The Philadelphia Eagles are on cloud nine after booking their spot in the playoffs with Sunday's 48-22 trouncing of the New York Giants, but head coach Nick Sirianni insists they have "way bigger goals".
Playing away in New York, the Eagles were dominant from the first whistle until the last, winning all four quarters after jumping out to a 21-0 lead early in the second frame.
Adding to his potential MVP case, Jalen Hurts was unstoppable with 217 passing yards, 77 rushing yards and three total touchdowns to go with no turnovers, while running back Miles Sanders added another two touchdowns and a career-high 144 yards on the ground.
It was a terrific game by the Eagles' defense as well, collecting seven sacks and one fumble recovery, led by Brandon Graham's three hits on the Giants' quarterbacks.
Graham said the camaraderie inside the Eagles' locker room is at an all-time high, and they have their sights set on a deep playoff run.
"We want the playoffs to come through Lincoln Financial Field," he told reporter. "We want that bye week and we want that home-field advantage, because we know our fans are going to bring it.
"We know there are a lot of areas where we can improve, but it feels great to be 12-1 because this is a special team with that kind of chemistry.
"Everybody wants everybody to do well. We're all rooting for each other and helping each other. We know we can be special, but there is a lot of work to do.
"It's been so much fun, though. Coming here and beating the Giants like this? Man, it's something else.
"Just keep it going. That's all we want to do – keep it going and let's see where we end up."
The offensive side of the ball agreed, with Sanders discussing how their bevy of options make them so difficult to defend.
"I don't think they had much of an idea of what we were going to do," he said. "We're having so much fun out there – that's really what it is – this is just fun.
"We're executing at a high level and having fun and complementing each other. That's what it's all about."
After receiving one of Hurts' two touchdown passes, with the other going to Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith echoed those thoughts.
"We're clicking – if it's not me, it's going to be someone else," he said. "That's how this offense is working, the way we've been all season."
Boasting the best record in the league is not a place most of these players have been, including four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the struggling Detroit Lions.
"I've never been 12-1 in the NFL, leading the division, clinching this early," he said. "Sky's the limit for this team."
While edge-rusher Haason Reddick added: "This is the first year in my NFL career where I'm going to the playoffs – I can't wait to see what that atmosphere is like. Hopefully I'll do my part and the team do their job so we can go play for the big trophy."
Some key members on the team are enjoying what they have accomplished so far, but Sirianni said he was unfazed when he was alerted that his side had officially clinched their postseason berth.
"They said that to me in there and I'm like, 'Oh, that's nice'," he said. "We've got way bigger goals, and it's on to the next one."
The Eagles will look to improve to 13-1 when they travel to take on the Chicago Bears this coming Sunday.
Cousins throws for 509 yards, 4 touchdowns in Falcons' OT win over Buccaneers
Kirk Cousins passed for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime that gave the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins and the Falcons (3-2) got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27.
Cousins completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then hustled to the line to spike the ball with a single second on the clock. In all the confusion, the Falcons were called for delay of game as they lined up for a tying field goal, but it didn't cost them.
Younghoe Koo knocked it through from 52 yards to force overtime, one week after he made a 58-yarder with 2 seconds left to beat the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime and made sure Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (3-2) didn't get their hands on the ball again. Cousins connected with Drake London on a couple of passes before throwing one over the middle to Hodge, who split the secondary and raced untouched to the end zone to end the game.
Chiefs place top wide receiver Rice on injured reserve
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid told the media Thursday the team was waiting for swelling to go down on Rashee Rice's knee before performing additional tests.
Three hours later, the Chiefs had enough information to know he'll be side-lined for at least one month.
The Chiefs placed Rice on injured reserve later Thursday, meaning he will out for a minimum of four weeks.
Rice was injured in last Sunday's 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and it was reported he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
There has been no update on the extent of the injury, but a torn ACL would side-line him for the rest of the season.
The second-year receiver was injured on a bizarre play when he collided with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who inadvertently dove into Rice's knee as the two team-mates were attempting to tackle Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton on an interception return.
Rice was carted off to the locker room shortly after leaving the field and eventually ruled out of the game.
His injury is the latest blow to a Kansas City team that is already without leading rusher Isiah Pacheco, who is recovering from a fractured fibula he sustained in Week 2.
It also leaves Mahomes without his top target, as Rice led the NFL with 24 receptions through this season's first three weeks.
No other Kansas City player had double-digit receptions entering Week 4, though Travis Kelce finally took on a larger role in the offence.
The veteran tight end had seven receptions for 89 yards against the Chargers after catching eight passes for 69 yards in the first three games.
Despite losing two of their top play-makers, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 4-0 heading into their Week 5 Monday night game against the New Orleans Saints.
'It was a good day' - Goff proud of setting new NFL record
Jared Goff was proud of making history, as he set an NFL single-game record by completing all 18 of his pass attempts to help the Detroit Lions to victory.
The Lions beat the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks 42-29 on Monday, with Goff eclipsing Hall of Famer Kurt Warner's 10-for-10 performance in 2005, the previous standard for most passes in a game without an incompletion.
The quarterback threw for 292 yards, including touchdown passes to Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown on his perfect evening, while also hauling in the latter's 7-yard toss for a touchdown in the third quarter.
That made him the first quarterback with a receiving touchdown since Zach Wilson in 2022, while he also became the first QB in NFL history with 15 or more pass attempts with no incompletions in a game.
Goff was aware that he was closing in on a perfect game, even if he had doubts at one point.
"I knew I did it in the first half last week, so I was aware of it then, and I was kind of aware of it today in the middle of the third quarter," he said.
"I couldn't think of one [incompletion], but then I threw the one out of bounds that ended up being offensive pass interference, and I was like, 'Does that count?' I didn't know if that counted or not.
"But yeah, it was a good day."
On his touchdown reception, he added: "No, I think that's my first one, too. Ever.
"And I'm saying all the way back to 7 years old, I think that's my first one."
Lions coach Dan Campbell did not realise how impressive Goff's performance had been after the game, choosing to give the game ball to Williams and safety Kerby Joseph for their strong play.
"I just gave the game ball to somebody else," Campbell laughed. "So, I feel awful right now.
"I knew he played a heck of a game. I did not realize he was perfect. I did not know he was literally 18 for 18.
"I thought what really kick-started him was that he had to move a little in the pocket, got spun around and hung with Jamo [Williams] and hit him on the hook for the first down, that was big because he was rolling after that."
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