9/13/2021 4:30:02 AM GMT + 00: 00 – Patrick Mahomes passed for 337 yards and three touchdowns, all in the second half as the host’s Kansas City Chiefs didn’t lead until the fourth quarter but Cleveland ousted Browns 33-29 on the first Sunday of the NFL season.
Cleveland player Jamie Gillan failed to manage a snap with 8:42 in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs attacked him for a fourth loss at the Browns 15. Mahomes linked up with Travis Kelce three games later for an 8-yard touchdown and the winning result with 7:04 remaining.
The rally earned the Chiefs their 15th straight win in September as they began their quest for a third straight AFC title. Mahomes finished 27 of 36 while also throwing an 11 yard TD on Kelce and a 75 yard scoring bomb on Tyreek Hill.
Baker Mayfield played brilliantly, passing 321 yards while going 21 of 28 to fuel the Browns, who lost in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in Kansas City last season.
Cardinals 38, Titans 13
Chandler Jones scored five career sacks and Kyler Murray threw four touchdown passes as Arizona Tennessee dominated Nashville, Tennessee.
Jones, who missed the last 11 games of 2020 with a bicep injury, almost single-handedly dictated the pace of play with incessant pressure on Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Jones reported three sacks and a forced fumble before the first quarter ended.
Murray completed 21 of 32 passes for 289 yards and added a touchdown on the ground, while Arizona’s running back tandem of Chase Edmonds and James Conner combined 116 yards on 28 attempts.
Texans 37, Jaguars 21
Tyrod Taylor passed for 291 yards, 229 in the first half, and hosts Houston matched their total interceptions from last season in defeating Jacksonville.
Making his first start for the Texans in lieu of the inactive three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, Taylor stood out for his blend of volatility and daring. He finished 21 of 33 and threw two touchdown passes to expedite a Texas offensive that amassed 449 yards.
Jaguar quarterback Trevor Lawrence made his NFL debut and ended with 332 yards passing and three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Seahawks 28, Colts 16
Russell Wilson threw four touchdown passes, two at Tyler Lockett, as Seattle rolled past hosts Indianapolis.
Wilson quickly picked up on the new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s system, completing 18 of 23 for 254 yards, and getting a near-perfect pass score of 152.3 (maximum is 158.3).
Carson Wentz, who was acquired by the Colts in an offseason deal with Philadelphia, was 25 of 38 for 251 yards and two touchdowns, both for Zach Pascal.
Steelers 23, bills 16
Dominant defense and a Special Teams result helped Pittsburgh weather a sleepy first half and beat hosts Buffalo.
The Steelers’ special teams crashed at 9:45 a.m. before a defensive battle. Safety Miles Killebrew blocked Matt Haack’s punt at the Buffalo 10-yard line and Ulysees Gilbert III took the ball for Pittsburgh’s 20th unanswered point, all in the second half.
Steeler’s linebacker TJ Watt had two sacks and Bill’s quarterback Josh Allen completed 30 of 51 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown. Ben Roethlisberger rarely attacked downfield, completing 18 of 32 passes for 188 yards.
Bengal 27, Vikings 24
Joe Burrow found CJ Uzomah with a 32-yard pass on the fourth and short end of overtime to set up Cincinnati’s win over the Minnesota visit.
Two games after Burrow’s pass, rookie Evan McPherson nailed a 33-yard field goal for the Bengals after time ran out.
Burrow was sharp on his return from a cruciate ligament rupture, completing 20 of 27 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Mixon rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown at 29 carries.
49er 41, lions 33
Jimmy Garoppolo recovered from a first snap fumble to throw 314 yards, and Trey Lance threw a touchdown pass on his first NFL attempt when San Francisco held hosts Detroit.
Trent Sherfield and Deebo Samuel caught TD passes, Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty rushed for points after injuring Raheem Mostert, and Dre Greenlaw returned a Jared Goff interception 39 yards for a score, giving the 49ers a 38-10 lead.
Detroit got one last possession after Samuel’s fumble with a minute to go, but stalled in the final seconds at the San Francisco 24.
Chargers 20, Washington 16
Justin Herbert made his first start at a season opener and picked up where he left off after Los Angeles last year. The sophomore pro completed 31 of 47 passes for 337 yards and a touchdown, leading the Chargers past Washington in Landover, Md.
Herbert’s favorite target was Keenan Allen, who ended up with nine catches for 100 yards. Even after being intercepted deep in Washington in the fourth quarter, Herbert got another chance when the LA Defense got the ball back after a fumble the next game.
Three games later, Herbert hit Mike Williams for a 3-yard touchdown, leaving LA with 11:21 to win, and Los Angeles coach Brandon Staley made his debut NFL head coaching.
Panther 19, Jets 14
Sam Darnold made a solid debut with hostess Carolina, and the Panthers defense ruined New York rookie Zach Wilson’s first NFL game.
Darnold had a pass touchdown and a hasty touchdown against his former team, with 279 yards going 24-of-35 without interceptions. He also took advantage of running back from the Carolina standout Christian McCaffrey who was limited to three games last season due to injuries. McCaffrey was Carolina’s leading rusher with 98 yards on 21 carries.
Wilson, number 2 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, ended with 20 of 37 for 258 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Adler 32, falcon 6
Jalen Hurts passed for 264 yards and three touchdowns to help Philadelphia slip past hosts Atlanta.
Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith caught six passes for 71 yards and one touchdown on his NFL debut, and the Eagles outclassed the Falcons in a matchup with two first-time head coaches in Philadelphia, Nick Sirianni and Atlanta’s Arthur Smith.
Dallas Goedert and Jalen Reagor also scored goals and Kenneth Gainwell ran for a touchdown for Philadelphia. Miles Sanders had 113 scrimmage yards (74 rushing, 39 receiving), and Hurts made 27 of 35 passes and stormed for 62 yards.
Saint 38, Packer 3
Jameis Winston hit a career high with five touchdown passes and New Orleans intercepted Aaron Rodgers twice in the Saints’ win in Jacksonville, Florida.
The game was moved from the Superdome to Jacksonville after Hurricane Ida damaged New Orleans two weeks ago.
Winston made his first start for the Saints, passing only 148 yards, but he made 14 of 20 passes without interceptions. Rodgers completed 15 of 28 passes for 133 yards and a pass rating of 36.8 before being replaced by Jordan Love in the fourth quarter.
Broncos 27, Giants 13
Teddy Bridgewater threw 264 yards and two touchdowns, Melvin Gordon finished with a 70-yard TD, and Denver beat New York in East Rutherford, NJ
Bridgewater performed accurately on his Denver debut, making 28 of 36 passes and helping the Broncos hold the ball for just over 35 minutes. Denver linebacker Von Miller recorded two sacks, and the NFL’s active sack handler raised his total to 108.
New York quarterback Daniel Jones completed 22 of 37 passes for 267 yards. He added a rushed TD with no time left but was fumbling deep in Denver territory late in the third quarter.
Dolphins 17, Patriots 16
Tua Tagovailoa passed rookie Jaylen Waddle for 202 yards and a green three-yard touchdown as Miami spoiled quarterback Mac Jones’ NFL debut with a win over hosts New England.
Number 6 overall on this year’s draft, Waddle grabbed his first touchdown catch of his career with 10:51 remaining in the third quarter to finally bring Miami to the top at 17:10. Nick Folk’s 42-yard field goal with 2:50 in the third and another from 33 yards at 10:36 in the fourth drew New England within 17-16.
Tagovailoa, who also had a lavish touchdown, finished 16v27 passing games and was also intercepted by New England defensive back Jonathan Jones at 8:07 to play in the fourth game. Mac Jones and the Patriots drove 41 yards before Damien Harris lost a fumble on the Dolphins’ 11-yard line.
Aries 34, Bear 14
Matthew Stafford made 20 of 26 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns on his team debut to lead hosts Los Angeles to a win against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night.
Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods each won touchdown passes for Los Angeles (1-0). Darrell Henderson Jr. added 70 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
David Montgomery had 16 carries for 108 yards and one touchdown to lead the offensive attack for Chicago (0-1). Andy Dalton completed 27 of 38 passes for 206 yards and one interception, and rookie Justin Fields ended his two pass attempts and stormed to a 3-yard touchdown in limited action during his NFL debut.
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