Patriots Beat Bengals In Opener, 16-10

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The Patriots came into Sunday’s opener wanting to run the ball to shrink the game in order to ice Joe Burrow’s offense, and that’s what they did to the Bengals in New England’s 16-10 victory at Paycor Stadium.

After the Patriots put enough pressure on Burrow to force three short passes and a three-and-out-and-punt with three minutes left, the Pats and running back Rhamondre Stevenson never let the Bengals get the ball back.

Before a crowd of 66,214, Stevenson rushed for 125 yards on 20 carries, the Patriots rushed for 170 of their 290 total yards, and the Bengals could muster just 224 total yards.

Burrow finished 21 of 29 for 164 yards. Ja’Marr Chase was his leading receiver with six catches for 62 yards.

After amassing 117 yards on their first five drives, Burrow led a 90-yard touchdown drive to cut the lead to 13-7 with 1:10 left in the third quarter. His running game came alive with 41 of the yards as Zack Moss slashed for 16 before scoring his first Bengals touchdown behind tight end Drew Sample’s pancake block from five yards out.

The offense began to purr with running back Chase Brown going for eight behind big right tackle Trent Brown and Burrow finding Ja’Marr Chase for two catches under the zone.

But operating behind a stitched-together offensive ljne that included old friend and Saturday practice squad call-up Michael Jordan, Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett avoided the relentless rushes of Pro Bowl sacker Trey Hendrickson all day.

That’s how Brissett answered the touchdown after the Bengals put him through three straight three-and-outs to start the second half.

On third-and-two he escaped Hendrickson and ran for six yards and then found two of his tight ends for big plays, a 15-yarder to Austin Hooper and then a nine-yarder to Hunter Henry on third-and-four set up Joey Slye’s field goal that made it 16-7.

The Bengals then got a field goal of their own when Burow found Chase down the middle for 28 yards on the Bengals’ longest play of the game. Evan McPherson delivered a 51-yarder with 6:14 left that made it 16-10.

Special teams were a boom-and-bust Sunday. In his NFL debut, Bengals rookie punter Ryan Rehkow drilled a team-record 80-yard punt.

But as the Bengals got ready for their first possession of the second half down, 10-0, Pats long snapper Joe Cardona got his helmet on the ball during Charlie Jones’ punt return and forced a fumble at the Bengals 24 less than two minutes into the second half.

It was the Bengals’ second lost fumble of the game after a season they led the NFL losing two all year.

But the Bengals defense did what it had to do and forced a three-and-out to allow only a field goal.

A crushing turn of events stunned the Bengals in a 15-second span late in the second quarter.

After three three-and-outs to start the season, Burrow got the first one when he scrambled out of the pocket on third-and-six from his 39 and hit wide receiver Andrei Iosivas on a 12-yard come-back.

A screen to running back Zack Moss went for 12 more and on third-and-five from the Pats 21, Burrow found Chase pivoting on cornerback Christian Gonzalez for seven yards.

Burrow then appeared to throw a beautiful touchdown pass on second-and-11 when he lofted it over 6-1 safety Kyle Dugger for his new 6-6 weapon, tight end Mike Gesicki. Gesicki caught it in the air, but lost the handle as he went to the ground.

Then on the next play, Burrow appeared to throw another touchdown to another tight end when he hit Tanner Hudson on a quick-hitter over the middle and Hudson was walking in for the touchdown when at the 2-yard line he extended the ball and Dugger knocked it out and cornerback Marcus Jones scooped it up at the goal line and ran it to his 18 with 5:09 left in the half.

The Pats kept pounding the running game, never gave the ball back, and took a 10-0 lead on a chip-shot field goal at the gun. Stevenson went right for 16 yards on the first snap of the drive and then went left for 17 more a few snaps later as New England piled up 177 yards of offense in the half, 96 of them on the ground.

And another close play in the other end zone almost blew up the Pats’ field-goal drive. From the Bengals 12, Brissett lofted a bad ball to tight end Hunter Henry, and safety Geno Stone, the defending AFC champion interceptions leader, was able to get hands on the ball. But as they rolled to the ground, Henry knocked it out of Stone’s hands.


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How the Vikings beat the Giants 28-6

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This is the live report from the Vikings’ season opener at MetLife Stadium against the Giants. To read Ben Goessling’s analysis of the Vikings’ 28-6 win, go here.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Vikings began the year espousing the theory they could return to the playoffs in 2024 by coaxing the best out of quarterback Sam Darnold, building a run game they could trust and making progress on defense behind a deeper group of pass rushers than they had in 2023.

Though they’ll face tougher tests than they got Sunday at MetLife Stadium, they passed the first one about as comfortably as they could have wished.

They held a 22-point lead — the largest of Kevin O’Connell’s coaching tenure — for most of the fourth quarter on Sunday, finishing with a 28-6 win over the Giants for their most lopsided victory since a 39-10 win over the Chargers in 2019. Darnold completed 15 of his first 17 passes through three quarters, finishing 19 of 24 for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while the Vikings sacked Daniel Jones five times and hit him 12 times.

Why it happened: The Vikings did exactly what they’d said all summer they planned to do. Jones, who fileted the Vikings’ defense in a playoff performance that got him a four-year, $160 million deal and cost Ed Donatell his job, was flustered by Brian Flores’ pressure schemes throughout the game. Aaron Jones carried 13 times for 93 yards, leading a rushing attack that proved effective throughout the day. And Darnold looked in command, hitting Justin Jefferson with one of the deep throws he had completed throughout camp and capping off a 99-yard drive with a fourth-down score to Jefferson.

What it means: The win puts the Vikings atop the NFC North to start the year, after they began last season with three straight losses that turned the rest of the season into a scramble. The turnover-laden start to the 2023 season had grated at O’Connell since last year, and it informed much of his training camp messaging to the 2024 Vikings. Things will get tougher with the 49ers and Texans up next, but the Vikings might not have to face Jordan Love in a Week 4 trip to Green Bay.

Play of the game: On the Giants’ first play of a third-quarter drive from their own 17-yard line, Andrew Van Ginkel took a soft edge while rushing off the right side of the line, putting himself in perfect position to intercept the screen pass he seemed to know was coming. He stuck one hand in the air to snag the ball just 1.16 seconds after the snap, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, and scored the fourth touchdown of his career on the interception.


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Sam Howell directs 2 scoring drives as Seahawks beat Chargers 16-3 to spoil Jim Harbaugh’s debut

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Sam Howell threw for 130 yards and a touchdown in his Seattle debut and the Seahawks had a successful preseason opener under Mike Macdonald, defeating the Chargers 16-3 on Saturday in coach Jim Harbaugh’s first game with Los Angeles.

Howell, acquired from Washington during the offseason, directed a pair of scoring drives in the second quarter. He completed 16 of 27 passes in 10 series and played until a little over midway through the third quarter.

Seattle quarterback Geno Smith did not play after missing practice time last week due to knee and hip issues. Wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, along with running back Kenneth Walker III, were among the other Seahawks offensive starters who did not see action.

While the Seahawks were able to move the ball, the Chargers struggled. They went three and out and gained only 21 yards on their first six offensive possessions with Easton Stick at quarterback.

Stick, who has been taking the majority of first-team snaps for the past week with Justin Herbert sidelined due to a foot injury, was 5 of 13 for 32 yards and an interception in his eight series of work during the first half.

With the exception of Herbert, and running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, the rest of the starting offense got playing time. With Herbert’s injury status remaining an unknown, it should make for an interesting couple weeks for Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL after leading Michigan to a national championship last season.

Howell — who started all 17 games for the Commanders last season — opened the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end with Brady Russell with 12:27 remaining in the first half. Russell caught the ball at the Los Angeles 10-yard line and eluded a tackle attempt by Chargers linebacker Nick Niemann before making it into the end zone.

Seattle extended its lead on the next series after Coby Bryant picked off Stick on a pass down the middle. George Holani went off right end from 11 yards out to make it 13-0. Jason Myers was wide right on the extra-point attempt.

Stick gave the Bolts their initial first down on an 11-yard keeper with five minutes remaining in the first half. Then came a 15-yard completion to tight end Stone Smartt to the Seahawks’ 40.

The drive stalled, but Cameron Dicker put the Chargers on the board with a 58-yard field goal. Had it been a regular-season game, that would be the second-longest kick in franchise history.

Myers supplied the only points of the second half with a 47-yard field goal with 4:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.

DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHT

The Chargers’ defense got some momentum midway through the second quarter when they stopped the Seahawks on two running plays from the LA 1, resulting in zero Seattle points on a 14-play, 84-yard drive.

Holani was stopped for no gain on third-and-goal by Matt Hankins and Tony Jefferson. On fourth-and-goal, Holani was dropped for a 1-yard loss by Shane Lee and Niemann.

Lee’s father, Mark, suffered a massive heart attack the family’s home in Maryland on May 12. Mark Lee was recently cleared to travel and surprised his son following Thursday’s practice.

HELLO, AGAIN

Macdonald was Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator at Michigan in 2021. Jay Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh’s son, is Seattle’s special teams coach.

UP NEXT

Seahawks: At Tennessee on Aug. 17.

Chargers: Host Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 17.

KCAL News Staff

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The KCAL News Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on KCALNews.com.


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Jean-Philippe Mateta's goal was enough for France to defeat Argentina in the Olympic men's soccer quarterfinals. ROMAIN PERROCHEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Although primarily an under-23 competition, the game was a rematch French fans have been waiting for since Argentina's dramatic penalty shootout win in the 2022 World Cup final. A racism scandal had heightened tensions ahead of the game after a video of Argentina players singing an offensive song about French players of African heritage as they celebrated their Copa América victory last month made the rounds.

Argentina's national anthem was met with a chorus of jeers and whistles, and home fans booed Argentina's players after the kickoff whenever they touched the ball.

It took France less than five minutes to ratchet up the atmosphere even further.

Mateta met Michael Olise's corner at the near post and sent his header past Argentina goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli to put the hosts in front.

Argentina recovered well from the early setback and should have gone into the half-time interval level. With the goal gaping, Giuliano Simeone somehow headed high over the bar after the ball dropped to him invitingly inside the 6-yard box.

Olympics: France beat Argentina in heated men’s soccer quarterfinal

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An early goal was enough for France to beat Argentina 1-0 in Bordeaux and reach the men’s soccer semifinals at the Olympics on Friday, in a match where the Argentines were booed throughout by a hostile home crowd and fighting broke out between the players immediately after the final whistle.

There was shoving for a couple of minutes before the players were broken up. Some France players appeared to sprint down the tunnel moments later before coming back out a short time later to perform a lap of honor.

Jean-Philippe Mateta headed home in the fifth minute for coach Thierry Henry’s team, which will face Egypt in the last four.

Mateta was celebrating with captain Alexandre Lacazette when they noticed the postmatch skirmish. Lacazette rushed back to help break it up, as did Henry and counterpart Javier Mascherano, who appeared to block one of his own staff members from joining in.

“I went to shake the opposing coach’s hand and all of a sudden I saw a lot of things happening,” Henry told reporters. “I don’t like seeing this kind of thing. It wasn’t necessary.”

As France fans continued celebrating, stewards and a handful of riot police formed a ring around the pocket of Argentina fans inside the stadium.

Amid the skirmishes France midfielder Enzo Millot, who had earlier been substituted in stoppage time, was shown a red card that means he will miss the semifinal.

“We didn’t want to lose a player [to suspension] but it was pointless, he wasn’t even playing [at the final whistle],” Henry said. “I’m really not happy about that. We were all united, the only drawback is getting a red on the bench.”

Although primarily an under-23 competition, the game was a rematch French fans have been waiting for since Argentina’s dramatic penalty shootout win in the 2022 World Cup final. A racism scandal had heightened tensions ahead of the game after a video of Argentina players singing an offensive song about French players of African heritage as they celebrated their Copa América victory last month made the rounds.

Argentina’s national anthem was met with a chorus of jeers and whistles, and home fans booed Argentina’s players after the kickoff whenever they touched the ball.

It took France less than five minutes to ratchet up the atmosphere even further.

Mateta met Michael Olise‘s corner at the near post and sent his header past Argentina goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli to put the hosts in front.

Argentina recovered well from the early setback and should have gone into the half-time interval level. With the goal gaping, Giuliano Simeone somehow headed high over the bar after the ball dropped to him invitingly inside the 6-yard box.

Tensions briefly flared during first-half stoppage time when Mateta went to check on a teammate getting treatment inside Argentina’s penalty area and was pushed away. Lacazette smoothed things over quickly and Rulli put an arm around him.

There was a loud cheer when Mascherano was shown a yellow card and, as the second half ticked on, the jubilant home goaded their opponents by singing “Ils sont où les Argentins?” (Where are the Argentines?)

They weren’t on the scoresheet.

France held firm in the second half and thought they had a second goal when Olise found the net with a deflected strike in the 84th minute. Although that goal was ruled out after a VAR check for an earlier foul, France had enough to clinch the win.

France won their only Olympic title in 1984, the year they also won the European Championship.

Earlier in the day, Egypt defeated Paraguay 5-4 in a shootout to reach the last four. Ibrahim Adel converted the final penalty kick for Egypt after their goalkeeper, Hamza Alaa, saved from Marcelo Perez to seal the win after the teams had drawn 1-1 in regulation and failed to score in extra time.

Also on Friday, Spain eased past Japan 3-0 to set up a semifinal clash with Morocco, who thrashed the United States 4-0.

A Fermín López double and an Abel Ruiz effort in the 86th minute sealed the win for La Roja, who three years ago beat Japan in the semifinals at the delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.


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