Roundup: Flacco leads pass-happy Ravens past Giants
CBSSports.com wire reports
BALTIMORE -- Joe Flacco threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns for the pass-happy Baltimore Ravens, whose no-huddle offense befuddled the New York Giants in a 24-10 preseason victory Saturday night.
Flacco completed 21 of 34 passes before leaving after one series in the third quarter. Last year, he threw as many as 34 passes only seven times for a team that relied heavily on the run.
Going without a huddle and often throwing on first down, the Ravens (3-0) scored 17 points over three straight possessions in the first half and coasted to their seventh consecutive preseason win.
New York (1-2) managed only five first downs in the pivotal first half. Returning after a one-week absence, quarterback Eli Manning went 9 for 18 for 63 yards and an interception in 30 minutes of play.
Manning last played on Aug. 16, when he received stitches to his forehead after taking a hard hit in a game against the New York Jets. In this one, he received little support from the running game: New York rushed for 58 yards in the first half, half of them on a 29-yarder by Brandon Jacobs.
Baltimore's defense did not permit a touchdown during the preseason until Rhett Bomar threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz with 1:18 left. Full story
DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown pass, rookie Jahvid Best had a 51-yard run and Aaron Brown scored twice in the fourth quarter to lift the Detroit Lions to a win over the Cleveland Browns in a preseason game.
Stafford was 13 of 17 for 141 yards and connected with Bryant Johnson in the end zone on Detroit's first drive.
Jake Delhomme was 20 of 25 for 152 yards and a TD for the Browns.
Cleveland rookie Colt McCoy fumbled on his first drive to set up a lead-padding touchdown for the Lions.
HOUSTON -- Arian Foster rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown, Matt Schaub threw a TD pass to Jacoby Jones and the Texans routed the Cowboys.
Foster, who emerged as Houston's most dependable running back late last season, became the first Texan to go over 100 yards rushing in a preseason game. The Texans finished with 173 yards rushing, an encouraging sign for coach Gary Kubiak, whose team ranked 30th in rushing (92 yards per game) last season.
Houston's defense also played well, a week after giving up 409 yards in a 38-20 loss to New Orleans. Rookie Kareem Jackson returned an interception 64 yards, and the Texans (1-2) held the Cowboys' first-team offense to 135 total yards.
Tony Romo was sacked twice and fumbled, and Dallas (2-2) mustered only 7 yards rushing before the reserves took over late in the third quarter.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Star running backs Chris Johnson and DeAngelo Williams couldn't find any holes. Vince Young and Matt Moore weren't much better through the air.
Optimists can point to the ferocious defense Carolina and Tennessee played, but the offensive ineptitude was cause for concern after the Panthers slogged to a victory over the Titans.
Carolina's overhauled defense hardly looked like it missed Julius Peppers, sacking Young four times, keeping Johnson in check and holding Tennessee to 50 yards in the first half.
But the Titans stymied Moore and Williams, with Carolina's first-team offense still looking for its first touchdown of the preseason despite playing into the fourth quarter against Tennessee's second- and third-stringers.
TAMPA, Fla. -- Josh Johnson gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the reassurance they sought with starting quarterback Josh Freeman sidelined by a broken thumb.
Jacksonville backup Luke McCown showed his team the way to the end zone and a preseason victory.
Filling in for Freeman, who the Bucs expect to return in time for their regular season opener, Johnson completed 9 of 14 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown to build a 13-6 lead before leaving the game in the third quarter.
Jacksonville moved the ball consistently with starter David Garrard at quarterback, but settled for field goals on three promising drives and had its best possession of the night turned back by a goal-line interception that linebacker Barrett Ruud returned 80 yards to set up Tampa Bay's only touchdown.
