NASHVILLE, Tenn. ‹ Chris Brown gave the Tennessee Titans an early reason not to miss Eddie George.
Brown ran for 46 yards on only six carries, and Steve McNair threw for a touchdown as the Titans downed Cleveland 24-3 Saturday night in the exhibition opener for both teams.
Texans 18, Cowboys 0
HOUSTON ‹ David Carr was almost perfect. The new-look Cowboys offense wasn't.
Carr was 7-of-8 for 89 yards and a touchdown in both teams' preseason opener, which featured the Dallas debuts of veterans Vinny Testaverde, Eddie George and Keyshawn Johnson.
Dolphins 16, Jaguars 5
MIAMI ‹ In the absence of the retired Ricky Williams, the Dolphins won without a running game. Miami totaled 30 yards on 22 carries until undrafted rookie Fred Russell burst up the middle for an 88-yard gain in the final minute.
Miami reserve cornerback Korey Banks avoided a serious spinal injury, but was taken off the field immobilized on a cart. He was hurt making a tackle in the second quarter.
Lions 27, Steelers 21
DETROIT ‹ Joey Harrington completed passes to Charles Rogers on three of Detroit's first seven plays and Detroit held on to beat Pittsburgh in the exhibition opener for both teams.
Brian St. Pierre, Pittsburgh's third-string quarterback, converted a fourth-and-28 on the final drive and with the clock running out, his pass into the end zone was deflected by cornerback Jeff Sanchez.
Vikings 23, Cardinals 6
MINNEAPOLIS ‹ Dennis Green's return to Minnesota ‹ and to coaching ‹ was marred by penalties and a flat offense, and Minnesota beat his Arizona Cardinals.
Green coached his first NFL game since the Vikings, the team he led for 10 seasons, fired him in 2001. He now has the task of turning around one of the league's worst teams.
Raiders 33, 49ers 30
SAN FRANCISCO ‹ Rich Gannon came out throwing in his first game back from shoulder surgery and looked like his old self.
But Kerry Collins, his strong-armed backup, was the one who got Oakland into the end zone in a win over San Francisco in the exhibition opener for both teams.
Panthers 23, Redskins 20, OT
LANDOVER, Md. ‹ Mark Brunell made his move in Washington's quarterbacks competition, but Carolina spoiled Joe Gibbs' homecoming.
John Kasay kicked a 52-yard field goal with 7:31 left in overtime following Carolina's fourth interception of the game.
The defending NFC champions used their starters for only the first quarter. Third-string quarterback Chris Weinke threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to Keary Colbert, and Kasay forced overtime with a 37-yard field goal with 23 seconds left in regulation.
Colts 21, Chargers 17
SAN DIEGO ‹ Joe Hamilton, the fifth quarterback to come into the game, finally decided things.
Hamilton threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Fletcher with 11 seconds remaining. He took the Colts on a 70-yard drive to the winning score after San Diego rookie kicker Nate Kaeding put the Chargers ahead with a 27-yard field goal with 3:18 left.
Hamilton, a free agent who played for Orlando in Arena Football this past season, was signed by the Colts on June 9. He completed 13-of-22 for 132 yards and the winning touchdown in his debut for the Colts.
Drew Brees played the first half and was 11-of-14 for 156 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in the first quarter. The throw was a wobbly floater, but Gates skidded to a stop in the end zone, reached back and barely grabbed the ball just above the grass.
Peyton Manning played only the first two series. The league's co-MVP last year, Manning was 3-of-4 for 18 yards during his brief stint, with the only incompletion a drop by Dallas Clark on a quick pass over the middle.
