NFL Winners and Losers: Lamar Jackson can not beat the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs once more whereas Puka Nacua and Jaxson Dart shine

Patrick Mahomes toppled Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens but once more, whereas the Atlanta Falcons and their star-studded offense lastly feasted. Listed here are among the winners and losers from Sunday within the NFL…

Winners

Jaxson Dart

It could not be the New York Giants if a breathe of recent air didn’t arrive accompanied by a significant setback, new life on the quarterback place overshadowed on Sunday by a suspected torn ACL for star vast receiver Malik Nabers. Merciless and premature. Nonetheless, the Giants nonetheless managed to ship what’s going to go down as one of many finer moments within the Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen period, regardless of how for much longer that may final.

Dart injected long-lost oomph right into a long-stagnant Giants offense as he accomplished 13 of 20 passes for 111 yards and a landing whereas additionally speeding for 54 yards and a rating to steer New York to a 21-18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Certain, modest numbers on paper nevertheless it was the forgotten sense of pleasure that mattered most because the second-round rookie made his first begin since taking on from Russell Wilson, changing into the primary quarterback within the final 20 years to beat a 3-0 or higher staff on his first profession begin. He had set the tone early by orchestrating a nine-play 75-yard drive culminating in his 15-yard scoring run; Giants followers couldn’t keep in mind what a drive comparable to that seemed like.

Shane Bowen’s protection in the meantime starred to thwart Herbert’s commanding begin to the marketing campaign as Abdul Carter, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux mixed for 20 pressures. The Chargers quarterback threw two interceptions on the day, together with one from large defensive sort out Dexter Lawrence that he virtually returned for a dream landing.

The Falcons offense

Atlanta had been dreaming of this second. The second their talent-rich offense performed prefer it. The second a star-studded pool of weapons matched their reputations and projections with significant numbers. The second their offense feasted as one to bury a staff.

Drake London made eight catches for 110 yards and a landing, Bijan Robinson had 181 scrimmage yards and a landing, Kyle Pitts had 5 catches for 70 yards, Tyler Allgeier had 51 speeding yards and a landing and quarterback Michael Penix Jr steadied final week’s rocking ship by going 20 of 26 for 313 yards, two touchdowns and an interception because the Falcons beat the Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders. It was the proper response to final Sunday’s weird 30-0 blowout debacle towards the Carolina Panthers, who had been simply dismantled 42-13 by the New England Patriots; soccer, you simply by no means know. Damning inconsistencies have made for obscure projections of this Falcons staff, however Sunday was an instance of effectivity and ruthless prolificacy they have to search to emulate. Whereas Robinson reminded all that he stays a defining point of interest of the Falcons set-up, Penix Jr drew on his arm expertise with courageous throws downfield and into difficult avenues throughout the sport. Fearless is his factor. And when it is on, it is actually on.

Puka Nacua

No vast receiver within the NFL is taking part in higher soccer than Los Angeles Rams talisman Nacua, who leads the league in catches (42), targets (49) and receiving yards (503) whereas additionally holding the tied NFL report for probably the most catches by the primary 4 video games. Nacua posted NFL rookie information in receptions and receiving yards in 2023 earlier than being held to 990 yards in 11 video games because of harm in 2024. However he has resumed his lightning begin to life within the NFL this season and finds himself on tempo to surpass 2,000 yards after making 13 catches for a career-high 170 yards and a landing in Sunday’s 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

He’s a quarterback’s dream as a zone protection crusher with a knack for getting separation, one of many most secure pairs of palms in soccer and the flexibility to wrestle contested catches in his favour. He is not the quickest, neither is he the stronger, or the most important, however he performs the place superbly. Nacua now additionally notably has eight 100-yard receiving video games for the reason that starting of final season, greater than some other participant, after serving to the Rams finish Daniel Jones and the Colts’ excellent begin to the marketing campaign. The league puzzled if the arrival of Davante Adams may even see the Rams stray from their point of interest, nevertheless it has solely appeared to raise Nacua as one thing of an ideal complement.

Losers

Lamar Jackson

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has concocted a fiercely-coveted method with which to nullify Jackson. By now it’s no joke to take a position about mystical arts through which solely he’s seemingly skilled; Spagnuolo has had the double league MVP’s quantity for a while now, and he had it but once more on Sunday because the Chiefs threatened to ignite their marketing campaign.

Jackson fell to 1-6 towards the Chiefs in his profession as Baltimore had been swept apart 37-20 to fall to 1-3 on the 12 months, amongst his latest shortcomings towards Kansas Metropolis being an agonising AFC Championship Recreation defeat again in January 2024. He is among the biggest quarterback skills in NFL historical past armed with each weapon within the guide, however he simply can not work out the Spagnuolo puzzle. Jackson had zero solutions for Spagnuolo’s persistent blitzes as he was pressured on 48.1 per cent of dropbacks whereas being sacked thrice on his approach to ending 14 of 20 for 147 yards, a landing and an interception earlier than exiting with a hamstring harm late within the third quarter. Kansas Metropolis’s linebackers had been expertly primed to quash Jackson’s floor risk exterior the pocket in addition to proscribing Derrick Henry to 42 yards within the protection’s greatest efficiency of the season.

Extra uncomfortable questions of Zach Orr loom as his last-ranked Ravens protection endured one other depressing outing, surrendering 382 yards to a Chiefs staff that has hobbled by the primary three weeks on offense. Patrick Mahomes threw for 270 yards and 4 touchdowns in a delicate ‘have it’ to these too fast to squeeze him out of one of the best quarterback dialog alongside Jackson and Josh Allen. He is nonetheless the man.

The Tennessee Titans

“If we keeping it a buck right now, we’re ass,” stated Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward.

The No 1 total draft choose had simply gone a measly 10 of 26 for 108 yards and an interception because the Titans had been crushed 26-0 by the Houston Texans. The consequence got here after Brian Callahan introduced he was handing over play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree through the week; it did not make a distinction.

“We’re 0-4. At this point, we have nothing to lose. We’ve dropped a quarter of our f****** games and have yet to do anything. We have to lock, especially myself. In all three phases, we have to play together and have not done it this year yet. I just want to win. When is the last time Tennessee won? I don’t know. Everybody in this locker room, we have to win.”

It took all of 4 weeks for the rookie quarterback to grasp the enormity and the complete scary extent of the mess through which he finds himself in Nashville. Callahan’s tenure as Titans head coach is snowballing in direction of an unflattering, forgettable conclusion, however whereas it might be straightforward to take a look at the present mess with a grimace, the franchise and its followers will maintain encouragement they’ve seen sufficient to consider in Ward. His menu is loaded with eye-catching throws defiant of angles, alignments, pressures, platforms and conventional soccer classes that educate you to not throw throughout your physique – the league has already realized that he’ll do it anyway. There’s a spark there, however he’s surrounded by nothing.

Brian Flores

Dangerous days for a Flores protection have grow to be one thing of an anomaly, for the Minnesota Vikings’ all-blitzing coverage-disguising string-puller tends to torment a lot of the league for enjoyable. He did simply that in October final 12 months when his unit intercepted Aaron Rodgers thrice in a win over the New York Jets at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; it had served as a distinguished speaking level heading into Sunday’s historic regular-season matchup at Dublin’s Croke Park.

This time, it was to be Rodgers who prevailed. The 41-year-old rolled again the years as he proved he can nonetheless decipher a defensive maze as swiftly and as effectively as any quarterback within the league whereas guiding the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 24-21 victory. There had been a second halfway by the primary quarter when Rodgers directed a fist pump in direction of his sideline in mini-celebration having recognized Flores’ intentions to retreat simulated rushers off the road of scrimmage whereas rolling his protection look. Rodgers discovered his scorching route on the slant to maneuver the chains and prolong a drive ending in Kenneth Gainwell’s opening landing.

Minnesota’s protection, granted, at occasions was undone by a troublesome day for Kevin O’Connell’s offense within the face of a rampant Steelers move rush. The Carson Wentz expertise may need been completely typified within the second half when he ate back-to-back sacks earlier than throwing a horrendous interception to TJ Watt because the dwarfing exterior linebacker stared him down on the road of scrimmage. He is laborious to overlook. The Steelers had been tasked with honouring their Irish roots, and so they couldn’t have performed with extra pleasure in the event that they tried. Nick Herbig was flying round like his passport dwelling relied on it, Payton Wilson was a constant pest throughout a efficiency that noticed him attain 22.48mph to miraculously chase down Jordan Addison on an 81-yard catch-and-run sure for the tip zone, and Kenny ‘break up the G’ Gainwell was the shock star of Dublin.

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