Tag: League

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

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.'”

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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