Allen shines as Bills stun Ravens in wild comeback

The Buffalo Bills produced a captivating comeback to stun the Baltimore Ravens on an epic opening Sunday of the new NFL season.

Recent MVPs Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson traded blows of brilliance to serve up a classic that will be hard to beat in the entire season, with the Bills producing a stunning late rally to win 41-40 after looking down and out in the fourth quarter.

Aaron Rodgers and Micah Parsons enjoyed winning debuts for their new teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers respectively, while the Indianapolis Colts ended the league's worst opening-day run with a stunning performance.

With several last-gasp victories and some exciting rookie performances, NFL Sundays are back with a bang.

Some fans had left Highmark Stadium in Buffalo when the Bills trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter, before Allen showed why he is the MVP by leading an exhilarating comeback.

Jackson earlier showed why he is a two-time MVP by steering Baltimore into a healthy lead alongside Derrick Henry, who charged to 169 yards and two rushing scores, only to then cough up a crucial fumble.

Allen engineered 16 points in four minutes, capped by a 32-yard field goal as time expired by 41-year-old kicker Matt Prater, who only signed for the Bills on Thursday.

"Our team didn't quit. I think there's some people who left the stadium and that's OK, but have some faith next time," Allen told NBC.

It is the first time since 1967 that Buffalo have pulled off a 15-point comeback in the fourth quarter, and came at the start of their final season in their current stadium.

Allen finished with 394 yards, with two passing and two rushing touchdowns, in another superman performance in an incredible game that somehow surpassed the hype that surrounded a meeting between the last two league MVPs.

Rodgers loves proving people wrong, so, after the New York Jets dispensed with his services this summer, he delighted in returning with the Pittsburgh Steelers to throw four touchdowns passes and win a wild debut for his new team.

"There were probably people in the organisation that didn't think I could play any more, so it was nice to remind those people that I still can," said 41-year-old Rodgers after a winning return to New York.

The Jets shot themselves in the foot with a costly fumble and Chris Boswell booted a Steelers record 60-yard field goal in the final minute to win a thriller 34-32 - but this game was all about Rodgers' revenge.

He looked spritely on his feet and had plenty of zip on his passes as he became the first player to throw four touchdowns against a former team in 15 years.

Green Bay's huge new signing Parsons got a rousing reception at Lambeau Field and, despite playing only 29 of 65 snaps, showed exactly what he can do for the Packers.

Parsons sacked Detroit quarterback Jared Goff and pressured him constantly as the Packers dominated the Lions 27-13, with the defence boosted by his mere presence.

Traded from Dallas only 10 days before this promising debut, Parsons ran out to the wrong end of the field for warm-ups as he settled into his new surroundings.

"The fact that I was traded a week before the season was really outrageous and rough," Parsons said.

Green Bay's defence could be scarily good once Parsons really gets his feet under the table.

The Colts had the league's worst opening day record with 11 straight defeats, but their first week-one victory since 2013 was well worth the wait after a surprising blockbuster debut for quarterback Daniel Jones.

The New York Giants cast-off threw for 272 yards and a touchdown and ran in two himself in a 33-8 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Amazingly, the Colts scored points on all their seven possessions, which the NFL said has not happened in at least 47 years, and was a fitting tribute performance for former owner Jim Irsay, who died in May.

The Cincinnati Bengals have started 0-2 or worse in the past three seasons and Joe Burrow was 1-9 in the first two weeks in his career, so their one-point win against the Cleveland Browns will be a huge relief.

Even more encouraging was the fact the much-maligned defence stepped up to clinch their 17-16 victory.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Emeka Egbuka became only the second rookie since the 1970 merger to score a game-winning touchdown in the final minute as they edged Atlanta thanks to the Falcons missing a last-gasp field goal.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty scored as they beat the Patriots in New England, and Washington's Jacory Croskey-Merritt had an even better debut with 82 yards and a score as the Washington Commanders dominated the New York Giants.

Matthew Stafford became the 10th player in NFL history to reach 60,000 passing yards as the Los Angeles Rams beat the Houston Texans, while the San Francisco 49ers lost George Kittle to a hamstring injury in victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Headline rookie Travis Hunter made his eagerly anticipated debut for the Jacksonville Jaguars, taking six catches for 33 yards as a receiver and playing six snaps on defence in a comfortable win over Carolina.

Top overall draft pick Cam Ward lost on his debut as the Tennessee Titans were beaten by the Denver Broncos.

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