Miami Dolphins 10, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7

Dolphins defenders Koa Misi and Paul Soliai took a step forward last night...Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall got defensive when asked about his dropped passes...The Dolphins starters looked bad on Saturday night, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman and fourth-round wide receiver Mike Williams were impressive in the pre-season opener...Running back Kareem Huggins' speed has intrigued the team's coaches...Scott Reynolds of PewterReport.com charts how the Buccaneers rookies played on Saturday.

Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Detroit Lions 7

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger dressed, but did not play in the pre-season opener...Steelers first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey worked at center with the second-team line...Quarterback Dennis Dixon had a perfect passer rating on Saturday night.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford looked sharp in the opener...Lions first-round running back Jahvid Best had an impressive showing in his debut...Lions linebacker Jordon Dizon was lost for the season to a knee injury.

Cleveland Browns 27, Green Bay Packers 24

The Cleveland Browns looked competent on offense on Saturday...Browns second-round safety T.J. Ward made some big hits and rookie mistakes...Browns kicker Phil Dawson was good on two long field goal attempts in the final 87 seconds.

Green Bay's first-team defense gave up 21 first-half points...Packers running back Ryan Grant will be monitored for a concussion next week...Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sharp in the pre-season opener.

Arizona Cardinals 19, Houston Texans 16

Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt was not pleased with how his offense played...Cardinals fifth-round quarterback John Skelton had a solid debut...Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart skipped out without talking to the media.

Texans starters played well in the pre-season opener, but the back-ups couldn't hold the 16-point lead...Texans quarterback Matt Schaub appears poised to lead a potent offense...Texans fourth-round linebacker Darryl Sharpton showed off his play-making ability.

Minnesota Vikings 28, St. Louis Rams 7

Vikings backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels tossed three touchdown passes in a backup-led win over the Rams...Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson is another week away from being ready to play...Vikings fourth-string tight end Garrett Mills had a 100-yard receiving game.

Rams first-round quarterback Sam Bradford passed his first NFL test...The Rams defense held the Vikings to just 78 rushing yards on 31 attempts...Free agent running back Brian Westbrook may be on the verge of joining the Rams.

San Diego Chargers 25, Chicago Bears 10

Chargers first-round running back Ryan Mathews looked good in his pre-season debut...Chargers head coach Norv Turner was not happy with the penalties...Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune isn't a fan of blacking out pre-season games.

Quarterback Jay Cutler had a short night, exiting after taking a shot near the sidelines...Bears third-round safety Major Wright will likely be the starting strong safety when the regular season opens up...Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie's injured right arm have the Bears in the market for a veteran passer.

Seattle Seahawks 20, Tennessee Titans 18

Seahawks starters struggled in the pre-season opener...Back-up quarterback Charlie Whitehurst has Pete Carroll excited...Kevin Vickerson and Chris Clemons had impressive Seahawk debuts.

The Titans pre-season opener produced mixed results...Titans rookie running back Stafon Johnson vows to overcome his dislocated his right ankle...Aside from his last throw, Titans sixth-round quarterback Rusty Smith was pleased with his performance.

NFL News and Notes

New England Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain has embraced a leadership role, writes Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe.

With injuries to Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills first-round running back C.J. Spiller has been thrust into a lead role in the backfield.

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez wants to get hit on Monday night.

Baltimore Ravens pass-rushers are under pressure to produce, writes Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun.

Horrible news out of Cincinnati, as Elbert Jevonte Woods, the 16-year old son of former Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods, passed away on Saturday night after collapsing at his home during an asthma attack on Wednesday.

At least eight members of the Indianapolis Colts will not play this afternoon against San Francisco.

The Jacksonville Jaguars defense remains a work in progress, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley isn't concerned with kicker Ryan Succop's long-range misses.

Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels is going to keep the offense simple in the pre-season opener, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha is being used on both sides of the defense now.

Retiring San Francisco 49ers running back Glen Coffee lost his passion for football when he found Christ, writes Matthew Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hopes first-round wide receiver Dez Bryant can return for two pre-season games.

Free agent long-snapper James Dearth has signed with the Washington Redskins.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is showing signs of improvement over his performance from 2009, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin does not encourage the trash-talk the Giants and Jets have engaged in prior to Monday night's pre-season opener.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart practiced for the first time on Saturday.

The Atlanta Falcons pass defense will face a tougher test against the Patriots this week, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator does not trust first-round cornerback Patrick Robinson yet.

Today's NFL birthdays: Vikings seventh-round fullback Ryan D'Imperio (23), free agent guard Milford Brown (30), linebacker Alfred Fincher (27), quarterback Ingle Martin (28), wide receiver Sean Walker (24), and retired defensive end Bert Berry (35).