James Conner has two touchdowns starting in place of Le’Veon Bell. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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The 2018 NFL season got underway in full on Sunday, with no shortage of story lines to follow both on and off the field. Keep checking back with The Post as Week 1 unfolds.
Andrew Luck is back, and he took a huge hit early.
One of the most compelling story lines of the 2018 season concerned the return of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who was playing in his first regular season game in 616 days.
His first pass against Cincinnati was intercepted and another time he tucked the ball and took off upfield, where he took a huge, helmet-to-helmet hit from the Bengals’ Shawn Williams. Luck bounced up and Williams was just plain bounced, ejected from the game.
Luck’s surgically repaired shoulder looked fine, though, and early in the second quarter he threw for a touchdown, finding Eric Ebron for his first touchdown since Jan. 1, 2017.
“I feel really good, and I’m really excited,” he said last week. “I feel like I’m in shape, I feel I can make all the throws that I need to. I’d like to think that I can keep improving as a quarterback, that I can keep improving as a football player, keep improving as an athlete — you know, I like to think this team will improve as we go through this season. But very excited.”
Now, if only the offensive line will do its part to keep him healthy.
[How many players will protest during the anthem for NFL’s Week 1?]
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are up to their old tricks.
Tom Brady followed up his MVP season by wasting no time in rediscovering the magic with Rob Gronkowski, as the two connected on a vintage Gronk touchdown in the first quarter of the Patriots’ game against the Texans.
Leonard Fournette leaves Jaguars-Giants game with injury.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were forced to adjust to the loss of running back Leonard Fournette to a hamstring injury in the second quarter against the Giants. T.J. Yeldon came on to replace him and promptly scored. Fournette had 12 carries for 55 yards when he was injured.
Steelers send a message to Le’Veon Bell. Then things get chippy.
Things are unusually ugly between some of the Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Le’Veon Bell, whose holdout, his agent hints, shows no sign of ending. James Conner, starting in his place, scored on a 4-yard touchdown run and celebrated with the offensive line, some of whom were Bell’s harshest critics.
The souring relationship with Bell might not have been the Steelers’ biggest problem, though, Ben Roethlisberger threw three first-half interceptions and Pittsburgh led the Browns 7-0.
Early in the second half, Artie Burns and Jarvis Landry tangled, after the Browns receiver gave Burns all he could handle. No ejections! And the Browns went on to tie the score.
Khalil Mack makes his Bears debut against Green Bay.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is will play in only his second regular season game since having surgery to repair the broken collarbone he suffered Oct. 15. This time, he’ll come in as the highest-paid offensive player in NFL history and he’ll face the league’s highest-paid defensive player in the Bears’ Khalil Mack in the 197th meeting of the teams in the Sunday night game.
Both Mack and linebacker Roquan Smith, the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft, will be on a play count and are not expected to play the entire game between two of the NFL’s oldest teams in their 197th meeting. The score over the previous 196 games: Bears 3,377, Packers 3,377, and the Bears’ Akiem Hicks started the trash talk early last week.
We’re about to find out if Jon Gruden is as smart as everyone thinks. He left the ESPN booth, signing a $100 million deal to return as coach of the Raiders, and he’ll have the oldest lineup in the NFL. Time will tell whether the decision to trade Mack — and Gruden’s tenure, in general — works out.
The Nathan Peterman era ends.
Mercifully, rookie Josh Allen replaced Nathan Peterman, whose Buffalo Bills had all of one first down while being blown out by the Ravens, in the third quarter. Peterman had 24 yards passing and two interceptions before he was removed.
The Aaron Rodgers rule is having an effect.
Forget, for a moment, rules about what constitutes a catch. There’s another new rule, this one preventing defensive players from landing on quarterbacks with their weight, a la Anthony Barr and Rodgers last October. It came into play twice Sunday, with Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck the beneficiaries of the flags.
There is still plenty of focus on the national anthem.
This wouldn’t be the NFL without talk about demonstrations during the playing of the national anthem and the first Sunday of the season opened with a few and with President Trump tweeting about TV ratings and calling on networks to show the anthem as well as for players to stand for it.
Before the early games Sunday, the Dolphins’ Kenny Still and Albert Wilson took a knee during the anthem and Robert Quinn raised a fist as demonstrations were kept to a minimum.
Other news
A Gronk in any other uniform wasn’t going to happen: While Rob Gronkowski was mulling whether to retire, the Patriots were thinking about trading him. The tight end didn’t want to play for anyone other than Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, which was a big factor in his considerations. (Read more)
The NFL’s newest rookies: Say hello to male cheerleaders. (Read more)
Don’t get too used to football: Richard Sherman predicts a work stoppage after the 2020 season. (Read more)
Snowboard for sale: Andrew Luck tells of a snowboard accident that hurt the AC joint in his shoulder. (Read more)
That Nike ad: In the unlikely event you’ve missed it, here is the spot featuring Colin Kaepernick.
Who’s out
Travis Frederick update: The Cowboys’ center will miss the opener against the Panthers, and it is unclear when he will play as he recovers from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system. He remains on the 53-man roster, however.
Samuel, Olsen questionable: Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel is out with what Coach Ron Rivera says is a “medical illness.” Tight end Greg Olsen is questionable with a back injury.
Chargers won’t have Bosa: Defensive end Joey Bosa won’t play as he continues to recover from a foot injury.
Alex Smith loses a target: Redskins wide receiver Maurice Harris is out with a concussion. (Read more)
Fantasy football
Best/worst matchups: It’s too risky to start Jimmy Garoppolo against the Vikings. You’ve been warned. (Read more)
Five moves you must make: Some critical starts for Week 1. (Read more)
Week 1 cheat sheet: The choicest tips for Week 1.
Week 1 forecast: Watch now.
ATS Betting Tips/Picks
The top trends and insights from Las Vegas. (Read more)
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