Tennessee kicker Rob Bironas (2) and holder Craig Hentrich celebrate after Bironas' game-winning 29-yard field goal. It was Bironas' eighth field goal of the day, an NFL record.

Arizona tight end Leonard Pope, center, dives for Washington linebacker London Fletcher as he returns an interceptions for a touchdown. The Redskins edged the Cardinals, 21-19, in a wacky game Sunday in Landover, Md.

Houston ? With Vince Young on the sidelines, the Tennessee Titans couldn’t finish drives. With the day Rob Bironas had, it didn’t matter.

Bironas kicked an NFL-record eight field goals, including the game-winner as time expired, to lead the Titans to a 38-36 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Backup Kerry Collins led the offense while Young missed playing in his hometown because of a strained quadriceps. Collins didn’t make many mistakes, but the offense couldn’t capitalize in the red zone, ushering Bironas into the record book.

The record-setting kick foiled a spirited comeback by the Texans (3-4), who scored 29 points in the fourth quarter, capped by a 53-yard touchdown pass from Sage Rosenfels to Andre’ Davis to take a 36-35 lead with 57 seconds to play.

The Titans (4-2) faced a third-and-10 at their 37 when Collins found Roydell Williams on a 46-yard pass that set up the winning kick.

Bironas said he didn’t realize he was closing in on the mark.

“I knew we’d hit quite a few, but I try not to count,” Bironas said. “I try not to know the distances when I go out there, so I’m always concentrating on making the same kick. I’ve never really counted. I’ll remember this one, though.”

Bironas’ last two field goals were from 29 yards, and he connected from 52, 43, 25, 21, 30 and 28 yards to break the previous record of seven field goals held by Billy Cundiff, Chris Boniol, Rich Karlis and Jim Bakken.

He doubled his field-goal total for the season.

Bironas also kicked two extra points and set the NFL record for most points by a kicker with 26. Cundiff’s 23 points on Sept. 15, 2003, was the previous high.

Patriots 49, Dolphins 28

Miami – Tom Brady was flawless, even returning to the game to throw a team-record sixth touchdown pass. Brady’s TD total exceeded his old career high of five, set last week against Dallas.

Brady now has 27 TD passes after seven games. The NFL record is 49 set by Peyton Manning in 2004. If Brady maintains his current pace over 16 games, he would finish with 61.

Brady completed his first 11 passes for 220 yards and four scores, including throws of 35 and 50 yards to Randy Moss.

Giants 33, 49ers 15

East Rutherford, N.J. – Osi Umenyiora scored on a 75-yard fumble return, and the New York defense helped account for 24 points as the Giants won their fifth straight.

The dynamic four-end defensive line of the Giants had a field day against the NFL’s worst offense. New York forced four turnovers by the 49ers, sacked Trent Dilfer six times and made him play with his head on a swivel while Alex Smith rested his ailing shoulder on the sideline.

Michael Strahan had his biggest sack performance since 2003 with 21â2 against his former defensive coordinator and current 49ers coach Mike Nolan.

Redskins 21, Cardinals 19

Landover, Md. – In a game marred by bad penalties and boneheaded mistakes, the Redskins had the only thing resembling a normal scoring drive. But they finished the day with only 160 total yards and survived a 55-yard field-goal attempt by Neil Rackers that was barely wide left with two seconds remaining.

Rackers’ attempt was set up when the Cardinals recovered an onside kick following a touchdown and a failed two-point conversion.

There were a combined 15 penalties for 128 yards, a blocked punt by the Cardinals and a blocked extra point by the Redskins.

Three of the game’s six touchdowns were the product of interceptions.

Lions 23, Buccaneers 16

Detroit – The Lions scored touchdowns after Jeff Garcia’s two fumbles, including wide receiver Calvin Johnson’s 32-yard run midway through the fourth quarter, to beat their former teammate.

Detroit pulled within a game of idle Green Bay in the NFC North, while Tampa Bay lost a chance to move past idle Carolina in the NFC South.

Garcia, who played in Detroit for one forgettable season two years ago, didn’t have a turnover in his first six games with the Bucs. Perhaps pressing against one of his former teams, he botched a handoff in Detroit territory in the first quarter. He also mishandled a snap on a first-and-goal.

Saints 22, Falcons 16

New Orleans – Reggie Bush’s power running with a short pass gave New Orleans a four-yard touchdown to win it. Bush spun free and overpowered three Falcons and dived across the goal line on a crucial third-and-goal screen pass.

Bush threw the ball into the second deck of the Louisiana Superdome after the score. While fans chanted his name in celebration, Bush took a handoff on a two-point conversion, raced to the sideline and dived past the pylon.

Bush finished with only 54 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving on a difficult day during which New Orleans’ offense often sputtered.

Bills 19, Ravens 14

Orchard Park, N.Y. – Making good on an opportunity to secure the starting job, rookie quarterback Trent Edwards went 11-of-21 for 153 yards and engineered five scoring drives for Buffalo.

Rian Lindell hit four field goals, including a 41-yarder, and Marshawn Lynch scored on a one-yard plunge.

Willis McGahee made his mark, overcoming a slow start and a booing crowd, by scoring on a 46-yard run in his first game back since the Bills traded him to Baltimore in March. But it wasn’t enough for a popgun Ravens attack that featured three rookie offensive linemen and was without starting QB Steve McNair and tight end Todd Heap.

Bears 19, Eagles 16

Philadelphia – Desperately needing a victory to stay in the NFC hunt, Chicago’s Brian Griese connected with Muhsin Muhammad for a 15-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left.

The Bears didn’t even need Devin Hester to bail them out of a jam with an explosive return. Instead, the final, thrilling drive was all Griese.

The Bears (3-4) were pinned on the three-yard line with 1:57 left. Griese completed a series of short passes over the middle. And Hester, the dynamic kick returner shut down on special teams by the Eagles (2-4), had a 21-yard catch that brought Chicago to the 15. Then Muhammad made his winning catch in the back of the end zone.

Cowboys 24, Vikings 14

Irving, Texas – Chris Canty swatted a potential go-ahead field goal by Minnesota, and Pat Watkins returned it 68 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

Dallas bounced back from a lopsided home loss to New England and guaranteed itself at least two more weeks atop the NFC because of an upcoming bye. During the time off, the Cowboys can savor being 6-1 for the first time since 1995 (their last Super Bowl season) and having beaten the Vikings for the first since 1996.

Minnesota lost for the third time in four games. Rookie Adrian Peterson followed his record-setting, 224-yard performance last week with only 63 this time.

Seahawks 33, Rams 6

Seattle – Nate Burleson returned the second-half kickoff 91 yards for a game-changing touchdown, and the sputtering Seahawks pulled away from winless St. Louis, sending the Rams to their worst start in their 70 years in the NFL.

Seattle led 10-3 at the half, even though St. Louis had just 41 total yards. Matt Hasselbeck, the only constant in a skittish offense this season, was feeling the sting of a rib cage hit by Claude Wroten.

Then Burleson took the second-half kickoff, ran through a tackle near midfield and shook off Jonathan Wade at about the 20 for his first career kickoff score.

Bengals 38, Jets 31

Cincinnati – Kenny Watson ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns in the best performance of his career, and the Bengals turned the Jets’ second-half meltdown into their first victory in five games.

Watson led the way, playing like a star instead of Rudi Johnson’s fill-in. The seventh-year runner with a half-dozen career starts scored on runs of one and two yards in the second half, finishing off a Jets team that couldn’t hold a 13-point lead or get out of its own way.

New York already has matched its loss total from last season.

Broncos 31, Steelers 28

Denver – Jason Elam’s 49-yard field goal as time expired lifted Denver. Elam, who has the game-winner in all three of the Broncos’ victories so far, nailed his kick to cap a seven-play, 49-yard drive.

Rookie Tim Crowder had a 50-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, and Jay Cutler threw three TD passes as the Broncos, coming off their worst home loss in 41 years, looked nothing like a troubled team.