OAKLAND, Calif. - Louis Murphy sprinted upfield and laid out a defender with a punishing block. Not satisfied, he caught up to the play again and delivered a second block that allowed Zach Miller to cruise into the end zone on an 86-yard catch-and-run. For an offense criticized for lacking big plays, intensity and leadership, a rookie receiver gave the Oakland Raiders all three in one play that answered the skeptics.

The NFL has fined Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis for a helmet-to-helmet hit delivered to Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco.

INDIANAPOLIS - Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri will be out four to eight weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, and the team waived starting defensive tackle Ed Johnson yesterday to make room for a new kicker. Indianapolis signed veteran Matt Stover to replace the reliable Vinatieri, who had a piece of cartilage removed during the surgery.

NEW YORK—The Rev. Al Sharpton wants the National Football League to block conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh from bidding on the St. Louis Rams. Sharpton sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today. He said Limbaugh has been divisive and “anti-NFL” in some of his comments. Limbaugh did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CHARLOTTE So it’s true that no good deed goes unpunished. Byron Westbrook, who spent two seasons on the Washington Redskins practice squad and worked so hard to make the 53-man roster this season, was just doing his job, trying to protect punt returner Antwaan Randle El. And then Westbrook’s world, as well as that of the Redskins, turned upside down. Or right side up. Or every which way but loose. This much is certain: it was not sunny-side up.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Jake Delhomme got up, his shoulder pads sticking out and his chin strap bunched around his mouth. He pumped both fists and yelled, letting out a month of frustration. His eighth interception of the season earlier in the day? Forgotten. Carolina’s winless start was over, too. Delhomme’s bold bootleg run for a first down on third-and-8 and an earlier disputed call helped the Panthers rally past the Redskins 20-17 yesterday, a day of vindication for Delhomme and more trouble for embattled Washington coach Jim Zorn.

BRONCOS 20, PATRIOTS 17, OT DENVER—On a day that was all about Broncos history, this might ring a bell: A 98-yard, fourth-quarter drive to save the game and get a city thinking Super Bowl. Kyle Orton moved Denver from its 2 to the end zone to tie it yesterday, then Matt Prater kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime for a 20-17 victory over New England that made rookie Broncos coach Josh McDaniels a winner over his old boss, Bill Belichick.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Jake Delhomme got up, his shoulder pads sticking out and his chin strap bunched around his mouth. He pumped both fists and yelled, letting out a month of frustration. His eighth interception of the season earlier in the day? Forgotten. Carolina’s winless start was over, too. Delhomme’s bold bootleg run for a first down on third-and-8 and an earlier disputed call helped the Panthers rally past the Redskins 20-17 yesterday, a day of vindication for Delhomme and more trouble for embattled Washington coach Jim Zorn.

BALTIMORE—In a duel for first place in the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals found a way to win another close game. For the Baltimore Ravens, it was a familiar loss. Carson Palmer threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell with 22 seconds left to cap an 80-yard drive fueled by Baltimore penalties, and the Bengals escaped with a 17-14 victory yesterday.

CARDINALS 28, TEXANS 21 GLENDALE, Ariz.—Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown with 2:20 to go and the Arizona Cardinals’ defense stopped the Houston Texans three times at the 1-yard line in the final minute yesterday to eke out a 28-21 victory. Matt Schaub brought the Texans back from a 21-0 halftime deficit to tie the game and had completed 11 straight when Rodgers-Cromartie, playing with a fractured right index finger, stepped in front of intended receiver Kevin Walter.

FALCONS 45, 49ERS 10 SAN FRANCISCO—Roddy White had a 90-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown and a 31-yard TD reception, Michael Turner ran for three scores and the Atlanta Falcons flattened the 49ers 45-10 yesterday to end San Francisco’s five-game home winning streak. White finished with eight catches for a career-high 210 yards against the 49ers’ typically stingy defense.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Miles Austin looked nothing like a backup making his first career start. Stepping in for injured wide receiver Roy Williams, Austin caught 10 passes for a franchise-record 250 yards and scored the winning touchdown in overtime of the Cowboys’ 26-20 victory yesterday over the winless Kansas City Chiefs. In dooming the Chiefs to their 28th loss in 30 games, Austin erased the record of 246 yards that Hall of Famer “Bullet” Bob Hayes set against Washington almost 39 years ago.

WASHINGTON (2-2)
AT CAROLINA (0-3) Time: 1 p.m. Line: Panthers by 4 On the air: TV—Fox; radio—WXGI (950) Inside slant: Washington deserves to be 0-4 after narrowly escaping a sweep by the wretched Rams, Lions and Bucs. Carolina comes off its season highlight, the bye week. When you dread both teams, take the points.

At this rate you’d expect the Redskins’ next opponent to be a directional school, or maybe even a Championship Subdivision team. In a stretch that would make even cupcake-collecting college coaches blush, Washington (2-2) visits Carolina (0-3) today to become the first NFL team in 55 years to play a winless teams in each of the first five weeks of the season.

ASHBURN—In a week full of Washington Redskins distractions, here’s another one: The starting backfield of Clinton Portis and Mike Sellers had a bit of a spat. Redskins coach Jim Zorn confirmed yesterday that running back Portis and fullback Sellers had a verbal confrontation earlier this week. Zorn downplayed the dispute and said he didn’t know what it was about. But WRC-TV, which first reported the incident, said that Portis and Sellers had a heated exchange, with Portis venting frustration over Sellers’ blocking.