Steelers knock out Lock, hold off Driskel, Broncos
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 311 yardswith two touchdowns and an interception and the Pittsburgh Steelers fended off a spirited comeback by theDenver Broncos 26-21 on Sunday.
The Steelers (2-0) knocked out Denver starting quarterback Drew Lock in the first quarter with a right shoulder injury. Theydidn’t secure the win until safety Terrell Edmunds sacked Broncos backupJeffDriskelonfourthandwith less than two minutes to go.
Driskel completed 18 of 34 for 256 yards with two touchdowns and a pick, and absorbed a serious pounding at the hands of Pittsburgh’s defense. The Steelers had seven sacks in all — six of themon Driskel — and were credited with 19 quarterback hits.
Still, Denver (0-2) had a chance when Driskel hit Noah Fant for a 22-yard gain that gave the Broncos a first down at the Pittsburgh 23. Three plays gained 8 yards. Facing a potentially staggering upset, the Steelers escaped when Edmunds raced in untouched to drop Driskel. A 59-yard sprint by Pittsburgh’s James Conner allowed the Steelers to run out the clock.
Lock exited at the end of Denver’s second drive and did not return after his right(throwing) shoulderwas drilled into the turf by linebacker Bud Dupree. Driskel, who went winless in three starts last season before ceding the job to Lock, played valiantly despite spending much of the day on the run.
Cowboys 40, Falcons 39: Greg Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired, and the Dallas Cowboys overcame four fumbles and a 20-point deficit in the first quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons in coach MikeMcCarthy’shomedebut Sunday.
The Falcons were still up 12 in the fourthquarterwhen DakPrescott becamethe first quarterback inNFLhistoryto pass formore than400yards and rush for three touchdowns in the same game, getting the Cowboys (1-1)
within two.
C.J. Goodwin recovered the onside kick with 1:48 remaining, and rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb’s 24-yard catch got the Cowboys in field goal position so they could run down the clock.
Colts 28, Vikings 11: Jonathan Taylor looked right at home in his first NFL start.
He made Sunday’s hefty workload look pretty easy, too.
The 21-year-old running back rushed 26 times for 101 yards and scored a touchdown in his first NFL start, leading the IndianapolisColts past Minnesota.
Buccaneers 31, Panthers 17: Tom Brady got his first winwith theTampaBay Buccaneers on Sunday, throwing for 217 yards, one touchdownand an interception in a 31-17 victory.
With another recent acquisition, Leonard Fournette, rushing for 103 yardsandtwo TDs, Brady rebounded from a less-than-stellar debut for his newteam to avoid starting a season with consecutive losses for the first time in a 21-year career.
Bills 31, Dolphins 28: Josh Allen threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns, both career highs, and the Buffalo Bills beat AFC East rival Miami for the fourth consecutive time.
Allen reached a career high in yards passing for the second week in a row, and became the first Buffalo quarterback to have back-toback 300-yard games since Drew Bledsoe in 2002.
Packers 42, Lions 21: Aaron Jones rushed for a career-high 168 yards and scored three touchdowns, including a 75-yard breakaway, as the Green Bay Packers rallied from an early 11-point deficit to beat the Detroit Lions.
Jones also had a teamhigh 68 yards receiving on four catches as the Packers won their home opener for an eighth consecutive year. Jones had a 14-yard touchdownrunanda 7-yardtouchdown catch to go along with his 75-yarder.
Titans 33, Jaguars 30: Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 49-yard field goal with 1:36 left, andtheTennesseeTitans remain undefeated after holding off the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gostkowski, who hit the left uprightonanextra point, alsomade a 51-yarder at the end of the first half after an ugly performance in the opener.
This is the Titans’ first 2-0 start since 2008, the most recent season this franchise won the AFC South.
Rams 37, Eagles 19: Jared Goff threwthree touchdown passes to Tyler Higbee to lead the Los Angeles Rams past the Philadelphia Eagles.
Goff completed his first 13 passes, including a pair of TDs to Higbee, and theRams jumped to a 21-3 lead minutes into the second quarter.
After the Eagles (0-2) pulled within one score, Goff ’s 28-yard TD pass to Higbee in the fourth iced it for Los Angeles (2-0).