PHILADELPHIA — Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes in his first game since tearing ligaments in his left knee in Week 1 last year, leading the Patriots to a 27-25 victory over the Eagles in the preseason opener Thursday night.
Brady, who used a protective brace, ran well in the pocket and showed no lingering effects of his surgically repaired left knee. He threw two touchdown passes to tight end Chris Baker, one in the first quarter and another in the second. Brady completed 10-of-15 passes for 100 yards with one interception.
“I need the work; we all need the work,” Brady said. “You can’t duplicate this on the practice field.”
Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, sat out the entire exhibition season last year because of an unspecified foot injury. He was knocked out for the season in the first quarter against Kansas City. Brady had started 128 consecutive games before going down.
“I thought he was sharp. He went out there and moved us up and down the field and put some points on the board,” Baker said.
David Akers missed a 43-year field goal with 57 seconds left in the game that could have won it for the Eagles.
Steelers 20, Cardinals 10
PITTSBURGH — Isaac Redman, an undrafted rookie from Bowie State listed as Pittsburgh’s No. 7 running back, scored twice in the fourth quarter.
Neither team scored a touchdown until rookie Joe Burnett intercepted a pass by third-teamer Brian St. Pierre, a former Steelers backup, and returned it to the Arizona 3 to end the third quarter. Redman scored on the next play, and scored on a 5-yard run about 7 minutes later to end an 80-yard drive led by No. 3 quarterback Dennis Dixon.
“This team prides itself on being able to find those free agents that are capable of playing,” Redman said, referring to finds such as the undrafted Willie Parker and James Harrison. “Hopefully I can be that next free agent.”
Raiders 31, Cowboys 10
OAKLAND, Calif. — Tony Romo threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to favorite target Jason Witten to cap a brief but successful night before Bruce Gradkowski engineered three touchdown drives against mostly backups on Dallas’ defense.
Gradkowski threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tony Stewart in the second quarter, and Louis Rankin and Gary Russell added short TD runs in the third quarter.
Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell played two series, driving his team to a field goal on the opening drive. Russell completed 6-of-9 passes for 50 yards.
First-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey wasn’t nearly as effective. Russell missed the speedster on two deep attempts and Heyward-Bey finished with one catch.
Ravens 23, Redskins 0
BALTIMORE — Joe Flacco led Baltimore to field goals on his two series, and Troy Smith threw a touchdown pass.
By The Associated Press
