New England Patriots 27, New Orleans Saints 24

The Patriots won't be using the spread offense as much as they did in 2009...Patriots linebacker Marques Murrell's sack was the result of film work...Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman impressed on Thursday night.

Saints starters were sluggish and sloppy...Saints wide receiver Larry Beavers, whose best chance at a roster spot is on special teams, returned a kick 97 yards for a touchdown...Saints punter Thomas Morstead will undergo an MRI on his shoulder.

Baltimore Ravens 17, Carolina Panthers 12

Ravens veterans Willis McGahee and Mark Clayton led the way to a win...Oniel Cousins' struggles at tackle may necessitate a Marshall plan...Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is optimistic of an Ed Reed return.

Defensive end Tyler Brayton spearheaded a surprisingly effective Panthers pass rush...Four Panthers quarterbacks failed to produce a touchdown on Thursday night...Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross committed three penalties in the first quarter.

Oakland Raiders 17, Dallas Cowboys 9

Oakland's defense looked solid in the pre-season opener...After dropping the first pass of the game, Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey wasn't looked to again...Raiders second-round defensive end Lamarr Houston had a pair of quarterback sacks.

The Cowboys should be worried about their offensive line, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News...Quarterback Tony Romo says his back is sore, but he'll be ok...The Cowboys offense continues to struggle in the red zone.

NFL News and Notes

60% of the Buffalo Bills starting offensive line won't play tonight against Washington.

New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes wants to help Braylon Edwards be a #1 receiver, writes Jenny Vrentas of The Star-Ledger.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall may play in the NBA if there's a lockout in the NFL.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that it's obvious that Byron Leftwich will start the Pittsburgh Steelers pre-season opener.

Cleveland Browns tight end Evan Moore is a solid receiver, but still needs to work on his blocking.

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones could have the inside track for the nickel corner/kick returner role, reports Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Indianapolis Colts are well-stocked at safety, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Newly signed Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Raheem Brock can't wait to hit Peyton Manning.

Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union answers five questions in advance of the Jacksonville Jaguars pre-season opener.

Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak will be taking long looks at the team's running backs and linebackers on Saturday night.

Kansas City Chiefs first-round safety Eric Berry returns to his hometown for the first action of his NFL career.

Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels is many things, but pretentious isn't one of them, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

The San Diego Chargers are haunted by their finesse image, writes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt wants to see Derek Anderson play with the first-team offensive line.

The San Francisco 49ers will attempt to recoup a portion of Kentwan Balmer's signing bonus, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is eager to see his team face an actual opponent, writes Eric Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune.

St. Louis Rams cornerback Ronald Bartell and Bradley Fletcher could be cleared to play next week against the Cleveland Browns.

Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins will have an expanded role in the regular season.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre visited Dr. Andrews in Florida on Thursday.

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is pleased with the progress first-round defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has made since signing his contract.

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has completely bought in to Mike Martz's offense.

New York Giants players are wary of the playing surface at the new Meadowlands Stadium.

Tonight will be the first glimpse at the new era of Philadelphia Eagles football, writes Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The new Washington Redskins offense will take its first steps tonight against Buffalo.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez is looking forward to facing his former franchise in tonight's pre-season opener.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fullback Earnest Graham expects to have a bigger role in the offense.

Today's NFL birthdays: Ravens punter Sam Koch (28), Colts first-round defensive end Jerry Hughes (22), Patriots first-round cornerback Devin McCourty (23), Raiders running back Michael Bennett (32), Eagles corenrback Joselio Hanson (29), Seahawks offensive tackle Ray Willis (28), Rams wide receiver Brandon Gibson (23), Titans cornerback Jason McCourty (23), Redskins safety Kareem Moore (26), free agent center Tim Dury (24), guard Lennie Friedman (34), and cornerback Dwight Smith (32).