***** National Football League Game Capsules *****
(Thursday, September 4th)
Final Score: NY Giants 16, Washington 7
East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Plaxico Burress celebrated his fresh
two-year contract extension with 10 catches for 133 yards, and the
defending-champion New York Giants opened their title defense with a 16-7
victory over NFC East rival Washington. Burress was Eli Manning's favorite
target throughout the night, piling up yards the same day he agreed to a
two-year extension through 2012. Manning completed 19-of-35 passes for 216
yards, an interception and a first-quarter touchdown scamper. Brandon Jacobs
ran for 116 yards on 21 carries for the Giants (1-0), who started a new
campaign without its top two pass rushers from a season ago. Michael Strahan
retired to the network television booth and Osi Umenyiora is out for the
season with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. Jason Campbell
completed 15-of-27 passes for just 133 yards and a touchdown, while last
season's most-worked running back Clinton Ports carried the football 23
times for 84 yards. However, he ran for just 61 yards on 22 carries if
his 23-yard run is taken out of the equation. Jim Zorn lost his NFL head
coaching debut with the Redskins (0-1), while their leading receiver from a
season ago, tight end Chris Cooley, caught just one pass for seven yards.
Newly acquired defensive end Jason Taylor also made his Redskins debut, but
played gingerly at the outset with a persistent knee injury.
***** National Football League Game Capsules *****
(Sunday, September 7th)
Final Score: Atlanta 34, Detroit 21
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Michael Turner had an impressive debut for the
Falcons, rushing for a franchise-record 220 yards and two touchdowns on 22
carries, and Atlanta began the Mike Smith era with a 34-21 victory over the
Detroit Lions. Turner, who signed as an unrestricted free agent on March 2
after spending the past four seasons as a backup to San Diego's LaDainian
Tomlinson, eclipsed the team record of 202 yards set by Gerald Riggs on
September 24, 1984. Jerious Norwood added 93 yards on the ground for
Atlanta (1-0), which finished a dismal 4-12 last season. Matt Ryan, the
No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 Draft, was solid for the Falcons,
completing 9-of-13 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. Jon Kitna
connected on 24-of-33 pass attempts for 262 yards with two touchdowns
and an interception for the Lions (0-1), who are coming off a 7-9 campaign
in 2007. Calvin Johnson caught seven passes for 107 yards in the loss.
Final Score: Baltimore 17, Cincinnati 10
Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Joe Flacco ran for a touchdown in his first
NFL start and the Baltimore defense stuffed Chris Perry on a crucial 4th-and-1
late in the fourth quarter, as the Ravens held on for a 17-10 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco completed 15-of-29 passes for 129 yards in his
debut and scored on a 38-yard run that proved to be the decisive margin.
Le'Ron McClain had 86 yards rushing and was able to grind down the Bengals
defense late in the game. Rookie Ray Rice ran for 64 yards on 22 carries in
his NFL debut for the Ravens (1-0), while Mark Clayton caught three passes for
21 yards and scored on a 42-yard run in the first quarter. Carson Palmer had
one of his worst games as a professional, connecting on only 10-of-25 passes
for 99 yards with an interception for Cincinnati (0-1). T.J. Houshmandzadeh
led the team in receiving with three catches for only 44 yards, and the
Cincinnati offense failed to score a touchdown.
Final Score: Buffalo 34, Seattle 10
Orchard Park, NY (Sports Network) - Trent Edwards went 19-for-30 passing for
215 yards and a touchdown, and Marshawn Lynch rushed for 76 yards and a score,
as the Buffalo Bills rolled to a 34-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Roscoe
Parrish had a punt return for a touchdown, and defensive end Ryan Denney
caught a touchdown throw on a fake field goal for Buffalo (1-0), which is
coming off a 7-9 finish last season and hasn't made the playoffs since
1999. But the Bills started their 2008 campaign on a positive note, as Lee
Evans caught four passes for 102 yards, and Robert Royal had six catches
for 52 yards and a touchdown. Matt Hasselbeck struggled to a 17-for-41 day,
throwing for 190 yards, with one touchdown and an interception for the
Seahawks (0-1), who enter their last season under head coach Mike Holmgren.
Seattle wideout Nate Burleson caught five passes for 60 yards and one
touchdown before leaving in the third quarter with an apparent left knee
injury.
Final Score: NY Jets 20, Miami 14
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Brett Favre threw a pair of touchdown passes in
his regular-season debut for the Jets, and Darrelle Revis intercepted former
New York quarterback Chad Pennington in the end zone with five seconds
remaining to give the Jets a dramatic 20-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins pulled within 20-14 with 3:27 remaining when Pennington found
David Martin in the end zone with an 11-yard pass, capping an eight-play, 53-
yard drive. New York was unable to pick up a first down as Miami used its
timeouts to get the ball back. The Dolphins took over on their own 39 with
1:43 to play and Pennington marched the offense to the New York 18 with
less than 30 seconds left. He went to the end zone on first down and
was almost intercepted, then threw incomplete on second down with 13
seconds remaining before a third-down heave under pressure toward Ted Ginn
Jr. in the back of the end zone was picked off by Revis. Pennington, who led
the Jets to the playoffs three times during his eight-year tenure, was the
odd-man out when Favre was acquired by New York from Green Bay following his
short-lived retirement. In his debut with Miami, Pennington completed 26-
of-43 passes for 251 yards with a pair of scores and the interception.
Favre, in his first action with a team other than Green Bay since playing two
games with Atlanta in 1991, connected on 15-of-22 throws for 194 yards and was
not intercepted. Thomas Jones ran for 101 yards on 22 carries with a score for
the Jets (1-0), who have won five in a row against Miami. New York was just
4-12 last season.
Final Score: New England 17, Kansas City 10
Foxboro, MA (Sports Network) - Randy Moss had six receptions for 116 yards and
a touchdown as New England overcame an early injury to quarterback Tom Brady
to escape Kansas City, 17-10, in the season-opener for both clubs at Gillette
Stadium. Brady was 7-of-11 for 76 yards before departing the game with a
left knee injury midway through the first quarter. Backup Matt Cassel was
solid over the remainder of the contest, throwing for 152 yards and one
score on 13-of-18 passes. Brady is scheduled to undergo and MRI on Monday.
However, the Boston Globe and several other sources said that Brady suffered
a torn serious anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and will miss the
remainder of the season. Several other sources were also reporting that
Brady is done. Sammy Morris added 53 yards and a TD on 10 carries for the
Patriots (1-0), who finished 16-0 a year ago but fell to the Giants in
Super Bowl XLII. New England extended its NFL record by winning its 20th
consecutive regular-season game dating back to a 21-0 loss at Miami on
December 10, 2006. Brodie Croyle completed 11-of-19 passes for 88 yards
before leaving late in the third quarter with a shoulder injury for the
Chiefs (0-1), who ended the previous campaign at 4-12. Damon Huard threw
for 118 yards and a touchdown on 8-of-12 passes. Dwayne Bowe picked up five
receptions for 49 yards and a TD, while Larry Johnson rushed for 74 yards on
22 carries.
Final Score: New Orleans 24, Tampa Bay 20
New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Reggie Bush's 42-yard touchdown reception
in the fourth quarter lifted New Orleans over Tampa Bay, 24-20, in an NFC
South clash Sunday at the Superdome. Bush compiled 163 yards of total
offense, 51 on the ground and 112 receiving, for the Saints (1-0), who are
coming off a disappointing 7-9 record in 2007. Drew Brees completed 23-of-32
passes for 343 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while
Jeremy Shockey had six receptions for 54 yards in his New Orleans debut. Jeff
Garcia connected on 24-of-41 passes for 221 yards with a TD and an
interception for the Buccaneers (0-1), who are the reigning NFC South champs.
Ernest Graham had 10 rushes for 91 yards and Ike Hilliard hauled in six
receptions for 45 yards and a TD.
Final Score: Philadelphia 38, St. Louis 3
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson made
a big splash in his NFL debut, gaining 203 total yards -- 106 yards on six
catches and 97 yards on eight punt returns -- and the Philadelphia Eagles
ripped the St. Louis Rams 38-3 in the season opener for both clubs. Donovan
McNabb completed 21-of-33 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns as the
Eagles (1-0) dominated in every phase of the game. Hank Baskett had a 90-yard
touchdown catch and 102 yards receiving, and Greg Lewis gained 104 yards on
five grabs for Philadelphia, which didn't miss a beat despite playing
without its top two wide receivers -- Kevin Curtis, who is out with a sports
hernia, and Reggie Brown, who sat with a hamstring injury. Brian Westbrook
gained 91 yards on 19 carries, rushed for one touchdown, and added a
scoring grab for the Eagles, who will likely face a sterner test next Monday
in Dallas against the division-rival Cowboys. Marc Bulger completed 14-of-26
passes for 158 yards for the Rams (0-1), who were outgained 522-166, and
managed only eight first downs to 28 by the Eagles. Steven Jackson, who
missed most of the preseason during a lengthy holdout, gained 40 yards on
14 carries, and Randy McMichael had five catches for 77 yards for the Rams,
who did not score until a Josh Brown field goal in the fourth quarter.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 38, Houston 17
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Willie Parker ran for 138 yards and a
career-high three touchdowns, and Ben Roethlisberger threw for 137 yards
and two scores as the Pittsburgh Steelers demolished the Houston Texans,
38-17, in the regular-season opener for both teams at Heinz Field.
Roethlisberger finished 13-of-14, before being replaced by veteran backup
Byron Leftwich early in the fourth quarter. Roethlisberger was shaken up late
in the second quarter after taking a hit from a Texans' defender. Leftwich
didn't complete a pass in four attempts. Hines Ward caught six passes for 76
yards with two touchdowns for Pittsburgh (1-0). It was the Steelers' sixth
straight victory in openers and is the longest current streak in the NFL.
Pittsburgh has won 23 of its 39 games on Kickoff Weekend since 1970. Rookie
Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries and Santonio Holmes
chipped in with two catches for 19 yards in the win. Matt Schaub completed
25-of-33 passing for 202 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for
the Texans (0-1). He also rushed for a four-yard score. Andre Johnson hauled
in 10 passes for 112 yards in defeat.
Final Score: Tennessee 17, Jacksonville 10
Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Rookie Chris Johnson logged 127 total yards,
including 93 on the ground with a receiving touchdown, as the Tennessee Titans
used a terrific defensive effort to shut down the Jacksonville Jaguars, 17-10
in the season-opener for both teams. The loss may have been costly for the
Titans (1-0), as quarterback Vince Young went down with a sprained left knee
late in the fourth quarter. Young rolled to his right and threw a pass that
was dropped by LenDale White, who rushed for Tennessee's other TD. Jaguars
linebacker Daryl Smith jumped to block the pass and fell directly on the lower
half of Young's left leg. Young needed crutches to get around after the
game and his knee will be evaluated on Monday. The young signal-caller
finished with 110 passing yards with a touchdown and two interceptions on
12-of-22 passes, while Bo Scaife had a game-high 105 receiving yards on six
receptions for Tennessee, which won back-to-back season openers against its
AFC South rival. The Tennessee defense shined with six sacks, three
turnovers and 33 yards against on the ground. David Garrard had little time
to throw for Jacksonville (0-1), finishing with 215 yards on 23-of-35
throws, including two picks and a TD. The dynamic backfield of Maurice
Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor were held to 31 combined yards on the ground,
with Taylor tallying 18 for the Jaguars, who won their first playoff game
since the 1999 campaign last season. Matt Jones led the receiving corps with
six catches for 80 yards.
Final Score: Dallas 28, Cleveland 10
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Tony Romo threw for 320 yards with a
touchdown and an interception on 24-of-32 passing to lead the Dallas Cowboys
to a 28-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the season-opener for both
teams. Romo connected with Terrell Owens on a 35-yard touchdown, one of
Owens' five receptions for 87 yards while Jason Witten hauled in six catches
for a game-high 96 yards receiving for the Cowboys (1-0), who are coming
off a 13-3 season, their best since the Super Bowl champion squad of 1992.
Marion Barber III scored a pair of one-yard touchdowns on 80 yards rushing
but left in the fourth quarter with bruised ribs. Derek Anderson struggled to
mount an offensive attack under center for Cleveland (0-1), going 11-
for-24 for 114 yards and the Browns' lone touchdown to Kellen Winslow, who
made five grabs for 47 yards. Jamal Lewis gained 62 yards on the ground on
13 carries in a disappointing loss for the Browns, who posted a surprise 10-6
record last season.
Final Score: Carolina 26, San Diego 24
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Jake Delhomme found Dante Rosario in the back
of the end zone as time expired to give the Carolina Panthers a 26-24 win over
the San Diego Chargers. D.J. Hackett caught a seven-yard pass on the first
play of the drive and got out of bounds, and Muhsin Muhammad had a 13-yard
reception over the middle to get to the two-minute warning. A few plays later,
on 3rd-and-7 from the San Diego 45, Delhomme found Rosario for an 11-yard
gain. From the 34, Delhomme threw a bullet to Dwayne Jarrett to get to the
23, and with 31 seconds left threw a three-yard pass to Nick Goings.
After an incompletion out of the end zone, there were only six seconds
left. A short pass brought the Panthers to the 14-yard line with two
seconds left, and Delhomme avoided the rush and threw a pass through two
San Diego defenders into Rosario's hands for the game-winning score. Delhomme
finished the contest completing 23-of-41 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown
to lead the Panthers (1-0). Rosario had 96 yards on seven receptions and the
game-winning score. DeAngelo Williams ran for 86 yards on 18 carries in the
win. Philip Rivers threw for 217 yards and three scores on 17-of-27 passing,
as he dropped to 15-2 all-time at home as a starter. LaDainian Tomlinson
had 97 yards on 22 carries, but Carolina kept him out of the end zone.
Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and Chris Chambers each scored a touchdown
for the Chargers (0-1).
Final Score: Arizona 23, San Francisco 13
San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Kurt Warner was an efficient 19-of-30 for
197 yards and a touchdown as the Arizona Cardinals edged the San Francisco
49ers, 23-13 in the season opener for both NFC West squads. Edgerrin James
carried the ball 26 times for 100 yards, while rookie Tim Hightower
rushed for a touchdown for the Cardinals (1-0), who owned a 15- minute
edge in time of possession for the game. Anquan Boldin had eight
receptions for 82 yards -- all in the second half. J.T. O'Sullivan, in his
first career start, threw for 173 yards and an interception on 13-of-19
passes for San Francisco (0-1), which totaled just 269 total yards and lost
four fumbles. Frank Gore rushed 14 times for 96 yards with most coming on a
41-yard TD scamper. Bryant Johnson had three catches for 48 yards against his
former team.
Final Score: Chicago 29, Indianapolis 13
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Rookie Matt Forte rushed for 123 yards on
23 carries and found the end zone, while also catching three balls for 18
yards, as the Chicago Bears christened Indianapolis' brand new Lucas Oil
Stadium with a 29-13 victory over the Colts in a rematch of Super Bowl 41.
Kyle Orton threw for 150 yards on 13-of-21 passing for the Bears (1-0). Jason
McKie had two rushes for five yards and scored a touchdown for Chicago, which
finished last season at 7-9. Brian Urlacher had eight tackles in the win,
while Lance Briggs recovered a fumble for a TD. Peyton Manning, seeing his
first action of the season after undergoing surgery in mid-July to remove an
inflamed bursa sac in his left knee, hit on 30 of his 49 passes for 257
yards and a TD for the Colts (0-1). Joseph Addai gained 44 yards on
12 carries before leaving with a head injury in the fourth quarter. Reggie
Wayne caught 10 passes for 86 yards and a TD for Indy, which finished last
season 13-3, but lost 28-24 to the Chargers in the Divisional playoffs.
Marvin Harrison had eight grabs for 76 yards, moving him into fourth place on
the all-time yards list (14,020).
***** National Football League Game Capsules *****
(Monday, September 8th)
Final Score: Green Bay 24, Minnesota 19
Green Bay, WI (Sports Network) - Aaron Rodgers helped put the ghosts of Brett
Favre behind the Green Bay faithful, at least for another week, by leading
the Packers over Minnesota, 24-19, in the season-opener for both teams at
Lambeau Field. Rodgers was a hearty 18-of-22 for 178 yards and a touchdown
while also running for 35 yards and a score in his first NFL start for the
Packers (1-0), who had a quarterback other than Favre start a game for
the first time since Don Majkowski on September 20, 1992. Ryan Grant
gained 92 yards on 12 carries while Greg Jennings was the recipient of five
Rodgers' passes for 91 yards. Will Blackmon returned a punt 76 yards for a
touchdown in the victory. In the biggest story of the 2008 offseason, Favre
retired, but then opted for a comeback, putting the Packers in a situation
where they would have to deal the most prolific passer in NFL history or
put Rodgers on the bench for a fourth straight year. Favre was dealt to the
New York Jets on August 7 and the reins were handed to the first-round pick
in 2005 out of the University of California. Tarvaris Jackson, who sat out
the final two preseason games with a sprained knee, looked rusty at times
but engineered two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, finishing the contest
16-of-35 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Minnesota.
Adrian Peterson, the 2007 Rookie of the Year, ran for 103 yards and a score on
19 attempts while Sidney Rice made two grabs for 31 yards, including a 23-yard
touchdown reception for the Vikings (0-1), who finished 8-8 last season and
out of the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Final Score: Denver 41, Oakland 14
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Jay Cutler threw for a pair of touchdowns and
299 yards, 146 of them to rookie Eddie Royal, and the Denver Broncos blew out
the Oakland Raiders, 41-14, in the season opener for both teams. Cutler went
16-of-24 passing, with nine of those completions going to Royal, a rookie
from Virginia Tech. Michael Pittman ran for a pair of touchdowns for the
Broncos (1-0), who beat the Raiders for the sixth time in seven games. It was
another abysmal Monday night performance for the Raiders, who have dropped
their last six such contests. In their last four Monday night games, they've
been outscored 125-21. JaMarcus Russell connected on 17-of-26 passes for 180
yards and a pair of TDs for Oakland (0-1), which fell behind 17-0 at the half.
Darren McFadden, the No.4 overall draft pick, made his debut by rushing nine
times for 46 yards for the Raiders. Justin Fargas ran for 97 yards on 18
carries. It was a bumbling start to the season for the Raiders, who dropped
several passes, fumbled three times, and committed five personal fouls.
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