Tag: dallas

The Green Bay Packers (4-6) and Detroit Lions (8-2) kick off a Thanksgiving triple-header live on Sky Sports from 5.30pm this Thursday, followed by the Washington Commanders (4-7) against the Dallas Cowboys (7-3) and the San Francisco 49ers (7-3) against the Seattle Seahawks (6-4).

Ahead of Week 12 in the NFL, we explore some of the top fantasy football waiver options around the league…

Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson lost his most trusted target last week as Ravens tight end Mark Andrews suffered what is believed to be a season-ending ankle injury in Baltimore’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. It opens a void on Todd Monken’s offense, potentially paving the way for Isaiah Likely to take on a more expanded role over the second half of the regular season.

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Highlights of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Baltimore Ravens from Week 11 of the NFL

The second-year fourth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina flashed signs of what he could offer when given a full-time role in his rookie season, closing out the campaign with eight catches for 103 yards against the Bengals and posting at least eight points on the five occasions he had five or more receptions. He has just nine catches for 89 yards in 2023, though heads into a matchup with a Los Angeles Chargers defense ranked 30th against tight ends in fantasy this season.

The minimally-rostered Odell Beckham Jr can also be taken into consideration where available having just produced his first 100-yard game of the season and combined for 212 yards and two touchdowns over the last three outings.

Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Kenneth Walker left Seattle’s defeat to the Los Angeles Rams with an oblique injury on Sunday, head coach Pete Carroll, though, suggesting injured reserve may not be necessary for the Seahawks running back. The injury is expected to amount to more action for second-round rookie Zach Charbonnet over the coming weeks.

The former UCLA man came in to carry the ball 15 times for 47 yards and catch all six of his targets for 22 yards to collect 12.9 points in Week 11, following up 10.2 points the following week after 62 yards from scrimmage against the Washington Commanders. With that said, his next four weeks include two meetings with the San Francisco 49ers’ third-ranked run defense, the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-ranked run defense and a Dallas Cowboys defense ranked first in total yards.

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Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11 of the NFL season

Demario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots

The New England Patriots offense remains a mess, but in sixth-round rookie receiver Demario Douglas has come a rare, if minimal, bright spot over recent weeks. Douglas caught six of his nine targets for 84 yards and 14.4 fantasy points in his side’s defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany, having put up five receptions for 55 yards and 10.5 points in the loss to Washington the week before.

Without competition being stiff, he has emerged as the Patriots’ leading receiver following injury to Kendrick Bourne and could soon find himself playing with a new quarterback should Bill Belichick opt to move from Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe over the second half of the season.

Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers believe they have found a long-term building block for their youthful offense in second-round rookie Jayden Reed, who has asserted himself as one of Jordan Love’s most productive weapons across the team’s 4-6 start to the season. Reed contributed 92 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage to register 19.2 points during Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers. It marked his second 19-point game in as many weeks after he caught all five of his targets for 84 yards and a score against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Highlights of the Los Angeles Chargers against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11 of the NFL season

He has become a key multi-purpose asset to Matt LaFleur’s motion-friendly system, with his yards-after-catch ability seeing him feature as an end-around option across the backfield. He has hit double figures in fantasy points in six games this season heading into Thursday’s Thanksgiving matchup with the Detroit Lions.

Desmond Ridder, QB, Atlanta Falcons

For the purpose of throwing a quarterback option in here, how about Desmond Ridder? The Atlanta Falcons are handing the starting job back to the 2022 third-round pick for this week’s matchup with the New Orleans Saints after momentarily riding with Taylor Heinicke in response to Ridder’s turnover issues. Interceptions have been his downfall, but Ridder remains a handy fantasy option with 150 rushing yards and four touchdowns this year having also averaged 7.1 yards per attempt.

The former Cincinnati play-caller has two 300-plus yard games on the season and has surpassed 20 points in fantasy on two occasions, though faces three of the league’s better defenses in the Saints, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the next three weeks.

Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Hello, Rondale Moore! We all remember Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon making missile sounds upon his awkward first interaction with the speedy wide receiver this past offseason; on Sunday we saw those ‘explosives’ come to fruition as Moore hauled in a 48-yard touchdown against the Houston Texans.

Cardinals fans have been crying out for some more downfield action for the 2021 second-round pick, who has predominantly been treated as a yards-after-catch chess piece around the line of scrimmage since entering the league out of Purdue. Sunday’s end zone grab was a welcome reminder of what 4.3 speed can do in an expanded route tree, particularly with Kyler Murray’s arm back under center.

It followed up five catches for 43 yards against the Atlanta Falcons, while combining with an increase in production for tight end Trey McBride, in hinting at an up-turn for this Cardinals offense following Murray’s return. Moore’s NFL career is yet to truly light up; how he finishes this season will be intriguing as the Cardinals look to find some answers as to how they approach their offseason.

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Justin Herbert’s time is being wasted and Brandon Staley’s time is almost up as the Los Angeles Chargers swallow another painfully familiar dose of one-score torment. The NFL’s festive period has begun, and so too the countdown for some of the league’s most under-pressure figures.

The Chargers could be likened to the friend that turns up at five-a-side sporting Copa Mundials, with a hairband on, sock tape hugging their next-to-non-existent shin-pads and black Nike gloves to top off the ensemble. The optics point to a gifted technician, until they sky the five-yard gimme teed up by the Justin Herbert of the team following a marauding run during which he has slalomed beyond three defenders.

For the fifth time this season they came out second-best in a one-score game as they were beaten 23-20 by the Green Bay Packers, another blunder-stricken performance dropping them to 4-6 and shoving the playoffs further out of their flailing reach. Herbert has now suffered a quarterback-high 22 one-score defeats since entering the league in 2020 as the sixth overall pick.

Game-on-the-line mistakes were made, Staley was spikey in his press conference and even the most mellow Herbert could hide his frustration no longer as he slammed the ball into the ground after a delay of game penalty with his team trailing in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers aced the task of finding their franchise quarterback to succeed Philip Rivers while others around the league have hopped aimlessly between make-shift solutions and ill-guided decisions. Four seasons later, their record with Herbert is a measly 29-30 and on course for consisting of just one 10-win campaign.

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Highlights of the Los Angeles Chargers against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11 of the NFL season.

Quentin Johnston had the chance to be the hero on the final drive of the game when he bought himself two strides of separation on a sideline fade, Herbert rotating his hips and gliding a cross-field dagger into the path of his teammate, only for the rookie wide receiver to let it slip through his fingers. He would have been home free for the touchdown to win it.

Keenan Allen had been sucked into his team’s error-prone ways earlier in the game when he dropped an easy catch at the goalline, while Austin Ekeler was guilty of fumbling at the Packers’ two-yard line. And having left Green Bay staring at third-and-20 while trailing 20-16 with four minutes to play, the Chargers gifted the hosts a new set of downs when Asante Samuel Jr was flagged for pass interference on Dontayvion Wicks, who moments later bounced off two weak tackle attempts to race away for 35 yards and help tee up Romeo Doubs’ 24-yard game-winning touchdown. Chargers epitome.

“Everybody is squeezing the club too tight,” said former NFL head coach Jason Garrett on Sunday Night Football later in the evening.

Staley will be the one to pay the price. He had moved next door from the Rams to the Chargers in 2021 shimmering as one of the league’s most eloquent and innovative defensive minds, branching from the Vic Fangio tree accredited to the modern NFL’s most prominent scheme. Staley was all about inviting the run with light boxes, dropping two high safeties and rotating coverages post-snap as a means to fogging the field read of the NFL’s top young quarterbacks while challenging them to rein in their aggression in favour of patient, slow-burning drives. Of course, the results would be different without an Aaron Donald with whom to clobber up front.

It will be his famed defensive DNA and its ensuing downfall with one of the league’s most expensive units that goes down as the story of Staley’s time in charge, punctuated by the one-score margins they could not lean their way and a blown 27-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in last season’s playoffs that continues to linger with a bitter after-taste. Even if it wasn’t the defining hindrance on Sunday.

Since Staley’s arrival the Chargers defense ranks 28th in EPA/play (expected points added) having allowed a third-most points per game in that time. They sit 31st in total yards allowed in 2023, last against the pass, 25th in scoring and bottom 10 in pressure rate. They have also now shipped 957 yards of offense over the last two games following last week’s 41-38 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Jordan Love recorded his first 300-yard passing game in the NFL, and the Packers put up more than 20 points for just the third time this season. With Samuel’s PI call, the Chargers have now allowed teams to convert on third-and-15-plus on six occasions this season. To add to matters, star pass rusher Joey Bosa was carted off in tears with a foot injury.

Any cracks that might have already been there appeared to have widened in his post-game press conference when Staley passionately defended his play-calling duties.

“I have full confidence in our way of playing,” said Staley. “Full confidence in myself as the play-caller and the way that we teach and the way that we scheme. Full confidence in that. We’ve got to bring this group together and do it consistently and that’s where it’s at. You can stop asking that question. I’m going to be calling the defenses, so we’re clear. So you don’t have to ask that again.”

Staley had not taken kindly to a question earlier this season over whether the memory of their post-season collapse was continuing to have a lasting impact on the team. The, perhaps unjust, reality being that one or two icy moments with the media will ultimately outweigh what had been refreshing outlooks on fourth-down analytics and aggression, and the gravity of an efficient running game that touted an intriguing mind to lead the Herbert era early on his tenure.

But the Patrick Mahomes effect is real. Teams fortunate enough to find their stalwart quarterbacks are terrified of squandering some of their finest years or setting back their development or falling behind the pack amid a time of AFC disparity.

With Herbert comes a weekly supply of the impossible, that must no longer go unrewarded. He crams passes into the tightest of slits and torpedoes sturdy coverage by way of supreme accuracy and the most venomous zip of any quarterback in the league (see his touchdown pass to Allen on Sunday). Hash-to-field-side cross-body heaves are customary to an arm that need not obey the high school equivalent of ‘don’t pass across your own penalty area’, as are the tilt-and-flick daggers to find open men from skewed off-platform launch points and the back-foot dunks to defy pocket pressure. Herbert should be going toe to toe with Josh Allen, Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence every postseason; his untapped upside will force the Chargers’ hand with Staley in January.

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Highlights of the Detroit Lions against the Los Angeles Chargers from Week 10 of the NFL.

Decisions are to be made, and decisions should have already been made, across the league. The New York Jets neglected to decide that moving forward with Zach Wilson in the absence of Aaron Rodgers would waste an entire season of their Championship-calibre defense. The Pittsburgh Steelers must decide that an offense led by Kenny Pickett, who has thrown two touchdowns passes since the start of October, is holding back an upper-tier defense led by Hall of Fame-bound pass rusher TJ Watt.

David Tepper, consumed by the fear or quarterback purgatory since Cam Newton, must decide how patient he will allow himself to be with Frank Reich and Bryce Young amid uneasy murmurs of back-room division over the No 1 pick in Carolina. The new owners of the Washington Commanders must decide whether they wish to start afresh with a new head coach to replace Ron Rivera, whose team are 4-7 and just shipped three touchdowns to still-lives-with-his-parents New York Giants third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito.

Staley is a bright and brilliant footballing mind whose eye for defensive intricacies has made for to-be-admired clinics, but far too infrequently with the Chargers. Herbert’s talent dictates soaring expectations, and Staley looks like he will take the fall for the splintered progress.

Mac Jones was benched for Bailey Zappe in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as the New England Patriots fell to a 10-6 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany; Jonathan Taylor rushes for a first-half touchdown while Julian Blackmon comes up with late interception

Mac Jones was benched in the fourth quarter as Jonathan Taylor’s first-half touchdown helped the Indianapolis Colts to a 10-6 victory over the New England Patriots in Frankfurt on Sunday.

Julian Blackmon came up with a sucker-punch interception to derail a late Patriots drive, marking the final straw on a tough day for Jones as he exited the game for Bailey Zappe with two minutes to play.

His backup did not fare much kinder, throwing a game-icing interception to Rodney Thomas II as the Colts improved to 5-5 on the year in the final international regular-season game of the season.

Jones finished 15 of 20 passing for 170 yards and an interception, while Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew went 18 of 28 for 194 yards and a pick.

Both teams missed field goals either side of half-time, which the Colts had entered with a 7-3 lead thanks to Taylor’s second rushing touchdown of the season and three sacks from Dayo Odeyingbo.

The result drops New England to 2-8 while heightening the uncertainty surrounding the future of head coach Bill Belichick beyond this season.

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New England Patriots’ Mac Jones throws away the go-ahead opportunity with a league-leading 10th interception as he looked to find Mike Gesicki

Jones was almost intercepted by Blackmon earlier in the second half as the Colts safety got hands on a lofted pass in the end zone, forcing the Patriots to settle for a 24-yard field goal at the end of a 15-play drive lasting eight minutes.

Matt Gay’s 51-yard field goal pushed the Colts’ lead to 10-6 on the ensuing drive after Isaiah McKenzie had ignited the response with a 42-yard kick return.

The Patriots would come up short once again in their efforts to turn the game on its head when Blackmon snagged Jones’ pass at the goal line with four minutes to play, much to the despair of the New England sideline at the end of a nine-play series.

Zappe entered the game with two minutes remaining, before any hopes of a late twist fizzled out when the Patriots quarterback was picked off at mid-field, leaving Belichick with his hands on his head.

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Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor gets his team on the board against the Patriots in Frankfurt

Stats leaders:

Indianapolis Colts

• Passing: Gardner Minshew, 18/28, 194 yards, 1 INT
• Rushing: Jonathan Taylor, 23 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
• Receiving: Michael Pittman Jr, 8 catches, 84 yards

New England Patriots

• Passing: Mac Jones, 15/20, 170 yards, 1 INT
• Rushing: Rhamondre Stevenson, 20 carries, 88 yards
• Receiving: Demario Douglas, 6 catches, 84 yards

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick could not hide his frustration as Bailey Zappe throws a game-sealing interception and the Patriots move to 2-8 on the season

The Patriots had threatened a perfect start to the second half when Myles Bryant was well-positioned to collect Minshew’s tipped pass off the hands of Michael Pittman Jr for an interception at the half-way line.

Jones almost landed himself in trouble as he attempted a dangerous under-arm shovel while scurrying to try and escape pressure.

The pick eventually went unrewarded as the Patriots failed to convert on third-and-three before Chad Ryland skewed his 35-yard field goal attempt wide of the posts.

New England’s next drive was all about the run, Stevenson carrying the ball five times alongside four Ezekiel Elliott runs and a 15-yard Mac Jones scramble to set themselves up at the Colts 24 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The outcome being Ryland’s 24-yard field goal.

The Colts defense blunted Jones and the Patriots to the sight of five sacks in the first half, three of which came courtesy of Odeyingbo.

New England flashed signs of mending their stuttering offense during a 13-play opening drive that ended in Ryland’s 37-yard field goal after an Odeyingbo had derailed the series on third-and-six.

Taylor capped an immediate response when he skipped outside to run in for a one-yard touchdown at the end of a 14-play, 75-yard, seven-minute march ignited by Minshew’s off-script 30-yard throw to Isaiah McKenzie on third-and-six.

The sides then exchanged seven punts to test Deutsche Bank Park’s low-hanging scoreboard, Kwity Paye joining the sacks tally for the Colts having returned from an injury scare earlier in the half.

Minshew put the Colts in position to extend their lead late in the first half when he connected with Josh Downs for 12 yards on fourth-and-four, only for Matt Gay to miss the 57-yard field goal attempt.

Scoring summary

What’s next?

The Patriots enter a bye week before returning to face the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in Week 12, while the Colts are due to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after their break.

Week 10 in the NFL concludes on Monday night when the Denver Broncos visit the Buffalo Bills in the early hours of Tuesday, before the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Baltimore Ravens in Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 11.

The Kansas City Chiefs hold on to a commanding 21-point first-half lead to beat the Miami Dolphins in the first ever regular season game to be held in Frankfurt, Germany; Miami fall to 0-3 against teams with winning records in 2023.

Behold Arrowhead abroad, where a red sea of Kansas City Chiefs fans swarmed Frankfurt to watch on as their defending Super Bowl champions held off a Miami Dolphins fightback to clinch a dramatic 21-14 win at Deutsche Bank Park on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins had trailed 21-0 at half-time, before pulling within seven points thanks to touchdowns from Cedrick Wilson and Raheem Mostert to threaten overtime.

Such has been the story of their season, it was Steve Spagnuolo’s Chiefs defense that would prove defining as they recovered Tua Tagovailoa’s fumble on fourth down to ice the game with a minute to play.

Tyreek Hill was limited to 62 yards on the ground while Travis Kelce made just three catches for 14 yards in a game that delivered on its promise of fireworks without two of the league’s most talked-about offenses lighting up the game.

It had been touted as a potential AFC Championship Game preview. On that assessment, few would turn it down.

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The Kansas City Chiefs defence comes up with an amazing play as their former teammate, Tyreek Hill is stripped by Mike Edwards who laterals the ball to Bryan Cook for the score.

Bedlam had been brewing across a historic week for Frankfurt, which glistens among the foundations of Europe’s NFL love affair having staged the first ever World League of American Football game in 1991.

Bedlam arrived in the closing seconds of the first half when Bryan Cook returned a Tyreek Hill fumble 59 yards for a touchdown to hand Kansas City a stunning 21-0 lead at the break.

It continued in the third when Tagovailoa connected with Cedrick Wilson for a 31-yard touchdown to put the Dolphins on the board.

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Tua Tagovailoa flings the ball up to Cedrick Wilson Jr who picks it out the air to finally get the Miami Dolphins on the scoreboard in Frankfurt.

Stats leaders:

Miami Dolphins

• Passing: Tua Tagovailoa, 21/34, 193 yards, 1 TD
• Rushing: Raheem Mostert, 12 carries, 85 yards
• Receiving: Tyreek Hill, 8 catches, 62 yards

Kansas City Chiefs

• Passing: Patrick Mahomes, 20/30, 185 yards, 2 TDs
• Rushing: Isiah Pacheco, 16 carries, 66 yards
• Receiving: Noah Gray, 3 catches, 34 yards

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Miami Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert scored two touchdowns during their victory over the Patriots and this 43-yard run was the pick of the bunch.

Miami’s comeback was suddenly on, Raheem Mostert running in for an 13-yard touchdown to punish an unnecessary roughness call against Chris Jones after the Chiefs thought they had held the Dolphins to a field goal.

The drive had stemmed from Bradley Chubb’s forced fumble, recovered by Zach Sieler at the Chiefs’ 27-yard line to prompt wild celebrations from the Dolphins sideline.

The Chiefs laid down an immediate marker when Rashee Rice turned a screen pass into an 11-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, Justin Watson’s catch at the back of the end zone having been ruled incomplete following a review on the previous play.

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Kansas City Chiefs go 14-0 up as Patrick Mahomes finds Jerick McKinnon for their second touchdown of the day.

Spagnuolo’s defense would hold the Dolphins to four straight punts before Jerick McKinnon doubled Kansas City’s lead with a 17-yard touchdown on a sneak route to cap a 13-play 95-yard drive lasting 8.28.

Kadarius Toney had ignited the drive by breaking three tackles for a catch-and-run of 18 yards, before Mahomes found Justin Watson on a deep over route for a gain of 23 yards down to the 24.

Scoring summary

What’s next?

The Chiefs now enter a bye week before returning to action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead in Week 11, while the Dolphins follow up their bye week at home to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Week Nine continues on Sunday with the Baltimore Ravens against the Seattle Seahawks from 6pm live on Sky Sports NFL, followed by an all-NFC East clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Eagles before the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals meet in Sunday Night Football.

The Los Angeles Chargers then visit the New York Jets to conclude the week in Monday Night Football.

Week Six was a weekend that reminded us how wide open the NFL is. Only six weeks into the season and already we have no undefeated teams left, and only one winless team in the form of the Carolina Panthers… so, we’re starting the column this week with one of those undefeated teams that was knocked off their perch.

1) The spirit of New York

I’m so impressed with the spirit of the New York Jets. They could have folded when Aaron Rodgers went down injured. They’ve lent on their defense, they’ve leant on Breece Hall and the running game. They’re very much alive in the AFC playoff race.

They play so well on defense. They were excellent again against the Eagles, coming up with big interceptions. That was the only way they could beat Philadelphia, taking advantage of some Jalen Hurts mistakes, with their quarterback having made a few too many already this season. He has seven interceptions already, compared to six from all of last season.

The Jets have played Buffalo, Dallas, Kansas City and Philadelphia in four of the first six weeks – they could have been looking at a 3-3 record even with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.

2) Browns stun the Niners

Cleveland knocked off the only other undefeated team in the league, in the 49ers. It was very much a defensive-led effort, which is the way the Browns have to go this season – especially as we wait to see how long Deshaun Watson is sidelined at quarterback.

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Highlights of the San Francisco 49ers against the Cleveland Browns in Week Six of the NFL season.

This is a team powered by its defense. And they faced the ultimate challenge in the form of the 49ers’ star-studded attack. They were up to the task.

Going into the final drive, San Francisco had gained just 21 total yards of offense in the second half. They still almost pulled off the win, but that would have been harsh on the Browns. I think they deserved this victory. They are one of those teams that might spoil a party or two once it gets to playoff time.

3) Lamar Jackson

I’ve talked about this before in this column: star players matter.

Having a breadth of talent, and depth across your roster, is vital when it comes to lasting through the attritional battle that is an NFL season but you also need difference-makers, who can take a game by the scruff of the neck and inspire those around them.

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Highlights of the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans in Week Six of the NFL season.

Although his numbers weren’t sensational, I thought that was Lamar Jackson in Baltimore’s 24-16 win over Tennessee at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. He ended the days with 62 rushing yards, added 223 passing yards and one touchdown, but the biggest thing was that he turned a lot of four or five-yard losses into five or six-yard gains.

It was special to see him in the flesh and a special way to finish off these three weeks’ worth of NFL games in London. We continue to be appreciative of the teams coming over this side of the pond.

4) McDaniel’s Miami

Another week and another incredible performance by the Dolphins offense. It feels like you can cut and paste that into this column every week. They are sensational. They beat the Panthers 42-21, and that’s after spotting the visitors a 14-0 lead!

They didn’t blink, they didn’t panic. They backed themselves to get their opportunities, and they knew they were going to score. They’re just too good.

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Tyreek Hill celebrated his touchdown by taking a phone and recording a selfie of himself doing a back flip.

Tua Tagovailoa threw three touchdown passes, Tyreek Hill had a huge day and anyone worried about the loss off rookie running back De’Von Achane, fear not, as Raheem Mostert had 115 yards on the ground to go with three TDs.

These Dolphins are scarily fast, they’re hugely productive week on week and I just think they’ve got everything you need to make a deep run into the playoffs – including fighting spirit.

5) Stroud turning Texans around

I think we as a league should be paying more attention to the Houston Texans. They have now won three of the last four after beating the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

CJ Stroud continues to impress, even though he threw his first interception of the season he still threw a couple of touchdown passes.

I like the eyeball test, you don’t always have to focus on the numbers. It wasn’t just about him; there were some key defensive stops late in the game that suggest the Texans are building an intriguing team in a winnable division. I don’t think enough credit has been been paid to DeMeco Ryans, who is turning this team around.

Player of the Week – Tyreek Hill, wide receiver, Miami Dolphins

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Tyreek Hill put on another display for the Dolphins, with two electric catch and runs.

I just think when Tyreek Hill is on fire, on full form he is almost impossible to cover. I can’t remember seeing a receiver like this, who can blow a top off a defense time and time again. Six catches, 163 yards and a touchdown.

Not only do we see him catch deep passes but we see him catch 15 and 20-yard comebacks where the defensive backs have dropped 25-30 yards into coverage. They are scared stiff of Tyreek Hill and few defenses have an answer.

Play of the Week – Adams’ interception against the Eagles

I’m going with Tony Adams’ interception of Jalen Hurts late in the Jets’ win over the Eagles. It was third-and-long and really the only way I thought the Jets were going to win this game was to turn the ball over there, I didn’t feel Zach Wilson was going to match the length of the field.

Hurts just needs to avoid the interception, he makes an ill-advised throw and then Tony Adams strikes and takes it down inside Philadelphia’s 10-yard line to help the Jets win that game.

It was a vital play in New York’s season and one that epitomised the start of their season with the defense helping out the offense.

Coach of the Week – Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions are now 5-1, they’ve won 13 of their last 16. I think we can stop talking about the Lions as a cute success story, we can talk about them as one of the best teams in the NFL right now.

They won in Tampa Bay with defense, which is something you could not have said a year ago with that unit being the worst in the NFL. Jared Goff also had some big moments. This is looking like a real team.

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The Detroit Lions dial up big-time trick play for a 31-yard touchdown to tight end Sam LaPorta.

They have got energy, chemistry and belief, and that all comes from their head coach in Dan Campbell. The Lions, because of their head coach, are eating at the top table of NFL teams.

On my radar… Desmond Ridder

How many chances do you want at the end of a game? It felt like every time I watched that game the Atlanta Falcons had the ball back, Washington won 24-16 but couldn’t close out that game.

Desmond Ridder threw a terrible end zone interception, at which Arthur Smith did little to hide his dismay. He turned the ball over on downs on the next drive and then threw an interception to finish the game.

He is not HIM, as they would say in American Football terms. Taylor Heinicke is watching on from the bench, and I’m watching this carefully because I think he would give a decent spark to this team. This is I believe a playoff calibre team, lacking a playoff calibre quarterback.

Week Seven begins on Thursday night (1.15am Friday morning) when the Jacksonville Jaguars face the New Orleans Saints, live on Sky Sports NFL.

Baltimore Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr has described his famous, one-handed touchdown catch that launched him to superstardom in 2014 as both “a blessing and a curse”.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Beckham said that his scoring grab when playing for the New York Giants – the team who drafted him 12th overall that year – changed his life overnight.

Now 30 years old, and on his fourth NFL team after joining the Ravens in the offseason, Beckham spoke of his new-found maturity when dealing with criticism, as well as his “one of a kind” quarterback in Lamar Jackson and his excitement at playing in London this weekend as Baltimore face the Tennessee Titans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“In one instant, it changed my life forever,” Beckham said of his famous catch against the Dallas Cowboys some nine years ago.

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A look back to Odell Beckham Jr’s iconic one-handed catch for the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014

“It allowed me to be able to do all the things that I’m capable of doing now and brings in a lot of business deals, money and of those things.

“On the other hand, it took away the bit of privacy that I try to protect so much. You’re already a public figure and then that happens: it was just never the same.

“I wouldn’t trade it, I wouldn’t take it back. It was truly one of the most beautiful things in my life, but I feel like it made my whole career about that one moment. I’m more than just one moment.”

Beckham, a rookie at the time, went on to become the first player to record more than 75 receptions, 1,100 yards, and 10 touchdowns in their debut NFL season. But he admits he struggled to adjust to his sudden celebrity status.

“You can’t prepare somebody for fame,” he added. “No matter how you arrange the principles or morals, you can’t prepare for what a person is going to feel from the fame and all of those things.

“For someone like me, the spotlight is cool, but once it’s off, I’m very chilled and just how I am.”

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Phoebe Schecter says Odell Beckham Jr’s influence on a new generation of NFL fans cannot be under-estimated

After a dazzling first three seasons in New York, injury curtailed Beckham’s 2017 season and he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in rather acrimonious fashion after 2018.

He struggled to replicate his success in Cleveland and, though he won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 after forcing his way out of the Browns mid-season, Beckham suffered a torn ACL in the game itself and was sidelined for all of 2022.

Odell Beckham Jr was injured midway through the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl LVI win over the Cincinnati Bengals

A nine-year veteran of the league and now settled in Baltimore, Beckham says he finds it much easier to deal with his critics.

“I feel like us as humans, everybody wants to be liked,” he said. “But I think once you get hung up on trying to be liked or trying to always please everybody, you’re in a game that you will forever lose.

“I always talk about hand sanitizer killing 99.9 per cent of germs… there’s always going to be a little bit [of criticism], no matter how positive your mindset.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s the business that we’re in. For me, personally, I don’t get caught up in it too much anymore. My biggest advice for people receiving criticism is, ‘if you can’t handle it, don’t read it.'”

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Speaking on Her Huddle, Gregg Rosenthal and Phoebe Schecter analyse Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and consider how much further he can improve

OBJ: Jackson ‘worth all the money in the world’

The Ravens are 3-2 going in to Sunday’s clash with the Titans in London – live on Sky Sports NFL from 2.30pm – and with Beckham yet to fully make his mark with the team.

He has just 66 receiving yards from five catches in two starts, with a troublesome ankle sidelining him for the other three games, but he is full of praise for his quarterback Lamar Jackson, who signed a new, five-year, $260m contract with Baltimore in the summer.

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Odell Beckham Jr shows his excitement at being able to link up with quarterback Lamar Jackson and says he’s “worth all the money in the world.”

“I remember catching myself one time watching him run and then suddenly thinking, ‘oh, I’ve got to go block for him,'” Beckham said. “He’s truly worth all the money in the world. A one of a kind.

“For me, when I was looking at teams, there was just was something very intriguing about the Ravens.

“It hasn’t been the start that I wanted, but the season is long. Anything can happen and it’s just about keeping your head down, staying focused, and trying to get better each and every day.”

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A look at Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s top plays from the 2023 season so far

Beckham is set to feature this Sunday against Tennessee and hopes to help get the team back to winning ways, on his second visit to London with the NFL after playing at Twickenham in a 17-10 win over the Rams in 2016.

“When I came out the first time we played, everyone was in their own teams’ jersey that they loved but still went to the game. I thought that was pretty cool,” he said.

“It’s come a long way since then. And I think it’s only going to grow and continue to grow and get better.

“I’ve been to a few football (soccer) games before over here and just seeing the fans, the energy, the atmosphere, I always thought if American Football had this, it’d be pretty crazy. So it’s definitely exciting.”

Watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium live on Sky Sports NFL on Sunday, with kickoff at 2.30pm. Stream the 2023 NFL season on Sky Sports with NOW.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is being placed on injured reserve as he recovers from a hamstring injury; elsewhere, Miami Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane is set to miss multiple weeks due to a knee injury suffered against the New York Giants

The Minnesota Vikings are set to place star wide receiver Justin Jefferson on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the team’s next four games.

Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, with no timeframe placed on his return, as reported by NFL Network.

It means he will now miss games against the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons, with the Vikings sitting 1-4 and third in the NFC North.

The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year had entered Week Five with a league-leading 543 receiving yards from a tied-second 33 catches and three touchdowns.

His absence should pave the way for an increased target share for rookie receiver Jordan Addison, who has 19 catches for 249 yards and three touchdowns through five games. Tight end TJ Hockenson is also among the options for Kirk Cousins having made 30 catches for 254 yards and two scores on the year.

It brings an end to Jefferson’s run of 53 consecutive starts since Week Three of his rookie campaign in 2020, while also marking the first time he has missed a game in the NFL.

The Vikings stare at the prospect of a major transition come the end of the season, with quarterback Cousins playing on the final year of his current deal.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson explains why he loves to put a show on for the fans and how high expectations come as added motivation

Jefferson’s setback meanwhile adds to the long list of marquee injury setbacks so far during the 2023 NFL season, with Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson among the latest players to go down after sustaining a shoulder injury in Week Five.

Dolphins star Achane sidelined

Miami Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane is also due to miss time after suffering a knee injury in his side’s victory over the New York Giants at the weekend.

NFL Network reported that Achane is set to be sidelined for ‘multiple weeks’ as a result of the problem.

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Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane is gone in a flash on a 76-yard TD run as he sprints virtually untouched down the sideline for the long score

Achane reeled off a stunning 76-yard touchdown run in the game on his way to 151 rushing yards from 11 carries as he extended his scoring tally to seven through five weeks.

The third-round pick leads Miami with 460 rushing yards and five touchdowns while also making nine catches for 67 yards and two end zone visits, proving a seamless fit to Mike McDaniel’s scheme.

Raheem Mostert leads the Dolphins with 58 carries so far on the year, from which he has amassed 314 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Vera-Tucker out for the year

It was also announced Monday that New York Jets offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker will also miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles.

Vera-Tucker, 24, was injured during Sunday’s 31-21 win against the Denver Broncos. NFL Network originally reported that the Jets were optimistic their 2021 first-round pick (No. 14 overall) only injured his calf.

But Monday afternoon, coach Robert Saleh told reporters that the MRI showed an Achilles tear.

“We’re all kind of surprised, because he played a play on it, he walked off on his own power, he walked to the locker room on his own power, so we were pretty optimistic that that part of it was going to be OK,” Saleh said. “It’s a blow. Again, I feel bad for him.”

It’s the second straight year that Vera-Tucker’s season has been cut short, having played seven games in 2022 before suffering a torn triceps.

Vera-Tucker has started all 28 of his games with New York, including the first five contests this season. He began the season as the starting right guard before shifting to right tackle in Week 3.

Backup right tackle Max Mitchell could start Sunday when the Jets (2-3) host the Philadelphia Eagles (5-0).

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The Los Angeles Rams and their phase of reinvention has become one of the fun-filled stories of the young 2023 NFL season.

They find themselves navigating the strip-down-and-reload that always lurked in the distance after hamstringing their immediate future to devote everything to a Championship push. They are youthful, enigmatic, near-blank-canvased and unburdened by investment-fuelled expectation, the holes and hiccups that may befall them softened by the Lombardi Trophy they were left to show for their pocket-emptying approach.

Sean McVay’s side are two years removed from their Super Bowl-winning campaign, capped by a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in what served as a defining moment for one of Mike Shanahan’s brightest disciples and so too the cash pot of Stan Kroenke.

A pool of superstars and wily veterans has since become a who’s who of ‘who’s that?’, within which has been weaved a rejuvenated McVay, an understaffed yet excelling defensive coordinator in Raheem Morris and a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who still possesses the arm talent to thrill and destroy, while being prone to the odd erratic mistake.

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Rookie Puka Nacua of the LA Rams has taken everyone by surprise in his incredible start to the NFL season

It wasn’t so long ago Rams General Manager Les Snead was wearing a t-shirt printed with the words ‘F*** them picks’ during the team’s Super Bowl parade, in reference to team construction strategy built heavily on trading draft picks in order to acquire ready-made contributors. It also wasn’t so long ago that he was apologising for said gesture. Spoiler: 2022 was a humbling hangover.

The Rams and their Jared Goff-Todd Gurley axis had fallen at the final hurdle. In relaunching their pursuit of a Super Bowl the Rams would trade two-first-round picks and a fourth-round pick for cornerback Jalen Ramsey to plug one of football’s toughest positons, they would acquire their perceived missing piece in quarterback Stafford for two first-round picks and a third-round pick, they would spruce up their Aaron Donald-encrusted defense by trading for future Hall of Fame ghost-move-guru edge rusher Von Miller and would sign free agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr down the stretch of their eventual Super Bowl-winning 2021 season.

Granted, Donald and Cooper Kupp formed a defining spine as existing Rams draft selections, while depth was padded out by mid-to-late round picks, but Rams glory had been built on the short-term super-team immediacy that zagged from the block-by-block zig of the Draft. Salary cap gymnastics became the winning formula, with the caveat that kicking finances down the road always threatened a transition.

In the wake of Super Bowl success the Rams saw offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth retire, Miller head to Buffalo on a lucrative contract in view of guiding a third team to a ring, and Beckham Jr departed to begin his lengthy recovery from injury. Kupp, who had led the league with 1,947 yards in 2021, and Stafford were meanwhile limited to just nine games each through injury, and Donald himself was struck down with an ankle issue in November to further hamper a team feeling the full force of a hangover. McVay’s passing attack spluttered, the offensive line was manhandled and the Rams slumped to a 5-12 finish.

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Highlights of the Los Angeles Rams against Indianapolis Colts from Week Four of the NFL season

Cue change. The Rams proceeded to trade Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, released veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner and edge rusher Leonard Floyd, watched nose tackle Greg Gaines sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, parted with guard David Edwards, safeties Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp and traded Allen Robinson II to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

By May they had onboarded 38 rookies before naming 14 to the initial 53-man roster as they entered the 2023 season the second-youngest team in the league. It comes after the Rams’ stretch of not having a first-round pick reached seven years, while free agency bypassed them to the sound of little activity as the team entered the campaign supposedly carrying $75m of dead money against their salary cap for the year. Let the games begin.

It raised the curtain on a new chapter for McVay amid murmurs he had been considering his future in the NFL. A chance to tinker again with the Shanahan-cultivated scheme that had lost some spark and innovation, an opportunity to craft young talent into cornerstones of the re-modeled Rams.

The minefield of Week One overreactions aside, an opening-day 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks warranted some attention. One of the NFL’s most intense and intelligent young coaches was still just that, a healthy Stafford could still dunk on teams and Aaron Donald, for all the retirement talk, was still Aaron Donald.

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Highlights of the Washington Commanders against the Philadelphia Eagles from Week Four of the NFL season

Enter Puka Nacua, the fifth-round rookie wide receiver who has amassed 501 receiving yards from a league-high 39 catches heading into Week Five, putting him on pace to rival Calvin Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964 yards in 2012. The former BYU man’s receiving yards and receptions through his first four games mark NFL records, within which came a rookie single-game record 15 catches in the Week Two loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

He has become the centre-piece to a Kupp-less offense over the first month with a savviness for getting to his landmark and the subtle feints in cuts and sustenance to his routes that enables McVay to be diverse with his usage, whether it be deploying him in a pre-snap jet motion that extends into a deep over or sandwiching him in a three-level trips concept that relies on perfection to the timing of his break and the release of Stafford.

Alongside him Tutu Atwell is finally offering signs of being the consistent contributor they drafted in the second round in 2021, McVay’s barrage of fast motions offering the former Louisville receiver a runway on which to veil his route. The result has been 22 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown over the first four weeks, leaving him just 29 shy of surpassing the 298 receiving yards he posted in 13 games last season.

Elsewhere, 2022 fifth-round pick Kyren Williams has already run Cam Akers out of town in the backfield with a third-most five rushing touchdowns, a fourth-most 17 red zone carries and a third-most 22 targets among all running backs while playing more snaps than any player in his position through four games. His nose for the end zone is feasting behind an offensive line that has found a potential cornerstone in second-round left guard Steve Avila, a rising fleet-footed climb-and-clear run blocking asset and maul-and-brawl pass protector.

The Raheem Morris defense has its own rookie feature in third-round outside linebacker Byron Young, who has 16 tackles, two sacks and 14 pressures and seven hurries so far on the year, as well as eight quarterback hits that put him level with that of Micah Parsons and two off Nick Bosa. And they still have sixth-round rookie cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson to come as a twitchy, slightly undersized, front-foot route-jumper and deep-shot blanket who allowed a passer rating of just 34.6 with TCU last year. He is competing for a place within a secondary made up of 2022 fourth-round pick Cobie Durant, 2022 seventh-round pick Russ Yeast and 2022 sixth-round pick Derion Kendrick. Welcome to the 2023 Los Angeles Rams.

McVay’s side currently sit 2-2 with an offense ranked eighth in EPA/play and fourth in total yards on offense as well as ninth in total yards and ninth in success rate on defense. Stafford is delivering a handsome dose of wow throws, Morris is thrusting himself into head coach contention, McVay is reminding the league he is still rather special and Kupp to accompany Nacua.

The Rams are fun. The winning may be sporadic and volatile, but they are a fascinating watch as they begin life on a new arch.

Watch the Los Angeles Rams host the Philadelphia Eagles from 9.05pm on Sunday live on Sky Sports NFL; Stream the 2023 NFL season with NOW for £21 a month for six months

Sky Sports NFL announces its live fixtures for Weeks 1-3 of the 2023 season, with Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets, Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs in action; watch the Chiefs host the Lions in the season opener in the early hours of Friday September 8

The 2023 NFL season has arrived, with Sky Sports’ dedicated channel set to showcase some of the biggest names and games as part of a bumper schedule across the first three weeks of the campaign.

Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins take on Justin Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers in Week One and Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets meet Dak Prescott’s Dallas Cowboys in Week Two, while both Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence are both in action live on Sky as they begin their pursuit of a spot at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Here are the fixtures live on Sky Sports across the opening three weeks of the season…

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Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

Week 1:

Thursday Night kickoff:

• (08/09 @ 1:20am) – Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs – Sky Sports NFL & Showcase

Sky Sports Sunday exclusive:

• (10/09 @ 6pm) – San Francisco 49ers @ Pittsburgh Steelers – Sky Sports NFL & Part Sky Sports Main Event
• (10/09 @ 9:25pm) – Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers – Sky Sports NFL

Sunday Night Football:

• (11/09 @ 1:20am) – Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Monday Night Football:

• (12/09 @ 1:15am) – Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Week 2:

Thursday Night Football:

• (15/09 @ 1:20am) – Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Sky Sports Sunday exclusive:

• (17/09 @ 6pm) – Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars – Sky Sports NFL & 7pm join Sky Sports Main Event
• (17/09 @ 9:25pm) – Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Sunday Night Football:

• (18/09 @ 1:20am) – Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Monday Night Football:

• (19/09 @ 12:15am) – New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers – Sky Sports Arena & Sky Sports Mix
• (19/09 @ 1:15am) – Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Aaron Rodgers has a second Super Bowl ring on his mind

Week 3:

Thursday Night Football:

• (22/09 @1:20am) – New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Sky Sports Sunday Exclusive:

• (24/09 @ 6pm) – New York Jets @ New England Patriots – Sky Sports NFL & 7pm join Sky Sports Main Event
• (24/09 @ 9:25pm) Chicago Bears @ Kansas City Chiefs – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Sunday Night Football:

• (25/09 @ 1:20am) – Pittsburgh Steelers @ Las Vegas Raiders – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event

Monday Night Football:

• (26/09 @ 12:15am) – Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sky Sports NFL & Sky Sports Main Event
• (26/09 @ 1:15am) – Los Angeles Rams @ Cincinnati Bengals – Sky Sports Arena & Sky Sports Mix

How to follow the 2023 NFL season

The NFL is back!

Live on Sky Sports

The 2023 NFL season kicks off live on Sky Sports in the early hours of Friday September 9 (1.20am) as the defending champion Chiefs take on this year’s potential surprise package in the Detroit Lions at Arrowhead.

Neil Reynolds will then be joined by Phoebe Schecter in Pittsburgh for the opening NFL Sunday of the season as the Steelers take on the San Francisco 49ers in the 6pm kickoff live on Sky, while Hannah Wilkes and Jason Bell guide you through the late slate of games from Sky Studios.

Make sure you tune in to Sky Sports NFL every Sunday at 6pm for the first game of our triple-header of live action. The evening’s entertainment also includes NFL Redzone action as hosted by Scott Hanson, as well as Sunday Night Football to round off the night.

Sky Sports will broadcast two exclusive live games every Sunday throughout the regular season in the 6pm and 9.25pm slots, while also showing every Thursday Night, Sunday Night and Monday Night match-up as well as the Thanksgiving and Christmas Day fixtures.

Fans can also watch every minute of the playoffs across January, followed by Super Bowl LVIII at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11.

On the road again!

The Sky Sports NFL team are leaving the comfort of Sky Studios to take the show on the road again this season.

Neil Reynolds will lead a two-hour build-up show live from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 15 as Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans in the third of three London games this year.

It is then off to Germany, where we will broadcast live from Frankfurt as the Dolphins take on the Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts face the New England Patriots on November 5 and 12, respectively.

What else?

The dedicated Sky Sports NFL channel will meanwhile continue to show the usual NFL Network favourites, including Good Morning Football, Pro Football Talk, Total Access, NFL Fantasy Live and America’s Game.

Neil Reynolds will be back to present his regular Inside the Huddle podcast, while Hannah Wilkes brings you exclusive interviews with the leading ladies of the NFL through Her Huddle.

Every episode of this year’s Hard Knocks as well as One Jets Drive will also be available to watch as we are taken behind-the-scenes with the Jets as they begin life with Aaron Rodgers.

Digital and Social

Throughout the season at skysports.com/nfl, we will have previews and reports for every live game, a rolling blog to accompany Sunday’s busy 6pm slate, where you can catch the best of the action if you are out and about.

Stick with us for the best feature and preview content as well as the verdict from our host of experts as our line-up of pundits and guests ensure all the talking points are covered.

And follow us on Twitter @SkySportsNFL where we want you to join in the conversation with your thoughts, comments and feedback through the season.

Don’t miss a second of the 2023 NFL season with Sky Sports NFL – watch the Kansas City Chiefs being their Super Bowl title defence against the Detroit Lions in the early hours of Friday September 8 live on Sky. Stream with NOW.

Can the Dallas Cowboys end their Super Bowl drought? An emphatic statement win in Week One has ignited a familiar flame, but will it be a familiar conclusion?; watch the Cowboys host the New York Jets live on Sky Sports NFL from 9.25pm Sunday

No team does early-season optimism better than the Dallas Cowboys.

No fan base is ready to crown their team Super Bowl champions sooner than Dallas fans, and that’s despite a title drought stretching into its 28th year. Heck, the Cowboys haven’t even so much as reached an NFC Championship game over that period – having previously made their home in them, appearing in 16 over the prior 30 seasons, en route to five Super Bowl wins.

There have been plenty of false dawns since, including posting back-to-back 12-5 seasons over the last two years that both resulted in handy defeats to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs.

But is there reason to believe that 2023 could be different? I mean, there are season-opening wins and then there is the type of 40-0 drubbing they dished out to their divisional rivals, the New York Giants – in their building – last Sunday night. Talk about making a statement.

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Highlights of the Cowboys’ 40-0 win over the Giants

This was a Giants side fresh from their own playoff run to the divisional round last year, and one with genuine optimism of even better prospects this season. Within 15 minutes of football, those flickering flames of ambition were forcibly extinguished – and not by the driving rain at MetLife Stadium.

Riding a dominant defense, Dallas embarrassed the Giants, blocking a field goal and returning an interception to the house for a 16-0 lead after one quarter alone.

The Cowboys D held quarterback Daniel Jones to just 15 of 28 passing, for 104 yards, sacking him seven times and intercepting him twice.

Osa Odighizuwa and Dorance Armstrong each had two of those sacks and Trevon Diggs had a key pass breakup and a forced fumble – one of five lost by the Giants.

The swarming Dallas defense was so dominant that Dak Prescott only had to provide 143 yards on 13-of-24 passing in the demolition, though Tony Pollard tacked on two TDs as the Cowboys recorded their largest shutout win in franchise history.

And the blowout has sparked that most familiar of things in Dallas, unwavering belief.

Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons said after the win: “I saw this before anybody.

“I said I can’t wait to get to New York. I knew it was coming.

“With execution meets preparation, there is no one that can beat it. We’ve already felt this. We’ve been to war before. We knew the standard.”

Parsons later added: “I think we made the statement which I’ve been trying to make. We’re the best defense in the National Football League.”

It’s hard to argue.

The Dallas defense is the first since the 1970s to lead the NFL in takeaways in consecutive seasons, with their 33 from last season bettered by one in 2021. They were also top five in terms of points allowed per game a year ago, coughing up just 20.1 on average.

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Defensive back Noah Igbinoghene opens the Cowboys’ 2023 NFL season with a 58-yard touchdown after blocking the Giants’ field goal

Where the Cowboys faltered, last season in particular, was on offense, ranking only in the middle of the pack in terms of yards per game (354.9), and with Prescott finishing tied for first with Davis Mills of the three-win Houston Texans for the most interceptions in the league, tossing up a career-high 15 to accompany a career-low mark of 7.3 yards per attempt.

While he wasn’t required to do much against the Giants, there is renewed optimism that Prescott and the Cowboys can rediscover their 2021 form on offense which saw them top the league both in terms of yardage (407 YPG) and scoring (31.2 PPG).

Undisputed No 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, including a career-high 1,359 a year ago, while he’s complimented by speedster Brandin Cooks – acquired via trade from the Texans – and the underrated Michael Gallup, hopefully free from his injury woes of the last two years.

There’s also Pollard, who is very much the top dog at running back after Ezekiel Elliot’s overdue exit, and he looked eager to assume such a mantle with his pair of scores in New York.

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Highlights of the Buffalo Bills against the New York Jets in Week One of the NFL season

That offensive weaponry will get a stern test of their credentials this Sunday, however, against an Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets who themselves boast a stellar defense – one fit to challenge Parsons’ claim of being the best in the NFL and fresh from intercepting Josh Allen three times in their stunning season-opening win over the Buffalo Bills.

“It’s a great start,” Parsons added after the Giants win.

“I haven’t seen anything like that since we have been here, but it’s the consistency. We just have to keep it going.”

Head coach Mike McCarthy, conscious of keeping expectations in check in Dallas, stressed: “It’s one game.

“We know where we want to go. I feel like we are fully capable and have an understanding of how to get there. But it’s a long journey.”

Well, without wishing to contradict the coach’s sentiments, the Cowboys’ two prior season-opening shutouts have something in common: when Dallas beat the Baltimore Colts 38-0 in 1978 and the Giants 35-0 in 1995, they reached the Super Bowl on both occasions.

Try telling Cowboys fans not to get carried away right now.

Watch the Kansas City Chiefs at the Jacksonville Jaguars live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm Sunday, followed by New York Jets on the road against the Dallas Cowboys from 9.25pm; the Miami Dolphins then take on the New England Patriots in Sunday Night Football.