NFL PRESEASON ROUNDUP Saturday's other games
49ers 24, Chiefs 6
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ken Dorsey threw two touchdown passes and Tim Rattay added one as the San Francisco 49ers won their first exhibition game under new coach Dennis Erickson. Rattay, who started at quarterback while Jeff Garcia rested his ailing back, was 8-for-9 for 90 yards, including a 39-yard scoring strike to Brandon Lloyd in the second quarter. Dorsey, battling Brandon Doman for the third-string quarterback job, connected with Arnaz Battle on a 15-yard scoring pass that made it 14-6 in the third. Following a fumble by Chiefs rookie running back Larry Johnson on the 29, Dorsey hit a wide-open Jason Isem on a 2-yard TD pass with 7:46 left in the game. Dorsey was 4-of-7 for 39 yards and the two TDs. Erickson succeeded Steve Mariucci this season after going 31-17 in four years at Oregon State. From 1995-98, he was 31-33 as head coach at Seattle. The Chiefs (1-1), who led the NFL last season in scoring, have not had a touchdown in two exhibition games.
Bills 20, Ravens 19
BALTIMORE -- The Buffalo Bills used a couple of seldom-used weapons to beat the Baltimore Ravens: defense and special teams. Antonio Brown returned a punt 87 yards for the decisive touchdown with 3:19 left, and Nate Clements intercepted Chris Redman's pass to set up a score in a preseason victory. Brown, a rookie wide receiver, blew past the Ravens' punt return coverage and cruised down the left sideline to make it 20-13. Ravens first-round pick Kyle Boller responded with a 26-yard touchdown throw to Randy Hymes with 23 seconds left, but the two-point conversion pass failed. The Bills ranked 27th in points allowed last year, the main reason why they went 8-8 and missed the playoffs despite averaging 24 points per game. Buffalo retooled its defense during the offseason, and the revamped unit made a shambles of the Ravens' open competition for the starting quarterback job. Redman, Boller and veteran Anthony Wright all struggled in their quest to make an impression on Baltimore coach Brian Billick.
Panthers 20, Redskins 0
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Maybe Steve Spurrier should have kept Stephen Davis around in Washington. The Carolina Panthers are sure glad he didn't. Davis, released last winter after seven seasons in Washington, gave the Panthers the running game they've always wanted in a preseason victory over the Redskins. It was Carolina's first win ever over Washington. The Panthers are 0-6 in regular season games against the Redskins, and had been 0-1 in preseason matchups. Davis didn't reach the end zone for Carolina, but he reeled off a 34-yard gain the second time he touched the ball and called it a night after 74 yards on seven carries -- all well before the end of the first quarter. Not bad for a running back not wanted in Spurrier's pass-happy offense in Washington. But at first glance, Davis has found a happy home in Carolina's overhauled offense. Buoyed by an improved offensive line -- first-round draft pick Jordan Gross started at right tackle -- Davis was able to find holes not normally there for the Panthers. On a 17-yard gain on his second series, he appeared to be stopped at the line of scrimmage, but cut left for a big gain.
Jaguars 16, Vikings 14
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Jacksonville Jaguars made their new coach a winner in his first preseason game, thanks in part to the slippery hands of the Minnesota Vikings. Ike Charlton returned a fumble 97 yards for a first-half touchdown to lead the Jaguars to victory over the Vikings in Jack Del Rio's first preseason game. Del Rio, who played middle linebacker for Minnesota from 1992-95, was hired in January to succeed Tom Coughlin as Jacksonville's coach. The Vikings, whose 41 turnovers were the second most in the league last year, fumbled four times -- losing two of them that led to 10 Jaguars points. Seth Marler kicked two field goals, and Mark Brunell looked sharp in some extended time leading Jacksonville's first-team offense after struggling in an intrasquad scrimmage last week. He went 10-for-13 for 110 yards and no interceptions, and Jimmy Smith caught five balls for 70 yards.
Packers 27, Falcons 21
ATLANTA -- Michael Vick provided a tantalizing glimpse of what the NFL can expect this season. Vick was 6-for-7 for 110 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown pass to Brian Finneran, before the Atlanta Falcons squandered a big lead in their preseason opener, losing to the Green Bay Packers 27-21 Saturday night. Vick, voted to the Pro Bowl in his first year as a starter, showed no signs of letting up before a raucous Georgia Dome sellout crowd that cheered his every move. Playing just the first quarter, he guided a pair of touchdown drives before another possession stalled out on downs in Green Bay territory. The Packers, coming off a 9-0 loss to Kansas City in a preseason opener shortened by inclement weather, got off to another sloppy start. They trailed 21-3 in the second quarter and jumped offsides five times in the first half, though Atlanta declined two of the penalties.
Broncos 20, Texans 12
HOUSTON -- Jake Plummer made it look easy, a rare feat in his NFL career. Plummer, who landed in Denver this offseason after six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Cole and looked comfortable in the Broncos' victory over the Houston Texans. Plummer misfired on his first two attempts before completing his last three for 47 yards on the TD drive in the first quarter. The scoring pass, which like most of Plummer's throws came on a rollout, hit Cole on the right side of the end zone. "It was our first preseason game and I thought we looked crisp," said Plummer, signed to replace Brian Griese, who is now in Miami. As for Texans quarterback David Carr, who set an NFL record last season by being sacked 76 times, his new-look offensive line protected him well for the quarter-plus he played.
Bears 20, Colts 18
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Rex Grossman drove Chicago 50 yards in the final 2:39 and Paul Edinger kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired as the Bears beat the Indianapolis Colts in the preseason opener for both teams. Grossman, the Bears' first-round draft pick, was 9-for-21 -- including a 12-yard completion to rookie Bobby Wade on fourth down during the game-winning drive. The Bears got the ball back at the 34-yard line when rookie Jerry Schumacher recovered Ricky Williams' fumble. It was also the Bears debut of quarterback Kordell Stewart, who signed with Chicago in the offseason after losing his job in Pittsburgh. Stewart was 7-of-8 for 29 yards and played the entire first quarter before giving way to backup Chris Chandler.
-- Associated Press