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Four NFL matches are presented to you today on RDS platforms. Here’s a taste of each one, starting with the one between the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Not on holiday in London
Bears c. Jaguars
9 h 30 | RDS, RDS.ca
PREMATCH
Caleb Williams wasn’t very interested in sharing vacation stories this week. Chicago’s rookie quarterback has his work cut out for him.
Williams was indeed focused on the task at hand as the Bears face the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London.
The top pick in the last draft said he’s been to Paris and Monaco and enjoys the architecture, the food and the chance to recharge his batteries when he’s on vacation. Other than that?
“Let’s get back to business,” he said.
Considering Williams’ performance in last week’s win over the Carolina Panthers, it’s no surprise that he’s eager to get back on the field. After all, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is coming off his best game yet.
Williams completed 20 of 29 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns to DJ Moore, without an interception, leading Chicago to a 36-10 victory.
Williams has another opportunity to shine against a struggling defense for the second week in a row. The Jags (1-4) are 31st overall and last in the NFL against the pass.
The Bears (3-2) have just signed their most decisive victory since they crushed the New York Giants 29-3 in Week 17 of the 2021 season. A win would put them on a three-game winning streak for the first time since the end of the 2020 season.
By beating the Jaguars, Chicago would post a record of 4 wins and 2 losses entering its bye week. For a franchise trying to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2018, that’s no small feat.
The Jaguars are looking to win a second straight game after losing their first four of the campaign. They beat the Indianapolis Colts 37-34 last week.
The match of the week
Lamar Jackson et Jayden Daniels
Commanders c. Ravens
13 h | RDS, RDS.ca
PREMATCH
Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders scored the most points in the NFL this season, with the rookie quarterback beating opponents with his arm and legs. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens aren’t far behind, with the reigning MVP following a similar recipe.
They will face off Sunday in a duel of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, leading high-performance offenses
The Commanders are on a four-game winning streak and are 4-1, while the Ravens have won three in a row to go 3-2. This will definitely be the match of the week because Daniels and Jackson are on the court together as professionals for the first time.
“It’s kind of the first time we’ve had a game like this with two quarterbacks that are very successful and look alike,” said veteran Austin Ekeler, who is in his first season with Washington. “They are dynamic runners. Jayden is obviously new to the NFL, coming onto the scene, but Lamar is well respected, so I’m looking forward to this game. »
There is no shortage of reasons for these comparisons, considering not only their style of play, but also the results they have achieved. Jackson and Daniels are the only two players in NFL history to average over 200 passing yards and over 50 rushing yards in their careers – although one has done so since 2018 and the another for five games.
Jackson passed for 1,206 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception and rushed for 363 yards this season.
Daniels, the second pick in the last draft, threw for 1,135 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, completing a league-best 77.5% of his passes. He also rushed for 300 yards and four touchdowns.
The Lions have turned the page
Lions c. Cowboys
16 h | RDS, RDS.ca
PREMATCH
Dan Campbell can always be counted on to enjoy the closest thing to a homecoming when he visits the Dallas Cowboys.
The Detroit Lions head coach is back about nine months after the Lions were wrongly penalized for a 2-point conversion in the final seconds of a 20-19 loss that cost them a chance to finish in the top of the NFC standings.
Campbell does not ignore the revenge narrative. He’s also not foaming at the mouth before the game at AT&T Stadium.
For the first time in ten years, the Lions have started back-to-back seasons with a 3-1 record, while the Cowboys (3-2) stabilized after two alarming home losses by winning two on the road.
“You have to keep your head on your shoulders no matter what, and I think every game you can always find something,” said Campbell, who was born and raised less than 100 miles from Dallas and played three of his ten NFL seasons with the Cowboys. “There are reasons you want to win them, and you find them, and they’re different every week. »
On December 30, the Lions had just scored a touchdown with 23 seconds remaining when Campbell decided to attempt the two-point conversion, using a play with a lineman eligible to receive a pass from which he said he spoke to officials before the game.
Lineman Taylor Decker caught the pass to give the team a 21-20 lead, but officials ruled that Dan Skipper had passed and Decker had not. The Quarterback Jared Goff was convinced otherwise.
Goff threw an interception on second down, but the Cowboys were offside. The third attempt then resulted in an incomplete pass.
The crazy streak wasn’t the first thing Goff was asked about by reporters this week, but that’s only because he set an NFL record in his final game by completing all 18 of his passes attempted in a 42-29 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Detroit was off last week.
It didn’t take long for the media to pick up on the play that helped drop the Lions to third. They lost the NFC championship game to San Francisco.
“It’s not about dwelling on something that happened eight months ago or anything,” said Goff, who lost to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in during each of the last two seasons. “I think it was a mistake made by the officials, and it happens. I don’t think we take it personally.
“I think it’s more the fact that we haven’t beaten these guys two years in a row that makes us think it’s time to try to stop this,” Goff put it into perspective.
Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy did not wish to return to this strange ending.
“There’s been a lot of football since last year,” said McCarthy, whose team blew its chance by losing its first-round playoff game at home to the Green Bay Lakers two weeks later. “I didn’t watch last year’s game. I’m focusing on what they did this year.”
Getting back on track
Joe Burrow
Bengals c. Giants
20 h | RDS, RDS.ca
PREMATCH
A difficult start to the season is not really surprising for the New York Giants, who have only made the playoffs once since 2016.
For the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s a different story.
They went to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season and went 12-4 the following year before losing the AFC Championship Game. Last season, Cincinnati missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record. So their 1-4 record this year is a bit surprising.
The Bengals and Giants (2-3) will both try to get back on track tonight in a matchup at MetLife Stadium.
“The season is five games old,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “I know what we hear. There are 1-4 of us, and we are responsible for all of this. It’s not enough. »
The last time the Bengals had a worse record after five games was 2019, Taylor’s first season. They lost their first 11 games and finished with a 2-14 record. This landed them the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft: quarterback Joe Burrow. And it transformed the franchise.
“We have too much talent on this team to be in the position we’re in right now,” Taylor admitted. “But all we can do is focus on the future and ask ourselves how to beat the Giants de New York. »
The Giants, who finished last season with a 6-11 record, improved after a dismal performance in the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. They just won in Seattle and could be 3-2 if they hadn’t made it easy for the Commanders in Week 2.
New York is also looking to win at home for the first time in three games.
