Zac Taylor was "just really proud" of the Cincinnati Bengals after they toppled the Miami Dolphins 27-15 – as he expressed concern for the injured Tua Tagovailoa.
The Bengals head coach saw opposition quarterback Tagovailoa taken away to hospital in the second quarter after sustaining what the Dolphins said were head and neck injuries.
Tagovailoa took a blow to the back of his head in a Josh Tupou sack and appeared to suffer a seizure upon initial contact with the pitch. It came after he also took a heavy hit in last week's win over the Buffalo Bills.
After tight losses to the Steelers and the Cowboys in the opening two weeks, there was relief in the Bengals camp that they had got back to 2-2 for the season, but concern too about the health of Tagovailoa.
Asked about how he handled talks with his players as Tagovailoa received medical attention, Taylor said: "It's a heavy moment. He's a guy with tremendous character, and you hate to see that happen.
"It's a tough moment for everybody, especially them, then to take it to third-and-long, and you've got to come out there and respond. I won't say that there's in-depth conversations going on, but certainly thinking about Tua, and that's a horrible thing to see."
It soon emerged Tagovailoa was to be discharged from hospital in what looked to be a positive update from the Dolphins.
Taylor said Thursday night's win for his Bengals players was "expected, just because we've got a great team", as a record home crowd of 67,260 watched on.
"I love this team. I love everything about them. They didn't hesitate for one second after those first two weeks when all the noise was getting out about expectations," Taylor added.
"They didn't let that affect them for one second. They just came out and answered the bell, and responded for two consecutive weeks. I'm just really proud of them on this stage, against that team. That's a really good football team – they're going to win a lot of games.
"I thought they handled every moment in this game exactly how they needed to, especially in the second half. Capitalising on turnovers, touchdowns, special teams stepping up big – that was just a great way to win a Thursday night game."
The coach rates his group as "championship calibre players" and saluted a "lights-out" performance from quarterback Joe Burrow, who completed 20 of 31 attempts for 287 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
When it comes to defense, Taylor is confident the Bengals are among the best in the business.
"I've got a lot of faith in our defense," he said. "It's like comparing your children, so I'm not comparing them to the other [units], but we know that when need them to step up, they're going to do it. Whether that's putting pressure on the quarterback, being tight in coverage, creating those turnovers they did – that's a really explosive team."
Colts' Taylor to come off PUP list, could play in Week 5
The Indianapolis Colts could be getting a big part of their offence back for Sunday's game against the visiting Tennessee Titans.
The Colts will activate Jonathan Taylor from the physically unable to perform list this week, and depending how he looks in practise, he could be on the field for their next game.
Indianapolis' first practise of the week is Wednesday, and it will mark Taylor's first of the season after he was placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp while recovering from ankle surgery.
Colts coach Shane Steichen told reporters on Monday that Taylor is excited to rejoin the Colts and get back to work.
The ankle injury wasn't the only issue this offseason for Taylor, as the 2021 NFL rushing champion had been mired in a contract dispute and had requested a trade.
Taylor, the runner-up for the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, is entering the final season of his rookie deal and is scheduled to earn $4.3 million in 2023.
The fourth-year pro ran for a franchise-record 1,811 yards in 2021, but was slowed by injuries last year and was put on the PUP list earlier this summer as he recovered from ankle surgery that ended his 2022 campaign in December.
Ankle issues limited Taylor to 11 games last season, which he finished with 861 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per attempt.
Taylor averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his sensational 2021 season in which he also tied for the NFL lead with 20 total touchdowns while playing in all 17 games.
He'll be joining a 2-2 team that got No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson back in Sunday's 29-23 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams after the rookie quarterback suffered a concussion in Week 2.
Without Taylor in the fold, Zack Moss has emerged as the team's No. 1 running back, and has rushed for 280 yards with a touchdown through three games.
Damar Hamlin: NFL return after cardiac arrest ‘meant everything’
Damar Hamlin said his return to the NFL “meant everything” nine months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch.
The Buffalo Bills safety collapsed during a game in Cincinnati on January 2 and had to be resuscitated before being rushed to hospital.
Hamlin was cleared to resume his career and made his first NFL appearance on Sunday in the Bills’ 48-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
He told a post-match press conference: “That moment meant everything to me.
“I think it was more about proving something to myself than anything else, showing myself that I have the courage, I have the strength, I’ve got the pride, all those words, in me.
“To go through something so dramatic and be able to come back from it and to be able to still do what I love at the highest level in the world is amazing.”
Hamlin was the last player to emerge from the tunnel prior to the match and ran the length of the field before removing his helmet and soaking up the acclaim of the crowd.
Hamlin could be in the Bills’ side next Sunday when they travel to London to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Late field goal lifts Kansas City Chiefs over brave New York Jets
The Kansas City Chiefs held off a brave effort from the New York Jets to claim their third win of the season 23-20 on Sunday night.
Having lost Aaron Rodgers in game one and staring down a three-game losing streak, pressure was mounting on under-fire Jets quarterback Zach Wilson to stand up against the NFL’s heavyweights.
The 24-year-old was able to do just that despite the narrow defeat, throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was below his best, giving up two intercepts with just one touchdown, but did just enough down the stretch to get Kansas City across the line with a late field goal.
Two of the NFL’s other best offences collided earlier on Sunday with the Buffalo Bills getting the better of the previously undefeated Miami Dolphins.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen was seemingly unstoppable, throwing for 320 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-20 win.
The Denver Broncos scraped past the Chicago Bears 31-28 to claim their first win of the season.
A 17-point fourth quarter lifted the Broncos to victory to leave the Bears winless through four games.
The early-season woes continued for the Cincinnati Bengals, who suffered their third loss of the season 27-3 to the Tennessee Titans.
There were also heavy losses for the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, while the New England Patriots were steamrollered 38-3 by the Dallas Cowboys.
The Philadelphia Eagles stretched their winning streak to four with a 34-31 overtime win against the Washington Commanders.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns, but it was Jake Elliott’s 54-yard field goal which ultimately got the Eagles over the line.
The Los Angeles Rams also had a narrow escape against the Indianapolis Colts, a touchdown to Puka Nacua in overtime ultimately proving the difference.
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Las Vegas Raiders, the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers downed the Arizona Cardinals 35-16, the Minnesota Vikings kept the Carolina Panthers winless with a 21-13 victory and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cruised past the New Orleans Saints 26-9.
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