INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis spent all offseason trying to fix the defense. Mission accomplished -- maybe.

On a day Peyton Manning tied the franchise record for victories and Jim Caldwell won his NFL debut as a head coach, the game came down to two fourth-quarter defensive stops. The Colts made both of them to preserve Indy's 14-12 victory over Jacksonville.

"Obviously, the defense played well and came up big at the end," Caldwell said. "We thought it would be a grind, and it was. I think our team certainly played tough, played hard, played with a lot of energy."

Now the defense must prove it can continue playing this way.

Caldwell has instilled a tougher attitude and new defensive coordinator Larry Coyer has implemented a more aggressive scheme to take advantage of the Colts' speed. The changes paid dividends, especially late when pressure forced David Garrard into poor throws, bad decisions, and finally a four-and-out to end it.

The bulkier defensive line also held up better against an old nemesis, Maurice Jones-Drew, who rushed 21 times for 97 yards and scored Jacksonville's only touchdown Sunday. He had averaged 6.3 yards per carry in six previous games against the Colts.

And it gave Manning win No. 118 as a Colt, tying John Unitas' franchise record.

"I've never felt comfortable with comparisons with him. I think he's kind of in his own category," Manning said. "But I am proud of those wins."

Manning, the three-time MVP, was 28 of 38 for 301 yards and one TD with an interception in the end zone that cost Indy one scoring chance. Joseph Addai's fumble deep in Jags territory ended another drive, though he made up for it later in the first half with a 3-yard TD run.

Not exactly picture perfect.

Worse, receiver Anthony Gonzalez left late in the first quarter with a right knee injury. He ran across the line of scrimmage on a running play, didn't hit anyone and crumpled to the ground. He did not return, and Caldwell had no update on the injury. Sources confirmed an NFL.com report to ESPN's Adam Schefter that Gonzalez had a strained ligament in his knee and will likely miss at least a few weeks.

Reggie Wayne made up for Gonzalez's absence by catching 10 passes for 162 yards, including a 35-yard TD in the third quarter.

"I asked [Rashean] Mathis what happened and he said, 'I didn't even touch him [Gonzalez]'," Manning said. "He has worked so hard in the offseason, I just hope it's not a season-ending injury."

Defensively, things went smoother.

The Colts forced Jacksonville to settle for field goals until Jones-Drew finally took a pitch, made a nifty move in the backfield to avoid tacklers and then jogged in for a 7-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter. When Jones-Drew tried to tie it on a 2-point conversion out of the wildcat formation with 11:07 left, the Colts stuffed the middle.

"They just did a great job in the red zone stifling our offense," Jones-Drew said. "My hat's off to them. But we have to learn how to finish."

Otherwise, it was a solid effort.

Jacksonville finished with 228 total yards, and had one last chance to win it -- just it did last year on Josh Scobee's 51-yard field goal with 4 seconds left.

But the Colts never gave Scobee a chance to get on the field this time.

After running back Donald Brown couldn't convert on fourth-and-1 just before the 2-minute warning, Jacksonville took over at its 35 with one timeout.

Garrard started with a 2-yard pass to Jones-Drew, who dropped a pass on second down. Indy then pressured Garrard into back-to-back incompletions, including a desperation fourth-down flip, while being surrounded by Colts.

"I thought, 'Here we go again, we have a great chance,'" Garrard said. "You love to be in that situation. We were trying to get the ball to Maurice, but you've got to slow those pass rushers down. We did what we could do."

The Colts' defense was just better.

Game notes
Jags coach Jack Del Rio said defensive end Reggie Hayward bruised his shin or thigh late in the game. ... Rookie cornerback Derek Cox had an interesting NFL debut: intercepting Manning, recovering Addai's fumble and giving up Wayne's TD. ... The Colts played without safety Bob Sanders (knee) and defensive tackle Ed Johnson, who served a league-imposed one-game suspension. ... Garrard was 14 of 28 for 122 yards and Torry Holt caught five passes for 47 yards in his Jags debut.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

 NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees summed up his record-tying performance by harping on "the ones that got away."

If he can do better than this, look out.

Brees tied a Saints' single-game record with six touchdown passes and threw for 358 yards as the New Orleans Saints beat Detroit 45-27 Sunday to extend the Lions' regular-season losing streak to 18 games.

"I had a lot of opportunities out there. A lot of guys made some big plays in this game. Unfortunately you always think about the ones that got away," said Brees, who shares a franchise mark set by Billy Kilmer in 1969. "There was probably one or two more that we left out there. That's what keeps you coming back."

Two of Brees' touchdown passes went to Jeremy Shockey, who hadn't scored since being traded from the New York Giants to New Orleans last season.

"It's good to get that asterisk off my name that I haven't ever scored a touchdown" with the Saints, Shockey said. "Being around a guy like Drew makes it so easy out there because he works so hard. If I get there at 6:10, he's there at 6:05. He's that kind of a guy."

Mike Bell led New Orleans' running game with a career-high 143 yards, carrying the ball with power, speed and elusiveness, and getting a standing ovation from the Louisiana Superdome crowd when he trotted off the field late in the fourth quarter.

Matthew Stafford's first start had its ups and downs. The 2009 top overall draft choice was 16 of 37 for 205 yards with three interceptions, two by safety Darren Sharper, the other by linebacker Scott Shanle.

"It was tough. Playing from behind is never easy," Stafford said. "Some of those balls I was throwing, I was just trying to get rid of it and not take a sack. ... I'm fine. I've thrown three picks in a game before. Obviously, I don't like to lose. I wish I could play better, but I've got to learn from it."

Stafford led two touchdown drives, capping one with his first NFL score on a short keeper. Lions safety Louis Delmas also returned a fumble for a 65-yard touchdown, which made it 38-27 late in the third quarter.

The Lions had some highlights of their own and stayed in the game until the fourth quarter, offering hope they may eventually win before reaching Tampa Bay's record of 26 straight losses.

At times, however, they also made mistakes symptomatic of a team with a long losing streak. A few plays after Aaron Brown's 87-yard kickoff return, Daniel Loper was called for a false start on a first-and-goal from the 1 late in the third quarter and the Lions wound up with only a field goal.

Soon after, Brees' pass to Devery Henderson deep down the middle went for a 58-yard score, putting New Orleans up 38-20.

Stafford's longest completion went to Calvin Johnson, who slipped Malcolm Jenkins' tackle on a crossing route and scampered 64 yards to the Saints 3. That set up Stafford's TD.

That was nothing compared to the passing exhibition put on by Brees, who last season became only the second quarterback in NFL history to surpass 5,000 yards passing.

Brees completed his first three passes for 49 yards, including a 26-yarder to Reggie Bush and a 9-yard TD to Marques Colston. Brees' other TDs went for 39 yards to Robert Meachem, 1 and 15 yards to Shockey, and 13 yards to fullback Heath Evans.

New Detroit coach Jim Schwartz didn't let his defense escape blame, however.

"Good gracious. What wouldn't disappoint me? Points allowed, third-down defense, red zone defense, rushing," he said. "There's no silver lining in that performance."

Bush returned for the Saints after missing three preseason games and had 55 yards receiving and 14 yards rushing. He fumbled two punts, recovering one himself and turning the other over. He also had a 4-yard TD run called back by a holding penalty.

The Lions could not have opened the game much worse. New Orleans first two drives started near midfield and the Saints led 14-0 before six minutes elapsed on Brees' TD passes to Colston and Meachem.

Game notes
Sharper has 56 career regular season interceptions. ... Saints punter Thomas Morstead, a fifth-round draft pick, also had kickoff duties with 45-year-old John Carney handling field goals. Morstead put his first three kickoffs into the end zone. ... Carney hit a 39-yard field goal, but also had one blocked. ... Detroit had 235 return yards on kickoffs and punts and 231 net yards on offense. ... Lions CB Eric King started for injured Phillip Buchanon (neck) and was beaten on TD passes to Colston, Meachem and Henderson. ... Meachem had 148 yards on six kickoff returns. ... Saints LT Jermon Bushrod left with a bruised right knee but returned before the game ended.Mike Bell led New Orleans' running game with a career-high 143 yards, carrying the ball with power, speed and elusiveness, and getting a standing ovation from the Louisiana Superdome crowd when he trotted off the field late in the fourth quarter.

Matthew Stafford's first start had its ups and downs. The 2009 top overall draft choice was 16 of 37 for 205 yards with three interceptions, two by safety Darren Sharper, the other by linebacker Scott Shanle.

"It was tough. Playing from behind is never easy," Stafford said. "Some of those balls I was throwing, I was just trying to get rid of it and not take a sack. ... I'm fine. I've thrown three picks in a game before. Obviously, I don't like to lose. I wish I could play better, but I've got to learn from it."

Stafford led two touchdown drives, capping one with his first NFL score on a short keeper. Lions safety Louis Delmas also returned a fumble for a 65-yard touchdown, which made it 38-27 late in the third quarter.

The Lions had some highlights of their own and stayed in the game until the fourth quarter, offering hope they may eventually win before reaching Tampa Bay's record of 26 straight losses.

At times, however, they also made mistakes symptomatic of a team with a long losing streak. A few plays after Aaron Brown's 87-yard kickoff return, Daniel Loper was called for a false start on a first-and-goal from the 1 late in the third quarter and the Lions wound up with only a field goal.

Soon after, Brees' pass to Devery Henderson deep down the middle went for a 58-yard score, putting New Orleans up 38-20.

Stafford's longest completion went to Calvin Johnson, who slipped Malcolm Jenkins' tackle on a crossing route and scampered 64 yards to the Saints 3. That set up Stafford's TD.

That was nothing compared to the passing exhibition put on by Brees, who last season became only the second quarterback in NFL history to surpass 5,000 yards passing.

Brees completed his first three passes for 49 yards, including a 26-yarder to Reggie Bush and a 9-yard TD to Marques Colston. Brees' other TDs went for 39 yards to Robert Meachem, 1 and 15 yards to Shockey, and 13 yards to fullback Heath Evans.

New Detroit coach Jim Schwartz didn't let his defense escape blame, however.

"Good gracious. What wouldn't disappoint me? Points allowed, third-down defense, red zone defense, rushing," he said. "There's no silver lining in that performance."

Bush returned for the Saints after missing three preseason games and had 55 yards receiving and 14 yards rushing. He fumbled two punts, recovering one himself and turning the other over. He also had a 4-yard TD run called back by a holding penalty.

The Lions could not have opened the game much worse. New Orleans first two drives started near midfield and the Saints led 14-0 before six minutes elapsed on Brees' TD passes to Colston and Meachem.

Game notes
Sharper has 56 career regular season interceptions. ... Saints punter Thomas Morstead, a fifth-round draft pick, also had kickoff duties with 45-year-old John Carney handling field goals. Morstead put his first three kickoffs into the end zone. ... Carney hit a 39-yard field goal, but also had one blocked. ... Detroit had 235 return yards on kickoffs and punts and 231 net yards on offense. ... Lions CB Eric King started for injured Phillip Buchanon (neck) and was beaten on TD passes to Colston, Meachem and Henderson. ... Meachem had 148 yards on six kickoff returns. ... Saints LT Jermon Bushrod left with a bruised right knee but returned before the game ended.

 CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Donovan McNabb was walking gingerly to the locker room with a cracked rib about the same time Jake Delhomme was mercifully yanked after his fifth turnover.

It was the third quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles' 38-10 rout of the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and both franchises suddenly had big worries about their veteran quarterbacks. One was injured two weeks before Michael Vick is eligible to return, the other can't seem to throw it to the right team anymore.

With Delhomme increasing his two-game turnover total to 11, the Eagles' dominating defensive performance in their second straight season-opening rout was tempered by concerns about McNabb, who was crunched by several tacklers on a 3-yard touchdown run.

"He's sore right now. He's got a broken rib," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "We'll just see how he does over the next little bit."

With the suspended Vick watching from a luxury suite, Kevin Kolb finished at quarterback as the Eagles ran out the clock on a miserable day for the Panthers.

Reid wouldn't rule out McNabb, who did not speak to reporters, from playing next week against New Orleans.

"Don is very resilient," said running back Brian Westbrook, who caught one of McNabb's two touchdown passes. "He heals fast."

While Panthers coach John Fox hinted Delhomme will remain the starter, his teammates were peppered with questions about their confidence in the 34-year-old quarterback two years removed from reconstructive elbow surgery.

Playing his first meaningful game since throwing five interceptions and losing a fumble against Arizona in the playoffs, Delhomme was constantly under pressure and nearly as bad in a miserable start for the defending NFC South champions.

With the boos increasing before he was finally replaced by Josh McCown, Delhomme was 7 of 17 for 73 yards with four interceptions and a lost fumble. His passer rating was 14.7.

"I hope so," Delhomme said, when asked if he deserves to be the starter next week against Atlanta. "I'm not looking for the easy way out."

He may have to start since McCown left with knee and foot injuries. Third-stringer Matt Moore threw his own interception, one of Carolina's team record-tying seven turnovers.

"Offensively, we just sucked. Let's be honest," receiver Steve Smith said.

Victor Abiamiri picked up Delhomme's fumble and plunged 2 yards for the go-ahead touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Moments later, DeSean Jackson returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown -- the second longest in franchise history.

Delhomme soon collapsed under the relentless blitzing from the Eagles, who were playing their first game since the death of longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson from cancer.

Sheldon Brown had two of the interceptions and Akeem Jordan and Asante Samuel each had one on consecutive Delhomme throws in the third quarter.

"The combination of hitting him, and him throwing a couple picks, it seemed like he got a little streaky," linebacker Chris Gocong said. "We kind of got him on his heels a little bit. It was a tough day for him."

McNabb, who finished 10 of 18 for 79 yards, rumbled for a TD after the Jordan pick for the game's final score. He was on the ground for several minutes after a hard hit by several would-be tacklers. Vick, watching from Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie's suite, looked concerned.

McNabb was moving slowly a few minutes later when he headed to the locker room. McNabb last year started all 16 games for the first time since 2003.

With Vick not eligible to return until Week 3 from penalties related to his dogfighting conviction, the Eagles could have uncertainty at quarterback next week against New Orleans.

Fresh off receiving a five-year, $42.5 million deal in the offseason that includes $20 million in guaranteed money, Delhomme and the Panthers may have bigger worries.

After DeAngelo Williams' 11-yard TD run on the opening drive, Delhomme imploded.

"He probably won't sleep very much tonight," Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad said. "It's a cruel environment and people only love you when you're winning in this league, in this game. Obviously he's having a tough time right now."

Game notes
A Vick protester outside the stadium more than 2 hours before kickoff had pictures of mistreated dogs taped to his body with a sign that said "Forgive This?" He was given little attention, save for a fan in an Eagles jersey who yelled, "Yeah, Michael Vick!" ... Panthers S Chris Harris (knee) was a late scratch. ... S Quintin Demps left with a hamstring injury. ... The Eagles beat St. Louis 38-3 in Week 1 last year. ... Ex-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue sat next to Panthers owner Jerry Richardson in his luxury box.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers apparently are going to stay with this Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes combination until somebody beats them.

Jeff Reed kicked a 33-yard field goal with 4:32 gone in overtime and the Super Bowl champion Steelers again relied on Roethlisberger's ability to lead clutch scoring drives to beat the Tennessee Titans 13-10 in the NFL season opener Thursday night.

The Steelers, their running game stuffed by Tennessee's defense, didn't get going until Roethlisberger began repeatedly finding Holmes and Hines Ward open downfield. Roethlisberger went 33 of 43 for 363 yards, with Holmes -- the Super Bowl star -- making nine catches for 131 yards and a touchdown and Ward, despite a potentially costly fumble, making eight for 103.

Holmes' statistics were exactly the same as the Super Bowl, when he caught the winning 6-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger in the final minute to beat Arizona 27-23.

Thursday's victory might be costly, however -- star safety Troy Polamalu, the best player on the field during the first half, sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee on a blocked field goal. Coach Mike Tomlin said the injury usually sidelines a player 3 to 6 weeks.

"It is speculation at this point [how long he will be out]," Tomlin said.

The Titans lost the coin toss to start the overtime and, as so often happens, never saw the ball again. Roethlisberger, who led a touchdown drive at the end of the first half, hit Ward for 11 yards, Holmes for 11 and rookie Mike Wallace for 22. Unwilling to risk a turnover, the Steelers kicked the field goal on first down to win it.

"It's nice to know we can win close games," Reed said. "This is my eighth year here and I've been in a lot of close games, and we usually are on the up side of those."

While the Steelers ended up winning on two Reed field goals, the Titans may have lost because Rod Bironas twice couldn't convert from inside the 40.

"The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't beat the Tennessee Titans, the Tennessee Titans beat the Tennessee Titans," said wide receiver Nate Washington, the former Steelers player.

Pittsburgh looked ready to win it late in regulation when Roethlisberger, so adept at running the two-minute offense, took advantage of good field position created by a shanked Craig Hentrich punt to find Ward on a 30-yard completion to the Titans 4. But as Ward was trying to muscle his way closer to the goal line, Michael Griffin stripped the ball and Stephen Tulloch recovered with less than a minute remaining.

Even with no running game to support him -- the Steelers were outrushed 86-36 as Willie Parker was held to 19 yards on 13 carries -- Roethlisberger had the third-most productive passing game of his career. Tennessee's Kerry Collins, usually the caretaker of a run-first offense, was 22 of 35 for 244 yards after having only four games of 200 yards or more last season.

The Titans never led until Bironas connected from 45 yards with 11:03 remaining, making it 10-7, after Collins kept the drive moving with 15-yard completions to rookie Kenny Britt and Justin Gage.

"We had chances and opportunities but missed a field goal, had a field goal blocked," coach Jeff Fisher said. "I believe we've got a good football team in that locker room and we're going to bounce back."

The Steelers tied it on Reed's 32-yarder with 2:57 to go, but only after Mewelde Moore was held to 1 yard on two plays. Reed, under pressure, barely got off a low line drive that squeezed through the uprights.

Roethlisberger was 7 of 7 for 57 yards on the drive but the Steelers' game-long lack of a running game again caused a drive to stall after they had a second-and-2 at the 10.

The Titans were the last team to beat the Steelers, winning 31-17 on Dec. 21 to gain home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, but they never won again and the Steelers never lost again. Still, Steelers' fans remembered how LenDale White, Keith Bulluck and several Titans players stomped all over Terrible Towels at the end of the game, and it created a buzz of anticipation for a rematch that appeared likely to occur in January but didn't.

Instead, this game wasn't a throwback to last season, but to the 1970s, when the Titans' predecessors, the Oilers, twice met and lost to the Steelers and their famed Steel Curtain defense in the AFC championship game. All that was missing were some Jack Lambert hits on Earl Campbell.

"It was a 15-round, old-school Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight that went the distance," Bulluck said.

The Titans spent the first quarter tromping on a Steelers offense that managed all of 1 yard. Then, after Bironas' 31-yarder was blocked by Aaron Smith -- he missed earlier from the 27 following a bad snap -- both teams suddenly found their offenses.

"I got my hand up," Smith said. "I jumped and my vertical is probably not that good, but ..."

Roethlisberger, again a master of the two-minute drive, needed only five plays to lead a 79-yard drive in which he found familiar target Ward for 29 yards ahead of his 34-yard touchdown throw to Holmes.

Yes, those two again.

With the Steelers defense missing both Polamalu, who had earlier made a remarkable, one-handed interception, and linebacker LaMarr Woodley (leg cramps), the Titans needed only three plays to tie it. Collins found Britt with no defender within 10 yards on him for a 57-yard completion to the 14. Collins then hit an equally wide open Justin Gage in the end zone with 48 seconds left in the half. Britt, the first-round pick, made four catches for 85 yards.

Game notes
The Steelers have won their last seven openers, the longest ongoing streak ... The returning Super Bowl champion has won its opener for 10 consecutive seasons. ... Roethlisberger is 4-0 with nine TD passes and two interceptions in openers. ... Tennessee started 10-0 last season.

ATLANTA -- For one week at least, the Falcons answered all those questions about their defense.

There were never any doubts about Tony Gonzalez.

Atlanta's new tight end hauled in a touchdown pass and became the 21st player in NFL history with 11,000 yards receiving, helping the Falcons beat the mistake-prone Miami Dolphins 19-7 Sunday.

Gonzalez caught five passes for a team-high 73 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown that was set up by Mike Peterson's interception. He made the catch in the flats, cut to the inside while shoving away Yeremiah Bell with his left hand, picked up a nice block from Roddy White and waltzed into the end zone to join the 11,000-yard club.

The former college basketball player didn't get a chance to dunk the ball over the goalposts.

"I was going for it, but my teammates were jumping all over me so I didn't have time to get over there," Gonzalez said. "Plus, I was tired. I was just happy to get in the end zone."

The matchup between the two most surprising teams of 2008 wasn't much of a game. The Falcons' defense, highly suspect after letting go five starters and looking shaky during the preseason, came up with four turnovers and thoroughly shut down a team that won the AFC East after going 1-15 two years ago.

Peterson, the only prominent player signed by Atlanta on defense during the offseason, forced a fumble with a vicious hit and did a pretty good impression of Gonzalez on the interception, catching it with his fingertips and returning the ball 39 yards to set up Gonzalez's first TD in Atlanta.

"I tell the guys all the time that I've got the best hands on the team, but they don't believe me," Peterson said. "Maybe they'll start believing me now."

Matt Ryan threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Falcons, who made the playoffs in 2008 after a quick rebuilding job from the Michael Vick debacle. They are off to a good start in their attempt to post consecutive winning seasons for the first time in the club's 44-year history.

Peterson paid immediate dividends, flinging his 33-year-old body into Anthony Fasano after a catch late in the second quarter. Another newcomer, Brian Williams, who started at cornerback after being signed only a week ago, picked up the ball and ran 53 yards to set up Jason Elam's 36-yard field goal, giving the Falcons a 10-0 halftime lead.

The defense came within 3:22 of a shutout, a quick retort to all the critics.

"We didn't get caught up in all the stuff that's said during the week," Peterson said. "We just used it as motivation."

Miami activated rookie quarterback Pat White and used him in a new version of the wildcat, without much success. He stopped for no gain the first time he attempted to run and overthrew Ted Ginn Jr. on a deep pass after the receiver beat two defenders.

"When the wildcat words, everybody loves it," quarterback Chad Pennington said. "When it doesn't, everybody hates it."

Pennington finally got the Dolphins in the end zone with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Williams after a scoring toss to Fasano was taken away by a holding penalty. Pennington completed 21 of 29, but his throws accounted for only 176 yards. Ronnie Brown was held to 43 yards rushing, while Williams managed 39.

"They didn't give us any deep shots," said Pennington, who was sacked four times. "You have to step up and make sure it doesn't snowball. We let it snowball on us."

The Dolphins avoided their first shutout since Nov. 26, 2007, but did little to bolster faith in an offense that had five turnovers in a playoff loss to Baltimore last season.

Ryan faced some heavy pressure but still completed 22 of 36 for 229 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown to Ovie Mughelli that gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.

About the only thing that didn't go right for the Falcons was their kicking. Jason Elam, one of the NFL's most reliable specialists, missed two field goals and an extra point -- perhaps the worst day of his 17-year career. He did redeem himself a bit in the fourth, hitting from 50 yards.

Game notes
Backup DE Kroy Biermann had a big game for the Falcons. He came in on the second play, forced an early fumble and wound up with two sacks. John Abraham had Atlanta's other two sacks, including one after running right over tackle Jake Long. ... Miami's Greg Camarillo started at receiver ahead of Davone Bess but had only two catches for 20 yards. Bess led the Dolphins with seven receptions, but they accounted for just 57 yards. ... Elam missed only two field goals all of last season, and had ranked third in league history in extra point accuracy (641 of 644 before this year).

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens found a different way to win, and did so in record-setting fashion.

Long known for their punishing defense and relentless ground game, the Ravens went airborne to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 38-24 on Sunday.

Joe Flacco went 26 for 43 for 307 yards and three touchdowns, all career highs. He was the focal point of an attack that amassed a franchise-record 501 yards and helped ruin the NFL head coaching debut of Todd Haley.

Now in his second season, Flacco threw as many as 30 passes in only four games last year -- each time in a losing cause.

Given the opportunity from the outset to throw the ball instead of handing it off, Flacco couldn't contain his delight.

"It's awesome. It's so much fun," he said. "As a quarterback, that's what you want to do."

It may not have been an isolated opportunity, either.

"We're going to throw more if it helps us win games," coach John Harbaugh said. "I think that we will be capable of throwing the ball more ways than we did last year. We have really good players that can make plays."

Such as Mark Clayton, who had five catches for 77 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown grab with 2:06 left that gave Baltimore a 31-24 lead.

Willis McGahee scored from the 1 with 31 seconds remaining to clinch it.

Another surprising aspect of the game was Kansas City's ability to keep it close despite playing without Matt Cassel, whose sprained left knee did not heal enough to enable him to make his Chiefs debut.

That left the quarterbacking responsibilities to Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen, who entered with a collective 1-18 record as NFL starters. The Chiefs didn't get their initial first down until deep into the second quarter, but used a blocked punt and a long interception return to keep it close until their offense finally got rolling.

Croyle played all but one series and went 16 for 24 for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

Asked to assess his performance, Croyle said, "Play well, don't play well -- if you don't win, you still have the same feeling and that's where I'm at."

Haley added: "I thought Brodie Croyle gave us a chance to win today and that's all I'll ever ask my quarterback to do."

Larry Johnson, the last player to run for 100 yards against the Ravens (in December 2006), finished with 20 yards on 11 carries.

That, and the Ravens' air show, contributed to Baltimore nearly doubling Kansas City's time of possession.

"I got to give credit to Baltimore. They were a throwing machine today," Haley said. "They threw the ball probably a lot more than we anticipated."

The Chiefs couldn't contain Clayton or tight end Todd Heap, who had five catches for 74 yards. He made four first downs, scored a touchdown and relished being part of an offense that seemingly moved at will.

"It was fun. We haven't done that too many times around here, ever," Heap said.

Baltimore, which led the AFC in rushing last season, didn't entirely abandon the usual script. Ray Rice ran for 108 yards, McGahee added 44 and the Ravens finished with 198 yards rushing.

Down 14-10 late in the third quarter, the Ravens regained the lead with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Heap, who caught the ball around the 3 and bulled into the end zone.

Croyle then connected with Mark Bradley for a 50-yard completion -- the longest of the quarterback's career -- to set up a 53-yard field goal by Ryan Succop, the last player chosen in the 2009 draft.

After Baltimore took a 24-17 lead on a 1-yard run by Le'Ron McClain with 8:10 remaining, Croyle answered with a touchdown pass to Sean Ryan.

Despite amassing a 215-56 advantage in total yardage, the Ravens led only 10-7 at halftime.

Kansas City's first touchdown of the season came on a blocked punt by Jon McGraw that he recovered in the end zone. The Chiefs went up 14-10 in the third quarter when Derrick Johnson returned an interception 70 yards to set up Croyle's TD pass to Dwayne Bowe.

Game notes
A moment of silence was held for former Ravens quarterback Steve McNair before the national anthem. ... Croyle is 0-9 as a starter, but his two passing TDs matched his career high. ... Baltimore's Jarret Johnson had a career-high two sacks.

CINCINNATI -- Brandon Stokley caught the deflected pass, turned and looked upfield. Nobody stood between him and the end zone.

Unbelievable!

In the time it takes to sprint the length of the field, Stokley ran Denver out of a crushing loss and into franchise lore. His 87-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left on Sunday provided a 12-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, who are going to need a long time to recover from this one.

"I've never seen anything like that," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "I've played football since I was 7 or 8, and I've not seen that."

No one had. It was the longest game-winning play from scrimmage in the final minute of the fourth quarter in NFL history, according to the league.

A half hour after it ended, a Bengals fan in an orange Rey Maualuga jersey sat alone in the otherwise empty expanse of green seats behind the end zone, staring at the field, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

One weird bounce had changed everything.

"You know you need a miracle, and that's basically what we got," Stokley said. "When I scored, I just remember it being quiet, and that was a good feeling."

The Broncos felt sick after Cedric Benson's 1-yard run put the Bengals up 7-6 with 38 seconds left. No one felt worse than quarterback Kyle Orton, whose poor judgment had given the Bengals their chance to pull ahead.

Down to desperation, Orton threw a sideline pass that was nearly intercepted. The next play was a throw to the other sideline for Brandon Marshall, who was blanketed. Cornerback Leon Hall cut in front, went up for the ball and tipped it into the air.

The carom went to Stokley, who couldn't believe his luck as he headed for the end zone, running sideways a few steps to kill time before finally crossing in.

"So much went through my head," the receiver said. "I just thought: Get what you can. My mind was racing. What should I do? I felt myself pulling away."

Bengals defenders stopped and dropped their heads, unable to fathom the wacky ending. It will go down among the Bengals' worst, along with the time they failed to run out the clock and let San Francisco's Joe Montana throw a winning touchdown pass to Jerry Rice on the game's final play in 1987.

That one was the result of a risky coaching decision. This one came off a bad defensive play -- Hall didn't knock the ball down, and none of the safeties was looking for a possible deflection.

"I've got to knock it to the ground," Hall said, "either that or pick it off."

Instead, the game was left up to chance.

"I've seen some things in football, but never anything quite like this," Broncos running back Correll Buckhalter said.

Orton put the Broncos in line for a kick-to-the-stomach loss in coach Josh McDaniels' regular-season debut. Nursing a dislocated index finger on his right hand, he did just enough to get the Broncos a 6-0 lead heading into the closing minutes.

Then, he had a brain-freeze moment on a warm afternoon, taking a sack that pushed Denver out of range for what could have been a third and clinching field goal by Matt Prater, who had connected from 48 and 50 yards.

Still, the odds seemed to be in Denver's favor. The Bengals had only one first down in the second half against an overhauled defense. Shut down all day, Palmer was perfect in the clutch, completing all six passes on a 91-yard drive to Benson's touchdown run.

Turned out to be just a tease.

"The funniest, weirdest, craziest ending I've ever experienced in football," Benson said.

Tell it to the lone fan in the stands.

Game notes
Orton had stitches removed from his index finger after the game and hopes to be able to play next week without wearing a glove. He finished 17 for 28 for 243 yards. ... Marshall, who was suspended during training camp for grousing about not getting traded, had a team-high seven catches for 27 yards. He dropped the first ball thrown to him. ... Broncos coaches are 9-0 in their regular season debuts, not counting interim coaches. ... Palmer, who missed the last three preseason games with a sprained left ankle, was 21 of 33 for 247 yards. ... A bad snap botched a Bengals field goal attempt. ... Cincinnati ran the wildcat on 4th-and-2 to keep a drive going. ... The crowd of 62,831 was roughly 3,000 less than capacity.

CLEVELAND -- After rolling into the end zone with his first NFL touchdown, Vikings rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin had to absorb an unexpected hit.

Brett Favre flattened him.

"I thought we were going to bump chests or something," Harvin said. "He wasn't slowing down. I took it and we fell to the ground. It was a great feeling."

For Favre, the ageless quarterback with a boundless love for football, career touchdown pass No. 464 was as enjoyable as his first.

Favre looked pleasing in purple, throwing a 6-yard TD pass to Harvin in his debut with Minnesota, and Adrian Peterson scored three touchdowns and ran for 180 yards as the Vikings overcame a sluggish start to beat the Cleveland Browns 34-20 on Sunday.

"I had a blast," Favre said. "It wasn't a 400-yard passing game, but it doesn't have to be. As long as we win, that's what it's all about."

Making his 270th consecutive start after a will-he-or-won't-he flirtation that dominated NFL headlines this summer, the 39-year-old Favre, who holds every significant passing record, showed he can still fire it with authority -- and that he hasn't lost his joy for playing.

After hooking up with the speedy Harvin, Favre sprinted into the end zone and tackled the young wideout who was just 4 years old when his QB began his storied career.

"You don't find too many players like that who still love the game," said Harvin, a first-round pick from Florida. "That's what makes him special and separates him from a lot of people. For him to be that old -- he's got a daughter my age -- and still has a love for the game, going to meetings and all that stuff. He's by himself."

So is Peterson.

The league's leading rusher last season scored on a pair of 1-yard plunges and capped his day with an electrifying 64-yarder in the fourth quarter, breaking five tackles along the way, to make it 34-13.

Peterson was held to just 25 yards in the first half, when he needed treatment for a badly cut left arm. He felt light headed and received intravenous fluids at halftime.

"I gagged myself a couple times trying to get everything in my stomach out," he said. "Normally it makes me feel better and it did. I came in and got an IV and felt recharged and rejuvenated and was ready to go to work."

On his long TD run, Peterson used a devastating stiff arm to get away from would-be tacklers before finally busting free and scoring.

"It was pretty good," Peterson said. "The only thing I did wrong was that I didn't go untouched. I was just determined to get into the end zone, and try to stick that dagger in."

It certainly put away the Browns.

"When you play a player of Adrian Peterson's caliber, it only takes once," Mangini said. "He only needs that one time and he can exploit it."

Favre was 14 of 21 for 110 yards and appeared to be fully recovered from offseason surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon, an injury that plagued him down the stretch last season with the Jets. Favre threw nine interceptions in New York's final five games, a slide that cost his team a playoff spot and led to coach Eric Mangini's firing.

Mangini is now with Cleveland, and one game into his tenure, little has changed with the Browns. They fell to 1-10 in season openers since 1999, but did score their first offensive touchdown in seven games when Brady Quinn hit tight end Robert Royal with 28 seconds left.

Quinn, picked by Mangini to start after a drawn-out battle with Derek Anderson, had a rocky opener. He went 21 of 35 for 205 yards, but most of his completions came on dumpoffs and short routes. He had one interception and the game's most comical moment when he had the ball pop out of his hand and fall behind him following a scramble.

"I didn't take care of the ball like I needed to," Quinn said. "It's going to hurt you in the end. The one ball that slipped out, I was trying to make a play. That sort of thing can really help you and maybe get you back in the game, but a lot of the time they end up hurting you if that ends up being the result."

Josh Cribbs scored on a 67-yard punt return for Cleveland's first TD.

Favre and Mangini greeted each other warmly on the field before the game, hugging and sharing a few laughs. Their relationship wasn't always so buddy-buddy in New York, ending with Mangini's ouster, which many blamed on Favre's arm injury.

All seems to be forgiven, if not forgotten, between the pair. Favre found it strange to play in the Metrodome for the first time as a visitor last month. He said seeing Mangini on the opposite sideline wasn't nearly as uncomfortable.

"I shouldn't say it felt weird looking across. If you play long enough, that happens," Favre said. "Guys come and go, coaches come and go, I've come and gone."

Game notes
Cribbs' seventh career TD punt return tied Eric Metcalf for the most in club history. ... Minnesota improved to 10-3 against Cleveland. ... The Browns have opened every season since '99 at home. Their only win came in 2004 against Baltimore. ... The Vikings tried an onside kick to start the game that was recovered by the Browns. ... Cleveland rookie running back James Davis, who was slightly injured in a one-car accident on Saturday, sustained a shoulder injury in the second half.

HOUSTON -- After getting a pregame pep talk from Broadway Joe himself, Mark Sanchez couldn't help but sparkle in his debut in the NFL.

Sanchez, the fifth overall pick in this year's draft, threw for 272 yards and a touchdown, Thomas Jones scored twice, and the Jets shut down Houston's high-powered offense in a 24-7 win Sunday.

Joe Namath took Sanchez aside just minutes before pregame warmups. The rookie asked him about his first start and Namath said he didn't remember it and that Sunday was about Sanchez, not him.

"What a pep talk," a beaming Sanchez said. "That was Joe Namath, just taking all the credit from himself and throwing it back to me and just saying, 'Good luck.' To hear that from a legend like that, it just kind of gives you the chills. It was something special to be a part of, an emotional start, an emotional little pep talk."

Namath said Sanchez's performance didn't surprise him.

"No, I was hopeful and I'm satisfied more than I thought I'd be," Namath said. "His offensive line did a hell of a job, but he did a great job of finding time with his feet, just to move subtly ... I don't doubt even a little bit that he doesn't have poise at this stage."

It was easy to see Rex Ryan's stamp on this defense in his first game as Jets head coach after leading the Ravens' stingy unit for the past several years. Houston's offense got past midfield just once in the first three quarters. The Texans were outgained 462-183, Steve Slaton was held to 17 yards rushing and Andre Johnson had 35 yards receiving.

"It's just insane," Slaton said. "You work for six months leading up to this first game. You have all offseason to prepare for this game and then to come out and play like that is upsetting."

Matt Schaub struggled, too, completing 18 of 33 passes for 166 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Coach Gary Kubiak said Schaub hadn't completely recovered from an ankle sprain he suffered almost two weeks ago, but took the blame for Houston's poor performance.

"The offensive football team gave us no chance and that starts with me," Kubiak said. "There's nobody that can feel anything good coming out of this football game."

Sanchez was poised and confident from the start, often evading the rush to complete key passes. He completed at least three throws as he was being knocked down.

"He's able to move and bide a little extra time and again, this is why we took the guy," Ryan said. "This is why we traded up to get him."

His first NFL touchdown came in the second quarter when he found Chansi Stuckey wide open on a 30-yard reception to put the Jets up 10-0. After the score, television cameras flashed to a smiling Namath, who watched the game from a luxury suite at Reliant Stadium.

That score came after a fumble by Slaton at the end of an 18-yard catch and run. Donald Strickland knocked the ball out and it landed in Mike DeVito's hands.

"When we did move the ball, we have a big turnover," Johnson said. "It looked like we were going to score. We can't have those things happen. When they happen, you get beat."

Sanchez's only big mistake came in the fourth quarter. John Busing intercepted his pass and immediately fumbled. Houston's Dominique Barber picked up the ball and ran down the right sideline 48 yards for a touchdown to make it 17-7 with about 12 minutes left in the game.

The Jets answered quickly when Jones rumbled 38 yards for a touchdown four plays later.

Sanchez distributed the ball well among several receivers. Jerricho Cotchery finished with six receptions for 90 yards, tight end Dustin Keller had four for 94, and Stuckey had four for 64.

Jones had 107 yards rushing and Leon Washington added 60 to keep the running game going.

The Jets used an 87-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard run by Jones to push their lead to 17-0 midway through the third quarter. That score was set up by a 9-yard run by Washington, who took the snap out of the wildcat formation.

A 24-yard field goal by Jay Feely in the first quarter gave New York a 3-0 lead.

Linebacker David Harris led New York's defense, finishing with six solo tackles and a sack.

The Texans are 2-9 in the month and have lost their last six in September. The few thousand fans who remained when the game ended booed loudly as the last seconds ticked off.

Game notes
Sanchez is the fourth rookie QB since the 1970 merger to win his first start on opening day on the road, joining John Elway, Joe Ferguson and Chris Weinke. ... Houston CB Dunta Robinson, miffed about no long-term contract with the team despite signing his franchise tender, wore shoes he had made with the words 'pay me Rick,' for GM Rick Smith. ... Texans WR Andre' Davis suffered a concussion late in the game and did not return.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys figure they'll be fine without Terrell Owens.

Surrounded by a talented supporting cast that includes Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin and Jason Witten -- not to mention Marion Barber and Felix Jones -- it's easy to understand why.

Romo launched the post-T.O. era Sunday with a career-best 353 yards passing, including three long touchdowns that keyed a 34-21 victory and ruined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' debut under coach Raheem Morris.

"Career-high passing yards? Without T.O.?," Williams asked, laughing before turning serious.

"No, it's good. It's good for him. It's good for this team," Owens' replacement added. "It was a team effort. Everybody contributed."

Austin avoided two tacklers on the sideline to score on a 42-yard reception just before halftime and Williams streaked through a mistake-prone secondary on a 66-yard TD play early in the third quarter.

Romo teamed with Crayton, who had four catches for 135 yards, on the longest completion of the quarterback's career -- 80 yards -- for a fourth-quarter TD that thwarted any realistic hopes for a Tampa Bay comeback.

"They are playmakers, and we knew that going in," coach Wade Phillips said. "But until you do it, the naysayers are going to say: 'Hey. You don't have this or that.' But I think we do."

Tampa Bay's Byron Leftwich completed 25 of 41 passes for 276 yards and no interceptions, but took a beating from a relentless pass rush once Romo put the Cowboys in control.

Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward each scored on 1-yard runs for the Bucs, who rushed for 174 yards but eventually had to abandon the running game.

"Obviously, we're disappointed," said Morris, who at 33 is the NFL's youngest head coach. "But there were a lot of good things on offense."

Williams, back after having knee surgery twice in 15 months, finished with 97 yards on 13 carries. Ward ran for 62 yards on 12 attempts and was the catalyst on a long second-half drive that briefly put the Bucs back in the game.

Both teams are hoping to rebound this year from December collapses that cost them playoffs berths last season.

The Cowboys lost three of four down the stretch to finish 9-7, and the Bucs lost four straight after a 9-3 start and fired coach Jon Gruden, replacing him with Morris.

Dallas' biggest offseason move was getting rid of Owens and making Roy Williams the lead receiver, a role he's excited about after spending the first 5 1/2 years of his career in Detroit and struggling in Owens' shadow after being obtained from the Lions at the trade deadline last season.

Romo completed his first two passes to the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Williams, but the duo remained relatively quiet until the receiver's big third-quarter catch put the Cowboys up 20-7.

Romo, who has thrown for eight TDs and no interceptions in two career games against Tampa Bay, finished 16 of 27 and improved to 8-1 in September starts. Williams had three receptions for 86 yards.

"You don't think about yards. You're not judged off of yards," said Romo, who has a franchise-best 17 300-yard games. "You're judged off of winning and losing at this position."

Leftwich wasn't sacked by a defense led by DeMarcus Ware, however he did take several hard shots in the fourth quarter. The seventh-year pro led an 11-play, 84-yard drive that Ward capped with his TD that trimmed Tampa Bay's deficit to 20-14 with 13:45 remaining.

Two plays later, Romo found Crayton wide open up the right sideline, and the receiver easily outran Piscitelli and Jermaine Phillips to restore the Cowboys' 13-point lead.

"We had our chances. The final score is definitely not indicative of how good we played at times. Those big plays absolutely destroy you football team," Ronde Barber said.

Barber's 6-yard TD run, set up by Romo's 44-yard completion to Crayton, finished Dallas' scoring.

The Bucs marched 74 yards in the closing minutes to score on Leftwich's 2-yard pass to Kellen Winslow. By that time, most of the announced crowd of 63,806 had cleared the stadium, leaving big pockets of Dallas fans in their seats.

Game notes
Ware left briefly after being hit in the head on Tampa Bay's third offensive play. He returned the next series. ... Bucs PK Mike Nugent had a 38-yard field goal attempt blocked, then missed a 46-yarder. ... Cowboys S Gerald Sensabaugh left with sore ribs after a fourth-quarter collision with Bucs receiver Michael Clayton.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The NFC championship banner was freshly hanging from the stadium rafters. The offense that helped Arizona win it was rarely on display.

San Francisco's, on the other hand, showed up just enough.

The 49ers went three-and-out on five of their six second-half possessions on Sunday, but Shaun Hill directed a masterful 15-play, 80-yard drive on the other. His 3-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gore with 7:26 to play was the difference in the 49ers' 20-16 victory over the Cardinals.

"It wasn't anything necessarily that I said," Hill said. "The whole unit was saying the same thing: 'Hey, it's time to go.'"

The Cardinals looked a lot like the team that went 0-4 in the preseason and not much, at least on offense, like the one that won three playoff games before a near-miss against Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl just a few months ago.

"We're just not meshing," said Kurt Warner, who threw two interceptions and faced a fierce pass rush much of the afternoon. "We never seem to get into a rhythm. There always seems to be something to stop us."

The 49ers, who endured a brutal training camp under coach Mike Singletary, gave the coach a victory in his first opener after taking over for the fired Mike Nolan seven games into last season. It was Arizona's first loss to an NFC foe in two seasons.

"To come in their backyard, after everything they've accomplished, we knew it was going to be a tremendous challenge," Singletary said.

For the seventh time in the last eight meetings between the teams, the final margin was seven points or less.

Arizona rallied from 10 points down to go up 16-13 on Neil Rackers' 44-yard field goal with 14:52 to play, but the 49ers regained control with a drive that used up nearly half of the final quarter.

"We're definitely too good to be having these kind of performances," the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald said.

The Cardinals held Gore to 30 yards in 22 carries and sacked Hill four times, but Arizona committed 12 penalties for 82 yards and had its pass protection break down at crucial times.

"The one thing I want to say for us is that you can't have penalties, you can't have mistakes and expect to win," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

After the 49ers had to punt from their 1 late in the game, the Cardinals had first down at the San Francisco 39.

But a false-start penalty and a holding call pushed Arizona back 15 yards and the threat ended when Warner was leveled by Justin Smith as he threw on fourth-and-5 at the San Francisco 33 with 1:51 to play.

"I'm really most upset by getting the ball back in the fourth quarter in the plus territory and going back 15 yards," Whisenhunt said. "That's horrible. That's unacceptable, and it's what causes you to lose football games. I said to the team afterward, guys that make penalties are not going to play."

Arizona had it once more, this time at the 46 at the finish, but another fierce rush by Smith forced Warner's fumble as the game ended.

Hill completed 18 of 31 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown and wasn't intercepted. Warner was 26 of 44 for 288 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.

Arizona's Tim Hightower caught 12 passes for 121 yards, the second-most receptions by a running back in Cardinals history. Fitzgerald, who didn't make a catch until the final seconds of the first half, had six for 71 yards. Anquan Boldin, playing despite a sore hamstring, caught one for five yards.

Arizona was without its No. 3 receiver Steve Breaston because of a sprained kneecap.

The 49ers went three-and-out on five of their six possessions in the second half.

But one drive was a doozy.

"We just moved the chains," Hill said. "I don't believe we got any big plays on it, just executing and moving the change."

After the Cardinals had scored 13 points in a row to take the lead, Hill drove the team downfield, converting four third-down opportunities in the process, two on passes to the venerable Isaac Bruce, who had a 50-yard catch in the first half.

On third-and-goal at the 3, the 49ers sent Gore out on the flat and no one followed him. He caught the short pass and scored with no one near him.

"We made a play here, a play there, and we won," Gore said.

Game notes
The record for catches by a Cardinals running back is 13 by Larry Centers against St. Louis in 1996. ... The two teams opened the season against each other for the fourth straight time. ... San Francisco's Joe Nedney kicked a 50-yard field goal, making him 14 of 30 from 50 or longer in his career.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants didn't find a replacement for Plaxico Burress in opening defense of their NFC East title.

They added something just as valuable, a healthy Osi Umenyiora, and he's as good ever.

Returning from a major knee injury that wiped out his 2008 season, Umenyiora scored on a 37-yard fumble return after knocking a ball loose on a sack in leading the Giants to a 23-17 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

"It was unbelievable and now all that is in the past," Umenyiora said after his first meaningful game since the Super Bowl in February 2008. "I can't even explain it to you, when something like that is taken away from you. Last year I missed it. I was happy I was able to come back in there."

So were the Giants, who once again had no problem handling the Redskins, even with their addition of $100 million defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. They swept both games last season and again dominated.

The Giants jumped out to a 17-0 first-half lead and were never threatened by the NFL's so-called best last-place team.

Eli Manning threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham and Lawrence Tynes added three field goals, including a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter that was set up by an offside penalty by Haynesworth, who stuffed the middle of the line but did little else in his Washington debut.

The game- breaking play was Umenyiora's second-quarter return. The two-time Pro Bowler beat tackle Chris Samuels with an outside speed rush, knocked the ball out of Jason Campbell's hands and then picked it up and pranced his way to the end zone.

"To be honest, I don't know what happened," Umenyiora said. "That's the way most plays are made. You just go out there and sometimes good things happen. They always get on me about knocking the ball out and not picking it up. When I saw it, I just picked it up."

"Osi made a great play on the ball," said Campbell, who was 19 of 26 for 211 yards and an interception. "It's something you have to understand as a quarterback you have to feel it more or slide up in the pocket."

Campbell held it too long, and Umenyiora made him and the Redskins pay.

Washington, which trailed all game, drew within 23-17 with 1:30 to play on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Campbell to Chris Cooley. Steve Smith recovered the onside kick and New York ran out the clock.

Washington also got an 8-yard touchdown run from punter Hunter Smith on a fake field goal late in the first half and a 27-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham in the third quarter.

"Not only was it a W, but it was against an NFC East opponent," Umenyiora said. "It was a great game."

The Giants came into the game wondering whether they could replace Burress and Amani Toomer at receiver, and whether the defense could dominate under new coordinator Bill Sheridan, who took over when Steve Spagnuolo became the Rams head coach.

There are still questions to be answered with the receivers, especially with top draft pick Hakeem Nicks spraining his left foot in the second half. However, Manning (20 of 29 for 256) spread the ball around, connecting with Smith six times for 80 yards.

The defense was outstanding, limiting Washington to 272 yards, forcing two turnovers and getting three sacks. Washington's two touchdowns were on the gadget play and one late one after Tynes kicked his third field goal for a 23-10 lead in the closing minutes.

Tynes' 28-yard field goal gave New York an early 3-0 lead and Manningham personally stretched it to 10-0 after taking a short pass from Manning. The second-year receiver deked Fred Smoot at the line of scrimmage, avoided a pushout attempt near the sideline by Andre Carter at the 20 and stopped short to avoid a tackle by DeAngelo Hall for his first NFL score.

Washington, which ran itself out of a scoring opportunity on its opening series with an ill-advised gadget play, used one to get on the board with 21 seconds left in the half. Faced with a fourth-and-goal at the Giants 8, coach Jim Zorn went with a fake and it caught New York by surprise, allowing Smith to jog in for a touchdown.

"It was really neat, but it would have been neater had we been able to capitalize and win the game," Smith said.

Suisham's short field goal was set up by Hall's interception of Manning deep in New York territory.

"Not getting seven on that hurt us," said Clinton Portis, who finished with 62 yards rushing on 16 carries.

Game notes
Hunter Smith's touchdown run was the second of his career. He had one with Indianapolis on a fake field goal in 2003. ... Giants backup halfback Danny Ware dislocated his left elbow returning the opening kickoff. He watched the second half wearing a sling. ... Manning lost a second-quarter fumble on a play with Carter grabbing his facemask. No call was made. ... With Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery out, the Giants played with three cornerbacks. Corey Webster, who got into a scuffle with Santana Moss, had an interception.

SEATTLE -- The feisty, new-look Seahawks of coach Jim Mora attacked on defense during plays -- and scrapped after them.

On offense, they showed balance between run and pass, and did a good job of protecting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

It was as if 2008 never happened.

St. Louis resembled the same old Rams, who went 2-14 last year and got Steve Spagnuolo his first head coaching job.

Hasselbeck, playing his first game since Thanksgiving Day, overcame two interceptions in his first nine throws Sunday to connect with John Carlson for two touchdowns in Seattle's 28-0 romp past the Rams.

Hasselbeck, who missed nine games last season with a bad back, finished 25 of 36 for 279 yards passing, his most for an opener.

Seattle's first shutout in almost two years was its ninth consecutive win over its division rivals. It was also Seattle's biggest win to begin a season since a 38-0 victory over Philadelphia in 1998.

"The whole offseason, they said our team was soft," said rookie outside linebacker Aaron Curry, the fourth overall pick who scuffled repeatedly with Rams running back Steven Jackson. "We've got to change our image."

Mora was smiling after his first game as a head coach since the end of the 2006 season for Atlanta. Nine months ago, the Seahawks were 4-12 for Mike Holmgren.

The former visiting locker room attendant for the Seahawks at the old Kingdome returned to his hometown for a day he said he'd thought of "for a long, long time."

"It was especially emotional for me, because there is some significance to it. I'd be lying if I told you there wasn't," the 47-year-old said. "It was kind of a surreal experience."

His revived Seahawks took advantage of a rare use of instant replay to cruise over the sloppy, undisciplined Rams, who pushed and shoved their way to 10 penalties. Two of them were personal fouls after plays by offensive lineman Richie Incognito.

"Would you rather us just get our tail kicked and walk back [to the huddle]?" Jackson said. "You saw some fight in this team."

Yet St. Louis gained just 247 yards in an effort similar to its 38-3 loss against Philadelphia that opened last season.

"Yeah, I'm not going there," said Spagnuolo, who was the Giants' defensive coordinator at the time.

The game's most decisive -- and weirdest -- play came late in the first half. Seattle's Olindo Mare struck a 49-yard field goal try low. C.J. Ah You blocked it, and three other Rams could have. Quincy Butler scooped the ball and ran 49 yards for an apparent touchdown.

As the Rams were about to snap for the tying extra point, referee Pete Morelli announced the booth officials had called for a review -- for whether St. Louis had 12 men on the field.

Turns out, they did. The Rams' sideline had almost no reaction to the rare reversal. Three plays later, Hasselbeck found Nate Burleson for a 12-yard touchdown. Instead of 7-7 at halftime, Seattle led 14-0.

The Rams never recovered.

"They count [players] every play, just in case that foul is called," Morelli said of the replay officials.

The issue of giving replay officials authority to review such plays grew after an infamous incident involving former Steelers coach Bill Cowher in 1995, four years before the current replay system began. The late referee Gordon McCarter incorrectly called Pittsburgh for 12 men on the field during a game against Minnesota. Cowher was fined for comically stuffing into McCarter's pocket a photo from the press box showing 11 Steelers on the field.

St. Louis managed just 13 first downs against the new, attacking schemes of first-year defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Marc Bulger, playing with tape on his broken right pinkie, was 17 of 36 for 191 yards. He was sacked three times.

He said the Rams "aren't going to panic" after just one game.

And Spagnuolo sounded encouraged.

"I'm obviously disappointed in the result, but I'm not disappointed in the effort," he said. "We feel we are better than that. And that's a good thing."

Game notes
RB Julius Jones took the new run game of Seahawks first-year offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, going untouched 62 yards for a touchdown in the second half. Jones finished with 117 yards on 19 carries. ... Mora said Lofa Tatupu and fellow LB Leroy Hill, who left in the first half with a groin injury, apparently have minor injuries and stayed out as a precaution. ... Rams LB James Laurinaitis debuted with 14 tackles. Spagnuolo said the rookie got "dinged" in the knee but should be OK.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett who?

Aaron Rodgers finally has his signature game-winning drive, throwing a 50-yard rainbow to Greg Jennings with 1:11 remaining to give the Green Bay Packers a come-from-behind 21-15 victory over the division rival Chicago Bears in Sunday night's opener.

Rodgers began 2009 with a bang, proving he can pull off the kind of late-game fireworks his predecessor, Brett Favre, once was known for. Rodgers had a productive first season as a starter, but earned some criticism for coming up short at the end of several games last season.

"I was thinking, 'We're due. We're due for one good drive,'" Rodgers said. "I told the guys, just give me one drive."

Rodgers' big throw ruined the debut of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who had a career-worst four interceptions and finished the game 17 of 36 for 277 yards with a touchdown for his new team.

"There were a lot of failures," Cutler said. "We've got to go back and look at it. I think we're still going to be a good football team, there's no need to panic."

The Bears lost a big game to their division rivals and lost several key players to injury. Brian Urlacher left with a wrist injury in the third quarter after fellow linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa left in the first half with an injured knee. Backup cornerback Trumaine McBride also injured a knee, and tight end Desmond Clark left with a back injury.

Bears coach Lovie Smith said Urlacher dislocated his wrist, and no timetable has been set for his return.

"It's pretty simple what happened tonight," Smith said. "Any time that you have four turnovers, you're normally not going to win the football game, especially against a good Packers team."

With the Packers trailing 15-13 and facing third-and-1 at the 50-yard line, Rodgers faked a handoff and heaved a rainbow of a throw deep to Jennings, who ran in for the go-ahead score. Rodgers found Jennings again for a 2-point conversion.

"This was our chance to show that we can finish ballgames, we can win the close games, and we got it done," Jennings said. "We didn't get it done all game, but when it came down to it, when it counts and when it counted, we got it done."

It's another boost for the confidence of Rodgers, who appears to have the full support of Packers fans after the messy divorce between Favre and the Packers led to a trying 2008 and disappointing 6-10 record.

Replicas of Rodgers' green No. 12 jersey dotted the grandstands Sunday night and fans booed loudly as highlights of Favre's new team, the division rival Minnesota Vikings, were shown on the stadium video board at halftime.

"It was important for us to get a win like this tonight," Rodgers said. "It'll definitely build our team character."

Rodgers finished 17 of 28 for 184 yards on an otherwise off night for the Packers' offense. But the Packers' new-look 3-4 defense put Cutler under pressure and forced him into poor decisions.

After throwing three interceptions in the first half, Cutler settled down to lead Chicago to a touchdown and a field goal in the third quarter, giving the Bears a 12-10 lead.

But Chicago's head-scratching fake punt attempt early in the fourth quarter -- they apparently were trying to catch the Packers with 12 players on the field -- gave the ball back to Packers deep in Bears territory, and Mason Crosby hit a 39-yard field goal to give Green Bay a 13-12 lead with 10:10 left.

Smith took the blame for the fake punt, but wouldn't say specifically who called it.

Cutler answered with a drive for a 21-yard field goal by Robbie Gould that gave Chicago a 15-13 lead. Rodgers got the ball back at the Green Bay 28 with 2:28 left and quickly drove the Packers to midfield, where he made the decisive throw to Jennings.

"It definitely boosts his confidence," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

McCarthy noted that Rodgers' performance came after a less-than-ideal performance by a revamped offensive line that gave up four sacks.

"He had a rough night," McCarthy said. "He was hit a bunch. Our pass protection was not what we were looking for."

Game notes
Smith classified the knee injuries to Tinoisamoa and McBride as sprains and said Clark had a back bruise. ... Bears safety Danieal Manning came through the Packers' line untouched to throw Rodgers down in the end zone for a safety in the second quarter. ... Ryan Grant scored a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter after a long interception return by Tramon Williams.

 FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady doesn't do mediocre.

That's not what all those long rehab sessions and months of preparing for his return to the NFL were about. So while Brady's performance was pedestrian for much of Monday night's season opener, when the spotlight was at its most intense, he lived up to the advance billing.

It seemed to take forever, though.

A year after being sidelined with torn knee ligaments, Brady resembled a rusty game manager more than the invincible record-setting quarterback who guided the Patriots to a perfect 2007 regular season. Yet, he threw two touchdown passes in the final 2:06 as New England beat the Buffalo Bills 25-24.

"I felt good all night, we were just off," Brady said. "The plays we needed to make -- fourth downs we missed, third downs we missed, two chances in the red area, the interception -- those things really get you behind the 8-ball. We recovered with just a few seconds left. Sometimes it happens like that.

"It's a pretty special victory."

Brady needed help in the form of Leodis McKelvin's fumble on a kickoff return after the Patriots pulled within five points.

Placekicker Stephen Gostkowski, of all people, recovered at the Buffalo 31. Brady needed three plays before hitting Benjamin Watson over the middle for the decisive 16-yard touchdown with 50 seconds to go.

"We have a real competitive locker room, a real competitive team," Brady said. "When you're in a situation like we were, it's when you really have to step it up. It takes every guy on the field to step it up. Hopefully, we will continue to do that."

Just 1:16 earlier, he found Watson on a similar play for an 18-yard score. It was vintage Brady, who threw for a record 50 TDs two years ago in leading New England to a perfect record.

"Two-minute drives always are fun for a quarterback," Brady said. "Spread it out, the pass rush gets a little tired, you get a feel for the coverage, you just have to be patient.

"I'm glad it's over, glad we are moving on, got a win, and we'll learn from it."

That unbeaten season was spoiled in Brady's last full game that counted, the February 2008 Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants. He was hurt in last season's opener.

Now he's back, although for much of the game he and the Patriots played conservatively, even passively. Indeed, Buffalo seemed ready to break an 11-game losing streak against New England and win for the first time in Gillette Stadium.

Then came the late fireworks, demonstrating that Tom Terrific hasn't lost his touch.

"That's not how we drew it up, but I'll take it," Brady said. "We did a lot of things poorly, but we got the win."

Buffalo did a lot of things well, but got a shocking loss.

"I chose to bring it out because that's me, no matter what it is," McKelvin said of the lost fumble. "If I had that choice, probably 100 times, I'd do it again."

Coming off a 1-4 preseason in which the offense flopped, the Bills made plenty of big plays.

Trent Edwards outperformed Brady for much of the game and threw for two scores. A 10-yard screen pass TD to Fred Jackson put Buffalo ahead 24-13 with 5:32 to go -- even though its new spotlight-grabber, Terrell Owens, barely caused a ripple. Owens had two catches for 46 yards, then refused to speak about it after the game.

When the offense wasn't doing the damage, defensive end Aaron Schobel was rambling 26 yards with an interception for a first-half TD.

"The interception was a really bad play," Brady said. "You can't do that. You learn from them, get focused and concentrate on what you have to do."

Still, these are the Patriots, who have not lost a regular-season game with Brady at quarterback since Dec. 10, 2006. And they still have all those threats in the passing game, from Randy Moss (12 catches, 141 yards) to Wes Welker (12, 93) to tight end Watson (6, 77, two TDs).

Although Brady had those impressive stats, he never looked deep and struggled to convert key plays until the final moments. Perhaps that big hit he took on his shoulder from Albert Haynesworth 2 1/2 weeks ago limited Brady. And maybe his team was uncomfortable in the throwback red uniforms or being introduced as the Boston Patriots for the first of the NFL's tribute games to the old AFL. Something wasn't right in Foxborough -- until the end.

"It has nothing to do with his layoff," Moss said. "I think it's just first-game jitters. I'm not making an excuse, we just had to settle down and get to playing football the way we know how."

Game notes
Buffalo's other touchdown was an 11-yard reception by Shawn Nelson. Rian Lindell added a 40-yard field goal. ... Gostkowski had field goals of 20 and 28 yards, but only one extra point because the Patriots failed on two 2-point tries after their late touchdowns. ... Fred Jackson, filling in for suspended starting RB Marshawn Lynch, had 57 yards rushing and 83 receiving for Buffalo. ... Bills LB Paul Posluszny broke his arm and DE Chris Kelsay hurt his knee. ... Patriots LB Jerod Mayo, the 2008 Defensive Rookie of the year, injured his right knee.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers opened the season doing what they do best: beating the Oakland Raiders.

Rivers answered a pair of go-ahead scored by Oakland by leading two touchdown drives, capped by Darren Sproles 5-yard run with 18 seconds left that gave the Chargers their 12th straight in this one-sided rivalry, 24-20 Monday night.

This might have been the toughest one of the bunch. JaMarcus Russell had given Oakland a 20-17 lead with a 57-yard touchdown pass to rookie Louis Murphy with 2:34 left. But despite having two backup linemen in the game, Rivers calmly led the Chargers down the field for the winning score.

Rivers was six for seven for 79 yards on the winning drive before Sproles silenced the crowd with his run up the middle. This marked the Raiders' 11th straight loss in prime time and perhaps the most painful, considering how close they came.

They took a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 35-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski before Rivers drove the Chargers down and gave them the lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson. Then Russell's fourth-down pass to Murphy looked as if it would provide an emphatic end to a pair of losing streaks. Instead, it was just a footnote to Oakland's league-worst 73rd loss since the start of the 2003 season.

The Chargers offense looked overmatched for much of the night against newly acquired Richard Seymour and the Raiders defense. Injuries to center Nick Hardwick and guard Louis Vasquez in the third quarter made moving the ball even tougher for San Diego and the frustration led Rivers to commit a personal foul that thwarted one drive.

But the two last drives were the reason why the Chargers gave Rivers a six-year contract extension worth $93 million, with $38 million guaranteed, last month. He finished 24 for 36 for 252 yards, playing his best when it counted most.

Russell nearly had overcome a rough night with that one pass to Murphy. Russell was 12 for 30 for 208 yards and two interceptions, including one a desperation heave following Sproles' TD.

Oakland got a big boost from Seymour, who arrived from New England two days ago and didn't even go through a full practice with his new team. He sacked Rivers twice in the first half and helped Oakland keep longtime nemesis LaDainian Tomlinson in check.

Tomlinson, who averaged 119 yards rushing per game against Oakland coming into the game, managed only 55 on 13 carries. But Sproles helped out with two long kickoff returns, five catches for 43 yards and the winning touchdown.

The Raiders dominated the play in the first half, outgaining the Chargers 217-74, but were still tied at 10 because of two turnovers, and a replay review that went against Oakland.

With the offensive line creating big holes, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush ran the ball down the field on the opening drive before Russell threw an interception from the San Diego 25 to Quentin Jammer.

The Raiders finished the job on the second drive, getting a 30-yard pass from Russell to Zach Miller to set up Bush's 4-yard run. McFadden fumbled on the next drive, setting up Tomlinson's 1-yard run to tie it, his 20th career rushing touchdown against Oakland.

Oakland was on the wrong end of a replay review at the end of the half, when an apparent 19-yard touchdown pass to rookie Murphy was overturned because the ball came loose as he hit the ground. Oakland settled for a 37-yard field goal by Janikowski with 40 seconds left.

Sproles returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards, setting up Nate Kaeding's 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

Game notes
Tomlinson's lost fumble in the first quarter was his first since Oct. 22, 2006, against Kansas City. ... Former first-round pick Michael Huff had an INT and a fumble recovery, matching his total from his first three seasons.