Bucs dominate Bears 29-7, show no signs of rust
Jameis Winston threw for 204 yards and one touchdown, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers return from an unscheduled bye week forced by Hurricane Irma to open the season with a 29-7 home rout of the mistake-prone Chicago Bears.
The defense stymied former teammate Mike Glennon with four turnovers. Robert McClain returned one of the quarterback’s two interceptions for a TD, and the Bucs didn’t let the Bears into the end zone until Deonte Thompson scored on a 14-yard reception with 1:43 remaining.
The Bucs (1-0) dominated despite having a short week of practice following the massive storm that forced postponement of the team’s scheduled season opener at Miami.
Winston completed 18 of 30 passes without an interception. He threw a 13-yard TD pass to Mike Evans, who had seven catches for 93 yards.
Glennon, who signed with Chicago as a free agent last winter, was 31 of 45 for 301 yards and two interceptions in his return to Raymond James Stadium. The Bears (0-2) finished with 310 yards total offense, 1 yard less than a Bucs offense that hasn’t had much work in the past month.
If Chicago had an advantage entering the game, it figured to be Glennon’s knowledge of the Tampa Bay defense. If Chicago had an advantage entering the game, it figured to be Glennon’s knowledge of the Tampa Bay defense. The fifth-year pro faced it in practice every day the past four seasons, the last two as Winston’s backup.
And while the Bears did have some success moving the ball, the barrage of turnovers was too much to overcome. And while the Bears did have some success moving the ball, the barrage of turnovers was too much to overcome.
Glennon’s first-half miscues led to two touchdowns. Rookie Tarik Cohen’s ill-advised decision to scoop a punt off the ground and run with it deep in Bears territory set up Tampa Bay’s first TD, Winston’s 13-yard pass to Evans.
Noah Spence sacked Glennon, forcing a second-quarter fumble that led to Jacquizz Rodgers’ 1-yard TD run. McClain’s interception and return up the sideline on Chicago’s next possession hiked the lead to 23-0.
Carson Palmer’s late rally got the Cardinals into overtime and Tyrann Mathieu’s interception set up Phil Dawson for the winning 30-yard field goal.
Dawson made the most of his second chance after pushing a 42-yarder wide right as time expired.
Arizona (1-1) never led until the final play. It hasn’t started 0-2 since 2005. The newest starting quarterback for the Colts (0-2), Jacoby Brissett, was picked off on the first play of overtime.
Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri broke the NFL record for total field goals made from 20 to 29 yards.
His 29-yarder with 11:42 left in the game gave the Colts a 13-3 lead over Arizona — and Vinatieri 177 career field goals made from that distance.
He had been tied with Morten Andersen. Vinatieri, 44, could have broken the record in the first quarter, but the Colts took it off the board when Arizona was penalized for leverage. Colts running back Frank Gore scored the game’s only touchdown on the drive.
Derrick Henry, Delanie Walker and Jalston Fowler each ran for touchdowns for Tennessee (1-1). Marcus Mariota, returning to the Jacksonville stadium where he broke his right leg last December, completed 15 of 27 passes for 215 yards. He had a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in the final quarter.
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles threw two interceptions, including one on a ball tipped at the line, and fumbled once. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown to Allen Hurns in the closing minutes. Much of Bortles’ yardage came in garbage time.
Rookie Leonard Fournette, the top draft pick of the Jaguars (1-1), scored for the second time in as many games, but this one came with the game out of reach. Tennessee led 30-3 before Fournette found the end zone. He finished with 40 yards on 14 carries.
Carolina’s defense allowed only three points for the second straight week, and Graham Gano converted three field goals.
The Panthers (2-0) held Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy in check all day, limiting Buffalo (1-1) to 176 yards and 10 first downs. McCoy had 9 yards on 12 carries and Taylor had 125 yards passing. The Panthers had three sacks, two by Julius Peppers in his first home game since re-signing with them.
Cam Newton was 20 of 32 for 228 yards but was sacked six times by Sean McDermott’s defense. McDermott was Panthers defensive coordinator for the previous six seasons before taking over as head coach of the Bills earlier this year.
Ben Roethlisberger PITTSBURGH — threw two first-half touchdown passes, Le’Veon Bell ran for 87 yards and the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 26-9 on Sunday.
Roethlisberger hit Martavis Bryant for a 27-yard score in the first quarter and flipped a shovel pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster that the rookie turned into a 4-yard score.
Roethlisberger finished 23 of 35 for 243 yards and the two scores as the Steelers (2-0) improved to 10-1 in home openers under coach Mike Tomlin.
Minnesota (1-1) played with 6:09 remaining all but sealed the victory.
Coming off a solid performance in his debut against Pittsburgh, Kizer went 15 for 31 for 182 yards with three interceptions and a lost fumble.
Hogan completed 5-of=11 passes for 118 yards and a score.
Both were outdone by Flacco, playing his second game since returning from without quarterback Sam Bradford, who sat out with a left-knee injury. Case Keenum struggled to get anything going in Bradford’s absence, throwing for just 167 yards on 20 of 35 passing.
Vikings rookie Dalvin Cook ran for 64 yards, but Minnesota failed to generate any real momentum against Pittsburgh’s rejuvenated defense.
Pittsburgh’s “Killer B” offense didn’t exactly light it up in Cleveland in a methodical Week 1 victory. Tomlin pointed to marked improvement in Week 2 and while the fireworks most expected did not materialize, Bryant and Bell both took significant steps forward.
Bryant caught three passes for 90 yards, including his first touchdown in 20 months and also drew a pass interference penalty that set a sore back that kept him sidelined the entire preseason. After going 9 for 17 in a keep-it-simple outing against the Bengals, Flacco went 25 for 34 for 217 yards Sunday.
On Cleveland’s second series, Kizer was looking for a receiver when sacked by Terrell Suggs. The rookie fumbled, Baltimore recovered, and minutes later Terrance West scored on a 4-yard run.
Kizer’s next turnover wasn’t entirely his fault: With the Browns at the Baltimore 26, his pass glanced off the hands of running back Duke up Smith-Schuster’s score. Both Steelers wide receivers took advantage of the NFL’s relaxed celebration rules, imitating rolling dice while being surrounded by teammates.
Bell was limited to just 13 touches against the Browns, something Tomlin attributed more to spotty play around Bell rather than his extended sabbatical following an offseason contract impasse. The workload was significantly heavier in Bell’s second week back. He ran the ball 27 times and added three receptions for 2 yards.
While Bell’s longest play was only an 11-yard run, he helped the Steelers run the clock in the second half.
Last week, Minnesota’s offense looked efficient with Bradford running things in an easy opening victory Johnson into the arms of safely Eric Weddle.
Baltimore went up 14-0 in the second quarter when Flacco completed two straight passes totaling 43 yards to tight end Benjamin Watson before Javorius Allen caught a 9-yard TD throw.
Hogan entered and promptly took the Browns on an 83-yard drive that ended with his first career touchdown pass, to David Njoku.
But Flacco countered with a 2-yard TD pass to Jeremy Maclin on the final play of the half, and that was enough to over New Orleans. Bradford tweaked his left knee during the game.
Enter Keenum, who went 9-15 as a starter with Houston and the Rams before signing with Minnesota. The Vikings offensive line had trouble giving Keenum time in the pocket, and the results were often checkdowns that went nowhere.
Minnesota’s only touchdown came on a 1-yard plunge by fullback C.J. Ham that drew the Vikings within 17-9 early in the third quarter. Kai Forbath missed the extra point.
Pittsburgh responded with a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ended with the second of Chris Boswell’s four field goals with 4:59 left in the third.
The Vikings never threatened again. hand Cleveland its 14th consecutive road defeat.
Browns:
Wide receiver Corey Coleman’s afternoon ended after he hurt his hand on a fourth-quarter play.
Guard Marshal Yanda twisted his left ankle in the third quarter and did not return . ... Defensive tackle Brandon Williams hurt his foot in the third quarter and did not return . ... Maclin missed time in the first quarter with a right shoulder stinger.
Ravens: