Mattie T’s Week 1 NFL Recaps

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Star Player of the Game: Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who completed 27 of 36 passes for 237 yards & threw for 1 touchdown. (101.3 rating)

Saints defensive end Alex Brown on his team’s defensive effort:

“To hold a team like that with a damn good quarterback and probably the best running back in the league and a really good offensive line, we did some special things. It’s going to take a hell of a team to beat us. We’re just 1-0, but we are a really good team here.”

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Star Player of the Game: Titans running back Chris Johnson, who rushed 27 times for 142 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Titans quarterback Vince Young on Johnson’s 76-yard touchdown run in the 2nd quarter that helped open their lead up:

“I knew everybody was waiting on it. Definitely I was waiting on it. … Offensive coordinators and our coaches always preach just taking it one at a time, one play at a time … 3 yards, 5 yards and then eventually CJ is going to do what he does.”

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Star Player of the Game: Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who caught 4 receptions for 75 yards & scored 3 touchdowns.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning on winning the first ever regular-season game played at their new $1.6 billion home stadium:

“That’s the way you want to do it in a brand new stadium. With the crowd here, you want to go out there and play well. To start 1-and-0 in a brand new stadium was very important to us to get a win.”

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Star Player of the Game: Texans running back Arian Foster, who rushed 33 times for 231 yards & scored 3 touchdowns.

Colts head coach Jim Caldwell on the pressure Peyton Manning received from Houston’s defense:

“They certainly were in command of the line of scrimmage. They had opportunities on both sides of the ball when they put a little pressure on Peyton. Hitting him one time is too many, but they got through to him a few times.”

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Star Player of the Game: Jaguars quarterback David Garrard, who completed 16 of 21 passes for 170 yards & threw for 3 touchdowns. (138.9 rating)

Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow on making his NFL debut in his hometown of Jacksonville, FL on Sunday:

“It’s cool that the first opportunity for me to play in a real game was here in Jacksonville, a place that I’ve played a lot of games and been here a lot of times. It was a lot of fun.”

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Star Player of the Game: Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, who rushed 22 times for 120 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward on the team’s run-first approach on Sunday without Ben Roethlisberger (4 game suspension):

“At times I kind of got a little angry, but I understood we had to do that. Mike (Wallace) came to me and said, `Man, all we do is run the ball.’ I just said we had to.”

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Star Player of the Game: Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, who rushed 13 times for 65 yards & scored  1 touchdown.

Bills head coach Chan Gailey on his team gaining just 166 yards of total offense on Sunday:

“If fingers need to be pointed, they need to be pointed back at me. We didn’t play well enough to win, and that’s my responsibility.”

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Star Player of the Game: Bears running back Matt Forte, who rushed 17 times for 50 yards. Forte also caught caught 7 passes for 151 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson on his game-winning touchdown that was called back after officials’ review:

“The first thing that went through my head was that we finally won in Chicago. I found out after I sprinted halfway across the field that it didn’t count. It is what it is, and now it’s over.”

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Star Player of the Game: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who completed 25 of 35 passes for 258 yards & threw for 3 touchdowns. (120.9 rating)

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, who caught 8 receptions for 64 yards & scored 2 touchdowns in his first game back since tearing his left ligament in December of 2009:

“You go out there preparing and, you know, `This is the big comeback or whatever, but for me it was just going out there and playing and be out there with my teammates and trying to contribute to a win.”

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Star Player of the Game: Buccaneers running back Carnell Williams, who rushed 22 times for 75 yards.

Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow on facing his former team for the first time:

“I have nothing against the players. This is our job. So, when you get traded or demoted or anything like that, it’s personal. So, you want to get some revenge and you want to play as well as you can. We didn’t win very much over there. When I got traded, it felt very personal. I’m in a better situation now with a coach like Raheem Morris.”

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Star Player of the Game: Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who completed 18 of 23 passes for 170 passes & threw for 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Hasselbeck also ran 2 times for 4 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll on winning his team debut:

“There are a ton of beginnings, but now that’s over. It’s a nice game, but it doesn’t mean that much. It’s already done. To have the opportunity emotionally to enjoy it like that in the locker room with these guys that have worked so hard that have listened to my stuff all this time, for them to feel the benefits and rewards it was very pleasing.”

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Star Player of the Game: Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, who caught 5 receptions for 82 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick on his stellar performance following the injury to Kevin Kolb (concussion), which sparked the team in the 2nd half:

“I feel like if I had been out there for four quarters, maybe we would’ve had a chance to win the game.”

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Star Player of the Game: Cardinals wide receiver Steve Breaston, who caught 7 receptions for 132 yards.

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford on throwing 55 pass attempts in his NFL debut:

“That’s probably a little higher than I would have imagined if you’d asked me before the game. But I threw it a lot in college, so I’m used to it.”

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Star Player of the Game: Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, who caught 6 receptions for 80 yards.

Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams on the “strip” by Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall that was returned for a 32-yard touchdown right before halftime:

“You can’t blame it on that one play. We had a bunch of opportunities, early in the game, in the middle of the game, at the end of the game, to drive down and get points, and we couldn’t do it.”

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Star Player of the Game: Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who caught 7 receptions for 110 yards.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis on the importance of their Week 1 win over the Jets:

“It became personal when the schedule came out. We knew the tradition and the respect that Rex wanted to bring to the Jets. The bottom line is: Let’s just play football. I tip my hat to my team.”

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Star Player of the Game: Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, who rushed 11 times for 92 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Chiefs wide receiver Dexter McCluster on his 94-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter, which set a new team record:

“That’s the longest of my career at any level. What better time than that—Monday night football in Arrowhead. You couldn’t ask for a better time.”