Aaron Rodgers starred on his debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers while the Indianapolis Colts stunned the Miami Dolphins and rookie Emeka Egbuka helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Atlanta Falcons late on the first NFL Sunday of the 2025 season…
Pittsburgh Steelers 34-32 New York Jets
Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in his Steelers debut, including two in a 50-second span in the second half, before Chris Boswell kicked a go-ahead 60-yard field goal with 1:03 remaining to lead Pittsburgh to victory over the New York Jets.
With the Steelers trailing the season opener 32-31, Rodgers got the ball against his former team with just over three minutes left and led the offense into Jets territory. On fourth-and-11 from the 42, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin opted for a field goal try and Boswell easily made the kick.
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Things got heated between Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets players after a late hit on Justin Fields
The Jets, who lost in coach Aaron Glenn’s debut, had a chance to drive for a potential winning field goal when they got the ball back with 56 seconds remaining. Justin Fields connected with Garrett Wilson for what could’ve been a first down on fourth-and-three, but Jalen Ramsey delivered a crushing hit to the Jets receiver, who couldn’t hold onto the ball.
The 41-year-old Rodgers was 22 of 30 for 244 yards with touchdown passes to Calvin Austin III, Jaylen Warren, Jonnu Smith and Ben Skowronek.
Detroit Lions 13-27 Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love threw a pair of touchdown passes and Micah Parsons produced a sack on his Green Bay debut as the Packers pulled off a convincing 27-13 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Opening a season at home for the first time since 2018, the Packers beat the two-time defending NFC North champions after going 1-5 in divisional games last year.
It’s the Packers’ 13th consecutive win in a home opener, giving them the longest such streak since the Miami Dolphins also won 13 straight from 1976-88.
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Tucker Kraft had his helmet thrown away but instantly responded by scoring a touchdown in the game between Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
Love went 16 of 22 for 188 yards with touchdown passes of 15 yards to Tucker Kraft and 17 yards to Jayden Reed. Josh Jacobs added a three-yard score in the fourth quarter, giving him a touchdown in a franchise-record nine-straight games.
The Lions, who scored an NFL-high 33.2 points per game last season, didn’t reach the end zone until the final minute when rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa pulled off a stunning, Odell Beckham Jr-inspire one-handed catch for the score.
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Isaac TeSlaa makes an incredible catch in the match between Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
San Francisco 49ers 17-13 Seattle Seahawks
Third-string tight end Jake Tonges caught what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with a minute and a half remaining as the San Francisco 49ers rallied for a 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Tonges entered the game having never previously caught an NFL pass. He finished with three receptions in relief of injured All-Pro tight end George Kittle, coming down with a crucial 50-50 ball from a scrambling Brock Purdy for the game-winner.
Jake Moody converted the extra point to put the Niners up by four, a critical conversion given that he missed two field goals earlier.
Sam Darnold moved the Seahawks into position to win on his debut with the franchise, hitting Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 40 yards to move down to the San Francisco 14-yard line. But, on second down from the nine, Nick Bosa came up with the game-clinching strip-sack of Darnold
Purdy went 26 of 35 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, improving to 4-0 as a starter at Lumen Field.
Christian McCaffrey was productive with nine catches for 73 yards and 22 carries for 69 yards, while Ricky Pearsall had four receptions for 108 yards to lead San Francisco’s thin receiving corps.
Arizona Cardinals 20-13 New Orleans Saints
Kyler Murray threw two touchdown passes as the Arizona Cardinals held on for victory over New Orleans in the Saints’ first game under rookie coach Kellen Moore.
Murray passed for 163 yards, hitting Marvin Harrison Jr five times for 71 yards and a touchdown, as well as rushing for 38 yards. His other touchdown toss came on a four-yard shovel pass to running back James Conner.
Saints’ star running back Alvin Kamara scored on an 18-yard, tackle-slipping touchdown run around the right end.
Spencer Rattler passed for 214 yards without a turnover and nearly rallied the Saints into a tie during the final five minutes.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 Atlanta Falcons
Rookie Emeka Egbuka caught two touchdown passes, including a go-ahead 25-yarder with 59 seconds remaining, as Tampa Bay recovered after losing the lead to beat the Falcons.
Following Baker Mayfield’s 25-yard pass to Egbuka, Chase McLaughlin’s missed extra point gave the Falcons an opening to force overtime with a field goal.
Michael Penix Jr, who capped an 18-play drive by scoring on a four-yard run for a 20-17 lead with 2:17 remaining, moved the Falcons into field goal position in the final minute. Younghoe Koo was wide right on the 44-yarder.
Mayfield completed 17 of 32 passes for 167 yards with three touchdowns. Penix, entering his first full season as Atlanta’s starter, completed 27 of 42 passes for 298 yards with one touchdown. Bijan Robinson had 12 carries for 24 yards as the Tampa Bay defense held the Falcons to 69 yards rushing.
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Bijan Robinson scores the first TD of the night in the game between Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cincinnati Bengals 17-16 Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati’s defense produced two second-half turnovers, including DJ Turner’s interception with 1:24 remaining, as the Bengals held on against the Cleveland Browns.
Cincinnati, who won an opener for the first time since 2021, also benefitted from new Cleveland kicker Andre Szmyt missing a pair of second-half kicks.
Szmyt, who won the kicking competition from Dustin Hopkins in the preseason, was wide right on an extra point after Cedric Tillman’s five-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter put Cleveland up 16-14. Szmyt was wide right again on a potential go-ahead 36-yard attempt with 2:25 remaining in the game.
Joe Burrow completed 14 of 23 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown while Ja’Marr Chase had only two receptions for 26 yards. Noah Fant had four catches for 26 yards, including a one-yard touchdown catch with 4:18 remaining in the first half.
Miami Dolphins 8-33 Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Indianapolis Colts snapped the NFL’s longest active opening-day winless drought at 11 with a rout of the Miami Dolphins.
The Colts are 1-0 for the first time since 2013 and did it in Jones’ first game with the team. He went 22 of 29 for 272 yards, including a career-high 197 yards in the first half, as Indy scored on all seven possessions.
Tagovailoa went 14 of 23 for 114 yards with two interceptions and lost a fumble on one of his three sacks. The Dolphins ran for 78 yards while Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for eight receptions and 70 yards.
Las Vegas Raiders 20-13 New England Patriots
Geno Smith opened his stint with the Raiders by throwing for 362 yards and a touchdown, rookie Ashton Jeanty rushed for his first career touchdown and the Las Vegas rallied to beat the New England Patriots.
Tight end Brock Bowers had five catches for 103 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. Jakobi Meyers added eight catches for 97 yards. Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce also added sacks to help give Pete Carroll his first victory as the Raiders’ coach.
Drake Maye was 30 of 46 for 287 yards and a touchdown but also had an interception that led to the Raiders’ go-ahead score. Kayshon Boutte finished with six catches for 103 yards.
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Things got heated between Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets players after a late hit on Justin Fields
New York Giants 6-21 Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, Deebo Samuel scored in his Washington debut, and the Commanders kept the New York Giants out of the end zone.
Last seen allowing 55 points to Philadelphia in the NFC championship game, Washington’s defense had a much better time of it against the Giants. New York managed only 231 yards of offense and was particularly ineffective running the ball.
Daron Payne had a sack and batted down a third-down pass, and the Commanders never let Russell Wilson look all that comfortable in his first start with New York.
Carolina Panthers 10-26 Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass, Travis Etienne ran for 143 yards and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Carolina Panthers 26-10.
Brian Thomas Jr. also ran for a score for Jacksonville, who controlled both lines of scrimmage and kept Lawrence upright all afternoon.
The game was delayed one hour and 16 minutes because of nearby lightning strikes. The Jags led 10-3 when players and coaches headed to locker rooms and did much of the scoring after it resumed.
Two-position rookie Travis Hunter played 39 snaps on offense as he caught six passes for 33 yards, while playing six snaps on defense after arriving as the No 2 pick at the Draft in April.
Tennessee Titans 12-20 Denver Broncos
Bo Nix overcame three turnovers as the Denver Broncos spoiled 2025 No 1 overall pick Cam Ward’s debut with a 20-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
Nix threw a touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton to go with his two interceptions and lost fumble, while rookie running back RJ Harvey’s 50-yard scamper set up JK Dobbins’ 19-yard TD burst up the middle that made it 20-12 midway through the fourth quarter.
Denver’s stingy defense held Ward to 12-of-28 passing for 112 yards, with no touchdowns. Ward didn’t have an interception, but fumbled the ball in the final minute.
Houston Texans 9-14 Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, and Braden Fiske recovered a fumble forced by Nate Landman with 1:43 to play in the Los Angeles Rams’ 14-9 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Puka Nacua had 10 catches for 130 yards for the Rams, who went ahead on Davis Allen’s TD catch on the opening drive of the third quarter. Neither team scored again in a choppy season opener.
Landman, the Rams’ new starting linebacker, punched the ball away from Dare Ogunbowale after CJ Stroud drove the Texans inside the Los Angeles 20-yard line.
Stafford then hit Nacua for a 24-yard gain on third-and-long to seal the Rams’ seventh victory in nine openers under coach Sean McVay.
Davante Adams had four catches for 51 yards in the star receiver’s debut with the Rams, while Kyren Williams rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown.
