Michael McQuaid of Pro Football Ireland looks at some of the key storylines ahead of the seventh week of the 2024 NFL season, which gets underway tonight (1.15am Irish time) with the visit of the Denver Broncos to the New Orleans Saints.
A Super Bowl rematch
Sunday (9.25pm Irish time) sees a rematch of Super Bowl LVIII, as the San Francisco 49ers welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to Santa Clara. The hosts - on a 3-3 record after six weeks - will be without star running back Christian McCaffrey, who is still ruled out due to a calf/Achilles injury.
Brock Purdy has made a name for himself in San Francisco, becoming the fastest quarterback in the team's history to reach 50 career passing touchdowns, and has been in good form through the first part of the season.
On the other side of the ball, Nick Bosa and the 49ers defence will look to get at one of the game's best QBs in Patrick Mahomes. Bosa has been a constant leader for a defence currently ranked ninth in the league. He had one forced fumble in his first six games, along with one interception returned for 30 yards. Last week, he created 14 pressures against the Seahawks in Seattle.
For the Chiefs, it's the status quo. When you have Mahomes under centre, you have a pivotal force on the offence who can make clutch plays. That being said, through six weeks, he has six interceptions, tied second most in the league
"I feel like I haven’t played very well and that’s not a stats thing," Mahomes said after game three. "I just feel like I’m missing opportunities whenever they’re out there and not throwing the ball in the exact spot I want it to be at. It’s about me getting back to my fundamentals, putting our guys in the right position, and then we’ve got to execute at a higher level offensively."
Could we see the Niners defence put Mahomes under pressure on Sunday and add to his interception totals, or will the unbeaten reigning champions get to 6-0?
Up and Adams, again
On Tuesday, the New York Jets traded for Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, reuniting him with his old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The move came less than 24 hours after the Jets lost to the Bills on Monday Night Football.
During their time in Green Bay, they had 68 regular season touchdowns. No other receiver has caught the ball more for a touchdown from Rodgers than Adams - their connection is the third most frequent quarterback-receiver tandem in the past 30 years, only behind Ben Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown (Steelers) and Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski (Patriots).
It is one hell of a debut scenario for Davante Adams with the Jets. They travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers on Sunday night. The black and gold sit 4-2 in the AFC North and seem to be making a considerable change at the quarterback position. After sitting out the first few weeks with an injury, it seems that Russell Wilson will make his first start for the Steelers on Sunday night.
I had the chance to speak with a Steelers offensive player late Wednesday night around this and the level of respect that he has for both Justin Fields and Wilson is telling, especially given that neither quarterback was in Pittsburgh at the start of the year. Both have made a significant impression and it will be fascinating to see how Wilson performs. After an unsuccessful stint in Denver, it promises to be a huge primetime debut in Pennsylvania, one which former President Donald Trump plans to attend a mere three weeks out from the US Election.
The Jets need a win to kick start their season - and they need one now.
Return to New York for Saquon
Just when you think there is enough action in the league this week, the Eagle at the Giants gives us a chance to see the return of Saquon Barkley to New York.
In his time with the New York Giants (2018-23), Barkley set the record for the most rushing yards in a game by a Giants rookie at 170 yards. He was also the first Giants rookie to rush for over 1,000 yards, while also setting the most receptions by a running back in a single season for the Giants. These records are particularly notable given the offensive struggles that New York had in recent years.
Speaking with ESPN this week, Barkley may have underestimated the power of the fans in New York, as he awaits his return on Sunday, having left as a free agent to Philadelphia earlier in the year.
"Maybe I'm naïve, but I think it's over. That chapter's closed," Barkley said. "I truly don't care no more, and I'm pretty sure fans don't care no more.
"I don't expect a great reaction. I don't expect to be booed," he said. "I look at it like this - the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Football Giants probably played in over 200 games. This rivalry was there before me, and it's going to be there after me."
It has been an offensive struggle for the Giants this year, to say the least. They have become the first team in six decades to have more than 395 offensive plays, yet manage to score fewer than 100 points, all while shouldering a losing record. Something has to give, and Saquon - who has been in great form - returning most likely isn't going to help.
Expect boos on Sunday.
One last time in London
The final London game of the season takes place this Sunday, with the Jacksonville Jaguars welcoming the New England Patriots to Wembley Stadium.
It has been a disappointing start to the season for the Jags and at 1-5 it could be argued that they are already past the point of a 'must-win game'. Last weekend, they were blown out by the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, giving up 35 points to Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.
Their pass defence is struggling - it is ranked last in the league in DVOA (defence-adjusted value over average). On the other side of the ball, quarterback Trevor Lawrence is not playing at the level he needs to for the offence to thrive. Through six weeks, the former Clemson man had a considerable dip in passing accuracy, standing at 60.7%. Last year, he averaged 65.6%.
On many snaps in London, players on both sides of the ball seemed beyond frustrated, especially as the game fell away from them. In the locker room after, you could cut the tension with a knife. Jags safety Andre Cisco told a local reporter on the day that he saw "a lot of quit", which has generated headlines in the days following.
Drake Maye made his first start for New England last Sunday and while the team lost 41-21 to the Texans, it was an encouraging performance for the rookie. On the day, Maye completed a 51-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte, which was the longest completion by a Patriots quarterback over the previous three years.
Sunday will be a huge opportunity for Maye to come in and face a team that is lacking in confidence and belief. If the Patriots (also 1-5) were to get the win, Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson could be out the door before the team get to Heathrow Airport on Sunday evening.
Dublin’s NFL Future
Ahead of the Bears-Jaguars game I had the opportunity to ask NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the league's commitment to the island of Ireland and whether we could see a potential game here sooner rather than later. For an Irish NFL fan, the answer was very promising.
"I know the Steelers really want to go there," Goodell said. "I have no doubt we will be playing in Ireland. I don't know if it'll be next year but it's coming soon."
After the briefing, NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly also mentioned Ireland as a potential site for a future game.
"The recent watch parties with incredible crowds - those are the signals. We saw that in Brazil a year or two before going down there… it’s about real diligence, but it's also a feel thing. You start to feel the momentum in a market and that exists in Ireland."
Stand by, folks.
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