The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Ryan drives Colts to 1st win in home opener
INDIANAPOLIS — Matt Ryan threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jelani Woods with 24 seconds left Sunday to give the Indianapolis Colts a 20-17 comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ryan earned his first win with the Colts in their home opener by hooking up with Woods for both Indianapolis touchdowns, one week after they were shut out at Jacksonville.
But it took a 16-play, 76-yard drive — aided by a personal foul call on Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones following a third-down sack — for Indy to snap a four-game winless streak that included two losses late last season.
They sealed it with Rodney McLeod Jr.’s interception with 2 seconds to play.
Ryan finished 27 of 37 for 222 yards in his 225th career start. He was sacked five times and lost two fumbles.
For the Chiefs, it was a rare September misfire. Mahomes fell to 13-3 in the opening month while going 20 of 35 for 262 yards, one TD and his first interception of the season.
Eagles 24, Commanders 8: DeVonta Smith caught eight passes from Jalen Hurts for a careerhigh 169 yards and a touchdown and Carson Wentz flopped in his first game against the team that drafted him as Philadelphia routed Washington.
Smith made acrobatic catches along the sideline and to the edge of the end zone for respective gains of 45 and 44 yards, and hauled in a TD pass on fourth down to end the first half with no time left on the clock. The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama surpassed his previous professional high for yards receiving before halftime.
His 156 yards were the most by an Eagles player in a half since Kevin Curtis in 2007.
Titans 24, Raiders 22: Ryan Tannehill threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score and Tennessee never trailed.
Derrick Henry also ran for 85 yards and a touchdown. Henry also added 58 yards more receiving as the Titans avoided their worst start since 2009 when they lost the first six games that season.
Bears 23, Texans 20: Roquan Smith set up Cairo Santos' game-ending field goal when he intercepted Davis Mills deep in Houston territory, and Chicago beat former coach Lovie Smith and the Texans.
Khalil Herbert ran for a career-high 157 yards and two touchdowns for Chicago.
The Texans had third-and-1 at their 26 when defensive tackle Angelo Blackson tipped a pass intended for Rex Burkhead. Smith, who missed practice all week because of a hip injury, intercepted it at the 30 and returned it to the 12.
Vikings 28, Lions 24: Kirk Cousins connected with a wide-open K.J. Osborn for the go-ahead, 28-yard touchdown with 45 seconds remaining, and Minnesota rallied to beat Detroit.
Osborn blew by former Vikings cornerback Mike Hughes on a corner route to snag the instride pass and cruise across the goal line to give Minnesota the lead for the first time.
As Osborn and Justin Jefferson — who was blanketed by rising star Jeff Okudah and had just three catches for 14 yards — flapped their arms to fire up the crowd while standing on the bench, the Vikings didn't let Jared Goff and the Lions cross midfield.
Panthers 22, Saints 14: Laviska Shenault caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from Baker
Mayfield, Marquis Haynes returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown and Carolina snapped a nine-game losing streak.
Mayfield threw for 170 yards and Christian McCaffrey ran for 108 as the Panthers won at home for the first time since beating the Saints 26-7 on Sept. 19, 2021.
Jameis Winston, playing with an injured back, completed 25 of 41 passes for 353 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, while rookie Chris Olave had nine catches for 147 yards for a Saints wide receiver corps that lost Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry and Tre'Quan Smith to injuries in the second half.
Jaguars 38, Chargers 10: Trevor Lawrence threw for 262 yards and three TDs, James Robinson rushed for 100 yards and a TD and Jacksonville snapped an 18-game road losing streak.
Herbert started after being listed as questionable all week with a rib injury. The third-year quarterback passed for 297 yards, but turned it over twice, finishing 25 of 45 with a touchdown.
Jacksonville's road skid was tied for the eighthlongest in league history. The Jags won in the Pacific time zone for the fourth time in 19 trips and beat the Bolts on the road for the first time in six tries.
Rams 20, Cardinals 12: Matthew Stafford threw for 249 yards, Cam Akers and Cooper Kupp both scored touchdowns, but it was Los Angeles' stellar defensive effort that powered the Rams.
Aaron Donald had a sack and two tackles for loss while Jalen Ramsey added two passes defended and a tackle for loss. The Rams gave up 365 total yards but limited the Cardinals to no touchdowns and four field goals.
Falcons 27, Seahawks 23: Cordarrelle Patterson rushed for a career-high 141 yards and one touchdown, Marcus Mariota threw a 14-yard TD to rookie Drake London in the second half, and Atlanta picked up its first win.
Patterson rumbled for 107 yards in the second half and the Falcons were able to avoid starting 0-3 for the second time in three seasons. Mariota used the pass game to pick up chunks of yards in the first half, then it was Patterson churning big plays in the run game.
Packers 14, Buccaneers 12: Aaron Rodgers threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and Green Bay withstood a late rally led by Tom Brady to hold off Tampa Bay.
Rodgers tossed TD passes of 5 yards to Romeo Doubs and 6 yards to Allen Lazard on his team's first two possessions, while the Bucs' offense sputtered much of the day without star receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones.