NFL EXHIBITION ROUNDUP : After a Long Drought, Patriots Score a Victory

The New England Patriots, winners in only one of their previous 26 games, put on a near-perfect offensive and defensive show in their final exhibition game to defeat the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, 24-3, Saturday at Foxboro, Mass.

The victory was the Patriots’ first since beating Indianapolis, 16-14, in the second game last season.

Leonard Russell rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown that gave New England a 21-3 lead in the third quarter.

Hugh Millen completed 10 of 15 passes for 104 yards, leading the Patriots to a 7-0 lead. Tommy Hodson was nine for 11 for 127 yards, including a 31-yard scoring pass to Irving Fryar that made it 14-0 before halftime.

Miami 28, New Orleans 24--With Dan Marino struggling, the Dolphins turned to defense and special teams to beat the Saints at Miami.

Bryan Cox blocked Tommy Barnhardt’s punt and Paul Lankford recovered in the end zone with 2:20 left to give Miami (3-2) its winning points.

Marino completed five of 18 passes for 68 yards and threw three interceptions as New Orleans (2-2) took a 17-7 lead.

Steve Walsh directed a 76-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive to put New Orleans ahead and nearly pulled the game out in the final seconds, reaching the three-yard line before time ran out.

Chicago 30, Buffalo 13--Mark Green caught the Bears’ first touchdown pass of the exhibition season and ran six yards for another score to help turn back the Bills at Chicago.

Green caught a four-yard pass from backup quarterback Peter Tom Willis to cap a 77-yard drive in the third quarter, then recovered a fumbled kickoff to set up his second touchdown with 1:55 left in the game.

Neal Anderson and Jim Harbaugh also scored touchdowns and Kevin Butler kicked a 38-yard field goal for the Bears (2-3).

Scott Norwood kicked two 21-yard field goals for the Bills (2-3) and Gale Gilbert hit Brad Lamb on a 55-yard touchdown pass play with no time left.

Cincinnati 19, Green Bay 16--Jim Breech kicked a game-tying 31-yard field goal with three seconds left in regulation and a 43-yarder with 8:40 left in the overtime to lift the Bengals past the Packers at Milwaukee.

Rookie Brad Daliuso of UCLA gave Green Bay (2-2) a 16-13 lead on a 42-yard field goal with 9:07 left.

Don Majkowski’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe gave the Packers a 13-0 lead in the third quarter.

Boomer Esiason hit Eric Kattus with a 23-yard scoring pass and rallied Cincinnati into a 13-13 tie.

New York Jets 13, Washington 9--Ken O’Brien threw his first touchdown pass of the exhibition season and Pat Leahy kicked two field goals as the Jets (1-3) downed the Redskins (1-3) at Columbia, S.C.