Tyrod Taylor engineered three touchdown drives and Rex Ryan’s attacking Buffalo defense put the clamps on Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts in a 27-14 season-opening victory on Sunday. But the day was overshadowed by a frightening injury to the Jets’ rookie linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin.
In his first career start, Taylor went 14 of 19 for 195 yards, including a 51-yard opening touchdown pass to Percy Harvin. Boobie Dixon and rookie Karlos Williams scored touchdowns rushing to deliver Ryan a win in his debut as Bills head coach.
The Bills built a 24-0 lead by scoring on four consecutive possessions into the third quarter. And Buffalo’s defense did the rest.
The retooled Luck-led Colts attack was limited to 148 yards offense and nine first downs on its first five drives before scoring two touchdowns in the final 16 minutes. Luck finished 26 of 49 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, and was intercepted twice.
Luck was not the only high-profile quarterback to suffer a painful opening day. Russell Wilson’s Seattle Seahawks lost in overtime to the St Louis Rams, 34-31. Last year’s Super Bowl finalists were beaten by a Greg Zurlein field goal. Wilson threw one interception and a touchdown for 251 yards.
Elsewhere, the New York Jets 31-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns was soured when Mauldin was carted off the field with his body strapped to a board after being injured in the fourth quarter.
LB Lorenzo Mauldin (head/neck) will not return. He's been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. #CLEvsNYJ
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 13, 2015
Mauldin, a third-round pick out of Louisville, sacked Johnny Manziel and caused a fumble that Darrelle Revis recovered deep in Browns territory. Mauldin stayed down for several moments right after the play, face-down on the turf. Trainers and medical staff rushed over to Mauldin and called for the cart as several Jets players stood and watched. After a few minutes, Mauldin was strapped to a board and lifted onto a cart as MetLife Stadium was completely silent.
Mauldin was a third-round pick in this year’s draft, and made the NFL after a tough upbringing during which he was raised in 12 different foster homes. “I’m very concerned right now not knowing anything,” the Jets head coach Todd Bowles said. Positive news arrived later in the evening as it was reported that Mauldin had feeling in his limbs and was suffering from concussion but had no neck or spinal injuries.
Jets rookie OLB Lorenzo Mauldin is awake & has feeling in all his extremities, I'm told. Will stay in hospital overnight #nyj
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) September 13, 2015
In the day’s other early games, there were wins for the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
