EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley lived up to early expectations as the top two picks in the NFL draft in their first action as the Cleveland Browns beat the New York Giants 20-10 on Thursday night.
Replacing starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor late in the first quarter, Mayfield hit 11 of 20 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns, and converted two fourth-down plays with his feet. The Heisman Trophy winner who was the No. 1 overall pick found tight end David Njoku on a 10-yard TD pass to cap a 14-play, 72-yard drive on his second series. He finished his debut with a completion on a 54-yard slant and run to fellow rookie Antonio Callaway.
COLTS 19, SEAHAWKS 17
SEATTLE (AP) — Andrew Luck returned to game action for the first time since the final week of the 2016 season, leading Indianapolis on a pair of field-goal drives in just over a quarter.
The reintroduction of Luck as the Colts’ leader started with a 17-yard swing pass to Marlon Mack on the first play. It concluded early in the second quarter when his pass intended for T.Y. Hilton was broken up.
Luck completed 6 of 9 passes for 64 yards, most of that coming on the opening drive when he hit 5 of 7.
STEELERS 31, EAGLES 14
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Landry Jones and Josh Dobbs each tossed touchdown passes and the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles rested several starters, including quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles. Nate Sudfeld threw a pair of touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown sat for the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell still hasn’t signed his franchise tender.
PANTHERS 28, BILLS 23
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills receiver Kelvin Benjamin’s feud with former teammate Panthers quarterback Cam Newton continued before and during Carolina’s preseason-opening win.
First, the two exchanged words on the field about 90 minutes before kickoff. Then they each played key roles in touchdowns drives in the first quarter.
BENGALS 30, BEARS 27
CINCINNATI (AP) — Andy Dalton made a solid debut in Cincinnati’s revamped offense, throwing for a pair of touchdowns.
The Bengals were last in the league on offense last season, the worst finish in franchise history. They overhauled their leaky offensive line, and coordinator Bill Lazor injected more diversity into the playbook. It showed the first time out.
Dalton went 6 of 8 for 103 yards, completing four passes of at least 20 yards.
SAINTS 24, JAGUARS 20
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Blake Bortles completed 6 of 9 passes for 53 yards and scored on a short bootleg. Bortles was poised in the pocket and nearly perfect in one series of work, a significant improvement from the way his preseason started a year ago. Bortles had a five-interception performance during a training camp practice in 2017 and continued to struggle during joint practices with New England. He was benched two weeks into the preseason and had to earn the starting job.
BUCCANEERS 26, DOLPHINS 24
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Buccaneers kicker Chandler Catanzaro made a 26-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to cap a 67-yard drive and give them the win.
Ryan Tannehill completed passes on the first four plays in his return from two serious injuries to his left knee, sparking a 40-yard drive that ended with a missed field goal in his only series.
Tannehill finished 4 for 6 for 32 yards.
PATRIOTS 26, REDSKINS 17
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Colt McCoy outplayed Brian Hoyer in a scrimmage of backup quarterbacks, while Tom Brady and Alex Smith stayed on the sidelines counting their money.
On the day the Patriots reportedly sweetened Brady’s contract with $5 million in incentives, the reigning NFL MVP sat out the team’s exhibition season opener. So did his Washington counterpart, Smith, who was traded to the nation’s capital in the offseason and received a four-year, $94 million extension.
RAVENS 33, RAMS 7
BALTIMORE (AP) — Joe Flacco threw a touchdown pass on his only series of the game and rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for a score.
After sitting out the Hall of Fame Game last week, Flacco went 5 for 7 for 71 yards during a 10-play drive. The 11-year veteran overcame a second-and-25 with a 30-yard pass to newcomer Michael Crabtree and finished with a 6-yard TD throw to Patrick Ricard.
PACKERS 31, TITANS 17
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Marcus Mariota looked sharp orchestrating yet another new offensive system for the Tennessee Titans. Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams needed just one series to show he was in midseason form.
Mariota was 2 of 3 for 42 yards with a 4-yard scoring pass to Darius Jennings on the opening drive of Mike Vrabel’s first preseason game as Titans coach. Mariota also had one carry for 7 yards before leaving after the nine-play series.
TEXANS 17, CHIEFS 10
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes finished 5 of 7 for 33 yards on two drives for the Chiefs as the Texans sat many of their stars.
Houston’s Deshaun Watson, coming back from a torn ACL, was used sparingly. He threw one pass — a 4-yard completion to wide receiver Bruce Ellington — during a five-play drive to midfield that featured four handoffs to running back Lamar Miller.
Mahomes at No. 10 and Watson at No. 12 were taken in the first round of the 2017 draft.
