Resurgent Rams roll on, Cowboys stall

Jared Goff threw for three touchdowns as the resurgent Los Angeles Rams overpowered the Houston Texans to maintain their push towards the postseason on Sunday.

Rams quarterback Goff amassed a career-high 355 passing yards as the league's most potent offense took their time before pulling away for a 33-7 win at the Memorial Coliseum.

The victory was the latest stop on a season of renaissance for the Rams, who are now 7-2 at the top of the NFC West after finishing last year at 4-12.

In the late game, Tom Brady passed for 266 yards and three touchdowns as the New England Patriots dominated the Denver Broncos 41-16.

A tight first half saw the Rams held to a 9-7 lead with Bruce Ellington scoring a touchdown for the Texans.

However the Rams cut loose in a dazzling third quarter, with Goff hurling a 94-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods from inside the Los Angeles end zone to launch a 21-point scoring blitz.

Goff then picked out Sammy Watkins for a 17-yard touchdown before hitting Woods once more for a 12-yard score.

The victory keeps Los Angeles on course to reach the postseason for the first time since 2004.

Elsewhere on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys lost further ground on NFC East pace-setters the Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) after slipping to a 27-7 loss against the Atlanta Falcons in Georgia.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott rushed for a first quarter touchdown to give Dallas the lead but ultimately suffered a miserable day, being sacked eight times.

Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn was responsible for six sacks as the Cowboys offense, missing the suspended Ezekiel Elliott, failed to fire.

Dallas are now 5-4 in the NFC East, making it increasingly likely their best hope of reaching the playoffs is going to be via a wildcard slot.

In early games Sunday, Chris Boswell drilled a last-second field goal to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a comeback 20-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The victory saw the Steelers move to 7-2 at the top of the AFC North.

It was the final act of a second-half revival by the Steelers, who had trailed 17-3 in the third quarter before rallying to overturn the deficit.

"We were tested, and tested in a lot of ways," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "Game circumstances kind of do that to you, but the guys didn't blink with it. They are to be given credit for that.

"Guys delivered in critical moments."

- Vikings on top -

Elsewhere Sunday, Minnesota improved to 7-2 at the top of the NFC North with a 38-30 victory in Washington.

Vikings quarterback Case Keenum threw a career-high four touchdown passes while Adam Thielen amassed 166 receiving yards to help set up the win.

New Orleans meanwhile cemented their status as one of the form teams of the NFC after clinching a seventh consecutive victory in a 47-10 rout of the Buffalo Bills.

Running back Mark Ingram II rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints, unbeaten since losing their opening two games of the season, improved to 7-2 to lead the NFC South at New Era Field.

Rookie Alvin Kamara also rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown while another rookie Trey Edmunds had a 41-yard gallop to score in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Drew Brees also rushed for a touchdown as Buffalo slumped to their heaviest home defeat since 2007.

In San Francisco, the 49ers finally got off the mark, winning their first game of the season with a 31-21 defeat of the hapless New York Giants (1-8).

source: AFP