New York (AFP) – The Buffalo Bills erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to grab a scintillating 41-40 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in a heavyweight slugfest on the opening Sunday of the NFL season. Matt Prater, a 41-year-old veteran signed this week, booted the game-winning field goal as time expired to complete the epic comeback. Buffalo’s reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen threw for two touchdowns, ran for two more, and the Bills scored 16 points in the final four minutes.
The comeback stunned 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens—who had looked poised to avenge a heartbreaking loss to the Bills in last year’s playoffs. “There’s just no quit in this team,” Allen said, heaping praise on Prater, who was signed as insurance with Tyler Bass nursing an injury and flown in from Arizona days before the game. “It wasn’t me, it was everybody,” Prater said of the victory. “I was just fortunate to have an opportunity to be in that situation to kick it.”
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Jackson threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a TD. Derrick Henry ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns, and Zay Flowers ran for a touchdown. But it wasn’t enough. Allen’s 10-yard scoring pass to Keon Coleman with 3:56 remaining cut the deficit to 40-32, and Bills tackle Ed Oliver forced a fumble from Henry to set up another Buffalo scoring drive, capped by Allen’s one-yard run. Their two-point conversion attempt failed, but after the Ravens came up empty on the ensuing possession, Allen piloted a nine-play, 66-yard drive capped by Prater’s game-winning kick.
It was a thrilling finish to an entertaining opening Sunday, with an extra bit of tension added when a Bills fan slapped Baltimore’s DeAndre Hopkins in the helmet as he and teammates celebrated a touchdown catch, and Jackson reached up to push the fan back into his seat.
In Los Angeles, Matthew Stafford became just the 10th quarterback in NFL history to reach 60,000 passing yards in the Rams’ 14-9 victory over the Houston Texans. Stafford, entering his 17th season, threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, passing the 60,000 milestone with a six-yard completion to Puka Nacua in the fourth quarter. “It’s an amazing thing and sure as hell glad that we did it getting a win, too,” Stafford said.
– Rodgers schools Jets – Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in a triumphant return to New York. The 41-year-old quarterback, making his Steelers debut to open his 21st NFL season, led a late drive to give Pittsburgh a 34-32 victory over the host New York Jets. Four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Rodgers completed 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards and four scores without an interception against the club he played for the past two seasons following 18 years at Green Bay. “I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets,” said Rodgers, who led Green Bay to the 2011 Super Bowl title in his time with the Packers before joining the Jets, missing most of the 2023 season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Defensive standout Micah Parsons, sent from Dallas to Green Bay in a blockbuster trade less than two weeks before the start of the season, made an impact for his new team in the Packers’ 27-13 victory over NFC North rivals Detroit. Parsons applied pressure early and had one of Green Bay’s four sacks of Lions quarterback Jared Goff and said he was relieved to be out of a “super toxic” situation in Dallas where talks on a contract extension finally broke down.
San Francisco saw tight end George Kittle exit in the first half with a hamstring injury, but backup Jake Tonges stepped up with three catches—including a four-yard touchdown toss from Brock Purdy with 1:34 remaining that lifted the 49ers to a 17-13 victory over the Seahawks in Seattle. In Denver, Bo Nix shook off three turnovers and the Broncos spoiled the debut of top overall draft pick Cam Ward with a 20-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
© 2024 AFP
