The Chicago Bears topped the Atlanta Falcons 30-12 in a matchup of two NFC playoff teams from last year. The loss was a big letdown for the Falcons who went were 13-3 last year, and hoping for a Super Bowl run this year.
Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was a force to be reckoned with, with an interception and a fumble recovery for a TD, along with 10 tackles in the game.
Falcons DE Kroy Biermann also scored a TD, his on a interception return. Both quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards in the game, but while Jay Cutler had 2 TDs and 1 INT, Matt Ryan was unable to find the end zone.
Bears receiver Roy Williams said afterwards that the game was a “big confidence booster for us as a football team. We knew what we can do offensively. We knew what we can do defensively. But to put it together, especially against a good football team in Atlanta, shows what kind of football team we have.”
Dalton Injured as Bengals Top Browns
In the first installment of this season’s Battle For Ohio, the Bengals topped the Browns 27-17, despite losing their starting quarterback at the end of the first half. Rookie Andy Dalton was 10 of 15 for 81 yards and a TD in the first half and Gradkowski was 5 of 12 for 92 yards and a TD in relief.
The Bengals benefited from a strong running game and some mental errors by the Browns. Cedric Benson managed 121 yards on 25 carriers, and the Browns lost the turnover battle 1-0 on a Colt McCoy interception, but also recorded 11 penalties for 72 yards.
“Every once in a while you lose a game that makes you feel sick to your stomach,” Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said. “This is definitely one of those games.”
Lions Loot Buccaneers in Opener
After their promising play through the preseason, the Detroit Lions backed up all the positive talk about the expectations for the team, as they dropped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20 in their opener.
Lions quarterback Matt Stafford looked solid and fully recovered, going 24 of 33 for 305 yards and 3 TDs and completed passes to 8 different receivers. His one interception was returned 28 yards for a TD by Aqib Talib.
The Lions also overcame some costly penalties as well, plus a long 78-yard kickoff return that set up a Tampa Bay field goal. They also fumbled the ball four times, although they only lost one of the fumbles.
“Obviously, you don’t want those mistakes to keep coming back,” Stafford added. “You’ve got to fix those, iron those out.”
Lions head coach Jim Schwarz wasn’t completely happy with his team’s performance either, and continues to set high expectations for the team. “I don’t want to discount the value of a win, particularly a win on the road, but we’ve got to play a lot better than we played today,” Schwartz said after the game.
