UNDATED – National Football League Summaries for Week one, Sunday, September 11:
Tampa Bay at Dallas
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tom Brady and Mike Evans connected on a punctuating touchdown, Leonard Fournette ran for 127 yards and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Dallas Cowboys 19-3. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffered an injury to his throwing hand that owner Jerry Jones said will require surgery and force him to miss several weeks. Brady was in control throughout the first start for a 45-year-old quarterback in NFL history. He had a big assist from the defense in Todd Bowles’ debut as Tampa Bay’s coach following three seasons as defensive coordinator.
Los Vegas at Los Angeles Chargers
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, Khalil Mack had three sacks in his Chargers debut and Los Angeles defeated Las Vegas 24-19, spoiling Josh McDaniels’ first game as the Raiders’ coach. Herbert completed 26 of 34 passes and had a 129.4 passer rating despite Keenan Allen leaving with a hamstring injury in the first half and Mike Williams not having a catch until the fourth quarter. Derek Carr was 22 of 37 for 295 yards and two touchdowns but was picked off three times. He connected 10 times with former Fresno State teammate Davante Adams, who was acquired from Green Bay in the offseason.
New York Giants at Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans started exactly the way they wanted, jumping out to a double-digit lead. Finishing is the issue. The Titans blew a 13-point lead Sunday, then drove down the field to set up kicker Randy Bullock for a 47-yard field goal to beat the New York Giants. The kicker on his sixth different NFL team yanked the game-winning field goal with Tennessee wide left to turn a season-opening win into a 21-20 loss. Coach Mike Vrabel says anytime you lose it’s a gut punch. He says the Titans went flat and couldn’t get anything going in the second half.
Green Bay at Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Justin Jefferson started his third season with Minnesota by smashing rival Green Bay for 184 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a 23-7 victory over the Packers. That gave new Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell a win in his first game. Jefferson set an all-time Vikings receiving record with 158 yards in the first half. Aaron Rodgers found his first game without Davante Adams to be a struggle. The three-time defending NFC North champion Packers fell flat in their opener for the second straight season. Rodgers had two turnovers.
Kansas City at Arizona
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns, lifting the Kansas City Chiefs to an impressive 44-21 road win over the Arizona Cardinals in the opener for both teams. The quarterback was playing his first NFL game against Kliff Kingsbury, who coached Mahomes in college at Texas Tech and now leads the Cardinals. Tight end Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. It was his 30th career game with at least 100 yards receiving. Clyde Edwards-Helaire hauled in two touchdown passes.
San Francisco at Chicago
CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Fields threw for two second-half touchdowns, Eddie Jackson set up a TD with an interception and the Chicago Bears gave Matt Eberflus a win in his head coaching debut, beating the San Francisco 49ers 19-10 on a rain-soaked afternoon. Fields shook off a rough first half, throwing a 51-yard TD to Dante Pettis in the third quarter and connecting with Equanimeous St. Brown for an 18-yarder early in the fourth to put Chicago on top 13-10. Jackson then picked off Trey Lance near midfield for his first interception since 2019 and returned the ball to the 21. That led to a 6-yard touchdown run by Khalil Herbert, making it 19-10. Heavy rain flooded the area and drenched the new Bermuda grass installed this week.
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
CINCINNATI (AP) — Chris Boswell kicked a 53-yard field goal as time expired in overtime and the Pittsburgh Steelers overcame T.J. Watt’s injury late in the fourth quarter to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a sloppy season opener for both teams. Watt had one of four interceptions off Joe Burrow, who rebounded from a lousy start and rallied Cincinnati from a 17-6 halftime deficit. His 6-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase tied it at 20 with 2 seconds left in regulation, but the game went to overtime after Minkah Fitzpatrick blocked Evan McPherson’s point-after try. McPherson and Boswell missed potential winning field goals in overtime.
Baltimore at New York Jets
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The game was already long decided when Michael Carter found himself wide open in the end zone and dropped a sure touchdown pass. It was just that kind of day for the New York Jets, full of stumbles, fumbles and bumbles in a 24-9 season-opening loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The final statistics don’t look half bad with 378 net yards and 24 first downs. But New York went 2 of 14 on third down, failing to convert one until their ninth opportunity with 9 minutes remaining. There were multiple dropped passes, Joe Flacco was largely ineffective and the Jets lacked consistent protection up front.
Indianapolis at Houston
HOUSTON (AP) — Matt Ryan rallied Indianapolis in the fourth quarter to force overtime against the Houston Texans in his Colts debut, but neither team could score on two overtime possessions each and the game ended in a 20-20 tie. The Texans led 20-3 entering the fourth quarter in coach Lovie Smith’s debut, but Ryan led three successive scoring drives, culminating with his 15-yard touchdown pass to Michael Pittman with 1:54 remaining. The Colts got within field goal range in overtime, but Rodrigo Blankenship missed a 42-yard try with 2 minutes left. Ryan threw for 352 yards with an interception and a lost fumble.
Cleveland at Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rookie Cade York kicked a go-ahead 58-yard field goal with 8 seconds left, Kareem Hunt scored two touchdowns and the Cleveland Browns spoiled Baker Mayfield’s bid for vengeance with a 26-24 win over the Carolina Panthers. Nick Chubb ran for 141 yards and Hunt had 70 total yards from scrimmage as the Browns won their season opener for the first time since 2004. Mayfield overcame a slow start by leading the Panthers back from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit by running for a 7-yard touchdown and finding Robbie Anderson for a 75-yard touchdown strike.
New Orleans at Atlanta
ATLANTA (AP) — Wil Lutz kicked a 51-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining to cap a stunning fourth-quarter comeback by the New Orleans Saints. They overcame a 16-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 27-26 in coach Dennis Allen’s debut. After struggling offensively through most of the season opener, Jamies Winston guided the Saints to three straight scoring drives. The first two ended with touchdown passes of 3 and 9 yards to Michael Thomas. The Saints converted one 2-point try, but failed on the other, leaving the Falcons clinging to a 26-24 lead. New Orleans got the ball back one more time and drove for Lutz’s winning kick.
Philadelphia at Detroit
DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Hurts accounted for 333 yards and a touchdown and A.J. Brown had a career-high-tying 155 yards receiving in his Philadelphia debut, helping the Eagles hold on for a 38-35 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Eagles scored 24 points in the second quarter and had a 17-point lead in the fourth that was cut to three when Jared Goff threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark with 3:51 left. Philadelphia sealed the win with Miles Sanders’ 24-yard run on third down and Hurts’ sneak that converted a fourth down on the final possession.
Jacksonville at Washington
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars kept up their losing ways in Doug Pederson’s first game as coach. But the opportunities blown could generate some more optimism about the lowly franchise turning things around. Trevor Lawrence and the offense made a few mistakes that wound up costing the Jaguars points in a winnable game at Washington. Fellow top pick Travon Walker shined with a sack and an interception in his NFL debut. Walker fared better than 2021 first-rounder Travis Etienne who had a notable drop.
New England at Miami
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa passed for 270 yards and a touchdown, and the Miami Dolphins provided an early look at their ability to contend in the AFC East as they beat Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots 20-7 Sunday. Patriots second-year quarterback Mac Jones threw for 213 yards with a touchdown and interception. Tyreek Hill, making his Miami Dolphins debut after the team traded for him during the offseason, led Miami’s receivers with eight receptions for 94 yards. Running back Ty Montgomery caught the Patriots only touchdown of the game. Damien Harris led New England’s rushers with 48 yards on nine carries.
