The Latest on the fourth week of the NFL season (all times Eastern):
3:30 p.m.
How badly is Julio Jones damaging the Panthers’ secondary? By the end of the third quarter, the All-Pro receiver had 11 catches for 225 yards, the most yards receiving a Carolina defense has allowed to one player in a single game.
The previous high was 208 yards by Redskins receiver Rod Gardner on Oct. 21, 2001 at Washington.
Carolina had no means of containing Jones, whose longest gain covered 53 yards and set up a second-quarter field goal that put Atlanta up 17-7.
Even last December with star cornerback Josh Norman on the team, the Panthers let Jones rack up 178 on nine catches at the Georgia Dome when the Panthers lost their only regular season game before they went on to win the NFC championship.
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2:45 p.m.
A huge first half for the Atlanta tandem of quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones has carried the Falcons to a 17-10 lead over the Carolina Panthers.
Jones, with 188 receiving yards coming into the game, has seven catches for 170 yards, including a 53-yard catch on third-and-17 that set up a field goal to give the Falcons a 17-7 lead. The Panthers’ lone touchdown came on a Ryan pass that was tipped and returned 5 yards for a touchdown by Kurt Coleman.
Elsewhere, after Buffalo and New England skirmished on the field before the game, Tyrod Taylor led the Bills to a 13-0 lead at the break. Jacoby Brissett, making his second consecutive start for the Patriots despite a thumb injury, threw only three passes in the half, but completed them all for 75 yards.
The Redskins took a 14-0 lead against the Browns, but Cleveland rallied to pull even at 17 by halftime, and Houston leads Tennessee 20-17.
The Raiders led Baltimore 14-6 at the half in Baltimore, Chicago led the Lions 7-3 and two TD passes by Russell Wilson gave Seattle a 14-10 lead against the New York Jets.
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2:20 p.m.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Matt Ryan each said during the week that it was only a matter of time before All-Pro receiver Julio Jones started racking up big numbers.
Well, it didn’t take long for Jones to reverse his slow start to the season.
After getting targeted seven times for just one catch in the Week 3 win at New Orleans, Jones had six catches for 152 yards on Sunday against Carolina — with 7 minutes left in the second quarter.
Jones’ dazzling, over-the-shoulder catch in front of the Atlanta bench covered 43 yards and set a TD run by Devonta Freeman that gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead. Jones split the coverage for a 53-yard gain that set up a field goal that made it 17-7.
Welcome back.
Jones had one of the best single seasons in NFL history last year. His 136 catches for 1,871 yards receiving each rank No. 2 all-time.
He now has nine career games with at least 150 yards receiving, the most among active players since 2011.
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1:20 p.m.
Four Titans players raised fists at the end of the national anthem before the start of the team’s game in Houston.
Cornerback Jason McCourty, defensive lineman Daquan Jones, linebacker Wesley Woodyard and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey raised their fists at the end of the song on Sunday.
There were no anthem-specific protests during the Browns-Redskins game in Washington, but wide receiver DeSean Jackson wore cleats as play began with a design to look like yellow “caution” tape used by police. Jackson says he’s using his platform as a professional athlete as an attempt to “be part of a solution and start dialogue about the senseless killings of both citizens and police.”
There did not appear to be other visible anthem demonstrations as other early afternoon games began.
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12:30 p.m.
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have dominated numerous NFL teams over the past 17 years — but nothing like the Buffalo Bills.
The lopsided numbers are worth revisiting with Buffalo (1-2) set to play at the Tom Brady-less Patriots (3-0) on Sunday afternoon.
Buffalo is 3-28 in its past 31 meetings against New England, including a 1-14 record at Foxborough. The Bills’ only win at New England was a 17-9 victory to close the 2014 season in a game the Patriots had already clinched their playoff position and Buffalo was already eliminated.
Though Brady’s not playing while serving the fourth and final game of his “Deflategate” suspension, the Patriots quarterback is 25-3 against Buffalo.
Bills coach Rex Ryan is 1-7 as a head coach at Foxborough. His lone win came while he coaching the Jets, when New York beat New England 28-21 in the 2011 playoffs.
— By John Wawrow in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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12 p.m.
Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is listed as inactive for the New England Patriots matchup with the Buffalo Bills, as he continues to nurse a sore right shoulder.
The move suggests that third-stringer Jacoby Brissett — himself limited in practices this week with a right thumb injury — will make his second career start in the Patriots’ final game before Tom Brady can return from his four-game “Deflategate” suspension.
Brissett was on the field warming up about 90 minutes before kickoff and could be seen throwing passes with a sizable bandage on his thumb. He wore a smaller bandage during practices this week.
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11:55 a.m.
As expected, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is active and starting for Seattle against the New York Jets on Sunday despite suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee last weekend.
Wilson fully practiced during the week and coach Pete Carroll had no concerns about the quarterback being fully effective. He will be wearing a brace on the knee, which could limit his mobility on scrambles a bit.
Jets wide receiver Eric Decker had been ruled out by the Jets on Friday with a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Quincy Enunwa, who leads the Jets with 17 catches, is starting in Decker’s place opposite Brandon Marshall.
Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay following his release after a DUI arrest, will not play. He had a short week to get up to speed in the Jets’ offense after practicing for the first time with his new team on Thursday. — Dennis Waszak Jr. in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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11:50 a.m.
DeSean Jackson is wearing cleats with a design of yellow police “caution” tape during warmups prior to Redskins-Browns game.
Jackson says he’s using his platform as a professional athlete as an attempt to “be part of a solution and start dialogue about the senseless killings of both citizens and police.”
In a statement released by the team, Jackson says it’s meant to be a peaceful way of showing concern without protesting law enforcement.
The team says it supports Jackson and respects law enforcement.
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11:30 a.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars left guard Luke Joeckel will not return to the game against the Indianapolis Colts after sustaining a knee injury in the second quarter at Wembley Stadium.
Joeckel had to be helped off the field Sunday by two members of the Jaguars’ athletic training staff midway through the period. He was ruled out for the game shortly after the second half began.
Backup right tackle Patrick Omameh has played as the Jaguars’ left guard in Joeckel’s absence.
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10:50 a.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis has left the game against the Indianapolis Colts with a hip injury and is questionable to return.
Lewis was injured with 4:53 remaining in the second quarter after catching a 12-yard pass and landing awkwardly on the left sideline.
The Jaguars were already thin at tight end, with Julius Thomas inactive because of an elbow injury and Ben Koyack unable to make the trip with a knee injury.
Neil Sterling is the only other tight end on their active roster.
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10:45 a.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars left guard Luke Joeckel has left the game against the Indianapolis Colts with an unspecified knee injury and is questionable to return.
Joeckel, who played left tackle last week, was moved back to left guard when Kelvin Beacham was cleared from a concussion. He was injured with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter, helped off the field by two athletic trainers and taken directly to the locker room.
The second pick in the 2013 draft, Joeckel is in his fourth season with the Jaguars. He was replaced at left guard by Patrick Omameh.
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9:50 a.m.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Antonio Cromartie took a knee and raised a fist on Sunday as the national anthem was sung before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Cromartie, who began his protest a week ago before the Colts’ game against the San Diego Chargers, stood before the singing of “God Save The Queen,” the British national anthem.
None of the Jaguars players offered a demonstration before Sunday’s game.
Such gestures have become commonplace in the NFL after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in the preseason. Kaepernick has been vocal in protesting police brutality.
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9:30 a.m.
It’s another sellout crowd at 84,000-seat Wembley Stadium, where the official London “home” team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, is hosting the Indianapolis Colts for the first of the NFL’s 13 games Sunday.
Unlike American-staged games with big halftime shows, the British version focus its entertainment on the pregame, headlined by Robin Thicke performing his 2013 hit “Blurred Lines.” He was accompanied by a flaming video backdrop and a chorus line of Jaguars cheerleaders. Much of the crowd had a tough time seeing any of them, though, as field-level fireworks filled the stadium with sun-soaked smoke.
Taking the field for the coin flip were Jacksonville’s honorary captains, former running back Fred Taylor and tight end Kyle Brady, and former Colts tight end Dallas Clark and linebacker Gary Brackett.
The award for most impressive entrance went to the Jaguars’ London mascot, Union Jaxson, who landed on the 50-yard line by zip wire from the rooftop.
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8:20 a.m.
Colts wide receiver Phillip Dorsett is active for Sunday’s AFC South matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the first of three NFL games being staged this season in London.
Dorsett had been listed as questionable with an ankle injury but will play for a Colts passing attack missing wideout Donte Moncrief. But quarterback Andrew Luck could face added pressure as the Colts confirmed that both starters on the right side of the line, guard Denzelle Good and tackle Joe Reitz, would not play due to back injuries.
The Jaguars will be without tight end Julius Thomas, scratched from the lineup with an elbow injury.
Colts inactives: WR Donte Moncrief, CB Darius Butler, RG Denzelle Good, RT Joe Reitz, C Jon Harrison, WR Devin Street, DT T.Y. McGill.
Jaguars inactives: TE Julius Thomas, QB Brandon Allen, CB Dwayne Gratz, DE Jared Odrick, LB Dan Skuta, G Chris Reed, TE Ben Koyack.
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6:10 a.m.
This NFL Sunday is about 3 1/2 hours longer than usual thanks to an early start in London.
The Jaguars play the Colts at Wembley Stadium to begin a slate of 13 games Sunday in the fourth week of the season. Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley could be in danger of losing his job with a loss, given higher expectations for the Jags going into this season.
The Patriots play their last game without suspended quarterback Tom Brady, with a chance to move to 4-0 with a win against the Bills. Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian tries to follow up a strong road start last week with another against Tampa Bay, which has been inconsistent and is playing without top running back Doug Martin.
Among five late afternoon games, the Raiders visit Baltimore, one of the league’s surprise teams so far this season.
Also playing Sunday: Tennessee at Houston, Detroit at Chicago, Carolina at Atlanta, Seattle at New York Jets, Cleveland at Washington, Los Angeles at Arizona, Dallas at San Francisco, New Orleans at San Diego and Kansas City at Pittsburgh.
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AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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