Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes and the San Francisco 49ers started the stretch run of their season with a 37-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.The 49ers (10-4) came back from a bye week and looked extremely sharp on offense against the overmatched Titans (2-12) by scoring on their first five possessions of a game for the first time since the 2021 season.Purdy threw two touchdown passes to Jauan Jennings, another to George Kittle and the Niners got a TD run from Christian McCaffrey as San Francisco converted its first seven tries on third down.Purdy finished 23 for 30 for 295 yards and the Niners won despite getting only 87 yards from scrimmage from McCaffrey.Rookie Cam Ward threw a touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm in the second quarter and another in the fourth to defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Ward finished with 170 yards passing as the Titans were unable to build on the momentum from a win over Cleveland last week and remained in a three-way tie for the worst record in the NFL. Tennessee hasn’t won back-to-back games since November 2022.The Titans blew a good opportunity late in the first half when Ward missed a wide-open Van Jefferson on a deep shot and then Joey Slye missed a 50-yard field goal on the final play of the half to keep San Francisco’s lead at 17-10.The Niners extended the lead to 14 points when Purdy connected with Jennings for the second time on the opening possession. Tennessee went three-and-out on its first two drives of the half and never had a chance at a comeback.Stat sheet stufferSimmons put together an impressive stat line in a losing effort.He recorded a strip sack against Purdy early in the fourth quarter and then caught a 1-yard TD pass on the ensuing possession for his second career touchdown reception.This marked just the sixth time since sacks became official in 1982 that a player had a sack, a forced fumble and a TD catch in the same game with J.J. Watt doing it twice in 2014 for Houston, with Mike Vrabel (2007), Jared Allen (2017) and Barry Krauss (1982) the others to do it.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes and the San Francisco 49ers started the stretch run of their season with a 37-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The 49ers (10-4) came back from a bye week and looked extremely sharp on offense against the overmatched Titans (2-12) by scoring on their first five possessions of a game for the first time since the 2021 season.
Purdy threw two touchdown passes to Jauan Jennings, another to George Kittle and the Niners got a TD run from Christian McCaffrey as San Francisco converted its first seven tries on third down.
Purdy finished 23 for 30 for 295 yards and the Niners won despite getting only 87 yards from scrimmage from McCaffrey.
Rookie Cam Ward threw a touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm in the second quarter and another in the fourth to defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Ward finished with 170 yards passing as the Titans were unable to build on the momentum from a win over Cleveland last week and remained in a three-way tie for the worst record in the NFL. Tennessee hasn’t won back-to-back games since November 2022.
The Titans blew a good opportunity late in the first half when Ward missed a wide-open Van Jefferson on a deep shot and then Joey Slye missed a 50-yard field goal on the final play of the half to keep San Francisco’s lead at 17-10.
The Niners extended the lead to 14 points when Purdy connected with Jennings for the second time on the opening possession. Tennessee went three-and-out on its first two drives of the half and never had a chance at a comeback.
Stat sheet stuffer
Simmons put together an impressive stat line in a losing effort.
He recorded a strip sack against Purdy early in the fourth quarter and then caught a 1-yard TD pass on the ensuing possession for his second career touchdown reception.
This marked just the sixth time since sacks became official in 1982 that a player had a sack, a forced fumble and a TD catch in the same game with J.J. Watt doing it twice in 2014 for Houston, with Mike Vrabel (2007), Jared Allen (2017) and Barry Krauss (1982) the others to do it.
Multiple quarterbacks exited NFL games due to injury last week in a league already short on quality players at the position.
But it is unlikely that veteran signal-caller Ryan Tannehill will be making an NFL comeback down the stretch this season. Tannehill, the 2019 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, quietly decided to call it a career.
“I think that chapter is closed,” Tannehill told The Escapist. “I think last year, that was where I was at, if the right opportunity came up and was right for our family. Staying in shape and staying ready. I had plenty of calls, but nothing ever felt like the right opportunity that I was looking for. That was last NFL season. At this point, I think that ship has sailed for me.”
Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tannehill hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since the 2023 season.
The Miami Dolphins selected Tannehill in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. An ACL injury forced Tannehill to miss the entire 2017 regular season. The Dolphins traded Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans in 2019.
Tannehill experienced a career resurgence in Tennessee, finishing his first season with the team with 2,742 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. The performance earned Tannehill his first career Pro Bowl selection.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) acknowledges the Titans fans after their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on Jan. 7, 2024. (Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK)
While Tannehill admittedly was unable to land in a situation that was a good fit, there are seemingly always teams that could benefit from a veteran presence in their respective quarterback rooms. Some teams have searched for a way to offset the impact of quarterback injuries.
The Cincinnati Bengals acquired Joe Flacco after Joe Burrow sustained a toe injury in September.
Marcus Mariota has appeared in several games this year as Jayden Daniels has dealt with multiple setbacks. Davis Mills started in place of an injured C.J. Stroud once again on Thursday night to kick off Week 12, while Jacoby Brissett is expected to remain the Arizona Cardinals starter for the remainder of the season. Kyler Murray was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury.
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Atlanta Falcons signal caller Michael Penix Jr. left a Week 11 game in the third quarter during a matchup with the Carolina Panthers. He later underwent season-ending knee surgery, the team confirmed. Bryce Young was also banged up in that game but returned to play through apparent ankle discomfort.
Aaron Rodgers headed to the sidelines before the end of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Bengals, and Jordan Love also briefly left last week’s game because of injury.
Both of Tannehill’s former teams have largely struggled this season. The Titans enter Week 12 with just one win. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the top selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions in his first 10 games.
Earlier this month, the Dolphins parted ways with general manager Chris Grier. Miami got off to a slow start this season but has managed to win its last two games. The Dolphins are on a bye week after defeating the Washington Commanders in the league’s first regular season game in Spain last Sunday.
Surveillance video shows Tennessee Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed driving a Lamborghini Urus at a suburban Dallas dealership and nearby gas station minutes before two men allege that shots were fired at them from that vehicle last December.
Sneed, 28, was indicted Tuesday by a Dallas County grand jury on a misdemeanor charge of failing to report felony aggravated assault to law enforcement. The indictment does not include details of the alleged incident on Dec. 6.
In the video, Sneed can be seen getting out of the Lamborghini, then using crutches to walk past the men and up stairs into the dealership at 3:22 p.m. on that date. Sneed walks out about a minute later in the video, which was shared Thursday with The Associated Press by attorney Levi McCathern, who represents the two men in a civil lawsuit against Sneed over the shooting.
The Titans cornerback, who was on injured reserve, also can be seen in separate surveillance video at a gas station at the same time as the two men. In the video, Sneed walks in from a gas pump, goes to a register and then walks back to the same car when Christian Nshimiyimana and Avi Ahmed were inside.
Minutes later, Nshimiyimana and Ahmed say in their lawsuit that they were shot at while sitting in a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon at the dealership. The surveillance video shows a vehicle driving past with four loud pops heard and an arm out the passenger side window at 3:42 p.m. That vehicle then speeds off.
A probable cause affidavit from the Carrollton Police Department dated Dec. 11 said Ahmed asked employees about two men he had seen earlier and that Sneed was identified as one of those men. The dealership also provided Sneed’s phone number.
Detectives also confirmed Sneed’s identity from surveillance video from several locations.
“It was apparent that Sneed was the only person they had seen getting out of and into the driver seat of the Lamborghini. He also was the last person seen getting into the driver seat at the RaceTrac (gas station) approximately eight minutes before the shooting,” according to the affidavit.
The police affidavit also noted: “Combined with the rapid acceleration away from the scene proved that Sneed knew what he was doing when assisted the shooter in fleeing the scene.”
Nshimiyimana and Ahmed allege that Sneed and another man, Tekonzae Williams, were inside the Lamborghini when the shots were fired. Williams was indicted Tuesday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Court records did not list an attorney for Williams.
McCathern, of McCathern Law, said Thursday his clients were pleased that Sneed and his associate were indicted.
“Hopefully, this will be the beginning of getting justice for my clients,” McCathern said. “As the video clearly shows, they are very lucky to be alive after Mr. Sneed’s actions.”
Sneed’s attorney, Michael J. Todd, did not return a message left by the AP on Thursday. Sneed’s agent had no comment Wednesday.
No people were hit by bullets, though the lawsuit says bullets did hit the Mercedes-Benz as well as a building at the car lot. The lawsuit against Sneed and Williams seeks at least $1 million in damages.
The Titans said in a statement they were aware of the “legal matter” with Sneed and are in contact with NFL security per league protocol. The statement says the team had no further comment.
Sneed was placed on injured reserve last month with a quadriceps injury, and he was in the Titans’ locker room Thursday. Players on injured reserve do not talk to reporters.
This is the second straight season the Titans have put him on injured reserve. He played only five games in 2024 after Tennessee traded with Kansas City for him, giving Sneed a contract that made him the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid cornerback at the time.
Sneed was drafted from Louisiana Tech in the fourth round in 2020 by Kansas City. He won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Chiefs in 2022 and 2023.
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Associated Press writer Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Police in a Dallas suburb say 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide after evading authorities in his vehicle and fleeing the scene of an accident on foot.
Frisco police said Thursday they are investigating the possible suicide. They said Kneeland didn’t stop for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers over a traffic violation in a chase that was joined by Frisco police on Wednesday night.
Authorities lost sight of the vehicle before locating it crashed minutes later. During the search after Kneeland fled the crash site on foot, officers said they received word that Kneeland might be suicidal. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound early Thursday morning, about three hours after the crash, police said without specifying where Kneeland’s body was found.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org. Helplines outside the U.S. can be found at www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts. ___
Kneeland was in his second season with the Cowboys. He was a 2024 second-round draft pick out of Western Michigan.
“I am shattered to confirm that my client and dearest friend Marshawn Kneeland passed away last night,” Kneeland’s agent, Jonathan Perzley, said in a statement that asked for privacy. “Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice and every moment on the field. To lose someone with his talent, spirit and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words.”
Kneeland’s rookie season was off to a promising start before he was sidelined for five games by a knee injury.
Kneeland had his first career sack in the season opener this year against Philadelphia. He played in seven games this season, missing two with an ankle injury.
“Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization,” the Cowboys said. “Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”
The Cowboys have frequently sought pass rushers and other defensive linemen in the first two rounds of the draft. Kneeland was drafted a year after defensive end Sam Williams was taken by Dallas in the second round. Williams blocked the punt that Kneeland recovered against the Cardinals.
Kneeland’s mother, Wendy Kneeland, died suddenly while he was preparing for the draft. He had his mother’s ashes in a necklace he wore after joining the Cowboys, according to The Dallas Morning News.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland,” the NFL said. “We have been in contact with the Cowboys and have offered support and counseling resources.”
Miami Dolphins receivers coach Robert Prince, who had the same position with the Cowboys when Kneeland was a rookie last year, had tears in his eyes as he met with reporters Thursday.
“We spent a lot of time (together) when he was injured and working out in the weight room,” Prince said. “We’d shoot the breeze. He was a Western Michigan kid and I coached with the Lions for a while so we had some Michigan-type stories. Good kid. I’m sorry to hear that about him.”
Kneeland had a career-high 57 tackles along with 4 1/2 sacks in nine games as a senior at Western Michigan.
“My heart is absolutely broken over the loss of Marshawn Kneeland,” Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor said. “His leadership, energy and smile were infectious, and he left a lasting impact on everyone in our program. Having coached him during my first season here, we developed a special bond that went far beyond football.”
Tributes poured in from around the NFL, including Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who raised the topic of suicide awareness with a reporter during training camp this year.
“It sucks seeing the news of our NFL brother!” Simmons wrote on X. “Even when someone is carrying the biggest smile, make sure to just check in on them. You just never know man. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, we all go through things that we sometimes hide!”
Two of Kneeland’s Dallas teammates, quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, had siblings who died by suicide and have foundations supporting suicide awareness and prevention. Thomas’ sister, Ella, was the same age as Kneeland.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has helped rejuvenate hopes for fans through the first seven weeks of the 2025 season.
Maye’s performance against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday certainly kept those expectations raised. He was 21-of-23 with 222 passing yards, two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 135.9 as the Patriots won the game 31-13. He was sacked four times but didn’t turn the ball over once.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) waves to fans following an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.(AP Photo/George Walker IV)
The Patriots announced after the game that Maye matched a feat by Tom Brady. The team said Maye tied Brady for the most games with at least 200 passing yards, a 135 passer rating and two passing touchdowns in a single season with four.
Maye had already accomplished the feat in his second year and 20 games in. Brady was well into his NFL career in 2007 when he achieved the milestone. Brady hit the mark by Week 11 of that season.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.(AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Maye connected with seven different receivers. Stefon Diggs had seven catches for 69 yards. Kashon Boutte and Austin Hooper each caught touchdown passes.
New England improved to 5-2 on the year and are one up in the win column over the Buffalo Bills for the lead in the AFC East.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.(AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Six weeks into the 2025 NFL season, one of the biggest surprises is just how competitive the AFC South has become. The Houston Texans were the clear cut favorite to win the division coming into the season, but the Indianapolis Colts (5-1) and Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) have both jumped out in front, leaving the Texans as a +650 underdog to win the division in which they’ve ruled supreme the last two seasons.
With the Colts and the Jaguars looking like they’ve figured a few things out, the last thing the Texans need is the Tennessee Titans evolving into a threat. This week, the Titans fired their head coach, Brian Callahan, after a 4-19 record over one full season plus six games. This was bad news for the rest of the AFC South, as Callahan appeared to be a dope.
The Titans drafted a talented quarterback, Miami’s Cam Ward, with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, so a big part of Callahan’s termination had to be concern that he might damage the most valuable asset in the organization, the future franchise quarterback. Thus, the last thing that the Texans (and Colts and Jags, for that matter) need is Tennessee stumbling into a good head coaching hire.
The Titans actually HAD a good head coach in Mike Vrabel, who has put together a 4-2 record this season with the New England Patriots, but they fired him after the 2023 season. Now, the Titans are giving themselves another bite at the head coaching apple. Who are the candidates that would concern me, as a Texans fan? In other words, whoa re the candidates that might get the bets version of Ward? Here are four:
MIKE McCARTHY, former Packers and Cowboys head coach
McCarthy is the only Super Bowl winning head coach on this list, and in two of the more high pressured jobs, 13 seasons in Green Bay and 5 seasons in Dallas, McCarthy stacked several division titles and a very respectable 174-112-2 overall record. Most importantly, Aaron Rodgers won multiple MVP awards in McCarthy’s offense with McCarthy calling plays, and he also got the best version of Dak Prescott at times in Dallas. His experience is his weapon, as he would know a thing or two about establishing a culture and garnering respect from the locker room.
KLIFF KINGSBURY, former Cardinals head coach and current Commanders OC
Kingsbury had a very pedestrian 28-37-1 record in his four seasons in Arizona, and more importantly, developed a reputation as kind of a soft touch, so if he’s looking at second chance as a head coach, hopefully Kingsbury has read a few books on culture setting. The big thing in Kingsbury’s favor is his role in developing 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels, with the Commanders. Kingsbury coaching Cam Ward is a scary proposition for the rest of the division.
JOE BRADY, Bills offensive coordinator
Brady has had an interesting career trajectory. He really burst onto the scene at the collegiate level as the passing game coordinator for the national champion LSU Tigers in 2019. From there, he was probably humbled a bit as the offensive coordinator in Carolina in 2020-2021. The last couple seasons in Buffalo have been outstanding, though, as he has orchestrated the best rushing offense in football this season, and was the play caller for Josh Allen’s MVP season in 2024.
BRIAN FLORES, former Dolphins head coach and current Vikings DC
Let’s throw one defensive head coach into the mix, shall we? Flores did some good things with the Dolphins in his three seasons (2019-2021) there, finishing about .500 his final two seasons. However, his undoing was the perception that he ruined a young QB in Tua Tagovailoa, with his rough style of head coaching. I think we have enough data now to know that Tua might be a little soft, and perhaps Flores wasn’t the problem. Obviously, Flores would need to come in with a real plan on the offensive side of the ball, including a convincing offensive coordinator hire.
The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly fined head coach Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for his sideline altercation with running back Emari Demercado.
Gannon was upset after Demercado dropped the football before crossing the goal line on what should have been a 72-yard touchdown that would have put Arizona up 28-6 early in the fourth quarter.
Instead, the Cardinals went on to lose to the Tennessee Titans, 22-21.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals looks on during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.(Norm Hall/Getty Images)
A video posted to social media showed Gannon approaching Demercado, who was being consoled by left tackle Paris Johnson after the mistake, and confronting him. Gannon appeared to get in Demercado’s face before making brief contact with the running back’s arm as he walked away.
Gannon apologized for his actions on Monday, saying, “I kind of let the moment get the better of me there.”
There will be no other discipline for Gannon than the fine, according to ESPN.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals leaves the field after a loss against the Seattle Seahawks following the game at State Farm Stadium on Sept. 25, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
This is the first time an NFL head coach has been fined for a player altercation since Bruce Arians, who was coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was disciplined for hitting safety Andrew Adams’ helmet during a Wild Card Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bucs docked Arians $50,000 for the incident.
Demercado’s blunder allowed the Titans to get back into the game, as rookie Cam Ward orchestrated a touchdown drive to cut the deficit.
Demercado wasn’t the only Cardinals to falter. Several defenders failed to recover a red-zone fumble following an interception, allowing Tennessee’s Tyler Lockett to fall on the ball in the end zone for a wild touchdown.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals stands on the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.(Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals looked like they were cruising to their third win of the 2025 NFL season, but two head-scratching mistakes resulted in the Tennessee Titans’ first win of the year instead.
The Titans defeated the Cardinals, 22-21, on a walk-off field goal to snap a four-game losing streak to start the year, while Arizona was left flabbergasted after blowing a 21-6 lead they had at halftime.
Arizona’s first bizarre blunder came on what should’ve been the game-sealing score for the home team, as Emari Demercado broke free on what looked like a 72-yard touchdown run.
Tyler Lockett of the Tennessee Titans recovers a fumble for a touchdown in front of Budda Baker #3 of the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
However, he committed the biggest do-not in the NFL as he was seen releasing the ball before he crossed the goal line. So, instead of a 28-6 lead for the Cardinals to start the fourth quarter, the Titans got the ball at the 20-yard line after a horrendous touchback.
Titans quarterback Cam Ward used that gift to go 80 yards for the team’s first touchdown of the game, as Tony Pollard busted into the end zone from one yard out to make it 21-12 (Joey Slye’s extra point was no good).
The second blunder for the Cardinals was even more crazy to wrap your head around. It appeared Arizona got the game-sealing interception when Dadrion Taylor-Demerson hauled in a tipped Ward pass while Tennessee was in the red zone. But Taylor-Demerson tumbled to the ground and lost the ball.
From there, it was pinball as multiple Cardinals players tried to recover the fumble, but the ball managed to ricochet its way into the end zone where Titans receiver Tyler Lockett secured it. It was ruled a touchdown because the ball remained live even with the boots from the Cardinals players.
Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (31) runs the ball for 71 yards before fumbling against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025.(Matt Kartozian/Imagn Images)
The score was now 21-19 and the Cardinals had the opportunity to still salvage a victory despite the horrible mistakes. But after the Titans’ defense forced a punt, Ward had time to get downfield and perhaps allow Slye the chance for the win.
That’s exactly what he did when he found Calvin Ridley on a 38-yard strike to put the Titans at the Cardinals’ 15-yard line. An 11-yard run from Pollard secured a chip-shot field goal chance and Slye buried the 29-yarder at the buzzer for the impossible win.
Ward finished the game 21-of-39 for 265 yards with no touchdown passes and one interception, while Pollard had 67 yards rushing on 14 carries with his score. Ridley led the pass game with 131 yards on just five catches.
Tyler Lockett of the Tennessee Titans recovers a fumble for a touchdown in front of Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
For me, covering the National Football League is always fun. Even when your team is underachieving or flat out stinks, it’s fun to cover the sport of football. Certainly, though, your love of the game gets tested covering two 0-3 teams battling each other for their first win of the season.
Such was this Sunday at NRG Stadium, as the 0-3 Houston Texans (underachieving, to be sure) battled the 0-3 Tennessee Titans (definitely, they stink), each looking for their first win of the season. To say that the Texans needed this one would be a major understatement.
Since 1990, in the NFL, only one team has started a season with an 0-4 record and made the NFL postseason. It was the 1992 San Diego Chargers. So, certainly, one of the goals this weekend for those of us in the Houston media was to successfully pray that we would not have to discuss them on our shows or in articles this coming week.
Our prayers were answered, as the Texans finally got their offense out of first gear in the fourth quarter on Sunday, scoring three touchdown in that final frame to cruise to a 26-0 win over the lowly Titans. As always, we had winners and losers, so let’s dig in!
WINNERS
4. Danielle Hunter For the first three games of the season, Hunter had played very well, but it was WIll Anderson who had been making more noise off the edge, with three sacks. On Sunday, though, Hunter was all over the place, making life miserable for Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward. On the day, Hunter finished the afternoon with two sacks, three QB hits, and a near caused fumble on the first possession of the game. After the game, Hunter received a game ball from DeMeco Ryans.
3. Derek Stingley Stingley missed most of the loss to the Jaguars with an oblique strain that kept him out for all but a few snaps. All week long, Stingley was on the injury list, and missed practice altogether on Wednesday and Thursday. Coming into the game with a “questionable” designation on the weekend injury report, Stingley was able to gut it out and play, and in the process secured his first interception of the season to set up the Texans second touchdown of the afternoon. Having Stingley out there covering one side of the field just changes how the Texans operate so drastically.
C.J. Stroud generated 233 yards through the air, and three fourth quarter touchdowns.
Photo by Cody Barclay
2. C.J. Stroud
It’s no secret that C. J. Stroud has seemed to be in a bad mood all season. An 0-3 record and a malfunctioning offense will do that to a young quarterback. On Sunday, Stroud was able to do what good quarterbacks do to bad teams. Stroud was highly efficient, particularly in the second half, and finished 22 of 28 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, he protected the football, no turnovers. The 37 yard throw on a 2nd and 33 to Nico Collins, and the 24 yard touchdown to Jayden Higgins were particularly encouraging, as those were throws that invoked memories of Stroud’s rookie season.
1. Woody Marks Since training camp, it’s been quite evident that the rookie Marks operates with a level of explosiveness and wiggle that the veteran running backs on the team just don’t have. He’s clearly needed more touches, and on Sunday he got them, carrying the ball 17 times for 69 yards, and adding four catches for 50 yards. Woods scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Perhaps his most impressive play was this blitz pickup on safety Quandre Diggs:
This was an afternoon that had to have OC Nick Caley rethinking how he distributes the carries moving forward. Speaking of Caley….
LOSERS
4. Style points Despite the 26-0 win, there were no shortage of Texan fans after the game who were certainly happy to beat the Titans, but were none too happy that it took three quarters for the offense to penetrate the Tennessee red zone. Three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, two of which came on relatively short fields, were not enough to inspire confidence that Caley nor his offensive line made suitable progress to beat teams like the Ravens, Seahawks, and 49ers. Those are the Texans’ next three opponents.
3. Joey Slye If you Texan fans don’t remember the three games that Slye played for the Texans in 2021, it’s okay. We are all trying to forget the year that David Culley was the head coach of this team. On Sunday, Slye helped impact more Texans winning as a Titans kicker than he ever did as a Texan, missing two very attainable field goals in the first half to make sure the score was 6-0 at half, and not 5-5. Thanks Slye Dog!
2. Brian Callahan Betting outlets have odds on which NFL head coach will be the first one fired, and two weeks ago, Miami’s Mike McDaniel was a mortal lock at -700. Somehow, though, in one week in Week 3, Callahan managed to slice the gap to McDaniel -150 and Callahan’s odds at +150. Callahan has been an abject disaster, now with a 3-18 overall record, and a mind boggling 3-18 record AGAINST THE SPREAD, as well. He’s made a lot of people very wealthy in sports books all over the nation! Callahan’s choice to give up play calling duties resulted in the Texans’ first shutout win since November 28, 2010, also a win over Tennessee.
1. Cam Ward Ward is an incredibly talented football player, but he is off to a putrid start on a team with no solutions to improve his play or the play of those around him. In this clip, he seems at his wit’s end, after four games;
#Titans QB Cam Ward is clearly frustrated with the lack of production on offense starting with himself. “If we keep it a buck right now, we ass.” pic.twitter.com/ApQzABZBG2
For me, covering the National Football League is always fun. Even when your team is underachieving or flat out stinks, it’s fun to cover the sport of football. Certainly, though, your love of the game gets tested covering two 0-3 teams battling each other for their first win of the season.
Such was this Sunday at NRG Stadium, as the 0-3 Houston Texans (underachieving, to be sure) battled the 0-3 Tennessee Titans (definitely, they stink), each looking for their first win of the season. To say that the Texans needed this one would be a major understatement.
Since 1990, in the NFL, only one team has started a season with an 0-4 record and made the NFL postseason. It was the 1992 San Diego Chargers. So, certainly, one of the goals this weekend for those of us in the Houston media was to successfully pray that we would not have to discuss them on our shows or in articles this coming week.
Our prayers were answered, as the Texans finally got their offense out of first gear in the fourth quarter on Sunday, scoring three touchdown in that final frame to cruise to a 26-0 win over the lowly Titans. As always, we had winners and losers, so let’s dig in!
WINNERS
4. Danielle Hunter For the first three games of the season, Hunter had played very well, but it was WIll Anderson who had been making more noise off the edge, with three sacks. On Sunday, though, Hunter was all over the place, making life miserable for Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward. On the day, Hunter finished the afternoon with two sacks, three QB hits, and a near caused fumble on the first possession of the game. After the game, Hunter received a game ball from DeMeco Ryans.
3. Derek Stingley Stingley missed most of the loss to the Jaguars with an oblique strain that kept him out for all but a few snaps. All week long, Stingley was on the injury list, and missed practice altogether on Wednesday and Thursday. Coming into the game with a “questionable” designation on the weekend injury report, Stingley was able to gut it out and play, and in the process secured his first interception of the season to set up the Texans second touchdown of the afternoon. Having Stingley out there covering one side of the field just changes how the Texans operate so drastically.
C.J. Stroud generated 233 yards through the air, and three fourth quarter touchdowns.
2. C.J. Stroud It’s no secret that C. J. Stroud has seemed to be in a bad mood all season. An 0-3 record and a malfunctioning offense will do that to a young quarterback. On Sunday, Stroud was able to do what good quarterbacks do to bad teams. Stroud was highly efficient, particularly in the second half, and finished 22 of 28 for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, he protected the football, no turnovers. The 37 yard throw on a 2nd and 33 to Nico Collins, and the 24 yard touchdown to Jayden Higgins were particularly encouraging, as those were throws that invoked memories of Stroud’s rookie season.
1. Woody Marks Since training camp, it’s been quite evident that the rookie Marks operates with a level of explosiveness and wiggle that the veteran running backs on the team just don’t have. He’s clearly needed more touches, and on Sunday he got them, carrying the ball 17 times for 69 yards, and adding four catches for 50 yards. Woods scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Perhaps his most impressive play was this blitz pickup on safety Quandre Diggs:
iThis was an afternoon that had to have OC Nick Caley rethinking how he distributes the carries moving forward. Speaking of Caley….
LOSERS
4. Style points Despite the 26-0 win, there were no shortage of Texan fans after the game who were certainly happy to beat the Titans, but were none too happy that it took three quarters for the offense to penetrate the Tennessee red zone. Three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, two of which came on relatively short fields, were not enough to inspire confidence that Caley nor his offensive line made suitable progress to beat teams like the Ravens, Seahawks, and 49ers. Those are the Texans’ next three opponents.
3. Joey Slye If you Texan fans don’t remember the three games that Slye played for the Texans in 2021, it’s okay. We are all trying to forget the year that David Culley was the head coach of this team. On Sunday, Slye helped impact more Texans winning as a Titans kicker than he ever did as a Texan, missing two very attainable field goals in the first half to make sure the score was 6-0 at half, and not 5-5. Thanks Slye Dog!
2. Brian Callahan Betting outlets have odds on which NFL head coach will be the first one fired, and two weeks ago, M Kami’s Mike McDaniel was a mortal lock at -700. Somehow, though, in one week in Week 3, Callahan managed to slice the gap to McDaniel -150 and Callahan’s odds at +150. Callahan has been an abject disaster, now with a 3-18 overall record, and a mind boggling 3-18 record AGAINST THE SPREAD, as well. He’s made a lot of people very wealthy in sports books all over the nation! Callahan’s choice to give up play calling duties resulted in the Texans’ first shutout win since November 28, 2010, also a win over Tennessee.
1. Cam Ward Ward is an incredibly talented football player, but he is off to a putrid start on a team with no solutions to improve his play or the play of those around him. In this clip, he seems at his wit’s end, after four games;
iSeems like a nice kid, but I hope he never wins a game. That’s just the energy of this rivalry. Sorry about it, Cam.
The two teams play each other twice every season, but over the recent seasons, the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans have played each other in very few important games. The fact of the matter is, since 2020, when the Titans have been competitive (2020-2022), the Texans have been awful, and when the Texans have been good (2023-2024), the Titans have been the dregs of the league.
With these two franchises seemingly despising each other, from ownership of each team on down, it would be fun to have a game where the two teams come in evenly matched. But not this way, not with both teams limping in at 0-3 this Sunday at NRG Stadium. In a series of games through the last couple seasons where the winning side hasn’t been afraid to talk smack, the winner of this one likely has very little to brag about, especially if the winner is the Houston Texans.
The Titans come into this game with a struggling rookie quarterback, a first time play caller, and a beleaguered head coach who might get shown the door by midseason. The Texans are well below expectations in nearly every area as a team, especially on offense, and enter the game as a seven point favorite. They play the Ravens next week, and then have a bye.
In other words, the Texans have to win this game, or this season could start looking a lot like 2013, when a talented Texans team still managed to lose 14 games in a row to finish 2-14. Here are four things to watch for on Sunday:
4. What are the vibes in NRG Stadium? At 0-3, Houston Texans fans are angry. They’re angry at GM Nick Caserio, they’re angry at OC Nick Caley, and they’re even angry at prodigal son DeMeco Ryans. I am here to tell you, the fact that fans are angry is a GOOD thing, because if the Texans lose to the Titans on Sunday, anger will devolve into apathy, and that is the worst emotion that a fan base can have. At least anger implies they care. How does the anger translate on Sunday in the stadium? Will the always slow-arriving NRG crowd arrive even later than usual. Do the Texans hear boos if they go three and out on the first series. It should be a fascinating case study.
3. Can we get a clean game, please? DeMeco Ryans has promised us that., if the Texans play a cleaner brand of football, they’ll win games. Hell, he even said multiple times this past week that the team is “close.” I know this — the offense isn’t close to anything resembling “close.” Penalties, mental errors, and missed assignments have been the norm on offense. More disturbingly, the defense has made its share of errors, as well, although a big chunk of the missed assignments in the secondary walked out the door with the release of C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday. Still, bette
2. New Titans play caller Three weeks into the season, Titans head coach Brian Callahan has already ceded play calling duties on offense, handing that responsibility to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree. Before you completely begin salivating at the vision of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter murdering a rookie quarterback being fed plays by a new play caller, know that Hardegree had success as a play caller in Las Vegas two seasons ago, on an interim basis, after the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels. The Raiders increased their scoring by nearly a touchdown per game on Hardegree’s watch. Still, this should be a real chance for the Texans defense to have one of those signature dominant home performances they had last season.
1. Texans offense going up tempo? The Texans are last in the league in scoring, and they’ve arrived at this point with almost zero creativity or juice. Their offense is a pathetic, boring product. So imagine my excitement when I saw Demeco Ryans say this about the upcoming game:
The Houston Texans are traveling to Jacksonville this weekend to face the Jaguars in what is essentially an early season “must win” for our hometown team. The Texans are 0-2 to start the season, and one really awful way to sustain the misery would be losing a divisional game to the lowly Jags. The playoff probabilities are bad enough for 0-2 teams. 0-3 teams are almost banished from the playoffs.
Beyond watching their playoff probabilities dwindle to next to nothing with a loss Sunday, losing to the Jags would also end one of the most remarkable streaks in team sports — the Texans’ current 11 game road winning streak inside the division. The ledger of games that are part of this streak is as follows:
(Texans record at the time of the game in the first parentheses. Betting line and Texans money line in the second parentheses.)
A few thoughts on this wild multi year accomplishment by the Texans:
This streak includes some of the worst versions of the Texans ever Divisional games in the NFL are truly the only matchups where the records of the teams don’t matter. Division foes hate each other. Throw the records out the window, as they say, So an 11 game winning streak inside the division is a major feat for a team that is actually GOOD over that period of time! This Texans streak, though, includes two games coached by David Culley and three games coached by Lovie Smith. Oddly enough, the three games coached by Lovie Smith are the only three wins of his Texans head coaching career.
The most iconic win of the streak was….. There are a few good candidates. In 2022, the Week 18 win over the Colts pushed the Texans down to the second pick in the draft, which netted them C.J. Stroud. In 2023, DeMeco Ryans’ first win as Texans head coach was in Jacksonville in Week 3, while the win over the Colts in Week 18 won them the division. However, my vote for most iconic win during this streak was also in 2023, the Week 15 win over the Titans, with Case Keenum at quarterback. Ka’imi Fairbairn’s last second field goal spoiled Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk’s little “Oiler uniform” cosplay party. THAT was the best!
$100 parlay on these games would have paid…. I know the enterprising part of you wants to know just how much money you could have made by betting on all of these improbable outcomes. After all, the Texans were only favored in two of these contests. Well, thankfully you’ve got me here to do the math (or find a website to do it for us). So, here you go — if you had bet on all of these games and just kept rolling over your winnings on each game, an original bet of $100 would have turned into $2,392,421 by now.
For the record, the money line on the Texans this Sunday is +130, so prepare to turn $2,392,421 into $5,502,568. Go Texans!
Cam Ward’s first NFL touchdown of any kind will have to wait for the regular season after the No. 1 overall pick helped the Tennessee Titans wrap up the preseason by beating the Minnesota Vikings 23-13 Friday night.
Ward finished his preseason 10 of 19 for 145 yards while playing into the second quarter of all three games. Against the Vikings, Ward didn’t complete his first pass. In his second series, he was 3 of 3 for 36 yards, driving the Titans 13 plays for 90 yards over 8:33.
Julius Chestnut capped the drive with a 1-yard run that put the Titans (2-1) up 7-3.
Minnesota (1-2) started rookie Max Brosmer at quarterback with J.J. McCarthy among the starters watching. Brosmer left after two series with the Vikings up 3-0 and returned in the final 30 seconds of the first half.
The quarterback who played his last college season at Minnesota in 2024 did nothing to hurt his chances at being the No. 3 behind McCarthy. Brosmer pulled the Vikings within 17-10 with a 21-yard TD pass to Bryson Nesbit in the third quarter and finished 15 of 23 for 161 yards.
Veteran Brandon Allen came in and put the Titans up 14-3 with Van Jefferson taking a catch 65 yards up the sideline for a touchdown. Jefferson, who dropped a deep pass from Ward against Atlanta last week, caught all three passes thrown his way for 102 yards in this game.
Late in the game, a neon green sex toy was tossed onto the field and quickly picked up by security.
Anything you can do
Minnesota kicker Will Reichard missed a 63-yard field goal just short of the crossbar as the half expired, and he later missed a 55-yarder wide left. Reichard sneaked a 58-yarder inside the left upright midway through the fourth to make it 20-13.
The Titans let kicker Joey Slye try a 63-yarder in the third quarter. The kicker now with his sixth NFL team made his. Slye’s career long is a 63-yarder last season with New England, and this kick would’ve been good from at least 70. He added two more field goals in the fourth.
Simmons asks an plays
Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons made clear earlier this week he wanted to play, even though he couldn’t remember the last time he played in a preseason game.
The Titans sat plenty of their starters, including three offensive linemen, running back Tony Pollard and wide receiver Calvin Ridley. On defense, tackle T’Vondre Sweat missed his third preseason game recovering from a tonsillectomy.
Up next
The Vikings open the season on Monday, Sept. 8 at Chicago.
The Titans visit Denver in their opener on Sept. 7.
Two stars, one a seasoned veteran and the other a number-one pick, got into a heated scuffle during a scorching-hot Tennessee Titans practice on Monday.
Quarterback Cam Ward, the first overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons were spotted getting into it after a play late in practice.
Ward threw a touchdown to wide receiver Calvin Ridley, and as he went to celebrate, he stopped in front of Simmons to tease him with his trademark “Zombieland” celebration — something Simmons is known for after making big defensive plays.
“Absolutely not,” Moore said when asked if anyone is allowed to touch the quarterback, per ESPN. “That goes without saying.”
Both players were eventually separated. Simmons lost his helmet during the physical altercation and left the field, while Ward went on to run the next play.
Titans head coach Brian Callahan didn’t let it slide. After practice, he made the entire team run in the 96-degree heat.
“You get that same attitude, confidence, that same edge every day out of those two guys,” cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. said after practice. “That’s what you expect. But when it does happen with the quarterback, you’ve got to break it up as soon as possible. But brothers fight.”
Jeffery Simmons #98 of the Tennessee Titans leads a huddle prior to an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 11, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
There had been some tension building earlier, as Ward and right tackle JC Latham jawed with Simmons following a short-yardage touchdown run by running back Julius Chestnut. Simmons had been talking trash to the offense, and Ward and Latham were firing back from the huddle.
Ward then threw the touchdown to Ridley and decided to keep the rivalry going, which led to the clash.
While a competitive edge — even among teammates — is encouraged during NFL training camps, no one wants to see the quarterback involved in physical altercations. Simmons, however, wasn’t going to let Ward mock him with his own celebration, though the Titans clearly want to draw a line with these confrontations.
“You never want to see your quarterback in the middle of those kinds of things,” Brownlee added. “But when it does happen, it shows you the kind of dog he has in him. He isn’t going to take anything.”
Cam Ward #1 of the Tennessee Titans looks on after the Tennessee Titans Training Camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park on July 23, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Ward, who went just 2-of-7 for 42 yards in his second preseason game over the weekend, will have one final tune-up against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday before his regular-season debut against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 7.
In a heartbreaking turn of events for former Detroit Lions safety Quandre Diggs, reports indicate that he has suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury that will require surgery. This news comes as a significant blow to Diggs, who was in his first season with the Tennessee Titans after signing a one-year, $3 million deal, with the potential to earn up to $5 million through incentives.
Diggs, who began his NFL career with the Lions, has been a notable presence in the secondary, known for his playmaking ability and leadership on the field. His injury not only ends his season but also raises questions about his recovery and future in the league.
As the Titans face the challenges of the season ahead without Diggs, his teammates and fans alike will surely miss his contributions. Diggs’s resilience and determination have always been evident, and as he embarks on his recovery journey, supporters will be rooting for his return to the field.
It wasn’t easy, but the Detroit Lions are now sitting comfortably at 5-1 after pulling off a thrilling 31-29 road victory over the previously undefeated Minnesota Vikings. Now, the first-place Lions look ahead to their next challenge — a home matchup against the struggling 1-5 Tennessee Titans.
The Titans, who have faced their share of challenges this season, are coming off a rough 34-10 loss on the road to the Buffalo Bills. To add to their woes, there’s uncertainty surrounding the availability of starting quarterback Will Levis, who may or may not suit up for Sunday’s game against the Lions at Ford Field.
As of now, the opening point spread for the Lions vs. Titans showdown has been released, and according to DraftKings, the Lions are currently a 9.5-point favorite to secure a victory and keep their impressive season rolling.
The Lions, who have looked dominant at times this season, will be looking to take full advantage of a struggling Titans squad to further solidify their status as one of the top contenders in the NFC.
After another pitiful performance in Tampa Bay, the Eagles sit tied for 2nd in the NFC East.
Hopefully the Eagles can avoid meeting the Buccaneers in the Wildcard round, again.
Moving on to the early bye week at 2-2 isn’t the end for the Eagles, but it isn’t instilling much hope.
Offensive Woes
Sure the Eagles have been without A.J. Brown for multiple weeks and spent a game and a half without Lane Johnson & DeVonta Smith. But they only average 21.5 points per game in 4 games this season, which drops to 17.3 not including the packers game.
This is also a team that has 8 turnovers on offense and 8(!) 3&Outs. What gives?
Where’s The Motion?
Last season, the Eagles ranked dead last in motion(10.9%) While the Chargers(25.9%) were ranked 8th(Kellen Moore’s last team) while having Easton Stick start multiple games at QB.
With the hire of Moore in the offseason, everyone was expecting a more competent offense. Now loaded with even more talent in the backfield and along the offensive line.
But through 4 weeks…
Motion report through 4 weeks!
First number is motion at the snap, second number is all motion.
The Eagles are in the middle of the pack. Which becomes concerning when you see NextGenStats posting the Eagles used 65.8% in their season debut.
Makes you question why there’s been such a decline in only a matter of weeks.
Why are the Eagles afraid of short yardage plays down 3 of their best players?
Down 2 of your Weapons. Why does Saquon only see the ball 10 times? No wonder the offense stalls.
After admitting to being the one to call a USELESS fake QB sneak in New Orleans. How much of the Offense does Nick Sirianni have control of?
And most importantly.
Why does this team feel so similar to last years?
The Missing Piece
Normally, when a team cleans house, they clean house. It was already questioned last year what Nick Sirianni did as Eagles head coach following last years disastrous end. Somehow, he was able to keep his job.
Brian Johnson was let go as the scape goat to the collapse of the offense compared to their Super Bowl season. But now in Washington, Jayden Daniels is thriving as the Commanders hold 1st place in the NFC East.
Dennard Wilson is now the Defensive Coordinator in Tennessee, and finding some success with a team that isn’t having a great season. After spending last season with the Ravens as a Defensive Backs Coach & Passing Game Coordinator, the same position he held in Philadelphia the 2 years prior.
There’s multiple coaches who have left the Eagles who are finding success. And yet the Eagles seem to be stagnant now 2 years after their Super Bowl appearance. Even after bringing in highly valued coordinators on both sides of the ball.
With many inconsistencies and similarities causing concern just 4 weeks into the season. A 2-2 record might not look bad, but how many head coaches can survive a 3-8 run to end and begin seasons with high expectations?
With the weakest strength of schedule in the league and 13 games still left to play. There aren’t many excuses for this Eagles team to not still be competitive and push for a top seed in the playoffs. But with the way they’ve been playing, there better be some good performances following the bye week. Otherwise the playoffs could soon be out of reach.
Then he went out and produced the kind of performance that Favre once made a habit of delivering at home.
Love went 32 of 54 for 389 yards and nearly helped Green Bay come all the way back from a 28-point deficit Sunday in his return after missing two games with an injured left medial collateral ligament.
But he also was picked off three times in Green Bay’s 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Love ended up setting career highs in completions, yards passing, touchdown passes and interceptions.
“I think ball placement was a little all over the place today, kind of throughout the whole game,” Love said. “I think it picked up later, but yeah, I think early on I just missed a couple throws and was a little bit off and made it hard on some of the receivers on some of those plays.”
Love acknowledged after the game the knee continued to bother him at times.
“I hope it’ll continue to heal and get better, but at this moment, yeah, it’s definitely something that’s there,” Love said. “It’s one of those things. It’s football. We play a physical sport and there’s injuries and you got to fight through some stuff.”
Love hadn’t played since getting injured in the final series of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6 in Brazil. Malik Willis filled in for Love the past two weeks and led Green Bay to victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans as the Packers used a more run-oriented approach.
The rust was apparent early on as Green Bay fell way behind early, forcing Love to throw time and time again.
Love went 10 of 22 for 101 yards with two interceptions over the first 29-plus minutes of the game as the Packers fell behind 28-0. Each of the two interceptions led to Minnesota touchdowns.
Green Bay (2-2) finally got on the scoreboard in the final minute of the first half when a fumbled punt by the Vikings (4-0) led to Love’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed.
And in the fourth quarter, Love finally started to showcase the ability late last season while leading the Packers on a surprising playoff run.
“We knew he was out for a couple weeks, so we were going to put some pressure on him,” said Shaq Griffin, who had one of the Vikings’ three interceptions. “He also did a good job just kind of figuring it around the kind of defense that we were in. A lot of quarterbacks haven’t done that yet, so he did. I definitely tip my hat off to him.”
In that final quarter, Love went 13 of 17 for 202 yards with three touchdown passes and one interception.
After the Packers stopped Minnesota’s Jalen Nailor for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 4 with less than 2 1/2 minutes left, Love led a five-play, 96-yard drive. His 17-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks cut Minnesota’s lead to 31-29 with 56 seconds left before the Vikings could seal the victory.
That fourth-quarter effort exemplified why the Packers believe he can eventually lead them to a title.
“Jordan is Jordan, man,” Reed said. “He’s ‘him,’ in my opinion. I’ve never had a different opinion.”
Love’s teammates remember how he threw 21 touchdown passes with only one interception during a nine-game stretch last season that culminated with a 48-32 upset of the Dallas Cowboys in a wild-card playoff game. The Packers showed their faith in him by signing Love to a four-year, $220 million contract extension last summer.
“I think he’s a hell of a competitor,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “We’ve got a lot of trust, belief and faith in him, and I love how he battles. That’s one of the things that you absolutely love about him is his composure. He’s never too high, never too low and he keeps competing and he keeps battling. I’m super-proud of his effort.”
Even after Love’s big fourth quarter, the Packers still fell short. They’re already two games behind the surprising Vikings in the NFC North.
Now that the Packers are facing some early adversity again, Love can draw upon last season’s run for confidence as his knee gradually gets better.
“We started off in a hole last year as well, so it’s one of those things, we’re going to come back next week, keep working, learn, watch the tape, grow from this game and we’ll see these guys again later on the year,” Love said. “So just learn from it, keep going. But it’s definitely a long season, and I definitely like where we’re at as a team. You know, we didn’t make plays, but (with) the playmakers we have and team we have, I definitely like where we’re at.”
Let’s go to our experts to answer these questions, with the help of analytics and our eyes on the beat.
After running 10,000 simulations of the 2024 season, Austin Mock’s NFL betting model has calculated an expected win total for every team, from the San Francisco 49ers (11.4 wins) to the Washington Commanders (5.9). (You can see the AFC teams here and the NFC here.) Now, our beat writers are here to answer: Is the model too high, too low or just right regarding the team you cover?
San Francisco 49ers
Win total: 11.4
This feels just right. The 49ers won 13 games in 2022 and 12 games in 2023. Factor in the exhaustion from repeated postseason runs (the 49ers have played 60 games over the past three seasons), and another decline in win total this season would make sense. But the Niners, assuming there’s a resolution to the contractual situations involving Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk, might’ve actually upgraded their roster this offseason. Seven members of their 2024 draft class made the 53-man roster, including a starter at what had been the offense’s weakest position, right guard. And quarterback Brock Purdy is expected to improve with experience. The 49ers’ defense, coming off a down year, has seen a talent overhaul, which could help them stay in the 11- to 12-win range. — David Lombardi
GO DEEPER
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Kansas City Chiefs
Win total: 11.3
Projecting the Chiefs to have the best record in the AFC is logical. But they could have more than 11 victories, especially if they sweep their two-game home series to start the season against the Ravens and the Bengals. The Chiefs are clearly favored to win their ninth consecutive AFC West crown. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have dominated the division, and the Chiefs have arguably the league’s best kicker in Harrison Butker, who usually gives them a critical advantage in tight games. The biggest concern is if their defense slides back in the rankings with L’Jarius Sneed, Willie Gay and Mike Edwards no longer on the roster. — Nate Taylor
Detroit Lions
Win total: 10.5
The case for the Lions exceeding 10.5 wins is that they won 12 games a year ago with a young roster and obvious holes. This offseason, they bolstered their secondary, added D.J. Reader and Marcus Davenport along the defensive line and expect their young players to take a step forward. At the same time, though, the Lions face a first-place schedule, and the division is tougher on paper. There’s a world in which the team is more complete overall but wins fewer games. But I have the Lions at 12 wins again, so it’s a touch low, in my opinion. — Colton Pouncy
Baltimore Ravens
Win total: 10.2
If you could guarantee Lamar Jackson will play 15 games or more, I’d say 10.2 wins is a bit low, simply because of how good Baltimore has been in the regular season with a healthy Jackson. However, you can’t do that, so 10.2 looks just right to me. The Ravens have a solid and deep team, but they play a really tough schedule and they have legitimate questions in two key areas: offensive line and edge rush. Those factors need to be considered. — Jeff Zrebiec
Cincinnati Bengals
Win total: 10.2
The Bengals had a fully healthy Joe Burrow for just five-and-a-half games last year. Their defense looked nothing like its previous self without Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell. They played one of the toughest schedules in the league. Very little went right. They still won nine games. A projection of 10.2 is solid, but I’d be more comfortable going over than under. They have questions, no doubt, but they added veteran safeties, the schedule appears dramatically easier, the offensive line is as solid as Burrow has played behind. As long as Burrow is healthy (all signs are good) with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins outside, 10 wins feels like the floor. — Paul Dehner Jr.
Mock writes, “Ultimately, this division comes down to how well Eagles QB Jalen Hurts plays.” I agree. And that’s why I still feel comfortable about my 12-5 prediction from the spring. Hurts was noticeably more polished in training camp. He was decisive, effective and dangerous on deep throws. The Eagles’ wealth of offensive talent could produce, at the very least, a top-five offense if Hurts can command this system properly. Owner Jeffrey Lurie has demonstrated patience with his head coaches so long as there’s confidence in a competitive path forward. But it’s worth wondering whether a 10-win season would be considered a regression under Nick Sirianni. — Brooks Kubena
Win total: 10.0
Despite Dallas’ three consecutive 12-win seasons, the model’s 10-win projection is right on line with what most would expect from the Cowboys. After winning the NFC East, the Cowboys have a tough first-place schedule, which includes games against the Ravens, 49ers, Lions, Eagles (twice), Texans and Bengals. If they remain mostly healthy in all of the key spots, anywhere between nine wins and 12 wins seems like a fair projection. — Saad Yousuf
Win total: 9.8
Mock has the Packers’ win total as the fifth-highest in the NFC. I think the Packers will win 10 or 11 games, so it’s just about right and, if anything, a tick low. Jordan Love and company won’t need the first half of the season to work out the kinks of unfamiliarity, and new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley seems to have his unit firing on all cylinders. The biggest question marks are offensive line depth, the kicker position and youth in the secondary. Shore up at least two of those three and the Packers will be a legitimate title contender. — Matt Schneidman
GO DEEPER
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Win total: 9.7
This seems just about right. A team led by Josh Allen in his prime should always be taken seriously. I’m sure, even with several questions about the Bills in 2024, Allen is why they have the AFC’s fourth-highest win total. But the questions are legitimate. The defense could take a real step back due to cap-cleaning offseason turnover and a long-term injury to linebacker Matt Milano. Plus, it’s a new offense without wideout Stefon Diggs or center Mitch Morse. The Bills could struggle with a tough early schedule, but don’t rule out a second-half surge once all the new pieces jell just in time for the playoffs. — Joe Buscaglia
Even with Aaron Rodgers’ healthy return to the Jets, Josh Allen’s team still has a slight edge on its division rival. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
Win total: 9.6
It’s hard to argue with this projection — and fascinating how tightly the AFC East teams are grouped. The Jets clearly have the most talented roster of the three from top to bottom, and if Aaron Rodgers can stay healthy, there’s no reason they should fall short of 10 wins. They had a top-five defense in each of the last two seasons, and the unit is still mostly intact (and could be even better if/when Haason Reddick finally reports). The offense should be vastly improved. Rodgers is obviously a major upgrade over Zach Wilson and last year’s rotation of backups, Breece Hall is fully healthy, Garrett Wilson is ready to break out and GM Joe Douglas did a good job rebuilding the offensive line this offseason. — Zack Rosenblatt
GO DEEPER
The Haason Reddick holdout remains the Jets’ uncomfortable truth
Win total: 9.5
This matches the over/under from BetMGM, so the experts are aligned here. However, the Dolphins are coming off of an 11-win season, and with a light schedule to start the campaign, I lean toward the over here. I expect coach Mike McDaniel to field another offensive juggernaut while unleashing some new wrinkles that most defenses won’t be able to handle. I’m concerned about Miami’s defensive line without Christian Wilkins but also love the system new DC Anthony Weaver is implementing. I think Miami gets off to another hot start but will have to fight to get to 10 wins against what looks like a very tough closing slate (at Packers, vs. Jets, at Texans, vs. 49ers, at Browns, at Jets). — Jim Ayello
Win total: 9.4
If the Falcons don’t win at least 10 games, they’ll be disappointed, and they should be. They said they were ready to compete “at the highest level” when they fired Arthur Smith. They guaranteed Kirk Cousins $100 million. They traded for Matthew Judon and signed Justin Simmons. Eighty-one-year-old owner Arthur Blank is pushing all his chips in and making an expensive bet that this team is better than 9.4 wins. — Josh Kendall
Houston Texans
Win total: 9.0
The Texans were a surprise success story last season, going 10-7 and winning the AFC South. Mock projects them for nine wins this season, but I think they could again surpass that. C.J. Stroud has a season of experience under his belt. Bobby Slowik did well as a first-time play caller but will likely find ways to get even more out of Stroud this season, given the additional weapons (including Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon) acquired this offseason. Adding pass rusher Danielle Hunter in free agency should help both Will Anderson Jr. and the Texans’ defense as a whole. DeMeco Ryans’ squad has a good shot at another 10-win season and a return to the playoffs. — Mike Jones
Win total: 8.9
Nine wins feels about right for the Chargers. I had them at 10 in my prediction in May. Consider the extra game the Jim Harbaugh bump. The players are bought in. Harbaugh has led dramatic turnarounds in all of his head-coaching stops — San Diego University, Stanford, the San Francisco 49ers and Michigan. I believe he will have the same impact in Los Angeles. And, of course, the Chargers still have one of the best quarterbacks in football in Justin Herbert, who looked great in practice last week after returning from his plantar fascia injury. — Daniel Popper
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Win total: 8.8
This feels a little low for a team that exceeded expectations in 2023 and added more resources to both sides of the ball. Injuries will be a major factor early, with the Rams returning multiple key players from absence: Jonah Jackson (shoulder), Puka Nacua (knee) and Darious Williams (hamstring). They should get starting right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle) back either in Week 1 or by Week 3. Starting left tackle Alaric Jackson (ankle, suspension) will be back in Week 3. No, there’s no Aaron Donald — but a depleted Rams team won 10 games last season. They will go as quarterback Matthew Stafford goes. — Jourdan Rodrigue
Cleveland Browns
Win total: 8.7
The Browns have a much higher ceiling than 8.7 wins, and internally, they’d say the roster is better than last year’s version that went 11-5 despite having to play five different quarterbacks. But just one quarterback matters in the present and future, and Deshaun Watson just had an unimpressive training camp while coming off of shoulder surgery. He hasn’t played a live snap in almost 10 months and has played 12 games in the last three years. The Browns have a lot of talent, but can they count on Watson? I’d say eight or nine wins feels right. — Zac Jackson
The Saints entered last year as a no-brainer favorite to win the NFC South with one of the league’s easiest schedules. They only won nine games and missed the playoffs. Their schedule doesn’t seem much tougher this season, but the NFC South improved around them and New Orleans didn’t grow enough along the roster this offseason. These are legitimate reasons as to why the Saints aren’t the favorites in a still seemingly weak division. So an 8.2-win projection feels fair. These projections also indicate the Saints would miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, which would likely mean a new coach and new quarterback for the 2025 campaign. — Larry Holder
Win total: 8.2
Seattle went 9-8 thanks to narrow Week 18 victories in each of Pete Carroll’s final two seasons. Mike Macdonald inherited much of the same roster, so even if his new coaching staff is better, this projection feels accurate. The NFC West is a tough division, and Seattle has legitimate questions at inside linebacker and offensive line. Plus there might naturally be some growing pains along the way with an entirely new coaching staff led by a first-year head coach and first-year offensive coordinator. — Michael-Shawn Dugar
The Bears trail the Lions (10.5) and Packers (9.8), but a nine- or 10-win season doesn’t feel like a reach, either. The Bears beat the division-winning Lions last year — and coach Matt Eberflus’ defense should be better this season. Quarterback Caleb Williams will have his rookie moments, but he’s surrounded by talent with receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett and running back D’Andre Swift. They’ll all help with Williams’ growing pains. — Adam Jahns
Win total: 8.1
I think this is a 10-win team. And if the Jaguars play closer to the version that went 15-5 from late 2022 to early 2023, they might have 12-win potential. Of course, a lot will have to go right for that to materialize. My biggest concern is the Jags start at the Dolphins, return home for the Browns, then visit the Bills and Texans. If they aren’t on point and fall to 0-4, there’s no telling what that could do to their confidence. But barring a catastrophe of that magnitude, they’ve got enough winnable games over the final three months of the season to exceed the projected 8.1 wins. — Jeff Howe
Pittsburgh Steelers
Win total: 7.6
Mike Tomlin has been the model of consistency, never finishing with a losing record in 17 seasons as coach. The biggest threat to that streak is one of the NFL’s most challenging schedules. The Steelers play in arguably the league’s most competitive division. The backstretch is brutal, with three games — at Baltimore, at Philadelphia and vs. Kansas City — in 10 days in December. Still, it would be hard to bet against Tomlin’s history, making the 7.6 win projection a little low. The remade offensive line and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith should help. If Tomlin can get to .500 or better with Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges at QB, he should be able to do it with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. — Mike DeFabo
Win total: 7.5
The Colts won nine games last year primarily with backup QB Gardner Minshew at the helm. Their schedule is tougher this season, but the belief internally is that a healthy Anthony Richardson can elevate the entire team. I agree that Richardon’s dual-threat abilities make him capable of leading Indianapolis to more wins than Mock’s projected 7.5, though the inexperienced secondary could be a big weakness. Assuming the back end doesn’t completely fall apart, I’ll pencil the Colts in for 10 wins and their first playoff berth since 2020. — James Boyd
The Colts have their sights set high with Anthony Richardson back and healthy. (Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
Win total: 7.5
Internal expectations and fan expectations are much greater than this. According to Mock’s model, the Bucs are 11th in the NFC and third in the NFC South behind the Saints and Falcons. The Bucs won nine last year, and the general perception is they improved in the offseason with the additions of Jordan Whitehead, Graham Barton and Jalen McMillan. Whether they improve or slide might depend largely on quarterback Baker Mayfield, who had a breakout year in 2023 and is adjusting to new offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who has replaced Dave Canales. — Dan Pompei
Win total: 7.3
The quarterback selection of Gardner Minshew over Aidan O’Connell didn’t move the needle much, so it’s no surprise that Mock has the Raiders at 7.3 wins, just clearing the Vegas over-under line of 6.5 wins. The defense should be very good, Davante Adams is still one of the best offensive players in the league, and first-round pick Brock Bowers should have a big impact at tight end. Problems could arise if there are any injuries, as the Raiders are not deep and new general manager Tom Telesco is taking the long view with salary-cap space. And if the Raiders get off to a slow start, Adams might call for a trade, so … 7.3 sounds good, but there is some shaky ground. — Vic Tafur
Win total: 7.1
Local optimism is high. And it should be. Kyler Murray is healthy. The talent around him is better. The Cardinals are trending in the right direction. But coming off a four-win first season under coach Jonathan Gannon, 7.1 wins in Year 2 sounds right. GM Monti Ossenfort inherited a significant rebuilding job, and the worst thing he could’ve done was try to do too much too soon. This is the next step. Maximize Murray. Improve defensively. Develop depth. Learn how to win. Reversals can happen quickly, but for the Cardinals, there are no shortcuts. — Doug Haller
Win total: 6.8
There are days when Mock’s projection feels low — and other days when it feels high. Is it underrating Brian Flores’ defense? Is it accurately assessing quarterback Sam Darnold? Maybe yes, maybe no. If you think it’s too high, it’s probably because of the schedule. The Vikings open with the Giants, then face a gauntlet: 49ers, Texans, Packers, Jets, Lions and Rams. Those six teams have incredible talent and high-end coaching. If you see 6.8 wins as too low, you are probably looking at Darnold’s situation alongside Justin Jefferson and head coach Kevin O’Connell and thinking an explosive offense is in store. Both viewpoints make sense. Anyone who thinks they know how it’ll play out is overconfident. — Alec Lewis
Win total: 6.8
This is on the low side of the Titans’ range, but six or seven wins is certainly possible, especially with the tough NFC North on the schedule. This is a very difficult team to project considering the changes and unknowns. A first-time head coach (Brian Callahan) with first-time coordinators (Nick Holz, Dennard Wilson) will rely heavily on draft picks plugged into key roles immediately (left tackle JC Latham, defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat), and hope key veteran acquisitions (L’Jarius Sneed, Calvin Ridley, Chidobe Awuzie, Tony Pollard, Quandre Diggs) have best-case seasons. Oh, and the Titans hope they have a franchise quarterback in Will Levis. They just don’t know yet. — Joe Rexrode
Win total: 6.7
It’s wild to say about a team with a projection of only 6.7 wins, but this seems too high. The Patriots went 4-13 a year ago, parted with the greatest coach of all time and brought back a remarkably similar roster to last season. Drake Maye won’t be starting at quarterback, the wide receiver and offensive line groups both rank among the league’s worst, and the defense got worse in recent weeks after losing its top two pass rushers (Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots and is out indefinitely, while Matthew Judon was traded to the Falcons). — Chad Graff
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New York Giants
Win total: 6.7
This is right on target. The Giants won six games last year and, yes, there was a Murphy’s Law element involved with so many injuries to top players. But it’s not as simple as expecting improvement if the team manages to stay healthier. First, quarterback Daniel Jones has a lengthy injury history, so health isn’t a given. Additionally, the Giants are without some top players from last season’s roster (Saquon Barkley, Xavier McKinney, Leonard Williams). They traded for Brian Burns and drafted Malik Nabers in the first round with the expectation they’ll be game-changers on both sides of the ball. But there are enough question marks with the roster to temper expectations. — Dan Duggan
Win total: 6.4
The model was not kind to the Panthers, who sit ahead of only Denver (6.0) and Washington (5.9). But it feels about right, considering I picked the Panthers to go 6-11 when schedules were released in May. It’s reasonable to think Bryce Young will take a step forward in a new offensive system and with improved blockers and playmakers. But with sizable holes at cornerback and edge rusher, the defense could take a step back. — Joseph Person
Denver Broncos
Win total: 6.0
This is too low. In 16 seasons as an NFL head coach, Sean Payton has never won fewer than seven games. The Broncos went 8-9 last season, then jettisoned a handful of veterans like Russell Wilson, Justin Simmons and Jerry Jeudy. But Wilson’s replacement at quarterback, Bo Nix, looks more ready to run Payton’s offense than I initially expected. A personnel overhaul in the front seven will make the Broncos better against the run. Many players are in Year 2 in their schemes, and it’s been easy to see the impact of that continuity in training camp. It’s fair to sell the Broncos as a playoff team, but seven wins feels like the floor to me. — Nick Kosmider
Washington Commanders
Win total: 5.9
The broad oddsmakers set the win total at 6.5, a number that many Jayden Daniels believers find shockingly low. Mock’s model went even lower with a league-worst 5.9 wins. What the projections cannot easily consider is the Commanders’ renewed competitive spirit under coach Dan Quinn. Daniels’ upside and more weekly consistency should push Washington above Mock’s number, but it might take injury and bounce-of-the-ball luck (and better-than-expected CB and OT play) to reach seven wins or sniff .500. — Ben Standig
(Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photos: Ryan Kang, Perry Knotts, Jaiden Tripi / Getty Images)
Steve McNair’s football story has been told plenty. Fans know how he emerged from being a star quarterback at HBCU Alcorn State to becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist and, eventually, the No. 3 pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers.
He led the Tennessee Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV. He was the 2003 NFL co-MVP with Peyton Manning and was regarded as one of the toughest quarterbacks to play because of his physical style over 13 seasons with the Oilers/Titans and Baltimore Ravens. His No. 9 was retired by the Titans in 2019, and he was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame (2012) and the College Football Hall of Fame (2020).
But the questions surrounding McNair’s death have persisted for more than 15 years.
“Untold: The Murder of Air McNair” is the new Netflix documentary that seeks to tell the story of how he became an NFL star and fan favorite while delving into the circumstances surrounding his murder on July 4, 2009, in Nashville.
The documentary, however, doesn’t offer much aside from what’s already been told.
A 1998 photo of Steve McNair as a member of the Tennessee Oilers. (Larry McCormack / The Tennessean via Imagn)
There is the official story from authorities: McNair was shot and killed by his mistress, 20-year-old Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi, who took her own life next to him, allegedly amid financial concerns and a realization that the 36-year-old McNair was having more than one extramarital affair.
There are mentions of other theories, namely those from private investigator Vincent Hill, a former Nashville police officer who wrote a book noting problems he saw in the investigation. Also addressed in the documentary are questions about Adrian Gilliam, the convicted felon who was found to have sold Kazemi the gun used in the crime.
McNair’s friend, Wayne Neely, discovered the bodies and is shown in the film offering detectives cash while being interviewed, but there’s no explanation as to why a man who was a person of interest is offering police money.
McNair’s good friend and Alcorn State teammate, Robert Gaddy, discussed a $13,000 dispute involving a business venture with McNair that had them on shaky terms, but he expressed regret as to whether that kept him from being in position to help McNair. Neely called Gaddy from the crime scene, and it was Gaddy who called the police.
One of the film’s more gripping moments is Gaddy discussing the weight of living amid conspiracies that suggested he had something to do with McNair’s death and not wanting to say more out of respect for McNair’s family, which includes his widow, Mechelle, and his four children.
Mechelle is not interviewed in the film.
In the documentary, McNair’s coach in Tennessee, Jeff Fisher, expressed that some things about McNair’s death don’t add up, but he didn’t want to speculate about what might have led to his death.
The film is less than an hour and there was an opportunity to delve more into McNair’s post-football story. But hearing so much about McNair the football player felt out of place at times. You can’t tell his story without discussing his NFL career, but what Fisher said to McNair after losing the Super Bowl seemed less important than the conversations they might have had after his career.
What was McNair’s mindset about life after football? Are there lessons to be learned?
Kazemi was believed to have found out about another woman, Leah Ignagni, who McNair also saw in the days before his death. A tape of Ignagni’s interview with police was played during the film where she states she’d only been seeing McNair for a short time and was just having fun with him. Learning more about this, however, doesn’t tell us about McNair and his life after football.
Mechelle has spoken candidly in the past, saying she knew about other people involved with her husband but did not know Kazemi.
It’s obvious McNair was beloved. Even Kazemi’s ex-boyfriend, Keith Norfleet, admitted in the documentary McNair was his favorite player growing up. He discussed the awkwardness of breaking up with Kazemi only to see her in a relationship with his favorite football player.
But there isn’t more as to why McNair was beloved beyond the field, which might have helped to explain why he stayed connected to Nashville after retiring following the 2007 season. I learned more about Norfleet than I did about McNair or Kazemi.
Perhaps it was best to let McNair’s football legacy stand on its own rather than rehash how he died.
