NFL Season Opener: Key Highlights and Spectacular Performances

Caleb Williams Shines in Debut Victory for Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams had a rough debut for Chicago but was bailed out by his defense, with Tyrique Stevenson returning an interception 43 yards for the go-ahead touchdown to give the Bears a 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

The Bears, who have their sights set on a playoff spot after going 10-24 over the previous two seasons, trailed 17-0 in the first half. They shut down the Titans from there and spoiled the debut of Tennessee coach Brian Callahan.

Williams, the No 1 overall pick, finished 14 of 29 for 93 yards with a 55.7 passer rating. The former Heisman Trophy winner at Southern California still became the first quarterback drafted first overall to win his debut start since 2002, when David Carr led Houston past Dallas. The past 15 No 1 picks were a combined 0-14-1 in their first starts, beginning with Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer in 2003.

The Bears had just cut it to 17-16 on a field goal by Cairo Santos when Stevenson put Chicago on top midway through the fourth quarter. With DeMarcus Walker about to sack him, Will Levis flung the ball in desperation, and Stevenson grabbed it and ran untouched down the sideline. A two-point conversion pass from Williams to D’Andre Swift made it 24-17.

Jaylon Johnson sealed the win with just over a minute remaining when he intercepted a deep pass intended for Tyler Boyd on fourth down at the Tennessee 40, giving fans who spent a big portion of the afternoon booing a reason to cheer.

Other Highlights from the NFL Season Opener

Miami Dolphins 20-17 Jacksonville Jaguars: Jason Sanders nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired, and the Miami Dolphins rallied past the Jacksonville Jaguars to win their fourth straight season opener. Fresh off a big offseason payday, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 336 yards and a touchdown and led Miami on an eight-play, 31-yard drive over the final 2:09.

Dallas Cowboys 33–17  Cleveland Browns: Dak Prescott threw a touchdown pass hours after agreeing to a four-year, $240m contract with Dallas and the Cowboys’ defense roughed up Deshaun Watson in his return, throttling the Cleveland Browns in their opener. Dallas opened a 27-3 lead early in the third on KaVontae Turpin’s 60-yard punt return TD.

Detroit Lions 26-20 Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford led 31 fourth-quarter comebacks with the Detroit Lions. On Sunday night, he nearly got one against them. Playing behind a makeshift offensive line, Stafford helped Los Angeles overcome a 17-3 deficit. His nine-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp gave the Rams a 20-17 lead with 4:35 to play, but the Lions ultimately won 26-20 in overtime.

Buffalo Bills 34-28 Arizona Cardinals: Josh Allen had three of his four touchdowns in the second half and the Buffalo Bills overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat the Arizona Cardinals. Greg Rousseau had a career-best three sacks, including one that forced a fumble.

Indianapolis Colts 27-29 Houston Texans: Stefon Diggs caught two touchdown passes and Joe Mixon rushed for 159 yards and another score to help the Houston Texans close out victory at Indianapolis. Houston won their second straight road game in the series for the first time in franchise history.

Las Vegas Raiders 10–22 Los Angeles Chargers: JK Dobbins rushed for 135 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, and the Los Angeles Chargers had a successful debut under Jim Harbaugh as they rallied in the second half for a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Justin Herbert was 17 of 26 for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Washington Commanders 20–37 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a rout of the new-look Washington Commanders. The Bucs spoiled the NFL debut of No 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels.

Pittsburgh Steelers 18–10  Atlanta Falcons: Justin Fields stepped in to lead the Steelers to victory over the Atlanta Falcons with Russell Wilson’s Pittsburgh debut put on hold by a calf injury. Chris Boswell booted six field goals, three of them longer than 50 yards, and the Steelers made life miserable for Kirk Cousins in his first game as Atlanta’s big-money quarterback.

Denver Broncos 20–26 Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker III rushed for 84 of his 103 yards and a touchdown in the second half and the Seattle Seahawks overcame a mistake-filled first half to beat the Denver Broncos in the debut of new coach Mike Macdonald.

New York Giants 6-28 Minnesota Vikings: Sam Darnold threw two touchdowns in a highly efficient performance and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel scored on a spectacular one-handed 10-yard interception return to lead the Minnesota Vikings to an easy victory over the New York Giants.

Carolina Panthers 10–47 New Orleans Saints: Derek Carr passed for three touchdowns and the New Orleans Saints scored on their first nine possessions in a one-sided victory over the Carolina Panthers. Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams each ran for touchdowns and Blake Grupe kicked four field goals in an extraordinary debut for new Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

New England Patriots 16–10 Cincinnati Bengals: hamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and a first-quarter touchdown, Joey Slye kicked three field goals and the New England Patriots won Jerod Mayo’s debut as coach, beating the mistake-prone Cincinnati Bengals. Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett wasn’t exceptional for New England but he kept the Patriots moving well enough against slow-starting Cincinnati.

These were some of the key highlights from the exciting NFL season opener, showcasing spectacular performances and memorable moments across multiple matchups.