Giants walk all over hapless Rams in NFL season-opener

KURT WARNER was hospitalised with concussion and coaches Dave Wannstedt and Bill Belichick were also suffering with major headaches after the first weekend of American Football’s NFL season.

Warner fumbled six times, was sacked six times and played like he was in a daze and, afterwards, coach Mike Martz confirmed his quarterback was disoriented during the St Louis Rams' season-opening 23-13 loss to the New York Giants.

And Wannstedt can expect to face some heat after his highly-fancied Miami Dolphins crashed 21-20 to the Houston Texans.

Belichick had to weather a storm of criticism after waiving four-time Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy earlier in the week, and then watching his New England Patriots being thrashed by Milloy's new team the Buffalo Bills 31-0.

Steve Mariucci and his successor Dennis Erickson won on their coaching debuts with new teams, but the opening act for Bill Parcells with the Dallas Cowboys was spoiled by unheralded back-up quarterback Doug Johnson. Mariucci must have still thought he was coaching the San Francisco 49ers when his new team, the Detroit Lions, rolled to a 42-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

But the Niners did not miss Mariucci with Erickson at the helm, San Francisco rolled to a 49-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.

Johnson passed for two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 27-13 victory over Dallas, spoiling Parcells' debut with the Cowboys.

Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals and Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars are the NFL's only rookie coaches in 2003 and both lost their openers. The Denver Broncos beat the Bengals 30-10 and the Jaguars blew a 17-point lead and lost to the Carolina Panthers 24-23.

The Minnesota Vikings intercepted Brett Favre four times and handed the Green Bay Packers a rare loss at Lambeau Field, 30-25.