Week one recaps
Seattle Seahawks 36 vs. Green Bay Packers 16 (TNF on NBC)
- The defending Super Bowl champions played like champions. Russell Wilson completed 19 of 28 passes for 191-yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Marshawn Lynch rushed for 110-yards on 20 carries and scored twice. On the other side of the ball, Seattle’s defense limited Eddie Lacy to just 34-yards on 12 carries as the Packers managed a total of 80-yards on the ground. The Seahawks also recorded three sacks.
Atlanta Falcons 34 vs. New Orleans Saints 31 (OT)
- In a quarterback duel at the Georgia Dome, Matt Ryan completed 31 of 43 passes for 448-yards and three touchdown passes. Julio Jones made seven receptions for 116-yards. Drew Brees completed 29 of 42 passes for 333-yards and a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks. Marques Colston made five catches for 110-yards, but lost a critical fumble in overtime which led to Matt Bryant’s game winning 52-yard field goal.
Minnesota Vikings 34 @ St. Louis Rams 6
- Matt Cassel completed 17 of 25 passes for 170-yards two touchdown passes. Adrian Peterson gutted out 75-yards on 21 carries, but Cordarrelle Patterson stole the show in the running game. Patterson gained 102-yards on just three carries, including a 67-yard score on an end around. Minnesota’s defense registered five sacks and held the Rams to a pair of field goals. Safety Harrison Smith’s 81-yard interception return for a touchdown put the final nail in the coffin.
Pittsburgh Steelers 30 vs. Cleveland Browns 27
- Ben Roethlisberger completed 23 of 34 passes for 365-yards and a touchdown pass to Antonio Brown, who made five receptions for 116-yards. Le’Veon Bell rushed for 109-yards on 21 carries and scored once. Pittsburgh erupted to a 27-3 lead, but the Browns came roaring back. Isaiah Crowell scored twice and quarterback Brian Hoyer’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin tied the game. The Steelers spoiled Cleveland’s comeback when Shaun Suisham made a 41-yard field goal at the buzzer, propelling the Steelers to a last second victory.
Philadelphia Eagles 34 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 17
- Surprisingly, the Jaguars jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead. In the first half, quarterback Chad Henne connected with wide receiver Allen Hurns for a pair of scoring passes. Hurns racked up 110-yards on just four catches. Nick Foles overcame the deficit, three turnovers, and five sacks to pass for 322-yards and two touchdown passes, including a 68-yard bomb to Jeremy Maclin. The Eagles officially sealed the deal when Trent Cole’s sack forced a fumble that Fletcher Cox returned for a touchdown.
New York Jets 19 vs. Oakland Raiders 14
- In his Jets debut, Chris Johnson gained 68-yards on 13 carries while catching five passes, including a touchdown pass from Geno Smith. Smith was efficient, completing 23 of 28 passes for 221-yards. Chris Ivory gained 102-yards on ten carries and scored on a 71-yard run. Derek Carr, Oakland’s rookie quarterback out of Fresno State, completed 20 of 32 passes for 151-yards and a pair of touchdown passes.
Cincinnati Bengals 23 @ Baltimore Ravens 16
- Five Mike Nugent field goals gave the Bengals a 15-0 halftime lead. Baltimore mounted a comeback as Joe Flacco’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith gave the Ravens a one point lead. Flacco threw 62 times, recording 35 completions for 345-yards. Just like that though, Andy Dalton, who passed for over 300-yards, hit A.J. Green from 77-yards out to give Cincinnati the lead. With the Ravens threatening to tie the game, Flacco was sacked on fourth and nine with 55 seconds remaining.
Buffalo Bills 23 @ Chicago Bears 20 (OT)
- Behind a now healthy E.J. Manuel, Buffalo took a 17-7 halftime lead. Manuel completed 16 of 22 passes for 173-yards and a touchdown pass to C.J. Spiller. The second year passer out of Florida State also added a rushing touchdown. Jay Cutler brought the Bears back by completing 34 of 49 passes for 349-yards and a pair of touchdowns. Robbie Gould’s 37-yard field goal with half a minute remaining sent the game into overtime, but Dan Carpenter won the game for the Bills in overtime with a 27-yard field goal.
Houston Texans 17 vs. Washington Redskins 6
- Former Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien’s NFL debut was a success. New starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 14 of 22 passes for 206-yards and a 76-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins. Arian Foster contributed 103-yards on 27 carries while the special teams scored a touchdown of their own off of a blocked punt. Randy Bullock’s 42-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining put the game out of the Redskins reach.
Tennessee Titans 26 @ Kansas City Chiefs 10
- Tennessee completely outplayed Kansas City in every facet of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. Jake Locker completed 22 of 33 passes for 266-yards and threw both of the Titans touchdowns. Defensively, the Titans recorded four sacks, three turnovers, and limited the Chiefs to just 245 total yards. Here is a notable fact: Kicker Ryan Succop, who was cut by Kansas City during the offseason, made all four of his field goal attempts in the win.
Miami Dolphins 33 vs. New England Patriots 20
- Miami overcame a ten point deficit to shut New England out in the second half. Ryan Tannehill completed 18 of 32 passes for 178-yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Playing his first game as a Dolphin, Knowshon Moreno carried 24 times for 134-yards. Moreno’s four-yard touchdown run put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Carolina Panthers 20 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
- With Cam Newton injured, Derek Anderson got his first NFL start since he played for the Arizona Cardinals in 2010. Anderson responded to the challenge by completing 24 of 34 passes for 230-yards and two touchdown passes. One of Anderson’s scoring tosses went to rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who made six catches for 92-yards. Josh McCown, playing his first game in Tampa Bay, threw for a pair of scores as well.
San Francisco 49ers 28 @ Dallas Cowboys 17
- From start to finish, the 49ers controlled the tempo of the game. On the Cowboys third play from scrimmage, Chris Culliver recovered a DeMarco Murray fumble and returned it for a 35-yard touchdown. Colin Kaepernick completed 16 of 23 passes for 201-yards and threw both of his touchdown passes to Vernon Davis. Rookie running back Carlos Hyde scored his first professional touchdown from four-yards out. San Francisco’s defense sacked Tony Romo three times and intercepted three of his passes.
Denver Broncos 31 vs. Indianapolis Colts 24 (SNF on NBC)
- With a win over his former team, Peyton Manning defeated all 32 NFL teams. The 17th year pro completed 22 of 36 passes for 269-yards and three touchdown passes. All of his touchdowns went to Julius Thomas, who snagged seven passes for 104-yards. Denver exploded to a 24-0 lead, but the Colts came back behind Andrew Luck. Luck completed 35 of 53 passes for 370-yards and two touchdown passes while adding a rushing touchdown. Trailing by seven, Indy had a chance to tie the game, but with 1:51 remaining, Luck’s pass intended for Reggie Wayne fell incomplete and the Broncos hung on to win.
Detroit Lions 35 vs. New York Giants 14 (MNF on ESPN)
- The Detroit Lions opened their season on Monday night for the first time since 1971 and they made the most of their opportunity. Matthew Stafford completed 22 of 32 passes for 346-yards for two touchdowns, while also adding one on the ground. Both of his touchdowns went to Calvin Johnson, who compiled 164-yards on seven receptions. Eli Manning threw a pair of interceptions, Victor Cruz was held to just two catches, and the Giants were limited to 197-yards of total offense.
Arizona Cardinals 18 vs. San Diego Chargers 17 (MNF on ESPN)
- Arizona came back from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the San Diego Chargers. Down 17-6, Carson Palmer threw a pair of touchdown passes for the winning points. Palmer finished by completing 24 of 37 passes for 304-yards. Michael Floyd led the Cardinals in receiving with five catches for 119-yards. Philip Rivers completed 21 of 36 passes for 238-yards, a touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd, and an interception. Despite rushing for just 40-yards on 12 carries, running back Ryan Mathews scored on a 20-yard touchdown run. San Diego managed just 52-yards rushing.
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