Sports
By Luke Essig, Staff Writer
Williams Shines in London
National Football League (NFL) fans woke up at 9:30 a.m. last Sunday to watch the Chicago Bears beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-16 across the pond in London, England.
Reigning No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams proved to the doubters why he was taken so high in the draft. Williams threw 23 completions on 29 pass attempts and four touchdowns – the best game of his career so far. He connected with tight end Cole Kmet five times, two of which led to touchdowns. Running back D’Andre Swift ran the ball 17 times for 92 yards and one touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Jaguars tight end Evan Engram caught 10 balls for 102 yards. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence bounced back from his rough performances the last few weeks, going 23 for 35 on passes, and accumulating 234 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Dallas Demolition
The Detroit Lions overpowered the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for a 47-9 win. Quarterback Jared Goff completed 18 of his 25 attempts for 315 yards and three touchdowns.
The Dallas Cowboys were dismantled by the Detroit Lions on Sunday by a score of 47-9. Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 18 of his 25 pass attempts for 315 yards and three touchdowns. On the other side, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott had a much rougher outing with no touchdowns and two picks, but he still made use of his star receiver Ceedee Lamb, who had seven catches for 89 yards.
The Cowboys have the potential to be a top performing team in the league, but they have difficulty showing it. Their schedule does not look promising as they are set to play their next five games against the San Francisco 49ers, the Atlanta Falcons, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Houston Texans and the Washington Commanders, all of which have a win-lose average of .500 right now. The odds seem stacked against the Cowboys to make the playoffs, so the next five weeks will be a test for them.
Battle of the Beltway
The Commanders and Ravens faced off in Baltimore with the Ravens taking the game 30-23. According to critics, this was the first real test for the 4-1 Commanders, who have surpassed all expectations this season behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. A big criticism behind the Commanders was that they hadn’t played anybody good, with wins coming from the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Arizona Cardinals and the Cleveland Browns.
The Ravens, on the other hand, showed that they are a force to be reckoned with this season. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was a star performer with over 300 yards passing coming from the reigning MVP for the second straight week. Ravens receiver Zay Flowers had a standout game as well with nine catches for 134 yards in the first half. Derrick Henry, ran all over the Commanders with 24 attempts, 132 yards and two touchdowns. It was a big day for offenses in the DMV.
Maye-be Next Time
The New England Patriots made the decision earlier this week to bench starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett in favor of rookie and third overall pick Drake Maye for their game against the Texans. The University of North Carolina alumni threw for three touchdowns and two interceptions. Maye also put up 20/33 passing and 243 yards.
The Texans did, however, end up beating the Patriots 41-21. C.J. Stroud, without his top weapon Nico Collins, still threw for three touchdowns. Joe Mixon, coming off of an injury that held him out the last couple weeks, ran all over the Patriots defense, for 102 yards.
NFC South Shootout
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints played the highest scoring game of the week, ending in a 51-27 Buccaneers win. After leading 17-0 in the first quarter, the Buccaneers looked like they would cruise past their division rival. In the second quarter, however, the Saints scored 27 points, led by a punt return touchdown by receiver Rashid Shaheed. The Buccaneers pulled away in the second half, beating the Saints 27-0 across the third and fourth quarters.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had a game filled with peaks and valleys, with 325 passing yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He connected with wide receiver Chris Godwin 11 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns, an amazing outing by the Buccaneers’ receiver.
