Perhaps we can pump the brakes a bit on OBJ and the Browns being a trendy choice for the Super Bowl.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s debut with Cleveland was an utter disaster for his new team, as Cleveland committed 18 penalties and got pummeled, 43-13, at home Sunday by Tennessee in the Browns opener under new coach Freddie Kitchens.

Beckham, who typically went viral by wearing a six-figure Richard Mille watch before the game, finished with a quiet seven receptions for 71 yards on 11 targets. But the former Giants star hardly was the primary issue for the Browns, who were expected to continue their ascent from an 0-16 team in 2017 with an improvement to 7-8-1 one year ago.

“Everybody’s gonna throw us in the trash, and I think that’s good,” second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield said after the game. “I know what type of men we have in this locker [room], and quite frankly, I don’t really give a damn what happens on the outside. I know how we’re going to react, what we’re going to do, how we’re going to bounce back.”

Cleveland’s 18 penalties (for 182 yards) represented its most in one game since 1951. Under heavy pressure all day, Mayfield was sacked five times and threw three interceptions, culminated by a 38-yard pick-six by Malcolm Butler late in the fourth quarter.

After the game, Mayfield was seen entering the team’s X-ray room with a wrap on his right wrist, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the injury is “just a bruise” and “not considered serious” ahead of next Monday night’s game against the Jets.

“I think we know it, it’s within ourselves. They’re a great football team, and any time you hurt yourself, you’re not going to win,” Mayfield said. “Everybody needs to be more disciplined. I think everybody knows what the problem is. … Dumb penalties, hurting ourselves, and obviously turnovers on my part. Just dumb stuff.”

The Browns actually drew within 15-13 on a 4-yard David Njoku scoring grab with 2:10 remaining in the third, but Marcus Mariota responded with a short pass that Derrick Henry broke for a 75-yard TD scamper. The Titans blew the game open with 21 unanswered points in the final 15 minutes, emptying out FirstEnergy Stadium earlier than expected.

“For those fans, we don’t want to see them leaving with nine minutes left,” said Beckham, the $95 million lightning-rod receiver who was dealt to Cleveland by the Giants in March. “We want to be able to stay there and fight through it. I know there’s been losing around here, but that’s not what we’re here to do.

“So we’ve just got to have everybody stick with us — the fans, as well. And this team has to come together. and we’ve just got to play better.”

Nicked Up, And Then Some

Nick Foles’ first start for his new team didn’t last long, and his next one could be at least two months away. The former Eagles quarterback departed his Jacksonville debut in the first quarter with what the team disclosed as a fractured collarbone that will require surgery, adding a major injury to the insult of a 40-26 season-opening loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

The 30-year-old Foles, who led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LII win after the 2017 season as an injury replacement for Carson Wentz, inked a four-year deal worth $88 million, with $50.1 million guaranteed, with the Jaguars in March.

He actually was injured on his first touchdown pass with the Jags, a 35-yard strike to receiver DJ Chart with 5:23 remaining in the opening quarter. Foles was slammed to the ground by Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Foles, who also suffered a hairline fracture on the left side of his collarbone in 2014, will undergo surgery Monday, he said. If he is placed on injured reserve, he would be ineligible to return until Week 11.

“Same side. Different place on the collarbone,″” Foles said after the game. ″The one in 2014 didn’t need surgery. It was a hairline fracture, so it was a different situation. This was a complete crack.

“We don’t have a time span, but I’m going to do everything I can to get back as quickly as I can to where I’m ready to roll. I knew when I hit the ground something was wrong. I felt it.”″

Rookie replacement Gardner Minshew II, a sixth-round pick out of Washington State after finishing fifth in last year’s Heisman Trophy voting, completed 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

Mahomes, the reigning league MVP, threw for 313 yards in the first half and 378 overall, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Jackson’s Five

Remember when some scouts and league executives thought Lamar Jackson should transition to wide receiver or running back?

Jackson, the 32nd-overall pick in the 2018 draft, enjoyed a near-perfect day in powering the Ravens to a franchise record for points in one game in a 59-10 drubbing of what fully looks like a terrible Miami team.

Jackson finished 17-for-20 for 324 yards and five touchdowns through three quarters before backup Robert Griffin III tossed another TD pass in the fourth.

“Not bad for a running back,” Jackson quipped after the game.

The Ravens also totaled 265 yards on the ground, with Mark Ingram rushing for 107 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. Jackson had just 6 yards on three running attempts after totaling 695 rushing yards as a rookie.

The Kid Is Alright

No. 1-overall pick Kyler Murray struggled for much of his NFL debut, but the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner’s late-game improvement resulted in the first tie of the new season.

Murray led the Cardinals to 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime in a 27-27 tie with Detroit, in what also was the first NFL game for first-year Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury.

Murray completed 29 of 54 passes for 308 yards overall, with two touchdowns and one interception. The former Oklahoma star led the Cards to an 18-point fourth quarter, connecting with veteran Larry Fitzgerald for a 5-yard touchdown strike with 43 seconds remaining and then with Christian Kirk for the game-tying two-point conversion.

Murray also hit Fitzgerald for a 45-yard gain in overtime, setting up a 28-yard go-ahead field goal by Zane Gonzalez with 7:17 remaining. But Matthew Stafford (385 yards) drove the Lions into field-goal range, resulting in Matt Prater’s tying 33-yarder with 3:48 to go.

Bad Beats

The Eagles spotted visiting Washington a 17-0 cushion 16 minutes into the game, before the combination of franchise quarterback Carson Wentz and returning hero DeSean Jackson fronted a comeback that resulted in a 32-20 turnaround lead into the closing seconds. The Redskins, a 10.5-point underdog, slid into the backdoor cover when Case Keenum connected with Trey Quinn in the end zone with six seconds remaining.

The Hurt Locker

In addition to Foles, another significant player departed the Chiefs-Jags game and did not return.

Kansas City wide receiver Tyreek Hill is expected to miss a few weeks after suffering a shoulder injury on a sideline hit from Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Hill had signed a three-year extension worth $54 million last week, after the NFL announced this summer it was not suspending him over a domestic violence case involving his 3-year-old son.

Post Patterns

Washington tight end Vernon Davis made one of the highlight plays of the day, hurdling a defender along the sideline and rumbling for a 48-yard touchdown in a 29-27 loss to Philadelphia. Davis, whose grandfather died Friday, was shown breaking down in tears on the sidelines after the play. … Indianapolis quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in his first start since Andrew Luck’s unexpected retirement in a 30-24 overtime loss to the Chargers. Austin Ekeler’s 7-yard run won it for LA. … Rams running back Todd Gurley rushed for 66 of his 97 yards in the fourth quarter and Malcolm Brown ran for two earlier scores as the other LA held off Carolina, 30-27. … 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo went 18-for-27 for 166 yards with one touchdown and one pick in his first game back following a season-ending knee injury last October, a 31-17 win over Tampa Bay. … Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick became the first player to throw a touchdown for eight different NFL teams. The 15-year vet was replaced late in Sunday’s 59-10 blowout loss to Baltimore by backup Josh Rosen. … Rookie first-round pick Marquise Brown (25th overall) had four catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns for the Ravens. … Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 418 yards and two scores in a 21-20 loss to Seattle. … Redskins running back Adrian Peterson was on the inactive list as a healthy scratch for the first time in his career. NFL Network reported the 13,318-yard career rusher (including 1,042 last season) and several teammates were “furious” over AP’s benching. Starter Derrius Guice ran for 18 yards on 10 carries for the Skins.

Three stars

1. Lamar Jackson, Ravens QB

Jackson threw for six touchdowns in 16 games (seven starts) as a rookie, but he came one short of matching that total in Week 1. He might have done so if he’d played in the fourth quarter, completing 17-of-20 throws for 324 yards in a 59-10 rout of the Dolphins.

2. Sammy Watkins, Chiefs WR

Patrick Mahomes regularly makes this short list, and deserved to again Sunday, but we’re going to throw a nod to Watkins, who hauled in all three of Mahomes’ touchdown throws and 198 of his 378 passing yards in a 40-26 win over Jacksonville.

3. DeSean Jackson, Eagles WR

You truly can go home again. The longtime Giants killer played his first game for the Eagles since 2013 and became the first Philly player to score two touchdowns of 50-plus yards since Ben Hawkins in 1967. Jackson caught eight passes for 164 yards overall, including scoring plays of 51 and 53 yards from Carson Wentz in a 29-20 win over Washington.



Quote of the Day

“Not bad for a running back.”

— Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after Sunday’s 59-10 win over Miami, on critics who thought he should switch positions before entering the NFL.

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