CNN
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Football gets an early start on Sunday as the NFL kicks off its annual international tour with the NFL London Games.
With some preseason favorites struggling and some surprise teams sitting atop the standings, Week 5 will be a chance to right the ship for those contenders, while others Teams will be looking to prove their staying power.
We’ll be immersing you in soccer from morning till night, and we’ll introduce you to three games you can’t miss.
The first NFL game of the day brings with it a variety of interesting storylines. The first match is in London, where the match will take place.
As the NFL continues to expand as a global brand, fans can watch games at the home of Tottenham Hotspur or at local bars featuring American football games.
No matter where fans watch the game, expect it to be loud – Sky Sports NFL analyst Phoebe Scheckter said after last year’s game that Buffalo tight ends coach Rob Boras told him about the noise. said he received a call that rivaled a Bills home game.
Minnesota will be looking to use some of that noise as fuel, as the Vikings have never lost in London and are coming off a perfect 3-0 win on their visit to England’s capital.
What’s even more surprising is that Minnesota started the season 4-0, considering they were ranked 23rd in ESPN’s preseason power rankings.
The main reason is the play of quarterback Sam Darnold, who took over the starting role after first-round pick JJ McCarthy underwent season-ending surgery. Darnold was drafted third overall by the Jets in 2018 and leads the league in touchdown passes (11).
Darnold enjoys playing winning football with his Vikings teammates, and it’s worth noting that the Jets finished 2-14 in 2020, Darnold’s final season with the team.
“At the end of the day, we believe in each other more than anyone else,” Darnold said. “It’s special to have all these pieces that we can use. It makes our offense really tough. (I’m) going to continue to learn and grow and have fun playing with these guys.”
CNN’s Coy Wire believes Darnold could be available for a “big revenge game” against the NFL’s top teams.
“As someone who was released by one team in the NFL, then picked up by another, and given a chance to play against the team that released him, Darnold is going to do everything he can to prove himself. I can say, “My former team, the Jets, what they’re missing,” the former Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons linebacker said.
“It looks like he’s finally found a home in Minnesota. He’s playing more relaxed, confident and like a man on a mission. He’s currently up to a touchdown pass percentage in blocks.” -He ranks first in the NFL, ahead of Purdy, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, which is a big part of why the Vikings are undefeated.In fact, he will win league MVP heading into the game against the Jets. He has the third-best odds behind Mahomes and Allen.
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Meanwhile, the Jets are wondering whether they’ll reach the top or the trough of the London Eye on Sunday as their turbulent season continues.
After defeating division rival New England 24-3, the Jets had a lackluster performance against the Broncos, failing to score a touchdown. The 10-9 loss was especially hard to swallow as the Jets managed just 186 yards of offense against a mediocre Denver offense.
A frustrated Rodgers took to the stage after the game and gave his frank assessment.
“I think we were kind of killing ourselves,” Rodgers said.
“We made too many mental mistakes…we just missed the easy parts. Our focus wasn’t as sharp as it was the first three weeks.”
With a rueful smile on his face, Rodgers added, “If our defense holds our opponent to 10 points, we have to win the game 100 percent.”
It will be up to Rodgers and his playmakers to improve their performance after New York’s defense has held opponents to less than 200 yards of offense on consecutive nights.
Josh Allen and the Bills were beaten by the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday night, ending their winning streak to start the season at three.
From the moment Derrick Henry took the Ravens’ first snap, gaining 87 yards and a score, it looked like it was going to be a long night for Buffalo. There was a glimmer of hope in the third quarter, but Allen’s fumble on a failed trick play led to the Ravens’ extra point.
Allen, who is in his seventh season with the Bills and has a record of 63-30, knows that even the best teams get a good old-fashioned beatdown from time to time.
When asked about the team’s resiliency, Allen cited “unblinking mental strength.”
“We were down and out early, but we managed to stop the bleeding,” Allen said, pointing to a hopeful moment in the third quarter. “I could have done more, like put a band-aid on it, but I just left it alone.”
But he’s not worried about the long-term effects.
“The guys that make up this locker room understand who we are and what we are. We’re not going to let this avalanche…The guys in this building are in the NFL “I understand the ups and downs of the season,” he said.
Wire believes his former team has looked like one of the teams to beat so far this season.
“Buffalo was doing horribly well for the first three weeks until they were humiliated by the Ravens on the road,” Wire said.
“The Bills’ consistently strong defense will be tested once again. The Bills were already missing three starters in last week’s game against the Ravens. They then lost starting safety Taylor Rapp in the first half of that game. I lost it.”
The Texans lead the AFC South with a 3-1 record, but their wins haven’t come against elite teams; all of their wins have come against opponents below .500. The Bills will be the first real test for CJ Stroud and company.
The former Ohio State standout had a great rookie season last year, leading the Texans to the playoffs after three straight seasons of four or fewer wins. A win against the Bills would further prove that Houston can compete with the NFL’s elite.
And wide receiver Stefon Diggs is still elite. He earned all four Pro Bowl appearances with the Bills before being traded to the Texans this offseason.
Despite having so much success with Buffalo, many critics have noted that his animated demeanor on the field has been detrimental, and the Bills will be playing in the 2023 playoffs against the Cincinnati Bengals. There was a notable incident in the loss to the Reds when Diggs became irritated when he confronted Josh Allen on the sideline.
After that loss, Diggs wrote of “X” that “It’s easier to criticize one’s reaction than the result.”
Meanwhile, the wide receiver said in a GQ profile last month, using a variation of Rasheed Wallace’s infamous “Ball Don’t Lie,”: I know how much time you put into it, how much effort you put into it, how much you want to get better, how much you talk about it, and how much you do. ”
Both teams, the Bills and Allen and the Texans and Diggs, will be looking to put their money where their mouth is when they face off.
Sunday night’s game will feature several teams at crossroads in their respective seasons. The Steelers are trying to figure out who their starting quarterback will be for the rest of the season, while the Cowboys are trying to build momentum to get back to championship status.
Pittsburgh will have Justin Fields as QB1 for the time being. After confirming that Fields would start Sunday, Tomlin said the deciding factor in when to bring back starter Russell Wilson was “the amount of ball in front of us.”
There’s still a lot of season left, and both quarterbacks have something to prove. Wilson, a Super Bowl champion and decorated veteran, had a difficult few seasons in Denver. Meanwhile, Fields was randomly traded from Chicago after the Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
Fields has played a role in Pittsburgh so far this season, winning its first three games.
But Pittsburgh showed some weaknesses last week, falling behind to the middle-of-the-pack Indianapolis Colts despite nearly coming back from a 17-point deficit.
All Fields can do is focus on what’s in front of him.
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys are coming off a not-so-convincing win against their division rival.
After two straight losses, the 20-15 victory over the Giants was a step in the right direction, at least in the win column. There was a price to pay for that. Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons was sidelined with a sprained ankle, and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury.
Parsons is not expected to play this week, while Lawrence will miss at least four games. That means there will be a total of seven games without the Dallas defense making the Pro Bowl.
But Parsons is happy with his team’s chances even if he can’t play.
“I’m very confident in them. We have a good base of players who can play anywhere on the field,” Parsons told reporters.
The Cowboys themselves are looking to play at the highest level and move into the top of the Super Bowl hopefuls.
Despite posting a strong regular season record of 12-5 over the past three years, Dallas has only won one playoff game during Mike McCarthy’s tenure. The Cowboys, looking to improve after a lackluster start, know they can play better.
“We’re an offense that can finish better and score more touchdowns than we did tonight,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said after last week’s win. We have to accomplish this,” he said.
Sunday night will be a great litmus test for the Dallas offense against a Pittsburgh defense that ranks fourth in total yards allowed and first in touchdowns allowed.
Away vs Home
New York Jets (2-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (4-0) – 9:30 a.m. ET
Carolina Panthers (1-3) @ Chicago Bears (2-2) – 1:00 PM ET
Baltimore Ravens (2-2) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) 1:00 PM ET
Buffalo Bills (3-1) @ Houston Texans (3-1) – 1:00 PM ET
Indianapolis Colts (2-2) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) – 1:00 PM ET
Miami Dolphins (1-3) @ New England Patriots (1-3) – 1:00 PM ET
Cleveland Browns (1-3) @ Washington Commanders – 1:00 PM ET
Las Vegas Raiders (2-2) @ Denver Broncos (2-2) – 4:05 PM ET
Arizona Cardinals (1-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-2) – 4:05 PM ET
Green Bay Packers (2-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (1-3) – 4:25 p.m. ET
New York Giants (1-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (3-1) – 4:25 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys (2-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) – 8:20pm ET
