Vikings explode past Green Bay
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Carson Wentz came in after Kyler Murray’s first-quarter concussion in his Minnesota debut and led a spirited comeback against the rival Green Bay as the Vikings scored 29 straight points to close a 39-22 victory on Sunday to open the season.
Wentz had two touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson, matching the two-time All-Pro’s 2025 season total, and the pair connected on a 2-point converstion when the Vikings took their first lead at 25-22 with 6:37 remaining. Green Bay extended the drive three times with crushing defensive penalties.
Jordan Love, who had been brilliant against a relentlessly blitzing defense, melted down along with the rest of the team by losing a fumble on a sack and throwing an interception deep in Packers territory.
Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason each had rushing touchdowns and T.J. Hockenson caught one of the three scores thrown by the 11th-year veteran Wentz, who was appointed the backup to Murray ahead of 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy for his considerable edge in experience.
Love finished 21 for 42 for 387 yards and two first-half touchdowns to Christian Watson, but the two late turnovers and a 3-for-12 conversion rate on third downs loomed large as the Packers picked right up where they left off with a five-game losing streak that ended last season.
BEARS 59, PANTHERS 37
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards and two more scores as Chicago defeated Carolina in the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history.
Chicago and Carolina scored eight more points than the previous record of 88 set in Tampa Bay’s 48-40 win over New Orleans in 2018.
Coach Ben Johnson’s prolific Bears also broke a franchise record for points in an opener, a mark that had stood since 1948, when Chicago hung 45 points on Green Bay at Wrigley Field. The 59 points were the most allowed by the Panthers in team history.
D’Andre Swift, who received a $33.75 million contract extension earlier this week, ran for 124 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns, while Kyle Monangai had 100 yards rushing, including a 61-yard touchdown burst.
RAIDERS 27, DOLPHINS 13
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Kirk Cousins became the 15th quarterback to throw at least 300 touchdown passes in his career after tossing three on Sunday to lead the Las Vegas Raiders to a 27-13 season-opening victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Two of his TD passes went to running back Ashton Jeanty, who also rushed for 102 yards and caught six passes for 45 more. This was the third career 100-yard game for Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft who showed no ill effects of an ankle injury he suffered on Aug. 23.
JAGUARS 34, BROWNS 10
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Trevor Lawrence threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns, opening the season much like he closed last year, and Jacksonville dominated rebuilding Cleveland to spoil the debut of new Browns coach Todd Monken.
The Jaguars scored on six of their first seven possessions, with Lawrence connecting with Parker Washington, rookie Josh Cameron, Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers for touchdowns. Three of four targets were wide open.
RAVENS 41, COLTS 23
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Derrick Henry ran for three touchdowns to move into third on the NFL’s career list, Lamar Jackson threw for 324 yards and a TD and rushed for a score, and Baltimore beat Indianapolis.
The Ravens improved to 13-6 in openers since 2008 and have topped the 20-point mark in their last 10, the league’s longest active streak.
Henry had 24 carries for 144 yards, his 56th 100-yard game and his eighth with three or more TD runs. Henry has 125 career rushing TDs, two more than Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.
JETS 23, TITANS 10
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Breece Hall ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, Geno Smith threw for 215 yards in his Jets return and New York defeated Tennessee 23-10 in the season opener to spoil Titans coach Robert Saleh’s debut against his former team.
The Jets never trailed, led 10-3 at halftime and held the ball for just over 38 minutes. Smith, drafted by New York in 2013 and acquired from Las Vegas in March, finished 19 of 24 while efficiently moving new coordinator Frank Reich’s offense.
BENGALS 33, BUCCANEERS 27
CINCINNATI (AP) -- The Bengals’ new-look defense forced four turnovers -- including its first fumble recovery for a TD since 2022 -- Joe Burrow passed for 254 yards and a touchdown and Cincinnati defeated Tampa Bay.
Evan McPherson had four field goals, including from 55 yards and 58 yards, as the Bengals won their opener for the second straight year.
Linebacker Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook, both signed in free agency, had big games. Both had forced fumbles and recoveries while Mafe also one of Cincinnati’s four sacks.
STEELERS 20, FALCONS 13
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- T.J. Watt jumped in front of a pass from Cooper Rush and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to break open a tight game as Pittsburgh began the Mike McCarthy era with a win over Atlanta.
Pittsburgh was hardly dominant in McCarthy’s debut as the coach of his hometown team, in his reunion with Aaron Rodgers. The star quarterback and his offense sputtered for long stretches thanks to a steady stream of dropped passes, penalties and missed opportunities that allowed the Falcons to hang around.
BILLS 36, TEXANS 31
HOUSTON (AP) -- Josh Allen threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining to lift Buffalo to a win over Houston in a back-and-forth season opener.
Allen had 334 yards passing with two touchdowns and ran for two more scores to get his first win in Houston after losing his previous four games at Reliant Stadium.
LIONS 31, SAINTS 30, OT
DETROIT (AP) -- Tyler Shough threw an incomplete pass in the end zone on a 2-point conversion attempt, allowing Detroit Lions to escape with a win in overtime over New Orleans.
Saints coach Kellen Moore chose to go for the win instead of tying the game with 1:34 left in overtime after his team came back from a three-touchdown deficit in the third quarter and allowed a touchdown on the opening possession of the extra period.
CARDINALS 26, CHARGERS 14
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) -- Jacoby Brissett threw for 277 yards and a touchdown and Arizona defeated Los Angeles, giving Mike LaFleur a victory in his head coaching debut over Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers were 9 1/2-point favorites -- biggest in the NFL in Week 1 -- but they played from behind the entire game.
LaFleur became the first Cardinals coach to win his debut since Don Coryell in 1973. Coryell coached the Chargers from 1978-86.
EAGLES 24, COMMANDERS 22
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Jalen Hurts threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns, and the Eagles’ Moro Ojomo stuffed the Commanders’ attempt at a tying 2-point conversion with 1:01 remaining as Philadelphia squeaked past Washington.
Jayden Daniels threw a 1-yard TD pass to on third-and-goal to Antonio Williams with 1:01 left for the Commanders’ second touchdown of the fourth quarter. On the 2-point try, Washington called a shovel pass to tight end John Bates, who was wrapped up instantly by Ojomo.