Already into the fifth week of the NFL season, things are starting to come together for many of the league’s teams and fall apart for the others. From surprising upsets to explosive plays and even more injuries than last week, competing in professional football’s top league continues to be a marathon rather than a sprint.
For teams such as the New York Giants, they are already looking forward to the offseason. The team improved to 1-3 after an upset win over the formerly undefeated Los Angeles Chargers, where the Giants benched veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who struggled during the first three games for New York. Against the Chargers, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart led the Giants to their first win of the season by a score of 21-18, in which Dart threw for a touchdown and ran for another. Wilson, the former Super Bowl winner, has indicated that he will not request a trade and will instead back up and mentor Dart, who was drafted out of the University of Mississippi with the 25th pick of the first round in this past draft.
The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers squared off in the NFL’s first-ever game held in Ireland. The two teams kicked off in Dublin, the nation’s capital, early on Sunday morning. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the Steelers in what ended up being a tight contest against the Vikings and their backup veteran quarterback, Carson Wentz. After falling into a 24-6 hole early in the fourth quarter, Wentz led the Vikings on two touchdown drives to bring the score back within 24-21. However, they would not get another opportunity with the ball, and the loss sent them to 2-2 on the season, while the Steelers improved to 3-1 and now sit atop their division. The Vikings continue to struggle with injuries, and they will need to fill those positional needs, particularly on the offensive line and in the linebacker room.
The Chicago Bears secured a much-needed win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday evening, when cornerback Josh Blackwell blocked what would have been a game-winning 54-yard field goal for Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson. With roughly thirty seconds left in the game, Blackwell flew around the edge of the field goal protection and threw his body across the path of the kicker, sending the ball sputtering to the ground further down the field.
The Bears’ defense intercepted Raiders quarterback Geno Smith on three separate occasions, limiting him to only 117 yards passing in the entire contest. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty had over 130 rushing yards and three total touchdowns for Las Vegas, but their effort came up short in the end, as Blackwell’s blocked kick and a stifling defensive effort overall led the Bears to the 25-24 victory.
The week ended with a bang on Sunday night, when the Green Bay Packers traveled to Arlington, Texas, where the Dallas Cowboys awaited. In front of over 90 thousand fans, the two teams played to an unorthodox ending in what wound up being a high-scoring contest. The game began with the much-anticipated return of one of the league’s premier edge rushers, Micah Parsons, who just a month prior was traded from the Cowboys to the Packers. It turned into another thrilling quarterback showdown in Dallas’ second straight home game. Both Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Prescott added a fourth score with a short touchdown run. All of Love’s touchdown passes were to wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who also finished with 58 receiving yards. After trading touchdowns throughout the fourth quarter, the Cowboys led 37-34 with just 43 seconds remaining in the contest. The Packers drove down into field goal range, and veteran kicker Brandon McManus connected on a 53-yard attempt to tie the game as time expired. As the game went into overtime, both teams were guaranteed to possess the ball at least once with the recent NFL rule change. The Cowboys received first and scored a field goal, retaking the lead 40-37. The Packers, on their possession, drove down into field goal range again and scored from 34 yards out as time expired on the overtime period. By rule, the game at this point ended in a rare tie. With a score of 40-40, it was the second-highest scoring tie in professional football history, following a 43-43 tie between the Raiders and Boston Patriots in 1964.
Week 4 of the NFL season delivered everything fans could hope for: thrilling finishes, breakout performances and a few surprises. As some teams continue to assert themselves as contenders, others are searching for stability amid injuries and roster changes. With the season now hitting its stride, the difference between playoff hopefuls and those looking ahead to next year is starting to take shape.
