The AFC The Buddy Nix Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings: "I'm a firm believer in perspective, however -- and before fans start dreaming of the playoffs, it's important to note that the Bills have had a lot of help in these first three games." The Jeff Ireland Steve Svekis of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Daniel Thomas has piled up 239 yards (202 rushing and 37 receiving), better than Karim Abdul Jabbar's 158 in 1996. He is averaging an excellent 4.9 yards per carry." The Jonathan Kraft Ian Rapoport of The Boston Herald: "Losing is not an accepted reality in the Patriots locker room. They suffered just two regular-season defeats last year, and neither one included washing away a 21-point lead." The Mike Tannenbaum Christian Red of The New York Daily News: "After getting whacked in the face by Oakland linebacker Kamerion Wimbley during the third quarter of Sunday's loss, Mark Sanchez suffered a "minor break" of his nose and will wear a facemask for protection." The Ozzie Newsome Bruce Raffel of Baltimore Beatdown: “When the Baltimore Ravens brought in veteran WR Lee Evans, a lot of fans felt the team had the perfect complement to possession receiver Anquan Boldin. One of the main reasons the Ravens traded for Evans during Training Camp was that they were not comfortable going with rookie WR Torrey Smith opposite Boldin as starters at wide receiver.” The Mike Brown Anthony Cosenza of Cincy Jungle: “He's notorious for it. How many times in the Marvin Lewis era have the Bengals received the ball right before the half and decided to do nothing but take a knee with it?” The Tom Heckert Chris Pokorny of Dawgs By Nature: “As we all know, the illness to [Peyton] Hillis paved the way for backup Montario Hardesty to make his first career start. [Pat] Shurmur praised Hardesty's effort, but also admits that went over the anticipated number of carries they had for him. "We wanted to play him more, but not 61 snaps," Shurmur said.” The Kevin Colbert Michael Bean of Behind The Steel Curtain: “Don't get me wrong, the Steelers will have a hard time repeating the success they enjoyed in 2008 and 2010 if they can't force more turnovers on defense. And it goes without saying that the offense has to eliminate some of the costly mistakes if they hope to not negate otherwise respectable performances offensively.” The Rick Smith Battle Red Blog: “They have to find a way to beat the good teams in a close game. I know we have been giving the Texans props for hanging with a championship caliber team, but the bottom line is, hanging with a good team, but not overcoming them, is starting to become too common.” The Chris Polian Nick Pease of 18 to 88: “The key criteria for the Indianapolis Colts should have been someone who could be acquired relatively cheaply (in both a trade and salary), someone who could fill the void for one year, and preferably, someone with at least some NFL starting experience. These factors eliminate names like Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman, Bruce Gradkowski, or Matt Leinart.” The Gene Smith Alfie Crow of Big Cat Country: “The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive game plan on Sunday was way too conservative, I think that much most of us can agree. Sunday after the game, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter talked about the conditions of the game being a big factor.” The Mike Reinfeldt August West of Music City Miracles: “If you've been following this team since it arrived in Nashvile, you really shouldn't be surprised. This is kind of what happens to Titans WRs. Whether it's Tyrone Calico's knees, Kevin Dyson's hamstrings, David Givens' knee, Yancey Thigpen's everything... for some reason the football gods have decreed that we can't have nice things in the passing game.” The Brian Xanders Tim Lynch of Mile High Report: “With the absence of organized team activities and offseason workouts, John Fox is still going through a feeling-out process with the Broncos.” The Scott Pioli Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride: “It's always difficult to tell who is calling the plays for the Kansas City Chiefs offense (from the TV or the press box) because there are multiple people involved in the operation and they're all talking over a headset, one of which goes into QB Matt Cassel's ear.” The Al Davis Marcus Allen Krause of Silver and Black Pride: “I am not normally a pessimist but it sure felt like same old Raiders watching Ro decide to lolly gag to the sidelines instead of cover the middle of the field for the game losing touchdown against the Bills. However, the old Raiders would have come out and gotten demolished by this NY team. Anything but us getting demolished is what happened. This was the bully team we have heard so much about! We won this game because we dominated the line of scrimmage.” The Dean Spanos Tim Sullivan of The San Diego Union-Tribune: “The National Football League must have a post-lockout hangover, because quarterbacks have been toying with it as if it were tipsy. The forward pass has never been more brazenly forward or met with so little resistance. Three weeks into the season, six teams are averaging 300 yards passing.” The NFC The Stephen Jones Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News: “Cowboys center Phil Costa was having trouble with the snap count, which resulted in quarterback Tony Romo having to scramble to recover a wild snap on first-and-10 with just under three minutes to play. It was the third time Monday that Romo was forced to retrieve a snap that he wasn't expecting.” The Jerry Reese Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News: “Antrel Rolle doesn’t think he lost his cool or his head at the end of the first half on Sunday. In fact, he knew exactly what he was doing. And never mind that all his chirping and eventually his scuffle with Eagles TE Brent Celek resulted in a 15-yard penalty that lead to an Eagles’ touchdown. One day later, the brash safety believes he absolutely did the right thing.” The Howie Roseman Bleeding Green Nation: “Brian Rolle, a rookie sixth-round pick, saw an increase in snaps in the base defense and looked impressive in camp as a coverage linebacker. At 5-9, Rolle could be a liability against the run but the team can’t do any worse right now.” The Bruce Allen Mike Jones of The Washington Post: “Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley pulled down a 17-yard reception on the opening drive of the game to record his 423rd career catch. With that reception, Cooley moved into 19th on the NFL’s all-time list for catches by a tight end. Cooley entered the game tied with former Cowboy Jay Novacek for 19th.” The Jerry Angelo Brad Briggs of The Chicago Tribune: “There are plenty of Bears ties in this game, and they start with [Ron] Rivera, who was a second-round pick by the Bears in 1984 and served as Lovie Smith's defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2006 before he was abruptly run off after Super Bowl XLI.” The Martin Mayhew Sean Yuille of Pride of Detroit: “Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley practiced last Friday for the first time since breaking his foot way back at the start of August. While it was a good sign that he was able to hit the field, the thinking was he wouldn't be able to make his game debut for the Lions for at least another couple of weeks.” The Mark Murphy Kareem Copeland of The Green Bay Press-Gazette: “The Green Bay Packers lead the NFL in rush defense, having allowed just 55 yards per game through the first three weeks.” The Mark Wilf Christopher Gates of Daily Norseman: “So, the Minnesota Vikings haven't been very good in the second halves of ball games this year. We know this. From what I can see, there are two big reasons as to why this is, and they're both pretty closely connected.” The Thomas Dimitroff Caleb Rutherford of The Falcoholic: “I sincerely hope every single member of that football team from Arthur Blank down to the person that spit shines Matt Ryan's shoes is embarrassed to call themselves a Falcon. For months since April, all we have heard is explosive this, explosive that, yet our offense could be more akin to an M-80 than a stick of dynamite.” The Marty Hurney James Dator of Cat Scratch Reader: “If you're like me and ever seen the NFL series of action figures at department stores you've probably wondered "Why in the world did they make an Adrian Peterson action figure?". To me it just never made sense, but now McFarlane toys have announced they are releasing a Cam Newton figure all of it makes sense... ludicrous, ridiculous sense.” The Mickey Loomis Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune: “The Saints presented former player Steve Gleason with a ring from their Super Bowl XLIV championship on Monday night in an emotional ceremony at a private party in New Orleans.” The Mark Dominik Bucs Nation: “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have spent three years building a new defense, and they may just have seen what it is capable of on Sunday. They've seen glimpses before - against the San Francisco 49ers last year, for instance. But this is the first time it has beaten a good offense. Dominated, even.” The Rod Graves Seth Pollack of SB Arizona: “The Arizona Cardinals are convinced they beat themselves in Seattle more than the Seahawks won the game. They point to any number of mistakes from offensive players not lining up in the right spot, to blown tackles and gap assignments to missed field goals. It was a game they felt they could have won and if you believe the talk, that they will win later in the season.” The Billy Devaney Turf Show Times: “The St. Louis Rams look horrible on the field. There isn't a way around this fact. Going into the season, it was known that the Rams had a hard schedule. It was known that the Rams didn't have a long time to work on their new offense. It was also known that the vets would take some time to adjust.” The Trent Baalke David Fucillo of Niners Nation: “One of the more "controversial" plays of the 49ers-Bengals game came with 6:40 left in the third quarter. The 49ers faced a second and goal at the ten yard line. The 49ers ran a fake toss to the right, Alex Smith rolled to his left, and after looking for an open man, Smith fired a pass high into the back of the end zone.” The John Schneider Danny Kelly of Field Gulls: “The Seahawks' starting safeties are both in their second NFL season. Kam Chancellor is 23 years old. Earl Thomas is 13 months younger. So much for growing pains, at least on Sunday when Thomas and Chancellor turned in some of the more notable plays in the Seahawks' 13-10 win over the Cardinals.”

Cam Newton didn't surpasses 400 passing yards for the third straight week, but the Panthers rookie quarterback did earn his first NFL victory. Carolina beat Jacksonville 16-10 in a game that was marred by a monsoon. Newton went 18-for-34 with 158 yards and a touchdown.

Charles Woodson came up with an important interception of Cam Newton during the second quarter as the Packers were trailing Carolina. "The thing you've got to do in that case is make sure you don't jump the route too early,'' Woodson said. "He [Newton] has a strong arm. Very accurate. He's not afraid to put the ball anywhere. When you go for it, you have to be careful you don't run into the receiver and get an interference call.''

Panthers linebacker Jon Beason will miss the rest of the season with a torn left Achilles tendon. He was carted off the field in Carolina's 28-21 loss to Arizona on Sunday afternoon. Beason signed a $51 million, six-year deal this summer, including a $20 million signing bonus.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera believes that rookie quarterback Cam Newton "exceeded expectations" in the team's loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. Newton threw for 422 yards against Arizona, the most ever by a rookie quarterback in his first career start. However, Rivera did caution that there will be tougher times ahead for the Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn. "We still have some things to work on," Rivera said.

Rookies ruled Week 1 of the 2011 NFL season with Randall Cobb, Ryan Kerrigan and Cam Newton all enjoying exceptional debuts. Green Bay 42, New Orleans 34 Trench Counter: Packers +1.7, Saints -1.7 The New Orleans Saints (0-1) will certainly miss Marques Colston (collar bone) in the next few weeks, but the wide receiver’s first-quarter fumble on Thursday night was a turning point in their loss to the Green Bay Packers (1-0). The turnover allowed Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, to lead the Packers to an early 14-0 lead in the first game of the 2011 season. Drew Brees was no slouch, totaling 419 yards and three scores of his own, but New Orleans was engaged in an uphill battle for the remainder of the game even though they had a chance to force overtime on their final drive. Green Bay’s James Starks was the game’s leading rusher with 57 yards and touchdown, while Devery Henderson of New Orleans led all receivers with six catches for 100 yards and a score. Philadelphia 31, St. Louis 13 Trench Counter: Eagles +3.7, Rams -3.7 In a game that was close statistically, the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) ran away from the St. Louis Rams (0-1), who were beset by injuries. Steven Jackson gave the Rams a 7-0 lead on the team’s first offensive play of the season, but left soon after with a left leg injury. As the game progressed, St. Louis also lost wide receiver Danny Amendola (elbow) and quarterback Sam Bradford (hand). Cadillac Williams (91 yards on 19 carries) filled in nicely for Jackson, but the Eagles dominated with 237 total rushing yards and a sparkling 7.6 per carry average. LeSean McCoy led the way with 15 touches for 122 yards and a touchdown. Michael Vick, who threw for 187 yards and two scores, added 98 yards on the ground. Chicago 30, Atlanta 12 Trench Counter: Bears +1.4, Falcons -1.4 The Atlanta Falcons (0-1) moved the ball well, but three turnovers (two fumbles and an interception) doomed one of the favorites in the NFC against the sharp Chicago Bears (1-0). The Falcons turned the ball over on consecutive possessions in the first quarter and Jay Cutler, who passed for 312 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, was accurate on 69% of his pass attempts. Michael Turner tallied 100 yards on just 10 touches, helping Atlanta average 7.9 yards per carry against Chicago’s average of 3.3, but turnovers proved to be the difference. Matt Forte was an all-around star for the Bears, rushing for 68 yards and catching five passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Cincinnati 27, Cleveland 17 Trench Counter: Bengals +10.7, Browns -10.7 The Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) needed two quarterbacks, but they were able to outlast the Cleveland Browns (0-1) thanks to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Bruce Gradkowski found rookie A.J. Green for a 41-yard scoring strike with 4:28 left to give the Bengals a 20-17 lead after fellow freshman Andy Dalton went down with a wrist injury. Cedric Benson then locked up the victory with a 39-yard scamper with 1:49 left in regulation. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy threw an interception when the game’s outcome was already determined as his team was hampered by inefficiency on third down. Cleveland punted eight times as they were just 4-for-15 facing third down at home. Benson was the game’s offensive star, rushing for 121 yards and a score on 25 carries. Buffalo 41, Kansas City 7 Trench Counter: Bills +13.3, Chiefs -13.3 The Buffalo Bills (1-0) dominated the Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) in nearly every facet of the game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs averaged just 2.9 yards per pass as Matt Cassel played through a rib injury, but they did average a very good 6.0 yards per rush (18 attempts). No receiver had more than 26 yards in the game and star Dwyane Bowe caught just two passes for 17 yards despite eight targets. Both teams were well-disciplined; Buffalo was penalized five times for just 30 yards. Kansas City was whistled just one for three yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed four touchdown passes for the Bills, with two coming in the first quarter and another pair coming in the third. Detroit 27, Tampa Bay 20 Trench Counter: Lions +11, Buccaneers -11 Josh Freeman nearly led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) to overtime, but the Detroit Lions (1-0) proved to be too efficient offensively on Sunday afternoon. Matt Stafford threw for 305 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, averaging 9.2 yards per pass. Calvin Johnson, who hauled in six passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns, was his main target, while Jahvid Best paced the offensive with 72 rushing yards. Detroit held Tampa Bay in check on the ground, holding the Buccaneers’ running backs to just 30 yards on 12 carries. Freeman, who had 26 rushing yards, was the team’s leading rusher. Before a pair of Stafford touchdown passes in the second quarter, Tampa Bay grabbed the momentum on a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown by Aqib Talib midway through the first period. Jacksonville 16, Tennessee 14 Trench Counter: Jaguars +4.8, Titans -4.8 The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) edged the Tennessee Titans (0-1) in a hotly-contested game. The Jaguars jumped out to a 13-0 lead and held on despite two second-half connections between Matt Hasselbeck and Kenny Britt. The Titans struggled on third down, going 4-for-11, while Jacksonville had a 50% success rate. Hasselbeck, who had 263 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 21-for-34 passing, played well in his debut with Tennessee, but Luke McCown did just enough (175 yards on 24 attempts) to put Maurice Jones-Drew (97 yards and a score) in control of Jacksonville’s offense. Britt was the game’s leading receiver with five catchers for 136 yards and two scores. Baltimore 35, Pittsburgh 7 Trench Counter: Ravens +19.4, Steelers -19.4 The Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) committed an unspeakable seven turnovers in an embarrassing Week 1 loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens (1-0). Ben Roethlisberger threw for 280 yards and a touchdown, but threw three interceptions and also lost a pair of fumbles. Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore also each lost a fumble. Baltimore’s offense didn’t have to be too sharp to win, but Joe Flacco was on point and Ray Rice rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Flacco threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 29 attempts, with Anquan Boldin, Ed Dickson and Rice each catching a scoring pass. The Ravens had just 73 more total yards than the Steelers, but the home team scored three more touchdowns. Houston 34, Indianapolis 7 Trench Counter: Texans +13.2, Colts -13.2 The Houston Texans (1-0) dealt the Indianapolis Colts (0-1) a blow of reality in their first game without Peyton Manning in 13 years. The Texans scored 17 points in the first quarter and held the Colts scoreless until the 9:17 mark of the fourth quarter when Kerry Collins found Reggie Wayne for a 6-yard touchdown. Houston dominated the game offensively, gaining 11 more first downs and averaging 9.0 yards per pass. Even without reigning rushing leader Arian Foster (hamstring), Houston ran for 167 yards thanks to strong efforts by Ben Tate (116 yards and a touchdown) and Derrick Ward (39 yards and a score). Collins didn’t throw an interception, but he lost a pair of fumbles, which stalled early drives. Houston’s defense, now led by Wade Phillips, sacked Collins three times. Arizona 28, Carolina 21 Trench Counter: Cardinals -1.6, Panthers +1.6 Cam Newton registered a historic debut performance, but the Carolina Panthers (0-1) still lost to the Arizona Cardinals (1-0). Newton threw for 422 yards, tying Matthew Stafford’s rookie single-game record and breaking Peyton Manning’s mark for passing yards by a rookie in Week 1. Newton, who rushed for 18 yards and a score, threw for a pair of scores and tossed an interception. Steve Smith, who requested a trade in the offseason, caught eight balls for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Kolb had a great debut with the Cardinals, going 18-for-27 with 309 yards and two touchdown passes. He lost a fumble, but Carolina punted on the next possession. The Cardinals scored a touchdown after a Newton interception in the third quarter. The Panthers had a chance to tie the game in the final minutes, but Newton overthrew a number of receivers. San Diego 24, Minnesota 17 Trench Counter: Chargers +16.8, Vikings -16.8 The Minnesota Vikings (0-1) jumped out to a 17-7 lead, but an inept passing attack doomed them against the San Diego Chargers (1-0). Michael Jenkins caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb in the second quarter for Minnesota’s only offensive touchdown. McNabb went 7-for-15 for 39 yards, erasing the effectiveness of Adrian Peterson’s 98 yards and their 159 team total. San Diego was far from perfect, especially with lingering issues on special teams, but Philip Rivers was just good enough. He had 335 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 48 attempts. Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert combined for 80 yards and three total touchdowns. The Chargers punted just three times. San Francisco 33, Seattle 17 Trench Counter: 49ers +5.1, Seahawks -5.1 Ted Ginn Jr. almost single-handedly led the San Francisco 49ers (1-0) to a win over the Seattle Seahawks (0-1) with a pair of touchdown returns in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. With San Francisco leading 19-17, Ginn returned a kickoff 102 yards for a score and he added a 55-yard punt return touchdown less than a minute later. Alex Smith ran in for a score and went 15-for-20 with 124 yards in the win. Tarvaris Jackson had an uncomfortable debut with Seattle, getting sacked five times and completing just 21 of his 37 attempts. He threw two touchdowns, but threw an interception and lost two fumbles. The 49ers didn’t commit a single turnover, allowing them to recover from a 1-for-12 performance on third down. Washington 28, N.Y. Giants 14 Trench Counter: Redskins +5.5, Giants -5.5 With the game knotted at 14 in the third quarter, rookie Ryan Kerrigan returned an interception nine yards for a touchdown to give the Washington Redskins (1-0) the momentum against the New York Giants (0-1) at FedEx Field. Rex Grossman outshined Eli Manning just a few days after he was named Washington’s starting quarterback. He went 21-for-34 with 305 yards and two touchdowns, while Tim Hightower helped move the chains with 72 yards and a score. Manning went 18-for-32 with 268 yards and an interception and New York’s ground game wasn’t able to pick him up. The Redskins averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per game, but the Giants’ 3.8 average was especially disappointing because of their passing inefficiency. Hakeem Nicks was the game’s leading receiver with seven catches for 122 yards, including a 68-yard connection with Manning. N.Y. Jets 27, Dallas 24 Trench Counter: Jets +2.3, Cowboys -2.3 Down 14 points early in the fourth quarter, the New York Jets (1-0) used their special teams and defense to notch a comeback win against the Dallas Cowboys (0-1). Tony Romo, who threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns, helped the Jets storm back with turnovers on back-to-back drives to end the game. New York had two turnovers against the three Dallas committed, but the Jets failed to commit a single penalty on Sunday night. While Romo and Mark Sanchez, who went 26-for-44 with 335 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, both had productive nights, neither team was able to get a ground game going. The Cowboys rushed 26 times for 64 yards (a 2.5 average) and the Jets totaled just 45 yards on 16 attempts (a 2.8 average). Darelle Revis, who didn't have a single interception in 2010, caught a Romo pass and returned in 20 yards to set up the game-winning field goal. New England 38, Miami 24 Trench Counter: Patriots +7.4, Dolphins -7.4 The New England Patriots (1-0) defeated the Miami Dolphins (0-1) thanks to a 517-yard performance by Tom Brady. New England averaged 10.8 yards per pass, boosted by a 99-yard touchdown connection between Brady and Wes Welker in the fourth quarter. The Patriots held the Dolphins to just two third-down conversions in fourteen chances. Chad Henne had 416 passing yards in the high-yardage affair, but the team's inefficiency on third down forced them to punt six times. Miami pulled to within 21-17 on a Dan Carpenter field goal with 3:36 left in the third quarter, but New England scored the next 17 points to take control of the game. In his first game as a "feature" back, Reggie Bush rushed 11 times for 38 yards. He added nine catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. Welker was the game's leading receiver with eight grabs for 160 yards and two scores. Oakland 23, Denver 20 Trench Counter: Raiders -0.3, Broncos +0.3 The Oakland Raiders (1-0) dominated the second quarter and held on to defeat the Denver Broncos (0-1) in the second game of Week 1's Monday Night Football doubleheader. The Raiders scored 16 points in the second quarter, including a record-tying 63-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. Jason Campbell had just 105 passing yards, but Darren McFadden dominated on the ground. He rushed for 150 yards on 22 carries, while Denver averaged just 2.9 yards per carry. Kyle Orton had 304 yards, a touchdown and an interception and was showered with boos late in the game as fans also cheered for backup Tim Tebow. Knowshon Moreno struggled with 22 yards on eight carries. There was a total of 25 flags thrown, with the two teams penalized for a combined 262 yards.

Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton, the first overall pick in April's NFL Draft, has set an NFL record in his debut. Newton (24-for-36) had 422 passing yards, with three total touchdowns (one rushing) in Carolina's 28-21 loss to Arizona. Peyton Manning set the previous record for passing yards by a rookie in Week 1 with 302 yards back in 1998. Newton's passing total also ties Matthew Stafford's record for yards by a rookie in an NFL game. Stafford had 422 yards in Week 10 of his rookie season with the Lions.

Panthers linebacker Jon Beason, who signed a new contract with the team during the offseason, was carted off the field in the third quarter on Sunday. Beason appeared to injure himself on a botched defensive play when Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb found tight end Jeff King for a 48-yard touchdown. He rarely practiced during training camp because of an Achilles tendon injury, however Sunday's injury appeared to be to his ankle.

The Panthers have signed safety Charles Godfrey to a five-year, $27.5 million extension, according to a source. The contract guarantees Godfrey $12.4 million.

The Panthers have waived third-year defensive end Everette Brown and claimed defensive tackle Marcus Harrison and four others off waivers. Brown was Carolina's second-round pick in 2009, but he never developed into the pass-rushing threat they hoped he'd become.