Broncos 14–38 Rams
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Rams turn defense into daylight
Denver 0–1 · Los Angeles (NFC) 1–0
The Los Angeles Rams beat Denver 38–14 with two spectacular scores outside the offense. Nolan Cromwell returned a blocked field goal 91 yards for a touchdown, and Gary Green brought an interception back 58 yards for another. Denver answered one of those blows with Gerald Willhite’s 95-yard kickoff-return touchdown.
The Broncos closed to 17–14 early in the third quarter, but Los Angeles scored the last 21 points. Dieter Brock threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns; Henry Ellard caught five passes for 85 yards. John Elway finished with 152 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
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Jets 7–31 Raiders
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Allen supplies the complete package
New York (AFC) 0–1 · Los Angeles (AFC) 1–0
Marcus Allen gave the Raiders 173 rushing yards, 56 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a 31–7 victory over the Jets. His scores came on a one-yard run and touchdown catches of 11 and five yards. Marc Wilson threw three touchdown passes, including a 15-yard score to Jessie Hester.
New York was within 14–7 at halftime after Johnny Hector’s five-yard touchdown run. The Raiders then won the second half 17–0. Bill Pickel had two of Los Angeles’s six sacks, while Todd Christensen contributed seven catches for 68 yards.
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Colts 10–20 Steelers
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Lipps changes the afternoon
Indianapolis 0–1 · Pittsburgh 1–0
Pittsburgh trailed Indianapolis 10–3 at halftime and won 20–10. Mark Malone’s one-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth tied the game in the third quarter; Louis Lipps then returned a punt 77 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The Colts did not score after halftime.
Malone threw for 162 yards without an interception, Walter Abercrombie rushed for 72, and Gary Anderson made both field goals and both extra points. Mike Pagel supplied Indianapolis’s touchdown with a five-yard run, but threw for just 128 yards with two interceptions.
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Dolphins 17–15 Oilers
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Miami turns one loose ball into a win
Miami 1–0 · Houston 0–1
Houston led 15–7 at halftime, but Miami escaped with a 17–15 victory. Fuad Reveiz’s 38-yard field goal narrowed the gap in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, Herkie Walls fumbled after a 16-yard return; Miami recovered and returned the ball 24 yards for the decisive touchdown.
That recovery touchdown remains a Miami team credit: no individual recoverer is named. Dan Marino threw for 229 yards and a touchdown. Warren Moon led all Week 1 passers with 333 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown to Drew Hill, but Houston was held scoreless after the break.
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Eagles 14–23 Giants
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Adams finishes the Giants’ comeback
Philadelphia 0–1 · New York (NFC) 1–0
The Giants overturned a 14–9 halftime deficit to beat Philadelphia 23–14. George Adams caught a ten-yard touchdown pass from Phil Simms in the third quarter and added an eight-yard scoring run in the fourth. New York shut out the Eagles in the second half.
Joe Morris gained 123 yards on only nine carries, including a 61-yard touchdown. Simms passed for 250 yards without an interception. Ron Jaworski’s two touchdown passes went to John Spagnola, while Leonard Marshall’s first-quarter safety supplied New York’s opening points.
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Packers 13–7 Patriots
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Packers win the defensive argument
Green Bay 1–0 · New England 0–1
All the scoring in Green Bay’s 13–7 victory over New England came before halftime. Al Del Greco made field goals from 27 and 28 yards, and Lynn Dickey found Paul Coffman for an 18-yard touchdown. The Patriots’ only score was Raymond Clayborn’s 38-yard interception return.
The second half produced no points for either side. Andre Tippett recorded a week-leading three sacks among New England’s six, but the Patriots could not produce an offensive touchdown. Phil Epps contributed 97 yards on six punt returns for Green Bay.
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Chiefs 15–28 Saints
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Campbell answers the Chiefs’ rally
Kansas City 0–1 · New Orleans 1–0
New Orleans built a 21–3 halftime lead and beat Kansas City 28–15. Dave Wilson threw touchdown passes to John Tice and Hoby Brenner, the latter an 83-yard strike. Earl Campbell added an 11-yard touchdown run before the break.
Bill Maas’s safety and a six-yard touchdown catch by Carlos Carson brought the Chiefs within 21–12. Campbell responded with a four-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Wilson finished with 244 passing yards; Carson caught eight passes for 100 yards for Kansas City.
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49ers 10–23 Vikings
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Brown powers a 17-point third quarter
San Francisco 0–1 · Minnesota 1–0
Minnesota turned a 7–6 halftime deficit into a 23–10 victory over San Francisco. Ted Brown caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Kramer and scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter. Jan Stenerud’s third field goal completed a 17-point period.
Kramer threw for 252 yards without an interception, and Anthony Carter caught five passes for 91 yards. Joe Montana completed 22 of 28 passes, but for only 162 yards. His 11-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Solomon was the 49ers’ only touchdown.
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Cardinals 7–10 Browns
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Cleveland wins by a kick and a defense
St. Louis 0–1 · Cleveland 1–0
The Browns and Cardinals were tied 7–7 at halftime. Matt Bahr’s third-quarter field goal was the only score after the break, giving Cleveland a 10–7 opening victory. Bernie Kosar had found Kevin Mack for a 14-yard touchdown; Stump Mitchell answered with a two-yard scoring run.
Chip Banks recorded two of Cleveland’s five sacks, with Reggie Camp, Clay Matthews and Carl Hairston adding one each. Kosar passed for 183 yards and no interceptions. Ozzie Newsome caught four passes for 41 yards as the Browns protected the narrowest winning margin of the week outside Miami’s two-point escape.
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Seahawks 34–17 Bengals
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Seattle owns the second half
Seattle 1–0 · Cincinnati 0–1
Cincinnati led Seattle 17–7 at halftime. The Seahawks then scored all 27 second-half points to win 34–17. Dave Krieg threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns, with Steve Largent catching two of the scores and Daryl Turner adding a 67-yard touchdown reception.
Curt Warner scored on a five-yard run during Seattle’s 21-point third quarter. Norm Johnson’s two fourth-quarter field goals finished the rally. Largent had eight catches for 86 yards; Turner added 95 receiving yards, and Warner contributed 71 rushing yards plus 60 through the air.
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Buccaneers 17–43 Bears
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
The Monsters make an entrance
Tampa Bay 0–1 · Chicago 1–0
Chicago’s 43–17 opener supplied the tribute’s first Bears showcase. Willie Gault scored on an 81-yard kickoff return and a 71-yard reception, finishing with 223 yards between receiving and kick returns. Jim McMahon threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears led 22–0 at halftime and 36–3 after three quarters.
Richard Dent opened with back-to-back sacks; Otis Wilson later added a safety. Chicago finished with five sacks and three interceptions. Walter Payton returned after missing the rest of the first quarter with bruised ribs and supplied 105 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown. James Wilder scored twice late for Tampa Bay.
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Lions 30–19 Falcons
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Hipple’s three quick strikes hold up
Detroit 1–0 · Atlanta 0–1
Detroit scored 21 points in the first quarter and beat Atlanta 30–19. Eric Hipple threw touchdown passes of 14 and 35 yards to Mark Nichols and a six-yard score to Jeff Chadwick. Nichols finished with six catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
The Lions won despite gaining only 13 rushing yards. William Graham intercepted David Archer twice, and Bruce McNorton added another interception. Gerald Riggs rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown for Atlanta, while Eddie Murray’s three field goals helped Detroit keep its lead.
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Chargers 33–21 Bills
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 · FINAL
Herrmann takes over and turns it around
San Diego 1–0 · Buffalo 0–1
Buffalo led San Diego 21–17 after three quarters. Mark Herrmann, replacing the injured Dan Fouts, threw fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Lionel James and Jesse Bendross as the Chargers scored 16 unanswered points to win 33–21.
Herrmann completed 11 of 15 passes for 118 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. James had already supplied a 61-yard punt-return touchdown in the second quarter. Vince Ferragamo threw two touchdown passes to Jerry Butler, Greg Bell ran for 66 yards and a score, and John Hendy intercepted two Buffalo passes.
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Redskins 43–14 Cowboys
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 · FINAL
Washington takes Monday night apart
Washington 1–0 · Dallas 0–1
Washington’s 43–14 victory at Dallas was the week’s largest winning margin. Joe Theismann passed for 314 yards and ran for two touchdowns. Art Monk caught 12 passes for 149 yards and scored on a one-yard run; George Rogers added two rushing touchdowns. All five Washington touchdowns came on the ground.
The visitors led 30–7 at halftime and 43–7 before a late Dallas touchdown. Tony Dorsett lost three fumbles, and Vernon Dean intercepted Danny White twice. Washington’s 36 unanswered points after a 7–7 tie made the Monday night finale a one-sided finish.
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