JuicyTalk
Indianapolis Colts @ Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams cut short a potential game-tying drive by the Indianapolis Colts for a 27-20 win to improve to 3-1 on the season while handing Indy its first loss of the campaign. Matthew Stafford turned back the clock, throwing for 375 passing yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones made his first costly mistake of the season on the game’s opening series. He threw an interception to safety Kamren Curl, which led to an 11-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a Rams field goal to go ahead 3-0.
Indy managed to bounce back quickly, though, thanks in part to a 38-yard kick return that basically got the Colts to midfield. After making it onto LA’s side of the field, Indianapolis committed two penalties that threw them out of rhythm and forced them to settle for a field goal, which tied the game up 3-3.
The Rams made their first error of the day when they failed to pick up a 4th and 1 at their own 45 yard line. With good field position, Indy cobbled together a 45-yard drive that was capped off with a two-yard rushing touchdown by rookie tight end Tyler Warren to give the Colts their first lead of the day, 10-3.
On their next offensive series, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford hooked up with wideout Puka Nacua for 31 yards to get into Indy’s red zone. However, penalties made Los Angeles settle for a field goal at the 19 yard line, bringing the score to 10-6.
Following a Colts punt, the Rams made magic happen. They orchestrated a 96-yard drive in 2:07 that ended with a ten-yard touchdown to wide receiver Davante Adams, giving Los Angeles a 13-10 advantage going into the break after the TD came with just seven seconds left on the clock. Matthew Stafford threw for 96 yards on that series.
A Colts touchdown was wiped off the board due to a mistake by wideout Adonai Mitchell. After breaking a tackle and having a clear path to a 76-yard TD, Mitchell began to celebrate before crossing the goal line and lost possession of the football, which bounced out of the back of the end zone. As a result, the play was ruled a touchback in favor of the Rams rather than an Indy touchdown.
The offense took a back seat after the fumble, with the Rams and Colts combining for five straight punts. At that point, Indy’s offense came to life with a 90-yard touchdown drive that resulted in a two-yard TD pass from Daniel Jones to wide receiver Michael Pittman to put the Colts ahead 17-13 in the fourth quarter.
On the next possession, disaster struck for the Rams. Running back Kyren Williams was hit while trying to take a handoff, leading to a fumble that was recovered by the Colts at Los Angeles’ 17 yard line. Though they wouldn’t punch it in, Indy kicked a short field goal for a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
Puka Nacua was once again spectacular with 13 catches for 171 yards, a career-high for the former All-Pro. His 13th catch of the game was good for a TD to tie the game up 20-20 with 3:20 left in the game. That was Nacua’s first receiving touchdown of the season.
A 53-yard touchdown run by running back Jonathan Taylor was nullified by a Colts holding penalty. After a strip sack fumble was picked up by Indy, they were faced with a 3rd and 28 at the two-minute warning. Indy decided to run the ball with Jonathan Taylor, which forced a punt with 1:51 in the game.
The Rams immediately capitalized on the possession. Matthew Stafford hit wide receiver Tutu Atwell in stride for an 88-yard touchdown pass to give the Rams a 27-20 lead with 1:33 left in the game.
The Colts had a chance to tie the game with 93 seconds left on the clock. However, safety Kamren Curl made his second interception of the game to end Indy’s hopes of completing a comeback.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Francisco 49ers
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a statement victory by going on the road and beating the San Francisco 49ers 26-21 on a day where the defense forced two fumbles and two interceptions. With that win, the Jags moved into a tie for first place in the AFC South with the Indianapolis Colts.
It was an incredibly fast first quarter that only saw these teams manage one drive apiece. The 49ers got on the board first with a 26-yard field goal after their series stalled out in the red zone.
Following a punt, the Niners committed a silly mistake when tight end Luke Farrell lost a fumble that was picked up by the Jaguars. On the very next play, Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne Jr. scampered into the end zone from 48 yards out for a 7-3 lead.
San Fran’s next series also ended with a turnover, although this one came through the air. A Brock Purdy pass hit off the hands of running back Christian McCaffrey before being intercepted by linebacker Devin Lloyd. That was Jacksonville’s league-leading 11th takeaway of the season.
The Jags made the most of that blunder. They put together a 13-play, 89-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence to extend Jacksonville’s lead to 14-3 late in the second quarter.
The 49ers would get the ball back with 2:28 remaining in the first half. They perfectly executed a hook-and-ladder play in which wideout Ricky Pearsall completed a backwards lateral to Christian McCaffrey for a 23-yard pickup. However, the Jaguars’ defense held firm in the red zone and forced San Francisco to take a field goal from 23 yards out for a 14-6 deficit. The 49ers were one for three in the red zone today.
A 54-yard return on the ensuing kickoff gave the Jaguars a chance to score once more before the end of the second quarter. They would make it down to San Francisco’s eight yard line, but were stopped on a third down and elected to kick a field goal for a 17-6 halftime lead.
Following a three-and-out, the Niners’ offense scored its first touchdown of the afternoon. An eight-play, 73-yard drive ended with an eight-yard shovel pass touchdown to Christian McCaffrey. Brock Purdy then threw a lollipop ball in the air that was grabbed by wideout Juaun Jennings for a two-point conversion to make it a 17-14 game.
With a chance to tie things up or maybe even take the lead, the Niners committed yet another turnover. Brock Purdy threw his second interception of the game deep in San Francisco territory. That set up a 44-yard Jaguars field goal a few plays later, giving them a 20-14 advantage. That interception was caught by linebacker Devin Lloyd, his second of the day.
Special teams also made their presence felt in this one. The Jags returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown to go up 26-14 after a missed two-point conversion attempt.
With their backs against the wall and the clock working against them, the 49ers had no choice but to go for a 4th and 2 at Jacksonville’s 26 yard line on the next series. However, Brock Purdy missed his target, which led to a turnover on downs.
The 49ers refused to go away, though. They orchestrated an eight-play, 92-yard drive to make it a one-score game. That series ended in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to make the score 26-21 in the fourth quarter.
Following a missed field goal by the Jags, the 49ers had a chance to take a late lead. However, Jacksonville recorded its fourth takeaway of the day to take possession of the ball at San Francisco’s 47 yard line. The Jags would pick up a few first downs to run out the clock and secure the win.
With that loss, the 49ers fall to 3-1 on the campaign. Their Thursday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams will be for first place in the NFC West.
Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs blew the doors off the Baltimore Ravens 37-20 to improve to 2-2 on the season. Patrick Mahomes looked like an old version of himself with 270 passing yards and four passing TDs in the dominant win.
The Ravens got on the board first, taking the opening possession 70 yards in 9:35 for an 11-yard TD pass from Lamar Jackson to running back Justice Hill, his first receiving touchdown of the season. That put the Ravens ahead 7-0.
The Chiefs responded with their own scoring drive. A 15-yard facemask penalty on the Ravens and a 17-yard reception by rookie running back Brashard Smith set up a 38-yard field goal to make it a 7-3 game.
On the next possession, Lamar Jackson made a crucial mistake. He threw his first interception of the season, which was grabbed with one hand by linebacker Leo Chanel.
The Chiefs once again made it to the red zone, thanks in part to a 37-yard reception by wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who had 121 scrimmage yards in the game. Though KC would reach Baltimore’s four yard line, they wouldn’t be able to pick up any more yards, so they kicked a 23-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-6.
After a Ravens punt, KC finally made it into the end zone. A 35-yard run by Xavier Worthy set the Chiefs up with the football deep in enemy territory. Four downs later, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes rifled a pass in between two defenders to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for a four-yard touchdown to give the Chiefs their first lead of the day, 13-7.
On their next possession, the Ravens took a gamble that didn’t pay off. Baltimore went for a 4th and 1 on their side of the field that was stuffed by the Chiefs. KC would take advantage of that good field position, picking up 40 yards through the air on its way to an eight-yard TD catch by running back Isiah Pacheco for a 20-7 lead with 1:44 left in the second quarter. With that touchdown, Patrick Mahomes became the youngest quarterback ever to throw 250 career TD passes.
Lamar Jackson’s second turnover of the game came towards the end of the first half. Jackson was tackled from behind on a scramble and lost control of the football. That fumble was scooped up by KC on Baltimore’s side of the field. However, they would miss a 56-yard field goal attempt, giving the Ravens a chance to make this one close again.
The Ravens would do just that. With 26 seconds left before the break, Lamar Jackson would pick up 29 yards on the ground and through the air to set up a 43-yard field goal attempt. That kick made the score 20-10 at halftime.
KC came out of the break guns blazing. They orchestrated a six-play, 65-yard drive that was capped off with an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, extending the Chiefs’ lead to 27-10. This was Thornton’s third consecutive game with a TD catch.
Both teams would kick field goals after the KC touchdown, bringing the score to 30-13 late in the third quarter.
At this point, it was announced that Lamar Jackson was dealing with an elbow injury, which resulted in him being replaced by backup quarterback Cooper Rush.
Wide receiver Hollywood Brown would make a 15-yard touchdown catch to bring the score to 37-13.
The Ravens would find the end zone once more, but it would be too little too late as they fell to 1-3 on the season.
Chicago Bears @ Las Vegas Raiders
The Chicago Bears blocked a go-ahead field goal with 38 seconds left in the game to hold on for a 25-24 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
There was plenty of sloppy play at the start of this game. In fact, these teams combined for three turnovers on the first four drives of the contest.
An interception by Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was returned 35 yards to Vegas’ 24 yard line. Though the defense wouldn’t allow the Bears to pick up any yards, Chicago was close enough to kick a 46-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
On the Bears’ next offensive possession, Caleb Williams threw a pass that was tipped in the air and picked off by Raiders star defensive lineman Maxx Crosby. Las Vegas took advantage of the mistake and moved the ball 66 yards in just seven plays for an eight-yard touchdown catch by rookie tailback Ashton Jeanty to put the Raiders on top 7-3.
After giving up a field goal with 4:22 left in the second quarter, the Raiders responded almost immediately. Ashton Jeanty busted open a 64-yard touchdown run to put Las Vegas ahead 14-6. It was a career day for the sixth-overall pick in the draft, who had 138 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 21 carries.
With roughly four minutes left before the break, the Bears managed to pick up 37 yards in 3:10, allowing them to kick a 52-yard field goal to cut Vegas’ lead to 14-9 at the half. Caleb Williams accumulated 31 yards through the air on that series.
It was another rough day at the office for Geno Smith. He was held to 117 passing yards, two passing TDs, and three interceptions. His INT to start the third quarter eventually led to a 27-yard touchdown reception by Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze, his fifth TD catch of the campaign. That score gave the Bears a 16-14 lead.
The Raiders wouldn’t be down long. They gained 80 yards in 6:15 seconds before throwing a nine-yard touchdown pass to running back Ashton Jeanty to reclaim the lead 21-16. With that TD, Jeanty became the first Raiders rookie with three or more touchdowns in a game since Bo Jackson.
The Bears and Raiders exchanged field goals, bringing the score to 24-19 late in the fourth quarter.
With 6:45 left in the game, Chicago got the ball back with a chance to take the lead. They took 5:11 to score a two-yard touchdown, giving them a 25-24 lead after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
The Raiders’ special teams unit gave their offense a boost with a 38-yard return to get them to the 42 yard line. Geno Smith recorded completions of seven and eight yards on back-to-back plays before connecting with wideout Tre Tucker for a four-yard pass. Eventually, the Raiders were forced to kick a field goal with 38 seconds left in the game. That 54-yard attempt was blocked, securing the win for the Bears.
