| Dates: 7 September 2023 – 7 January 2024 |
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The San Francisco 49ers enjoyed an emphatic 42-10 victory over old enemies the Dallas Cowboys to join the Philadelphia Eagles as the only 5-0 sides in the NFL.
The Niners enjoyed their biggest win of their storied rivalry with Dallas, while the Eagles powered to a tough win at the Los Angeles Rams.
Miami’s high-flying attack broke another record and the New England Patriots suffered another embarrassing loss.
Niners dominate rivals Dallas
The pair of five-time Super Bowl winners have had an epic rivalry down the years fighting in play-off games, two of which San Francisco have won in the last two years, but this one was one-way traffic from the start.
Quarterback Brock Purdy moved to 10-0 as a starter with four touchdown passes in another clinical showing and Christian McCaffrey scored for the 14th game running to continue what is now the fourth-longest streak in NFL history.
And while the Niners unloaded on what was the league’s toughest defence coming in, Dak Prescott was bemused and befuddled by San Francisco’s unit as he threw three interceptions and was sacked three times.
So while it is back to the drawing board for the Cowboys, the 49ers sent a huge warning to the rest of the NFL.
Eagles go 5-0 and Mahomes completes the set
The Philadelphia Eagles have not been as flashy as the 49ers but they are also 5-0, for the second year running, after another solid defensive effort and a powerful run game in their 23-14 win at the Los Angeles Rams.
The Eagles dictated the game thanks to their all-powerful offensive line, which was unstoppable again when they performed what has become known as the ‘brotherly shove’ or ‘tush push’ – similar to a rolling maul in rugby union – when the entire team helped to push Jalen Hurts into the end zone from close range.
Philly look determined to get back to the Super Bowl after last season’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs – who are taking control of the AFC again after edging the Minnesota Vikings 27-20 to improve to 4-1.
The win gave Patrick Mahomes the full set as he has now beaten all 31 other teams in the NFL, and is the first quarterback to do it under the age of 30.
With just a one-point defeat against them and plenty of room for improvement, the defending Super Bowl champions look a scary prospect – with the only worry being an ankle injury Travis Kelce picked up just before scoring what turned out to be the winning touchdown.
Record high for Dolphins, record low for Pats
Also at 4-1 and so far the main challengers to the Chiefs are the Miami Dolphins, who continue to set records offensively – this time recording more total yards in their first five games than the famous 2000 St Louis Rams team that was nicknamed ‘the greatest show on turf’ for their attacking prowess.
Miami’s 31-16 win over the New York Giants saw remarkable rookie De’Von Achane become just the second player to score seven touchdowns in his first four games – while Tyreek Hill had another monstrous game with 181 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The polar opposite of Miami’s explosive offence is the New England Patriots unit that drew a blank in an embarrassing 34-0 home shutout against the New Orleans Saints in one of Bill Belichick’s worst days of his long career.
In the second-worst home shutout loss in Patriots history, QB Mac Jones was again benched in the second half after another error-strewn performance. The Pats have not scored over 20 points all season as they drop to 1-4 for the first time since 2000 – Belichick’s first season in charge.
Jets win grudge match in Denver
The New York Jets won their grudge match in Denver 31-21 as their offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett made a winning return after his poor spell as Broncos head coach last year.
New Denver boss Sean Payton sparked controversy when he said Hackett’s reign “might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL” during the summer – and Jets players had this game circled on the calendar ever since.
“It was good, to be honest. Mostly for coach Hackett,” said Breece Hall, who scored a blistering 72-yard TD run.
“He stayed quiet, he stayed humble, respectful. So we wanted to come in and get a win today for him and we did that. Better coach, better team, won.”
Injured QB Aaron Rodgers posted his support for Hackett on social media, while his stand-in Zach Wilson added: “Obviously, how things went for him this past year was tough. So you know it means a lot.”
Steelers stun sloppy Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens will be an angry team heading over to London next week after throwing away their game with fierce rivals Pittsburgh – including a late Lamar Jackson interception in a 17-10 loss at the Steelers.
A blocked punt for a safety and several other miscues cost Baltimore dearly as they drop to 3-2, the same record as Pittsburgh, despite being on top for the large majority of the game.
At Tottenham next Sunday, Baltimore will play the Tennessee Titans, who will also make the trip on the back of a defeat after they lost 23-16 at the Indianapolis Colts.
The Detroit Lions are still right up there at 4-1 after they produced another fine offensive display in their 42-24 success over the Carolina Panthers, which puts them clear at the top of the NFC North.
Ja’Marr Chase had not scored a TD all season until Sunday, when he managed to grab three of them as Joe Burrow finally started to find his range in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 34-20 win at the Arizona Cardinals.
Houston’s rookie QB CJ Stroud set a record as he still has not thrown an interception in his short NFL career, but it was Atlanta’s second-year man Desmond Ridder who had the final say by engineering a last-gasp 21-19 victory for the Falcons.
