London Calling & AFC West Showdown – NFL Week 4
Hands up if you think last weekend’s NFL action was absolutely NUTS? Bo Nix & the Broncos took down the Rams, a 38 year old Case Keenum (who hadn’t played in over 1000 days) almost singlehandedly demolished the Bears and how about the 3-0 Raiders?!
We’re almost a quarter of the way through the NFL season which sounds scary when you say it out loud, but don’t worry because there’s still loads to look forward to in week 4!
Here are the top things you absolutely need to know…
London Calling for Colts & Commanders
The NFL International series begins in earnest this weekend with the first of a trio of London games. First up we have two teams that have struggled early in the season while still maintaining some semblance of promise for better days to come. The big story here of course is Jayden Daniels’ elbow. As of now it’s still unclear whether or not he’ll suit up on Sunday, but Washington have a capable back up in Marcus Mariota who displayed plenty of poise in their defeat of the reigning Super Bowl champions Seahawks. Mariota was also forced into action last year in Madrid, so he’s no stranger to playing abroad. Indy on the other hand will need to lean heavily on the legs of Jonathan Taylor in order to take some pressure off Daniel Jones and open up the run game. The Colts are 2-1 overseas compared to the 0-2-1 record of the Commanders so it’s going to be very interesting to see how this game pans out.
Raiders Face First Real Test
Las Vegas have been by far the biggest surprise of the season so far. Kirk Cousins has played well enough to keep the number one draft pick Fernando Mendoza on the sidelines, and you get the sense that there’s just a much better vibe around the team. But all that could change on Sunday when their AFC Rival Kansas City Chiefs come to town. The addition of Kenneth Walker has taken Andy Reid’s offense to a whole new level. More importantly perhaps, it’s taken some of the pressure off Patrick Mahomes. Last year’s Super Bowl MVP has already amassed 4 touchdowns on the ground and through the air, and it will be top priority for the Raiders defense to shut him down. This is a pivotal match up for both sides, but the Raiders definitely have more to prove.
Steelers Trade Top Defender
Okay in fairness this move happened a few days ago, but it still could be important on Sunday!
The Joey Porter Jr. saga finally reached a conclusion on Wednesday night, as the Pittsburgh Steelers shipped him off to Dallas in exchange for a pair of draft picks. Porter had been holding out for a new contract and had missed the last three games with a “back injury”. Pittsburgh are renowned for refusing to negotiate once the season begins – so this was only ever going to end one way. Dallas is quickly becoming the hot destination for Steelers’ cast offs, as Porter now joins former Steelers George Pickens and Broderick Jones and is in line to start for his new team against the Texans on Sunday. It’s a disappointing conclusion for fans, but at the end of the day the NFL is a business first and this was definitely a business decision!