NFL roundup
Full time
Baltimore Ravens 10-44 Houston Texans
Carolina Panthers 27-24 Miami Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts 40-6 Las Vegas Raiders
New Orleans Saints 26-14 New York Giants
New York Jets 22-37 Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles 17-21 Denver Broncos
And … breathe. Those adjustments from Broncos head coach Sean Payton were something else.
That is your lot from the early window of games. I will certainly be staying locked in for Detroit v Cincinnati as I have St Brown, Gibbs and the Lions defense starting this week in fantasy. Goodnight!
Final score: Eagles 17-21 Broncos
Philadelphia are unbeaten no more on 4-1 and Denver earn a huge statement victory to move to 3-2.
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Eagles 17-21 Broncos 0:03, 4th quarter
Three seconds left. Final play of the game. Squeaky butt time as they don’t say. Mary is hailed! Smith goes up for the ball, it is in his hands and spills out again. What a game. BRONCOS WIN!
Eagles 17-21 Broncos 0:09, 4th quarter
Dotson makes the grab and gets out of bounds. This is not over, 29 yards to pay dirt.
Eagles 17-21 Broncos 0:15, 4th quarter
Incompletion and it is fourth down in a blink of an eye. The Broncos might pull this off! Hurts hurls it long … it’s, it’s, it’s pass interference! Philadelphia has a shot at the end zone now.
Eagles 17-21 Broncos 0:30, 4th quarter
Sack! Bonitto hauls down Hurts and the clock is running.
Final score: Jets 22-37 Cowboys
The Jets endure another tough defeat and are 0-5 while Dallas are smiling at 2-2-1.
Eagles 17-21 Broncos 1:11, 4th quarter
It’s good! Boneheaded play from Nix on third down to throw an incompletion rather than take the sack and keep the clock running. Romo is irritated on comms. But Lutz dutifully steps up from 36 yards to extend the lead. One minute and 11 seconds for the Eagles to score a game-winning touchdown. It feels unlikely but then again so did a Denver comeback.
Final score: Panthers 27-24 Dolphins, Saints 26-14 Giants
Two brilliant comeback wins from the Panthers and Saints. Both trailing by two scores, both roar back in the second half. New Orleans find their first win of the season!
TOUCHDOWN! Jets 22-37 Cowboys 1:42, 4th quarter
Too little, far too late but New York score in garbage time. Justin Fields finds Garrett Wilson for a nine-yard set of six points.
Eagles 17-18 Broncos 2:21, 4th quarter
2&14. Nix drops back and finds Sutton again. Two yards to find for a very important first down. How’s your luck Denver? Harvey is blown up behind the line after catching the dump off. But, wait. Laundry is flying again. Ho-ly. Unnecessary roughness against the Eagles. That could potentially decide the game.
TOUCHDOWN! Jets 14-37 Cowboys 4:31, 4th quarter
Javonte Williams takes his second rushing touchdown from inside the five-yard line to seal this one. Before that Andrew Beck grabbed one on the goalline for the Jets.
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TOUCHDOWN! Panthers 27-24 Dolphins 1:59, 4th quarter
Whoever holds the ball at the end of this one is going to win as the defenses are disintegrating. Carolina retake the lead with a four-yard score from Mitchell Evans.
Final score: Colts 40-6 Raiders
The Jonesaissance is real people. Daniel Jones and Indianapolis crush Las Vegas and move to 4-1 while Las Vegas slide to 1-4.
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Eagles 17-18 Broncos 5:00, 4th quarter
Eagles punt again and it is a rough one. Only 25 yards. Denver take over and we will no doubt see a lot more running plays. Can they extend their lead?
Final score: Baltimore 10-44 Houston
CJ Stroud looks like the cat that got a giant W. Great to see him smiling again and banish the memory of last season’s brutal defeats. Baltimore are 1-4 and Houston 2-3.
TOUCHDOWN! Panthers 20-24 Dolphins 4:42, 4th quarter
Carolina’s lead is short-lived. Jaylen Waddle puts Miami back in charge after hauling in a 46-yard pass from Tua.
TOUCHDOWN! Eagles 17-18 Broncos 7:36, 4th quarter
Evan Engram grabs an 11-yard score. Romo says exactly what I was thinking, “I did not expect the Broncos to come back.” They go for two points and the lead and Troy Franklin gets it!!!! Unbelievable 15 unanswered points for Denver. Another stunning comeback in this slate of games.
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Eagles 17-10 Broncos 8:17, 4th quarter
Courtland Sutton makes a nice 14-yard catch as the Broncos are then bottled up with a crucial third down on the Philadelphia 35-yard line. Nix drops back and finds Engram but flags fly. Offensive pass interference. Brutal. 3&15 now. Oh my! Sutton catches the strike for another first down. Incredible. The Broncos suddenly look like a different team.
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TOUCHDOWN! Panthers 20-17 Dolphins 6:10, 4th quarter
Another game with a huge turnaround. Miami led the Panthers 17-0 and now trail by three points. Rico Dowdle bangs in a one-yard touchdown run. Embarrassing if Miami drop this one.
Eagles 17-10 Broncos 11:08, 4th quarter
Denver are flying around and force the punt from Philadelphia. Game on!
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TOUCHDOWN! Eagles 17-10 Broncos 13:11, 4th quarter
Broncos fans can thank me for the reverse jinx. In begging to differ that a touchdown might on its way my man JK Dobbins then conjures that canned heat in his heels tonight, babaaay! A two-yard touchdown draws them to within one score. That was setup by a defensive holding call against Philadelphia. Not ideal.
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Eagles 17-3 Broncos 15:00, 4th quarter
Patient run alert. Quick make a Le’Veon Bell comparison someone! Oh wait I did, didn’t I! JK Dobbins keeps those chains moving with a 13-yard run. Averaging a tasty five yards a carry. Suddenly has me thinking of Jamiroquai (yes I had to look up the spelling). I wonder if Dobbins has a collection of interesting hats?
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Eagles 17-3 Broncos 0:00, 3rd quarter
Denver enter Philadelphia territory to close the third quarter. 15 minutes to go. “Denver putting something together!” Jim Nantz peformatively shouts. He may be trying to inject some much-needed jeopardy and would have you believe a score might be on its way. Having watched this game I beg to differ.
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TOUCHDOWN! Saints 26-14 Giants 14:47, 4th quarter
It has gone from bad to worse for the G-men who were once leading 14-3. The Saints defense come up huge as Jordan Howden runs almost the entire length of the field for a 86-yard scoop and score. Love to see it.
TOUCHDOWN! Ravens 10-41 Texans 13:48, 4th quarter
This battered Ravens defense just cannot stop Houston. Jaylin Noel makes a four-yard grab. CJ Stroud is enjoying himself out there and so he should after a rough first few games.
TOUCHDOWN! Colts 40-3 Raiders 2:27, 3rd quarter
OK this is getting ridiculous now. Are the backups in for Las Vegas? Jonathan Taylor gambols into the end zone from six yards for his hat-trick and a two-point conversion. Fantasy heads happy again. Mercy rule, anyone? That is six unanswered touchdowns for the Colts.
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TOUCHDOWN! Jets 3-30 Cowboys 4:33, 3rd quarter
George Pickens keeps shining in the absence of CeeDee Lamb. A 43-yard catch as he falls to the fall in the end zone. Excellent work from the former Steeler who toasted the so-called star cornerback Sauce Garnder.
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TOUCHDOWN! Ravens 10-34 Texans 2:41, 3rd quarter
King Henry hits back! Hail! Henry crushes a one-yard run to give the Ravens a glimmer of hope. Keep feeding HRH the ball and they might just have a chance.
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Saints 19-14 Giants 6:55, 3rd quarter
It’s good! Blake Grupe bangs in his fourth field goal of the day from 28 yards. Saints sitting pretty after a ropey start to this one.
TOUCHDOWN! Colts 32-3 Raiders 5:49, 3rd quarter
Make it stop. The lesser spotted Ameer Abdullah runs in from two yards giving Jonathan Taylor fantasy owners a coronary. Game over, man. Game over.
Eagles 17-3 Broncos 8:16, 3rd quarter
Running back JK Dobbins follows up taking the ball straight through the heart of Philadelphia’s defense for 17 yards. This is smart play keeping the ball on the ground. The next passing play and Nix narrowly avoids a big sack. Penalty for intentional grounding. Eagles DC Vic Fangio is having his way with the second-year QB.
Eagles 17-3 Broncos 11:08, 3rd quarter
Wonderful 14-yard scamper from Nix picks up the first down. This is what Denver need.
TOUCHDOWN! Colts 26-3 Raiders 6:54, 3rd quarter
Jonathan Taylor bulldozes in from one yard for his second score of they day. Lovely corny touchdown dance too. Raiders looking cooked as the kids say.
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TOUCHDOWN! Eagles 17-3 Broncos 13:23, 3rd quarter
Jalen Hurts has the Eagles on midfield and loops one to his running back for the easiest of scores from 47 yards. Barkley makes mincemeat of the flailing cornerback. Bradley Cooper is thrilled. Phew!
Panthers 10-17 Dolphins 12:15, 3rd quarter
It’s good! Ryan Fitzgerald hits another this time from 49 yards as the Panthers keep picking away at Miami’s lead. 17-0 advantage evaporated.
TOUCHDOWN! Ravens 3-31 Texans 11:33, 3rd quarter
Veteran running back Nick Chubb gashes the Ravens for a 27-yard rumble. Looks like curtains for Baltimore. 1-4 just feels bizarre for such a usually dominant team.
Emails
John wonders on Mr Romo’s overuse of the word stem on comms:
“Maybe he’s been doing some gardening”
It’s possible, John!. He was talking a lot about route stems but maybe he was saying root. Who knew Tony was so green fingered?
Half-time
Baltimore Ravens 3-24 Houston Texans
Carolina Panthers 10-17 Miami Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts 20-3 Las Vegas Raiders
New Orleans Saints 16-14 New York Giants
New York Jets 3-23 Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles 10-3 Denver Broncos
The Saints take the lead in the Big Easy with a late 29-yard chip shot from Blake Grupe. That has been a high scoring half and I need a cold shower. Three thrashings potentially building and one for the purists in Philadelphia. Anybody’s game.
Eagles 10-3 Broncos 0:15, 2nd quarter
Huge moment! The zebra throws the PI flag then has the audacity to pick it up. Bo goes for it all on third down and comes up short. He is not having his best day. Then again few would against this defense. Punt.
Eagles 10-3 Broncos 0:52, 2nd quarter
Defenses are still on top at the Linc. Phili go three and out to boot it back to Denver who start the drive from near midfield with 52 seconds remaining in the half. Can they snatch a field goal?
Panthers 10-17 Dolphins 0:00, 2nd quarter
It’s good! Ryan Fitzgerald puts the Panthers to within one score with a swish of his boot from 35 yards. Nice little comeback brewing for Carolina.
TOUCHDOWN! Colts 20-3 Raiders 0:15, 2nd quarter
Indianapolis are sitting pretty after a four-yard pass from Daniel Jones to Michael Pittman Jr. The Jonesaissance continues!
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TOUCHDOWN! Jets 3-17 Cowboys 0:57, 2nd quarter
Javonte Williams powers in from five yards as the half is almost up. The rather large contingent of Cowboys fans in New Jersey are laughing.
Eagles 10-3 Broncos 2:20, 2nd quarter
Out of bounds. Then Denver make an excellent stop thanks to Nick Bonitto’s splendid tackle. “Big drive right here,” says Tony Romo. He’s not wrong! Nix takes over for the Broncos.
TOUCHDOWN! Ravens 3-24 Texans 0:28, 2nd quarter
The Ravens are in deep, deep trouble. Xavier Hutchinson catches his second touchdown of the day from 10 yards. Great to see CJ Stroud back in full flow even if it is against a depleted Ravens defense.
Eagles 10-3 Broncos 2:10, 2nd quarter
Does anyone know why Tony Romo keeps saying the word stem? Feel like he has been at the thesaurus. While I’m musing Jahan Dotson just puts a foot out of bounds in what would have been a nice chunk play. Nick Sirianni throws the challenge flag. Now we wait.
Eagles 10-3 Broncos 4:49, 2nd quarter
Philadelphia winning the defensive battle as the Eagles look to extend their lead starting from their 14-yard line. Another pass interference call against Denver on the opening play. They need to sharpen up, very sloppy.
TOUCHDOWN! Saints 13-14 Giants 5:16, 2nd quarter
WOW! Confirmed speedster Rashid Shaheed torches the Giants backfield for an incredible 87-yard catch and score. One play, one touchdown, they now trail by one point.
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TOUCHDOWN! Panthers 7-17 Dolphins 3:24, 2nd quarter
Bryce Young finds Xavier Legette with a seven-yard toss to cut the deficit.
TOUCHDOWN! Ravens 3-17 Texans 5:36, 2nd quarter
Nico Collins extends the lead for Houston with a 10-yard catch from CJ Stroud. The Texans are making hay.
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TOUCHDOWN! Eagles 10-3 Broncos 7:20, 2nd quarter
Philadelphia captialise on the gift. Jalen Hurts rolls out when the Broncos are counting on a run and finds tight end Dallas Goedert from two yards. Fourth TD catch on the year for him.
Eagles 3-3 Broncos 8:00, 2nd quarter
The Slim Reaper goes long and catches a 50-yard bomb from Jalen Hurts. That gets a big pop from the home fans. The Broncos then follow that up with a PI call against them. Eagles are rolling.
Saints 6-14 Giants 7:41, 2nd quarter
It’s good! Blake Grupe comes up trumps again from 53 yards. Sitting pretty if he is on your fantasy team.
Eagles 3-3 Broncos 9:14, 2nd quarter
AJ Brown moves the chains to the Philadelphia 30-yard line. Denver then stuff the run. Gritty stuff from both teams.
TOUCHDOWN! Colts 14-3 Raiders 7:56, 2nd quarter
Colts 10-3 Raiders 3:21, 1st quarter
Jonathan Taylor keeps his hot streak going with a fifth touchdown of the year from three yards for the Colts.
TOUCHDOWN! Panthers 0-17 Dolphins 10:48, 2nd quarter
The once retired Darren Waller catches his third touchdown in two games from four yards as this game is already looking bleak for the Panthers.
TOUCHDOWN! Jets 3-10 Cowboys 11:40, 2nd quarter
Jake Ferguson comes down with a 26-yard pass from Dak Prescott.
TOUCHDOWN! Saints 3-14 Giants 13:01, 2nd quarter
Jaxson Dart to Theo Johnson works a treat again from 15 yards this time. The rookie is enjoying himself.
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Ravens 3-10 Texans 5:40, 2nd quarter
It’s good! They just keep coming. Kai Fairbairn doing Kai Fairbairn things from a juicy 50 yards. The Texans will be more than happy with this start.
Colts 7-3 Raiders 3:21, 1st quarter
It’s good! Daniel Carlson strokes a 24-yard into the cup with his short iron. Before that rookie star Tyler Warren catches an 11-yarder from Daniel Jones.
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TOUCHDOWN! Panthers 0-10 Dolphins 14:55, 2nd quarter
It’s Tua time. De’Von Achane catches a 10-yard pass from Miami’s quarterback to give them a healthy lead on the road. Carolina need to find a score.
Eagles 3-3 Broncos 0:29, 1st quarter
It’s good! Jake Elliott keeps the flow of field goals rolling from 31 yards. Huge W for Denver to stop the Philadelphia machine. Huge L for Nantz.
Saints 3-7 Giants 1:40, 1st quarter
It’s good! Blake Grupe hits three points from 28 yards in the Big Easy.
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Eagles 0-3 Broncos 1:40, 1st quarter
Commentator’s curse alert. Jim Nantz warns us Philadelphia are 11 from 11 scoring touchdowns in the redzone this season. Can Denver keep them out from 15 yards?
Eagles 0-3 Broncos 4:59, 1st quarter
Philadelphia are moving now! Saquon Barkley pops a 17-yard dash with the middle of Denver’s defense parting like my cousin Danny’s hair in the 90s.
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Jets 3-3 Cowboys 4:57, 1st quarter
It’s good! Brandon Aubrey levels the scores from 35 yards.
Ravens 3-7 Texans 1:58, 1st quarter
It’s good! Field goals are raining down. Tyler Loop cuts the deficit from a paltry 27 yards. Too easy.
Eagles 0-3 Broncos 6:49, 1st quarter
It’s good! A potential fumble is overturned and the Broncos breathe a sigh of relief. Will Lutz steps up and bangs a 55-yarder through the sticks. Never in doubt. Kickers these days, eh? Ridiculous.
TOUCHDOWN! Saints 0-7 Giants 9:34, 1st quarter
Theo Johnson grabs a touchdown on the goalline as Jaxson Dart continues to shine on only his second start at quarterback.
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Jets 3-0 Cowboys 7:43, 1st quarter
It’s good! Nick Folk puts a smile on the faces of the home crowd with a 25-yard chip shot.
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Panthers 0-3 Dolphins 9:03, 1st quarter
It’s good! Riley Patterson boots a 44-yard field goal to give Miami the lead in Carolina.
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TOUCHDOWN! Ravens 0-7 Texans 9:24, 1st quarter
CJ Stroud hits Xavier Hutchinson with a five-yard strike. Houston off to a brilliant start in Baltimore!
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Eagles 0-0 Broncos 12:22, 1st quarter
Hurts goes bombs away and just overthrows Dallas Goedert and the Eagles go three and out. A pair of punts to start this one. Nix and the Broncos take over on offense from Denver’s 32-yard line.
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Eagles 0-0 Broncos 13:20, 1st quarter
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton drops an easy catch up the sideline and Denver punts it away for a touchback. Your move Jalen Hurts.
Eagles 0-0 Broncos 14:53, 1st quarter
We are underway in Philadelphia. Bo Nix takes the field to lead Denver’s opening drive from the 31-yard line.
Preamble
Hello football fans! Welcome to week five in the NFL where I will (be attempting to) bring you all the action from the opening window, a nice mid-morning affair on the west coast at 10am (PST) stretching to an early evening 6pm (BST) in jolly old England from whence we just saw the Vikings fightback to beat the Browns 21-17 thanks to a 12-yard Jordan Addison touchdown grab with 25 seconds left at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Minnesota move to 3-2 and Cleveland 1-4. The Sunday slate is already off and running.
We have a healthy roster of six games to follow:
Baltimore Ravens v Houston Texans
Carolina Panthers v Miami Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts v Las Vegas Raiders
New Orleans Saints v New York Giants
New York Jets v Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles v Denver Broncos
The BIG game is going down in Philadelphia with the unbeaten Super Bowl champions receiving a visit from Denver. On paper you might expect an easy win but a quick google of the Eagles pops up the mildly click-baity headline from ESPN: Are the Eagles the worst 4-0 team ever? Who knows. What we do know is they have benefited from a little luck thus far on special teams with three blocked kicks, one of which earned a win against the Rams. The key battle will be how Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph dials up his linebackers to stop Philadelphia’s dual threat quarterback Jalen Hurts from marauding down field. If they can force the pass then a statement win might follow for Denver, currently 2-2, that would have all the prognosticators, myself included, who said the Broncos would finally depose the Chiefs in the AFC West feeling a little happier.
Elsewhere a host of one-win wonders are eager to edge closer to .500 with a W or right on the button in the case of the Dallas Cowboys after their madcap 40-40 tie with Green Bay on Sunday has them 1-2-1. A trip to the Meadowlands to face the … sigh … winless New York Jets should do the trick as they look to keep the offensive fireworks flowing between quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver George Pickens. In the long run star pass catcher CeeDee Lamb’s injury might actually help the Cowboys as Pickens’ increased role since will have accelerated his progression while making the offense more powerful when Lamb does return. In the here and now the Jets’ backfield needs to be on their toes and then some to prevent a sorry slip to 0-5.
A pair of unexpected 1-3 merchants go head-to-head in Baltimore as the injury-hit Ravens are led into battle with the Texans by back-up quarterback Cooper Rush. In this fixture last season we saw Beyoncé’s stupendous half-time show bookended by Houston enduring a horrendous 31-2 defeat at home on Christmas Day followed by a 34-10 whipping in the playoffs a month later at Baltimore. However, without the injured two-time MVP Lamar Jackson on the field, who threw four touchdowns, ran in three scores and racked up 507 total yards across the two thrashings, Houston’s defense will be relieved confident.
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