Aaron Rodgers and the Packers finally put it all together.
The reigning MVP set a career high and tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes and the Packers played their best game of their so far inconsistent season, beating the previously unbeaten Texans 42-24 last night in Houston.
Jordy Nelson caught three touchdown passes and James Jones had two for the Packers (3-3). Tom Crabtree had the other, a 48-yarder that Rodgers threw just before taking a hit from Texans’ outside linebacker Brooks Reed.
Rodgers completed 24 of 37 passes for 338 yards. He tied Matt Flynn’s game record for TD passes, set in last year’s regular-season finale against Detroit with Rodgers resting on the sideline in advance of the playoffs.
Arian Foster scored two touchdowns, but ran for only 29 yards for the Texans (5-1).
Redskins 38, Vikings 26
Robert Griffin III dropped back, waited a beat, then quickly took off. A first down on third-and-6 might have been enough to put the game away.
Instead, the Redskins rookie left the Vikings defense behind as he streaked down the left sideline for 76 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t stop until he took a seat on the front row, performing what is quickly becoming known as the “Landover Leap.”
He might have suffered his first NFL concussion the week before, but RG3 was still RG3. The Heisman Trophy winner rallied his team from an early hole, ran for 138 yards and threw for 182 in a victory that snapped the Vikings’ three-game winning streak as well as an eight-game run of futility at home for the Redskins (3-3).
Griffin’s touchdown run was the longest by an NFL quarterback since Kordell Stewart scampered 80 yards for the Steelers against the Panthers in 1996.
Browns 34, Bengals 24
In Cleveland, rookie Brandon Weeden threw two touchdown passes and the Browns snapped an 11-game losing streak that dated to last season.
Cleveland had not won since Nov. 20, matching a franchise record for consecutive losses. But for the first time this season everything fell into place for the Browns (1-5).
Bills 19, Cardinals 16 (OT)
In Glendale, Ariz., Jairus Byrd’s second interception of the game set up Rian Lindell’s 25-yard field goal 3:50 into overtime to lift the Bills.
Arizona’s Jay Feely kicked a franchise-record 61-yard field goal with 1:09 left in regulation to tie it 16-16, but his 38-yard attempt to win it as the fourth quarter ended careened off the left upright.