Week 1 NFL Capsules
INDIANAPOLIS (2-14) At CHICAGO (8-8)
Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS
OPENING LINE -- Chicago by 10
2011 RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Indianapolis 6-10; Chicago 8-8
SERIES RECORD -- Colts lead 23-18
AP PRO32 RANKING: Colts No. 27; Bears No. 12
LAST MEETING -- Bears beat Colts 29-13, Sept. 7, 2008
COLTS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (30), RUSH (26), PASS (27)
COLTS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (25), RUSH (29), PASS (15)
BEARS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (24), RUSH (9), PASS (26)
BEARS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (17), RUSH (5), PASS (28)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- QB Andrew Luck makes debut after Colts took him with No. 1 pick in draft, and parted with Peyton Manning. Colts also have new coach in Chuck Pagano, while Bears hired GM Phil Emery to replace fired Jerry Angelo and acquired Pro Bowl WR Brandon Marshall from Miami. ... Bears won at Indianapolis in first game at Lucas Oil Stadium in last meeting, with Matt Forte running for 123 yards in his debut. ... Marshall and Colts CB Vontae Davis involved in heated confrontation in practice with Dolphins last year, according to NFL.com, in which Marshall threw ball hard into his face from point-blank range and Davis had to be restrained. Like Marshall, Davis got traded in offseason. ... Colts LB Dwight Freeney third among active players with 102.5 sacks, behind John Abraham (112) and Jared Allen (105). ... DE Robert Mathis has at least 9.5 sacks past four seasons. ... Bears promoted Mike Tice from offensive line coach to coordinator to replace Mike Martz. ... Cutler tied with Ed Brown and Erik Kramer for fourth on club list with 63 TD passes as Bear. Sid Luckman (137), Billy Wade (68), Jim McMahon (67) ahead of him. ... Forte fifth on Bears list with 6,218 yards from scrimmage, behind Gale Sayers (6,263). ... With start Sunday, LB Brian Urlacher would tie Keith Van Horne for fourth in club history with 169. ... With 18 combined return TDs, Devin Hester one shy of Deion Sanders' NFL record. Hester already holds records for career kick return touchdowns (17) and career punt return TDs (12). ... K Robbie Gould ranks fifth all-time in field-goal accuracy at 85.8 percent. ... LS Patrick Mannelly will set club record when he steps on field for 15th season with Bears.
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JACKSONVILLE (5-11) At MINNESOTA (3-13)
Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
OPENING LINE -- Vikings by 4.5
2011 RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Jacksonville 6-9-1; Minnesota 6-9-1
SERIES RECORD -- Vikings lead 3-1
AP PRO32 RANKING -- Jaguars No. 31; Vikings No. 28
LAST MEETING -- Vikings beat Jaguars 30-12, 2008
JAGUARS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (32), RUSH (12), PASS (32)
JAGUARS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (9), RUSH (9), PASS (8)
VIKINGS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (18), RUSH (4), PASS (28)
VIKINGS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (11), RUSH (11), PASS (26)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- First regular season game for Mike Mularkey as coach of Jaguars, and for new owner Shad Khan. ... Maurice Jones-Drew will be playing first game after missing all of training camp and preseason in contract dispute. Jones-Drew led league in rushing last season, but Mularkey said he will be used as third-down back to ease him into things. ... Rashad Jennings will start at RB in Jones-Drew's place. Jennings missed last season with knee injury but looked good in preseason, leading AFC with 209 yards rushing. ... Mularkey spent six seasons as tight end for Vikings (1983-88). ... Jaguars 11-6 (.647) in season openers, second-best winning percentage behind Cowboys (.663). ....Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert begins first full season as starter. Became youngest QB in NFL history to start at least 13 games. After rough rookie year, Gabbert threw for 355 yards, three TDs with 95.0 passer rating in preseason. ... Gabbert is friend of Vikings QB Christian Ponder, who also begins first full season as starter. Ponder started final 10 games of 2011. Completed 54 percent of passes with 13 TDs and 13 INTs on year. ... All eyes will be on Vikings star RB Adrian Peterson, who is coming off torn ACL in left knee at end of last season. Coach Leslie Frazier said Peterson will be game-time decision. He was injured in second-to-last game of last season, but made it goal to start in Week 1. ... Toby Gerhart should get plenty of action against Jags. He rushed for 369 yards in final five games of last season, including first career 100-yard game when Peterson went down against Redskins. ... Vikings open at home for first time since 2007. ... Vikings playing first of three games without WR Jerome Simpson (suspension). ... Vikings DE Jared Allen had 22 sacks last season, looking to become first player in NFL history with two 20-sack seasons.
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MIAMI (6-10) At HOUSTON (10-6)
Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
OPENING LINE -- Texans by 7
2011 RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Miami 9-7; Houston 11-5
SERIES RECORD -- Texans lead 6-0
AP PRO32 RANKING -- Dolphins, No. 27; Texans, No. 6
LAST MEETING -- Texans beat Dolphins 23-13, Sept. 18, 2011
DOLPHINS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (22), RUSH (11), PASS (23)
DOLPHINS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (15), RUSH (3), PASS (25)
TEXANS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (13), RUSH (2), PASS (18)
TEXANS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (2), RUSH (4), PASS (3)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Texans only team Miami has never defeated. Dolphins haven't won in Houston since 23-20 victory over the Oilers on Nov. 17, 1996. ... Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill makes first pro start after playing 50 games for Texas A&M, about 90 miles from Houston. ... Miami offensive coordinator Mike Sherman was Texans' assistant head coach in 2006 and assistant head coach/offensive coordinator in 2007. ... Miami WR Davone Bass has 1,166 return yards and needs 67 more to move into second on Miami's career list. ... DE Cameron Wake had four tackles, including a sack, against Texans last season. Wake has 28 sacks in first three seasons. ... Dolphins released QB David Garrard this week. ... Texans coach Gary Kubiak got first career win against Miami on Oct. 1, 2006. ... Saturday is 10-year anniversary of Texans inaugural game, 19-10 win over Dallas at Reliant Stadium. ... WR Andre Johnson healthy after missing nine games last season with hamstring injuries. QB Matt Schaub also seeing first action since fracturing right Lisfranc joint in Week 10 last season. ... Trindon Holliday made final roster after returning three kicks (1 punt, 2 kickoffs) for touchdowns in preseason. ... DE J.J. Watt (dislocated left elbow) and LB Brian Cushing (bruised ribs) expected to start after missing time in training camp with injuries. ... No changes in security or procedure expected at Reliant Stadium after fan fell off fifth-floor escalator and died during preseason finale against Minnesota. Harris County medical examiner ruled death accidental.
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NEW ENGLAND (15-4) At TENNESSEE...
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