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The Cincinnati Bengals were able to withstand a last minute Green Bay Packers comeback bid, and held on to win their first game of the NFL regular season 31-24. The Packers last drive stalled on the Bengals ten yard line, the victim of a false start penalty in the waning seconds. Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco scored the eventual game winning points on a 13 yard pass from Carson Palmer, after which he did his own version of the fabled Lambeau Leap into a sea of less than hospitable fans.
After struggling all preseason, the Denver Broncos have actually looked pretty good since starting the 2009 regular season campaign. On Sunday, the Broncos used a tough defense and QB Kyle Ortons efficient and mistake free play to top the Cleveland Browns 27-6. The Broncos also had a productive running game, and outgained the Browns by a margin of 449 yards to 200.
While the St. Louis Rams aren’t among the NFL’s best, the Seattle Seahawks played well on both offense and defense en route to a 28-0 opening game victory. Jim Mora made a successful debut as Seahawks coach and Matt Hasselbeck played his first regular season game since last Thanksgiving. Hasselbeck was 25 of 36 for 279 yards with three touchdown passes, though he also threw two interceptions.
New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has been a crucial factor in the teams 2-0 start, showing a poise and head for the game very rare for NFL newcomers. Still, there wasn’t much worry at the revelation that hes suffering from tendinitis in his right knee. The Jets announced Sanchez’s injury on Thursday, and hes listed as probable on the official NFL injury report. Every indication from Sanchez and the Jets’ staff suggests that he’ll be able to play.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel missed the first game of the NFL regular season, and his status remains questionable for the teams second game of the year against the Oakland Raiders. Although he appeared to be running more briskly and favoring his knee less in practice this week, Chiefs coach Todd Haley maintains that hes still a game time decision. The Chiefs offense has looked pitiful ever since preseason and their ineptitude cost coordinator Chan Gailey his job. In addition to playing without their starting quarterback, Kansas City is woefully lacking in playmaking wide receivers.
The New York Giants jumped out to a 17-0 lead against their NFC East rivals from Washington, and were never threatened as they went on to beat the Redskins by a final score of 23-17. Defensive stalwart Osi Umenyiora returned from a serious knee injury and scored a touchdown on a fumble return, while the Giants offense controlled the ball well and completely dominated the time of possession. The Giants held a lopsided edge of 36:08 to 23:52 in that department, which helped them overcome a couple of turnovers. Eli Manning played well, throwing for 259 yards and a touchdown to counteract one interception.
LaDanian Tomlinson is still not fully recovered from a sprained right ankle, and as a result hell miss his second consecutive NFL regular season game this Sunday as the Chargers host the Miami Dolphins. Tomlinson was hurt in the San Diego Chargers season opening victory over the Oakland Raiders and didn’t play last week.
It wasn’t a game for the ages by the Buffalo Bills, as they blew much of a 17 point lead to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, they did what they had to do and put some offense on the board en route to a 33-20 National Football League victory. The Bills shot out to a 17-0 first quarter lead before Tampa Bay answered with 14 of their own in the second quarter. After a scoreless third quarter they outscored Tampa 13-6 in the final stanza to seal the win.
The Carolina Panthers finally got one in the win column on Sunday afternoon, using a furious second half comeback to defeat the slumping Washington Redskins 20-17. Washington led 17-2 early in the third quarter before Carolina scored the final 18 points of the game to earn the victory. Jonathan Stewart’s eight yard fourth quarter run for a touchdown with a successful two point conversion completed the Panthers comeback. Carolina improved to 1-3 on the season while Washington dropped to 2-3.
Its been a rough NFL preseason for last years Superbowl runner up. The Arizona Cardinals have only scored one touchdown in two games as they’ve stumbled to a 0-2 record. On Saturday night the visiting San Diego Chargers added to their offensive woes en route to a 17-6 victory. The Chargers evened their record at 1-1, while the Cards slumped to 0-2.