Week 9: Patriots cruise past Broncos; Cardinals top Cowboys

by Michael Amato
David Butler II / USA TODAY Sports

Every Sunday, theScore brings you the biggest and most interesting stories as they happen. Check back throughout the day for important updates on everything you need to know.

Brady gets the better of Manning

The snow cleared in New England, but the Denver Broncos never found their footing. 

The Patriots rolled to a 43-21 win on the back of four touchdown passes by Tom Brady.

Peyton Manning threw for 438 yards, but it took him 57 passes to get there. You can bet the future Hall of Famer will take no solace in the numbers and would trade them for a victory over his nemesis, Bill Belichick. 

With the win, New England moves to 7-2 and is once again firmly in the AFC title picture. The question is, will Manning get another crack at the Patriots in January?

Cardinals remain NFC's best

It doesn't matter who you put in front of the Arizona Cardinals, they just keep winning.

The Cardinals beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-17 to move to 7-1 on the season and maintain the best record in the NFC.

Arizona had the luxury of facing Cowboys backup quarterback Brandon Weeden, but the Cardinals excelled in all facets of the game. Carson Palmer hit eight different receivers on the day and Andre Ellington ran for 95 yards, while the defense generated four turnovers.

Nick Foles leaves with shoulder injury

The Philadelphia Eagles came away with a 31-21 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday, but that wasn't the headline.

Eagles pivot Nick Foles went down with a reported clavicle injury.

Mark Sanchez played well in relief, and Eagles fans could be seeing a lot more of him if Foles' injury is serious.

The news got worse for the Eagles as Demeco Ryans reportedly suffered an Achilles injury and is out for the season. 

This is one instance where a win must feel more like a loss for the Eagles. 

Texans running back Arian Foster left early with a groin injury. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI.

With the back issues Foster had last season and his hamstring problem from earlier this year, the last thing the Texans need is another injury to slow down their starting tailback. 

Other notable injuries:

  • Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles had his right wrist examined after the game.
  • Broncos receiver Wes Welker couldn't finish the game due to a back injury. 
  • Dolphins running back Lamar Miller has a stinger, but he expects to play next week.
  • Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain went down an apparent knee injury versus the Cardinals. 
  • Browns cornerback Justin Gilbert suffered a head injury.
  • Texans cornerback Jonathan Joseph was lost for the day with a concussion. 

Rams shock 49ers with late goal-line stand

The St. Louis Rams are becoming giant killers in the NFC West.

They have now beaten the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers in two of the past three weeks.

Sunday's victory over the 49ers came in dramatic fashion. The Rams held a late 13-10 lead when San Francisco drove down to the St. Louis 1-yard line with nine seconds to play. Colin Kaepernick fumbled on a quarterback sneak and the Rams recovered for the win. 

Many thought St. Louis should just look forward to next year after losing Sam Bradford, but based on their play over the last month, they are doing no such thing. 

Ryan Tannehill continues his strong play

It wasn't that long ago that Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was in danger of being benched.

Since then, however, the Dolphins have won four of five games after crushing the San Diego Chargers 37-0 Sunday.

Tannehill threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns on 24-of-34 passing. It looks like the recent tutoring from Dolphins legend Dan Marino is paying off. 

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