Cam Newton thrived, Tom Brady floundered, and there were upsets all over the place on Sunday, as the NFL made its triumphant — yet tension-filled — return.

Rams 20, Cowboys 17: Malcolm Brown rushed for two TDs, Jared Goff passed for 275 yards, Jalen Ramsey flopped and the Rams opened SoFi Stadium with a win on Sunday Night Football.

• Fantasy star: RB Ezekiel Elliott (DAL): 22 car, 96 yds, 1 TD; 3 rec, 31 yds, 1 TD (27.7 fantasy points, per standard PPR scoring)
• Next up: Rams at Eagles; Cowboys vs. Falcons

Washington 27, Eagles 17: Peyton Barber ran for two TDs, the defense recorded eight sacks and Dwayne Haskins rallied Washington from a 17-point deficit.

• Fantasy star: TE Dallas Goedert (PHI): 8 rec, 101 yds, 1 TD (24.1 pts)
• Next up: Washington at Cardinals; Eagles vs. Rams

Ravens 38, Browns 6: Cleveland hasn't started a season with a win in 17 years. Truly mind-blowing.

• Fantasy star: QB Lamar Jackson (BAL): 20/25, 275 yds, 3 TD; 7 car, 45 yds (27.5 pts)
• Next up: Ravens at Texans; Browns vs. Bengals

Saints 34, Buccaneers 23: Tom Brady threw two interceptions in his Tampa debut. Drew Brees passed for just 160 yards but threw two TDs and didn't turn it over.

• Fantasy star: RB Alvin Kamara (NO): 12 car, 16 yds, 1 TD; 5 rec, 51 yds, 1 TD (23.7 pts)
• Next up: Saints at Raiders; Bucs vs. Panthers

Patriots 21, Dolphins 11: The Cam Newton era arrived on the ground. The former MVP rushed for 75 yards (most by a Pats QB since Steve Grogan had 81 in 1977) and two TDs in his New England debut.

• Fantasy star: Newton (NE): 15/19, 155 yds; 15 car, 75 yds, 2 TD (25.7 pts)
• Next up: Patriots at Seahawks; Dolphins vs. Bills

Seahawks 38, Falcons 25: Russell Wilson was on fire (31/35, 322 yds, 4 TD) and joined Steve Young as the only QBs with 30,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards.

• Fantasy star: WR Calvin Ridley (ATL): 9 rec, 130 yds, 2 TD (33.9 pts)
• Next up: Seahawks vs. Patriots; Falcons at Cowboys

Packers 43, Vikings 34: Aaron Rodgers carved up Minnesota's young corners, throwing for 364 yards and four TDs in a shootout.

• Fantasy star: WR Davante Adams (GB): 14 rec, 156 yds, 2 TD (41.6 pts)
• Next up: Packers vs. Lions; Vikings at Colts

Cardinals 24, 49ers 20: DeAndre Hopkins had a career-high 14 catches, as Arizona overcame a pair of fourth-quarter deficits to beat the Niners in a smoky opener.

• Fantasy star: WR DeAndre Hopkins (ARI): 14 rec, 151 yds (29.1 pts)
• Next up: Cardinals vs. Washington; 49ers at Jets

Raiders 34, Panthers 30: This game featured a whopping seven lead changes (last season only had one game with that many).

• Fantasy star: RB Josh Jacobs (LV): 25 car, 93 yds, 3 TD; 4 rec, 46 yds (35.9 pts)
• Next up: Raiders vs. Saints; Panthers at Bucs

Bears 27, Lions 23: Chicago scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, highlighted by Mitchell Trubisky's perfectly lofted TD pass to Anthony Miller with 1:54 remaining.

• Fantasy star: Trubisky (CHI): 20/36, 242 yds, 3 TD; 3 car, 26 yds (24.3 pts)
• Next up: Bears vs. Giants; Lions at Packers

Jaguars 27, Colts 20: Billy Ray Cyrus — I mean, Gardner Minshew — was incredibly efficient (19/20, 173 yds, 2 TD), leading Jacksonville to an upset win in front of ~14,000 fans.

• Fantasy star: RB Nyheim Hines (IND): 7 car, 28 yds, 1 TD; 8 rec, 45 yds, 1 TD (27.3 pts)
• Next up: Jaguars at Titans; Colts vs. Vikings

Bills 27, Jets 17: Josh Allen had a passing TD and a rushing TD for the 11th time in his career, four more than any other QB since he entered the league in 2018.

• Fantasy star: Allen (BUF): 33/46, 312 yds, 2 TD, 14 car, 57 yds, 1 TD (28.2 pts)
• Next up: Bills at Dolphins; Jets vs. 49ers

Chargers 16, Bengals 13: Randy Bullock missed a 31-yard field goal with two seconds, clinching the Chargers' win. Brutal.

• Fantasy star: QB Joe Burrow (CIN): 23/36, 193 yds, 1 INT; 8 car, 46 yds, 1 TD (16.3 pts)
• Next up: Chargers vs. Chiefs; Bengals at Browns

📺 Tonight: Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call the early game, while the trio of Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick will debut in the nightcap of Monday Night Football's double-header.

• 7:15pm ET: Steelers (-6) at Giants
• 10:10pm: Titans (-3) at Broncos

Go deeper: Week 1 winners and losers (The Ringer)

Dominic Thiem edged Alexander Zverev in a fifth-set tiebreaker that capped a four-hour marathon, becoming the first man in 71 years to win the U.S. Open final after dropping the first two sets.

• Final score: 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6). Watch the final point.

• Why it matters: Thiem, 27, is the first new men's major champion in six years and the first active male player in his 20s to win a Grand Slam event.
• The big picture: For years, tennis fans have wondered what the sport will look like once Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are gone. If Sunday was any indication, the men's game is in great hands.
• 🎥 Watch: Match highlights (YouTube)

Naomi Osaka recovered from a first-set thumping by the unseeded former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka to win her second U.S. Open, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.

What they're saying: The Japan-born Osaka was supposed to be one of the stars of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Instead, she spent the summer attending protests and using her platform to call attention to racial injustice.

"There's an alternate version of this story in which the pandemic never happens, the torch is lit in July 2020, and Osaka's life goes according to how it was long planned.

"There's also a version of this story in which Osaka does not go to Minneapolis, does not walk away from a tournament in protest, and does not wear face masks with the names of the deceased to every match she plays at the 2020 U.S. Open, which she wins.

"When she looks back on her career, I suspect she will be comfortable with the version that happened. In the end, it was very much the summer of Naomi Osaka."

The AP Poll welcomed 10 new teams this week, as voters could no longer include preseason contenders from the Big Ten and Pac-12, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.

By the numbers:

• 1-20 to 3-0: Last decade, the Sun Belt went 1-20 against the Big 12. On Saturday, they went 3-0.
• 77 years: The Sun Belt's Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns — who shocked then-No. 23 Iowa State, 31-14, in one of the aforementioned Big 12 matchups — are ranked 19th. It's their first time in the top 25 since 1943.
• 9 spots: Tennessee jumped nine spots despite not playing a game. This season is going to be so bizarre.

Heisman favorites: The top preseason picks for college football's most famed individual award all showed out this weekend.

• Texas QB Sam Ehlinger threw for 424 yards and 5 TD in the first half of Texas' 59-3 win over UTEP.
• Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence threw for one score and ran for two more on a hyper-efficient 351 yards (22/28 passing) in a 37-13 win over Wake Forest.
• Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler made Lawrence's numbers look pedestrian, with 290 yards (on 14/17 passing) and four TDs in a 48-0 shellacking of the painfully overmatched Missouri State.
• Miami QB D'Eriq King extended his own FBS record, recording both a pass TD and a rush TD in his 16th consecutive game — a 31-14 win over UAB.

👀 What to watch: There's growing confidence that the Big Ten will play this fall, with a mid-October start. Story coming tomorrow.

Sunday marked six months since President Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus. If those six months feel like a blur to you, you’re not alone, Axios' Sam Baker writes.

The Nuggets rallied from a double-digit deficit for the second straight game, outscoring the Clippers 64-35 in the second half to win, 111-98, and force a Game 7 tomorrow night.

• By the numbers: Nikola Jokić might be the best passing big man ever. He's also averaging 26.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this postseason, while shooting 46.3% from three. He's a top 10 player, right?

• My rough list: 1. LeBron James, 2. Kawhi Leonard, 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, 4. Kevin Durant, 5. Anthony Davis, 6. Steph Curry, 7. Luka Dončić, 8. James Harden, 9. Nikola Jokić, 10. Damian Lillard.

Meanwhile, in Edmonton: The Lightning moved within a game of the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 victory over the Islanders. (TB leads 3-1).

• Tonight: The Stars (up 3-1 against the Golden Knights) look to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 2000. Puck drop: 8pm ET (NBCSN).

After a down-to-the-wire finish that saw the defending champion Mystics snatch the last playoff spot in the regular season's final game, the WNBA's eight-team postseason field is set, Jeff writes.

How it works: Though the season was 12 games shorter than usual, the postseason will be the same as it's been since updating the format in 2016.

• Byes: The Sparks and Lynx earn a bye to the second round (quarterfinals), while the Aces and Storm get to skip all the way into the semifinals.
• Format: The first two rounds are single elimination; the semis and Finals are both best-of-five series. Teams are reseeded after each round.

First-round matchups (tomorrow on ESPN2):

• No. 5 Mercury vs. No. 8 Mystics: The Mercury are on fire, winning seven of nine behind the ageless play of Diana Taurasi. The Mystics looked cooked most of the season but snuck into the dance on the strength of a four-game winning streak.
• No. 6 Sky vs. No. 7 Sun: The Sky limped into the playoffs, losing six of their last eight, while the Sun won four of seven and got to rest their starters in Friday's finale with their seed already wrapped up.

P.S. ... All-Bubble teams, per ESPN:

• First team: Breanna Stewart, F (Storm); A'ja Wilson, F (Aces); Candace Parker, F/C (Sparks); Arike Ogunbowale, G (Wings); Courtney Vandersloot, G (Sky).
• Second team: Napheesa Collier, F (Lynx); Alyssa Thomas, F (Sun); DeWanna Bonner, G/F (Sun); Skylar Diggins-Smith, G (Mercury); Diana Taurasi, G (Mercury).
• All-rookie: Julie Allemand, G (Fever); Chennedy Carter, G (Dream); Crystal Dangerfield, G (Lynx); Jazmine Jones, G (Liberty); Satou Sabally, F (Wings).

Go deeper: Full playoff preview (ESPN)

• 0 hits: Alec Mills threw the 16th no-hitter in Cubs history in only his 15th career big-league start, a 12-0 romp over the Brewers. Not bad for a player who didn't get a college scholarship (walked on at Tennessee-Martin).
• 62.1 innings: That's how long it took Indians ace, Shane Bieber, to record 100 strikeouts — the fastest any pitcher has ever reached that mark.
• 660 dingers: Albert Pujols blasted his 660th career HR on Sunday, tying Willie Mays for fifth on the all-time list. And he did it at Coors field, the same ballpark where he made his MLB debut back in 2001. What a career.

26 years ago today, MLB owners voted to cancel the rest of the season amid the players' strike, which began on Aug. 12.

Why it matters: For the first time since 1904, the World Series, which had survived two world wars and an earthquake since its inception in 1903, was not played.

"I never felt the same way about baseball again after that. Even today, after all of my years in baseball, the passion I have for the game has never been the same. All because of that strike."

Worth noting:

• The Expos led the majors with 74 wins but never got the chance to contend for a title. They made just one playoff appearance (1981) before moving to D.C. in 2005 to become the Nationals.
• Tony Gwynn (.394) came the closest to batting .400 since Ted Williams' .406 in 1941, and Matt Williams (43 HR) was on pace to break Roger Maris' record.
• Greg Maddux was the unanimous NL Cy Young winner, with an ERA (1.56) more than a run better than second-place (2.65).

Joe Pavelski scored his 57th career postseason goal on Saturday, the third-most by a U.S.-born player in NHL history.

• Question: Who are the only two players with more?
• Hint: Their last names start with the same letter.

Answer at the bottom.

Adam C. (Key West, Fla.) writes:

In the spring of '98, I moved from Seattle to San Diego where I was a Coast Guard Lieutenant. I had grown up in Connecticut as a die-hard Yankees fan, and by mid-June, my beloved Yanks were 33 games over .500.

I figured there was no chance they weren't gonna win the World Series, so I ordered a vanity plate to prepare for the inevitable victory, sending $61 to the Washington State Department of Licensing for "98YANKS."

When I shared my plan with some crew mates, one remarked, "Wouldn't it be great if they played the Padres?" I laughed. "Come on, that will never happen!"

The Yankees held up their end, finishing 114-48, but when the regular season ended, my plate still had not arrived. That's when I received a letter: "Dear sir, you enclosed a check for $61. The fee is $62. Please send us a check for $1."

I sent my check and watched the Yanks cruise through October while the Padres overcame the Astros and Braves to make the Fall Classic. The unthinkable was about to happen.

I bought three tickets to Game 3 for $450 — half my rent — and my friends and I went to the stadium early to get the full experience.

It turned out to be the best game of the series, as Scott Brosius hit home runs in consecutive innings to give us a 5-4 comeback win. The next night, the sweep was complete.

Three days later, my license plate arrived. At the gas station, a perplexed Padres fan asked me, "Man, how'd you get that so fast?" My reply was simple: "I ordered it in June."

✍️ Submit your story: Do you have a fondest sports memory? Or a story about sports having a positive impact on your life? To share, simply reply to this email.

1. ⚾️ A+ play, A+ reaction
2. 🏒 Wow, what a pass
3. ⚾️ Bader's got wheels
4. ⚾️ Mullins lays out
5. 🏈 One-handed TD
6. 🏈 JULIOOOOOO
7. ⚾️ Machado's nice grab
8. 🏈 Rodgers to Adams
9. ⚽️ Perfect cross
10. ⚾️ Soto's robbery

Watch all 10.