Saints Owner Gayle Benson Explains Why She Will 'Not Accept' Team's Slow Start

The New Orleans Saints have lost four of their five games, and owner Gayle Benson is letting them hear about it. "We are 1-4. That is not acceptable to me, and it falls short of what our fans truly deserve. I hear the frustration directed toward our team and our organization. It is not lost on me. Our fans invest their time and their hearts in the Saints. They are right to expect more than we have given them. As an owner, the responsibility does start with me. I will not make excuses, and I will not accept this level of performance as our standard," Benson said Tuesday at a meeting of the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club. "I am committed to making the decisions necessary to improve this team. Everyone in this organization understands the urgency. We must prepare better, execute consistently and correct the mistakes that are costing us the games. Words will not restore our fans’ confidence. Our performance must do better." Following a Week 1 overtime loss on the road to the Detroit Lions where New Orleans failed to convert a game-winning, two-point conversion, the Saints defeated Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 2. However, they've since lost three consecutive games, perhaps low-lighted by a 45-24 loss at home on Monday Night Football to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4, which saw New Orleans trail by as many as 28 points. The aforementioned NFC South divisional loss marked the 20-year anniversary of the Saints' return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. That stung for Benson. "Twenty years ago, the Saints returned to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, and we all remember Steve Gleason’s blocked punt. The roar of the crowd and what it meant to see our city come together once again. Losing this year’s anniversary game to Atlanta [was] truly disappointing," Benson said. "Hearing our fans’ memories of that homecoming reinforced how deeply this team is woven into their lives." In last week's loss at home to the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Tyler Shough threw for just 96 yards and tossed two interceptions, with the Saints registering only 142 yards of total offense. Through five games, the Saints' offense is 29th in the NFL in rushing yards (81.8 per game), 20th in total yards (322.0 per game), 16th in points (23.6 per game) and 11th in passing yards (240.2 per game). Meanwhile, the Saints' defense is 31st in the NFL in opponent points (30.2 per game), 30th in opponent rushing yards (148.8 per game), 25th in opponent total yards (361.0 per game), tied for 20th in sacks (10.0) and 11th outright in opponent passing yards (212.2 per game). New Orleans is coming off a 6-11 season that saw the Saints win four of their last five games in what was their first year with head coach Kellen Moore. But if the losses continue, no one is safe. "Kellen Moore and his coaches are responsible for preparing our players to perform. [General manager] Mickey Loomis and our football staff are responsible for building a roster capable of sustained success. Our players are responsible for their preparation and execution," Benson said. "I am responsible for holding this organization accountable. "There’s a great deal of football ahead of us, but our response must show up on the field." The Saints have a road tilt against the New York Giants (3-1-1) in Week 6 (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX).

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Mahomes Mountain Week 6: Jared Goff Rises, Patrick Mahomes Remains At The Summit

Nick Wright’s quarterback hierarchy saw a handful of names tumble this week but one signal caller stayed at the top of the mountain: Patrick Mahomes is alone at the summit. Jalen Hurts falls again, Dak Prescott drops after an underwhelming Thursday night, and Matthew Stafford actually climbs despite a loss — while a trio of backups quietly moved up the board. Here’s how Wright sees the league’s quarterbacks this week: Injured: Wright's thoughts: "Off the mountain, injured and off the mountain because of performance. Injured: Lamar should be back, Caleb should be back, Baker should be back. Jaxson Dart won’t be back." Off the mountain: Wright's thoughts: "Cam Ward, Malik Willis, Tyson Bagent — yikes. And Justin Herbert, who I don’t see, how, right now, he’s not one of the 28 best quarterbacks in the league. They got the ball back down six, and I felt like they had no shot whatsoever. I don’t know what’s wrong. We’ll talk about him later." 7th Row: Wright: "Bottom of the mountain. Jalen Hurts has to fall again. I understand there’s a lot working against him, the injuries, the retirement [of offensive tackle Lane Johnson], the head coach — I get it. But the offense is also not functional. His whole thing had been, hey, the stats might not be pretty, but we’re winning. You don’t have that either on a three-game losing streak. He tumbles a bit. "Daniel Jones, Deshaun Watson drop a bit. Bo Nix, Geno Smith and Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston — they’re probably bottom-row guys at this point in their careers. Not a problem, probably not going off the mountain, but bottom-row guys." 6th Row: Wright: "Sixth row, fair is fair, move them up. Kyler finally got a little juice in that offense — nice touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson, looked good for his first time in a Vikings uniform. He moves up. Tyler Huntley, maybe he needs to take the mantle as the best backup quarterback in the league. They went about half the games with him, and they didn’t look like a knee-capped operation that had no chance of moving the ball. He moves up. "Sam Darnold has not looked great yet this year, and the benefit of the doubt he’s built up is shrinking just a bit. He drops. Tyler Shough — maybe it turns out a lot of the optimism was from playing the Lions, and playing Detroit can do a lot for whoever’s on the other side. "Shout out to Jalon Daniels for Thursday night and Jalon Daniels' delightful interview with his mother that I liked a lot. "Jayden Daniels is back on the mountain because you're healthy again. The stuff you did with your legs in this game was actually really dynamic, and there were a lot of positive moments. I can't get over the ending. I understand. All probably David Blough's fault. I like my quarterbacks to have you know an idea of what quarter it is, what the rules are, if you have timeouts." 5th Row: Wright: "Look at Drake Maye — back in, back. That’s the steady climb back up the mountain. He almost got row four after a five-touchdown performance. Aaron Rodgers is playing really well — fair is fair, two of his last three games, he’s been excellent. C.J. Stroud stays where he is, even though they finally got a win. It took three quarters against the Titans, but he’s been consistent all year, playing really well. "Penix got hit in the ribs — I don’t know if he’ll miss time, so he’s not off the mountain for injury, but after a shaky early part of that game I thought he looked really sharp against Baltimore. And Kirk Cousins falls to the fifth row. Feels fair." 4th Row: Wright: "Fourth row — Bryce had a bye week, so he stays where he is. Stafford moved up in a loss — I thought Stafford was really good. Dak moves down after an awful Thursday Night Football performance — well, he wasn’t awful, but he wasn’t great. "Jordan Love, holy moly, how about that possession — chucking it deep, offensive pass interference, chucking it deep again, dropped, doing it again, touchdown. Jordan Love looked really good. He moves up." 3rd Row: Wright: "The prince made it onto the ballot but drops on the mountain. I didn’t think Trevor (Lawrence) was great in that game — the fourth-and-five throw to Parker Washington was awesome, an unbelievable catch, but there’s no shame in being on row three. "Look who he’s with: Josh Allen, who, despite only completing 12 passes, was dynamic in the fourth quarter and overtime and deadly with his legs all game, and Joe Burrow. An interesting year where he hasn’t made terrible mistakes and has obviously been good, but by his standards the numbers are just good, not great. Three of the six best plays in the NFL this season are by his receivers in the last few weeks, so Higgins and Chase are doing a lot this year. Burrow’s still great. The team’s good, not great yet." 2nd Row: Wright: "A change in row two: Jared Goff. They’re scoring more points than anyone in the league, they have one of the most efficient offenses ever. He's not turning the ball over. He’s been fantastic; they have to score these kinds of points. "Brock Purdy almost moved up to the top — he was brilliant late in that game. However, it was also the lowest passer rating he’s had this year, the fewest yards, and the first time he’s been intercepted this year. I thought it was not his worst performance of the year, but I’d rather it be next week, when he takes the all-time passer rating lead." 1st Row: Wright: "Still atop the mountain, because unlike Brock Purdy, he was not intercepted this week. Patrick Mahomes."

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The Week 5 Plays That Stood Out, From Jayden Daniels' Blunder To Mike Evans' Dominance

2026 has seen a lot of sloppy football, and Week 5 may have been the sloppiest. The Eagles and Jaguars gave us a chaotic start in London. Jacksonville made enough mistakes for a woefully short-handed Philadelphia team to stick around in a game it had no business winning before a roller-coaster ending. The Commanders found a new way to blow a win in overtime against the Giants. Even the game of the day, the 49ers-Seahawks thriller, came down to which team made the fewest mistakes (spoiler: it wasn't the team quarterbacked by Sam Darnold). Those games weren't exactly well played, but they still delivered plenty of drama. Let's take a closer look at the plays that shaped Week 5 in the NFL and see what they may mean for the future. Last week, I called Kansas City’s acquisition of Kenneth Walker the move of the offseason, but I’m ready to reopen the discussion after watching Mike Evans torch the Seahawks for 113 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven receptions in a thrilling 49ers road win. I don’t know where the 49ers would be without Evans, but I can say this confidently: they would not be 5-0. Seattle had no answer for him on Sunday. Whenever they needed a play, Brock Purdy looked his way. Their most significant connection – and the one that best illustrates how Evans has transformed this offense – came early in the fourth quarter, with the Niners trailing by five and facing third-and-10 around midfield. Evans lined up to Purdy’s right with Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe across from him. The Seahawks elected to play man coverage, with one safety back deep and the other lurking in the middle. That gave Seattle more bodies in the middle of the field, where the 49ers were looking to attack, but it left Jobe in single coverage on Evans. Even with Jobe playing inside of Evans and cheating on in-breakers, the veteran receiver found a way to get open. A subtle shoulder feint outside and a sharp break in the other direction let Evans box out Jobe at the catch point, and Purdy trusted his new WR1 to take care of the rest. The throw was high and a bit behind Evans, but that catch radius could erase any inaccuracy. We’ve seen it all season with these two. If Purdy can put the ball in Evans' general vicinity, the big receiver will come down with the ball. Per Pro Football Focus, the 33-year-old has caught 96% of his catchable targets and has come down with 10 of his 13 contested targets. Both would be career highs for Evans. Evans gives Purdy an answer for man coverage that he hasn’t had since Brandon Aiyuk was at his peak in 2023. Since Purdy’s breakout campaign, the 49ers haven’t fared well against defenses that can play sticky coverage. With Evans in the fold, they’ve punished opponents for trying. The takeaway: Evans has been everything the 49ers could have hoped for, but the depth chart is thin, and injuries are ravaging the receiving corps once again. San Francisco lost rookie second-round pick De’Zhaun Stribling for an extended time in training camp, Ricky Persall went down for the season with a torn PCL in August, and now Deebo Samuel is expected to miss a few weeks with a hamstring injury. The offense is rolling now, but an injury to Evans, who hasn’t been fully healthy all season, could wreck the passing game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is acting accordingly. He’s been overly protective of his veteran receiver, limiting him to no more than 28 routes in a game this season. On Sunday, he didn’t run another snap after the 49ers took the lead in the fourth quarter. With Shanahan calling the plays for Purdy, perhaps the offense could stay afloat without Evans, but the Niners coach clearly has no interest in finding out. This sequence of blunders by the Commanders has been reviewed more times than the Zapruder film, but how about one more viewing? It’s been over 24 hours since the Commanders gave away a win with some of the worst clock management you’ll ever see, and I’m still not sure where we should be pinning the blame. But we have to blame someone, right? Jayden Daniels ultimately made the decision to go to the ground without enough time to line up and spike the ball, but I agree with Dan Quinn, who said after the game, "It's an outside throw or a clock. Those are the two [options]: an out-of-bounds throw or a clock. That has to come from me. I don't have to put [Daniels] into that spot." The prospect of a 10-second runoff made it a trickier situation for Daniels to manage. Just chucking the ball out of bounds or into the first may have drawn an intentional grounding flag, which would have ended the game. Several erroneous intentional grounding calls were made around the league on Sunday, so leaving the game up to a referee’s judgment call isn’t great process – even if Daniels could have sailed the ball over Ben Sinnott’s head with a throwaway. Simply put, Quinn overcomplicated the situation for his young quarterback. In an ideal world, the Commanders would have a timeout and could manipulate the clock to make any Washington field-goal attempt the final play of the game – as they did in 2024 at the end of an early-season game against these same Giants. Without that timeout, though, the margins get smaller. As we saw, any screw-up puts the Commanders on the clock and forces them to scramble to spike it or rush the field-goal unit on. When a field goal ends the game, there’s no need to go to the lengths Washington did to milk the clock. Patrick Mahomes wasn’t standing on the other sideline. It was Jameis Winston. Quinn complicated things to avoid giving the ball back to Jameis freaking Winston with just a few ticks left on the clock and 40 yards between him and range for a game-winning field goal. But if Quinn wanted to run the clock down, there was a far simpler way. Washington could have lined up on the ball immediately after the first-down run that got the clock moving with around 50 seconds to go. If Daniels had taken the snap after the clock passed the 40-second mark, the play clock would have been turned off, and the Commanders could have calmly lined up and spiked the ball with just enough time for the game-winning kick. The takeaway: That NFC title game run in 2024 feels like ages ago now. Quinn may not last the season after Sunday’s debacle, and confidence in Daniels is waning with the third-year quarterback entering a pivotal offseason. If this coach-quarterback duo wants another shot at righting the ship, they’ll have to avoid these embarrassing episodes that have become all too familiar to a once-proud fanbase. Ultimately, the coach and quarterbacks are caretakers, whose main job is not to screw things up. We have never seen a team screw up in the manner Washington did on Sunday. I’ll let Philadelphia media and WIP callers handle the criticism of Nick Sirianni for mismanaging the clock and allowing the Jaguars to steal a win. Eagles rookie Makai Lemon should have stayed in bounds on second down to keep the clock running. In hindsight, Jake Elliott probably should have booted the ensuing kickoff out of the end zone for a touchback. Sirianni could have done more to raise Philly’s win probability by a few percentage points, but saying he threw away the game ignores that Jacksonville still had to make a remarkable play to get in position for Cam Little’s game-winner. Let’s give some love to the Jaguars players who made it all possible, starting with Ameer Abullah, who is somehow still kicking around the league more than a decade after you wasted that fourth-round pick on him in your fantasy draft. The journeyman back had just enough speed to break through the Eagles' kick coverage, and I’m not sure if he would’ve done it without a running start. But as Elliott’s kick flies toward Abdullah, you can see him take a few steps back, gather momentum, and catch the ball. Abdullah needed every bit of that little head start. He reached 17.7 mph on the return. That’s fast for me or you, but it’s relatively slow by NFL standards. Aaron Rodgers hit 17.1 mph in Week 3. Abdullah still managed to run 57 yards in seven seconds, a minor miracle. But Abdullah received plenty of help from his blockers. If even one of them fails to execute, he’s tackled short of the 50-yard line, and Jacksonville loses the game. The play's success hinges on the double-team block by running back Chris Martinez Jr. and tight end Tanner Koziol. Those two stonewall E.J. Jenkins, sealing off Abdullah’s left side. Tight end Quintin Morris and wide receiver Josh Cameron make the key blocks that seal off the right side for Abdullah. Cameron’s effort is remarkable. The rookie receiver, who’s earned offensive snaps thanks to his perimeter run blocking, is back deep with Abdullah when the ball is kicked. When the kick arrives, Cameron is over 29 yards from his block assignment, Kelee Ringo, and must close that gap in seconds. He not only does that, but he also lands a solid block on Ringo once he arrives, giving Abdullah enough space to break into the open field. Morris gets just enough Arnold Ebiketie to block him off from Abdullah, as well. Linebacker Branson Combs also makes a key block. Every time I rewatch the play, I find another Jaguar doing their job and making the return possible. And even with the top-shelf block, Abdullah still had to hurdle Elliott’s diving attempt at a tackle to get past midfield into Little’s range. The takeaway: Look, I get the rush to dunk on Sirianni after a highly avoidable loss, but he didn’t just hand Jacksonville the game. The Jags had no margin for error. Everything had to go right for Abdullah’s return to produce that result. Sirianni’s teams are typically on the right side of these inexplicable losses, which is why Sunday's result was such a shock. You can criticize Sirianni for a lot of things, but game management usually isn’t the issue. But if this becomes a pattern, and the Eagles start giving away close games, it will be harder to ignore the myriad issues that have marred the offense for a few years running. Even if Sirianni isn’t fully to blame for the loss, he can’t afford to take it with the way things are going in Philadelphia. 1. Kyler Murray has stacked two solid performances in a row, and both have been highlighted by unreal throws, but it’s this 14-yard scramble that has me excited for what this Vikings offense can eventually become. Murray hit 20.8 mph on that run. It’s the top speed a quarterback has reached all season, narrowly beating out Caleb Williams, and the first time Murray has gotten over 20 mph since 2024. It felt like hearing Odysseus pluck his bow. The version of Murray who looked like a fringe top-10 quarterback just two seasons ago may have returned. 2. If there was any lingering doubt about Drake Maye, Sunday’s three-touchdown masterclass against the Raiders should have proved he is all the way back. This two-play sequence convinced me. The Patriots run the same "dagger" concept on two consecutive dropbacks. On the first play, the weak-side safety, Jeremy Chinn, runs with the clear-out route, leaving Romeo Doubs open on the deep in-breaker. After a run on first down, the Patriots ran the same pass concept. This time, Chinn jumps the in-breaker run by Kyle Williams, leaving Pop Douglas's clear-out route open. That clear-out route is an "alert" and rarely gets thrown. That Maye felt it would be open and made the throws tells me he’s seeing the field much better than he did earlier in the season. 3. Since we’ve spent a lot of time criticizing coaches for strategic mistakes in crunch time, I wanted to give a shout-out to Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for sending a blitz on the Chargers' Hail Mary attempt. Justin Herbert was sacked before his receivers could get downfield, eliminating any chance L.A. had of forcing overtime. Some may see that as a risky play call, but the numbers suggest it’s the safest approach in Hail Mary situations. There have been 178 Hail Mary plays since 2020, per Pro Football Focus. Defenses have blitzed 35 of those. Defenses sacked the quarterback on 32% of those plays and gave up no completions. The other 143 plays resulted in nine touchdowns. The best way to defend a Hail Mary is to keep the offense from even getting a pass off.

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QB Stock Market Week 6: Can Dak Overcome Cowboys? Can Seahawks Overcome Darnold?

Kyler Murray had the best throw of the week. Dak Prescott had some of the worst. Sam Darnold threw a pair of interceptions versus the 49ers, and Jayden Daniels took a sack at the end of overtime that ensured a tie against the Giants. Meanwhile, Jared Goff — of all people — is off to a historically prolific start for the Lions. Let’s get into all of it. These aren’t your typical QB rankings. I’m focused on contextualizing the fluctuations of starters' performances throughout the season. No one — not even Josh Allen — is safe at the top. No one — not even Malik Willis — is stuck at the bottom. There is room for quick ascent — and rapid decline. One question holds the most importance: What have you done for your team lately? Previous: Offseason | Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 Daniel Jones has looked overwhelmed — all season — by what the Colts have asked him to do. Their plan stunk from the beginning. I’ve been on record saying this season was destined for implosion. Unfortunately, I’ve been correct. On offense, it simply never made sense. It’s one thing to return from his Achilles injury. It’s another thing to face expectations that — somehow — this offense would regain its form from the beginning of 2025 (which was already fading at the time of his injury). But the biggest issue is that the Colts have struggled to keep receiver Alec Pierce on the field because of injuries — and they traded away receiver Michael Pittman, a trustworthy possession receiver. Without WR1 or WR2 from 2025, Jones has had to make the most of receiver Josh Downs, whose explosive plays aren’t enough to carry a whole offense. That’s not exactly a surprise. The surprise is that tight end Tyler Warren is averaging 7.1 yards per reception — struggling to find room to run after his 30 receptions, the eighth-most in the NFL. There’s more that’s underwhelming. Running back Jonathan Taylor is averaging 3.9 yards per carry — on pace for his worst season and well behind his previous worst at 4.4 in 2023 when he played only 10 games. That’s in part because he’s faced the fifth-most stacked boxes (21) in the NFL. Colts opponents are stacking those boxes because they’re not afraid of Jones, especially when he doesn’t have Pierce to throw to. The Colts' offense is functioning at an even lower level than you’d expect. In turn, so is Jones. In Week 5 against the Steelers — whose defense is good but beatable — Dimes couldn’t find the end zone. He was 24 for 44 for 267 yards. His completion percentage (CPOE) was -3.8 and was especially bad when the Steelers did not blitz him (-8.5%). Defenses are daring him to pick them apart. He can’t do it. Defenses are daring him to throw deep. He can’t do it. Defenses are making Indy's middling starting QB look like a backup, which is especially frustrating for this franchise when considering Jones' cap hit in 2026 is just $19 million. Big changes are coming for the Colts, who don’t even have their 2027 first-round pick to look forward to. (They traded it to the Jets.) I’ve been tracking Sam Darnold’s season, but for the most part, I thought he was about as bad (and good) as he’d been last year. But that’s not the case. He’s worse. Much worse. Through four appearances (and, really, just three, because he left Week 1 after only a few plays), he has 755 passing yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. The turnovers are a red flag, but … at least he’s posting production in yardage and scoring. Right? Well, the advanced stats tell a different story. Darnold has a -.19 expected points added per dropback, which is a tough fall from a much healthier .07 in 2025. The loss to the 49ers emphasized Darnold’s struggles with inconsistency and turnovers. The team around Darnold also felt different. Last year, the Seahawks figured out how to win games like this past Sunday. They’d do it despite Darnold. During their postseason run, they hit the sweet spot where Darnold was playing the best football of his life — and it meshed perfectly with ascending superstars Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker III and an elite group of defensive playmakers. Without Walker this year, the running game hasn’t supported Darnold with shorter second and third downs. So Darnold is facing longer odds at conversions, and he’s forcing it, leading to more mistakes and more turnovers. It’s making me think that maybe Darnold is something of a Joe Flacco. Both QBs strung together a memorable playoff run when they caught fire and played at a level they’d never reached before. But the work before and the work after? That’s all fallen somewhere in a range of slightly below average and slightly above average. And for what it’s worth, Darnold also shares Flacco’s propensity for trusting his arm too much — and forcing the football into turnover-worthy plays and interceptions. Maybe Darnold finds his 2026 postseason form again — and this current lapse is a lingering issue from the Week 1 hip injury. But it’s more likely that this is who Darnold is. The 3-2 Seahawks, whose next three games are against the Broncos, the Chiefs and the Bears, will have to figure out how to get back to working around their QB. Jayden Daniels' performance in Week 5 was a reminder of how young he is as a pro football player. Maybe too young, if you ask me. Maybe immature on a few levels. But it’s important to remember this was just his 30th appearance in the NFL, given all his injuries. He hasn’t played two full seasons yet. That won’t make the Commanders’ final play make any more sense. But it does add context to their fiasco in overtime, where they let time expire after Daniels took a sack to let time run out. We know, per coach Dan Quinn, that the fateful play was designed for an outside throw (where the pass-catcher can get to the sideline and stop the clock) or a clock-stopping throwaway. Quinn took blame for even calling that play when they didn’t need to gain any more yards. But his revelation — "outside throw or a clock" — is an indictment of Daniels’ situational awareness. Because he ran to the left and took a sack near the line of scrimmage. Did he think he had a timeout and was he placing the ball on the left hash? I’m not sure. But the quarterback was clearly confused about the situation. "We’ve gotta stop the clock," Daniels said. We know the situation. We’ve gotta relay that as an offense. It starts with everyone — top down. Ultimately it’s on me," It’s overtime. You need to know how many timeouts you have. Period. Most high school quarterbacks have more situational awareness than Daniels demonstrated. It’s good that he concluded by saying it’s on him. Because before that, he vaguely pointed his fingers at the coaching staff — perhaps for not reminding him that he didn't have a timeout left. It reveals two points of immaturity: 1) Daniels needs reminding of timeouts (and general hand-holding) at the game’s most crucial moments, and 2) Daniels isn’t wise enough to simply take the public blame. His comments have, no doubt, accelerated coach Dan Quinn’s departure. The ending sequence marred what was otherwise an impressive game from Daniels. He had 300 total yards (199 passing; 103 rushing) and two rushing touchdowns. He had the most scramble yards of his career, per Next Gen Stats. And Daniels hit 20.54 mph on his 38-yard TD run, the fastest play of his career. Kyler Murray had the best throw of the week, given the stakes and the risk and the … everything. The Vikings were trailing by a point in the third quarter when Murray stood in a clean pocket and fired the ball into the deep left corner of the end zone. There was Justin Jefferson, of course. It’s basically always a sensible decision to throw to him. But standing all around JJ, there were three defenders. It was double coverage with a third Saint running over to help in any way possible. He couldn’t. New Orleans was beyond help. Murray put the ball in a perfect spot — just beyond the defenders' reach. And Jefferson elevated to snatch the ball. The margin for error is always small when throwing in an area with so many defenders. But it’s even smaller when dealing with the sideline and the back of the end zone. This was the throw that should worry folks around the NFL. So far this season, Murray has been the ultimate game manager. He demonstrated restraint in all the ways the Vikings hoped he would (and all the ways Murray seemed to feel he couldn’t afford in Arizona, where he was constantly trying to do it all). Murray went 24 of 30 (80% completion rate and a +6.8 CPOE) for 229 yards and a touchdown. He also had 10 carries for 51 yards (+15 RYOE). In other words, he’s quietly helping Kevin O’Connell get the most out of this Vikings offense. It seems that, together, Kyler and O’Connell are getting their groove back. There's been plenty of drama around a Cowboys staffer telling Dak Prescott that the team’s loss to the Buccaneers this past Thursday was "embarrassing." That wasn’t how I saw it. Sure, Prescott was no revelation — nor did he redeem his team for its terrible performance. But he was fairly steady in a game where his pass-catchers were struggling with separation — and having difficulty wrangling the contested catches that basically define this offense’s success. The Cowboys had three drops against Tampa Bay, per PFF. Both of Prescott’s interceptions went off the hands of a receiver — and on well-thrown balls. You’ll hear people talk about how sacks are a quarterback stat. (Which is about 75 percent true.) And you’ll hear people asking that some interceptions get scored against receivers. Well, these two picks were perfect examples of why. Dak finished with a 57% completion rate, but PFF scored him an adjusted completion rate at 67.5. That includes the drops and other on-target throws that should’ve been completions. This doesn’t totally excuse Prescott for struggling with ball placement. He should’ve been sharper, leaving meat on the bone when throwing to George Pickens. Yes, believe it or not, Pickens’ big day (nine catches, 130 yards and a TD) should’ve been even bigger. Prescott's M.O. is pinpoint accuracy, and he can’t blame all the incompletions on his receivers. I just can’t fault him too deeply for a night where his teammates and coaches were the ones making the biggest mistakes. Jared Goff is now at 12 passing touchdowns and zero turnovers for the first five games. He’s the first QB in NFL history to do that. He’s leading the NFL in passing yards and is tied for second in passing touchdowns. And his connection with Jameson Williams finally clicked in this game — which I’d been saying for weeks was a reason why this offense could actually get better. It did get better — with Williams and Goff making up for lost time and missed opportunities. They connected on two touchdown passes, including one from 39 yards out in the Lions' shellacking of the Cardinals. The one point of context from the first five weeks: the Lions have faced the worst scoring defense (Cardinals), second-worst (Saints), fifth-worst (Bills) and seventh-worst (Panthers). The Jets are the best unit the Lions have faced, and to the latter's credit, they put up 31 points against New York’s stingy defense, which is allowing an average of 19.2 points per game (fifth-best). Amid this quietly historic run, Goff is making small improvements around his career-long difficulties with pressure. When facing pressure, he has an EPA per dropback of -.19. Without pressure, he has an EPA per dropback of .45. The former mark is still pretty bad. But this represents a better split than it has been from 2023 to 2025, when Goff saw the biggest drop-off in the NFL (falling from .43 without pressure to -.42 against it). It’s also a heck of a lot better than Michael Penix, who falls from .63 unpressured to -.82 pressured. Goff will spend his season contending with his defense — which is among the worst in the league. That’s his most obvious problem. But the Lions also won't go anywhere until their veteran QB figures out how to handle and neutralize pressure, both with pre-snap adjustments and with post-snap poise. That’s the final frontier for Goff. Of course, it has been for quite some time. In an incredible road win over the Rams in overtime on Monday night, Josh Allen did what won him the MVP in 2024. He overcame his mistakes (and I actually thought his interception was downright smart as far as turnovers go). He overcame James Cook’s mistakes. And he did it with his WR1, D.J. Moore, out with an injury. Allen wasn’t even that good as a passer, but with his 121 yards rushing and two total touchdowns, he completely took control of the game.

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Big Bets Report: Huge Wager On Ravens Moneyline Cashes In For Six Figures

The past week perfectly displayed the Yin and Yang of betting on NFL odds, particularly for high-rollers, who aren’t necessarily sharp, but certainly have a lot of disposable income. Last Monday night, a six-figure bet landed on the Falcons to beat the Saints. On Sunday night, an even larger six-figure play dropped on the Ravens to beat the Falcons. And in between, the Cowboys were dealt the season’s biggest upset by the Bucs, vaporizing a six-figure wager while making a big winner of a prediction markets trader. More on all that activity, along with a parlay that rode Oklahoma’s upset to a five-figure payday, plus a seemingly ridiculous Polymarket trade on the Jaguars that needed just eight seconds to cash out. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. In the final game of Week 4, the Falcons and Saints got together last Monday night in New Orleans. At Caesars Sports, a customer ponied up $150,000 on Atlanta moneyline +105. Then the two-headed monster of Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson combined for five touchdowns, as the Falcons rolled to a 45-24 victory. The bettor bagged $157,500 profit, for a total payout of $307,500. But as they say, what comes around, goes around. In NFL Week 5 odds, the Falcons were home favorites vs. the Ravens because Baltimore didn’t have quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was out with an ankle injury. That led to a lot of Atlanta support from the public betting masses. In Las Vegas, though, a high-roller put a whopping $272,194.60 (yep, 60 cents, too, and don’t ask me why) on Ravens moneyline +155 at Red Rock Resort. The Falcons led much of the night, including 23-15 after a field goal with 2:31 remaining. But the Ravens then drove for a touchdown, and Derrick Henry ran in the 2-point conversion to tie it at 23 and force overtime. Then backup QB Tyler Huntley led a 14-play, 68-yard drive, capped by his 1-yard TD plunge. A Ravens interception subsequently ended the Falcons’ possession and the game, giving Baltimore a 30-23 victory. And giving the bettor a massive win of $421,901.65, for a total payout of $694,096.25. The Cowboys were the biggest favorite on the NFL Week 5 oddsboard, closing at -9.5 against the winless Bucs. And there were more signs that pointed to an easy Dallas victory: A Caesars Sports customer got a better number than the closer, putting $106,000 on Cowboys -8. But at no point was Dallas covering, and in fact, the Pokes trailed almost the entire second half, including 24-10 after the third quarter. The Cowboys ultimately lost 24-16, making that wager a six-figure donation to the house. On the flip side, though, a trader at Kalshi put $84,000 worth of faith into the big underdog Buccaneers. The transaction was at a price of 20%, which correlates to +400 in betting odds. Behind a clean game from Daniels and a big night from running back Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay held on for a 24-16 victory. And the Kalshi customer bagged a huge profit of $336,000 (total payout $420,000). If you can accurately predict underdogs winning outright, then you stand to make some good money. Much easier said than done, of course. But a Fanatics Sportsbook customer rode four college football upsets to a big payday, capped by one of the day’s biggest games, Texas vs. Oklahoma. The bettor put $100 on a parlay that included two teams as even bigger underdogs than Oklahoma: Buffalo at Toledo, and California at home vs. Virginia Tech. Surprisingly, Buffalo scored the first 16 points vs. Toledo en route to a 23-8 victory. And Cal got a touchdown with 18 seconds left to knock off VaTech 25-20. Houston had zero trouble with Kansas State, rolling 35-16. And Oklahoma finished it off, rallying from a 17-7 halftime deficit to upend No. 1 Texas 27-24 on a final-seconds field goal. At hefty odds of +14676 — just shy of 147/1 — that hundred bucks turned into $14,676 profit. Now that’s an upset. Prediction markets remain a controversial topic but are still operating and seeing a lot of football trades made across the country. And there were some big transactions over the past few days. On Sunday, though, a far smaller trade actually proved to be the most interesting, and the ROI was fantastic. A Kalshi customer put $175 on Giants vs. Commanders ending in a tie, at a price of just 2%. That translates to odds of about +4903. Washington took a 27-13 lead on Jayden Daniels’ second TD run of the game, with 11:05 remaining in the fourth quarter. But New York rallied with two touchdowns to tie it at 27 with 1:43 left, and the game went to overtime. Then neither team scored in OT, with Washington completely blowing an opportunity to kick the winning field goal in the waning seconds. Instead, the clock ran out after Daniels was sacked at the Giants’ 24-yard line. So the game ended in a 27-27 tie, and the trader profited $8,581 (total payout $8,756). No, it’s not a six-figure payday. But anytime you can 49x your money, it’s been a great day. And how about this maneuver at Polymarket: After the Jaguars went down 17-16 on an Eagles field goal, with just eight seconds remaining, a trader put $2,817.99 on Jacksonville to win the game. That trade was also in the 2% range of succeeding. But Ameer Abdullah had other ideas, returning the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to the Eagles’ 39-yard line. Adbullah was brought down with just one second on the clock, and Cam Little then booted a 57-yard field goal to give the Jags a shocking 19-17 victory. And the trader profited $122,426.01 (total payout $125,244). It’s not all about making big bets or cashing out huge on a 10-leg parlay. Which, to be clear, is rare. Sometimes, it’s about putting 10 bucks on a single straight bet, backing a long shot or semi-long shot, and getting a solid return on investment. For example, backup tight end Teagan Quitoriano somehow had two of the Cardinals’ three touchdowns in a 45-21 blowout loss to the Lions. At Caesars Sports, Quitoriano was +45000 (450/1) to score two or more TDs. If you’d just taken a $10 flier on that player prop, then you’d be sitting on $4,500 profit. But that’s a huge long shot. In the more realistic realm: How about QB C.J. Stroud scoring the first touchdown of the Texans-Titans game? Stroud was +3500 (35/1) to do so at DraftKings Sports. Strangely, the game’s first TD didn’t come until midway through the third quarter, but it was on a 2-yard Stroud run. Ten bucks on that would’ve netted $350 profit. In the Bucs’ Thursday night upset, Bucky Irving was +1500 to score two or more touchdowns, at FanDuel Sports. He scored in the second and third quarters. A tenner on that turns into $150 profit. If you got frisky and bet $100, then you’d pocket $1,500. And if you’re one of those who likes to take an alternative shot on First Touchdown Scorer, then the Ravens-Falcons game provided just such an opportunity. Seven minutes into the first quarter, Atlanta safety Jessie Bates III got a scoop-and-score off a Mark Andrews fumble, returning it 36 yards to put the Falcons up 7-3. In the First TD Scorer market, FanDuel had Atlanta’s defense at +3500. Ten dollars on that would have your wallet $350 fatter today. The biggest reported bet on either NFL Week 5 odds or college football Week 6 odds arrived at Caesars Sports on Saturday’s Texas A&M vs. Missouri showdown. The customer dropped an eye-popping $850,000 on Tigers moneyline -173. All Mizzou had to do was win, by any margin. It was a no-sweat bet, as the Tigers coasted to a 27-6 victory. The bettor turned a profit of $491,329 (total payout $1,341,329). Parlaying big favorites isn’t always the best idea. But it can pay off, and it did for a Station Sports customer on Sunday in Vegas. The bettor put $139,000 on Bengals moneyline -170/Lions moneyline -250. So all that was needed was for Cincinnati to beat Miami and Detroit to beat Arizona, regardless of margin. The Lions routed the Cards 45-21, while the Bengals held off Miami 31-24. At -128 odds, the bettor profited $108,194 (total payout $247,194). Other notable wagers on NFL Week 5 odds and college football Week 6 odds: It’s always worth reminding that these high-profile, high-net-worth customers have the ability to make big bets and often absorb big losses. For you and me, not so much. So keep your bet size and expectations reasonable. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.

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Déjà Vu: Seahawks Won't Repeat Unless Sam Darnold Kicks Turnover Bug, Again

Lumen Field (Seattle) — We've seen this movie before. Sam Darnold threw the ball to the other team again and again on Sunday. The Seattle Seahawks' quarterback had a two-interception showing in their home loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, falling 32-29. After another multi-interception game, Darnold was quick to point the finger at himself, as he should. "I've just got to continue to trust myself, trust myself, trust my feet and trust what I’m doing," Darnold said at the podium. "I’ve just got to be better taking care of the football." Only three quarterbacks have more interceptions than Darnold’s five this season, and he’s played in essentially two fewer games. Remember, Darnold missed practically the entire first two games of the season due to a glute injury. He's now thrown an interception in all three games he's started and finished, with Sunday being his second multi-interception game of the year after leading the league in turnovers last season with 20. Still, Seattle Seahawks left guard Grey Zabel told me it’s up to the rest of Seattle’s teammates to pick up their quarterback when he’s struggling. "It starts up front, being better," Zabel told me. "Me, in particular, giving the quarterback time and making him feel comfortable up there. Allowing him to make throws. … I don’t think Sam’s the problem. The problem was the left guard not being good enough, and that’s on me." While it’s admirable that Zabel took accountability for Darnold and his offense’s poor performance, Seattle’s issues go deeper than an occasional missed block by the second-year offensive lineman. Since moving on from Kenneth Walker III in free agency, the Seahawks haven’t effectively run the football. They entered Sunday 14th in the league in rushing, with first-round pick Jadarian Price dealing with fumble issues before getting placed on injured reserve recently. They rushed for 89 yards on 3.4 yards per carry on Sunday, continuing their struggles. And Seattle's inability to run the ball came against a San Francisco front that hasn't played all too well this season. The 49ers' pass rush is considered among the league's least dangerous, and they were missing Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa. Yet, Seattle allowed five sacks and a 45.7% pressure rate, per Next Gen Stats. That led to Darnold's pedestrian final stat line. He completed 18 of 29 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown with a 64.6 passer rating. Of course, there were also the two interceptions, which were both made by 49ers cornerback Renardo Green. Darnold wasn't the only one who played sloppy on Sunday, though. In what could be characterized as the game of the season so far, neither team played clean football. The seven combined turnovers by both teams are the most in a game this season, according to FOX Sports Research. The 38 combined points off turnovers were the most in a game this season and most in a game since 2017. The heavyweight, see-saw battle saw four lead changes. One player was ejected: San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw, when he headbutted Seattle’s green-dot play caller, fellow linebacker Ernest Jones, who did not have his helmet on. Greenlaw found himself surrounded by Seahawks after hitting Darnold along Seattle’s sideline while he was out of bounds. But the 49ers figured out a way to tame Seattle’s offense without the tone-setter in the middle of their defense. The game included a rare drop on the potential game-winning drive by Jaxon Smith-Njigba that would have put Seattle into field goal position with 54 seconds left. A play later, the game ended with (no surprise) a controversial call when Cooper Kupp was called short of a first down by a yard while diving for the line to gain. Defensively, the Seahawks pressured Brock Purdy in his worst game this season. Purdy finished 19 of 29 for 189 yards, with two touchdown passes. He was sacked for the first time this year and also threw an interception corralled by Seattle defensive back Nehemiah Prichett. However, Seattle struggled to slow down perennial Pro Bowler Mike Evans, who finished with game highs in catches (7) and receiving yards (113), along with executing a viral moment where he named-checked Seattle veteran cornerback Trevon Diggs. Evans' teammate Fred Warner described the veteran receiver as "walking aura," which felt very appropriate considering how he played against the Seahawks on Sunday. But even with the struggles around Darnold, the quarterback's play will ultimately determine whether Seattle repeats as champions in 2026. And the Seahawks have proof that Darnold playing clean football leads to winning games. The USC product did not turn the ball over in the postseason, leading his team to a Super Bowl title. So why does Darnold have five interceptions in just three games and a handful of plays in the season opener? Head coach Mike Macdonald said his team must get back to playing effective and efficient football. "It’s everybody," Macdonald said, when asked about Darnold’s struggles. "It’s not just Sam. And Sam knows it. It’s not like he wants to turn it over. We need to play collectively more efficiently, and I think when that happens, the ball doesn’t come into jeopardy as much." Again, this isn't unfamiliar territory for Darnold and the Seahawks. They engineered the same things last year, starting 3-2 before winning 11 of the last 12 games to close out the year. In fact, Darnold also had an early-season performance to forget in a loss to the 49ers last year as well, throwing for just 150 yards in a 17-13 loss. But every year is different. This year, Darnold will have to mitigate his mistakes to help Seattle overcome its shortcomings in the running game. Can Darnold do that? Kupp certainly believes so. "The energy, the belief and the trust in Sam is unwavering," Kupp said. "There’s just an expectation the next time to try and find a way to meet the moment."

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2026 Super Bowl Odds: Rams Remain Favorites; Patriots, Packers Rise

The Rams flipped the script last week. But can they build on it Monday night? After blowing a halftime lead against Denver the week before, Los Angeles rallied from 10 points down with less than eight minutes remaining to beat Philadelphia 24-20. According to Next Gen Stats, the Rams’ win probability fell to just 3.2% before they scored 14 unanswered points to pull off the improbable comeback. The win put L.A. atop the Super Bowl oddsboard once again. Now, the Rams will host Buffalo in a huge Monday Night Football showdown at SoFi Stadium to cap off Week 5. But on Sunday, two familiar teams surged up the oddsboard after blowout wins. Let’s take a look at the latest Super Bowl odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Oct. 12. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Rams: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)49ers: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)Ravens: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)Bills: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)Chiefs: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Seahawks: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)Jaguars: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)Bears: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)Bengals: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)Patriots: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Broncos: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Vikings: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Lions: +2600 (bet $10 to win $270 total)Cowboys: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Eagles: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Texans: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Packers: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Falcons: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Panthers: +7400 (bet $10 to win $750 total)Colts: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)Steelers: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Raiders: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Commanders: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Buccaneers: +12500 (bet $10 to win $1,260 total)Giants: +12500 (bet $10 to win $1,260 total)Saints: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)Chargers: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Browns: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)Jets: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)Cardinals: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)Titans: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)Dolphins: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total) Here's what to know about the Super Bowl LXI oddsboard: The Favorite: The Rams were blown out in Australia in Week 1, then learned that reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett would miss multiple weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. But Los Angeles responded in Week 2, looking like the team everyone expected even without Garrett and Puka Nacua. That continued into the first half of Week 3, when the Rams built a 16-0 lead over the Broncos. Denver came roaring back, however, handing Los Angeles a 30-26 loss. The 16-point collapse tied for the third-largest blown lead of Sean McVay’s head coaching career. In Week 4, the Rams delivered a comeback of their own, scoring 14 unanswered points to beat the Eagles 24-20. L.A. outgained Philadelphia 415-172 and converted seven of 16 third-down attempts, while holding the Eagles to 0-for-12. As a result, the Rams once again stand alone as the Super Bowl favorites at +650 and await Buffalo on Monday night. Packers and Patriots: Green Bay’s Super Bowl odds shortened from +6500 to +4500 after blowing out Chicago for its 110th win over the Bears, including playoffs, extending the NFL record for most wins against a single opponent. The Packers have now won 13 straight season-opening matchups with Chicago and 10 of the last 11 meetings at Lambeau Field. Jordan Love continued to roll, with Matthew Golden and Christian Watson each topping 100 receiving yards. Love has thrown at least two touchdown passes in all five games this season, the first Packers quarterback to do so since Aaron Rodgers in 2011. New England’s odds shortened from +2500 to +2000 after a blowout win over Las Vegas, and Drake Maye’s turnaround has fueled the surge. After recording just one touchdown and seven giveaways in Weeks 1-3, Maye has seven touchdowns, the most in the NFL, and only two giveaways over Weeks 4-5. Buffalo Slides: The Bills got off to a dream 3-0 start, taking early control of the AFC East and the AFC playoff race. But on Sunday, Buffalo fell to the struggling Patriots as Drake Maye rediscovered his form from last season. New England has now beaten the Bills in Buffalo in consecutive seasons, making the AFC East race much more interesting than it looked earlier this week. Still, Buffalo sits at 3-1 and could become the new favorite if they beat the Rams on MNF. Biggest Fallers: The Chargers and Eagles have taken some of the biggest hits on the Super Bowl oddsboard through five weeks. The Chargers are 0-5 for the first time since 2017 and have lost eight straight games dating back to last season. Through five games this season, Justin Herbert has posted a 38.2 fourth quarter passer rating. For context, if he spiked the ball into the ground on every single fourth quarter play, his passer rating would be higher at 39.6. Their Super Bowl odds have fallen from +1600 before the season to +20000. Philadelphia has also taken a tumble. After a 2-0 start, the Eagles lost 27-7 to the Case Keenum-led Bears, blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against the Rams last week and then lost in London to the Jaguars in a game they led with under 10 seconds remaining. Their Super Bowl odds have dropped from +1500 to +4000.

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