Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson said he was "crushed" after seeing Tua Tagovailoa suffer another concussion in Thursday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Dolphins were beaten 31-10 at Hard Rock Stadium, with Tagovailoa throwing for 145 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions before his third-quarter exit.

Tagovailoa collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin on a fourth-down keeper before hitting the back of his head on the turf, staying down for two minutes as several Dolphins players crowded around him.

The quarterback was able to walk to the locker room but was swiftly ruled out as Skylar Thompson finished the game in his place, throwing for 80 yards and no scores.

Tagovailoa previously suffered two concussions during the 2022 season, when the NFL and NFLPA opened a joint investigation into how one of Tagovailoa's injuries was handled.

Asked about the mood in the Miami locker room after the game, Jackson said: "Crushed. I hate to see him like that. Even with his history already with that type of stuff, I hate to see it. 

"I hate that it was him rushing out of the pocket. Wish I could get that back for all of us. I could have been better."

Tagovailoa previously missed two games after being concussed in a 2022 game versus the Cincinnati Bengals, then was shut down for the rest of the season when he sustained another concussion in a Christmas Day meeting with the Green Bay Packers.

Coach Mike McDaniel was in no mood to think about the timeline of his recovery after the game, saying: "Right now it is more about getting a proper procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it one day at a time.

"The furthest thing from my mind is what the timeline is. We just need to evaluate him and I just worry about my team-mate. 

"We'll get more information tomorrow and then take it day by day from there."

McDaniel added Tagovailoa's past head injuries will not inform the way Miami handle his latest blow, saying: "I think it's important to approach each and every situation with the mindset of, 'we're going to handle this particular situation with this particular player'. 

"Every situation is unique. I am not worried about anything that's out of my hands, I'm just worried about the human being, and he'll drive the ship when we get the appropriate information. But it's day-by-day health, particularly with concussions."

Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions before leaving with a concussion and James Cook had three touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills rolled to a 31-10 rout of the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.

Tagovailoa, who has a history of dealing with head injuries, collided with Bills defensive back Demar Hamlin in the third quarter on a fourth-down keeper and hit the back of his head against the turf.

He remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline. Tagovailoa made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands, appeared to smile and departed for the Dolphins' locker room.

The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion.

Tagovailoa positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.

Cook caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen and scored on runs of 1 and 49 yards in the first half, flipping into the end zone when he gave the Bills a 24-7 lead.

Allen, playing with a glove on his left non-throwing hand after hurting it in Buffalo's opener, completed 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards. He's 12-2 against the Dolphins and the Bills are 14-2 against Miami since coach Sean McDermott’s first year as head coach in 2017.

Miami’s star receiver Tyreek Hill was held to three catches for 24 yards during a week in which he dominated national headlines.

Hill was pulled from his sports car by Miami-Dade County police officers, pushed face-first onto a street and handcuffed during a traffic stop outside the Dolphins’ home stadium hours before their season opener. 

Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions before leaving with a concussion and James Cook had three touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills rolled to a 31-10 rout of the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.

Tagovailoa, who has a history of dealing with head injuries, collided with Bills defensive back Demar Hamlin in the third quarter on a fourth-down keeper and hit the back of his head against the turf.

He remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline. Tagovailoa made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands, appeared to smile and departed for the Dolphins' locker room.

The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion.

Tagovailoa positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.

Cook caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen and scored on runs of 1 and 49 yards in the first half, flipping into the end zone when he gave the Bills a 24-7 lead.

Allen, playing with a glove on his left non-throwing hand after hurting it in Buffalo's opener, completed 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards. He's 12-2 against the Dolphins and the Bills are 14-2 against Miami since coach Sean McDermott’s first year as head coach in 2017.

Miami’s star receiver Tyreek Hill was held to three catches for 24 yards during a week in which he dominated national headlines. Hill was pulled from his sports car by Miami-Dade County police officers, pushed face-first onto a street and handcuffed during a traffic stop outside the Dolphins’ home stadium hours before their season opener. 

Joe Burrow insists the wrist injury that ended his 2023 season is not preventing him from making downfield throws after struggling in the Cincinnati Bengals' Week 1 loss.

The Bengals' 2024 campaign got off to a miserable start as they were beaten 16-10 by the New England Patriots, who had the joint-second worst record in the league last year at 4-13.

Burrow threw for 164 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, being sacked three times. He did complete 21 of his 29 attempted passes, but only six of those completed passes travelled more than 10 yards in the air.

Burrow – who was recently surpassed as the NFL's highest-paid player by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott – was repeatedly seen flexing his wrist during the game.

He suffered a wrist ligament injury versus the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11 last season, leading him to undergo reconstructive surgery.

However, he is adamant he is no longer feeling the effects of that issue, saying: "It feels better this week than it did last week, than it did the week before, so it's continually getting better.

"That's part of ligament injuries. If you don't move it, you're going to lose it. 

"I'm always moving it around, keeping it loose, keeping my mobility the way it's supposed to be, so it's going to continue to happen."

Having sat out the final seven games of 2023 as the Bengals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020, Burrow is simply grateful to be back out on the field.

"It's a luxury right now to be criticised by you guys about how we played on Sunday, because I was sitting in the wings for seven weeks last year," he said. "I'm just excited to be out there."

The Bengals face the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of the AFC Championship games from the 2021 and 2022 seasons on Sunday, before taking on the Washington Commanders in Week 3.

Micah Parsons is confident he will remain with the Dallas Cowboys but is currently more focused on winning than signing a lucrative extension.

The Cowboys have already signed Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to new deals, with Parsons next in line to be given a new contract.

He is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract, with Dallas already exercising their $21million fifth-year option on his deal.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year could land a deal that makes him the NFL's richest defensive player.

However, Parsons is in no hurry to put pen to paper as he knows his future lies in Texas.

"I know I'm going to be a Cowboy," he said on Monday on his 'The Edge with Micah Parsons' podcast. "There's nothing like Cowboy Nation. I think the love is very mutual.

"As for me, I'm just focused on winning games. I want to win those big games. I want to win those playoff games, get to the Super Bowl. For me, the contract is not really what I'm worried about."

Prescott and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year deal worth $240m hours before they opened the season with a win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, while Lamb signed his four-year, $136m contract two weeks earlier, making him the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Parsons was happy to see his team-mates commit their future to the club, in particular heaping praise on Prescott's influence.

"We're happy it gets done because now, it puts a lot of talk to the side," Parsons added. "We're like, 'Man, we got our quarterback now.'

"We can really just focus, like Dak said, on winning games. ... So, having our guys, CeeDee Lamb and Dak done, it means the world to us.

"Dak is that guy, no BS. He deserves everything that he [gets]. He never cheated the game, he comes in every day with a positive attitude, great work ethic, and he's always first one in, last one out. Consistently being the best person/player you could possibly be.

"He never cheats the game, and that's the most important part. So, when a guy like that gets his money, you say he earned every single dollar. I could not be more happy for him."

The Cowboys will play their first NFL home game of the season against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 

Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons made a disappointing start to the NFL season with a defeat, but coach Raheem Morris says he was not hindered by injury.

The quarterback struggled in an 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, playing his first game since suffering a torn Achilles in week 8 last season.

Against the Steelers, he was 16-of-26 for 155 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions overall. In the second half, Cousins had just 19 passing yards, the lowest total of his career.

The 36-year-old did not play in pre-season, but Morris believes his performance likely came from "some rust from not playing for so long".

"I feel like Kirk is healthy," Morris said on Monday. "He's been healthy since he's been here.

"With Kirk being here, we've been doing the same thing since he's been here, and that's how we've planned on playing and we've played that way throughout."

Many thought new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's play-calling was designed to protect Cousins after his lengthy lay-off, though it did not pay off as the Steelers' defense dominated much of the game.

"We played, I thought, winning football in two phases of the game, and we didn't play winning football in our offensive phase of the game," Morris added.

"The plan was to go out there and win the football game, but it exposed some things inside for us.

"We want to get better. But we got to play better at the [quarterback] position, we got to play better around him."

The Falcons’ next game is against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Aaron Rodgers says there are "no excuses" for the New York Jets after mistakes saw them fall to a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in their NFL opener.

Rodgers, making his first appearance since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the Jets' first game of 2023, struggled for much of his return.

He was held to just 167 yards on 13-of-21 passes and had an interception that led to one of five field goals for San Francisco, though he did throw one touchdown pass to Allen Lazard in the third quarter. 

The 40-year-old was less than impressed with his first start in 20 months and is already looking for improvements.

"That's an excuse [none of the starters playing in pre-season]. I'm not going to use that," Rodgers said. "I don't think we should. We expect greatness when we step on the field.

"This is a tough opener for us, travel-wise and schedule-wise, but no excuses. We have to play better, and I have to play better, and we'll bounce back."

Rodgers became just the 22nd quarterback in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to play after his 40th birthday, and despite the disappointing result, he was pleased to be back out on the field.

"It felt great," he added. "A lot of gratitude just to be back in pads. So many people helped me get to this spot.

"I'm really thankful for my surgeon, my loved ones, my friends, the staff and the training staff to help me get back. Obviously, I wanted to take a shot and feel the physicality of it.

"Once I threw a couple of balls and took a shot, it felt good."

The 49ers played without star running back Christian McCaffrey, who was ruled out shortly before kick-off due to a calf and Achilles injury.

Jordan Mason stepped up in his absence, playing a starring role for the Super Bowl runners-up as he finished with a career-high 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown.

"I thought he runs like he always does," coach Kyle Shanahan said.

"When you get him the ball, he breaks tackles, usually gets more than we block for. When we had the good lanes, he always hit them, and we got a bunch."

Jordan Mason filled in superbly for an injured Christian McCaffrey by rushing for a career-high 147 yards and a touchdown, and the San Francisco 49ers made Aaron Rodgers' return to the field a frustrating one with a dominant 32-19 season-opening win over the New York Jets on Monday.

The 49ers made McCaffrey inactive with a calf injury that limited the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year in the pre-season, but still managed to bully New York's usually stout defence for 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns. 

Mason did most of the work by logging 28 attempts, and San Francisco also received a rushing touchdown from wide receiver Deebo Samuel to win its first game since a tough 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in last February's Super Bowl.

Rodgers threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard, but struggled for much of his first appearance since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the Jets' 2023 opener. The four-time NFL MVP was held to 167 yards on 13-of-21 passing along with an interception that led to one of five field goals by 49ers kicker Jake Moody.

The 40-year-old quarterback did look like his vintage self on the Jets' third drive of the night, a 12-play, 70-yard sequence in which Rodgers completed 6 of 7 passes for 62 yards. Breece Hall capped the series with a 3-yard touchdown run that gave New York a 7-3 lead with 3:51 left in the first quarter.

New York's offence mostly sputtered from there, however, as the 49ers scored 23 consecutive points to move ahead comfortably.

After Moody hit a 51-yard field goal in the opening minute of the second quarter to get San Francisco within a point, the 49ers defence forced a three-and-out before Mason made his presence felt on the ensuing possession.

The backup running back rushed six times for 43 yards on the 12-play drive, which ended in Samuel's 2-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep that put San Francisco up 13-7 with 6:54 left in the first half.

Another three-and-out by the Jets followed by another long drive by San Francisco set up Moody's 31-yard field goal that sent the 49ers into the break with a 16-7 advantage.

San Francisco started the second half in much the same fashion, going 70 yards in 11 plays to increase its margin on Mason's 5-yard touchdown run.

Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles then picked off Rodgers on the following series, which led to Moody's 53-yard field goal that extended the lead to 26-7 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

The Jets did answer on Rodgers' deep touchdown pass to Lazard on the next possession, though the 49ers stopped Hall on the resulting 2-point conversion try. New York's next drive again went nowhere, however, and Rodgers was pulled in favour of backup Tyrod Taylor with under 4 1/2 minutes to play.

San Francisco had a 32-13 lead at that point after Moody knocked home his fourth and fifth field goals of the game.

Lazard also caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Taylor in the game's final minute, though the Jets again misfired on the 2-point attempt.

Moody's first field goal, a 46-yarder, opened the scoring just over four minutes into the contest. The kick came shortly after 49ers linebacker Fred Warner jarred the ball loose from Hall on a reception and San Francisco recovered at the New York 32-yard line.

Brock Purdy threw for 231 yards on 19-of-29 passing for San Francisco, while Lazard led the Jets with 89 yards on six catches in addition to his two touchdowns.

The Los Angeles Rams placed star wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve Monday after he re-aggravated a right knee injury in Sunday night’s season opener.

Nacua will miss a minimum of four games. With the Rams’ bye Week falling in Week 6, the earliest Nacua could be back on the field is Oct. 20.

Nacua missed most of training camp due to a PCL sprain in his right knee. He re-injured the knee in the second quarter of Los Angeles’ Week 1 overtime loss against the Detroit Lions.

“It’s unfortunate for him, and I’m bummed out for the person,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters on Monday.

With Nacua missing the entire second half Sunday, Cooper Kupp was targeted 21 times and made 14 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Johnson finished second on the team in receiving with five receptions for 79 yards.

Johnson will be among the receivers asked to step up in Nacua’s absence, along with DeMarcus Robinson and rookie Jordan Whittington.

Nacua will miss division games against the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, as well as dates against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

A fifth-round pick out of BYU last year, Nacua had arguably the best rookie receiving season in NFL history. Nacua set rookie records with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards in 2023.

The Carolina Panthers not only suffered a 47-10 blowout defeat to the New Orleans Saints in their 2024 opener on Sunday, but they also may have lost Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.

NFL Network reported Monday that Brown will undergo surgery to repair a meniscus injury, and a timeline to return will be determined following the procedure.

Brown was a bright spot for the league-worst Panthers last season, leading all NFL defensive linemen with 103 tackles and tying for fourth with six passes defenced to earn his first Pro Bowl selection.

In April, the seventh overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft was rewarded with a four-year, $96million contract extension through the 2028 season.

Brown’s only missed game of his NFL career came in 2021. He’s started 64 of 67 contests while recording 248 tackles, eight sacks, two interceptions and 21 passes defenced.

Dak Prescott has set his sights on Super Bowl success after signing a bumper new deal with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas struck an agreement with Prescott just prior to their opening game of the season on Sunday, with the new contract, which runs through the 2028 season, worth $240million with $231m guaranteed.

That makes Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history.

"A little emotional call," Prescott said when reflecting on receiving the video call from his agent while he was warming up for Sunday's clash with the Cleveland Browns.

Prescott went on to lead the Cowboys to a 33-17 victory, completing 19 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown.

And the 31-year-old knows the pressure is on for him to deliver this season.

"It's my only motivation," Prescott said.

"Hold up my part of this deal. Just deliver that. That's my motivation.

"Right now it's about celebrating this win tonight. Hell of a win with these guys, excited for this plane ride back with them, but then turning the page tomorrow, getting on to the [New Orleans] Saints and taking it one game at a time.

"That is what is at the forefront of my mind. Not the money. It's about holding up my end of the deal. And I want to do it here."

Prescott failed with 13 of his passes against the Browns, and insists he must improve on that level.

"I put the most pressure on myself. Simple as that," he said.

I'm not happy with my performance and that's what motivates me. That's what pushes me. You try to be bummed about it in the locker room, but you know it's a win on the road, which is good for the team and then you got teammates telling you it was a hell of a day for you.

"I put the most pressure on myself. Nobody's a bigger critic than I am personally, and I expect greatness out of myself with my standards, my expectations and the same for this team."

Tyreek Hill was "still trying to put it all together" after he was detained by police ahead of the Miami Dolphins' opening NFL game.

Hill was detained after an altercation with an officer after he was stopped for reckless driving just hours ahead of the Dolphins' clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The 30-year-old was subsequently released, and not only played for Miami in their 20-17 win over Jacksonville, but crossed for a touchdown, celebrating by mimicking being put into handcuffs.

A video of Hill's altercation with the police went viral on social media, and after the game, he said: "Right now, I'm still trying to put it all together. I still don't know what happened.

"But I do want to use this platform to say, 'What if I wasn't Tyreek Hill?' Worst-case scenario, you know?  

"Everybody has bad apples in every situation, but I want to be able to use this platform to figure out a way to flip this and make it a positive on my end and Miami-Dade and do something positive for the community.

"It's hard. I don't want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets kind of iffy when you do. What if I wasn't Tyreek Hill?

"Lord knows what those guys would have done. I just wanted to make sure I was doing what my uncle always told me to do whenever you're in a situation like that - put your hands on the steering wheel and just listen."

Videos showed Hill pinned to the floor, surrounded by four officers, and Miami-Dade police department has now lodged an internal investigation."

One of Hill's teammates, Calais Campbell, was also detained as he tried to de-escalate the situation.

"Disobeying a direct order," Campbell said when he was asked why he had been detained. "He [the police officer] said I was too close to the scene and then I think he said something about me not moving my car in time, I don't know.

"He told me I wasn't being arrested but he cited me for being detained and then released."

Hours after making their franchise quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history, the Dallas Cowboys opened defence of their NFC East title with an impressive 33-17 road win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. 

Dak Prescott threw for 179 yards and a touchdown in his first game since signing a record four-year, $240 million contract extension earlier in the day, and Dallas also got strong contributions on defence and special teams to easily handle a Browns team that won 11 games and reached the playoffs last season.

The Cowboys intercepted Deshaun Watson, Cleveland's highly paid quarterback, twice while limiting the Browns to 230 total yards. Dallas' return game was in top form as well, with KaVontae Turpin taking a punt back 60 yards for a touchdown early in the second half.

Watson managed just 169 yards and a touchown on 24-of-45 passing in his first appearance since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in November.

Prescott showed his value on Dallas' second possession of the season, as he completed a 34-yard pass to star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to put the Cowboys deep into Cleveland territory and later capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown strike to Brandin Cooks for a 7-3 Dallas lead with 6:55 left in the first quarter.

The Browns had gone ahead early on Dustin Hopkins' 51-yard field goal that concluded their opening drive.

It was all Cowboys from that point on, though. 

Dallas increased its advantage to 14-3 with 5:15 left in the second quarter via an 11-play, 78-yard drive culminating in Ezekiel Elliott's 3-yard touchdown run, his first score since rejoining the Cowboys following a one-year stint with the New England Patriots.

The Cowboys then closed out the first half with field goals of 57 and 40 yards from Brandon Aubrey to build a 20-3 half-time lead.

Turpin's dazzling return touchdown just over two minutes into the second half put the Browns in a bigger hole, though Cleveland did respond with its best drive of the day.

Watson completed 6 of 9 passes on a 12-play, 75-yard march that he ended with a six-yard touchdown toss to Jerry Jeudy that got the Browns within 27-10 midway through the third quarter.

The offence turned it over on downs on its next two series, however, which led to two more Aubrey field goals that pushed Dallas' lead to 33-10 early in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland did get a late touchdown, a 2-yard run from Jerome Ford with 29 seconds left in the game that completed a 15-play drive.

 

Lions ruin Stafford's return again, edge Rams in overtime

David Montgomery capped the game's only overtime drive with a 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Detroit Lions a hard-fought 26-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch between teams that met in last season's NFC playoffs.

The Lions squeaked out a 24-23 win over Los Angeles in a post-season clash in January, the first game for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in Detroit since being traded by the Lions to Los Angeles in March 2021 in a deal that sent fellow signal-caller Jared Goff to the Motor City.

Detroit had to dig deep once again in this meeting, as it blew a 17-3 third-quarter lead before rallying to force overtime on Jake Bates' 32-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in regulation.

Stafford never had the chance to exact revenge in extra time, as the Lions never gave the ball back to the Rams by marching 70 yards to the end zone in nine plays.

Montgomery did much of the heavy lifting, as he churned out 45 yards on five carries during the possession and capped it by powering across the goal line to end the game.

The running back amassed 91 of the Lions' 163 rushing yards as one of Detroit's offensive stars along with wide receiver Jameson Williams, who caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Goff in the third quarter and finished with a career-high 121 yards on five receptions.

Goff threw for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception while completing 18 of 28 passes.

Stafford, who spent his first 12 seasons with Detroit, finished with 317 yards and a touchdown on 34-of-49 passing, but also threw a costly interception in the end zone late in the first half with the Rams in scoring range.

Cooper Kupp was on the other end of a slew of Stafford's throws, as he tied a career high with 14 catches totalling 110 yards with a touchdown. The Rams' other standout receiver, Puka Nacua, was forced out of the contest early in the second half with a knee injury.

Both teams managed just one field goal each for the majority of the first half until the Lions got untracked with a 10-play, 77-yard drive late in the second quarter.

Williams had a 36-yard catch and a 13-yard run on the series, which Jahmyr Gibbs capped with a 1-yard touchdown run that gave Detroit a 10-3 lead just past the two-minute warning.

The Rams got to Detroit's 8-yard line on the ensuing possession, but came away empty when Stafford's pass into traffic was picked off by Kerby Joseph in the end zone.

Goff found Willams open down the left sideline for a 52-yard touchdown that put Detroit up 17-3 early in the third quarter, but the Rams responded with 17 straight points to move ahead.

Los Angeles answered Williams' score with a 14-play, 61-yard drive ending in Kyren Williams' 2-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. A 63-yard pass from Stafford to Tyler Johnson on the Rams' next possession led to Joshua Karty's 26-yard field goal that trimmed the lead to 17-13 with 12:32 to go in regulation.

Goff was then intercepted on Detroit's next series, and Stafford went 8 for 8 the next time Los Angeles had the ball. The veteran hit Kupp for a 9-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 20-17 edge with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Lions got the ball back with 2:11 to go and moved within range for Bates' game-tying field goal in the final stages of regulation.

 

Fields steps in, Boswell boots six field goals to help Steelers get past Falcons

Justin Fields filled in for an injured Russell Wilson and won his Pittsburgh Steelers debut - with a little help from kicker Chris Boswell and his new team's rugged defence.

Boswell accounted for all of Pittsburgh's points with six field goals, while the Steelers intercepted Kirk Cousins twice in a season-opening 18-10 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

The game had been billed as a clash of veteran quarterbacks playing their first game with new teams, and remained so with a twist as Wilson was ruled inactive due to a calf injury he aggravated in practise during the week.

Fields, acquired from the Chicago Bears in the offseason, stepped in to complete 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards while adding 57 yards on 14 rush attempts.

Cousins' first outing since bolting the Minnesota Vikings in March to sign a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons didn't go as smoothly. The four-time Pro Bowler did throw a touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts, but managed just 155 yards on 16-of-26 passing while under constant pressure throughout.

Atlanta's new-look offence was held scoreless over the final two quarters and committed two second-half turnovers, the first a botched shotgun exchange that resulted in a fumble recovered by Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt early in the third quarter. The miscue led to Boswell's fourth field goal of the day, a 56-yard kick that gave the Steelers a 12-10 lead.

Boswell converted again on Pittsburgh's next possession, with his 40-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in the third quarter set up by a 40-yard completion from Fields to George Pickens.

The Steelers' defence continued to dominate in the fourth, and any Atlanta comeback hopes were dashed when Donte Jackson picked off Cousins with 2:34 remaining and returned the interception 47 yards to the Falcons' 18.

After Boswell ended the drive with a 25-yard field goal with 31 seconds left to extend the lead to 18-10, Watt sealed the win by sacking Cousins as time expired.

Cousins' first interception, a throw into traffic that was snared by Steelers' safety DeShon Elliott, came after both teams capped their opening drives with field goals. The turnover was turned into Boswell's 51-yard field goal that gave Pittsburgh a 6-3 edge early in the second quarter.

Cousins was sharp on a nine-play, 90-yard drive that he concluded with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Pitts that put Atlanta up 10-6 with 32 seconds left in the first half. Fields quickly answered, however, by connecting with Pickens on a 33-yard pass that set up Boswell's 44-yard field goal that brought the Steelers within a point at half-time.

 

No. 1 pick Williams struggles but wins Bears debut

Caleb Williams' NFL debut was one to remember, even if his final stat line was something to forget.

The 2024 No. 1 overall pick mustered just 93 passing yards in his first career game, but Williams' Chicago Bears teammates picked up the rookie by scoring touchdowns on defence and special teams in a 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Tyrique Stevenson put the Bears ahead for good with a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown with 7:43 left to play, and Chicago also received a 21-yard touchdown return from Jonathan Owens on a blocked punt in the third quarter to overcome a 17-0 first-half deficit.

Cairo Santos made all three of his field goal attempts to also help offset Williams' struggles. The former Heisman Trophy winner completed just 14 of his 29 passes.

Will Levis also had a rough day for Tennessee, however, as the second-year quarterback threw for just 127 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-32 passing and was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter.

The first of those picks was an ill-advised throw under pressure that Stevenson snared out of the air and raced untouched down the sideline to give Chicago a 22-17 lead. Williams then successfully converted the ensuing two-point try with a pass to DeAndre Swift that increased the margin to seven points.

Levis got the Titans to near midfield in the final minutes, but was intercepted by Jaylon Johnson with 1:05 left before the Bears ran out the clock.

Chicago mustered a mere 50 yards of offence in the first half and trailed 17-3 at intermission, but got the spark it needed from its special teams early in the third quarter.

Daniel Hardy blocked Tennessee punter Ryan Stonehouse's attempt, with Owens promptly scooping up the loose ball and running into the end zone to score the Bears' first touchdown of the season and change the game's momentum with 9:07 remaining in the third.

Chicago's defence then forced the Titans to go three-and-out on their next two possessions, and Williams led an 11-play, 44-yard drive capped by Santos' 50-yard field goal that cut the lead to 17-13 early in the fourth quarter.

The Bears' defence came up big again on Tennessee's next drive, as Levis was sacked by Darrell Taylor to force a fumble recovered by Chicago linebacker T.J. Edwards. The turnover set up Santos' 48-yard field goal that made it a one-point game with 9:52 left.

Tennessee scored on three consecutive drives in the first half to build an early 17-0 advantage, with Tony Pollard opening the scoring with a 26-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

The Bears then fumbled the ball away on the ensuing kickoff, leading to Nick Folk's 40-yard field goal 54 seconds into the second quarter.

Tennessee extended the margin with a massive 14-play, 73-yard drive culminating in Levis' 17-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo with 3:44 left in the first half. Chicago's DeAndre Carter returned the following kickoff 67 yards into Titans' territory, however, before Santos booted home a 24-yard field goal just before halftime.

Pollard rushed for 82 yards on 16 carries in his Titans' debut. The Memphis native signed with Tennessee in March following a five-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys. 

 

Chargers pull away from Raiders, win Harbaugh's NFL return

J.K. Dobbins' 135 rushing yards and a touchdown helped make Jim Harbaugh's return to the NFL coaching ranks a winning one as the Los Angeles Chargers pulled away for a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Justin Herbert added a late touchdown pass to rookie Ladd McConkey in Harbaugh's first game on an NFL sideline since leaving the San Francisco 49ers following the 2014 season for the University of Michigan, where he led his alma mater to a 2023 national championship before resurfacing with the Chargers.

Los Angeles stalled on offence for the first three quarters in Harbaugh's comeback game, but got untracked in the fourth with a pair of touchdown drives to extend a slim 9-7 lead entering the final period.

Dobbins made a triumphant return as well while playing his first game since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the 2023 season opener while then a member of the Baltimore Ravens. The running back ripped off a 46-yard run in the third quarter that set up Cameron Dicker's third field goal of the game, a 24-yard kick that put Los Angeles up 9-7 near the midway mark of the period.

The Chargers later increased the margin with a six-play, 61-yard drive that Dobbins ended with a 12-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

A 33-yard pass from Gardner Minshew to Jakobi Meyers got the Raiders in range for Daniel Carlson's 32-yard field goal that trimmed the lead to 16-10 with 10:30 left. Las Vegas went three-and-out on its next possession, however, and Dobbins broke loose for a 61-yard run shortly afterward to put the Chargers deep into Raiders' territory.

Three plays later, McConkey caught a short pass from Herbert and side-stepped a defender for a 10-yard touchdown which helped seal the outcome with 3:40 remaining.

Minshew completed 25 of 33 passes with one interception in his first game since signing with Las Vegas as a free agent in the offseason. The veteran quarterback also threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Mattison late in the first quarter that gave the Raiders a 7-3 advantage.

Los Angeles had scored the game's first points on Dicker's 53-yard field goal with 4:22 left in the opening quarter.

Minshew also had a costly fumble late in the first half that was scooped up by the Chargers' Khalil Mack and returned 22 yards to Las Vegas' 12-yard line. The turnover led to Dicker's 25-yard field goal that pulled the Chargers within 7-6.

 

Dolphins rally to top Jaguars on Sanders' 52-yard field goal

The Miami Dolphins escaped to beat the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars 20-17 on Jason Sanders’ 52-yard field goal as time expired.

Sanders connected on a pair of late field goals for the Dolphins, who rallied from a 17-7 half-time deficit to win a fourth consecutive season opener.

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 338 yards, and his 80-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter started the comeback and brought Miami within three points.

The Dolphins tied the score on Sanders’ 37-yard field goal with 4:22 to play in the fourth quarter. Miami’s defence then forced a three-and-out, sacking Trevor Lawrence on both second and third down.

The offence got the ball back at its own 35-yard line with just over two minutes remaining and Tagovailoa drove the Dolphins 31 yards to set up the winning kick.

Hill finished with seven receptions for 130 yards in an eventful day, which began with him being handcuffed and placed facedown on a street by police officers after being stopped for a traffic violation near the Dolphins’ stadium.

The Miami-Dade police department opened an investigation into the events that led to Hill being handcuffed, with one of the officers involved in the incident put on administrative leave.

Miami also got 109 yards on five receptions from Jaylen Waddle, while Devon Achane had a rushing touchdown while compiling 100 yards from scrimmage.

Lawrence threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to rookie Brian Thomas that gave the Jaguars a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, but got little going after half-time as Jacksonville was held scoreless over the final two quarters. The former No. 1 overall pick finished with 162 yards while completing 12 of 21 attempts. 

 

 

 

 

 

Russell Wilson's injured calf will keep him out of Sunday's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, making Justin Fields the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers had named Wilson the team's starting quarterback but the 12-year NFL veteran aggravated a calf injury this past week that had side-lined him earlier in training camp.

He had tried to warmup up before Pittsburgh's game at Atlanta before the team ultimately decided to make him the emergency quarterback.

As the emergency QB, he can only take the field if Fields and backup Kyle Allen both get injured.

 

The Steelers acquired Fields from the Chicago Bears in March for a conditional draft pick. 

The pick will be a sixth-rounder unless Fields plays 51 percent of the snaps this season for Pittsburgh, then it will become a fourth-rounder.

Fields made 38 starts and appeared in 40 games for Chicago since he was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He completed 60.3 percent of his passes with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions and added 14 rushing scores.

The 35-year-old Wilson, a Super Bowl XLVIII champion with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the Steelers a week before they made the trade for Fields after two disappointing seasons with the Denver Broncos.

Dak Prescott is set to sign a record-breaking, $240million contract with the Dallas Cowboys, according to reports.

Prescott's future has been up in the air but, just hours out from their season opener against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, it appears the Cowboys have struck a deal with their quarterback.

The deal includes a guaranteed $231m and an $80m signing bonus.

With an annual salary of $60m, Prescott will become the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.

This is the second extension the 31-year-old has penned with Dallas, where he will remain through the 2028 season.

Prescott led the NFL for completions (410) and touchdowns (36) last season.