In Los Angeles, Cooper Kupp played his first game of the season after nursing a thigh injury. The Rams wide receiver was targeted 12 times by Matthew Stafford and caught eight balls for a total of 118 yards. He accumulated 56 yards in the first offensive sequence of a duel won by the Philadelphia Eagles. With the return of Kupp and the emergence of Paku Nacua, the Rams aerial attack will be threatening.
In Indianapolis, Jonathan Taylor was back in action after signing a three-year, $42 million contract with the Colts. The running back was quiet against the Tennessee Titans, with six carries for 18 yards. It was Zack Moss who stood out again this season with a personal best of 165 yards rushing. He also scored two majors. The Colts ground game will be one to watch with a Taylor and Moss duo. Especially with the fragile health of their young quarterback Anthony Richardson.
The New England Patriots have only managed a measly three-point field goal in their last two outings. Two severe defeats, the most recent of which was a 34-0 shutout against the New Orleans Saints.
Bill Belichick must really miss the Tom Brady years. For a second game in a row, he withdrew his quarterback, Mac Jones, who was the victim of two interceptions. A second outing marked by two thefts against Jones, including one returned for a touchdown. History therefore repeated itself for Belichick, who once again made a quarterback change in the middle of a game.
After five weeks of activities, the Patriots have a poor record of 1-4. The last time the organization had such a record was during Belichick’s first season at the helm of the Pats, in 2000.
Ja’Marr Chase clearly wasn’t happy with the number of balls being thrown his way last week, even going so far as to criticize his quarterback Joe Burrow, saying he was constantly coming out of coverage. The Cincinnati Bengals visibly got his message during week five. Chase was targeted 19 times by Burrow for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns on 15 receptions in a win over the Arizona Cardinals. This is more than double its performance from the previous week.
This is the second time in his young three-season career that he has had at least 192 yards and three touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, the Bengals star receiver produced 266 yards and three majors against the Kansas City Chiefs. Chase and the Bengals (2-3) hope to continue their momentum next week when they host the Seattle Seahawks.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have taken up residence in England for the past two weeks and they are clearly enjoying themselves on the Old Continent. Doug Pederson’s squad signed their second victory on English soil, this time against the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Stadium. Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr. led the charge against the visitors from the American continent. Etienne Jr. carried the ball 26 times for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns. Lawrence generated 315 yards through the air and threw a winning pass to Zay Jones. Calvin Ridley didn’t score a major, but he totaled 122 yards on 7 receptions. The Jaguars are the first NFL team to win two games outside the United States in the same season. They will meet their fans in Jacksonville next Sunday when they host the Indianapolis Colts.
