Showing the ultimate confidence in his offense, Denver coach Mike Shanahan went for a two-point conversion with 29 seconds left. Jay Cutler hit rookie Eddie Royal over the middle to give the Denver Broncos a 39-38 win over the stunned San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
The Chargers (0-2) could not believe they lost in the final seconds for the second straight week, with a controversial officiating call helping decide the outcome.
Trailing 38-31, the Broncos (2-0) reached the one, but on third-and-goal Cutler reared back to throw. The ball slipped out of his hands, bounced off the grass and into linebacker Tim Dobbins’ hands.
PHOTO: AP
But referee Ed Hochuli blew his whistle, apparently ruling it an incomplete pass. After a review, Hochuli said the Broncos would keep the ball because his whistle had blown the play dead. The Broncos got the ball at the 10, where it hit the grass.
Cutler completed 36 of 50 passes for a career-best 350 yards and four touchdowns. Brandon Marshall set a franchise record with 18 catches for 166 yards in a magnificent return from his one-game suspension.
49ERS 33, SEAHAWKS 30, OT
In Seattle, Joe Nedney shook off a missed field goal as time expired in regulation and kicked a 40-yarder 4 minutes, 40 seconds into overtime. The loss left the four-time defending division champions 0-2 for the first time since 2002.
San Francisco (1-1) overcame eight sacks of J.T. O’Sullivan to beat the Seahawks for just the third time in 11 games, in the first overtime game of the 19-game series between the two teams.
PATRIOTS 19, JETS 10
Matt Cassel was efficient running the offense in his first NFL start, taking over for the injured Tom Brady. Cassel, who had not started at any level since his senior year of high school, was 16-of-23 for 165 yards, Sammy Morris ran for a touchdown and Stephen Gostkowski kicked four field goals.
The Patriots (2-0) ruined the Jets’ home opener and Brett Favre’s first regular-season home start for New York. New England won their 21st straight regular-season game and beat the Jets for the eighth straight time at the Meadowlands.
Favre went 18-of-26 for 181 yards and a touchdown for the Jets (1-1), but the Patriots took advantage of a big mistake by the veteran.
Favre made a poor decision, hanging a pass intended for Chris Baker that was easily picked off by Brandon Meriweather for Favre’s first interception with the Jets.
GIANTS 41, RAMS 13
In St. Louis, Missouri, a 97-yard drive put the New York offense in gear.
Another stifling effort from a big-play defense led by Justin Tuck made much of the scoring window dressing in the Giants’ 12th straight away win, including their Super Bowl victory last February.
Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes and the Giants sacked Marc Bulger six times, while limiting the Rams to a fluke touchdown.
The Rams (0-2) came up with another dud in their home opener, which also served as a tribute to late owner Georgia Frontiere.
COLTS 18, VIKINGS 15
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Peyton Manning peeled himself off the Metrodome turf and gave it right back to the Minnesota defense after taking a beating all afternoon.
Manning rallied Indianapolis from a 15-0 hole late in the third quarter, moving Adam Vinatieri into position for the winning field goal with three seconds left.
Avoiding his first 0-2 start since his rookie season in 1998, Manning zinged a 20-yard pass on third-and-nine to Reggie Wayne up the seam before Vinatieri — who uncharacteristically missed a 30-yarder earlier — made his 47-yard kick.
PACKERS 48, LIONS 25
In Detroit, Michigan, Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes in the first four drives of his second start, helping Green Bay build the big lead they needed.
Green Bay led 21-0 midway through the second quarter, but fell behind by a point with 7 minutes, 41 seconds left after Calvin Johnson caught his second touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Packers (2-0) went back ahead with a field goal on the ensuing drive, then turned the game into the rout it had been for much of the day with three straight interceptions.
STEELERS 10, BROWNS 6
In Cleveland, Ohio, Ben Roethlisberger threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward as the Steelers made it 10 straight wins over their closest rivals, beating the Browns to extend the NFL’s longest current winning streak between two teams.
As is their way, the Steelers wrecked Cleveland’s return to prime time after a five-year hiatus. Pittsburgh have won eight in a row in Cleveland (0-2), 16 of 17 in the series, and 23 of 26.
During the game, it was disclosed on TV that Roethlisberger sustained a separated shoulder last week in a win over Houston.
RAIDERS 23, CHIEFS 8
In Kansas City, Missouri, rookie Darren McFadden ran for 164 yards and a touchdown and Sebastian Janikowski kicked a team-record 56-yard field goal against an inept Chiefs team that used three quarterbacks.
Lane Kiffin, amid reports that his job is in jeopardy, won for just the fifth time 18 games as coach of the Raiders (1-1).
The Chiefs’ young defense gave up 300 yards rushing, including 90 by Michael Bush, who all by himself beat the Chiefs’ 55 yards on the ground. Kansas City started 0-2 for the third time in three years under Herm Edwards and have lost 11 regular-season games in a row.
TITANS 24, BENGALS 7
In Cincinnati, Ohio, backup quarterback Kerry Collins threw low, tight passes that stayed on track in Cincinnati’s wind-tunnel of a stadium. Collins threw his first touchdown pass in two years, rookie Chris Johnson ran for 109 yards and Rob Bironas guided a low, curving kick between gyrating uprights for a 34-yard field goal.
Linebacker Keith Bulluck provided the clincher, blocking Kyle Larson’s punt in the end zone with his right arm, then snatching the ball off the ground for another touchdown.
Regular quarterback Vince Young sprained his left knee during an opening win over Jacksonville and the Titans asked police to look for him a day later out of concern for his mental state. Young did not accompany the team to Cincinnati.
BILLS 20, JAGUARS 16
In Jacksonville, Florida, Trent Edwards was good early and even better late, doing just enough to lead Buffalo (2-0) over Jacksonville for their best start in five years.
Edwards completed his first 10 attempts and threw a perfect touchdown pass to James Hardy late in the fourth quarter. Edwards finished 20-of-25 for 239 yards, Marshawn Lynch ran for 59 yards and a score as Buffalo’s defense held Jacksonville in check most of the day. The Jaguars (0-2) are off to their worst start since 2003.
They finished 5-11 that season — and could be in for another long one this time around.
PANTHERS 20, BEARS 17
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Jonathan Stewart rushed for all but one of his 77 yards in the second half and scored two touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter as Carolina stopped Chicago (1-1) on fourth-and-one with less than two minutes left.
The Panthers scored the game’s final 17 points, recovering from a mistake-prone first half, behind their improved defense.
REDSKINS 29, SAINTS 24
In Landover, Maryland, Jason Campbell hit Santana Moss for a 67-yard touchdown pass that won the game for Washington.
Campbell and new Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn’s West Coast offense succeeded this week as spectacularly as it had failed last week.
Campbell went from uncomfortable to prolific, completing 24 of 36 passes for 321 yards.
CARDINALS 31, DOLPHINS 10
In Glendale, Arizona, Kurt Warner looked like he did in his MVP days, Anquan Boldin certainly wasn’t sulking over contract woes and Larry Fitzgerald caught almost everything thrown his way.
The result was a rout that has the Cardinals 2-0 for the first time in 17 years.
Warner completed 19 of 24 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Boldin caught all three scores, a career high.
In all, Boldin had six receptions for 140 yards, a franchise record 22nd time he’s passed the century mark. Fitzgerald, meanwhile, caught six for 153 yards, his 14th 100-yard game. It was the sixth time the pair topped 100 yards in the same game.
BUCCANEERS 24, FALCONS 9
In Tampa, Florida, rookie Matt Ryan was intercepted twice in the first half and Tampa Bay’s Brian Griese turned the miscues into a touchdown and field goal.
A week after beating Detroit in his pro debut, Ryan’s first nine passes were incomplete before he settled down to keep Atlanta (1-1) in the game with three field goal drives that trimmed a 17-point deficit to eight with five minutes to go.
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