NFL roundup: Panthers are still perfect; Cowboys win in Romo’s return

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton threw a career-high five touchdowns passes, and the Carolina Panthers improved to 10-0 on the season with a 44-16 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Newton completed 21 of 34 passes for 246 yards and threw TD passes to five different receivers as Carolina stretched its regular-season win streak to 14 games, including eighth straight at home.

The Panthers (10-0) scored 27 points off five Washington turnovers, three of those by quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Newton became the first Carolina quarterback in franchise history to throw four TD passes in the first half as the Panthers jumped out to a 31-14 lead.

Jonathan Stewart ran for 102 yards on 21 carries and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. Mike Tolbert, Greg Olsen, Ted Ginn Jr. and Devin Funchess also caught TD passes.

Andre Roberts had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Redskins (4-6), who’ve lost nine straight on the road.

Cowboys 24, Dolphins 14

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Tony Romo pulled off his latest comeback victory, returning from a collarbone injury to throw for two scores, and the Dallas Cowboys won for the first time since he was hurt in Week 2.

The Cowboys (3-7) snapped a seven-game losing streak, their longest in a single season since 1989. The Dolphins (4-6) increased the likelihood they’ll miss the playoffs for the seventh year 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 career touchdown on a 12-yard interception return. Miami had the ball for only 21 minutes.

Packers 30, Vikings 13

MINNEAPOLIS -- Aaron Rodgers threw for 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Datone Jones had two of Green Bay’s six sacks and the Packers stopped a three-game losing streak with a convincing win over Minnesota to pull even in the NFC North race.

James Jones had six catches for 109 yards and a score, Eddie Lacy rushed for a season-high 100 yards on 22 carries and the Packers (7-3) beat the rival Vikings for the 10th time in the last 11 meetings with Rodgers at quarterback. He has thrown for 28 touchdown passes with just three interceptions in those games.

The Vikings (7-3) had their six-game winning streak shoved back in their face by a proud Packers team that clearly wasn’t ready to concede a division it has won four straight times.

Seahawks 29, 49ers 13

SEATTLE -- Rookie Thomas Rawls rushed for 209 yards and had two total touchdowns, Tyler Lockett caught pair of TD passes from Russell Wilson, and Seattle got back to .500 with the win over San Francisco.

Starting in place of Marshawn Lynch, out with an abdominal injury, Rawls posted his third 100-yard rushing game of his rookie season and the second time topping 160 yards. Rawls scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter and added a 31-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Wilson in the fourth quarter to give Seattle (5-5) a 16-point lead. Rawls finished with 255 total yards.

Lockett caught a 24-yard TD pass in the first quarter and carried a San Francisco defender into the end zone on an 11-yard grab later in the first half.

Blaine Gabbert threw for 264 yards and one touchdown, but San Francisco (3-7) couldn’t overcome the early 20-0 deficit.

Buccaneers 45, Eagles 17

PHILADELPHIA -- Jameis Winston tied a rookie record with five touchdown passes and Doug Martin ran for 235 yards to lead Tampa Bay to victory.

Winston completed 19 of 29 passes for 246 yards and had four of his TD passes in the first half to four different receivers. He tied Matthew Stafford’s rookie mark in the third quarter on an 8-yard toss to Cameron Brate, the fifth receiver to catch a TD.

Martin had 177 yards in the first half, including runs of 84 and 58 yards. He finished 2 yards short of tying Barry Sanders’ record for most yards without a TD. Sanders had 237 for the Lions against Tampa in 1994.

The Buccaneers (5-5) have won two straight for the first time in two years. The Eagles (4-6) have lost two in a row.

Broncos 17, Bears 15

CHICAGO -- Brock Osweiler threw for two touchdowns while starting for the injured Peyton Manning and Denver stopped Jeremy Langford on a 2-point conversion run in the final minute to beat Chicago.

Langford scored on a 2-yard run with 24 seconds left to cap a 65-yard drive. But he ran into a crowd on a conversion attempt and the Broncos (8-2) escaped with a narrow victory.

Osweiler completed 20 of 27 passes for 250 yards with five-time MVP Manning staying back in Denver because of injuries to his foot, ribs and shoulder.

Ronnie Hillman ran for 102 yards, and the AFC West-leading Broncos (8-2) beat former coach John Fox after dropping two in a row.

Osweiler threw a 48-yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas on Denver’s first possession and a 10-yarder to Cody Latimer early in the fourth quarter.

Ravens 16, Rams 13

BALTIMORE -- Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired as Baltimore rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat bumbling St. Louis.

In a game filled with mistakes and penalties, one final miscue decided the issue. Rams quarterback Case Keenum fumbled when hit by Courtney Upshaw, and teammate Lawrence Guy recovered at the St. Louis 41 with 54 seconds to go.

The Ravens (3-7) moved to the 29 before Tucker delivered the game-winning kick.

St. Louis (4-6) lost four fumbles and missed an extra point. In his first start of the season, Keenum went 12 for 26 for 136 yards and fumbled three times, losing two.

Baltimore won despite committing two turnovers and being penalized 10 times for 137 yards.

The Ravens trailed 13-3 before coming back behind Joe Flacco, who went 27 for 44 for 299 yards and a score.

Colts 24, Falcons 21

ATLANTA -- Adam Vinatieri kicked a 43-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining, and the Indianapolis Colts overcame a pair of two-touchdown deficits to beat slumping Atlanta behind backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

With injured Andrew Luck watching from the sideline, Hasselbeck threw a pair of touchdown passes and overcame a couple of interceptions. D’Qwell Jackson tied the game with just over 10 minutes remaining on a 6-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Then, it was the 42-year-old Vinatieri who won it for the Colts (5-5), as he’s done so many times in his brilliant career. In his 300th game, he came through with his 26th game-winning kick in either the final minute of regulation or overtime.

The Falcons (6-4) lost for the fourth time in five games after a 5-0 start. This one was on the offense, which totally bogged down in the second half.

Texans 24, Jets 17

HOUSTON -- DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown catches and Alfred Blue caught a TD pass from receiver Cecil Shorts to help Houston Texans to the win.

The Texans (5-5) have won three games in a row for the first time since 2012. And they did it with T.J. Yates, who threw for 229 yards in his first start since Jan. 15, 2012, in the playoffs for Houston as a rookie.

The game was tied in the third quarter when the TD pass by Shorts made it 17-10. Yates and Hopkins linked up for a 20-yard score on the next possession.

Ryan Fitzgerald, who played after having surgery on his non-throwing thumb on Nov. 13, got New York within 24-17 with a touchdown run with 4 1/2 minutes left, but was intercepted on the next two drives.