Week 1 NFL Game Recaps

Final Score: Denver 15, Buffalo 14

Orchard Park, NY (My Sportsbook) - Jason Elam drilled a 42-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Denver Broncos to a dramatic 15-14 win over the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Trailing 14-12 with 2:13 remaining, Jay Cutler led the Broncos on a 12-play, 42-yard drive, including two fourth- down conversions, before Elam rushed onto the field with the special teams unit and made a long field goal, shocking the Bills' faithful in Orchard Park. Elam, who missed two field goals earlier, had to rush onto the field because the Broncos were out of timeouts when Javon Walker caught an 11-yard pass from Cutler with 14 seconds left. Denver curiously decided not to spike the ball and instead rushed the field- goal unit on and got the snap off with about two ticks left on the clock. Cutler finished 23-of-39 passing for 304 yards with a touchdown and one interception. Former Bill Travis Henry rushed for 139 yards on 23 carries and Walker had nine catches for 119 yards for Denver (1-0), which racked up 470 total yards, while limiting Buffalo to 184. Buffalo starting quarterback J.P. Losman struggled, going 14-of-21 for 97 yards with an interception. Rookie Marshawn Lynch piled up 90 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Roscoe Parrish returned a punt for a touchdown for Buffalo (0-1), which lost three defensive starters to injury. Safety Ko Simpson (fractured left ankle), linebacker Coy Wire (medial collateral sprain) and cornerback Jason Webster (broken forearm). The most serious injury was to special teamer Kevin Everett, who suffered a cervical spine injury on the second half kickoff. The reserve tight end was knocked out cold and laid motionless before being taken off the field in an ambulance.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 34, Cleveland 7

Cleveland, OH (My Sportsbook) - The Mike Tomlin era began with a win on Sunday, as Ben Roethlisberger completed 12-of-23 passes for 161 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 34-7 rout of the Cleveland Browns. Willie Parker added 109 yards on 27 carries for the Steelers (1-0), who played for the first time under new head coach Tomlin, hired during the offseason to replace longtime coach Bill Cowher, who retired. Santonio Holmes hauled in a 40-yard score, and Hines Ward had three catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. Charlie Frye was pulled after a 4-of-10 start for 34 yards with one interception, and backup Derek Anderson came on to complete 13-of-28 passes for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Browns (0-1). Jamal Lewis struggled in his Browns debut, gaining only 35 yards on 11 carries. Kellen Winslow had four catches for 83 yards for Cleveland. Fullback Lawrence Vickers had the lone score for the Browns, a one-yard reception in the third quarter, his first career touchdown.

Final Score: Green Bay 16, Philadelphia 13

Green Bay, WI (My Sportsbook) - Mason Crosby hit a 42-yard field goal with two seconds remaining, and the Green Bay Packers capitalized on a pair of Philadelphia special teams blunders to claim a 16-13 win in the season opener for both teams at Lambeau Field. With time winding down in the game, the Eagles' defense stiffened and forced the Packers to punt. J.R. Reed raced upfield to try and haul in a short kick, but the ball glanced off his body and to the turf. Jarrett Bush recovered, giving Green Bay possession at the Eagles' 31 with just over a minute to play. Following a couple of runs by rookie Brandon Jackson to wind the clock down, Crosby split the uprights to give Green Bay the win. Jackson ended with 40 yards on 15 attempts and Brett Favre went 23-of-42 for 206 yards with an interception. Donald Driver hauled in six balls for 66 yards for the Packers (1-0). Favre picked up victory No. 148 for his career, which ties John Elway's quarterback win record. Donovan McNabb, seeing his first real game action since suffering a torn ACL last November, went 15-of-33 for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Brian Westbrook had 85 rushing yards and added 46 more yards receiving for the Eagles (0-1), who are now just 3-6 in openers under head coach Andy Reid. Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard left in the second quarter with a knee injury, and did not return. He is expected to have an MRI on Monday. Sheppard's replacement, Joselio Hanson, also left with an injury.

Final Score: Houston 20, Kansas City 3

Houston, TX (My Sportsbook) - Matt Schaub passed for 225 yards with a touchdown as the Houston Texans opened the season with a 20-3 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at Reliant Stadium. Schaub, making his Texans regular- season debut, finished 16-of-22 passing and was intercepted once. Andre Johnson pulled in seven passes for 142 yards, including a touchdown and 2006 first overall draft pick Mario Williams had a 38-yard fumble return for a touchdown and two sacks for Houston (1-0). Ahman Green chipped in with 73 yards rushing on 16 carries and Kris Brown added a pair of field goals for the Texans. Damon Huard threw for 168 yards on 22-of-33 passing and was intercepted twice for Kansas City (0-1). Larry Johnson was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries and caught seven passes for 44 yards for the Chiefs. Tony Gonzalez was held to 28 yards on five catches.

Final Score: Tennessee 13, Jacksonville 10

Jacksonville, FL (My Sportsbook) - Chris Brown ran for 175 yards and Vince Young rushed for a score, as the Tennessee Titans downed the Jacksonville Jaguars, 13-10, in the season-opener for both squads. Young ended 11-of-18 passing for only 78 yards with an interception for the Titans (1-0). However, it was Young's two-yard TD run with 59 seconds left in the third quarter that gave Tennessee the lead for good. David Garrard, in his first start for the Jags without Byron Leftwich on the team, ended 17-of-30 passing for 204 yards with a touchdown. Maurice Jones- Drew recorded just 60 yards of offense and his fumble inside the red zone in the fourth quarter cost Jacksonville at a chance for at least a tie.

Final Score: Minnesota 24, Atlanta 3

Minneapolis, MN (My Sportsbook) - Adrian Peterson caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in his NFL debut and the Minnesota defense added two touchdowns, as the Vikings downed a Michael Vick-less Atlanta Falcons team, 24-3, in the season opener for both clubs at the Metrodome. The game marked the dawning of the Bobby Petrino era for the Falcons as the ex-Louisville coach was on the sidelines for his first NFL game, minus his superstar quarterback. The embattled Vick was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for an indefinite period after he recently entered a plea agreement on federal dogfighting charges. Former first-round pick Joey Harrington, who washed out in both Detroit and Miami before signing with the Falcons during the offseason, took the place of Vick under center for Atlanta. Peterson got more touches than expected in the game after the Vikings' starting running back, Chester Taylor, left the contest late in the first quarter with an apparent hip injury. The former Oklahoma star didn't disappoint and flashed the big play ability that was a staple of his Sooners career. Peterson finished with 103 yards rushing on 19 carries. Tarvaris Jackson earned his first career win as an NFL starting quarterback after completing 13-of-23 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Vikings (1-0), who won for the 16th time in their last 21 home openers. Meanwhile, Kevin Williams and Antoine Winfield both returned interceptions for touchdowns, while rookie Brian Robison had two sacks for an impressive Minnesota defense. Harrington finished 23-of-32 for 199 yards with two interceptions for the Falcons (0-1), who are coming off a disappointing 7-9 season. Warrick Dunn rushed for 55 yards on 22 carries for Atlanta.

Final Score: New England 38, NY Jets 14

East Rutherford, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Tom Brady completed 22-of-28 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns, as New England routed the New York Jets, 38-14, in the season opener for both clubs at the Meadowlands. Randy Moss, who missed the entire preseason with a nagging hamstring injury, caught nine balls for 183 yards and a score for the Patriots (1-0), who won their fourth straight game to open a season. Laurence Maroney rushed 20 times for 72 yards, Wes Welker had six receptions for 61 yards and a TD, while Ellis Hobbs returned a kick an NFL-record 108 yards for a score and Ben Watson added a touchdown catch. Chad Pennington threw for 167 yards on 16-of-21 completions and two TDs before leaving the game in the fourth with a right ankle injury for the Jets (0-1), who lost their season opener for the second time in three campaigns. Backup signal-caller Kellen Clemens completed 5- of-10 pases for 35 yards to finish the game, Laveranues Coles had seven receptions for 59 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Thomas Jones rushed for 42 yards on 14 carries in defeat. Hobbs opened the second-half by returning the kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown, the longest kickoff return in NFL history. Roy Green of the St. Louis Cardinals held the previous record of 106 yards against the Dallas Cowboys in 1979.

Final Score: Carolina 27, St. Louis 13

St. Louis, MO (My Sportsbook) - Jake Delhomme threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns as the Carolina Panthers stifled the St. Louis Rams, 27-13, in the season-opener for both clubs. Delhomme found Drew Carter for two touchdowns while Steve Smith had seven catches for 118 yards, including a 68- yard score for the Panthers (1-0). Carolina's tandem of running backs, DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams, combined to run for 156 yards on 32 carries. Marc Bulger, who signed a lucrative contract extension this offseason with St. Louis, threw for 167 yards on 22-of-42 passing with a touchdown for the Rams (0-1). St. Louis' Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson had a forgettable game, rushing for just 58 yards on 18 carries with two costly second-half fumbles. To add insult to injury, the Rams lost Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Pace in the first half with a shoulder injury.

Final Score: Washington 16, Miami 13 (OT)

Landover, MD (My Sportsbook) - Shaun Suisham drilled a 39-yard field goal just over 5 1/2 minutes into overtime, lifting the Washington Redskins to a 16-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the season-opener for both at FedEx Field. The Redskins won the toss and took the ball to start the extra period. Clinton Portis started the drive with a pair of runs for 20 yards, but Washington soon faced 3rd-and-7. Jason Campbell, though, hit Chris Cooley with a 10-yard pass to keep the drive alive and a nine-yard carry by Portis set up Suisham's winning kick. Portis finished with 98 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while Campbell threw for 222 yards on 12-of-21 passing with a pair of interceptions in the victory. Antwaan Randle El caught five of Campbell's passes for a career-high 162 yards. The Redskins (1-0), coming off a 5-11 mark in 2006, won a season-opener for the fifth time in the last six years. Miami (0-1), coming off a 6-10 season, has lost back-to-back openers and four of its last five lid-lifters. New Dolphins quarterback Trent Green completed 24-of-38 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, but Miami had no rushing attack in Cam Cameron's debut as an NFL head coach. Ronnie Brown rushed for just 32 yards on 11 carries and the Dolphins finished with only 66 yards on the ground.

Final Score: Detroit 36, Oakland 21

Oakland, CA (My Sportsbook) - Jon Kitna threw three touchdown passes, one of them to rookie phenom Calvin Johnson, as the Detroit Lions coughed up a lead but rallied to beat the Oakland Raiders, 36-21, in the season opener for both teams at McAfee Coliseum. Kitna ended 27-of-36 for 289 yards with a pair of interceptions for the Lions (1-0), while the No. 2 overall pick Johnson caught four balls for 70 yards. Roy Williams and Shaun McDonald also had a touchdown reception each. Tatum Bell, in his first game as a Lion, rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown. Josh McCown went 30-of-40 for 313 yards with two touchdowns and two picks against his former team, and Ronald Curry had 10 receptions for 133 yards with a score. Lamont Jordan had 159 total yards and a TD as the Raiders (0-1) stormed back, but were unable to hang on for a win in head coach Lane Kiffin's debut. McCown got the nod over Daunte Culpepper, as the Raiders wait for top pick JaMarcus Russell to sign a contract.

Final Score: San Diego 14, Chicago 3

San Diego, CA (My Sportsbook) - LaDainian Tomlinson ran for a touchdown and threw another as the San Diego Chargers overcame the Chicago Bears, 14-3, in a mistake filled season opener for both clubs. Tomlinson ended with only 25 yards rushing, but added 51 yards on seven receptions, as San Diego won in the debut of head coach Norv Turner with the club. Antonio Gates had a touchdown and 107 yards receiving for the Chargers (1-0), who turned three second-half turnovers into 14 points and the win. Philip Rivers ended 22- of-31 passing for 190 yards with an interception and a lost fumble for San Diego, which overcame three turnovers of its own to win its 11th straight regular-season game. Rex Grossman was held to 12-of-23 passing for 145 yards with an interception for defending NFC champion Chicago (0-1), which committed a total of four turnovers in the game. Cedric Benson was held to just 42 yards on the ground and Adrian Peterson ran for 38 yards for the Bears, who failed to mount much offense.

Final Score: Seattle 20, Tampa Bay 6

Seattle, WA (My Sportsbook) - Matt Hasselbeck completed 17-of-24 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown, and the Seattle Seahawks recovered from a slow start to top the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 20-6, in the season opener for both clubs. Shaun Alexander gained 105 yards on 27 carries with a score, and Bobby Engram had three catches for 64 yards for the Seahawks (1-0), who pulled away thanks to a 34-yard touchdown strike from Hasselbeck to fullback Maurice Morris early in the fourth quarter. The big blow for the Buccaneers (0-1) was the loss of running back Carnell Williams, who left in the third quarter with bruised ribs after gaining 60 yards on 12 carries. Jeff Garcia, in his debut as starting quarterback, completed 19-of-27 passes for 201 yards, but missed parts of two drives in the second half with an apparent head injury. Joey Galloway had five catches for 72 yards for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden said after the game that Garcia will be fine, and that Williams will be evaluated on Monday.

Final Score: Dallas 45, NY Giants 35

Irving, TX (My Sportsbook) - Tony Romo threw for a career-high 345 yards and four touchdowns to lead Dallas to a 45-35 victory over the New York Giants to give new coach Wade Phillips a victory in his debut in the season opener for both clubs. Jason Witten caught six passes for 116 yards with a touchdown for Dallas. Romo, who ended last season by botching the hold on a potential game- winning field goal in a wild card-round loss at Seattle, completed 15-of-24 passes and was intercepted once for the Cowboys (1-0), who racked up 478 total yards of offense. Romo also ran for a score and Marion Barber added 65 yards rushing and a touchdown in the victory while Terrell Owens had two touchdown receptions. Plaxico Burress finished with eight receptions for 144 yards and three touchdowns for the Giants (0-1), who lost three starters to injuries in the contest. Eli Manning threw for 312 yards with four touchdowns and an interception on 28-of-41 passing for New York, but left the game late in the fourth quarter with a bruised right shoulder. He'll have an MRI Monday. Third- year pro Brandon Jacobs, who will see the bulk of the carries in the backfield for the Giants this season with Tiki Barber enjoying retirement, left the game in the second quarter with an MCL sprain in his right knee and did not return. He finished with 26 yards on six carries. Derrick Ward led New York's ground game with 89 yards on 13 carries.

September 10, 2007, at 12:24 AM ET

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