Jim Fassel won his NFL coaching debut Saturday night as Brad Daluiso's fourth field goal, a 29-yarder with 1:57 left, gave the New York Giants a 21-20 exhibition victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Fassel, the former University of Utah coach hired to turn around a team that went 6-10 last season, wasn't assured of the victory until the Ravens botched the snap on an attempted 37-yard field goal attempt as time expired.The Giants fell into a 10-0 hole after fumbling the opening kickoff and on their third play from scrimmage. But New York (1-0) rallied from a 17-5 deficit and won despite fumbling five times.
The Giants trailed 20-18 when Benny Thompson was called for roughing the kicker on a New York punt. Seven plays later, Daluiso kicked the game-winner.
New York lost two running backs to injury - Tiki Barber strained a right hamstring and Charles Way twisted an ankle. Rodney Hampton did not play because of a sore knee.
A 42-yard touchdown pass from Danny Kanell to Kevin Alexander late in the third quarter started the New York comeback. Kanell played the second half, going 9-for-15 for 115 yards.
The Ravens held the Giants' first unit without a touchdown despite starting three rookie linebackers. Tyrus McCloud, playing for injured middle linebacker Ray Lewis, had nine tackles.
Baltimore quarterback Vinny Testaverde played the first half, going 8-for-11 for 98 yards and a touchdown. Derrick Alexander caught four passes for 49 yards, including a 21-yard score.
New York's Dave Brown was also done at halftime after completing 11 of 17 passes for 119 yards. Ike Hilliard, the Giants' top draft choice, had four catches for 70 yards.
Bears 20, Bills 17
At Orchard Park, N.Y., Jeff Jaeger kicked a 42-yard field goal with 6:09 remaining in overtime to give the Chicago Bears an exhibition victory over the Buffalo Bills.
The Bears moved 27 yards on 10 plays before Jaeger won the game. He sent the game into the extra period with a 27-yarder with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Rick Mirer struggled in his second straight game before the Bears got enough productivity from reserves to save him from embarrassment.
Mirer completed 6-of-10 passes for 81 yards and one touchdown, but did little to establish himself as the No. 1 quarterback.
Vikings 24, Rams 6
At Minneapolis, Brad Johnson just keeps getting better and better and better for the Minnesota Vikings.
Johnson threw first-half touchdown passes of 24 yards to Cris Carter and 43 yards to Chris Walsh to lead the Vikings to victory over the St. Louis Rams.
Johnson, who had the third-best quarterback rating in the NFL last season after replacing Warren Moon at midseason, helped ruin Rams coach Dick Vermeil's return to the sidelines after a 15-year hiatus.
Johnson signed a surprising $15.5 million contract late last season, and he once again gave every indication that it will be money well spent. He was 11-of-14 for 182 yards in 1 1/2 quarters against St. Louis' starting defense.
Steelers 28, Chiefs 14
At Kansas City, Mo., James Hasty didn't play and had a great game.
The right cornerback, who is holding out of Kansas City's training camp demanding more money, had to be all smiles after Kordell Stewart sliced up the secondary in a Pittsburgh victory in the Chiefs' exhibition opener.
With Stewart looking sharp for a second straight outing, the Steelers (2-0) took charge with a 21-point second quarter.
Frequently picking on backup right cornerback Mark McMillan, Stewart and Mike Tomczak had little trouble moving the ball. Stewart, declared the Steelers' No. 1 quarterback, led his team on an 18-play, 80-yard march that consumed 9:36 with their first possession.
The drive exposed how vulnerable the Chiefs are without Hasty, linebacker Derrick Thomas and safety Kevin Ross, who were both out with injury.
Elvis Grbac, the third straight former San Francisco backup the Chiefs have signed as their starting quarterback, sparkled in his debut, hitting five of six passes for 43 yards in a 77-yard touchdown drive
Saints 21, Oilers 12
At Memphis, Tenn., the former Houston Oilers played their first home game in Tennessee. Few people noticed.
Except for the lack of a roof overhead, the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium looked a lot like the Astrodome of last year, with empty seats outnumbering the 22,811 who watched as the New Orleans Saints beat the Oilers.
The Saints, with new coach Mike Ditka and former Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler, had more support than the Oilers thanks to a small pocket of fans dressed in gold T-shirts and waving a flag.
Jets 31, Eagles 17
At East Rutherford, N.J., Aaron Glenn got the Bill Parcells era started with a weaving 97-yard interception return for a touchdown, and the New York Jets rolled to an exhibition victory over Philadelphia.
Parcells, who took over as coach of the Jets after they went 1-15 and he led New England into the Super Bowl last season, said he was more interested in evaluating talent than winning. And Glenn, a fourth-year cornerback, showed plenty of talent in his electrifying run through the Eagles' offensive team, giving the Jets a 7-0 lead.
Typical of last year for the Jets, the Eagles came back to trail 14-10 after New York led 14-3 at halftime, but backup quarterback Glenn Foley led three second-half scoring drives to put New York safely in front.
Eagles starter Ty Detmer took Philadelphia on a promising drive late in the first quarter, but on second down from the Jets 35, his pass was tipped by linebacker Pepper Johnson and easily intercepted by Glenn.
Redskins 20, Bucs 8
At Tampa, Fla., Alvin Harper stunned his former team with a 60-yard touchdown reception and James Thrash scored on a 91-yard kickoff return to lead the Washington Redskins to an exhibition victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Harper, a high-priced receiver released by the Bucs in a cost-saving move last month, kicked the ball into the stands after his only catch produced a 7-0 Redskins lead.
The seventh-year pro signed a four-year, $10.66 million contract with Tampa Bay in 1995, but he failed to meet expectations of being the deep threat the low-scoring Bucs desperately desired.