Nothing can touch the drama of a close NFL game, as the first Sunday of the 2016 season once again proved.
Of the 13 games played on Sunday, 10 were decided by no more than one score. There were actually as many games decided by a single point (three) as games finishing with a margin over one score, and just as many overtime games (one) as wins by 10 or more points.
Of course, the tallies above don’t even count the Thursday night opener, which saw the Denver Broncos win by a single point after the Carolina Panthers missed a game-winning field goal.
Yeah, it’s nice to have the NFL back.
Here’s a quick recap of the thrilling Sunday games:
– The Green Bay Packers finally delivered a fourth down stop to halt the Jacksonville Jaguars’ game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. Green Bay escaped hot and humid Florida with a 27-23 win.
– The Baltimore Ravens melted away the final four-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter clock to seal a 13-7 win over the Buffalo Bills.
– The Tampa Bay Buccaneers turned away Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons on a late drive to preserve their 31-24 win.
– The Cincinnati Bengals came back to shock the New York Jets, using Mike Nugent’s late field goal to win, 23-22.
– The Oakland Raiders came back from a 24-10 deficit to win in New Orleans, with Derek Carr first throwing a late touchdown and then converting the two-point conversion to stun the Saints by a 35-34 margin. Oh, and New Orleans kicker Will Lutz just missed a 61-yard game-winner at the gun.
– The Chiefs produced a major comeback, rallying from deficits of 21-3 and 27-10 to send their AFC West showdown with the San Diego Chargers into overtime. Once there, Alex Smith completed the furious rally with a 2-yard touchdown plunge, giving Kansas City an improbable, 33-27 win.
– The Seattle Seahawks mounted a late touchdown drive against the Miami Dolphins, with Russell Wilson’s touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin providing the winning points in a 12-10 win.
– The Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts went back-and-forth in a track meet game. The Lions jumped out to an early 21-3 lead, only to see the Colts rally back and take the lead 35-34 late in the fourth. Not to be outdone, Detroit marched down the field and kicked the game-winning field goal.
– The New York Giants stole the show from Dallas Cowboys rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott at AT&T Stadium, with Eli Manning’s third touchdown pass of the afternoon—a 3-yard strike to Victor Cruz with six minutes left—giving the Big Blue visitors a 20-19 win.
– The Sunday nightcap was another thriller, as first-time starter Jimmy Garoppolo drove the New England Patriots for the go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter. Carson Palmer then put the Arizona Cardinals in position to steal back the lead, but Chandler Catanzaro’s 47-yard try with 41 seconds left sailed wide left and New England escaped with a 23-21 win.
What a Sunday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided some unique perspective on the day:
Just what the league loves: this was the first time in NFL history that 4 games in Week 1 were decided by exactly 1 point, per Elias.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2016
What league loves II: first time in NFL history that at least seven teams trailed at end of 1st quarter and went on to win season opener.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2016
The only games not decided by a single score: Houston’s 23-14 win over the visiting Chicago Bears, Philadelphia’s 29-10 victory over the hapless Cleveland Browns and Minnesota’s come-from-behind, defense-fueled win (25-16) over the mistake-prone Tennessee Titans.
NFL fans wait all offseason for the kind of drama only football can provide. And Sunday didn’t disappoint.
The best part? There are two more games on Monday night to finish off the Week 1 schedule. If Sunday was any indication, prepare for a wild ride in both Washington and San Francisco.
