The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Green Bay Packers in their pre-season clash at Heinz Field, but the match was also overshadowed by key injuries on both sides.
All-Pro players Maurkice Pouncey and Jordy Nelson sustained bad injuries in the game, with the Packers' man believed to have torn his ACL in the first quarter of the contest, while Pouncey suffered an ankle problem.
The visitors took the lead in the first quarter when Eddie Lacy found the endzone with a seven-yard run, but the Steelers got on the board with a two-point safety as James Harrison brought down Aaron Rodgers in the endzone.
The sides exchanged touchdowns in the second quarter as Ben Roethlisberger found Markus Wheaton for a score and Scott Tolzien responded with a strike to Richard Rodgers.
Green Bay maintained their lead through a field goal from Mason Crosby, but Garrett Hartley kept the Steelers within reach.
In the fourth quarter, Landry Jones won the match for the home side with two touchdown strikes to Tyler Murphy and Shakim Phillips to hand them a 24-19 victory.
The San Francisco 49ers eased to victory over the Dallas Cowboys by a 23-6 scoreline at Levi's Stadium.
NaVorro Bowman made his return to the field after 20 months out with a serious knee injury, and he made three tackles in the first quarter.
The home side held a 13-0 lead at the break as defensive lineman Mike Purcell intercepted Dustin Vaughan to run the ball back for a 37-yard touchdown, while Phil Dawson kicked two field goals.
Corey Acosta added another field goal in the third quarter, while Quinton Patton downed the ball in the endzone after a Cowboys' punt was blocked to put the home side 23-0 ahead.
Nick Harwell scored a consolation score for the Cowboys in the fourth quarter, but failed their attempt at the two-point conversion.
The Tennessee Titans recorded a 27-14 victory over the St Louis Rams in their pre-season clash at LP Field.
The home side took the lead when Perrish Cox intercepted a pass from Nick Foles and ran the ball back 24 yards for a touchdown, while Ryan Succop extended their advantage with a 27-yard field goal.
Zach Mettenberger came into the game and continued his side's impressive start to the match when he found Chase Coffman for a three-yard strike, while Succop soon added another field goal.
The Rams got on the board in the third quarter when Case Keenum fired an 80-yard touchdown to Chris Givens, but Coffman added his second score of the game to put the match beyond St Louis.
Malcolm Brown scored a consolation for the Rams when he ran in from 54 yards after collecting a pass from Keenum, but it was too little, too late for his side.
The San Diego Chargers edged out the Arizona Cardinals 22-19 in their pre-season match.
The home side took the lead when Carson Palmer connected with John Brown in the endzone for a 17-yard score, although they then failed the two-point conversion.
Chandler Catanzaro put the Cardinals further ahead with a field goal, but the Chargers levelled the scores before the break with a Branden Oliver touchdown and a kick from Josh Lambo.
San Diego took the lead in the third quarter through Dreamius Smith, while Lambo added another field goal at the start of the fourth. The Cardinals responded to level the match through a touchdown run from Marion Grice and a kick from Catanzaro.
However, the visitors secured the win when Lambo added his third field goal of the night with a kick from 47 yards.
Pre-season results in-full: Green Bay Packers 19-24 Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys 6-23 San Francisco 49ers, St Louis Rams 14-27 Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers 22-19 Arizona Cardinals
Simon Sinclair
