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Tag: Baker Mayfield

  • There are more questions than answers after NFL games Sunday

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    The Kansas City Chiefs saved their season. The Philadelphia Eagles gave critics more fuel. The Los Angeles Rams made a dominant statement.

    There were more questions than answers Sunday in the NFL.

    Patrick Mahomes did just enough to rally the Chiefs to a 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Kansas City’s dominant defense gave him the opportunity.

    Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit forced the Colts to go three-and-out on their final four possessions. The Chiefs shut down the NFL’s leading rusher, holding Jonathan Taylor to 58 yards on 16 carries. Colts coach Shane Steichen inexplicably gave Taylor the ball only once on the last three drives of regulation.

    Mahomes threw for 352 yards but didn’t have any touchdowns. He looked skittish at times under pressure, rushing his reads and hurrying his passes.

    The Chiefs (6-5) couldn’t afford another loss as they fight to make the playoffs after winning nine straight AFC West titles, reaching eight consecutive conference championship games and winning three Super Bowls.

    They’ve got a long way to go and a tough game at Dallas (5-5-1) coming up on Thanksgiving Day. Mahomes and the offense need to get in sync for Kansas City to have a shot.

    “We’re still not where we want to be at but this was big,” Mahomes said. “Getting that win against a really good football team and kind of proving it to (ourselves) that we can play this kind of football game where it’s not always pretty. I think now we just have to build off that momentum. It’s going to be a short week. We’re playing a good team in the Cowboys, and they can score some points and they have a lot of great players. It’s about rebounding fast, trying to be better, even better this next week going into a big environment, big game and trying to get that win.”

    The Colts (8-3) have gone from 7-1 to a team that is going to have to battle to win the AFC South. They’ll face division rivals Jacksonville (7-4) and Houston (6-5) four times over the remaining six games. Their other two opponents are Seattle (8-3) and San Francisco (7-4).

    Steichen trusted Daniel Jones to win the game in Kansas City, electing to put the ball in his hands down the stretch instead of giving it to Taylor to protect a lead. Jones couldn’t deliver. He was 3 for 9 for 17 yards on the final four possessions.

    “I felt there was a lot of stuff that I wanted to get called that I felt good about in the pass game and we just weren’t efficient doing it and it starts with me,” Steichen said.

    Eagles collapse

    The reigning Super Bowl champions built a 21-0 lead in Dallas and looked like they were on their way to snapping Dak Prescott’s 18-game winning streak at home against NFC East opponents.

    Jalen Hurts was connecting with A.J. Brown and it seemed Philadelphia would quiet some of the drama surrounding the two superstars.

    But the offense regressed, giving Prescott and the Cowboys an opportunity to come back and win 24-21.

    The Eagles (8-3) have a comfortable lead over Dallas (5-5-1) and are in position to become the first repeat champion in the division in two decades. But Philadelphia fell behind the Rams (9-2) in the race for the No. 1 seed.

    A sluggish offense isn’t playing up to its standard. Saquon Barkley ran for only 22 yards on 10 carries, and the passing attack just hasn’t found its rhythm.

    Rams dominate

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were no match for Matthew Stafford and the Rams.

    Stafford continued his MVP-caliber campaign with another stellar performance against an overmatched defense and Los Angeles cruised to a 34-7 victory over Tampa Bay.

    The 37-year-old Stafford has thrown 30 touchdown passes and only two interceptions this season.

    “I got great teammates. I get to throw to a bunch of great players, stand behind a good o-line and watch these guys hunt on defense,” Stafford said.

    That defense overwhelmed the Buccaneers, knocking Baker Mayfield out of the game.

    Jared Verse and Kobie Turner each had two sacks and Los Angeles is the team to beat in the NFC.

    First to 10

    Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are the first team to reach 10 wins this season after holding on for a 26-20 victory in Cincinnati.

    The Patriots have a 2 1/2-game lead over Buffalo (7-4) in the AFC East with eight of their wins coming against teams that have a losing record.

    With three of their last five games against teams that are currently 8-26 combined, New England is in position to win its first division title since Tom Brady left and has an inside track to earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

    But the Patriots still have a lot to prove, especially against more experienced playoff teams.

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    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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  • Matthew Stafford adds 3 more touchdowns to league-leading total as Rams demolish Buccaneers

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    The Los Angeles Rams and MVP frontrunner Matthew Stafford just keep winning, as they took down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-7 on “Sunday Night Football.”

    The Rams have won six straight games and continue to lead the NFC West with a 9-2 record. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers fell to 6-5, tying them with the Carolina Panthers for the NFC South lead.

    This game was as lopsided as it gets for a primetime matchup between playoff hopefuls, and much of that had to do with how confident and poised Stafford has been in his 17th NFL season.

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    Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Sofi Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025 in Inglewood, CA. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

    Stafford added three more touchdown passes to his league-leading total, giving him 30 on the year with only two interceptions. And the man who has enjoyed a resurgence in his own right, Davante Adams, continued to be his go-to target in the red zone.

    Adams secured two touchdowns for the Rams, including the game’s opening score that capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a beautifully thrown fade from Stafford.

    BAKER MAYFIELD HAS ALWAYS VIEWED MATTHEW STAFFORD AS A “TOP 3 OR 5” QB

    Then, after Baker Mayfield threw a pick-six on the following drive for the Buccaneers, Stafford came right back out to start the second quarter with a five-yard strike to tight end Colby Parkinson, blowing the game open at 21-0.

    Needing a touchdown, Mayfield found Tez Johnson for a 14-yard score on the ensuing drive to cut into the Rams’ lead. But Stafford needed only four plays to go 65 yards and connect with Adams again, this time on a perfect 24-yard touch pass.

    Adams finished the game with 62 yards on five catches, while Puka Nacua led Los Angeles with 97 yards on seven receptions.

    During the Buccaneers’ touchdown drive, Mayfield scrambled for seven yards on third-and-6, lowering his shoulder into two Rams defenders to move the chains. It proved costly for the aggressive signal-caller, as he suffered a left shoulder injury that eventually forced him out of the game.

    Davante Adams secures touchdown

    Davante Adams of the Los Angeles Rams catches a touchdown pass against Zyon McCollum #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter in the game at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

    The injury appeared to bother Mayfield when he tried to heave a Hail Mary at the end of the first half. He went down on one knee with his left arm motionless before eventually heading to the locker room.

    When Tampa Bay came out for the second half, backup Teddy Bridgewater took over for the injured Mayfield, who was ruled out and stood on the sideline in street clothes. It’s unclear what exactly Mayfield is dealing with, but given his history of playing through injuries, this is clearly something he couldn’t power through — and it could be cause for concern moving forward.

    Bridgewater was unable to mount a comeback as the Buccaneers struggled against a dominant Rams defense. Bridgewater went 8-for-15 for 62 yards and took two sacks, while Mayfield was 9-of-19 for 41 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, one coming on that Hail Mary attempt.

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    As a team, the Buccaneers managed just 193 yards of offense to the Rams’ 333, but that’s been the story of late for this surging Los Angeles squad.

    At 9-2, the Rams hold the best record in the NFC, proving they are a legitimate force heading into the final stretch of the 2025 regular season.

    Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

    Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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  • Jahmyr Gibbs has career-high 218 yards of offense and 2 TDs, helping Lions bounce back and beat Bucs, 24-9

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    DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs was offered oxygen on the bench after a 78-yard run.

    He turned it down.

    Clearly, he was not out of breath.

    Gibbs scored on a long sprint in the second quarter, a 5-yard spinning plunge in the third and accounted for a career-high 218 yards from scrimmage to lead the Detroit Lions in a 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

    “You felt like this was coming,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. “This has been building.”

    The Lions (5-2) bounced back from a loss as they have done flawlessly for nearly three years, extending their NFL-long streak of 51 games without dropping two straight in the regular season.

    “The guys responded, which I knew they would,” Campbell said.

    Tampa Bay (5-2) was outgained by more than 200 yards in the first half, but trailed 14-3 because Detroit had an interception, fumble, turned it over on downs and missed a field goal.

    Rookie Tez Johnson had a 22-yard touchdown reception to open the second half, pulling the Bucs within five points, but they could not slow down Gibbs.

    On the ensuing drive, Gibbs had a 15-yard run and a 28-yard reception to set up his second touchdown that gave the Lions a 21-9 lead late in the third quarter.

    The third-year running back finished with a season-high 136 yards rushing on 17 carries and a season-high 82 yards receiving on three catches, giving him a total that trails just four performances for the franchise this century.

    Gibbs is the first NFL player with at least 135 yards rushing and 80 yards receiving along with two scores on the ground since Chris Johnson pulled off the feat with Tennessee in 2009.

    “He’s a very talented running back and when you miss a gap, he can turn it into a big play,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said.

    Detroit’s Jared Goff was 20 of 29 for 241 yards with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown on the game’s opening drive. Goff, though, lost a fumble and overthrew rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa on fourth-and-2 on the next two possessions and later threw an interception — all in Tampa Bay territory.

    Baker Mayfield was 28 of 50 for 228 yards with one touchdown and one interception against a short-handed defense. Mayfield threw an incomplete pass in the end zone with 4:24 left, ending potential comeback hopes.

    “As a skill group, we didn’t connect on a lot of plays,” Mayfield said. “Once the defense knows we are going to have to pass, they can pin their ears back. That’s not a fair situation to the offensive line.”

    Gibbs took advantage of a big hole and his speed to score on a careerlong, 78-yard run late in the second quarter to put Detroit ahead 14-0.

    “If you can get him to second level, he can do the rest,” Campbell said.

    After Detroit’s Jake Bates missed a 54-yard field goal, Chase McLaughlin made a 53-yard field goal to end the half and put the Bucs on the scoreboard.

    Bates did connect on a 58-yard field goal early in the fourth, knocking it in off an upright, to give the Lions a 24-9 lead.

    “They are a tough matchup for every team right now,” Bowles said. “We know about the loud crowd. We just didn’t execute, but they played a very good game.”

    Prime time

    The Lions are 13-3 in night games under Campbell and they’ve won five straight on Monday Night Football.

    Injuries

    Bucs: WR Mike Evans (concussion, broken collarbone) lasted less than a half after returning from a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury.

    “He’s going to be gone until toward the last of the season,” Bowles said.

    OLB Haason Reddick (knee, ankle) left the game in the second half.

    Lions: CB Kerby Joseph, Terrion Arnold and Avonte Maddox were out with injuries, a setback for a secondary without suspended safety Brian Branch. DT Alim McNeill played for the first time since tearing a knee ligament late last season and OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) returned after missing two games.

    Up next

    Bucs: Visit New Orleans on Sunday.

    Lions: Bye week before hosting Minnesota on Nov. 2.

    Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.

    Originally Published:

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    Larry Lage

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  • Buccaneers Inactives List: Bucs Announce Decision on WR Emeka Egbuka Prior To Matchup vs. Lions

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    Just two hours before kickoff on Monday Night Football, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka will suit up against the Detroit Lions, despite dealing with a hamstring injury that had made his status uncertain all week.

    Rapoport noted that early in the week, it looked like Egbuka was a “long shot” to play, but after an encouraging pregame workout, the rookie was officially cleared. His return is a major boost for Tampa Bay’s offense, who will also have veteran WR Mike Evans in their lineup.

    The Buccaneers’ inactives is as follows:

    Egbuka has quickly become one of Baker Mayfield’s favorite targets this season, leading all Tampa receivers in yards per catch (17.4) and ranking among the league leaders in touchdowns through six weeks. Expect Mayfield to look Egbuka’s way early and often as the Bucs try to attack a Detroit secondary missing several key starters.

    Kickoff between the Buccaneers (5-1) and Lions (4-2) is set for7:00 PM ET on ESPN.

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    Don Drysdale

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  • Renck & File: Giants’ Jaxson Dart is having fun. He won’t be smiling vs. Broncos on Sunday

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    Time for the anvil to drop on Arm&Hammer.

    Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo have injected enthusiasm into the veins of a long-suffering fanbase, hope into a long-suffering franchise. They have a cool aforementioned nickname.

    Skattebo has been a revelation. Cast as a situational player in the draft, he boasts 338 yards rushing and five touchdowns. He is Brian Bosworth meets Mike Alstott, inspiring teammates with his rock’em, sock’em robot running style. He leads with his chin in every conversation and carry.

    But Dart needs to cool his jets. If, for no other reason, based on what just happened to the Jets.

    Some cayenne pepper got sprinkled on Sunday’s game with trash talk, sanitized as it was. Reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week Jonathon Cooper made it clear he is not impressed with Dart, saying, “He’s feeling himself a lil’ bit. He’s out there running around. He’s got the chain on. He’s dancing. I feel like everybody needs something, you know.”

    It was a warning. Dart found it amusing.

    “I think a lot of guys wear chains and dance when they score touchdowns,” Dart told the New York Post. “I appreciate him following my dance touchdowns.”

    Covering players like Dart is a blast. But quarterbacks lacking humility get clobbered by reality.

    Drew Lock ring any bells?

    He was the singing QB with the nifty backpack celebration until he wasn’t. He has been cast as a career backup since 2021. Dart is more athletic than Lock, but his total disregard for his body and overconfidence have helped him lead the league in blue tent visits the past three weeks.

    This Broncos defense is frothing, eager to put on a show to impress the Super Bowl 50 champions, who will be honored at halftime.

    Dart is great for the Giants, even if his yards per play are worse than Russell Wilson’s. He loves attention. He just picked the wrong week to engage in verbal jousting. The Broncos have not allowed a touchdown at home, while posting nine sacks.

    Good luck “Hanging with Mr. Cooper” on Sunday, Dart.

    It is the team, not QB: Time to stop pointing the finger at first-round quarterbacks who fail when history shows coaching and organizational dysfunction is largely to blame. Baker Mayfield is 5-1, and an MVP candidate. Daniel Jones is 5-1 and an MVP candidate. Sam Darnold is 4-2 for Seattle. Here are the records of the teams that drafted them: Cleveland is 1-5, the Giants are 2-3-1 and the Jets are winless.

    Wrong tone: The Chiefs welcome back receiver Rashee Rice this week. Can folks stop acting like he is returning from knee surgery? He was suspended for six games for his involvement in a six-car crash that resulted in multiple injuries and led Rice to plead guilty to two felony charges. His absence had nothing to do with his health.

    Latin for winning: Talked to Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas. And teammates about Jonas Valanciunas. It is clear he has bought into his role as Nikola Jokic’s backup on a team with championship expectations, following the “Age Quod Agis” message posted on the practice wall. Translated, it means: “Do what you do.” Valanciunas gets it.

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    Troy Renck

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  • NFL Week 2: Buccaneers at Texans — Four Things to Watch For

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    For a couple decades, after the NFL grew to 32 teams and while they still played a 16 game schedule, teams across the two different conferences, AFC and NFC< would only face each other once every four years. That’s why, until last season, the Houston Texans had only played the Dallas Cowboys six times in the regular season.

    However, with the addition of a 17th regular season game in 2021, we’ve had an additional NFC foe added to the dance card. I won’t bore you with the formula as to how they determine who that cross-conference opponent is each season, but it did yield another Cowboys game last season (a 34-10 Texans win on Monday Night Football), and on Monday night, it gives us a rematch of one of the best games of the 2023 season, a 39-37 Texans win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    In what was widely viewed as his coming out party, C.J. Stroud set a rookie record with 470 yards passing and five touchdown passes in a scintillating comeback win over the Bucs at NRG Stadium. Tank Dell caught the game winning touchdown passes with under ten seconds to go in the game.

    Since then, the Bucs and Texans have lived in a similar neighborhood in the NFL’s pecking order, both winning their divisions and making some noise in the playoffs the last couple seasons. Both teams have undergone some changes since that Week 9 game in 2023, since after all, it is the NFL. However, the head coaches and quarterbacks remain the same.

    The Buccaneers are trying to go 2-0, while the Texans are looking for their first win of the season. It should be an electric environment at NRG Stadium. Let’s get to a few things to watch for in this matchup:

    4. Hey Texans, play cleaner
    Since taking over as Texans head coach in 2023, DeMeco Ryans’ teams have ranked 4th (2023) and 7th (2024) in penalties. Already, through Week 1, the 11 penalties committed by the Texans against the Rams has them tied for fourth in the league in penalties. It’s tough to win, when you’re beating yourself. DeMeco Ryans said this week that he can live with penalties of aggression, but pre-snap and dead ball penalties are unacceptable. I’m not here to parse things over type of penalty. I am here to say that, if the Texans have a double digit number of penalties on Monday night, they will likely lose the ball game.

    3. Feed Nico
    Among other unacceptable developments in the loss to the Rams, the Texans somehow seemed to forget that they have one of the ten best receivers in the NFL on their roster. Nico Collins had five targets for the whole game, resulting in a paltry three catches for an absurdly paltry 25 yards. DeMeco Ryans was not shy about the fact that the Texans need to throw the ball to Nico Collins way more. When they do, good things generally happen. In rewatching the All-22 film from Sunday, Collins was open plenty of times. It’s on the offensive line to protect C.J. Stroud long enough to find him in his progressions.

    2. No more wasted downs
    The other aspect of the offense that Ryans was clear would be remedied in this game against Tampa Bay is the method of doling out carries to the running backs. Make no mistake, every play involving Dameon Pierce right now is a wasted down. Dare Ogunbowale should not be nearly as involved in crunch time as he was last Sunday. I’m fine with Woody Marks getting a few touches, but right now, the running game needs to be the Nick Chubb Show, and Ryans seemed to indicate that would be the case, when he was talking to Marc Vandermeer and John Harris on his coach’s show this past week.

    1. Give Baker Mayfield the “NRG treatment”
    Last season, NRG Stadium was a house of horrors for opposing quarterbacks (not named Lamar Jackson). Josh Allen, who would go on to win the MVP award, had the worst passing game of his career. Jared Goff, who won 15 games last season, threw five interceptions. Justin Herbert threw three picks all season, but threw four in a playoff loss at NRG Stadium. This needs to happen to Baker Mayfield, who will likely be playing behind an offensive line where four of the five starters are either reserves or starters playing out of position. This needs to be a game where Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter make it their mission to turn Mayfield into a grease spot, and when Mayfield isn’t getting sacked, the crowd noise in NRG Stadium needs to rattle him into some poor decisions.

    SPREAD: Texans -1
    PREDICTION: Texans 24, Buccaneers 20
    SEASON RECORD: 0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS

    Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.

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    Sean Pendergast

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  • Too Many Mistakes: Atlanta Falcons start 2025 season with 23-20 loss to Tampa Bay Bucs

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    The American Flag on full display moments before kickoff during the Atlanta Falcons season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The Falcons lost the home and season opener 23-20 on Sunday. Atlanta kicker Young Koo missed a field goal that could have tied the game.

    Mistakes will cost you everything in the National Football League. Three roughing the passer penalties, a pair of missed field goal, a missed extra point attempt, they all mattered during this game.

    “We have to find a way to win next week,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after the game.

    “We have to keep going, it’s just one game,” Leonard Floyd said in the locker room after the game.

    The biggest play will go down as the touchdown pass from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to receiver Emeka Egbuka that made the score 23-20. But it was the roughing the passer penalty from the Falcons that helped extend the Bucs’s drive.

    Minutes earlier, the score was 17-13 in favor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game clock read 3:33 in the fourth quarter. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. (27-42 for 298 yards, a touchdown pass and run) ran for the goal line and was short of scoring a touchdown. He was however past the first down marker. The Buccaneers had two roughing the passer penalties called on them during the drive.

    The biggest play of the game came courtesy of the feet of Penix, Jr., because Atlanta’s fresh set of downs lead to another Penix, Jr. run, this time for a one-yard touchdown with 2:17 left to play. The touchdown put Atlanta ahead 20-17 following the extra point by kicker Younghoe Koo.

    Back on defense, the Falcons put pressure on Mayfield (17-32 for 167 yards) late in the game, but not enough to keep him from throwing three touchdown passes.

    The video montages featuring former Falcons Andre Rison, Ray Buchanan, and Roddy White, Freddie the Falcon bungee jumping from the rafters, a smoke-filled entrance to the field, and a loud roar from a crowd of re than 70,000 when starting quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.’s name was announced. The Falcons season opener had it all.

    The Atlanta Falcons opened the 2025 season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 7. Their opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have won the NFC South division crown time after time, and this game was an opportunity for Atlanta to set the tone for the next 17 weeks.

    Under current head coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons have had success against the Buccaneers and head coach Todd Bowles. Atlanta swept Tampa last season, winning on the road by five points, and winning at home by six points.

    The Falcons put together a one-minute and 46-second offensive drive to open the game. The big play came on a Penix, Jr. screen pass to running back Bijan Robinson for a long run and score. Robinson caught two passes during the abbreviated drive.

    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Tampa’s first score, a 48-yard field goal from kicker Chase McLaughlin, came eight minutes after they began their third drive at the tailed of the first quarter. By the time the score was 7-3 in favor of the Falcons, it was midway through the second quarter.

    The Buccaneers took their first lead of the game at 10-7 when quarterback Baker Mayfield found perennial Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans over the outstretched hands of Falcons rookie safety Xavier Watts for a touchdown at the seven-minute mark of the second quarter.

    The Falcons tied the game at 10 on a 41-yard field goal from kicker extraordinaire Younghoe Koo. That subsequent Falcons offensive drive included a fourth and one that was completed by running back Tyler Allgeier. The Falcons offense rushed for only 27 yards during there first half.

    The second half began with a Tampa Bay drive dow to the Atlanta 26 yard line. The Bucs and McLaughlin attempted a 44-yard field goal that missed the mark and kept the score tied at 10.

    A 53-yard punt return and 20-yard scramble by Mayfield gave Tampa Bay the kind of field position deep in Falcons territory that usually leads to a touchdown. And it did. A few plays later, Mayfield found running back Bucky Irving on a screen for a touchdown a 17-10 advantage with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.

    The Falcons offense found a way back into the scoring column, adding three more points on a 36-yard field goal from Koo. The 11-play drive included receptions by Kyle Pitts, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Drake London, and the team;’s leading receiver at that moment of the game, Robinson (5 receptions for 94 yards). On one play, Robinson took a Penix pass 23 yards to get into the team into field goal possession.

    Down 17-13 with less than 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Falcons

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  • LSU QB Jayden Daniels wins 2023 Heisman Trophy

    LSU QB Jayden Daniels wins 2023 Heisman Trophy

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    LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is a Heisman winner.

    The senior quarterback won the award over Oregon QB Bo Nix, Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. after a phenomenal dual-threat season. Daniels was one of the nation’s leading passers in nearly all the major metrics and also one of only two quarterbacks to rush for over 1,000 yards during 2023.

    Daniels finished with 503 first-place votes while Penix finished with 292 first-place votes. The total margin between the two quarterbacks, 2,029 points to 1,701 points, was the closest Heisman voting has finished since 2018.

    Daniels finished the regular season 236-of-327 passing for 3,812 yards and 40 TDs. He threw just four interceptions and completed over 70% of his passes. Just six players — including Nix at 77.2% — completed a higher percentage of their passes.

    But Daniels had everyone easily beat in yards per attempt. He was by far the nation’s leader in that category as the LSU offense averaged 11.7 yards every time he threw the football. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, the player in second in yards per attempt, averaged 1.3 yards fewer per throw.

    Daniels also tied for the lead in passing touchdowns with Nix despite playing one fewer game. Nix played in 13 games in 2023 as Oregon went to the Pac-12 title game. But Penix and the Huskies beat the Ducks to get to the College Football Playoff. It was a game that likely sealed Daniels’ status as the Heisman winner as Nix fell below the all-time single-season record for completion percentage (Mac Jones’ 77.4% in 2020).

    In addition to being a threat with LSU receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas to break a big play from nearly anywhere on the field through the air, he was also a big play waiting to happen on the ground.

    Daniels rushed 135 times for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns over 12 games. He averaged the most yards per carry of any qualified player in college football at 8.4 and was over a full yard ahead of Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright in second place.

    It’s a remarkable rushing total and rushing average for a quarterback who dropped back to pass as much as Daniels did. College football statistics count sacks against a quarterback’s rushing totals and Daniels was sacked 22 times. Penix, for example, has rushed for minus-18 yards this season.

    Daniels had five games with at least one run longer than 40 yards and his signature performance came in a 52-35 win over Florida on Nov. 11. Daniels was 17-of-26 passing for 372 yards and three touchdowns through the air while rushing 12 times for 234 yards and two scores. Daniels broke touchdown runs of 85 yards and 51 yards during that game and then threw three touchdowns in the final 18 minutes as the Tigers pulled away from the Gators.

    It was the first time in top-level college football history that a player had thrown for over 350 yards and rushed for over 200 yards in the same game.

    He also powered the Tigers’ comeback win at No. 9 Missouri on Oct. 7. After briefly leaving the game early in the fourth quarter following a crushing hit at the goal line, Daniels returned to engineer two go-ahead touchdown drives on LSU’s next two possessions.

    He broke a 35-yard TD run on third down to give the Tigers a 35-32 lead over Mizzou with less than eight minutes to go, and then accounted for all 75 yards on LSU’s next drive as the Tigers went up for good with less than three minutes to go.

    That drive also included a monster third-down run. Daniel broke a 31-yard run on third down to get to the Missouri 29 yard-line and a play later hit Nabers for a 29-yard score that put LSU up 42-39.

    A three-loss Heisman winner

    Players on teams with more than two losses don’t win the Heisman very often. Especially in recent seasons. Last year, USC was 11-2 when Caleb Williams lifted the award. The year before that, Alabama was 12-1 when Bryce Young won and undefeated when DeVonta Smith won in 2020.

    Williams, in fact, became just the second player to win the Heisman in the playoff era as part of a team that wasn’t in the four-team playoff. As Daniels joins that group, he’s the first player since Lamar Jackson in 2016 to be a part of a team that had three losses before the Heisman ceremony.

    Like Daniels, Jackson was a dynamic passer and rusher and his season-long performance was too good to ignore. Jackson threw for over 3,500 yards and rushed for nearly 1,600 that season as he accounted for 51 touchdowns.

    Overall, Daniels is just the 15th player on a team with three or more losses to win the Heisman and the fourth in the 2000s along with Jackson, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III in 2011 and Florida’s Tim Tebow in 2007.

    A Heisman transfer trend

    Daniels is also the fifth player in the past seven seasons to win the Heisman at his second school, a sign of the normalization of player transfers. Nix and Penix are also transfers in their second seasons at their new schools. Nix transferred to Oregon from Auburn while Penix transferred to Washington from Indiana.

    Williams won in his first season at USC after transferring from Oklahoma, while LSU QB Joe Burrow won in his first season at LSU in 2019 after joining the Tigers from Ohio State. Before Burrow, Kyler Murray won in his second season at Oklahoma after transferring from Texas A&M, and Baker Mayfield was in his third season at Oklahoma after he started his college career at Texas Tech.

    Daniels came to LSU before the 2022 season after the school hired Brian Kelly from Notre Dame. Daniels spent the first three seasons of his career at Arizona State and appeared in all but one game for the Sun Devils in that span.

    He transferred from Arizona State after he threw for 2,381 yards and rushed for 710 yards in 2021 but accounted for only 16 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

    He immediately became a star and improved on those numbers at LSU in 2022 as the Tigers won the SEC West. Daniels completed 69% of his passes in 2021 and threw for 2,913 yards while rushing for 885. He entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman, based on his leap from 2021 to 2022, but hardly anyone could have predicted the eye-popping statistics he accumulated.

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  • Mayfield, Akers lead Rams’ 51-14 blowout of Wilson’s Broncos

    Mayfield, Akers lead Rams’ 51-14 blowout of Wilson’s Broncos

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    INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes to Tyler Higbee, Cam Akers rushed for 118 yards and three more scores, and the Los Angeles Rams routed the Denver Broncos 51-14 Sunday for their second victory since mid-October.

    Mayfield went 24 of 28 for 230 yards in another standout performance for his second win in three starts with the Rams (5-10), who produced the best game of their dismal season on Christmas.

    Rookie Cobie Durant returned his second interception 85 yards for a touchdown with 4:08 left to cap the Rams’ first 50-point performance under Sean McVay since their famed 54-51 victory over Kansas City in 2018.

    For at least one more week, Los Angeles avoided becoming the first defending Super Bowl champion to lose 11 games. Even with the NFL’s 32nd-ranked offense coming in, Los Angeles became just the second team to score 50 points in the NFL this season, joining Dallas earlier this month, and put together a comprehensively dominant performance.

    In his Los Angeles debut, Larrell Murchison made 2 1/2 of the Rams’ six sacks of Russell Wilson, who passed for 214 yards with three interceptions for Denver (4-11).

    The beleaguered Wilson was not sharp in his return from a one-game absence with a concussion, throwing interceptions to end Denver’s first two drives. The second pick was by Bobby Wagner, who faced his longtime teammate and friend for the first time after spending a full decade together in Seattle.

    Wagner also sacked Wilson during the first half, when the Rams improbably racked up 261 of their 388 yards before halftime and eventually scored on their first eight drives against Denver’s above-average defense, already matching their full-game season high in points with their 31-6 halftime lead.

    Denver trailed 41-6 before Wilson hit Greg Dulcich for the Broncos’ only touchdown with 8:30 to play.

    Akers continued his late-season surge by producing the Rams’ first 100-yard rushing game of the season, while Higbee led the passing attack with 94 yards receiving for an offense missing its top three wideouts due to injury.

    The Rams led by double digits less than nine minutes in when Durant picked off Wilson’s second pass and Mayfield hit Higbee for a 9-yard TD three plays later. Higbee became the Rams’ career franchise leader in touchdown catches by a tight end with his 19th score.

    Wagner then poached a pass from Wilson across the middle of the field and made a long return, and the Rams scored two snaps later on Akers’ 3-yard run. Los Angeles had scored just one touchdown off a takeaway all season long before doing it twice more in the first quarter.

    The Rams’ 17-point first quarter was their highest-scoring opening period since Week 6 of McVay’s first season in 2017. They subsequently scored touchdowns on four consecutive drives for the first time in McVay’s tenure.

    Higbee made his second TD catch early in the second quarter after a smooth 75-yard drive by the Rams’ long-struggling offense. Akers then punched it in again 1:06 before halftime for a 31-3 lead.

    Ramsey picked off Wilson’s long heave to the end zone on Denver’s opening drive of the second half. The Rams’ pressure on Wilson improbably was led by Murchison, who signed with LA 13 days ago after Tennessee cut him.

    INJURIES

    Murchison left in the fourth quarter with a neck injury. … Dulcich was ruled out with a hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter.

    UP NEXT

    Broncos: At Chiefs on Sunday.

    Rams: “At” Chargers on Sunday.

    ———

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Panthers waive struggling QB Mayfield, a former No. 1 pick

    Panthers waive struggling QB Mayfield, a former No. 1 pick

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers waived struggling quarterback Baker Mayfield on Monday after the 2018 No. 1 draft pick asked for his release.

    Mayfield would be subject to waivers and become a free agent if he goes unclaimed.

    The move does not come as a surprise, because Sam Darnold replaced Mayfield after his failed second stint as starting quarterback, and the Panthers like what they have in P.J. Walker. The move gives Mayfield a chance to potentially land with a team that needs quarterback help.

    San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson all suffered injuries over the weekend.

    Mayfield was 1-5 as Carolina’s starting QB and completed just 57.8% of his passes with six touchdowns and six interceptions.

    The Panthers traded for Mayfield earlier this season and he won the job in training camp. They will send the Cleveland Browns a fifth-round pick in 2024 as compensation for the trade.

    ———

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Panthers QB Darnold (ankle) returns to practice

    Panthers QB Darnold (ankle) returns to practice

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold returned to practice Wednesday for the first time in almost eight weeks sporting a full red beard and a left ankle healed enough to give him another shot at starting in the next couple of weeks.

    But whether he gets a second chance to start after losing the job to Baker Mayfield in training camp or remains the backup, Darnold’s priority is to help a team that is 1-5 this season and the loser of 12 of the last 13 games find a way to win.

    “It’s a tough situation that we’re all in, you know, losing,” Darnold said. “I’m not looking forward to whether I’m the backup or whether I’m starting, losing sucks.”

    Darnold was designated for return from injured reserve Wednesday, opening a 21-day window to be elevated to the 53-man roster.

    He’s not expected to be elevated before Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) unless the Panthers opt to keep three quarterbacks, and that is unlikely. Interim coach Steve Wilks already has named PJ Walker as his starter for the second straight week with Mayfield still out with a high ankle sprain and Jacob Eason as the backup.

    Next week at Atlanta or the following week at the Cincinnati Bengals is a more realistic timetable for Darnold to be ready.

    But Wilks said Darnold, who ran the scout team Wednesday, looked good and he wanted to see him play in a game this season. This came after Wilks said on Monday Mayfield was not guaranteed the starting job when healthy.

    “Whenever I get my opportunity I’ll be ready to roll,” Darnold said. “I’m not too worried about anything else other than that.”

    Darnold said he didn’t feel any vindication that Carolina struggled under Mayfield, 1-4 as the starter, in much the same way it did last year when he went 4-7 as the starter.

    “For me, it’s about taking advantage of the opportunity, but also taking it one play at a time,” he said. “I’ve said all along, I’ve said it since my rookie year [with the New York Jets], as a quarterback there’s so much going on every single play. You can’t look past one play.

    “I can’t worry about, ‘Oh, if I get in there I’ve got to take advantage of this. Obviously, if that’s the case, I’d like to take advantage of the opportunity. But when I’m in there I’m really focused on one play at a time.”

    Darnold suffered a high left ankle sprain late in the third quarter of the Aug. 26 preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills after Mayfield won the starting job in what the team called an open competition. He was placed on injured reserve Sept. 1 and missed the first six games during a start that saw the Panthers fire head coach Matt Rhule after Week 5.

    Darnold showed good mobility in agility drills during the practice portion open to the media and in running the scout team. Cheering him on was Mayfield, who suffered a left ankle sprain in the Week 5 loss to San Francisco.

    Mayfield was not in a walking boot and looked good in agility drills, but appears at least another week from returning to practice, and even then there are no guarantees.

    Mayfield compiled a 15.5 Total QBR that was the lowest after five games since ESPN began recording the statistic in 2006. Walker wasn’t any better during Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He had a 5.6 QBR, completing 10 of 16 pass attempts for 60 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter with a neck injury.

    Their performance is why some Carolina fans are anxious to see the return of Darnold even though he took much of the blame for last season’s 5-12 record, ranking 29th in the league with a 38.8 QBR.

    “I’m used to it all,” Darnold said. “Whatever the fans say, they’re going to say. Don’t get me wrong. I love the fans. They’re what makes this game so great.

    “But when things aren’t going well people are going to say a lot of different things.”

    When Darnold gets his chance fans will notice his beard that caught some of his family off guard last weekend when he visited with them in Los Angeles.

    “They were like, ‘Oh, what the heck, like looking for me,'” Darnold joked. “I’m like, ‘I’m right here.”

    Running back Christian McCaffrey jokingly said Darnold has to keep the beard.

    “I love his beard, yes,” he said. “The leprechaun vibes. He’s got to keep it.”

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  • Panthers moving on after shock of Rhule firing

    Panthers moving on after shock of Rhule firing

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Quarterback PJ Walker, in line to make his third NFL start Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, summed up how Carolina Panthers players felt about the decision to fire head coach Matt Rhule and replace him with Steve Wilks.

    “Everybody was a little shocked,” Walker said Wednesday, the first time players spoke to media since the coaching change was made Monday. “Everybody had a feeling. You just don’t know. I think over the past couple of weeks we came into each week not knowing. That’s a burden on a lot of players.

    “A lot of us loved Coach Rhule. Now Coach Wilks is in charge. We think a lot of Coach Wilks, and we’ll take it from there.”

    Running back Christian McCaffrey agreed.

    “Anytime somebody you like loses their job it’s tough,” he said. “This is a tough business. It’s a result-oriented business. For us, as much as we love Coach, we’ve got to continue and move on. That’s what he’d want us to do.”

    Wilks didn’t waste any time making changes to Rhule’s practice routine, turning Wednesday into a padded workout instead of Thursday with the hope of creating tempo for a team that has started slowly in each game during a 1-4 start.

    Walker called the energy “elite.”

    “We know at the end of the day we still have a job to do,” said Walker, who played for Rhule at Temple. “If we don’t our job, we’ll be gone, too.”

    Walker took all of the first-team snaps on Wednesday, but Wilks left the door cracked that Baker Mayfield could return this week from the high ankle sprain he suffered in last Sunday’s 37-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

    “He’s making progress,” Wilks said. “After talking to him this morning he feels he may have a chance this weekend. We’ll see how it goes.”

    Sources close to Mayfield said Tuesday that the first pick of the 2018 draft is expected to miss two to six weeks, adding that Mayfield was doing everything he could to get back on the field sooner.

    Mayfield still was wearing a walking boot on his left foot Wednesday, but Wilks didn’t rule him out for Sunday.

    “I have a history with Baker,” said Wilks, who was with Mayfield in Cleveland in 2019. “He’s very physical, a very tough guy, mentally tough as well. So I trust his judgment.

    “I definitely wouldn’t put him in harm’s way. … It’s important that he has the reps and the timing so we can go out there and execute. It would be hard for me to put him out there if he doesn’t practice.”

    Players learned of the coaching change at around 11 p.m. on Monday when Rhule addressed them.

    “The love that he had for that group, it was sincere,” Walker said of Rhule’s message. “There are a lot of guys in that room that felt the same way about him that he felt about the players. It hurt to see him go, but we’ve just got to go out there and overcome it. The season ain’t over. We’ve got to take care of business.”

    This is the second in-season coaching change for Carolina since 2019. Perry Fewell replaced Ron Rivera with four games remaining that season and went 0-4.

    Seeing the change come this early, linebacker Shaq Thompson said, “is a rude awakening” for many players.

    “You understand it’s a business, especially the young guys,” Thompson said. “At the end of the day, it’s on us as the player. We’ve got to go out there and execute.”

    Wilks said the goal this week was to simplify in all phases so players could play fast and aggressive, which was his mantra as a defensive coordinator at Carolina in 2018 and with Cleveland in 2019.

    “We talked about that this morning in the team meeting,” Wilks said. “I’m going to take that same approach on the offensive side. We’re not going to sit back and react to the defense. We want to put pressure on them and have them react to us.”

    It was clear by the energy in the locker room the Panthers, 11-27 under Rhule, haven’t given up on the season despite 11 losses in their last 12 games dating back to last season.

    “Sometimes, bad stuff happens, but the earth keeps spinning,” McCaffrey said. “You’ve got to keep rolling. We’ve got to win a lot of ballgames here.”

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  • Source: Mayfield expected to miss 2-6 weeks

    Source: Mayfield expected to miss 2-6 weeks

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Even though quarterback Baker Mayfield is expected to miss two to six weeks with a high ankle sprain, Carolina Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks believes he has the talent to turn around a 1-4 team that just fired its head coach.

    Tests on Mayfield’s high ankle sprain revealed no other structural damage, but the injury has an expected two- to six-week timeline to heal, a source close to the quarterback told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday. Mayfield wants to try to play on the injury as early as possible, but that will be an uphill battle, the source said.

    “We have the men that want to get it done,” Wilks said Tuesday at his introductory news conference in which owner David Tepper was in the audience. “Our work ethic has been consistent from the standpoint of how we go about each and every day practicing.

    “We just have to go out in games and execute and finish. So I feel very confident in the men that we have in knowing we’re going to turn the corner.”

    Tepper named Wilks his interim coach on Monday after firing Matt Rhule five games into Rhule’s third season of a seven-year, $62 million contract.

    Tepper said Wilks, 57, would be considered for the full-time job in 2023 if he “does an incredible job.”

    To do that, Wilks will have to begin his second stint as a head coach with former XFL star PJ Walker as his quarterback. The Panthers will have to go into Sunday’s road game against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams (2-3) with Walker.

    “PJ is up and ready,” Wilks said. “He does a great job in being prepared each and every day. I have total confidence if he has to step in.”

    Walker is the only healthy quarterback on the active roster. Sam Darnold, the 2021 starter, remains on injured reserve with an ankle injury suffered in August and is weeks away from being available.

    Carolina likely would call quarterback Jacob Eason, a fourth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, up from the practice squad this week in addition to looking to bring in another quarterback.

    Meanwhile, Wilks is focused on the Rams and turning around a team that has lost 11 of its last 12 games.

    “We’ve played well enough to win games,” Wilks said. “We’ve got to find a way to finish, and that starts with me as well as the coaches.”

    Wilks was named the head coach at Arizona in 2018 after coaching at Carolina under Ron Rivera from 2012 to 2017, the last year as defensive coordinator. He was fired after going 3-13.

    He was the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2019 while Mayfield was the quarterback. He returned to the Panthers this past offseason to serve as the defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach.

    One of his first moves as interim coach was to fire defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who worked with Rhule at Temple and Baylor, even though the defense played well enough the first five games to win.

    Wilks named defensive run game coordinator Al Holcomb his defensive coordinator and said Holcomb will call plays on Sunday. Holcomb was Wilks’ defensive coordinator in Arizona as well.

    “The scheme is not going to change much, but you have to be creative in the process of what you’re doing,” Wilks said. “Everything’s predicated on who we’re playing.

    “The No. 1 process on defense, we’ve got to stop the run and try to make teams one-dimensional.”

    Offensively, Wilks said the Panthers have to “create some momentum and some consistency, and that starts with trying to run the football.”

    The Panthers rank last in total offense and 27th in rushing with 89.8 yards a game despite having Christian McCaffrey healthy for all five games.

    Wilks knows how the team performs under him will determine his future with the organization, and he knows the history of interim coaches being hired full time isn’t good.

    But that’s not his focus.

    “Our approach is going to be winning the day,” he said. “The first thing we need to be concerned with is trying to win a football game, which starts with the Los Angeles Rams.

    “Whatever is going to happen at the end of the year is going to take care of itself.”

    Black coaches have been named interim coach 14 times in the NFL since 1990 but only three times were they hired for the permanent job, according to research by The Washington Post. The three coaches — Romeo Crennel (Kansas City Chiefs), Leslie Frazier (Minnesota Vikings) and Mike Singletary (San Francisco 49ers) — had at least a .500 record after taking over before being named fulltime coach. The Post reported that there was no correlation to record when white interim coaches were offered the fulltime job.

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  • Source: Panthers QB Mayfield out ‘couple weeks’

    Source: Panthers QB Mayfield out ‘couple weeks’

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield will be out “at least a couple of weeks” with a high ankle sprain, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

    Mayfield suffered the injury late in the first half of Sunday’s 37-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

    The first pick of the 2018 draft played most of the second half, but arrived for his postgame news conference wearing a walking boot on his left foot.

    “A little painful right now,” Mayfield said after the game. “I’m not real sure exactly what it is. We’ll examine that tomorrow and find out. So right now I’m managing the pain and learning to step in the boot.”

    PJ Walker is expected to start Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the first game for interim head coach Steve Wilks.

    Head coach Matt Rhule was fired Monday after 1-4 start that left him with 11 losses in his past 12 games.

    Mayfield’s subpar play contributed to this year’s slow start. He had what Rhule called a “gut punch” pick-six near the end of the first half against the Rams and his 16.5 Total QBR is the second lowest after five games of any quarterback since ESPN began tracking the stat in 2006.

    Walker, 2-0 as a starter for Carolina the past two seasons, is the only healthy quarterback currently on the active roster. Sam Darnold, the 2021 starter, remains on injured reserve recovering from an ankle sprain in late August.

    Rhule recently said Darnold was several weeks from being ready just to get back on the practice field.

    Meanwhile, Mayfield will seek additional medical advice to help make the best decision for him moving forward. He took a $3.5 million cut in salary when the Panthers acquired him in a trade with the Cleveland Browns in July. He entered the season with a chance to earn some of that back if he played 75% of the snap this season and earned 10 wins.

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  • Unbeaten Dolphins kick off Week 4 as underdogs vs Bengals

    Unbeaten Dolphins kick off Week 4 as underdogs vs Bengals

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    Tua Tagovailoa and the unbeaten Miami Dolphins are underdogs in Week 4.

    The Dolphins (3-0) kick off this week’s schedule against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) on “Thursday Night Football.”

    The Bengals are 3 1/2-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

    If a victory over the Buffalo Bills wasn’t convincing enough, perhaps a win over the defending AFC champion Bengals would prove the Dolphins are legitimate contenders.

    “There are still some doubters, but we don’t really pay attention too much,” Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert said. “We just go out here and do what we got to do at the end of the day. Whether if it’s against a tough opponent or a not-so tough opponent, each week is a different challenge and each week is a different opportunity for us to grow.”

    Tagovailoa is trying to play with an injured back on short rest. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would be questionable in a typical week. Miami has a capable backup in Teddy Bridgewater if needed.

    Tagovailoa’s uncertainty makes this one easier to predict.

    BENGALS 26-20

    Denver (plus 2 1/2) at Las Vegas

    The Raiders are too talented to be stay winless after winning 10 games last season. Russell Wilson still hasn’t found a rhythm in Denver’s offense and rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett has made several head-scratching decisions. It’s an opportunity for Raiders coach Josh McDaniels to get his first win since Nov. 14, 2010, when he coached the Broncos.

    BEST BET: RAIDERS 24-19

    Arizona (plus 2) at Carolina

    The Cardinals have struggled in the first half and need to start games the way they finish them. They’ve won nine straight road games in the regular season. Kyler Murray should outduel Baker Mayfield in the battle between former Oklahoma quarterbacks.

    UPSET SPECIAL: CARDINALS 26-20

    Los Angeles Chargers (minus 5 1/2) at Houston

    Justin Herbert is playing hurt, the Chargers are banged-up and they were blown out by the Jaguars last week. The winless Texans have been outscored a combined 30-0 in the fourth quarter this season.

    CHARGERS 30-16

    Jacksonville (plus 6 1/2) at Philadelphia

    Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are rolling. They dominated Carson Wentz last week and have another reunion against coach Doug Pederson, who led them to the franchise’s only Super Bowl title.

    EAGLES 27-17

    Los Angeles Rams (plus 2 1/2) at San Francisco

    The 49ers have owned the Rams the past three years, winning six straight, though Los Angeles beat San Francisco in the NFC championship game.

    49ERS 23-20

    Minnesota (minus 2 1/2) at New Orleans

    The Saints, especially Jameis Winston, need to stop turning the ball over. The Vikings are still finding their offensive groove under new coach Kevin O’Connell.

    SAINTS 23-20

    Tennessee (plus 3 1/2) at Indianapolis

    Matt Ryan rallied the Colts to their first win of the season in a comeback victory over the Chiefs. Now, he gets his first taste of this AFC South rivalry.

    COLTS 24-21

    Chicago (plus 3 1/2) at New York Giants

    The Bears have won two games without testing Justin Fields too much. He’s thrown only 45 passes. The Giants have a short week after a tough loss at home to Dallas on Monday night.

    GIANTS 22-16

    Jets (plus 3 1/2) at Pittsburgh

    The Steelers are sputtering offensively under Mitch Trubisky. The Jets have held a lead for just 22 seconds.

    STEELERS 21-17

    Cleveland (minus 1 1/2) at Atlanta

    Jacoby Brissett is proving he’s more than a game-manager for the Browns, who rely on Nick Chubb and an excellent ground game.

    BROWNS 27-19

    Washington (plus 3 1/2) at Dallas

    Cooper Rush is 2-0 filling in for Dak Prescott this season. Carson Wentz tries to bounce back from a beatdown against the Eagles to face another familiar opponent.

    COWBOYS 23-21

    New England (plus 10) at Green Bay

    After beating Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, the Packers face the reeling Patriots.

    PACKERS 30-13

    Buffalo (minus 3) at Baltimore

    Josh Allen and the Bills ran out of time last week in an exhausting game in Miami. Lamar Jackson is off to an MVP-caliber start.

    BILLS 27-26

    Seattle (plus 4 1/2) at Detroit

    The Lions are better than their 1-2 record. The Seahawks are exactly where they should be.

    LIONS 30-17

    Kansas City (minus 1 1/2) at Tampa Bay

    The Buccaneers are in hurricane upheaval, struggling on offense and facing a team seeking to get even for its loss in the Super Bowl two years ago.

    CHIEFS 24-21

    2022 RECORD

    Last Week: Straight up: 10-6. Against spread: 10-6.

    Season: Straight up: 27-21. Against spread: 24-24.

    Best Bet: Straight up: 1-0. Against spread: 1-0.

    Season: Straight up: 2-1. Against spread: 2-1.

    Upset Special: Straight up: 1-0. Against spread: 1-0.

    Season: Straight up: 1-2. Against spread: 1-2

    ———

    Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi

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    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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