(This is an article written by Richard Graves, a presenter and broadcaster for over 25 years, covering sports’ biggest events and interviewing the biggest names. Richard has covered the last 8 Super Bowls along with countless other major sporting events. You can follow him on social media here.)
NFL: 5 KEY PERFORMANCES, WEEK 3
Just-in Time – Tucker’s Record Breaking Field Goal
Kickers matter too – and never more so than on Sunday in Detroit to rip the heart out of a spirited Lions performance! No-one has ever made a 66 yard field goal in NFL history but with the game on the line, the clock hitting zero and the assist of a doink off the crossbar, Baltimore Ravens kicker, Justin Tucker not only set a new record but also clinched a huge road win as Baltimore backed up last week’s victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tucker’s the most accurate kicker in NFL history but when he is eventually enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – and he will be – this will surely be the highlight that’s played over and over again!
Browns Defense Feasts on Bears’ Rookie QB
It seemed the whole of Chicago was excited at the prospect of seeing rookie QB, Justin Fields start his first regular season NFL game – but as it turned out, not as excited as Cleveland’s defense! The Browns dominated this game with Myles Garrett claiming 4.5 sacks and the team taking down the rookie 9 times! The Dawg Pound loved it as Browns’ fans witnessed a swarming display with Chicago limited to just 47 total yards of offense!
To compound matters for Chicago, Fields sustained a hand injury in a game where he completed just 6 of 20 passing attempts.
Super Chargers Shine in KC
The LA Chargers threw the rule book out of the window, gambled and got a stunning win in Kansas City! Criticised for self-inflicted mistakes that cost them the game against Dallas 7 days ago, the Chargers backed themselves at Arrowhead and got their reward – pulling off one of the biggest upsets the season so far.
The turning point – a bold decision to turn down the opportunity of kicking a go ahead field goal inside the final 2 minutes and instead converting on 4th down before QB Justin Herbert found WR Mike Williams in the endzone for the game winning score.
Their defense also deserves plenty of credit, forcing 4 turnovers, from which the Chargers scored 21 points. Their record improves to 2-1 while the Chiefs find themselves languishing in the basement of the AFC West at 1-2.
Rams Beat Reigning Champions at the Home of Super Bowl LVI
Both of these teams harbour ambitions of playing in So-Fi Stadium in February but for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this visit left a sour taste as they experienced defeat for the first time this year and it wasn’t as close as the final 34-24 score line might suggest.
The Rams offense is more dynamic with Matthew Stafford at quarterback, and he lit up a depleted Buc’s secondary with WR Cooper Kupp making big play after big play as he scored 2 touchdowns but the most eye catching play was made by veteran receiver, Desean Jackson. The 34 year old hauled in a 75 yard pass to score and but for a couple under thrown deep balls, he might have added two more. The Bucs had no answer.
Tom Brady found himself under pressure as the Rams D sacked him 3 times. Without doubt a statement game by the Rams. Meanwhile Brady and the Buccaneers return to New England next week for the first time since he left Foxborough for Tampa last year.
Ja’Marr Leads Pittsburgh on Merry Chase as Bengals Show Real Steel
November 1st, 2015 was the last time the Bengals won in Pittsburgh. On Sunday that record was no more as Cincinnati dominated the Steelers with an impressive display.
Long gone are pre-season catching concerns surrounding rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase. In the games that matter, he’s caught just about everything to come his way – including 2 more touchdown passes in Pittsburgh. That’s 4 in total and at just 21 years old, he’s the youngest player in NFL history to have 4 touchdown catches in his team’s first 3 games of the season.
The Bengals offensive line were outstanding as well. No sacks allowed, bringing to an end Pittsburgh’s NFL record, 75 straight games where they’d recorded at least one sack.
There are now real concerns surrounding the Steelers’ offense. They’ve scored just 50 points, total, through 3 games, are struggling to effectively run the ball and as a team, they have now slipped to a 1-2 record.