CHICAGO — Caleb Williams had a rough debut for Chicago but got bailed out by his defence, with Tyrique Stevenson returning an interception 43 yards for the go-ahead touchdown to give the Bears a 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The Bears, who have their sights set on a playoff spot after going 10-24 over the previous two seasons, trailed 17-0 in the first half. They shut down the Titans from there and spoiled the debut of Tennessee coach Brian Callahan.
Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, finished 14 of 29 for 93 yards with a 55.7 passer rating. The former Heisman Trophy winner at Southern California still became the first quarterback drafted first overall to win his debut start since 2002, when David Carr led Houston past Dallas. The past 15 No. 1 picks were a combined 0-14-1 in initial starts, beginning with Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer in 2003.
The Bears had just cut it to 17-16 on a field goal by Cairo Santos when Stevenson put Chicago on top midway through the fourth quarter. With DeMarcus Walker about to sack him, Will Levis flung the ball in desperation, and Stevenson grabbed it and ran untouched down the sideline. A 2-point conversion pass from Williams to D’Andre Swift made it 24-17.
Jaylon Johnson sealed the win with just over a minute remaining when he intercepted a deep pass intended for Tyler Boyd on fourth down at the Tennessee 40, giving fans who spent a big portion of the afternoon booing a reason to cheer.
BILLS 34, CARDINALS 28
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen had three of his four touchdowns in the second half and the Buffalo Bills overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 34-28 on Sunday.
Greg Rousseau had a career-best three sacks, including one that forced a fumble. The defence preserved the Bills’ win when Damar Hamlin and Ja’Marcus Ingram broke up Kyler Murray’s pass attempt to Greg Dortch near the goal line on fourth-and-7 from Buffalo’s 29 with 26 seconds remaining.
This was a thrilling back-and-forth affair between two non-conference rivals on a blustery day with temperatures in the low 60s and heavy winds gusting up to 30 mph (45kph) from the west off of nearby Lake Erie.
The outing featured the first kickoff return for a touchdown under the NFL’s new rules. DeeJay Dallas fielded the ball at his own 4, and worked his way up the middle through a barrage of Bills before finding a lane up the left side with 8:31 remaining in cutting Buffalo’s lead to 31-28.
TEXANS 29, COLTS 27
INDIANAPOLIS — Stefon Diggs caught two touchdown passes and Joe Mixon rushed for 159 yards and another score Sunday to help the Houston Texans close out a 29-27 victory against the Indianapolis Colts.
Houston (1-0) won its second straight road game in the series for the first time in franchise history and its ninth straight road game in division play.
The Colts (0-1), meanwhile, extended the NFL’s longest active opening day winless streak to 11 despite getting two TD passes of more than 50 yards from Anthony Richardson, who also ran for a late score.
He was 9 of 19 with 212 yards and one interception and, ran six times for 56 yards including a 3-yard scoring run with 2:14 left to trim the deficit to 29-27.
The Texans, meanwhile, leaned heavily on Mixon’s 30 carries to wear down a defense that spent 40 minutes on the field. Ka’imi Fairbairn also made three field goals from 50 or more yards.
C.J. Stroud, last year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, finished 24 of 32 with 234 yards and two TD passes. Diggs caught six passes for 33 yards and Nico Collins had six catches for 117 yards.
But Houston controlled most of the game.
SAINTS 47, PANTHERS 10
NEW ORLEANS — Derek Carr passed for three touchdowns and the New Orleans Saints scored on their first nine possessions in a 47-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams each ran for touchdowns and Blake Grupe kicked four field goals — two from beyond 50 yards — in an extraordinary debut for new Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
The Panthers, who went 2-15 last season, made front office, coaching and key roster changes in hopes of showing more promise this season. But this season opener could not have gone much worse for new coach Dave Canales and second-year quarterback Bryce Young.
Young was 13 of 30 passing for 161 yards and was intercepted twice — once each by safeties Will Harris and Jordan Howden.
Carr was 19 of 23 for 200 yards, highlighted by his 59-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed on the game’s opening series. Carr also found tight ends Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson for touchdowns of 3 and 16 yards, the latter putting New Orleans up 30-0 before Carolina scored its first points on a field goal as the first half ended.
DOLPHINS 20, JAGUARS 17
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jason Sanders nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired, and the Miami Dolphins rallied past the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-17 on Sunday to win their fourth straight season opener.
Fresh off a big offseason payday, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 336 yards and a touchdown and led Miami on an 8-play, 31-yard drive over the final 2:09.
Tyreek Hill started the comeback with an 80-yard touchdown catch that sparked Miami’s sluggish offense in the third quarter and got the Dolphins within 17-14. After the score, Hill placed his hands behind his back as if to simulate being handcuffed, hours after he was placed facedown and handcuffed on a street by Miami-Dade Police officers after being stopped for a traffic violation near Hard Rock Stadium.
Hill finished with seven catches for 130 yards. Devon Achane seven catches for 75 yards and ran for 25 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Lawrence, who also signed a big contract extension in the offseason, completed 12 of 21 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Tank Bigsby had 73 yards on 12 carries.
PATRIOTS 16, BENGALS 10
CINCINNATI — Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and a first-quarter touchdown, Joey Slye kicked three field goals and the New England Patriots won Jerod Mayo’s debut as coach, beating the mistake-prone Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 on Sunday.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who got the starting nod for the Patriots over first-round draft pick Drake Maye, was not exceptional, but he held onto the ball and kept the Patriots moving well enough against slow-starting Cincinnati.
The nine-year veteran directed a methodical 80-yard drive in the first quarter that included six first downs was capped by a 3-yard TD run by Stevenson.
Cincinnati went three-and-out on its first three possessions. Joe Burrow moved the Bengals into the red zone in the second quarter and came away with nothing.
In the second half, Cincinnati’s Charlie Jones fumbled away a punt, which led to a Patriots field goal. Then the Bengals came up a yard short on a fourth-down pass and turned the ball over.
The Bengals got the ball back with 2:56 left, did not get a first down and elected to punt. Stevenson rushed for two first downs and the Patriots ran out the clock.
Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whose participation was in doubt as he awaits an expected contract extension, had six catches for 62 yards. Burrow was 21 of 29 for 164 yards.
Brissett went 15 of 24 for 121 yards.
STEELERS 18, FALCONS 10
ATLANTA — With Russell Wilson’s Pittsburgh debut put on hold by a calf injury, Justin Fields stepped in to lead the Steelers to a 18-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday — with a big assist from Chris Boswell’s strong right leg.
Boswell booted six field goals, three of them longer than 50 yards, and the Steelers made life miserable for Kirk Cousins in his first game as Atlanta’s big-money quarterback.
Boswell connected from 57, 56, 51, 44, 40 and 25 yards to account for all the Steelers’ scoring.
Cousins hardly looked like a quarterback worthy of the four-year, $180 million deal the Falcons gave him in free agency, including $100 million in guaranteed money. He didn’t play at all in the preseason while coming back from an Achilles injury that cut short his final season with the Minnesota Vikings.
In his first game since Oct. 29, Cousins was just 16 of 26 for 155 yards with two interceptions, including a pick by Donte Jackson and a 49-yard return with about 2 1/2 minutes that finished off any hopes of an Atlanta comeback. In an appropriate finish, Cousins was sacked on the last play of the game.
VIKINGS 28, GIANTS 6
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Sam Darnold threw two touchdown passes in a highly efficient performance and Andrew Van Ginkel scored on a spectacular one-handed 10-yard interception return to lead the Minnesota Vikings to an easy 28-6 victory over the woeful New York Giants on Sunday.
Darnold, who played his home games at MetLife Stadium for three seasons after being taken No. 3 overall by the Jets in 2018, had touchdown passes of 3 yards to Justin Jefferson and 21 to Jalen Nailor in his Vikings debut.
Darnold also had a 22-yard pass to Josh Oliver to help set up Aaron Jones’ 3-yard TD run that put Minnesota ahead 7-3 late in the first quarter and got Kevin O’Connell’s team off to a good start as it looks to rebound from a disappointing 7-10 season.
Darnold, who signed as a free agent after being a backup in San Francisco last season, was 19 of 24 for 208 yards and one interception that came on a deflected pass. He’s starting because first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy was lost for the season with a knee injury.
Jefferson had four catches for 59 yards, with his TD coming on a quick slant on a fourth-down pass. It capped a 99-yard drive that he ignited with a 44-yard catch.
Jones, who was coming off major knee surgery, did not play well and got little help from either his new revamped offensive line or his receivers. First-round draft pick Malik Nabers had five receptions for 66 yards, including two for 25 yards.
Jones finished 22 of 42 for 186 yards and two interceptions.
CHARGERS 22, RAIDERS 10
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — J.K. Dobbins rushed for 135 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, and the Los Angeles Chargers had a successful debut under Jim Harbaugh as they rallied in the second half for a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
All 10 of Dobbins’ carries came in the second half. It was the fifth 100-yard rushing game for Dobbins, who signed a one-year deal with the Chargers during the offseason after beginning his career in Baltimore.
Dobbins played in only one game last year when he tore his Achilles tendon during the second half of Baltimore’s opener against Houston.
Justin Herbert was 17 of 26 for 144 yards and a touchdown as the Chargers avenged a 63-21 loss to the Raiders last December, which resulted in the firings of coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco. That set in motion the eventual hiring of Harbaugh after he led Michigan to a national title.
Gardner Minshew was 25 of 33 for 257 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first game for the Raiders.
SEAHAWKS 26, BRONCOS 20
SEATTLE — Kenneth Walker III rushed for 84 of his 103 yards and a touchdown in the second half and the Seattle Seahawks overcame a mistake-filled first half to beat the Denver Broncos 26-20 on Sunday in the debut of new coach Mike Macdonald.
Walker sparked a second-half rally after an unsightly performance by Seattle’s offence over the first 30 minutes littered with sloppy miscues. The Broncos led 13-9 at the half, thanks in part to two safeties.
Walker changed the momentum in the third quarter as Seattle recommitted to the ground game. He gained 53 yards on five carries on Seattle’s first drive of the second half, capped by a 23-yard touchdown run. Walker had another TD called back on a penalty, but he still produced the seventh 100-yard rushing game of his career.
Walker appeared to injure himself on a 7-yard run early in the fourth quarter and didn’t play the rest of the game because of abdominal pain.
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith was part of the early struggles for the Seahawks offence but found a rhythm in the second half. Smith ran for a 34-yard touchdown in the second quarter — the longest run of his career — and hit Zach Charbonnet on a 30-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter that gave Seattle a 26-13 lead.
BUCCANEERS 37, COMMANDERS 20
TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 37-20 rout of the new-look Washington Commanders, spoiling the NFL debut of No. 2 overall draft pick Jayden Daniels on Sunday.
Daniels was more effective running the ball than passing, scoring a pair of rushing TDs for Washington, which is aiming for a fresh start with the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, Dan Quinn as the coach and Kliff Kingsbury and Joe Whitt Jr. running the offence and defence, respectively.
The former LSU star was one of three rookie starting quarterbacks in Week 1, along with No. 1 pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears and 12th pick Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos. He joined Robert Griffin III (2012) as the only rookies to start a season opener for Washington since 1967.
Mayfield jumpstarted a fizzling career last season, signing a one-year contract with the Buccaneers and winning Tom Brady’s old job before leading Tampa Bay to a third consecutive NFC South title and a playoff victory.
COWBOYS 33, BROWNS 17
CLEVELAND — Dak Prescott threw a touchdown pass hours after agreeing to a four-year, $240 million contract with Dallas and the Cowboys’ defense roughed up Deshaun Watson in his return, throttling the Cleveland Browns 33-17 in their opener Sunday.
Prescott’s deal makes him the first player to average $60 million per season and ends months of speculation about his future with the Cowboys, who have won 12 games in each of the past three years with him.
Earlier this week, Prescott, coming off his best season and entering his final year under contract, said he wants to be the quarterback to finally end the team’s Super Bowl drought. He’ll get the chance.
He completed 19 of 32 passes for 179 yards, and relaxed for much of the second half.
Prescott threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Brandin Cooks in the first quarter and the Cowboys opened a 27-3 lead early in the third on KaVontae Turpin’s 60-yard punt return TD.
Brandon Aubrey kicked field goals of 57, 50, 46 and 40 yards for Dallas.
LIONS 26, RAMS 20
DETROIT — David Montgomery’s one-yard touchdown run in overtime lifted the Detroit Lions to a 26-20 win over the Matthew Stafford-led Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night in a rematch of their NFC wild-card game.
The Lions lost a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter but extended the game with Jake Bates’ tying 32-yard field goal in the final minute of regulation.
Detroit won the coin flip and took advantage of having the ball, gaining at least 9 yards on its first four plays in overtime to set up Montgomery’s winning score.
The Rams were in a position to spoil Detroit’s season-opening party when Stafford threw a go-ahead, 9-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter.
They just couldn’t make enough plays on both sides of the ball to hold on for the win.
Los Angeles put up quite a fight despite losing Pro Bowl receiver Puka Nacua and two linemen on its banged-up line.
The Lions had a 17-3 lead in the third quarter after Jared Goff threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams. They lost the comfortable cushion because their former star quarterback picked them apart and their current one threw an interception early in the fourth.
