NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Vikings beat Saints in back-and-forth field goal battle



The Vikings and Saints played a wild one in London.

After a back-and-forth fourth quarter, it was a Greg Joseph 48-yard field goal — his fifth field goal of the game — that gave Minnesota a 28-25 lead.

That came just after Saints kicker Wil Lutz nailed a 60-yard field goal with 1:51 remaining in the fourth quarter, tying the game 25-25 and appearing to send it close to overtime.

After Joseph’s kick gave the Vikings the lead, Lutz had a chance to send it into overtime with a 61-yard attempt. But he double-doinked it off the upright and cross bar, and it was no good.

Aside from the kicking heroics, Justin Jefferson was the star of the game, with 10 catches for 147 yards. Kirk Cousins also had a solid game getting the ball to Jefferson.

The Saints were without Jameis Winston, their starting quarterback, but Andy Dalton filled in admirably and gave the Saints a chance, getting them into long field goal range for that Lutz kick as time expired.

The win improves the Vikings to 3-1 and keeps them in very good shape in the NFC playoff race. The Saints fall to 1-3.

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Good for you! Thats awesomely beautiful... have fun!

 

Cordarrelle Patterson might be limited today, which might prove to be beneficial for Atlanta in the long run though it will hurt today. They need to use him less as a pure RB and more as a "slash", but with Damien Williams out that hasn't been so easy to do so far. Practice squad prospect Caleb Huntley is back in the lineup today for RB depth.

Also... Damiere Byrd is active for the first time. Looking forward to his debut, though it will be tricky to watch and I may have to wait until I get home later in the week to see it. (I have it recording on DVR and have an app to stream what's on the DVR - but my internet connection here sucks.)

 

Thanks! Most fun so far has been Rudesheim.

Rudesheim coffee = take three cubes of sugar and a little bit of a locally produced brandy - maybe an inch or so in the coffee mug. Light it with a long match and stir to caramelize the sugar. Pour in the coffee. Top with a lot of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

 

Another pretty picture

 

Lamar Jackson was robbed on the run for a first down... looked to me, he made it, but thats the breaks.

 

Giants beat Bears in sloppy defensive struggle



It hasn’t been pretty, but the Giants are a surprising 3-1.

Despite passing for just 71 yards between Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor, the Giants gutted out a hard-fought 20-12 win over the Bears on a windy and rainy day in New Jersey.



The running game did most of the work for the Giants, with Saquon Barkley gaining 146 yards and Jones and Taylor actually gaining more ground with their legs than with their arms. Jones also ran for two touchdowns.

Jones and Taylor both got injured during the game, although Jones was able to return when Taylor exited.

The Bears were also a run-first offense, but not as effective on the ground. Justin Fields continues to struggle to pass the ball, to such an extent that there have to be major concerns in Chicago that he simply isn’t the answer as a franchise quarterback.

The Bears fall to 2-2 on the season, which is not bad considering their preseason expectations, but the inability of the offense to do much of anything is a big problem in Chicago.

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Eagles move to 4-0 with 29-21 win over Jags



The Eagles looked like a bad bet to remain the league’s only unbeaten team in the early part of Sunday’s game against the Jaguars, but the bad start was followed by a happy ending.

After spotting the Jags 14 points in the first quarter, the Eagles rattled off 29 straight points and wound up with a 29-21 home victory. Things got interesting late when the Eagles passed on a 39-yard field goal after the two-minute warning and saw a Jalen Hurts fourth down pass go incomplete, but Haason Reddick forced a Trevor Lawrence fumble on a sack and Javon Hargrave sealed the win with a recovery.



It capped an awful day for Lawrence. He lost four fumbles and threw an interception to help spoil Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson’s return to Philadelphia. Reddick forced two of them on sacks and the turnovers made it all but impossible for the Jaguars to build on their early lead.

The win moves the Eagles to 4-0 on the season and they will try for five in a row in Arizona next weekend.

Running back Miles Sanders did a lot to power the offense in Sunday’s win. He had 27 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles were able to run at will against the Jaguars defense. Jalen Hurts added 41 yards while Kenneth Gainwell and Trey Sermon each had 19 yards on the ground. Hurts and Gainwell also ran for touchdowns on a rainy day in Philadelphia.

Cornerback Darius Slay, left tackle Jordan Mailata, and right guard Isaac Seumalo left with injuries during the game, so the Eagles will be hoping to get them back in time to face the Cardinals next weekend.

The Jaguars drop to 2-2 with the loss and they’ll be back home to host the Texans next weekend. Given his issues holding onto the ball this Sunday, Lawrence will be hoping for drier conditions.

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Bills come back to beat Ravens



The Ravens appeared all set to dominate the Bills today in Baltimore. And then things took a dramatic turn.

After Lamar Jackson was all but unstoppable and Josh Allen could do next to nothing for most of the first half, the Ravens took a 20-3 lead. And then it was Allen’s turn to take over and Jackson’s turn to stumble, and the Bills wound up winning 23-20.



Ravens coach John Harbaugh will be questioned for his surprising decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal with the score 20-20 late in the game, resulting in Jackson throwing an interception that allowed the Bills to march down the field and kick the game-winning field goal.

Allen finished 19 of 36 for 213 yards, with one touchdown, one interception and one sack, plus 70 rushing yards.

Jackson finished 20 of 29 for 144 yards, with one touchdown, two interceptions and two sacks, plus 73 rushing yards.

The Bills improve to 3-1 and continue to look like one of the best teams in the NFL. The Ravens have Super Bowl aspirations as well, but they’ve now fallen to 2-2.

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Falcons hold on to beat Browns 23-20



Usually, it’s the Browns that play bully ball with their run game to defeat teams in the second half.

But on Sunday, the Falcons did it and came out on top of Cleveland 23-20.



Atlanta had a 10-play scoring drive on which they ran zero passing plays. Called up from the practice squad this weekend, running back Caleb Huntley took eight carries for 54 yards on the possession — including a 5-yard touchdown.

Though the Browns responded with Nick Chubb’s 28-yard run to regain a 20-17 advantage, Atlanta tied it up with 7:19 left on Younghoe Koo’s 21-yard field goal. Atlanta again ran the ball effectively until they made it down to Cleveland’s 2-yard line, when quarterback Marcus Mariota fumbled a snap and threw an incomplete pass.

He threw another incompletion on third-and-2 to force the field goal attempt.

Cleveland’s defense has blown coverages throughout the season and did so again on what would be Atlanta’s game-winning drive. Mariota found a wide-open Olamide Zaccheaus on the right side on second-and-10 from Atlanta’s 9-yard line, completing a 42-yard pass. A facemask penalty put Atlanta in scoring position, which the club would capitalize on with Koo’s 45-yard field goal.

The Browns had a chance to tie or go ahead. But Brissett was sacked on second-and-15 at Atlanta’s 46. And then Brissett was picked off by cornerback Dee Alford to seal the Falcons’ victory.

Cleveland should have had more points. The team’s opening drive finished unsuccessfully when head coach Kevin Stefanski elected to go for it on fourth-and-3 from Atlanta’s 4-yard line. Brissett threw an incomplete pass out of the end zone when he didn’t find anyone open.

The Browns also had first-and-goal at the 1 late in the second quarter but ended up kicking a 29-yard field goal after a penalty and a pair of incomplete passes.

Now at 2-2, the Falcons will be on the road to take on the Buccaneers next week.

The 2-2 Browns will host the 2-2 Chargers in Week Five.

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Cooper Rush wins his third consecutive start as Cowboys top Commanders 25-10



Cooper Rush became the first quarterback in team history to win the first four starts of his career. In his third consecutive game replacing the injured Dak Prescott, Rush threw two touchdowns and the Cowboys rolled to a 25-10 victory.

Dallas is 3-1, while Washington fell to 1-3.



Prescott, who had surgery on his throwing hand Sept. 12, could return to the lineup next week, and Rush made the most of what could be his final start of the season.

Rush, who won his first career start at Minnesota last season, completed 15 of 27 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys gained 279 yards against the overmatched Commanders.

Michael Gallup made his 2022 debut, returning from the ACL he tore Jan. 2, and caught two passes for 24 yards and a touchdown and drew a 38-yard defensive pass interference penalty on William Jackson III that led to a CeeDee Lamb touchdown on the next play.

Lamb caught six passes for 97 yards, including a 30-yard score.

The Cowboys had only two sacks of Carson Wentz and none by Micah Parsons, but they also picked Wentz twice. Trevon Diggs made his second interception of the season and also had three pass breakups, while Cowboys rookie cornerback DaRon Bland made his first career interception.

Bland had not played a single defensive snap this season until Sunday but was a late replacement for Jourdan Lewis, who injured his groin in pregame warmups and did not play.

The Cowboys have held their first four opponents under 20 points for the first time since 1973.

Wentz finished 25-of-42 for 170 with a touchdown and the two interceptions.

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Late Breece Hall TD lifts Jets over Kenny Pickett, Steelers



The Jets rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Browns for their first win of the 2022 season and they came up with some more late game magic to beat the Steelers for their second.

Kenny Pickett‘s second rushing touchdown of his regular season debut put the Steelers up 20-10 early in the fourth quarter, but Zach Wilson led a 91-yard drive for one touchdown and defensive back Michael Carter picked off Pickett to get the Jets the ball with 3:34 left to play.



Wilson hit Tyler Conklin, Michael Carter II, and Corey Davis for first downs and a penalty on the Steelers gave the Jets one more inside the 10-yard-line. Two Breece Hall runs covered the final nine yards with the touchdown coming after a review showed he broke the plane of the goal line from a couple of yards out. The extra point put the Jets up 24-20 and they held on to win when Pickett’s Hail Mary was picked off by Lamarcus Joyner in the end zone.

It was the third interception of the day for Pickett as he also had his first NFL pass attempt picked off by safety Jordan Whitehead. He was inserted into the game for the first Steelers possession of the third quarter after Mitch Trubisky went 7-of-13 for 84 yards and an interception in the first half.

Pickett was 10-of-10 for 120 yards outside of the interceptions and he definitely provided a spark to the proceedings when he entered the game, so there’s little reason to think this won’t be a permanent change under center in Pittsburgh.

Wilson was 18-of-36 for 252 yards and two interceptions in his first start of the year. He also caught a touchdown from wide receiver Braxton Berrios in the second quarter of the game. He was only sacked once, but was pressured often and showed a knack for keeping plays alive long enough to give the Jets a chance at positive yardage. That wasn’t something Joe Flacco could do and it may remain a necessity as right tackle Max Mitchell joined a long list of injured blockers for the AFC East club.

The Jets will host the Dolphins next week in their first divisional game of the year. The Steelers will be in Buffalo for what figures to be Pickett’s first NFL start.

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Atlanta has now matched their home win total from last season - one. (And there was much rejoicing.)


RT and I had a bit of a conversation about Huntley when he first signed as a UDFA last year. He was so far under the radar that none of us took him in the mocks even as a UDFA. He mainly went unnoticed because his conference had a shortened schedule in his final year due to COVID, and he was only able to play part of that. He's a long term project, but his full season on the practice squad last year is starting to bear fruit. The dude is a load to bring down.

It's his second practice squad elevation game of the season. I hope they'll go ahead and just sign him to the roster outright rather than leaving him exposed on the practice squad.

 

Lets go Patriots!

 

OT in GB...

 

Cardinals overcome another slow start, beat Panthers 26-16

 

A fan attending Sunday’s game between the Jets and Steelers died after falling from an escalator at Acrisure Stadium.

Via the Associated Press, the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety said that police and emergency service personnel were alerted after a man fell at around 4:45 p.m. ET, following the conclusion of the game.


Emergency care was administered by paramedics at the scene. The person died shortly thereafter at a local hospital.


The Steelers issued a statement regarding the situation: “We are aware of an unfortunate incident that occurred inside Acrisure Stadium today. We are working with local authorities and helping their investigation into the matter. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to the guest’s family.”

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Tragic.

 

Are Patriots trying to lose don't understand this

 

Horrible