NFL Week 5 Review Column
By David McDonnell
For anyone who watched 14 hours of NFL action back-to-back yesterday, it will be best remembered for the individual performance that will surely pass through the years to become legend.
Welcome to Big Play Taysom Hill Sunday!!!
Seahawks @ Saints
The all-action Swiss army knife of a man put on a display that could only be described as something a child might imagine in a fever-induced footballing daydream such was its absurdity.
Hill has long been one of the unique stars the NFL has ever seen and we have seen him display his toughness and football aptitude in a multitude of roles. Yesterday, we got to witness his full repertoire of skills in a single game as he led the Saints to a most entertaining 32-39 victory against Seattle in the Superdome.
Pay attention because you will probably have to read this twice.
Against the Seahawks and despite playing second fiddle in snaps to teammate Andy Dalton, Hill threw a touchdown pass, blocked for his QB partner throughout, returned three kicks for 69 yards, recovered a fumble on special teams and also rushed for 112 yards on nine carries for three rushing touchdowns.
This game was a highlight reel in itself and started with a bang, when Geno Smith continued his explosive form of recent weeks by finding DK Metcalf, who bullied his way into the endzone for an opening quarter 50-yard touchdown.
Hill responded to tie the game 10-10, when he snapped the ball in a wildcat formation and ran in from close range. He had his second TD of the day soon after when the Seahawks punter Michael Dickson had what I can only assume was a trick play gone bad. Why he still didn’t kick the ball, I’ll never know.
Before half time Geno found Tyler Lockett with a long ball with six seconds left in the half. The third quarter continued in all action fashion when a Denis Allen challenge resulted in a TD for rookie Chris Olave. This was followed up when Hill threw to tight end Adam Trautman from 22 yards to give the home team a 19-31 lead.
The contest already on fire caught further ablaze when the Seahawks battled back to take a late lead when Geno found Lockett once again over the top for a very similar TD pass to his earlier throw to his receiver.
Seattle’s rookie running-back Kenneth Walker then tore through to leave the Seahawks leading 32-31.
Then came Taysom’s coup de grace when he broke cover and swept home from 50 yards for the winning score as the New Orleans crowd were once again brought to their feet.
Hill has been known in his career as a jack of all trades, the man who can do it all. Well, yesterday he did it all!!!
Bengals @ Ravens
The late-late show on Sunday night, the hometown Ravens were the better side for most of the contest and they took a 0-10 lead when Lamar Jackson and his favourite target tight-end Mark Andrews teamed up for their 26th touchdown in the NFL.
In the second quarter, the Bengals got their hands on the ball when Von Bell intercepted after an errant throw by Jackson and Joe Borrow led his team up the field and extracted the maximum damage, when he found Hayden Hurst for a TD.
Incredibly, the Bengals haven’t conceded a touchdown in the second half of any game this season and then did their party trick once again in Baltimore. Burrow levelled the game once again in the fourth quarter with a QB sneak and Evan McPherson’s PAT, which flew over the post, was correctly given for a late one-point lead.
However, a converted field goal with the last kick of the game from the best kicker in NFL history; Justin Tucker, sealed a first home win in six games for the Purple and Black on a scoreline of 17-19.
Big Play Sunday
On a day of big plays, the Browns and the Chargers battled it out in a score-fest in Cleveland in a game that saw the lead change five times.
The home side raced into a 14-point first quarter advantage when Jacoby Brissett found Amari Cooper from 12 yards, after Nick Chubb continued his very impressive start to the season with an eye-catching touchdown run.
The Chargers rushing attack was to the fore with running backs Joshua Kelly and Austin Ekeler both adding six-pointers and for the latter, it was his fifth touchdown in his last six quarters of football. Chubb responded again and Kareem Hunt got in on the rushing touchdown party as the Browns took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Inside the last three minutes, Browns QB Jacoby Brissett was intercepted and the short field allowed the Bolts to kick a field goal to make the score 30-28. Cleveland had a kick to win it at the death, but Cade York’s effort from 54 yards trailed right and wide to ensure the win for the visiting LA franchise.
THE NFC MOST
The NFC East, derided by under-performance over the last handful of years with the moniker NFC Least, is back in the big time and three of their teams; the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants, have lost a combined two games all season.
Eagles v Cardinals
The Eagles continued their unbeaten start despite a late scare in Arizona. Once again, their victory was led by the offensive line and Jalen Hurts snuck his way over on two QB sneaks. In the second half, Kyler Murray came to the fore, as is his habit, to tie the game 17-17. The Eagles took a late lead in the last two minutes when a Jake Elliot kick dissected the posts. This contest came down to the wire and nearly into overtime but for Card’s kicker Matt Amendola missed effort from 32 yards.
The last time the Eagles went 5-0 was in 2017 and they went on to win the Superbowl. Could we see them back in Greendale, Arizona in February?
Cowboys v Rams
One of the best performing units in all of football so far this season is the Dallas defence led by the mercurial talent that is Micah Parsons. They gave the Rams QB Matt Stafford a torrid day, putting him under pressure throughout and hitting him for five sacks, two of which came from their number 11.
The also forced three take-aways, the most important of which came In the first quarter, when a Staffod fumble and fell to Dexter Laurance and the man known as ‘DLaw’ scooped and scored. The Rams took a 9-10 lead when Stafford found his number one target Cooper Kupp in the second quarter. It would be the last time they scored.
The Cowboys responded almost immediately when Andre Pollard weaved his way home for a 57-yard reply.
Giants v Packers, London
During the early kick-off in London, Saquon Barkley was the star of the show as the New York Giants came from behind to win in front of a somewhat surprising hometown Packer support at the Tottenham Stadium.
It was a highly entertaining game where Daniel Jones had arguably his best game in the blue as he led drive after drive. Barkley ran into the endzone for a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished.
Read our report from London here: https://tinyurl.com/32sxpdmc
Round Up
The Tennessee Titans got a win over the Commanders in another game that ebbed and flowed and saw the debut of Washington running -back Brian Robinson Jr after he was shot twice in a car-jacking five weeks ago.
Derek Henry ran in for two touchdowns, while second-year speedster Dyami Brown caught the eye in the nation’s capital with two six-pointers on deep balls thrown from Carson Wentz.
With 19 seconds left, the Commanders were two yards out with first and goal and victory was within their reach.
However, a thrown interception on third down by Wentz saw the Titans make a goal-line stand. It was not a major surprise to those watching the action, as Wentz ‘previous two throws were almost picked before David Long grabbed the ball on the deciding play. If only, someone had been listening to Richard Sherman on Thursday Night Football and “run the damn ball.’
Buffalo sit at the top of the AFC East after a convincing 3-38 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was an easy day for the Bills and one that Josh Allen and wideout Gabriel Davies will both remember for two eye-catching plays.
The first was a 98-yard touchdown on almost the first play of the game
The pair then connected again as Allen fitting in a beautiful pass into the arms of Davies, who then had to grapple with ball-hawk Minkah Fitzpatrick for possession while running in from 62 yards.
The Bucs barely broke sweat as their defence got back into the groove after last week’s loss to the Chiefs by taking a 0-21 lead against Atlanta. The Falcons almost did the unthinkable and came back to get within six points after touchdowns by running-back Avery Williams and receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.
With over two minutes remaining and about to get the ball back from a potential game-winning drive, came the worst refereeing call of the weekend when Grady Jarrett was flagged for jarring Tom Brady with a tackle that looked in retrospect as clean as a whistle. It cost us all a grandstand finish.
The hometown Vikings were very impressive in the first half against Chicago with Justin Jerfferson lighting it up with 138 first-half receiving yards as Minnasaota went into a 3-21 lead with two scores coming from running-back Dalvin Cook.
In the fourth quarter that victory looked increasingly unlikely as the Bears stormed back into a 22-21 lead. However in the last three minutes, Kirk Cousins got into the endzone on a quarterback sneak for the game defining score.
The New York Jets snapped a terrible divisional losing streak run of games when they overpowered the Dolphins, who had to make do with their seventh-round draft pick and third-string QB, Skylar Thompson after Teddy Bridgewater left the game with a head injury in the first quarter.
It was instead a day for the Jets’ rookies with first round pick Sauce Gardner getting his first interception and running back Breece Hall having 197 all-purpose yards from scrimmage and a TD.
Rookie Damien Pierce scored the only touchdown of the game as the Texans got their first win of the season against the unpredictable Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jimmy Garroppolo led the 49ers to their second win of the week with a 37-15 road triumph over the Panthers.
The New England Patriots poured a bucket of water on a Detroit Lions offence that was on fire in the first four weeks. The highest scoring offence recorded a duck-egg as Bill Belechick’s side ran out comfortable 0-29 winners.
Later tonight, there could be fireworks in Las Vegas as the Raiders host their high-powered divisional rivals Kansas City Chiefs led by Patrick Mahommes.
Read our Monday Night Football preview later today!!!
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