| Dates: 7 September 2023 – 7 January 2024 |
| BBC protection: Hearken to dwell commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports activities Additional and the BBC Sport web site each Sunday. |
The San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles stay the one two unbeaten groups left within the NFL after the fourth Sunday of the season.
Damar Hamlin returned to assist the Buffalo Payments sink high-flying Miami and the Dallas Cowboys had an emphatic reply to final week’s shock loss.
Taylor Swift was once more watching because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs beat the New York Jets.
And the Cincinnati Bengals are in large bother after one other dangerous defeat.
The Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings acquired their first wins of the season to depart the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers because the league’s solely two winless sides.
Hamlin returns as Payments beat Dolphins
Hamlin’s first style of NFL motion since his cardiac arrest in January made for an emotional begin to an enormous sport within the AFC East, together with his Buffalo Payments aspect then exhibiting they’re nonetheless the staff to beat by ending Miami’s unbeaten begin to the season.
Tua Tagovailoa had led the NFL’s most electrifying offence by three video games, but it surely was Buffalo’s Josh Allen who starred within the 48-20 demolition.
Allen now shares an honour with Aaron Rodgers: they’re the one two quarterbacks ever to have 300-plus passing yards, 4 landing throws, a landing run and an ideal passer score – one in all many metrics used to guage efficiency within the NFL – in a single sport.
Talking of Aaron Rodgers, as an alternative of lining up in opposition to Patrick Mahomes and the Tremendous Bowl champions in a blockbuster showdown, he was on the sidelines on crutches to observe the Jets, whereas pop celebrity Swift was within the stands once more to observe the Chiefs in New York.
Rodgers’ stand-in Zach Wilson threatened to upstage them each, and Mahomes, as he led a stirring fightback from 17-0 all the way down to a 20-20 tie within the third quarter – however a fumbled snap from him later value the Jets in a tricky 23-20 loss.
Mahomes threw his two hundredth landing throughout what was his 84th sport to interrupt the file of the nice Dan Marino – who reached that landmark in 89 video games.
49s and Eagles keep unbeaten
The San Francisco 49ers appear to be the staff to beat after securing a 14th common season win in a row with a 35-16 success in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals – to begin 4-0 for simply the fifth time of their historical past.
Just one NFL Most Useful Participant prior to now 16 years has not been a quarterback, however 49ers operating again Christian McCaffrey has an opportunity to raise that title this season if he continues at this tempo – after scoring 4 touchdowns in opposition to Arizona.
McCaffrey has now scored in 13 straight video games to assist the Niners turn out to be the primary staff in a decade to attain 30-plus factors in seven straight common season video games – and look very very like Tremendous Bowl favourites.
An acid take a look at for them comes subsequent week after they face a resurgent Dallas Cowboys and a rampant defence that scored twice and stifled the New England Patriots to win 38-3 on Sunday.
The Eagles are additionally nearly 4-0 after having to come back again from 10 factors behind to beat the Washington Commanders 34-31 in time beyond regulation.
Washington had the possibility to win the sport after they scored as time expired in regulation, however went for the one-point conversion to pressure time beyond regulation as an alternative of a two-point strive for the victory.
They had been left to rue that call when Jake Elliott booted the Eagles to time beyond regulation glory.
What’s occurred to Burrow’s Bengals?
The Cincinnati Bengals handed quarterback Joe Burrow an enormous contract at first of the season, however a mix of a calf harm and a few lacklustre shows have resulted in an underwhelming begin. They slipped to 1-3 after a limp 27-3 defeat on the Tennessee Titans.
Burrow has thrown simply two touchdowns this season regardless of having the most effective set of receivers within the league, and whereas they struggled to attain in opposition to the Titans, the Bengals defence was routed by Derrick Henry to the tune of 122 yards and a landing.
Working again Henry additionally achieved what Burrow did not do within the sport and threw a landing move simply so as to add insult to harm for Cincinnati – who can not afford many extra defeats in the event that they wish to make the play-offs.
“Peyton Manning needed to present up once more,” Henry joked after serving to the Titans enhance to 2-2 and reply from final week’s mauling by Cleveland.
Rookies wanting the actual deal
CJ Stroud led the Houston Texans to a convincing 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The rookie quarterback nonetheless hasn’t thrown an interception and solely Cam Newton has thrown for greater than his 1,212 yards in his first 4 NFL video games.
Anthony Richardson returned from concussion to throw two touchdowns and turn out to be the primary quarterback ever to hurry for a rating in his first three video games as he led an astonishing Indianapolis Colts rally from 23-0 all the way down to pressure time beyond regulation with the Los Angeles Rams at 23-23.
It was the Rams’ rookie receiver Puka Nacua who gained the day although together with his time beyond regulation landing – to cap an unimaginable begin to his profession through which he has caught extra passes and tallied extra yards than any NFL receiver has ever managed of their first 4 profession video games.
Lamar Jackson may be very a lot not a rookie however he additionally starred on Sunday with two passing and two speeding scores throughout Baltimore’s commanding 28-3 success in opposition to divisional rivals Cleveland.
And the Ravens are joined on 3-1 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they had been additionally comfy 26-9 victors over the New Orleans Saints in one other divisional contest.
The two-1 Seattle Seahawks full week 4 after they journey to the New York Giants on Monday night time soccer, kicking off at 01:15 BST Tuesday.
