The NFL has a new superstar quarterback, Fred Warner continues to be special for the San Francisco 49ers, Joe Flacco is back and Christmas is here for UK fans – it’s Week Four awards time!
Story of the day…
It can be the hardest and most defining task in football. Pinpointing your prospective franchise quarterback and tailoring a system in which he is teed up for success. The job security of general managers and head coaches hinges on it, so too the immediate future of an entire organisation.
The Carolina Panthers are once more staring at quarterback purgatory after benching 2023 No 1 pick Bryce Young, the New York Giants paid Daniel Jones without him ever looking close to the league’s elite, the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson the worst contract in NFL history and the Las Vegas Raiders are waiting for their next 10-year stalwart. Get it wrong, and you can be set back for years. Get it right, everybody can breathe that little bit easier.
The Washington Commanders have been searching for their answer at quarterback for the best part of seven years since the days of Kirk Cousins. From Alex Smith to Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke to Sam Howell, it has been a blend of bridge quarterbacks and ageing veterans amid years of uncertainty surrounding the team’s direction. That might be about to end.
Jayden Daniels fortified his runaway case for Offensive Rookie of the Year on Sunday as he spearheaded Washington to a 42-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The No 2 overall pick completed 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards, a touchdown and an interception, as well as rushing for 47 yards and a score from eight carries.
In doing so he has now completed 82.1 per cent of his passes across the first four games, surpassing Tom Brady (79.2 per cent) as a new NFL record for a quarterback in his first four career starts.
It is not just the arm talent and the aesthetics you are looking at in a rookie quarterback, but the mental diagnosis of what a defense is showing him and the ease at which he anticipates a picture unfolding. The speed at which Daniels sees the field has emerged as one of his greatest assets in the early weeks of the season, coupled with the awareness to stick and slide in the pocket while keeping his vision downfield as he goes through his progressions.
Attacking the middle of the field usually comes when the training wheels are taken off for any young quarterback, but Daniels is splitting traffic and allowing route concepts to develop while trusting his footwork and ability to throw off balance in the pocket.
When the pressure does come, already he has demonstrated the conviction in his decision-making to take off on the ground and avoid sacks without later relying too heavily on his rushing threat at the expense of open targets. By the fourth quarter on Sunday he was purring, standing tall to unleash a perfectly-timed laser to Terry McLaurin in-keeping with his receiver’s route break for a 10-yard touchdown at the back of the end zone, before letting rip with flawless anticipation before Zach Ertz had even emerged from behind his covering defender for a successful two-point conversion.
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Saquon or Van de Ven? Saquon Barkley goes on an incredible 59-yard run to set up a touchdown for Philadelphia against Tampa Bay
Evidence of his deep-ball touch and accuracy had arrived a week earlier on his exquisite back-shoulder fade to McLaurin for a 27-yard touchdown. Even before then he had taken the top off Cincinnati’s secondary with a 55-yard back-shoulder heave to McLaurin to tee up his own four-yard rushing score; he is making every throw asked of him, with unwavering confidence.
Sunday was poignant for more than one reason, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury dismantling the Cardinals having served as head coach in Arizona from 2019 to 2022. Criticism of Kingsbury during the latter stages of his time in the desert had been a lack of evolution on offense as the season progressed, but for now he has installed some long-awaited oomph to a previously-stagnant Washington attack. In Daniels, he has a potential game-changer for the organisation.
Star Baker of the day
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Highlights of the Philadelphia Eagles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The new series of The Great British Bake Off began last week, so I don’t want to hear criticism – we’re rolling with our award for Star Baker.
There was a warm reception for Tom Brady at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday as the seven-time Super Bowl champion took to the broadcast booth, but it was a day that belonged to Baker Mayfield as he steered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 33-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
In a chapter of Geno Smith, Jared Goff and Sam Darnold comeback tales, Mayfield’s career resurrection has been as admirable as any after being so unfairly ousted in Cleveland. He carved open an Eagles defense that reverted to a state of disarray, completing 30 of 47 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns alongside a rushing score. He torched Vic Fangio’s soft zone coverage all afternoon, delivering quick and decisive throws in the face of a still non-existent pass rush.
The ‘he’s back, but never left’ of the day
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Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the Los Angeles Chargers
Was there ever a Travis Kelce problem? Nope. But is a 34-year-old tight end slowing down a notch to be expected? Of course. And is one of the NFL’s perennial rage-inciting chain-moving thorns warranting more double coverage to be expected? Duh.
The Kansas City Chiefs have never been concerned about the early season production of Travis Kelce; by now, his campaign truly gets going in January. And while the back-to-back champions are still winning games, they could not care less that their Hall of Fame-bound stalwart isn’t seeing the ball much.
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During the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, quarterback Patrick Mahomes collided with wide receiver Rashee Rice, who is suspected to have torn his ACL
Kelce had entered Sunday with just eight catches from 12 targets for 69 yards through the opening three weeks, Patrick Mahomes among those to leap to the defence of his team-mate. He posted a season-best seven catches for 89 yards as the Chiefs ground out a 17-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, the importance of which being heightened by the serious-looking injury sustained by leading receiver Rashee Rice.
Nobody is in tune to Mahomes and his improv side-quests more than Kelce, nor is anybody trusted in trusted in traffic over the middle of the field more than Kelce. He is just beginning to get going within a Chiefs offense still yet to offer a complete performance. And yet they are 4-0.
The ‘old is gold’ of the day
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Highlights of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Indianapolis Colts
What year are we in? The Joe Flacco comeback trail lives on! A year on from his staggering finish to the season with the Cleveland Browns, Flacco re-entered the fold on Sunday as he replaced the injured Anthony Richardson before leading the Indianapolis Colts to a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 39-year-old made an immediate contribution with a four-yard touchdown pass to Josh Downs just moments after coming onto the field, before finishing 16 of 26 for 168 yards and two scores. He was then informed Richardson had admitted Flacco was ‘cooler than he thought’.
“His mom is eight days older than I am, so there’s no chance in the world he thinks I’m cool,” Flacco joked after the game.
Elsewhere in Baltimore, Kyle Van Noy was the butt of the old jokes after the 33-year-old recorded two sacks for the third straight game to help the Ravens towards a 35-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The veteran linebacker is playing like a man possessed, Baltimore reaping the glowing rewards of his transition from coverage linebacker to outright pass rusher late in his career.
Midnight thought of the day
Fred Warner continues to do absurd things on a football field. Already the NFL’s most talented inside linebacker, the San Francisco 49ers man bolstered his early claim for Defensive Player of the Year as he turned a leaping interception into a pick-six touchdown during a 30-13 win over the New England Patriots.
Warner now has two interceptions, a sack and three forced fumbles across the opening four games of the season, his positioning in coverage, intelligence to diagnose play designs and ability to read a quarterback’s eyes the very best in the league. He is the embodiment of linebacker versatility, from the ferocity with which he punches running lanes to the agility in coverage and scheme-wrecking knowledge of route concepts. He makes defense fun.
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Highlights of the New England Patriots against the San Francisco 49ers
Monday morning coffee thought of the day
The NFL London games are back! Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets fly over to face Sam Darnold’s surprise package Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend in the first of three UK regular-season match-ups being staged across October.
Week Six then sees Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears meet Trevor Lawrence’s winless Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham, live on Sky Sports NFL, before the latter take on the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium on October 20 in Week Seven.
Weaved within that comes a unique fourth London game as the NFL Academy welcome Californian-based De La Salle to the Tuesday night lights of Tottenham on October 8.
Christmas is here for UK NFL fans!
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Younghoe Koo strikes a 58-yard field goal, his longest kick in his NFL career, to win the game for the Atlanta Falcons against the New Orleans Saints
The ‘rainy day in New York’… of the day
You may not see an uglier game all season. Torrential New Jersey rain and one for the defensive purists out there.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw for just 60 yards as Sean Payton’s side beat Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets 10-9, marking the fewest in a win for the franchise since 1983 and the fewest by a quarterback during a win (minimum 20 pass attempts) since 2007, per ESPN stats. What’s more, the rookie quarterback was minus-seven in passing yards heading into half-time.
Courtland Sutton made three catches for 60 yards, with six other receivers combining for zero yards from nine catches between them.
Celebration of the day
That honour goes to Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole, who celebrated a 54-yard beauty to the Cleveland Browns’ five-yard line by doing his best ‘Neil Reynolds walking into the gym’ impression.
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The Sky Sports NFL team have a ‘growling’ competition in reaction to Las Vegas Raiders’ punter AJ Cole celebration against the Cleveland Browns.
Bizarre stat of the day
Packers running back Josh Jacobs now owns the NFL record for most career catches without scoring a receiving touchdown, his 204 receptions overtaking the 37-year record previously held by Gerald Riggs.
Week Five begins on Thursday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Atlanta Falcons from 1.15am, live on Sky Sports NFL in the early hours of Friday; Also stream with NOW.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app – giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Stream The new EFL season, Test cricket and more top sport with NOW.