Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

NFL

The Road to Inglewood via Jacksonville

by

JACKSONVILLE – (Wire Service Preview) – The New England Patriots were the best road team in the NFL last season, a perfect 8-0 in the regular season.

New England travels to Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon looking to start a new streak against the Jaguars. The Patriots lost at Seattle to begin the regular season.

Embed from Getty Images

It won’t be easy against a Jacksonville crew going for its sixth consecutive regular-season home win dating back to last season.

“They play well at home. They’ve been getting great first-half leads,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said of Jacksonville. “They feast off turnovers. They’ve been creating turnovers and turning those into points.”

Division winners in the AFC last season, Jacksonville and New England have taken opposing paths to their respective 1-1 records.

The Jaguars opened with a convincing win over the Cleveland Browns before blowing a fourth-quarter lead in last week’s 20-13 loss at Denver.

Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass to four different receivers in the opening win, then was held under 200 passing yards with no touchdowns against the Broncos.

Jacksonville hasn’t found the same consistent offensive success as it had in Liam Coen’s first season as head coach.

The 2025 Jaguars finished sixth in the NFL in scoring offense (27.9 points per game) and 11th in total offense (337.4 yards per game). This year’s team ranks 15th in scoring (23.5 ppg) and total offense (314.0 ypg) through two games.

Wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. (80 yards) and Jakobi Meyers (68) and tight end Brenton Strange (48) haven’t carried over their production which buoyed the 2025 offense.

Parker Washington, however, has built on his breakthrough 2025 campaign, following up his 847 yards and five TDs with a team-high 181 yards and a touchdown this season.

“Obviously, he’s super talented. He gets open, creates separation. He’s a really good route runner, great ball skills, can make contested catches. All those things are part of it,” Lawrence said of Washington’s success. “I trust him. Our chemistry has grown more and more over the past year of him being put in a lot of different situations and excelling and winning his 1-on-1s. All those things kind of play into that.”

New England features a lockdown cornerback in Christian Gonzalez, who has excelled since signing a record-breaking four-year, $135 million extension before the regular season began. Gonzalez locked up DK Metcalf in the Patriots’ win last week. Washington isn’t the same type of physical specimen, but has been more productive.

He’s No. 2 in the NFL in target share behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 36.7% which is why he warrants the attention of Gonzalez.

The Patriots were unable to beat the Drew Lock-led Seahawks in their opener but bounced back with a resounding 20-3 home win over Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh last week.

New England is allowing a league-best 8.0 points per game, while Drake Maye scrambles to recapture the momentum of his second-place MVP finish last season.

The third-year quarterback has one touchdown pass and four interceptions. Vrabel is trusting the process over the early results.

“Being decisive, believing in what you see,” Vrabel said of what he wants to see from Maye. “All we ask all our players to do is prepare to try to play fast and aggressively and make great decisions. So, yeah, we could always say, ‘Man, we should have let that one rip,’ or ‘We’ve got to make a better decision.’

“Ultimately, it’s his responsibility to be able to distribute the football as quickly and decisively as possible in the places that it’s supposed to go.”

Meyers (thumb), running back LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip), offensive linemen Robert Hainsey (elbow/groin) and Cole Van Lanen (knee) as well as defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton (back) were all limited in Jacksonville’s practice on Thursday. Cornerback Christian Braswell (knee) pracaticed in full one day after being limited.

A pair of New England linebackers in Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder) and Quintayvious Hutchins (knee), along with safety Craig Woodson (shoulder) and tight end Eli Raridon (thigh) didn’t practice Thursday, while starting right tackle Morgan Moses (foot) was limited.

Jacksonville has won the last two times it hosted New England, most recently in 2024, but the Patriots hold a 12-3 edge in the all-time series, including postseason play.

–Field Level Media

Defense! … Defense!

by

FOXBOROUGH – (Wire Service Report) – New England linebacker Elijah Ponder had a sack and also returned a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown to help the Patriots defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 Sunday in Massachusetts.

Ponder’s touchdown came after defensive tackle Christian Barmore stripped the ball from Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The TD plus the Andy Borregales point-after kick gave the Patriots a 20-3 lead with 13:37 to play.

Embed from Getty Images

TreVeyon Henderson (16 carries, 76 yards) scored New England’s other touchdown on a 39-yard run. The Patriots (1-1) also received two field goals from Borregales (30 and 45 yards).

Drake Maye completed 14 of 22 passes for 208 yards. He was intercepted once. Romeo Doubs had three receptions for 96 yards, and tight end Hunter Henry caught three passes for 40 yards.

Pittsburgh (1-1) was limited to 235 yards of offense (3.5 yards per play) and was 2 of 12 on third down. The Steelers’ offense has produced one touchdown in eight quarters this season.

Rodgers was 23 of 39 for 187 yards and was intercepted once. Germie Bernard was Pittsburgh’s leading receiver with four catches for 35 yards.

Linebacker Christian Elliss led New England with 12 tackles (seven solo). He recorded one of New England’s four sacks.

New England opened the scoring on Henderson’s 39-yard touchdown run with 8:22 remaining in the first quarter. It was a four-play, 49-yard scoring drive.

Borregales made a 30-yard field goal with 14:14 left in the first half that extended the lead to 10-0, and Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell kicked a 56-yard field goal on the first half’s final play to make it 10-3 at halftime.

The Patriots had a 13-3 lead after Borregales made a 45-yard field goal with 43 seconds left in the third quarter.

New England rushed for 136 yards in the win.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sunday Night Football: Week Two

by

Indianapolis Colts (0-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chiefs -6.5, total 46.5
Series History: The Chiefs beat the Colts 23-20 in overtime last season, breaking a two-game losing streak in the series.

Embed from Getty Images

Indy’s beleaguered defense has already swapped its lead “blue-dot” communicator on defense, from S Cam Bynum to LB Akeem Davis-Gaither. The Colts are overturning every stone to try to figure out how the opener against the Ravens went so poorly. A run defense whipped by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson (202 yards, four TDs) is praying that Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III won’t have much left for an encore in KC. Walker had 173 rushing yards and 18 receiving yards on three catches to power the Chiefs to a Monday night victory over the Broncos. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor did his part in the opener, with the exception of a rare fumble. He had 98 yards and two TDs. But QB Daniel Jones couldn’t get the passing game to fire. WR Alec Pierce had four receptions but Indianapolis amassed only 251 total yards. Pierce (heel) has been bothered by the same injury that limited him in the offseason, but he’s a go for Sunday night after being removed from the injury report.

NFL: Week Two Previews; 4pm Games

by

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) at Denver Broncos (0-1)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Broncos -2.5, total 45.5

Series History: The home team has won four of the past five games in the series, which is tied 7-7 all-time.

Jacksonville prepped for a rematch with the Broncos by destroying the Browns 34-10 last week. The Jaguars travel west to face the Broncos in Denver on Sunday. Bo Nix completed 17 of 28 passes for 131 yards, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2024. It certainly didn’t help the third-year QB that he was sacked four times and hurried five more times, contributing to converting just 2 of 12 third downs. The Jaguars led the Browns 31-0 after the first drive of the second half before taking their foot off the gas. Trevor Lawrence, who found restored success last season under head coach Liam Coen, had nearly as many touchdown passes (four) as incompletions (five). Lawrence knows it will be tough to find the same success against a Denver defense that finished last season second in yards allowed (278.2 per game) and third in points allowed (18.3). While Denver led the league in sacks (68) a season ago, it managed just two in its loss at Kansas City, while Jacksonville’s defense is tied for the league lead with five. That included 1.5 sacks apiece from former first-round picks Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. The Jaguars’ receiver room has bumps and bruises. Jacksonville removed Jakobi Meyers (thumb) and Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) from the injury report after they were limited throughout the week in practice.

Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) at Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)
Sunday, 4:05 PM ET
FanDuel odds: Chargers -6.5, total 43.5
Series History: The Chargers have won five of the past six meetings.

Pundits are hedging before pushing the chips to the table on a revival in Las Vegas. The Raiders enter Week 2 off an impressive 27-13 win over Miami, but that’s the qualifier. The Dolphins are in full-blown rebuilding mode and lack the playmakers to compete with … almost anyone in the league. The win highlighted the reasons the Raiders opened with Kirk Cousins at quarterback instead of rookie No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. Cousins was calm and collected, delivered three touchdown passes and spread the ball around. RB Ashton Jeanty took a strong first step toward a rebound season. He collected 147 total yards from scrimmage. Las Vegas’ defense had five sacks and held the Dolphins to 74 rushing yards, appropriate to bring up because of the Chargers’ run-first approach. The Chargers would like to erase Week 1. LA had 14 points and lost WR Ladd McConkey (ribs) after he scored a touchdown. To open up the running game, offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel wants Herbert to push the ball vertically.

Seattle Seahawks (1-0) at Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
Sunday, 4:25 PM ET
FanDuel odds: Seahawks -4.5, total 41.5
Series History: The Seahawks own nine consecutive wins over the Cardinals.

The Seahawks entrusted the game to their defense for a 13-10 win over New England in the opener after starting QB Sam Darnold left on the opening offensive drive. Drew Lock was efficient in relief, completing 73% of his passes, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba delivered 122 yards and a touchdown. Seattle intercepted three passes and generated consistent pressure. They’ll need to get to the pocket quickly this week. Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett threw to his primary or first read on almost every pass last week. For the Seahawks, getting rookie Jadarian Price will be a focus. He’ll be opposite his former Notre Dame backfield teammate Jeremiyah Love, who had a strong debut to help Arizona surprise the Chargers.

Washington Commanders (0-1) at Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
Sunday, 4:25 PM ET
FanDuel odds: Cowboys -4.5, total 50.5
Series History: The Cowboys have won five of the past six meetings in the series.

Dak Prescott has only two career losses to the Commanders and is chasing redemption with WRs George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb after a Week 1 defeat. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels was inconsistent in Week 1, but came alive late to make things interesting at Philadelphia thanks to rookie wideout Antonio Williams. He was a bright spot with 64 yards and a touchdown and all four receptions were long enough to move the chains. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt has big-play speed and had two touchdowns in the last meeting with the Cowboys in December. The Cowboys might look to work underneath and between the hashmarks as the Eagles had great success working the ball to TE Dallas Goedert last week. Dallas lost a close game to the Giants, allowing 394 yards and struggling against the run. Rookie Caleb Downs was impressive with a sack and forced fumble but the Cowboys are banged up in the secondary already. OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku brought pressure off the edge, but the Giants converted 9 of 11 third-down tries and had too much time to survey the field. Protecting Daniels against Dallas’ aggressive pass rush could decide momentum early in the game. Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker didn’t have a dream of an opener in the loss at New York but he trained under Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Miami Dolphins (0-1) at San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Sunday, 4:25 PM ET
FanDuel odds: 49ers -13.5, total 45.5
Series History: The Dolphins won the last meeting (29-17) in 2024. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is 1-2 against Miami.

QB Malik Willis threw for 220 yards but the Miami offense struggled to finish drives in the Week 1 loss at Las Vegas. Willis had two rookie receivers in the starting lineup. Caleb Douglas was a bright spot with 94 yards. RB De’Von Achane added 66 total yards and is the player the 49ers — and most opponents — will game plan to stop. The Dolphins have to put up points to keep pace with a diverse and balanced 49ers scheme with Brock Purdy at the controls. While the Dolphins forced two turnovers at Las Vegas, the Miami run defense allowed 130 yards, and top pass rusher Chop Robinson (concussion) is out this week. San Francisco opened its season with a dominant 27-7 thrashing of the Rams in Australia. The offensive line was a major advantage in the game and it stands out as a mismatch against Miami. RB Christian McCaffrey could be in line for a massive game. He had 146 total yards in his last game against the Dolphins.

Patriots, Maye Face Tough Pitt D

by

FOXBOROUGH – (Wire Service Report) – New England QB Drake Maye will be seeking a bounce-back performance when the Patriots face the Pittsburgh Steelers  in Massachusetts today.

Embed from Getty Images

Maye was intercepted three times in the fourth quarter of New England’s 13-10 loss to Seattle in Week 1. The Patriots were in field goal range when Josh Jobe picked off a Maye pass in the end zone with 21 seconds to play.

“The decisions a quarterback makes have a lot to do with wins and losses,” Maye said. “I know that and respect that and realize what I need to do to help the team win. … I’m looking forward to getting back out there and having another chance. Another week.”

Maye, the runner-up to Matthew Stafford as the NFL MVP last season, completed 23 of 33 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

“I think there’s a difference between being reckless and being aggressive,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “We want to be aggressive. That’s how we want to play, but we also have to make great decisions when there’s a look or something that maybe would take a play away.”

The Patriots will be without wide receiver A.J. Brown, who was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a high ankle sprain in the third quarter against Seattle. Brown, who caught three passes for 26 yards against the Seahawks, is expected to miss six weeks.

Running back TreVeyon Henderson, who did not play against Seattle because of an ankle injury, was a full participant in practice Wednesday. Tackle Dametrious Crownover (knee) and cornerback Carlton Davis III (neck) did not practice, while offensive lineman Ben Brown (knee), linebacker Dre’Mont Jones (foot) and linebacker Robert Spillane (knee) were limited participants.

Mike McCarthy won his first game as Pittsburgh’s head coach when the Steelers opened the season with a 20-13 win over Atlanta.

T.J. Watt delivered the game’s key play, intercepting a Cooper Rush pass early in the fourth quarter and returning it 35 yards for a touchdown that gave Pittsburgh a 20-10 lead. Watt, who also recorded two sacks in the victory, was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

“Not only did he make the play, but the ability to get up and finish, it was incredible,” McCarthy said. “It was a great finish by the whole defense, and the momentum swing that came with that, that was obviously huge. That was clearly the biggest play in the game.”

Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 24 of 40 passes for 221 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth, but the Pittsburgh offense struggled for most of the game. The Steelers failed to convert on 10 of their 13 third-down opportunities and were held to 58 yards on the ground. Jaylen Warren led the team in rushing with 46 yards on 10 carries.

“We’re going to trust our menu of offense, and we’re going to line up and try to attack their defense the way we feel gives us the best chance to be successful,” McCarthy said. “Nothing’s changed with how we feel about throwing the ball short, long, intermediate, all that. It’s important to have all those components of your pass game.”

Pittsburgh offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (ankle) and tight end Darnell Washington (personal reasons) did not practice Wednesday, while receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) was limited.

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (not injury related/conditioning) continues to work his way back onto the field and was also a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. Porter was inactive against Atlanta and is still dealing with a back injury that kept him sidelined through training camp and the preseason.

–Field Level Media

Walker Delivered for KC Chiefs

by

KANSAS CITY – (Wire Service Report) – Kenneth Walker III delivered a K.C. masterpiece in his debut and the Chiefs announced their return to form with a 31-10 win over the visiting Denver Broncos on Monday night.

Signed as a free agent after winning Super Bowl MVP honors with the Seahawks in February, Walker wowed with a career-high 173 rushing yards and two total touchdowns.

Embed from Getty Images

Another Super Bowl MVP, Patrick Mahomes, threw TD passes to Walker and Rashee Rice, ran for a 15-yard score in the first half and worked through early cobwebs in his first game since sustaining a season-ending knee injury in December. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards with one interception.

Heat, wind and humidity hindered Broncos quarterback Bo Nix at different times in the game. He was intercepted on the third play from scrimmage of the game and Kansas City’s defense kept bringing the heat with four sacks and two forced fumbles.

In his first game with Davis Webb operating as the play-caller instead of head coach Sean Payton, Nix connected on 17 of 28 passes for 131 yards and a first-quarter touchdown pass to Evan Engram.

The Chiefs rushed for 220 yards. The Broncos had 176 total yards.

Walker boosted Kansas City’s lead to 21-7 with a 60-yard TD on the first possession of the second half. On his 16th carry of the game, Walker bounced a fourth-and-1 run left while eluding diving Broncos cornerback Riley Moss and found nothing but green grass in front of him. Walker also picked up first downs on three third-and-1 carries in the first half.

When Walker crossed the goal line with the clock showing 12:43 in the third, he had outgained the Broncos 165-113.

Kansas City limited Denver’s offense to nine first downs (including one via penalty) and two third-down conversions on 12 attempts.

Walker caught a misdirection toss from Mahomes and trailed an escort into the end zone to stake the Chiefs to a 31-10 lead 21 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Broncos appeared to be already hanging by a thread in the third quarter when Brandon Jones came up with a gift interception courtesy of Mahomes.

Throwing from his own end zone, Mahomes was picked off on a pass intended for Xavier Worthy. Worthy cut up the field, and Mahomes threw the ball between the hashmarks where Jones stood alone at the 28. Jones returned the ball to the Kansas City 5, but the Broncos botched multiple plays, narrowly evading disaster when Nix lost the ball near the sideline while scrambling away from L’Jarius Sneed. Sneed recovered but was out of bounds. By rule, the Broncos retained possession.

Denver lost 8 yards on three plays and came away with a 31-yard field goal by Wil Lutz.

The Chiefs had first-and-goal at the 4 on the next possession only to put three on the board themselves. On that drive, the Chiefs made some history.

Mahomes hooked up with Travis Kelce for the second time in the game, a 59-yard reception that moved Kelce to second all-time in NFL history for most receiving yards by a tight end. He passed Jason Witten (13,046 yards) but still stands more than 2,000 yards behind former Chiefs and Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (15,127).

With his three catches for 71 yards on Monday, Kelce now has 13,079 receiving yards.

Nix fumbled again to give Mahomes the ball right back. Nix moved up in the pocket on third-and-16, but the ball squirted out of his hands and Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones recovered at Denver’s 34.

Nix was intercepted by rookie Mansoor Delane on the opening drive of the game. Delane, the No. 6 pick in the 2026 draft, left the game with a shoulder injury and didn’t return.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Week One Round-Up

by

CHARLOTTE – (Wire Service Reports by Field Level Media) – Caleb Williams threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more and the Chicago Bears pulled away for a 59-37 victory against the Carolina Panthers in the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history.

Embed from Getty Images

In the teams’ season opener, D’Andre Swift scored three touchdown runs and rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries for Chicago. Williams completed 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards and added 65 rushing yards. Kyle Monangai gained 100 yards on 10 carries, including a 61-yard TD.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young threw two of his three touchdown passes to Jalen Coker. Young was 23-of-37 passing for 361 yards with one interception. Coker made eight catches for 138 yards. Chuba Hubbard scored touchdowns on a run and a reception.

The Panthers pulled even at 31-31 on Hubbard’s 2-yard run with 9:02 left in the third quarter. From there, the Bears posted the next three touchdowns on runs by Swift (1 yard), Monangai and Williams’ 1-yard pass to Jahdae Walker. Later, Swift found the end zone from 28 yards out.

Bills 36, Texans 31

Josh Allen accounted for four touchdowns and tossed the decisive 34-yard scoring pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining as Buffalo won in Houston for the first time in 20 years with a wild victory over the Texans.

Allen completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns and added two rushing scores while winning in Houston for the first time in five career attempts, including the postseason. The touchdown throw to Palmer capped a seven-play, 96-yard drive.

Dalton Kincaid had five receptions for 130 yards and DJ Moore had five catches for 100 yards and one touchdown in his Buffalo debut. Tyler Bass kicked three field goals and Rousseau had two sacks as the Bills won in Joe Brady’s first game as head coach. David Montgomery rushed for two touchdowns and caught another in his Texans debut.

Lions 31, Saints 30 (OT)

Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns, Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown and host Detroit held off New Orleans in overtime.

Detroit got the ball first in overtime and Goff threw a 4-yard TD pass to St. Brown for a 31-24 lead with 5:04 remaining in the extra period. Tyler Shough drove the Saints down the field on the ensuing drive and threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Noah Fant, but his two-point conversion pass was incomplete in the back of the end zone.

Shough recovered from three turnovers to pass for 410 yards and three touchdowns, including a 9-yard strike to Juwan Johnson late in regulation that forced OT. Chris Olave hauled in 10 receptions for 182 yards.

Jaguars 34, Browns 10

Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes and Jacksonville dominated visiting Cleveland and Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Lawrence completed 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards as Jacksonville built a 31-0 lead before tapping the brakes in the second half. Parker Washington caught Lawrence’s first TD pass and led the Jaguars with five receptions for 83 yards. Ten Jacksonville receivers caught at least one pass.

With the Browns down 34-3, Watson threw a 46-yard TD pass to rookie Denzel Boston with 1:52 remaining in the game. Watson was 16-of-22 passing for 205 yards and an interception, but he also fumbled and was sacked five times.

Steelers 20, Falcons 13

Aaron Rodgers began his final NFL season by throwing for 221 yards and a score and T.J. Watt returned an interception for a touchdown to help Pittsburgh hold off visiting Atlanta.

Embed from Getty Images

Watt also had three tackles for loss and two sacks for the Steelers, who won their third straight season opener. Cooper Rush completed 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions for the Falcons. Bijan Robinson rushed for 83 yards and had eight catches for 90 yards and a score.

Facing a 13-7 halftime deficit, Atlanta threatened to cut the margin in half on its first drive of the second half, but Nick Folk missed his second field goal attempt of the game — this time a 45-yard try. So when Folk hit from 51 later in the third quarter, the Falcons still trailed 13-10. But Watt’s touchdown less than a minute into the fourth made the lead too big for Atlanta to overcome.

Bengals 33, Buccaneers 27

Cincinnati’s overhauled defense converted three first-half fumbles into touchdowns and led the Bengals past visiting Tampa Bay.

Joe Burrow finished 25-of-35 passing for 254 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Bengals, who finished with four forced turnovers. Baker Mayfield was 23-of-28 for 216 yards and a touchdown run for the Buccaneers, who dropped their first season opener since 2020. Mayfield lost three fumbles for the first time in his career.

Evan McPherson converted all four field goal attempts, including kicks of 55 and 58 yards, to help Cincinnati to its first Week 1 win at home since beating Minnesota in 2021.

Jets 23, Titans 10

Kenyon Sadiq and Breece Hall ran for touchdowns, Geno Smith threw for 215 yards and visiting New York put the clamps on Tennessee. The outcome spoiled the first game as Tennessee’s coach for former Jets boss Robert Saleh.

Smith was 19-of-24 in winning his first start for the Jets since 2016. Hall added 102 yards on 22 rushes as the Jets outgained Tennessee 367-195 and hogged the ball for 38 minutes and 46 seconds.

Cam Ward struggled most of the game for the Titans, hitting 19 of 32 passes for only 140 yards and a late touchdown. Ward played under constant pressure as New York recorded three sacks and forced him into inaccurate throws.

Ravens 41, Colts 23

Derrick Henry scored three touchdowns to move into third place on the all-time rushing TDs list and rushed for 144 yards to power visiting Baltimore past Indianapolis.

Ravens wideout Zay Flowers (hamstring) had five receptions for a career-high 150 yards before he was ruled out. Lamar Jackson had 324 yards passing with a touchdown pass to Flowers and ran for a score while Henry (125) passed Marcus Allen (123) on the TD list.

Daniel Jones passed for 166 yards, one TD and one interception, while Jonathan Taylor ran for 98 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns for Indianapolis. The Colts fell to 1-8-1 in regular-season openers the past 10 years.

Vikings 39, Packers 22

Justin Jefferson caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and Minnesota closed the game with 29 unanswered points to stun Green Bay in Minneapolis.

Kyler Murray’s Vikings debut ended early as he sustained a concussion, and Carson Wentz came off the bench to complete 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. rushed for one touchdown apiece, and T.J. Hockenson had one touchdown catch.

Jordan Love completed 21 of 42 passes for 387 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Packers. Christian Watson caught six passes for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Raiders 27, Dolphins 13

Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for three touchdowns, two to running back Ashton Jeanty, and Las Vegas took care of visiting Miami in a meeting of teams not expected to do much this season.

Cousins, who signed with Las Vegas this offseason after spending the last two seasons with the Falcons, completed 21 of 30 passes for 160 yards and two interceptions. He leaned heavily on Jeanty, who rushed for 102 yards on 23 carries and caught six passes for a team-high 45 yards. Las Vegas controlled the ball for 34:53 and finished with 290 total yards.

Malik Willis hit 15 of 27 passes for 220 yards and an interception in his first start for Miami while running for its only touchdown. The Dolphins managed 259 total yards and converted only 2 of 10 third downs. Willis absorbed five sacks.

Cardinals 26, Chargers 14

Jacoby Brissett threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, Jeremiyah Love added a TD in his NFL debut and Arizona pulled off a victory over Los Angeles at Inglewood, Calif.

Trey McBride had nine receptions for 95 yards and a TD as the Cardinals won their season opener after losing their final nine games of the 2025 season. Arizona outscored the Chargers 19-7 after each team scored on its opening drive, thanks in large part to Chad Ryland’s four made field goals.

Justin Herbert was held to 209 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Ladd McConkey caught five passes for 82 yards and a score before departing toward the end of the third quarter with a chest injury for Los Angeles, which was unable to find sustained offense in its first game under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

Eagles 24, Commanders 22

Jalen Hurts completed 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdown passes plus 46 rushing yards as Philadelphia won its sixth consecutive opener by holding off visiting Washington.

Dallas Goedert caught four passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns, while Saquon Barkley had 15 carries for 83 yards for the Eagles. Dontayvion Wicks, in his first game for Philadelphia, had two receptions for 73 yards, including a 9-yard TD catch in the first half.

Jayden Daniels completed 18 of 34 passes in the game for 164 yards with two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Commanders created a dramatic finish. Daniels went to rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams on a quick out for a 1-yard TD pass with 1:01 remaining for a 24-22 deficit. The Eagles weren’t fooled on the two-point try. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo was waiting for an inside shovel pass to tight end John Bates, stopping him at the line of scrimmage.

Giants 28, Cowboys 20

Jaxson Dart passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns and New York excelled in John Harbaugh’s debut as coach, beating Dallas in the season opener for both teams at East Rutherford’s Met Life Stadium.

Embed from Getty Images

Isaiah Likely caught eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns as the Giants defeated the Cowboys for the second straight time after losing 16 of the previous 17 meetings. Cam Skattebo rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown, Devin Singletary caught a touchdown pass and Jevon Holland had a key interception. Giants star receiver Malik Nabers caught six passes for 69 yards in his first contest since sustaining a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee 11 1/2 months ago.

Dak Prescott was 22-of-34 passing for 175 yards, two touchdowns and the costly pick for Dallas. Javonte Williams accounted for two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) and CeeDee Lamb had a scoring grab for the Cowboys.

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With:

NFL Sunday Night Football

by

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Cowboys -2.5, Total 48.5

Series Rewind: The Giants’ 34-17 win at MetLife Stadium in Week 18 last season snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Cowboys. Dallas is 16-2 against New York since the start of the 2017 season.

Embed from Getty Images

The schedule-makers decided to throw John Harbaugh directly into the NFC East fire by inviting the rival Cowboys to town for his prime-time debut as head coach of the Giants following 18 seasons in Baltimore. Harbaugh was 4-1 vs. Dallas while coaching the Ravens. New York QB Jaxson Dart led all rookies with 24 touchdowns (15 passing and nine rushing) last season despite a high-contact playing style that led to multiple concussion evaluations. Keeping him healthy is essential if the Giants want to make the playoffs for just the third time since winning Super Bowl XLVI. WR Malik Nabers went off — nine catches for 167 yards and two TDs — in his most recent clash with the Cowboys in Week 2 last season. When it comes to success in this rivalry, however, Dallas QB Dak Prescott has earned bragging rights with a 14-3 record, 4,346 passing yards and a 31-9 TD-INT ratio in 17 meetings with Big Blue. He will be looking to air it out Sunday night with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens stretching the field.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Week 1 Previews ; 1pm

by

Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Bears -3, Total 47.5

Series Rewind: The Bears have won seven of the past eight meetings with the Panthers and are 9-3 all-time against Carolina.

Embed from Getty Images

Playoffs? Check. The Panthers won the NFC South for the first time since 2015. The Bears are defending NFC North champions after claiming the title for the first time since 2018. The principals involved in the 2023 trade that put the Panthers atop the draft order to select QB Bryce Young No. 1 overall, and the player the Bears selected with the top pick the next year — Caleb Williams — with the top selection acquired from Carolina in that deal, are squaring off in a Week 1 duel between division winners. The Bears are expecting WRs Rome Odunze (left calf injury) and Luther Burden III (left groin) to suit up. Williams led an offense ranked in the top 10 in total offense, rushing offense, passing offense and points per game last season. Young’s array of offensive support isn’t as vast, but he showed significant progress and enough of a gamer’s mentality in critical spots last season that Carolina picked up his option for 2027. The Bears led the NFL in takeaways last season thanks to a league-leading 23 interceptions.

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Jaguars -8.5, Total 40.5

Series Rewind: Cleveland has won three straight against Jacksonville, including two road games in 2020 and 2024, but the Jaguars lead the all-time series 12-8 in large part thanks to winning the first six matchups from 1995-2000.

Todd Monken officially begins his head coaching tenure with the Browns Sunday against a Jaguars squad led by Liam Coen, who anchored a sensational 13-4 debut-season turnaround in 2025. Jacksonville’s offense ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring (27.9 points per game) behind a return-to-form season from QB Trevor Lawrence. While former starting running back Travis Etienne is now with the Saints, the Jaguars return receivers Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter. Hunter is back and recovered from the torn LCL that ended his rookie season and will again attempt to play receiver and cornerback for Jacksonville. Sunday’s game will be Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s first appearance since October 2024 due to two tears of his right Achilles tendon. The three-time Pro Bowler with Houston has played just 19 games over four seasons since Cleveland acquired him via trade. Healthy once more, he’ll get another chance to prove his worth after beating out Shedeur Sanders in a QB competition.

New York Jets at Tennessee Titans

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Titans -1.5, Total 38.5

Series Rewind: The Jets have won four of the past five meetings.

There are a few opportunities for those “Hey, don’t I know you?” moments pregame with Titans coach Robert Saleh facing his former employer. Saleh was 20-30 before the Jets pulled the plug on his head-coaching tenure. As for his replacement? It wasn’t a great start for Aaron Glenn in 2025. The Jets went 3-14 and went backward in the mission to find a franchise quarterback, pulling their own former second-round pick from the time machine by landing Geno Smith in a deal with the Raiders. Smith makes his first start for the Jets since 2016. The Jets are not lacking talent on either side of the ball, but Saleh won’t be facing a few of his defensive stalwarts from his Jets’ depth chart such as Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner. They were both traded in deals that brought first-round picks and other loot back to New York to resume the quest for the Jets to find their Cam Ward. Well, he’s not an option, as the former No. 1 pick enters his second NFL season and works under former Giants head coach and new Titans play-caller Brian Daboll.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Bengals -3.5, Total 50.5

Series Rewind: This series has been one of runs, with the Bengals winning the last three matchups but the Buccaneers winning the six before that and owning a 7-6 edge in the all-time series.

The Buccaneers are looking to begin working toward a return trip to the postseason after their five-year playoff streak was snapped last season. The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to make their first postseason appearance since 2022 after the initial magic of Joe Burrow’s career has waned a bit. The preseason vibes started bad in Tampa Bay but have gotten better of late with franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield locked in through the 2029 season on a three-year extension signed this week. The Buccaneers bring in a five-game winning streak in Week 1 games. With Cincinnati already having locked in receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to extensions to give Burrow potent passing options, this offseason was about boosting the defense, including a trade of its first-round pick to the Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, to turn around a unit that ranked 30th in points allowed per game and 31st in yards allowed per game last season.

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Bills -1.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: Houston has dominated the matchup of late, winning four of the last five and eight of the last 10 against Buffalo.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, fresh off a fourth straight top-five MVP finish, looks to begin his ninth season doing something he never has before in his NFL career: Win a road game against the Houston Texans. He’s 0-4 all-time, including a loss in his playoff debut in the 2019 season wild-card round when his Bills blew a 16-0 lead. Before his chance at that first, he begins this season with a new first, playing his first game with Buffalo without Sean McDermott as head coach. McDermott, fired after another disappointing playoff exit, was replaced by offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Houston All-Pro pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. (2 1/2 sacks) and Danielle Hunter (two) accounted for more than half the team’s eight sacks of Allen in last year’s 23-19 win over the Bills. The defense should again be excellent, but the question that will likely determine if Houston can return to the top of AFC South after Jacksonville jumped the Texans last year is the health and production of QB C.J. Stroud in his fourth season. Stroud was a rookie standout in 2023, passing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. But over the past two regular seasons, the touchdown-to-interception ratio slipped to 39-to-20.

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Lions -6.5, Total 49.5

Series Rewind: Lions head coach Dan Campbell played for the Saints and was an assistant coach under Sean Payton. He is 1-0 as a head coach against New Orleans, a 33-28 victory at the Superdome in 2023.

Lions QB Jared Goff is working under a different offensive coordinator for the third consecutive season but sounds confident Detroit won’t relive its fate last season, when it missed the playoffs. Drew Petzing was hired by head coach Dan Campbell in the offseason, after multiple play-callers — including Campbell himself — tried to replace Ben Johnson on the headset and came up short in 2025. With Goff at the controls, Petzing has a promising set of pupils. As long as a revamped offensive line holds up, the Lions are positioned to be an offensive juggernaut. Jahmyr Gibbs, recently signed to a three-year, $67.5 million extension, scored 18 total touchdowns last season and might be the league’s most talented all-around running back. Top wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has already been selected to four Pro Bowls, and Jameson Williams ranks as one of the league’s most feared deep threats. Tight end Sam LaPorta is back in action after missing a chunk of last season due to a back injury. Kellen Moore is in only his second season as head coach, but optimism is peaking entering the season in a division with no clear favorite, the NFC South. Tyler Shough took over the second half of last season, and the strong-armed passer showed plenty of promise. With RB Travis Etienne added in free agency, New Orleans should be capable of putting up plenty of points. The fate of the defense is not as clear. The Saints’ defense held opponents to 21 or fewer points in eight games last season. Chase Young and Cameron Jordan combined for 20.5 sacks, but Jordan will miss Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury.

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Ravens -3.5, Total 47.5

Series Rewind: The Colts beat the Ravens 22-19 in overtime in the last meeting between these teams (2023). Indianapolis leads the all-time series 9-6.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor led the NFL with 20 total touchdowns and is the player every defense plots to slow down. QB Daniel Jones spread the ball around consistently before he was injured in November. Jones recovered from the torn right Achilles and enters the season with Alec Pierce sliding into the No. 1 receiver role. Pierce was largely absent from on-field team workouts in the offseason while recovering from a heel issue. The Ravens are still riding with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in the backfield, but Jesse Minter replaced John Harbaugh as head coach, and there is some mystery around how first-time playcaller Declan Doyle will attack defenses. Jackson was giddy discussing what’s coming from Doyle. Minter’s specialty is defense as he returns to Baltimore following a stint as defensive coordinator of the Chargers with plans to make the most of a versatile secondary.

Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Steelers -4.5, Total 41.5

Series Rewind: Pittsburgh holds a commanding 16-2-1 all-time lead against Atlanta and has won the last five matchups, including a Week 1 game at the Falcons in 2024.

Mike McCarthy and Kevin Stefanski each look for wins in their retread coaching debuts for the Steelers and Falcons, respectively. The two coaches have drastically different quarterback situations. Aaron Rodgers, who began his career playing for McCarthy in Green Bay, is back for a second season leading Pittsburgh in what he’s announced will be his farewell campaign. The Steelers aimed to upgrade their attack around Rodgers by trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and adding former Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, who gained 130 or more yards in three games last season. The Falcons were expected to start former Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa in the opener, but he was ruled out Friday with an oblique injury. With incumbent starter Michael Penix Jr. set to be inactive as he’s in the final phases of recovery from a 2025 knee injury, the starting nod goes to Cooper Rush. The journeyman backup played for McCarthy in Dallas, where he went 9-5 as a starter. The Falcons were second in the NFL with 57 sacks a season ago but will be without two of their top three 2025 sack leaders for much of the season with James Pearce Jr.’s half-season suspension and Jalon Walker’s season-ending knee injury sustained in training camp.

– Field Level Media

A.J. Brown Out Four+ Weeks

by

FOXBOROUGH – (Wire service Report) – The New England Patriots will put wide receiver A.J. Brown on injured reserve because of a high-ankle sprain sustained in a season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to multiple media reports.

Embed from Getty Images

Brown walked off the field with the injury to his right ankle on New England’s opening possession of the second half in the Patriots’ 13-10 road loss on Wednesday. An MRI confirmed the high-ankle sprain.

He must miss at least four games before the Patriots can activate him. The earliest Brown could return would be New England’s Week 6.

The injury occurred when Brown was targeted by a third-down pass from Drake Maye, but Seahawks nickel cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett deflected the pass to force a punt. Pritchett’s knee landed on the outside of Brown’s ankle, which twisted inward as he went to the ground.

Brown removed his right cleat and entered the blue medical tent on the sideline as the Patriots added a field goal to go ahead 10-0 in the third quarter.