Cowboys stun Falcons with onside kick
ARLINGTON, TEXAS » Greg Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired after Dallas recovered and onside kick, and the Cowboys overcame four fumbles and a 20-point deficit in the first quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons 40-39 in coach Mike McCarthy’s home debut Sunday.
The Falcons were still up 12 in the fourth quarter when Dak Prescott became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards 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 after several Falcons let it roll, and rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb’s 24yard catch got the Cowboys in field goal position.
Matt Ryan threw four touchdown passes, two off lost fumbles from the Cowboys, on the way to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter. But the Falcons couldn’t avoid their first 0-2 start under coach Dan Quinn in a performance reminiscent of their blown 28-3 lead in a Super Bowl loss to New England in Houston.
The successful onside kick for Dallas came after two failed fake punts and a gamble from McCarthy in going for the 2-point conversion. PACKERS 42, LIONS 21 » Aaron Jones rushed for a career-high 168 yards and scored three touchdowns, including a 75-yard breakaway. Jones also had a team-high 68 yards receiving on four catches as Green Bay (2-0) won their home opener for an eighth consecutive year. Jones had a 14yard touchdown run and a 7-yard touchdown catch to go along with his 75-yarder.
Jones’ 75-yard burst was the longest touchdown run by a Packer since Ahman Green had a 90-yarder against Dallas in 2004.
Aaron Rodgers was 18 of 30 for 240 yards with touchdown passes to Jones and Robert Tonyan.
RAMS 37, EAGLES 19 » Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes to Tyler Higbee. Goff completed his first 13 passes, including a pair of TDs to Higbee, and Los Angeles 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 period iced it for Los Angeles (2-0).
Goff and Carson Wentz were selected Nos. 1-2 in the 2016 draft, one of seven times since 1967 that quarterbacks were the first two picks. In their only other head-to-head meeting in December 2017, Wentz tore two knee ligaments. Nick Foles stepped in and eventually led Philadelphia to its first Super Bowl title. STEELERS 26, BRONCOS 21 » Ben Roethlisberger threw for 311 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and Pittsburgh fended off a spirited comeback by Denver.
The Steelers (2-0) knocked out Denver starting quarterback Drew Lock in the first quarter with a right shoulder injury. They didn’t secure the win until safety Terrell Edmunds sacked Broncos backup Jeff Driskel on fourth-and-2 with 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 them on Driskel — and were credited with 19 quarterback hits.
COLTS 28, VIKINGS 11 » Jonathan Taylor, a 21-year-old rookie running back, rushed 26 times for 101 yards and scored a touchdown in his first NFL start. Taylor celebrated his first win inside Lucas Oil Stadium, after losing three Big Ten championship games with Wisconsin in the stadium, in front of about 2,500 fans. He became the first Colts rookie in eight years to top the 100yard mark, and it helped Philip Rivers win his first game with Indy (1-1).
Taylor wasn’t Indy’s only impressive rookie. Michael Pittman Jr. caught four passes for 37 yards, Julian Blackmon tipped the ball to Khari Willis for an interception, and Rodrigo Blankenship made all four of his field-goal attempts.
BILLS 31, DOLPHINS 28 » Josh Allen threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns, both career highs, and Buffalo 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 backto-back 300-yard games since Drew Bledsoe in 2002. CHIEFS 23, CHARGERS 20, OT » Harrison Butker kicked a 58-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining in overtime, and Kansas City survived a superlative first start Los Angeles rookie quarterback Justin Herberts.
Butker’s game-winner was his third field goal of the day and his second from 58 yards, which tied a Chiefs record for distance. He nailed a 30-yarder on the final play of regulation.
BUCCANEERS 31, PANTHERS 17» Tom Brady got his first win with Tampa Bay, throwing for 217 yards, one touchdown and an interception in a victory over Carolina.
With another recent acquisition, Leonard Fournette, rushing for 103 yards and two TDs, Brady rebounded from a less-thanstellar debut for his new team to avoid starting a season with consecutive losses for the first time in a 21-year career.
TITANS 33, JAGUARS 30 » Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 49-yard field goal with 1:36 left, and Tennessee remain undefeated after holding off Jacksonville.
BEARS 17, GIANTS 13 » Mitchell Trubisky threw two touchdown passes and Chicago hung on to beat New York.
CARDINALS 30, WASHINGTON 15» Kyler Murray threw for 286 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores to lead Arizona over Washington.
RAVENS 33, TEXANS 16 » Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass, Mark Ingram ran for a TD and Baltimore added a score on defense to to beat the mistake-prone Houston.
SEAHAWKS 35, PATRIOTS 30 » Russell Wilson was 21 for 28 for 288 yards and five touchdowns in Seattle’s win over New England.
The Patriots’ Cam Newton was 30 for 44 for 397 yards and one touchdown, and rushed for 47 yards and two touchdowns.