and Lance Berkman of the Cardinals showed up in uniform as honorary captains for the pregame coin toss.

Dallas (3-3) never trailed on its way to ending a two-game losing streak. This was the first non-nail-biter of the year, too, ending a streak of 11 straight games decided by four points or less. There also was no reason for team owner Jerry Jones to question coach Jason Garrett's play-calling — except maybe asking why Murray hasn't gotten the ball more this season.

The 91-yard burst came on his first carry, on a drive that saw the Cowboys starting from their 2-yard line after Bryant decided to let a punt land and roll toward the end zone.

Murray went through a giant hole opened in part by new starting left guard Montrae Holland, who was unemployed until signing Tuesday, cut through an attempted ankle tackle, then outran a defensive back. It was a heck of a way to score the first touchdown of his career, and it more than doubled his career rushing total of 71 coming into the game.

In the fourth quarter, Murray might've had a 70-yard TD, but fell down after 43 because of what appeared to be an injury. His form was off and he went down on his own. Still, that was the run that pushed him past Smith's record of 237 set Oct. 31, 1993, at Philadelphia.

He finished with 25 carries and an average of 10.1 yards. Dallas ran for 294 yards overall, which will spike a season average of 84.8 that had been among the league's worst.

The Rams were the perfect foe for the Cowboys to cure all that ailed them. In addition to their trouble stopping the run, they were without quarterback Sam Bradford and were averaging the fewest points in the league even with him.

A.J. Feeley made his first start since 2007 and was 20 of 33 for 196 yards with one interception and one sack. But the offense gained only 4 yards in the third quarter, and had only one two good drives. The first ended in a 6-yard touchdown run by Steven Jackson that got St. Louis within 14-7. The other ended with a fourth-and-goal from the 1 that was stuffed in the final minutes.

Jackson finished with 70 yards, 46 coming on the touchdown drive.

Brandon Lloyd caught six passes for 74 yards in his St. Louis debut. He was acquired from Denver earlier this week.

St. Louis also saw right tackle Jason Smith and backup defensive tackle Darell Scott carted off with head injuries.

Dallas' Tony Romo was 14 of 24 for 166 yards, with two touchdowns. He didn't have to throw much because the running game was doing so well. However, he hit receiver Dez Bryant for four passes and a touchdown in the second half, which was significant because they'd hooked up for only two passes after halftime all season. His other TD throw went to tight end Jason Witten.

Green Bay Packers 33, Minnesota Vikings 27

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota -- Aaron Rodgers had some competition from fearless rookie Christian Ponder. The defending champion Packers still kept their cool.

Rodgers kept Green Bay unbeaten with three touchdowns and 335 yards passing, holding off the plucky Ponder in the rookie's first start as the Packers gained a 33-27 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Rodgers completed his first 13 passes and finished 24 for 30, another near-unstoppable afternoon for him. Ponder was picked off twice in the third quarter by Charles Woodson, who almost grabbed a couple more interceptions, but he kept the Vikings in it the whole game after a 71-yard completion on his first play.

Adrian Peterson rushed 24 times for 175 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (1-6), but James Starks put the game away with two big gains for first downs before the 2-minute warning and finished with 75 yards on 13 carries.

Mason Crosby had four field goals for the Packers (7-0), including a franchise record 58-yarder, delighting the thousands of Packers fans in attendance who made the trip across the border.

Ponder went 13 for 32, but the kid from Florida State never looked rattled - including one third-down completion when Clay Matthews leveled him as he threw, drawing a disputed late hit call - and finished with 219 yards and two touchdowns.

With Donovan McNabb watching by himself on the sideline, wearing a backward black baseball hat with his hands on his hips, Ponder moved around in the pocket and put the ball there for his receivers in stride, which McNabb struggled to do. Ponder also ran four times for 31 yards.

Ponder found Michael Jenkins for a score with 7:49 left after a rare three-and-out by the Packers to cut the lead to six points and had the ball back with plenty of time to win it before a couple of errant heaves effectively ended the comeback.

Rodgers found a jogging Greg Jennings more than open on an egregiously blown coverage by the Vikings for a 79-yard touchdown on the second play of the second half, giving the Packers their first lead at 20-17.

The Vikings have struggled in the secondary at full strength, and they weren't even close to that. Safety Jamarca Sanford was recovering from a concussion. Antoine Winfield was still on the sideline with a stiff neck, and fellow cornerback Chris Cook - their best player in pass coverage - was not even at the stadium. He was in the county jail, for an alleged domestic assault.

The Packers won for the eighth time in the last 11 meetings, and the common denominator there, of course, is Rodgers.

He's connecting on roughly seven of every 10 passes, and many of those rare incompletions have been drops by his otherwise-stellar receivers. Rookie Randall Cobb was wide open on a drag route across the middle on third-and-16 at the 20, but the pass from Rodgers glanced off his hands and the Packers settled for three points.

Yes, Jared Allen tacked two sacks on his NFL-leading total to give him 11 1/2, but Rodgers spread the ball around to just about every receiver and made a perfect throw to just about every spot on the field. He went 6 for 6 on his first drive, firing passes to six different players during a ho-hum 91-yard march for the tying score.

The only three incompletions he threw in the first half? Two drops and a spike to stop the clock.

To keep this game competitive, the Vikings needed a timely turnover or two, and the rookie Cobb gave them one at the end of the first quarter when he fumbled a fair catch with teammate M.D. Jennings getting in his way. The Vikings recovered at midfield and scored a few minutes later to make it 14-7.

Kansas City Chiefs 28, Oakland Raiders 0

OAKLAND, California -- Kendrick Lewis and Brandon Flowers returned interceptions for touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs took advantage of rusty quarterback play from Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer in a 28-0 win over the Oakland Raiders.

Boller became the first Raiders quarterback in 13 years to throw three interceptions in the first half, including Lewis' 59-yard score on the first drive of the game for Oakland (4-3). Palmer relieved in the second half and threw three more interceptions, including one that Flowers returned 58 yards to give the Chiefs a 28-0 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Javier Arenas and Le'Ron McClain each added touchdown runs for the Chiefs (3-3) on a day the Kansas City offense didn't have to do much at all.

Hardesty set career highs with 33 attempts and 95 yards, and caught both passes thrown his way for 27 yards.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain Dealer"I'm still getting used to running here," Montario Hardesty said after his 95-yard effort Sunday, "but the O-line was playing hard so I just wanted to maximize every chance I had running behind those guys."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Montario Hardesty came into Sunday's game against Seattle determined to put a poor outing against the Raiders behind him. He did that and more.

Starting in place of the injured Peyton Hillis, inactive with a pulled hamstring, Hardesty set career highs with 33 attempts and 95 yards, and caught both passes thrown his way for 27 yards. Granted, his 2.9-yard average doesn't seem like much, but they came against the league's top defense in yards per attempt.

"I was hard on myself last week," said Hardesty. "I felt there were some mistakes I made [last week], some big mistakes that stopped us from keeping the ball for longer possessions at the end of the second quarter, and not picking up some blitz protections.

"I want to play a perfect game so I ... wanted to go out and do everything well today. I wanted to catch the ball and pick up my protections and when it came down to it, I caught a couple of balls."

Did the performance earn Hardesty more carries when Hillis returns? Hillis stood on the sidelines in street clothes.

"Well, he has no choice right now," said coach Pat Shurmur. "He played like a starting running back and he battled. He wasn't perfect. I'm sure he's going to be sore tomorrow, but yes, I think for the time being he's earned the right to carry the football and we're going to welcome Peyton back when he's healthy and hopefully we can keep building on that."

Hardesty's 33 attempts were the most by a Brown since Jerome Harrison had 33 in the season finale of the 2009 season against Jacksonville on January 3, 2010.

"As the game went on, I got more of a feel for the game," Hardesty said. "There's a lot of running backs that want to keep getting the ball so they can get in the groove. I had 40 carries coming in, and I almost matched that this game.

"I'm still getting used to running here, but the O-line was playing hard so I just wanted to maximize every chance I had running behind those guys."

Shurmur, who came down hard on Hardesty in practice Friday after he dropped a pass -- which followed six drops in his previous two games -- was proud of his young back.

"Montario battled," said Shurmur. "He caught the ball well. Correct me if I'm wrong, did he drop any? No. He ought to feel good about that, and the coaches do too.

"I made a decision that we're going to call [pass] plays if Montario's in there. They were hitting us with a bunch of man coverage so we hit them on those two screens. We made the decision that whoever was in the game that we were going to throw it to them and you know what? You've got to catch it and gosh darn it, good job. That's something he should build on and be confident about."

Hardesty's first reception was good for 11 yards in the first quarter and he went 16 yards in the fourth. He followed that grab with a two-yard run to put Phil Dawson in position to kick what became the deciding 53-yard field goal.

"I've been playing football all of my life and I was just letting those drops get in my head," he said. "I just wanted to go out and play free this game."

Hardesty helped the Browns possess the ball for almost 43 minutes compared to the Seahawks' 17, and impressed his teammates.

"That's a good run defense and he just kept hitting it," said new running back Chris Ogbonnaya. "He stayed patient, he didn't look for the big play and he didn't look for the big run. He let things come to him and he did a nice job."

Hardesty, who sat out last season with a torn ACL, grew stronger as the game wore on, rushing for 52 of his 95 yards in the second half.

"He did a tremendous job," said right tackle Tony Pashos. "You can tell he's maturing and learning and I think the game's slowing down for him. He was reading things real fast."

Hardesty nearly reached 100 yards and his first NFL TD when he broke clean through the line at the Seahawks 28, only to be drilled at the 13 by safety Kam Chancellor.

"I wanted to get in the end zone," he said. "I kind of stumbled on the play when it first started. Things happen."

On reaching 100, "it'll happen."

"I think this game showed that I'm a guy that wants to win," he said, "that I'd like the ball in my hands and that I'll do whatever it takes to help this team win."

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Plain Dealer's Cleveland Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot deliver the news from the Browns 6 - 3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Watch video

Joe Torre took offense when the integrity of umpire Ron Kulpa was questioned. There's a simple way to end those questions -- expanded use of replay.

View full sizePaul Sancya, Associated PressThe Rangers' Mike Napoli didn't get any satisfaction from first-base umpire Ron Kulpa during Game 3, even though Kulpa eventually agreed after the game that he missed an out call that led to a Cardinals rally on Saturday.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Joe Torre called a press conference before Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday to defend the integrity of umpire Ron Kulpa. Torre, the former Yankees manager, is finishing his first year as the executive vice president of baseball operations.

If Torre is worried about the psyche of umpires, he shouldn't be calling press conferences. He should be twisting Commissioner Bud Selig's arm to expand the use of replay. Then Kulpa wouldn't been asked uncomfortable questions as he was Saturday night after blowing a call at first base that set up a four-run fourth inning by St. Louis in the Cardinals' 16-7 victory.

A pool reporter asked Kulpa if being from St. Louis played a role in him not calling Matt Holliday out on the back end of a potential double play. Kulpa said no, that he simply made the wrong call.

Replay, of course, would have quickly settled the issue.

"Are umpires going to miss plays?" asked Torre. "Sure, they're going to miss plays. Are they going to miss pitches? Sure they're going to miss pitches. But Saturday night, that question hinted at questioning somebody's integrity.

"That was so far over the line. ... I just felt that if you have any integrity questions in the future, please direct them to me."

Torre is a former member of Selig's committee on field matters concerning the game. Replay is one of the topics the committee has repeatedly discussed.

"There are pluses and minuses about replay," said Torre. "When you see a play like Saturday night's all you have to do is show it and you see that a mistake was made. ... Our game doesn't stop. In between innings it does, but for replays you have to stop the guy [in question]. You have a pitcher standing on the mound, you have a hitter. Wholesale replay is going to disrupt the flow of the game."

What it would also do is make Kulpa's life a lot easier. He worked the plate Sunday night and heard cat calls before the game.

As far as Kulpa making a hometown call on Holliday's grounder to short, forget about it. In Game 2, Kulpa called Ian Kinsler safe at second on a critical steal in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Kinsler's steal put the Rangers' 2-1 victory in motion.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is a member of Selig's committee. He spoke cautiously on the matter, but sounded like he wouldn't mind if replay was expanded.

"I'm more interested as a baseball man than I was a couple of years ago because of the umpires," said La Russa. "They've got so much on their plate. Right now, they'll catch as much heat as a manager for making or not making a move, a hitter for leaving a guy at third base or a pitcher for having a bad day."

Texas manager Ron Washington was hurt the most by Kulpa's bad call.

"We brought instant replay in for the home run," he said. "I think for the World Series, for plays like Saturday night, maybe we can find a way to get the play right.

"All I want is to get the play right. Sometimes umpires don't get it right. But you can't [as a team] fall apart. You can't be looking for excuses. This is a man's game."

Tired arms: Rangers relievers allowed 11 runs, 10 earned, in Saturday's loss. Until then, they'd allowed just 11 earned runs during the entire postseason.

Alexi Ogando, the bullpen hammer, has been blunted in the World Series. Allen Craig reached him for consecutive pinch-hit RBI singles in the first two games. Saturday, Albert Pujols started his home run binge with a 423-foot, three-run shot off Ogando.

"Mentally, he's fine," said Washington. "Physically, we have to see how feels."

Four by two: Pujols (six) and Yadier Molina (four) feasted in Game 3. The last teammates to drive in at least four runs in the same postseason game were Jhonny Peralta and Franklin Gutierrez of the Indians in Game 2 of the 2007 ALCS.

Bypass Pujols? What happens when a team tries to pitch around the Cardinals' star? They have to face Holliday, Lance Berkman and David Freese.

"Holliday and Berkman are classic producers," said La Russa. "And you've got a young emerging David Freese back there."

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Giving Michigan's dynamic QB the occasional breather isn't the worst idea, however.

View full sizeCarlos Osorio, Associated PressGiving Michigan QB Denard Robinson a break from hits such as this one from Michigan State's Kevin Pickelman seems wise ... even if the Wolverines aren't going to give backup Devin Gardner too many snaps.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Denard Robinson may not be the type of quarterback Brady Hoke would recruit to run his offense.

But the first-year coach and first-year offensive coordinator Al Borges will continue to fit one of the brightest talents in the conference into their system, and it's worth watching to see what might have been tweaked during the Wolverines' bye week.

Michigan has worked No. 2 quarterback Devin Gardner into the game plan in certain situations, but according to the Detroit Free Press, Borges said on a radio show last week that any idea of benching Robinson for Gardner was "flat ridiculous."

"I don't claim to be the smartest guy in the world," Borges said, "but I'm not taking 300 yards of total offense out of the game."

Giving Robinson the occasional breather isn't the worst idea, however. Over the course of a season, the competition gets better and defenses get a better read on how to defend him. But the hits over the course of a season also take a toll on a quarterback who averaged 20 carries per game in the 2010 regular season.

Robinson accounted for 351 total yards per game in the first nine games of last season and 265 yards in the final three. This season, not counting the Michigan opener stopped in the third quarter by dangerous weather, Robinson is averaging 312 total yards and 19 carries.

Michigan State's pressure in the Wolverines' loss last week forced Robinson into mistakes, but the Spartans' defense has made a lot of people look bad. The 6-1 Wolverines now have three tossup games in the next three weeks against 4-3 Purdue, at 5-2 Iowa and at 6-2 Illinois.

Robinson is the guy who could get them to 9-1. He's also the guy they'd like to keep in shape for the last two games against Nebraska and Ohio State.