NFL round-up: Tom Brady continued his success against Peyton Manning by throwing four touchdowns to lead New England to a 43-21 win over the Denver Broncos in chilly conditions in Massachusetts on Sunday.
The Patriots jumped out to a 27-7 half-time lead and went on to seize the top spot in the AFC from the Broncos.
Brady had 333 yards passing and improved his head to head record to 11-5 against Manning, who threw for 438 yards and had two TDs and two interceptions.
The performance of the day came from Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who threw six touchdowns for the second week in a row to become the first player to throw 12 touchdown passes in consecutive NFL games
Roethlisberger threw for 340 yards and six touchdowns – three in each half – as the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 43-23.
Twice Roethlisberger connected with receiver Martavis Bryant for scores in a game where the Steelers took full advantage of turnovers from the Ravens.
The Steelers quarterback threw six touchdowns in last week’s win against the Indianapolis Colts and did not throw an interception in either game.
The previous record for touchdown passes in two straight games was 11 – set by Tom Flores for Oakland in 1963 and Brady in 2007.
In San Francisco, Colin Kaepernick fumbled the ball at the St Louis one-yard line to give the Rams a 13-10 victory.
The 49ers were in position to win the game in the final seconds, but Kaepernick lost the ball lunging at the goal line to end their hopes and drop San Francisco to 4-4.
In Seattle, running back Marshawn Lynch shrugged off trade rumours to score two touchdowns and spark the Seahawks in a 30-24 triumph over Oakland.
Lynch was mentioned as a possible trade target amid talk of locker room dysfunction prior to last week’s deadline, but he instead produced 143 total yards in the win. The Raiders fell to 0-8.
In earlier games, the Arizona Cardinals stayed atop the NFC, Robert Griffin III's return to the Washington Redskins line-up was spoiled by a Minnesota rally and the Philadelphia Eagles overcame starter Nick Foles's injury.
With quarterback Tony Romo scratched from the Dallas line-up due to a back injury suffered last week, the Cardinals scored 28 consecutive points to erase a 10-point, first-quarter deficit en route to their fourth consecutive win.
Carson Palmer tossed three touchdowns and the Cardinals had a pair of interceptions off Dallas back-up Brandon Weeden, who threw for just 183 yards in place of Romo.
In Houston, Philadelphia survived the loss of quarterback Foles and rallied past the Texans for a 31-21 victory.
Foles left the game in the first quarter with an apparent shoulder injury after enduring his second sack of the day with the game 7-7. Back-up Mark Sanchez threw for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Eagles (6-2) remained atop the NFC East.
Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy rushed for game-high 117 yards while Jeremy Maclin had 158 receiving yards and two scores.
In Minnesota, Redskins signal caller Griffin had his return to action spoiled as rookie Teddy Bridgewater led the Vikings to a 29-26 victory.
Griffin led the Redskins on a fourth-quarter drive that put his team ahead 26-21 with nine minutes to play but Bridgewater engineered a 73-yard drive to set up the winning score with about three minutes left.
Griffin, who had been out since suffering an ankle injury in the second week, threw for 251 yards and one touchdown but his final drive stalled at Washington 43-yard line.
In Miami, the Dolphins blasted San Diego in a surprising 37-0 rout of the Chargers.
San Diego's Philip Rivers, who has been mentioned as an MVP candidate this season, managed just 138 yards and had three interceptions as the Chargers (5-4) lost their third straight. Ryan Tannehill fired three touchdowns for Miami (5-3).
In Kansas City, Alex Smith tossed two touchdowns and the Chiefs enjoyed a routine 24-10 win over the spiralling New York Jets for their third straight victory.
Jets quarterback Michael Vick got the start instead of Geno Smith but could not keep the Jets from losing an eighth straight game. The Chiefs improved to 5-3.
In Cincinnati, wide receiver AJ Green returned to the field with a touchdown catch to help the Bengals take care of the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars 33-23.
Green was out the previous three games because of a toe injury and caught three passes.
Cincinnati (5-2) running back Jeremy Hill filled in for injured starter Giovani Bernard with 154 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
