Smith, Peterson get Washington moving
Alex Smith carved up the Arizona defense for 255 yards and two touchdowns, Adrian Peterson rushed for 96 yards and a score and Washington spoiled the Cardinals coaching debut of Steve Wilks with a 24-6 season-opening road win on Sunday.
Smith and Peterson were playing their first game for Washington and the two veterans made an impact from the start. Smith, acquired from Kansas City in the offseason to replace Kirk Cousins, completed 21 of 30 passes without an interception and two TDs. Peterson, who played for Arizona a year ago and signed with Washington as a free agent on Aug. 20, finished his day with a 52-yard reception, but fumbled at the end of the play.
BRONCOS 27, SEAHAWKS 24 >> Von Miller sacked Russell Wilson three times, forced two fumbles and recovered one in helping Case Keenum win his Denver debut. It was the Broncos’ 18th win in their past 19 home openers, and few were more exciting or competitive.
Keenum threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, but was also intercepted three times. Wilson threw for 298 yards and three TDs, but was picked off twice and sacked six times.
BROWNS 21, STEELERS 21 >> Cleveland ended its 17game losing streak, but the Browns missed a chance at their first victory since 2016 when kicker Zane Gonzalez’s 43-yard field-goal attempt with 9 seconds left in OT was blocked by T.J. Watt. The Steelers, who blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, also wasted their chance to escape with a win when Chris Boswell was wide left on a 42-yard field-goal attempt with 1:44 remaining in OT. JAGUARS 20, GIANTS 15 >> Linebacker Myles Jack scored on a 32-yard interception return early in the fourth quarter and the Jaguars spoiled the New York Giants debuts of Coach Pat Shurmur and second-overall draft pick Saquon Barkley, and the return of Odell Beckham Jr. in East Rutherford, N.J.
PATRIOTS 27, TEXANS 20 >> Tom Brady threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Rob Gronkowski for 123 yards and a score.
Deshaun Watson, who missed the final nine games last season with a torn right ACL, completed 17 of 35 passes for 176 yards, one score and one interception for the Texans. CHIEFS 38, CHARGERS 28 >> Tyreek Hill scored three touchdowns, Patrick Mahomes passed for his first four NFL scores and Kansas City opened the season with a victory. Mahomes, who moved into the starting spot after Alex Smith was traded to Washington in the offseason, was 15 of 27 for 256 yards as the Chiefs extended their winning streak over the Chargers to nine.
RAVENS 47, BILLS 3 >> The Ravens harassed and embarrassed Buffalo quarterback Nathan Peterman on a rainy afternoon in Baltimore. Joe Flacco threw three touchdown passes and was 25 for 34 for 236 yards before being replaced in the third quarter by rookie Lamar Jackson, who did little more than hand off the ball after entering with a 40-0 lead. PANTHERS 16, COWBOYS 8 >> Cam Newton ran for 58 yards and a touchdown, and Carolina’s defense turned in a dominating performance in the season opener in Charlotte, N.C. Carolina’s defense had six sacks in all and limited the Cowboys to 232 yards. DOLPHINS 27, TITANS 20 >> Jakeem Grant scored on a tiebreaking 102-yard kickoff return with 14 minutes to go, and host Miami overcame two weather delays to win the longest game since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. Delays for lightning lasted a total of 3 hours, 59 minutes, and the game took 7 hours, 10 minutes to play. Miami’s Reshad Jones helped to clinch the win with a 54-yard return after he intercepted Blaine Gabbert.
BUCCANEERS 48, SAINTS 40 >> Ryan Fitzpatrick highlighted a 417-yard, fourtouchdown performance with two scoring strikes of more than 50 yards. Starting for the suspended Jameis Winston, Fitzpatrick completed 21 of 28 passes without an interception and also ran for a short touchdown.
The Bucs’ DeSean Jackson caught scoring passes of 58 and 36 yards to highlight his five-catch, 146yard day before leaving with a concussion.