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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans made sure Adrian Peterson wouldnt hurt them.So the Minnesota defense took control.Eric Kendricks returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter and Danielle Hunter scored a 24-yard TD off a fumble return and the Vikings beat Tennessee 25-16 in their season opener Sunday.The Vikings forced three turnovers in the span of just under seven minutes and also had two sacks.The defense came through for us and made some big plays, Peterson said. They pretty much bailed us out today.The defending NFC North champs needed the help from their defense in scoring 25 straight points after being shut out in the first half with the NFLs 2015 rushing leader smothered.Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer did his best to hide his starter at quarterback after the Vikings lost Teddy Bridgewater to a major knee injury Aug. 30, and after they traded their 2017 first-round draft pick to Philadelphia for Sam Bradford .The mystery finally ended when Shaun Hill, 36, took the field for the Vikings first series for his first start since 2014 when he was with the St. Louis Rams.Zimmer said Hill did well.Well take it one week at a time and see where it takes us, Zimmer said.Tennessee focused on stopping Peterson, who had 1,485 yards rushing last season, and the Titans did just that.Peterson had 31 yards on 19 carries.The Titans had a revamped roster from a new general manager for coach Mike Mularkey in his first game since having the interim tag removed in January.They also opened at home for the first time since 2012 and jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead looking for a rare home win after going 1-7 in Nashville each of the past two seasons.Their highlight came on the first of two TD catches by DeMarco Murray, the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year, when he vaulted himself over a defender for a 6-yard TD catch just before halftime.TURNOVER MELTDOWNThe Titans were driving trailing 12-10 when Marcus Mariota tried to force a quick throw under pressure only to be picked off by Kendricks who returned it for the TD with 1:24 left in the third quarter. The Titans then went three-and-out before turnovers on the next two drives. Mariota lost the ball after faking a handoff to Murray, which Hunter picked up for his own TD return. Then Murray lost a fumble.The turnovers obviously were catastrophic, Mularkey said.WALSHS WOESVikings kicker Blair Walsh kicked four field goals, including a 50-yarder. But the kicker who missed a 27-yard field goal in the playoffs, costing Minnesota in a 10-9 loss to Seattle in January, had a rough start. His first field goal from 37 hooked wide left. Zimmer sent Walsh out to attempt a 56-yarder at the end of the first half, and the kicker was well short despite being lined up in the middle of the field. The Titans missed a chance to return the kick by taking a timeout. With a second chance, Walsh still missed badly with the ball going way left out of the end zone.The kicker connected on field goals of 50 and 33 yards in the third quarter, and he added two more in the fourth. But he missed an extra point right after Kendricks interception return.MARIOTAS STRUGGLESMariota had a perfect passer rating in his NFL debut as a rookie, and his second season couldnt have started much differently. The Vikings pressured Mariota repeatedly, and he threw into coverage while being pressured on the interception. He also lost a fumble and had another turnover wiped out by a roughing the passer call.INJURIESVikings CB Xavier Rhodes was scratched after aggravating an injury in warmups. ... Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan went down grabbing the back of his left leg, and he did not return with an injured left hamstring.FANTASY IMPACTStefon Diggs caught seven passes for 103 yards for the Vikings. Titans rookie Tajae Sharpe caught seven passes for 76 yards.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker Petr Cech Arsenal Jersey . 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The season is getting real exciting for one team while the end of the line is on the horizon for another.The New York Giants at 7-3 are looking for their sixth straight victory and are steaming full speed ahead for the postseason.The 0-11 Cleveland ship is springing leaks and all the Browns can hope for is a life preserver to stay afloat until they can sail off into the sunset and their own postseason of preparing for next year.When the Giants travel to Cleveland for a 1 p.m. ET Sunday kickoff, it will be the 49th time the two teams have met in the regular season. The Browns hold a 26-20-2 edge.Last week, New York might have underestimated the Chicago Bears. But quarterback Eli Manning rescued the Giants by throwing two touchdown passes in the third quarter to rally his team over Chicago -- another of the NFLs bottom-dwellers.Could the Giants have been looking ahead? Doubtful. And they wont take the Browns lightly after the close call with Chicago.The Browns lost 24-9 to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Quarterback Josh McCown took over for rookie Cody Kessler, who was knocked out of a game for the third time this season. McCown will start Sunday. On Wednesday, the Browns designated quarterback Robert Griffin III to return from injured reserve.Griffin practiced Wednesday but has not been cleared to play. He was the starter in Game 1, but broke a bone in his left shoulder.And for the first time, frustration in the Browns locker room boiled over with perhaps the teams best two players speaking up.Terrelle Pryor Sr., the former quarterback who has had a breakout season, called out the offensive line after Kessler and McCown were sacked eight times by the Steelers.Somebodys got to say it so I will, Pryor said. Im tired of our quarterbacks getting hit. This is (baloney). They cant keep getting hit like that. ... Whoevers given up their blocks, they need to stop it.Left tackle and future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas also criticized the front office for letting center Alex Mack (Atlanta Falcons) and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz (Kansas City Chiefs) leave through free agency.Well, we lost a couple really good players, I think the best at their position, Thomas said. But that was our strategy in the offseason. Thats what we decided to do.Youve got to lie in the bed that youve made, and I dont make the decisions on who comes and goes. So thats not something that I can concern myself with.Just another complication for Browns first-year coach Hue Jackson.He said he wished his players wouldnt voice frustrations to reporters, but in a roundabout said Pryor and Thomas, who has not missed a snap in his nine-year career, had earned some cache to speak out.They want to win, Jackson said. Its all coming from a good place.These guys work extremely hard. They come in this building every day and theyre in here working their tails off with the expectation to go out and win and play well.While Jackson and the Browns are trying to figure out how to survive, New York counterpart Ben McAdoo is pushing all the right buttons in his first season, but he knows theres work to be doone.ddddddddddddWe havent accomplished anything yet, McAdoo said. The highs are high and the lows are low and youre going have to put out three dumpster fires a day. Other than that, you need to focus on your preparation and get ready for the next opponent.McAdoo embraces away games and relishes time his squad can spend on the road.Anytime you get a chance to get on the road and bond and spend some time together, some quality time together that way, your team has a chance to grow and get closer, he said.And the Giants have done just that, especially the defense.The Giants defense has eight picks and 14 sacks in their last eight games. Landon Collins is headed to the Pro Bowl (80 tackles, three sacks and five interceptions) and defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon are playing at a high level.Pierre-Paul did show up on Wednesdays injury report with swelling in a knee, which kept him on the sideline.And for the first time in two years, the Giants compiled back-to-back 100-yard rushing games the past two weeks.Manning will be licking his chops as he goes against a defense that is 31st in yards (409.5), 22nd against the pass (265.5), 31st against the run (143.9) and 31st in points allowed (29.5).The Browns rank next to last in sacks with 16.Yet, Manning is not taking the Browns defense lightly, pointing to cornerback Joe Haden, who is one of the best at his position.Hes got great ball skills. When the balls in the air, he does a great job finding it and catching it, Manning said.Haden will have his hands full, though, as he most likely will line up opposite of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was dealing with a jammed finger. After a slow start, Beckham has compiled 819 yards on 59 receptions and scored six touchdowns.The Browns other starting corner, Tramon Williams, was limited in practice with a knee injury that sidelined him last week.These teams have at least one thing in common: neither has scored 30 points this season.Weather is not expected to be an issue with temperatures along Lake Erie in the 50s. But if Mother Nature does rear her head, Manning will be prepared.I think you just have to go with the game plan, he said Wednesday. Were not going to be able to do everything. Just try and have answers for all their defenses. If we get to Sunday and it is bad conditions, you just deal with it from there.One of the things the Browns must deal with on their journey to possible infamy is keeping the fan base and staying the course. They have a boatload of draft picks and Jackson is committed.I truly believe Im just the man for the job, he said. That has not shown, and I respect that and I understand how our fans and all feel, but Im not running from this. Im going to run through it, and Im going to deal with it head on. We are going to fix this.But how bad is it in Cleveland? The cost of a ticket for the game is about the same as two Happy Meals. Thats pretty sad considering the Browns once proud franchise. ' ' '