Oct 29, 2012 3 min read

Trent Richardson broke one tackle, then another and was gone. The San Diego Chargers couldn’t stop the rookie running back who might be the one to make Cleveland relevant once more. On a day when every yard counted, Richardson delivered a dominating performance that even made Hall of Famer Jim Brown swell with pride. “Great running backs break tackles,” Brown said following Cleveland’s 7-6 win Sunday. “You do that, you are in control. You keep the ball. The other team is disheartened. That’s football.” And that’s why the Browns chose Richardson. Cleveland’s rookie running back, still playing with a rib injury, rushed for 122 yards in nasty weather and scored the game’s only touchdown on a 26-yard run to lead Browns (2-6) to their second straight win at home. Following the game, Brown, who called Richardson an “ordinary” back on the day Cleveland selected the Alabama star No. 3 overall in April’s draft, was waiting at the young star’s locker. Richardson has made even Brown a believer. “That’s my partner,” Brown said. “I’m so happy he didn’t take anything I said the wrong way. He’s a player. He’s making sacrifices for his team. He’s hurting now more than you think and he’s out there making plays.” Richardson, pulled last week at Indianapolis when he was ineffective because of a rib cartilage injury, carried 24 times as the Browns gave new owner Jimmy Haslam his first win since taking over the franchise. Haslam was presented with a game ball by coach Pat Shurmur in Cleveland’s jubilant locker room. Detroit 28, Seattle 24: Matthew Stafford threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Titus Young with 20 seconds left, lifting the Detroit Lions to a 28-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Atlanta 30, Philadelphia 17: Matt Ryan threw touchdown passes on Atlanta’s first three possessions against Philadelphia and new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and the Falcons remained the NFL’s only unbeaten team with a 30-17 victory over the Eagles. New England 45, St. Louis 7: Tom Brady led touchdown drives on the Patriots’ first five possessions and New England ran over the St. Louis Rams 45-7 in the NFL’s annual regular-season game in London. Chicago 23, Carolina 22: Robbie Gould kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired as the Chicago Bears rallied twice in the fourth quarter to beat the Carolina Panthers 23-22. Green Bay 25, Jacksonville 14: Aaron Rodgers went back to an old favorite, connecting with Donald Driver on a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal Green Bay’s 24-15 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Miami 30, N.Y. Jets 9: Matt Moore stepped in for an injured Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins didn’t miss a beat, rolling past the New York Jets 30-9 for their third straight victory. Kansas City 26, Oakland 16: Carson Palmer threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and the Oakland Raiders stuffed the struggling Kansas City Chiefs 26-16 on Sunday for their sixth straight win at Arrowhead Stadium. N.Y. Giants 29, Dallas 24: Lawrence Tynes kicked two of his five field goals in the fourth quarter as Eli Manning and the New York Giants remained undefeated at Cowboys Stadium with a 29-24 win Sunday after blowing a 23-point lead. Indianapolis 19, Tennessee 13: Andrew Luck threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Vick Ballard at 4:49 of overtime and the surprising Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans 19-13.