NFL roundup: First football Sunday of 2016 brings excitement, upsets, and comebacks
By Brad Weiss
The 2016 NFL regular season got underway on Thursday, but Sunday was a full slate of games, and there was plenty of excitement to go around.
Heading into the full schedule of games on Sunday, there was a huge question looming in the NFL. With San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick having started a movement to bring light to racial oppression in America by deciding not to stand for the national anthem, many wondered whether other players would follow suit (as Denver’s Brandon Marshall did on Thursday night) — and on the 15th anniversary of 9/11, no less.
A handful of players raised their fist and kneeled, while others actually helped hold the flag. It was a mixed bag, that nevertheless assured that this ever-growing national conversation would continue to unfold.
Turning to the field, two teams from the AFC West came all the way back from down multiple touchdowns to pick up wins in Week 1. The Oakland Raiders trailed the New Orleans Saints 24-10 with a little over three minutes left in the third quarter, but ripped off 22 fourth quarter points en route to a momentum-garnering W. In the end, the Silver and Black went for a two-point conversion, as Derek Carr hit Michael Crabtree to put the team up 35-34. A 60-yard field goal by Wil Lutz was no good as time expired, sending the Raiders to their first 1-0 record in five years.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs took on division rival the San Diego Chargers in the opener, and the Bolts came to play. By halftime, San Diego was up 21-3, but after star wideout Keenan Allen tore his ACL, it all went downhill. The Chiefs staged an incredible comeback, forcing overtime with a late touchdown run by Spencer Ware. Minutes later, Alex Smith ran in a two-yard TD on their first possession of overtime to win the game 33-27.
Over in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys also faced a division rival, as the New York Giants came to town. Former star wide receiver Victor Cruz was making his return after nearly two years, and made his presence known in his first game back, catching a three-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning late in the fourth quarter to put the G-Men up for good, 20-19. It was definitely nice to see Cruz ‘salsa-ing’ once again.
Staying in the NFC East, rookie Carson Wentz was making his first start for the Philadelphia Eagles, almost ten days after being named the starter. Wentz made the most of his start, firing two touchdown passes, while leading the Eagles to a convincing 29-10 Week 1 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Wentz, who was the second-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, looked poise throughout the game, and could be the franchise quarterback the team has been looking for since Donovan McNabb.
In the final game of the day, the undermanned New England Patriots headed to the desert to face the Arizona Cardinals. Jimmy Garoppolo was making his first NFL start, filling in for the suspended Tom Brady. Playing without tight end Rob Gronkowski and two starting tackles, Garoppolo played very well, throwing for 264 yards and a touchdown. He hit seven different receivers in the game, including himself (on a three-yard catch off a deflection). It was a solid first start for the team, who appears to be able to win no matter who is in the lineup.
Some injury news: Houston linebacker Brian Cushing continues to be bitten by the injury bug. The star defensive player tore his MCL in the team’s opening week win over the Chicago Bears, and he will be out for at least six weeks. Robert Griffin III suffered a shoulder sprain during his first start for the franchise, though he did say he would be back in Week 2. And so it begins for Cleveland fans.
Next: 2016 NFL season: Record predictions for all 32 teams
Just an incredible first full Sunday of games in the NFL, capped off by an improbably New England Patriots win on Sunday Night Football. There are two games on the schedule for Monday night, with the Pittsburgh Steelers heading to Washington to take on the Redskins, and the Los Angeles Rams making their return to the NFL on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. If Week 1 is any indication, we are in for a wild ride in 2016.