Stafford, Lions crush Bengals
DETROIT — Matthew Stafford threw touchdown passes on his two drives, backup quarterback Shaun Hill ran for a score and Jason Hanson kicked a field goal to give Detroit a 24-3 lead at halftime en route to a 34-3 victory.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was hit by Ndamukong Sung after taking his first NFL snap and Chris Houston intercepted the underthrown pass. Dalton, a second-round pick, finished 11 of 15 for 69 yards. He put Cincinnati in a position to attempt two field goals and Mike Nugent made one to make it 14-3.
Stafford was 6 of 7 for 71 yards. He threw a 26-yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson, who didn’t return to the field, and a 7-yarder to Nate Burleson for another score on an overturned play.
Saints 24, 49ers 3
Mark Ingram had a spinning, tackle-breaking touchdown run in his NFL debut, and New Orleans beat San Francisco.
Ingram’s 14-yard scoring run highlighted a performance in which the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama carried six times for 23 yards. Saints undrafted rookie Joseph Morgan, a little known prospect out of Walsh University, added a spectacular 78-yard punt return for a score.
Dolphins 28, Falcons 23
Phillip Livas scored on a 75-yard punt return in the third quarter to help Miami overcome a difficult start by quarterback Chad Henne in the Dolphins’ victory over Atlanta,
Atlanta rookie receiver Julio Jones, quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner contributed on first-quarter scoring drives that gave the Falcons a 17-0 lead.
Henne threw interceptions on two of Miami’s first three possessions before connecting with Brian Hartline for a 44-yard touchdown pass that made it 17-7 early in the second quarter. Henne, who completed 4 of 8 passes for 77 yards, did his best work against Atlanta’s defensive reserves.
Bucs 25, Chiefs 0
Josh Freeman was smooth and efficient while leading Tampa Bay to points on three of the four series he played, and the third-year quarterback helped the Buccaneers take advantage of every bobble and blunder that the Chiefs made.
Freeman was 9 of 13 for 73 yards while playing for the first time at Arrowhead Stadium, just a few miles from where he grew into a high school star. He also ran 5 yards for a score.
