The Cleveland Browns ended their losing streak but their 634-day run without a win continued as they opened their season with a dramatic tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Zane Gonzalez saw his would-be game-winning field goal blocked in overtime as the game ended 21-21 with second-year running back James Conner, playing in the absence of contract holdout LeVeon Bell, the star as Ben Roethlisberger turned the ball over five times.
The Steelers had their only own opportunity to win it after the initial 60 minutes but Chris Boswell saw his own field goal attempt sail wide right.
The Kirk Cousins era in Minnesota ended in victory, the big-ticket free agent tossing two touchdowns to down the San Francisco 49ers and hand quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo a first career defeat.
Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick accounted for five total TDs as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stunned the New Orleans Saints on the road 48-40, the highest-combined score in week one in NFL history.
The New England Patriots, losers of February’s Super Bowl, bounced back to defeat the Houston Texans on home soil while the Baltimore Ravens opened their own season in dominant fashion with a 47-3 win over a disappointing Buffalo Bills.
Patrick Mahomes threw for four scores as the Kansas City Chiefs beat AFC West rivals the Los Angeles Chargers for a ninth straight time while Cam Newton’s Carolina Panthers started as they mean to go on with a hard-fought victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
