Brady’s passes light up New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS — If Tom Brady and the Patriots were suffering from a Super Bowl hangover, it looks as though a trip to New Orleans pulled the defending champions out of it. Bouncing back with a vengeance from a season-opening loss, the 40-year-old Brady threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter for the first time in his career and eclipsed 300 yards passing in the first half for only the second time as New England scored 30 first-half points en route to a 36-20 win over the winless Saints.
The 18-year veteran finished 30 of 39 for 447 yards without an interception — at least not one that counted. Saints defenders caught Brady's passes twice, but both plays were wiped out by New Orleans penalties.
Brady joined Warren Moon as the only QBs age 40 or older in NFL history to pass for at least 400 yards and 3 TDs in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In Brady and the Saints' Drew Brees, the game featured the NFL's top two active quarterbacks in terms of career yards and touchdowns. Their 922 TD passes and 128,251 yards passing combined coming in represented the most by starting QBs in the same NFL game. Brees was 27 of 45 for 356 yards and two TDs Sunday.
In the first regular-season NFL game at $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the first sporting event for which the facility's camera lens-like roof was open, Atlanta and QB Matt Ryan put on a show to mark the occasion, leading 24-7 at halftime and 31-7 less than a minute into the third period.
Kirk Cousins gave the Redskins the win with an 11-yard TD pass to Ryan Grant with 1:49 remaining. Derek Carr threw three TD passes to Michael Crabtree, and Oakland native Marshawn Lynch scored in his first home game with the Raiders, who are 2-0 for the first time since their AFC championship season in 2002.
Ben Roethlisberger threw for two TDs and Le’Veon Bell ran for 87 yards as the Steelers improved to 10-1 in home openers under Mike Tomlin.
The Ravens defense picked off four passes and forced a fumble and Joe Flacco threw two TD passes in the win for the 2-0 hosts.
Travis Kelce scored the game-winning TD with 6:25 left and finished with 103 receiving yards. Kareem Hunt had 81 rushing yards and two TDs.
The Panthers defense allowed only three points for the second straight week, and Graham Gano made three FGs in the win. The Bills finished with just 10 first downs.
Tyrann Mathieu’s INT in OT set up Phil Dawson for a 30-yard FG to cap the comeback for the Cardinals, who didn’t lead until the final play. The Colts are 0-2 four years in a row.
Russell Wilson found Paul Richardson for a TD with 7:06 left. It was the Seahawks’ first TD of the season. The 49ers still are without a TD.