Week four of activity ends in the NFL and the Eagles are the only undefeated team. Is it still the best? It’s hard to say, but the Eagles have shown they can win either way.
• Also read: Packers defeat Patriots and their third quarter in overtime
• Also read: The Vikings win a dramatic game in London
Their fourth casualty in as many games was the Jaguars in a hard-fought duel that the Eagles won 29-21 after overcoming a 14-point deficit.
Before you laugh, no, jaguars aren’t the same good old jaguars anymore. So this match was not a guaranteed win.
This time, it was defense that played a key role during quarterback Jalen Hurt’s rarely tougher performance among Fleet. For three weeks, Hurts was simply ablaze and the attack hung over the fight.
A complete team is characterized by not relying on a single element when it comes to achieving victory the hard way.
The ground game increases
Before that encounter, Hurts’ play resonated across the league. Against the Jaguars, he was limited to 204 yards through the air and 38 on the ground. He failed to throw a touchdown pass and committed an interception.
As so often last season, the running game took over with 210 yards and 50 carries. Carrier Miles Sanders led the charge with 27 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
It’s his heaviest NFL workload to date and only the second time he’s carried the ball more than 20 times in a game.
The ground game gained 4.2 yards per carry. Nothing fancy, but all that was needed to assert oneself physically and undermine the Jaguars’ morale.
It’s important to note that prior to this game, the Jaguars were only conceding 55 yards per rushing game, which earned them first place in the league. The Eagles therefore didn’t take advantage of a weak competitor in this facet of the game to inflate their stats.
opportunistic defense
In fact, the best part of the Eagles’ offense came from their defense. This resulted in five turnovers to bring the total to 10 in four games. Overall, the Jaguars were limited to 219 yards and 13 first downs.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence got into trouble when he threw an interception and dropped the ball four times. The result is that two of the Eagles’ touchdowns came from very short offensive streaks of 35 and 24 yards.
Once again it was the newcomers who caught the eye. Cornerback James Bradberry made an important interception in the third quarter when the Jaguars were six points behind the Eagles in the box.
Linebacker Haason Reddick was monstrous with two quarterback sacks, as well as knocking the ball off Lawrence twice and recapturing the ball himself. Both players were acquired on the free agent market.
The best ?
It’s too early to say the Eagles are the best team in the NFL. The Bills also showed their character by going up a steep hill against the Ravens, who were 17 points behind. They’ve also beaten high-profile rivals (Ravens, Titans, and Rams) since the beginning of the campaign.
For their part, the Eagles have defeated three out of four teams that have lost records or play by .500. That doesn’t detract from their start to the season, however, and a side that can win as much on defense as they can on offense can only go a long way.
WINNER
Derrick Henry
The Titans carrier changed the game with 114 rushing yards and 33 passing yards, in addition to a touchdown. Proof that he’s vital to the Titans’ success, the team is now 26-1 if he touches the ball at least 25 times.
DK Metcalf
The receiver participated well in the Seahawks’ offensive blast by catching seven passes for 149 yards. He scared many fans to death when he was forced to retire to the dressing room in a golf cart. We found out later that he was only a little keen. If you gotta go, you gotta go…
JustinHerbert
The Chargers quarterback, who still plays despite a rib injury, butchered the Texans with 340 yards and two touchdowns. He also shone without receiver Keenan Allen.
The robbers
A first victory was urgently needed. It wasn’t exactly elegant, but 0-4 wasn’t an option. Josh Jacobs contributed 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Rashan Gary
The Packers quarterback hunter continues to shine. With seven tackles and two quarterback sacks (he has five this season), he sabotaged the Patriots’ offensive efforts. Saying that many Packers fans regretted that draft pick…
LOSER
John Harbaugh
For the second time this season, his team collapsed in the second half of the season. The Ravens took a 20-3 lead. With 4:15 to go, Harbaugh opted for a fourth down conversion attempt via a field goal.
The browns
The Browns gave the Falcons 202 rushing yards. It’s practically a criminal offence. Both losses were intercepted by Jacoby Brissett at the last minute. This team lost to the Jets and Falcons. Poor brownies!
The Lions
Agree, the attack was missing several elements. But how does one explain that the defense allowed 41 of the Seahawks’ 48 points, in addition to 555 yards? A bit embarrassing!
The Colts
Not only could the Colts not build on their momentum from last week, but they also lost the services of runner Jonathan Taylor with an ankle injury. If he’s gone long-term, their season is over.
Baker Mayfield
Is the Panthers quarterback living through his final moments as a starter? He threw two interceptions. Driver Matt Rhule wouldn’t be any better off with Sam Darnold, but he might want to stir the soup to save his own ass.
5 games of the week
1. PICKETTS BEGINNINGS
Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett made his NFL debut in the second half replacing ineffective Mitch Trubisky. On his first pass, Pickett was greeted by the NFL’s Jordan Whitehead, who had an interception. Pickett also threw three interceptions, but one of them was on a touchdown pass and the other on a desperate Hail Mary try. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and also scored two rushing touchdowns.
2. LONDON POST
It took the Vikings all their spare change to defeat the Saints bereft of Jameis Winston, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. They even got unexpected help from the goal posts in London. Late in the game, the Saints attempted a field goal from 61 yards to try and tie the game. Kicker Will Lutz saw the ball hit the left post before it hit the bar. The line between victory and defeat is so fine.
3. HEART JETS
The Jets became the fourth quarter champions by recording their second win of the season in the closing moments of a game. It was rookie rusher Breece Hall who scored the game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds left. On the final offensive push, young quarterback Zach Wilson, returning after missing the first three games, completed his six passes for 62 yards. He had scored a match-fixing touchdown early in the game when receiver Braxton Berrios threw the ball to him.
4. IF NOTHING WORKS…
The Bears are dealing with one of the worst offenses in recent football history. This week they had their best air harvest…155 short yards! If at least the special teams did their part, but against the Giants, that facet of the game was more like the final nail in their coffin. With two minutes and a dust to play, the Bears looked to get the ball back but Velus Jones fumbled the punt. If it’s bad…
5. NEAR PACKERS
The Packers were heavily favored against the Patriots for robbing their starting quarterback Mac Jones. His replacement, Brian Hoyer, was injured early in the game and Western Kentucky rookie Bailey Zappe took over. He didn’t look bad in context (10 for 15, 99 yards, one touchdown) and the Packers needed an overtime field goal from Mason Crosby to win. Notably, the Patriots trailed by 10 points for the second time in 20 years.