NFL: Rams shock Seahawks in overtime opener

St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles, right, fumbles as he is hit by Seattle Seahawks defensive back Cary Williams. Williams recovered the fumble and returned the ball for a touchdown. AP

LOS ANGELES — Marshawn Lynch got his chance, but the St. Louis Rams thwarted Seattle’s superstar running back to open their 2015 NFL campaign with a 34-31 overtime upset on Sunday.

The Rams withstood an 18-point fourth-quarter rally by the two-time defending National Conference champions, with Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein booting a 37-yard field goal for the victory.

Just a day earlier, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson tweeted that Seattle would be 1-0 after their season-opener.

“As a team, I think we just finished up the game,” said Rams defensive end Robert Quinn, who posted two of the Rams’ six sacks of Wilson.

“We started off hot.

“Seattle made great plays on both sides of the ball to get themselves back into the game.”

After wasting a 24-13 fourth-quarter lead, the Rams trailed 31-24 with less than five minutes to play.

With 53 seconds remaining in regulation, Rams quarterback Nick Foles connected with Lance Kendricks on the left side for a 37-yard touchdown pass — Seahawks defender Dion Bailey’s slip leaving Kendricks uncovered to help the Rams force overtime.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll’s decision to open overtime with an onside kick misfired, with Rams wide receiver Bradley Marquez corralling the short, high ball from Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka to give St. Louis possession at the Seahawks’ 49-yard line.

Six plays later, Zuerlein kicked what proved to be the game-winner.

Seattle came up empty on their ensuing overtime possession, with Rams defenders Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald stopping Lynch short of the first-down marker on a fourth-and-one play.

“It’s fourth down, who are they going to go to?” said Brockers, although the Seahawks infamously opted for a short pass that was intercepted rather than giving the ball to Lynch in the final moments of the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks won’t get much chance to regroup. Next week, they head to Green Bay to take on a Packers team touted as NFC contenders.

The Packers launched their season with a 31-23 victory over the Bears at Chicago.

Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes to rally Green Bay for the win.

In Dallas, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo came up with the goods with the game on the line, throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds remaining to give the Cowboys a 27-26 victory over NFC East division rivals the New York Giants.

The Cowboys drove 72 yards in the last one minute and 29 seconds of regulation to snatch the win, Romo capping the march with the TD pass to Jason Witten that knotted the score at 26-26 and Dan Bailey kicking the extra point.

Bills shock Colts

In Buffalo, the Bills shocked Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts 27-14, giving coach Rex Ryan and quarterback Tyrod Taylor winning Buffalo debuts.

Taylor, the former Baltimore Ravens backup, completed 14 of 19 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown.

The Ravens got off to a rocky start, falling 19-13 in Denver even as they held Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning without a touchdown.

Brandon McManus kicked four field goals for the Broncos, including a 33-yarder with three minutes left that gave Denver a six-point lead.

Making things worse for the Ravens, linebacker Terrell Suggs suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter.

Suggs’s injury was one of many on the first full day of NFL action.

The New York Jets were relieved to learn that rookie linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin suffered a concussion but no neck or spinal injury in their 31-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

In that game, Cleveland quarterback Josh McCown was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the Browns’ first offensive series.

Miami Dolphins tight end Dion Sims was ruled out with concussion after he was knocked out cold attempting a catch in the Dolphins 17-10 win over the Washington Redskins.

Top Carolina defender Luke Kuechly was forced out of the Panthers 20-9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars with a concussion, with Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, Baltimore’s Eugene Monroe and Denver’s Malik Jackson all exiting games with concussions.

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