Bears, Rams Win Openers, NFL Roundup

Bears Rally Past Bengals

(Chicago, IL) -- Jay Cutler found Brandon Marshall for a 19-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter as the Bears rallied past the Bengals 24-21 in the season opener at Soldier Field.  Matt Forte scored on a one-yard run late in the third to pull the Bears within four. Cutler finished 21-of-33 for 242 yards with two TDs and an interception for Chicago, which hosts Minnesota in Week Two. Marshall ended with eight catches for 104 yards, while Martellus Bennett added three grabs for 49 yards and a score. Charles Tillman had two interceptions for the Bears. Andy Dalton was 26-of-33 for 282 yards with two TD's and the two picks for Cincinnati, which clashes with Pittsburgh in its home opener next Monday. A.J. Green racked up nine catches for 162 yards and two score in the setback.

Rams Clip Cards To Open Year

(St. Louis, MO) -- Greg Zuerlein nailed a game-winning 48-yard field goal with 40 seconds left as the Rams clipped the Cardinals 27-24 to open the season at the Edward Jones Dome.  Sam Bradford finished 27-of-38 for 299 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Rams, who outscored the Cards 14-0 in the fourth quarter for the win. Jared Cook had seven catches for 141 yards and two TD's in the victory. Carson Palmer was 26-of-40 for 327 yards with two touchdowns and a pick in his Arizona debut. Larry Fitzgerald had eight catches for 80 yards and two scores in the setback. The Cards lost in Bruce Arians' coaching debut.

Pats Edge Bills In Season Opener

(Orchard Park, NY) -- Stephen Gostkowski connected for a pair of fourth quarter field goals, including a game-winning 35-yarder with five seconds left, as the Patriots edged the Bills 23-21 in the season opener at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Tom Brady finished 29-of-52 for 288 yards and two touchdowns to Julian Edelman. Danny Amendola posted 10 catches for 104 yards and Shane Vereen rushed for 101 yards for the Pats, who host the New York Jets on Thursday night. Rookie EJ Manuel was 18-of-27 for 150 yards and two TD's in his NFL debut for the Bills, who battle the Panthers in Week Two. Fred Jackson rushed for 67 yards and added another 41 yards receiving in defeat.

Dolphins Sink Browns In Opener

(Cleveland, OH)  -- The Dolphins outscored the Browns 17-3 in the second half to pull out a season opening road win, 23-10, at the "Dog Pound". Miami's defense forced Brandon Weeden into three interceptions and held Trent Richardson to 47 yards rushing on 13 attempts. Brian Hartline led the offense hauling in nine receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Tannehill completed 24-of-38 passes for one TD and one pick. Mike Wallace only had one catch for 15 yards in his Miami debut. Cleveland tight end Jordan Cameron had a breakout game hauling in nine passes with 108 yards receiving and getting into the endzone once.   

Saints Ride Defense To Down Falcons

(New Orleans, LA) -- Sean Payton's return to the sideline as Saints head coach was victorious as New Orleans held on for a 23-17 win over Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Drew Brees passed for 357 yards and two touchdowns but the Saints kept the Falcons out of the end zone from inside the five-yard line in the closing seconds of the game to preserve the win.  Roman Harper intercepted the Falcons' Matt Ryan to end a comeback attempt. The Saints' offense gained 419 yards of total offense and won the time of possession battle by almost 10 minutes. Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham caught touchdowns for the Saints and Garrett Hartley made three field goals. Matt Ryan passed for 304 yards and two scores in the loss.  Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez caught touchdowns for the Falcons in the loss.

Jets Beat Bucs On Last Second Field Goal

(East Rutherford, NJ) -- After a costly penalty in the final seconds, Nick Folk nailed a game-winning 48-yard field goal with two seconds left as the Jets beat the Buccaneers 18-17 in the season opener at MetLife Stadium.  Rian Lindell gave Tampa a 17-15 lead with a 37-yard field goal with 38 seconds to go, but a late hit penalty by Bucs linebacker Lavonte David on Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith led to the game-winning field goal. Smith ended 24-for-38 for 256 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Jets, who travel to New England on Thursday. Smith also rushed for a team-high 47 yards on six carries in his NFL debut. Josh Freeman was 15-of-31 for 210 yards with a TD and a pick for the Bucs, who host the Saints in their home opener next week. Vincent Jackson had seven catches for 154 yards, while Mike Williams had four grabs for 52 yards and a TD in the setback.

Titans Stun Steelers In Season Opener

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- Jake Locker was efficient and Tennessee's defense held Pittsburgh's offense under 200 yards, as the Titans stunned the Steelers 16-9 in the season opener at Heinz Field. Locker was 11-of-20 for 125 yards, while Chris Johnson rushed for 70 yards for the Titans, who travel to Houston in Week Two. Jackie Battle had the lone touchdown in the victory. Ben Roethlisberger finished 21-of-33 for 191 yards with a TD and an interception for the Steelers, who managed just 195 yards of total offense. Antonio Brown had five catches for a team-best 71 yards in defeat. Pittsburgh travels to Cincinnati next Monday.

Lions Top Vikings In Season Opener

(Detroit, MI) -- Matthew Stafford threw for 357 yards and two touchdowns as the Lions topped the Vikings 34-24 in the season opener at Ford Field. Reggie Bush had 101 yards and a touchdown receiving to go with a team-high 90 yards rushing. Joique Bell had two rushing scores for the Lions, who travel to Arizona in Week Two.  Christian Ponder finished 18-of-28 for 236 yards and a TD, but threw three interceptions and had a fumble. Adrian Peterson had a 78-yard TD run early in the first quarter but ended with just 93 yards for Minnesota, which heads to Chicago next week.  Jerome Simpson had seven catches for 140 yards in the setback.

Colts Clip Raiders In Season Opener

(Indianapolis, IN) -- Andrew Luck scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 19-yard run with 5:20 to go as the Colts clipped the Raiders 21-17 in the season opener for both teams at Lucas Oil Stadium. Luck finished 18-of-23 passing for 178 yards and two TDs for the Colts, who host Miami in Week Two. Reggie Wayne had eight catches for 96 yards and a score in the win.  Terrelle Pryor was 19-of-29 for 217 yards with a TD and two interceptions for Oakland, which hosts Jacksonville next Sunday. Pryor also ran for a game-high 112 yards on 13 carries, while Darren McFadden added 48 yards and a score on 17 touches.

Fourth Quarter TD Lifts Seahawks Past Panthers

(Charlotte, NC  -- Russell Wilson connected with Jermaine Kearse on a 43-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter as the Seahawks slipped past the Panthers 12-7 in the season opener for both teams at Bank of America Stadium. Wilson finished 25-of-33 for 320 yards for Seattle, which hosts San Francisco on Sunday night in Week Two. Doug Baldwin had seven catches for 91 yards while Marshawn Lynch was held to 43 yards in the victory. Cam Newton finished 16-of-23 for 125 yards and a TD and also rushed for 38 yards for the Panthers, who travel to Buffalo next week.  DeAngelo Williams added 86 yards on 17 carries but had a costly fumble at Seattle's eight-yard line on Carolina's final drive. Steve Smith had six grabs for 51 yards and a score in defeat.

Chiefs Club Jaguars

(Jacksonville, FL) -- Alex Smith was 21-of-34 for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns to guide the Chiefs to a 28-2 season-opening win over the Jaguars in Jacksonville. Jamaal Charles rushed for 77 yards and a score and hauled in three balls for 23 yards for Kansas City.  Donnie Avery and Junior Hemingway each had a TD catch. Tamba Hali returned an interception for a touchdown to give head coach Andy Reid his first win with the team. Blaine Gabbert threw for 121 yards and two interceptions for the Jags. Maurice Jones-Drew was held to 45 yards on 15 carries for Jacksonville.

49ers Edge Packers In Season Opener

(San Francisco, CA) -- Frank Gore scored the go-ahead touchdown with just under six minutes to go as the defending NFC champion 49ers escaped with a 34-28 win over the Packers in the season opener for both teams at Candlestick Park. Colin Kaepernick finished 27-of-39 for 412 yards and three touchdowns for the Niners, who travel to Seattle in Week Two. Anquan Boldin racked up 13 catches for 208 yards and a TD in his San Francisco debut, while Vernon Davis added six grabs for 98 yards and two scores. Aaron Rodgers was 21-of-37 for 333 yards with three TD's and one interception for Green Bay, which hosts Washington in its home opener next week. Jordy Nelson had seven catches for 130 yards and a score and Randall Cobb had seven grabs for 108 yards and a TD in the setback.

Cowboys Hold Off Giants

(Arlington, TX) -- Six turnovers sunk the Giants as they fell to the Cowboys 36-31 at AT&T Stadium to close out the first Sunday of NFL action. Tony Romo completed 36-of-49 passes for 263 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Romo had to leave the game briefly with an injury towards the end of the second quarter, but returned after halftime. Brandon Carr's 49-yard interception return clinched the win for Dallas. Jason Witten hit pay dirt twice, from 15 and four yards out. Eli Manning threw for 450 yards and four touchdowns, but also tossed three picks. Starting running back David Wilson was benched after losing two fumbles.  Victor Cruz helped keep New York in the game by catching three touchdown passes, including a 70-yarder.

Charger, Texans Close Out Week One On "MNF"

(San Diego, CA) -- The San Diego Chargers and Houston Texans close the book on Week One of the NFL season tonight in Southern California on "Monday Night Football." The Chargers and Texans are the late game following the Eagles - Redskins contest. The Chargers have won all four meetings against Houston in the all-time series. The last was a 29-23 victory in 2010.  San Diego ended the 2012 season at 7-9 and in second place in the AFC West. Houston finished 12-and-4 last year to win the AFC South. The Texans defeated the Bengals in the first round of the postseason before falling to New England in the Divisional Round.

Steelers' Pouncey, Foote Out For Season

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- The season is over for Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey and linebacker Larry Foote.  Both players suffered season-ending injuries in Sunday's 16-9 home loss to the Tennessee Titans to open the year. Pouncey suffered injuries to his MCL and ACL that will require surgery. Foote suffered a ruptured bicep which will also require surgery.

Fan Falls To Death At Candlestick Park

(San Francisco, CA) -- A fan fell from a walkway and died during Sunday's game between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park.  Police say multiple witnesses described the man as being intoxicated.  He reportedly fell just after kickoff.  The man received first aid until an ambulance arrived but was declared dead from his injuries.

Sunday, September 8 Scoreboard

NFL

New England Patriots 23, Buffalo Bills 21

Tennessee Titans 16, Pittsburgh Steelers 9

New Orleans Saints 23, Atlanta Falcons 17

New York Jets 18, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

Kansas City Chiefs 28, Jacksonville Jaguars 2

Seattle Seahawks 12, Carolina Panthers 7

Chicago Bears 24, Cincinnati Bengals 21

Miami Dolphins 23, Cleveland Browns 10

Detroit Lions 34, Minnesota Vikings 24

Indianapolis Colts 21, Oakland Raiders 17

San Francisco 49ers 34, Green Bay Packers 28

St. Louis Rams 27, Arizona Cardinals 24

Dallas Cowboys 36, New York Giants 31

Monday, September 9 Schedule (All Times Central)

5:55 p.m. - Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins

9:15 p.m. - Houston Texans at San Diego Chargers