N.F.L. Week 1: Packers Beat Seahawks; Odell Beckham Jr. Out
He completed 22 of 32 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns, while Lynch, who was retired last season, ran the ball 18 times for 76 yards, looking like the Beast Mode of old on a few plays, including a fourth-down conversion in the first half in which he was hit in the backfield
but managed to fight past the defender to extend the drive.
While Cooper caught five of those passes, he did not score, and
that same issue crept up on the next drive as Carr led the team to Tennessee’s 2-yard line but then had three consecutive passes go in an out of Cooper’s hands, making the Raiders resort to a 20-yard field goal by Giorgio Tavecchio after a 73-yard drive.
Carson Wentz threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns as the second-year quarterback guided the Philadelphia Eagles to
a 30-17 victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday in a sloppy, mistake-filled season opener between the N. F.C.
Every team wants to believe that this can be their year, but the Cleveland Browns would be excused for hanging their heads a bit when the team’s first drive of the season resulted in a blocked punt
that was returned for a touchdown by the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.
Given a short field, Carr was all business, leading a four-play 50-yard drive
that featured the return of Lynch — who rumbled for a signature 14-yard run — and a terrific play in the red zone from Amari Cooper, who caught a short pass, stayed on his feet after initial contact, and then fought threw the defense into the end zone for an 8-yard score.
He was named the starter this week after Sebastian Janikowski was placed on injured reserve,
and proceeded to become the first place-kicker other than Janikowski to make a field goal for the Raiders since Brad Daluiso kicked three in relief of Janikowski in the final game of the 2001 season.
Marshawn Lynch proved he can still find Beast Mode when he needs to, Derek Carr showed he is fully recovered from a broken fibula
that kept him out of last year’s playoffs, and the Oakland Raiders got their season off to a good start with a fairly easy 26-16 road victory over the Tennessee Titans.