01-01-2025, 02:30 AM
The gave the an opening with a minute and a half left in Sunday night's season opener, and exploited it.The G-Men called a third-down pa s with a three-point lead and 1:37 left in the game. let the ball fly rather than accepting a sack, and a tailor-made two-minute drill for one of the NFL's most clutch quarterbacks.You read that right.Minus the services of go-to receiver , Romo orchestrated a picture-perfect 72-yard drive. He connected on five of six pa ses, including 's buzzer-beating game-winner -- the dynamic duo's second touchdown connection in the game's final six minutes.The fourth-quarter comeback marked Romo's 24th since replacing Drew Bledsoe as the starter 2006, giving him three more than any other quarterback over that span.Now that Bryant is in his foot, the will need that time-tested Romo-to-Witten partnership to carry the aerial attack.It wasn't pretty for , but he'll take the win with special teams help from . The ' quarterback seemingly struggled all game. He was off target often on both short and deep pa ses. Tannehill never appeared in rhythm and should have been picked several times. Tannehill finished 22-of-34 pa sing for 224 yards and a score. He mi sed several wideout targets in the end zone -- one awful pa s leading to tight end ' leaving the game with an injury. Tannehill won't enjoy the game film, . moved the ' offense consistently, if not explosively. Buoyed by a great ground game early, the quarterback was able to get the ball out of his hands quickly and made good pre-snap reads. Cousins was accurate, especially on intermediate and cro sing routes. It wasn't all positive. He telegraphed a pa s early in the contest that was picked. Unlike last year, however, the signal-caller didn't let the mistake snowball. Cousins didn't do anything to make coach Jay Gruden even consider a quarterback change. carried the in the Drew Lock Jersey first half setting up scoring drives. Morris finished with 121 yards on 25 carries. The got away from the ground game in the second half, due to in part to game flow and several costly penalties. It's clear that the will pound the ball this season with Morris and rookie . They'll need the ground game, as left early with a hamstring injury and didn't return. The weren't able to stretch the field with D-Jax on the sideline. --Kevin PatraThe conversation in Seattle this week will be about offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell's decision to run on 4th-and-1 in overtime with . It was the sensible call, even if it would have shown true guts to throw a slant pa s like they did in the . defensive linemen and disrupted the play in the backfield, getting Lynch to the ground and earning the ' third win in their last four tries in St. Louis against Pete Carroll. It was fitting that Donald was part of the game-winning play. He was the best player on the field by far Sunday, one of many defensive linemen to dominate their one-on-one matchups. Donald finished with eight tackles, three QB hits, three tackles for lo s, and two sacks. also had a big game in a great defensive effort. The ' offense and special teams e sentially spotted the 20 points. The ' defense still found a way to win the game. ' first game as starter was a big succe s. He led the team on a game-tying touchdown drive to end regulation, including a great third-and-15 throw on the run. Foles was efficient throwing the ball for 297 yards on 27 attempts, although he lost two fumbles, including a corner blitz that was returned for a touchdown. Scoring 34 points against Seattle without , or starting receiver is amazing. -- Gregg RosenthalThe did something on Sunday they didn't manage until their final game last season -- they scored 30 points. Consider it a positive sign with new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. limited his mistakes to one interception (that was turned into a fumble recovery by ) while looked like a guy ready for a breakout season.'s big effort end-zone dive on the end of Cleveland's opening drive ended in the worst way po sible. He suffered a concu sion on a hit and lost a fumble. A reminder that the should be wary of their starter from both a performance and durability standpoint. and showed some things. He threw his his first NFL touchdown pa s -- a pretty rainbow to a wide-open for a long score -- and evoked memories of his Texas A&M days with some nice scrambles. But Manziel was reckle s with the football, throwing an interception and losing two fumbles.'s season after he was carted off the field after suffering a non-contact knee injury in the second quarter. The got good news the next day, however. The team announced Monday that an MRI exam on Cromartie's injured left knee came back negative and that the cornerback is listed as week-to-week. Cromartie has not been ruled out of the team's Monday night matchup against the .-- Dan HanzusCarolina's offense is running at a faster pace and with a third element (second running back) more often included in their read-option sets. This might be something to watch out for considering the way the league has found effective ways to defend against the traditional zone read. In fact, it might be a vital part of Carolina's scheme going forward. The ' problems at wide receiver are very real, as evidenced by a wide-open touchdown drop by , one of three on the team's starting two drives by their wideouts. is likely their most dependable target outside of tight end . Gus Bradley's defense is the closest it has been to fitting an image reminiscent of the one in Seattle. On the first drive, backed up against their own goal line, the Jags received a big sack by and a big pa s breakup by . Posluszny also had a demoralizing pick a few drives later midway through the second quarter, which should have led to points. If their offense can catch up, look out. looks 100 percent more comfortable in this offense than he did a year ago. The main reason? A power running game that can also morph into a reliable short pa sing game out of the backfield. Two running backs were drafted in the first round this year but that might have been because not enough teams at the back end of the first round considered , who clearly established himself as the team's lead back on Sunday with 51 yards rushing and a few very shifty moves. -- Conor OrrBetween Ryan's disguised blitzes and a series of ill-timed offensive holding penalties, Luck couldn't find a rhythm. Although he didn't throw well and was burned on risky throws down the field, he got little help from his surrounding talent. , and the second . Luck's receivers offered little playmaking ability after the catch and struggled to get open against a stingy Buffalo secondary. Johnson also dropped a two-point conversion in a disappointing debut Seattle Seahawks Men Jersey .It's only one game, but 's suggests his impre sive preseason was no fluke. In addition to uncorking a perfectly placed 51-yard touchdown bomb to , Taylor showed poise and command, escaping pre sure in the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield. He also prevented a fourth-quarter pick-six with the awarene s to bat down one of his own tipped pa ses. Ryan traditionally asks his quarterbacks to be caretakers supporting a strong ground game and a swarming defense. Taylor adds playmaking ability to that package. owner Jim Irsay revealed after the game that X-rays on Hilton's left knee were negative, leaving the injury as a bad bruise which could sideline Luck's go-to receiver for a few weeks. First-round pick , who showed rookie jitters on a pair of , was left out of the offense until Hilton exited. appears to be locked in as the No. 3 receiver, with the potential for a breakout season if Hilton does mi s extensive time.-- Chris We seling's first pa s of the year: A dreadfully thrown lob that was picked off by first-round cornerback at the Houston 13. The quarterback struggled mightily before finally -- and unsurprisingly -- giving way to in the fourth quarter. Hoyer gave coach Bill O'Brien no choice, overthrowing too many targets and never looking comfortable. His pair of turnovers inside Houston's 15-yard line were inexcusable. That had plenty to do with a defensive front that notched five sacks and controlled the line. Mallett, who led two scoring drives in relief, is bound to start in Week 2.Kansas City's offensive line is far from pristine, but made up for it by employing plenty of quick pa ses. Smith made Derrick Coleman Jersey wise decisions, threw accurately and showed immense comfort inside an offense he's come to know so well. The veteran signal-caller to sed three touchdowns during a 22-of-33 pa sing afternoon that saw Smith shred Houston's secondary for 243 yards. He calmly led the on five straight scoring drives in the first half. The addition of (5/52) paid immediate dividends, with the former star getting open downfield unlike any wideout did for this team in 2014. notched 862 yards and five touchdowns off just 688 snaps last season. The tight end will shatter those numbers in 2015. He was on the receiving end of a 10-yard touchdown strike and raced into the end zone for another 42-yard score -- all in the opening quarter. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound target brings a nasty mix of power and speed, which helped him pile up 106 yards off just six targets. Kelce hurt his abdomen during a violent first-half collision, but returned to the field soon after.-- Marc Se slerIt's like never left Green Bay. The veteran receiver remained in sync with , despite a year apart. Jones finished with four catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns, including a beautiful snag with corner hanging on him. Jones clearly has the quarterback's trust and will keep youngsters and on the sidelines for now. dominated the ' front seven for the . The running back shouldered the ' offensive load with a vintage performance, gaining 141 yards on 24 carries, a touchdown run and five catches for 25 yards. Utilizing a plethora of stretch and outside-runs, Forte continually got on the edge, gobbling up yards. At 29, in a contract year, the back shows no signs of slowing down, still finding the ability to create creases and burst through holes. With Forte churning out yards, the were consistently in positive down-and-distance situations, allowing to make simple reads. The slow-paced offense also kept Rodgers on the sideline much of the first half. It looked like the strategy Dallas employed to protect last season. Of course, Cutler will Cutler. The quarterback didn't see flashing in front of on a fourth-quarter interception that e sentially sealed the contest. -- Kevin PatraDenver pulled off the victory, but 's preseason troubles have poured over into September. The quarterback threw an outrageous 25 pa ses over the first two quarters, which flies in the face of Denver's so-called commitment to the ground game. Credit goes to Baltimore's air-tight defense, which held the to 3.2 yards per play in the first half -- the lowest output during Peyton's run with the -- and added a pick-six by cornerback . Completing 24-of-40 throws for just 175 yards, Manning was hit hard and sacked four times, than Denver has allowed in a game since December 2013.The are 1-0, but concerns over Manning's arm strength and velocity are tangible. How far we've come from Denver's opener two years ago, when Manning lashed Baltimore for 462 yards and seven touchdowns. Sure, the are well-versed in coach Gary Kubiak's offense, but this goes beyond game-planning. With Manning's deep ball shot, Baltimore angled to take away the short half of the field -- and it worked. Look for future opponents to follow suit.Both defenses were sensational. was the first quarterback to encounter a Wade Phillips-led unit that caused all sorts of problems for Baltimore. The quarterback finished the first half 7 for 10 for just 27 yards as both teams combined for a mere 152 yards at the half. Flacco -- 18 of 32 on the day for just 117 yards -- threw a disastrous pick-six in the third quarter, which put Denver up for good Cedric Ogbuehi Jersey in a game devoid of an offensive touchdown. Flacco nearly won it in the end with a gutsy two-minute drill, but his third-down pa s was picked off in the end zone by safety .The lost their defensive leader in Sunday's lo s. was carted off the field . After the game, coach John Harbaugh announced that Suggs tore his Achilles and . -- Marc Se slerOne late sequence showed the difference between these two organizations of late. Instead of asking to pick up six yards with under two minutes to go, coach Sean Payton called for a silly punt. This was a bad idea in any circumstance, especially with the defense struggling to get stops. Bruce Arians, on the other hand, coaches aggre sively even with the lead. He risked stopping the clock by calling a pa s on second down on the team's ensuing drive. Rookie running back delivered, taking his first NFL touch 55 yards for a game-sealing touchdown. Palmer looked very sharp, rifling in some difficult pa ses into tight windows. His protection held up despite a lot of turnover in the preseason, although that likely had a lot to do with a poor pa s rush. The could be without running back once again. He left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury, and didn't return. took all the carries after Ellington left the game, with helping on pa sing downs. Arians indicated after the game that Ellington potentially had a PCL injury.-- Gregg RosenthalThe wiped out a 21-3 deficit behind some -level quarterback play from in the second half. He threw for 404 yards -- the seventh time he's reached 400 in a game -- with two touchdowns. His second scoring pa s was the 254th of his career, pulling him even with Dan Fouts for the most in team history.The summer of hype was justified. The running back got right to work on his highlight reel, nearly juking -- an All-Pro safety -- out of the building on a 24-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Abdullah finished with 94 yards from scrimmage and added a long kickoff return.'s sophomore slump is ancient history. The wide receiver torched the interior of Detroit's defense, finishing with 15 receptions for 166 yards. His biggest catch was a third-and-19 conversion midway through the fourth quarter, a play that set up the game-clinching touchdown. The 15 catches tied a franchise record set by Kellen Winslow in 1984.-- Dan Hanzus may have earned this week from the , but it was who earned his keep on Sunday. The third-year tight end with two touchdowns against the and with nine receptions and 104 receiving yards. After mi sing nearly all of last year with an elbow injury he suffered in Week 1, Eifert will be to the rotation as a much-needed red zone threat for Cincinnati and Michael Dickson Jersey the perennially-criticized . Ah, quarterbacks. You never fail to underwhelm. had a rough start to his highly-anticipated sophomore campaign, going 7 of 12 for just 61 yards before near the end of the first half. Though the X-rays were negative, he didn't return and played just well enough (23/31, 142 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT) to keep the from completely falling apart in the second half. While Jack Del Rio's coaching debut, on both sides of the ball, was notably miserable, did show some burst that he flashed in the offseason. He only played one half with his starting quarterback, but on one short route from Carr, of one poor defender and turned a small gain into a team-long 24-yard gain. It may be a tall task for the rookie, but the will need Cooper to pick up the slack to make Carr, and maybe McGloin, look like a bona fide starter. -- Jeremy BergmanMariota set an NFL record with four touchdown pa ses in the first half of his NFL debut. He had more scores than incompletions (three) on 16 attempts. While he caught a few breaks -- one fumble in the end zone was overturned -- Mariota's calm and accuracy from the preseason carried over. The implemented some packaged plays and other Oregon-like principles where Mariota was clearly comfortable and made the right decisions. Also reminiscent of Mariota's time at Oregon: He sat out the fourth quarter. 's first NFL pa s was returned for a touchdown. The last quarterback to do that was Brett Favre. Like Favre, Winston is going to make a lot of mistakes early in his career. His 210 yards on 33 attempts don't look too bad, but Winston struggled to move the ball when the game was in doubt. Tampa's lousy protection didn't help him. This was an insanely deflating result for a Bucs franchise that already struggles to sell tickets. There were a lot of positive signs for the . They have been waiting for second-year running back to improve, and he set a career high with a modest 74 rushing yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries.-- Gregg Rosenthal saved his best for last. After throwing two interceptions that turned into points earlier in the game, Romo led the on two scoring drives late in the fourth quarter to make amends. Romo is often feast-or-famine in the fourth quarter, and on the final drive, he feasted on the ' secondary that had given him trouble all night -- really -- going 5-for-6 for 72 yards in 1:16. On the touchdown throw, Romo initially fumbled the snap before firing a rope down the seam to for the 11-yard game-winning score. A Hall-of-Fame drive on opening night from a Cowboy great. had one rough night. The wide receiver suffered a broken bone in his foot and is expected to mi s four to six weeks, owner Jerry Jones told NFL Media's Desmond Purnell. He was taken to the locker room in the fourth quarter with a foot i sue. Earlier in the game, Dez went to the locker room with . When he returned to the game, he was a non-factor, dropping a key third-down throw that halted a second-quarter drive deep in the red zone.Despite Romo's heroics, the ' secondary came to play. We expected New York's hodgepodge of abandoned misfit defensive backs to cower against Bryant and Dallas' aerial a sault after their underwhelming preseason performance. But for the most part, Big Blue stood still -- at least through the first three quarters -- thanks to exceptional play from -- who -- and . All hail Steve Spagnuolo, Giant Whisperer.-- Jeremy Bergman
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