Brock Purdy insisted the San Francisco 49ers' stellar 2023 season "means nothing" after they went down 27-24 to their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, on Sunday. 

The Rams trailed 21-7 late in the third quarter and 24-14 in the fourth before scoring 13 points to deal a depleted 49ers team a second defeat of the campaign. 

San Francisco were without three of their offensive stars, with Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve and both wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle also missing out. 

But the Rams were also missing some of their key men, with their top two receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, sidelined due to injury.

After starting last season 5-0 on their way to the NFC Championship, San Francisco have failed to build on their Week 1 triumph against the New York Jets this year.

At 1-2, the Niners are well aware that there is plenty of the season left, but they also know missing opportunities like Sunday's may come back to haunt them.

"That's just part of the NFL and being a professional in a professional sport, everybody's really good," Purdy said. "Last year means absolutely nothing.

"And every time you show up on Sunday, you're going to get everybody's best shot. It's the NFL, and we all have to be real with that.

"We have to have the mindset of going and taking it every Sunday and nothing's ever going to be given to us."

The Niners still had the chance to win the encounter, with wide receiver Jauan Jennings delivering a career-best 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns. 

In doing so, Jennings became the fourth player in franchise history to have 175 receiving yards and three scores in the same game.

Purdy, meanwhile, didn't miss a beat without his usual weapons, finishing 22-of-30 for 292 passing yards and three touchdowns with a 137.1 passer rating. 

However, Purdy didn't get much help from his targets, most notably Ronnie Bell, who dropped a catch in the final quarter to spurn a golden game-winning opportunity.

The loss made Purdy the third 49ers signal caller (alongside Joe Montana and Steve Young) to lose a game in which he completed at least 70% of his passes and threw for three or more touchdowns.

It also dropped the Niners below the .500 mark for the first time with Purdy as their starter, with head coach Kyle Shanahan left furious at the conclusion of proceedings. 

"You've got to take their hope away," Shanahan said.

"You give [Rams quarterback Matthew] Stafford too much hope [and] you put a ball in his hands at the end, it's not a situation you want to be in."

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh described Lamar Jackson's performance as "phenomenal" after his team held off the Dallas Cowboys for their first win of the season.

Having achieved the NFL's best regular-season record in 2023 before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game, Baltimore made a slow start to the new campaign.

A marginal out-of-bounds call against Isiah Likely denied them a potential game-winning touchdown as they lost to the Chiefs in Week 1, before the Las Vegas Raiders produced a stunning upset to beat them 26-23 in Week 2.

On Sunday, the Ravens put up a much-improved display in Dallas, racing into a 22-point fourth-quarter lead, though they almost let that advantage slip.

The Cowboys outscored their visitors 19-0 in the fourth but were ultimately unable to level things, with Jackson taking charge late on.

The reigning NFL MVP completed a 9-yard pass to Zay Flowers on 3rd-and-6 to prevent Dallas regaining possession at the death, ensuring the Ravens avoided the second 0-3 start in their history.

Jackson threw for 182 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 87 yards and a score on the ground, but it was his leadership that most impressed Harbaugh. 

"I thought Lamar was just phenomenal throughout the game and then he took over the last drive," Harbaugh told reporters.

"The big throw at the end... the big catches at the end; Zay made that huge catch, and Rashod Bateman had a big catch. We had some big runs at the end, too. 

"We ran the ball well at the end, and to finish out that way was really important, to win the game on offense, that's how they got it done. I didn't really want it to get to that situation, but it did, and they came through."

Jackson was not the only Raven to have a big game on the ground, with Derrick Henry rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns as they moved to 1-2 ahead of their Week 4 clash with the Buffalo Bills.

Harbaugh added: "We consider every game a must-win, but if you don't win a game, your season is not over. There’s a lot of football to be played.

"Last week doesn't matter, next week doesn't matter, it's this week that we're focused on. Lamar preaches it to the guys all the time; I'm proud of those guys."

Dallas are also 1-2 and have struggled to defend the run all season, with their average of 5.4 yards allowed per carry being the worst figure on record through three games of an NFL campaign since 1979. 

Their eight rushing touchdowns conceded, meanwhile, is the most in their history through three games, leading edge rusher Micah Parsons to slam their defensive efforts.

"Now we've got people trying to be Superman," he said. "People have just got to do their jobs, bro. 

"We don't need everyone to be Superman. We don't know Superman at all. We just need 11 guys playing together, and right now it's just not in unison."

Patrick Mahomes feels he has not played his best football in the early stages of the season, despite the Kansas City Chiefs being 3-0 after Sunday's victory over the Atlanta Falcons. 

The Chiefs – who are targeting a historic Super Bowl three-peat this term – opened their campaign with dramatic victories over the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

They were handed another stern test by the Falcons in Sunday's late game, relying on their defense to produce two big fourth-down stops in the closing minutes of a 22-17 win.

The Falcons, who impressively dispatched the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, had multiple chances to score a go-ahead touchdown, only for Kirk Cousins to throw a pair of incompletions in the end zone with just over four minutes to play.

Mahomes threw for 217 yards including touchdown passes to Rashee Rice and JuJu Smith-Schuster, though he also threw a pick to Justin Simmons, who now has six career interceptions against the three-time Super Bowl champion.

"I feel like I haven't played very well and that's not a stats thing," Mahomes said after the game. 

"I just feel like I'm missing opportunities whenever they're out there and not throwing the ball in the exact spot I want it to be at. 

"I'm not playing my best football and we're still getting wins, so I've got to get better to make the offense better."

Mahomes' 659 passing yards for the season ranks 10th among all quarterbacks, while his passer rating of 89.9 is just the 17th-best in the league.

Ahead of a challenging Week 4 visit to the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes is determined to step things up.

"It's about me getting back to my fundamentals, putting our guys in the right positions, and then we've got to execute at a higher level offensively," he said.

"If teams are going to make us drive the field, we have to prove that we're able to do that, and I'm sure we'll get a lot of the same this next week with the Chargers."

Sam Darnold tied a career high with four touchdown passes to continue a strong start for himself and the Minnesota Vikings, who moved to 3-0 on the season with Sunday's 34-7 rout of the previously unbeaten Houston Texans.

Darnold finished with 181 passing yards to outplay 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, who was intercepted twice and sacked four times by a relentless Minnesota defence that shut down Houston's high-powered offence nearly the entire afternoon.

Aaron Jones caught one of Darnold's touchdown throws while adding 102 rushing yards for Minnesota, a team with the longest odds to win the NFC's North division entering the season. Former Texan Jonathan Greenard spurred the defensive effort with three sacks of his ex-teammate Stroud.

Stroud's day began ominously as his first pass of the game was deflected at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by the Vikings' Kamu Grugier-Hill, setting up Minnesota at the Houston 21-yard line. Six plays later, Darnold hit Justin Jefferson for a 6-yard touchdown pass for a 7–0 lead nearly three minutes into the contest.

Houston (2-1) missed a long field goal on its next drive, and the Vikings increased the margin with a six-play, 56-yard series capped by Jones' 8-yard touchdown reception late in the first quarter.

The Vikings marched 77 yards in eight plays to start the second half and went up 21-0 on Darnold's 4-yard scoring pass to Jalen Nailor. 

Houston put together its best drive of the day later in the third quarter to get on the board on Stroud's 8-yard touchdown pass to Cam Akers with 3:56 remaining in the period.

After Will Reichard's 35-yard field goal gave Minnesota a 24–7 advantage seven seconds into the fourth quarter, Stroud was picked off by Camryn Bynum on the ensuing possession to give the Vikings the ball back near midfield. 

The interception led to Darnold's fourth TD pass of the game, a 2-yard strike to Johnny Mundt with 10:14 left to play.

Reichard knocked home a career-long 58-yard field goal with under five minutes left for the final points.

Stroud finished with 215 yards on 20-of-31 passing, while former Vikings star Stefon Diggs had 10 catches for 94 yards for the Texans.

Steelers move to 3-0, Chargers' Herbert re-injures ankle

The Pittsburgh Steelers are also on a three-game winning streak to begin the season after pulling away for a 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, who saw star quarterback Justin Herbert leave the contest in the third quarter due to an ankle injury that had him questionable to play going in.

Pittsburgh scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to move to 3-0 behind another solid performance from quarterback Justin Fields, as well as another stout effort from a defence that produced five sacks and limited the Chargers to 168 total yards.

Fields had a rushing and passing touchdown to remain undefeated as a Steeler and help give Los Angeles (2-1) its first loss under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. The former Chicago Bear completed 25 of 32 passes for 245 yards and an interception while making a third straight start with expected No. 1 quarterback Russell Wilson still dealing with a calf injury.

Herbert completed 12 of 18 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown before bowing out shortly after being sacked late in the third quarter. The 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year sustained a high ankle sprain in the Chargers' win over the Carolina Panthers last week. 

The game was tied at 10-10 at the time of Herbert's departure. Fields then moved the Steelers 73 yards in 12 plays on the ensuing possession to set up Chris Boswell's 30-yard field goal in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.

After the Chargers were forced to punt with Taylor Heinicke at quarterback for their next series, Fields hit Calvin Austin over the middle and the wide receiver sprinted past the Los Angeles defence for a 55-yard touchdown that put Pittsburgh up 20-10 with 7:02 remaining.

The Chargers then went three-and-out and never got the ball back again, as Pittsburgh ran out the clock after taking possession with just under five minutes left.

Herbert showed no effects of the injury early on, as he connected with Quentin Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown pass to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Steelers answered with a 13-play, 70-yard drive that Fields ended with a 5-yard touchdown run with 10:17 left before half-time.

Cameron Dicker put Los Angeles back ahead with a 28-yard field goal late in the first half, but Boswell's 38-yard field goal with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter created a 10-10 tie.

Dalton sparks Panthers to first win in first start in place of Young

Andy Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns to give the Carolina Panthers the spark they needed with a 36-22 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the first victory for first-year head coach Dave Canales.

Dalton was called into action after Canales opted to bench struggling 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young following two straight losses to begin the season. The 14-year veteran made the rookie coach's decision a wise one by completing a sharp 70.3 per cent (26 of 37) of his passes while directing an offence that put up 437 total yards, surpassing the 352 Carolina mustered in two games with Young at the controls.

Diontae Johnson put up 122 yards and a touchdown on eight catches as Dalton's top target, while the Panthers also got a lift in the running game from Chuba Hubbard's 114 yards on 21 carries.

Tre Tucker and Jakobi Meyers had touchdown catches for Las Vegas (1-2), which came out flat off last week's 26-23 upset road win over the Baltimore Ravens. Gardner Minshew threw for 214 yards on 18 of 28 passing with one touchdown and one interception.

Dalton marched Carolina right down the field on the game's first possession, a nine-play, 70-yard drive he capped with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Hubbard. 

The Raiders tied the game on Alexander Mattison's 2-yard run late in the first quarter that completed a 97-yard series, but the offence stagnated from there as the Panthers scored the next 26 points to put the contest away.

Dalton tossed two more touchdown passes in the second quarter, a 5-yarder to Johnson and a 31-yard strike to Adam Thielen, to send Carolina into half-time with a 21-7 advantage.

The Raiders continued to get nothing going offensively in the third quarter as the Panthers pushed the lead to 27-7 entering the fourth on two Eddy Piniero field goals.

Hubbard accounted for 52 yards from scrimmage on an 11-play, 84-yard drive that ended on Miles Sanders' 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Panthers missed a 2-point conversion try to keep it a 33-7 lead.

Minshew found Meyers for a 13-yard touchdown as well as the ensuing 2-point try to get Las Vegas within 33-15 with just under 11 minutes left. The Raiders also scored in the final minute via backup quarterback Aidan O'Connell's 8-yard touchdown pass to Tucker that followed Pineiro's 26-yard field goal.

Rams rally to edge hobbled 49ers on late field goal

Joshua Karty's 37-yard field goal with two seconds left capped a fourth-quarter rally that propelled the Los Angeles Rams to a sorely needed 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers in a clash of NFC West rivals each dealing with a slew of early-season injuries.

The Rams trailed 21-7 late in the third quarter and 24-14 in the fourth before ripping off 13 points in the final 6:15 to deal defending NFC champion San Francisco (1-2) a second straight loss following a season-opening victory over the New York Jets.

San Francisco was playing without three star offensive players with running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve and both wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) and tight end George Kittle (hamstring) inactive. Los Angeles (1-2) came in short-handed as well with its top two receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, sidelined and multiple starters on the offensive line out as well.

Tutu Atwell helped fill the void with 93 receiving yards on four catches, and the Rams also got a big lift from Kyren WIlliams' 89 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a 15-yard scoring catch from quarterback Matthew Stafford. 

Stafford finished with 221 yards and one touchdown on 16-of-25 passing to help Los Angeles avoid an 0-3 start.

The 49ers lost despite three touchdown passes from Brock Purdy to Jauan Jennings, who racked up 175 yards on 11 receptions while stepping up in Samuel and Kittle's absence. Purdy completed 22 of 30 throws for 292 yards without an interception.

San Francisco took a 21-7 lead when Jennings got behind the Los Angeles defence to haul in Purdy's 31-yard dart with 7:01 left in the third quarter. The Rams quickly answered, though, with a six-play, 70-yard drive that Williams finished with a 3-yard run to make it a one-score game just over three minutes later.

The 49ers moved inside the Rams' 10-yard line on the subsequent possession, but settled for Jake Moody's 26-yard field goal for a 24-14 advantage with under 12 minutes to go.

Karty's 33-yard field goal trimmed Los Angeles' deficit to seven points with 6:15 remaining, and Moody missed a 55-yard attempt on the ensuing drive to give the Rams the ball near midfield with 2:43 left.

Stafford found Atwell for a 50-yard gain on the next snap, and Williams crossed the goal line from four yards out two plays later to tie the game at 24-24 with 1:51 remaining.

After the Rams forced a quick punt, 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell was called for a 25-yard pass interference penalty that set up Karty's winning kick.

The 49ers dominated the first quarter, building a 14-0 lead on a pair of touchdown passes from Purdy to Jennings from 13 and four yards out.

After stalling on their opening two possessions, the Rams got untracked with a 16-play, 87-yard drive that consumed nearly eight minutes. Williams finished it with a 15-yard touchdown catch late in the second quarter to get Los Angeles within 14-7 at the half. 

Ravens hold off Cowboys behind Henry's big game

The Baltimore Ravens were also able to avert a dreaded 0-3 start, though they needed to hold off a frantic fourth-quarter comeback attempt from the Dallas Cowboys to secure an important 28-25 win.

Baltimore (1-2) opened up a 28-6 lead after three quarters behind big rushing efforts from Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson, then held on after Dak Prescott led Dallas on a late rally in which the Cowboys outscored the Ravens 19-0 in the fourth.

Henry amassed 151 yards and two touchdowns in his biggest game since joining Baltimore in free agency, while Jackson had 87 yards and a touchdown on the ground in addition to throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown.

The Ravens put up 274 rushing yards to help withstand Prescott's 379 yards and two touchdowns through the air as well as a 65-yard field goal from Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey, the second-longest in NFL history.

Baltimore dominated the game's early stages, however, as the offence scored touchdowns on its first two drives and the defence kept the Cowboys out of the end zone for the first three quarters.

The Ravens needed just five plays to take a quick 7-0 lead, as Jackson followed a 30-yard completion to Charlie Kolar with a 9-yard touchdown run less than 5 1/2 minutes in. 

After Aubrey knocked through his career-long field goal to get Dallas on the board, a 56-yard pass from Jackson to Nelson Agholor set up Henry's 1-yard run that increased the margin to 14-3 late in the first quarter.

The Ravens went ahead further on Jackson's 13-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman with 25 seconds left in the first half, capping an 8-play, 88-yard drive. The Cowboys were able to position themselves for Aubrey's 51-yard field goal, however, that trimmed the lead to 21-6 at half-time.

Baltimore continued to move the ball at will to begin the second half, as Henry ripped off a 29-yard run before scampering into the end zone from 26 yards out on the opening possession of the third quarter.

Dallas finally came to life with two fourth-quarter touchdowns that came less than two minutes apart. After Prescott's 1-yard run brought Dallas within 28-12 after it failed on the 2-point conversion, the Cowboys recovered an onside kick to get the ball back near midfield.

Prescott finished the resulting 7-play drive with a 15-yard touchdown toss to Jalen Tolbert, though the Cowboys again couldn't convert the 2-point try as Baltimore's lead dwindled to 28-18 with just over seven minutes left. 

The Dallas defence then forced a three-and-out before Prescott led an 11-play, 91-yard series culminating in KaVontae Turpin's 16-yard touchdown catch that made it a three-point game with 2:53 to go.

Dallas didn't get the ball back again, however, as Jackson completed a critical 9-yard pass to Zay Flowers on 3rd-and-6 to help allow the Ravens to run out the clock.

Barkley's two touchdowns lift Eagles over Saints

Saquon Barkley rushed for 147 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:01 remaining that gave the Philadelphia Eagles a 15-12 victory over the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints.

Barkley also had a 65-yard touchdown run to help Philadelphia (2-1) bounce back from blowing a late lead in a frustrating 22-21 loss to Atlanta on Monday night, in which the Falcons quickly marched down the field for a winning touchdown in the final seconds.

The Eagles' defence redeemed itself this time, however, by holding a potent Saints offence to 219 total yards and keeping it out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. New Orleans (2-1) had scored a combined 91 points in winning its first two games.

Philadelphia also received a huge game from Dallas Goedert. The tight end compiled career highs of 10 catches and 170 receiving yards, 61 of which came on a late reception that led to Barkley's deciding touchdown.

The Saints were clinging to a 3-0 lead after three quarters in a game where both teams failed to convert several scoring opportunities, but that all changed when Barkley broke through the line of scrimmage and out-sprinted the New Orleans secondary to put the Eagles ahead with 13:17 to go.

New Orleans countered with Blake Grupe's 38-yard field goal on the following possession, then got the ball back at midfield with 6:41 left after Eagles coach Nick Sirianni had Jake Elliott try a 60-yard field goal that missed the mark.

The Saints proceeded to go 50 yards in nine plays and took a 12-7 lead on Derek Carr's 13-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave with 2:03 remaining. New Orleans failed on the subsequent 2-point conversion attempt.

Faced with a 3rd-and-16 with just over a minute left, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Goedert open on a crossing route and the tight end raced down the sideline before being brought down at the New Orleans 4-yard line.

Barkley powered into the end zone on the next play, then scored on the 2-point conversion to give the Eagles a 15-12 edge.

Reed Blankenship then sealed Philadelphia's win by intercepting Carr with 48 seconds to play.

Hurts completed 29 of 38 passes for 311 yards but was intercepted in the end zone early in the second quarter, one of a few first-half possessions in which Philadelphia came away empty after moving into scoring range.

Carr managed just 142 yards on 14-of-25 passing with one touchdown and the late interception.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert re-aggravated an ankle injury in Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Herbert left after being sacked by linebacker Elandon Roberts midway through the third quarter and was replaced by Tyler Heinicke.

Herbert was uncertain to play in this matchup of 2-0 teams after having his ankle rolled up on in Los Angeles' 26-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. He went through pre-game warm-ups, however, and was deemed good to go.

The score was tied at 10-10 when Herbert exited and the Chargers offence only managed one first down on their final two possessions with Heinicke.

Herbert finished the game 12-of-18 for 125 yards with a touchdown, while Heinicke completed his only two pass attempts for 24 yards, but was sacked three times.

In 13 games last season, Herbert averaged 241.1 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but for the run-heavy Chargers in 2024, he entered Week 3 with 274 total passing yards with three TDs and one pick.

Los Angeles averaged 197.5 rushing yards in its first two games, but managed just 61 on the ground against the Steelers.

Aaron Rodgers believes his budding chemistry with Garrett Wilson can transpire into something "special" after he led the New York Jets to victory on Thursday.

After suffering a ruptured Achilles at the start of last season, Rodgers orchestrated a commanding 24-3 triumph over the New England Patriots in his first home start since the injury.

The 40-year-old ended the contest at MetLife Stadium with an impressive stat line of 27 completions on 35 attempts, yielding 281 yards and two touchdowns, one of which went to Wilson in the third quarter.

Rodgers' back-shoulder throw was perfectly delivered into the hands of Wilson, whose game had been subdued until then.

And speaking after the game, Rodgers was excited about what the future may bring for his improving relationship with the 24-year-old wide receiver, who has already racked up 15 catches this season.

"Once five (Wilson) and I get on that same page, it's going to be special," Rodgers said. 

Rodgers didn't miss the chance to address the loyal Jets fanbase either, acknowledging their long-suffering endurance after last season's disappointment. 

A 2023 campaign they entered with Super Bowl aspirations finished at 7-10 for the second consecutive season, and failed to improve on their record during 2022.

It was also the Jets' fourth consecutive season with at least 10 losses, but Rodgers spoke about his eagerness to transform their fortunes in New York after they improved to 2-1 this time around.

"It felt great to be able to play an entire game in front of our amazing fans. I feel like we started faster than we have and we were way more efficient," Rodgers said. 

"Had a lot of guys involved. A lot of guys made a lot of plays. Feel like the line did a nice job up front. We had to finish drives, and we did a good job of that.

"We're trying to change this whole attitude around here. We're trying to build something special around here, get these fans to believe in us.

"They've been tortured for a long time. Last year was obviously a tough year, but it's good to be back, good to be healthy.

"It's great to be a Jet, great to have nights like this, and even better to have a weekend off!"

Aaron Rodgers threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns in a stellar performance as the New York Jets rolled to a 24-3 rout of the New England Patriots in their home opener on Thursday night.

Rodgers started his first game at MetLife Stadium since leaving the field just over a year ago with a torn Achilles tendon in New York's opener. The 40-year-old quarterback showed no signs of the injury - or playing in his third game in 11 days - while scrambling several times and making off-balance throws all night, slicing through New England's defence with surgical precision.

Rodgers finished 27 of 35 for 281 yards with TD tosses to Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard and heard chants of “Aa-ron! Rod-gers!” throughout as the Jets (2-1) ended an eight-game home losing streak against the Patriots (1-2).

New York, which stopped a 15-game skid against New England in Bill Belichick's final game as the Patriots' coach, sacked Jacoby Brissett five times. Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in April, made his NFL debut when he replaced Brissett with 4:24 left in the game.

Breece Hall ran for a score for the Jets, who also snapped a six-game skid in Thursday night games.

In the first half, the Jets outgained the Patriots 252 yards to 40 and had 17 first downs to New England's four. It was the fewest first downs for the Patriots in any half since 2000.

New York made it 21-3 with 6:18 remaining in the third quarter when Rodgers zipped a pass to his right and found Garrett Wilson, who toe-tapped in the front corner of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown.

It marked the third straight game the Jets had at least three touchdowns on offence.

The Miami Dolphins will place quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.

The move ensures that Tagovailoa will be out at least until Week 8, with Skylar Thompson slated to start Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

On Monday, the Dolphins signed Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, giving them a possible alternative to Thompson in the coming weeks.

Tagovailoa’s latest concussion came during Thursday’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Tagovailoa scrambled for a first down in the second half before colliding with Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

The impact left Tagovailoa dazed on the ground as he appeared to undergo a fencing response – the stiffening of limbs after a traumatic brain injury – before he was helped off the field.

Tagovailoa had two previously diagnosed concussions in the 2022 season, including one which required him to be carried off the field on a stretcher.

The 2023 Pro Bowler’s third head injury sparked an outpouring of concern from the football world, with some calling for Tagovailoa to retire.

Miami’s players and coaches were visibly shaken up by Tagovailoa’s most recent concussion, but last year’s passing yards leader has yet to speak publicly since the injury.  

NFL Network reported Sunday that Tagovailoa has no plans to retire.

“As far as Tua's career is concerned, I think it's an utmost priority of mine for Tua to speak onto his career,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters this week.

“I think as far as I'm concerned, I'm just worried about the human being and where that's at day to day. I'll let Tua be the champion of his own career and speak on that.”

While there is no firm timeline for Tagovailoa’s return, his placement on IR ensures that the earliest he could be back is Oct. 27 against the Arizona Cardinals.

While Miami’s (1-1) play-off hopes took a sizeable hit with Tagovailoa’s injury, the upcoming schedule appears manageable with games against the Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.

Kirk Cousins earned his first win at the Atlanta Falcons with a comeback win in the final minute of the game, and he believes it will only build their resolve.

The Falcons beat the Philadelphia Eagles 22-21, with Cousins picking out Drake London with 34 seconds left to snatch the victory.

At 21-15 down with less than two minutes on the clock, the quarterback completed 5 of 6 passes on a six-play, 70-yard drive before London finished it off. Younghoe Kim then converted a lengthy extra point to ensure they would not need to go to overtime.

And while Cousins was pleased to get off the mark with his new team, he thinks the nature of the win will benefit the Falcons in the long run.

"It's really, really important for us to be able to come in here and get a win," Cousins said. "Just proud of the way we kept playing, kept fighting.

"Coming from behind. Finding a way on the road in a tough environment against a good football team [makes it special].

"That builds resolve, builds some grit, builds some character that we're gonna have to lean on as the year goes on. This is how NFL football is.

"We've got to kind of get used to this and get comfortable in this because that's how these games tend to go.

"The more we can be battle-tested and have these moments, I think it will set us up well for what's coming down the road."

The game could have gone much differently if Philadelphia had completed a play with five-and-a-half minutes on the clock, but Saquon Barkley failed to catch Jalen Hurts' short pass inside the Atlanta 10.

The Eagles then settled for Jake Elliott's 28-yard field goal to take a six-point lead, before the Falcons' late show denied them a second win of the season.

"I dropped the ball," Barkley told reporters. "Let my team down today. Shouldn't have put the defense in that position.

"If I make the catch, game's over. Relax, get back to my old habits, and just gotta go back and get to work.

"I thought it was a great play call. I just gotta make that catch."

Both teams now hold a 1-1 record for the season. Atlanta face Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs next time out, while the Eagles travel to the New Orleans Saints.

Kirk Cousins threw two second-half touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score to Drake London with 34 seconds remaining, to earn his first win as an Atlanta Falcon with a 22-21 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.

With his new team down 21-15 with under two minutes left, Cousins completed 5 of 6 passes on a six-play, 70-yard drive he capped with a 7-yard strike to London in the final minute. Younghoe Kim then converted a lengthy extra-point try from 48 yards out, with the distance increased due to a 15-yard penalty called on London after the touchdown, to break a 21-21 tie.

Jessie Bates sealed the win for Atlanta (1-1) by intercepting Jalen Hurts with 19 seconds left to send the partisan crowd at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field home stunned.

Cousins finished with 241 yards on 20-of-29 passing in his second start since signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in March. Darnell Mooney, another of Atlanta's offseason additions, caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Cousins in the third quarter and ended with 88 yards on three catches.

Hurts threw for 183 yards and a touchdown and added another TD on the ground while recording 85 rushing yards. His 1-yard touchdown run on the Eagles' patented "Tush Push" quarterback sneak play gave Philadelphia (1-1) an 18-15 lead with 6:47 remaining after Saquon Barkley successfully ran in the ensuing 2-point conversion.

The Eagles appeared headed for a third straight 2-0 start after stuffing Atlanta's Bijon Robinson on a 4th-and-1 run on the following possession to get the ball back at the Falcons' 39-yard line with 5:38 to go.

Philadelphia then moved to the Atlanta 10, but Barkley dropped a short pass from Hurts on third down and the Eagles settled for Jake Elliott's 28-yard field goal and a six-point lead with 1:39 left.

Cousins responded by quickly driving the Falcons inside the Eagles' 10 with four consecutive completions, including gains of 21 and 26 yards to Mooney.

Mooney had given the Falcons a 15-10 edge late in the third quarter when he got behind Philadelphia's defence and hauled in a deep pass from Cousins for a 41-yard score. Atlanta failed to convert the resulting 2-point attempt.

The Eagles also came up empty in the red zone early in the contest, passing up a short field goal try from the Atlanta 9-yard line and throwing an incomplete pass on 4th-and-4 that kept the game scoreless after one quarter.

Atlanta opened the scoring on Koo's 39-yard field goal with 11:22 left in the second, but the Eagles answered with an 11-play, 70-yard drive culminating in Hurts' 7-yard touchdown pass to Devonta Smith.

The Falcons pulled within 7-6 at half-time after Koo's 22-yard field goal ended a 15-play series. Another Koo field goal, a 34-yard kick, put Atlanta in front early in the third quarter before Philadelphia took a 10-9 lead on Elliott's 29-yard field goal with 4:28 left in the period.

Barkley rushed for 95 yards on 22 attempts in his first home game since leaving the NFC East-rival New York Giants for the Eagles in the offseason. Robinson had 97 rushing yards for Atlanta on 14 carries.

The Carolina Panthers are making a quarterback change following their 0-2 start, benching 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young in favour of veteran Andy Dalton for Sunday’s road matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Young has struggled mightily in his NFL career after Carolina acquired the top overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft from the Chicago Bears and used it to pick the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner out of the University of Alabama.

The 23-year-old Young has gone 2-16 in 18 starts while completing 59.3 percent of his pass attempts and throwing for 3,122 yards with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for a passer rating of 70.9.

Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Young’s completion percentage is the worst among qualifying quarterbacks and his passer rating ranks second-to-last.

The decision by first-year Panthers coach Dave Canales to switch quarterbacks comes after Young posted a 44.1 rating and passed for 245 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in a pair of losses to open 2024.

Carolina has been outscored 73-13 and scored just one touchdown on a three-yard run by Young in Week 1.

Dalton started in Week 3 last season with Young out due to an ankle injury and threw for 361 yards with two touchdowns in a 37-27 loss at the Seattle Seahawks.

Six weeks shy of his 37th birthday, Dalton ranks 26th in NFL history with 38,511 passing yards and 28th with 246 touchdowns through the air.

The Kansas City Chiefs will place leading rusher Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve due to a fractured fibula sustained in Sunday’s 26-25 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Pacheco’s right foot got trapped underneath him, and he was bent backwards while being tackled. He exited in the final minute of the game and was seen in a walking boot with crutches leaving the stadium.

A seventh-round pick in 2022, Pacheco rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 54 yards in helping the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs win their first two games.

Pacheco led Kansas City with 830 rushing yards and five TDs on the ground as a rookie in 2022 and did so again last season with 935 rushing yards and seven rushing scores.

Carson Steele and Samaje Perine are expected to lead the way in Kansas City’s backfield with Pacheco sidelined.

Aaron Rodgers says his first win with the New York Jets has been "a long time coming" after their comeback victory over the Tennessee Titans.

The 40-year-old’s first season in New York ended in the fourth snap of the first game as he tore his left Achilles tendon.

Returning to action in 2024, he began the year with a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, but finally managed to get off the mark with the Jets on Sunday as they beat the Titans 24-17.

Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns, with one of those to 20-year-old Braelon Allen, making it a score between the NFL's oldest and youngest players.

And the quarterback was pleased to avoid the first 0-2 of his 20-year career.

"It was great. It was a long time coming," he said.

"These are kind of the games you look back on late in the season, and you're thankful you won these, because if we want to be a great team, we have to win in these type of environments against a team like that."

The Jets made a slow start to the game but rallied in the third quarter to take the lead, only to be pegged back at 17-17 going into the fourth.

However, Allen once again found his way to the end zone after a 20-yard run to make sure the Jets would be heading home with the win.

Rodgers admitted he was not happy with the first-half performance, but credited the team for staying patient to get it over the line.

"A lot of times people freak out," Rodgers added. "You have to be a calming force in there.

"I felt like the whole game we were frustrated at times, but we never got on each other. I was frustrated not getting [Garrett Wilson] balls. Didn't run the ball very well the first 2 1/2 quarters.

"We stayed confident. The defense came up with some really big plays to keep it a one-score game."

The Jets are back in action on Thursday against the New England Patriots. 

Giving Patrick Mahomes another chance rarely works out well for the opposition.

A pass interference call on the Cincinnati Bengals on a fourth-and-16 with 38 seconds left allowed the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to keep the ball, setting up Mahomes and company to steal a win.

Harrison Butker delivered the winner, kicking a 51-yard field goal as time expired to send the Chiefs to a 26-25 victory over the Bengals on Sunday.

Butker's game-winning kick came four plays after it appeared Kansas City turned the ball over on downs at their own 35-yard line, but Cincinnati safety Daijahn Anthony was called for pass interference, giving the Chiefs a fresh set of downs on the 29-yard penalty.

The game featured five lead changes in the second half, with the Chiefs taking their first lead on Mahomes' one-yard TD pass to offensive tackle Wanya Morris at 8:21 in the third quarter to make the score 17-16.

The Bengals then went back in front 22-17 on a three-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Andrei Iosivas with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.

The game's final touchdown came when Chamarri Conner returned a Burrow fumble 37 yards for a touchdown to put Kansas City ahead 23-22 just 20 seconds into the final period.

Evan McPherson's fourth field goal of the game gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 to play, but Cincinnati couldn't hold on and dropped to 0-2 while Kansas City improved to 2-0.

Burrow finished with 258 yards passing, two touchdowns without an interception, while Mahomes completed 18-of-25 passes, but only threw for 151 yards - the second fewest of his career - with two TDs and two picks.

Mahomes had a 44-yard touchdown pass to Rashee Rice, who finished with 75 yards on five receptions.

Isiah Pacheco also had five catches for 21 yards, and rushed for 90 yards on 19 carries.

Kamara has 4 TDs as Saints make statement by demolishing Dallas

Beating a woeful team by 37 points at home in Week 1 was one thing.

Winning by 25 on the road against a reigning division champ in Week 2 is another.

The New Orleans Saints put the rest of the NFL on notice with an impressive 44-19 trouncing of the Dallas Cowboys, with Alvin Kamara scoring four touchdowns.

A week after setting a franchise record by starting the season with points on nine consecutive possessions in last Sunday's 47-10 dismantling of the lowly Carolina Panthers, the Saints scored touchdowns on their first six drives against the Cowboys and were in control all the way as they led 35-16 at half-time.

Derek Carr threw for 243 yards on just 11 completions with two touchdowns - including a 57-yard screen pass to Kamara and a 70-yarder to Rashid Shaheed.

Kamara finished with 115 rushing yards and another 65 yards receiving, while Shaheed led New Orleans with 96 receiving yards on four receptions.

The Saints racked up 432 total yards of offence against Dallas (1-1) and became the first NFL team to score 44 or more points in each of their first two games since the 2009 Saints did it on the way to winning the franchise's only Super Bowl.

Paulson Adebo and Tyrann Mathieu each intercepted Dak Prescott once and the New Orleans defence sacked him three times en route to snapping the Cowboys' home winning streak in the regular season at 16 games.

Buccaneers win at Detroit to avenge play-off loss

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned a measure of revenge, beating the Detroit Lions 20-16 in a play-off rematch.

Baker Mayfield put the Buccaneers (2-0) ahead with a dazzling 11-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter for the game's final score and Tampa Bay's defence stepped up late.

Christian Izien intercepted Jared Goff at the Tampa Bay nine-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, and the Lions (1-1) turned the ball over on downs at the Bucs' six-yard line with 53 seconds remaining and again at their 26 with two seconds to play.

Detroit also had an opportunity late in the first half to score points but couldn't get a play off after Goff completed an eight-yard pass to Amon-ra St. Brown in the middle of the field without a timeout remaining.

The Lions, who ended Tampa Bay's 2023 season with a 31-23 win in the divisional round of the play-offs, outgained the Buccaneers 463-216 in total yards but only scored one touchdown on a David Montgomery one-yard run.

Goff completed 34-of-55 passes for 307 yards but threw a pair of costly interceptions.

Mayfield was 12 of 19 for 185 yards with a 41-yard touchdown to Chris Godwin, who finished with seven catches for 117 yards.

Rodgers gets first win with Jets

Aaron Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns as the New York Jets beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17.

The four-time league MVP earned his first win with the Jets after his 2023 season ended when he tore his left Achilles tendon on his fourth snap of the year and this year began with a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.

The 40-year-old quarterback threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to a 20-year-old Braelon Allen, making it a score between the NFL's oldest and youngest players. At 20 years and 239 days, Allen is the youngest NFL player to score a scrimmage touchdown since Arnie Herber was the exact same age in 1930.

Allen also scored on a 20-yard run, while Breece Hall rushed for 62 yards and had 52 yards receiving with a 26-yard touchdown reception.

New York took advantage of some sloppy play by the Titans, including another head-scratching decision by Will Levis.

A week after throwing a pick-6 while being sacked in a season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears, Levis tried to shovel a backward pass to Tyjae Spears and Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams ended up recovering the loose ball at the New York 12-yard line.

Fairbairn's big leg, Texans' defence leads way in win over Bears

In a matchup between two of NFL's most highly regarded young quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans got the better of Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, holding on for a 19-13 win.

Stroud threw for 260 yards with Nico Collins on the receiving end of eight of those passes for 135 yards as the Texans improved to 2-0.

The two hooked up for a 28-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, and Houston got the rest of its scoring from kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn.

The kicker with the big leg connected from 47, 53, 56 and 59 yards after drilling field goals from 50, 51 and 51 yards in Houston's 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.

Fairbairn is the first player in NFL history to have two games with three field goals of at least 50 yards in his entire career, and he's done it in the first two games of this season.

The Texans' defence harassed Williams all night in his second career start. Houston intercepted this year's No. 1 overall draft pick twice and sacked him seven times.

Williams completed 23-of-37 passes for 174 yards and ran for 44 yards, while running back D'Andre Swift was limited to 18 rushing yards on 14 carries.

The Bears (1-1) finished with just 205 total yards of offence after being held to a mere 148 total yards in their comeback win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1.

Darnold leads surprising Vikings over 49ers

The Minnesota Vikings took out the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, winning 23-17.

Taking over the offence after rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury last month, Sam Darnold helped the Vikings improve to 2-0.

Darnold was 17 of 26 for 268 yards with a pair of touchdowns, including a 97-yarder to Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson finished with 133 yards receiving on four catches, and Ty Chandler rushed for 82 yards on just 10 carries for a Minnesota team that compiled 146 yards on the ground.

Jordan Mason led the 49ers (1-1) with 100 yards rushing and scored on a 10-yard run in his second start in place of All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, who has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least two more games with lower leg injuries.

Brock Purdy completed 28-of-36 passes for 319 yards, but only one throw went for a touchdown - a seven-yarder to tight end Geroge Kittle in the second quarter.

The San Francisco 49ers placed star running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve Saturday, ensuring that he will miss at least the next four games with calf and Achilles injuries.

The move is a shocking departure from the optimism of less than two weeks ago, when McCaffrey was a last-minute scratch for the 49ers’ season-opening win over the New York Jets.

McCaffrey missed the entire pre-season with what was reported as calf soreness. In the regular season, teams are required to submit official injury reports, and McCaffrey’s designation included Achilles tendonitis.

Last year’s rushing champion will miss a minimum of four more games, with the earliest possible return date coming on Oct. 10.

The 49ers face the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals over their next four, but there is no guarantee that McCaffrey will return when first eligible.

San Francisco ruled McCaffrey out for Sunday’s game in Minnesota on Friday, with head coach Kyle Shanahan publicly acknowledging for the first time that the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year could end up on IR.

“Yesterday was his worst day,” Shanahan told reporters. “It's on and off, but with yesterday having the most pain. It's something we're going to be discussing together in the next 24 hours.”

The loss is a massive one for the reigning NFC champions, who went 12-5 in McCaffrey’s first full season with the team last year.

With Elijah Mitchell already placed on IR before the start of the season, the only trusted running back on San Francisco’s roster is Jordan Mason, who ran the ball 28 times for 147 yards and a touchdown.

McCaffrey’s extended absence could also result in Deebo Samuel getting more snaps at running back, a look that was more common before the 49ers traded for McCaffrey during the 2022 season.

This is McCaffrey’s first IR stint since joining the 49ers. The Stanford product played a combined 10 games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to ankle and hamstring injuries.

McCaffrey led the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage last season and tied with Raheem Mostert for the league lead at 21 touchdowns.