MINNEAPOLIS -- Sam Bradford had a Minnesota debut almost as dazzling as the new $1.1 billion building itself, completing 22 of 30 passes for 286 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers to lead the Vikings to a 17-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.
The defense did the rest, sacking Aaron Rodgers five times and producing two turnovers in the fourth quarter that quashed the comeback and sent the crowd of 66,813 into a deafening frenzy in celebration of first regular season game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Adrian Peterson limped off in the third quarter with a right knee injury, and only 19 yards on 12 carries, but the Vikings (2-0) proved they're much more diversified than the NFL's 2015 rushing leader.
Green Bay is 1-1 (see full recap).
Cowboys capitalize on late Cousins pick, top Redskins
LANDOVER, Md. -- Alfred Morris scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run with under five minutes left Sunday, leading the Dallas Cowboys to a 27-23 victory over his former team, the Redskins, after Washington's Kirk Cousins threw an end-zone interception .
With rookie quarterback Dak Prescott looking poised throughout and scrambling for a 6-yard TD run in the second half, Dallas (1-1) won for only the second time in its past 16 games without the injured Tony Romo -- and both of those victories came at Washington (0-2).
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Prescott finished 22 for 30 for 292 yards.
Morris was drafted by Washington in 2012 and played his first four seasons there. But his role was reduced last year and he was allowed to leave as a free agent. His first TD in a Cowboys uniform capped an 80-yard drive that started when Barry Church picked off a pass from Cousins intended for Pierre Garcon.
Cousins went 28 for 46 for 364 yards, with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jamison Crowder in the third quarter that gave Washington its first lead, 17-13 in the third quarter.
But Cousins and the defending NFC East champion Redskins will rue the second-half chances they wasted. They got the ball inside Dallas' 40 on consecutive possessions -- once because of a failed onside kick and once because cornerback Josh Norman caused a fumble by Dallas rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott -- but settled for a field goal each time.
Still, Washington led 23-20 and appeared on its way to adding to the margin after Cousins began a drive by completing a 57-yard pass to rookie Josh Doctson. But on third-and-goal at the 6 with 10 1/2 minutes left, Cousins put the ball right in Church's gut.
Garcon stomped his foot coming off the field. Redskins right tackle Morgan Moses threw his helmet on the sideline.
Prescott then took the Cowboys on a 10-play drive that culminated in Morris' score (see full recap).
Giants sneak past Saints with FG as time expires
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Eli Manning hit Victor Cruz on a third-down 34-yard pass to set up Josh Brown's winning 23-yard field goal as time expired and the New York Giants got off to their first 2-0 start since 2009 with a 16-13 win over New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Brown's third field goal capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive that featured two key third-down passes by Manning and a pass interference call on a pass to Odell Beckham Jr.
The game was also redemption for the Giants' defense. After allowing Drew Brees to throw for 511 yards and an NFL-tying seven touchdowns, New York limited him to one touchdown, 263 yards passing and 288 yards in total team offense.
The Saints rallied to tie it twice in the fourth quarter. A 17-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Willie Snead IV evened things at 10 early in the quarter. After Brown, who returned from a one-game suspension, gave New York a 13-10 lead with a 19-yard field goal on the next series, Brees led an eight-play, 47-yard drive that ended with Will Lutz kicking a 45-yarder to tie it with 2:54 to play.
The Giants dominated the first half, but they were in danger of falling behind just before halftime when James Laurinaitis recovered Manning's fumble at the New York 25 after he was sacked by Michael Mauti.
An offensive pass interference on first down forced Lutz to attempt a 38-yard field goal. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins came up the middle and blocked it and Jenkins jogged 65 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 2:30 left in the half.
Lutz hit a 39-yarder late in the half to get the Saints on the board (see full recap).
Pats hold off Dolphins after Garoppolo leaves with shoulder injury
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Jimmy Garoppolo had three, first-half touchdown passes before leaving in the second quarter with a right shoulder injury as the New England Patriots outlasted the Miami Dolphins 31-24 on Sunday.
It was the Patriots' eighth straight home victory over Miami (0-2). It came at a price as New England (2-0) was dealt another blow at quarterback with Tom Brady already out his four-game "Deflategate" suspension.
Garoppolo's injury came in a flash. On third down with less than five minutes left in the first half, he was chased out of the pocket and got off a completion to Malcolm Mitchell. Garoppolo was driven into the ground on his shoulder by Miami linebacker Kiko Alonso.
Garoppolo initially got up, before going down to one knee and being attended to by the training staff. He ended his day 18 of 27 for 234 yards and the three scores.
He was replaced by rookie Jacoby Brissett, who led New England to a touchdown on its first possession of the second half. Brissett was 6 of 9 for 92 yards. LeGarrette Blount rushed 29 times for 123 yards and a touchdown. Martellus Bennett also had five catches 114 and a touchdown.
The Dolphins, who beat the Patriots in Miami in last season's finale, had no answers for New England's offense early and fell into a 24-0 hole as they were stymied by three turnovers. Ryan Tannehill finally found some traction and trimmed a 31-3 deficit to 31-24 with 6:06 to play.
Tannehill didn't complete a pass until the second quarter as the Patriots' defensive line pressured him into quick throws. The pressure culminated with Tannehill being intercepted by linebacker Jamie Collins late in the first half (see full recap).
Steelers quiet Bengals in AFC North showdown
PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns to offset a pair of interceptions and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-16 on Sunday.
DeAngelo Williams churned out 94 yards on a career-high 32 carries and added a 4-yard touchdown grab with 6:48 remaining to give the Steelers all the breathing room they would need. Tight ends Jesse James and Xavier Grimble also caught scoring passes from Roethlisberger as the Steelers (2-0) kept Cincinnati in check at rainy Heinz Field.
Andy Dalton passed for 366 yards and a touchdown but needed 31 completions to reach that total, working almost exclusively on dump offs to running backs and tight ends while Pittsburgh clamped down on star wide receiver A.J. Green, who had just two receptions for 38 yards.
The rematch of the Steelers' ugly 18-16 win in the wild-card round in January was downright tame. The teams combined for just 10 penalties and only one personal foul, a marked departure from that chaotic night in Cincinnati nine months ago.
Pittsburgh controlled the tempo throughout and after Roethlisberger shook off a so-so first half in which he threw a pair of picks in the rain, the Steelers pulled away. Roethlisberger hit Sammie Coates with a pretty 53-yard strike to set up a 9-yard toss to James. The quarterback later used a 14-yard scramble -- his longest run in three seasons -- to set up a flip to Williams that put Pittsburgh up 24-9.
Dalton found Giovanni Bernard for a 25-yard touchdown with 3:25 left but each of Cincinnati's last two drives ended in turnovers. Tyler Boyd fumbled after getting hit by James Harrison in Pittsburgh territory with 1:50 to play and Bernard's lateral on the game's final play ended up in the hands of Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward (see full recap).
Rams victorious in official return to L.A.
LOS ANGELES -- Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals -- the longest a 47-yarder in the fourth quarter -- and the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks 9-3 on Sunday that marked the return of pro football to the nation's second-largest market for the first time in nearly 22 years.
Plenty of penalties slowed down the game for the announced crowd of 91,046 on a searing day at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where the Rams marked the long-awaited occasion by wearing blue-and-gold throwback uniforms for their regular-season home debut.
The Rams (1-1) are still without a touchdown after losing 28-0 at San Francisco in their season opener. With field goals accounting for all the offense, it was hardly the high-scoring show Los Angeles sports fans are known to crave.
At times, the dull roar of chatter was the loudest sound from the crowd until the fourth quarter when they were on their feet cheering the Rams' defense.
Alec Ogletree recovered a fumble by Seattle's Mark Barron at the Los Angeles 29 with 57 seconds left in the game, ending the Seahawks' last scoring bid.
Seattle racked up 10 penalties for 114 yards; the Rams had nine penalties for 78 yards.
Both teams put on a defensive slugfest, with passes getting broken up in the end zone, offensive drives ending in punts and neither quarterback airing it out much.
Seattle's Russell Wilson was 22 of 35 for 254 yards, getting sacked twice. He had sprained his right ankle in last week's win over Miami.
Rams starter Case Keenum was 18 of 30 for 239 yards. He was sacked three times.
The victory extended the Rams' recent dominance against their NFC West rival. They've won four of their past five against the Seahawks, including both games last season. The Rams' defensive line has sacked Wilson 18 times in the past five meetings.
Zuerlein got the Rams on the board in the first quarter with a 39-yard field goal. The Seahawks (1-1) tied it on a 23-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka in the second.
Zuerlein put the Rams in front 6-3 on a 20-yarder with 1:04 left before halftime. Early in the fourth, he made it 9-3 on his longest kick of the game (see full recap).
