NFL SUNDAY GAME CAPSULES
Associated Press
The Baltimore Ravens have never been known as an offensive juggernaut, but that could be changing. The Ravens set numerous team records while ruining Brian Flores’ first game as an NFL head coach, blowing out the Dolphins, 59-10 at Miami. Lamar Jackson completed his first nine passes for 204 yards and four touchdowns after Mark Ingram ripped off a 49-yard run on Baltimore’s first offensive play.Jackson tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes for the Ravens, who broke franchise marks for points and total yards with 643.Ingram ran for 107 yards and two scores in his team debut as Baltimore earned its fourth consecutive season-opening victory.
Tom Brady showed he still has life in his 42-year-old arm by passing for 341 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Patriots’ 33-3 romp over the Steelers. Phillip Dorsett caught two touchdown passes from Brady, including a 58-yard score. Ben Roethlisberger completed 27 of 47 passes for 277 yards and an interception, with much of that coming after the Patriots built a 20-0 lead in the fourth quarter.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Chiefs to a 40-26 victory over the Jaguars. Sammy Watkins caught nine passes for a career-high 198 yards and three TDs while Tyreek Hill missed most of the game with a shoulder injury. Jacksonville quarterback Nick Foles suffered a broken left collarbone in the first half, and Myles Jack was ejected for throwing a punch during a fracas in the end zone.
The Rams opened their NFC title defense with a 30-27 win at Carolina as Jared Goff threw for 186 yards and a touchdown. Todd Gurley started and ran for 97 yards on 14 carries after being limited to eight yards rushing on five touches in the first half. Malcolm Brown scored two TDs and was the primary ball carrier for the better part of three quarters, finishing with 53 yards on 11 carries.
Dak Prescott tied his career high with four touchdown passes while throwing for 405 yards as the Cowboys overwhelmed the Giants, 35-17. Ezekiel Elliott finished with 53 yards on 13 carries, including a 10-yard scoring run in his first game since ending his training camp holdout and signing a six-year, $90 million contract extension last week. Michael Gallup had seven catches for 158 yards, and Amari Cooper grabbed six balls for 106 yards.
Anthony Harris picked off Matt Ryan twice and had a fumble recovery to highlight the Vikings’ defensive display in a 28-12 thrashing of the Falcons. Davin Cook had 21 rushes for 111 yards and two touchdowns as Minnesota utilized its ground attack to the fullest. Kirk Cousins scored on a one-yard sneak and needed to attempt just 10 passes, completing eight for 98 yards and a score.
The Titans mauled the Browns, 43-13 as Marcus Mariota threw for three touchdowns, including a 75-yard scoring strike to running back Derrick Henry. Tennessee tight end Delanie Walker had two TD catches in the fourth quarter, and Titans defensive backs intercepted Baker Mayfield three times in the final period. The Browns committed 18 penalties for 182 yards in their first game under coach Freddie Kitchens.
Carson Wentz threw a pair of deep touchdown passes to DeSean Jackson to help the Eagles overcome a 17-point deficit and beat the Redskins, 32-27. Wentz was 28 of 39 for 313 yards and three TDs in his first game since Week 14 after not taking a snap in the preseason. Case Keenum threw for 380 yards and three TDs for Washington, which jumped out to a 17-0 lead.
Russell Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for a 44-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter before the Seahawks held off the Bengals, 21-20. Wilson was 14 of 20 for 196 yards and two scores, including a 10-yard TD pass in the first half to Chris Carson. Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton looked great running new coach Zac Taylor's offense, throwing for a career-high 418 yards and hitting John Ross for a pair of first-half touchdowns.
Austin Ekeler’s third TD of the day came with 5:01 left in overtime to lift the Chargers past the Colts, 30-24. Ekeler ran for 58 yards on 10 carries and caught six passes for 96 yards and two scores. Philip Rivers made his 209th consecutive start and completed 25 of 34 passes for 333 yards to orchestrate the Los Angeles offense.
Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon returned interceptions for touchdowns while the 49ers picked off Jameis Winston three times in a 31-17 victory against the Buccaneers. San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was 18 of 27 for 166 yards and one touchdown in his first game in nearly a year. Winston threw for 194 yards to become Tampa Bay's career passing leader, including a 10-yard scoring pass to Chris Godwin that got the Bucs within 20-14 late in the third quarter.
Josh Allen threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to John Brown with three minutes left to complete the Bills’ rally from a 16-0 deficit in a 17-16 victory over the Jets. Allen finished 24 of 37 for 254 yards and a touchdown for Buffalo, which began its comeback after Le’Veon Bell’s touchdown and two-point conversion catch late in the third quarter. The Bills committed four turnovers but took advantage of a missed extra point and a shanked 45-yard field-goal attempt by New York kicker Kaare Vedvik.
The Cardinals pulled off a nice comeback in quarterback Kyler Murray’s NFL debut, rallying from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter before settling for a 27-27 tie with the Lions. Murray was 15 of 19 for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the final period, hitting David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald for TDs and finding Christian Kirk tying 2-point conversion with 43 seconds remaining. Matthew Stafford threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns for the Lions.