Winners and Losers From NFL Kickoff Sunday

Thirteen NFL stadiums were filled to capacity yesterday for the bulk of opening weekends games. At least one stadium broke an all-time attendance record (Houston with 71,933) and once more the NFL proved it’s the hottest ticket in all of professional sports.

img_1506If you weren’t able to watch all or even some of the games, never fear the folks at Red Zone Play have you covered with a recap of each contest. We know Monday mornings aren’t anyone’s favorite part of the week, so here’s your chance to relive the glory of Sunday from the comfort of your computer, tablet or mobile device. All the fun of Sunday without having to leave your seat.

 

TAMPA BAY 31 ATLANTA 24

The Falcons played host to the rebuilt Buccaneers and watched second-year quarterback Jameis Winston light up their defense for four touchdowns on their way to starting 1-0 for the first time since 2012. The win gives The Bucs an early leg up on their division rivals and the sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

BUFFALO 7 BALTIMORE 13

The Ravens handed the high-flying Bills their first loss of the season in the kind of defensive domination Baltimore fans know and love from the days of Ray Lewis and company. Rex Ryan’s Bills start off looking up at the rest of their division from the basement.

CHICAGO 14 HOUSTON 23

Da Bears got off to an early lead against a sputtering Texans team that lost the heart and soul of their defense when all-pro linebacker Brian Cushing went down with an apparent MCL strain on the opening drive. Houston rallied around new offensive weapons Brock Osweiler, Will Fuller and Lamar Miller with a late defensive surge to take the win and stand as the only undefeated team in the AFC South.

GREEN BAY 27 JACKSONVILLE 23

The Packers narrowly escaped the north Florida coast with a win in a game many expected to be a shootout that turned into a defensive kickball-fest in the second half. Neither team found the end zone in the third or fourth quarter as Brock Osweiler’s Jaguars fell to 0-1 and Aaron Rodgers and the Pack head to week two among the league’s rock undefeateds.

SAN DIEGO 27 KANSAS CITY 33

The first AFC West showdown of the season  came down to the wire as the Chiefs overcame the Chargers 17-point fourth quarter lead to send it to overtime. KC QB Alex Smith dove for six to cement the win for the Chiefs, who now share the division lead with Oakland and Denver.

OAKLAND 35 NEW ORLEANS 34

The Raiders continue to show they no longer find losing acceptable by going for two with less than a minute of regulation left. Saints future Hall of Famer Drew Brees threw for 423 yards and four touchdowns but came up just one point short.

CINCINNATI 23 NEW YORK JETS 22

In another close one, the Bengals waited til the remaining few minutes to edge the Jets in a game won and lost by the opposing kickers. Bengals receiver A.J. Green repeatedly embarrassed all-pro corner Derrell Revis. Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and WR Brandon Marshall didn’t do much to help their cause as the two combined for countless headlines in the offseason but only 32 yards in the game. Fitz managed to pass for a total of 189 yards, but that wasn’t enough to beat the solid defense of the Bengals.

CLEVELAND 10 PHILADELPHIA 29

In a game that shouldn’t have surprised anyone, the Browns proved they are still the unluckiest team in the NFL with a botched snap bouncing over 25 yards for a safety and only 288 total team yards. The Eagles proved that they not only didn’t need Sam Bradford, they might not have needed Carson Wentz either.

MINNESOTA 25 TENNESSEE 10

Speaking of Sam Bradford, his new team didn’t have much offense to speak of until halftime, going into the locker room down 10 to zip. But Vikings coach Mike Zimmer made some great adjustments and came back out to outscore the Titans 25-6 in the remaining two quarters.

NEW YORK GIANTS 20 DALLAS 19

Rookie coach Ben McAdoo showed his team has resolve in their come from behind victory over the division rival Cowboys. Despite all the hype the other high-profile rookie, Dallas QB Dak Prescott completed a measly 56% of his passes and Eli Manning can go eat nachos on Tuesday with brother Peyton knowing he’s undefeated in 2016.

DETROIT 39 INDIANAPOLIS 35

In the highest scoring game of the weekend, Matt Stafford led his Lions past the strong-armed Andrew Luck’s Colts. The wild shootout of a fourth quarter saw 28 points and more ups and downs than some other games saw in a full 60 minutes.

NEW ENGLAND 23 ARIZONA 21

The Sunday night game pitted the Brady and Gronkowski-less Patriots against the Larry Fitzgerald led Cardinals in what many believe to be a preview of Super Bowl LI. The game came down to the wire as both coaches seemed to mismanage the clock inside the two-minute warning and Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro handed Jimmy Garapolo his first NFL victory by shanking the game-winning field goal with less than 30 seconds to go.

There you have it, NFL Kickoff 2016’s Sunday games. Tonight the final four face off as the Redskins host the Steelers and the LA Rams travel north to face Chip Kelly’s 49ers.