QBs Brees, Bradford start season in awkward position

MINNEAPOLIS - Drew Brees has reached the home stretch of his extraordinary career, preferring to play out the final year of his contract with New Orleans while trying to bring the Saints back to the playoffs. Then he will figure out what’s next. Sam Bradford is coming off a careerbest season for Minnesota; he also is playing 2017 on an expiring deal. What the Vikings decide to do next year about his position, with 2014 first-round draft pick Teddy Bridgewater still in rehabilitation mode for his left knee, remains unclear.

When the Saints visit the Vikings in their opener Monday night, Brees and Bradford will begin a season that has put each player in an awkward position: the rare established NFL quarterback on a path toward free agency. They’re at different stages with dissimilar track records, but here they are, both coming off remarkably accurate performances in 2016 for teams that didn’t match their excellence.

Brees had a league-leading 5,208 yards passing , a record seventh time he’s topped the NFL. Bradford set the all-time record for completion percentage (71.6) and threw for a career-most 3,877 yards.

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Teams to try an onside kick to start the season since 2009 after Titans coach Mike Mularkey had Tennessee try it.

The Titans opened the game against the Raiders with Ryan Succop attempting an onside kick that was recovered by Raiders safety Shalom Luani.

The Titans are the first team since the 2009 Vikings (also unsuccessful) to open the season with an onside kick.

That put Oakland and their explosive offense with Derek Carr and Marshawn Lynch at midfield. They needed only four plays before Carr hit Amari Cooper for an 8-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.

The Lions picked off three of Carson Palmer’s passes, returning one for a score. They also knocked David Johnson out of the game after forcing him to fumble in the third quarter Sunday.

Detroit Matthew Stafford quarterback threw four touchdown passes, including two to rookie Kenny Golladay in the fourth quarter, helping the Detroit Lions rally to beat Arizona.

Tyrod Taylor has set the Buffalo Bills record for career yards rushing by a quarterback, surpassing Joe Ferguson.

Taylor’s 14-yard run midway through the third quarter against the New York Jets upped his total to 1,175 yards. That moved him one ahead of Ferguson.

Taylor set the record in just his 30th game for the Bills. Ferguson played 164 games for Buffalo in the 1970s.