NFL Week 4 roundup: Undefeated Eagles spoil Pederson’s return, top Jaguars
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PHILADELPHIA — Haason Reddick split his family’s loyalties over his first five seasons. The New Jersey native and former Temple standout always had his parents and friends rooting for him — and for teams that weren’t the hometown Philadelphia Eagles.
Reddick closed that fissure when the linebacker signed a free-agent deal with the Birds. Then he played his best homecoming game yet: two sacks, two fumble recoveries in the rain, and one big role in keeping the Eagles undefeated.
“To be able to be home, where I grew up at, it’s a lovely thing,” Reddick said.
Miles Sanders ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns, Jalen Hurts threw for 204 yards and ran for a score and the Eagles spoiled former coach Doug Pederson’s return to Philadelphia with a 29-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Sanders led an Eagles (4-0) offense that rushed for 210 yards against one of the tightest run defenses in the league.
“I’m excited as heck,” Sanders said. “The best part about being 4-0 is the chance to go 5-0.”
Trevor Lawrence threw for 174 yards and two touchdowns to Jamal Agnew. Lawrence was strip-sacked on the final drive of the game that sealed the win for the Eagles. It was one of four lost fumbles for the second-year quarterback.
Reddick and the Eagles defense had their fill of harassing the the 2021 No. 1 draft pick.
Pederson, who coached the Eagles to a Super Bowl 52 victory over New England, received a standing ovation from fans that braved a rainy, windy Sunday when he was introduced before the game. The camera cut to a shot on the big screens of the 2017 World Champions banner that hangs from the above the top deck at Lincoln Financial Field. Pederson mingled with some of his former players on the field before the game and was warmly greeted by stadium employees when he walked into the stadium.
“It was a great crowd, great welcome,” Pederson said.
Pederson, who already had a statue of himself and former QB Nick Foles erected outside the Linc, seems to have the Jaguars (2-2) at least motoring in the right direction.
Nick Sirianni, Pederson’s replacement, has the Eagles playing like a team that might have to make room in the rafters for more banners.
The Eagles shook off an abysmal start — Hurts had a pass intercepted by Andre Cisco and returned 59 yards for a TD — and a 14-0 hole after the first quarter before they started playing like the lone undefeated team in the NFL.
On the first drive of the second quarter, Lawrence lost his grip on the wet ball as he scrambled on fourth down and fumbled. Fletcher Cox recovered, and the Eagles got to work.
Hurts had a 10-yard TD pass wiped out on a pass interference call that pushed them back to the 20. No problem for Hurts, playing like an early MVP candidate. He ran virtually untouched up the middle, took a crushing hit at the goal line and powered through for a touchdown. It was his fourth rushing TD of the season.
Sanders tied it on a 10-yard TD run, part of his 58-yard effort in the first half. His 58 yards stood out against a Jaguars defense that had allowed a league-low 55 yards rushing a game.
But it quickly turned into one of those days for Jacksonville.
Lawrence, who threw a 4-yard TD pass to Agnew in the first quarter, fumbled the snap late in the second quarter and the ball was recovered by Reddick. Lawrence’s turnover again led to an Eagles score, the one for the lead, for good.
But it was Sirianni’s faith in Hurts that got them ahead. On fourth-and-1 at the Jacksonville 12, Hurts squeezed 2 yards on a sneak. It was the third fourth-down conversion of the game and set up Kenneth Gainwell’s 10-yard rushing score. Jake Elliott missed the extra point and the Eagles led 20-14.
Reddick knew his fans — and the Eagles diehards — in Camden, New Jersey, were going wild.
“They get to root for the hometown team and they get to root for me while they’re doing it,” he said.
Elliott limped on the field, kicked a 28-yard field goal in the third for a 23-14 lead, and gingerly ran off in the third. Sanders had a 5-yard TD run in the fourth.
Lawrence hit Agnew for an 8-yard TD in the fourth that made it 29-21.
Titans 24, Colts 17
INDIANAPOLIS — Derrick Henry got right back to business against the Indianapolis Colts.
He took on some defenders by slamming his big body through the line of scrimmage, eluded others in the open field and even turned receptions into key first downs.
Yes, in the matchup of NFL rushing champs Sunday, it was the two-time winner who reigned supreme.
Henry rushed for a season-high 114 yards, scored one touchdown and watched the Tennessee Titans’ defense make three late stops to preserve a 24-17 victory.
“Derrick ran hard and I thought the coaches had a really good plan for how we were going to run the football,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “It wasn’t perfect, but that did look more like our running game.”
It was the healthiest the bruising Henry has looked since breaking a bone in his right foot in his previous trip to Indy, an injury that may have cost him a third consecutive rushing crown.
Clearly, Henry wasn’t the same in Tennessee’s playoff loss last season or in the first three games this season when he averaged 3.4 yards per carry.
Yet the Titans (2-2) followed the familiar script by leaning heavily on Henry early and he delivered with his fifth 100-yard game in the past six games of this series and rode it to a franchise-record four straight against Indy. The Titans are 11-2 against AFC South opponents since 2020.
And once again, all the Colts (1-2-1) could do was try to keep up. Three turnovers and the three missed scoring chances over the final 16 minutes were just too much to overcome. The Colts have one win in their past six games.
“We feel like we’re seeing some things we want to see,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “But in the end we need to play better, we need to execute better, we need to stop turning the ball over, we need to start getting turnovers, we need to run the football a little bit better and start faster.”
Finding a way to keep Henry in check might help, too. He needed less than two quarters to top 100 yards and stake the Titans to a 24-3 lead.
Ryan Tannehill took advantage of the first turnover, Matt Ryan’s eighth fumble of the season, with a 7-yard TD pass to Robert Woods. Henry extended the margin by making Brandon Facyson miss in the backfield and sprinting 19 yards for the score. After the teams traded field goals, Tannehill hooked up with Chig Okonkwo on an 8-yard TD pass.
Ryan finally answered with a 14-yard TD pass to Mo Alie-Cox late in the first half and a scoring pass to Alie-Cox to cut the deficit to 24-17 midway through the third quarter.
Then the Titans defense stiffened — sacking Ryan to knock Indy out of field-goal range, recovering Jonathan Taylor’s fumble on another third down near its 20-yard line and watching Chase McLaughlin’s 51-yard field goal sail wide left with 1:58 to play.
“That’s what you have to do, find ways to win,” Vrabel said. “We came up with some huge stops defensively when, maybe, we were not at our best. They kept fighting and competing.”
Seahawks 48, Lions 45
DETROIT — Geno Smith threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score in the first half, and the Seattle Seahawks held off the Detroit Lions for a 48-45 win Sunday.
The Seahawks (2-2) were stopped on a third down late in the third quarter, but the Ford Field play clock wasn’t set properly. Seattle took advantage of the second chance and Detroit’s unorganized defense on Rashaad Penny’s 36-yard touchdown run on a third-and-16, opening a 38-23 lead.
T.J. Hockenson had eight receptions and set career highs with 179 yards receiving and two touchdowns, the second of which helped the Lions (1-3) pull within three with 5:26 remaining.
Smith picked apart Detroit on the ensuing drive, which ended with Penny’s 41-yard touchdown run on third-and-5. Penny finished with 151 yards rushing on 17 carries.
Jared Goff’s fourth touchdown pass went to Justin Jackson with 1:06 left, cutting the deficit to three once again. The Lions’ comeback hopes ended when Seattle recovered the onside kick and Penny’s run converted a third-and-5 in their territory.
Smith finished 23 of 30 for 320 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Will Dissly and a 2-yard pass to Noah Fant that gave the Seahawks a 15-point lead late in the first half. The veteran quarterback ran seven times for 49 yards, including an 8-yard score on his second drive.
Smith’s favorite target was DK Metcalf, who had seven catches for 149 yards and beat Jeff Okudah in at least two one-on-one situations after saying the cornerback wasn’t locking down anyone.
The Lions were led by their punt team in the first quarter that helped set up nine points, forcing Tyler Lockett to fumble on a return and pulling off a fake with Jack Fox throwing to convert a fourth down.
Detroit’s high-scoring offense was productive, but it could not overcome the team’s dismal defense that allowed the Seahawks to score more in one afternoon than they had combined in their three previous games.
Goff was 26 of 39 for 378 yards with four touchdowns and an interception on the first snap of the second half that Tariq Woolen returned 40 yards for a score that put Seattle up 31-15.
Jamaal Williams, carrying a heavier load with D’Andre Swift out with injuries, ran 19 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
Detroit kicker Dominik Eberle, filling in for the injured Austin Seibert, missed two extra points in the first half that Goff made up for in the second half with 2-point conversions.
Giants 20, Bears 12
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Daniel Jones ran for two touchdowns before injuring an ankle, Saquon Barkley had 146 yards rushing and ran the wildcat offense at times after both New York quarterbacks were hurt in leading the Giants to a 20-12 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Jones scored on runs of 21 and 8 yards, New York rushed for 262 yards and Graham Gano kicked field goals of 44 and 43 yards as the Giants improved to 3-1 under rookie coach Brian Daboll. It’s their best start since 2011, when they won the Super Bowl.
Michael Badgley kicked four field goals for the Bears (2-2) while filling in for Cairo Santos, who missed the game for personal reasons.
Jones and backup Tyrod Taylor were injured a roughly 10-minute span in the second half. Jones (8 of 13 for 71 yards and 68 yards rushing) injured an ankle when he was sacked by Jaquan Brisker late the third quarter. Taylor went into the concussion protocol after scrambling for a first down with 8:35 to go.
Jones finished the series that Gano ended with a 44-yarder for a 17-12 lead and Barkley ran the direct-snap offense that Gano finished with his 43 yarder with 5:34 to go. Jones was on the field and lined up as a receiver on those plays and he took the snaps on some of the final series for handoffs.
Chicago had a chance late, but Velus Jones Jr. fumbled a punt at his own 35 and Gary Brightwell recovered with 2:13 to play. The Bears got the ball back at their own 27 with 17 seconds to play, but the game ended with a final play that included about 10 laterals.
Justin Fields was 10 of 21 for 163 yards, ran for 52 yards and was sacked five times. Khalil Herbert had 77 yards rushing as the Bears lost to the Giants for the first time in four games.
Coming off an excellent game against the Cowboys, Jones had New York scored on runs of 21 and 8 yards to give the Giants a 14-6 halftime leads. The TDs were the teams first in the opening 30 minutes this season.
Badgley hit three field goals as the Bears failed to maximize on two red-zone opportunities.
Chargers 34, Texans 24
HOUSTON — Justin Herbert threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns and Austin Ekeler scored three times as the Los Angeles Chargers built a big early lead and held on for a 34-24 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Houston scored 17 straight points to get within three with about 8 1/2 minutes left. The Chargers (2-2) then put together a 12-play, 84-yard drive, capped by Ekeler’s 14-yard reception, to put the game away and snap a two-game skid.
The Chargers faced fourth-and-2 from their 45 when Herbert connected with Ekeler on a 21-yard reception to keep the game-sealing drive going.
Ekeler, who had struggled this season as the Chargers ranked last in the league in yards rushing, had his best game this year, scoring on runs of 10 and 20 yards in the second quarter as Los Angeles raced out to a 21-0 lead.
The banged-up Chargers looked great early, scoring on five of their first six possessions to build a 27-7 lead by halftime despite Herbert still dealing with a rib injury and the team playing without star defender Joey Bosa, who had groin surgery, and top receiver Keenan Allen.
Sunday marked the first time the Texans (0-3-1) had scored in the fourth quarter this season after entering the game having been outscored 30-0 in the final period. But it wasn’t enough to dig them out of the early hole as they remained winless in coach Lovie Smith’s first season.
Davis Mills threw for 246 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, getting going after halftime after failing to move the offense effectively in the first half. A bright spot for the Texans was the continued strong play of rookie Dameon Pierce, who had 131 yards rushing, highlighted by a 75-yard scoring run in the second quarter.
Herbert topped 300 yards passing for the 19th time, tying the record for such games in a player’s first three seasons. It was his seventh straight 300-plus-yard game on the road.
The Chargers led by 20 at halftime. Mills threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Rex Burkhead to get Houston within 27-14 late in the third quarter.
Mills found Nico Collins for a 58-yard reception on Houston’s next drive and threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks on the next play to cut the lead to 27-21.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin forced a fumble by DeAndre Carter on the ensuing kickoff and M.J. Stewart recovered to give Houston the ball back at the 16.
Mills was sacked and fumbled on second down, but the Texans recovered the ball. They settled for a 40-yard field goal that got them within 27-24.
Things went wrong for Houston immediately when Nasir Adderley intercepted Mills on the third play of the game and returned it 30 yards.
Herbert then connected with Gerald Everett on an 18-yard TD.
The Texans had a chance to cut the lead late in the first quarter, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.
Ekeler made it 14-0 when he scored his first touchdown of the season on a 10-yard run early in the second quarter.
His second touchdown came when he scampered 20 yards on the next drive to extend the lead to 21-0 three minutes later. That score was set up Mike Williams, who had 120 yards receiving, grabbed a 50-yard reception a play before.
Pierce dashed 75 yards for a touchdown on the first play of Houston’s next drive. It was the third-longest run in franchise history and the longest run by a rookie since Miami’s Kalen Ballage also had a 75-yard run in 2018.
Vikings 28, Saints 25
LONDON — Justin Jefferson bounced back from two quiet games and Greg Joseph made amends for a missed extra point.
The Vikings star receiver scored a touchdown and beat Marshon Lattimore on a 39-yard reception to set up Joseph’s 47-yard field goal with 24 seconds left and Minnesota hung on for a 28-25 win over New Orleans on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Many of the Vikings (3-1), though, thought they were headed to overtime when Saints kicker Wil Lutz lined up for his 61-yard tying attempt. And why not? Lutz had hit a 60-yarder on their previous possession.
This one had the distance but hit the left upright and then the crossbar before bouncing out as time expired.
“When it left his foot I thought it was going in,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “It felt like that thing had a real good chance to go through and obviously a couple of bounces later we’re able to walk off as the winning team.”
Joseph’s go-ahead kick came after he had missed an extra point earlier in the quarter after Jefferson ran it in from 3 yards with 4:15 left in the fourth quarter.
The missed kick left the Vikings with a 25-22 lead.
The Saints then had an eight-play drive and Lutz made a 60-yard field goal with 1:51 left to tie the game for the Saints (1-3), who have lost three straight games.
“I thought they were both in,” Lutz said. “I hit them both on the screws. The second one just moved a little more left. So kind of shocked it didn’t bounce in.”
Jefferson had 10 receptions for 147 yards after being limited to a total of nine receptions and 62 yards in the past two games, He was pleased to finally see some single coverage.
“Lattimore pretty much followed me the whole game, pretty much was a one-on-one battle the majority of the game,” Jefferson said. “I was telling (O’Connell) the whole game we should throw it up, give me a chance to go up and make a big play.”
Joseph was 5 for 5 on field goals as the Vikings squandered multiple scoring chances, but still held off a New Orleans team that played without key starters including quarterback Jameis Winston and running back Alvin Kamara.
Kirk Cousins completed 25 of 38 passes for 273 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Vikings under O’Connell are off to their best start since going 4-0 in 2016.
The Saints arrived early in the week to acclimate to the time difference but their losing streak is now at three games under coach Dennis Allen.
“We still have to find a way to not hurt ourselves with penalties and the turnovers, and that’s got to change,” Allen said.
Down 16-7, Saints backup quarterback Andy Dalton led two scoring drives to help New Orleans take 22-19 lead. Saints tight end/quarterback Taysom Hill took a direct snap and ran it in from 2 yards for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter and Dalton found a wide-open Jarvis Landry for the 2-point conversion.
Dalton completed 20 of 28 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown.
After the Saints cut Minnesota’s lead to 16-14 on Latavius Murray’s 1-yard run late in the third quarter, the Vikings drove again and Joseph made it 19-14 with a 46-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings led 13-7 and had first-and-goal on the 3 after Jefferson’s 41-yard reception in the third quarter, but were pushed back by a delay of game penalty. Cousins then threw short to Adam Thielen instead of going to a wide-open Jefferson in the back of the end zone.
One play earlier, Cousins threw behind Jefferson in the end zone and the receiver couldn’t hold on.
Packers 27, Patriots 24
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers rebounded from a dreadful start and helped the Green Bay Packers spoil Bailey Zappe’s unexpected NFL debut with the New England Patriots.
Rodgers threw two second-half touchdown passes and led an overtime drive that resulted in Mason Crosby’s 31-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the Packers to a 27-24 victory on Sunday.
The dramatic finish came after Rodgers went 4 of 11 for 44 yards for an 11.2 passer rating in a first-half performance that included New England’s Jack Jones scoring on a 40-yard interception return, lifting the Patriots to a 10-7 halftime lead.
“I settled in and usually don’t have two terrible halves, so I kind of returned to the form I expect from myself, and we started moving the football,” said Rodgers, who went 21 of 35 for 251 yards.
Zappe, a 2022 fourth-round pick from Western Kentucky, played the majority of the game after Brian Hoyer left with a head injury. Hoyer made his first start since 2020 in place of Mac Jones, who injured his left ankle during last weekend’s 37-26 loss to Baltimore.
Hoyer led New England to Nick Folk’s 37-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive, but he got sacked by Rashan Gary on the team’s next series and departed.
Zappe and the Patriots (1-3) still played well enough to force overtime, but Rodgers continued his recent home mastery of AFC teams. The Packers (3-1) are 18-1 in the last 19 home games Rodgers has started against AFC foes.
“Of course, it was exciting at first,” said Zappe, who went 10 of 15 for 99 yards with a touchdown. “It was a dream come true to play in an NFL game. It’s obviously not the outcome we wanted at all.”
After the Packers went three-and-out on the opening possession of overtime, Marcus Jones’ 20-yard punt return gave New England the ball at its 49-yard line. Gary said he had one thing on his mind at that point.
“Get (Rodgers) back the ball,” said Gary, who had two sacks. “Give ‘12’ back the ball. We have a quarterback like that, a living Hall of Famer, he’s able to do wonderful things for us. You all know what he can do with the ball. We also know what he can do with the ball.”
After the Packers forced a three-and-out and the Patriots punted, Green Bay marched 77 yards in a 12-play drive that lasted nearly seven minutes before Crosby made his winning kick.
“We get the ball there at the 10-yard line in the second possession of overtime, and it’s amazing to have no doubt that we’re going to have an (opportunity) to try to win it,” Crosby said. “Snap, hold, protection, everything was great all day. So, yeah, it’s nice to be able to finish that thing off.”
Green Bay had tied the game at 24 on Rodgers’ 13-yard touchdown pass to rookie Romeo Doubs with 6:14 remaining. They nearly connected again in the closing minutes of regulation.
With the Packers facing third-and-8 from the New England 40, Rodgers threw deep to a diving Doubs in the right corner of the end zone. Dobbs got past Jonathan Jones and caught the pass, but the ball slipped out of his hands after he landed.
New England withstood the injuries to its top two quarterbacks to lead on the road for much of the day. The Patriots were helped by their ability to contain Rodgers in the first half.
Jack Jones’ touchdown with 13 seconds left in the second quarter was Rodgers’ first pick-6 since Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean scored on a 32-yard interception return in the Buccaneers’ 38-10 victory on Oct. 18, 2020.
Rodgers rebounded after halftime and threw touchdown passes to Doubs and Robert Tonyan for the tight end’s first score since tearing an anterior cruciate ligament last season.
“I’ve been a great player for a long time,” Rodgers said. “Not a whole lot I need to tell myself. Just play better.”
Aaron Jones rushed for 110 yards to lead Green Bay’s 199-yard attack on the ground. Allen Lazard had six catches for 116 yards.
Zappe gave New England a 17-10 lead in the third quarter with a 25-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker. The ball appeared to get snapped after the play clock had expired on Parker’s touchdown, but no penalty was called.
After Crosby’s 38-yard field goal late in the third, New England regained the lead on Damien Harris’ 5-yard touchdown run with 11:14 left. Harris rushed for 86 yards on 18 carries, while Rhamondre Stevenson ran 14 times for 66 yards.
Then Rodgers led the Packers back again. This time, the Patriots couldn’t respond.
“In the end, Rodgers is just too good,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “He made some throws that only he can make.”
Cardinals 26, Panthers 16
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kyler Murray threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns and added one rushing and the Arizona Cardinals overcame yet another lackluster first half to defeat the Carolina Panthers 26-16 on Sunday.
Murray threw TD passes of 23 yards to Marquise Brown and 2 yards to Zach Ertz and also ran for a 4-yard score and the Cardinals (2-2) held a 17-minute advantage in time of possession to beat the Panthers for the first time in the past seven meetings.
The Cardinals defense frustrated Baker Mayfield, forcing three turnovers by the 2018 No. 1 overall pick — prompting boos from the home crowd in the fourth quarter.
Mayfield struggled yet again for the Panthers (1-3).
The 6-foot-1 Mayfield had five passes batted at the line of scrimmage and repeatedly overthrew open receivers. He was pressured repeatedly as the Cardinals stole a page from previous Carolina opponents, flustering the former Heisman Trophy winner with a series of blitzes.
At one point Mayfield thrusted his arm in the air in frustration.
The Cardinals once again came out flat, falling behind 10-3 at halftime. They have been outscored 66-16 in the first half of four games.
But the Cards took their first lead in regulation this season with Matt Prater’s 39-yard field goal with 11:22 remaining.
Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, playing just four days after having his heart shocked into rhythm after going into atrial fibrillation, then deflected a pass by Mayfield that Dennis Gardeck intercepted and returned to the Carolina 5.
Two plays later, Murray scored on a designed rollout for a 20-10 lead. Murray found Brown on a corner route to push the lead to 26-10.
The Panthers had won 14 of 19 overall against the Cardinals coming into the game, including the past six by an average margin of 35-17. But the Panthers were just 2 of 10 on third downs and couldn’t get anything going on offense.
Carolina’s only touchdown in the first 55 minutes of the game came when Frankie Luvu intercepted Murray’s pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to give Carolina a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Raiders 32, Broncos 23
LAS VEGAS — Josh Jacobs ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns, Amik Robertson returned a fumble 68 yards for a score and the Las Vegas Raiders won their first game of the season, 32-23 over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
After opening their first season under coach Josh McDaniels by losing three straight one-score games, the Raiders (1-3) managed to do enough on the ground with their biggest rushing game in six years and on defense to hold off Russell Wilson and the Broncos (2-2).
Maxx Crosby had two of Las Vegas’ three sacks, and Robertson had the game-changing play late in the first half as Denver repeatedly failed to take advantage of good field position.
After getting a 5-yard TD pass from Wilson to Courtland Sutton to cap a 34-yard drive in the first quarter, the Broncos turned three other chances with prime field position into one field goal and the fumble by Melvin Gordon III that Robertson returned for the touchdown.
Wilson had his most efficient game of his short tenure in Denver, completing 17 of 25 passes for 237 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a 3-yard TD that cut the Raiders’ lead to 25-23 after completing a 55-yard pass to KJ Hamler.
Jacobs put it away with a 7-yard TD run with 2:01 to play. He became the first Raiders player to rush for at least 130 yards and two TDs in a game since Darren McFadden did it in 2011 against the Jets.
Derek Carr didn’t have to do much for the Raiders, completing 21 of 34 passes for 188 yards as Las Vegas got the running game going for the first time this season. Davante Adams had nine catches for 101 yards.
Jacobs scored on a 10-yard run in the second quarter and set up a field goal in the third with a 42-yard run that was his longest since his rookie season in 2019.
The Raiders finished with 212 yards rushing for their most in a game since getting 218 against the Broncos in 2016.