NFL Football - Week One Review

Week One of the 2013 NFL season provided some exciting games all around the league, beginning with the opener last Thursday night when Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning threw seven touchdown

Peyton Manning, Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week.

passes (tying an NFL single game record) and had 462 passing yards in a 49-27 rout of the visiting Baltimore Ravens.
Peyton Manning is the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week for his record performance.
The passing trend continued on Sunday with San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick passing for 412 yards and three touchdowns in the 49ers 34-28 win against Green Bay. San Francisco wide receiver Anquan Boldin caught 13 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown while tight end Vernon Davis (six catches for 98 yards) had two TD receptions. Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers had three TD passes and 333 yards in the loss.
Detroit's Matthew Stafford had 357 passing yards and two TD passes to offset Adrian Peterson's three touchdowns and 93 yards rushing (including a 78-yard TD romp on his first carry of the new season) in the Lions 34-24 win against the visiting Minnesota Vikings.
Drew Brees led a New Orleans Saints comeback by passing for 357 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-17 home opening win against division rival Atlanta.  Falcons' QB Matt Ryan passed for 304 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the loss.
The Dallas Cowboys defense got six turnovers (three interceptions and three fumble recoveries) and converted two of them into touchdowns, including the game deciding 49-yard INT return by Brandon Carr late in the fourth quarter in a 36-31 win over the visiting New York Giants.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo threw for 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the offense. The Giants Eli Manning passed for 450 yards and four TD along with the three picks in the loss. Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz had a big night (five catches for 118 yards and three TD receptions) as well.
The Chicago Bears rallied from an 11-point deficit to beat the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, 24-21 as QB Jay Cutler was not sacked during the game and had two TD passes to go with 242 passing yards in the win. The Chicago defense came up with three turnovers, including two interceptions by Charles 'Peanut' Tillman.

Other highlights from around the NFL  . . . 

The New York Jets escaped with a 18-17 home win against Tampa Bay as Nick Folk drilled a 48-yard field goal with two seconds left in the game following a stupid penalty for unnecessary roughness on a Tampa Bay defender against Jets QB Geno Smith . . . The Seattle Seahawks won a yawner at Carolina, 12-7 as their defense limited the Panthers to just 243 total yards on offense . . . The Indy Colts pulled out a late win against the visiting Oakland Raiders, 21-17 behind a 19-yard TD run by QB Andrew Luck that offset Oakland QB Terrelle Pryor's 112 rushing yards . . . Kansas City smoked the host Jacksonville Jaguars, 28-2 as their defense held the Jags to just 178 total yards . . . New England got a late field goal to foil the host Buffalo Bills, 23-21 and ruin a decent performance by Bills rookie QB E.J. Manuel, who had two TD passes in the game . . . The Tennessee Titans may have pulled off the stunner of the week with a 16-9 road win at Pittsburgh as their defense won this struggle by limiting the Steelers to just 195 yards of offense while also getting three field goals from Rob Bironas . . . The Miami Dolphins topped the listless Cleveland Browns, 23-10 behind solid defense (three interceptions) and 272 passing yards and a touchdown strike from QB Ryan Tannehill . . . The St. Louis Rams stormed back from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to beat the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 27-24 as QB Sam Bradford threw two TD passes and Greg Zuerlein  drilled three field goals, including the decisive 48-yard boot with just 40 seconds remaining.

Monday Night Football

The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the host Washington Redskins, 33-28 and spoiled the return from major knee surgery of Robert Griffin III, Washington's quarterback as LeSean McCoy led the way with 184 rushing yards and a touchdown to go with two TD passes and 203 passing yards from Michael Vick.
Redskins QB RG3 threw for 329 yards with two TD and two interceptions in the loss. Meanwhile, the Eagles revamped offense under new Head Coach Chip Kelly overcame an early turnover that gave the 'Skins a 7-0 lead to pile up 263 rushing yards while building a 26-7 halftime lead.
The "night cap" game in San Diego was equally exciting as the opening tilt with the Houston Texans storming back in the fourth quarter to earn their first ever victory against the Chargers, 31-28 as kicker Randy Bullock nailed a game-winning 41-yard field goal as time expired to complete the come from behind win.
Texans QB Matt Schaub had 346 passing yards and three touchdowns with one interception to pace the comeback, which included a touchdown on an interception return by linebacker Brian Cushing.
The Chargers built a 28-7 lead early in the third quarter when Philip Rivers threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game. But after that, it was all Houston as they scored the final 24 points in the game to win.