stevan ridley

Jeff Zrebiec breaks down each element of Sunday night's showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium.

Patriots running back has rushed for 196 yards

When the New England Patriots offense first took the field against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, they did so without their leading receiver from their previous five seasons. But Wes Welker wasn't injured. He stood on the sideline as Julian Edelman took his place as the team¿s starting wide receiver opposite Brandon Lloyd.

The Patriots didn¿t get tight end Rob Gronkowski involved Sunday until the fourth quarter, when he had five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Here's a look at the highlights and lowlights around the NFL during the opening weekend:

Veteran safety Ed Reed doesn't take questions, while center Matt Birk says he's undecided on retirement