Jay Fiedler and Joey Harrington both looked comfortable running their teams' new offensive systems.
Fiedler, filling in for starter Chad Pennington, capped a 98-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in the New York Jets' 10-3 preseason victory over the Detroit Lions on Friday night in East Rutherford, N.J.
Fiedler completed 7 of 9 passes for 69 yards — but had an interception on his second throw — in two series leading new coordinator Mike Heimerdinger's offense.
Harrington, criticized last season for his inconsistency, was flawless running new Lions offensive coordinator Ted Tollner's offense, going 9-for-9 for 100 yards.
Mike Nugent gave the Jets a 10-3 lead with his first NFL field goal, a 40-yarder with 2:18 left in the game.
The Lions had a chance to win it, driving the ball down to the 7 with 3 seconds left, but Dan Orlovsky's throw to rookie Mike Williams in the corner of the end zone was knocked away by Kerry Rhodes.
The rookie safety also intercepted a pass from Lions backup Jeff Garcia to end a drive in the second quarter.
PATRIOTS 23, BENGALS 13: At Cincinnati, rookie quarterback Matt Cassel led four scoring drives as defending champion New England beat Cincinnati in the preseason opener for both teams.
Cassel never started a college game while backing up Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at Southern California and now he is battling 42-year-old Doug Flutie for New England's No. 3 quarterback spot behind Tom Brady and Rohan Davey.
He took over with 4 minutes left in the first half and led a 14-play, no-huddle drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jason Anderson.
Cassel started the second half with a 16-play drive that ended with a 29-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri, then led another with Vinatieri kicking a 42-yarder. He connected with Kyle Eckel for a 4-yard TD late in the fourth quarter for the final score.
Bengals starter Carson Palmer played the first three series but was just 4-of-11 for 37 yards. He failed to connect with Chad Johnson on two downfield attempts.
Brady didn't play for the Patriots on the 94-degree night.
SEATTLE 34, NEW ORLEANS 15: At New Orleans, Seattle need not worry about whether Seneca Wallace can be trusted to take over the role of No. 2 quarterback.
Wallace, tapped as Matt Hasselbeck's backup after Trent Dilfer was traded to Cleveland, scored on a slashing 24-yard scramble and passed for another touchdown in the Seahawks' 34-15 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Friday night in the preseason opener for both teams.
The third-year reserve out of Iowa State played from early in the second quarter through the third, completing 12 of 20 passes for 137 yards. His touchdown pass was a perfect toss that dropped softly over the shoulder of former Saints receiver Jerome Pathon for a 28-yard score.
Half of his incompletions were really dropped balls, including one bullet over the middle that appeared to be a certain touchdown until it slipped through D.J. Hackett's hands in the end zone. That drive ended with Josh Brown's 30-yard field goal.
The game was largely an exercise in humility for the Saints, who finished 2004 on a four-game winning streak, then talked throughout the offseason about looking even better and being eager to get back on the field. They turned the ball over three times in the first half, all leading to Seattle touchdowns. The Seahawks had a 24-3 lead by halftime, when a number of fans booed the Saints as they walked off the Louisiana Superdome turf.
VIKINGS 27, CHIEFS 16: At Minneapolis, Daunte Culpepper and the Minnesota offense gave a glimpse of the way they're going to have to move the ball without Randy Moss.
Culpepper opened the preseason by guiding an efficient 65-yard touchdown drive, leading the Vikings to a 27-16 victory over the Kansas City on Friday night.
Completing his first five passes, each to a different receiver, Culpepper found new No. 1 target Nate Burleson for a 33-yard score to cap a drive that lasted only 3 minutes, 8 seconds. Culpepper finished 5-for-6 for 84 yards.
Kansas City's Priest Holmes, whose damaged right knee cost him eight games last season, played only seven snaps. But he looked sharp, rushing four times for 42 yards. Backup Larry Johnson, who will share more of the load this year, carried eight times for 37 yards.
BUCCANEERS 20, TITANS 17 (OT): At Nashville, Steve McNair tested his surgically repaired chest and Tennessee's new offense, and he is very happy with the early results for both.
McNair scrambled and even took a hit that had fans holding their breath until he popped back up. But Matt Bryant kicked a 33-yard field goal 3:02 into overtime, and Tampa Bay beat the Titans 20-17.
Rob Bironas, competing against Ola Kimrin for the open kicker job, made a 53-yard field goal with 19 seconds left that tied the game at 17 and forced overtime. The Titans couldn't move the ball after winning the toss and had to punt.
The Bucs set up Bryant by taking advantage of a 33-yard pass interference call on Titans cornerback Antoine Harris. Earnest Graham, starting in place of top draft pick Carnell Williams, then ran for 24 yards.
Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden wasted no time in sending out Bryant to end the game.
The exhibition opener for both teams was the first test for McNair, the co-MVP of 2003, who missed half of the 2004 season with a damaged sternum that made breathing painful, and doctors tried to fix the problem by grafting a sliver of bone from his right hip to his chest.
McNair spent the offseason working out and dropped 25 pounds before training camp and his 11th NFL season.
RAMS 17, BEARS 13: At St. Louis, the Chicago Bears lost their second preseason game 17-13 to the St. Louis Rams — but more importantly, they lost starting quarterback Rex Grossman for three to four months when the former Florida star broke his left ankle Friday night.
Rams backup quarterback Jamie Martin threw two touchdown passes in St. Louis' preseason opener. Starter Marc Bulger went 3-for-5 for 38 yards to start the first quarter. Adrian Peterson had a 9-yard touchdown run for the Bears (1-1), playing their second game in five days; their first was a 27-24 win over Miami in the Hall of Fame game.
Grossman, the Bears' first-round pick in 2003, was hurt with 11:08 to go in the first half on a 4-yard completion to Darnell Sanders after being flushed out of the pocket.
Grossman got back to his feet but began limping and signaled for a trainer. He then sat down and grabbed his left knee in pain, slamming his helmet on the cart before being taken off the field.