NEWS » ON: After his first career touchdown catch

ATLANTA -- Dustin Johnson was in trouble from the start Thursday, just not for very long. The game feels easy for the U.S. Open champion, who began his bid for the FedEx Cup title on Thursday with a 4-under 66 to share the lead at the Tour Championship.Johnson had 165 yards from the sand and worried about getting it over the lip of the bunker. He hit 8-iron to 2 feet for birdie and was on his way to his sixth consecutive round at 68 or lower.It was a very nice shot to start the day, Johnson said with a smile.Hideki Matsuyama of Japan ran off three straight birdies early in his round and finished with a birdie on the par-5 18th -- the nines have been switched at East Lake -- for a 66, while Kevin Chappell joined them with a bogey-free round.Johnson is coming off his third victory of the year at the BMW Championship two weeks ago, and there was no indication that anything has changed. He hit a reasonable amount of fairways (eight out of 14) considering the dry, fast conditions, and only once when he was out of position did he fail to save par.He is the No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup, and the top five seeds only have to win the Tour Championship to claim the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus. The top five were all among the dozen players who broke par in the opening round.Jason Day, the worlds No. 1 player who hasnt won in four months, dropped his only shot on the opening hole and was at 67, along with Kevin Kisner and Si Woo Kim.Id like to give Dustin a good run for it, Day said.Jordan Spieth didnt look like he would post anything near a 68 after he was 3 over through two holes. The defending FedEx Cup champion let his short game bail him out in a big way. Spieth holed three straight putts from the 30-foot range -- one of them for par -- and raced back into the mix on the back nine by holing a bunker shot for birdie right of the 13th green and finishing with a pair of 20-foot birdies.This is a course I feel very comfortable on, Spieth said. I feel if I play really solid golf here -- and it doesnt have to be perfect golf -- I can shoot 8 under on this golf course. I have no doubt. It fits me really well.Also at 68 was Rory McIlroy, who had consecutive double bogeys toward the end of the front nine and pulled himself together with four straight birdies on the back. McIlroy had a 68 without making birdie on either of the par 5s.That wasnt the case for Phil Mickelson. He started his day by holing a 95-foot birdie putt. His fortunes turned on the par-5 sixth hole when his second shot went over the green and up against a fence, leading to bogey. He hit his next tee shot out of play and made triple bogey, and followed that with a double bogey with a drive into the water. Mickelson played 1 under from there to salvage a 74. He didnt hit a fairway until the 17th hole, and then headed straight to the practice range.These are the kind of days Johnson rarely has.Johnson has finished out of the top 10 only twice in the last four months -- one of them a missed cut at the PGA Championship out of nowhere -- and is making it tough on everyone. While everyone has a mathematical chance of winning the FedEx Cup, that depends on how the top five fare.And one of those is Johnson, who is faring quite well at the moment.Chappell, three times a runner-up this year, would have to win and have Johnson finish worse than ninth to win the $10 million bonus.With the form Dustin is in, I dont think that scenario is going to happen for me, Chappell said. But theres a chance to win a golf tournament, and thats all Im really focused on.Hes not worried about the Ryder Cup either. Chappell said he hasnt been contacted by U.S. captain Davis Love III, nor was he among three players not on the team who were invited to practice at Hazeltine over the weekend.Of that trio, Justin Thomas opened with a 68.Bubba Watson made two late bogeys from the rough and had a 72 to tie for 15th, while Daniel Berger shot 40 on the front nine and shot 74.Theres nothing I can do now, Watson said. Davis said its all about strategies and different things. Its not about my play. Its not about anybodys play. So I cant worry about that. And the golf course is so tough, Ive got to worry about this golf course.Jimmy Garoppolo Super Bowl Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Marquise Goodwin Super Bowl Jersey . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. http://www.49ersofficialfanshop.com/ahkello-witherspoon-jersey-sales.html . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. Jerick McKinnon Super Bowl Jersey . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. 49ers Super Bowl Jerseys . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum.LANDOVER, Md. -- Cashing in with four red zone touchdowns and taking the ball away at crucial moments allowed the Washington Redskins to win a game they couldve easily lost to the Cleveland Browns.Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Jordan Reed, and the Redskins forced three second-half turnovers to complete a 31-20 victory Sunday that kept the Browns winless on the season.Its just what we needed to do, said Cousins, who was 21 of 27 for 183 yards and also had an interception. The defense did a great job at getting us momentum with those turnovers. We ran the ball well. ... I think being able to run the ball effectively certainly got us going.Washington (2-2) scored more touchdowns in the red zone against Cleveland (0-4) than it did in the first three games of the season, when it was 3 for 14 . Cousins connected with Reed for 8- and 9-yard touchdowns, Chris Thompson for a 5-yard score, and running back Matt Jones scored from 1 yard out as part of his 117-yard performance.We just found a way to execute, found some mismatches, Thompson said. The run game is key. Matt had a great day today and it was able to help out our pass game, help Kirk out.The Redskins blew a 14-0 lead and fell behind 20-17 before shutting down Clevelands running game and taking the ball back. Linebacker Will Compton forced a fumble by fullback Malcolm Johnson -- on the first carry of his career -- late in the third, Ziggy Hood knocked the ball out of Duke Johnsons hands early in the fourth and Josh Norman picked off Cody Kessler to set up Jones touchdown.Weve got to get stuff corrected, Compton said. But we won the game. We made big plays when we needed to make big plays.Browns running back Isaiah Crowell ran for 112 yards and a touchdown, and Kessler was 27 of 38 for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception.NEED FOR REED: With his 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter, Reed became the fastest tight end in NFL history to 200 career receptions. Reed hit the 200 mark in his 38th game, one faster than Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr., and had his fifth multi-touchdown game.Reed made nine catches for 73 yards.WHO RECOVERED?: Shortly after Duke Johnsons fumble, he stood up and raised the ball, but the Redskins were given possession. The Browns werent exactly sure the call was the right one.Within half a second, Duke stood up and held it uup in his hand.dddddddddddd I think the ref was still trying to find out where the ball was, Kessler said. And Duke was yelling, `Hey, I got it right here! Its right here! And unfortunately the call didnt go our way.For his part, the running back said he was sure he had recovered the ball but blamed himself for losing it in the first place, not the refs for possibly ruling incorrectly.PUT IT IN PARKEY: After missing three field goal attempts last week, including a 46-yarder at the end of regulation that could have won the game, Browns kicker Cody Parkey bounced back in a big way. In his second game with Cleveland, Parkey was good from 51 and 45 yards out.REDSKINS DEFENSIVE BLOWS: Already without cornerbacks Bashaud Breeland and DaShaun Phillips, the Redskins defense lost three more players against the Browns. Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan left in the second quarter with an elbow injury, linebacker Sua Cravens in the third with a concussion and safety David Bruton in the fourth with a concussion.Coach Jay Gruden said Kerrigan would have an MRI on his elbow.On the Cleveland side, center Austin Reiter injured his left knee, and tight end Randall Telfer injured his ankle.JACKSONS CLEATS: Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson wore cleats with a design of yellow police caution tape to start dialogue about the senseless killings of both citizens and police. Originally set to wear them just in warmups, Jackson said he felt it important to wear the cleats during the game, too.I felt like Ive been silent long enough, Jackson said. Whatever the response is, thats what it is, but I feel its time for me to make a stance.PRYOR CHANNELS LEBRON: After his first career touchdown catch, Terrelle Pryor mimicked LeBron James famous chalk celebration, throwing the ball into the air. He earned a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his trouble.QUOTABLERedskins cornerback Will Blackmon on Norman, penalized for a bow and arrow celebration following his interception: I didnt know they got him for that, and Josh did it like way off the sideline too. Josh. Josh is a honey-baked ham.Browns running back Duke Johnson: Thats whats most upsetting: Were knocking on the door. ... Were just not finishing.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '