Football Week 7 Recap

Another great week of football has come and gone. We're here to give you al full recap of everything you need to know!

AFC Recap:

Top Teams through Week 7:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (6-0)

T-5. Houston, Baltimore, Buffalo, Pittsburgh (5-2)

T-7. Denver, Indianapolis (4-3)

8. Los Angeles Chargers (3-3)

9. Cincinnati Bengels (3-4)

10. Miami Dolphins (2-4)

T-13. Las Vegas, NYJ, Jacksonville (2-5)

14. Tennessee Titans (1-5)

T-16. Cleveland, New England (1-6)

AFC Highlights:

- The Chiefs (6-0) remain undefeated as the emerge victorious over the 49ers (3-4) behind a stellar Kareem Hunt (78yds, 2TD)

- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore (5-2), proves why he's the MVP so far with 281 yds, 5TDs in 41-31 victory over the Buccaneers (4-3); Derrick Henry rushes for 169 yds on 15 carries

- Russell Wilson gives us a blast from the past with the Steelers (5-2) in a 37-15 victory over the Jets (2-5); 264 yds, 2TD, 1 Rush TD

AFC Offensive Stats:

Passing Yards: Lamar Jackson (BAL) - 1,810

Passing TDs: Lanar Jackson (BAL) - 15

Pass Interceptions: Patrick Mahomes (KC), Gardner Minshew (LV) - 8

Rushing Yards: Derrick Henry (BAL) - 873

Rushing TDs: Derrick Henry (BAL) - 8

Receiving Yards: Ja'Marr Chase (CIN) - 620

Receiving TDs: Ja'Marr Chase (CIN) - 6

AFC Defensive Stats:

Tackles: Zaire Franklin - 76

Sacks: Will McDonald IV (NYJ) - 8.0

Interceptions: Marlon Humphrey (BAL) - 4

NFC Recap:

Top Teams through Week 7:

T-2. Detroit, Minnesota (5-1)

T-4. Washington, Green Bay (5-2)

T-6. Chicago, Philadelphia (4-2)

T-9. Seattle, Atlanta, Tampa Bay (4-3)

10. Dallas (3-3)

T-12. Arizona, San Francisco (3-4)

13. Los Angeles Rams (2-4)

T-15. New Orleans, NYG (2-5)

16. Carolina Panthers (1-6)

NFC Highlights:

- Green Bay (5-2) narrowly escape the Texans (5-2) on a last second Brandon McManus 45yd Field Goal

- The Detroit Lions (5-1) snap the Minnesota Vikings (5-1) undefeated streak in a 31-29 victory behind a Justin Bates 44yd Field Goal

- Jayden Daniels injured in 40-7 blowout as Washington (5-2) defeats the Panthers (1-6)

NFC Offensive Stats:

Passing Yards: Geno Smith (SEA) - 1,985

Passing TDs: Baker Mayfield (TB) - 18

Pass Interceptions: Jordan Love (GB) - 8

Rushing Yards: Jordan Mason (SF) - 667

Rushing TDs: Kyren Williams (LAR) - 8

Receiving Yards: Chris Godwin (TB) - 576

Receiving TDs: Mike Evans (TB) - 6

NFC Defensive Stats:

Tackles: Budda Baker (ARI) - 67

Sacks: Dexter Lawrence II (NYG) - 9.0

Interceptions: Xavier McKinney (GB) - 5

Award Races:

Lombardi Trophy: Kansas City Chiefs

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes (KC)

George Halas Trophy: Minnesota Vikings

Lamar Hunt Trophy: Kansas City Chiefs

MVP: Lamar Jackson (BAL)

OPOY: Derrick Henry (BAL)

DPOY: TJ Watt (PIT)

ROY: Jayden Daniels (WSH)

CPOY: Kirk Cousins (ATL)

COTY: Kevin O'Connell (MIN)

 NBA Western Conference Standings Prediction

The NBA 2024-25 Season is one sleep away! Here are my predictions for the Western Conference and where the teams will fall by the end of the season!

--PLAYOFFS--

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

2. Dallas Mavericks

3. Denver Nuggets

4. Phoenix Suns

5. Memphis Grizzlies

6. Minnesota Timberwolves

--PLAY IN--

7. Sacramento Kings

8. New Orleans Pelicans

9. Houston Rockets

10. Los Angeles Lakers

--ELIMINATED--

11. San Antonio Spurs

12. Golden State Warriors

13. Los Angeles Clippers

14. Utah Jazz

15. Portland Trailblazers

I find the Western Conference to be MUCH harder to predict than the Eastern Conference. The top 3 are fairly simple, just like the Eastern Conference. I don't think much explanation needs to go into why I think OKC, Dallas, and Denver will be the top three; however, I see Phoenix taking a jump as their core is getting hungrier for a championship. I think the return of Ja Morant will take some time to adjust, but once it does we'll see a Memphis team that is identical to the one from Ja's Most Improved Player season, especially with Zach Edey fitting in seamlessly so far. Minnesota is going to take a hit without Towns. Randle is not KAT and I think that's clear to see. So from 4-9 you could swap any team around and I'd buy it, which is crazy. There's 6 teams in this conference that are all good enough to be the fourth seed, especially when you look at the Kings (now with DeMar), the Pelicans (now with Murray), and the Rockets (who got turned around into success with Ime Udoka). The Lakers are always such a confusing team, they had 47 wins last season but every other team around them improved in ways they can't seem to achieve. The acquisition of Chris Paul pushes the Spurs ceiling, but he's aging and the team is still young, I don't see them getting into the Play-In just yet. Some are high on Golden State this year, I'm not. There's a lot of retooling to be done and a lot of shoes to fill, we'll see what they can do to support Curry. The Clippers I see falling far down without George, Westbrook, and an injured Kawhi. I don't think Harden can carry that weight. Utah and Portland round out the bottom, neither team improved from last season and their rosters are just not competitive with the rest of the absolutely stacked conference.

Thanks for Sitting on the Sidelines!

Zeke

 NBA Eastern Conference Standings Predictions

The NBA 2024-25 Season is one sleep away! Here are my predictions for the Eastern Conference and where the teams will fall by the end of the season!

--PLAYOFFS--

1. Boston Celtics

2. New York Knicks

3. Milwaukee Bucks

4. Orlando Magic

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

6. Philadelphia 76ers

--PLAY IN--

7. Miami Heat

8. Indiana Pacers

9. Toronto Raptors

10. Charlotte Hornets

--ELIMINATED--

11. Atlanta Hawks

12. Chicago Bulls

13. Detroit Pistons

14. Washington Wizards

15. Brooklyn Nets

The Top 3 I'm fairly confident will remain the same from 2023-24. The race might be closer between Boston and New York, but I think the defending champions will pull through, with Milwaukee being a distant third place. I think Orlando is going to surprise people even though they may just be swapping spot with Cleveland. If Philly stays healthy, they'll remain in a playoff spot and have an exciting series with the Bucks. But to tell them truth, from number 4 to number 8, you could swap any of those teams and I'd respect your opinion completely. The top of the East is really close and unpredictable. A lot of injury prone teams, aging teams, and newly-built teams are going into this season with a championship goal and it's going to be a toss up for who will make it into the playoffs/play-in. I think Charlotte could take a big jump behind Ball/Miller and a Barnes-led Toronto started looking like a force to be reckoned with towards the end of last season. The Net are going to be generationally bad and the Wizards so no sign of changing. I'm going to assume the Pistons young core may show some improvement, but it has a very low chance of being competitive. Chicago and Atlanta blew up their cores in the offseason and the outlook doesn't look great. So here we are!

Thanks for Sitting on the Sidelines!

Zeke

 Megalopolis Review

Francis Ford Coppola's newest film Megalopolis has taken the internet by storm in many different ways. Whether it's from the controversy of the director's behavior on set or the absurdity of the film that has gone viral, I think everyone has heard of one of the biggest flops of 2024. I was able to catch the film last night and... I had some thoughts.

My Ratings:

Plot 1/10

Acting 3/10

Directing 1/10

Writing 1/10

Cinematography 2/10

Soundtrack 4/10

Wig, Makeup, & Costumes 3/10

Lighting 3/10

Color 3/10

Emotional Impact 0/10

Overall: 21/100

It's safe to say... I'm not a fan. I wish I could describe the plot, but I genuinely do not have the ability. The film is incoherent, unspecific, and a complete mess. There's moments of a love story, political commentary, and building an empire, but none of it meshes together or makes any sense. The actors are trying to make something work, but this is really a group of good actors giving their worst performances. Adam Driver is incapable of caring so he's trying but to no avail. Aubrey Plaza might be the best performance from the film but in no way can it save what's happening on screen. Laurence Fishburne is wasted. Giancarlo Esposito received the worst material by far and just could not make it work. And Nathalie Emmanuel gives one of the worst performances in a major film that I have seen in a long time. It is just really, REALLY bad. I haven't seen her in anything else, but after this I don't want to. The script is awful, masturbatory, and pretentious. The movie looks like Spy Kids 3 in a way that isn't endearing the way Spy Kids 3 is. The music isn't half bad but it's washed out by the horrible things happening on screen. Character Design is a little basic. The lighting doesn't affect anything very much. The color is as bad as people were pretending the first Dune movie was (which had great coloring and I will die on this hill). And there is no possible way, shape or form for this film to have any effect on the audience. I'm mad just typing this. A waste of 2.5 hours. I'll admit, it gave some pretty good laughs here and there from how absurd and bad it was, but it wasn't worth a trip to the theatre. It's not something people need to see and it's definitely not something people need to be pretending is good. It's bad. There's not deeper meaning or genius. It was made by a senile old man who has a lot of money. It's bad. I saw someone say it has the same vibe as Annette (2021) and that made me REALLY upset because Annette is a movie with a clear style, choices, story, and message. These films could not be more different from each other. Annette is specific and adventurous, Megalopolis is pretentious and meaningless. End of story.

Thanks for Sitting on the Sidelines!

-Zeke

 

 Football Week 5 Recap

Another great week of football has come and gone. We're here to give you al full recap of everything you need to know!

AFC Recap:

Top Teams through Week 4:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)

2. Houston Texans (4-1)

T-6. Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Baltimore, Denver (3-2)

7. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)

T-11. NYJ, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Miami (2-3)

12. Tennessee Titans (1-3)

T-16. Cincinnati, Cleveland, New England, Jacksonville (1-4)

AFC Highlights:

- Patrick Mahomes throws for 331 yards as chiefs remain undefeated in a 26-13 victory over the Saints

- The Ravens are on a roll as they extend their win streak to 3 by defeating the Bengals 41-38 in an overtime classic

- Texans outlast the Bills with a last second field goal to win 23-20

- The Jaguars catch a break in a 37-34 win over the Colts as Trevor Lawrence throws for 371 yds, 2 TDs, and 1 INTs and Joe Flacco throws for 359 yds and 3 TDs

AFC Offensive Stats:

Passing Yards: C.J. Stroud (HOU) - 1,385

Passing TDs: Joe Burrow (CIN) - 12

Pass Interceptions: Will Levis (TEN), Anthony Richardson (IND), Patrick Mahomes (KC) - 6

Rushing Yards: Derrick Henry (BAL) - 572

Rushing TDs: Derrick Henry (BAL) - 6

Receiving Yards: Nico Collins (HOU) - 567

Receiving TDs: Ja'Marr Chase (CIN) - 5

AFC Defensive Stats:

Tackles: E.J. Speed (IND), Robert Spillane (LV), Dorian Williams (BUF) - 54

Sacks: Kyle Van Noy (BAL), Will McDonald IV (NYJ) - 6.0

Interceptions: Ja'Marcus Ingram (BUF), Jaylon Jones (IND), Marlon Humphrey (BAL), Donte Jackson (PIT), Brandin Echols (NYJ), Pat Surtain II (DEN) - 2

NFC Recap:

Top Teams through Week 4:

1. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)

2. Washington Commanders (4-1)

3. Detroit Lions (3-1)

T-8. Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Green Bay, Chicago (3-2)

T-10. Seattle, San Francisco (3-3), Philadelphia (2-2)

T-14. Arizona, New Orleans, NYG (1-3)

T-16. LAR, Carolina (1-4)

NFC Highlights:

- The Vikings outlast the Jets to advance to 5-0 on the season in a 23-17 win in London

- Caleb Williams finds his footing with 304 yds & 2 TDs as the Bears blowout the Panthers 36-10

- Jayden Daniels continues his Rookie of the Year campaign as the Commanders blow past the Browns 34-13

- The Giants and the Seahawks battle for craziest moment of the year as Rayshawn Jenkins returns a 102 yard Fumble and Bryce Ford-Wheaton returns a 60 yard blocked field goal for the Giants to win 29-20

NFC Offensive Stats:

Passing Yards: Geno Smith (SEA) - 1,778

Passing TDs: Sam Darnold (MIN), Baker Mayfield (TB) - 11

Pass Interceptions: Geno Smith (SEA) - 6

Rushing Yards: Jordan Mason (SF) - 609

Rushing TDs: Kyren Williams (LAR) - 6

Receiving Yards: DK Metcalf (SEA) - 469

Receiving TDs: George Kittle (SF), Mike Evans (TB) - 5

NFC Defensive Stats:

Tackles: Eric Kendricks (DAL), Budda Baker (ARI) - 52

Sacks: Aidan Hutchinson (DET) - 6.5

Interceptions: Xavier McKinney (GB) - 5

Award Races:

Lombardi Trophy: Kansas City Chiefs

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes (KC)

George Halas Trophy: Minnesota Vikings

Lamar Hunt Trophy: Kansas City Chiefs

MVP: Patrick Mahomes (KC)

OPOY: Derrick Henry (BAL)

DPOY: Aidan Hutchinson (DET)

ROY: Jayden Daniels (WSH)

CPOY: Kirk Cousins (ATL)

COTY: Kevin O'Connell (MIN)

 'It's What's Inside' Review

Netflix's newest film It's What's Inside written and directed by Greg Jardin may just be the streaming services next hit. It feels like every year Netflix releases a handful of cheap, predictable, Gen Z-style films and throws them at the wall to see which one sticks. This year alone we've had Uglies, Irish Wish, Unfrosted, and A Family Affair to name a few. I've seen all four of these films and well... I wouldn't say they're particularly good; however, It's What's Inside surprised me. What started off as just any other A24 wannabe, became something that I was engaged in, constantly trying to guess how it would end. There were twists and turns that kept me guessing, and while I still wouldn't say it's a good film I would say that it is VERY fun. It's the perfect movie to put on with a group of friends and play the game with the movie.

The ratings are as follows:

Plot 7/10

Acting 7/10

Directing 5/10

Writing 8/10

Cinematography 4/10

Soundtrack 5/10

Costumes 7/10

Lighting 2/10

Color 7/10

Emotional Impact 5/10

Overall: 57/100

The plot follows a long-time group of friends who are reuniting for one of their wedding parties. There's clearly some underlying love triangles, history, and unsolved drama between all of them. One thing that was hilarious was how this group in real life would never be friends. They're all completely different and act like they haven't known each other for years. It's messy, but it still ends up working. Eventually their friend, Forbes played by my favorite actor from the film David W. Thompson, shows up and brings a device that allows the group to essentially switch bodies. Chaos ensues as drama and history comes to light and a major twist at the end ties the whole thing together. It's an original idea playing with classic tropes and you have to respect that risk. I think Greg Jardin struggles with directing the film, but really thrives when it comes to the script. He ties you into the story and keeps you guessing, even if 15 minutes prior you were complaining about how stupid the film is. The shots are messy and the lighting makes close to no sense, but that's not really what this movie is. I can ignore technicality that's all over the place when I'm engaged in the story. What you can say positively about the lighting is that it's colorful. Does it make sense? No. But I guess hyper-realism would've made this less enjoyable to watch so whatever, let's throw all the color on screen and see what happens! The cast does a fine job with what they're handed and about 20 minutes into the film they all settle into their roles and start bringing the heat. I really need to shout out David W. Thompson again. He brings the heat that makes this movie what it is. Not only is he fantastic at understanding the tone and vibe of this film and his character, but he also plays every other actors character better than they play it. That's not slight to the other actors in the film, they're doing their best, but David W. Thompson is just acting circles around everyone. If nothing else comes out of this film, I hope that Thompson starts a great career doing some more serious films where he can showcase his talents.

Thanks for Sitting on the Sidelines!

Zeke H. Bennett 

 Ten Favorite Films of All-Time

10. Past Lives (2023) - Celine Song

9. Creep (2014) - Patrick Brice

8. The Muppets (2011) - James Bobin

7. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) - Wes Anderson

6. Rocky (1976) - John G. Avildsen

5. This is Spinal Tap (1984) - Rob Reiner

4. On the Waterfront (1954) - Elia Kazan

3. When Harry Met Sally (1989) - Rob Reiner

2. Good Will Hunting (1997) - Gus Van Sant

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Milos Forman

'Joker: Folie a Deux' Review - 10/06

 'Joker: Folie a Deux' Review

Last night I was able to catch the sequel to the Joker film by Todd Phillips in IMAX 70mm. It was my first time seeing a film in 70mm and the experience was super enjoyable. The film was a big part of that enjoyment as well.

My score is as follows:

Plot 6/10

Acting 8/10

Directing 7/10

Writing 4/10

Cinematography 8/10

Soundtrack 9/10

Costumes 7/10

Lighting 8/10

Color 7/10

Emotional Impact 4/10

Overall: 68/100

Plot wise, the film is fine. It picks up after the first film and becomes a court-room drama/musical which I personally loved. I almost feel like if you liked the first one, you'll hate this and if you hated the first one, you'll love this. Phillips is clearly grappling with the fact that he made Arthur Fleck into someone that people look up to and idolize, when he's not someone who deserves that. A problem I continue to have with the franchise is how it infantilizes mental illness. That's never been what the Joker character is. He didn't need to be mentally ill to still be a lovable character. Look at The Dark Knight, for example. Ledger's Joker is just an evil crime lord. He's Batman's arch nemesis and that's all he needs to be to be both loved and hated by the audience. 

I will say that Phoenix and Gaga really knock it out of the park. They commit fully to what this movie is and if anyone from the film should be nominated for an Academy Award it would be Gaga. The sad thing about that though is that she most likely won't win and that's not her fault, it's the scripts fault for completely under developing her character. You don't really know her motives, who she is, or why she's doing what she's doing. It tells you one thing but then shows another. Nothing lines up and this is a constant problem I had with the first film too. It's too much in Arthur's head, I don't know what's real or not. As an audience member I wish could make opinions by myself but these films rarely let me. The second film in particular sets a tone and then drops it to make Arthur... redeemable? I guess? That's not what I need from the Joker. And I understand (now) that Fleck is not THE Joker, but that doesn't mean him admitting to killing people makes him a good guy. I don't think anyone deserves the death penalty but I also don't think Arthur Fleck should be walking the streets. He should be rehabilitated, but let's not get into the issue of the American Justice/Prison system.

On the technical side of things, this movie crushes. The camera work is phenomenal, the soundtrack is stellar, the lighting is engaging, it's just really got it all. There's a scene in the courtroom when Phoenix sings 'The Joker' by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and it is by far the best scene in the entire film simply because of what is happening behind the camera. Just fantastic crew work all around. I do believe that Phillips knows what he's doing behind a camera and when it comes to coaching actors, I just think he needs to do it away from the Joker title.

I have seen the reviews from sites like Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and Metacritic. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a 33% and the audience score is a 31%.  I will say for certain, that I clearly liked this film more than most others who have seen it. That might be because I wasn't a huge fan of the first film. I found it to be predictable, obvious, and I felt that it didn't trust the audience at all. Personally, as a big fan of the Batman comics, it wasn't what I wanted from a Joker film. It didn't base itself off the comics which begs the question "Why does this franchise even exist?" Without the Joker name it's nothing, but it also doesn't really base itself on anything and disregards any original sources for the character, so... yeah. I won't get hyper fixated on that whole rabbit hole, but just wanted to bring it up.

Thanks for Sitting on the Sidelines!

Zeke H. Bennett

'Saturday Night' Review 10/3

 'Saturday Night' Review

I was recently able to see 'Saturday Night' by Jason Reitman and I could not have been more pleased. What a fantastic film all-around. The directing, writing, editing, and acting were all superb and it was nearly perfect in my eyes. Now, you could say I'm slightly biased because if you know me you know that I just love all-things SNL. Truthfully, it's my dream job and I have been waiting for this film since it was announced. Let's just say I was not disappointed. 

To grade it in a scale, here are the categories and the scores:

Plot 10/10

Acting 10/10

Directing 9/10

Writing 10/10

Cinematography 9/10

Soundtrack 8/10

Costumes 9/10

Lighting 10/10

Color 9/10

Emotional Impact 10/10

Overall: 94/100

The film follows Lorne Michaels as he prepares the first episode of Saturday Night Live. He's got an hour and half to get the crew, cast, and producers on board and on track with what they're putting together. The film is messy, intense, silly, and just so much fun to watch. I had a smile on my face for the entire film. The portrayals in this film are stellar with fantastic performances from Gabrielle LaBelle as Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shutter (who really impressed me in this), and Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase (who is my personal pick for a Best Supporting Actor nom from this). The rest of the cast makes up for some hilarious moments with Lamorne Morris, Ella Hunt, Dylan O'Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, and Kim Matula making up the rest of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players". I was really impressed by Reitman's directing, I think this is really his breakout film. One thing that I would've liked more is probably more of a personal feeling than an actual critique, but I was much more engaged watching the hijinks the cast was up to than some of the producer drama. Now, in reality this film isn't just about the cast having fun and goofing off, but there's once scene where they run around the halls in toga's just screaming in people's faces and causing mayhem. It was the moment of the film where I really saw what this movie is. It's a love letter to Saturday Night Live. It's a love letter to the original cast and all that they've done; but, it's also a message. It's a message to the production team that maybe it's time to pass the show off to the next generation. The show was conceived of 20 year old with no name, no fame, and nothing to lose. The current state of SNL, in my opinion and seemingly in Reitman's, has lost sight of that. It feels too safe, it feels too meta, it feels too digestible. I don't need the show to be edgy. I'm not asking it to lose all the political sketches (which have been around since day 1, let's not pretend that they're new). And I don't need anyone on the current cast to lose their job. But maybe in 5 years, we should just reboot the whole thing. New leaders, new cast (YOUNG AND UNKNOWN), and a new outlook on what the show can be. I'll get off my soapbox but this movie, if you can't tell by now, really inspired me to create and to be original and to push the boundaries that haven't even been set yet. This film's emotional value is something that will stick with me for a long time. I can't wait to rewatch this for years and years to come.

All-in-all, I highly recommend 'Saturday Night'. It's perfect for a laugh or for a a few days of thinking about the past and what could be in the future.

Thanks for Sitting on the Sidelines!

Zeke H. Bennett 

 Football Week 4 Recap

Another great week of football has come and gone. We're here to give you al full recap of everything you need to know!

AFC Recap:

Top Teams through Week 4:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)

T-4. Houston, Pittsburgh, Buffalo,  (3-1)

T-10. NYJ, Indianapolis, Baltimore, LAC, Las Vegas, Denver (2-2)

T-15. Cincinnati, Miami, Cleveland, Tennessee, New England (1-3)

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4)

AFC Highlights:

- Chiefs (4-0) continue their Undefeated Streak in 17-10 victory over the Chargers (2-2)

    - Rashee Rice and Mahomes collide, resulting in a knee injury for Rice

- Colts (2-2) snap Steelers 3-0 streak in a 27-24 victory, led by backup QB Joe Flacco

- Ravens (2-2) blowout the Bills 35-10, now on a 2-Game win streak

- Jacksonville (0-4) remains winless in a nail-biting loss against the Texans (3-1)

AFC Offensive Stats:

Passing Yards: C.J. Stroud (HOU) - 1,054

Passing TDs: Joe Burrow (CIN), Josh Allen (BUF) - 7

Pass Interceptions: Will Levis (TEN), Anthony Richardson (IND) - 6

Rushing Yards: Derrick Henry (BAL) - 480

Rushing TDs: Derrick Henry (BAL) - 5

Receiving Yards: Nico Collins (HOU) - 489

Receiving TDs: Allen Lazard (NYJ), Ja'Marr Chase (CIN), Andrei Iosivas (CIN), Quentin Johnson (LAC) - 3

AFC Defensive Stats:

Tackles: E.J. Speed, Nick Cross (IND) - 47

Sacks: Kyle Van Noy (BAL) - 6.0

Interceptions: Ja'Marcus Ingram (BUF), Jaylon Jones (IND) - 2

NFC Recap:

Top Teams through Week 4:

1. Minnesota Vikings (4-0)

T-5. Tampa Bay, Washington, Seattle, Detroit, (3-1)

T-12. Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Chicago, San Francisco (2-2)

T-16. Arizona, LAR, Carolina, NYG (1-3)

NFC Highlights:

- Vikings (4-0) continue their Undefeated Streak in a close 31-29 victory over returning Packers (2-2) star Jordan Love

- Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay (3-1) goes 30/47 with 347 Yards in victory over Philadelphia (2-2)

- Jared Goff, Detroit (3-1) makes history throwing a NFL record 18/18 in 42-29 win, snapping the Seahawks (3-1) perfect record

NFC Offensive Stats:

Passing Yards: Geno Smith (SEA) - 1,182

Passing TDs: Sam Darnold (MIN) - 11

Pass Interceptions: Kirk Cousins (ATL), Geno Smith (SEA), Jared Goff (DET), Jordan Love (GB), Jalen Hurts (PHI), Caleb Williams (CHI) - 4

Rushing Yards: Jordan Mason - 447

Rushing TDs: Alvin Kamara (NO), Kyren Williams (LAR) - 5

Receiving Yards: Malik Nabers (NYG) - 386

Receiving TDs: Justin Jefferson (MIN), Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI) - 4 

NFC Defensive Stats:

Tackles: Troy Anderson (ATL) - 44

Sacks: Aidan Hutchinson (DET) - 6.5

Interceptions: Xavier McKinney (GB) - 4

Award Races:

Lombardi Trophy: Kansas City Chiefs

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes (KC)

George Halas Trophy: Minnesota Vikings

Lamar Hunt Trophy: Kansas City Chiefs

MVP: C.J. Stroud (HOU)

OPOY: Justin Jefferson (MIN)

DPOY: Aidan Hutchinson (DET)

ROY: Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI)

CPOY: Aaron Rodgers (NYJ)

COTY: Kevin O'Connell (MIN)