Ravens Scramble Raiders

Johnny Unitas’ arm is the most exalted limb in Baltimore’s football history.

For one week, Vinny Testaverde’s legs may be up there with it.

Testaverde ran 9 yards for one touchdown and scrambled 12 yards to set up the winning score as the Baltimore Ravens began life away from Cleveland with a 19-14 win over the visiting Oakland Raiders, the team that opened the NFL’s franchise free agency era.

The win by the Ravens was the crowning moment of a day of celebration welcoming the NFL back to Baltimore 13 seasons after the Colts left for Indianapolis.

“We had to win to top off the weekend. It would have ruined everything had we not won,” said coach Ted Marchibroda, who once coached the Colts here and took over the renamed Ravens for Bill Belichick after the move from Cleveland.

But until Testaverde guided an 82-yard, eight-play drive that led to Earnest Byner’s 1-yard touchdown run with 7:50 left, there was little to cheer about for the Memorial Stadium crowd of 64,124, largest in Baltimore football history. The Raiders led 14-7 at halftime, outgained the Ravens 142-10 in the second quarter and put Testaverde under constant pressure.

Testaverde was 19 of 33 for 254 yards and ran eight times for 42 yards. Three of the runs for minus-3 yards were on kneeldowns to kill the clock at the end of the game.

Billy Joe Hobert, subbing for the injured Jeff Hostetler, completed TD passes of 7 and 10 yards to Tim Brown.

Dolphins 24, Patriots 10

Miami dominated time of possession, scored twice on fumble recoveries and got big days from several of coach Jimmy Johnson’s 10 rookies against visiting New England.

Karim Abdul-Jabbar rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown in 26 carries, fullback Stanley Pritchett caught six passes for 77 yards, and Zach Thomas and Daryl Gardener each had a sack for the host Dolphins.

But the biggest Dolphins debut was made by Johnson, coaching his first game since leading the Dallas Cowboys to the 1994 Super Bowl title.

New England’s Drew Bledsoe completed 19 of 38 passes for 222 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked four times.

Colts 20, Cardinals 13

Eugene Daniel, a 35-year-old cornerback, broke up two desperation end zone passes in the closing seconds as host Indianapolis held off Arizona.

The Cardinals, who scored on a 2-yard run by Boomer Esiason with a minute to go, got the ball back with the recovery of an onside kick. Esiason hit four straight passes as the Cardinals reached the Indianapolis 22 with 15 seconds to go.

But Daniel, who had off-season surgery for a shoulder injury, knocked the ball out of Rob Moore’s hands as Esiason went for a tying touchdown. Another long pass to Frank Sanders fell incomplete, and the final pass to Moore was broken up again by Daniel.

Vikings 17, Lions 13

Brad Johnson, playing the entire second half after Warren Moon went out with an ankle injury, threw the first touchdown pass of his five-year career, a 31-yarder to Cris Carter with 1:06 remaining, to rally Minnesota past visiting Detroit.

With help from Robert Smith’s fourth career 100-yard game, Johnson led Minnesota to 10 fourth-quarter points. The Vikings intercepted four of Scott Mitchell’s passes, two by Jeff Brady.

Barry Sanders gained 163 yards for the Lions, including 40 on a fourth-quarter drive as visiting Detroit took a 13-10 lead on Jason Hanson’s 39-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining.

Chiefs 20, Oilers 19

At Houston, Kansas City got two first-half touchdown passes from Steve Bono and then held off Houston’s late challenge.

The Oilers made it exciting in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 22-yard field goal by Al Del Greco, his fourth of the game, with 3:41 left to cut the Chiefs’ lead to one point. Moments later, a blocked punt gave the Oilers possession, but a penalty pushed the Oilers back before Del Greco missed a 55-yard field-goal attempt.

Eagles 17, Redskins 14

At Washington, Rodney Peete, playing with a brace on the sprained left knee he injured two weeks ago, threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns in Philadelphia’s eighth consecutive win over the Redskins.

Peete (20-for-34) picked the Redskins’ secondary apart in the first half, completing passes to nine different receivers.

Chris T. Jones finished with six catches for 82 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown. Irving Fryar caught five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.

Rams 26, Bengals 16

St. Louis’ new players on offense - quarterback Steve Walsh and first-round picks Lawrence Phillips and Eddie Kennison - all committed a turnover, but Phillips also scored on two 1-yard runs the Rams rallied past visiting Cincinnati.

Walsh was booed throughout the third quarter by a sellout crowd of 62,659 at St. Louis that chanted for rookie Tony Banks. But Walsh led a 16-point fourth quarter comeback.

Kennison had a 40-yard punt return and was the Rams’ top receiver with four catches for 70 yards.

After getting away with two turnovers in taking a 9-7 halftime lead, Cincinnati had an interception, two lost fumbles, a blocked punt and an interference call in the end zone - all in a span of less than 13 minutes.

Packers 34, Bucs 3

At Tampa Bay, Brett Favre, last year’s league MVP, launched his comeback from a battle to overcome an addiction to painkillers with 247 yards and four touchdown passes, three to Keith Jackson.

Trent Dilfer, the lowest-rated starting quarterback in the league last year, was held to 123 yards on 13-for-30 passing, with four interceptions.

49ers 27, Saints 11

San Francisco scored all its touchdowns on the ground to defeat visiting New Orleans.

Tommy Vardell made his first 49ers carry a touchdown and Jerry Rice ran 2 yards for a score on a reverse as the 49ers remained unbeaten against the Saints in six season-opening matchups.

Derek Loville added a 4-yard touchdown run.

Broncos 31, Jets 6

Neil O’Donnell was sacked eight times, fumbled twice and intercepted once in his Jets debut at Denver.

John Elway threw two touchdown passes, Terrell Davis plunged for a score and wide receiver Anthony Miller ran 26 yards on a reverse for the Broncos, who forced three turnovers during a 24-point second quarter that produced a 31-0 halftime lead.

Panthers 29, Falcons 6

At Charlotte, N.C., Kerry Collins threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns, and John Kasay added five field goals as the Panthers opened Ericsson Stadium with a victory - the highest-scoring day in the franchise’s 17-game history.

Jaguars 24, Steelers 9

Jacksonville’s defense, strengthened through free agency and the draft, turned in a landmark performance as the second-year Jaguars beat visiting Pittsburgh.

Jacksonville, which never trailed, held an opponent without a touchdown for the first time.

Quarterback Mark Brunell came through in his first opening-day start. He was 20-of-31 passing for 212 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Bills 23, Giants 20 (OT)

Bruce Smith, who talked about boycotting the game early last week because of a contract dispute, set up Steve Christie’s 34-yard field goal in overtime by sacking Dave Brown and forcing a fumble in the Buffalo’s victory over host New York.

The Bills had to rally from deficits of 17-0 and 20-7 to beat a Giants team picked by many to finish last in the NFC East.

Jim Kelly spearheaded the Bills’ comeback, hitting 24 of 41 passes for 313 yards, including a 60-yard scoring pass to Andre Reed.

Rookie Amani Toomer added a team record 87-yard punt return for a touchdown for New York.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Sunday’s best Quarterbacks Brett Favre 20-27-247-4-0 Jim Kelly 24-41-313-1-1 Rodney Peete 20-34-269-2-1 Running backs Barry Sanders 24-163-0 K. Abdul-Jabbar 26-115-1 Jamal Anderson 14-108-0 Receivers Herman Moore 12-157-1 Larry Centers 11-108-0 Andre Reed 5-138-1