Cleveland Browns franchise player Myles Garrett enjoyed sticking it to Joe Burrow with a convincing 32-13 home win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Monday's AFC North showdown.
Garrett, Sione Takitaki, Deion Jones, Taven Bryan and Isaiah Thomas all collected sacks on Bengals quarterback Burrow, while A.J. Green intercepted one of his passes off a Garrett deflection, and Tommy Togiai recovered the ball when Burrow fumbled.
It was a stat-stuffing performance from the Browns defense, holding the Bengals scoreless through the first three quarters to snap a four-game losing streak.
Garrett said this was a game his team were taking personally, indicating they felt disrespected by preseason comments from the Bengals.
"Heck yeah, we really wanted to get after them," he said. "They definitely had this one circled, as well.
"We all wanted to get after them after what they said about our defense and what they were going to do. We can’t wait to see them again in their house."
On Burrow, Garrett said: "I don't know if it's him saying the sacks are underrated or the wide receivers talking about our defensive backs, but I guess they just light a fire in us and we are able to get after them a little differently.
"Burrow and I are cool off the field, but in between the goal line and me, he is going to have to take that L."
Tallying one and a half sacks, Garrett is now fifth in the NFL with seven and a half for the season, but he said the most enjoyable part of this game was that everybody was getting involved.
"That first tipped pass leading to an interception, and then that sack," he said. "It felt like everyone was like 'the bank is open – everyone grab something'.
"I was rushing to get to the passer to make a big play, but there were a lot of guys playing lights out – it was just beautiful to see.
"[We were] just confident, just liked the matchup. [Burrow] is a great quarterback, and it is difficult to get to him, especially with how quick they get the ball off, but if and when we make him bring the ball down, we are rushing and we are going to get there.
"We had enough time to get there and have an effect on the game."
Garrett went on to talk about how he feels this could be a turning point for the Browns (3-5) as they take their momentum into their bye week.
"I think we have what it takes," he said. "We have taken our lumps, but we will show what we have and our dedication to the game and what it takes to get wins in this league, because they don’t come easily.
"Right now, to get a win like this, and in a dominant fashion, it is showing the guys how good we can really be.
"I don’t want to say perfect – perfect would have been a shutout, but it was damn close. It was a fun one to play in because it felt like everything was clicking all over the field."
Christian McCaffrey equals record to keep San Francisco perfect
Christian McCaffrey grabbed a touchdown for the 12th consecutive game as the San Francisco 49ers saw off the New York Giants 30-12 for a 3-0 start to the season.
Brock Purdy threw for two touchdown passes – to Ronnie Bell and Deebo Samuel – as he extended his winning run as a starter in the regular season to eight from as many starts.
But he struggled at times, narrowly avoiding turnovers and relying on his receivers to make the bulk of the yardage.
Although the 49ers offense was not particularly smooth, they were too good for the Giants – without the injured Saquon Barkley – as the defence finished the job.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones struggled to make any headway downfield as he threw for just 137 yards and an interception.
The Giants’ only scores came from an eight-yard Matt Brieda touchdown run and a pair of first-half field goals.
McCaffrey’s four-yard touchdown run, which opened a 17-3 lead in the second quarter, equalled Jerry Rice’s franchise record of touchdowns in successive games and is just three short of the NFL record.
The 49ers have now won 13 consecutive regular season games as they moved to 3-0 for only the second time in 25 seasons.
Panthers quarterback Young unlikely to play against Seahawks due to injured ankle
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is dealing with an ankle injury and is unlikely to play in Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Young missed his second straight day of practice Thursday, and the winless Panthers released a statement on social media saying he isn't expected to play.
The top pick of this year's draft evidently injured his ankle during Carolina's 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, but coach Frank Reich wasn't sure when. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown said the injury occurred in the first half, but Young never came out and didn't tell anyone until after the game.
With Young expected to sit, Andy Dalton will make his first start with the Panthers after starting 14 games for the Saints last season.
Young has started each of Carolina's first two losses and is experiencing the growing pains that come with being a rookie quarterback.
He ranks 31st in QB rating (66.6) while throwing for 299 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He's completing 59.2 per cent of his passes and his average of 4.21 yards per attempt is the worst in the NFL among starting quarterbacks.
Without a viable passing game, the Panthers are 28th in total offence and are tied for last in scoring.
Dalton, a 13-year-veteran, is 83-77-2 as a starter with 244 TD passes and 144 interceptions. Carolina will be the fifth franchise he starts a game for following one-year stints with Dallas, Chicago and New Orleans from 2020-22 after spending his first nine pro seasons with Cincinnati.
Dallas Cowboys CB Diggs reportedly tears ACL
Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs will reportedly miss the rest of the 2023 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during Thursday's practice.
NFL.com reports that an MRI confirmed the extent of the injury, which Diggs sustained during a one-on-one drill. The fourth-year standout was later spotted on crutches at the Cowboys' training facility, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Diggs' absence is a major blow to a Dallas team that's outscored the opposition by a 70-10 margin in winning its first two games. The 25-year-old's 18 interceptions since entering the NFL in 2020 are tied for the most by any player over that span.
A second-round pick by Dallas in 2020, Diggs earned first team All-Pro honours in 2021 by recording a league-leading 11 interceptions, the most by any player in a single season since the Cowboys' Everson Walls also had 11 in 1981.
Diggs was off to another strong start in 2023, as he allowed just two completions on nine pass attempts thrown his way for a total of 26 yards to go along with one interception.
"Saw that I guess a couple of you saw (Diggs injured) out there on the field," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters following Thursday's practice. "Prayers, hoping for the best, simple as that.”
Diggs had just signed a five-year, $97 million extension in training camp that will keep him under contract through the 2028 season.
The Cowboys do have depth at cornerback after acquiring 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts in March to form a trio with Diggs and DaRon Bland, the team's leader with five interceptions in 2022.
Dallas could move Bland from the slot into Diggs' outside position with Jourdan Lewis taking over the nickel role. Lewis started 30 games over the previous three seasons, but has been eased into action in 2023 due to a foot injury that limited him to just six games last season.
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