LOS ANGELES — Tom Brady made an impressive return to the NFL Sunday, passing for three touchdowns and 406 yards as the New England Patriots trounced the Cleveland Browns 33-13.
Brady, back from a four-game suspension for his involvement in Deflategate in the 2014 AFC championship game, threw three touchdown passes to tight end Martellus Bennett as the Patriots improved to 4-1. Brady finished 28-of-40 passing.
The Browns (0-5) are the only winless team in the league and for the third time in five weeks lost more than a game.
Cody Kessler, already the third quarterback to start for the Browns this season, was knocked out of the game with chest and rib injuries late in the first quarter when he was drilled by Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower.
Vikings 31, Texans 13: The Minnesota Vikings sprinted to a big early lead, and played their evolving brand of smothering defense to remain unbeaten with a 31-13 win over the Houston Texans.
The Vikings (5-0) led 24-0 in the second quarter, putting up points on three of their first four drives, and held Houston to just a pair of field goals until late in the game. Quarterback Sam Bradford completed 22 of 30 passes for 271 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He has zero turnovers in four games with the Vikings.
Houston (3-2) failed to find a rhythm with quarterback Brock Osweiler under siege. He was sacked a season-high four times and went 19-of-42 passing with a touchdown and an interception.
Steelers 31, Jets 13: Ben Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes, giving him a Steelers’ all-time best 15 through five games, and Pittsburgh shut out the New York Jets in the second half of a 31-13 victory.
Roethlisberger, nearly error-free until losing a fumble in the fourth quarter, went 34-of-47 for 380 yards and no interceptions.
He hit 14 consecutive passes at one point during the second half, as the Steelers (4-1) came back from an early 13-7 deficit to win their seventh in a row at home.
Lions 24, Eagles 23: Matt Prater kicked a 29-yard field goal with 1:28 remaining and the Detroit Lions rallied back after giving away a 14-point lead to edge the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles 24-23. Prater’s game-winner came after the Eagles’ first turnover of the game. Matthew Stafford tossed three touchdown passes, two to Theo Riddick. Stafford was 19-of-25 for 180 yards.
Riddick rushed for 49 yards on 11 carries and caught six passes for 33 yards as the Lions (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak.
Colts 29, Bears 23: Andrew Luck’s 35-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton with 3:43 remaining proved to be the game-winner in the Indianapolis Colts’ come-from-behind 29-23 victory against the Chicago Bears.
Luck finished 28-of-39 for 322 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts (2-3). The Bears (1-4) lost despite putting up more than 500 yards total offense.
In other games it was: Redskins 16, Colts 10; Titans 30, Dolphins 17; Cowboys 28, Bengals 14; Bills 30, Rams 19; Falcons 23, Broncos 16; Raiders 34, Chargers 31; Packers 23, Giants 16.
