On his 25th birthday, the Jacksonville Jaguars ended a long dry spell in the NFL professional football league.
Thanks to kicker Cam Little, the team won 37:34 against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, it was the first win for Jacksonville since December 31, 2023.
The Jaguars started the season with defeats against the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans, but now things have turned around. The last success so far was a 26-0 win over the Carolina Panthers on the penultimate matchday of the 2023/24 main round.
The duel with the Colts was extremely exciting. Jacksonville increased the lead to 34:20 with just over five minutes left, then Indianapolis, led by quarterback Joe Flacco, drew level with two touchdowns. With 17 seconds on the clock, kicker Little fired the Jags to victory with a 49-yard field goal.
NFL in London: Rodgers passes 60,000 yards
Hours earlier, football star Aaron Rodgers had become the ninth NFL quarterback to break the 60,000 passing yards mark on English soil. In his New York Jets’ 17:23 defeat in the London Game against the Minnesota Vikings, the 40-year-old broke the sound barrier with a well-placed throw in the third quarter.
None of the eight quarterbacks ahead of Rodgers on the roster are still active. In first place is seven-time Super Bowl champion and current TV expert Tom Brady (89,214 yards).
Rodgers was not happy about the milestone during his guest appearance in Europe. The Jets suffered their third defeat in the fifth game of the season at the stadium of the Tottenham Hotspur football club. The long-time star of the Green Bay Packers threw three interceptions, the game-winning one coming in the final minute. New York came back from a 17-0 deficit but came away empty-handed. Rodgers now has 60,148 yards.
Vikings continue their run
The situation in Minnesota is completely different; the Vikings continued their run in the US professional league and celebrated their fifth win in their fifth appearance. Quarterback Sam Darnold, under contract with the Jets from 2018 to 2021, did not throw a touchdown pass. In addition to the Vikings, only defending champion Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) are undefeated.
Kirk Cousins leads Atlanta Falcons to spectacular victory
The Atlanta Falcons had already clinched their third win of the season in the NFL on Friday night thanks to a strong performance from their quarterback Kirk Cousins. Also because they held their nerve shortly before the end.
The Falcons won their home game in the US Football League against division rivals Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36:30 after overtime. Pass receiver KhaDarel Hodge decided the game with his touchdown just over a minute into overtime.
Career best for Cousins
Cousins not only threw four touchdown passes, but also gained a total of 509 yards in the passing game, setting a career high for the 36-year-old. In the history of the Falcons, no player had ever achieved so many passing yards in a game.
A bad pass from Cousins a good two minutes before the end ultimately had no effect. Shortly before the end it looked like a success for the guests from Florida. It was only with the last action of regular time that Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo scored a field goal to equalize and bring the game into overtime. There the Falcons won the coin toss, got the ball – and ended the game after four plays.
Atlanta draws level with Tampa
With the victory, Atlanta drew level with Tampa with three wins and two defeats, and because of the direct duel won, the Falcons also took the lead in the NFC South division for the time being. The NFL’s eight division winners will surely reach the playoffs at the end of the regular season.
