ST. LOUIS -- Reggie Bush helped the New Orleans Saints overcome another bundle of mistakes to stay unbeaten for the best start in team history.
Bush scored twice for the first time in more than a year and Drew Brees compensated for two interceptions with two touchdown passes that allowed the Saints to escape with a 28-23 victory Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.
Courtney Roby opened the second half with a 97-yard kickoff return and Robert Meachem's 27-yard grab early in the fourth quarter gave New Orleans (9-0) just enough breathing room to tie the franchise record with nine consecutive victories.
"You're not going to blow everyone out," said cornerback Randall Gay, who played on the Patriots' 16-0 team in 2007. "It's a lot harder to blow teams out when for a lot of teams, this is like their playoff game."
Marc Bulger's 19-yard pass to Donnie Avery made it a five-point game with 2:44 to go and the Rams (1-8) made it to the New Orleans 32 before Bulger threw incomplete into the end zone on the final play. Tackle Alex Barron was called for holding on the play, which would have ended the game regardless.
The Rams had no timeouts on their final drive and burned a lot of clock on Bulger's 5-yard checkdown to Steven Jackson the previous play, leaving them just enough time for one final snap.
"It would have been really nice to pull it off," Bulger said. "There's a reason they're unbeaten. They made plays when they had to." Full story
Vikings 27, Lions 10
MINNEAPOLIS -- Brett Favre passed for a season-high 344 yards, 201 to Sidney Rice, and Detroit lost for the 31st time in 33 games.
The Lions (1-8) joined the Houston Oilers, from Nov. 21, 1982 through Nov. 4, 1984, as the only NFL teams to lose 31 games in a 33-game stretch, according to STATS.
They've played tough this season several times, as the Vikings can attest, but after a slew of injuries in this game and more poor pass coverage they dropped their 12th straight at the Metrodome.
Adrian Peterson lost a fumble but turned 18 carries into 133 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (8-1).
Dolphins 25, Buccaneers 23
MIAMI -- Chad Henne directed a 77-yard scoring drive in the final 1:10, and Dan Carpenter kicked a 25-yard field goal with 10 seconds left.
Henne spoiled the Bucs' comeback led by Josh Freeman, who rallied his team in the fourth quarter for the second time in two NFL starts. The rookie shook off an awful first half and led his team to a pair of late touchdowns.
The Dolphins (4-5) won despite losing running back Ronnie Brown to a right ankle injury in the third quarter. The Bucs (1-8) were unable to build momentum after beating Green Bay a week earlier.
An ill-advised pass by Henne was intercepted to set up the Bucs' go-ahead score with 1:14 left.
Henne, a second-year pro, finished 17 for 31 for 175 yards and improved to 4-2 as a starter. Williams ran for 102 yards, and Brown rushed for 82 and a touchdown before his injury.
Chiefs 16, Oakland 10
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jamaal Charles scored on a 44-yard run for Kansas City's first rushing touchdown of the season and the Chiefs used a late interception to win their seventh consecutive game in Oakland.
The Chiefs (2-7) have won only five of their past 35 games. But three of those victories have come at the Oakland Coliseum, where Kansas City has the longest winning streak ever by a visiting team.
Ryan Succop kicked three field goals and Kansas City once again pulled out a close one against the Raiders (2-7) in the Chiefs' first game since releasing running back Larry Johnson.
The Raiders scored a touchdown on their opening drive and then managed only three points and 202 yards the rest of the way.
