National Football League

NFL preseason: Top moments from Friday night's NFL slate

Updated Aug. 14, 2021 1:45 a.m. ET

Three preseason games seems like a pretty good way to bring in the weekend.

The NFL is officially back in full swing, and Friday night's preseason lineup was all the proof you needed.

Up first, the Tennessee Titans went on the road to dominate the Atlanta Falcons and secure a 23-3 win, and the Buffalo Bills also proved to be road warriors with a 16-15 victory against the Detroit Lions.

Then the Arizona Cardinals defended their home turf against the Dallas Cowboys, winning 19-16.

Here are the top moments from Friday's NFL slate.

Arizona Cardinals 19, Dallas Cowboys 16

Preseason is the first chance for rookies to test their skills against the pros, and Cardinals first-round pick Zaven Collins proved early on that he belongs.

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The Cardinals weren't the only ones making plays on the defensive side of the ball, either.

The Cowboys forced a fumble on the Cardinals' first possession, showing that both of these defenses are up to the challenge of stopping the opposing offense.

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Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk appeared to already be in midseason form, getting loose in the secondary for this 34-yard reception in the first quarter.

Both defenses made plays early, with the Cardinals' offense sparked by Kirk, but the Cowboys' defense was on point as well.

Reggie Davis showed off his vertical and balance on this hurdle.

It was only a matter of time before the Cowboys' offense came to life, with Garrett Gilbert connecting on a bomb to Cedric Wilson.

Late in the second quarter, the Cardinals completed an impressive drive sparked by a big run from quarterback Chris Streveler.

The drive was capped off by running back Eno Benjamin scoring the first touchdown of the game.

In the first half, Davis created magic on special teams, and in the second half, he also showed his worth on the offensive side of the ball with this impressive catch.

In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys took their first lead of the game on this connection between Ben DiNucci and Brandon Smith.

But in the end, the Cardinals prevailed, winning 19-16 on a last-second field goal.

Buffalo Bills 16, Detroit Lions 15

Jared Goff has a new home in Detroit this season, and the Bills' defense made sure to give him a nice house-warming gift on his first possession as the team's quarterback.

Bills rookie Gregory Rousseau recorded an early sack to put an end to the Lions' first drive.

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That didn't deter Goff, who started the game 8-for-8 on passing attempts.

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With the game knotted 3-3, the Bills recorded the game's first touchdown, thanks to a 6-yard reception from Devin Singletary.

It took until the fourth quarter, but the Lions finally found the end zone, with a rushing score from Craig Reynolds.

After his squad fell behind 15-13, Jake Fromm engineered a late fourth-quarter comeback for the Bills, featuring this huge conversion to Marquez Stevenson.

That led to the Bills kicking a field goal to secure a 16-15 win to open the preseason.

Tennessee Titans 23, Atlanta Falcons 3

No Derrick Henry, no problem for the Titans.

The reigning two-time rushing champion wasn't in action for Tennessee in the preseason opener, but running back Darrynton Evans did his best impersonation with an early 15-yard run.

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Early on in Atlanta, it was the Chester Rogers show for the Titans, with the wide receiver making his presence felt in the passing game and on special teams.

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The Titans were also able to turn defense into offense in the second quarter.

It started with a David Long Jr. interception that led to a receiving touchdown from Cameron Batson.

In the second half, rookie Felipe Franks got reps at quarterback for the Falcons, and he showed off a combination of power and elusiveness on this run.

There was more of the same from Franks in the fourth quarter, this time on a 51-yard scramble.

In the end, the Titans won in convincing fashion 23-3 to start the preseason 1-0.

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